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7 Things You Should Know About Hebrew
The Jewish people’s traditional language has a storied past.
Judaism and Astrology
The notion that the planets influence human affairs cuts against the core Jewish belief in free will, but many ancient rabbis believed it anyway.
The Jews of Kaifeng: China’s Only Native Jewish Community
Tolerance and assimilation led to the near-disappearance of a Chinese Jewish community over 1,000 years old.
Why Do Some Jews Write G-d?
Because the Torah prohibits erasing God’s name.
Praying for the Government
The tradition of praying for the government reflects a recognition that Jewish welfare is bound up with that of the nations in which Jews live.
Next Torah Portion
Summary
In this Torah portion, God sends the eighth and ninth plagues, locusts and darkness, but Pharaoh still refuses to free the Israelite slaves. God tells Moses that the 10th plague will be killing all the firstborn Egyptians. God commands each Israelite home to slaughter a lamb and spread the blood on their doorposts, in order to protect their firstborns. After the death of the firstborns, Pharaoh demands that the Israelites leave.
Featured Commentary
Parashat Bo: The Miracle of Mixed Multitudes
Parashat Bo reminds us of the beautiful world that can be built in an instant, even after destruction and heartache.
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Daf Yomi
STUDY RESOURCES
Recharge Now
Our weekly Shabbat newsletter, Recharge, features a thoughtful, timely essay to enrich your Shabbat. Here are a few of our recent pieces:
From the Sickbed
Sometimes we need the help of others to draw us out from the prison of our suffering.
Finding New Ways In
When our ways of engaging God aren’t working, we must find others.
Both/And
Moses demonstrates that connection with God and concern for Jewish safety are one and the same.
MORE from MY JEWISH LEARNING
7 Ways the Torah Can Actually Sharpen Your Mind
Engaging with Torah is like yoga for the mind: It keeps our perspectives flexible and creativity strong.
Ask the Expert: Do All Religions Worship the Same God?
Jews don’t have a monopoly on God, but we do privilege and prefer our own access.
Similar Jewish Words You Don’t Want to Mix Up
From kibbitz/kibbutz to mitzvah/mikveh, we round up some easily confused Hebrew and Yiddish terms.
Shehechiyanu: A Meditation on this Moment
This blessing, traditionally recited for firsts, can be said anytime — since every moment is new and unprecedented.
How to Talk to God
The Hasidic prayer practice of hitbodedut — talking to God freely in one’s native tongue — helps to build intimacy over time.
Tikkun Olam: Repairing the World
This phrase with kabbalistic roots has come to connote social justice.