What’s the Truth About …

The Orthodox Union regularly publishes Jewish Action, a glossy quarterly magazine that, in my opinion, covers the Orthodox world better than any other publication printed, with hard-hitting editorial material written by some of the most important and respected Jewish leaders of our time. Just recently it had a special issue devoted to why people leave Orthodoxy; they have also devoted special issues that discussed Orthodox singles, Torah in the age of artificial intelligence, the economics of frum life, among other relevant topics.

However, my favorite part about the magazine is reading a regular column written by Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotofsky called “What’s the Truth About….”  Zivotofsky, who has authored the series for more than 25 years, selects a different myth or misconception about halacha, minhag, or Jewish history – and with a myriad of sources that he brings, explains why what we might have thought has always been true is not always the case.

Rabbi Zivotofsky is a distinguished scholar and educator whose work bridges neuroscience, Jewish law, and cultural exploration. He serves as a professor of neuroscience at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, where he contributes to both scientific research and Jewish studies.

Raised in West Hempstead (I was his babysitter when he was a child!), Rabbi Dr. Zivotofsky pursued an extensive and serious academic path. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The Cooper Union, followed by master’s degrees in applied mathematics, electrical engineering, and Jewish history. He completed his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University and conducted postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health. ​

In addition to his scientific pursuits, he studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, when he was also trained in shechita and became a certified shochet. ​ He is renowned for his “halachic adventures,” a term reflecting his dedication to exploring Jewish history, traditions and laws across diverse communities. Over the past three decades, he has visited more than 40 countries on five continents, studying the practices of remote, historic, and emerging Jewish communities. ​

Together with his colleague Dr. Ari Greenspan, he co-founded the “mesorah dinners,” educational experiential events that explore the kashrut traditions of various Jewish communities and where exotic kosher foods such as locusts and quail are served.

I had an opportunity to speak to Rabbi Zivotofsky recently about the column he writes for Jewish Action … and learn more about how this column had developed.

“I initially wrote an article called ‘20 Common Misconceptions,’ with a very brief analysis of each one, and submitted that to Jewish Action. The editor liked the idea, but she thought that each warranted a more in-depth exploration.  So, she suggested that I turn it into a regular column, which Jewish Action entitled ‘Legal-Ease.’ The OU at some point collected all the articles and reposted them online under the title “Tzarich Iyun” (https://outorah.org/author/1125/).”

Rabbi Zivotofsky’s first column was about the luchot, the tablets on which the ten commandments were engraved. A common misconception is that the luchot were rounded at the top (as depicted in most illustrations and atop many synagogue arks). However, according to tradition, they were likely rectangular parallelepipeds (cuboids), with no superior arc. They each measured six tefachim high by six tefachim wide by three tefachim thick. Zivotofsky explains that the current standard perception of the tablets derives from Christian art.

One of the topics that I found most fascinating is the misconception that a glass is broken at the end of the wedding ceremony zecher l’churban — to remember the loss of the beit hamikdash. In fact, the gemara describes breaking an expensive glass during the wedding feast to instill an air of solemnity to the sacred event and also records putting ashes on the groom’s head to remember the destruction of the Temple. However, in subsequent years, the breaking of the glass took on the additional role of serving as a reminder of the holy Temple as well.

Another interesting misconception is the common modern-day practice of a shaliach tzibbur ending the blessing of ga’al yisrael in a whisper. In fact, the practice of ending this bracha silently seems to have originated relatively recently, according to Zivotofsky. Prior to modern times, the shaliach tzibbur always would recite ga’al yisrael out loud. Almost all contemporary Ashkenazi poskim, including Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Vozner, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, and Rabbi Nachum Eliezer Rabinovitch, also maintain that the beracha should be said aloud. This is just a sampling; there are over 60 fascinating topics that one can read about on a wide range of subjects.

I also like the misconception that Zivotofsky discusses about duchening. There is a misconception that when the kohanim are blessing the congregants, one should not look at the kohanim because it can lead to blindness and to avoid this, one should cover oneself with a tallit or turn around and face sideways or backwards. In fact, Zivotofsky says, one should not look at the kohanim while they are duchening to avoid becoming distracted. Furthermore, one should not turn away from the kohanim while they are reciting the blessing; instead, one should face forward and look downwards.

Zivotofsky always outlines a plethora of sources to back up his claims, which makes for very interesting reading.

What does the incorporation of these myths into our lives tell us about how halacha and minhagim evolve? Zivotofsky explains, “I think the misconceptions tell us something about how education occurs … how certain ideas seem to speak to people … how people relate to them and remember them. Everyone hears the explicit statement in the megilla reading that Mordechai and Esther are first cousins, and yet the overwhelming majority of people believe them to be uncle and niece. Things that seem exotic are often remembered (for example, the misconceptions that we do not shecht giraffe because we do not know where to shecht it, or about the rope on the kohen gadol on Yom Kippur). Only a few are intentionally promulgated misconceptions, such as the one about the malicious claim about Rav Kook and the inauguration of Hebrew University.”

Has Rabbi Zivotofsky ever received any pushback from other rabbis who criticized him for questioning common beliefs and practices? “I don’t think so,” explained Rabbi Zivotofsky. “And that’s because I don’t think I have explicitly challenged something on my own without sources. My point isn’t to question but to bring to light the development of misconceptions. I not only present the misconception but try to explain where it came from. I am always gratified when rabbis let me know that they use the column in their preparation of shiurim or when they say they agreed with a point that I made.”