#jewishvalues

“An eye for an eye” (עין תחת עין) is one of the most misunderstood phrases in the Torah. Judaism never took it literally. The Talmud (Bava Kama 83b–84a) makes clear: it’s about financial compensation, not physical retaliation.

Maimonides explained that the dramatic language emphasizes the severity of the harm; the perpetrator must recognize the gravity of their actions and do teshuva (repentance). Justice in Judaism is about accountability, not vengeance. It's about repairing harm with dignity, not perpetuating pain.

The Jewish Festival of Lights is known as Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah. It is an eight-day celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after it was reclaimed by the Maccabees from the Greek Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.

The holiday is typically celebrated in December, and it involves lighting a nine-branched candelabrum known as a menorah. One candle is lit on the first night, and an additional candle is added each subsequent night until all nine candles are lit on the eighth night. The ninth branch, known as the shamash, is used to light the other candles.

Most people think of charity as a kind act—something you do when you’re feeling generous. But in Judaism, giving isn’t just kindness. It’s justice.

Tzedakah isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a mitzvah, a sacred obligation to help build a fairer world.

From Maimonides’ ladder of giving to the way we preserve dignity through how we give, tzedakah reminds us that we’re responsible for one another. Always.

What does “goy” actually mean—and why is it so misunderstood?

Contrary to conspiracy theories, goy isn’t a secret slur or an insult. It’s a Hebrew word that originally meant “nation,” and appears throughout the Torah—even referring to the Jewish people themselves.

Over time, it came to mean “non-Jew,” but it’s usually used in a neutral or even affectionate way. Like many words, context and tone matter.

The idea that Jews use goy to belittle others isn’t based on Judaism—it’s based on antisemitic myths. Judaism teaches respect for all people, not superiority. And fighting antisemitism means replacing fear with facts.

Judaism doesn’t just allow pets—it calls us to care for them with compassion and responsibility.

From feeding them before ourselves (Talmud, Berachot 40a) to the mitzvah of preventing animal suffering (tza’ar ba’alei chayim), our tradition sees animals as part of the moral universe.

While pets don’t have a neshama like humans, they have a nefesh—a sacred life-force. And the way we treat them says something about the kind of Jews we are.

In caring for them, we fulfill a piece of our divine mission.

codyhakimian