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>Kohelet, Tolstoy, and the Red Heifer

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Kohelet, Tolstoy, and the Red Heifer

…no other reason than to reward us for obeying it. The Sages recognised that whereas Gentiles might understand Jewish laws based on social justice (mishpatim) or historical memory (edot), commands such as the prohibition of eating meat and milk together seem irrational and superstitious to others. The chukim were laws of which “Satan and the nations of the world made…

Leadership

…Mishpatim: Vision and Detail Core Questions What specific vision was Moses given when he was chosen to lead? How was this vision expanded upon for the people at Sinai? What do you think is more important to leadership, the grand vision or the small details? What values can you conclude are central to Jewish leadership from this principle of Jewish…

The Power of Empathy

William Ury, founder of the Harvard Program of Negotiation, tells a marvellous story in one of his books.[1] A young American, living in Japan to study aikido, was sitting one afternoon in a train in the suburbs of Tokyo. The carriage was half empty. There were some mothers with children, and elderly people going shopping. Then at one of the…

The Meaning of Texts

Behind Jewish belief in Torah she-be-al Peh, the “Oral Law”, lies a fundamental truth. The meaning of a text is not given by the text itself. Between a text and its meaning lies the act of interpretation – and this depends on who is interpreting, in what context, and with what beliefs. Without an authoritative tradition of interpretation – in Judaism,…

Camps and Congregation

…they share a vision, an aspiration, a set of ideals. This is the meaning of edah, a congregation. Edah is related to the word ed, a witness. Edot (as opposed to chukim and mishpatim) are the commands that testify to Jewish belief – as Shabbat testifies to creation, Pesach to the divine involvement in history; and so on. An edah…

The Fourteenth Principle

…(the numerical value of the Hebrew word yad is fourteen ). The books are: 1. Knowledge (Madda) 2. Love (Ahavah) 3. Times (Zemanim) 4. Women (Nashim) 5. Sanctity (Kedushah) 6. “Expression” (Hafla’ah) 7. Seeds (Zeraim) 8. Service (Avodah) 9. Sacrifices (Korbanot) 10. Purity (Tohorah) 11. Damages (Nezikin) 12. Acquisition (Kinyan) 13. Judgment (Mishpatim) 14. Judges (Shofetim) In his introduction to…

Life-Changing Ideas featured in Covenant & Conversation

…things we can do together that none of us can do alone. MISHPATIM: If you seek to change anyone’s behaviour, you have to enter into their mindset, and then say the word or do the deed that speaks to their emotions, not yours. TERUMAH: The effort you put into something does not just change the object: it changes you. The…

The Duality of Camp and Congregation

…of edah, congregation. Edah is related to the word ed, witness. Edot (as opposed to chukim and mishpatim) are the commands that testify to Jewish belief – as Shabbat testifies to creation, Passover to the Divine involvement in history, and so on. An edah is not a defensive formation but a creative one. People join together to do what none…

Kohelet, Tolstoy, and the Red Heifer

…cannot aspire to the kind of cosmic wisdom that would allow us to see its point and purpose. Or perhaps, as Rav Saadia Gaon put it, it is a command issued for no other reason than to reward us for obeying it.[1] The Sages recognised that whereas Gentiles might understand Jewish laws based on social justice (mishpatim) or historical memory…

The Way of Mitzvot: Responding to God

…role and impact of mitzvot in Judaism in general and in the thought of Rabbi Sacks in particular Understand the difference between the three categories of mitzvot: Mishpatim, Chukim, and Edot Consider examples from these three categories in order to explore them further Consider whether Judaism is a religion of thought and faith primarily or action and ritual The ‘Ten Paths to God’ curriculum project has…

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