Sample Sources
The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.
My palate speaks your praise: For the Sabbath before Purim
All my bones say: O Lord, who is like you?
My palate speaks your praise, O my Rock, my Redeemer, my King;
You bring light to my darkness and bring me out of destruction.
The…
Human Follies: For Sukkot
Human follies, silver and gold and possessions,
Last only shortly on earth, and like flies, they fly away.
Wealth flowers like abundant grain, or like a tree’s boughs,
It bears recognizable fruit…
Liturgy for the Ashmoret ha-boker (Morning Watch) Confraternity
The Zohar, in the portion of Naso on the verse and in the night His song shall be with…
Shene luḥot ha-berit (Two Tablets of the Covenant): On Shavuot
The study program of this night has already been published and made known to the multitudes through the pamphlets that have been disseminated. And this custom has been disseminated throughout all of…
Minhage de-kehilah ha-kedoshah Vormaiza (Customs of the Holy Community of Worms): On Purim
At the beginning of Purim, after evening prayer near the time when it gets dark, the charity warden brings with him an assortment of candles that are painted and nice looking, and he…
Her bitter soul is anguished: For Tishah be-Av
Her bitter soul is anguished, because of her ailing wound.
The city one teeming with people is desolate, the Holy City that she had inherited.
For the glorious, sweet land, tears descend like a…
Seder mitsvot ha-nashim (The Order of Women’s Commandments): On the Sabbath Eve
Every woman is obligated to kindle lights on the eve of each Sabbath and Festival and this is a great mitzvah. And she makes the blessing, “Blessed are You God, our Lord, King of the universe. Who has…
Seder nashim (Order of Women): On Welcoming the Sabbath
Near sunset one shall light a Shabbat candle and before saying the blessing it is necessary to say “I am not receiving Shabbat” even if one already lit it, until it is Shabbat.
And then…
Letter of Approbation for a Preacher
Lo, here is seed [zera‘] for you (Genesis 47:23), blessed one of the Lord [berakh], his honor the eminent rabbi and great preacher and reprover, in honor of heaven, our teacher and rabbi, Berakh son…
Register of Proceedings: Articles of Governance
In the name of God.The parnasim [community leaders] and the gabbai general [warden] of this holy congregation together with the elders all present, as well as the ḥakhamim Joseph Falcon, rabbi…
Confirmation of the Old Regulations and Decisions
- The mahamad [congregation board] shall have supreme authority over everything. And no one shall be able to contravene the decisions taken and promulgated by the said mahamad, nor shall they sign any…
Responsum: On the Right to Bequeath a Mitzvah
Question: Since it is true from time immemorial and ancient years that we observe the customs of our ancestors, as is the practice of the Musta‘arabim [Arabic-speaking Jews] everywhere among the Jews…