Jewish Traditions: A JPS Guide

Contents

Contents Preface xxi Language xxiii Life-Cycle Events The Stages of Life 3 First 16 Years of Life 4 Birth 4 Customs 5 Circumcision 7 History 8 Laws 9 Ritual 10 Rationale 12 Medical Correlation 13 Simchat Bat 13 Names 14 Biblical Period 14 Talmudic Period 16 Medieval Period 17 Modern Period 18 Customs and Rituals 19 Pidyon ha-Ben 20 Historical Origins 21 Ceremony 21 Adoption 22 Bar Mitzvah 23 Bat Mitzvah 26 Confirmation 26 Marriage 28 Jewish Marriage 28 Biblical Period 28 Rabbinic Perspective 29 Marriage Ceremony 32 Biblical Period 32 Talmudic Period 32 Medieval Period 34 Other Customs 41 Wedding Ring 43 Ketubah 44 Breaking the Glass 45 Shadchan 46 Harmonious Married Life 47 ix Obligations and Rights of the Husband 48 Prohibited Marriages 48 Prohibited and Void 49 Prohibited but Valid 50 Levirate Marriage/Halitzah 52 Intermarriage 54 Sex 57 Premarital Sex 57 Male Homosexuality 58 Female Homosexuality 60 Divorce 62 Jewish Concepts of Divorce 62 Biblical Period 62 Later Developments 63 Divorce Other Than by Consent 64 Right of the Wife to Demand a Divorce 64 Right of the Husband to Demand a Divorce 66 Consequences of Divorce 66 Get 67 Compelled Delivery/Receipt 69 Conditional 69 Agunah 70 Death 74 Death and Dying 74 The Dying Process 75 Angel of Death 77 Preparation for Burial 78 Hevrah Kadishah 78 Tahara 79 Shroud 80 Coffin 81 Funeral Service/Burial 82 Biblical Period 83 Customs 84 Funeral Service 84 El Malei Rachamim 87 Cemetery: House of Eternity/House of Graves 88 Memorial or Headstone 89 Mourning 91 Keriah 92 Aninut 93 Meal of Consolation 94 Shivah 95 Sheloshim 99 Yahrzeit 100 Yizkor 101 Suicide 103 x Contents Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide 105 Euthanasia 105 Assisted Suicide 108 Cremation 109 Modern Issues Concerning the Dead 110 Autopsy 110 Organ Donation 112 Afterlife and the World to Come 114 Biblical Period 114 Talmudic Period and Midrash 116 Medieval Period 118 Kabbalistic Concepts 119 Modern Jewish Thought 120 Who Merits an Afterlife? 121 Summary 121 Sabbath and Festivals Sabbath 125 Overview 125 Historical Antecedents 125 In the Torah 125 Prophetic Perspective 126 Rabbinic Period 127 Later Jewish Thought 128 Kabbalistic Perspective 128 Restrictions 130 Work 130 Carrying 133 Travel 134 Pikuach Nefesh 135 Observances 136 Kindling the Sabbath Lights 136 Kiddush 138 Challah 141 Sabbath Meals 142 Zemirot 143 Liturgy 145 Lekhah Dodi 146 Havdalah 147 Special Sabbaths 152 Shabbat Shuvah 152 Shabbat Shirah 152 Shabbat Shekalim 153 Shabbat Zakhor 153 Shabbat Parah 153 Shabbat ha-Hodesh 153 Shabbat ha-Gadol 154 Shabbat Hazon 154 Shabbat Nachamu 154 Contents xi Festivals and Fasts 155 Overview 155 Pilgrimage Festivals 155 Common Features of Festivals 157 Intermediate Days (Hol ha-Mo’ed) 160 Second Festival Days in the Diaspora 160 Hallel 162 Jewish Calendar 164 Rosh Hodesh 166 Birkat ha-Hodesh 167 Kiddush Levanah 168 High Holy Days 171 Repentance (Teshuvah) 171 Rabbinic Period 171 Medieval Period 174 Kabbalistic Concepts 177 Hasidism and the Musar Movement 177 Modern Period 178 Selichot 178 Thirteen Attributes of Mercy 180 Elul 182 Rosh Hashanah 184 Customs 189 Shofar 190 Avinu Malkeinu 196 Musaf Amidah 197 Tashlikh 203 Ten Days of Repentance 204 Yom Kippur 206 Synagogue Services 208 Kol Nidrei 210 Confessionals (Vidui) 213 Avodah 218 Ne’ilah 220 Customs 222 A Day Like Purim 225 Fall Festivals 227 Sukkot 227 Sukkah 228 Four Species 231 Hoshanot 233 Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) 234 Ushpizin 235 Water-Drawing Ceremony 236 Hoshana Rabbah 237 Liturgy 238 Customs 238 Shemini Atzeret 239 xii Contents Prayer for Rain 239 Simchat Torah 240 Winter Festivals 244 Hanukkah 244 Customs 246 Kindling the Hanukkah lights 248 Maoz Tzur 250 Tu b’Shevat 252 Purim 254 Historical Antecedents 255 Customs 256 Shushan Purim 260 Fast of Esther 261 Archetypal Characters in the Book of Esther 261 Spring Festivals 264 Passover 264 Historical Antecedents 265 Hametz 266 Song of Songs 269 Seder 271 Omer Period 293 Lag ba-Omer 294 Yom ha-Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) 295 Yom ha-Zikaron 296 Yom ha-Atzmaut 296 Yom Yerushalayim 297 Shavuot 298 Fast Days and Summer Observances 303 17th of Tammuz 303 The Three Weeks 304 Tisha b’Av 304 Tu b’Av 307 Tzom Gedalyah 308 10th of Tevet 309 Synagogue and Prayer Synagogue 313 Overview 313 Early History 313 Post-Exilic Period 317 After the Destruction of the Temple (70...