Deracheha: Women and Mitzvot

Women and Mitzvot

דרכיה דרכי נועם וכל נתיבותיה שלום

Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace

⛰ Jewish tradition teaches us that the neshamot

⛰ Jewish tradition teaches us that the neshamot of all future Jews were present at Matan Torah, and that receiving the Torah is something we can experience every single day. In that light, we asked the Deracheha team to share their personal Matan Torah moments, to help inspire us all as we prepare for Zman Matan Torateinu.
#MyMatanTorah #Shavuot #zmanmatantorateinu

💎 According to the Zohar, learning Torah on the

💎 According to the Zohar, learning Torah on the night of Shavuot is like putting jewelry on a bride so she'll be ready for her wedding. So, what jewelry will you choose this year for Shavuot? A necklace, bracelet, Gemara or Tanach? Why not all of them? The Deracheha Shavuot reader will be out in just a few days to help enrich your Tikkun Leil Shavuot!

As we prepare for Shavuot, we're proud to present

As we prepare for Shavuot, we're proud to present this interview with Rabbanit Shira Sapir, a teacher of students for conversion. The rest of the interview is in the comments.⁠
What do you love to learn, and why?⁠
I love learning gemara. In addition, in the past five years I have discovered the beauty of learning halacha. Gemara and Halacha demand different styles of learning: the former is all about opening up your mind to a multiplicity of topics, analyzing the text according to various methodologies, and just swimming in a sea of ideas while trying to get to the bottom of things. Halacha is very straightforward thinking – even when we start our journey from the gemara, the focus is on one question: what is the Halacha that is derived from this section? I'm not saying there are no discussions in the world of Halacha or disagreements - there are plenty. But what these two worlds of learning both bestow on me is the feeling of sitting in the beit midrash beside these giants of Torah learning and sort of leaning into their discussions, arguments and ways of thinking. I find it fascinating and enriching!⁠
What do you like most about Deracheha?⁠
I love Deracheha! ⁠
I really like the layout of the articles: the brief overview at the top, which gives you a general picture of the article before you delve into the finer points. I also appreciate the division of the articles into subsections. This layout ensures that readers do not get lost in what can sometimes be complicated material. Plus, the subsections allow you to read the article at your own pace and easily pick up where you left off.⁠
Who is a Jewish woman who inspires you?⁠
I want to shout out to all those women who fight for finding themselves a word, sentence and all the more so in the Torah, making Torah study a significant part of their life. Women who are paying a social and financial price for their passion. These women, many of whom are close friends and teachers of mine, are my inspiration and motivation to continue my own personal, religious and spiritual growth through Torah study. ⁠
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In our most recent Kol Deracheha podcast on tzniut

In our most recent Kol Deracheha podcast on tzniut, we quoted this midrash from Rut Rabba. Note how Rut’s actions, including the way she carefully bends down, are described as “beautiful”, but it is her interaction (or lack of interaction) with the harvesters which is described as “modest”. Although tzniut is often used as a synonym for dress code, thinking about Rut on Shavuot might be an opportunity to emphasize the role of tzniut in behavior, as opposed to dress.

The midrash teaches that the neshamot of all Jews

The midrash teaches that the neshamot of all Jews accepted the Torah at Har Sinai. We might not remember it, but we all have moments where we felt a moment of Matan Torah - whether it was a moment of connection, of inspiration, or taking on a commitment. Share your #MyMatanTorah moment with us by messaging us or emailing rachel@deracheha.org, and help us prepare for Chag Matan Torateinu together.⁠
#shavuot #harsinai #matantorah #mymatantorah

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