#talmud — Public Fediverse posts

La paix du judaïsme

Dans le judaïsme, le shalom est pour beaucoup d’autres sans doute l’un des concepts les plus riches et les plus mal traduits par le mot français paix, car il ne désigne pas d’abord l’absence de conflit, mais une plénitude, un état d’accomplissement où rien ne manque. Dans cet état un état, toutes les parties d’un être, d’une relation ou d’une société sont en juste relation les unes aux autres.

Le Talmud dit que le Nom de Dieu lui-même est Shalom, une parenté frappante avec As-Salām (Paix) dans le soufisme que nous avons vu plus tôt cette semaine. Mais ici, la paix divine n’est pas seulement contemplée ou reçue par soumission, elle est un modèle éthique à imiter activement dans les rapports humains.

Contrairement à certaines conceptions purement intérieures de la paix, la tradition juive refuse de séparer shalom de tzedek (justice) et de mishpat (droit). La paix n’est donc jamais un vernis apaisant posé sur une injustice non résolue, elle en est plutôt le fruit nécessaire. C’est une différence importante avec certaines paix issues de traditions purement contemplatives, ici, la paix a une exigence sociale et politique irréductible.

L’idéal se décline aussi à l’échelle domestique avec la paix du foyer, considérée comme le lieu premier où se construit où se détruit la paix du monde. Les sages enseignent que la paix conjugale et familiale a une valeur presque cosmique, certains textes rabbiniques vont jusqu’à autoriser un léger mensonge pour la préserver, signe de l’importance qu’on lui accorde.

Un trait distinctif du judaïsme est le caractère actif, presque impératif, de la paix. Hillel enseigne : « Sois de la lignée d’Aaron : aime la paix et poursuis la paix ». On ne se contente pas d’aimer ou d’espérer la paix, on court après elle, on la traque comme une proie précieuse. La paix n’est pas donnée d’emblée, elle demande un effort continu.

Dans la mystique juive, en particulier la Kabbale lourianique, l’idée de la réparation du monde inscrit la paix dans une cosmologie de la rupture et de la restauration. La paix devient alors une tâche cosmique, chaque acte de justice participe à la restauration de l’harmonie originelle du monde. On retrouve ici un écho à votre exploration du Tikkoun dans les traditions précédentes.

Enfin, le judaïsme porte un idéal messianique de paix universelle, par exemple l’image d’Isaïe du loup habitant avec l’agneau. Cette paix future n’est pas seulement une absence de guerre entre nations, mais une réconciliation de l’ordre naturel lui-même, où la violence structurelle du monde créé serait elle-même guérie.

En somme, le shalom juif se distingue nettement des deux paix précédentes. Là où le soufi trouve la paix par soumission amoureuse et le bouddhiste par dissolution de l’attachement, le judaïsme refuse de dissocier la paix intérieure de la justice sociale et de l’action historique, c’est une paix qui s’exige autant qu’elle se reçoit qui se construit par l’étude, le droit et la réparation plutôt que par le seul retrait contemplatif. C’est peut-être la tradition, parmi celles que nous avons vues, où la paix est la plus résolument tournée vers l’histoire et la cité, plutôt que vers l’extinction du moi ou la fusion mystique.

Dans un monde où tout le monde parle de paix, est-ce que nous avons la même conception de celle-ci? Est-ce que les écarts expliqueraient en partie les conflits qui perdurent?

Une chanson de Michel Legrand – Les Moulins de mon coeur signée et chantée en Français, Ukrainien, Arabe, Hébreu, Langue des signes

Les paroles sur https://www.musixmatch.com/fr/paroles/Charles-Aznavour/Les-moulins-de-mon-coeur

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q33gmlxQ3I

Par Daniel Jean dans Voies (x) de passage

COPYRIGHT – DROIT DE REPRODUCTION – La reproduction de cet article sur un blogue ou un site est autorisé à condition de respecter :   * L’intégralité du texte — Vous ne devez pas modifier, transformer ou adapter ce texte. * Le droit d’auteur — Vous devez citer le nom de la source (avec un hyperlien vers l’article original de préférence). * La finalité sans but lucratif — Vous n’avez pas le droit d’utiliser cette création à des fins commerciales. Si j’ai utilisé vos textes/photos et que vous souhaitez que je les retire, merci de me contacter en commentaire, ce sera fait rapidement.

Ja, @1alterBommer - genau gelesen versprach Gott in der biblischen Noah-Geschichte, dass er (!) keine globale Sintflut mehr schicken werde.

Dass wir Menschen durch unsere eigene Gier kein Feuer 🔥 & Verderben über die Menschheit & Mitwelt bringen würden, wird nicht ausgeschlossen…

@hsmolin @no_brainer @angeldruckt @silberspur

#Sintflut #Symbol #Bibel #Noah #Noahbund #Judentum #MichaelBlume #BneiNoach #Rabbiner #Talmud #ORD #Stuttgart

https://scilogs.spektrum.de/natur-des-glaubens/der-noahbund-fuer-frieden-und-mitwelt-vortrag-bei-der-orthodoxen-rabbinerkonferenz-deutschland-ord/

Ja, @1alterBommer - genau gelesen versprach Gott in der biblischen Noah-Geschichte, dass er (!) keine globale Sintflut mehr schicken werde.

Dass wir Menschen durch unsere eigene Gier kein Feuer 🔥 & Verderben über die Menschheit & Mitwelt bringen würden, wird nicht ausgeschlossen…

@hsmolin @no_brainer @angeldruckt @silberspur

#Sintflut #Symbol #Bibel #Noah #Noahbund #Judentum #MichaelBlume #BneiNoach #Rabbiner #Talmud #ORD #Stuttgart

https://scilogs.spektrum.de/natur-des-glaubens/der-noahbund-fuer-frieden-und-mitwelt-vortrag-bei-der-orthodoxen-rabbinerkonferenz-deutschland-ord/

1/6
The full story is “The Lame Man and the Blind Man.”

A Jewish parable about two people who each looked powerless alone.

One could see, but could not walk.
One could walk, but could not see.

Together, they became dangerous.

#JewishLegend #Talmud #Parable #Justice #Ethics #Responsibility #Folklore #Conspiracy #Law #Wisdom

1/6
The full story is “The Lame Man and the Blind Man.”

A Jewish parable about two people who each looked powerless alone.

One could see, but could not walk.
One could walk, but could not see.

Together, they became dangerous.

#JewishLegend #Talmud #Parable #Justice #Ethics #Responsibility #Folklore #Conspiracy #Law #Wisdom

Learn a language with me for free! Duolingo is fun, and proven to work. Here’s my invite link: https://invite.duolingo.com/BDHTZTB5CWWKSRJPN3BRPN2DFM?v=sm

#Hebrew #language #linguistics #Judaism #Duolingo #Talmud :flan_book:

Learn a language with me for free! Duolingo is fun, and proven to work. Here’s my invite link: https://invite.duolingo.com/BDHTZTB5CWWKSRJPN3BRPN2DFM?v=sm

#Hebrew #language #linguistics #Judaism #Duolingo #Talmud :flan_book:

From Pardes: Online Weekly Study

How it Works
Register once and receive access to all sessions. Come when you can!

TIME: 9:00-10:00 AM Pacific / 12:00-1:00 PM Eastern / 5:00-6:00 PM UK / 7:00-8:00 PM Israel

Join any week - We encourage live participation to keep the Orchard Sessions dynamic and interactive.

Recordings aren’t posted publicly, but if you miss a session or want to review one, contact us and we’ll share the recording on request.

Weekly Reminders - You’ll receive a weekly reminder email with the Zoom link.

Register: https://online.pardes.org.il/products/courses/orchard-weekly-learning

#Mazeldon #Judaism #Jewish #Torah #Talmud

From Pardes: Online Weekly Study

How it Works
Register once and receive access to all sessions. Come when you can!

TIME: 9:00-10:00 AM Pacific / 12:00-1:00 PM Eastern / 5:00-6:00 PM UK / 7:00-8:00 PM Israel

Join any week - We encourage live participation to keep the Orchard Sessions dynamic and interactive.

Recordings aren’t posted publicly, but if you miss a session or want to review one, contact us and we’ll share the recording on request.

Weekly Reminders - You’ll receive a weekly reminder email with the Zoom link.

Register: https://online.pardes.org.il/products/courses/orchard-weekly-learning

#Mazeldon #Judaism #Jewish #Torah #Talmud

Kabbalah, Part 1

Also spelled Qabalah or Qabbala. It literally means the act of receiving, acceptance.

This is an esoteric method, discipline, & school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal (“receiver”).

Jewish Kabbalists originally developed transmissions of the primary texts of Kabbalah within the realm of Jewish tradition. Often using classical Jewish scriptures to explain & demonstrate their mystical teachings.

Kabbalah came out of earlier forms of Jewish mysticism in 12th-13th century Occitania, specifically in Languedoc, among Hakhmei Provence.

Following the movement of Jews from Southern France & Spain, it was found in the Rhineland school of Judah the Pious, al-Andalus, L& was reinterpreted during the Jewish mystical Renaissance in the 16th-century Ottoman Palestine.

The Zohar was authored in the late 13th century, likely by Moses de Leon. Isaac Luria (16th century) is considered the father of contemporary Kabbalah. Lurianic Kabbalah was popularized in the form of Hasidic Judaism from the 18th century onwards.

The primary texts of the major lineage in medieval Jewish tradition are the Bahir, Zohar, Pardes Rimonim, & Et Chayim (‘Ein Sof’). The early Hekhalot literature is recognized as ancestral to the sensibilities of this later flowering of the Kabbalah, & more especially, the Sefer Yetzirah is acknowledged as the forerunner from which many of these books draw their formal inspiration.

The Sefer Yetzirah is a brief document of only a few pages, written many centuries before the high & late medieval works (sometime between 200-600 CE), detailing an alphanumeric vision of cosmology & may be understood as a kind of prelude to the major phase of Kabbalah.

The history of Jewish mysticism encompasses various forms of esoteric & spiritual practices aimed at understanding the divine & the hidden aspects of existence. This mystical tradition has evolved greatly over millennia, influencing & being influenced by different historical, cultural, & religious contexts.

Among the most prominent forms of Jewish mysticism is Kabbalah, which developed in the 12th century & has since become a central component of Jewish mystical thought. Other notable early forms include prophetic & apocalyptic mysticism, which are evident in biblical & post-biblical texts.

The roots of Jewish mysticism can be traced back to the biblical era, with prophetic figures such as Elijah & Ezekiel experiencing divine visions & encounters. This tradition continued into the apocalyptic period, where texts like 1 Enoch & the Book of Daniel introduced complex angelology & eschatological themes.

The Hekhalot & Merkabah literature, dating from the 2nd century to the early medieval period, further developed these mystical themes. This focuses on visionary ascents to the heavenly palaces & the divine chariot. Hekhalot literature (from the Hebrew word for “Palaces”) relates to visions of entering Heaven alive.

Merkabah (or Merkavah) mysticism is a school of Jewish mysticism, centered on visions such as those found in Ezekiel 1, or in the hekhalot literature, concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces & the Throne of God.

According to the Zohar, Torah study can proceed along 4 levels of interpretation (exegesis). These 4 levels are called pardes from their initial letters (PRDs, “orchard”):

• Peshat (“simple”): The direct interpretations of meaning.
• Remez (“hints”): The allegoric meanings (through allusion).
• Derash (from the Hebrew darash, “inquire” or “seek): Midrashic (rabbinic) meanings, often with imaginative comparisons with similar words or verses.
• Sod (“secret” or “mystery”): The inner, esoteric (metaphysical) meanings, expressed in kabbalah.

Kabbalah is considered by its followers as a necessary part of the study of the Torah. The study of the Torah (the Tanakh & rabbinic literature) is an inherent duty of observant Jews.

There are 3 different types of Kabbalah: Lurianic Kabbalah, Meditative-Ecstatic Kabbalah, & Practical Kabbalah. These 3 types can be distinguished by their basic intent with respect to God:

• The Theosohical/Theosophical-Theurgic tradition of Theoretical Kabbalah (the main focus of the Zohar & Luria) seeks to understand & describe the divine realm using the imaginative & mythic symbols of human psychological experience. Its theosophy also implies the innate, centrally important theurgic influence of human conduct on redeeming or damaging the spiritual realms, as man is a divine microcosm. The purpose of traditional theosophical kabbalah was to give the whole of normative Jewish religious practices this mystical metaphysical meaning.
• The Meditative tradition of Ecstatic Kabbalah strives to achieve a mystical union with God, or nullification of the meditator in God’s Active intellect. Abraham Abulafia’s “Prophetic Kabbalah” was the supreme example of this. Though marginal in Kabbalistic development. His alternative to the program of theosophical Kabbalah. Abulafian meditation built upon the philosophy of Maimonides, whose followers remained a rationalist threat to theosophical Kabbalists.
• The Magico-Talismanic tradition of Practical Kabbalah endeavours to alter both the Divine realms & the World using practical methods. While theosophical interpretations of worship see its redemptive role as harmonizing heavenly forces, Practical Kabbalah properly involved Practial Kabbalah properly involved white-magical acts, & was censored by Kabbalists for only those completely pure of intent, as it relates to lower realms where purity & impurity are mixed. Consequently, it formed a separate minor tradition shunned from Kabbalah. Practical Kabbalah was prohibited by the Arizal until the Temple is rebuilt & the required state of ritual purity is attainable.

According to Kabbalistic belief, early kabbalistic knowledge was imparted orally by the Patriarchs, prophets, & sages. Eventually, to be “interwoven” into Jewish religious writings & culture. According to this view, early kabbalah was, around the 10th century BCE, an open knowledge practiced by over a million people in ancient Israel.

Foreign conquests drove the Jewish spiritual leadership of the time (the Sanhedrin) to hide the knowledge & make it secret, fearing that it might be misused if it fell into the wrong hands.

From the Renaissance onward, Jewish Kabbalah texts entered non-Jewish (Gentile) spaces. Where they studied & translated by Christian Hebraists & Hermetic occultists. Christian Hebraists are scholars of Hebrew texts who approach the works from a Christian perspective.

The syncretic traditions of Christian & Hermetic Kabbalah developed independently of Jewish Kabbalah. They read Jewish texts as universalist ancient wisdom preserved from Gnostic traditions of “the olden days.” Both adapted the Jewish concepts freely from their Jewish understanding. This made it possible to merge with multiple other theologies, religious traditions, & magical associations. In the time of the Age of Reason, Christian Kabbalah declined. Hermetic Kabbalah took a much different route, a route that some secretive “societies” went: they went underground.

The technical definition of Kabbalah varies according to sect & the aims of those following it. In its earliest & original usage in ancient Hebrew, it means “reception” or “tradition.” In this context, it tends to refer to any sacred writing written after (or otherwise outside of) the 5 books of the Torah. (This is the 1st 5 books of the Old Testament.)

After the Talmud was written, it refers to the Oral Law. In the much later writings of Eleazar of Worms (circa 1350), it refers to theurgy or the conjuring of demons & angels by the invocation of their secret names.

The nature of the divine prompted kabbalists to envision 2 aspects to God: 1.) God is essence, absolutely transcendent, unknowable, limitless divine simplicity beyond revelation, & 2.) God in manifestation, the revealed persona of God through which He creates, sustains, & relates to humankind.

Kabbalists speak of the 1st as the Ein Sof (“the infinite/endless,” literally “there is no end”). Of the impersonal Ein Sof, nothing can be grasped.

However, the 2nd aspect of divine emanations, accessible to human perception, dynamically interacting throughout spiritual & physical existence, reveals the divine immanently, & is bound up in the life of man. Kabbalists believe that these 2 aspects aren’t contradictory but complement 1 another, emanations mystically revealing the concealed mystery from within the Godhead.

As a term describing the Infinite Godhead beyond Creation, Kabbalists viewed the Ein Sof itself as too sublime to be referred to directly in the Torah. It’s not a Holy Name in Judaism. No name could contain a revelation of the Ein Sof.

The structure of emanations has been described in various ways: Sephirot (divine attributes) & Partzufim (divine “faces”), Ohr (spiritual light & flow), Names of God & supernal Torah, Olamot (spiritual worlds), a Divine Tree & Archetypal Man, Angelic Chariot & Palaces, male & female, enclothed layers of reality, inwardly channels (“limbs” of the King) & the divine Souls of Man.

These symbols are used to describe various levels & aspects of Divine manifestation, from the Pnimi (inner) dimensions to the Hitzoni (outer). It’s solely in relation to the emanations, certainly not the Ein Sof Ground of all Being, that Kabbalah uses anthropomorphic symbolism to relate psychologically to divinity.

The Sephirot/Sefirot/Sefirah are the 10 emanations & attributes of God with which He continually sustains the existence of the universe. These emanations are viewed as parts of God’s divine nature, which reveal themselves in different ways.

The Zohar & other Kabbalistic texts elaborate on the emergence of the sephirot from a state of concealed potential in the Ein Sof until their manifestation in the mundane world. In particular, Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (known as “the Ramak”) describes how God emanated the myriad details of finite reality out of the absolute unity of Divine Light via the 10 sephirot, or vessels.

According to Lurianic cosmology, the sephirot correspond to various levels of creation. 10 sephirot are in each of the 4 Worlds. 4 Worlds within each of the larger 4 Worlds, each containing 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, to an infinite number of possibilities.

They emanated from the Creator for the purpose of creating the universe. The sephirot are considered revelations of the Creator’s will (ratzon), & they shouldn’t be understood as 10 different “gods” but through the Emanations. It’s not God who changes but the ability to perceive God that changes.

Divine creation through the 10 Sephirot is an ethical process. They represent the different aspects of Morality. Loving-Kindness is a possible moral justification found in Chessed, & Gevurah is the Moral Justification of justice, & both are mediated by Mercy, which is Rachamim.

However, these pillars of morality become immoral when taken to extremes. When Loving-Kindness becomes extreme, it can lead to sexual depravity & a lack of Justice to the wicked. When Justice becomes extreme, it can lead to torture & the Cain-ing of innocents & unfair punishment.

The tzadikim or “righteous” ascend these ethical qualities of the 10 sephirot through righteous action. If there were no tzadikim, the blessings of God would become completely hidden, & Creation would cease to exist.

While real human actions are the “Foundation” (Yesod) of this universe (Malkuth), they must be accompanied by the conscious intention of compassion. Compassionate actions are often impossible without faith (Emunah), meaning trusting that God seems hidden.

Make a one-time donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Make a monthly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Make a yearly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Rate this:

Kabbalah, Part 1

Also spelled Qabalah or Qabbala. It literally means the act of receiving, acceptance.

This is an esoteric method, discipline, & school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal (“receiver”).

Jewish Kabbalists originally developed transmissions of the primary texts of Kabbalah within the realm of Jewish tradition. Often using classical Jewish scriptures to explain & demonstrate their mystical teachings.

Kabbalah came out of earlier forms of Jewish mysticism in 12th-13th century Occitania, specifically in Languedoc, among Hakhmei Provence.

Following the movement of Jews from Southern France & Spain, it was found in the Rhineland school of Judah the Pious, al-Andalus, L& was reinterpreted during the Jewish mystical Renaissance in the 16th-century Ottoman Palestine.

The Zohar was authored in the late 13th century, likely by Moses de Leon. Isaac Luria (16th century) is considered the father of contemporary Kabbalah. Lurianic Kabbalah was popularized in the form of Hasidic Judaism from the 18th century onwards.

The primary texts of the major lineage in medieval Jewish tradition are the Bahir, Zohar, Pardes Rimonim, & Et Chayim (‘Ein Sof’). The early Hekhalot literature is recognized as ancestral to the sensibilities of this later flowering of the Kabbalah, & more especially, the Sefer Yetzirah is acknowledged as the forerunner from which many of these books draw their formal inspiration.

The Sefer Yetzirah is a brief document of only a few pages, written many centuries before the high & late medieval works (sometime between 200-600 CE), detailing an alphanumeric vision of cosmology & may be understood as a kind of prelude to the major phase of Kabbalah.

The history of Jewish mysticism encompasses various forms of esoteric & spiritual practices aimed at understanding the divine & the hidden aspects of existence. This mystical tradition has evolved greatly over millennia, influencing & being influenced by different historical, cultural, & religious contexts.

Among the most prominent forms of Jewish mysticism is Kabbalah, which developed in the 12th century & has since become a central component of Jewish mystical thought. Other notable early forms include prophetic & apocalyptic mysticism, which are evident in biblical & post-biblical texts.

The roots of Jewish mysticism can be traced back to the biblical era, with prophetic figures such as Elijah & Ezekiel experiencing divine visions & encounters. This tradition continued into the apocalyptic period, where texts like 1 Enoch & the Book of Daniel introduced complex angelology & eschatological themes.

The Hekhalot & Merkabah literature, dating from the 2nd century to the early medieval period, further developed these mystical themes. This focuses on visionary ascents to the heavenly palaces & the divine chariot. Hekhalot literature (from the Hebrew word for “Palaces”) relates to visions of entering Heaven alive.

Merkabah (or Merkavah) mysticism is a school of Jewish mysticism, centered on visions such as those found in Ezekiel 1, or in the hekhalot literature, concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces & the Throne of God.

According to the Zohar, Torah study can proceed along 4 levels of interpretation (exegesis). These 4 levels are called pardes from their initial letters (PRDs, “orchard”):

• Peshat (“simple”): The direct interpretations of meaning.
• Remez (“hints”): The allegoric meanings (through allusion).
• Derash (from the Hebrew darash, “inquire” or “seek): Midrashic (rabbinic) meanings, often with imaginative comparisons with similar words or verses.
• Sod (“secret” or “mystery”): The inner, esoteric (metaphysical) meanings, expressed in kabbalah.

Kabbalah is considered by its followers as a necessary part of the study of the Torah. The study of the Torah (the Tanakh & rabbinic literature) is an inherent duty of observant Jews.

There are 3 different types of Kabbalah: Lurianic Kabbalah, Meditative-Ecstatic Kabbalah, & Practical Kabbalah. These 3 types can be distinguished by their basic intent with respect to God:

• The Theosohical/Theosophical-Theurgic tradition of Theoretical Kabbalah (the main focus of the Zohar & Luria) seeks to understand & describe the divine realm using the imaginative & mythic symbols of human psychological experience. Its theosophy also implies the innate, centrally important theurgic influence of human conduct on redeeming or damaging the spiritual realms, as man is a divine microcosm. The purpose of traditional theosophical kabbalah was to give the whole of normative Jewish religious practices this mystical metaphysical meaning.
• The Meditative tradition of Ecstatic Kabbalah strives to achieve a mystical union with God, or nullification of the meditator in God’s Active intellect. Abraham Abulafia’s “Prophetic Kabbalah” was the supreme example of this. Though marginal in Kabbalistic development. His alternative to the program of theosophical Kabbalah. Abulafian meditation built upon the philosophy of Maimonides, whose followers remained a rationalist threat to theosophical Kabbalists.
• The Magico-Talismanic tradition of Practical Kabbalah endeavours to alter both the Divine realms & the World using practical methods. While theosophical interpretations of worship see its redemptive role as harmonizing heavenly forces, Practical Kabbalah properly involved Practial Kabbalah properly involved white-magical acts, & was censored by Kabbalists for only those completely pure of intent, as it relates to lower realms where purity & impurity are mixed. Consequently, it formed a separate minor tradition shunned from Kabbalah. Practical Kabbalah was prohibited by the Arizal until the Temple is rebuilt & the required state of ritual purity is attainable.

According to Kabbalistic belief, early kabbalistic knowledge was imparted orally by the Patriarchs, prophets, & sages. Eventually, to be “interwoven” into Jewish religious writings & culture. According to this view, early kabbalah was, around the 10th century BCE, an open knowledge practiced by over a million people in ancient Israel.

Foreign conquests drove the Jewish spiritual leadership of the time (the Sanhedrin) to hide the knowledge & make it secret, fearing that it might be misused if it fell into the wrong hands.

From the Renaissance onward, Jewish Kabbalah texts entered non-Jewish (Gentile) spaces. Where they studied & translated by Christian Hebraists & Hermetic occultists. Christian Hebraists are scholars of Hebrew texts who approach the works from a Christian perspective.

The syncretic traditions of Christian & Hermetic Kabbalah developed independently of Jewish Kabbalah. They read Jewish texts as universalist ancient wisdom preserved from Gnostic traditions of “the olden days.” Both adapted the Jewish concepts freely from their Jewish understanding. This made it possible to merge with multiple other theologies, religious traditions, & magical associations. In the time of the Age of Reason, Christian Kabbalah declined. Hermetic Kabbalah took a much different route, a route that some secretive “societies” went: they went underground.

The technical definition of Kabbalah varies according to sect & the aims of those following it. In its earliest & original usage in ancient Hebrew, it means “reception” or “tradition.” In this context, it tends to refer to any sacred writing written after (or otherwise outside of) the 5 books of the Torah. (This is the 1st 5 books of the Old Testament.)

After the Talmud was written, it refers to the Oral Law. In the much later writings of Eleazar of Worms (circa 1350), it refers to theurgy or the conjuring of demons & angels by the invocation of their secret names.

The nature of the divine prompted kabbalists to envision 2 aspects to God: 1.) God is essence, absolutely transcendent, unknowable, limitless divine simplicity beyond revelation, & 2.) God in manifestation, the revealed persona of God through which He creates, sustains, & relates to humankind.

Kabbalists speak of the 1st as the Ein Sof (“the infinite/endless,” literally “there is no end”). Of the impersonal Ein Sof, nothing can be grasped.

However, the 2nd aspect of divine emanations, accessible to human perception, dynamically interacting throughout spiritual & physical existence, reveals the divine immanently, & is bound up in the life of man. Kabbalists believe that these 2 aspects aren’t contradictory but complement 1 another, emanations mystically revealing the concealed mystery from within the Godhead.

As a term describing the Infinite Godhead beyond Creation, Kabbalists viewed the Ein Sof itself as too sublime to be referred to directly in the Torah. It’s not a Holy Name in Judaism. No name could contain a revelation of the Ein Sof.

The structure of emanations has been described in various ways: Sephirot (divine attributes) & Partzufim (divine “faces”), Ohr (spiritual light & flow), Names of God & supernal Torah, Olamot (spiritual worlds), a Divine Tree & Archetypal Man, Angelic Chariot & Palaces, male & female, enclothed layers of reality, inwardly channels (“limbs” of the King) & the divine Souls of Man.

These symbols are used to describe various levels & aspects of Divine manifestation, from the Pnimi (inner) dimensions to the Hitzoni (outer). It’s solely in relation to the emanations, certainly not the Ein Sof Ground of all Being, that Kabbalah uses anthropomorphic symbolism to relate psychologically to divinity.

The Sephirot/Sefirot/Sefirah are the 10 emanations & attributes of God with which He continually sustains the existence of the universe. These emanations are viewed as parts of God’s divine nature, which reveal themselves in different ways.

The Zohar & other Kabbalistic texts elaborate on the emergence of the sephirot from a state of concealed potential in the Ein Sof until their manifestation in the mundane world. In particular, Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (known as “the Ramak”) describes how God emanated the myriad details of finite reality out of the absolute unity of Divine Light via the 10 sephirot, or vessels.

According to Lurianic cosmology, the sephirot correspond to various levels of creation. 10 sephirot are in each of the 4 Worlds. 4 Worlds within each of the larger 4 Worlds, each containing 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, to an infinite number of possibilities.

They emanated from the Creator for the purpose of creating the universe. The sephirot are considered revelations of the Creator’s will (ratzon), & they shouldn’t be understood as 10 different “gods” but through the Emanations. It’s not God who changes but the ability to perceive God that changes.

Divine creation through the 10 Sephirot is an ethical process. They represent the different aspects of Morality. Loving-Kindness is a possible moral justification found in Chessed, & Gevurah is the Moral Justification of justice, & both are mediated by Mercy, which is Rachamim.

However, these pillars of morality become immoral when taken to extremes. When Loving-Kindness becomes extreme, it can lead to sexual depravity & a lack of Justice to the wicked. When Justice becomes extreme, it can lead to torture & the Cain-ing of innocents & unfair punishment.

The tzadikim or “righteous” ascend these ethical qualities of the 10 sephirot through righteous action. If there were no tzadikim, the blessings of God would become completely hidden, & Creation would cease to exist.

While real human actions are the “Foundation” (Yesod) of this universe (Malkuth), they must be accompanied by the conscious intention of compassion. Compassionate actions are often impossible without faith (Emunah), meaning trusting that God seems hidden.

Make a one-time donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Make a monthly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Make a yearly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Rate this:

A Historic Celebration of Women’s Torah

Once every 7.5 years, the global Jewish community marks a monumental milestone. Hadran invites you to be a part of the largest women’s Torah gathering in history, the global Siyum HaShas for Women in 2027.

More Info: https://hadran.org.il/siyum-hashas-2027/

This is a statement of achievement, community, and the transformative power of Talmud study. The main program will dynamically blend Hebrew and English, ensuring that every woman, regardless of background or location, feels entirely at home.

#Mazeldon #Judaism #Jewish #JewishWomen #Talmud

A Historic Celebration of Women’s Torah

Once every 7.5 years, the global Jewish community marks a monumental milestone. Hadran invites you to be a part of the largest women’s Torah gathering in history, the global Siyum HaShas for Women in 2027.

More Info: https://hadran.org.il/siyum-hashas-2027/

This is a statement of achievement, community, and the transformative power of Talmud study. The main program will dynamically blend Hebrew and English, ensuring that every woman, regardless of background or location, feels entirely at home.

#Mazeldon #Judaism #Jewish #JewishWomen #Talmud

"What would happen if you treated the #DeclarationofIndependence the way #Jewish tradition treats its own foundational texts — as documents to be pored and argued over, and put in conversation with ancient sources?

That’s the idea of “#Talmud of #America,” a collection of four #essays #published by the #PardesInstitute of #JewishStudies, and #Faith250, the brainchild of #Rabbi #MichaelHolzman of Northern #Virginia.

“The #Torah is a living document,” Rabbi #LeonMorris, president of #Pardes, told me recently. “Classic Jewish texts have something fresh and relevant to say about everything — including the Declaration of Independence.”

The four essays in “#TalmudofAmerica” — on equality, on “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” on the right of rebellion and on ideas of sacrifice and civic engagement — are written by Pardes #faculty members #YiscahSmith, #LeahRosenthal, #DavidIBernstein and Rabbi #RahelBerkovits."

https://www.jta.org/2026/06/07/ideas/as-america-turns-250-a-talmud-of-america-reads-u-s-history-through-a-jewish-lens

"What would happen if you treated the #DeclarationofIndependence the way #Jewish tradition treats its own foundational texts — as documents to be pored and argued over, and put in conversation with ancient sources?

That’s the idea of “#Talmud of #America,” a collection of four #essays #published by the #PardesInstitute of #JewishStudies, and #Faith250, the brainchild of #Rabbi #MichaelHolzman of Northern #Virginia.

“The #Torah is a living document,” Rabbi #LeonMorris, president of #Pardes, told me recently. “Classic Jewish texts have something fresh and relevant to say about everything — including the Declaration of Independence.”

The four essays in “#TalmudofAmerica” — on equality, on “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” on the right of rebellion and on ideas of sacrifice and civic engagement — are written by Pardes #faculty members #YiscahSmith, #LeahRosenthal, #DavidIBernstein and Rabbi #RahelBerkovits."

https://www.jta.org/2026/06/07/ideas/as-america-turns-250-a-talmud-of-america-reads-u-s-history-through-a-jewish-lens

"In #medieval #Europe, #Jewish scholars were summoned before #Christian authorities and forced to defend the #Talmud against claims that it said things it didn’t. The proceedings, called disputations, were rarely fair and not exactly voluntary.

#HenryRaz, 17, is a #highschool junior in #MarinCounty trying to counter a flood of online videos that claim the Talmud exposes secrets Jewish leaders want to keep hidden and permits #Jews to deceive and kill non-Jews. To #Raz, it looks like the same dynamic as the medieval disputations, adapted to the age of social media algorithms. That’s why he started a #YouTube channel called “#Disputations.”

https://jweekly.com/2026/06/04/marin-teen-is-debunking-lies-about-the-talmud-on-youtube/

"In #medieval #Europe, #Jewish scholars were summoned before #Christian authorities and forced to defend the #Talmud against claims that it said things it didn’t. The proceedings, called disputations, were rarely fair and not exactly voluntary.

#HenryRaz, 17, is a #highschool junior in #MarinCounty trying to counter a flood of online videos that claim the Talmud exposes secrets Jewish leaders want to keep hidden and permits #Jews to deceive and kill non-Jews. To #Raz, it looks like the same dynamic as the medieval disputations, adapted to the age of social media algorithms. That’s why he started a #YouTube channel called “#Disputations.”

https://jweekly.com/2026/06/04/marin-teen-is-debunking-lies-about-the-talmud-on-youtube/

"#Judaism has long had an ambivalent and at times contradictory approach to #astrology, the practice of discerning the influence of celestial bodies on human destiny.

On the one hand, the claim that the stars exert a direct influence on individuals and world events would seem to cut against the core #Jewish belief in #freewill. The #Torah also forbids efforts to foretell the future. However, #Jews throughout history have believed that the heavenly bodies influence events on earth. References to astrology are found throughout the #Talmud, and several works of astrology were subsequently penned by major #rabbinic figures. Jewish thinkers across history have tried to reconcile these two beliefs, while others have rejected astrology outright."

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-astrology/

"#Judaism has long had an ambivalent and at times contradictory approach to #astrology, the practice of discerning the influence of celestial bodies on human destiny.

On the one hand, the claim that the stars exert a direct influence on individuals and world events would seem to cut against the core #Jewish belief in #freewill. The #Torah also forbids efforts to foretell the future. However, #Jews throughout history have believed that the heavenly bodies influence events on earth. References to astrology are found throughout the #Talmud, and several works of astrology were subsequently penned by major #rabbinic figures. Jewish thinkers across history have tried to reconcile these two beliefs, while others have rejected astrology outright."

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-astrology/

From Hadran:
Join the #SukkahChallenge!

A Meaningful & Inspiring Learning Journey

This summer, we invite you to set a meaningful goal and complete a masechet with us.

The #SukkahChallenge is a focused learning program tailored to your personal schedule, designed to help you finish Masechet Sukkah right before the chagim.

📝 Starting: Monday, June 1st

4 days a week - anywhere, anytime, at your own pace.

WhatsApp link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KUdkBubESta9sXkMmvCdxW

#Mazeldon #Judaism #Jewish #Sukkot #JewishEducation #Talmud

#DafReactions Chullin 16: Your Teacher Was a Reed Cutter in the Swamp
#MiriamAnzovin

Shalom, friends!
Today’s page of #Talmud legit asked me to consider: could shechita ever use the creative stylings of John Wick, Rube Goldberg… or Jigsaw?
Plus! Discover why I’ll never think of Rav Pappa as the “small fried fish” guy ever again. 👀

https://youtu.be/XAMs_tLb_GU?si=rtzgyrCDj9Guk6XE

"#EishetChayil: Woman of Valor – Heroines of Our History is a commentary on the 22 verses of #Proverbs 31, based on #midrash, the #Talmud, classic #rabbinic texts, and #ChabadHassidut. It is published by #Kehot, the central publishing house of the #Chabad-#Lubavitch movement.

The #book does not merely explain “Eishet Chayil”; it positions it as a sweeping #theological and historical statement about #Jewish #womanhood and Jewish survival. The tone is set early on, with sentences like, “At every critical juncture of our long and challenging history, you will find the fearless and wise eishet chayil shepherding us toward our destiny.”

One of the book’s central claims is clear and consistent: Jewish #history does not merely include #women; it is propelled by them."

https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-895357

"#EishetChayil: Woman of Valor – Heroines of Our History is a commentary on the 22 verses of #Proverbs 31, based on #midrash, the #Talmud, classic #rabbinic texts, and #ChabadHassidut. It is published by #Kehot, the central publishing house of the #Chabad-#Lubavitch movement.

The #book does not merely explain “Eishet Chayil”; it positions it as a sweeping #theological and historical statement about #Jewish #womanhood and Jewish survival. The tone is set early on, with sentences like, “At every critical juncture of our long and challenging history, you will find the fearless and wise eishet chayil shepherding us toward our destiny.”

One of the book’s central claims is clear and consistent: Jewish #history does not merely include #women; it is propelled by them."

https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-895357

"#EishetChayil: Woman of Valor – Heroines of Our History is a commentary on the 22 verses of #Proverbs 31, based on #midrash, the #Talmud, classic #rabbinic texts, and #ChabadHassidut. It is published by #Kehot, the central publishing house of the #Chabad-#Lubavitch movement.

The #book does not merely explain “Eishet Chayil”; it positions it as a sweeping #theological and historical statement about #Jewish #womanhood and Jewish survival. The tone is set early on, with sentences like, “At every critical juncture of our long and challenging history, you will find the fearless and wise eishet chayil shepherding us toward our destiny.”

One of the book’s central claims is clear and consistent: Jewish #history does not merely include #women; it is propelled by them."

https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-895357

"#EishetChayil: Woman of Valor – Heroines of Our History is a commentary on the 22 verses of #Proverbs 31, based on #midrash, the #Talmud, classic #rabbinic texts, and #ChabadHassidut. It is published by #Kehot, the central publishing house of the #Chabad-#Lubavitch movement.

The #book does not merely explain “Eishet Chayil”; it positions it as a sweeping #theological and historical statement about #Jewish #womanhood and Jewish survival. The tone is set early on, with sentences like, “At every critical juncture of our long and challenging history, you will find the fearless and wise eishet chayil shepherding us toward our destiny.”

One of the book’s central claims is clear and consistent: Jewish #history does not merely include #women; it is propelled by them."

https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-895357

"#EishetChayil: Woman of Valor – Heroines of Our History is a commentary on the 22 verses of #Proverbs 31, based on #midrash, the #Talmud, classic #rabbinic texts, and #ChabadHassidut. It is published by #Kehot, the central publishing house of the #Chabad-#Lubavitch movement.

The #book does not merely explain “Eishet Chayil”; it positions it as a sweeping #theological and historical statement about #Jewish #womanhood and Jewish survival. The tone is set early on, with sentences like, “At every critical juncture of our long and challenging history, you will find the fearless and wise eishet chayil shepherding us toward our destiny.”

One of the book’s central claims is clear and consistent: Jewish #history does not merely include #women; it is propelled by them."

https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-895357

A quotation from The Talmud

It is not yours to finish the task, but neither are you free to set it aside.
 
לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה.

The Talmud (AD 200-500) Collection of Jewish rabbinical writings
Mishnah, Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers; פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת] 2:16

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/talmud/35632/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #talmud #mishnah #accomplishment #aspiration #completion #duty #endeavor #finish #ideal #keeptrying #labor #obligation #quest #success #task #work

A quotation from The Talmud

It is not yours to finish the task, but neither are you free to set it aside.
 
לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה.

The Talmud (AD 200-500) Collection of Jewish rabbinical writings
Mishnah, Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers; פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת] 2:16

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/talmud/35632/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #talmud #mishnah #accomplishment #aspiration #completion #duty #endeavor #finish #ideal #keeptrying #labor #obligation #quest #success #task #work

A quotation from The Talmud

It is not yours to finish the task, but neither are you free to set it aside.
 
לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה.

The Talmud (AD 200-500) Collection of Jewish rabbinical writings
Mishnah, Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers; פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת] 2:16

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/talmud/35632/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #talmud #mishnah #accomplishment #aspiration #completion #duty #endeavor #finish #ideal #keeptrying #labor #obligation #quest #success #task #work

A quotation from The Talmud

It is not yours to finish the task, but neither are you free to set it aside.
 
לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה.

The Talmud (AD 200-500) Collection of Jewish rabbinical writings
Mishnah, Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers; פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת] 2:16

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/talmud/35632/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #talmud #mishnah #accomplishment #aspiration #completion #duty #endeavor #finish #ideal #keeptrying #labor #obligation #quest #success #task #work

A quotation from The Talmud

It is not yours to finish the task, but neither are you free to set it aside.
 
לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה.

The Talmud (AD 200-500) Collection of Jewish rabbinical writings
Mishnah, Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers; פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת] 2:16

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/talmud/35632/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #talmud #mishnah #accomplishment #aspiration #completion #duty #endeavor #finish #ideal #keeptrying #labor #obligation #quest #success #task #work

"#RavKook’s exceptionalism lies in the fact that his ideas remain relevant even in 2026, reinforcing the impact noted above.

This enduring influence is especially evident in his #writings, which present unique challenges in #translation. Anyone who has used a Soncino translation of the #Talmud knows that translation can leave one with still a long way to go in figuring out the meaning of the original text.

#Rabbi #AryehSklar has addressed this challenge in Rav Kook’s Guide for Today’s Perplexed (#KodeshPress). More than just a translation, #Sklar’s edition includes extensive footnotes to fill in many gaps, adding essential details and context not apparent in the original text.

Adding further depth to the work, the #book itself has a fascinating history. It remained an unpublished #manuscript for more than a century before #Rabbi #ShacharRachmani released it in full in 2014 as For the Perplexed of the Generation (LeNevuchei haDor)."

https://jewishpress.com/for-the-perplexed-in-every-generation/

"#RavKook’s exceptionalism lies in the fact that his ideas remain relevant even in 2026, reinforcing the impact noted above.

This enduring influence is especially evident in his #writings, which present unique challenges in #translation. Anyone who has used a Soncino translation of the #Talmud knows that translation can leave one with still a long way to go in figuring out the meaning of the original text.

#Rabbi #AryehSklar has addressed this challenge in Rav Kook’s Guide for Today’s Perplexed (#KodeshPress). More than just a translation, #Sklar’s edition includes extensive footnotes to fill in many gaps, adding essential details and context not apparent in the original text.

Adding further depth to the work, the #book itself has a fascinating history. It remained an unpublished #manuscript for more than a century before #Rabbi #ShacharRachmani released it in full in 2014 as For the Perplexed of the Generation (LeNevuchei haDor)."

https://jewishpress.com/for-the-perplexed-in-every-generation/

Where there is no bread, there is no Torah - Talmud.
#talmud #bread

Where there is no bread, there is no Torah - Talmud.
#talmud #bread

Samaritanism

Samaritanism is an Abrahamic monotheistic, ethnic religion. It comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, & legal traditions of the Samaritan people.

Often preferring to be called Israelite Samaritans, who originated from the Hebrews & Israelites. They began to emerge as a relatively distinct group after the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire during the Iron Age. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was the 4th, & penultimate, stage of ancient Assyrian history.

Central to their continuity as an Indigenous Heritage in the Holy Land is keeping the Patriarchal & Mosaic covenant as specified in the Samaritan Torah. Samaritans believe this is the original & unchanged version of the Pentateuch (which is the first 5 books of the Hebrew & Christian bible) since Moses & the Israelites at Mount Sinai.

The Abisha Scroll is traditionally held by the community to be the oldest existing scroll written by Abisha, son of Aaron the priest, around 3,000 years ago based on living tradition. However, Jewish & Christian theologians have made attempts to dispute this claim which proved unsatisfactory.

Judaism claims Samaritanism developed right alongside their own religion. Samaritanism asserts itself as the true preserved form of the monotheistic faith that the Israelites kept under Moses. Samaritan belief also holds that the Israelites’ original holy site was Mount Gerizim, near Nablus, the State of Palestine (West Bank).

They also believe that Jerusalem only attained importance under Israelite dissenters who had followed Eli (In the Book of Samuel, Eli was a priest & judge of the Israelites in the city of Shiloh) to the city of Shiloh.

The Israelites who remained at Mount Gerizim would become the Samaritans in the Kingdom of Judah. Mount Gerizim is revered by Samaritans as the location where the Binding of Isaac occurred. In comparison to the Jewish belief that it occurred at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

Today there are only about 900 registered communal members. This puts Samaritanism as 1 of the smallest ethnoreligious groups globally in the Abrahamic faiths. Samaritans believe that this is a prophecy fulfilled from the scriptures: “You’ll be left few in number.”

Though they hope for a future time when a prophet like Moses known as the “Taheb” (Restorer) will perform 3 signs, namely the jar of manna, the staff of Moses, & Cherubim, or the Golden Candlestick.

This time period they believe is when an era of Divine Favor would return, & the hidden tabernacle of Moses would miraculously be revealed for the Israelite people & Mount Gerizim is restored to its former glory.

Samaritans trace their history, as a separate entity, to a period soon after the Israelites’ arrival into the “Promised Land.” Samaritan historiography traces the schism to High Priest Eli leaving Mount Gerizim, where stood the 1st Israelite altar in Canaan, & building a competing altar in nearby Shiloh.

The dissenting group of Israelites who followed Eli to Shiloh would be the ones who, in later years, would head south to settle in Jerusalem (the Jews). Whereas the Israelites who stayed on Mount Gerizim, in Samaria, would become known as the Samaritans.

Genetic studies in 2004 suggest that Samaritans’ lineages trace back to a common ancestor with Jews in the paternally-inherited Jewish high priesthood (Cohanim) temporally near to the period of the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel. They’re probably descendants of the historical Israelite population. The Cohanim refers to the Jewish priestly class, male descendants of Aaron the priest.

The Hasmonean king, John Hyrcanus, destroyed the Mount Gerizim Temple & brought Samaria under his control around 120 BCE. This led to a long-lasting sense of mutual hostility between the Jews & Samaritans.

From this point, the Samaritans likely sought to consciously distance themselves from their Judean brethren. Both peoples came to see the Samaritan faith as a religion distinct from Judaism. By the time of Jesus, Samaritans & Jews deeply disparaged one another, as shown by Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan.

The main beliefs of Samaritanism are:

• There’s 1 God, Yahweh, the same God recognized by the Jewish prophets.
• The Torah is the only true holy book & was given by God to Moses. The Torah was created before the creation of the world & whoever believes in it is assured a part in the world to come. The Torah’s status in Samaritanism as the only holy book causes them to reject the Oral Torah, the Talmud, & all the prophets & scriptures, except for a version of the Book of Joshua (which they don’t hold as Scripture), whose book in the Samaritan community is significantly different from the Book of Joshua in the Jewish “Bible.” Moses is considered to be the last of the line of prophets.
• Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem, is the 1 true sanctuary chosen by God. The Samaritans don’t recognize the sanctity of Jerusalem & don’t recognize the Temple Mount, claiming instead that Mount Gerizim was the place where the Binding of Isaac took place.
• The Apocalypse, called “the day of vengeance,” will be the end of days. When an entity called the Taheb (basically the Jewish Messiah equal) that comes from the tribe of Joseph will come, be a prophet like Moses for 40 years & bring about the return of all the Israelites, following which the dead will be resurrected. The Tahib will then discover the tent of Moses’ Tabernacle on Mount Gerizim, & will be buried next to Joseph when he dies.

The Samaritans have retained the institution of a high priesthood & the practice of slaughtering & eating lambs on Passover Eve. They celebrated Pesach, Shavuot, & Sukkot. But they use a different method from that used in mainstream Judaism in order to determine the dates annually.

For example, Yom Teru’ah (the biblical name for Rosh Hashanah), at the beginning of Tishrei (This is the 1st month of the civil year & the 7th month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar.), isn’t considered a New Year as it is in Rabbinic Judaism.

Their Sabbath is observed weekly by the Samaritan community every week from Friday to Saturday, beginning & ending at sundown. For 24 hours, the families gather together to celebrate the rest day: all electricity with the exception of minimal lighting (kept on the entire day) in the house is disconnected, no work is done, & neither cooking nor driving is allowed.

The time is devoted to worship which consists of 7 prayer services, reading the weekly Torah portion, spending quality time with family, taking meals, rest & sleep, & visiting other members of the community.

Passover is particularly important in the Samaritan community, climaxing with the sacrifice of up to 40 sheep.

The Counting of the Omar remains relatively unchanged. The Counting of the Omar is a ritual in Judaism that consists of a verbal counting of each of the 49 days between the holidays of Passover & Shavuot. However, the week before Shavuot is a unique festival celebrating the continued commitment Samaritanism has maintained since the time of Moses.

During Sukkot, the Sukkah (the temporary hut built for use during Sukkot) is built INSIDE of houses, instead of OUTSIDE like mainstream Judaism. This Samaritan tradition is traced back to the persecution of the Samaritans during the Byzantine Empire.

The roof of the Samaritan Sukkah is decorated with citrus fruits & branches of palm, myrtle, & willow trees. This is in accordance with the Samaritan interpretation of the 4 species designated in the Torah for the holiday. The 4 species are 4 plants (the etrog, lulav, hadass, & aravah) mentioned in the Torah as being relevant to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Make a one-time donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

Make a monthly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate monthly

Make a yearly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate yearly

Rate this:

#120BCE #4Species #Aaron #Abisha #AbishaScroll #AbrahamicFaiths #AncientAssyria #Apoclypse #Aravah #BindingOfIsaac #BookOfJoshua #BookOfSamuel #ByzantineEmpire #Canaan #Cherubim #Christians #CitrusFruits #Cohanim #CountingOfTheOmar #Eli #Etrog #GoldenCandlestick #Hadass #Hasmonean #HebrewCalendar #Hebrews #HighPriestEli #HighPriesthood #IndigenousPeoples #IronAge #IsraeliteSamaritans #Israelites #Jerusalem #Jesus #Jewish #JewishProphets #Jews #Joseph #Judah #KingJohnHyrcanus #KingdomOfIsrael #Lulav #Manna #Messiah #MosaicCovenant #Moses #MountGerizim #MountSinai #Myrtle #Nablus #NeoAssyrianEmpire #OralTorah #Palestine #ParableOfTheGoodSamaritan #Passover #PatriarchalCovenant #Pentateuch #Priest #PromisedLand #RabbinicJudaism #RoshHashanah #Sabbath #SamaritanTorah #Samaritanism #Shavuot #Shiloh #StaffOfMoses #Sukkah #Sukkot #Tabernacle #Taheb #Talmud #TempleMount #Tishrei #Torah #WestBank #Willow #Yahweh #YomTeruAh

Samaritanism

Samaritanism is an Abrahamic monotheistic, ethnic religion. It comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, & legal traditions of the Samaritan people.

Often preferring to be called Israelite Samaritans, who originated from the Hebrews & Israelites. They began to emerge as a relatively distinct group after the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire during the Iron Age. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was the 4th, & penultimate, stage of ancient Assyrian history.

Central to their continuity as an Indigenous Heritage in the Holy Land is keeping the Patriarchal & Mosaic covenant as specified in the Samaritan Torah. Samaritans believe this is the original & unchanged version of the Pentateuch (which is the first 5 books of the Hebrew & Christian bible) since Moses & the Israelites at Mount Sinai.

The Abisha Scroll is traditionally held by the community to be the oldest existing scroll written by Abisha, son of Aaron the priest, around 3,000 years ago based on living tradition. However, Jewish & Christian theologians have made attempts to dispute this claim which proved unsatisfactory.

Judaism claims Samaritanism developed right alongside their own religion. Samaritanism asserts itself as the true preserved form of the monotheistic faith that the Israelites kept under Moses. Samaritan belief also holds that the Israelites’ original holy site was Mount Gerizim, near Nablus, the State of Palestine (West Bank).

They also believe that Jerusalem only attained importance under Israelite dissenters who had followed Eli (In the Book of Samuel, Eli was a priest & judge of the Israelites in the city of Shiloh) to the city of Shiloh.

The Israelites who remained at Mount Gerizim would become the Samaritans in the Kingdom of Judah. Mount Gerizim is revered by Samaritans as the location where the Binding of Isaac occurred. In comparison to the Jewish belief that it occurred at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

Today there are only about 900 registered communal members. This puts Samaritanism as 1 of the smallest ethnoreligious groups globally in the Abrahamic faiths. Samaritans believe that this is a prophecy fulfilled from the scriptures: “You’ll be left few in number.”

Though they hope for a future time when a prophet like Moses known as the “Taheb” (Restorer) will perform 3 signs, namely the jar of manna, the staff of Moses, & Cherubim, or the Golden Candlestick.

This time period they believe is when an era of Divine Favor would return, & the hidden tabernacle of Moses would miraculously be revealed for the Israelite people & Mount Gerizim is restored to its former glory.

Samaritans trace their history, as a separate entity, to a period soon after the Israelites’ arrival into the “Promised Land.” Samaritan historiography traces the schism to High Priest Eli leaving Mount Gerizim, where stood the 1st Israelite altar in Canaan, & building a competing altar in nearby Shiloh.

The dissenting group of Israelites who followed Eli to Shiloh would be the ones who, in later years, would head south to settle in Jerusalem (the Jews). Whereas the Israelites who stayed on Mount Gerizim, in Samaria, would become known as the Samaritans.

Genetic studies in 2004 suggest that Samaritans’ lineages trace back to a common ancestor with Jews in the paternally-inherited Jewish high priesthood (Cohanim) temporally near to the period of the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel. They’re probably descendants of the historical Israelite population. The Cohanim refers to the Jewish priestly class, male descendants of Aaron the priest.

The Hasmonean king, John Hyrcanus, destroyed the Mount Gerizim Temple & brought Samaria under his control around 120 BCE. This led to a long-lasting sense of mutual hostility between the Jews & Samaritans.

From this point, the Samaritans likely sought to consciously distance themselves from their Judean brethren. Both peoples came to see the Samaritan faith as a religion distinct from Judaism. By the time of Jesus, Samaritans & Jews deeply disparaged one another, as shown by Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan.

The main beliefs of Samaritanism are:

• There’s 1 God, Yahweh, the same God recognized by the Jewish prophets.
• The Torah is the only true holy book & was given by God to Moses. The Torah was created before the creation of the world & whoever believes in it is assured a part in the world to come. The Torah’s status in Samaritanism as the only holy book causes them to reject the Oral Torah, the Talmud, & all the prophets & scriptures, except for a version of the Book of Joshua (which they don’t hold as Scripture), whose book in the Samaritan community is significantly different from the Book of Joshua in the Jewish “Bible.” Moses is considered to be the last of the line of prophets.
• Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem, is the 1 true sanctuary chosen by God. The Samaritans don’t recognize the sanctity of Jerusalem & don’t recognize the Temple Mount, claiming instead that Mount Gerizim was the place where the Binding of Isaac took place.
• The Apocalypse, called “the day of vengeance,” will be the end of days. When an entity called the Taheb (basically the Jewish Messiah equal) that comes from the tribe of Joseph will come, be a prophet like Moses for 40 years & bring about the return of all the Israelites, following which the dead will be resurrected. The Tahib will then discover the tent of Moses’ Tabernacle on Mount Gerizim, & will be buried next to Joseph when he dies.

The Samaritans have retained the institution of a high priesthood & the practice of slaughtering & eating lambs on Passover Eve. They celebrated Pesach, Shavuot, & Sukkot. But they use a different method from that used in mainstream Judaism in order to determine the dates annually.

For example, Yom Teru’ah (the biblical name for Rosh Hashanah), at the beginning of Tishrei (This is the 1st month of the civil year & the 7th month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar.), isn’t considered a New Year as it is in Rabbinic Judaism.

Their Sabbath is observed weekly by the Samaritan community every week from Friday to Saturday, beginning & ending at sundown. For 24 hours, the families gather together to celebrate the rest day: all electricity with the exception of minimal lighting (kept on the entire day) in the house is disconnected, no work is done, & neither cooking nor driving is allowed.

The time is devoted to worship which consists of 7 prayer services, reading the weekly Torah portion, spending quality time with family, taking meals, rest & sleep, & visiting other members of the community.

Passover is particularly important in the Samaritan community, climaxing with the sacrifice of up to 40 sheep.

The Counting of the Omar remains relatively unchanged. The Counting of the Omar is a ritual in Judaism that consists of a verbal counting of each of the 49 days between the holidays of Passover & Shavuot. However, the week before Shavuot is a unique festival celebrating the continued commitment Samaritanism has maintained since the time of Moses.

During Sukkot, the Sukkah (the temporary hut built for use during Sukkot) is built INSIDE of houses, instead of OUTSIDE like mainstream Judaism. This Samaritan tradition is traced back to the persecution of the Samaritans during the Byzantine Empire.

The roof of the Samaritan Sukkah is decorated with citrus fruits & branches of palm, myrtle, & willow trees. This is in accordance with the Samaritan interpretation of the 4 species designated in the Torah for the holiday. The 4 species are 4 plants (the etrog, lulav, hadass, & aravah) mentioned in the Torah as being relevant to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Make a one-time donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

Make a monthly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate monthly

Make a yearly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate yearly

Rate this:

#120BCE #4Species #Aaron #Abisha #AbishaScroll #AbrahamicFaiths #AncientAssyria #Apoclypse #Aravah #BindingOfIsaac #BookOfJoshua #BookOfSamuel #ByzantineEmpire #Canaan #Cherubim #Christians #CitrusFruits #Cohanim #CountingOfTheOmar #Eli #Etrog #GoldenCandlestick #Hadass #Hasmonean #HebrewCalendar #Hebrews #HighPriestEli #HighPriesthood #IndigenousPeoples #IronAge #IsraeliteSamaritans #Israelites #Jerusalem #Jesus #Jewish #JewishProphets #Jews #Joseph #Judah #KingJohnHyrcanus #KingdomOfIsrael #Lulav #Manna #Messiah #MosaicCovenant #Moses #MountGerizim #MountSinai #Myrtle #Nablus #NeoAssyrianEmpire #OralTorah #Palestine #ParableOfTheGoodSamaritan #Passover #PatriarchalCovenant #Pentateuch #Priest #PromisedLand #RabbinicJudaism #RoshHashanah #Sabbath #SamaritanTorah #Samaritanism #Shavuot #Shiloh #StaffOfMoses #Sukkah #Sukkot #Tabernacle #Taheb #Talmud #TempleMount #Tishrei #Torah #WestBank #Willow #Yahweh #YomTeruAh

#datocurioso

¿Sabían que en la demonología judía tradicional, los Sheddim (שֵׁדִים en hebreo) no son exactamente ángeles caídos al estilo cristiano, sino una categoría de seres espirituales con un origen y naturaleza propios y ambiguos?

La creencia en los Sheddim, que la palabra en la Biblia hebrea (Torá) también se puede referir a deidades extranjeras, se desarrolló notablemente en el Talmud de Babilonia, donde se les describe como espíritus malignos o dañinos que intentan engañar a las personas.

Su origen es objeto de debate en el folklore:

Una leyenda sugiere que descienden de la unión entre humanos y seres sobrenaturales.

Otra teoría popular en el Talmud es que fueron creados por el Dios judío, pero su creación quedó incompleta, quedando a mitad de camino entre humanos y ángeles, sin cuerpos físicos sólidos.

A diferencia de la concepción cristiana del "Diablo" como un poder independiente del mal, el judaísmo no cree en una entidad maligna suprema con poder independiente, y los Sheddim suelen ser vistos más como tentaciones o fuerzas de la naturaleza que deben ser manejadas o evitadas mediante rituales y la obediencia a la ley judía (Halajá).

#Sheddim #Demonologia #Talmud #FolkloreJudio #Historia #Cultura #AntiguoTestamento #Judaismo #Mitologia

What aspect of the Sanhedrin’s legacy moves you the most? Could a similar council bring unity today? Share your thoughts on how ancient wisdom might shape modern challenges. #Sanhedrin #AncientIsrael #JewishHistory #Mishnah #Talmud #Hillel #Shammai #Temple #RabbinicTradition #OralLaw
https://spiritulality.stayingalive.in/inspiring-harmony/sanhedrin-the-council-that.html

An article about why #pork is taboo to two major religions. It's an intriguing deep dive on this divisive, complex topic. https://archaeology.org/issues/march-april-2025/letters-from/on-the-origin-of-the-pork-taboo/ #foodhistory #foodrevulsion #Mishnah #Talmud #Koran #foodarchaeology #Kashrut #Halal #foodways

An article about why #pork is taboo to two major religions. It's an intriguing deep dive on this divisive, complex topic. https://archaeology.org/issues/march-april-2025/letters-from/on-the-origin-of-the-pork-taboo/ #foodhistory #foodrevulsion #Mishnah #Talmud #Koran #foodarchaeology #Kashrut #Halal #foodways

L’invertebrato radioattivo che potrebbe aver costruito il grande tempio di Gerusalemme

https://www.jacoporanieri.com/blog/?p=41618

#animali #vermi #leggende #religione #ebraismo #talmud #storie #vicende #salomone #antichità #Israele #israeliti #templi #sovrani #costruzione #architettura #criptidi #creature #testi #archeologia #popoli #costruzioni #mura #pietra #molluschi

L’invertebrato radioattivo che potrebbe aver costruito il grande tempio di Gerusalemme

https://www.jacoporanieri.com/blog/?p=41618

#animali #vermi #leggende #religione #ebraismo #talmud #storie #vicende #salomone #antichità #Israele #israeliti #templi #sovrani #costruzione #architettura #criptidi #creature #testi #archeologia #popoli #costruzioni #mura #pietra #molluschi

Danke, @Gutemiene - stimmt halt nur so nicht. Das rabbinische #Judentum führt die Auslegung (!) des #Tanach schon seit 2 Jahrtausenden im #Talmud. Das katholische Lehramt betont Auslegung + Tradition (Konzilien, Enzykliken usw.)

Und #Luther scheiterte mit #solascriptura schon am #Sonntag vs. biblischem #Schabbat.

Bitte meine Freundlichkeit nicht mit Inkompetenz verwechseln. Danke & giten Rosch! ☺️🙏🖖

@[email protected] @hundhamm https://scilogs.spektrum.de/natur-des-glaubens/verschwoerungsfragen-33-die-schluempfe-und-der-luther-hermeneutik-statt-verdraengung/

Danke, @Gutemiene - stimmt halt nur so nicht. Das rabbinische #Judentum führt die Auslegung (!) des #Tanach schon seit 2 Jahrtausenden im #Talmud. Das katholische Lehramt betont Auslegung + Tradition (Konzilien, Enzykliken usw.)

Und #Luther scheiterte mit #solascriptura schon am #Sonntag vs. biblischem #Schabbat.

Bitte meine Freundlichkeit nicht mit Inkompetenz verwechseln. Danke & giten Rosch! ☺️🙏🖖

@[email protected] @hundhamm https://scilogs.spektrum.de/natur-des-glaubens/verschwoerungsfragen-33-die-schluempfe-und-der-luther-hermeneutik-statt-verdraengung/

"I don't try to apologize for the difficult stuff we encounter in the #Talmud..."

The awesome @MiriamAnzovin on the awesome #JudaismUnbound podcast.

If you are into modern, #queer #Judaism, you should really check this out.

And by the way, JudaismUnbound is a real treasure trove of 21st-century Jewish discourse.

https://www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/episode-406-miriam-anzovin

#jewishwomen #jewishwisdom #Mazeldon

"I don't try to apologize for the difficult stuff we encounter in the #Talmud..."

The awesome @MiriamAnzovin on the awesome #JudaismUnbound podcast.

If you are into modern, #queer #Judaism, you should really check this out.

And by the way, JudaismUnbound is a real treasure trove of 21st-century Jewish discourse.

https://www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/episode-406-miriam-anzovin

#jewishwomen #jewishwisdom #Mazeldon

「If so, lamah zeh anochi? (translated on #Sefaria as: if so, why do I exist?) #Rivkah asks this when she feels the twins #Esau and #Jacob locked in a struggle in her womb. God answers "two nations are within you, and the older shall serve the younger.”

I keep asking myself: does God truly answer her? Is this all we're meant for in life? To witness the nations that struggle against one another? For one to always triumph over the other? To forget that every single one of us teems with life?

Rivkah's question points out that this struggle harms the very earth we walk on. It damages the hearts and minds of all who carry it.

She deserved a better answer, just like we deserve one now.

But when God is silent, it is the time to create one for ourselves.」

#maimonides_nutz #Mazeldon
#Talmud #JewishWisdom #Judaism

「When things are getting a little hairy, I like to think to myself “at least I'm not being carried away by a giant bird!" I don't know what I would do if I actually WERE being carried away by a giant bird, | would probably utter the phrase “gam zu I'tovah” — this too is for the good.

Gam zu I'tovah is a phrase attributed to Nachum Ish #Gamzu, a rabbi in the Talmud known for unyielding optimism. In his story, unfortunate things keep happening to him, and to each of them he says “gam zu I'tovah.” As the story progresses, we learn that indeed, each one happens to be for the good.

On a date I explained this design to the guy and he said “oh, so you REALLY hate the phrase" and I laughed, but | don't think that's quite true. It is that I think the story is kind of absurd. Perhaps there's wisdom to it though. 」

#maimonides_nutz #Mazeldon
#Talmud #JewishWisdom #Judaism

@sheepchase

The way I have always had it explained to me by #Reform rabbis was that it is based on the notion not that #Halakha is not binding, but that Halakha didn't end when the #Talmud was written.