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Biblical Commandment
In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; , ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment from God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discussion of these commandments. According to religious tradition, there are 613 such commandments. In its secondary meaning, the word ''mitzvah'' refers to a deed performed in order to fulfill such a commandment. As such, the term ''mitzvah'' has also come to express an individual act of human kindness in keeping with the law. The expression includes a sense of heartfelt sentiment beyond mere legal duty, as "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). For some ''mitzvot'', the purpose is specified in the Torah; though, the opinions of the Talmudic rabbis are divided between those who seek the purpose of the ''mitzvot'' and those who do not question them. The former believe that if people were to understand the reason for each ''mitzvah'', it would h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hebrew Language
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language until after 200 CE and as the liturgical language of Judaism (since the Second Temple period) and Samaritanism. The language was revived as a spoken language in the 19th century, and is the only successful large-scale example of linguistic revival. It is the only Canaanite language, as well as one of only two Northwest Semitic languages, with the other being Aramaic, still spoken today. The earliest examples of written Paleo-Hebrew date back to the 10th century BCE. Nearly all of the Hebrew Bible is written in Biblical Hebrew, with much of its present form in the dialect that scholars believe flourished around the 6th century BCE, during the time of the Babylonian captivity. For this reason, Hebrew has been referred to by Jews as '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nachmanides
Moses ben Nachman ( ''Mōše ben-Nāḥmān'', "Moses son of Nachman"; 1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides (; ''Nakhmanídēs''), and also referred to by the acronym Ramban (; ) and by the contemporary nickname Bonastruc ça Porta (; literally "Mazel tov, Mazel Tov near the Gate", see ), was a leading medieval Jewish scholar, Jews of Catalonia, Catalan rabbi, philosophy, philosopher, physician, Kabbalah, kabbalist, and Jewish commentaries on the Bible, biblical commentator. He was raised, studied, and lived for most of his life in Girona, Catalonia. He is also considered to be an important figure in the re-establishment of the Jewish community in Jerusalem following its Siege of Jerusalem (1099), destruction by the Crusaders in 1099. Name "Nachmanides" () is a Greek language, Greek-influenced formation meaning "son of Nahman". He is also commonly known by the Hebrew acronym (Ra-M-Ba-N, for ''Rabbeinu Mōšeh bēn-Nāḥmān'', "Our Rabbi Moses son of Nahman"). His Cata ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tanya (Judaism)
The ''Tanya'' () is an early work of Hasidic philosophy, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, first published in 1796. Its formal title is ''Likkutei Amarim'' (, Hebrew, "collection of statements") but is more commonly known by its first word (''tanya''), which in Aramaic means "it has been taught". Zalman is referring to a baraita in "Niddah" chapter 3 in the word’s first usage. The ''Tanya'' is composed of five sections that define Hasidic mystical psychology and theology as a handbook for daily spiritual life in Jewish observance. The ''Tanya'' is the main work of Chabad philosophy and the Chabad approach to Hasidic mysticism, as it defines its general interpretation and method. The subsequent extensive library of the Chabad school, authored by successive leaders, builds upon the approach of the ''Tanya''. Chabad differed from mainstream Hasidism by its philosophical investigation and intellectual analysis of Hasidic Torah exegesis. Thi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birkat Hamazon
Birkat Hamazon ( "The Blessing of the Food"), known in English as the Grace After Meals ( "to bless", Yinglish: Bentsching), is a set of Hebrew language, Hebrew blessings that Halakha, Jewish law prescribes following a meal that includes at least a kezayit (olive-sized) piece of bread. It is understood as a mitzvah (Biblical commandment) based on Book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 8:10. Birkat Hamazon is recited after a meal containing bread or similar foods that is made from the Chametz#The five grains, five grains, with the exception of bread that comes as a dessert (') and food that does not possess the form or appearance of bread ('), in which case a blessing that summarizes the first three blessings (') is recited instead. It is a matter of rabbinic dispute whether ''Birkat Hamazon'' must be said after eating certain other bread-like foods such as pizza. Except in teaching situations, ''Birkat Hamazon'' is typically read individually after ordinary meals. The blessing can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mezuzah
A ''mezuzah'' ( "doorpost"; plural: ''mezuzot'') is a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew language, Hebrew verses from the Torah, which Jews affix in a small case to the doorposts of their homes. These verses are the Biblical passages in which the use of a mezuzah is commanded ( and ); they also form part of the Shema Yisrael, Shema prayer. According to Halakha, traditional Jewish law, a ''mezuzah'' must be placed on every Post and lintel, post-and-lintel entrance to a residence, courtyard, or city. Since the time of Meir of Rothenburg (), religious Jews have increasingly also placed ''mezuzot'' on the entrances to non-residential buildings such as synagogues and offices, and on each internal doorway of the home or building, with the exception of bathrooms (where the Names of God, name of God is forbidden) and small closets. The ''klaf'' is prepared by a qualified scribe ("''sofer stam'') who has undergone training, both in studying the relevant religious laws, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tefillin
Tefillin (Modern Hebrew language, Israeli Hebrew: / ; Ashkenazim, Ashkenazic pronunciation: ; Modern Israeli Hebrew, Modern Hebrew pronunciation: ), or phylacteries, are a set of small black leather boxes with leather straps containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. Tefillin are worn by male adult Jews during weekday and Sunday morning prayers. In Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox and traditional communities, they are worn solely by men, while some Reform Judaism, Reform and Conservative Judaism, Conservative (Masorti) communities allow them to be worn by Jewish adults regardless of gender. In Jewish law (halacha), women are exempt from most time-dependent positive commandments, which include tefillin, and unlike other time-dependent positive commandments, most halachic authorities prohibit them from fulfilling this commandment. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form (the singular being "tefillah"), it is often used as a singular as well. The a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jewish Prayer
Jewish prayer (, ; plural ; , plural ; Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the '' Siddur'', the traditional Jewish prayer book. Prayer, as a "service of the heart," is in principle a Torah-based commandment. It is mandatory for Jewish women and men. However, the rabbinic requirement to recite a specific prayer text does differentiate between men and women: Jewish men are obligated to recite three prayers each day within specific time ranges ('' zmanim''), while, according to many approaches, women are only required to pray once or twice a day, and may not be required to recite a specific text. Traditionally, three prayer services are recited daily: * Morning prayer: ''Shacharit'' or ''Shaharit'' (, "of the dawn") * Afternoon prayer: '' Mincha'' or ''Minha'' (), named for the flour offering that accompanied sacrific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oral Torah
According to Rabbinic Judaism, the Oral Torah or Oral Law () are statutes and legal interpretations that were not recorded in the Five Books of Moses, the Written Torah (), and which are regarded by Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jews as prescriptive and given at the same time. This holistic Jewish code of conduct encompasses a wide swathe of rituals, worship practices, Godman and interpersonal relationships, from Kashrut, dietary laws to Sabbath and festival observance to marital relations, agricultural practices, and civil claims and damages. According to Rabbinic Jewish tradition, the Oral Torah was oral tradition, passed down orally in an unbroken chain from generation to generation until its contents were finally committed to writing following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, when Jewish civilization was faced with an existential threat, by virtue of the dispersion of the Jewish people. The major repositories of the Oral Torah are the ''Mishnah'', compiled between 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nahmanides
Moses ben Nachman ( ''Mōše ben-Nāḥmān'', "Moses son of Nachman"; 1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides (; ''Nakhmanídēs''), and also referred to by the acronym Ramban (; ) and by the contemporary nickname Bonastruc ça Porta (; literally " Mazel Tov near the Gate", see ), was a leading medieval Jewish scholar, Catalan rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator. He was raised, studied, and lived for most of his life in Girona, Catalonia. He is also considered to be an important figure in the re-establishment of the Jewish community in Jerusalem following its destruction by the Crusaders in 1099. Name "Nachmanides" () is a Greek-influenced formation meaning "son of Nahman". He is also commonly known by the Hebrew acronym (Ra-M-Ba-N, for ''Rabbeinu Mōšeh bēn-Nāḥmān'', "Our Rabbi Moses son of Nahman"). His Catalan name was (also written or ), literally " Mazel Tov near the Gate". Biography Nachmanides was born in Girona in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takkanah
A ''takkanah'' (, pl. ''takkanot'', 'improvement') is a major legislative enactment within ''halakha'', the normative system of Judaism's laws. A ''takkanah'' is an enactment that revises an ordinance that no longer satisfies the requirements of the times or circumstances or which, being deduced from a biblical passage, may be regarded as new. A ''takkanah'' is enacted by a rabbinical decree or ordinance to improve and preserve religious life. It is, therefore, the antithesis of the ''gezerah'' (). The term is applied also to the institution provided for in the enactment. ''Takkanot'' were enacted even in the time of the Second Temple, those of unknown origin being ascribed to earlier leaders, and they have been promulgated at all subsequent periods of Jewish history. Introduction Classical Jewish law granted rabbis wide legislative powers. There are two powerful legal tools within the ''Halakhic'' system: * ''Gezeirah'': "preventive legislation" of the classical rabbis, intended ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
De'oraita And Derabanan
The Talmud uses many types of logical arguments. Some of the most common arguments and terms are discussed here. ''Chazakah'' (presumption) The term ''chazakah'' ( — literally, "strong") usually refers to the default assumption; i.e., what is assumed until there is evidence to the contrary. For example, if one is known to have owned real estate, it is assumed that he still owns it until proven otherwise. However, with movable items, the ''chazakah'' lies with whoever currently has the item in his possession, not with the one who had previously owned it. This principle also applies in ritual law. For example: Food known to be kosher maintains its status until there is evidence to the contrary. Also, one who engages in acts done only by '' kohanim'' is assumed to be a ''kohen'' himself, until proven otherwise (see Presumption of priestly descent). ''De'oraita'' and ''derabanan'' A law is ''de'oraita'' (Aramaic: דאורייתא, "of the Torah," i.e. scriptural) if it was given ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maimonides
Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (, ) and also referred to by the Hebrew acronym Rambam (), was a Sephardic rabbi and Jewish philosophy, philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages. In his time, he was also a preeminent astronomer and physician, serving as the personal physician of Saladin. He was born on Passover eve 1138 or 1135, and lived in Córdoba, Spain, Córdoba in al-Andalus (now in Spain) within the Almoravid dynasty, Almoravid Empire until his family was expelled for refusing to convert to Islam. Later, he lived in Morocco and Egypt and worked as a rabbi, physician and philosopher. During his lifetime, most Jews greeted Maimonides' writings on Halakha, Jewish law and Jewish ethics, ethics with acclaim and gratitude, even as far away as Iraq and Yemen. Yet, while Maimonides rose to become the revered head of the History of the Jews in Egypt, Jewish community in Egypt, his writings also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
