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Emunah u'Mitzvoteha אמונה ומצוותיה

1The Faith of Israelא - אמונת ישראל
  1. 1.The Essence of Faith
  2. 2.The Trait of Faith in Israel
  3. 3.The Yearning to Repair the World
  4. 4.Avraham Avinu, Father of the Believers
  5. 5.The Divine Revelation Is the Content of Faith
  6. 6.The Destiny of the Jewish People to Bring Blessing to the Entire World
  7. 7.The Revelation at Mount Sinai
  8. 8.The Revelation at Mount Sinai: The Foundation of Faith
  9. 9.The Giving of the Torah
  10. 10.The Jewish Belief in God’s Unity
  11. 11.The War against Idolatry
  12. 12.Natural Faith and the Cause of Heresy
  13. 13.The Significance of Faith for All of Life
  14. 14.The Quality of Humility and Jewish Faith
  15. 15.Divine Knowledge and Free Choice
  16. 16.Reward and Punishment in This World and in the World to Come
  17. 17.The Question of Evil in the World
  18. 18.Rational Proofs
  19. 19.The Rambam’s Thirteen Principles and the Dissenting Views
  20. 20.The Five Principles Concerning the Existence of God
  21. 21.The Four Principles Concerning the Torah
  22. 22.The Four Principles Concerning Providence and Reward and Punishment
  23. 23.Faith in the Mind, in the Emotions, and in All of Life
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2Faith and Idolatryב - אמונה ועבודה זרה
  1. 1.Man’s Natural Faith
  2. 2.The Idolatrous Temptation
  3. 3.Without Faith in God, People Believe in Idols
  4. 4.Idolatry and Moral Wickedness
  5. 5.The Separation between Morality and Power
  6. 6.Rites of Murder and Harlotry
  7. 7.Did the Idols Help?
  8. 8.The Forces of Impurity and Their Falsehood
  9. 9.The Deception
  10. 10.The Free Choice to Believe in Idols
  11. 11.The Evil Inclination for Idolatry
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3The Prohibitions of Idolatryג - איסורי עבודה זרה
  1. 1.The Severity of the Prohibition of Idolatry
  2. 2.Punishments in Practice and Deterrence
  3. 3.The Prohibitions of Idolatry
  4. 4.Idolatry in Shituf and Similar Cases
  5. 5.The Enticer (Mesit)
  6. 6.The Subverted City (Ir Ha-nidaḥat)
  7. 7.Laws of the Subverted City
  8. 8.The Blasphemer (Megadef)
  9. 9.The Mitzva to Destroy Idolatry from the Land and from Jewish Possession
  10. 10.Idol Worshipers Living in the Land
  11. 11.Caution Regarding Idol Worshipers
  12. 12.The Status of a Jew Who Worships Idols – the Meshumad
  13. 13.The Repentance of an Apostate to Idolatry
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4Self-Sacrifice (Mesirut Nefesh)ד - מסירות נפש
  1. 1.The Mitzva of Kiddush Hashem and the Prohibition of Ḥillul Hashem
  2. 2.The Greatness of Those Who Sanctify God’s Name
  3. 3.The Three Grave Transgressions
  4. 4.Idolatry and Its Offshoots
  5. 5.Other Transgressions in Ordinary Times and in a Time of Persecution
  6. 6.What Is "Public"?
  7. 7.Conversion to Another Religion
  8. 8.Disguising Oneself as a Gentile
  9. 9.Transgression Without an Act
  10. 10.May One Give Up One’s Life When Not Obligated?
  11. 11.Self-Sacrifice of the Righteous for the Sake of the Generation
  12. 12.R. Akiva and Pappos
  13. 13.The Story of the Woman and Her Seven Sons
  14. 14.Self-Sacrifice for the Honor of Israel
  15. 15.Self-Sacrifice Before the Transgression
  16. 16.Falsifying Words of Torah
  17. 17.Bloodshed
  18. 18.Handing a Person Over to Death
  19. 19.Forbidden Sexual Relations
  20. 20.Rescue Through Harming Another
  21. 21.One Who Should Have Been Killed and Was Not
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5The Prohibition for Noahidesה - האיסור לבני נח
  1. 1.The Prohibition of Idolatry for Noahides
  2. 2.Between Israel and the Nations in Faith and Kiddush Hashem
  3. 3.The Difference in the Temple
  4. 4.The Mitzva of Eradicating Idolatry and the Prohibition of Deriving Benefit
  5. 5.Prohibitions Specific to Israel
  6. 6.The Lenient Attitude toward the Kutim
  7. 7.Idolatry in Shituf for Israel
  8. 8.The Lenient View on Shituf for Noahides
  9. 9.The Stringent View on Shituf and on Christians
  10. 10.The Lenient View and the Status of Christians and Hindus
  11. 11.The Change in Attitude toward Christians and the Status of Minim
  12. 12.Those Who Hold That Christianity Is Not Idolatry
  13. 13.Those Who Hold That Decent Christians Have the Status of Ger Toshav
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6Christianityו - נצרות
  1. 1.The Painful History
  2. 2.The Chronicle of Suffering and Bloodshed
  3. 3.The Eternity of Israel
  4. 4.Idolatry
  5. 5.Moral Implications
  6. 6.The Value of Mitzvot, Justice, Family, and Property
  7. 7.The Positive Side
  8. 8.Glimmers of Redemption
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7Islamז - אסלאם
  1. 1.Islam
  2. 2.Submission and Might
  3. 3.Wisdom and Speech
  4. 4.A Warring Religion
  5. 5.Implications of the Islamic Conception
  6. 6.The Attitude toward Judaism
  7. 7.Humiliation and Pogroms
  8. 8.War and Hope
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8The Religions of the Eastח - דתות המזרח
  1. 1.Hinduism
  2. 2.The Evil in Idolatry
  3. 3.Social Status and Reincarnation
  4. 4.Processes in the Hindu Religion
  5. 5.Summary of the Good and Evil in Hinduism
  6. 6.Buddhism
  7. 7.The Buddhist Path
  8. 8.The Dharmic Religions
  9. 9.The Religions of China and Japan
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9The Future of the Religionsט - עתיד הדתות
  1. 1.The Divine Spark in the Idolatrous Religions
  2. 2.Founding Religions
  3. 3.The Attitude toward the Various Religions
  4. 4.It Is Proper for a Person to Continue in His Religion
  5. 5.Christianity and Islam
  6. 6.Conversion from One Religion to Another
  7. 7.The Vision of Faith and the Future of the Religions
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10The Prohibition of Benefitי - איסור הנאה
  1. 1.Introduction to the Prohibitions of Idolatry
  2. 2.The Prohibition of Benefit
  3. 3.Idols of Wood and Stone That Become Forbidden in Benefit
  4. 4.Idolatrous Offerings
  5. 5.Nullification of a Gentile’s Idol
  6. 6.A Jew’s Idol Can Never Be Nullified
  7. 7.The Prohibition of Mixtures of Idolatry
  8. 8.Benefit from the Music, Scent and Sight of Idolatry
  9. 9.Performing Mitzvot with Items of Idolatry
  10. 10.Converting a Church into a Synagogue
  11. 11.Candles and Decorations Manufactured for Idolatry
  12. 12.Wigs Made with Hair from India
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11Commerce and Businessיא - מסחר ועסקים
  1. 1.Selling Items of Worship: The Prohibition of ‘Lifnei Iver’
  2. 2.The Prohibition of ‘Lifnei Iver’ in Selling to Merchants
  3. 3.The Prohibition of Partnership with One Who Habitually Swears by His Idols
  4. 4.The Prohibition of Commerce on Their Festivals and Beforehand
  5. 5.The Leniency in Practice
  6. 6.The Prohibition of Benefiting Idolatry
  7. 7.Using Property Belonging to Idolatry
  8. 8.Construction and Repairs in a House of Idolatry
  9. 9.Renting a House to an Idol Worshiper
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12Houses of Worship and Symbolsיב - בתי פולחן וסמלים
  1. 1.The Prohibition of Entering and Approaching Houses of Idolatry
  2. 2.The Prohibition of Walking on a Road Leading to a Place of Worship
  3. 3.Mar’it Ayin and the Courtyard of a House of Idolatry
  4. 4.A Christian Church
  5. 5.Entering a Mosque and the Baha’i Gardens
  6. 6.Entering a Church and Houses of Worship for Various Needs
  7. 7.Entering Out of Courtesy or for National Needs
  8. 8.Tourism
  9. 9.Donating to the Construction of a Church
  10. 10.A Cross for Worship Is Forbidden, as a Symbol Permitted
  11. 11.Crosses Not Known to Have Been Worshiped
  12. 12.A Cross on a Necklace
  13. 13.Hospitals and Lodgings Containing Images
  14. 14.The Berakha on Seeing Idolatry
  15. 15.The Berakha on a Place from Which Idolatry Was Uprooted
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13Do Not Turnיג - אל תפנו
  1. 1.“Do Not Turn” with Regard to Images and Books of Foreign Religions
  2. 2.Do Not Stray
  3. 3.Permitted for the Sake of Torah Study
  4. 4.The Educational Question
  5. 5.Studying History and Academic Study
  6. 6.Heretical and Idolatrous Books of Gentiles and Missionaries
  7. 7.Images and Statues Made for Decoration
  8. 8.Recordings and Videos of Music and Worship
  9. 9.Using Gentile Melodies for Prayers
  10. 10.Meetings with Clergy
  11. 11.Joint Prayers
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14Safeguardsיד - סייגים
  1. 1.The Prohibition of Mentioning the Name of an Idol Respectfully
  2. 2.Derogatory Names and the Ways of Peace
  3. 3.Further Laws Regarding Mentioning the Name of an Idol
  4. 4.The Gregorian Date According to the Christian Count
  5. 5.“Lo Teḥonnem” – Gifts and Praise
  6. 6.Gifts and Greetings on Their Festival Day
  7. 7.Three Types of Gentile Holidays
  8. 8.Fir Trees, Symbols of Gentile Holidays, and Shopping
  9. 9.Yoga, Meditation and Martial Arts
  10. 10.Various Customs
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15Sculpture and Drawingטו - פיסול וציור
  1. 1.The Prohibition against Making Sculptures for Decoration
  2. 2.Drawing the Forbidden Forms
  3. 3.The Prohibition of Keeping Forms and Decorating the Home
  4. 4.An Incomplete Human Figure, Drawing, and Photography
  5. 5.Human Sculptures for Decoration
  6. 6.Sculpting and Drawing the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Constellations
  7. 7.For Study and Play
  8. 8.Sculptures and Pictures of Animals in the Synagogue
  9. 9.The Tablets of the Covenant on the Holy Ark
  10. 10.The Prohibition against Making a Structure and Vessels Like Those of the Temple
  11. 11.The Prohibition against Planting a Tree beside the Altar
  12. 12.The Prohibition against Erecting a Matzeva
  13. 13.The Prohibition against Bowing on an Even Maskit
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16Prophecyטז - הנבואה
  1. 1.Prophecy
  2. 2.The Work of the Prophet
  3. 3.Prophecy as a Substitute for Diviners and Sorcerers
  4. 4.Prophecy in Israel
  5. 5.Prophecy for Israel
  6. 6.Prophecy in the Land of Israel
  7. 7.The Prerequisites of a Prophet
  8. 8.The State Required for Receiving Prophecy
  9. 9.The Level of Moshe and the Other Prophets
  10. 10.The Revelation at Mount Sinai: The Foundation of the Torah
  11. 11.A Prophet Who Instructed to Abolish Something from the Torah
  12. 12.The Mitzva to Heed a Prophet
  13. 13.Who Is Considered a Prophet
  14. 14.A Prophet Whose Prophecy Was Not Fulfilled
  15. 15.The Punishment of One Who Prophesies Falsely
  16. 16.The Difficulty of Distinguishing between a True Prophet and a False Prophet
  17. 17.The Conditions for Distinguishing between a True and a False Prophet
  18. 18.The Departure of Prophecy
  19. 19.The Legacy of the Prophets
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17Divine Inspiration (Ru’aḥ Ha-kodesh)יז - רוח הקודש
  1. 1.Prophecy and Divine Inspiration
  2. 2.The Urim Ve-Tumim
  3. 3.A Heavenly Voice (Bat Kol)
  4. 4.Divine Inspiration after the Departure of Prophecy
  5. 5.Levels in the Source of Spiritual Revelations
  6. 6.The Attitude toward Maggidim and Other Revelations
  7. 7.The Hidden Divine Inspiration in Torah Study
  8. 8.Divine Inspiration through Devotion to the Jewish People
  9. 9.Halakha Is Not Decided on the Basis of Prophecy or Divine Inspiration
  10. 10.Divine Inspiration May Be Used in Halakhic Rulings
  11. 11.Halakha and Kabbala
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18Nature and Miracleיח - טבע ונס
  1. 1.Nature and Miracle
  2. 2.The Deficiency of the Natural Order and the Need for Miracles
  3. 3.The Great Miracles Are Necessary for Israel
  4. 4.The Transition to Guidance through Nature
  5. 5.Combining Miracle and Nature
  6. 6.The Crisis That Follows the Miracle
  7. 7.Miracles in Times of Crisis
  8. 8.Four Kings
  9. 9.The Mitzvot Must Be Performed through Natural Means
  10. 10.Trust in God
  11. 11.Effort and Trust
  12. 12.Redemption through Natural Means
  13. 13.The Debate over a Natural Redemption
  14. 14.The Process of Repentance and Redemption
  15. 15.Sanctifying God’s Name through Nature and through Miracle
  16. 16.Divine Blessing through Natural Means
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19Sorceryיט - כשפים
  1. 1.The Prohibitions of Sorcery
  2. 2.The Exodus and the Subduing of Egypt’s Sorcerers
  3. 3.The Laws of Sorcery
  4. 4.Those Who Hold That Sorcery Is Falsehood
  5. 5.According to Many, Sorcery Has Power
  6. 6.Sorcery and Its Impurity: Explaining the Concepts
  7. 7.The Power of Letters and Speech
  8. 8.Sorcery and Its Development through Strengthening in Wickedness
  9. 9.Sorcery against the Righteous
  10. 10.Types of Sorcery, and the Charmer (Ḥover Ḥaver)
  11. 11.Bnei Noaḥ and White Magic
  12. 12.“You Shall Be Wholehearted”
  13. 13.Wholeheartedness Leads to Wisdom and Success
  14. 14.The Diminishing of the Spiritual Forces
  15. 15.Sorcery in Our Times
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20Practical Kabbalaכ - קבלה מעשית
  1. 1.Using Holy Names and Sefer Yetzira
  2. 2.Caution in Using Holy Names and Sefer Yetzira
  3. 3.Refraining from “Practical Kabbala”
  4. 4.The Danger in Using “Practical Kabbala”
  5. 5.Healing through Words of Torah
  6. 6.Placing a Holy Book as a Segula for Healing
  7. 7.Amulets
  8. 8.Amulets with Names and Verses
  9. 9.Those Who Hold That Amulets Should Not Be Used
  10. 10.The Response of Those Who Support Amulets, and the Practical Halakha
  11. 11.Desecrating Shabbat to Ask a Tzaddik to Pray for a Sick Person
  12. 12.Addressing Angels in Prayer
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21Rabbis and Wonder-Workersכא - רבנים ובעלי מופת
  1. 1.God’s Conduct Through Nature and the Value of the Wonder
  2. 2.The Great Rabbis and the Wonder-Workers
  3. 3.One May Not Benefit from Miracles
  4. 4.When One May Benefit from a Miracle
  5. 5.The Suffering of the Wonder-Workers
  6. 6.Ḥoni Ha-Me’agel and His Grandsons
  7. 7.R. Ḥanina ben Dosa
  8. 8.Prayers and Blessings of Rabbis
  9. 9.The Merits That Help a Prayer Be Accepted
  10. 10.Admorim and Tzaddikim in Recent Generations
  11. 11.The Problems with Wonders
  12. 12.Fabricated Stories
  13. 13.The Proper Intention When Going to Rabbis and Tzaddikim
  14. 14.Swindlers
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22Curses and Blessingsכב - קללות וברכות
  1. 1.The Prohibition of Cursing
  2. 2.The Harm of a Curse
  3. 3.Care in Speech
  4. 4.When Cursing Is Permitted, and Caution About It
  5. 5.Blessings and a Good Eye
  6. 6.The Blessing of Israel
  7. 7.The Blessing and Prayer of the Sages
  8. 8.The Blessing of Parents
  9. 9.Special Times for the Blessing of Parents
  10. 10.Blessing Between One Person and Another
  11. 11.The Guest’s Blessing
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23The Evil Eyeכג - עין הרע
  1. 1.The Harm of the Evil Eye
  2. 2.The Harm to the One with the Evil Eye
  3. 3.Caution Not to Cause the Evil Eye
  4. 4.The Prohibition and Danger of Counting Israel
  5. 5.Blessing Rests on What Is Hidden from the Eye
  6. 6.The Danger of Publicity
  7. 7.Publicizing Those Who Perform Mitzvot
  8. 8.Guarding Against the Evil Eye
  9. 9.Yosef and the Remedy Against the Evil Eye
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24Divining the Futureכד - קסמי עתידות
  1. 1.The Diviner (Kosem Kesamim)
  2. 2.The Soothsayer (Me’onen)
  3. 3.The Augur (Menaḥesh)
  4. 4.Augury Is Forbidden, a Sign Is Permitted
  5. 5.Is Augury about the Future Forbidden? (Eliezer and Yehonatan)
  6. 6.Asking a Child for a Verse
  7. 7.Opening a Book
  8. 8.Lotteries, Tarot Cards and Coffee Reading
  9. 9.The Speech of Birds
  10. 10.A Magic Show for Entertainment
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25Astrologyכה - אסטרולוגיה
  1. 1.Astrology
  2. 2.Explaining the Debate over the Status of Astrology
  3. 3.The Position of the Sages of Israel
  4. 4.The Relationship between Mazal-Destiny and Human Deeds
  5. 5.It Is Forbidden to Ask Astrologers about the Future
  6. 6.Using an Astrologer for Personality Assessment
  7. 7.Physiognomy and Palm Reading
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26Sorcery of the Dead and Demonsכו - כשפי מתים ושדים
  1. 1.The Meaning of Death
  2. 2.Sorcery Connected with the Dead
  3. 3.The Ba’al Ov and the Yidde’oni
  4. 4.King Shaul and the Necromancer
  5. 5.The Questions Concerning the Raising of Shmuel the Prophet
  6. 6.One Who Inquires of the Dead (Doresh el Ha-metim)
  7. 7.Asking a Living Person to Appear in a Dream after His Passing
  8. 8.Séances and Channeling
  9. 9.Demons
  10. 10.Activating Demons and Consulting Demons
  11. 11.The Attitude toward Demons and Evil Spirits
  12. 12.How to Educate
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27Dreamsכז - חלומות
  1. 1.The Dream and Its Sources
  2. 2.The Meaning of the Dream and Its Components
  3. 3.Dream Interpretation as a Predictor of the Future
  4. 4.The Power of the Interpreter
  5. 5.The Halakhic Approach to Reality Revealed in a Dream
  6. 6.Guidance and Halakhot in Dreams
  7. 7.Bad Dreams and Good Dreams
  8. 8.Making a Dream Good for One Who Is Very Worried
  9. 9.A Dream Fast
  10. 10.Prayer During Birkat Kohanim
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28The Practices of the Nationsכח - חוקות הגויים
  1. 1.Not Following the Practices of the Nations
  2. 2.The Parameters of the Prohibition
  3. 3.The Practices of the Nations in Haircuts
  4. 4.The Practices of the Nations in Clothing
  5. 5.Kippa
  6. 6.Non-Jewish Names
  7. 7.The Organ and Changing Customs in the Synagogue
  8. 8.Changing the Location of the Bima in the Synagogue
  9. 9.Changes in Wedding Customs
  10. 10.Changes in Funeral Customs
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29Matters of Medicineכט - ענייני רפואה
  1. 1.Segula Remedies, Incantations, and the Ways of the Emorites
  2. 2.Do Segula Remedies Override Prohibitions?
  3. 3.Healing, Reiki, and Healing Methods from the East
  4. 4.Other Alternative Therapies (One Brain, Pendulum, and Homeopathy)
  5. 5.Remedies Cited in the Talmud Should Not Be Used
  6. 6.The Prohibition of Turning to Sorcerers for a Sick Person
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30Faith in Our Generationל - אמונה בדורנו
  1. 1.The Rise of Heresy in Recent Generations
  2. 2.The Clash between Science and Religion
  3. 3.The Enlightenment and the Haskala
  4. 4.The Crisis of Secularization and Assimilation
  5. 5.The Choice and the Disappointment
  6. 6.The Character of the New Generation
  7. 7.The Key to Repair: Refining Faith
  8. 8.The Status of Heretics and Those Who Err in the Principles of Faith
  9. 9.Maran Rav Kook’s View on Heretics in the Modern Era
  10. 10.Faith Growing out of Heresy
  11. 11.Faith through the Revelation to the People of Israel
  12. 12.Faith through the History of Israel
  13. 13.Faith through Contemplating Creation
  14. 14.Faith Revealed by Walking in the Ways of God
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