Term
| Name the seven life cycle events listed by Jewish sociologists. |
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Definition
- Birth
- Growing up
- Marriage
- Parenthood
- Mid-life
- Old Age
- Death
Life Cycle Events
Solomon p.94 |
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Term
| Describe the life cycle event of Birth in Jewish life. |
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Definition
- For males:
- Circumcision on day eight: a very ancient ceremony going back to Abraham.
- If it's a firstborn: additional :Redemption" ceremony at 30 days.
- Females: No special ceremony, but the mother attends synagogue for a thanksgiving prayer. In (mostly) Reform synagogues, the baby is brought in for blessing.
Life Cycle Events
Solomon p.94 |
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Term
| Describe the Life Cycle event of Growing Up in Jewish life. |
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Definition
There's a variety of optional ceremonies for a Jewish child, for example eating letters made form honey cake as they learn the alphabet, etc.
Boys have a Barmitzvah at 13. They read the Torah in the synagogue, have a party and get presents.
In Reform synagogues, girls have a Batmitzvah at 12. Orthodox Jews are still getting into the Batmitzvah thing, usuall doing it collectively for a group of girls. In Orthodoxy there is also Bat Chayil, at a later age, and only when a course of study has been completed.
Life Cycle Events
Solomon p.94 |
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Term
| The Life Cycle event of Marriage |
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Definition
A wedding consists of two separate ceremonies.
1. Kiddushin (betrothal). The groom gives her an object (nowadays a ring) and says "You are betrothed to me by means of this [whatever] ring in accordance with the law of Israel and Moses."
The bride says nothing - her silence is taken as consent. Two blessings are said, and they share a cup of wine.
2. Then comes nisuin - marriage proper. The bride & groom stand beneath the chuppa (canopy), which symbolizes their new home, and seven blessings are recited, a cup of wine again being shared.
They are blessed, then the groom smashes a glass to symbolize the destruction of Jerusalem, even on this happiest of days. Then, in the presence of witnesses, the bride and the groom are separated for a while.
The feasting continues for seven days and seven nights.
Life Cycle Events
Solomon p.95 |
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Term
| The Life Cycle event of Death |
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Definition
Orthodox Jews are always buried. Reform Jews may alwo be cremated.
The close relatives redn an outer garment, remove their shoes and sit sheva (7) for seven days. This means sitting on the floor or on low stools while others come to comfort them and cook meals for them. Prayers are also said daily.
There's a further less intenesive mourning period of thirty days, and children mourn twelve months for their parents. After that, there is an annual remembrance day, called a Jahrzeit.
The closest relatives recite kaddish (a doxology) every Sunday for the first eleven months, and after that on each Jahrzeit.
Reform as well as Orthodox theologians have endorsed a belief in life after death. There was a debate over whether there's a bodily component to resurrection.
Life Cycle Events
Solomon p.96 |
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Term
| What is the Hebrew phrase for circumcision? |
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Definition
Brit Milah
Life Cycle Events |
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Term
| What is the Hebrew phrase for "redemption of the Firstborn"? |
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Definition
Pidyon Ha-Ben.
A first-born son (as determined matrinilearly) belongs to God and must be "redeemed" back from God in order to like a non-priestly life.
Life Cycle |
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Term
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Definition
- It is the oldest Jewish ritual.
- Abraham was the first to be circumcised.
- It is still current practice.
- Benedict Spinoza said as long as Jews were circumcised, they would survive as a separate people.
- During WWII, it was sometimes used by Nazis to determine Jewish identity.
- Reform tried to abolish this during the 19th century, but this is no longer the case.
- The symbolism is obscure. Maybe is symbolizes controlling the masculine sexual urge.
- Apart form baby boys, male converts must also be circumcised. (If you're already circumcised, they just take a symbolic drop of blood.)
- (Christianity doubtlessly gained more converts by dropping the requirement for circumcision).
- There are many jokes about the mohel - the man who performs circumcisions.
Life Cycle, Telushkin section 320 |
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Term
| The "Redemption" of a firstborn male |
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Definition
- It is called "Pidyon haben", i.e. "redemption of the firstborn."
- A firstborn male (determined by the mother) is dedicated to God and is supposed to perform rituals
Life Cycle
Telushkin section 320
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Term
Hebrew for "Commandment." How many are there? |
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Definition
Mitzvah.
Plural form: Mitzvot.
There are 613 |
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Term
Hebrew for: Mitzvot between people and other people |
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Definition
Mitzvot bein adam le-khavero - Ethical laws.
They regulate our behavior towards other people.
Example: "Be good to the stranger in your midst" |
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Term
| Hebrew for: Mitzvot between people and God |
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Definition
Mitzvot bein Adam le-makom.
Ritual laws. They regulate our behavior towards God.
Example: Observation of the Sabbath. |
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Term
| Expand on the law in Lev. 19:14: "Do not put a stumbling block in a blind man's parth." |
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Definition
This does not only refer to the unlikely situation in the title, but also to all cases where one person has a means to "blind" someone other, for example by having insider trading information which gives him an unfair advantage over others.
Or: Untruthfully telling a woman you love her in order to have sex. |
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Term
| "Justice, justice you shall pursue." (Deut. 16:20) |
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Definition
1. Abraham even challenges God in Gen. 18:25 to spare the cities if a handful of righteous men can be found there.
2. The feminine of justice (tzadek) is tzadeka = charity. Even charity is regarderd as a form of justice.
3. Tutu's ill-advised call for Jews to forgive elderly Nazi's was contrary to Jewish conception of justice. |
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Term
| Discuss "an eye for an eye" |
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Definition
Exodus 21:24
1. Verse has been much abused.
2. In contrast with Hammurabi's code, there's never punishment against innocent parties (house collapses on customer's daughter - builder's daughter is killed).
3. It also limits vengeange. It's NOT "a life for an eye"
4. In Judaism, mostly understood as monetary compensation.
5. However, murder can and must be paid with a life (not money).
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Term
| Name the trhree weakest members of society, and the ones who therefore get the most protection under Jewish law |
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Definition
Strangers, Orphans and Widows are afforded special protection under Jewish law.
Rambam (Maimonides) wrote expansively on this topic. |
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Term
| Name the seven Noahide laws. What are they about? |
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Definition
These are innate moral laws that even non-Jews are expected to obey in order to be regarded as righteous people.
1. Do not deny God
2. Do not blaspheme God
3. Do not murder
4. Do not engage in aberrational sexual behavior
5. Do not steal
6. Do not eat a limb torn from a living animal
7. Set up courts to enforce the previous six laws |
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Term
| Talk about "the fear of God." What 2 positive effects does that have? |
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Definition
The fear of God is not abject terror, but obedience, immense respect, love, and yes, the realisation that you do not want God as an enemy.
1. It liberates from the fear of other people.
2. It defends the weak and disadvantaged against the powerful
The phrase "... and fear God" is often appended to laws regulating the treatment of the disadvantaged by more powerful people. |
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Term
| Talk about Jewish Charity. What is the Hebrew term? |
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Definition
1. Hebrew: Tzedaka, feminine of Tzedek, "justice."
2. One who does not give, is acting unjustly. His action is not only mean-spririted, but also illegal.
3. It's better to give a tithe grudgingly than to give a couple of bucks with tears in your eyes. |
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Term
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Definition
He is a "righteous man". The concept originated with the Ba'al Shem Tov in 17th century Germany. Hasidim is a mystically oriented branch of Judaism. The Hassid is the leads the religious community through his examplary life.
Rabbi Aryeh Levine to the doctor: "My wife's feet are hurting us."
Lore: There must be at least 36 tzaddikim at all times, otherwise the world comes to an end. 36 = lamed-vav. One of that number can be called a "lamed-vavnik." |
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Term
Hebrew for: "A credit (blessing" to (God's) Name" |
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Definition
Kiddush ha-Shem.
This is when a religious Jew acts in such a way that he is a credit to God's Name.
Also used for Jewish martyrs. |
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Term
| Hebrew: Someone who discredits (God's) Name |
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Definition
Khillul ha-Shem
A religious Jew who acts badly.
Translated: "If she's a Christian I don't want to be one!" |
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Term
| Hebrew: Redeeming captives |
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Definition
Pidyon Shvuyim.
Unfortunately has often been necessary for Jews to pay ransom.
Kidnapping Jews became a business during the Middle Ages.
After the terrible Schmielnitzki massacres in the Ukraine in the middle of the 17th century, many surviving Jews were sold into slavery. The Jewish community spent many years afterwards buying some of these unfortunate souls back. |
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Term
Hebrew term: Legal cases where life is at stake.
Name the three exceptions, when life is at stake, where the law is NOT suspended. |
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Definition
Pikuakh Nefesh.
1. You are not allows to murder someone to save your life (except self defense).
2. You may not commit idolatry to save your life.
3. You may not commit perverse sexual acts to save your life. |
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Term
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Definition
Lashon ha-Ra or Motzi Shem Ra
Three degrees of gossip:
1. Trivial gossip.
2. Negative, though truthful. (Lashon ha-Ra)
3. "Character murder" (Motzi Shem Ra).
Gossip: Saying the cantor is no scholar, and the Rabbi has no voice.
Murder: Saying the Rabbi is no scholar, and the cantor has no voice.
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Term
| Hebrew phrase: Prevention of cruelty to animals |
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Definition
Tza'ar Ba'alei Khayyim
"Do not muzzle an animal while it is threshing"
Heinrich Heine: My ancestors belonged more to the hunted than the hunters, so I don't want to attack our comrades in misery. |
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Term
| Hebrew: Honoring your parents |
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Definition
Kibud Av va'Em
Av = Father
Am = Mother
(va- = "and")
A very prominent mitzvah. |
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Term
| Explain "If you save one life you have saved the whole world" |
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Definition
God populated the world with only one man to teach us that to kill one person is to depopulate the entire world.
Life is infinitely valuable. |
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Term
| Hebrew: Visiting the Sick |
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Definition
Bikur Kholim
"He who does not visit the sick is like a shedder of blood." Rabbi Akiva (died 135 CE after the Bar Kochba revolt). |
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Term
| Hebrew for: Acts of Loving-Kindness |
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Definition
Gemilut Khesed.
A special type of mitzvah, e.g. anonymous giving. |
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Term
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Definition
Hakhnasat Orkhim
Jews offer hospitality to one another. This extends to charity.
(But don't stay longer that three days!) |
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Term
| Hebrew for: Righteous Non-Jews |
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Definition
Hasidei Ummot Ha-Olam
More recently used for gentiles who aided Jews during the holocaust, e.g. Oskar Schindler. |
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Term
Hebrew for: Family Harmony |
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Definition
Shalom Bayit
Kind treatment of your wife & family.
The get (letter of divorce). |
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Term
| Hebrew: "You can't say: 'I was just following orders'" |
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Definition
Ain Shalliakh le-Dvar Aveirah
If you are order (e.g. in a military environment) to do something which is immoral or against the Torah, it is no excuse to say "I was following orders."
Literally: "There is no messenger in case of sin" |
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Term
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Definition
Teshuva
Steps:
1. Recognize the sin
2. Feel sincere remorse
3. Undo damage if he can
4. Pacify the victim
5. Resolve never to do it again |
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Term
Hebrew: Human predilection for evil, good |
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Definition
Yetzer ha-tov, yetzer ha-ra
Jokingly: "I have a real yetzer ha-ra for chocolate" |
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Term
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Definition
Mashiakh
Woody Allen: The lamb and the wolf will lie down together, but the lamb won't get any sleep.
Bar-Kochba's failure (132 CE) (and the catastrophic results of his revolt) put Jews off the messiah business.
Whenever Jews thought the messiah had come, the results were catastrophic. |
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Term
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Definition
Olam ha-ba "Wolrd to come"
Judaism is remarkably tight-lipped about the world to come. This may because of revulsion of the Egyption obsession with the afterlife. |
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Term
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Definition
This means "Healing of the World" - the mission statement of many Jews.
This is ethical monotheism. |
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Term
| Hebrew and Yiddish for: Divine Providence |
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Definition
Ha-shgakha Pratit / Bashert
God's providence is much debated. Does He regulate the number of hairs on your head, or just mainstream historical events? When something bad happens to you, does God cause it? Allow it? Or is he indifferent to it, letting the world run itself through random chance and/or free will? |
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Term
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Definition
Avoda Zara
Torah has no problem with atheism, only with worshipping something other than God. |
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Term
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Definition
Theodicy is about attempts to vindicate God's goodness in the face of so much evil in the world.
The book "When bad things happen to good people" by Rabbi Harold Kushner gave guidance of how to approach bad situations, but Kushner, as any other human, could not tell WHY bad things happen to good people.
Jewish saying: If I knew God I'd be God.
Theodicy tries to address 2 types of suffering: man-made and natural.
In Judaism, much of this discipline deals with the holocaust. |
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