Religion - Judaism Flashcards
what do people believe Olam Ha’Ba is
Some people believe that it is heaven, others believe that it is this world transformed perfect
Orthodox Jews believe that there is only one destination and the way it is depends on the life you have lived
Who will be in Olam Ha’Ba
It is believed that all Jews will be part of Olam Ha’Ba (both good and bad), but everyone will experience it differently
What are The Mitzvot
They are commandments laid down in the Jewish scriptures
There are 613 of them (248 positive commands (always love God) - as there are 248 bones in a man’s body & 365 negative commands (do not steal) - as there are 365 days in a year)
what are the main Mitzvot
The main mitzvot are the 10 commandments
what do many Jews believe The Mitzvot are
As the mitzvot were given to Moses by God, many jews believe that law is a gift
what does keeping The Mitzvot do
Keeping the mitzvot bring you rewards in the afterlife
what are the two types of Mitzvot
There are 2 types of mitzvot - with God and with other people
what does synagogue mean
Synagogue means in hebrew is ‘bet ha knesset’, which means ‘place or house of congregation’
how can you tell whether a building is a synagogue
Synagogues look like regular buildings, but sometimes the only way to distinguish and tell it is a synagogue is by spotting the Star of David on it
where is worship centered around
Worship in Judaism is mainly centered in the home and celebrating the Sabbath is the best way to do it.
what do some jews do on Sabbath
Some jews don’t go on electronics on the Sabbath
Food is clow-cooked as using an oven counts as work
Why are there two Shabbat candles
The reason on Shabbat there are 2 candles is to celebrate man and woman
when does Shabbat end
Shabbat ends after 3 stars appear in the sky
why is shabbat important
Shabbat is important as it brings the family together
how many times do practising jews pray
Practising Jews pray 3 times a day
what is the Amidah
One prayer is the Amidah, which means ‘standing up’. In the Amidah, a person stands up and recites the Amidah, but they are silent; only God can hear them.
What is the Siddur
Sidur is a book of set prayers, which was a part of ancient communities and it reminds us of community, not only with eachother, but with jews everywhere
What is the most important prayer and why
The most important prayer is the Shema as it summarises and reinforces what every Jew believes about God. Jews recite it 2 times a day. Also, it reminds them that there is only one God and they will do everything possible to honour their God
what is the ark
The ark is a cupboard that contains the Torah (5 books of Moses). The ark is normally built in the wall that faces Jerusalem. The ark reminds us of the Ark of the Covenant. In many synagogues, the tablets of the 10 commandments are placed on either sides of the ark.
what is above the ark
Above the Ark is the ‘Ner Tamid’ which means the forever candle. The Ner Tamid represents the lamp that used to burn in the Temple of Jerusalem
what does the Menorah symbolise
The Menorah symbolise God’s presence, reminding Jews of God’s creation of the world in seven days. It is also a symbol of wisdom according to the Talmud as the seven lamps point to branches of human knowledge, guided by the light of God.
where is the Torah read from
The Torah is read from a platform called the Bimah. The Bimah is the centre of the synagogue and is surrounded by rail.
Where do men and women sit in synagogues
In synagogues, men and women sit in different sections divided by mechitzah so that the men won’t get distracted by the women. Orthodox Jews still separate them, Reform Jews no longer split them.
what are the 2 types of law in judaism
In Judaism, there are 2 forms of law, written law (in the Tenakh) and oral law (in the Talmud)
what is the Tenakh
The Tenakh is the Hebrew word for Jewish Bible.
The Tenakh contains ‘the law (Torah), the prophets (Nevi’im) and the writings (Ketuvim)’. The TNK make up the word TeNaKh.
what is the most important part of the Tenakh
For jews, the most important part is the torah, where the law is written.
what is the Talmud and what is it made of
The Talmud is made up of teachings that had been handed down orally since the times of Moses and is made up of the Mishnah and the Gemara.
The Talmud is referred to as oral law is it describes the laws that were passed down by word.
where is the Torah kept
The Torah is kept in the Ark and it is handwritten in Hebrew. The Torah is where Jewish teaching and customs originate.
what happens when the Torah is removed from the ark
When the Torah is removed from the Ark, the service has begun.
what does the person reading the torah have
The person reading the Torah has a special pointer as fingers would smudge the ink.
If the Torah is damaged, it has to be buried, so you have to be really careful when handling it.
what are the 3 main rites of passage
The three main rites of passage are birth, bar/bat mitzvah and marriage
describe what happens at jewish birth
In Jewish birth, babies are circumcised as part of the Covenant after 8 days of living. The circumcision is performed by a mohel, someone who is qualified to do it.
describe what happens at 13 years old
When a boy is 13, he is considered responsible for keeping the mitzvot himself. Before a bar-mitzvah, a boy must study and prepare for his reading. On the day, boys wear a tallit and tefillin for the first.
how many stages are there to marriage and what are they
There are 2 stages to marriage, the engagement (kiddushin) and the wedding (nisuin)
where do the bride and groom get married under
The bride and groom get married under the Huppah. The Huppah is a sign of hospitality and the couple are lead up to it by their parents. The bride circles the groom 7 times, which symbolises the destruction of hurtful barriers between the couple.
(1st part of marriage)
what happens with the Ketubah
The Rabbi then reads the Ketubah or marriage contract, which is signed by two witnesses before the ceremony
(second part of marriage)
what is the Ketubah
It outlines the responsibilities the man will take to protect his wife and what would happen if the marriage should come to an end.
What are the last parts of Jewish marriage
Afterwards, the groom puts a ring on the first finger of his bride’s right hand and then a blessing is recited. Then, the groom crushes a glass with his foot and then they are married.
(last part of marriage)
how many festivals are there
There are 26 big festivals throughout the year.
what do festivals do
It provides a sense of community through worshipping and praying together, reminds people of their religion, keeps people in touch with their roots and shared heritage, are usually happy occasions.
describe what happens on Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah means head of the year. It is a day of accountability, so jews think about what they could have done.
Every time, the Shofar is blown 100 times in the synagogue.
They dip their apples in honey for a sweet year.
describe what happens on Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur ends the 10 days of repentance. Jews ask God for forgiveness by fasting. It starts at sunset and then the 25 hour fast begins. Family ask eachother for forgiveness.
describe what happens on Passover
It is when jews remember the night of the tenth plague - when the first angel passed over Egypt and killed all of the firstborn males, but Jewish homes were spared.
It reminds them of the Exodus. It reminds Jews of God’s power and his covenant with them. It celebrates freedom, identity as a nation under God and family unity.
what happens on Passover (food-wise)
Things with yeast aren’t allowed in the house.
Jews drink 4 glasses of wine to remind them of the 4 promises God made to Moses (to bring Jews out of Captivity, to welcome them with an outstretched arm, to make them his people and to be their God)
A glass of wine is left outside for Elijah to drink.
what happens on Hanukkah
Hanukkah is also known as the festival of lights. It is all about hope and the presence of God. On hanukkah, a menorah is lighted. A menorah has 9 candles, 1 in the middle and 8 other ones. Every day, 1 more candle is lit which reminds us that the oil did not run out.
what is a Hunnakah toy
A Hanukkah toy is the dreidel, which has one letter from each word from the phrase (a great miracle happened here)
what foods are kosher?
Jews are only allowed to eat meat from animals that both chew the cud (grass) and have cloven (split) hooves. Fish must have both fins and scales and some of the birds that are not kosher are written down in the Torah, but there is no rule for birds.
what is Shechitah
Shechitah is the way to kill an animal to drain all the blood from the carcass.
It means draining in Hebrew.
What does a boy need for a bar mitzvah and why?
Kippah, tfillin, tallit and siddur. The kippah is worn to honor God and shows awareness that someone above watches everything. Tfillin are placed on the arm adjacent to the heart and on the head above the brain to demonstrate that these two major organs are willing to perform the service of God. The tallit is worn to inspire awe and reverence for God at prayer. A bar mitzvah boy needs a siddur so that he has all of the prayers.
