Studies of Religion

One of the Synagogue service’s most unique aspects across all variations is its sparse use of symbolism. This is derived from Exodus 20:5 where God stated, “Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals.” As a result of this definitive scriptural commandment, the only symbols present during a service is the Torah which is decorated in a belt, velvet coat and silver accoutrements to symbolise the significance of the word of God as well as the “Ner Tamid” which is the eternal light that hangs above the ark in every synagogue. The Ner Tamid symbolises “God's eternal and imminent presence in our communities and in our lives” and is associated with the “continuously-burning incense altar which stood in front of the ark in the Temple in Jerusalem...” which is also referred to in Exodus 27:20 “Tell the people of Israel to bring you pure olive oil for the lamp stand, so it can be kept burning continually.” All other symbols in the Synagogue are “memorials” of times that have gone before and are often used as an attempt to replicate what may have been in the Temple of Jerusalem thousands of years ago.

Judaism uses scripture as an essential part of their rite of public worship, as during the Synagogue service, readings from sacred texts such as the Torah are undertaken and such public professions of religious fervency is seen as one of the most important and pertinent aspects of this rite and Judaism in general. The reading of the Torah occurs Monday, Thursday and Saturday and can be undertaken only in daylight hours with different sections of the Torah being recited each week to ensure the entire book is completed by the conclusion of the year. This harks back to the days of Moses who instituted this practice by dividing the Torah into fifty four parts with each to be read on Shabbat. In the Orthodox variation, all readings are recited in Hebrew and any reading of the Torah can only be done by an adult male whom is wearing his kippah, tallit and tefillin. The Reform and Conservative variations are more lenient in this sense, with the Torah being read in the native language of the culture as well as the allowance of females to recite passages of the sacred texts. On Saturday morning across all variations, readings from the Book of Prophets are recited, which is known as the Haftorah or “Addition to Torah”. This is significant as it derives from when the Greeks ruled Israel, and Jews were forbidden to read the Torah, and they instead, started to read the Prophets which contained similar ideas to that of their Torah, and thus contemporary Jews acknowledge the courage of their ancestors and continue to practice this customary recitation.

In Christianity the officiating celebrant differs substantially from that of Judaism with the individual offering prayers to God on behalf of the congregation whom he presides over and thus acts very much as an intermediary between God and the parishioners. The officiating celebrant in Catholicism is an ordained male priest who must take the vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience which forbids him to marry, have sexual relationships and dissuade from any teachings of his superiors and God. This allows him to be totally committed to serving God and his congregation, and thus lead the rite of Eucharist in the most revered way possible. Anglican and Baptist variants, however, don’t follow such stringent rules, with the allowances of marriage and families for their ministers as well as in some cases giving females the opportunity to be ordained celebrants, which is much like the Reform and Conservative variations of Judaism. The officiating celebrant’s role differs to that of Judaism in regards to the recitation of sacred texts within the rite, in that only the ordained priest or minister is entitled to read the Gospel (New Testament) and no lay person is permitted to do so in Catholicism, Anglicanism or Baptist. This derives from the fact that the Gospels are the Word of God and as such should be revered and respected, and by restricting its reading to a person of faith, it heightens the significance the Gospel plays within the rite. The officiating celebrant is also called upon to, in Catholicism and Anglicanism, during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, both perform the act of transubstantiation, that is turn the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus, as well as administer these products to the congregation. In the Baptist denomination, however, the act of transubstantiation is rejected and as Luke 22:19 states "…do this in remembrance of me", communion is seen as a purely symbolic practice which affirms the followers spiritual connection with Jesus Christ. Not unlike the Rabbi, the officiating celebrant is obliged to deliver a sermon or homily, as to endeavour to contextualise the message of the Gospel to our contemporary times as well explain any of the ambiguity’s that may have arisen in the readings and as such, the priest or minister is in the educator mould of the Rabbi for a short period of time.

In contrast to Judaism, Christianity utilises many symbols throughout the church including various statues, stained glass windows, candles and so on. The most prominent symbol, however, during the rite of Eucharist, is the crucifix in Catholicism, or the simple cross in the Baptist and Anglican variants. It is usually in an outstanding position so it is clear for viewing which emphasises its ability to act as a memoriam of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice in Mark 15:33, to ensure the people who are in the church practicing the rite at the time are saved. As in Judaism, Christianity employs an eternal lamp throughout all variations which is never extinguished, as to symbolise the continuous presence of God and Jesus Christ within the rite. Baptist churches tend to shy away from the use of symbols in their communion services for cultural reasons, whereas the use of statues depicting Jesus and to a lesser extent Joseph and Mary as well as other miscellaneous saints and Popes are often adulated throughout the rite in the Catholic and Anglican denominations which is in stark contrast to that of any Jewish Synagogue service.

The “Liturgy of the Word” is a major part of the Eucharist service in all variants of Christianity which, as a result, ensures that the sacred writings of Christianity, which is The Bible, are given the utmost significance within the rite. While the contents of the Bible may differ between Catholicism and its Protestant brothers, two readings from the Old Testament and a reading from the New Testament is read at every service. Like Judaism and Torah readings, the Gospel readings are structured so that the entire New Testament is covered in the course of a year as to expose Christians to the complete message of Christ. The two readings from the Old Testament are usually read by people chosen from the congregation, whereas the Gospel can only be read by the officiating celebrant. The significance of the sacred writings are also emphasised in the physical actions within the rite, firstly when the celebrant enters the place of worship led out by an Acolyte whom is holding The Bible above his head, as well as when the celebrant kisses The Bible in recognition of its holiness and place within the rite.

Both the Synagogue Service and the Mass are two significant rites that through their idea of public or communal prayer or worship utilise things like symbolism, celebrants and sacred writings to make present the central beliefs of either Christianity or Judaism. While there are obviously some differing aspects to each rite when comparing the traditions, it is noticeable that the main purpose of such rites is to worship God through prayer in a community that holds similar beliefs and as a result deepen the individuals spiritual connection with their God.

Reference List

• Holm and Bowker. (1994) Rites of Passage, Pinter Publishers, New York.
• Morrissey et al. (2001) Living Religion Second Edition, Pearson Education, Australia.
• Kadden. (2004) Teaching Tefilah, A.R.E Publishing inc, New Jersey
• Meek. (2003) The Synagogue Phaidon Press, New York.
• Falcon. (2001) Judaism for Dummies, Hungry Minds, New York.
• Ask Moses.  (1998), (Site contents copyright © 1998 - 2005 AskMoses.com)
• WELS.   (2001), (© 2006 WELS. All Rights Reserved)
• Marshall. (1994) The Catholic Priesthood and the English Reformation, Oxford University Press, Britain
• Andrews. (2002) The Cux of the Struggle : The Cross as Catalyst, Zadok Institute for Christianity and Society, Victoria.
• Fr James O'Meara, St Finbar’s Sans Souci
• Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio, Temple Emanuel, Bondi Junction.
• Rabbi Shlomo Chein, Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem.

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