Unit 8 - Jewish Practices Flashcards
8.1 quote importance of worship
“My vows to Hashem I will pay, in the presence, now, of His entire people […] in the courtyards of the House of Hashem”
Psalm 116: 14-19
Synagogue Daily Prayer services
Services that take place 3 times a day
Daily prayers
Jews can pray in a minyan then the kedusha prayers can be said.
Jews pray 3 times daily:
Morning (Shacharit)
Afternoon (Mincha)
Evening (Ma’ariv)
In Orthodox, prayers are said in Hebrew and in Reform there is a mix.
Jews say prayers standing as a reminders of God’s presence.
Prayers are usually said silently when praying alone and the Siddur contains the daily prayers which vary through the calendar.
Shabbat
Begins at Friday dusk and ends on appearance of 3 stars on Saturday.
Shabbat services in synagogue.
Reform focus more on Shabbat and festival services than Daily Prayer services.
Amidah and Aleinu prayers are said, praising God.
Whole family and community encouraged to attend, opportunity for families and communities to come together.
Synagogue services importance
Unite the local community in prayer and study and remind them of their place in the worldwide Jewish community.
Private prayer consists of three elements: thanksgiving, prayers of praise, and prayers that ask. They believe that God will respond to all prayers but not always how they expect.
Sermon by Rabbi will usually relate to a part of the service or a topical issue that will effect a Jew’s life.
Tenakh 3 books
Torah: the Pentateuch
Nevi’im: the Prophets (Former and Latter)
Ketuvim: the Writings
Orthodox Jews view on Torah
Literal word of God revealed to Jewish people at Mount Sinai. Divine and timeless, cannot be altered.
Rest of Tenakh shows how Jewish people lived during times of Prophets and how they tried to keep on the right path.
Reform view on Torah
Is a human creation written by their ancestors and inspired by their understanding of themselves and the place of God in their lives.
What is the Talmud?
Record of the Oral Tradition ans source of all legal teaching and decision.
Contains teachings and opinion of thousands of early rabbis including law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history.
Reform view on Talmud
Reform believe that it was a human creation reflecting wisdom of many generations of Jews.
Orthodox view on Talmud
Orthodox believe that it was given to Moses as a detailed teaching in how the Torah should be interpreted and written down 1000 years later so it wouldn’t become distorted by time.
Use of Torah and Talmud in daily life and worship
One scroll is taken from Ark and sections are read 4 times a week in Orthodox and once a week in Reform synagogues on Shabbat.
Whole Torah read in sequence over a year.
Importance of Torah and Talmud (orthodox)
Regarded as central to Orthodox Jewish life and they’re encouraged to study it (held in synagogues). There are international study programmes where Jews across the world study in unison.
Importance of Torah and Talmud (reform)
View it as a rich source of study and learning about Jewish values and study it without giving it the same authority as Orthodox.
Some don’t see the Talmud as important and don’t study it because they feel Aramaic is not an accessible language or the debates are thousands of years outdated.
What is kosher?
Food that is ‘fit’ or ‘correct’.
What is treifah?
Food that is not kosher and is ‘torn’.
Reasoning behind the food laws
Laws are found in Torah so Jews believe the laws come from God.
Some suggest kosher food laws benefit health because eating animals that are conscious before they are killed reduces risk of eating unhealthy animal.
Pigs used to carry a lot of disease.
Reform view on food laws
They are outdated but refrain from pork even if they don’t observe all food laws.
Creates challenges for Jews when eating out (kosher and cooking methods).
Principles of food laws are important as they express kedusha and connection with God.
Orthodox views on food laws
Believe they’re important and have separate utensils for meat and dairy.
They come from God and so are important.
How should Jews do private prayer?
Can be done individually or as a family.
Must clear mind before praying so they can focus on God.
Shabbat prayer
Kiddish - celebrates God’s creation of the universe and remembers the release of their ancestors from Egypt.
Recited over wine and other blessings are made. Food is eaten afterwards where songs are sung and stories are told.
Connection of family.
Why Jews may pray
Praise/request/thank.
Brings Jews together as a community.
Torah commands Jews to join together to thank God to strengthen their personal relationship with him.
Also, acknowledging God in their daily life when something good or bad happens counts as prayer and prayers before and after eating.
Why Jews may pray
Praise/request/thank.
Brings Jews together as a community.
Torah commands Jews to join together to thank God to strengthen their personal relationship with him.
Also, acknowledging God in their daily life when something good or bad happens counts as prayer.
Individual importance of different prayers (daily, individual, constant, Shabbat)
Daily - allows regular prayer sometimes connecting in faith as family.
Individual - allows personal reflection and solidarity time with God.
Constant - keep’s God in their heart and mind and allows spontaneous thanksgiving.
Shabbat - brings family and friends together in regular celebration.
Shema
Most important prayer in Judaism.
Recited twice a day and declares most fundamental principles of Jewish faith that they believe in one God.
Tallit
Worn by men and boys over barmitzvah at every morning service.
Fringe on shawl reminds wearer of the commandments in the Torah.
Covers head during prayer to help focus.