Chapter 4

A Path of Blessing: Judaism as a Daily Practice

In This Chapter

arrow Walking the Jewish path: It’s a mitzvah

arrow Connecting through prayer at the synagogue and at home

arrow Making sense of kosher dietary laws

arrow Adorning person and place with Jewish garments and symbols

Our wives have tried to get us to take yoga classes. We’ve read the brochures and heard the testimonies, and we know that it would be good for us. But, oy, it’s uncomfortable flopping around like a beached porpoise as more experienced classmates (not to mention the instructor) bend, twist, stretch, and generally look amazing.

How did those people get so good? The answer is obvious, but frustrating: practice. They showed up day after day, week after week, and slowly got better, looked better, and felt better. And, to those of us who grew up focusing on getting the job done and reaching the finish line, there’s an even more annoying aspect of these activities: There is no finish line. That’s why they call yoga — or martial arts, or meditation, or whatever — a practice: You’re always practicing, getting better, and going deeper.

Judaism, a religion that focuses far more on deeds than on beliefs, involves practices. When you’re new to the practice, it may feel strange. That’s okay. Keep practicing anyway. You may be surprised to find yourself opening to deeper meaning in your life — but it probably won’t help with your yoga postures.

Connecting With God and Community through Practice: The Mitzvot

You may have heard people say that Judaism is a way of life. Referring to Judaism in this way is apt because the religion is a set of practices. These practices, particularly when they’re vehicles through which an individual connects more consciously to God, are called mitzvot (mitz-vote; it’s the plural of mitzvah), meaning commandments or religious acts.

How does one discover the mitzvot? Through the halakhah — walking the talk of Jewish tradition (head over to Chapter 3 for more information on halakhah). Mitzvot make up the steps on the path of halakhah, along which a Jew discovers his or her connection to God as well as connections to the past, present, and future of the Jewish community.

Mitzvot consist of ritual as well as ethical acts, and they follow from the principles expressed in the Torah (see Chapter 3). Some practices, such as wearing a head covering (kippah or yarmulke; see Dressing for God: Jewish Garments and Clothing Customs later in this chapter), were developed more recently and fall under the category of minhag (custom); however, after so many years of practice these customs have become virtual mitzvot.

Undoubtedly the most famous mitzvot are the Ten Commandments. In Hebrew, these ten items are called either Aseret Ha-Dibrot (The Ten Statements) or Aseret Ha-D’varim (The Ten Principles). The Bible never refers to the practices specifically as commandments, perhaps because they were so basic and fundamental to the community. Here are the Ten Principles, numbered according to Jewish tradition (the Christian divisions tend to differ slightly):

1. I am the Eternal your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

2. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make a graven image.

3. You shall not use the name of the Eternal in vain (literally, for nothing).

4. Remember (and Observe) the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and your mother.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness.

10. You shall not covet.

remember.eps The seven universal mitzvot

When Noah’s ark came to rest after the devastation of the flood, tradition teaches that humankind received seven basic laws, called the Noahide Laws. These basic pillars of human civilization were to be observed by all people, not only by the Jews:

check.png Do not murder.

check.png Do not steal.

check.png Do not worship false gods.

check.png Do not be sexually immoral.

check.png Do not eat the limb of an animal before it is killed.

check.png Do not curse God.

check.png Set up courts and bring offenders to justice.

These are the central principles (mitzvot) that serve as the foundation for all the other mitzvot of Jewish living. According to Jewish tradition, there are 603 more.

613 habits of highly effective people

In the third century, Rabbi Simlai taught that God gave 613 commandments (also called the taryag mitzvot) in the Torah. He further divided them into 248 positive commandments (thou shalt’s) and 365 negative commandments (thou shalt not’s). The number 248 was believed to correspond to the number of organs and sinews in the human body; the number 365 corresponds to the number of days in a solar year.

Examples of positive mitzvot include

Believe in God

Love God

Study and teach Torah

Build a sanctuary for God

Participate at synagogue services

Say the blessing after meals

Spiritually cleanse in a ritual bath (mikvah)

Leave gleanings for the poor

Tithe to the poor

Rest on Shabbat

Eat matzah on Passover

Fast on Yom Kippur

Give charity

Here are some negative mitzvot:

Don’t believe in any other god

Don’t worship idols

Don’t get tattoos (or decorative scars)

Don’t enter the sanctuary intoxicated

Don’t delay payment of vows

Don’t eat an unclean animal

Don’t eat blood

Don’t eat leavened products on Passover

Don’t fail to give charity

Don’t convict someone on the testimony of a single witness.

Of the 613 commandments, over 200 of them can no longer be observed because they require the ancient Temple that was destroyed in 70 CE. Additionally, some say 26 of the commandments require living in Israel (like the mitzvah to leave a portion of a field unharvested so there’s some left for the poor).

Mitzvot are scattered all over the Bible, so different rabbis include slightly different mitzvot in their lists and order them differently. For example, Maimonides’ twelfth-century Sefer Ha-Mitzvot (Book of the Commandments) and the Chafetz Chayim’s twentieth-century Sefer Ha-Mitzvot Ha-Kitzur (The Concise Book of the Commandments) number the commandments differently. The mitzvot are also codified in the sixteenth-century Shulchan Aruch (The Arranged Table) by Joseph Caro, which still serves as the basic authority in matters of traditional practice.

Women and mitzvot

All the negative commandments pertain to both men and women, but women are exempted from the positive, time-specific mitzvot because of the demands of child-rearing and taking care of the home. For instance, women aren’t required to wear the tallit (prayer shawl) or attend daily synagogue worship. Although no specific injunction forbids women from doing these mitzvot, more traditional communities tend to discourage women from doing them; these same communities are troubled by some women’s interest in exploring these practices. In less traditional communities, where women are treated with far greater equality, don’t be surprised to see a woman wearing a tallit at worship.

The reasons for mitzvot

For traditionalists, the answer to the question “Why perform mitzvot?” is easy. They say that the commandments of the Torah represent the will of God and the covenant between the Jewish people and God. However, even traditionalists make exceptions; in a crisis, you’re actually required to violate the mitzvot if it means you can save a life. The exceptions to that exception are the mitzvot prohibiting idolatry, murder, and adultery or incest, which aren’t allowed under any conditions.

Many (perhaps most) non-traditional Jews actually have little or no inclination to perform mitzvot or to follow halakhah (see Chapter 3) and consider themselves Jewish because of birth or cultural identity (see Chapter 1). Others observe only those mitzvot that are most meaningful to them and choose not to follow the rest.

Sweet charity’s justice

One of the most basic themes of the mitzvot has to do with providing for those unable to provide for themselves, whether financially, physically, emotionally, or mentally. The Hebrew term for this kind of giving is tzedakah, and although it’s usually translated “charity,” the word literally means “justice.” In Jewish tradition, such charitable actions aren’t simply a matter of a kind heart. Instead, Jews see them as right actions in the world that are just as important as any other mitzvah. For example, Jewish tradition institutes a tithe for those in need (called ma’aser kesafim) as a primary social obligation.

Here are Maimonides’ (see Chapter 28) famous eight degrees of tzedakah, beginning with the lowest level:

check.png Give only grudgingly.

check.png Give willingly, but less than is appropriate.

check.png Give only after being asked.

check.png Give before being asked.

check.png Give so that the donor doesn’t know who the recipient is.

check.png Give so that the recipient doesn’t know who the donor is.

check.png Give so that neither donor nor recipient knows the identity of the other.

check.png Help the poor to rehabilitate themselves by lending them money, taking them into partnership, employing them, or giving them work, for in this way the end is achieved without any loss of self-respect at all.

Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf compares the mitzvot to precious jewels that appear on the Jewish path: Some of them — like lighting Chanukkah candles, eating matzah on Passover, and lighting a memorial candle for a deceased parent — are easy to pick up and carry. Others — such as observing Shabbat more fully and eating according to the Jewish dietary laws of kashrut — require special persistence, but they may well be wonderful jewels to carry.

remember.eps The Jewish Way is defined by studying and embracing the jewels — the mitzvot — along the path. Those jewels can deeply illuminate your life and connect you more meaningfully to God and to the Jewish people.

Connecting With God and Community through Blessings and Prayers

If you live along the coast in New York, and your friend lives near the bay in San Francisco, and you both step into the ocean, you might appreciate that you’re actually connecting to one another. Anytime you enter the ocean, you’re in touch with others all over the planet. That’s how it is with prayer: When you enter into the depths of prayer, you’re connected with all others in that space, including those who inhabited that space in the past. Prayer helps you connect with a shared Being, a Universal Presence through Whom all people are connected.

In Jewish tradition, the holy space of prayer is always available. You can access the holy space through daily communal prayer services and through private prayers and blessings that hallow even the most ordinary moments of daily life. Such regular prayers (t’fillot) and blessings (b’rakhot) keep you conscious of the bigger context in which you live. Unfortunately, one problem with praying so regularly is the very human tendency to go on automatic — observing the outer form while forgetting the inner content. This is why kavvanah is so crucial.

Kavvanah is the intentionality with which the prayers and blessings, and even your acts and your words, are to flow. Tradition often teaches how important kavvanah is with respect to the observance of all mitzvot, including the mitzvot of blessings and prayers.

Sometimes you see Jews rhythmically rock and sway in deep concentration (it’s called shuckling) while they pray (called davening). This is a way of entering prayer with the whole body (see Figure 4-1). Similarly, during worship service you may see Jews participate in a subtle choreography, in which they bend their knees and bow, or take several steps forward and several steps back. These actions help Jews pray with kavvanah.

tip.eps These movements are all customs, not commandments, but if you feel comfortable doing them, you can easily learn them by watching other folks.

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Photo courtesy David Blatner

Figure 4-1: A traditional Jew performs his morning prayers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Stuffed in the wall are small pieces of paper on which prayers are written.

Private worship

Although Jews are encouraged to pray in a community, nothing stops them from praying on their own. Judaism recognizes a number of different kinds of prayer — including praising God, petitioning for help, giving thanks, and even just wrestling with the often-difficult issues in our lives.

remember.eps Prayers are almost always directed to God, but Jews disagree on what that God is. The important thing is that you find an interpretation that feels right to you (see Chapter 2).

In addition to the many blessings traditionally recited during group worship, many blessings are meant to be recited alone. For example, many Jews say blessings at the beginning and the end of the day (see Appendix B). Also, although silence isn’t part of the traditional communal worship, Jews treat silent meditation as an important part of private worship.

The community worship service

By the time of the Mishnah (completed around 200 CE; see Chapter 3 for details), the synagogue worship services that Jews practice were, for the most part, set. On most days, traditional Jews can attend any of the following three services:

check.png Arvit or Ma’ariv: Evening service (remember that the Jewish day begins at sundown)

check.png Shakharit: Morning service

check.png Minkhah: Afternoon service

On Shabbat and festival days, Jews celebrate an additional service:

check.png Musaf: An additional service, which takes place after the morning service.

The first-century rabbis noted that the Sh’ma was to be recited twice daily (as it had been even in the days of the Second Temple; see Appendix B), with specific blessings before and after. And the daily Amidah (see the following section) was also already pretty much set by 100 CE. The opening formula for a berakhah, a blessing (Baruch Atah Adonai . . . , “Blessed are You, Eternal One . . .”), became popular following the destruction of the Second Temple and enabled series of blessings to be developed for the service. In addition to public prayer, individuals added their own private prayers, often reciting Psalms.

Traditional services are conducted entirely in Hebrew, although most prayerbooks in North America include English translations, too.

remember.eps Jewish law insists that people understand what they’re praying, so the law allows for people to pray in whatever language they know (except for the Sh’ma). Nevertheless, most congregations (even Reform) tend to use Hebrew these days.

Traditionally, you need a minyan (min-yahn, meaning “quorum”) of ten men to pray as a community, but non-Orthodox communities now count women as well. Once you’ve got a minyan, a service usually begins with a few psalms, poems, and readings that are appropriate for the particular service. Several other elements are always included (and which we discuss in the following sections), including the recitation of the Sh’ma, the Amidah, the Aleinu, the Kaddish, and sometimes a reading from the Torah and other books of the Bible.

Sh’ma and its blessings

Jews recite the Kriyat Sh’ma (Declaration of the Sh’ma; see Appendix B) during the morning and the evening services. The Kriyat Sh’ma contains three sections from the Torah:

check.png Deuteronomy 6:4–9: The first passage declares the Oneness of God and promotes love as the way of remembering, teaching, and acting in the world.

check.png Deuteronomy 11:13–21: The second section again stresses the love of God and reminds us that human actions make a difference in the world.

check.png Numbers 15:37–41: The final passage encourages worshippers to remember God’s redemption by wearing fringes, called tzitzit, on the corners of their garments (see Dressing for God: Jewish Garments and Clothing Customs later in this chapter).

Additionally, Jews always include in the Sh’ma blessings that are appropriate to the morning or the evening, as well as blessings for Torah, for redemption, and for protection.

The Amidah

The Amidah (literally, the “standing,” because worshippers always stand while reciting it) is the central prayer of the worship service. It’s often also called the Tefillah (“the Prayer”) or Shemonah Esray (“the 18,” referring to the 18 original benedictions it originally contained, even though a nineteenth was added long ago). First you read it silently (move your lips while reciting just loudly enough for you to hear), and then the service leader repeats it aloud.

The 19 blessings of the Amidah consist of three sections that reflect the three basic modes of Jewish worship:

check.png Shevakh: The first three blessings express praise for the Jewish patriarchs, the wonders of God, and God’s holiness.

check.png Bakashah: The middle 13 blessings speak petitions, broken up as follows:

• A set of petitions for knowledge, repentance, forgiveness, redemption, healing, and prosperity.

• Seven petitions relating to the restoration of Jerusalem, justice, heretics (this is more of a curse, actually), converts, the righteous, God’s Presence in Israel, and restoration of the Davidic line of kings.

• A final petition that God hear all prayers.

check.png Hoda’ah: Three blessings of thanksgiving concerning acceptance of the worship, expressions of gratitude, and blessings of peace.

remember.eps On Shabbat or other holidays Jews replace the middle section, Bakashah, with a single blessing focusing on the holiness of that particular day. They do this because these petitionary prayers are contrary to the spirit of Shabbat — a spirit that imagines the day already to be Eden-like.

Following the Amidah, congregants usually have time for silent worship or personal prayers.

Reading the Torah

During the morning service on Mondays and Thursdays, and on Shabbat afternoons, a rabbi, cantor, or a learned congregant reads sections of the weekly Torah portion. The entire weekly portion is read on Shabbat morning, followed by the Haftarah, which are complementary readings from the Prophets. The Torah is also read on festival mornings, along with a number of prayers of praise (hallel).

Aleinu

Toward the end of each traditional service comes the Aleinu, in which worshippers affirm God’s Oneness and pray that God’s Oneness might one day truly connect all people.

Kaddish

We discuss the Kaddish in more depth in Chapter 10, but basically it’s a prayer, written mostly in Aramaic, expressing praise of God and the yearning for the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. Jews recite the Chatzi Kaddish (a shorter version of the prayer) to separate the major sections of the worship, so you hear it more than once during a service.

Finally, at the end of the service, worshippers recite the last Kaddish, called the Mourner’s Kaddish. Traditionally, only those who are mourning the loss of a close relative rise and recite this Kaddish, but today in many communities, everyone rises. The prayer became associated with memorializing the dead because it came at the very end of the service — when by custom the names of those recently deceased were read. Interestingly, the Mourner’s Kaddish makes no mention of death; instead, it focuses on praise of God.

Going to Synagogue

We grew up hearing people talk about going to temple to pray or worship. It wasn’t until much later that we found out that most Jews don’t call the house of worship a temple, preferring instead to reserve that word for The Temple in Jerusalem (the one that was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, was rebuilt, and was then destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE). Some Reform congregations still use “temple,” but it’s becoming more rare.

Today, English-speaking Jews tend to call the Jewish place of worship a “synagogue” (which actually comes from Greek meaning “gathering” or “assembly”). The Hebrew language has a number of different words for synagogue, including Beit Midrash (House of Learning), Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer), and Beit Knesset (House of Assembly). These names reflect the various activities that take place at synagogue: education, prayer, and community gatherings. Many people also use the Yiddish word shul (from the German word for “school”) to refer to synagogue.

tip.eps If you want to attend or join a congregation, we strongly urge you to look around (provided that there is more than one where you live). Synagogues can vary significantly not only in their physical appearance but also in the type of congregation that attends them. . Physically, some synagogues rival cathedrals, while others are housed in apartment buildings; some congregations even share space with a church. The type of congregation can range from traditional groups that follow halakhah to far less traditional communities that espouse vegetarian, New Age, and feminist values. Take the time to look into your options to find a congregation that best meshes with your own values.

No matter how many differences exist among synagogues, they do share a few commonalities, which we outline in the following section.

Four things you’ll find in every synagogue

In every synagogue you usually find the following items:

check.png The Aron Kodesh: The ark that holds the Torah scrolls. By convention, in Western countries, it’s always on the east wall (so when facing it, the congregation is facing Jerusalem). The ark may have doors and is often covered with a curtain (called a parochet), which may be ornately decorated.

check.png The Ner Tamid: The eternal light, which often burns above the ark. The light — these days, usually an electric light or oil lamp — symbolizes the menorah (which we talk about later in this chapter) from the ancient Temple and reflects the Eternal Presence experienced through prayer and study in the synagogue.

check.png The bimah: The location where the Torah is read and the service is led. It’s usually a raised platform, either in the center of the synagogue (this is the Sephardic style) or along the east wall, in front of the Aron Kodesh.

check.png Seating area: All synagogues have a seating area for the congregations. Non-orthodox synagogues (see Chapter 1) seat men and women in a shared space. Orthodox synagogues have separate seating areas for men and women, separated by a divider called a mechitzah (meh-kheet-sa). Often the mechitzah is a low curtain or a partial wall, high enough so that men and women can’t see each other during the service. We’re not going to get into the volatile political issues surrounding the mechitzah; suffice it to say that while in some synagogues the separation clearly de-emphasizes the role of women, in many other Orthodox synagogues, it’s designed so that everyone feels separate-but-equal.

Synagogues, for the most part, reflect the sanctuary style of the dominant culture. Many synagogues in the Middle East resemble mosques, while those in England tend to look more like churches. However, synagogues rarely feature statues of animals or people, in adherence with the commandment prohibiting graven images. (One notable exception is the often-seen “Lion of Judah,” the insignia of the ancient Kingdom of Judea; see Chapter 12.)

Who’s who at shul

A lot of people are involved in running worship services, but the focus is almost always on two people: the rabbi and the cantor.

The rabbi

Although a congregation can conduct religious services without a rabbi, most congregations employ one. The rabbi also serves as an educator and a counselor and officiates at life-cycle events like baby-namings, Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, weddings, and funerals (see Part II for more information on these events).

Rabbinical students typically do five years of post-graduate work before they’re ordained as rabbis. Orthodox yeshivot (seminaries) tend to have a less formal course of study, but the study is far more extensive in matters of Jewish law. The ordination (as well as the accompanying diploma) is called a s’mikhah, literally referring to the laying on of hands through which ordination is traditionally conferred.

In the past a rabbi was always a “he,” but since 1972, non-Orthodox rabbis may be either “he” or “she.” Although most rabbis are simply called rabbi (a Hebrew term conveying honor, similar to “reverend”), some Jews within the Hasidic and Renewal communities refer to their rabbis as reb or rebbe. Some people also use the Hebrew word for rabbi, which is simply rav.

The cantor

In a traditional synagogue, the cantor (chazan in Hebrew) actually leads worship services. In most other synagogues, the cantor performs solo musical prayer selections and leads community singing. The cantor leads the traditional chants for reading the Torah, as well as different musical motifs for daily, Shabbat, festival, and High Holiday worship. Cantors bring great musical and liturgical depth to the community. Many rabbinical schools offer training programs for cantors.

Although traditionally cantors, like rabbis, were all men, today women occupy cantorial positions at many synagogues.

Following Jewish Dietary Laws: A Brief Guide to Kosher Food

If we were to pick the one question about Judaism that we’re asked more than anything else, it would have to be, “What’s with the kosher thing?” The word kosher is so well known that it’s become part of the common English language, meaning something that’s allowed, legal, or proper. However, in Judaism, kosher almost exclusively relates to food: what Jews are and are not allowed to eat.

The Jewish dietary laws are called kashrut, and they’re so complex that whole volumes have been written on them. However, they more or less boil down to these rules:

check.png Animals with cloven hooves that chew their cud are kosher, including cattle, sheep, goats, and deer. Other mammals, like pigs, camels, and hares, aren’t kosher (called trayf, from the Hebrew word terayfa, meaning “torn”). Not only are they not to be eaten, but no products which derive from them are kosher.

check.png Certain procedures must be followed to ensure a humane slaughter. For example, the animal’s throat must be cut by a trained ritual slaughterer (called a shochet), using a single slice of an extremely sharp knife that has no nicks.

check.png Certain parts of animals aren’t kosher, such as the sciatic nerve in the hindquarters. Unfortunately, not only are these parts difficult to remove, they also include some of the choicest cuts, which is why it’s rare to find kosher filet mignon, rump and sirloin steaks, leg of lamb, or London broil.

check.png Animals that are diseased or have physically flawed organs are trayf. When the lungs of animals are examined for irregularities, and none are found, the animal is considered glatt (“smooth”). If there is any question about the quality of the meat, even if it proves to be just fine (kosher), it isn’t considered glatt kosher.

check.png Seafood is kosher as long as it has fins and scales. Shellfish like lobsters, oysters, shrimp, octopus, clams, and crabs are forbidden. Some fish, like swordfish and sturgeon, have scales that are questionable, so they’re usually considered trayf.

check.png Domesticated fowl — chicken, turkey, quail, Cornish hens, doves, geese, duck, and pheasant — are kosher, but birds of prey (like eagles and hawks) are trayf.

check.png All reptiles, insects, and amphibians are trayf. Note that some food additives and colorings are made from insects, so those items are prohibited, too. (Jews make some exceptions: Shellac, which comes from the lac bug and is used to make many foods shiny, is kosher because it’s considered more like a rock than a food.)

check.png The blood of any animal is trayf, so kosher meat (except for fish) has to be kashered (made kosher) by draining the blood and washing and salting the meat. (“Kosher salt” doesn’t mean it’s okay to eat — salt is a mineral, so all salt is kosher — ather, it’s called that because it’s coarse and good for kashering.) Kosher meat is always cooked well done so that no pink is left.

check.png The kashrut laws expand the biblical prohibition against cooking an animal in its mother’s milk to eating any dairy and meat together. Jews can’t put dairy foods and meat on the same plate, or even eat them during the same meal (even a tiny amount of one or the other). So, cheeseburgers — or even a regular burger with a milkshake — are out. Generally, Jews wait several hours after a meat meal (called fleishig) before eating dairy (called milchig), and vice versa. Fowl, like chicken, was once exempted from this law (because they don’t give milk), but long ago, rabbis decided that you can’t mix fowl and dairy either. Fish is completely exempt from this rule.

check.png Food that isn’t meat or dairy — including every fruit, vegetable, herb, grain, fungus, nut, root, soy product, or whatever — is pareve (parv or par-ev) and is neutral. That is, you can eat it with either meat or dairy. Eggs are also pareve (though if an egg has a blood spot in it, it’s considered trayf).

check.png Products made from grapes (juice or wine) must be monitored and authorized as kosher by a rabbi.

check.png The kosher status of food can be transferred to utensils or dishes (except for glass). So traditional Jews have at least two sets of dishes — one for milk, and one for meat — as well as two or more sets of utensils, ovens, and washing bins. Because additional kosher laws apply during Passover, some families own a third (or fourth) set of dishes (or they just use paper plates that week; see Chapter 25). Fortunately, there are various ways to kasher (make kosher) metal utensils and pots.

Kashrut laws extend to any item that Jews eat, or that touches the food that Jews eat, so you might even hear about kosher aluminum foil or plastic bags that ensure that the manufacturer only used kosher organic oils in the process of pressing the foil or making the bags. Similarly, most hard cheeses contain rennet, which is often obtained from the stomach linings of non-kosher animals, making the whole cheese non-kosher.

The reasons behind kosher

Everyone loves to conjecture why or how these laws came about. For example, some people say the rules were created for health reasons — because under-cooked pork can carry disease. Ultimately, though, although traditional Jews are encouraged to ask questions in their studies, when it comes to the mitzvot (like keeping kosher), the underlying reasons are much less important than the rules themselves.

But for those of you who like reasons, here are a few possibilities to chew on. First of all, maintaining specific dietary regulations strengthens and defines the integrity of a group. A community that shares requirements for eating tends to stay together. Similarly, eating practices help identify the line between one tribe and another. For example, some scholars believe the prohibition against eating pork resulted from the desire to be different from the neighboring tribes.

Kashrut also forces Jews to be forever thoughtful of what they put into their bodies. Many meditative traditions encourage mindful eating, but Judaism turns it into a law. In this way, Jews show that humans can make choices from free will rather than catering to every desire. Kashrut is a discipline, a practice, that many Jews believe elevates eating to a religious ritual.

Jewish tradition recognizes that all life is holy, and no animal should be killed carelessly or painfully. The Torah even goes so far as to say you should never eat both a bird and her eggs (or chicks), implying that this would be too cruel. Some folks say that kashrut actually encourages Jews to become vegetarians; tradition has it that in the Messianic age — a term that means different things to different Jews — no animal or human will kill or eat another animal.

For some environmentally concerned Jews, the idea of kosher extends beyond the traditional laws, and includes a greater sense of ethical, health-conscious, and earth-friendly behavior. Such Jews ask if it’s okay to eat foods with chemical additives, or food in non-recyclable packaging, or meat from animals raised in cages.

OU means OK for most

Keeping kosher is pretty easy if you’re a strict vegetarian, you always eat at home, or you were brought up with these rules. Many liberal Jews don’t even try to keep kosher, believing that kashrut is among the laws that are outdated in modern times. Some Jews take a middle ground, where they keep a kosher home, but have no trouble eating trayf — like cheeseburgers — in restaurants. As humorist David Bader once noted, to many Jews, “The less a piece of pork actually looks like a pig, the less you need to worry about eating it.” Just witness the number of Jews who enjoy the sweet and sour pork in their Chinese takeout.

Many less traditional Jews try to keep kosher by reading ingredients printed on packaging and avoiding ingredients that would not be kosher. However, most Orthodox Jews insist that a trained rabbi, called a mashgiakh, supervise and certify that food is kosher. This “seal of approval” is called a hekhsher and typically appears as a symbol on the food’s packaging. The most famous hekhsher symbols are OU or OK (an “O” with either a little “U” or “K” inside), but dozens of different symbols exist. For example, in Seattle, the local hekhsher has a little logo based on the famous Space Needle. Note that the letter “K” by itself usually means that the company itself certifies the product is kosher, but a rabbi may not have supervised.

Purifying the Spirit: Rites and Rituals

Nothing brings on transformation like a good, hard rainstorm. After the clouds pass and the sun appears, both air and land seem cleansed, and the earth is nourished once again. Water is the transformer and the giver of life, and for millennia people have used water to purify their bodies and possessions — literally, figuratively, and spiritually.

Judaism has a long tradition of caring about ritual and spiritual purity, called taharah, stemming from the Biblical instructions regarding priests and sacrifices (a priest had to be ritually pure to participate in the Temple service). Because everyday observance of mitzvot and worship now replace the ancient sacrifices, you need to be ritually pure to participate properly. For example, Jewish law states that being in a room with (or touching) a dead person or animal makes you ritually impure. When people become impure (tamay) for one reason or another, they can use a water ritual to become pure (tahor) once again. So, Jews often pour water from a pitcher over their hands before coming into the house of mourning after attending a burial (see Chapter 10).

Similarly, traditional Judaism states that while women are menstruating, and for seven days after they finish bleeding, they are tamay (so men and women don’t touch each other during this time). When this period is finished, the women immerse themselves in a mikvah, a ritual bath composed at least in part of fresh water (tap water doesn’t count as fresh). Most Jewish communities have a “public” mikvah that people can go to, but any natural spring, river, lake, or ocean will do, too.

remember.eps The mikvah (or the hand-washing ceremony prior to eating) isn’t meant to cleanse physically; participants must be physically clean beforehand. The mikvah is meant to provide a spiritual cleansing. Many observant Jews, both men and women, visit a mikvah each week, before Shabbat. Jews traditionally visit the mikvah just before getting married, too.

controversy.eps Many less-traditional women and men view the mikvah with suspicion because this ritual cleansing can be interpreted as “women are dirty and untouchable” after menstruation. We believe that taharah has more to do with the affirmation of life, and the mikvah is a process of being born again and re-focusing on creation. Not surprisingly, the mikvah is called for just before the woman is ovulating, and couples are reunited when the chance of pregnancy is highest. Use of the mikveh by Reform and Reconstructionist Jews is on the rise, particularly before conversions, wedding ceremonies, and even some holidays. Some liberal Jewish communities have also explored use of the mikveh for psychological healing — to help one recover from a trauma, such as rape, for example.

Dressing for God: Jewish Garments and Clothing Customs

Just as Jewish tradition involves special care respecting what you eat, tradition also provides for specific regulations regarding what you wear.

remember.eps Most of these rules are based on custom (minhag) rather than law. No Jewish law says, “Dress with a big black hat and long black coat,” though some Orthodox Jews choose to do so (see Chapter 1). Some of those black hat Jews (primarily the Hasidim) also wear a gartel (cloth belt), especially when praying, as a reminder of the distinction between the upper and lower halves of the body, as well as the metaphorical distinction between the spiritual and physical self. Law? No. It’s custom, tradition, and choice.

Similarly, some Jews like wearing a Star of David, the word chai (“life”), or a mezuzah (see the following section) on a chain as either good luck or as a reminder of their faith.

Jews are always encouraged to dress modestly in public. In Orthodox communities, this means covering the arms and legs, and in very traditional areas, women don’t wear slacks.

The yarmulka

The music director of Ted’s congregation, Stephen Merritt, calls the head covering he wears during worship a “kehpee cover” (kehpee is a Yiddish word for “head”). However, the small, flexible, round hat that Jewish men (and, increasingly, Jewish women) wear is actually called a yarmulka (usually sounds like yahmuhka) or — more common these days — kippah (the plural is kippot). The kippah (see Figure 4-2) is probably the most recognized Jewish symbol after the six-pointed Star of David.

Many traditional Jewish men keep their heads covered at all times. Less traditional Jews might cover their heads during prayer only; some liberal Jews don’t use the head covering at all. However, this is one of those cases where a custom has become as important, if not even more so, than a law.

No Jewish law says that you need to wear a kippah. It probably came from an old Middle Eastern custom of covering one’s head in the presence of royalty. Because God is seen as the King of Kings, the Always Present Holy One, Jews began to wear head covering at all times. You can also see wearing a yarmulka as one more action that draws a distinction between the spiritual, ceremonial world and the everyday world.

Today, you can find hundreds of different types of kippot, including custom knitted, leather, satin, cotton, flat, boxy, and even ones imprinted with logos or names of sports teams. Some teenage boys collect them like trading cards, and some Orthodox sects wear certain styles to show their affiliation.

remember.eps Wearing a kippah is a sign of respect, not faith, so there’s no reason that a non-Jew can’t wear one. In fact, you see non-Jewish candidates for public office wearing them every election season when they visit synagogues or Jewish community centers.

anecdote_nlp.eps Wearing a kippah in public can be a fascinating and troublesome experience. On one recent foray while wearing a kippah, David (who almost never wears one in public) realized that it was the most blatant symbol of his religious identity that he’s ever worn, and years of reading about antisemitism made him constantly wary. On the other hand, when he wandered into a Starbucks for a coffee, he ended up getting special treatment from a complete stranger behind the counter, who quietly said, “Look, you’re Jewish, I’m Jewish, I’ll do you a favor this once.” Talk about “member of the tribe!”

Orthodox women don’t wear a kippah, but they almost always cover their heads with shaytl (a wig) or a scarf. Some women cover their heads when in synagogue, and others do it anytime they’re in public. This is very common in Middle Eastern cultures, where a woman showing her hair to anyone other than her family or husband is considered immodest. Some traditional women go so far as to shave their heads, or cut their hair very short, and wear a shaytl at all times.

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Figure 4-2: Each morning, traditional Jewish men wear a kippah, a tallit, and tefillin while praying.

Fringes and shawls

The biblical Book of Numbers states that Jews must wear tzitzit (fringes) at the corners of their garments to help them remember God and the commandments. This biblical imperative is the basis of the Jewish prayer shawl, called a tallit (see Figure 4-2), which almost all Jewish men wear at the morning shakharit service. (In more liberal congregations, women may also wear it.) Some tallit are only six or seven inches wide, like scarves, and some are wider, like small blankets, but they always have specially knotted fringes hanging from their corners.

The only time traditional Jews wear a tallit at night is Yom Kippur (see Chapter 20). Jews in more liberal congregations (especially Reform), might wear a tallit at the Friday night Shabbat service, as it’s the main religious event of the week, and the leaders of the worship often wear a tallit at all services. Most Orthodox men also wear a tallit katan (small tallit) at all times under their clothes — it looks like a mix between an undershirt and a poncho with the fringes on the four corners. Many Orthodox men tuck the tzitzit into their trousers, but some men leave them hanging out at the waist so that they are visible. Rabbi Hayim Donin once wrote that wearing the tzitzit is like wearing an army uniform; when you wear one, you’re very aware of your allegiances.

Jews say a special blessing when putting on a tallit (see Appendix B). You often see people wrap themselves and cover their heads with the tallit after putting it on, or at certain times of the prayer service. This is usually to deepen concentration, and some Jews say that it feels like being wrapped in the wings of God.

You shall bind them as a sign: Laying tefillin

Tefillin are two small leather boxes with compartments that contain passages from the Torah. The boxes are attached to the head and arm by leather straps (see Figure 4-2). Traditional men wear tefillin each morning, except on Shabbat, while worshiping at home or at synagogue.

Laying tefillin (putting them on) is based on a biblical law:

And you shall love the Eternal your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:5–9; emphasis added)

Many people over the centuries have insisted that the last few instructions in this passage are figurative, like “Keep your eye on the ball (God), and make sure you follow through with your swing (your practice).” However, the ancient rabbis ruled that these words were to be taken literally. Besides, even if they weren’t, wearing tefillin (also called phylacteries) is a very powerful physical symbol of faith and devotion. As Joseph Caro (see Chapter 28) taught, the tefillin are placed near the heart, on the head, and on the arm to symbolize that one’s heart, mind, and body are all in service to God.”

Jews have intricate rules for making kosher tefillin, and a set often costs hundreds of dollars. When laying tefillin, you must follow very specific procedures. If you’re right-handed, you should wear it on the bicep of your left arm; if you’re left-handed, it goes on the right arm. The two head straps just hang down over your shoulders with a loop loosely holding one box on your forehead, and the arm strap is carefully wrapped seven times around the arm, and then six times around your fingers in a particular pattern. Any traditional rabbi can show you how to do this.

Although it’s not contrary to Jewish law, women have been traditionally discouraged (or even banned) from wearing tefillin, even though evidence suggests that some noted women have done so over the centuries. Jews are slowly becoming open to the idea of women wearing tefillin, even if it does ruffle the feathers of traditionalists.

The Jewish Home

Jewish homes are typically similar to other homes in the same neighborhood, inside and out. However, if you keep your eyes open, you may notice a few items that commonly appear in Jewish households. For example, sometimes a piece of art with the Hebrew word mizrakh (east) hangs on the home’s east wall (facing Jerusalem), and some Jews display their seder plate in a cabinet. The Hebrew word chai (life) is a popular symbol in artwork, as is the hamsa, an inverted hand, often with an eye in the middle of the palm. The hamsa is shared with other Middle Eastern cultures and isn’t exclusively Jewish.

The two most common Jewish items that you may find in a Jewish home are the mezuzah and the menorah, which we describe in the following sections.

On every doorpost: The mezuzah

A literal reading of Deuteronomy 6 (see the preceding section) says that Jews should post the words of the Sh’ma on their doorposts of their home (for details on Sh’ma, see Sh’ma and its blessings earlier in this chapter). A mezuzah is a small container that holds a piece of parchment, on which is written the Sh’ma and two other paragraphs from the books of Deuteronomy and Numbers. When you buy a mezuzah, you usually have to buy the little parchment separately (a kosher parchment must be written by hand by a trained scribe, so it can cost even more than the mezuzah).

Most folks just put a mezuzah by the entries to the front and back doors of their homes, though traditional Jews place one at about eye level in every doorway in the house, except for the bathrooms and closets. It’s also the custom to place the mezuzah at an angle, inclined inward, on the right side of the doorpost as you enter. (As the story goes, the rabbis couldn’t decide whether it should be vertical or horizontal, so they decided it should be at an angle to show that compromise is valued in the home.)

Jews say a special blessing when affixing a mezuzah (see Appendix B). Once it’s up, they typically touch it with their fingertips, and then kiss their fingertips, each time they enter the house as a sign of reverence and remembrance.

The candelabra extraordinaire: The menorah

One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith, the menorah, was originally the candelabra (well before the invention of candles, of course) in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. It held seven oil dishes for seven lights, three on each side of one central flame. Although this is still the basic shape of the traditional menorah, the term is often also used for candelabras that hold fewer lights.

Some Jews light a menorah on Shabbat evening; others just use it for a symbol in the house and light the more usual two candles before the Shabbat begins. Often the Chanukkiah, the special eight-lights-plus-a-helper-light-candelabra, is referred to as a Chanukkah menorah (see Chapter 22).

So Go Now and Live

While antisemites have long used the verb to Jew as an insult, we think that the word Jew can be verbed in a different way, reflecting a Jewish way of living. Traditional practice is certainly a major part of such “Jew-ing,” but it doesn’t end there. All Jewish practice is aimed at affirming the One Being Who connects all life with Blessing, Compassion, Justice, and Love. The ultimate goal of Judaism is to awaken to a greater awareness of that One Being.