Halakha

Founded in the 1700s by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov. Form of Orthodox Judaism. The word Hasidism means “pious one” in Hebrew. Worldwide, over 1 million people identify as Hasidic Jews. Mainly found in the northeast United States and Israel. They live with other Hasidic Jews in a community called a “court.” Each court has a leader called a Rebbe, who is the final authority. Men wear beards, sidelocks, black hats and long coats. Speak Yiddish; Hebrew is too holy to be spoken. Women dress modestly…

Orthodox and Hasidic Judaism have similar and contrasting characteristics in terms of worship, values, and beliefs. Orthodox Judaism is distinguished by the rules and traditions that they follow. On the contrary, Hasidic Judaism branches off with its differentiating values and forms of worship. Nonetheless, Orthodox Judaism can also be compared with the practices and beliefs of Hasidism. Orthodox and Hasidic Judaism share comparable beliefs, practices, and characteristics, but can be…

Our trip to the Jewish synagogue in Nashville, TN was cultural trip that taught us how the Jewish people lived, the different holidays, the different sects, and the different laws of the church. I learned the Jewish traditions and how the traditions have evolved from America. The lady who spoke to us in the Jewish synagogue was very passionate about her religion. She lives close to the synagogue because of religious purposes. She had strong views and told us about the life of a Jewish. She…

Jewish Variants There are three major variants within Judaism. These three variants are conservative, progressive and orthodox. Conservative Judaism seeks to preserve Jewish tradition and ritual, but has a more flexible approach to the interpretation of the law than Orthodox Judaism. Progressive Judaism has reformed or abandoned aspects of Orthodox Jewish worship and ritual in an attempt to adapt to modern changes in social, political, and cultural life. Orthodox Judaism is a major branch…

A. Equipment Kosherization 1. I knew that there are various equipment regulations, but I was surprised by the countless and detailed regulations about food equipment, such as the use of pots, 24 hour rule, glass, recycling, and more. Among these, I was surprised by the how the use of pots rule is significantly strict. From this, since the rule requires the use of three different pots, I was wondering if most of Jewish families have at least three pots in their kitchen. 2. I was also surprised…

During Yom Kippur, or the day of atonement, Jews normally fast, miss work, and say a certain prayer. They fast to ask God to forgive them for their sins that happened during the year. Yom Kippur is also the holiest day of the year in Judaism. The inmates discussed the situation, and were in to try to decide if they would fast, in the book Night by Elie Wiesel. “Some said we should fast, precisely because it was dangerous.” (Night page 69) To me, this would make no sense. They were already in so…

Many Jewish (Hasidic?) traditions appear in The Chosen by Chaim Potok. All throughout the book, they play a big role in what Danny and Reuven, the main characters, must go through. Often, Danny is the one who has the traditions almost forced on him. However, because Reuven became Danny’s closest friend, much of it affects him too, at least to some extent. Danny specifically struggles throughout the book, as much of his life has been picked for him by his family according to their traditions. In…

How do Reform Judaism and Orthodox Judaism compare regarding homosexuality? Reform Judaism has embraced and are very supportive of same-sex marriage equality. Orthodox Judaism is the opposite and are against homosexuality and see it as a sin. Although the two religions were based upon the same beliefs they have very different views on this particular topic. Orthodox Judaism is more outdated and still practice their old-fashioned ways. Reform Judaism is very modernized and accepting of modern…

Legal systems can be dated back to the ancient peoples. There are many different legal systems that have evolved in other parts of the world. There are two types of legal system, the secular and religious legal system. It is argued that the Australian legal system is radically different to other legal systems. This, however, is not the case through findings and comparison with the Madayin legal system and Talmudic Jewish legal system. There are many similarities found such as the outcome that…

According to “Yom Kippur” (1996-2011) website after entering the temple the high priest would perform a series of rituals to include the sprinkling of blood from sacrificial animals on the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Ten Commandment tablets. By accomplishing this ceremony the priest made amends and additionally asked for God’s forgiveness on behalf the people of Israel. The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. drew to an end this tradition and an adaptation of this ritual…