The desert peak upon which the Hebrew Bible says God gave the Torah to Moses. Mount Sinai is the desert peak upon which the Hebrew Bible says God gave the Torah to Moses and the Israelites. In the ...

As the herald of the messianic age and a recurring figure in Jewish folklore, Elijah's legacy surpasses that of virtually all the other prophets of Israel. Elijah is a biblical prophet and a central ...

The animal might be merciful. As we’ve been discussing, farmers sometimes acquire animals without a complete birthing history, making it difficult to identify whether a subsequent offspring is a ...

Miriam's instinctive song of praise tells us something important about calling out to God.

The Hebrew word for life is a popular symbol and toast — and is linked to the number 18. Chai (חי) is the Hebrew word for life. The word, consisting of two Hebrew letters —chet (ח) and yud (י)— is a ...

In this Torah portion, God punishes the wicked in the world by causing a giant flood. God saves Noah and his family, who will repopulate the world. We are also introduced to Abram and his wife, Sarai.

Getting ready to celebrate Hanukkah? We will guide you through lighting your menorah: where to place it, how and when to light it, and what to say. The ancient rabbis felt it was important to ...

Hoshanah Rabbah, the seventh day of Sukkot is a semi-holiday in its own right. Still counted among the days of Hol Hamoed (intermediate days of the festival), this day’s name means “the great hoshanah ...

Jews have developed complex plans for coaxing evil spirits out of those who are possessed. Exorcism is a ritual of power performed in order to drive an evil spirit, whether demonic or ghostly, from a ...

While the Shema has been seen as a declaration of absolute monotheism, it has other meanings in its biblical and liturgical contexts. The precise meaning of the Shema is uncertain. The four Hebrew ...

Not quite Sukkot, not quite its own holiday. Two cryptic references in the Torah cause the confusion about the status of Shemini Atzeret. In both Leviticus and Numbers, God commands that the eighth ...

Traditional teachings on being a good host (and guest). In the pre-modern world, without ubiquitous hotels and rapid transportation, wayfarers were often dependent on those whom they encountered en ...