The most famous biblical account of a convert is that of Ruth, who followed her mother-in-law Naomi to the land of Israel. Ruth’s words are of transcendent beauty: “For whither you go I will go; and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)
Welcoming Converts to the Jewish People Read More »
Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Beth Samuels a”h, a woman of unwavering faith, who saw the awe of God in nature and the compassion of God in the human experience. THE CORE OF OUR FAITH: CREATION OR THE EXODUS? In the twelfth-century work Sefer HaKuzari (The Book of the Kuzari), R. Judah HaLevi tells
The Revelation at Mount Sinai: Creation, Exodus, and Faith Read More »
I just returned from Israel, my third trip in as many months. I went to celebrate the Bar Mitzvahs of three of my great-nephews. They were all quite amazing. One of the Bar Mitzvah boys is the youngest of five children and was born with Down syndrome. Yaakov davened Shaharit, read from the Torah, and
Making Our Own Miracles Read More »
It would seem that there is a biblical bias against naming women. Although in actual numbers, anonymous men outnumber anonymous women in the Bible, there are a larger proportion of female characters that are unnamed. It is clear that many biblical women are identified not by name but only as wives and mothers. Listings of
Named and Unnamed Women in the Bible Read More »
A divine name change is considered something of great significance. The biblical figure of Sarah is the only female to have her name changed by God. Men whose names were changed by God were Abraham, (17:3), Jacob (Bereishit 32:27-29 and 35:19), Joshua, (Bamidbar 13:16), and Gideon (Shoftim 6:28-32). Sarah’s name was Sarai and God changed
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 »
Despite their relatively few numbers, women play a significant role as name-givers in the Hebrew Bible. Of the approximate forty-seven instances in which a namegiver is specified, twenty-nine involve women.1 From the time of Eve, the right to name children has belonged primarily to wives and mothers. This authority rests likewise in the hands of
The most valuable sources for exploring the names and lives of Jewish women in the past are tombstones, and what is often most significant is to see how the women are described. In many cases, honorifics such as isha hashuva (an important woman), or isha raka beshanim (a young woman, “soft” in years) are added
The Generosity of Our Foremothers Read More »
The suggestion that both parents’ names should be used to identify someone for various rituals, such as being called to the Torah for an aliya, is often met with the objection that using the mother’s name in such a context would constitute a change of minhag (custom), and that customs are not to be changed.
“If They are Not Prophets, Then They are the Children of Prophets”1 Read More »
At the beginning of the book of Bereishit, the power to name is reserved for those atop the hierarchy; God labels his creations, Adam names the animals and, finally, Adam defines Eve. Does naming always have to be an act of control, emanating from the more powerful to the weaker, dependant one? Or can we
