Describe the history and symbolism of the festival Pesach.
26th November 2003 TITLE 4 - Passover A) Describe the history and symbolism of the festival Pesach It all started with Abraham in 2000B.C.E (before Christian era); God made a covenant (agreement) with Abraham - that he would worship only one God. God promised that he would make him a great nation. So Abraham moved his family to Canaan. Things were going well but then disaster struck Canaan and there was a great famine. Jacob one of Abraham's grandsons took the family to Egypt. About 3500years ago Jacobs family settled into Egypt. A sizeable country yet it had lost much of its wealth and the empire was falling. Until a new king came to the throne and decided that it was the Israelites fault that this was happening. He proclaimed that were a threat to the nation and announced they should all become slaves. All able bodies were put to work on the kings new building projects. Abraham many years before this knew it was going to happen since God had told him so, and had promised that someone would set them free. God chose Moses for the task, but he had fled from Egypt long ago. Yet Moses asked the pharaoh to let the slaves go and predictably he refused. Jews now remember this as 4days when God spoke out they commemorate it by drinking 4 glasses of wine during the seder meal. It is also reminding them of the slaves being beaten without mercy so it symbolises the blood. And also
The Impact of Chasidism on Judaism
What is the question? Though the world around us may be changing, basic human nature remains relatively constant. This can be seen in the texts Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Blade Runner by Ridley Scott. The two texts were composed about fifty years apart, in 1932 and 1982 respectively-however; they express very similar concerns about the different societies that they live in. Brave New World was composed after World War 1, The Depression and the Russian Revolution, after Henry Ford created the Model-T Ford and popularised the concepts of mass production and assembly lines. It was also a time when great scientific and technological advances were being made. This led to increased consumerism and less regard for personal relationships, as well as a desire for order and control. This pessimistic view of the world, where life was now seen as cheap and short, was, and what motivated Huxley to write Brave New World, a dystopian vision of the future wherewas his concern about the effects that this new technology was having on humanity, and his desire to warn the people of his time what could happen if the technological advances continued was given a voice.. The principles of assembly lines and mass production are shown to be applied to humans in chapter 1, which takes place in a laboratory where humans are 'created' (no,they are manufactured by science and technology;
Comparing Funerals
Comparing Funerals And The Way In Which Three Different Religions Mark This Rite Of Passage Death is when only the corporal matter of a life remains. When all vital functions and processes in a living organism cease: the heart stops beating. The brain stops thinking. There are many questions and answers considered as to what happens to us after death. Where do we go? Is there a judging superior being or existence? Do we even have a soul? Some religions preach that a person's soul or spirit leaves their body when they die, and passes into higher realm of existence. Others believe that a soul is reincarnated into another body, or living form to fulfil a certain task. And some believe that there is nothing post-death. The death of a human being is considered a sad moment, and a time for mourning and grieving. Although it is part of the life cycle and is something that must be accepted, the death of a person is regarded as a great loss. However it can also be seen as a new start, and the funeral being the celebration of their life. Many examples of written poems and quotes interpret the idea death in different ways. "Kicking the bucket" for example is a slang phrase, is personifies death as being the release of inner spiritual content: the water finally flowing out of the pail. "I was not, I have been, I am not, I do not mind" is a very mysterious quote by an ancient
Jews think the home is central as it is the place that most worship takes place.
Part 3 Jews think the home is central as it is the place that most worship takes place. It is looked at as a central place for the whole family to get together and worship as a family. They think it is central because it is the centre of all the worship that takes place especially during the Shabbat. Not all Jews follow the faith with the same discipline and attitude. This can lead to different behaviour and the ways in which the religion is worshipped. There are two types of Jews. Liberal Jews who are not as strict and don't necessarily follow all the guidelines to the Jewish religion, and then there are Orthodox Jews who follow the torah, Shema and Mitzvot and make sure they don't break any of the rules. Judaism concentrates on obedience and so all Jews, whether they are Liberal or Orthodox are especially keen on following guidelines and obeying the rules of Judaism. Sharing certain rituals can bring a family closer as they have to spend more time together and the majority of this time would be spent worshipping. When the mother lights candles on the dinner table during the Shabbat meal, shows a religious significance of women and the valued role they lead as a mother. The Kiddush is a holy moment, which is shared with the family. This is a time, which unifies and strengthens as all of the family focus on sharing objects with each other. The men usually lead this time
A01 Juadism
A01. Select, describe and explain the essential features to be found in a synagogue in different branches of Judaism. For my features, I have selected the Aron Hakodesh, the Bimah, and the Sefer Torah and the separation of men and women. Each of which I believe are very important features of the synagogue. In my opinion, the most important part of the Synagogue is the Sefer Torah or Torah Scrolls. The Sefer Torah is the scroll on which the first five books of the Tenakh are written. These are very sacred scrolls as they are the word of God and if one mistake is made on a section the whole section must be removed and put in storage or buried, similarly Torahs which are no longer in use are buried or put into storage as they are God's words so must be respected as such. In Sefardi communities, the Sefer Torah rests on two rollers and is kept in a heavy wooden or metal case, which is engraved and decorated. The two halves of the case open like a book to display the scroll. In Ashkenazi communities, the scroll is kept bound with a linen binder over which a velvet or silk cover placed. Often they also have a metal breastplate, which is decorated with Jewish symbols. Both often have crowns and bells to show its importance. In addition, both communities process the Torah and it is a great honour to be selected to do this. In Orthodox communities, only men can carry and read the
EXPLAIN HOW THE BIBLE IS USED IN CONGRIGATIONAL AND IN PRIVATE WORSHIP
EXPLAIN HOW THE BIBLE IS USED IN CONGRIGATIONAL AND IN PRIVATE WORSHIP AO1 The bible is used in Congregational worship as it has readings that are set out in the lectionary which is a day to day guide for the priest to tell him what readings to use this is produced by the Roman catholic church. The priest or minister can also get prayers directly out of the bible such as the lords prayer (our father who art in heaven...). The priest or minister can also make prayers up based on the teachings that can be found in the bible. The priest or minister may also say a benediction which is a blessing that is aimed at the congregation as a whole they are said at the of the service. Also in congregation they may be a choir that will sing psalms the congregation may also sing hymns based on certain parts of the bible. The congregation may also sing choruses which are often direct scriptures but they may also be based on teachings. Holy people may also preach to people in an attempt to get the congregation or the assembled crowd they usually preach to people to try and get people to turn to Christianity and to tell people of the miracles that Jesus has performed like the feeding of the five thousand. Preachers may also use certain texts such as the creation story ( Genesis 1:1-27 ) to turn people to Christianity. The minister is the person who leads the sermon and preaches from the
Explain how Jesus' teaching on the Sabbath would affect the lives of Christians today
Explain how Jesus' teaching on the Sabbath would affect the lives of Christians today. In this essay, I will be discussing how Jesus' teachings on the Sabbath have affected Christians today. There are many different denominations of Christianity in today's society; all of them have a different but similar way of worshipping God. Worship services vary from formal services with classical music and well-planned liturgical actions, to a small gathering just talking about God. There are various different Christian denominations that all celebrate the Sabbath in a different way. Yes, all these denominations accept that Sabbath is there to be a day of rest as it was for God but they each celebrate the Sabbath in a different way, The Church of England has a Eucharist, similar to the Catholic church, the Catholic church has mass every Sunday, the Methodist church has a service of bible readings and sung hymns and the Evangelical church has praise and worship in a celebration mass. Sunday is the day of rest in all denominations but mass is treated differently in each denomination. This might be because some Christian denominations don't agree with Jesus' laid back image of how the Sabbath should be celebrated to the same extent that other Christian denominations do, or they are trying to be more modernised and less strict than the founding Church of Catholicism.
Roles of the synagogue.
Part B- Roles of the synagogue The synagogue is a place for the Jewish people to worship God, or more particularly, where Jewish people can hear the Torah being read and pray to God. As well as functioning as a House of Prayer, or 'Beit ha Tefilah', the synagogue is also known as House of Assembly, 'Beit ha Knesset' and House of Study, 'Beit ha Midrash'. 'On three things the world stands', says the Mishnah, 'On the study of the Torah, on worship and on deeds of kindness'. This quote reflects the functions of the synagogue distinctly. 'The study of the Torah' is the reason the name 'House of Study' is given to the synagogue. The Torah is guidance to how Jews live; it is the fundamental basis of Judaism. 'On worship', the first commandment is to 'Worship one God', this shows the importance of worship and is the reason the name 'House of Prayer' is given to the synagogue. Worshipping together also gives more glory to God. 'On deeds of kindness', this is a suggestion of giving charity, and in a community you are and support one another. Charity suggests assembly because you gather together to show charity and 'deeds of kindness' to one another and others around. The synagogue is known as House of Assembly, 'Beit ha Knesset'. This reflects the fact that the synagogue is a place for Jewish people to meet together as a community. Jews share important facets of their lives with
Shabbat coursework
How does an orthodox Jewish family observe Shabbat? Shabbat: means to cease/rest Shabbat is the Jewish holy day it isn't as some may presume a day of rest as it is a day dedicated to thinking about the intentions of God .For Jews it is the highlight of their week and a joyous occasion. Shabbat runs from Friday evening at dusk to Saturday evening at dusk No work is to be done on Shabbat as God stopped creating on the 7th day and this includes lighting fires and carrying things out of the house to name a few. The Shabbat rules are however flexible as if furniture needed to be moved from one house across the street to share the Shabbat meal a board could be put up in the street and the whole street would become one house. Also all Shabbat rules can be put aside when saving a life or treating/preventing an imminent accident. Another reason for Shabbat is as a mark of their freedom from slavery in Egypt "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labour and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves
Festivals vs Pilgrimage in Judaism
Festivals v Pilgrimage "Celebrating festivals is more important than pilgrimage. Do you agree?" Festivals are an integral part of Judaism, they often commemorate past events, losses and historic victories. Orthodox Jews make a point of celebrating important festivals as a family, so that knowledge and tradition may be passed down to the next generation. In this regard, festivals are a key aspect of Jewish life, perhaps more so than pilgrimage. There are countless festivals in the Jewish calendar (perhaps not countless, but many) each celebrating or commemorating something different. Some may argue that without festivals to remind us, important historic events would be forgotten as generations wore on. Not to mention the fact that age old traditions would be lost. So yes, festivals are a very important aspect of Jewish life. Now, how do they compare when placed against pilgrimage? Firstly, it's always best to define one's terms; a pilgrimage is a journey, often over great distances that are made for religious reasons. Examples of famous sites of pilgrimage can be found in Christianity's St Peter's Church, in the Vatican, Rome. This is supposedly were the great St. Peter is buried and millions of Christians flock to it every year. An example of a Jewish site of pilgrimage is the cave at which the matriarchs (Sarah, Rivkah and Leah) and patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)