Tag: Mitzvah

Marriage As Mitzvah

Jews see marriage as mitzvah based on biblical and rabbinic texts. Marriage is seen as important for spirituality and closeness with God.

Rabbi Carl Astor, The Observant Life (Book) June 26, 2024 Learning Lifecycles

Why I Love Tefillin

Rabbi Lauren Tuchman writes "Why I Love Tefillin" and explores how all people can wear tefillin, based on her own experience.

Rabbi Lauren Tuchman February 6, 2024 Accessories for Prayer Every Day

Why We Cover Challah at the Shabbat Table

Why we cover Challah at the Shabbat table can be found when we learn about manna and the seven species of Israel.

Hazzan Sara Geffen Geller January 30, 2024 Erev Shabbat Holidays

Understanding The Jewish Call To Sustainability

Understanding the Jewish call to sustainability is rooted in a new category of mitzvot: bein adam l'adamah, between the self and the Earth.

Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin January 3, 2024 Climate and Environment Living

The Mitzvah of Environmental Sustainability

What does Judaism say about environmental sustainability? Yishuv Ha'olam is the mitzvah to build and maintain a sustainable world.

Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin January 3, 2024 CJLS Climate and Environment

Why Prayer Matters

Tefillah is more than the sum of its parts and encompasses far more than the obligation to recite certain specific daily prayers.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 16, 2023 Every Day Prayer

What is a Kippah?

There is a wide range of specific customs related to the issue of covering the head, including what to cover it with.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 11, 2023 Accessories for Prayer Every Day

Fasting While Ill

It is considered forbidden to fast on fast days if injurious to one’s health, for the sake of performing positive commandments.

Rabbi Carl Astor, The Observant Life (Book) May 10, 2023 Fasting on Tisha B'av Health

Songs for Hanukkah

Hanukkah songs include those that follow candle lighting, as well as S'vivon sov sov sov, Hanukkah O'Hanukkah, and Neir Li.

Reena Bromberg Gaber December 6, 2022 Hanukkah Holidays

What is The Menorah?

The central mitzvah of Ḥanukkah is the lighting of the menorah at home and in the synagogue. This brings light to the darker winter months. ...

Rabbi Alan Lucas, The Observant Life (Book) December 6, 2022 Hanukkah Holidays

How to light the Hanukkah Candles

Read here for the procedure for lighting candles for Hanukkah. This includes the blessings, song ideas, and order for lighting candles.

Rabbi Alan Lucas, The Observant Life (Book) December 5, 2022 Hanukkah Holidays

Sukkot at Home

While celebrating Sukkot at home, rituals include lighting candles, sitting in the sukkah, and customs related to the sukkah.

Rabbi Alan Lucas, The Observant Life (Book) October 28, 2022 High Holidays Holidays

Rituals of Sukkot

Sukkot, one of the shalosh r’galim, the three pilgrimage festivals is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur.

Rabbi Alan Lucas, The Observant Life (Book) October 14, 2022 High Holidays Holidays

The Shofar on Rosh Hashanah

Sounding of the shofar is a characteristic mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah. The holiday is alternatively called the Day of Sounding the Shofar.

The Observant Life (Book), Rabbi Alan Lucas September 16, 2022 High Holidays Holidays

T’fillah/Prayer: A Mitzvah to Take a “Time Out”

T'fillah, Jewish prayer, is rooted in self-judgment, reflection, and connecting to something greater than ourselves.

The Observant Life (Book), Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed June 29, 2022 Prayer Understanding Prayer