Bizyon ochlim

A special and distinctively Jewish facet of table manners is not to abuse food. We should not treat food in a way that is likely to lead to it getting gross or disgusting. So, the Shulchan Aruch teaches (Orach Chayim 171:1), don't put a slab of raw meat on a slice of bread; don't pass a container of liquid over bread if spillage would mess up the bread; and don't sit on a basket of figs or dates - though it's ok to sit on a basket of raw lentils or beans as they will not thereby be injured.

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Devarim hanohagim b'seudah

Judaism believes in good table manners. The Shulchan Aruch devotes 12 lengthy sections to customs about behaviour at meal times.

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Sichah bateilah b'beit haknesset

Who defines Jewish ways - what Jews do, or what the books say that Jews should do? Around no issue is the gulf between these two greater than over question of talking in shul. This has been a battleground between rabbis and regular Jews for centuries. As much as rabbis inveigh against speaking in synagogue, Jews do. We are talkative people.

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Masa v'matan

After fixing time for Torah study, the classic halachic codes say that you should go to work. To quote the Shulchan Aruch, "Afterwards, he should go to his business, because all Torah study that is not combined with work will eventually be negated and lead to sin, for poverty takes a person away from knowledge of his Creator" (Orach Chaim 156:1). There is no mitzvah to be poor. For most people, a balanced and sustainable spiritual life includes working in the world. 

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Keviat Etim L'Torah

Torah study is important in Judaism. Judaism tells us how important more by describing the way in which it needs to be a regular part of our lives than by expanding on the spiritual and metaphysical benefits of Torah study (though it certainly does that, too).

The halachah is that we should each fix regular times for Torah study, morning and evening; whether times short or long; whether in a class or with a learning partner or alone; whether studying Talmud or halachah or Jewish thought.

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Kriat Shema

Shema is the first prayer that a child learns and the last that a Jew says before he dies. The mitzvah is to say it twice, morning and evening every day, in between. Shema encompasses the most fundamental beliefs of Judaism. The first paragraph speaks of God's unity, loving God, learning Torah and passing on Judaism to our children; the second discusses reward for good actions, and the opposite for bad ones and the third is about remembering the Exodus from Egypt and the mitzvah of tzitzit.

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Giving charity before prayer

The Talmud asks rhetorically, "How is God different from a human ruler?" and answers that if you bring a gift to a human ruler, he may or may not deign to receive you. But if you give money to a poor person you will see the face of the Shechinah, the divine presence, as it says in Psalms 17:19, "I ,in righteousness shall see Your face." An act of righteousness is the best possible preparation for prayer. The face of God may be revealed, so to speak, when you honour the face of a needy person.

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Tefillin

The next mitzvah performed by Jewish men after donning tzitzit is putting on tefillin. (May women? That would take more I have room for in this column.)

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Tzitzit

Putting on a four-cornered garment bearing tzitzit is the next mitzvah that men do in the morning after netilat yadayim (hand-washing). The mitzvah of tzitzit is mandated by the verses from Numbers 15: 37-41. The Torah there requires that one of the strings on each corner be dyed in techelet, an azure-coloured dye. (Today there is still uncertainty over whether we can correctly identify the type of sea snail from which techelet is derived.) 

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Netilat Yadayim

One of the first things an observant Jew in the morning is to wash her hands. It is good to do this as soon as possible after getting out of bed. Some people even have a bowl and basin next to their bed so that they can do netilat yadayim at once.

The way is to pour three cups of water over each hand and then say the blessing, al netilat yadayim . (It doesn’t need to be three full cups. In israel we have a water shortage and it is fine to use less water.) 

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