The Book of Jubilees vs. the Torah While unfortunately most people do not realize it, there were many religious books composed between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. The Roman Catholic Church made some of these books part of their Bible, but Jews and Protestants did not. Ancient books not included in [...]
Two more radical theories about Sukkot I described the origin of Sukkot, the biblical requirements, the way it was celebrated during the days on Nehemiah around 440 BCE that was startlingly different than the Torah instructions, and the radical view of the origin of Sukkot and the Sukkah by Arnold Ehrlich, [...]
A radical theory about Sukkot People who pay attention to what they read realize that none of the Jewish holidays are practiced today as the Torah mandates. Judaism today is not Torah Judaism but Rabbinic Judaism. The rabbis made extensive changes in Torah laws because of changes in human circumstances. Scholars [...]
Yom Kippur is not a biblical holiday Like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur does not exist in the Bible. It replaces another day known as Yom Hakippurim. Yom Kippur is singular, “day of atonement,” while Yom Hakippurim is plural, “day of atonements.” The biblical Yom Hakippurim is mentioned in Leviticus 16:29–31, 23:27–32, and [...]
Sympathetic Magic in Judaism Ancient Jews, like their pagan neighbors believed that angels and demons exist, the first group helping people and the later harming them. They sought ways to control the demons and force them to do their will. They believed that humans have the power not only to control demons but [...]
Maimonides vs. Daf Yomi There is a problem with those who study the Talmud (known colloquially as “learning the Talmud”). Most of these people do not really understand what is being read, why the Talmud states what it states, what are the different versions in other parts of the Talmud, in [...]
A difficult (non-rational?) prayer The origin of one of the most significant prayers of the Jewish High Holiday services - Avinu Malkeinu, “Our Father, Our King” – which many Jews find “meaningful and inspiring,” is based on a story told in different versions, which is most-likely a legend. It sustained its viability, [...]
Devil in Jerusalem By Naomi Ragen This is a very well-written, gripping, and suspenseful novel that is based on true horrendous events among Jews, Christians, Muslims, Atheists, and indeed all people. Although depressing, the story needs to be told to protect vulnerable and insecure people from falling into the grip of cult leaders who lead [...]
Laws were once able to be overturned Rabbi Marc D. Angel demonstrates his well-known knowledge and writing skills in his informative exploration of Jewish practices called “The Rhythms of Jewish Living, A Sephardic Exploration of Judaism’s Spirituality.” The book includes a fascinating chapter concerning the ancient Great Court being able to overturn laws and others [...]
Combating what is disliked In addition to changes being made in Torah laws to add stringencies, to remove offensive material from the Torah text, changes were introduced into Judaism to combat the views of non-Jews and Jews who do not practice what the rabbis consider correct, and to disassociate Jews from them. The [...]
Ezra changed the Torah text Tikkunie Soferim Tikkunei Soferim, which can be translated as “corrections by the scribes,” refers to at least eighteen changes that were made in the original wording of the Hebrew Bible wording during the second temple period, perhaps sometime between 450 and 350 BCE.[1] Most [...]
Changing the Torah by adding stringencies Rabbi Evan Hoffman discussed the phenomenon of rabbis adding stringencies to the somewhat lenient biblical laws.[1] For example, Deuteronomy 8:10 states “eat and be sated and bless the Lord,” which required the Israelites to bless God, that is say a benediction, after eating only if [...]
I just published my thirtieth book “Unusual Bible Interpretations: Judges.” The following is some information about this book. Most people suppose that the book of Judges is filled with tales of pious leaders called judges, who performed acts that protected the Israelites and helped form them into a praiseworthy nation. A close reading [...]
Changing the Immutable Since time began, since the more intelligent men and women realized they had ideas they could not share with others, yet they had to speak, they learnt to lie. Highly respected philosophers did so. The pagan Greek Plato called what they said “noble lies.” The Jewish Maimonides named them “essential truths.” [...]
Why must women start the Sabbath before Men? If people would take the time to look at the bulletin of an Orthodox Synagogue, they would find something very curious. The women are instructed to light candles several minutes before the men are scheduled to attend the Mincha service,[1] and Mincha takes place [...]
Maimonides, Abarbanel, and Cognitive Dissonance Isaac Abarbanel, a highly intelligent fifteenth and sixteenth century Bible Commentator, used his introduction to the biblical book Amos to express his difference with Maimonides on the issue of prophecy. Abarbanel insisted that the view about prophecy held by most people, that prophecy is miraculous, is correct, [...]
Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed One of the most significant and life changing books ever written is Moses Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed. Maimonides lived from 1138 to 1204. Many people consider him the most important person since Moses who handed Israel God’s revelation. Others are convinced that he is far better [...]
The Origin of Sin Professor Paula Fredriksen of Boston University wrote “Sin: The Early History of an Idea.”[1] Her book is scholarly and informative. There is no concept of “sin” in the Hebrew Bible as a distorting stain upon the soul that requires a kind of supernatural atonement process, as the [...]
High Holidays without God “The Days Between” by Dr. Marcia Falk is thought provoking even if one disagrees with what the author writes. She presents an inward, contemplative approach to the High Holiday services. Her versions of the principle traditional holiday prayers omit all references to God, and offer a non-patriarchal [...]
The Cherubim and Guide 3:32 Last week I wrote about the Ark of the Covenant that had two angle-like figures on its top and two poles protruding at its bottom. I showed that the ark, its top, and bottom remarkably resembled the ark used by the Egyptians before the Torah was revealed. [...]
UNUSUAL BIBLE INTERPRETATIONS: JOSHUA By Israel Drazin Gefen Publishing, 2015 Review by Kenneth Lasson Israel Drazin is a man of many parts. He is highly educated (two master’s degrees, one in psychology, another in theology, a Ph.D. in Aramaic Literature, a law degree), an ordained rabbi, he practiced law for 23 years. He [...]
The Cherubim was copied from the Egyptians One of the most perplexing ancient Jewish articles is the Ark of the Covenant that tradition states contained both the shattered and whole Decalogue (Ten Commandments). The Ark had two poles that were never removed from the box. No reason is given for this practice. [...]
The true in depth story about Joshua Joshua By Michael Hattin Maggid Books, 2014, 271 pages This is the third of four volumes in Maggid Books Studies in Tanakh series. The three other books are on Ruth, I Kings, and Jeremiah. Each book is excellent. They are scholarly, yet easy to read, and [...]
Ruth By Yael Ziegler Maggid Books, 2015, 487 pages This is the fourth volume in Maggid Books Studies in Tanakh series. The prior three books are on Joshua, I Kings, and Jeremiah. Each book is excellent. They are scholarly, yet easy to read, and each is filled with thought-provoking and illuminating information, not only [...]
One of the Oldest Law Codes in the World Hammurabi, king of Babylon is the author of one of the oldest code of law that is in our hands today. Scholars differ in dating Hammurabi and his Code. Many think he ruled for 42 years between 1792 and 1750 BCE. They date the [...]
Three very helpful but imperfect ways of dividing the Bible One of the most important ways to understand what biblical stories and texts are saying is to examine and understand the biblical event, idea, or word in the context of the section. This obviously requires that the reader know where the [...]
Fasts observed for events that did not occur on the day of the fast There are two extended mourning periods in the Jewish calendar, one for three weeks and the other for seven. Both are not based on verifiable facts and dates, both are not biblical since the events occurred after the [...]
An unusual, sometime bizarre, but interesting interpreter Isaac ben Judah Abarbanel (also spelled Abravanel, 1437-1508) was a Portuguese Jewish statesman, Bible commentator, advisor to kings, and a wealthy financier. His many Bible commentaries generally begin with incisive questions. He was a clear thinker, but opposed philosophy and the rationalism of Maimonides, although [...]
What is the Zohar? Many rabbis try to show that some Zohar notions are reasonable by ignoring the vast majority of the book and by mistranslations. They insist that the Zohar was composed by Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai around the year 130 CE. However, scholars recognize that Moses d’ Leon, a Spaniard [...]
Why certain things and people are called holy The concept of “holiness,” meaning that something or someone is sacred does not exist in the Bible. “Holiness” in the Bible means “separate.” When the Bible asserts that God is holy it signifies that God is totally separate and distinct from humans. When [...]
