A friend recently raised a very valid point about the modern practice of Judaism that I wanted to address. The question concerns the use of electricity, artificial light, and heating on Shabbat. As my friend accurately pointed out, Shemot (Exodus) 35:3 prohibits the burning of fire on Shabbat. For the Israelites in the desert this … More Fire, Shabbat, and Modernity
From the very beginning, men and women have been attracted to each other. We were created that way. It’s in our instincts, in our psychology, in our genes. And all that stuff that is hardwired into us we have to balance with morality, ethics, and social cohesion in general. Enter religion. Most, if not all, … More The Baby and the Bathwater
The Sadducees are a topic of much debate and conjecture. Many different beliefs are ascribed to them, and all of the accepted sources are those hostile to the Sadducees. Imagine reading the history of the Republican Party as written by the Democrats or vice versa. Dr. Jona Lendering, a Dutch historian, wrote an article about … More The Sadducees, the Pharisees, and Judaism
In today’s difficult economic climate many businesses are trying to cut costs, especially restaurants. “So, what does that have to do with this blog?” you ask. Many Karaim in America, while not eating exclusively Kosher foods, do try to avoid forbidden foods, such as shell fish. Well, that has recently become a lot more difficult. … More There Is No Halfway
Generally, people of faith pay good lip service to the idea that they “serve G-d;” but what do they mean by it? Modern Americans are fiercely individualistic. Western European peoples, in general, while also highly individualist are also immersed in a culture that is largely controlled by the state–they serve king and country, as it … More Service and Faith
I found this wonderful article on BlogHer called Tossed Torah. It is by an American Orthodox Jewish woman who writes about the American Jewish experience.
I just saw this article on BBC News (you can also find similar articles on Jerusalem Post and Haaretz through links on BBC) about an Israeli man who has just been granted his eleventh (yes, 11th) divorce by the rabbinical courts. He has had eleven marriages deliberately and plans to continue defrauding women into cheap … More Something for Shock Value
I am recently read Miriam’s Kitchen, by Elizabeth Ehrlich. It is Mrs. Ehrlich’s memoir of her journey from being a secular Jew, performing some rituals for the sake of family tradition while eschewing others, to keeping Shabat and a Kosher kitchen and finding her heritage. It is the story of a second generation, American, Jewish … More Thoughts on a Book
I just read this post (about the family arrangements of Charedi women financially supporting their families so that the husband can study Torah full time) over at Domestic Felicity, which is written by an Orthodox woman in Israel. In this case, I have to agree with her assessment of the situation. I would like to … More Interesting Article Link
Shofet, in his most recent post, noted the dismal divorce rate in the United States today. I thought I would add to that the equally depressing statistic recently released by the Census Bureau that of all new mothers, 40% are unwed. While a large number of these women are actually cohabiting with the father of … More Note
Silver Trumpets 