Beyond Space & Time
A look into the
religious
traditions –
seeking
understanding.
Beyond Space & Time
At the heart of religion lies the belief in a
transcendent reality that provides an
overarching context for human life and all
that it contains. Seen through religious eyes,
this visible world is not the full story.
Gwynne, Paul (2009) World Religions in Practice p. 27
Beyond Space & Time
Traditions diverge on the specific nature of
God or the Other:
•
•
•
•
Is it personal or impersonal?
Is it one or many?
Is it masculine or feminine?
Is it fundamentally similar to or different from us?
Beyond Space & Time
Judaism
Exodus 20 – The Ten Commandments
Beyond Space & Time
The Ten Commandments
The first 5 concern the vertical relationship
between humanity and God.
The second 5 concern the horizontal
relationship between human persons
themselves.
Beyond Space & Time
The Second Commandment
Holds the key to the Jewish understanding of
the nature of divine reality.
You shall have no other gods before me.
Beyond Space & Time
The Second Commandment
Some early debate about this … the possible
existence of other gods??
For the past 2000 years Judaism has been
unequivocally monotheistic – exclusive belief
in and worship of the one God.
Beyond Space & Time
The Second Commandment
Further elaboration:
•
The 13 Principles of the Jewish Faith
•
The Shema
Beyond Space & Time
The 13 Principles of the Jewish Faith
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
God exists.
God is one.
God is incorporeal.
God is eternal.
God alone should be worshipped.
God has communicated through the prophets.
Moses was the greatest of the prophets.
The Torah is the word of God.
The Torah is authentic and cannot be changed.
God is aware of all of our actions.
God rewards the just and punishes the wicked.
The Messiah will come.
The dead will be resurrected.
Beyond Space & Time
The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words
that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite
them to your children and talk about them when you are
at home and when you are away, when you lie down and
when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them
as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the
doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Beyond Space & Time
The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Verbally expressed
Literally worn on the body
Fixed to doorways
Constant reminder of the divine unity
Beyond Space & Time
Tefillin
Mezuzah
Beyond Space & Time
How do Jews conceive of the deity?
What images come to mind?
Jewish theology insists that any anthropomorphisms
(referring to God’s hands, eyes, mouth, etc.) are
metaphorical in nature and in no way imply that God
is actually physical or bodily in some sense.
Gwynne, Paul (2009) World Religions in Practice p. 30
Beyond Space & Time
The Second Commandment
You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the
form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on
the earth beneath or that is in the water under the
earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship
them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.
See Exodus 20:4-5
Beyond Space & Time
The prohibition on the use of images
achieves two things:
•
•
Avoiding the worship of other gods
Avoiding flawed attempts to depict the one true
God
Beyond Space & Time
The God of Judaism is truly transcendent
and any attempt to to depict the Holy
Other is doomed to failure.
Thus you will never see statues, paintings
or similar realistic images in Jewish
synagogues or homes.
Beyond Space & Time
At the end of the synagogue which the congregation
faces is a receptacle inside which are kept the scrolls of
the Jewish scriptures – divine words not divine
images.
Holy of Holies – Temple in Jerusalem – Ark of the Covenant
Beyond Space & Time
Ark of the Covenant: long rectangular chest
that is reputed to have contained the very
tablets that Moses received from God on Sinai.
Beyond Space & Time
The last Temple was destroyed by the Roman armies
in August 70 CE. There is a legend that when the
Roman general Titus entered the Holy of Holies – the
inner sanctum into which only the high priest would
go once a year on the Day of Atonement – he expected
to find either immense treasure or a statue of some
sort that portrayed the god of this stubborn people.
Instead he found nothing; the room was empty. The
God of Israel is one and transcendent, indivisible and
invisible.
Gwynne, Paul (2009) World Religions in Practice p. 32
Beyond Space & Time
Tanach
A Jewish understanding of scriptures
Gwynne, Paul (2009) World Religions in Practice p. 70ff
Beyond Space & Time
Feast of Sukkoth – Jews celebrate
Simhat Torah [Rejoicing with the Law]
all scrolls are removed accompanied
by vigorous dancing and singing that
sometimes even flows into the streets.
Beyond Space & Time
Feast of Sukkoth – Jews celebrate
Simhat Torah [Rejoicing with the Law]
the festive atmosphere and highspirited behaviour mark the day on
which the annual cycle of scriptural
readings comes to an end.
Beyond Space & Time
Torah
teaching
instruction
law
Beyond Space & Time
Torah
The first five books of the Jewish Bible
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Beyond Space & Time
Torah
Mix of narrative and commandment
lore and law
Beyond Space & Time
The Books of Genesis, Exodus, and
Numbers
- Classical biblical stories of the creation of
the world, Adam and Eve, Noah and the
Flood, Abraham and his family, the escape
from Egypt under Moses, the 40 years of
wandering in the desert and the eventual
arrival at the borders of the promised land.
Beyond Space & Time
The Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy
-
-
A collection of divine laws that are binding
on Israel.
Rules and regulations that constitute the
holy covenant between God and his people
Beyond Space & Time
Torah
So great was the concern to know precisely
what the creator required that the rabbinic
tradition undertook the task of identifying
and enumerating each specific divine
command in the Torah – traditional list of
613 mitzvot (commandments) that are
considered to have been given to Moses.
Beyond Space & Time
Torah
Traditional belief – Moses was the author
Biblical scholarship suggests otherwise – four
different editorial schools over time:
Yahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomic and Priestly
Beyond Space & Time
Yahwist
Dating back to about 1000 BCE
Uses the name YHWH for God
Beyond Space & Time
Elohist
Dating back to about 1000 BCE
Uses the name Elohim for God
Beyond Space & Time
Deuteronomic
Dating back to about 600 BCE
Beyond Space & Time
Priestly
Dating back to the period after the return
from Babylonian captivity (post 537
BCE)
Beyond Space & Time
Thus the Torah is not a man-made
literary construct, but divine thought
expressed in human language. It may
have been revealed in time and space but
it had always existed in the mind of the
creator from before creation itself.
Gwynne, Paul (2009) World Religions in Practice p. 71
Beyond Space & Time
Reading from the Torah
The honour of stepping up to read from
Judaism’s most revered text is likened to
an exile’s long-awaited return to his or
her homeland …
Beyond Space & Time
Reading from the Torah
The reader is on holy ground when
standing before the word of God and
uttering their sacred sounds for their
fellow worshippers.
Beyond Space & Time
The Hebrew Bible
Consists of 24 books grouped into 3
sections:
Torah – Books of the Law -5 books
Neviyim – Books of the Prophets – 8 books
Ketuvim – Books of the Writings – 11 books
Beyond Space & Time
God had spoken his irrevocable
word through the prophets, the
greatest of whom was Moses.
Gwynne, Paul (2009) World Religions in Practice p. 74
Within Space & Time
We commence by looking at the sense of
ethical duty found within Judaism and
we ask a number of questions:
How is the human experience of the moral ought expressed
within Judaism?
How does Judaism understand the basic nature and purpose
of the moral life?
How does morality relate to transcendent reality?
What are the main sources of moral teaching?
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
How is the human experience of the moral ought expressed
within Judaism
How does Judaism understand the basic nature and purpose
fo the moral life?
How does morality relate to transcendent reality?
What are the main sources of moral teaching?
Within Space & Time
Amos
I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight
in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me
your burnt-offerings and grain-offerings, I will not
accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your
fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from
me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the
melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like
waters, and righteousness like an every-flowing
stream.
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
While the sacrificial cult was considered a central
part of official worship and a key expression of
religious faith, what God ultimately wants is
according to Amos, not external formalities but
ethical integrity in both thought and action. There is
no point in worshipping in the Temple while
exploitation, oppression, and perversion of justice
prevail outside.
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
The strident call to justice and ethical behaviour is a
common theme in the message of most of Israel’s
prophets.
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
If we consider the Psalms and Proverbs we find:
A person who is truly pleasing to God is not only
“wise” but also “righteous” and “upright”.
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
In a Jewish worldview the world stands on three
things:
Torah
Divine Service
Acts of loving kindness
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
As with Hinduism and Buddhism, the obligation to
live a moral life is an indispensable part of Jewish
religious practice.
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
It is in the Torah’s extensive legal codes that the
foundation of Jewish moral teaching is to be found
… the duty to be ethical in one’s thoughts and
actions is an integral part of Jewish religious life and
its moral principles are ultimately derived from the
613 commandments that were distilled from the
Torah by the rabbinic tradition.
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
A Jewish moral view is different from other value
sets. There are three distinct differences:
1.
Right and wrong, goodness and evil, are
defined not only in terms of human
relationships but also in terms of the will of the
creator
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
A Jewish moral view is different from other value
sets. There are three distinct differences:
2.
Jewish morality is ultimately about faithful
obedience to the divine will
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
A Jewish moral view is different from other value
sets. There are three distinct differences:
3.
The final fate of every individual is determined
by the divine judge who holds each individual
morally accountable for their actions during
life
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
Judaism sees the divine commandments as reliable
guideposts on the way to humankind’s true destiny of
eternal communion with God beyond death.
Further to this: it is about emulating the law-giver
and creator-designer – Rabbinic tradition sees
morality as an imitation of God, in whose image we
are created.
Within Space & Time
So what does God demand in terms of
moral behaviour?
•
•
•
•
•
613 Commandments
Psalm 15
Micah’s principles: “Act justly, love mercy and walk
humbly with God”
Isaiah’s principles: “Keep justice and do righteousness”
Habakkuk’s one: “The just man lives by his faithfulness”
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words – the first tablet
Vertical relationship with God:
1. Requires belief in the existence of God
2. Emphasizes the unity of God
3. Reflects Jewish concern for the divine name
4. Sets aside one holy day of rest each week
5. Concerns respect for parents (parent / child
relationship reflection of relationship between God and
humankind)
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words – the second tablet
The basic moral norms that underpin most human
cultures and societies:
Murder, adultery, theft, lying, covetousness
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words – the second tablet
The Ten words are only general moral norms, from
which more specific positions on a range of ethical
issues are derived, such as abortion, euthanasia,
genetic engineering, war, contraception, and sexual
activity.
These positions and teachings vary significantly
within Judaism!
Within Space & Time
The Ten Words
Traditional teaching suggests that if there is a
conflict between duty toward God and duty toward
neighbour, it is the latter that should take precedence.
Within Space & Time
If one of religion’s main functions if to
provide ultimate meaning for existence,
then the life-cycle rituals of the various
faiths are prominent examples. Key
moments of the human journey are given
transcendent meaning via symbolic
actions and words.
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – Covenant of Circumcision
Eight days after the birth of a Jewish boy,
family and friends gather together at the
home or in the local synagogue to
celebrate one of Judaism’s most ancient
and distinctive rites.
Within Space & Time
Prayer from a Jewish Circumcision Rite
Blessed are you, King of the universe, who sanctified your
loved one from birth and established your law with his
descendants giving them the sign of the holy covenant. By this
merit our living God, you commanded to save your loved one
from the abyss, because of the covenant made in the flesh.
Blessed are You, the maker of the covenant. Our God and God
of our fathers, let this child grow up with his parents, and let
his name be called (name). Let the father be happy with his
progeny and the mother with her offspring.
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – Covenant of Circumcision
Circumcision is not unique to Judaism
•
Egyptians – Sixth dynasty (2340 – 2180
BCE)
•
Common among Semitic peoples by
the end of the first millennium BCE
Within Space & Time
Purpose of circumcision
•
•
•
•
•
Aid to hygiene
A means to suppress or enhance sexual
desire
A sign of social status
A passage to adulthood
A symbol of castration
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – Covenant of Circumcision
For Judaism:
•
Act of trusting obedience to the Divine
command
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – Covenant of Circumcision
Jews circumcise their male children
because it is God’s will. The command is
one of the earliest of the 613
commandments of the Torah (Gen 17:1012a)
-
Within Space & Time
Genesis 17:10-12a
This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between
me and you and your offspring after you: Every male
among you shall be circumcised. You shall
circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be
a sign of the covenant between me and you.
Throughout your generations every male among you
shall be circumcised when he is eight days old.
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – Covenant of Circumcision
Clearly Circumcision is a sign of the
sacred pact between God and his people
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – Covenant of Circumcision
Identity
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – Covenant of Circumcision
Jewish identity is conferred on both male
and female by birth, not by ritual.
Traditionally a child is considered Jewish
if he or she is born of a Jewish mother.
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – Covenant of Circumcision
The permanent mark left on the male
body as a result of the act of circumcision
carries strong connotations of identity.
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – Covenant of Circumcision
This identity is further enhanced by the
bestowing of a formal Hebrew name
during b’rit milah.
Within Space & Time
B’rit Milah – variations?
Ashkenazi Jews – longer ceremony …
Reform Judaism (19th Cen) – opposed but have
now restored the ritual
Orthodox & Conservative – additional
childhood ceremonies
Orthodox – 3 years of age – hair shaved &
weighed
Within Space & Time
Like Judaism, Islam also believes in
membership by birth and marks the
beginning of human life with
circumcision, an official naming, a
gesture of redemption, the cutting of hair
and its weight value donated to the needy.
Gwynne, Paul (2009) World Religions in Practice p. 124
Within Space & Time
A key element in religion’s claim to
provide an answer to the riddle of life is
its insight into the meaning of death.
Within Space & Time
Resurrection of the Body
Within most forms of Judaism it is imperative that
the bodies of deceased Jews are prepared for burial
in a manner that accords with Jewish Law
Within Space & Time
Dressing the Body
The primary purpose of the hevra kadisha
(holy society) is to insure that the bodies of
deceased Jews are prepared for burial in a
manner that accords with Jewish law.
Within Space & Time
Dressing the Body
White shroud: identical for all Jews, stressing the
equality of all persons before God.
Pants: have no pockets, emphasising the total
severance from the material world.
Kittel (Jacket): represents humble contrition for sin
and the fervent hope of God’s mercy.
Tallit (Prayer Shawl): with one tassel cut to symbolise
the loss of life.
Within Space & Time
Dressing the Body
Apart from obedience to the divine command,
a prompt burial shows respect for the dead and
provides psychological closure for the family.
Within Space & Time
Death
Some variation –
Reform Judaism has permitted cremation as
an option
Orthodox Judaism allow the ashes of Jews
who have been cremated to be placed in a
Jewish cemetery
Within Space & Time
Death - Resurrection
Some streams of Jewish theology see human
existence beyond death involving not only an
immortal soul but also a resurrected body.
Within Space & Time
Resurrection
A pre-existing Jewish concept!
Within Space & Time
Resurrection
Sadducee party – maintained that it could not
be part of Jewish belief since it is not expicitly
mentioned in the Torah
Pharisees – accepted the notion on the basis of
other biblical references – especially Daniel
12:2 which speaks of the last days
Within Space & Time
Resurrection
Book of Daniel – written during the
Maccabean wars (167 – 164 BCE)
The non-canonical books of the Maccabees
also explicitly mention the notion of God
raising the bodies of the dead on the last day
Within Space & Time
Resurrection
The concept of resurrection originated in
Persian Zoroastrianism
Within Space & Time
Resurrection
After the destruction of the Temple in 70CE,
the Pharisaic school prevailed and became the
fountainhead for the new rabbinic form of
Judaism.
Within Space & Time
Resurrection – divergence of views
Orthodox Judaism emphasized the need to
reserve the body for final resurrection.
Today they disapprove of processes that
compromise the integrity of the corpse such as
autopsy, organ donation, and cremation.
Within Space & Time
Resurrection – divergence of views
Reform Judaism reject a literal understanding
of bodily resurrection – consequently,
cremation is permitted in Reform communities
Within Space & Time
Resurrection
The practice of burial follows logically from
the doctrine of resurrection.
Within Space & Time
Jewish Kaddish Prayer
The recitation of the Jewish Kaddish Prayer
for a certain time after the funeral reflects the
Jewish belief that the efforts of the living can
benefit the dead.
Within Space & Time
Jewish Kaddish Prayer
May His great name grow exalted and
sanctified in the world that He created as He
willed.
May He give reign to His kingship in your
lifetimes and in your days, and n the lifetimes
of the entire Family of Israel, swiftly and son.
Amen
Within Space & Time
Jewish Kaddish Prayer
May His great Name be blessed forever and
ever.
Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled,
upraised and lauded be the Name of the Holy
One. Blessed is He beyond any blessing and
song, praise and consolation that are uttered
in he world. Amen.
Within Space & Time
Jewish Kaddish Prayer
May there be abundant peace from Heaven
and life upon all Israel. Amen.
May He, who makes peace in His heights,
make peace upon all Israel. Amen.
Within Space & Time
Life after death
Olam haba is state of spiritual perfection beyond
human imagination, like the joy of the Sabbath
multiplied a million times. Sometimes described as
the Garden of Eden. Only the holiest persons reach
this immediately after death. For most, the
prerequisite is a purifying process that the soul
undergoes in a place known as Gehinom.
Within Space & Time
Life after death
In Hasidic Judaism there is a notion that is
very similar to Hindu and Buddhist ideas of
the cycle of samsara – a series of
reincarnations – a reincarnation of the soul in
various bodies over time until the required
repentance is complete.
Within Space & Time
Life after death
In the predominant Jewish world view, the
person lives and dies just once, with
purification taking place at some point after
death.
Within Space & Time
Food
As corporeal beings in time and space, our
bodies need inner nourishment and external
protection. These two ordinary aspects of daily
life also constitute an important part of
religious practice and are thus invested with
extraordinary meaning.
Within Space & Time
Kosher
Like Hinduism, Judaism qualifies as a
“kitchen religion” – kosher is the common
term meaning “fitting and proper”.
Within Space & Time
Kosher
Kosher can apply to a range of religious
objects and processes, but in its narrow sense
it refers to food that is fit for consumption
according to Jewish law.
Food that is forbidden is designated as treifah,
which literally means torn.
Within Space & Time
Kosher
Which foods? It is important to note that food
is not rendered kosher by blessing prayers,
even though the recitation of prayer at
mealtimes is a vital part of Jewish practice and
an expression of profound gratitude to the
creator.
Within Space & Time
Kosher
The definition of kosher can be summed up in
the following seven fundamental principles:
Within Space & Time
Kosher - 1
Animal type is vitally important. According to
the Torah the only land animals that may be
eaten are those that have a divided hoof and
chew the cud. The Torah further specifies that
the only marine animals that may be
consumed are those with fins and scales.
Within Space & Time
Kosher - 2
The manner of death is relevant, at least for
land animals and birds. The animal is kosher
only if it has been slaughtered according to the
proper method – qualified ritual slaughter –
swift cut across the throat with a perfectly
sharp knife. The principle behind this is the
minimization of the animal’s distress and pain.
Within Space & Time
Kosher - 3
The Torah expressly forbids the consumption
of blood which is regarded as a creature’s life
source and thus properly belongs to the
creature. Carcasses are hung so that as much
blood as possible can be drained.
Within Space & Time
Kosher - 4
Certain parts of the animal are prohibited, in
particular the hind quarters that surround the sciatic
nerve and fat around the vital organs such as the
kidney and spleen. This is a constant reminder to the
Jewish people that their very existence springs from
the acknowledgement of God’s primacy by a
recalcitrant Jacob.
Within Space & Time
Kosher - 5
The Rabbinic tradition suggests that the
passage from the Torah: “Do not boil a kid in
its mother’s milk” is interpreted to mean that
the meat of land animals and birds must never
be consumed at the same time as dairy
products.
Within Space & Time
Kosher - 6
A consequence of Kosher 5 is that separate
kitchenware is used to cook both food types.
This could even mean a separate set of
utensils, dishes, towels, and tablecloths used
for meat and dairy foodstuffs.
Within Space & Time
Kosher - 7
A ban on grape products, such as wine and
grape juice, that have been produced by nonJewish sources. The aim of this law is once
again to distinguish Israel from its polytheistic
neighbours.
Within Space & Time
Kosher
The Hebrew term for holy “kadosh” is
etymologically related to the idea of
distinction and separation. God is the
epitome of holiness because God is
utterly unique and unrivalled.
Within Space & Time
Kosher
Many of the biblical kosher laws appear to
reinforce the difference between Israel and
other peoples. The people of God are a holy
nation in an unholy world, and the food laws
emphasize their unique status and calling,
setting them apart from the rest.
Within Space & Time
Kosher
These laws challenge the believer to exercise
the virtues of self-discipline and self-control.
They help the mind to channel desire in
correct directions. So it could be argued that
they are part of the call to moral goodness.
Within Space & Time
Kosher – another view
Hygiene and health are the real issues:
Separation of meat from dairy – reduces cross-contamination
Inspection of the lungs – check for diseases
Ban on eating carrion or animals that have died from natural
causes
Prohibition of pork – common source of trichinosis when not
properly cooked.
It could be argued that religious dietary law has been built on
ancient dietary prudence.
Within Space & Time
Kosher - divergence
The level of adherence to the food laws
varies considerably across Judaism –
Orthodox and conservative Jews are
more likely to practice kosher
meticulously
Within Space & Time
Symbolic foods – Seder meal
Celebrates the escape of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt under
the leadership of Moses.
Horseradish & bitter herbs – the bitterness of slavery
Salt water – tears of sorrow
Mixture nuts, apples & wine – mortar used by the Hebrew slaves
Shankbone of a lamb – God’s outstretched arm to pass over the Hebrew
homes
Green vegetable – for new life
A burnt egg – representing the Temple sacrifice
Four cups of wine – stages toward liberation
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah
The ritual of marriage is a rite of passage
that is commonly invested with religious
meaning and celebrated with religious
ritual.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah
The very first explicit commandment in
the Torah is the duty to procreate.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah
The two creation narratives powerfully
highlight the twofold purpose of marriage in
Judaism: companionship and procreation.
Marriage is a divinely ordained partnership
that fulfils the deep human need for intimacy
and flows over into the generation of new
human life.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah
In Jewish theology the notion of kiddushin – a
means of sanctifying each other in an
exclusive and faithful bond of love in
accordance with the will of God.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah
This kind of language presupposes monogamy
as the ideal form of marriage, and this is
reflected in contemporary Jewish Law – this
was not always the case:
Abraham, Jacob, David & Solomon
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah
The ban on polygamy is usually traced
to the Ashkenazi Jews around 1000
CE – probably influenced by the
surrounding Christian culture.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah
Sephardic Jews living in Islamic lands
were allowed to have more than one wife
in accordance with Muslim law.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah - some themes
Timing important issue for Jews …
Tuesdays are considered auspicious since
the Genesis Creation account declares “it
was good” twice on the third day.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah - some themes
Purification & a new start bride attends
the mikveh or ritual bath on the eve of
the wedding. On the day itself the couple
fast and then confess their sins as they
would do on the feast of Yom Kippur.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah - some themes
Huppah The wedding ceremony is
celebrated under an embroidered cloth
canopy supported by four poles known as
the huppah. The huppah represents the
new home that the couple will create out
of their mutual love.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah - some themes
Huppah The huppah is open on four
sides as a sign of hospitality to all.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah - some variation
Orthodox Judaism insist that the married
couple share the same Jewish faith in
accordance with the explicit biblical
prohibition on marriage to certain
gentile nations.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah - some variation
Reform Judaism will often allow such
marriages provided the children are
educated in the Jewish faith.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah
Marriage is a fundamental duty for all
Jews – an unmarried person is
considered incomplete.
Within Space & Time
Under the Huppah
The Sacred canopy, circling movements,
and a sevenfold blessing are also features
of Hindu wedding ceremonies.