Orthodox Jews rock (or shuckle) when praying to enhance concentration, express spiritual intensity, and connect with God, with roots in historical practices like sharing rare prayer books or mimicking the trembling at Sinai, representing the soul's yearning for the divine, but it's a voluntary custom, not a strict law, done to deepen prayer, not mandatory.
Today, shuckling is generally understood as a physical accompaniment to the rhythm of prayers and as a way to concentrate on them more deeply.
Pe'ot are worn by some male adherents of Orthodox Judaism based on an interpretation of the Tanakhic injunction—in Leviticus 19:27—against shaving the "sides" of one's head.
Ritual Bath (Mikveh)
There are various reasons why one would bathe in a mikveh, but these rituals are usually followed by more traditional Jewish people. Males will usually bathe each Friday and before major festivities, while women typically bathe before their wedding and after childbirth.
Almost all Jewish authorities would permit the use of condoms to protect against sexually transmitted infections. Unlike some faith traditions which view abortion as murder, Jewish law does not consider abortion as such because the fetus is not considered a 'life' or a 'person' with independent rights.
While there are probably smaller sub-communities that may frown on the use of tampons because of the antiquated idea that they compromise virginity, the vast majority of Jewish people with periods can use whatever period products feel best for them (phew!).
TIL - An Orthodox Jewish Man cannot touch his wife during or after childbirth because her bleeding makes her un-pure.
We are allowed to use toilet paper on shabbos, we just are not allowed to tear on Shabbos. So many Jewish families will pre tear it or use tissue paper.
Stick deodorant should not be used due to the prohibition of smearing. Antiperspirant which has been formulated to prevent sweating should not be used on Shabbos.
Blood transfusions, transplants and organ donation
Jewish law approves blood transfusion in order to achieve the desired medical outcomes. Jewish law permits organ donation from dead bodies where there is a high chance of success for the specific recipient.
That said, many Jewish people might have curly or wavy hair because of their Middle Eastern ancestry, not to mention payot, or sidelocks religious men keep to prove their faith. But not all Jews have curly hair and having curly hair doesn't make someone “look Jewish.”
What's special about Ashkenazi Jews is their unique cultural development in Central/Eastern Europe, distinct traditions (like Yiddish, different prayer tunes), a shared genetic history from founder effects leading to specific recessive genetic traits (like Tay-Sachs), and significant contributions to intellectual fields, alongside a distinct blend of ancient Israelite/Middle Eastern and European ancestry.
They are called peyos. The tradition stems from the Torah which says it's forbidden to shave or round the corner hair of our heads. Various communities interpret this in different ways.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef expanded on the Biblical commandment “Thou shalt not take God's name in vain” declaring that Jews may not do so in other languages as well. This makes saying “Oh my God” or the Arabic “Ya Allah,” both popular Israeli slang terms, halachically forbidden.
Possibly the practice of kissing the mezuzah symbolizes one's desire for Divine protection as well as one's love of God and His mitzvot. The Ktav V'Kabbalah (on Devarim 6:9) says that the mitzvah of mezuzah does not end with affixing the mezuzah to the doorpost.
Halacha (Jewish law) prohibits chametz from touching kitchen surfaces during Passover. Wrapping everything in foil acts as a shield, stopping chametz particles from coming into contact with the countertops, sinks, and appliances.
It's not a Jewish thing to specifically not use tampons.
The answer is yes! 🚽 Flushing a toilet does not involve any electrical components, so it's perfectly fine to do on Shabbat.
Because the commandant for this duty rests on the man, any form of male contraception or sterilization is prohibited by Traditional Jewish Law. However, liberal figures and authorities encourage male contraception when the use of contraception is important for the safety and health of the man and his partner.
Not all countries or cultures use toilet paper to wipe their bums. This can be because of cultures that have traditionally used alternatives to toilet paper and therefore never really used it or lack of access to toilet paper.
Most Hasidic Orthodox Jewish couples. have 2 beds in their room and not one bed.
The halachic perspective on elective vasectomy is unequivocally prohibitive. Based on halachic literature and consultations with contemporary poskim, performing an elective vasectomy, whether on a Jew or a non-Jew, is not permissible within the bounds of Halacha.
The Torah bans two sisters from marrying the same person for the simple reason that the Torah does not want siblings to fight with each other. Whether we are ourselves siblings or whether we are parents who have children who are siblings, we all know that this is indeed a very big challenge.