JUDAISM
PRAYING WITH
UNDERSTANDING
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by RAYMOND J. RAMRAJKAR
Foreword: by Sammy
Benjamin
Many times we
wonder why we pray. What are the reasons behind some most common prayers such
as reciting the Shema
I believe if we
can understand why we do what we do, then we will do it with more conviction
and be able to educate others in such matters. It gives us better satisfaction
to know the real reasons and the historical facts that eventually leads us to a
higher spiritual level.
Many times I see that
people follow the rules blindly because they are told so or they read so or
just because it was passed down from generation to generation. The down side of
this is that we end up following the rules verbatim and miss the underlying
meaning of the mitzvah we wish to offer.
This has led me
on a journey to seek knowledge about every day Jewish customs that I have been
following for my entire life because my parents and Jewish community told me
so. Some of the most common items on
this list are :
1.
Why
do we wear the Yamukah (Kippah, Skull Cap)?
2.
Why
are women expected to cover their hair?
3.
Why
do men and women sit separately in an orthodox synagogue?
4.
Why
cant we turn electrical appliances on and off on Shabbath?
5.
Why
do we celebrate Shabbath?
6.
Why
is it important to keep Kosher and what do its restrictions mean?
While we do know
these are basic practices that every Jew is expected to follow, there is more
misconceptions and ever lesser understanding about these laws in the minds of
general Jewish folks.
I do not claim to know all the answers but I have good reasoning
for many of them which I will share in the course of this series.
The main discourses are created by an Indian Jew of Bene
I am proud to present to the
World Jewish Community these easy to understand lectures by Mr.
Raymond Ramrajkar.
Your feedback is welcome. Please feel free to offer your own
learning, wisdom to share with us and provide corrections where they are
appropriate.
Truly and Best Regards,
Sammy Benjamin.
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