Encyclopedia - Ben Sira: Encyclopedia - Ben Sira
The Wisdom of Ben Sira, (or The Wisdom of Yeshua Ben Sira or merely Sirach), called Ecclesiasticus by Christians, is a book written circa...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Ben Sira: Encyclopedia Ii - Ben Sira - The Author
The author is called in the Greek text (l. 27) "Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem." The copy owned by Saadia Gaon had the reading "Shi...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia - Kabbalah
Kabbalah (Hebrew קַבָּלָה "reception", Standard Hebrew Qabbala, Tiberian Hebrew Qabbālāh; also written variously as Cabala, Cab...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Amidah: Encyclopedia - Amidah
The Amidah ("Standing"), also called the Shemoneh Esreh ("The Eighteen"), is the central prayer in the Jewish liturgy that observant Jews...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - The Alphabet Of Ben-sira: Encyclopedia - The Alphabet Of Ben-sira
The Alphabet of Ben-Sira (Alphabetum Siracidis, Othijoth ben Sira) is an anonymous medieval text, attributed to Ben Sira (Sirach), the au...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Siddur: Encyclopedia - Siddur
The siddur (plural siddurim) is the prayerbook used by Jews the world over, containing a set order of daily prayers. A separate article, ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Books Of Samuel: Encyclopedia Ii - Books Of Samuel - The Contents Of The Books
The two books can be essentially broken down into five parts: The period of Yahweh's rejection of Eli, Samuel's birth, and subsequent ju...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Siddur: Encyclopedia Ii - Siddur - Popular Siddurim
Below are listed many popular siddurim used by religious Jews. Siddur - Ashkenazi Orthodox. Siddur Ha-Shalem (a.k.a. the Birnbaum Sidd...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - The Alphabet Of Ben-sira: Encyclopedia Ii - The Alphabet Of Ben-sira - The Second Alphabet
The twenty-two Hebrew proverbs are quite different in character from the Aramaic ones, and of much younger date. Half of the proverbs are...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - List Of Rabbis: Encyclopedia Ii - List Of Rabbis - Rabbis: Later Middle Ages
List of rabbis - Rabbis: 18th Century. Haim Isaac Carigal, rabbi in Newport, Rhode Island in 1773 who became great influence on Revere...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - 2 Esdras: Encyclopedia Ii - 2 Esdras - Naming Numbering And Language
As with 1 Esdras, there is some confusion about the numbering of this book. Some early Latin manuscripts call it 3 Esdras, and Jerome den...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Book Of Judges: Encyclopedia Ii - Book Of Judges - Authorship
While the authorship of Judges has traditionally been ascribed to Samuel, the great majority of modern scholars have come to a much more ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Amidah: Encyclopedia Ii - Amidah - Linguistic Sources
The following analysis may indicate the Biblical passages underlying the Amidah. Amidah - Biblical sources. Benediction No. i.: "Blesse...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Psalms: Encyclopedia Ii - Psalms - The Psalms In Christian Worship
New Testament references show that the earliest Christians used the Psalms in worship, and the Psalms have remained an important part of ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Origin Of Jewish Mysticism
According to adherents of Kabbalah, the origin of Kabbalah begins with the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). When read by a Kabbalist, the Torah...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - List Of Rabbis: Encyclopedia Ii - List Of Rabbis - Orthodox Rabbis
List of rabbis - Orthodox rabbis: 19th Century. Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, (Netziv ; Ha'emek Davar) 19th century head of Volozhin...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - List Of Rabbis: Encyclopedia Ii - List Of Rabbis - Conservative Rabbis
List of rabbis - Conservative rabbis: 19th Century. Zecharias Frankel, 19th century critical historian, founder of the Positive histor...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Book Of Judges: Encyclopedia Ii - Book Of Judges - Structure And Content
Academics treat the text of Judges as having three distinct sections: The Introduction (1:1-3:10 and 3:12) giving a summary of the book ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - List Of Rabbis: Encyclopedia Ii - List Of Rabbis - Reform Rabbis
List of rabbis - Reform rabbis: 19th Century. Samuel Adler, 19th century German-American rabbi of Temple Emanu-El Emil Hirsch, 19th ce...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - 2 Esdras: Encyclopedia Ii - 2 Esdras - Author And Criticism
The main body of the book appears to be written for consolation in a period of great distress (most likely Titus' destruction of the Seco...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - List Of Rabbis: Encyclopedia Ii - List Of Rabbis - Reconstructionist Rabbis
List of rabbis - Reconstructionist rabbis: 20th Century. Mordecai Kaplan, 20th century founder of the Reconstructionist movement in Am...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Psalms: Encyclopedia Ii - Psalms - Composition Of The Book Of Psalms
The Book of Psalms is divided into 150 Psalms, each of which constitutes a religious song or chant, though one or two are long and may co...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Psalms: Encyclopedia Ii - Psalms - Authorship And Ascriptions
Traditionally the Psalms were thought to be the work of David, but many modern scholars see them as the product of several authors or gro...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Amidah: Encyclopedia Ii - Amidah - Shorter Form Used On The Sabbath
In the Shabbat Amidah, the middle supplications are replaced by one, so that the Sabbath Amidah is composed of seven benedictions. This o...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Amidah: Encyclopedia Ii - Amidah - Changes To The Amidah
Amidah - Ancient changes. According to the Talmud, the 12th prayer in the modern sequence, the prayer against informers and heretics, w...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Criticisms
Kabbalah - Dualism. One of the most serious and sustained criticisms of Kabbalah is that it may lead away from monotheism, and instead ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Debate About Kabbalah In Judaism
Although it was criticized by a small number of rabbis, Kabbalah has nevertheless been a fundamental part of most Jewish theology for man...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Kabbalah In Non-jewish Society
Kabbalah eventually gained an audience outside of the Jewish community. Nominal-Christian versions of Kabbalah began to develop; by the e...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Gnosticism And Kabbalah
Gnostic literature testifies to the antiquity of the Kabbalah. Gnosticism - systems of secret spiritual knowledge, or some sources say - ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Textual Antiquity Of Esoteric Mysticism
Early forms of esoteric mysticism existed over 2,000 years ago. Ben Sira warns against it, saying: "You shall have no business with secre...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - The Human Soul In Kabbalah
The Zohar posits that the human soul has three elements, the nefesh, ru'ach, and neshamah. The nefesh is found in all humans, and enters ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Foretelling The Future
A small number of Kabbalists have attempted to foretell events by the Kabbalah. The term has come to be used to refer to secret science i...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Practical Applications
The Midrash and Talmud are replete with the use of Divine names and incantations that are claimed to effect supernatural or metaphysical ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Psalms: Encyclopedia Ii - Psalms - Sections Of The Book
In Jewish usage, the Psalter is divided, after the analogy of the Pentateuch, into five books, each closing with a doxology or benedictio...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Psalms: Encyclopedia Ii - Psalms - Use Of The Psalms In Jewish Ritual
The Mosaic ritual set out in the books of the Pentateuch or Torah makes no provision for the service of song in the worship of God. The e...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - The Alphabet Of Ben-sira: Encyclopedia Ii - The Alphabet Of Ben-sira - Aramaic Proverbs
The Aramaic proverbs are the far older part of the book. Five of them can be traced to Talmudic-Midrashic literature. The Hebrew commenta...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Amidah: Encyclopedia Ii - Amidah - Prayers In The Weekday Amidah
The prayers of the weekday Amidah are: Known as Avot ("Ancestors") this prayer offers praise of God as the God of the Biblical patriarch...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Books Of Samuel: Encyclopedia Ii - Books Of Samuel - Tribes And Peoples
Although most traditional interpretations of Jewish history view the Israelites as the ancestors of both the Kingdom of Israel and that o...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Books Of Samuel: Encyclopedia Ii - Books Of Samuel - Authorship
Traditionally, the authors of the books of Samuel have been held to be Samuel, Gad, and Nathan. Samuel is believed to have penned the fir...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - The Failure Of Sabbatian Mysticism
The spiritual and mystical yearnings of many Jews remained frustrated after the death of Rabbi Isaac Luria and his disciples and colleagu...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Siddur: Encyclopedia Ii - Siddur - History Of The Siddur
The earliest parts of Jewish prayer are the "Shema Yisrael" (Hear O Israel) (Deuteronomy 6:4 et seq) and the set of 19 blessings called t...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Mystic Doctrines In Talmudic Times
In Talmudic times the terms Ma'aseh Bereshit ("Works of Creation") and Ma'aseh Merkabah ("Works of the Divine Throne/Chariot") clearly in...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kabbalah: Encyclopedia Ii - Kabbalah - Kabbalistic Understanding Of God
Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) teaches that God is neither matter nor spirit. Rather God is the creator of both, but is himself neither. But...   » Read the article