Halakha

Isaac Bashevis Singer is a distinguished, highly renowned Jewish writer. Singer writes about meaningful Jewish practices, such as observing the Sabbath, going to synagogue, and keeping a Jewish home. These are stories in which G-d’s presence is truly felt by the reader and there is no doubt surrounding if the characters live their own interpretation of a religious life. In three of Singer’s most prominent work’s, G-d’s name is never mentioned: an observation too compelling to be surmised as…

Danny and Reuven are two young teens that met while they were playing ball on opposing teams. Without knowing each other, they detested one another and it came to the extent that Danny sturdily hit the ball and it stroked Reuven 's eye. This was just the beginning of what soon would be their incessant friendship. Danny visited and despondently apologized to Reuven for having felt hatred towards him. After a couple of visiting, Danny and Reuven both feel sorry and they become close friends…

In a world with countless viewpoints, defining wisdom can pose a challenge. While some wisdom shows truth universally, some wisdom can present itself as a problem of subjectivity. In the book The Chosen by Chaim Potok, the author uses this theme of wisdom to influence the protagonists of the story from the wisdom of two fathers. These fathers, however, differ in many key areas such as wisdom for life generally, wisdom in raising children, and wisdom for the world fraught with persecution of the…

Looking some of the language Joseph II’s language choices, in the Edict of Tolerance, we can see that the purpose of his reformist policies was to benefit that State’s economic standing. For instance, Since it is our purpose to make the Jews more useful and serviceable to the state, principally through according their children bette instruction and enlightenment, and by employing them in the sciences, arts, and handcrafts. The State intended to fix their economic position, by pushing the…

Thomas Cahill argues that the Jews greatly affected Western society. Although the Jews are small in number, their contributions affect the way all people - both Jewish and non-Jewish behave. Firstly, Judaism introduced the concept of democracy to the world. In the book of Shmot, when G-d defeats the demi-god Pharoah, He proves no political figure can be a god. Furthermore, the 10 plagues are a direct attack against Egyptian gods: the transformation of the Nile river into blood an affront to the…

This paper will look to analyze why certain Jews in the Ultra-Orthodox movement decide to defect from their upbringing. It will examine what commonalities, if any, there are between defectors, in leaving their community. The transition between a religious and secular life is dramatic, confusing, and lonely. What happens after one decides to make the switch and leave their community? What are the major struggles they face during and after transition? Do all Jews that defect become completely…

Upon completing Gulag Boss: A Soviet Memoir, a book detailing Solzhenitsyn’s account of the terrors of the Soviet Gulag, I picked up my copy of Krauthammer’s article At Last Zion and read through its seven pages. I am uncertain which text is more terrifying. Grandiose fatalistic vaticinations abound in Krauthammer’s piece. American Jewry, we are told, will decline and ultimately disappear. Later on we read that Israel, the renascent Jewish homeland, is “the last hope.” Though we are afforded…

Change is a central aspect in the study of human history; it provides contrast to monotony and is essential for the progress of society. Over the course of Jewish history, many events and people have shaped both continuity and change. In late eighteenth-century Prussia, Moses Mendelssohn lead a number of initiatives eventually resulting in vast societal change. As a result of introducing mainstream culture into Jewish life, improving Jewish civil rights and revising the central fabric of Judaism…

The conflict with family and faith is big and important. Having conflict with your family can really ruin a family and break it apart. Having conflict with faith leaves you confused and lost. In two of Chaim Potok’s novels, The Chosen and The Promise we see both conflict in family and in faith In The Chosen by Chaim Potok there is a lot of conflict with family and faith. To start off with Reuven and Danny become good friends after Danny nearly blinds Reuven during their intense softball game.…

Orthodox Judaism is the continuation of beliefs and practices of Judaism and is accepted by the Jewish nation today. Orthodox Judaism is different than Modern Judaism as it isn’t a single movement. It actually has several different movements, but they all come back to the “common beliefs.” Both Orthodox Judaism and Modern Judaism have different beliefs and attitudes about modern culture, but they are similar in ways of practice throughout the Torah. (Jason Levine, 2016) Traditionally to be…