Ask the Rabbi
Question:
“What is the Torah?”
Answer:
Torah is a Hebrew word meaning “to instruct.” The Torah
refers to the first five books of Moses in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). The Torah was written
approximately 1200 BCE. Traditionally, the Torah is handwritten on a scroll by
a “sofer” (scribe). This type of document is called a “Sefer Torah.”
A modern printing of the Torah in book form is called a “Chumash”
(related to the Hebrew word for the number 5 ).
Question:
“What is the Jewish Bible / TaNaKh?”
Answer: The Jewish Bible (also called the Hebrew
Bible or Tanakh) is another term for what Christians call the Old
Testament portion of the Bible. More specifically, a 1917 English version of
the Old Testament was called the Jewish Bible and was prepared by the Jewish
Publication Society of America. One
distinctive feature of the Jewish Bible is that it divides the Old Testament
into its traditional Hebrew sections. The three sections include the Torah
(The Five Books of Moses), the Neviim (The
Prophets), and the Ketuvim (The Writings), thus the
acronym Ta Na Kh.
Question:
“What is the Talmud?”
Answer: The Talmud is the oral law.
The word “Talmud” is a Hebrew word meaning
“learning, instruction.” The Talmud is a central text of mainstream
Judaism and consists primarily of discussions and commentary on Jewish history,
law (especially its practical application to life), customs and culture. The Talmud
consists of six sections.
Question:
“What is Kaballah?”
Answer: Kaballah is a part of Jewish tradition that deals with the
essence of G-d, often referred to as “Jewish mysticism.” The word Kaballah comes from the
Hebrew word likrah, which means “to receive.” Everything in Kabbalah is meant as an
instruction in life to bring us closer to G-d.
The goal of Kabbalah is inspired action. Kabbalah has the
potential to heal the rift between the cold outer world we observe and the
warm, inner world of the observer.
Question:
“What are the different types of Judaism?”
Answer: The
Jewish community tends to be broken down into movements: the Orthodox, the
Reform, and the Conservative. The Orthodox
Movement follows Halacha (Jewish Law) as closely as literally possible
with no exceptions. The Reform Movement
was an answer to the Orthodox. The Reform Movement came about when members of
these Jewish institutions in Europe wanted to try and adapt their Judaism more
to the cultures in which they resided.
The Conservative Movement exists in between the Reform and the Orthodox,
wishing to conserve as much of the Orthodox traditions as they found reasonable
while wanting to make changes which weren’t as extreme as the Reform Movement.
Question:
“What is The New Synagogue of Long Island?”
Answer: The New
Synagogue of Long Island, an “authentic” synagogue for spiritual Judaism, is a
unique congregation with a liberal ideology. We embrace diversity of all
kinds and welcome interfaith couples and families. Our non-traditional approach is embodied in
everything we do. We
follow a liberal spiritual path that welcomes all people who
seek to attune to the presence of G-d in their lives as the source of health,
abundance, joy, love and wholeness.
Rabbi Stuart Paris, HaKohen
We thank you in advance for your help and generosity.
