Mitzvos (Commandments)
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No Slaughter for Fish
Why is a chicken slaughtered, but not a fish? After much thought and research I think that the requirements for slaughter are based on the sacrificial rites. The Tractate of Talmud which deals with the laws of Shechita (ritual slaughter)…
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What’s Life All About?
I know that we as Jews have moral guides and laws for living. My question is : Why are we here. What is the reason for life? What is the Jewish perspective on the reason that we are here. I…
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What is a Mitzvah?
What is the definition of a Mitzvah? How many are there? And how much does one have to observe them? The Hebrew root of the word ‘Mitzvah’ is ‘Tzivah’ which means ‘to command’. The Mitzvot (plural form of Mitzvah) are…
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Torah Study in the Bathroom
A read in an article that it is forbidden to think about Torah in the bathroom. What are the reasons for this? The negative associations of elimination are obvious but seem judgemental of the natural process. Having struggled with this…
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Early Dietary Laws
If Genesis says all plants and all animals are put on earth to be eaten by man how come we have man made dietary laws? Thank you very much for your interesting questions. First of all, we must realize that…
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The Problem with Tattoos
Why are we not supposed to get tattoos? Tattooing has been a part of civilizations for thousands of years. Some cultures tattooed themselves for religious reasons, some social or cultural and some cosmetic. In biblical times people tattooed when someone…
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Reason for Circumcision
Why is the rite of circumcision performed on Jewish males? The original reason that is? When one asks ‘why’, there are always a number of different levels of answers that could be given. On the simplest level, the right of…
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If You Have a Tattoo
I have not gotten a tattoo, but I had thought about it. I had heard something about it being against Jewish law, but I am glad that I found out before I did anything. I was wondering if there was…