With palpable joy, the bridegroom recited the betrothal vow to his prospective bride. “Behold you are consecrated unto me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel.” Accompanying this statement would be two benedictions – one over wine and the other over the act of the reciting of the marriage formula. […]

“Our Rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple…the lot [“For the Lord”] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-coloured strap become white; nor did the western-most light shine; and the doors of the Hekal would open by themselves.” The Babylonian Talmud, Seder Mo’ed Yoma, Volume 1, Yoma 39b […]

Up until the 19th century there was only one form of Judaism – Orthodox Judaism. Certainly there were Jewish people who were atheists and those who claimed to be agnostics. But if one wanted to practice the religion of Judaism it came in only one form – Orthodox. Orthodox Judaism, though, has a number of branches […]

Baptism in the Christian world is a religious ritual that has, in many instances, taken on an importance far beyond its simple origins. There are Christian denominations, Catholicism and Church of Christ among others, that embrace the understanding that this “sacrament” is essential to salvation. Others believe it is not at all needed in a […]

The word Tenach is probably unfamiliar to many of our readers. This is the term Jewish people use when referring to what Christians call the Old Testament. It is the entire Jewish Bible, made up of the exact same number of verses as the Old Testament in your Bible. The difference between the Tenach and […]

Circumcision is practiced almost universally among Jewish people. The command is to circumcise all males on their 8th day, Genesis 17:9-13, as a sign of their covenantal relationship with God. Rabbi Eugene Korn understands the most important aspect though is the theological significance of circumcision. “Yet the Bible is more concerned with the theological meaning […]

The smile on the faces of the Seder participants was indicative of the joy and pleasure present as the youngest child started reading the Four Questions.  These questions would be answered in the narrative that follows in the Haggadah and are referred to as the Mah Nishtanah, after the opening words in Hebrew. The questions are: […]