Judaism is the world's oldest monotheistic religion (belief in just one God), surviving for over four thousand years. It has also given rise to the Christian and Islamic traditions. Although followers of Judaism can be found all over the world, its roots are in the Middle East, particularly the region around the country of Israel, which was founded in 1948 as a Jewish state. Judaism has split into three branches— Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform—with numerous other small variations. Although all branches observe the same life-cycle events, each interprets the rituals differently. Orthodox Jews are the most pious and generally follow rituals and customs to their full extent. Most Conservatives accept some of the rituals and customs, while most Reform Jews follow them in moderation, if at all. One important difference between the different Jewish groups is that Orthodox Jews follow strict kosher dietary laws. The word "kosher" means "fit" or "clean." The kosher rules apply to what can be eaten, how it is processed, and how it is prepared and served. Many Conservative Jews "keep kosher," while most Reform Jews don't observe the kosher laws. In the State of Israel, the kosher dietary laws are the law of the land and are followed by most people. For Kosher Jews, eating shellfish, pork, and certain other animals is forbidden, and the animals they do eat must be slaughtered a certain way. Dairy products must not be eaten at the same meal with meat and poultry. Wine and the traditional bread, challah , are ritual foods included in all life-cycle celebrations. On the eighth day after a boy is born, friends and family gather for a ceremony, observed for millennia, called a Brit Milah, the ceremony of circumcision (commonly referred to as a Bris). The mohel, a person trained to perform the circumcision, does so for male infants of all Orthodox and some Conservative and Reform parents. Followed by appropriate blessings and prayers, the mohel completes the procedure with the skill of a fine surgeon. The baby is then comforted in the arms of its mother while the family and a few close friends invited for the ceremony adjourn to another room for a light repast. Many Conservative and Reform Jews prefer to have a doctor perform the circumcision at the hospital before the newborn is taken home. The first Friday evening after the birth of a boy the family holds a Shalem Zachor, a festive occasion to welcome him into the family.
Sweet pastries and nahit (chick peas or garbanzo beans) are traditionally served. A ceremony fairly new to Judaism celebrates the birth of a girl. Simhat habat is Hebrew for "rejoicing over the daughter." When a girl is born, the family's rabbi (Jewish religious leader) announces her name to the congregation during Friday night synagogue services. To celebrate the occasion, some parents and grandparents provide sweets and beverages in the reception area for the congregation following the service or a party may be held at the parents' home. Many Jewish children are given two names—a secular name and a Hebrew name. Some are named after people in the Bible. The Hebrew name is used throughout life: at the Bar and Bat Mitzvah, at the wedding, and on the gravestone.
The Orthodox Jews have many rituals and customs not practiced by the Conservative or Reform branches of Judaism. For instance, only Orthodox Jews delay a little boy's haircut until he is 3 years old, the age at which Orthodox boys traditionally begin to study the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). Jewish parents believe nothing is more important for their children than education in both secular and Hebrew schools. After a boy completes his Jewish learning, at age 13, a coming-of-age ceremony, called a Bar Mitzvah, is held. For a girl, at age 12, a Bat Mitzvah is held. This ceremony is an important event in the lives of Jewish boys and girls because it means they are no longer looked upon as children and they are now received into the religious community. Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies are a relatively recent development. Neither a ceremony nor a feast is called for in the Jewish religious law, but decades ago, Eastern European Jews began the practice of marking the day with a ceremony at the synagogue, followed by a simple party. Although customs vary, the Bar and Bat Mitzvah services take place during the weekly Sabbath service in the synagogue or temple. The young adults read in Hebrew from the Torah, and they are called upon to give a speech, usually thanking their parents and Hebrew teachers.
At the close of the service, attended by family, relatives, friends, classmates, and regular members of the congregation, it is customary for the boy or girl's parents to invite the attendees into the social hall of the temple or synagogue for a kiddush, the traditional Sabbath prayer over bread and wine. After the service, everyone is invited to the parent's home, a social hall, or restaurant for a celebration marked with plenty of food and the giving of gifts. Another coming-of-age ceremony for Reform Jews is the confirmation ceremony that is celebrated after the completion of Hebrew high school. This practice arose out a belief by Reform Jews that 13 was too young an age for the coming-of-age ceremony. Today most Reform Jews celebrate both the Bar Mitzvah and the confirmation. In Judaism, marriage is considered to be a holy covenant (agreement) between the bride and groom. Among the Orthodox and some Conservative and Reform Jews, a marriage document (ketubah) is signed by the bride and groom in which they promise to take care of each other and to make a Jewish home. This document describes the rights and obligations of the bride and groom. A bride will often wear a face veil for the wedding, especially if she is Orthodox. If the veil is worn, a veiling ritual takes place just before the ceremony when the groom veils the bride after he verifies that she is actually the woman he plans on marrying. This symbolic ritual is a reminder of the lesson learned in the Old Testament by Jacob, who was tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel, his true love. Leah pretended to be Rachel and covered her face with her veil so Jacob would not know the truth until the marriage was sanctioned. A Jewish wedding can be held at any location, as long as an ordained rabbi officiates. By custom, all immediate relatives are part of the wedding party. The groom, and then the bride, are escorted down the aisle by their parents. Siblings can be attendants and grandparents may have a place in the procession. The wedding ceremony is performed under a huppah (wedding canopy), which represents the couple's future home. The huppah is often a large embroidered cloth, or it can be a blanket of fresh flowers and greenery; sometimes it is a prayer shawl (tallit) belonging to a relative. The huppah is held up by four poles, and it is considered an honor to be one of the four people selected to hold a pole upright during the ceremony. Symbolically, the pole bearers are showing loyalty to the marrying couple. Under the huppah, a table is set with two glasses and a bottle of ritual wine used for the kiddush prayer. Depending on the couple's cultural background, personal preference, and local custom, the language of the service will vary, possibly combining Hebrew and English. After the introduction by the rabbi, wedding vows are exchanged; the groom then places a plain gold band (without engraving or breaks) on the bride's right index finger for Orthodox and some Conservative ceremonies. If it is a Reform ceremony, it is usually placed on her left ring finger. The rabbi then reads aloud the ketubah (the traditional marriage contract). At some point during the service, the bride and groom will each sip a glass of ritual wine while a traditional prayer, a kiddush, is recited. Near the end of the ceremony, the traditional seven blessings will be recited or sung. The Orthodox ritual is a little different. The bride mav circle the groom seven times, representing the seven wedding blessings, before taking her place at his right side. The sheva brachot (seven blessings) symbolize the seven days of creation and the completion of the marriage ceremony.
The first blessing is upon the wine, the fruit of the vine. The second thanks God for his creation, and the third specifically praises God for his creation of human life. The fourth blessing acknowledges the separation of human life into man and woman. The fifth wishes for Jerusalem to be rebuilt and restored to its beautiful existence. The sixth declares hope that the new couple will be as happy as Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. The seventh blessing thanks God for creating delight, mirth, gratification, pleasure, love, serenity, and brotherhood. The ceremony ends with the tradition of crushing the wine glass used in the ceremony beneath the groom's heel. The glass is often wrapped in a napkin or handkerchief before the groom stamps on it. The breaking of the glass represents many things: it symbolizes the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem and acts as a reminder that in life and in marriage there are times of sorrow and joy. The shattered glass also reminds guests and participants of how fragile life is. After the groom breaks the glass, guests clap and cheer him and call out "Mazeltovl" (congratulations or good luck). Immediately following the ceremony, some Jewish couples perform a traditional ritual known asyichud (union). The couple goes into a private room where they briefly eat some food together, usually chicken broth. Chanukat habayit is the celebration for the family in their new home. It is a housewarming or a "dedication of the home." A mezuzah, a case containing small scrolls in Hebrew with two extracts from Deuteronomy (in the Old Testament), is fixed to the top right-hand side of the front door and each door inside the house. Prayers are said and bread and salt are brought into the house, as a symbol of good luck, before the festivities begin. After a death in a Jewish family, the funeral service is arranged as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours of death. Funerals are kept very simple, even among wealthy families. No prayers for the dead are offered, but kaddish, a prayer of praise to God, is recited in their memory. When a parent dies, it is the responsibility of the children to say kaddish on their behalf. At Orthodox and some Conservative funerals mourning family members make a small tear in their clothes (such as on a tie or scarf) as a mark of grief. After the funeral, mourners are invited to the departed person's family home to partake in food and drink prepared by friends or family members other than mourners. This meal is known as seudat havra-ah (meal of consolation). Customs vary among the different communities and Jewish groups, but the food for seudat havra-ah always includes hard-boiled eggs as a symbol of life and a food whose roundness suggests the continuance and eternity of life, such as lentils or bagels. In Judaism, bread is the staff of life and is served at all meals. At a time of mourning, it is especially appropriate to eat bread as the symbol of life. The seudat havraah is a mitzvah (blessing), not a social event, and as such mourners can drink a moderate amount of wine. Meat is symbolically the food of celebration and joy, therefore it is never served for seudat havra-ah. Before entering the house, all the mourners must wash their hands. A pail of water and towels are placed just outside the front entrance of the house for this ritual.
Following the funeral, a week of private mourning, called shivah (the seven days), is observed. During shivah, the grieving Orthodox Jews sit on low stools or on the floor. It is also the custom to cover mirrors and pictures hanging on the walls with cloth sheets. On the anniversary of a parent's death, the children light a memorial candle (and recite the kaddish). Toward the end of every Friday night synagogue or temple service, the rabbi asks those mourning a loved one to join him in reciting the kaddish.
No comments:
Post a Comment