#MyJewishValues No. 25


Lo Bashamayim Hi: Not in Heaven, made famous by the Talmudic story of The Oven of Akhnai. (This story teaches far more than just this lesson, so definitely give it a read!) The phrase and story help to reflect the Jewish view of mitzvot, the feasibility of following halakha, and the importance of every generation to work to understand Torah. In short, it explains the justification of our authority, not God's, to create a Judaism that is meaningful for us here and now as it was for our ancestors in the past.

NB: for any term you don't understand, Google is your friend! But I'm happy to answer more in the comments.

Take note and take care.

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