My most reviewed article, even today
The Shofar Scares and Confuses Satan, Keeping Him at Arm’s Length It is absolutely [...]
17
11, 2019
17
09, 2017
Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday
Have you ever wondered why Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are not highlighted in the Torah as pilgrimage holidays, as Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot are? This is because neither Rosh Hashanah nor Yom Kippur are biblical holidays. Both replaced biblical holidays, and are notably different from the holidays they replaced.[1] The biblical holiday Yom Teruah, [...]
26
09, 2016
The Real Reason for the Additional Day of Holidays
The Real Reason for the Additional Day of Holidays Few people think they know why Jewish tradition added a day to the biblically assigned number for Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot when the holidays are observed [...]
25
09, 2016
Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday
Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday The following is from my book “Mysteries of Judaism,” in which I point out that Judaism today is [...]
19
10, 2015
The Non-Jewish – Indeed, Anti-Jewish – Origin of Kapparot
The Non-Jewish – Indeed, Anti-Jewish – Origin of Kapparot While the shofar came to be seen as a rational and important part of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, the same cannot be said of the kapparot and tashlich rites that are still celebrated by many Jews. Thus, while Maimonides included [...]
15
09, 2015
Sympathetic Magic in Judaism
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 [...]
20
05, 2015
The Real Reason for the Additional Day of Holidays
The Real Reason for the Additional Day of Holidays Few people know why Jewish tradition added a day to the biblically assigned number for Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot when the holidays are observed outside of Israel, and why a second day was appended to Rosh Hashanah in both Israel and the diaspora [...]
20
09, 2014
Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday
Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday[1] Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday, although it replaced a biblical one, and is notably different from the holiday it replaced. The biblical holiday, Yom Teruah, had a totally different purpose than Rosh Hashanah, which focuses on the onset of a new year, [...]
11
09, 2014
The Anti-Jewish Origin of Kapparot
The Anti-Jewish Origin of Kapparot [1] The practice of kapparot and tashlich, celebrated by many Jews, is not considered to be rational by many other Jews and Maimonides did not include them in his Mishneh Torah, his code of Jewish law. The term kapparot denotes an offering tendered in the hope of gaining forgiveness [...]
3
09, 2014
The Shofar Scares and Confuses Satan
The Shofar Scares and Confuses Satan, Keeping Him at Arm’s Length[1] It is absolutely certain that both the spiritual leaders of Jewry and the masses of uneducated Jews (or at least the majority of these) before, during and after the talmudic period believed that the shofar, the ram’s horn, was blown [...]
3
09, 2013
Some Peculiarities of the Jewish Lunar Calendar
By Israel Drazin I described in prior essays that Jews, as some other religions, such as Islam, use a lunar calendar and base the dates of their holidays on this calendar.[1] I mentioned some unusual occurrences that transpired because of the use of the lunar calendar. The following is [...]
1
09, 2013
Why an additional day is added to holidays – 3
By Israel Drazin The Real Reason for the Additional Day of Holidays Part Three This essay is taken from my book Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets. Because of its length, I am dividing it into three parts. Since I discussed what I think is the true reason why an extra day was added to [...]
1
09, 2013
Why an additional day is added to holidays – 2
By Israel Drazin The Real Reason for the Additional Day of Holidays Part two This essay is taken from my book Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets. Because of its length, I am dividing it into three parts. To understand the origin of the added day to biblical holidays, we must first understand the [...]
1
09, 2013
Why an additional day is added to holidays – 1
By Israel Drazin The Real Reason for the Additional Day of Holidays Part one This essay is taken from my book Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets. Because of its length, I am dividing it into three parts. Few people know why Jewish tradition added a day to the biblically assigned number for Passover, Shavuot, [...]
1
09, 2013
Sermons vs. the Truth
By Israel Drazin Most sermons teach proper behavior, but when examined carefully, there are elements in them that frequently seem irrational and untrue. Their messages may be good but, among other problems, the verses used to support the messages may not say what the clerics say they say to [...]
19
07, 2013
Strange pre-New Year practice
By Israel Drazin Currently, announcements are made and prayers recited in synagogues on the Sabbath before a new month begins to inform congregants when the first sliver of the new moon will appear. This service commemorates the ancient practice, before a lunar calendar was established by Hillel II in the mid-fourth [...]
21
10, 2011
Sermonizing vs. The Truth
The First Ten Days By Rabbi Yaacov Haber Torah Lab, 2010, 88 pages There are essentially four different ways that people use to try to learn the truth about the world: religion, mysticism, philosophy and science, and a mixture of two or three of the previous methods. All should be lauded, for people should try [...]
