Rabbinics Flashcards
gerut
the conversion process of a non-jew converting to judaism
3 steps:
- circumcision
- tevillah & mikvah
- kabalat hamitzvot
ger
convert
tevillah
immersion of body in the Mikvah
kabalat hamitzvot
accepting to perform the commandments of the Torah
mikvah
a ritual bath
where must the water be from for the mikvah
a natural source( eg. rain)
what are the 3 steps of the conversion process?
circumcision, tevillah, kabalat hamitzvot
Hatafat Dam Berit
- the ritual of drawing blood from a prospective convert who was already circumcised
- then steps 2 and 3
does a woman do all 3 steps when converting?
no, she only does steps 2 and 3
how many commandments are there
613
what is the two-fold nature of conversion according to rabbi sacks in text 6
National loyalty
Halachic observance (following the Torah)
nissuin
marriage
mohel
a professional Jew who performs the circumcision (knows how to do it proper and safely) (before it used to be a responsibility of the father)
sandak
godfather / the person who holds the baby on their lap/knee
orla
the extra skin that needs to be taken off
bar/bat mitzvah
A bar/bat mitzvah is the ceremony held for girls (at 12) and boys (at 13) where children become mature children who are now responsible for our actions, but we are not considered adults yet.
ensuin/kidushin
engagement period before marriage
chuppah
The canopy under which both bride and groom stand, where most of the ceremony is being conducted
ketubah
a marriage document the groom signs before the Chuppah in which describes the obligations of groom to bride and the amount he has to pay her in case of divorce
mamzer
a child who was born as a result of a forbidden relationship. This is the main complication if a woman remarries without first receiving the get.
1. cheating on the husband or wife.
2. remarrying without the get first
kevod hamet
honouring the dead
levayat hamet
escorting the dead to their burial place
kevurah
burial
aveilut
The various periods of mourning for a family member and the laws and restriction that apply in each period
what are the 3 periods of aveilut
shiva
shloshim
Yud Bet Chodesh
when is the shiva
The first 7 days after burial of one of the 7 relatives (during Shloshim days)
during the shiva, what are mourners prohibited from doing?
Working
Bathing
Wearing leather shoes
Intercourse
Laundry
Studying most portions of the torah
when is shloshim
The first 30 days after burial (including the 7 days of shiva)
during shloshim, what are mourners prohibited from doing?
Cutting their hair (some men don’t shave)
Participating in joyous social events
when is Yud Bet Chodesh
The year after the burial (including shiva and shloshim)
what are mourners who lost their father or mother prohibited to do during ud Bet Chodesh
participating in joyous social events
who are the 7 relatives that are required to observe the laws of mourning
father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, spouse.
nichum aveilim
comforting the bereaved through visits and words of consolation
aninut
the period between death and burial during which family members of the deceased are:
- Exempt from positive commandments (e.g. blessing over bread)
- May not eat meat or drink wine
May not eat in front of/in the same house as the deceased
is an adopted child converted to judaism
In the case of a minor, conversion is permitted because we consider Judaism to be a privilege and for their benefit. We are not harming them by converting them.
why do non-jews converting to judaism go through conversion
On Mount Sinai, while getting the Torah, the Jewish nation and all the future and previous generations accepted upon themselves accepting the Torah. The ger and their ancestors were not there so they must go through conversion to mimic the same experience we went through so they can establish a firm relationship/connection to the Jewish people and God
why is conversion invalid without kabalat hamitzvot
if they don’t complete kabalat hamitzvot they are not committing themselves to judaism
what bracha does the father say during bnei mitzvah
“Blessed is he Who has absolved me from responsibility for this one.”
the father is no longer responsible for the spiritual actions of the child but is still responsible for the physical needs of the child
why is the bnei mitzvah at 12/13?
Puberty - start to see physical changes on our bodies
Age of understanding and distinguishing between good and evil
brit milah
Brit Milah: covenant of circumcision between God and Abraham (or us).
Brit = covenant
Milah = circumcision
when is the brit milah
a ceremony performed on a baby boy 8 days after birth
who is originally supposed to do the brit milah on the child?
the father of the baby. they hire a professional to replace them
2 reasons non-committed (non-orthodox) jews perform brit milah? why are these reasons not sufficient?
Cultural reasons: if all jews do it = jewish survival
not sufficient: assimilation is an obstacle
Identity: they think you need to be circumcised to be Jewish
not sufficient: the mother determines your Judaism
when is the baby’s name announced?
the baby’s name is kept secret until the circumcision where it will be announced
does being circumcised make you jewish?
no. having a jewish mother makes you jewish, not being circumcised.
what is the main purpose of brit milah?
that god wanted to designate a sign to distinguish us from non-jews
what are the meanings of the 2 blessings that we say during the ceremony?
- blessing God for commanding us circumcision (entering the Jewish nation)
- blessing for entering the covenant between God and Abraham
peru u’revu
the mitzvah of procreation
Pidyon HaBen
redeeming the firstborn - give 5 shekels to the 30 day old baby
Birkat Eirusin
blessing at a wedding
tefillin
2 black boxes, one for head and one for arm, black strap
Connection to God
yichud
minutes
aguna
A woman who does not receive a valid get from her ex- husband is - in the eyes of halakhah - still married, i.e. “chained”, and cannot remarry.
Gerushah
someone who is divorced
gerushin
The act of divorcing/legally dissolving a marriage.
get
a bill of divorce (document) given to the wife by the husband. It is initiated by the husband because marriage was initiated by the husband, who signed the ketubah.
mohar
The bridal price. This was originally paid by the groom to the father of the bride. It was eventually replaced by the ketubah.
keriah
tearing one’s clothing. Jews traditionally express their grief at the funeral of a family member by keriah to commemorate the damage of the loss
what is the purpose of having set laws of mourning?
to respect the deceased by not enjoying certain things during Aveilut and ensuring the mourner doesn’t feel alone by doing Nichum Aveilim.
