Jewish Texts
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Ethical behavior
I would like some readings/writings about the phrase “derech eretz”– I think of it as “respect” but I would like to pursue this “right road” further. I hope that there have been many comments and understandings of what is the…
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Genesis
Do the Jewish accept Genesis as actual fact or parable? When was Genesis written? It is fact that must, like the entire Torah, be interpreted. We believe that the world was created in six days, but what is the meaning…
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Age of the Torah
Historically when does Jewish tradition say the Torah dates from. The Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai occurred on the 6th Day of Sivan in the Year 2448 from Creation (1312 BCE). This makes the Torah 3317 years old.
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[name] the son of [father’s name]
When the bible speaks of a person, often the person is named as the Son of… What is the significance of the phrase. How important is this relationship; Father to the Son or visa vesa As you can see, lineage…
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Torah Portions
Deuteronomy (31:10-13) tells us to read the Torah once every seven years during the festival of booths. I also know that about a thousand years ago, a Rabbi decided that the people were forgetting what the Torah said so he…
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Open and sealed Torah texts
I understand that the Torah is the five books as given to Moses. Are those books ‘sealed’, in that they are complete and have not changed or do not change? My understanding of the Talmud is that is is comprised…
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Translation of the Book of Ruth
Do you know of a translation of the Book of Ruth? My Hebrew is not good enough for me to read along when listening in the synagogue. Thank you I think this should do the trick nicely: The Metsudah Five…
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What is “before” G-d?
In Genesis 6:11 it says “The land became corrupted before G-d” How can it be before G-d if he is the creator? I suspect, as someone recently asked me a similar question, that you are understanding the word “before” as…
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Let US make man
What did G-D mean when he said in Genesis 1:26 “let US make man in our image. Who is the US? Answer: That’s an excellent question. How can the Torah say US if there’s only one G-d? The answer is…