The Importance Of Rituals And Ceremonies In Judaism

Circumcision

All Jewish boy and men are to be circumcised, Jewish baby boys are circumcised at eight days old. If men convert to Judaism they too go through the process of circumcision, unless they have already been circumcised in which in that case they are pricked so blood is drawn from their penis. Circumcision in Judaism has been happening for 3,000 years. This is important because it is stated in the Torah that “Such shall be the covenant between Me and you and your offspring to follow which you shall keep: every male among you shall be circumcised.” – Genesis 17:10. Therefor it becomes a requirement for Jewish men and boys to be circumcised.

Bar mitzvah/ Bat mitzvah

It is called a bar mitzvah (son of the commandment) for boys and bat mitzvah (daughter of the commandment) for girls. Its a ceremony of coming of age and is usually celebrated around age 12 or 13 and the teen becomes eligible to practice religious traditions. The bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah is usually celebrated in a synagogue but can also be celebrated at a party. After this ceremony for the girl or boy they are now applicable to all rights and requirements of a Jewish adult. The bar/bat mitzvah is so significant as it is a way of entering maturity and adulthood for the Jewish individual.

Mikvah

The Mikvah ritual is to be submerged in holy water. Jews perform this ritual for conversion to Judaism, finishing of menstruation each month and before getting married. Some Hasidic spiritual symbolism behind the Mikvah. This ritual can also be performed after a major change or breakthrough in a Jew’s life for example, graduations or even a new start after illnesses, pain, death etc. “If a woman has a discharge, her flesh discharging blood, she shall remain in her state of menstrual separation for seven days, and whoever touches her shall become unclean until evening.” – Leviticus 15:19

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year according to Judaism. It is a day of judgement, repentance and forgiveness. The day is full of intensive prayers which is a significant part of their day and Jews tend to spend most of their day in a synagogue. Another is that a rams horn or the “Shofar” is blown as its sound is a tradition in itself. It is important to practice the rituals of Yom Kippur for Jewish people as it their way of getting close to God by repenting to God and asking for forgiveness from God. “Mark, the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a sacred occasion for you: you shall practice self-denial, and you shall bring an offering by fire to the LORD” – Leviticus 23:27

Lighting the menorah (Hanukkah)

Lighting seven candles which symbolises the number of days that the temple lantern blazed. It’s a celebration of joy and blessings from God. There are seven important candles and one separate candle used to light the seven candles. These candles are likely to represent the animal sacrifice in Jerusalem. It’s important for Jews to commemorate the

Mourning rituals

There are eight rituals when it comes it comes to mourning or grieving over someone’s death in Judaism. First there is the Aninut which is the process which happens between the death until the burial, the Funeral, the return from the cemetery, the Shiva the week long period of grief and mourning, Sheloshim which is the mourning process from the funeral and thirty days afterwards, the Shnat Ha-Evel the first year of mourning, the Unveiling the ceremony after the placement of the tombstone and the Yahrzeit which is the annual anniversary of the death. These ceremonies and rituals are important as the show respect toward the person that has died and commemorates them as an individual through religious perspectives.