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Appearing To Not Uphold the Torah (Mar'it Ayin)
You may not do any action that may cause religious Jews to do something wrong or cause people to think that an observant Jew is doing something forbidden (mar'it ayin). Mar'it ayin is doing something that might lead people to:
- Violate a Torah law by thinking that an observed action that is permissible under special circumstances may be applied to other cases, or
- Think that the person doing the action is violating Torah law (since the observer might not know that the action is actually permissible).
Example When a Jew wears a yarmulke and eats raw, kosher vegetables in a non-kosher restaurant, someone who did not know that only kosher food was being eaten might think that:
If no one can see you, you may do activities that might look like violations of rabbinic laws. If the action is forbidden by the Torah (d'oraita), you may not even do it in private (but you may not actually violate either type of law!). - All of the food in that restaurant is kosher, or
- The Jew was doing something forbidden (and think badly of the Jew).
Lowering People's Respect for the Torah (Chilul Hashem)
You may not do any action that causes other people to lessen their observance of, or respect for, the Torah.
Example When a person known to be otherwise observant of Jewish law seems to be dishonest in business.
Introduction to Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah
Timing
In Eretz Yisrael, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are observed on the same day. Outside of Eretz Yisrael, Simchat Torah is the second day of what becomes a two-day festival.
Prayers
We begin mentioning rain in the second paragraph of the musaf amida of Shmini Atzeret and continue until the first day of Passover.
Universal Customs
The universal custom is to complete the reading of the Torah and to begin reading it again on Simchat Torah. Dancing and singing with the Torah scrolls is also a universal custom.Pet Food If Forbidden by Torah
You may not feed your pet anything that Torah law says you may not benefit from, such as food containing meat and milk that have been cooked together.
Stockholder in Business that Violates Torah Law
You may be a minority owner or shareholder in a business that violates Torah law, but not if the majority of the business is owned by Jews (even if they are not shomer Shabbat Jews). Consult a rabbi for details and exceptions.
Man's Head Covering for Prayers or Torah Study
Attire: Man's Head Covering for Prayers or Torah Study
Wearing a hat for prayer (for men) is formal wear that shows honor to God. Men do not need to wear a hat but must have some type of head covering when saying blessings, when praying, or when studying holy texts (this is halacha). If a man said a blessing or prayer without a head covering, b'di'avad, it is OK and he does not need to repeat the blessing or prayer.
If Doubt Whether You Said Blessings on Torah Study
If you are not certain that you have said any of the morning blessings on studying Torah (from la'asok b'divrei Torah to notein haTorah), you should not say them later. But when you say “ahava raba” before the morning shema, you may intend it to cover such blessings; then after the amida, you should say some Torah verses (psukim).
Al HaMichya: Forgetting To Add V'Zachreinu L'Tova
Don't repeat al ha'michya on Rosh Chodesh if you forget to add v'zachreinu l'tova….
Business Ethics
The Torah requires ethical behavior in business, as it does in all other areas of interpersonal behavior.
We must be honest in business. We may not cheat or mislead the customer or misrepresent what we are selling. We may follow whatever are the accepted norms for honest people in our area of business.Hodo
When returning the Torah to the ark in the synagogue, the word is hodo (His glory), not ho-DOO (praise Him).
Hodo
When returning the Torah to the ark in the synagogue, the word is hodo (His glory), not ho-DOO (praise Him).
Yissaschar/Yissachar
When reading the Torah, do not pronounce the name Yissachar as it is spelled (Yissaschar).
Note Some people do read it as spelled but only the first time it appears in the Torah—that it, when he was born.
Psukim
Certain lines from the Torah (psukim) are said during the purification.
Introduction to Charity/Tzedaka