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bijoumikhawal · 2 months

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The Book of Esther shows us a Jewish queen in exile, and the story resonates with the echoes of the priestess/goddess roles. In the ancient Persian religion, Spring was a time to draw lots to determine the king's new advisors. Ishtar (goddess of love and war), and Marduk (god of war and justice), would have been prominent characters in the new year ritual drama. The Book of Esther transforms the tradition into a saga of Jewish survival, appropriating the role of the preserver of life (Ishtar) for Esther and the position of the protector of the people (Marduk) for Mordechai. The Book of Esther allows Jews to be part of the larger culture's mythic tale of Spring and to remain true to their Jewish identity at the same time.

Esther's story is a twist on the descent of the goddess Ishtar into the underworld. In Babylonian myth, the goddess Ishtar strips herself of her clothing and royal garb to enter the underworld. Ishtar's sister, Ereshkigal queen of the underworld, afflicts Ishtar with disease and death. After the other gods plead with Ereshkigal to let Ishtar go, Ishtar's royal robes are returned to her.

Esther, a young Jewish girl, finds herself in a Persian harem. Esther must strip herself of her identity and pretend she is not a Jew, just as Ishtar must strip herself of goddesshood in the underworld. Later, under the influence of the evil vizier Haman, the king makes the decree that all Jews be assassinated. Esther's uncle Mordechai begs Esther to go to the king, even though it is forbidden, risking her life to save her people. Before doing so, Esther fasts for three days. Her three days of fasting may be an allegory for Ishtar's trials in the underworld.

On the third day, Esther garbed herself in royalty, and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, and the king sat on his royal throne in the palace opposite the doorway. When the king saw Esther standing in the courtyard, she found favor in his eyes, and the king extended to her the golden scepter in his hand, and Esther drew near and touched the scepter's head.

-Esther 5:1-2

One cannot miss the strong parallel between Esther's robing herself in royalty and Ishtar's queenly robing as she leaves the underworld. When Esther enters the king's throne room and touches the tip of his royal scepter, she is enacting the sacred marriage between Ishtar and the king. Although in a Jewish story this image is probably meant to be ironic, it can also be seen as Esther's acting as a priestess, channeling the power of the divine feminine in the human realm.

Pg 136-137, The Hebrew Priestess

#cipher talk #Kohenet Judaism #There isn't a good soundbyte quote but another interesting part of this Queen-Priestess section is the conceiving of it as a warrior #Position with people who have taken on this role standing guard at kohenet rituals #Also it compares Judith to Anat which is. Interesting! They do both indeed have a prominent characterization as mourners #Though I think the connection drawn between Anat's connection to Egyptian Jews and the Egyptian Jews that may have written Judith is #Anachronistic- if Judith is of Egyptian origin she's prob from the pens of Hellenized Jews #Not the Elephantine Jews of centuries earlier that saw Anat as Hashem's consort/maybe an emanation of Hashem #We have no known examples of Elephantine Jewish religious literature. Legal documents yes. That stuff? Nope

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menachem-bluming · 2 years

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Menachem Bluming Muses: Waiting for a Miracle?

I have heard many people say that if G-d would only do a miracle they would believe. After all in the Torah we read of many miracles that G-d did on a regular basis. Why don't we see these miracles these days?

The Lubavitcher Rebbe once addressed a similar question from a skeptic. If you look at his response with an open mind, it could change your perspective.

In a letter from 1956, the Rebbe wrote the following. This to someone who said that if G-d would show me a miracle I would then believe:

“Take a good look at your own past, and you will recognize that you have already witnessed miracles and wonders. Do you really want to test G-d? Do you really want to be brought again into a place of mortal danger and have to be saved? You know very well the trauma that is experienced by being in danger, because you have been there. It is just the evil inclination’s voice inside you trying to come up with an excuse to avoid observing G-d's commandments.”

May we all notice the miracles that G-d bathes us in every living moment.

Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

#Rabbi Bluming #Hashem #Jewish life #connection

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edenfenixblogs · 6 months

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Thank Your Jewish Friends Trying to Educate You Right Now

If you’re a leftist, and you have had a Jewish friend reach out to you to try and tell you that you’ve said something alarming or harmful or antisemitic: listen to them, learn, and say thank you.

I am VERY lucky in that all the friends I’ve personally reached out to have taken the opportunity to learn and grow and adjust their behavior. I have never told them that they should not advocate for Palestine. I have told them I want to advocate for Palestine WITH them, but I need to feel safe in order to do so. I need to feel like the people I’m advocating with don’t want me and my loved ones dead. Thank HaShem that they have listened to me. From the bottom of my heart, my friends are a blessing.

But I’ve seen an incredibly disheartening number of fellow Jews who have had the opposite experiences—being expelled from their queer communities and activist communities and book clubs and any space they once found community. This is horrid but it’s especially horrid for Jews. It’s a reminder that we are only accepted if we conform. We are only accepted if we accept abuse. Our presence is always tolerated, never wanted. Our views are not to be trusted. Our opinions are always suspect. Our motives are always sinister. Our acceptance is always conditional. And I think that hurts even more for us than you’d imagine, because our own spaces are no longer safe. We are already in diaspora. And now our synagogues and homes and other community buildings are being vandalized and attack. We are cut off from our own cultural community and now many of us are being cut off from our personal communities as well. It is a loneliness that most people outside of a diaspora will never know.

Im willing to bet that if you have/had a Jewish friend who you considered close but who seems to have disappeared from your life, it’s because you either didn’t reach out to them after 10/7 or you have failed to acknowledge the stochastic threat to Jews or the Jewish connection to Israel. Why is it important that you do this? Because we are your friends and loved ones. And when friends and loved ones tell you they are hurting, you should listen. When you say you care about someone, you should be willing to listen to them when they say you’re hurting them and then you should apologize. It is more hurtful than you can possibly imagine to watch people you thought cared about you decide to listen to people across the world who they have never met rather than simply have a conversation with a friend, because they assume that friend will dismiss the pain of Palestinians.

Many of you are assuming what your friends are feeling about Israel and Palestine, but you haven’t actually asked them. Many of you think that expressing sorrow for Israel or jews in the world, that means we cannot care about or want a better future for Palestine.

If you are lucky enough to have a friend who has tried to reach out to you, that means they are willing to forgive you for neglecting them in this time. They are willing to talk with you and try to explain their emotions in good faith. They want to find a way to advocate for progress with you. They want to keep you in their lives. They want you to understand our culture and history—not at the exclusion of anyone else’s culture and history—just at the inclusion of our own.

Because here’s the other thing: they won’t forget that you denied them understanding and respect and the benefit of the doubt. That’s not a threat. That’s a cultural feature of Judaism. We have famously long cultural memories. We remember the people and places we can trust and those who refused to give us peace and safety and basic kindness. We remember the people who targeted us, your friends and loved ones, simply because other Jews who we have never met behaved in ways you don’t understand and of which you don’t approve. You are blaming the sins of others on people you claim to love.

If someone is giving you the chance to undo the damage you have done on this, you should take it. And if you have expelled Jews from a space you once shared or failed to acknowledge their pain in this time—find them and apologize.

I am not Muslim, but I wouldn’t doubt that something similar is happening in Muslim spaces. Islamophobia and antisemitism are at terrifyingly high levels right now. And if you think you can’t support Jews without condemning Muslims or you can’t support Muslims without condemning Jews, you’re not only part of the problem—you’re the biggest part of the problem.

What we all need right now is unity, peace, solidarity, understanding, and education above all else.

#jumblr #antisemitism #leftist antisemitism #islamophobia #jewish muslim solidarity

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hindahoney · 1 year

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If you want to code-switch so often that you are nearly incomprehensible to goyim, here is a list of my favorite and most-used Jewish terms:

Schvitzing - Sweating. (Ex: "I'm schvitzing so much it's showing through my clothes.")

Schlep - A tedious and long journey, depending on usage it can mean that you were carrying something. (Ex: "I had to schlep all the way across campus, my backpack was so heavy." Usually denotes a long walk, but other forms of transportation are acceptable too. "You drove all the way to New York from Florida? That's quite the shlep.")

Shtati - Something really cool. (Ex: "I visited my friend's place and they had a shtati mezuzah!")

Neshama - Soul. (Ex: "Mazel tov on your conversion, you have such a strong Jewish neshama!")

Balagan - A big mess, chaotic, confusing (Ex: "Moshe forgot to bring challah for shabbat dinner, and it turned into this big balagan")

Achi/Achoti - "Achi" literally means "my brother," but can also be used like bro or dude, "achoti" is the feminine equivalent meaning "sister"

Yalla - Come on, let's go (Ex: "Yalla yalla, you're going to make us late again")

Mishpacha - Family. Doesn't have to be literal blood relatives, usually a sign of warmth or friendship. (Ex: "I care about every Jew, they're all my mishpacha.")

Pshhh - Interjection sound, to express respect or agreement with what someone is saying, but can also be playfully poking fun at someone taking themselves too seriously, can be used sarcastically.

Achla - amazing, awesome, great, the best (Ex: "You graduated from university? Achla!")

Sheina Punem (Shayna Punim) - Pretty face (Ex: My bubbe kept pinching my cheeks and calling me a sheina punem) Can be used ironically, in which case it means "a disgrace."

Ahavat Yisrael - to love your fellow Jew (Ex: "I firmly believe in ahavat yisrael, even if it's hard sometimes.")

Schande - Shame, dishonor among the nations, meaning a Jew who represents Jews badly, a serious insult. (Ex: "He's a schande, he feeds into antisemitic stereotypes.")

Schmutz - Dirt, stain. (Ex: "Use your napkin, you've got schmutz on your face.")

Amalek - Any enemy of the Jewish people. ("[Fill in blank] is the modern Amalek, they hate the Jews.")

Lanceman/Landsmen - Two jews from the same place, a point of connection between two Jews who now live far away from their hometown. (Ex: "Your grandma is from Crown Heights? Mine too, our grandparents are landsmen!")

Goyisch - Something not Jewish (Ex: "I don't listen to Taylor Swift, her music is too goyisch for me.")

Goyischekop/Goyische-kop - Goyisch head, a jew who thinks/sounds like a non-jew. (Ex: "How could you say about your fellow Jew? Do you have a goyische-kop or something?")

Kindaleh/Kinderlach - Little children (Ex: "I passed by the school and saw the kindaleh on the playground, they're so cute!")

Chamud/Chamuda/Chamudi - Sweetie, cutie, usually aimed at children, but can be a term of endearment between a couple. Can be condescending when said rudely to another adult, like "Sweetheart" can be in English. (ex: "Goodnight, Chamudi. I can't wait to see you tomorrow.")

Daven - to pray ("Are you going to join us for davening?")

Frum - A religiously observant Jew. ("He's frum, he davens three times a day.")

Treif - Unkosher, generally something not good, doesn't have to literally refer to a food. ("I trained my dog to stop barking when I say 'treif!'.")

Bubkis - Zero, nothing, nada ("Moshe got a gift from bubbe and I got bubkis.")

Kvetch - To complain ("I'm just kvetching, I'm not that upset about it.")

Kvell - Extreme pride. ("I heard your daughter made it into her top school, you must be kvelling!")

Mensch - A good, admirable person. ("He volunteers every week, he's a mensch.")

Chillul HaShem - Disgracing God's name, someone who does something that makes Jews look bad.

Kiddush HaShem - Something that sanctifies God's name, brings honor to God. ("I love seeing you wear a kippah, it's a kiddush HaShem!")

Bubbe meise - Little white lies ("He told his teacher a bubbe meise about his dog eating his homework.")

I should acknowledge that these are mostly Yiddish words, as my experience is primarily with Ashkenazi Jews. If you would like to add common slang from your community (like Ladino phrases, Judeo-Arabic, Italki, etc) I would love to learn about them!

#there are so many other words but i use these all the time #add whatever you want!#jumblr #frumblr #jewblr #yiddish #hebrew #jewish #jewish culture #j tag #jew tag

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tikkunolamresistance · 4 months

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Would anybody be interested in an Anti-Zionist Torah study group, set up through Patreon?

We’d read Torah portion every week and discuss it together through an anti-Zionist, leftist lense to keep our connection to Hashem strong through our radical journey towards liberation. This would be open for all; Jews and Jews in the process of returning home (you’re always one of us!) who need that guidance.

- It’d be fully flexible, so you can join at any time you’d like.

- Contribution to conversation isn’t necessary! If you just want to read along and read discussion then that’s up to you, but any discussion is important and welcome!

- Our weekly portion would mostly likely follow Torah parasha (this weeks is Beshalach), unless there’s astronger preference for just starting from the beginning (Genesis)!

- There’d be an option to donate/subscribe through Patreon, which all donations will be donated to a Palestinian organisation of our choice, every month! Evidence of such will always be posted. We think that’s a fun way to raise money for important causes!

We hope to have our website running soon, and access to the Patreon would be available there! We’ll also utilise it as a platform to post our newsletter!

Let us know what you think and hit us with any ideas! If you’d prefer to have anonymous input, please preface your message in our ask box with [STUDY] so we can see it! We get a lot of asks!

#org updates #org ideas #general #torah study

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unbidden-yidden · 6 months

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[**Note: this post is directed at other Jews and I am not willing to discuss it with goyim who in all likelihood have no idea about the context or even the literal text of these prayers. If you aren't Jewish, don't add on and don't reblog unless you're willing to also come collect your followers if they add nasty comments.]

Many of our shuls and communities have taken up adding special prayers in our services for the safe return of the captives, for peace, for our (American) government, for the state of Israel, and/or for the IDF, and I want to talk a little bit about that.

While the first two are likely not offending anyone, I know that a lot of folks might not be comfortable with the latter ones. I would like to share my kavana for how I can say all of them with my whole chest.

First, it helps if you know actual human people who are part of these institutions. If you know Israelis, it is much easier to pray for their safety in their country, even if you can't stand their government. And getting to know some of the young people who are in their mandatory term of service certainly changed how I felt about the prayer for the IDF, because I can't hear it without thinking of them. Human connection always changes the balance, and remembering that most of them aren't at the levers of control does too.

However, I actually routinely pray for people who are in positions of power, especially those who are using that power to cause great harm and suffering. I do this because there is no one on this earth who needs to hear the voice of Hashem and learn to lead from rootedness in Torah more than those in power who are using it badly. I pray every day that the small bit of power I wield, I use wisely and ethically, and that I am sensitive to hearing hakol mi-shemayim in my actions. That I will turn again and again to Hashem for guidance when I need help understanding the right path. All the more so do people with actual real power in the world need to open their hearts to what is ethical and right. Some do; many, as evidenced by their decisions, don't.

And so when my community reads these prayers, I imagine the good people I know and care about, and I also imagine the powerful people who need their hearts cracked open to the right path and compassion for all.

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jewreallythinkthat · 29 days

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Let's talk about The Wicked Son ™️ (not to bring Passover Seder discussions to Tumblr but oh well)

I always found the speed at which the father cuts off the Wicked Son from his Jewish heritage concerning. Like it is one question that he asks and the father is like, "well you're no longer a real Jew and G-d would let you die while he saves the rest of us" which I find really quite .... Odd.

The implication that those who aren't super connected to their Jewish heritage and history should be fully cut off from it, instead of being educated and being able to make an informed decision is worrisome. Also the fact that the implication of the story is that these are literally kids... Maybe the 16 year old doesn't quite understand things because they're still a child????

Anyway, I'd love to hear other people's opinions on this one!

Also, in my hagaddah, the Wise Son also says "what are the testimonials, statutes and always Hashem has commanded you". Again, the says "you". Hashem has "commanded you", not commanded him. So why does his father not also "set his teeth on edge" as he does with the wicked brother? It's blatant favouritism 🤣🤣

#jumblr #pesach #passover

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judaicsheyd · 1 year

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An Introduction to Kashrut & Kosher Eating

i. "Kashrut" and "Kosher"? ii. Kashrut Specifics iii. Modified Ways to Keep Kosher iv. Resources

border inspo & header art

You may already be confused about what these words even mean, and that's totally okay, we're all here to learn. The following are some important terms to keep in mind:

Halakha : Jewish Law as outlined within the Talmud. It governs everything from punishment for crimes to sex to defining "what" Judaism is. It is more of a way of life than a set of laws. Kashrut : A subsection of Halakha, specifically referring to regulations surrounding food and everything to do with it. Kosher : An adjective used to refer to food or food-related products (like forks and spoons) that are deemed okay for Jews to eat/use by Kashrut. "Keeping Kosher" refers to eating according to Kashrut. Kashering : To cause something to become kosher. Treif : Everything that is non-Kosher. Pareve : Food that is "neutral", neither meat nor dairy. This includes fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, and sometimes fish.

Kashrut tells us what animals are safe to eat, how these animals should be slaughtered, what food can and can't be mixed, alongside instructions on how to use the tools made for preparing/eating food. There's a lot more to Kashrut (which I'll go into soon), but those are the basic ideas. Kashrut includes many guidelines that we see as common sense (such as not eating diseased meat) to everyday cleanliness (checking that fruits and veggies are free of bugs) to things that some people would think are "weird" (like not eating shrimp). Of course, much of Kashrut is highly cultural in nature, and was largely shaped by Jewish cultural ideas of cleanliness and commonly eaten foods. Some animals may be a normal part of the cultural in many countries/cultures, but they are not Kosher, as Israelites never included such things in its food. This is why many Jews who are also parts of cultures to whom treif foods are significant experience a lot of inner conflictions about keeping Kosher. Instances like the one mentioned before, alongside a countless amount of others, are why there are different levels of keeping Kosher, which I will expand on soon.

Many people ask me why I eat Kosher in the first place. Reactions range anywhere from "Oh wow, I could never give up bacon!" to "Ugh, why follow such archaic laws?" when people find out. But really, why do we? Is it because it would cause severe health issues if we ate shellfish or a ham and cheese sandwich? No, obviously not. While some of the prohibitions in Kashrut may have health benefits, such as avoiding certain diseases or infections, the primary reason for observing these laws is not based on health concerns. In fact, Halakha dictates that we should not eat Kosher if it would threaten our health or lives in any way. We live by the laws, we don't die by them. Interestingly enough (right back at ya, "archaic laws" person), it's because they are archaic. It is not because anyone who eats pork is disgusting or wrong or bad in any way. It's our culture, our tradition, it's been passed down for absolutely forever. It's a marker and a reminder of who and what we are, a way to celebrate Jewishness. It's also a ritual, a daily form of active mediation and prayer to bring us closer to (and remind us of) HaShem. Eating Kosher is not just about what we eat, but also about how we eat. It's a daily ritual that involves mindfulness, intentionality, and gratitude. It's a way to incorporate our culture and religion into our every day, never forgetting who we are. By following these ancient guidelines, we affirm our connection to a long and rich history, to a community that has survived and thrived through centuries of persecution and adversity.

We embrace a way of life that is not driven by the latest trends or fads, but rather by timeless values and principles that have stood the test of time. When we follow the laws of Kashrut, we are reminded of our connection to HaShem, the sanctity of our traditions, and the importance of our community.

Alright, now it's time to get into the exact specifics of what Kashrut outlines for us. It is usually Orthodox Jews who follow every single one of the rules, Conservative Jews follow most(ish) of these rules, and Reform Jews tend to not keep kosher. Of course, this doesn't speak for all denominations or even every Jew in each of the denominations I mentioned, but those are the most common "levels" of keeping kosher among Jews. Keeping kosher is hard, and not everyone has the time, resources, etc. to follow Kashrut as closely as they'd like, which is why different people choose what's right for them. In this section, I'll cover the exact guidelines in Kashrut, exceptions to keeping kosher, and some modern interpretations of kosher expectations.

Anything produced by forbidden animals- like their eggs and milk- is prohibited.

Land mammals should have cloven hooves and chew their cud. — In Leviticus 11:3 and Deuteronomy 14:6 — Cloven hooves: Hooves split into two "toes". — Chewing cud: The process of chewing, partially digesting, regurgitating, and re-chewing food. — Permitted land mammals include oxen, goats, sheep, and deer. — Forbidden land mammals include pigs, horses, rabbits, and camels.

Marine life must have fins and scales. — In Leviticus 11:9 and Deuteronomy 14:9 — Permitted marine life includes salmon, tuna, and carp. — Forbidden marine life includes shrimp, lobster, and scallops.

Birds must not be scavengers or birds of prey — In Leviticus 11:13-19 and Deuteronomy 14:11-18 — Only specific birds are prohibited, not types of birds. Rabbis have decided to forbid the categories the listed birds fall into (scavengers and birds of prey). — Permitted birds include chicken, geese, ducks, and turkeys. — Forbidden birds include eagles, vultures, ravens, and owls.

Winged insects are… complicated. — In Leviticus 11:22 — Some winged insects used to be permitted, but we no longer know which ones those are, so all winged insects are decidedly forbidden. — Interestingly enough, Yemini Jews have very very old traditions of identifying and eating certain locusts as kosher animals. This could be an echo of our now lost outlines on what insects are, in fact, kosher. How cool is that?

Other miscellaneous animals are forbidden. — In Leviticus 11:29-30, 42-43 — Rodents (mice, squirrels, rats) — Wingless insects (centipedes, silverfish, lice) — Amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders) — Reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles)

Certain parts of kosher animals are forbidden to eat. — All blood from the meat of land mammals and birds must be drained out during slaughter and then salted/broiled out because blood is their life force and should be respected (Leviticus 7:26-27; 17:10-14). — Fat found on on the internal organs and below the eleventh rib (Leviticus 3:9; 7:23). — The sciatic nerve (of the lower leg) to commemorate Jacob’s victory over an angel after they wrestled all night, during which the angel dislodged Jacob’s sciatic nerve (Genesis 32:22).

Animals must be slaughtered in a particular way. — In Deuteronomy 12:21; 14:21 and Numbers 11:22. — These rules pertain to land mammals and birds, but not fish. • Animals cannot have died due to natural causes or another animal killing them. — Meat should not be diseased or flawed in any way. — Animals must be slaughtered by having their throat slit quickly and in one strong slash. This way, the most blood drains out and the animal is slaughtered in the most humane way.

Meat and dairy cannot mix (Exodus 23:19; 34:26 and Deuteronomy 14:21).

Foods which are neither meat nor dairy are pareve, and can be used freely with both meat and dairy. — Commonly, fish is counted as pareve, but some traditions (usually Sephardic) prohibit the mixing of fish with meat.

A certain amount of time should pass between the consumption of meat and dairy. — Traditionally, one waits 3-6 hours after eating meat to consume dairy, but only 1-3 hours after eating dairy to eat meat. — Some traditions include that one must wait only an hour after dairy, except for hard cheeses, after which they must wait 3 hours.

Different utensils and equipment must be used for meat and dairy. This includes everything from the tools used for slaughter to the plates in your home. — Utensils have a label just like food (meat, dairy, pareve, or treif) which affects the status of the food which comes in contact with it, but only in the presence of heat. — For example, a fork will become treif if it touched shrimp, and if it touches any hot kosher food (or if the fork or shrimp is hot), the food also becomes treif. This affects things like dishwashers (in which both meat and dairy utensils come in contact with heat in the same space), sinks (which can be hot), and towels (when used to transport hot pots). — It is totally fine to do something like use a knife with both meat and dairy, as long as both the knife and food is cold, and as long as the knife is cleaned between foods.

All fruits and vegetables are kosher. — In Genesis 1:29 — Fruits and vegetables must be thoroughly washed and checked for bugs. — Fruits and vegetables cannot come in contact with any products which include insects, like some dyes and additives.

Grape products cannot be made by idolators. — This began because of wine's ritual importance, and Jews did not want to consume wine that was made to use in the worship of idols. — This usually only refers to wine or grape juice. — More recently, because the creation of wine is now automated, it is technically not made by idolators and has been seen as kosher to some denominations (usually Conservative Jews).

We've gone through the different rules and regulations of Kashrut, which include that utensils/towels can become treif. But what happens if you accidentally eat treif? If utensils become treif, do they need to be thrown out?

Accidentally (or knowingly) eating treif. — The remedy for this is simply to feel bad and do better in the future. — But, if you feel particularly bad, you can do a good thing so that the bad thing (eating treif) leads to a good thing, and therefore the entire mistake becomes positive. Good things can include tzedakah, charitable giving (like donating money/old clothes, volunteering, etc.).

Kashering utensils, equipment, etc. — Kashering is done both when something is first bought and if it ever becomes trief. Usually, only new cooking equipment is kashered (like by being dipped into a mikveh, a pool of holy water), and not everything you buy. — To "reset" utensils/equipment after it has become treif, it can be dipped in a mikveh, or things like towels can be kashered simply but putting them in the laundry. — Everyone will have different ways to kasher and different intensities of kashering.

Treif food being the only option. — During medical emergencies (like a blood sugar crash) or similar situations, it is not a sin to eat treif. Human life is put above all else within Judaism, meaning that everything will be rendered not a sin if breaking it is necessary to save a life (which is also why abortion is required even in the most Orthodox communities).

Keeping kosher is hard. There's a ton of rules and things which build upon each other. It's a lot to remember. Considering that many households separate meat and dairy to the point of having separate sinks and refrigerators, most people just don't have the resources to keep kosher in that way. If you're low on spoons, disabled, or neurodivergent, those factors can make keeping kosher even more difficult. I'm a spoonie with ADHD and Autism, so I'm chronically fatigued, and have ARFID that contributes to multiple food-related issues. You should always remember that you are not required to keep kosher if it interferes with medical needs (like I listed), and so you should never feel bad about how "well" you keep kosher. That being said, let's move onto some tips for modified kosher eating.

Try only keeping kosher on shabbat and/or important holidays.

Sometimes, our safe foods or the only food we have access to are treif. However, you're usually already listening to 99% of Kashrut prohibitions on which animals you can eat (like avoiding bugs, reptilians, rodents, scavengers, etc.). So that's already a big step!

Instead of having completely separate equipment for meat/dairy, simply wash your utensils between using them for meat/dairy.

Instead of waiting up to 6 hours between eating meat and dairy, wait 1 hour, drink water between the two foods, and/or create a distinct separation in time between consuming the foods (like getting up to go do something, stopping to talk, etc.).

When it comes to washing utensils, try and separate them by putting them on different washing machine racks, run the washing machine between using it for meat/dairy utensils, or rinse off the inside of the sink between hand-washing meat/dairy utensils.

Use disposable plates/cups/utensils to separate meat and dairy.

Buy only kosher meat, or only kosher foods (most foods in everyday grocery stores will be kosher).

If you're vegan, and depending on the type of vegetarian, you're already eating kosher!

You've finally reached the end of this post, and I hope it was helpful to you. Below, I will list multiple sources for further reading, help in keeping kosher, and just some cool questions about being kosher ("is meat from a cloned animal kosher?").

An extensive course on the laws of Kashrut taught by Rabbis

"Bagels: A Surprising Jewish History" by Dr. Yvette Alt Miller

"Does G-d Really Care?" from Kosher Certification

"I Keep Kosher. My Parents Did, Now Don't. It's Complicated." by Talia Kaplan

"Is Lab-Grown Meat Kosher?" by Yehuda Shurpin

"Issues in Jewish Ethics: The Ethics of [Kosher] Cloning" by Dr. Daniel Eisenberg, M.D.

"Jews in America: The Kosher Meat Boycott of 1902" by Dr. Michael Feldberg

"Kashrut Laws as Written in Torah" from the Jewish Museum in London

"Kashrut: the Jewish Dietary Laws [from Biblical, Rabbinic, and Modern Perspectives]" by Jonathan Magonet

"Marijuana Is Always Kosher, as Long as You Smoke It" by Ruth Schuster

"OU Kosher Grocery Store Symbols Explained" by Rabbi Chaim Goldberg

"People Eat Treyf for Their Own Reasons. They All Think About Their Judaism." by Jonathan Katz

"Saying Goodbye to Bacon" by Liel Leibovtiz

"Ten Reasons to Keep Kosher (And They’re Not What You Think)" by Rabbi Alec Goldstein

"The Jewish Dietary Laws: Their Meaning for our Time and a Guide to Observance" by Samuel H. Dresner and Seymour Siegel

"The Rules for Kosher Creepy-Crawlies" from Sefaria

"What Archaeology Tells Us About the Ancient History of Eating Kosher" by Lina Zeldovich

"What Is Kosher for Passover?" from Chabad.org

"Why I Don’t Keep Kosher" by Rabbi Jillian Cameron

"Why I Stopped Freaking Out About Other People’s Kosher Habits" by Erris Langer Klapper

"Why Keep Kosher?: Jewish dietary practices allow us to welcome the sacred into our daily lives and into mundane acts." by Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson

"5 Misconceptions About Keeping Kosher" by Mandy Hakimi

#judaism #jewish #jumblr #jewblr #jewish culture #pesach #passover #kosher #kashrut #torah #talmud #shabbat #jewish life #kosher food #halakha #yeshivawithcarver #references

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littlestpersimmon · 8 months

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I dont have a support system after my cousin moved away, I don't I really don't. Whenever I reach out to anyone online I'd get told to seek a therapist, or seek more and new friends when my problem is that I am not getting love and affirmation that I need from them. What am I spposed to do. I seek therapy I seek human connection, why do my already existing friends think this way of me? It feels juvenile to say all the things I jst said but I feel totally unnecessary to the world. So many of my relatives tried to "arrange" a marriage with me by saying they will fund my immigration to America so I can find more work opportunities to help with the cancer yreatment of my two close relatives in our extended family but then they will randomly say "yes but you habe to marry this man you have never met and is also 15 years older than you." I can't stip crying, no matter what I do, I sold my bike, I sold some of my books and I'm taking in s many commissions, I've reached out to so many people in my life, I've been irritating everyone, I've been posting so many things on timblr, I've exhausted all my options, I've went to every clinic in manila, I go tonsleep crying, I wake up crying, I text people crying, I work I'm crying. I don't want to marry this guy, I want mybcousin back, please come home..please come home. I want my friends back, why is this happening to me HaShem?! What did I do for things to end this way for me?? My face hurts, my back hurts, my wrists hurts, please tell me things will get better, I don't know how much longer I can hold on. Please God please please please.

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thatmezuzaluvr · 10 days

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This might be a touchy question or come across as insensitive so feel free not to answer. From what I understand you were raised an evangelical Christian but converted to Judaism? My question is what drew you to Judaism specifically as opposed to, say, atheism? I admit as an atheist I’m definitely bias but based on what you’ve said atheism seems like it would’ve been easier lol

this is a bit of a personal question but i don’t mind answering it!!

i never had any interest in judaism or religion and especially not christianity when i was younger. i had bad experiences that ruined the idea of religion as a whole for me.

but once i learned about my ancestors and who they were (well as much as i could..fuck the nazis) i looked at religion from a whole new perspective. when your ancestors get murdered for something, i feel like anyone would take an interest in what they got murdered over.

the more i studied and looked into judaism, the more i fell in love with it. for me the love for judaism came first, then love for HaShem came after. i do struggle with my belief sometimes, especially because of all the bad in the world, but i’ve never felt as connected spiritually to myself and the world + to other people as i do know.

i choose to think we should believe in god not because we can logically or scientifically prove that they exist, but because of our personal experience. kinda like love. i can’t prove it exists but i know it does because i love.

#jumblr #jewish #jewblr #jewish tumblr

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gaelic-symphony · 4 months

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hi!! :)

i hope this isn't weird, but i love reading your posts about judaism to learn more from it. i don't follow any religion but i love getting to know them from people who do

and if you don't mind me asking, what are your favourite things about it? <3

i hope i have expressed myself well and you don't mind this 🫶🏼

I actually love this ask, and I'm so glad you sent it! There are so many things I love about Judaism, it would take me forever to come up with a list of them, but here are a few of my favorites:

I love our everyday rituals. I love keeping kosher and going to the kosher supermarket. I love that every time I eat or go grocery shopping, I'm affirming my connection to my people and my ancestors. I love that we have blessings for the most mundane human activities like washing our hands. I love ending every week with Shabbat. I love how it gives us a day to rest and reflect and be thankful before we start a new week, and I love having the weekly marker of Shabbat to track the passage of time. I love that you don't have to subscribe to any particular version of Jewish theology or believe that we do these things because Hashem commanded us in order to participate fully in these rituals. You can do them just because you find meaning in them. You can do them just because you're proud to be Jewish and follow the traditions of your ancestors.

I love our holidays. So many of them commemorate our survival against those who tried to wipe us out: Purim, Chanukah, Passover. Every year, we tell the story of our peoples' perseverance. We reflect on the strength and courage of generations of Jews before us that allowed our continued survival into the present day. Other holidays are seasonal markers of time. Tu B'Shvat is a little over a week away, and it's our "new year for trees," the time of year when the earliest trees start to bloom in the Land of Israel. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mark the end of the old year and beginning of a new one, and give us the chance to leave our mistakes of the past year behind and learn from them moving forward as we start fresh with a brand new year. Sukkot is a traditional celebration of the annual harvest. And other holidays, we're just so happy to be Jewish that we need to throw a party about it! Shavuot celebrates the Israelites receiving the Torah from Hashem at Mount Sinai, and then we celebrate the Torah again on Simchat Torah, when we read the very last verses of the book of Dvarim and start all over again with Bereshit.

I love our music. Our daily prayers are set to music, with special nusach (melodies) for Shabbat and holidays. When we read from the Torah or the books of the prophets, we chant the words to the same melodies our ancestors have done for centuries. We sing as a way to connect with each other and with Hashem. We sing the psalms of King David, and we sing wordless melodies we call niggunim. We've developed our own styles of secular, non-liturgical music and dance: klezmer and canciones, the horah and the Yemenite step, and many, many more!

I love our scholarship. Our scholarly tradition is one of questioning and arguing, neither of which are viewed negatively in Jewish tradition! We love to ask ourselves "what if" and "why," and the point isn't so much finding a singular answer as it is the process of engaging with the text. Does it really matter as a real-world issue whether there are any Pokemon that would be kosher to eat? Of course not! But that's exactly the type of thing we love to argue over, and if the ancient rabbinic sages like Hillel and Akiva and Rashi and Maimonides were alive today, I guarantee you they would have opinions on the matter.

I love our joy. There is so much joy that comes with being Jewish, a joy we feel just for being alive against all odds. Most of our prayers are not asking Hashem for the things we want, but thanking Hashem for the things we have. We have a brachah we say specifically to thank Hashem for the opportunity to fix what is broken in this world. Our history has rarely been a happy one, but we have always found reasons to rejoice. We danced and sang and celebrated our holidays and life events even in the Warsaw Ghetto. This past December, during one of the saddest, heaviest, and scariest times for our people since the Shoah, Jews all over the world celebrated Chanukah like we always do. In the midst of our mourning, we found joy. Literally and figuratively, we came together as a tribe to create light in the darkness.

#asked and answered #anon #jumblr #jewish #jewish positivity #jewish joy

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faircatch · 29 days

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Dayenu

So, for my job, I used to write things with a Rabbi... like emails and social media posts, etc...

A few years ago, at the first COVID Passover, there was no travel or social gathering, and very few people were able to visit family to celebrate the holiday. People were alone for their Seders and it was a new and isolating experience. Knowing how difficult this would be, I looked up some speeches and opinion pieces about Passover that might be inspiring and maybe lift some spirits...

I wish I could remember the Rabbi, but one write up was about how we say Dayenu (translated as, "It would have been sufficient"). Dayenu recounts all the wonderful things Hashem has done for the Jewish people and basically breaks it down that if Hashem had ONLY done this one thing for us, it would have been sufficient. It's a long list and one of them is, "If Hashem had brought us to Mount Sinai and not given us the Torah, it would have been sufficient." But that raises the question of what would be the point of gathering the Jewish people to Sinai and NOT giving us the Torah?

The answer is: Because this was the first time we, the Jewish people, had been gathered together specifically as the Jewish people. It was the first time we were gathered as a joint community.

I wrote how this related to us being isolated during COVID during the holiday... How did I connect this?

Even if we are sitting alone in our homes, we are all doing that together. All of us, all the Jewish people around the world - in the diaspora, in Israel, all the same nights and doing the same basic things (though traditions vary). We are still the Jewish people. We are still gathered as a joint community. We are still all connected to each other through this holiday - telling the same story of our freedom from slavery. We are joined by an invisible bond to all our fellow Jews with our identity intact, surviving thousands of years, telling our story year after year.

It was a call to remember we are not alone, even when we are alone.

I think about it again now because I see so many Jews on this site and on other media talking about how they feel isolated and alone.

I hope we all remember that we are joined together by that invisible bond still. That as we sit at our Seders and telling our story, there are millions of others who are doing the same and that we are still here as a community. We drink our wine (or grape juice or what have you) and dip our bitter herbs into a mixture of apple/nuts/wine/dates (or d'vash or whatever you use) for morar... We sing Dayenu and welcome Eliyahu... we do so separately and together... with family, or with friends, while hiding on college campuses, or in hotels with catered meals, at big tables and small, for the first time or for the 180th time, with chairs full and with empty chairs for the missing...

And I hope that for those that are feeling alone can somehow read this and know that they aren't alone. We are here with you. We are Jews with you. We are a community and we survive by telling our story every year together.

Sending you all love and hope for happiness and peace.

May it be sufficient.

#pesach #Passover #Seder #Passover Seder #Dayenu #Jewish #jumblr #diaspora #Jewish history #Jews

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