Unit 8- Jewish practices Flashcards
Rituals:
Birth
- The life of the child begins when it is halfway emerged from the mothers body
- for purification reasons a mother cannot enter the synagogue for 7+33 days for a boy and 14+66 for a girl as a new creator has been born.
Rituals:
Brit Milah/Brit bat
- for Jews the Brit Milah is a reminder of the covenant Abraham made with god.
- it marks what it is to be Jewish, it is a fulfilment of god’s mitzvot’s
- one feature is that the boy will receive his Hebrew name. The boy will also be circumcised.
Rituals:
Bar/bat mitzvah
- it means son/daughter of the commandment
- they are coming of age ceremonies where one takes responsibility of their faith and following the mitzvot’s
- before the ceremony boys and girls will learn and study the Torah and Hebrew
- boys will read from the Torah in the ceremony, and girls will read a certain passage.
Rituals:
Marriage
- in Jewish wedding the couple will stand under a huppah
- in the wedding the rabbi recites the 7 blessings
- The wedding ends with the smashing of a glass
- marriage is important for Jews because it is a command to have children, a man and a woman can share love and it means faith can continue.
Rituals:
Mourning
There are 5 stages: Aninut>death to the funeral Shiva>the first 7 days of mourning Sheloshim>30 days of mourning Yud-bed-chodesh> the year of mourning Yahrzeit>the Anniversary date
Rituals:
Funeral
- In a Jewish funeral a body is usually buried not cremated and will 24 hours after the death of the person
- candles are lit and the body is NEVER left alone. The coffin is usually covered.
- the funeral occurs at a cementary, where prayers,psalms and eulogy all take place.
- on the way out hands are washed signifying the return to the world of the living
Divergent views:
Birth
-some more modern Jews will not be as strict for the mother entering the synagogue after giving birth whereas orthodox will stick to the more traditional view.
Divergent views:
Brit Milah/Brit bat
- some more reform Jews may also have a Brit bat which welcomes and names girls. Traditional jews may occasionally do this
- some very reformed Jews will not get their Child circumcised.
Divergent views:
Bar/bat mitzvah
-after the bar mitzvah in traditional synagogues boys can lead or take part in synagogue services, this will be the same for girls -in most synagogues will do bat mitzvahs for a girl but in VERY traditional synagogues will not
Divergent views:
Marriage
- in modern synagogues there are interfaith and same sex marriages, not in traditional synagogues.
- in modern synagogues both male and female exchange rings, in traditional it is just the man.
Divergent views:
Mourning
- Reform Jews will wear a black ribbon or cut a tie, traditional Jews will make a tear in their clothes.
- for reform Jews men or women are allowed to say the Kaddish prayer, whereas it is only men in traditional communities.
Divergent views:
Funerals
- some modern views allow cremation,it is only burying for traditional Jews
- reform Jews you may also be allowed to speak and use flowers
What is the purpose of public worship?
- individuals to spend regular time in praise, request and thanks to god
- Jews around the world to follow very similar services, which brings a sense of unity
What is the Shabbat?
The Shabbat is the day of rest. It begins at dusk on Friday Erving and ends at the appearance of the fist three stars. Basically Friday evening - Saturday night.
How is the synagogue service important?
-it unites the community in prayer and study, while reminding them of their place in the worldwide community.
When are Jews expected to pray?
In the morning (sacharit), afternoon (mincha) and evening (ma’ariv). In orthodox synagogues they are usually said in Hebrew whereas in reform it varies from English to Hebrew.
What is the nature and purpose of the tenakh?
The tenack is the Jewish bible, the Torah is the first five books and Orthodox Jews view it as the literal word of god revealed to Jews so it is considered divine and timeless, cannot be altered. Many reform Jews believe that it is a human creation inspired by their understanding of god.
What is the nature and purpose of the Talmud?
It is a record of oral tradition and literally means ‘instruction or learning’. Orthodox tradition says that this instruction was also given to Moses at Mt Sinai. Reform Jews see it as a reflected wisdom of many generations of the Jewish people.
What is the importance of the tenack in daily life?
-one scroll is taken from the ark and read four times a week in orthodox and once a week in reform and liberal. Over the course of the year the whole torah is read.
What is the importance of the Talmud in daily life?
- The Talmud is regarded as central to orthodox jewish life and are encouraged to study it.
- the Talmud is regarded as a rich source of study but not giving it the same status.
What is nature and purpose of food laws?
For many people it is away of bringing kedusha into their lives. The Torah and Talmud provide these laws. Kashrut is the term used when talking about food laws. Foods that are kosher are ‘fit’ to eat. Some say kosher food laws benefit health but many keep these laws because they believe it came from god.
How can they be applied in Jewish life?
Orthodox believe that these rules are important to keep, but some reform and liberal Jews believe that they are outdated. Many Jews obtain from pork even if they do not observe all dietary laws. Orthodox Jews will wait 3 hours to eat dairy when they eaten meat and will use separate cutlery. During Passover, Jews do not eat anything with yeast and often deep clean there house. While reform Jews believe that some rules are outdated and some try to take meaning out of it.
There are Jews that believe in the eco-kashrut these are people who bring it ethical and ecological issues into consideration.
Why do people pray at home?
People pray at home because not everyone can get to a synagogue every day and they can solely focus on god, forget the world around them as it is the connection that is the most important part of prayer
What is the Shabbat prayer?
It is the kiddish this sanctifies the meal, this celebrates god’s creation and remembers the release of ancestors from Egypt.
