LifeCycle Events
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People who were Born Circumcised
Which people mentioned in the Bible were born circumcised? The Midrash (Tanchuma 9:7; Avos de-Rabbi Noson 2:5) lists 13 people who were born circumcised: Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, Terach, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Rashi on…
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Birthdays
What is the Jewish significance of a person's birthday? Special birthdays, such as the day when a person legally becomes an adult (12 for girls, 13 for boys), have significance in Jewish law, and it is also customary to celebrate…
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Celebrating the Birth of a Boy
What is the source of the custom of celebrating on the Friday night after a boy is born? It's an Ashkenazi custom, mentioned by the Rema in Yoreh Deah 265:12. It's done on Friday night because people are available then.…
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Burying things with a Body
Is it permitted to bury things with a body? If something were "offered" to the dead as a sacrifice it would be forbidden; see Psalms 106:28. The things "given to" the dead are being destroyed or buried with them as…
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Circumcision and Judaism
Is an uncircumcised person regarded as non-Jewish? Circumcision is a “classical” Jewish practice dating back to Abraham, and the prophets drew strong contrasts between the Jews and their uncircumcised neighbors, but it doesn’t define Judaism. Jews don’t circumcise boys who…
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Female Circumcision
Does the Torah require female circumcision? The Torah is quite explicit that only males are to be circumcised (Gen. 17:10). Female circumcision is practiced in some cultures, but it is not mentioned in the traditional Jewish sources; it would therefore…
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Childlessness
What is the Jewish view about childlessness? Childlessness has always been regarded as a terrible thing. See Gen. 15:1-2, where G-d promises Abraham great rewards, and Abraham replies “What can You give me? I am childless!”.
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Matrilineal Descent
What is the source of the law that a child is Jewish only if its mother is Jewish? The statement that Jewish identity is determined by the mother is found in the Mishnah (Kiddushin 3:12), which says that the child…
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The Laws of Defective Children
What are the laws regarding the care of defective children? There are lengthy discussions about the institutionalization of children who have severe physical or mental defects in Nishmas Avraham, vol.5, pp.57-60 and 79-82. Regarding life-and-death decisions, such children (or defective…