Judaism Rituals

Bar Mitzvah

• The initiation ceremony of a Jewish boy who has reached 13 years old and is highly regarded as ready to observe religious precepts and now eligible to take part in public worship. 
• The process of becoming a Bar Mitzvah is a very long one where the young man must master all sorts of specific prayers to recite at his ceremony and lead the service. Prayers such as; V'Havta, Yotzer, S'hma, G'vurot, and so on. 
• Each young man is also assigned a specific passage in one of the Five Books of Moses in the Torah based on the month their Bar Mitzvah takes place. 
• They need to memorize the words and different chants of their passage in the Torah for their Bar Mitzvah day. They study the passage with vowels under the letters, but no vowels will be under the letters in the Torah. 
• As the young man becomes a Bar Mitzvah, they are held accountable for all of their actions and become a man. In celebration, the parents of the Bar Mitzvah throw them a big celebration while inviting all of their family and close friends to the occasion.

       

Rosh Hashanah 

• Literally means "head of the year" in Hebrew. Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the new year on the Jewish calendar. 
• It occurs on the first and second days of the seventh month of the Jewish year. The Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. 
• The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25. 
• The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue, which wakes up our souls. 
• Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). Jews walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty their pockets into the river, symbolically casting off their sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off.
• Another popular tradition is dipping and eating apples and honey in wishes for a "sweet new year." 

    

Presentation

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14VS7Tje78UC-mGbhxV7avwJ16fKKNuWEHmUrJzledwM/edit#slide=id.gad5f4e86a_0_10

Judaism Key Concepts

Covenant- An agreement between two contracting parties, originally sealed with blood; a bond, or a law; a permanent religious dispensation.

Torah- Name applied to the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Mitzvah- a precept or commandment

Halakhah- the path that one walks. Jewish law. The complete body of rules and practices that Jews are bound to follow, including biblical commandments, commandments instituted by the rabbis, and binding customs.

Mashiach- A man who will be chosen by G-d to put an end to all evil in the world, rebuild the Temple, bring the exiles back to Israel and usher in the world to come. It is better to use the Hebrew term "mashiach" when speaking of the Jewish messiah, because the Jewish concept is very different from the Christian one.

Israel The Hebrew people, past, present, and future, regarded as the chosen people of God by virtue of the covenant of Jacob.

Kedushah- traditionally the third section of all Amidah recitations. In the silent Amidah it is a short prayer, but in the repetition, which requires a minyan, it is considerably lengthier.

Teshuvah- one of the great gifts God gives each of us – the ability to turn back to Him and seek healing for our brokenness. Psalm 51 is sometimes called "Perek Teshuvah" – the great Chapter of Repentance of the Scriptures.

Shekhinah- the presence of God on earth or a symbol or manifestation of His presence.

Tikkun Olam- literally means "world repair." It is commonly used to refer to the pursuit of social action and social justice. However, few realize that the phrase and the concept behind it originate in kabbalah, in the teachings of the 16th century mystic Isaac Luria.

"Can God Lie?" Article Reflection

I thought this was a very captivating and interesting article written here. The thought never really came to me of whether God could be lying to us or not. Based on the ethics of mostly every religion, it's required and ethical to listen to our God and what he teaches us. When God speaks, people need to listen, but what if what he is saying isn't the truth? The article took on multiple perspectives of different philosophers and theologians from the past.

A 14th century Oxford theologian named John Wyclif feared that if God did happen to lie to us, he could give us false visions of the world and reduce reality to just its appearance and reduce our knowledge of the world. No one besides Martin Luther ever had the idea or assertion that God could lie. A man named Augustine argues that God can neither deceive or be deceived. If God is the almighty being that he is, then there should not be any thought of him lying to us or what he is preaching about the world isn't truthful. The same argument is made by French philosopher Rene Descartes. If God was the all-powerful force of the world, then it would be impossible that he could be a deceiver.

However, there are a couple of cases where some philosophers say that God could possibly be a deceiver. A 14th century Dominican theologian named Robert Holkot claims that there could be a number of places within the Bible where God deceived demons, sinners, and even the faithful ones. He argued that God deceived Abraham when he ordered to kill his son Isaac only to revoke that order at the very last moment as Abraham held the knife over his trembling and tied up son. A couple of centuries later, John Calvin also reached this same idea. The argument could go many ways, but in all, it would be impossible for God to be a deceiver because he is the almighty ruler of the universe and it he lied to everyone, then he would not earn that distinct title.

Huston Smith Part 4

What is Sufism and how did it come about?

• After Muhammad's passing, those still in the Islamic community were known as Sufis.
• Every message presented in the Quran is significant.
• Sufis wanted to see God directly.
• Not very well understood by many.
• One principle method of Sufism is symbolism.

How has the importance of following Muhammad's teachings changed in Islam?

• The practice of Islam tends to be replaced by constantly changing ideals in society that are influenced by the world.
• Only one God.
• Muslims have been influenced by the words of Muhammad. His words determine their own actions. 

Huston Smith Part 3

How do Muslims live according to their religion?

• Attempt to follow the right path with no disruptions along the way.
• The religion of Islam has a very specific and defined set of ways to lead a righteous life and Muslims view this as an advantage.
• Fasting in the month of Ramadan.

How does Islam guide its followers in decision making?

• The feeling of family and brotherly love among followers of Islam as a way of compassion.
• The Koran guides the actions of its followers.
• The world requires nourishment to create the sentiment of responsibility for others.

Huston Smith Part 2

What are the basic theological concepts of Islam?

• God: Begins with the concept of Tawhid, which means 'oneness'. Tawhid begins with the idea that there is one God (monotheism), and teaches that oneness is central to the nature of Allah. So according to Muslims, Allah: has no partners.
• Creation: Creation is perfection, as the world is created by Allah.
• Humanity: We forget about origin or where we originally came from and end up taking it for granted. 
• Judgement Day: On this day, Muslims focus on their individuality and freedom as people. 
• Souls face reckoning for all of their past actions, good and bad; as well as their commitment and loyalty to Allah.