I have to confess that house cleaning is not one of my favourite activities at the best of times. I have friends who find catharsis and calm in cleaning, but so far I have not been able to get into that zone. The commandment to rid our houses of leaven has been interpreted by many … Continue reading #blogExodus – Cleaning
Category: Judaism
#blogExodus – Matzah
Ah, Matzah. The bread of affliction. Sales of Kosher for Passover prune juice soar at this time of year, as the flat bread made of white flour and water leads to widespread dietary distress among the faithful. It is particularly an issue for those who try to maintain a gluten-free lifestyle. Matzah is quite literally … Continue reading #blogExodus – Matzah
#blogExodus – Chametz
There are so many layers to the idea of Chametz, the forbidden food of Passover, that I barely know where to begin. Let's start with one of the many, many times this commandment is given in the Torah: ื ืึทืฆึผืึนืช, ืึตืึธืึตื, ืึตืช, ืฉืึดืึฐืขึทืช ืึทืึผึธืึดืื; ืึฐืึนื-ืึตืจึธืึถื ืึฐืึธ ืึธืึตืฅ, ืึฐืึนื-ืึตืจึธืึถื ืึฐืึธ ืฉืึฐืึนืจ--ืึผึฐืึธื-ืึผึฐืึปืึถืึธ 7 Unleavened bread shall be … Continue reading #blogExodus – Chametz
#blogExodus – Slavery
The experience of slavery is a huge one in the Jewish consciousness. It may be overshadowed by the Holocaust in modern times, but it was formative of our thinking back in the times of the Torah and the Mishna, when most of our laws, philosophy and forms of prayer were solidified. The Torah reminds us … Continue reading #blogExodus – Slavery
#blogExodus – Retelling
Here I go again. Last summer I did a series of blog posts in the #BlogElul series, preparing for the High Holy Days. Now we are plunging into the last two weeks before Passover, which for many people is at least as important as those solemn days in Tishrei. I'm going to follow Rabbi Phyllis … Continue reading #blogExodus – Retelling
How is a Soup Nazi Like Nail Decals?
Sometimes you just get a confluence of events, forcing themselves onto your attention and demanding that you respond, or at least think about them. I recently had such a confluence, and I would love to know your thoughts, too. I have to admit to not being a Seinfeld fan. I was not aware of the … Continue reading How is a Soup Nazi Like Nail Decals?
Why Purim Will Kill Me
I love Purim. I really do. I love the costumes, the celebrations, the insanely bloodthirsty story. I love making Mishloach Manot for our friends. I love coming home from shul, arms full of the Mishloach Manot our friends give us. But that's where my problem begins. My name is Hadass and I am a sugar … Continue reading Why Purim Will Kill Me
Explaining Shabbat
So my friend Anna, who is an indefatigable organiser and promoter, keeps sending me kind invitations to wonderful events that I would just love to attend. Unfortunately, I keep turning her down because I have this thing about this one day of the week. I don't drive, work or use electronics or money on Shabbat, … Continue reading Explaining Shabbat
Is the Negative Voice the Evil Inclination?
I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts today - Jonathan Roche's No Excuses Weight Loss on Blog Talk Radio. It isn't really about weight loss, although that may well be a welcome side effect of listening to Jonathan in the long term. It's really about the Lizard Brain, the Imposter Police, or what … Continue reading Is the Negative Voice the Evil Inclination?
Book review: HOT MAMALAH by Lisa Alcalay Klug
So here it is: the long-awaited review of Lisa Alcalay Klug's latest book, Hot Mamalah: The Ultimate Guide for Every Woman of the Tribe (affiliate link). Lisa's publisher very kindly sent me a copy of the book to review, so that's my disclosure. When I first started reading this book, I felt completely overwhelmed. It … Continue reading Book review: HOT MAMALAH by Lisa Alcalay Klug