Mitzvos (Commandments)
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Honoring Parents
Someone told me honoring ones parents has to do with food and clothes, and the rest is all about reverence. What were they talking about? There are two aspects of what we must do for our parents, “respect” and “awe.”…
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Mezuzah
Not long ago I heard of a Jewish religious article that is placed near the exit to a house. When you leave the house, you touch this item and ask for God’s blessing. Is this the Mezuzah? If not, what…
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The Terms “Kosher” and “Treif”
What is the difference in meaning of the words “kosher” and “tahor” . “Tahor” seems to be the word the Torah uses for “Kosher”. That is a great question! Kosher or “Kasher” is used throughout the Mishnah and Talmud and…
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Penguins
Why aren’t penguins listed among the non-kosher birds in the Torah? Not every bird is mentioned. Some say that they are listed by species not as individuals. But, most important, is the commentary that we do not really know the…
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Was Chicken Always Considered Meat?
I have been told that at one time chicken was considered to be Parve (neither Meat nor Dairy). This later was changed to consider chicken to be meat. Is this true? When did it happen? Who did it? Why was…
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Sabbatical Years and the Year of Jubilee
Why have the Jews stopped counting the sabbath years and the years of jubilee? We lost count. š We actually do count the Sabbatical years – next year for instance is one. However, this current counting is of Rabbinic origin…
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Techeiles
Isn’t the Techeiles (the colored string described in the Torah) extremely important in the Tzitzis (the four-cornered fringed garment)? Why aren’t there more Tzitzis like this? Although in my opinion the Techeiles coming out of Israel today is very likely…
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Hair Cutting Customs
I’ve noticed different ways Jewish cultures style their hair, and for different reasons. Teimoni call them Sinomim; and from their literature it seems it was a forced custom by the Muslim Arabs; and they shave bald on all corners by…