In this passage from Talmud Sanhedrin 37a, the Rabbis turn to one of the best-known stories in the Torah – the story of the creation of the world – in order to teach an important lesson about humanity: Why was Adam created alone? To teach that anyone who destroys one soul is considered as ifContinue reading ““Children of One Ancestor” – The Talmud on Being Human”
Tag Archives: judaism
The Need for Rest: What We Can Learn From the Land
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’m so busy! I can’t take a break or else I’ll never catch up.” It’s a universal concern – we’ve all felt that way at one time or another. This week’s parashah addresses this issue – only it’s not talking (directly) about people, but rather about land. “Six yearsContinue reading “The Need for Rest: What We Can Learn From the Land”
“The Earth God Has Given” – Blessings as Mindfulness and Gratitude
The practice of saying blessings is very ancient in Judaism. In this Talmudic text, the sage Rabbi Levi gives a beautiful explanation and meaning for the practice: Rabbi Levi raised a contradiction between two texts in the Psalms: On the one hand, it is written: “The earth and all it contains belongs to the Eternal”Continue reading ““The Earth God Has Given” – Blessings as Mindfulness and Gratitude”
From Will to Gratitude: Celebrating Shabbat with Maimonides
The V’shamru prayer says: “For in six days the Eternal made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God ceased from work and was refreshed (vayinafash).” Exodus 31:17 Maimonides (the great 12th century philosopher) explains: The word vayinafash (here translated “to be refreshed”) is derived from nefesh (soul), which means it contains the meaningContinue reading “From Will to Gratitude: Celebrating Shabbat with Maimonides”