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Laws of Daily Living
Class #1
Judaism is not merely a body of law.
It is a mindset, a way of life.
By Rabbi Shraga Simmons
© 2007 JewishPathways.com
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Some have the misconception that Jewish practice is confined to the
synagogue, or to an occasional holiday celebration at home. In fact,
Torah and mitzvot punctuate every moment of our lives: setting
standards for business ethics, proper speech, honoring parents, what
we eat, how to care for pets, and – believe it or not! – even how to tie
our shoes!
We refer to these set of laws as “Torat Chaim,” literally “instructions
for living." God created the world and He knows the best way to live in
it. Whatever the issue, Torah is the ultimate "owner's manual" for
maximizing our pleasure and potential in life. And it was out of love
that God revealed to us these instructions.
The word “mitzvah” is from a root meaning “to bind”; every mitzvah
creates an eternal bond between our soul and God.1
The power of mitzvot is that they not only bring us close to God, but
that they deliver this pleasure – in the form of practical, observable
benefits that enrich our daily lives.
It is a basic Jewish principle that God wants human beings to have
maximum pleasure. The birthplace of mankind, the Garden of Eden,
comes from a word meaning "pleasure."2
Yet we do not keep God’s commandments simply because they benefit
us. The Jews who received the Torah at Mount Sinai said "Na'aseh
v'Nishma" – we agree to keep all the mitzvot, even before we
understand them. Based on God’s track record (delivering the Ten
Plagues, splitting the Sea, sending a daily supply of manna, etc.), they
were willing to accept the mitzvot – even if they did not immediately
recognize a practical benefit.
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Drashot Ibn Sho'ib (Parshat Ki Tatzeh s.v. V'Yesh), quoting Ibn Ezra; see also Sefer Ha'Ikrim 3:26
Radak (Genesis 2:8)
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So while most mitzvot have logical reasons, for those mitzvot whose
reasons we cannot understand, we trust that God, our omnipotent
Creator, knows what is right for us.3
About this Course
The only way to achieve the benefit of mitzvot is to perform them
correctly. One who does not study halacha (the laws), cannot possibly
hope to achieve the desired “pleasure” result, much in the same way
that any advanced machine cannot be utilized without first reading the
instruction manual.
The classic Code of Jewish Law, the Shulchan Aruch, is divided into
four main sections. The first section, Orach Chaim (lit: way of life),
deals with the rhythms of Jewish life – prayer, holidays, etc.
The majority of this 43-part course is based on topics in Orach Chaim.
The goal is to present a general introduction to these topics, and to
encourage further study. Topics include (partial list):
• Prayer & Blessings
• Financial Laws
• Women & Mitzvot
• Children & Halacha
• Lifecycle
• Holidays
• Interpersonal Responsibilities
• Proper Speech
• Honoring Parents
• Kashrut
• Torah Study
• Tzitzit & Tefillin
• Land of Israel
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Sefer HaChinuch, introduction
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We will explore the underlying philosophy of the various mitzvot, as
well as an assortment of laws that most commonly occur.
Of course, after learning the technical halacha, the key is to “put the
spiritual feeling” back into it. Otherwise, one may come to do mitzvot
out of habit and rote4 – a perverted approach that is cited as having
contributed to the destruction of the Holy Temple.5
For after all, Judaism is not merely a body of law. It is a mindset. It is
Orach Chaim, a way of life.
Testing
Each class in this course includes a 10-question “multiple-choice test”
that you can take online. By pressing “submit,” you will automatically
receive a test score, along with the correct answers.
By logging into “My Account,” you can keep track of your test scores
as you proceed through the course.
All 43 classes in the Daily Living course have tests, with the exception
of this introductory lesson.
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The sages called this "mitzvot anashim mi’limuda."
Isaiah 29:13-14 with Rashi
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Important Note about Transliterations
Throughout this course, we will be encountering various blessings that
are said on a regular basis. To facilitate learning, we have provided
audio versions, in both Ashkenazi and Sefardi pronunciations. Although
modern spoken Hebrew generally follows Sefardi pronunciation,
someone of Ashkenazi descent should pronounce all prayers with
Ashkenazi pronunciation.6
We have also provided printable text of the blessings, with Hebrew,
English translations, and transliterations. For Ashkenazi pronunciation,
please note the following transliteration rules:
• å is pronounced like the first syllable in awesome.
• t (underlined) is pronounced like the letter S.
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Mishnah Berurah 68:4; Shu”t Minchat Yitzhak 3:9
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