Judaism & Ritual (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note

Birth rituals in Judaism

The importance of rituals in Judaism

• Ritual and ceremony are important features of Jewish practice

• Rituals that mark important stages of human life, such as birth, marriage, and death, are called rites of passage

  • Each of these stages has a Jewish ritual to accompany it

• Many of these traditions date back to Biblical times and therefore the participants are playing their part in the unfolding history of the faith

• Rites and rituals enable the person going through the stage to have a greater understanding of its importance and makes God present with them

• It also allows the wider community to share this significant experience and to show their support for the person and family

Birth rituals

• The very first command or mitzvah God gave to the first humans was that they should have children

Brit milah

The purpose and importance of Brit Milah

• Brit Milah is the Hebrew term used to describe the religious circumcision of boys at 8 days old or of males converting to Judaism

  • Circumcision involves the removal of the foreskin and is a traditional Jewish practice 

  • Circumcision dates back to Genesis, when God commands Abraham to circumcise himself and his offspring 

• Circumcision is a ‘sign of the flesh’ - a mark to show the covenant between Jews and God

• It is a mitzvah - a commandment that all Jewish males undergo to enter into the covenant

• It is important because it brings a child into the Jewish community

• It shows the parents that they have the support of the whole community as they bring their child up in the Jewish faith

The nature of Brit Milah

• The Brit Milah ceremony for boys

  • It can happen at home (if ten adult males are present to make a minyan), in the hospital or in the synagogue

  • It is carried out by a circumciser known as a mohel (male) or in some Reform communities a mohelet (female)

  • The mother presents the baby to the bearers, known as kvatters

  • They carry the boy to the sandek

    • The sandek is the person chosen to hold the baby for the ceremony. This is a position of great honour; often the grandfather is chosen as sandek

  • The father recites a blessing to recall the reason for the ceremony

  • The mohel circumcises the boy and recites a blessing

  • The baby is handed back to the kvatters

  • There is a meal to celebrate the child’s entry into the covenant

• The Brit Bat naming ceremony for girls

  • Girls in the Orthodox tradition have a naming ceremony in the synagogue

  • This happens on the Shabbat after the baby’s birth

  • There is a blessing and welcoming for the child, who is named by the rabbi

  • There is a celebratory meal after the service

Divergent understanding of Brit Milah

• For Orthodox Jews, Brit Milah is a mitzvah and all male Orthodox Jews are circumcised

  • Any adult male who converts to Judaism must also be circumcised

  • However, according to the halakhah, any male child who is born Jewish is to be considered a Jew, even if uncircumcised

• Some Liberal and Reform Jews do not believe the covenant with Abraham was to be interpreted literally, but spiritually

  • Therefore some do not circumcise their baby sons

Bar & Bat Mitzvah ceremonies in Judaism

Bar Mitzvah

The purpose and importance of Bar Mitzvah

• The term Bar Mitzvah literally means "Son of the Commandments"

• At age 13 a boy becomes Bar Mitzvah 

• Bar mitzvah ceremonies are important because they are seen as the time of coming of age

• They mark the transition into adulthood for young Jews

• After the ceremony the Jewish boy: 

  • becomes responsible for living according to Jewish Law and obeying the Mitzvot in the Torah

  • should set a good example for others

  • participates fully in services at the synagogue

  • can be counted as part of a minyan

  • may wear the tefillin

The nature of Bar Mitzvah

• Traditionally, a boy’s Bar Mitzvah will take place on Shabbat, but many will hold the Bar Mitzvah service on a weekday morning as well

• The Bar Mitzvah service will usually be held at the synagogue, though some may choose to hold it in a private venue

• During the Bar Mitzvah ceremony:

  • At the start of the ceremony, the boy will recite a blessing

  • There is a reading from the Torah, which the boy may give

  • The boy’s father will read the words: ‘Blessed be he who hath freed me from the responsibility for this child’

  • The rabbi gives a talk, speaking to both the boy and his family and to the rest of the community

  • The boy might also give a talk to the people gathered

• After the ceremony, there is usually a celebratory meal

• It is traditional for the boy to receive gifts

Bat Mitzvah

The purpose and importance of Bat Mitzvah

• The term Bat Mitzvah literally means 'Daughter of the Commandments'

• At age 13 a girl becomes Bat Mitzvah

• Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies have the same meaning and importance to young Jewish boys and girls 

• They are seen as the time of coming of age

• They mark the transition into adulthood for young Jews

• There are divergent approaches to Bat Mitzvah for Orthodox Jews and Liberal and Reform Jews

• In Orthodox Judaism

  • The girl attains Bat Mitzvah at age 13, the same as the boys

  • Girls may not assume the same duties in the synagogue

  • They do not 

    • make up a minyan

    • read the Torah in the synagogue

    • wear the tefillin

  • Therefore the ceremony cannot contain the same elements as the Bar Mitzvah

  • Often girls at an Orthodox synagogue will have a group ceremony where a rabbi will bless them collectively and each girl will read a passage they choose from the Tenakh

    • This is known as Bat Chayil or Daughter of Worth and this title is used in place of Bat Mitzvah in these synagogues

• In Liberal and Reform Judaism:

  • Girls are treated the same as boys and therefore the Bat Mitzvah ceremony is exactly the same as the boys’ Bar Mitzvah

  • Girls will read from the Torah as part of their Bat Mitzvah

Jewish marriage rituals

The purpose and importance of marriage in Judaism

• Jews are expected to marry and have a family because the Torah teaches that they should 'be fruitful and multiply' (Genesis 1:28) and because of the teachings in the Torah:

• The purpose of marriage is to fulfil the mitzvoh in the Torah

  • A man and woman should be united and have children

  • They should share sex with one another in the way God intended

  • They should be united in love and companionship

  • They should set up a Jewish home which is a suitable place to raise their children and carry on the Jewish faith

• Marriage is considered essential for a person to be complete, according to the Talmud which says:

The nature of the marriage ceremony

• The couple fast before the ceremony as repentance for past sins

  • The marriage will sanctify them; it is a fresh start and their sins can be forgiven

• The ceremony takes place under the huppah, the wedding canopy

  • This symbolises that they are united under one roof in a new home

  • It is open at the sides to show that they are open to the support of friends and family

  • The couple meet here and drink wine from the same glass, which is blessed by the rabbi

• The couple exchange rings. The groom uses these words:

• This makes the marriage lawful according to the Halakhah

• The ketubah, the marriage contract is read

• The rabbi recites seven blessings over a glass of wine and the couple drink from the same glass

  • This symbolises that they are now united and will share everything

• The bridegroom then stamps on the glass to break it

  • This shows that in the middle of joy, some people have sorrow. It also recalls the destruction of the Temple

• There is a wedding reception for the family to share the couple's joy

Divergent understandings of the marriage ceremony

• There are differences in the marriage ceremony for different traditions, but most Jewish marriage ceremonies contain similar features to those described above

• A Jewish wedding ceremony can only occur between two Jews, and so if a non-Jew wants to marry a Jew in a religious ceremony, they must convert to Judaism

  • However, some Liberal and Reform synagogues have ceremonies specially designed for mixed marriages of Jews and non-Jews

Jewish mourning rituals

• Judaism deals with the huge event of losing someone's life in four stages:

• At the point of death

  • The family gather if possible to help the person pass away peacefully as a Jew

  • They will recite a special prayer, and the ideal way to die is with the last line of the prayer on the person's lips

  • The prayer ends with the words of the Shema: 'Hear O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one'

• Between the moment of death and the funeral

  • Jews follow the example of Jacob in the Torah, who 'tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days' after the death of Joseph (Genesis 37:34)

    • This means they will make a tear in their clothes as part of the mourning ritual

  • The synagogue has a burial society called the chevra kaddisha which helps the family to prepare for the funeral, which happens as soon as possible after the person's death

  • Several rituals prepare the person for burial:

    • There is a ritual washing

    • The body is wrapped in a plain linen shroud and their tallit

    • They are placed into a plain coffin

    • Someone stays with the person at all times until the funeral

  • The funeral is a simple service with readings of the Psalms, prayers, and a speech about the person

  • Immediately after the funeral, the coffin is buried in a cemetery

    • Family members will take turns placing dirt onto the grave, and then all mourners will do the same, to fulfil the mitzvah that people should help to bury the dead

    • The mourners will wash their hands and leave the cemetery after this because contact with the dead is considered unclean

• After the funeral

  • There is a period of mourning known as avelut

  • The first seven days of this are shiva or extreme mourning

    • Mourners stay at home, sit on low chairs, and cover mirrors in the home

    • They burn a candle because of the teaching in Proverbs that 'the candle of the Lord searches the soul of man' (Proverbs 20:27)

    • People visit from the synagogue and bring food

  • The next three weeks are known as sheloshim

    • The family returns to normal life, but no celebrations are allowed

    • Male mourners go to the synagogue every day and pray kaddish, the prayer recited publicly by mourners

    • A simple headstone is set up in the cemetery to show that all people are equal in death

  • The twelve months after the death are a solemn period of mourning for the parents of the deceased, and they will recite the kaddish as part of synagogue services

• The anniversary of the death

  • Each year on the date of the person's death, the mourners remember them

  • This is called yarzheit and a candle is lit and the kaddish is said

Divergent understandings of mourning rituals

• Orthodox Jews will observe each stage of the mourning process strictly

• Reform and Liberal Jews may think that some of the stages are outdated in the modern world

  • They might think that tearing clothes is unnecessary and instead would just wear black clothes or a black ribbon as a sign of sorrow

  • They might allow more time to pass before holding a funeral to allow family members to make arrangements to attend

  • They may not stay in the house for seven days after the funeral; they may sit shiva for only one day

  • They may not cover the mirrors in the house

• There are divergent opinions on the question of burial or cremation

  • Orthodox Jews would not allow cremation, because they believe the Torah teaches that only burial should be allowed

  • Liberal and Reform Jews may allow cremation