Rabbi Johnny Solomon (ravjsolomon@gmail.
com)
Ethiopian Jewish Law & the Shulchan Aruch1
Topic Ethiopian Halakhah
Covering In Ethiopia, only the kesim (priests)
covered their heads. In addition,
the Head persons of high social status also
covered their heads, but this was not
obligatory. The custom of covering the
head signified respect, and the reason
for doing so was cultural more than
religious.
Laws of The Ethiopian Jewish community was
unaware of the mitzvah of tefillin.
Tefillin However, some assert that in ancient
times, they did wear tefillin. According
to legend, the Jews were not permitted
to fulfil the mitzvot for forty years. Due
to this decree, many mitzvot were
forgotten, an even the community
sages were unable to reconstruct them.
The mitzvah of tefillin was among
these forgotten mitzvot.
1
The material in this handout are direct quotes from Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom’s From Sinai to Ethiopia: The Halakhic and Conceptual World of Ethiopian Jewry.
To watch a fascinating documentary describing the reaction to this book, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwpstGG72Zk
Halakhah as expressed in the
Talmud & Shulchan Aruch
The Shulhan Arukh delineates: “A man
should not walk four cubits with his head
uncovered”. Today it is accepted for a
Jewish man to cover his head with a
kippah, and according to the major poskim,
this also applies during prayer and reciting
blessings.
The Torah commands us: “And it shall be
for a sign upon your hand and for frontlets
between your eyes” (Exodus 13:16). In
Deuteronomy, the verse reads, “And you
shall bind them for a sign upon your hand,
and they shall be for frontlets between
your eyes” (6:8). The Oral law completed
the details of this mitzvah.
1
‫בס''ד‬
The Recommended Custom in
Israel
For the purposes of halakha, it seems that we
should not obligate any Ethiopian Jew to cover his
head, even for prayers and blessing. However, an
Ethiopian Jew who wishes to follow the local
practice, for whatever reason, should wear a head
covering, at least for prayer and blessing. Thus we
must not suspect that the Ethiopian Jew who does
not wear a head covering is rebelling against
Jewish precepts, because this is the custom.
Today, the mitzvah of tefillin is one of the
symbols marking the uniqueness of the Jewish
people throughout its communities. Thus we
must explain to the Ethiopian community the
importance of this mitzvah, with courtesy and
respect. We cannot force the Ethiopian
community to abandon their ancient traditions
and immediately accept the mainstream halakhah.
Still, as noted, we should encourage the Ethiopian
Jews to wear tefillin as is practiced among all other
Jewish communities.
Rabbi Johnny Solomon (ravjsolomon@gmail.com)
The altar was located behind the
Sacrifices synagogue, in the courtyard. The
altar was a sacred site, and no non-
Jew was permitted to touch it. On
it, the kohanim offered sacrifices.
The main ceremony related to the
altar was Pesiha (Pesah).
On weekdays, the Jews in Ethiopia
The followed the practice of praying
Number twice daily - once in the morning,
and once in the afternoon. These
of Prayers prayers were usually attended by
the kesim, the shmalotz (respected
elderly sages), and individuals who
were not working. On Shabbat,
the entire community assembled
in the synagogue. Children also
came, but they were not allowed to
enter the building as a sign of
respect for the synagogue. Because
custom held that one should not
come to the synagogue empty-
handed, the women brought food,
drinks, or other items as gifts for
the synagogue.
In the world of the Ethiopian
Blessings community, as opposed to the
halakhic tradition, there is no
regular text for blessings - rather,
each person says a blessing as he
feels appropriate.
After the destruction of the Temple, the
sacrifices were annulled and the Sages
determined that the prayer services would
replace them.
The Torah does not specify the number of
prayers one should recite daily. The book of
Psalms contains the first record of prayer three
times a day and the book of Daniel records that
this prophet prayed three times a day.
The Sages established rules for blessings -
regular texts, specific times, types of blessings,
how to recite them, and what one should do in
case of doubt.
2
‫בס''ד‬
While in the rest of the Jewish world the
practice of offering sacrifices ended with the
destruction of the Second Temple, for
Ethiopian Jewry, sacrificial practices remained
unaffected by the Temple’s destruction. Still,
the ceremony of offering sacrifices cannot
remain as it was practiced in Ethiopia.
In ancient times, the Jews prayed twice daily,
while in Temple times, some prayed three
times. In Eretz Yisrael during the Amoraic
period, the Sages had determined that Arvit was
obligatory. We should permit the first
generation of Ethiopian Jews to follow their
custom and recite two daily prayers, Shaharit
and Minhah, but the second generation should
be encouraged to take upon themselves the
Arvit prayer as well.
While in Ethiopia the blessings were said
spontaneously, in the Talmudic world they are
characterized by clear rules and halakhot that
leave no room for the personal aspect. Thus we
must find a path that integrates the two worlds.
The first generation in Israel who are used to
reciting spontaneous blessings may continue
their custom, and it is even preferable for them
Rabbi Johnny Solomon (ravjsolomon@gmail.com)
Candle On Friday before Shabbat, the
Beta Israel did not light fires or
lighting candles for Shabbat (before
Shabbat began, they did not begin
any labour that was forbidden on
Shabbat, so that it would not end
after Shabbat had begun). Further,
they did not make use of fire on
Shabbat even if it was lit before
Shabbat.
Saving a According to Ethiopian halakhah,
saving a life does not precedence
Life on over any mitzvah. Even if there is
danger in fulfilling the mitzvah, we
Shabbat do not consider the danger, but
rather the value of fulfilling the
mitzvah. Thus saving a life is not
defined as a mitzvah.
‫בס''ד‬
to do so. The second generation may find it
difficult to follow this practice, and thus they
should learn the blessings according to the
common practice today.
This issue became one of the well-known points
of contention between the Pharisees and the
Lighting Shabbat candles has become a very
special mitzvah for the Jewish people, one that
Karaites based on their differing interpretations
of the verse “you shall kindle no fire throughout
is much loved by those who perform it. The
candles bring calm and peace to the home,
your habitations upon the Sabbath day” (Shemot create a special spiritual atmosphere, and lead
35:3). According to the Sages, it was forbidden to family togetherness. Lighting candles is a
to kindle fire on Shabbat, but it was permitted to clear sign of a Jewish home. Thus Ethiopian
leave a fire lit if it had been kindled before Jews who find it very difficult to light Shabbat
Shabbat. The Karaites, by contrast, asserted that candles may continue the custom of not
the verse meant it was forbidden to leave any fire lighting, but those who understand that this
lit during Shabbat, whether candle fire in the practice has special import, particularly the
oven, or on a gas hob. The Karaites thus sat in younger generation, should light, especially
complete darkness on Shabbat eve, they had no since the actual lighting takes place before
fire lit for warmth in the winter, and they ate only Shabbat begins.
cold food. The rabbinic world dd not stop at
verbal debates with the Karaites, but instituted
decrees and customs to “restrain the Karaites”.
Two mitzvot are based on this approach: the
blessing over lighting the candles, and the
custom of eating hot food on Shabbat.
Our Sages forbade many matters because they
involve a threat to life. The Sages explained,
The Sages’ writings on the value of life have
penetrated the depths of Jewish consciousness.
“The mitzvot were given so that we would live
by them, as it says ‘which if a man do, he shall
Thus it is absolutely forbidden to continue to
follow the Ethiopian custom, and the Beta
live by them’ - this means we should not die
because of them”. The laws of saving a life were
Israel must immediately adopt the general
Jewish custom for all issues of saving a life.
determined according to the Jewish principle
“Saving a life takes precedence over the entire
Torah”.
3
Rabbi Johnny Solomon (ravjsolomon@gmail.com)
The Ethiopian Jews are
Money on accustomed to use any item on
Shabbat Shabbat that is needed for serving
God. In Ethiopia, the Beta Israel
used to bring coins to the
synagogue on Shabbat, following
the verse “Every man shall give as
he is able, according to the
blessing of the Lord your God
which He has given you”
(Deuteronomy 16:17).
Yom When Yom Kippur falls on
Shabbat, according to custom, the
Kippur on Beta Israel recited Kiddush and ate
a small amount, so as not to reduce
Shabbat the sanctity of Shabbat. They then
continued to fast, so as not to
reduce the sanctity of Yom
Kippur.
According to the laws of muktzeh, money is
among the items which we are forbidden to
move or handle. It may be used “for its space” -
if a person needs the space that it occupies, he
may pick it up and place it wherever he wants.
One may also use it for a permitted activity on
Shabbat, such as using a hammer to crack a nut,
or using scissors to cut open a sealed bag of
food.
In contrast to the Ethiopian community which
chose to observe both sacred days
simultaneously, Talmudic halakhah rules that
when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, we must
fast.
‫בס''ד‬
In various synagogues of the Ethiopian
community in Israel, the congregants bring
cash to the synagogue. Those who follow this
custom of bringing should continue to bring,
as the money is designated for use on Shabbat.
In the Ethiopian world, which is based on
trust, we do not suspect that a person might
use this money for other purposes on Shabbat.
We believe that the individual wishes to serve
God, and one who does not want to do so will
not attend synagogue. In our world,
“suspicion’” is a foreign word.
We recommend that when Yom Kippur falls
on Shabbat, the Ethiopian community should
continue their custom. Even on Shabbat, they
should recite Kiddush over bread or wine.
Adults should not eat or drink anything, not
even a small taste. Some propose following the
custom of the Rambam, to recite Kiddush at
the time of the afternoon prayer service, before
Yom Kippur actually begins, during the final
meal. In this manner, they can continue
observing their tradition, but without violating
the laws of Yom Kippur.