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 | Why is Jewish Law so Petty Minded?
By Aron MossWhy the obsession with such insignificant details as how many ounces of matza do I eat, which spoon did I use for milk and which for meat, what is the right way to tie my shoelaces? It seems to me that this misses the bigger picture by focusing on minutiae
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 | Jewish customs: Too many reasons, or none at all!
By Dovid ZaklikowskiI find it interesting that when we do have an explanation for a particular custom, there's usually more than one reason. And when we don't have a reason, we nevertheless continue with the tradition...
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 | What’s With the Candles?
By Aron MossWhen you use something physical, it gets “used up” and diminished. With spiritual things, the very opposite is the case
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 | Why So Many Don'ts on Shabbat?
By Yanki TauberI love the Shabbat experience, but why so many restrictions? All that "don't do this" and "don't do that" -- sounds more like a prison than a day of rest!
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 | Day of Rest
By Aron MossI like the idea of a day of rest. But why should I start my day of rest at a prayer service? Aren't there better ways to start my weekend?
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 | What are the 613 Mitzvot?
By Mendy HechtThe Talmud tells us that there are 613 commandments in the Torah; 248 Positive Commandments (do's) and 365 Negative Commandments (do not's). Here's a complete list --as compiled by Maimonides.
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 | Why Is Challah Braided?
By Chana WeisbergThe six days of the week are the paradigm of diversity. Perhaps the braiding of the challah represents the idea of unity, how we tie everything together...
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 | Why Do We Keep Kosher?
By Tzvi FreemanIt would be absurd to think that G-d gave us the Torah as a sort of bandage for His mistakes. "Oops! I didn't mean to put those nasty animals there! People might eat them! What do I do now?"
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 | Who Invented the Synagogue?
By Shlomo YaffeIs it true that there is no mention of the synagogue in the Torah? It’s hard to imagine “Judaism”—at least as we know it today—without synagogues!
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 | The Kabbalah of the Tallit
By Aron MossThe garment surrounds our body, the fringes hang off it. They represent the two aspects of G-d's being: His true self that is totally beyond our grasp, and the tiny fraction of His being we can experience
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 | Why Do We Wear a Kippah?
By Baruch S. DavidsonThe tradition to wear a kippah developed as a sign of our recognition that there is Someone "above" us who watches our every action...
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 | What's Up With the Kipah?
By Aron MossWhy do I have to actually cover my head as long as I know G-d is above me in my heart and mind?
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 | The Beard
By Aron MossI have often wondered why many religious Jews have long hairy beards. Is this, like the kipah, a means of identifying oneself as a Jew or do the beards serve some other purpose?
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 | Shoelaces
By Aron MossI saw the craziest thing in the Code of Jewish Law. It tells you how to tie your shoes!
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 | Why the Jacket and Black Hat?
By Aron Moss"What should I wear today - the black jacket or the blue?" How boring! Where's the individuality? Where's the freedom of expression? Do you people have no originality at all?
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