Jewish rites jewish rites of passage are diverse in their historical development and reflect the dynamic relation between social conditions, local customs, and the continued reinterpretation of classic texts. Rites of passage from biblical to modern times samuel and althea stroum lectures in jewish studies. Next, the priest will trace the sign of the cross over the babys forehead. Rites of passage in the rastafarian culture a rite of passage is a ritual or ceremony signifying an event in a persons life. As in all cultures, the birth of a child is an occasion for joyous celebration in judaism.
A blessing is also delivered for the well being of the mother and baby. Burial is to take place as quickly as possible, ideally less than twentyfour hours after death. Jewish rites of passage are diverse in their historical development and reflect. One of sixteen dances in the southeastern native american male rite of passage. As this is happening he will say i baptize you in the name of the father, and of the son and of the holy. The birth of a jewish daughter is celebrated by the father being called to the reading of the torah in the synagogue on the first sabbath or monday or thursday when the torah is read after the birth.
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. Essay on the rites of passage within judaism 2722 words 11 pages the rites of passage within judaism a examine the rituals and teachings which are associated with circumcision and bar mitzvah 20 marks two very important rites of passage within judaism are circumcision and bar mitzvah, both of which are only for boys and happen during childhood. They usually involve rituals or ceremonies to mark significant moments in a persons life, such as birth, adolescence, marriage and death. If the child was born a female then the baby is named at this time. This book is a comprehensive guide to jewish rites of passage that mark off special. The body is washed with warm water, symbolizing the. Drawing from both traditional and contemporary jewish sources, this book explores jewish lifecycle passages such as birth, barbat mitzvah, conversion, marriage, illness, and the end of life. Judaism has rites of passage for different events in a jewish persons life. The various rites of passage rituals in different cultures. Holidays in the jewish faith include shabbat, rosh hashanah, yom kippur, sukkot, chanukah hanukkah, purim, pesach passover, and shavuot.
The quest for contemporary rites of passage, carus publishing company, chicago, 1996 the ceremony is conducted by men determined to be holy by the tribe. Naming ceremony for a girl for a girl, its a naming ceremony usually done the first day the torah is read since the birth. Celebrating lifes transitions tis the season of graduations, and families everywhere are celebrating accomplishments and launching children into new grades, new ventures, new. Thus, when a sacred book is no longer usable, it is not treated as refuse. An article looking at jewish birth rites, including circumcision. A crosscultural look at adolescent rites of passage helps us take a look at our own rite with new eyes. There are five rites of initiation that all hindus go through when they are born. Describe each rite of passage and compare them to those of judaism and islam.
Baptism is an act of adoption to the christian society, more or less like an acceptance to the family of christians. Usually, this event is representing the transition from one stage in life, on to the next stage. Jatakarma birth ceremonies plus others in childhood. Baptism at its most basic, involves a holy water poured tenderly down your forehead, a blessing from the priest, and the pronouncement. The word baptism is derived from the greek language baptismos, meaning washing. Learn and also educate the reader about rites of passage in christianity. Despite slight differences depending on the sect of buddhism, these rites are a way for people to commit themselves to the path of the buddhas teachings. The first communion is a rite of passage where lutheran youth, usually spanning from ages 514, undergo a ceremony acknowledging eucharist as the genuine taking. Only one rite, that of circumcision, derives explicitly from a commandment, or mitzvah pl. The halakhah concerning women in labor and the historical descriptions of the birth process in jewish literature determine the special significance of the exciting moment of delivery. The terms celebration and renewal reflect judaism s positive perspective on the unending circle of life from conception through death and back again to life through the continuity of the generations. In judaism it is a religious requirement, based on a divine command. When a daughter is born the father has the honor of blessing the reading of the torah, an aliyah, at a synagogue on the first sabbath. This book is a comprehensive guide to jewish rites of passage that mark off special days of the individuals life.
There are also life rituals, which are birth, adulthood, marriage, and then death. Birth rites brit milah rites of passage gcse religious studies. The parents will reply with the full name of the baby and that they want baptism. Here i explore the many collective meanings that jews assigned to these events throughout history. This is like an invisible badge to show that christians are united with christ and must not be ashamed to stand up for their faith in him. There are no special birth ceremonies but the naming of a boy is associated with the rite of circumcision which takes place on the 8th day. Jewish boys and jewish girls have different rites but the two main rites that jewish children go through is circumcision and baby naming. Farrer, the mescalero girls puberty ceremony, page 240 of mahdi, louise carus. Jewish rites of passage also dictate that a girl becomes responsible for her own religious.
Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Male circumcision is known and practised by many peoples. Circumcision is when a jewish boy only removes the foreskin of their penis and is usually done when they are a child. It takes place approximately from the middle of september to the middle of october. Circumcision is most prevalent in the religions of judaism, islam, the coptic orthodox church, the ethiopian orthodox church 1 and the eritrean orthodox church. The deceased person is lain on a lon board, and the feet face towards the door. Baptism is when a candle is lit to signify that jesus is the light of the world. You can see the feather sticks being utilized here also. Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. Rites of passage in the rastafarian culture research paper. The baby would be handed to a kohein a priest and the parents would recite a hebrew formula. The hindu rites of passage is all about making their minds pristine and reinforce their spiritual existence. Indeed, the first commandment in the torah is to be fruitful and multiply genesis 1.
Judaism has rites of passage for different events in a jewish persons life for example, a baby girl is named publicly in the synagogue on the first shabbat after she is born. Learn and revise about jewish rites of passage from birth to death with bbc bitesize gcse religious studies. Family and friends gather to bare witness, and impart wisdom, support, love, and strength in these crucial transitions. Rites of passage the ceremonies that bind the faithful. The brit milah circumcision ceremony is an important initiation rite for young jewish boys. Birth rites of passage gcse religious studies revision. Four cross cultural examples of adolescent rites of passage. Highlight how each rite of passage is important to the religion. The body is ritually cleansed by volunteers from a community organization known as the chevra kadisha, or holy society, and buried is white shroudsand. Holy communion, also known as eucharist, is the second among the two religious sacraments lutherans and many other christians take throughout their lives, the first being holy baptism. These are instructions for jews on how to live a good and pious life. In narratives such as the birth of isaac to sarah and abraham, the narrator.
After that, he will pour the holy water over the babys head at the font. Although some traditions mention ten rites of passage, or up to sixteen or occasionally even more only four are currently popular, namely. The rite of passage where a jewish boy or girl becomes an adult by learning hebrew in order to read the torah to the congregation. All jewish boys are traditionally circumcised on the eighth day after birth. In celebration of her birth, they prepared a great feast, and invited all their friends, relatives, and the wise folk of. Religious circumcision or male genital mutilation generally occurs shortly after birth, during childhood or around puberty as part of a rite of passage.
Many of the customs observed by jews are stated in the torah or have been handed down from the past and are marked with religious observances. Circumcision is a religious obligation on jews recalling the covenant. Furthermore, it symbolises the destruction of jerusalem and the holy temple. At the very beginning of creation, the almighty ordained to the parturient woman, you will bear children with sorrow eruvin 100 this the eternal punishment. Rites of passage rituals celebrate the transitions in ones lives. The rites of passage were considered essential for preserving the purity of the individual and of the social system. Todays episode deals with rites of passage around the world, from bar mitzvahs to the lesser known tongue stabbing ritual in papua new guinea. Jewish girls dont go through circumcision however, the brit milah circumcision is very significant for young jewish boys. Judaism has extensive customs and rites for mourning the loss of a relative. For example, a baby girl is named publicly in the synagogue on the first shabbat after she is born. Brit milah, literally, covenant of circumcision, also called a bris, refers to a religious ritual through which male babies are formally welcomed into the jewish.
Birth, marriage, and death from birth to death, in every country on the globe, for tens of thousands of years, the rhythm of human life has been accentuated by the practice of religious ritual. Meditations on the rites of passage from birth to immortality. Birth these rituals were connected to the change of status and transitions in life a person experiences, such as birth, marriage and death. In sanskrit book with various beautiful poems the word samskara means, making perfect and therefore, the the ceremony of refinement is raising the child passed their physical limits. A baby is born or adopted into a jewish family, and through that, into a covenantal community. Then the priest will make the sign of the cross on your childs forehead with the holy water. This separation is the same as the regular monthly separation. Rites of passage celebration of birth by sue curewitz arthen 1990 once, there was born a baby who brought such joy to her parents that they could hardly contain themselves. Boys will be named on the eighth day after birth, as part of the rite of circumcision. The father also asks blessings for the health of mother and child. In the days of the temple, when considerations of ritual purity were more important, a woman was considered partially impure for an additional period of 33 days after the birth of a male child and 66 days after the birth of a female child. Jewish tradition and customs help define the most significant rites of passage in the life of a jew. Jewish practice has ceremonies for the birth of a child, for the passage from childhood into adulthood, a wedding ceremony that includes the signing of the ketubah a marriage contract and the.
Even at the close of a period of mourning, one jew says to another, af simchaslet us come together again at times of joy. Hinduism has their own rites of passages and is named samskara. It is a rite of passage as part of the jewish education of a young. There are no special birth ceremonies but the naming of a boy is associated. From the birth and naming of a child, through death and the world to come, ceremonies and rituals attend to the different stages in life. Enjoying the festive meal or seudah is considered a sacred obligation.
This was based on a story in the talmud an important text of judaism, second to the torah when a wedding got out of hand, the father smashed a glass to calm things down. It involves a significant change of status in society. It is written for the general reader and for the scholar. The main holidays are rosh hashanah, yom kippur, and chanukah. This is our first born son, and the holy one, blessed to be god, has commanded us to redeem him. Religious people often have ceremonies to mark changes that reflect the change from one part of their life to another. Just as most other religions from those in tribal societies to those in developed nations buddhism has specific rites of passage for its devotees. Essay on the rites of passage within judaism 2722 words. A jewish child is usually named jewish if the mother is considered a jew.