#mitzvah

“Filling in bubbles is a mitzvah…?” I asked in tired perplexity.

“No, taking part in the democratic process is.”

“That makes more sense.”

As I filled in my bubbles Korben kept coming up and trying to paw and interrupt what I was doing and I had to keep telling him, “Stop interrupting my mitzvah!”

Eventually my wife came and picked him up to distract him while I finished and I mused, “I know theres no devil in Judaism but if there were it would be Korben because he really wanted to prevent this mitzvah.”

He failed. We have successfully voted this day.

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.

January 24th was Dedee's 13th birthday! I never imagined the laughter and joy we would bring each other when I adopted her over a decade ago. I can't believe how quickly my little lady has grown!

This week's mitzvah for the #MitzvahChallenge - in honor of the 10 commandments - is Lo Tirshach (do not murder)! You can submit a picture or story of yourself doing this Mitzvah to be eligible to win this week's contest!

Nobody's ever participated in the #MitzvahChallenge yet, so this should be an easy one for people to jump in and get started! In honor of Shavuot, we chose a really simple mitzvah straight from the 10 commandments that anyone should be able to perform!

Reblog this post with an example of the mitzvah for a chance to be featured in the next edition of OBAWeekly! Nobody's actually done this yet (still!!), so you could be the first!