This is an interesting issue that came up in a comment, and I thought it deserved its own post. Why can’t you finish a conversion so long as you live a significant walking distance from shul? To start, what distance ARE they looking for? Typically, you are alright if you are living “within the eruv,” […]
Why Batei Din Are Opposed to You Living Long Distances from Synagogue Read Post »
There is a lesson that many conversion candidates and newly religious Jews are not told until they’ve made a fool of themselves: There are different interpretations of halacha, and it’s possible for all these interpretations to be halachically valid and accepted. In other words, the modern orthodox, the “just plain orthodox,” the chassidim, and the
Lessons from Hillel: There Is Generally No One “Right” Way in Halacha Read Post »
Taking on Shabbat observance will reveal details of your life that you have never considered before. For instance, you take toilet paper for granted. I promise you do. But then someone (or a book or website) will tell you, “Oh, you can’t tear toilet paper on Shabbat.” And then you will be confused. Rinse and
How to Have Toilet Paper on Shabbat Read Post »
This isn’t worth a “regular” daily post, but I thought this was a really nice video. Regardless of what you think of Aish, I like how they showed the diversity of people who study Torah regularly and that even the busiest professionals find a way to make time for it! “Read it. Study it. Enjoy
Nice Video from Aish About Torah Study Read Post »
Blogger Hadassah posted an interesting question on her blog: Should an invitation to a public lecture identify the speaker as a convert? “I was taught that you never ever out a convert. Even if everyone knows that so-and-so converted, it is a sin to point it out to anyone.” I don’t agree with that necessarily
Should Public Announcements List a Speaker as a Convert? Read Post »
There is a mitzvah to make a mitzvah beautiful or otherwise enhance the mitzvah beyond the demands of the halacha through aesthetics. Generally, it refers to the beauty of a physical ritual object. The source for hiddur mitzvah is Exodus/Shmot 15:2 “This is my God, and I will glorify Him.” Many mitzvot require a physical
Phrase of the Day: Hiddur Mitzvah Read Post »
A conversion takes a lot of time. More than you ever expect it will. There is a lot to learn, and the frustrating thing is that there is always more to know. You will be learning Judaism until the day you die, and you will always find something new. It’s frustrating to realize how much
Working Towards Conversion: Set Aside Regular Time to Study Read Post »
There seems to be a lot of Jewish stuff going around in pop culture around now. Or maybe now I just have better sources to bring this stuff to my attention. In that spirit, I now pass these along to you. First, a very interesting post about actress Mayim Bialik’s decision to work on yom
More Jewish Pop Culture Than You Can Shake a Stick At Read Post »
Technically, if we’re going to talk about the yetzer hara, we’ll also discuss the yetzer hatov. The yetzer hara is the “evil inclination.” Yetzer (inclination) ha (the) ra (evil). The yetzer hatov is the “good inclination.” The yetzer hara gets a bad reputation, but it is a necessary part of each of us. The yetzer
Phrase of the Day: Yetzer Hara Read Post »
This year, Yom Kippur is from sunset of Friday, October 7, 2011, until sunset of October 8. This is the only fast that overrides Shabbat’s mitzvah to make a festive meal. Normally, fasting is prohibited on Shabbat, and the fast is moved to Sunday. However, Yom Kippur is the “Shabbat of Shabbats,” so its fasting
Yom Kippur in a Nutshell: Why We Fast & Reflect Read Post »