With Tisha B’Av soon upon, the often asked question regarding the text of the “Nachem” prayer (see here p. 100) has been discussed once more. In a recent issue of Tzohar, vol. 32, R. Hayyim Navon has called for adopting the change that was first proposed by R. Hayyim David Halevi, that the word “שהייתה” [...]
Tyler F. Williams has posted about some new editions to the very helpful “Mastering Biblical Hebrew” section of his website, Codex.
If only Israel’s disputes with her neighbors could be dealt with on such a level. From the BBC: Advertisements promoting Japanese condoms have been removed from Korean underground trains amid a rekindled territorial dispute. The action was taken following complaints from passengers, a Seoul Metro spokesman told AFP news agency. “If the territorial dispute with [...]
In today’s NYT there is an article about Jews and their tattoos. I have written here about this subject before. Thankfully, they debunked the myth that a Jew with a tattoo can’t be buried in a Jewish cemetery. There was another article in this morning’s paper which had an interesting angle to it. This article [...]
Lion of Zion has written the following about the recent events in Israel, Ynet has reported on Zaka’s assistance in exhuming the bodies of the terrorists that will be transferred to Lebanon tomorrow. I would have assumed that the justification for Zaka’s participation is to ensure that nearby Jewish graves (if any) are not disturbed [...]
The Masorites divided up the sections of the Torah using parashiyot. It wasn’t until the 13th century that Archbiship Stephen Langton of Canteburry, England, divided up the Bible into the chapters. Often the division of Langton’s chapters and the Masoretic parashiyot overlap, but sometimes they don’t. That the chapter division differs from that of the [...]
At Hirhurim Gil has two recent posts on the issue of talking during shul. I just came across two related sources which illustrate how this problem is not new at all. The first source is from a Yiddish poem written around 1675. in the synagogue they can’t keep their mouths shut; one talks of his [...]
While many of you will think that the prohibition of men hearing women sing, Kol Isha, is out-dated and absurd to say the least, for those who are interested, Rabbi David Bigman of Yeshivat ha-Kibbutz ha-Dati has let his opinion be known, permitting it in almost all circumstances. Here is a post in Hebrew by [...]
For those who feel attached to Israeli culture of yesteryear, here is a report from Israeli TV about the brit milah of Arik Einstein and Uri Zohar’s great-grandson (hat tip). It is in Hebrew and only viewable on Internet Explorer, or at least I haven’t been able to see it on any other browser. For [...]
The most recent issue of the Reconstructionist is devoted to denominationalism. It includes articles by David Ellenson and Arnold Eisen. You can download the issue here.
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