by waklvyct | Sep 23, 2013
Clearly it was not a good time to hold a funeral, but presumably it was the most convenient date for others. You would obviously have had a very good reason for not going, but I think it would probably have been right to attend – because honouring the deceased...
by waklvyct | Sep 23, 2013
There are a large number of options. One is (although this is no longer possible in this case, but would apply if the situation occurred again) to bury the tallit with the person. Traditionally it is the only item that accompanies the body in the coffin, apart from...
by waklvyct | Sep 23, 2013
The six-pointed star (above the JPA logo – Ed.) did not originate with David. It goes back to Bronze Age times and was used by a wide variety of civilisations – from Mesopotamia to Britain – and served either as an ornament or as a magical sign. It...
by waklvyct | Sep 23, 2013
The word Zionism a poetic term for Jerusalem. Originally Zionism meant the establishment of a Jewish national home, whereas now after 1948 it means the maintenance of the Jewish national home, the State of Israel. There are many different types of Zionists, Secular...
by waklvyct | Sep 23, 2013
This is Jewish mysticism, which is not connected with magic or the dark arts, but a deeper level of understanding of Jewish tradition, and especially of spiritual matters. It has become popularised in recent decades, but until now has been reserved for those who were...