Shomer Negiah in a Whole New Mind

I have done lots of research on shomer negiah and I have learned many new things. It has made me look at life in a whole new way. If you touch someone you could start developing feelings for the person. The friendship you thought was innocent could become sexual and halachically unacceptable. There are many commentaries on this topic because there are many debates. This mitzvah has lots of arguments to do with it. In one of Torah sources it says that when the woman is during the time of "tumah" the man is forbidden to come in physical contact with her. Until she becomes tahor or spiritually pure again, a man cannot come into physical contact with her. Studying shomer negiah taught me to look at different ways of life. I see how different people are in life and I am able to look at it from different perspectives. I can look at it from people that are shomer and from people that aren't. I, myself am not shomer negiah but I know many people that I am close to that are. I have thought about becoming shomer negiah quite often very recently. It is something that comes up in life very frequently. The Rambam's commentary says that the touching that is given has to be affectionate is forbidden. Many people argue about this mitzvah. There are questions like, "What's the big deal that we are all shomer?"  One main question to look at is, "Why is it something many people struggle with?" I think a majority of the people that struggle are teenagers. Another important question that is asked a lot is, "What is important about it? What is the purpose?" The purpose of this mitzvah is modesty and self respect. The last main question people think of when they hear about this mitzvah is, "How is this properly observed?" If people study it and really understand it I think it is properly observed. If the person is modest and abides by all the rules I think the person will be just fine. Some people say that in different communities it can be different because it sometimes depends on the atmosphere. People will sometimes abide by the rules with different degrees and it can sometimes reflect on the community the person lives in. I've learned many new aspects of shomer negiah and I am so happy I chose to study this mitzvah. It has only changed me for the better and I can't wait to try and make this a big impact on my life. 

The Mitzvah of Not Getting Tattoos

The mitzvah of not tattooing is a lot more complex than I thought it would be. There are many explanations and reasons why tattoos are forbidden. Rabbi Jack Abramowitz said that our bodies are not ours to begin with and that they are similar to a car that we have been allowed to borrow for the week. We may use the car, but we also have to take care of it. We cannot get the car spray painted with flames along the side. The same goes for our bodies. Since they do not belong to us, we cannot get tattoos.

The Sforno also gives another good explanation. It says that we have one spiritual sign on our bodies, circumcision. Having another sign like tattoos would take away from circumcision. Another explanation is that our bodies were made by G-d and that they are already complete and perfect. Therefore we should not add anything else to our bodies.

Some people say that we should not get tattoos because idol worshipping religions used tattooing to worship their g-ds. Since tattooing may be considered idol worshipping it is totally forbidden.

Also there is a big misconception amongst Jewish people. Some people believe that a Jew with a tattoo cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery. The reason why many people think this is because some Jewish cemeteries can be very strict due to people wanting only certain types of people buried next to them. Other than the desire that some people have about being buried next to someone with a tattoo, there is no Jewish law about it.

There is also another misconception for people who already have tattoos. Some people think that if you already have a tattoo, it must be removed. This misconception can be an issue especially when people are thinking about conversion. There isn't an actual Jewish law about having tattoos removed, but many people see it as a midat Chassidut to get them removed if you already have one.

Chava's mitzvah of why do we hang a mezuzah on our door posts?

After I have been researching all about my mitzvot. I have learned a lot about why we hang a mezuzah on our door post. The reason is because it shows us that ה׳ is always watching. ה׳  is also brought down Angels from above and getting rid of out bad things that we have done. In the mezuzah there is parchment that had words written on it and it is perfect and the peters are perfect the spaces are perfect because those words that is in the mezuzah is everything that ה׳ said. If it is not perfect they have to start all over. What I will take into my life is that I will always know that g-d is protecting me and the home I live in. I will also continue to kiss my hand after I touch the mezuzah every time I go in and out of the room.

-chava

Funeral and Burial Laws

Since I have begun studying the death laws and funeral laws I have learned a ton. This topic isn’t so popular in school and we haven’t necessarily learned a lot about it. For this reason I have begun to explore and delve into something I have never learned of before. From the routine to specific laws there is a lot to learn, but this is definitely something I enjoy and am seeking to learn more about as I continue to do this project.

In the beginning I was inexperienced about the topic and only knew vague facts about the death in Judaism. When a person dies they are as quickly as possible buried. However the process is very quick there are lot of details and steps put into the process. The process includes shutting of the eyes, body not lonesome, dressed and cleaned, and prepared for the casket.

This process is done with special care from the group of people who watch over the body and cleanse it. In addition this process is very time consuming and detailed. I have learned a lot and have been able to learn so much about this topic.

Reflection on Mrs. Kutliroff's Talk

After hearing Mrs. Kutliroff's moving talk yesterday about her journey to becoming an observant, committed Jew, I'd like for each of you to respond in the comments section below with your thoughts:  Which specific idea or story that she spoke about made the biggest impression on you, and why? Which aspect of her struggles or challenges in becoming Orthodox do you identify with the most, and why?  Finally, what is one question you would want to ask Mrs. Kutliroff that you might not have thought of yesterday, or didn't have the time to ask?

I will be sharing this blog with Mrs. Kutliroff (!) so that she can see your comments and questions, so please make sure that you complete this assignment tonight, October 28th, so that she'll be able to reply in a timely fashion.

Finally, here is a link to a PBS segment about the practice of Tahara, featuring none other than my own grandmother, Mrs. Nancy Klein :).
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2004/02/06/february-6-2004-jewish-burial-practices/1794/

Interviews

After spending a significant period of time studying the Rambam's 13 Principles of Belief, and delving into the basics of what we need to know about G-d, our next step will be to see how those ideas translate into the personal beliefs and lives of real Jewish people, on an individual level.

Assignment: 

* Choose 3 sincerely religious Jewish people whom you personally know about and respect, and write a one paragraph biography for each.  These could be people you know-friends, relatives, rabbis, teachers, advisors, etc-or even people you merely know of, but have admiration for, due to their qualities of devotion, sincerity, commitment to Torah, or strength of character.

*Then choose 1 of those people to interview, either in person or in print, regarding what they believe about G-d, why they believe in G-d, and how their belief in G-d affects their life.

*You must write between 6-10 questions to ask in your interview.  Questions should be “open-ended” and avoid  yes/no or other one word answers.  The goal is to elicit their ideas about faith in God in a way that may prove to be inspiring and enlightening for us all.  

*Your biographies and questions must be prepared by the end of class today.  They should be shared with me in a Google Doc titled "[your name] Biographies and Questions". Your interview should be completed and posted in a comment below before class on Wednesday, October 22, either in written format or via a working link to an audio or video recording.

*Finally, reply to at least 2 classmates' interviews in the comments section.

סוכות Videos

To prepare for חג הסוכות, which begins Wednesday evening, I'd like each of you to find and share a video that pertains to a major theme or aspect of the holiday.  Watch it, and then copy it into a comment below, along with a short description of the main ideas.  Then watch and enjoy your classmates' videos.

חג שמח!!