Parashat HashavuaSeries'LibraryPiskei Din (Hebrew)Test YourselfThere are 4 cardinal commandments in the Torah that require martyrdom, if necessary. Most people know the first 3: Idolatry, murder & certain sexual crimes. But the 4th, in our Sedra, is Chilul Hashem; we must not commit any act (in public) that brings desecration to G-d’s name. The Gemara says this sin may be as minor as a Talmid Chacham not paying his bills on time; or as major as allowing Jews to be killed by non-Jews with impunity. On the other hand, Kiddush Hashem is any act which brings glory to Hashem’s name & honors Him among the nations. Some events can generate both results: The Shoa, or our failure to wipe out terrorism, cause(d) massive Chilul Hashem, as the nations look upon us & our G-d as impotent, unable to stop our being murdered. This is a disgrace to Hashem. Yet at the same time, they create great Kiddush Hashem, as the Shoa victims courageously resisted, & never lost their faith, even as Jews today refuse to abandon Israel or Judaism due to terrorism.
People, who cannot read Hebrew at all, have no choice but to pray in the language that they can read and understand. However, anyone who can should accept the challenge of studying the prayers a bit at a time, gradually thereby developing both fluency and comprehension
The basic Halachot of Duchening, taking off shoes and washing hands, Why Is This Mitzvah Called Duchening? The connection between Duchening and dreams...
The mitzvah of gid hanosheh forbids us from eating the sciatic nerve, a sinew that runs from the lower back over the top of the hip and down the leg.
Another Mitzvah is not eating the Cheylev, some fats in an animal.
I recline in an armchair in the lobby of the hotel and look over the menu. After the crazy day I've had, I deserve to relax and enjoy a good meal. Suddenly, I am menaced by a disturbing thought: Am I really permitted to enjoy myself in this world?
The laws relating to Jewish converts are most astounding. Despite the criticism directed at the Jewish people on the grounds that Judaism is racist, the Torah teaches us that any non-Jew who earnestly seeks to join the Jewish people may do so.