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Passover Eve
Fast of the Firstborn ( or ''taʿăniṯ bəḵorim'') is a unique fast day in Judaism, which usually falls on the day before Passover (i.e., 14 Nisan, a month in the Hebrew calendar; Passover begins on 15 Nisan). In modern times, the fast is usually broken at a siyum celebration (typically made after Shaharit), which, according to the prevailing custom, creates an atmosphere of rejoicing that overrides the requirement to continue the fast. Unlike all other Jewish fast days, only firstborn children must fast on this day. This fast commemorates the salvation of the Israelite firstborns during the Plague of the Firstborn (according to the Book of Exodus, the tenth of the ten plagues wrought upon Biblical Egypt before the Exodus), when, according to Exodus (12:29): "In the middle of the night יהוה struck down all the alefirst-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on the throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Firstborn
A firstborn (also known as an eldest child or sometimes firstling) is the first child born to in the birth order of a couple through childbirth. Historically, the role of the firstborn child has been socially significant, particularly for a firstborn son in patriarchy, patriarchal societies. In law, many systems have incorporated the concept of primogeniture, wherein the firstborn child inherits their parent's property. The firstborn (Judaism), firstborn in Judaism, the ''bechor'', is also accorded a special position. History Alfred Adler (1870–1937), an Austrian psychiatrist, and a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, was one of the first theorists to suggest that birth order influences Personality psychology, personality in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He argued that birth order can leave an indelible impression on an individual's style of life, which is one's habitual way of dealing with the tasks of friendship, love, and work. According to Adler ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aaron Ben Jacob Ha-Kohen
Aaron ben Jacob ha-Kohen was one of the hachmei Provence, one of a family of scholars living at Narbonne, France (not Lunel, as David Conforte and others say), who suffered from The Great Exile of 1306. Ben Jacob emigrated to Mallorca, and there, sometime before 1327, composed a ritual work of great merit bearing the title ''Orchot Hayyim'' "Paths of Life". The first part deals chiefly with the laws concerning daily prayers, Shabbat, and the festivals, and was published in Florence in 1752. The work is a compilation of Talmudic laws and discussions rather than an original system and was conceived on a plan similar to Jacob ben Asher's great code, the ''Arba'ah Turim'', which appeared soon afterward and superseded it as a ritual guide on account of its more practical character. The ''Orchot Hayyim,'' however, contains some ethical and doctrinal chapters which are not found in the ''Arba'ah Turim''. Ben Jacob was especially fond of mystic lore and rabbinical discussion. A less str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (; July 20, 1910 – February 20, 1995) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva of the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem neighborhood Ramat Shlomo is named after Auerbach. Biography Auerbach was the first child to be born in the Sha'arei Hesed neighborhood of Jerusalem founded by his maternal grandfather, Shlomo Zalman Porush, after whom he was named. His father, Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach, was rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva, and his mother was named Tzivia. Following his marriage, he studied under Zvi Pesach Frank at Kollel Kerem Tzion. His first major published work, ''Meorei Esh'', was the first ever written on the subject of using electricity on Shabbat. He was the brother-in-law of Rabbi Sholom Schwadron, who married his sister Leah. Auerbach died on February 20, 1995. An estimated 300,000 - 500,000 people attended his funeral in 1995. He was interred on Har HaMenuchot. Auerbach had seven sons, including ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Esther Rabbah
Esther Rabbah (Hebrew: אסתר רבה) is a midrash to the Book of Esther. From its plan and scope, it is apparently an incomplete collection of the rich aggadic material which has been produced on the Book of Esther. Structure Except in the Vilna and Warsaw editions with their modern and arbitrary divisions, this Midrash consists of six "parashiyyot" (chapters, sections; singular = "parashah") introduced by one or more proems. These chapters begin respectively at Esther 1:1, 1:4, 1:9, 1:13, 2:1, 2:5. In the Venice edition of 1545, each chapter has at the end the words "selika parashata..." This division was probably based on the sections of the Esther scroll, as indicated by the closed paragraphs (סתומות); such paragraphs existing in the present text to 1:9, 1:13, 1:16, 2:1, 2:5, etc. The beginning of 1:4, as well as the lack of a beginning to 1:16, may be due to differences in the division of the text. It may furthermore be assumed that a new parashah began with the sec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Susa
Susa ( ) was an ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh River, Karkheh and Dez River, Dez Rivers in Iran. One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital of Elam and the winter capital of the Achaemenid Empire, and remained a strategic centre during the Parthian Empire, Parthian and Sasanian Empire, Sasanian periods. The site currently consists of three archaeological mounds, covering an area of around . The city of Shush, Iran, Shush is located on the site of ancient Susa. Name The name Susa is of Elamiate origin and has appeared in many languages: *Middle *Middle and Neo- *Neo-Elamite language, Elamite and Achaemenid Empire, Achaemenid *Achaemenid Empire, Achaemenid * * * * or *New * Literary references Susa was one of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East. In Historiography, historic literature, Susa appears in the very earliest Sumerian records: for exa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Esther
Esther (; ), originally Hadassah (; ), is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. According to the biblical narrative, which is set in the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus falls in love with Esther and marries her. His grand vizier Haman is offended by Esther's cousin and guardian Mordecai because of his refusal to bow before him; bowing in front of another person was a prominent gesture of respect in Persian society, but deemed unacceptable by Mordecai, who believes that a Jew should only express submissiveness to God. Consequently, Haman plots to have all of Persia's Jews killed, and eventually convinces Ahasuerus to permit him to do so. However, Esther foils the plan by revealing and decrying Haman's plans to Ahasuerus, who then has Haman executed and grants permission to the Jews to take up arms against their enemies; Esther is hailed for her courage and for working to save the Jewish nation from eradication. The Book of Esther's st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haman
Haman ( ; also known as Haman the Agagite) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who according to the Hebrew Bible was an official in the court of the Achaemenid Empire, Persian empire under King Ahasuerus#Book of Esther, Ahasuerus, commonly identified as Xerxes I (died 465 Common era, BCE) but traditionally equated with Artaxerxes I of Persia, Artaxerxes I or Artaxerxes II of Persia, Artaxerxes II. His epithet, ''Agagite'', indicates that Haman was a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Some commentators interpret this descent to be symbolic, due to his similar personality. Retrieved 13 February 2017 In the narrative of the Book of Esther, Haman was a proud and ambitious man who demanded that everyone bow down to him as a sign of respect. However, a Jewish man named Mordecai refused to bow down to him, which enraged Haman. Seeking revenge, Haman convinced the king to issue a decree that all Jews in the Persian empire be Genocide, exterminated. Haman's plot was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacob Emden
Jacob Emden, also known as the Yaʿavetz (June 4, 1697 – April 19, 1776), was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed traditional Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement. He was widely acclaimed for his extensive knowledge. Emden was the son of the hakham Tzvi Ashkenazi and a descendant of Elijah Ba'al Shem of Chełm. He spent most of his life in Altona (now part of Hamburg, Germany). His son, Meshullam Solomon, served as rabbi of the Hambro Synagogue in London and claimed authority as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom from 1765 to 1780. The acronym Yaʿavetz (, also rendered ''Yaavetz'') is formed from his Hebrew name, Yaʿkov ben Tzvi (). Seven of his 31 works were published posthumously. Biography Early life and education Jacob Emden (born Ashkenazi) was the fifth of his father's 15 children. Until the age of seventeen, he studied Talmud under his father, Tzvi Ashkenazi, a foremost rabbinic authority, first in Alt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ta'anit
A ta'anit or taynis (Biblical Hebrew ''taʿaniṯ'' or צוֹם ''ṣom'') is a fast in Judaism in which one abstains from all food and drink, including water. Purposes A Jewish fast may have one or more purposes, including: * Atonement for sins: Fasting is not considered the primary means of acquiring atonement; rather, sincere regret for and rectification of wrongdoing is key. Nevertheless, fasting is conducive to atonement, for it tends to precipitate contrition. Therefore, the Bible requires fasting on Yom Kippur. Because, according to the Hebrew Bible, hardship and calamitous circumstances can occur as a result of sin, fasting is often undertaken by the community or by individuals to achieve atonement and avert catastrophe. Most of the Talmud's Tractate ''Ta'anit'' ("Fast ) is dedicated to the protocol involved in declaring and observing fast days. * Commemorative mourning: Most communal fast days that are set permanently in the Jewish calendar serve this purpose. These fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Babylonian Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewish cultural life and was foundational to "all Jewish thought and aspirations", serving also as "the guide for the daily life" of Jews. The Talmud includes the teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis on a variety of subjects, including halakha, Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs, history, and folklore, and many other topics. The Talmud is a commentary on the Mishnah. This text is made up of 63 tractates, each covering one subject area. The language of the Talmud is Jewish Babylonian Aramaic. Talmudic tradition emerged and was compiled between the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and the Arab conquest in the early seventh century. Traditionally, it is thought that the Talmud itself was compiled by Rav Ashi and Ravina II a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yosef Eliyahu Henkin
Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin (1881–1973) was a prominent Orthodox rabbi in the United States. Biography He was born in 1881 in Klimavichy, Belarus, then in the Russian Empire, and studied at the Slutzker Yeshiva under Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer. He received rabbinical ordination ('' semichah'') from Meltzer, and he was also ordained by Rabbis Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky, Boruch Ber Leibowitz and Yechiel Michel Epstein. According to Henkin's grandson, Henkin did not remember receiving ordination from Rabbi Epstein, and for his ordination from Rabbi Wilovsky he was not tested by Wilovsky himself, but by Wilovsky's son-in-law. After serving as rabbi in a number of Russian towns, he emigrated to America in 1922. In 1925 he became the director of Ezras Torah, which provided assistance to scholars. He served in that capacity until his death. Following his decisions, Ezras Torah published an annual calendar (luach) listing the synagogue and liturgical customs for each day, specifying ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moses Isserles
Moses Isserles (; ; 22 February 1530 / 25 Adar I 5290 – 11 May 1572 / 18 Iyar 5332), also known by the acronym Rema, was an eminent Polish Ashkenazi rabbi, talmudist, and '' posek'' (expert in Jewish law). He is considered the "Maimonides of Polish Jewry." Biography Isserles was born in Kraków, Poland. His father, Israel ben Josef (known as Isserl), was a prominent talmudist and independently wealthy, who had probably headed the community; his grandfather, Jehiel Luria, was the first rabbi of Brisk. (In an era which preceded the common use of surnames, Moses became known by his patronymic, Isserles.) At first he studied at home, and then in Lublin under Rabbi Shalom Shachna, who would later become his father-in-law. Among his fellow pupils were his relative Solomon Luria (Maharshal)—later a major disputant of many of Isserles' halachic rulings,Mishor 2010, p. 15 and Chayyim b. Bezalel, an older brother of the Maharal. His first wife died young, at the age of 20 and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
