The Jewish Holidays; The Jewish Life Cycle

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neighbors involved not only tolerance which has become a somewhat negative word not understanding since knowledge is the only basis for true understanding riverside radio has undertaken to bring you authentic information about one group of our neighbors the jews in collaboration with the jewish theological seminary of america we have arranged a series of programs that will tell you about the jewish holidays and the jewish way of life this is the first programme in the series dr see morsi go associate professor of theology in the seminaries rabbinical school well talk to us about the jewish life cycle from the right of circumcision of the final rites of burial dr segal is a graduate of the university of chicago and was ordained as a rabbi by the jewish theological seminary of america he also hosted result master and author of hebrew literature from seminary now with his discussion of the jewish life cycle here is dr segal in the vision of judaism the

jew was surrounded by the commandments would serve as guides through like the ordinances of his people accompanying him like maps and caucuses guiding and comforting instructing an inspiring him in the crucial events of his life anthropologists speak of rites of passage in judaism these rights have their roots in the ancient tradition formed out of the covenant between god and the people of israel when a child is born it is of course the occasion of great joy in the family on the eighth day after birth every male child is expected to enter into the covenant through the right of circumcision this goes back to the biblical ordinances related

and recorded in the seventeenth chapter of the book of genesis the circumcision is a sign of the covenant put in the flesh to symbolize the attachment of the people of israel with the god of israel as such it is not considered nearly as a surgical procedure it should be performed by a person who is of course expert in the three rules of hygiene and medical science but also he should be one who is highest and learned the circumcision is performed on the eighth day as described in ancient tradition when according to many authorities the pain will be at a minimum and in an aura of sanctity and with ancient and hallowed ceremony there should be a minion or ten adult prison which is a necessary quorum to perform religious

rights the great new law or the feast of circumcision is an occasion of joy and as the child is brought in the assembled greet him with the salutation well how bopp welcome eu comes after the ceremony is completed accompanied by the appropriate blessings and prayers the child's hebrew name is announced this name will be used by the family especially when religious rituals are involved and through circumcision the job carries a constant reminder of the fact that his own self perpetuation and that of his offspring are not only is but that he and his family his pledge to serve the almighty god when a girl is born the father goes to the synagogue at the earliest

opportunity there he is called to the torah a reading from the scroll of the law after the reading is completed a blessing is pronounced for the new mother and the new daughter the name of the child is now announced this gives their name to the whole ceremony which is called giving a name in the portion of the comet known as the ethics of the fathers that curtail vote there is a saying that recalls the statements in world literature describing the ages of man it the mishnah begins in the following way at five years of age the study of scripture at ten the study of the mission or

the aural all the obligation to study holy writ as well as wisdom is fulfilled early in the life of the child the parents see as their prime responsibility the instruction of their child end we need to provide him with a teacher and to bring him to school in olden days the first day of school was marked by a colorful ceremony and was a great event if not for the child at least for the parents the youngster was wrapped in a prayer shawl and brought to the teacher to begin his instruction he was given sweets to indicate how sweet the words of color akbar and after he had mastered the intricacies

of reading the hebrew script he was introduced to the study of scripture and then to the rabbinic writings the mission continues at thirteen subject to the commandments to them its vault at thirteen years of age every male jew is considered to be a bar mitzvah literally a son of the commandment the meaning of this is that he is at this age legally responsible as a member of the jewish community is obligated to fulfill the commandments as far as he can do so and he is counted in the minion or quorum and can recall to the torah in the synagogue at thirteen the war he becomes a bar mitzvah but from that age and forward he remains a bar mitzvah until the

end of his life now he begins the life of observance and commitment to the covenant of israel in our synagogues the occasion is marked by a formal ceremony on the sabbath and immediately following his thirteenth birthday the child goes to the synagogue and it's called to the reading of the scroll of the law he recites the blessings and usually reads the torah or the prophetic portion of the week this marks him as a full fledged member of the community the ceremony is usually followed by a banquet or reception in which friends and relatives join in the festivities as one author has put it it is that is the bar mitzvah no sense a sacramento right it confers

nothing imparts nothing creates nothing it merely celebrates when the fledgling bar mitzvah stands up in the synagogue and reads his portion he is in fact in much the same position as the citizen who goes to the polls for the first time that citizen is not there by acquiring citizenship always doing albeit with an extra flourish is to exercise for the first time one of its peculiar and particular privileges close quote the elaborate ceremony is secondary indeed was hardly known before the middle ages what is primary is the recognition of the obligation of becoming a member of the community of israel in many modern congregations a similar

ceremony is absurd for girls reach thirteen years of age this ceremony it's called a baht mitzvah meaning the daughter of the commandment and it is in most respects like the one that celebrated for her brother during the past one hundred years under the initial impetus of the reform movement in judaism many synagogues conservative and even orthodox hold a ceremony known as confirmation during the feast of weeks the shriveled festival which in the jewish calendar is the occasion when the beginning of the law is commemorated this ceremony usually marks several years of additional study after a bar mitzvah or a bar mitzvah and has the quality of a graduation with an affirmation of faith

the enumeration of the ages of man which we alluded to and which is farmed in the mission continues at fifteen the study of tall wood at eighteen marriage early marriage is where the rule in the oriental setting all time you think civilized nation this tradition was continued even until modern times in various parts of the world however change economic and educational conditions have made it necessary to postpone the age of marriage for several years after eighteen jewish tradition has enveloped the right of marriage with sanctity and holiness the names for the ceremony in hebrew are reducing and he's suing

both words are derived from roots meaning holiness and being uplifted and it is a favorite text of jewish creatures to point out that the marriage relationship sanctify is an uplift it's the two people about to be in life together in many communities the engagement was celebrated with an event known as tonight him or conditions it was a time when the two families met and decided on the details of a wedding and in what manner of assistance would be rendered to the newlyweds after their marriage marriage itself it looked upon as a primary duty and flows from the first commandment imposed on the first human care by god where he instructed them be fruitful and multiply the

wedding may take place at any day of the week except the sabbath or festivals and any time of the year except during periods of national mourning in the jewish calendar these periods of mourning are the interval between passover and shriveled known as the saffir a period and the three weeks preceding to shabaab which occur usually in the middle of the summer these recall catastrophes which we felt the jewish people in ancient times and therefore it was thought that it was not appropriate to have a joyous occasion such as a wedding during this period but even during these times there are some days in which the marriages can take place and reform and conservative rabbis are in general more lenient about the prohibition against having weddings on certain days during the

period of mourning before the wedding ceremony the bride and the groom and their parents and the witnesses assembled for the signing of the tuba or wedding contract in which the mutual obligations of pride to groom and groom to bride are written and attested to the bride is veiled and the ceremony begins the most striking feature of the ceremony is this who probably or canopy under which the couple stand and indeed the whole ceremony is sometimes called likud the ceremony this whole bar may be placed in the home or even outdoors in our time it is most customary to have the ceremony in a synagogue a scuba is said to symbolize the home the couple is about to

establish the preliminary blessings are read over a cup of wine in which reference is made to the right of marriage the bridegroom then places a ring which should not contain diamonds in order that all brides might be equal as they come under the wedding canopy the bridegroom besides the traditional formula as he places the ring on the finger of his pride the whole darn wedded to me by this ring according to the religion of moses and the people of israel we get to work or marriage document was then read partially in the ancient aramaic language and usually in an english translation be efficient grades and less as a couple and two liver is a short

homily or sermon pointing out the responsibilities of marriage and the ceremony then continues with the recycled of week seven blessings again over a cup of wine one of these blessings reads as follows cause i'll just loving couple to rejoice exceedingly even as the old nuggets make my creature adam to rejoice in the garden of eden at the conclusion of the ceremony it is customary for the bridegroom to break a glass wearer time the whole assemblage usually says together mazel tov good luck the customer breaking the glass is understood to symbolize the destruction of the sanctuary and the pain of the world which should be brought to mind even during the most happy butt of occasions the ceremony is usually followed by a resplendent wedding feast and

joyous dancing and singing in the prophetic writings the union of man and woman in marriage is an analogy of the most exalted of relationships the covenant of israel we've got our mission which outlines the ages of man after prescribing marriage at age eighteen continues as follows at twenty percent of the livelihood at thirty the peak of strength at forty wisdom at fifty able to give counsel at sixty old age creeping in at seventy four most of years and at the age of strength old

age and fullness of years in jewish tradition are synonymous with wisdom we are commanded to honor and revered those who are older and as a man grows older he grows in wisdom and therefore it is to the benefit of the younger to hearken to the older to pay them the respect of courtesy and the consideration of counsel old age is not a time of retirement from life or withdraw from the affairs of men is a time of strength of spirit and imparting wisdom but the ages of man come to an end and death inexorably approaches that you as expected to die as he had lived with the consciousness of god he ends his life with the declaration of faith which is the watchword of the community of

israel schmeiser trail hero israel the lord is our god the lord is one the body it's prepared for burial by if ever had the show a holy fellowship which performs the tartar or cleansing by watching with water and buy clothing the deceased in shrouds the shrouds or tawdry him are to be as simple as possible in order to avoid to avoid distinctions between the rich and the poor league male is wrapped in his colleague or prayer shawl burial should take place as soon as possible during the day before sundown the funeral ceremony usually takes place in a specially designated apple which is

not connected to listen about it consists of readings from psalms an appropriate passages from scripture in traditional practice the body is not displayed or the coffin on covered as this may be considered as a mocking of the dead or looked upon as objects and whose dignity is thus diminished a eulogy is usually set in which the virtues of the sea star and you're a good and the course of his life is reviewed the service is concluded with the memorial for elmo iran from him in which perfect rest beneath the shelter of the divine presence is asked for the soul of the departed won at the serrate cemetery the coffin is borne by friends and relatives to the grave as a coffin is lowered into the grave the bystanders say may he or she

com to his or her place in peace the chief mourners usually the sun's recites a special form of the cottage which will thereafter he said buy them at every service in the synagogue for the next eleven months the kurdish does not mention death but is rather a prayer in which the name of god its sanctified magnified and sanctified be as great name in the world of which he has created according to his will me establishes kingdom in your lifetime and in your days in the lifetime of all the house of israel speedily an ever nearer time and say the imam that is great name be blessed for ever and ever may there be abundant piece from heaven and life for us and for all

israel and say er man and may you make this peace in those high places make peace for us and for all of israel the mourner in the depth of his grief is called upon to affirm the greatness and providence of god and to pray for the redemption of the world when the mortars return home they are served a special meal by their friends and neighbors and then they begin to observe the seven days of mourning during which time they remain at home do not wear shoes and sit on low benches friends and relatives come to comfort them and to speak about the deceased daily services are usually held in the house of mourning the mourning period continues after their shave up or the seven days of mourning for a period of a full year when one is mourning the death of parents and thirty

days for other relatives the garments of the mourners are torn as a sign of three and after the days of grief have passed it is customary to dedicate a tombstone over the grave and to remember the dead and the day of the anniversary of their death the art side as well as during the festivals when the special you score prayers are excited the us the life cycle of the jew is marked by custom and right by law and more whose purpose it is to relate the ebb and flow of life with the great spirit who has created the world this relation is the watchword of jewish living it starts at the very birth of the human being continues through his childhood adolescence use middle age and old age and death the ritual of judaism as in the

beginning with a human being in contact with the creator of the world the us to begin life anew in and i mention of eternity that was douglas the war segal associate professor of theology at the jewish theological seminary of america naca signal was the first speaker in a special series on the jewish holidays and the jewish way of life this topic was the jewish life cycle single copies of dr siegel's father available from riverside radio wypr in new york one or two seven or thirty eight broadway new york one hull to seven please send a self addressed stamped envelope with your request these programs are produced in cooperation with the jewish theological seminary of america whatever you are dr the fm station of the riverside

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