It is generally assumed that the reclaiming of mothers’ names within the context of traditional Orthodox liturgy is a modern phenomena which emerged out of a desire to bring an egalitarian spirit to ceremonies which otherwise have a distinct patriarchal tone. As such, practices such as mentioning mothers’ names in the context of memorial prayers, […]
Claiming and Reclaiming Our Mothers’ Names Read More »
It is customary not to eat meat or drink wine during this week [that is, the week during which Tisha B’Av falls]… Some add [the days] from Rosh Hodesh [Av], and some add [still more], from 17 Tammuz. (Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayyim 551.9) Introduction There is no doubt that these prohibitions were not observed in
The Prohibition of Eating Meat and Drinking Wine During the Three Weeks Read More »
Many readers of this journal may have heard that their grandmother or great-grandmother fasted “alle Montag und Donnerstag” (every Monday and Thursday). This popular Yiddish saying actually reflects an ancient halakhic tradition, namely, the Talmudic “ta’aniyot bahab”—the fasts of bet–hey–bet (Yom bet is Monday and Yom hey is Thursday)—that were first associated with prayer for
Women and Asceticism in the Talmudic Tradition Read More »
Last year, I was privileged to attend my sister’s birthing of her first child. I stood at her bedside, gripping her hand as she labored, while both the nurse and the doctor encouraged her with “push!” She was straining so hard that blood vessels looked like they would burst with her effort. The baby’s head
Mourning the Loss of a Baby Read More »
A cornerstone of the tahara prayers is the invocation of the name of the deceased several times during the ritual. We do so as we begin the tahara (literally “purification”—the process of preparing a Jew for burial according to Jewish law and custom), when we advocate for his or her soul before the Almighty, and
Dignity in the Face of the Holocaust Read More »
Everyone who observes Shabbat has had a moment when he or she really understood why Shabbat has been so vital to their lives. I certainly did. Though I grew up in a Shabbat-observant household, it was not until I was at university in England that I connected in a profoundly personal way with the peace
Shabbat and Rediscovering Community Read More »
Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the Sabbath. Come in peace, O crown of her husband; Come with joy/gladness and jubilation Among the faithful of the treasured people Enter, O bride! Enter, O bride! Come, O bride, the Sabbath Queen. 1 לכה דודי לקראת כלה, פני שבת נקבלה בואי בשלום עטרת
“Come, O Bride, the Sabbath Queen”: Decoding the Feminine Imagery of Shabbat Read More »
The popular and well-known liturgy that we now use for Kabbalat Shabbat is probably one of the latest to take shape as part of our liturgical canon. Lekha Dodi, which many of us consider the center and highlight of the service, is a relatively recent composition, written in Safed by the 16th-century kabbalist, Rabbi Shlomo
Candle lighting as a form of Shabbat acceptance has long been associated with women. Although both men and women are obligated to have candles lit in their homes, 2 women are usually the ones lighting in households containing adult members of both sexes. In the absence of any other form of kabbalat Shabbat (Shabbat acceptance),
Acceptance of Shabbat Through Candle Lighting Read More »
About five years ago a new issue suddenly erupted primarily in the haredi community: women were wearing sheitels (wigs) made from human hair coming from India. Some, perhaps even much, of this hair came from a place called Tirupati, in South India, where there is a Hindu temple. Pilgrims coming to this temple, before entering
The Sheitel Memorandum Read More »
