Prayer and Religious Articles
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Netilas Yadaim
What does "netilas yadayim" mean? It means "washing the hands", but the etymology of the "netilas" is obscure; it normally means "taking", not "washing". It has been suggested that it comes from the name of the vessel, "antal" (see Talmud…
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Decorating a Torah Cover with Bells
Is it permissible to decorate a Torah cover with metal bells? A discussion in Talmud Shabbos 58b about when a metal bell is subject to impurity mentions “bells made for book covers” as an example of bells used for decoration;…
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Origin of the Word “Yarmulka”
What is the origin of the word “Yarmulka”? It is widely believed that the word is derived from the Aramaic phrase “yerei malka” (one who fears the King); this derivation is based on the fact that covering the head is…
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Different Nuschaos
How did the different versions (nuschaos) of the prayers originate? If one has a choice, which nusach should he adopt? The different versions of the prayers resulted from natural divergences over the years. One who can choose a nusach should…
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Swaying During Prayer
Why do we sway when we pray? The Talmud Bavli (Berachos 28b) says that when a person prays, he must bow until all the segments of his spine are separated; the Talmud Yerushalmi says that a person who stands and…
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Le-chayim
What does the blessing "le-chayim" mean? n "Fiddler on the Roof" it is translated as "to life", but depending on the context, "to" may not be the right preposition; "for life" might be more accurate.
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The Blessing on the Sun
When will we next recite the blessing on the sun (birchas ha-chamah)? Birchas ha-chamah is recited every 28 years, after sunrise on the first Wednesday of spring. It was last recited on April 8, 1981, and will next be recited…
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TZITZIS and the Commandments
How do the TZITZIS remind us of the Commandments? Each of the TZITZIS is composed of eight threads which are tied with five double knots. The numerical value of TZITZIS is 600; adding 8 (threads) and 5 (knots) gives 613,…
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TECHELES
What color is TECHELES? The Talmud (Chulin 89a) says that TECHELES resembles the color of the sky. This must mean the sky before sunrise or after sunset, because TECHELES is a dark shade of blue, not a light one like…