What is Religious History Made Up Of?

Before a person can learn about a certain religion, he/she must first get to know what its beliefs and ideologies are. Although it’s not that easy to learn everything overnight, if you thoroughly study about it, you’ll gain more insights about that religion after a while. The same is true for Judaism. Judaism, which is the religion of the Jewish people, follows these general beliefs.
God and Prayer

This religion is monotheistic. This means that its members only have one God. Jewish people believe that God is present everywhere, every time. Prayer is the main method of connecting to God. Each Jew has his/her own unique personal relationship with God. Jews also believe that every person was created in the divine image of God. Every person has been given unlimited potential to do good in his/her lifetime. Everyone is equipped with freewill to be able to make his/her own choices. Each person is also believed to be responsible for the consequences of the choices he/she makes.
Community

Members of the Jewish community strongly uphold unique connection with each other. They believe that wherever part of the world they may be, they belong to one global Jewish community where they treat each other as brothers.
Torah

The Torah refers to the Jewish bible. Containing stories and commandments, the Torah is the most essential text of Judaism. It is where you’ll find the 10 commandments along with the 613 mitzvot commandments. The 10 commandments are the most important rules in Judaism followed by almost all Jews. They are simple and very easy to understand. These include the following:

First commandment: I am the Lord your God

Second commandment: You shall not recognize the gods of others in My presence

Third commandment: You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain

Fourth commandment: Remember the day of shabbat to keep it holy

Fifth commandment: Honor your father and your mother

Sixth commandment: You shall not murder

Seventh commandment: You shall not commit adultery

Eighth commandment: You shall not steal

Ninth commandment: Do not give false testimony against your neighbor

Tenth commandment: You shall not covet your fellow’s possessions
Messiah

This religion also teaches its members that one day a Messiah will come to unite the world and bring peace. Although this is not the central focus of all the Jews’ beliefs, many believe that God’s second coming will be in the form of a Messiah.

Are you thinking of giving your baby a Jewish name? Before you browse through the ideas below, it’s a must to know how Jewish names are derived. For one, most Jewish people give names to honor their family.

The Ashkenazi Jews or the Jews of Eastern European and German descent name their children after deceased relatives. Sephardi Jews or those who descended from the Iberian Peninsula name their children after grandparents, regardless of whether they are living or deceased.

Modern parents have become more creative in naming their children after relatives. Sometimes, they just use the first initial of the relative’s name. Sometimes, they choose names that have similar meaning to the name of the relative.

It’s also a common practice to draw names from the Bible or from other sources like from the Hebrew and Yiddish languages. Here is a list of baby boys’ names and their meaning. A list of baby girls’ names follow afterwards.

For baby boys:

Akiva – to hold by the heel

Amir – treetop

Ari – lion

Asa – healer

Asher – happy and blessed

Barak – lightning

Boaz – strength

Dodi – beloved

Doron – gift

Ehud – love

Eliyahu – the Lord is my God

Ezra – help

Feivel – bright one

Gavriel – God is my strength

Hillel – to praise and glorify

Koren – shining and beaming

Lev – heart

Malki – my king

Nissan – miracle

Noam – loveliness and kindness

Noaz – daring or brave

Reuven – “behold, there is a son!”

Selig – happy

Sofer – writer

Tamir – tall like a palm tree

Uriel – God is my light

Zev – wolf

For baby girls:

Adara – exalted, praised, or noble

Adina – small and fragile

Aliza – gift of joy

Aliya – to ascend

Ariel – lioness of God

Beyla – beautiful

Bluma – flower

Danna – God is my judge

Dara – compassion

Davida – beloved

Dorin – gift

Eliana – my God has answered

Elinor – my light is God

Gittel – good

Liora – light

Malka – queen

Marni – rejoice

Maya – water

Nava – desirable

Nessa – miracle

Naomi – pleasant

Raya – female friend

Reina – clean and pure

Roni – my song

Shalom – peace

Sheina – pretty

Shiloh – his gift

Tovah – good

When choosing a Jewish name for your child, it’s important that you study not only the meaning but also the origin of the name. When your child grows up, explain to him/her the choice of name that you’ve given him/her so he/she can share it with friends why he/she was named as such. Be sure too that if you’re going to pick a nickname, choose something that complements your child’s name and its meaning.

Jewish weddings are known not only for their beauty but also for their intricate traditions. Some of the traditions that you’ll see during a Jewish wedding include:

• During the procession, the bride and the groom walk side by side with their parents. After the wedding, the rabbi is the first one to walk out. He is followed by the groom with his parents. The last to walk out are the bride and her parents.
• The entire ceremony happens under the chupah. This is a canopy that stands on four poles. It is the symbol of the bride and groom’s home that will “always be open to guests.”
• The wedding ceremony comes in two parts. In the first part, the rabbi recites a blessing over a cup of wine that the bride and groom share in drinking. This is the time when they become betrothed and the groom puts the ring on the bride’s finger. The other part, which is called Sheva Brachot, includes seven blessings recited over a second glass of wine. Relatives and friends may be invited to recite the blessing in honor of the couple.
• There is also a wedding contract called ketubah. This is read under the chupah right after the ring was put into the bride’s finger. This contract is often framed and displayed in the home of the couple. It used to be written in Arabic but nowadays most wedding contracts are written in Hebrew.
• To conclude the ceremony, the groom (and sometimes the bride too) breaks a glass with his foot. This tradition represents the longevity of the marriage, for as long as the glass is broken, the marriage will stay intact. Although some interpret the tradition as a need to remember people in suffering and the destruction of the second temple in the middle of the joyful celebration. Upon breaking the glass, the guests would shout, “Mazel Tov.” This translates to “good luck.”
• More traditional weddings also include the Kabbalat Panim and the Badeken ceremonies. During the Kabbalat Panim, the bride and groom would have separate receptions. After that, the two will join in the Badeken ceremony, wherein the groom puts a veil over the bride’s face to symbolize that he loves her not only for her outer beauty but also for her inner beauty.

These are general traditions practiced in most Jewish weddings. Take note though that not all Jewish couples practice all these traditions. Some also incorporate personal touches and modern practices into the ceremony.

Judaism refers to the religion of the Jewish people. It encompasses their beliefs, philosophies, traditions, and way of life. About 13 million Jewish people follow this religion. Among its traditions are the high holidays that include the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Rosh Hashanah

Also called the Jewish New Year, this holiday takes place for two days, falling in the month of Tishrei (seventh month in the Hebrew calendar). It celebrates the anniversary of the world’s creation. It is also during this day that God decides on the fate of each person—to live or die, to have a good or bad year. This holiday also marks the start of the Ten Days of Repentance (Teshuvah), which happens until the start of the Yom Kippur. During this time, people are encouraged to ask forgiveness from other people whom they have offended during the previous year. The prayer service during the Rosh Hashanah is very long. It runs from early morning up to the afternoon. A unique prayer book called the Makhzor is used. Some of the most well-known prayers from the liturgy of Rosh Hashanah include the Unetaneh Tohkef and Avienu Malkeinu. The first prayer reads about life and death while the other one literally means “Our Father Our King.”

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, which is also referred to as the Day of Atonement is the holiest day in Jewish tradition. It is the finale to the Teshuvah. The main purpose of this holiday is for people to repent before God seals the fate of each human being. It is believed that by asking for repentance from God, people can be absolved of their sins and start the new year with a “clean slate.” Longer than the prayer service during the Rosh Hashanah, the prayer service for the Yom Kippur starts in the eve of the celebration with a song called Kol Nidre (All Vows). The song is about asking for forgiveness for promises made but were not kept. The prayer service lasts until nighttime. Apart from the prayer, the holiday also includes a 25-hour fasting. It begins one hour before the Yom Kippur and ends after nightfall on the day itself. Not only are people forbidden to eat or drink, they must also not engage in any sexual relations. They also cannot take a bath or wear leather shoes. Children younger than nine years old, pregnant women, and people who just came from an illness are exempted from fasting.

Yom Kippur, also referred to as the Day of Atonement, is one of the two High Holy Days for the Jews, the first one being the Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur takes place ten days after the Rosh Hashanah. It falls on the 10^th of Tishrei. Tishrei is the Hebrew month that happens around September to October.

The main purpose of this day is to reconcile people and God. According to the beliefs of the Jews, this is the day when the fate of each person is decided upon by God. While it’s an intense holiday, many still see it as a happy celebration, as it is when people who observe the tradition well, are able to make peace not only with God but also with other people.

This holiday has three primary parts: Teshuvah, prayer, and fasting. Teshuvah, which means repentance, is an integral part of the Yom Kippur. The ten days from the Rosh Hashanah up to the Day of Atonement are otherwise known as the Ten Days of Repentance. During this time, Jews go to people they have offended to ask for their forgiveness. This enables them to start their new year with a clean conscience.

If the other party does not grant the forgiveness requested, the person should ask at least two more times. According to the rabbis, people should not withhold their forgiveness especially for offenses that did not bring about any irreversible damage.

Many people believe that their sins from the past year can be forgiven by God through prayer and fasting. But Jewish traditions say that only the sins made against God can be forgiven through these methods. Because of that, if a person commits an offense against another person, he/she must ask forgiveness to the one he/she offended before participating in the services during the Yom Kippur.

Another essential part of the Yom Kippur is prayer. The Day of Atonement is actually the Jewish year’s longest synagogue service that starts on the eve of Yom Kippur. The song entitled Kol Nidre (All Vows) signals the start of the prayer. The prayer is called Al Khet and is repeated to ask forgiveness for sins committed during the previous year. Moreover, the celebration also includes 25 hours of fasting. Although there are other fasting days in the Jewish calendar, the Yom Kippur fast is the most important to observe according to the Torah.