Friday, December 7, 2012

Prayer for Protection from the Evil Eye

Marathi transliteration of the Hebrew Prayer


The protection prayer in English:

May the Merit of Rabbi Meir Ba’al Ha-Ness protect us so that we may serve our Creator completely and fully, for a long time to come. May no evil befall us, nor any plague come near our dwelling. And in the merit of Rabbi Meir Ba’al Ha-Ness, may all my progeny be holy, of flawless character and conviction. God of Rabbi Meir answer me.
(Rabbi Eliezer Papo, author of Pele Yo’etz)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thanksgiving Turkey - The Bird of Thanks

The Hebrew word for turkey is “tar'negol hodu" which literally means an “Indian Rooster.” The country of India is called "Hodu" in Hebrew.
The other meaning of the word hodu is "thanks." Like the phrase from Tehillim (Psalm 118 verse 1) , Hodu LaHashem Ki Tov, is generally translated as, “Give thanks to God because He is good.”
Click on the link below to read the full article on the Jewish Treats website.
Jewish Treats: The Bird of Thanks

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

SHALOM embeds the mystical sound OM

It is such a coincidence that the Hebrew word “SHALOM” includes an identical “OM” sound that is central to the Hindu meditation. In Sanskrit, the meaning of OM is “that which sustains everything.” In Hebrew, the meaning of SHALOM is “Peace and Wholeness.” Only with Peace can one sustain everything and hold things together as a whole. The two words are so much similar in meaning. Saying OM is actually a form of Meditation. Saying SHALOM is also a form of Meditation. However Hebrew language softens the power of the “OM” by utilizing the “Shhhhaaaa” sound as a lifting-off point, then returning to the ordinary base consciousness by using the “mmmmm” sound. The “Shhhhaaaa” sound is coming from the Hebrew letter “Shin” (one of the three mother letters Aleph, Mem and Shin). The name of G-d “SHADDAI” starts with Shin. And as we know, the letter Shin is made visible on every Mezuzah affixed on the doorpost of every Jewish Home. The significance of a Mezuzah is to create a pleasant atmosphere such that “Harmony and Peace” may prevail among all the people who live in that home.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Should a person Fast on Yom Kippur ?

Answer 
From what we know, Yom Kippur Fasting is the only Biblical Fast Day. It is Positive Mitzvah # 164. It is written in Parashah Acharey Mot. Leviticus 16:29 "In the seventh month, on the tenth day of that month, you must afflict your souls" 

All Other Fast days in the Jewish Calendar are Rabbanical. 

Fasting helps to keep the mind focused as one doesn't have to worry about eating. It is to put oneself in a better frame of mind, so one can commit to being a better Jew, a better servant of God and a better human being. If one can do all that without (fasting) afflicting oneself, great! 

There are 5 things that are forbidden on Yom Kippur. They are:
  1. No eating or drinking
  2. No washing or bathing
  3. No anointing the skin with oils
  4. No wearing items if made from leather (jacket,shoes,watch)
  5. No marital relations
 

El Nora Alila - Yom Kippur Neilah Service Piyyut

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Yom Kippur Eshpokh Prayer

The Eshpok prayer is said in the shul at the end of Shacharit prayers on Yom Kippur, just before Mussaf starts.

Listen to this prayer sung in the typical Bene Israel Sephardic tune.

Eshpokh YomKippur Marathi Translation Transliteration

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A Crash Course in Jewish History

Watch "Session 1 - Four Unique Features of Jewish History" below.

To watch all the videos in this course goto:
http://goldharschool.com


 This is a fabulous resource for Jewish education, good for visual as well as auditory learners. The simplicity with which Rabbi Avraham Goldhar explains Judaism can be understood by a person of any age. It is an excellent source of Jewish information for the scholar and novice both.
Many Thanks to Rabbi Avraham Goldhar and team.!!!


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Audio of Friday Night Shabbat Songs

Below are songs sung in traditional Bene Israeli tunes of friday night shabbat songs:

Deror-Ekra

Ki-ish-mey-ra-Shabbat

Yonah-Matzah-Bo-Manovah

Saturday, April 14, 2012

After struggling with Esau's guardian angel, why did Jacob ask the angel his name?

Question:

In Parasha Vayishlach After struggling with Esau's guardian angel, Jacob asks him : what is your name? What prompted him to ask this question at that time and not a question like: why did you fight with me?

Answer:

An Angel is an emissary of G-D sent on a mission and his "name" is a reflection of his mission. By asking the angel his name, Jacob was wanting to find out the nature of the angel's mission.

Angels do not have fixed names. They take the name based on the mission they are sent for. When an Angel is sent to bring healing, it is called Rifa-EL, which means "G-D Heals". Many names of angels has EL as suffix. The word "EL" is a name of G-D. Some names of Angels are Rifael, Mikhael, Gavriel, Uriel.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

What food did our Patriachs eat?

Answer:

If you want to know what Food our Patriachs ate, here are some mentioned in the book of Genesis alone.
  1. Bread,
  2. Dairy items like Cream and milk,
  3. Calf Meat,
  4. Lentils,
  5. Honey,
  6. Pistachio nuts,
  7. Almonds.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Was Isaac alive when his grandson Joseph was sold into slavery?

Answer:

Isaac (Yitzhak) was very much alive when his grandson Joseph (Yosef) was sold into slavery. Isaac lived to be 180 years, but his death is recorded much earlier in the Book of Genesis (in chapter 35 verses 28 and 29 ). Joseph was sold into slavery at age 17 and at that time Jacob was 108 years old and Isaac was 168 years old. Per the timeline, it seems that Issac would have died 12 years later, one year before Joseph was elevated to be the Prime Minister of Egypt.

Joseph was 30 years old when he became the Viceroy of Egypt. Joseph was 39 years old (30 plus 7 years of plenty plus 2 years of famine) and Jacob was 130 years old, when Jacob went to Egypt and settled in Gorshen.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Blessing of Heaven and Earth -"Veyiten Lekha Haa Elohim"


(It is very good for livelihood to recite"Veyiten Lekha Haa Elohim" on Saturday night after Shabbat is over)


Genesis 27:28-29. And may God grant you of the dew of heaven, and of the riches of the land, and an abundance of grain and wine.  People will serve you and nations bow to you; be master over your brothers and your mother’s sons will bow to you. Those who curse you are cursed, and those who bless you, are blessed.
Genesis 28:3-4. May the Almighty, Shaddai bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and you will become a congregation of peoples. May He give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you inherit the land of your dwelling which God gave to Abraham.
Genesis 49:25-26. From the Almighty of your father, and He will help you; and from Shadai, and He will bless you- the blessings of heaven above, the blessings of the deep that lie below, the blessings of breast and womb. The blessings of your father have exceeded the blessings of my parents to the utmost bounds of the eternal hills; - may they rest upon the head of Joseph, on the head [of the one] separated from his brothers.
Deuteronomy 7:13-15. He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will bless the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your hand – your grain, your wine, and your oil, the offspring of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep, on the land which He swore to your fathers, to give to you. Blessed will you be above all people; among you and your livestock, there will not be any sterile man or barren woman. Hashem will remove from you all sickness, and all the severe illnesses of Egypt, which you know about, He will not set upon you but will place them upon all who hate you.
Deuteronomy 28:3-6. Blessed will you be in the city, and blessed will you be in the field. Blessed will be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land; the fruit of your livestock, the offspring of your cattle and flocks of your sheep. Blessed is your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed will you be upon entering and blessed will you be upon leaving.
Deuteronomy 28:8. Hashem will command on your behalf the blessing in your storehouses and in everything to which you put your hand; and He will bless you in the land which Hashem , your God, gives you.
Deuteronomy 28:12. Hashem will open for you His good treasure – the heavens to provide your land rain in its proper time, and bless all the work of your hand; you will lend [to] many nations but you will not borrow. 
Deuteronomy 33:29. Fortunate [are you] Israel; who is like you – a people delivered by Hashem- who is your helping shield and the sword of your pride; your enemies will try to deceive you but you will tread on their high places.
*END*


The Blessing of Heaven and Earth (transliteration)
 
The Blessing of Heaven and Earth (in Marathi)

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