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14d Jewish practices - Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Hanukkah, and Passover

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Part four in a screencast lecture in four parts surveying Jewish practices. This part discusses these central Jewish holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Hanukkah, and Passover (Pesach).. http://tinyurl.com/religionsclass Screencast lectures by Dr. Dale Tuggy, for his INDS 120 World Religions - a college course surveying the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and introducing students to the terms and classic theories of Religious Studies.

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Latkes are often enjoyed during the Hanukkah holidays, but can be earn at other times of year.

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To show relevance of the named months throughout the Padlet

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Menorahs or lit for Hanukkah

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Selichot are poems and prayers that are said in preparation for the High Holidays and for major fasts. High Holiday Selichot is held really early in the morning; on the contrary to most Jewish services which are held in the day or early evening. Leil Selichot is the first day these prayers start and it is held after midnight the Saturday before Rosh Hashana in the Ashkenazic tradition. If, however, the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Monday or Tuesday, Selichot are said beginning the Saturday night prior to ensure that Selichot are recited at least four times. Prayer and communication with God is very important in the Judaism just like other religions.

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Shabbat is the most well known, but least understood of any Jewish observance. It can be thought of as a day of smothering restrictions or a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath. To Jews Shabbat is a valued god given gift, and a day of tremendous joy that is excitedly anticipated throughout the entire week. It is a time to set aside all the worries of the week and devote time to higher pursuits. It is the most important ritual observance in Judaism, and is the only ritual observance that is instituted in the Ten Commandments. It is mostly a day of rest and enrichment spiritually. Shabbat comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest. It is celebrated every seventh day. The Greeks believed the Jews to be lazy for insisting on having a “holiday” weekly, for a weekly day of rest was inconceivable in any other ancient culture where only the wealthy could afford leisure and the laboring class continuously worked. The celebration involved two interrelated commandments: remember(zakhor) Shabbat, observe(shamor) Shabbat. To remember Shabbat not only means to remember to observe it but to not forget the significance of Shabbat, both in honor of creation and in honor of freedom from slavery in Egypt. To observe Shabbat means to observe the idea of no work during the day of rest, but not in the conventional sense of the English word. The work Jews mean is any kind of action listed under the idea of Melachah, related to “melekh”. This idea can be expressed by the example of the work required in creating the universe, which God ceased from on the seventh day, note his work did not require a great deal of effort, for he spoke and it was done. Melachah is rarely used in scripture, but is used in the discussion of the building of the sanctuary and its vessels in the wild. Shabbat restrictions are restated during this discussion, so rabbis conclude that the work prohibited on Shabbat is the same work of creating the sanctuary, which sums up into 39 categories of forbidden work.

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Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first 2 days of Tishri the 7th month on the Jewish calendar (September/October). In Hebrew Rash Hashanah means “head of the year”, and is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This celebration is very different from the American midnight celebration; however, it is similar in the respect that it is a time of introspection. It is a time to look back on mistakes of the previous year and plan changes for the coming year. Rosh Hashanah is not used in religious texts, but is referred to as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). A shofar is a ram’s horn blown like a trumpet. One of the most important observances is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day; however, if the holiday lands on Shabbat the horn is not blown. As customary for many Jewish holidays work is not permitted and much of the day is spent in the synagogue. A popular observance is eating apples that have been dipped in honey as a symbol of the wish for a sweet new year. A common practice is Tashlikh (“casting off”) represented by walking to flowing water (i.e. river or creek) on the afternoon of the first day and emptying pockets into the water; this symbolizes the casting off of sins.

The New Year is on the 7th month when Nissan is the first month on the calendar. The calendar has many different “new years” that begin certain different events. Nissan is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of the kings and months on the calendar, while Tishri (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years (time when the year number is increased).

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Tu B'Av is both an ancient and modern holiday as it has gone unnoticed for centuries but was rejuvinated in modern times. Tu B'Av was originally a day of joy and for match-making unmarried women. Now, it closely resmbles Valentines Day. It is the 15th day of Av and a day daughters wore white and hoped to find a husband. In recent decades there have been festivals of singing and dancing on this day as well as weddings even though its often just a regular workday on the calendar.

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Major Holiday: Pesach (Passover) (PAY-sahch)

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Major Holiday: Pesach (Passover) (PAY-sahch)

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Pesach is one of the most commonly observed Jewish holidays. The holiday begins on the 15th day of Nissan the 1st month of the Jewish calendar (March/April). The celebration last 8 days, and on the first 2 and last 2 days work is not permitted. The name “Pesach comes from the Hebrew root Pei-Samekh-Cheit, meaning to pass through, to pass over, to exempt or spare. This refers to the idea that God “passed over” the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt. This celebration is also known as “the spring festival” and “the time of our freedom”. Agriculturally Pesach represents the beginning of the harvest season for Israel, but not much attention is often paid to this aspect of the holiday. The primary aspect of Pesach is related to the Exodus for Egypt after generations of slavery. One of the more significant observances is the avoidance of chametz, which commemorates the fact that when the Jews were in a hurry to leave Egypt they didn’t have time to let their bread rise. Chametz include anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, oats, barley, and spelt) that is not completely cooked 18 minutes after coming into contact with water. Some Orthodox Jews also avoid rice, corn, peanuts, and beans.

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Lag B'Omer takes place on the 33rd day of Omer, which is the 49 day period between Passover and Shavuot. It is a break from this semi-mourning period of Omer when Jews cannot have weddings or other celebrations. Lag B'Omer is considered a happy day in the midst of greif because in medieval times the plague ceased on this day. On this day people do things such as taking their children to play in the park, having large bonfires to represent the Torah, and of course get married.

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"Purim" Is a holiday celebrating the saving of Jews from Haman; who planned to kill all Jews in one day. "Shushan Purim" is the same holiday except it is celebrated a day later and only in Jerusalem since the fighting in Jerusalem continued on that day. Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar and Shushan Purim is celebrated the 15th day of Adar. This holiday is all about commemorating Jewish survival through the worst of times. This is a very festive celebration and one of the customs included is reading through the book of Esther where the story of Haman is found.

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Yom Kippur is probably one of the most important holidays in the Jewish year. The holiday is on the 10th day of Tishri; the 7th month of the Jewish calendar (equivalent to September/October). Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement” a day to “afflict the soul” or atone for your sins of the past year. The day is only for atoning for sins between man and God and not for those against another person. The day is a compete Sabbath: fasting (no eating or drinking), and no work. The fast is 25 hours long beginning the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after sundown on the day of Yom Kippur. There are other lesser known restrictions such as: no bathing or washing, no cosmetics or deodorants etc., and no leather shoes. The restrictions can be lifted in the event of a threat to life or health, and children under the age of nine and women in childbirth are not permitted to fast. It is customary to wear white, which symbolizes purity.

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Judaism has many "new years" and Tu B'Shevat is a holiday celebrating one of them. It's the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat and is also known as the New Year for Trees. The word "Tu" is not really a word; it is the number 15 in Hebrew, as if you were to call the Fourth of July "IV July" Tu B'Shevat is the new year for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing. In scripture, it says that fruit from trees may not be eaten during the first three years; the fourth year's fruit is for God, and after that, you can eat the fruit. Each tree is considered to have aged one year as of Tu B'Shevat, so if you planted a tree on Shevat 14, it begins its second year the next day, but if you plant a tree two days later, on Shevat 16, it does not reach its second year until the next Tu B'Shevat. A custom that is observed on this day is eating one of these new fruits.

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Hanukkah or Chanukkuh is known as the festival of lights or festival of rededication. The holiday last for 8 days and begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev (December). This holiday is one of the best known holidays to non-Jews, who often refer to it as “Jewish Christmas”. To Jews the holiday is not actually a very important holiday, nor is it mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is part of the book of Maccabees, which is not accepted as scripture. The only religious observance made in relation to the holiday is the lighting of the candles in a candelabrum called a menorah. The story of Hanukkah explains how under the rule of Antiochus IV Jews were relentlessly oppressed. Their religion was shunned and Hellenistic priests were placed in their temples. The Jews banded together against the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and the revolution was a success and the temple was rededicated.