Sept 15.
Jewish Life Cycles.
For Wed: Judaism 101 site:
Marriage
Funerals
• For Friday: Daily Prayers and Sabbath
• Next week: Calendar and Festivals.
• Week after: Finish Calendar, and Kashrut.
“Sorting Kipa”
Kippah
Yarmulke
• Conservative
• Orthodox
• Reform
– Feminist
– Reconstructionist.
Birth.
• Judaism is ethnic: people are born Jewish.
• Membership in Judaism has obligations:
– Covenant requirements
Next time at: Synagogue
• Father will be given chance to bless the
Torah
• Will announce the birth of the child
• If a daughter is born, she will be named at
the synagogue.
Boys: Circumcision
• Covenant with Abraham required it, and of
all male Jews since.
• “Brit Millah” = Covenant of Circumcision.
8th day of life
Timing very important.
Only medical reasons can postpone it.
Operation must be performed on 8th day,
even if it is Sabbath or a Festival.
Child
• Held by godparent sitting in “Elijah’s Chair”
– Perhaps child is MESSIAH, child is treated
like a king.
• Operation performed by trained MOHEL
Naming boy
• Abram renamed Abraham
• “noble father” to “Father of Multitudes”
• Baby is given a Hebrew name.
Names
• [BOY’S NAME] ben [FATHER’S NAME
• Isaac ben Abraham
• Isaac son of Abraham
• [Girl’s Name] bat [Father’s Name]
• Sarah bat Baruch
• Sarah daughter of Baruch.
Ben…
• Many times in the modern world ‘ben’ is
part of a surname.
• E.g.
Ehud Ben Zvi.
• Ehud is his first name.
• Ben Zvi is his surname:
– Dr. Ben Zvi.
– Daugher is: Rivkah Ben Zvi.
Mother.
• Purification rituals after childbirth.
• 7 days for a son
• 14 days for a daughter
• Ritual bath
MIKVAH is used.
Redemption of First born Son
Age: 31 days
• Bible requires that all first born sons
(except priests) belong to God.
• Parents must redeem “buy them back”.
• Post temple: giving of charity to a
descendant of the Priests.
Modern Issues around birth
• Abortion: tradition says human life begins
when child is half-way out of Mother.
Abortion required to save the life of mom.
Issues:
• Gender bias
– Purification requirements
– More ritual for boys than girls.
• Adoption: If child’s birth parents are not
Jewish, child must be converted.
Issues
• Circumcision
– Outdated barbarity?
– Necessary tradition?
– Requirement of God?
Bar Mitzvah
• “Son of the Commandment”
• Bar is Aramaic for Hebrew “Ben”.
• 13 years and 1 day: a boy is religiously
adult: responsible for Torah Obligations.
• Can count towards a “MINYAN”,
requirement to have 10 adult men for
rituals.
Torah Obligations
• A Bar Mitzvah is bound to observe all of
the MITZVOT: “COMMANDMENTS”
• A Bar Mitzvah is allowed to read blessings
in Synagogue over Torah.
Ceremonies.
• First Synagogue meeting after becoming
of age, the boy will be asked to come up to
read the blessings over the Torah.
• In modern world, this simple privilege has
become a major cause for family reunions,
parties, presents etc.
Girls
• Age 12 years and 1 day, Girls are
considered religiously adult, and
responsible for women’s religious
obligations.
• Traditionally, there is no ceremony for
girls.
Bat Mitzvah
• “Daughter of the Commandment”
• A new ceremony for girls in some
congregations.
Confirmation.
• Some synagogues: age 16 or 18.
• “Graduation” from religious schooling.