Judaism Jews religion is counted as a world religion and the oldest known
monotheistic (believe in one God) religion. It is sometimes called the
mother religion to Christianity and Islam. The Hebrew Bible Tanak is that
the Christians call Old Testament. Torah – law or doctrine –
is the first and the most important part of the Jewish Holy Scripture.
There are stories of creation, Cain and Abel, the Flood and Union between
God and Noah, Tower of Babel the three patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
Exodus and laws.
Moses is prophet he leads Jews – who then were slaves – out
from Egypt to the Sinai desert - 1200 century before Christ. The Jews
people concluded the union with God and received the Ten Commandments
at the mountain of Sinai. God’s rules to the human being are summarized
in Ten Commandments.
God is almighty but he has given up a part of the power by giving his
crown of creation, man, a free will. It comes then the man freely to choice
between good and evil and this choice use also the first human beings,
Adam and Eve, to break the Gods ban and eat the fruit of knowledge of
good and evil.
A synagogue is a Jewish assembly hall intended for worship and religious
studies.
Every synagogue has a bimah (reading desk) and a cupboard where Torah
is kept. A synagogue is always built so that Torah – cabinet is
situated to east towards Jerusalem.
There are many restrictions of food, what is allowed, pure food is written
in Moses 3:11.
Bar mitzvah is called the time when Jewish boy reaches his religious full
age, which is for boys 13 years old. It is usually to honour the occasion
by attending church and to be entered to bless Torah and sometimes to
read a part from Torah. Equivalent of the girls is called bat mitzva.
The Jews keep the Sabbath at sunset on Friday night to the darker on Saturday
evening. At the Sabbath they have prayers in Synagogue and the special
rules for Sabbath are valid so Sabbath cannot be broken. They are not
allowed to work during the Sabbath.
There are three main direction within Judaism: Orthodox Judaism which
follow Torah totally, Reformative Judaism that bring in line the Western
civilization, Conservative Judaism that is a way between the extremes.
Today there are 14 million Jews spread all over the world.
The marriage is a holy covenant that is closed in the presence of church
and God. Every married couple shall strive for a home where harmony and
good will rule. The ring that you give to each other is a symbol that
binds the couple together in love. Before marriage ceremony the bridegroom
signs the marriage agreement where he promises keep to his wife. When
the whole ceremony is finish the bridegroom puts a glass on the floor
and break it with his feet.
The glass symbolizes how fragile the marriage is and the destruction of
Jerusalem. As difficult as it is to repair the glass as difficult shall
it be to divorce.
The woman is regarded to have her most important role at home and have
not the same duty of attendance at the synagogue as the man has. In accordance
of the Jewish society the man has greater rights but also more obligations
than the woman. Israel’s history shows many powerful and energetic
women but usually the woman is at home. According to the Bible the man
is responsible for support woman and her satisfaction of the sexual need.
The bible says definitely that unfaithfulness is forbidden. “You
shall not make an adultery”, reads one of the Ten Commandments it
is regarded as a most serious sin not just against the man or the woman
in question also against God.
If there is bitterness and constant struggle in spite of the repeated
attempts to create harmony at home then it is better for the couple divorce.
The Jewish divorce is based on a biblical direction and procedure that
is carefully decided by Halacha.
The sexual relation between the man and wife during menses and seven day
after the period is finished. During this period should the man and the
woman not sleep in the same bed, because of this it is better to have
separate beds instead of double bed in the Jewish home.
