Shabbat

responsible for one’s own actions, being eligible to read from the Torah as well as being able to lead or participate in a minyan, and many other Jewish responsibilities that are found in the Jewish law. This ceremony is usually held on “the first Shabbat after a boy’s 13th or a girl’s 12th birthday (“Bar and Bat Mitzvah” 1). It is the most commonly known Jewish ritual, and is only one of the many rituals that can be found in Judaism. What makes the Catholic confirmation so similar to the…

Observation #2: This is the only commandment not repeated in the New Testament. The other nine commandments are either referred to or expanded upon, but keeping the Sabbath is not mentioned. Why isn’t the Fourth Commandment repeated in the New Testament? What does that suggest? It suggests that there is an important distinction that must be made regarding the Sabbath day. Paul says in Colossians 2:16-17 that Old Testament laws, holidays, and festivals pointed toward Christ. When Christ came, the…

Jewish people and why they are important today. The book was a delight and interesting read, from learning about Avraham and his sons to different scriptures. I grew up in a moderately Jewish household. We kept kosher, or tried to at least, have Shabbat dinner, and would go to synagogue moderately. The pre-k both my brother and I went to was a Jewish one where yearly we would return for Hebrew school until our Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Year after year we learned about Rosh Hashanah or Purim or the…

Chanukkah, the Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the festival of lights, is an eight-day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, is probably one of the best known Jewish holidays, not because of any great religious significance, but because of its proximity to Christmas. Many non-Jews and even many assimilated Jews, think of this holiday as the Jewish Christmas, adopting many of the Christmas customs, such as elaborate gift-giving and decoration. It is…

There are a lot of correlations between the movie we just watched “The Chosen”, and the history of Judaism. The notion of a chosen people descended from Noah to Abraham, Moses, and David. Some examples of that are henotheism, Changing Abram’s name to Abraham, circumcision, and the Promise of Progeny. With Moses it was the covenant of law and love. David with being the “son” of God, and him being the first Messiah. The Jewish had 613 commandments while the Gentiles have 10. Being chosen means you…

In a world with countless viewpoints, defining wisdom can pose a challenge. While some wisdom shows truth universally, some wisdom can present itself as a problem of subjectivity. In the book The Chosen by Chaim Potok, the author uses this theme of wisdom to influence the protagonists of the story from the wisdom of two fathers. These fathers, however, differ in many key areas such as wisdom for life generally, wisdom in raising children, and wisdom for the world fraught with persecution of the…

Leon’s family and freed the Jews, also about how he escaped and how he became free. Leon’s family had suffered a lot but he responded and acted positively even in bad conditions. He explained, “Every Friday, without fail, my mother would light the Shabbat candles just long enough to say the evening blessings...During those brief minutes, with the glow of the candles, I felt a connection not only to my family beside me but also to my family in Narewka, to my favorite grandfather, and to happier…

The meaning of Messianic Judaism is explained by Rabbi David Chernoff as “a movement of Jewish people who believe that Yeshua (Jesus Hebrew) is the promised savior (Chernoff 1).” The messianic movement welcomes the gentile or Christians and Jews alike to join together for worship. The rituals of the Messianic Congregation are the same as Judaism, including the observing of the traditions and holidays of the Jewish people with one main difference in belief. The difference being, in Rabbinic…

Sold. A four letter word that can give you a whole world of trouble. Packing, living in a maze of boxes, unpacking, packing again, living in a showcase home, packing, unpacking, packing, and moving house. It was in August 2016 when we first decided to sell our East Brighton home. Mum and Dad wanted us to be closer to school, so that we would not be required to wake up at 6:30am each morning, leave the house at 7:00am, and drive for 45 minutes to an hour each morning. My poor mum had to drive…

The Eucharist becomes the focus of chapters 9 and 10 of the Didache which concerns the thanks over the cup and bread. According to the Didache 9:2, over the cup one would say “We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of David your servant, which you made known to us through Jesus your servant. To you be the glory forever.” This formula of speech is derived from the Jewish blessing over the wine which in English goes "Blessed art thou, oh Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the…