Judaism’s 14 Mandatory Acts of Kindness

Judaism doesn’t view doing acts of kindness as voluntary, rather it instructs 14 mandatory acts of kindness. Here is the list:

  1. Aid the poor
  2. Feed the hungry
  3. Extend loans
  4. Redeem captives
  5. Excel in hospitality
  6. Visit the unwell
  7. Gladden brides and grooms
  8. Comfort the mourner
  9. Honor the deceased
  10. Return lost objects
  11. Offer roadside assistance
  12. Educate the youth
  13. Teach Torah
  14. Encourage spiritual growth

To find out more details about each of the mandatory acts of kindness, watch the following video:

Judaism’s 14 mandatory acts of kindness – Jewish Learning Institute

This video was produced for Lesson 6 of Well-Connected, a course by the Rosh Chodesh Society. You can view their full video library at: https://www.torahcafe.com.

I invite you to check out their website, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Let me know your opinions about this list in the comments section.

Morality vs holiness – Rabbi David Aaron

I stumbled across the YouTube channel of a Jewish Rabbi who makes short animated videos that contain religious wisdom. His name is Rabbi David Aaron and I invite you to check out his Youtube channel and website, as well as his various accounts on social media.

For now, I would like to share with you one particular video of his that I enjoyed. It is about the difference between being moral and being holy from a Jewish perspective. Please watch it and share your opinions on the topic in the comment section below.

Rabbi David Aaron – The Goal is to be Whole

Jewish Book Week, 2022

Jewish Book Week is an annual international literary festival, held in London. This year, between Saturday 26 February and Sunday 06 March, is its 70th anniversary. It is organized by the Jewish Book Council, a registered charity that dates back to 1925. The Jewish Book Council is one of the oldest organization serving the Jewish community in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Every year, Jewish Book Week brings together writers and speakers – from the most prestigious to debutantes – from the worlds of history, journalism, philosophy, science, art, music, poetry and fiction, in a celebration of ideas.

Besides Jewish themes and writers, the festival also features discussions on the most important issues of the day, and is open to everyone. A number of special events are also organized over the course of the year, outside the festival period.

Click the links to find out more about the festival’s history, the team that organizes it this year, as well as the trustees and members of the Jewish Book Council. Also, follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

He will finish what He started

Today, I came across this video that lifted my spirit while I was demoralized as a result of the spiritual attacks I’ve had to deal with lately.

It’s a video from Rabbi Kirt Schneider’s YouTube channel, a channel that I invite you to subscribe to if you are interesting in exploring Messianic Judaism. He also has a website where you can find out more about his ministry and how you can support it.

Rabbi Schneider – He (God) will finish what He started

The video expands on the apostle Paul’s statement from Philippians 1:3-6 —

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy, 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The Bible – Phillipians 1:3-6

Let me know if you’ve found encouragement in this message. Feel free to share in the comments section below your views about Rabbi Schneider’s teachings, but please make sure you do so in a respectful manner.

Happy Hanukah, 2020!

Everyday Jewish Mom – Hanukkah: The Basics

The Festival of Hanukah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after a group of Jewish warriors defeated the occupying Greek armies, about 150 years before Jesus’ birth.

Central to the celebrations is the story that the Temple menorah (seven-lamped candelabrum) miraculously burned for over a week – even though they thought the had only one day’s worth of ritually pure oil left.

They used the extra week to purify themselves and were therefore able to maintain the sacred space.

I recommend watching the following video of Founded In Truth’s YouTube channel if you want to know whether Christians should celebrate Hanukkah:

Why should Christians celebrate Hanukkah?

Happy Hanukah to everyone who celebrates it!