- the country is unique and unusual - it is home to many people who came from different parts of the world, who brought a lot of their own to the culture and traditions of the country.

But still there are traditions of Israel that are unique to the Jewish people. For example, on Passover (Passover) Jews eat not Easter cakes, but unleavened flatbreads called matzo. And on the holiday of Hanukkah, special candles are lit, which are arranged in nine-candlestick candlesticks - chanukkiah or minors. There are many, but perhaps the most favorite is Purim. On this holiday, according to tradition, they give each other gifts and send them to friends and family. On this holiday they do charitable work, and after lunch, as a rule, they have a festive meal with strong alcoholic drinks, delicious dishes, and an indispensable attribute festive lunch- pies with poppy seeds.

But the most interesting traditions of Israel are wedding ones. It must be said that a Jewish wedding is one of the most important basics Jewish way of life, and, as elsewhere throughout the world, a great cause for celebration. And although it itself is subject to many laws and customs, the week before the wedding also has its own traditions and rituals.
It must be said that in the recent past, a Jewish wedding was arranged with the help of a “matchmaker”, at the request of the parents of the young couple. Today this tradition in Israel remains only among the ultra-Orthodox communities. The first custom is that even though an agreement between the parents on the wedding has been reached, the man still asks the father and relatives of the bride for the hand of his potential chosen one, and he must seal the wedding contract with a bride price.

The rituals of a Jewish wedding are carried out already at the moment of engagement, in a ceremony called tenaim. At the Tenaim ceremony, a plate is broken, which symbolically signifies the destruction of the Temples in the Holy City of Jerusalem, and this tradition is intended to remind that even in the midst of the holidays, the Jewish people experience sadness from losses. This custom is repeated at the marriage ceremony.

According to tradition in Israel, a wedding can be held on any day of the week except Shabbat. Shabbat begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening. Weddings in Israel are not held on Jewish holidays, for example, on the Jewish New Year; on this day, according to Israeli tradition, Jews do not work. By the way, Jewish weddings in other countries are also held in different days, but in the UK, for example, the most popular wedding day is Sunday, and in the USA - on Saturday after Shabbat, that is, late in the evening. Ultra-Orthodox people get married only on weekdays.

Traditionally, the most unfavorable period for getting married in Israel is considered to be the time between Passover and Shavuot; this is the saddest period in the Jewish calendar. It is during this period of calendar time that people refrain from having fun, parties with dancing and music are cancelled, and by all indications the time is not favorable for weddings. However, more Orthodox Jews adhere to these traditions in Israel.

As for the wedding ceremony itself, it begins a week before the wedding and is considered a delightful time. The groom is given a special wedding ceremony called Ufruf. What is the essence of this ceremony? First, the groom goes to the synagogue for prayer and after the prayer service he announces the upcoming wedding to his family, friends and acquaintances. After this joyful announcement, the groom is showered with candy throughout almost the entire service. After the end of the prayers, the groom offers the members of the congregation a treat - light alcoholic drinks, snacks, and sometimes a lunch is provided for family members.

Another Israeli wedding tradition is the mikvah. This ritual concerns the bride. That is, while the groom is being showered with candy in the synagogue, the bride, meanwhile, goes to a special ritual pool, which has a traditional name - mikveh. Here, according to the ritual, she undergoes spiritual purification; this ritual means that the bride will enter family life completely purified, that is, in a state of complete spiritual and physical purity. IN different countries Ah and mikvahs are different - there are those that meet all the standards of a modern fitness club, and there are ancient, ancient ones. According to Israeli traditions, the mikvah is mainly attended by women, but it happens that men also purify themselves in the mikvah.

While undergoing the mikvah ritual, a woman takes off all her jewelry and even wipes off her nail polish; she enters the pool completely naked, without jewelry or embellishment, since she was born. While reading a special cleansing prayer, the woman is completely immersed in water. The ritual is supervised by experienced women who know the traditions and rituals of Israel, so that everything is done correctly.

Before the wedding, the Jewish bride and groom should not see each other; this tradition exists not only in Israel, but today in most cases young people neglect it.
Another Israeli wedding tradition is the chuppah. The bride and groom in Israel are married according to Israeli traditions under a special canopy called a chuppah.
This special wedding canopy in Israel means a house in which they will later build family relationships bride and groom. For a long time this ceremony was carried out only on the street. Today, this tradition is not strictly adhered to; more and more often the ceremony is held indoors, so as not to be dependent on weather conditions.

The most common place where the ceremony is held is a synagogue, but there are no strict rules on this matter. If there is a canopy chuppah and a rabbi, the ceremony can be held anywhere. Increasingly, in Israel, a wedding ceremony is held in one of the.

As for wedding special traditional outfits, the Jewish bride and groom do not have such outfits. Typically, the groom wears a black tie and a black or dark suit, and the bride wears a white formal dress. As for Orthodox weddings, the clothes are the same, but the brides’ dresses are quite modest - without open shoulders or chest.
According to tradition in Israel, on the day of the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom do not eat anything, that is, they fast. This is done in order to be cleansed of sins and start a new clean life.

A wedding ceremony in Israel can be performed not only by a religious minister - a rabbi; it can be performed by any family member or friend of the newlyweds with the permission of the rabbi.

The wedding ceremony opens with the custom of signing the ketubah. Ketub - Jewish marriage contract. which clearly stipulates all the conditions for further cohabitation and the conditions of marriage. This custom goes back far into the past; it dates back more than a thousand years. The signing of the ketubah takes place in the presence of witnesses, usually four people, plus a fifth person conducting the service. It must be said that in the ketubah one of the clauses is the clause on the consent of a man to give a divorce to a woman. That is, if a couple suddenly gets divorced, the man will not challenge the gett. This item is very important point for women, since according to Israeli traditions, if they are not given a gett, the woman does not have the right to remarry.

The next stage of the marriage ceremony is bekeden. During bekeden, the groom covers his bride's face with a special veil. This ritual symbolizes that the groom undertakes from now on to protect his wife and family. Bekeden is an ancient custom that has existed since ancient biblical times, when Rebecca covered her face before marrying Isaac.

Regarding musical accompaniment wedding ceremony, preference is given to traditional Jewish music.

According to Israeli wedding tradition, the bride is led to the chuppah by the groom's father, but again, there are no strict rules on this matter. Sometimes the bride is led to the chuppah by two parents at once - the father of the groom and the father of the bride. But the bride is always the last to appear. Approaching the chuppah, she must circle around the groom several times; the number of circles can vary greatly. There is no strict rule on how many times the bride should circle around the groom; as a rule, modern brides do this once, and only orthodox brides circle around their grooms several times.

Interestingly, according to tradition in Israel, the number seven is given great, special significance at weddings. This is why seven cups of wine are drunk during a Jewish wedding ceremony. This means the following - the Lord created the whole world in seven days. Drinking seven cups of wine symbolizes the construction of a new home for a young couple.

As for the wedding festivities and refreshments themselves. The format of the wedding party directly depends on the religiosity of the couple; if the couple is Orthodox, then the dances can be separate: men dance on one side, women on the other. Most people choose kosher food for a wedding, that is, the menu at a Jewish wedding is fully kosher-compliant.

In Israel, Jews are divided into two ethnic groups– Ashkenazi Jews, Jews who came from Eastern European countries and Sephardim who came from Middle Eastern countries or from Spain or Portugal. Often the origin of the Jews influences the entire course and style of the wedding ceremony, as well as the food offered. Ashkenazi people serve vegetables, fried potatoes and chicken as the main dish at the wedding table. Sephardim have lamb or chopped chicken sprinkled with various seasonings on the wedding table.

Today, in addition to the ancient traditions of Israel, new traditions are appearing in wedding ceremonies, which are almost the same all over the world. For example, since everywhere at wedding parties the groom makes a toast in honor of the newlyweds, guests at the wedding receive small surprises and gifts from the bride and groom, and a DJ or music band plays as musical accompaniment.

Just like all young people in the world, after the wedding, the Jewish bride and groom go on their honeymoon.

Like any people, the Jewish people have their own traditions and customs. Israel - amazing country, where people from different countries and nationalities live and where the traditions of the Jewish people are closely intertwined with the traditions of representatives of other nationalities who moved to Israel. It is precisely because of the mixture of races and mentalities that Jews try to live strictly following the customs and traditions of their people.

Jewish holidays

In Israel, customs and traditions that are unique to the Jewish people are celebrated.

The most famous Jewish traditions.

1. Passover is the Jewish Passover, when instead of traditional Orthodox Easter cakes, Jews bake unleavened flat cakes (matzo).
2. Hanukkah, celebrated in November-December. On this holiday, special candles are lit and placed in nine-candlestick candlesticks (Hanukkah or Minori).
3. On the holiday of Purim, which is celebrated in February, everyone tries to do charity work and organize generous meal with the mandatory poppy seed pies and strong alcohol for the holiday table...
4. Yom Kippur is the holiest holiday for Jews, when they fast and pray for 25 hours without washing or wearing leather shoes. This day is called the "Day of Atonement" and it ends with a long blast from the ram's horn.

This is one of the most ancient Jewish rituals. Until recently, weddings took place with the help of a matchmaker, who, at the request of the parents, looked for and matched suitable candidates for brides and grooms. Today, only members of the ultra-Orthodox community use the services of a matchmaker.

Pre-wedding chores and customs

Today, it no longer matters how the couple was formed; it is important that the potential groom asks the bride’s hand from her father. The groom must confirm the seriousness of his intentions with a substantial ransom, which he gives for the bride. The wedding ceremony is preceded by a betrothal (tenaim), at which a plate is broken, which signifies the ruins of the destroyed temples in Holy Jerusalem. This tradition calls on everyone to remember the suffering and loss of the Jewish people. The plate is also broken at the wedding ceremony.

Jewish wedding times

You can celebrate your wedding on any day except Shabbat, which begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening. Weddings are not held on Jewish holidays either.

What time is considered the most favorable for Jewish weddings?

The most unfavorable time for a wedding is considered to be the time between Passover and Shavuot. This period was the most difficult in the life of the ancient Jews, so no entertainment events are held on these days.

Modern Jewish youth do not adhere to this tradition, which Orthodox Jews continue to honor.

The wedding ceremony itself begins a week before the appointed day and is considered the most delightful time for the bride and groom.

A party (ufruf) is organized for the groom, when the groom must go to the synagogue for prayer. After the prayer service, the groom notifies his family and friends about upcoming wedding, and they shower the groom with sweets and candies and offer to drink wine.

A different ceremony is performed for the bride. The bride is taken to a special pool (mikvah), where she undergoes a ritual of spiritual purification, under the conditions of which she must enter family life spiritually and physically purified. To do this, the bride must remove all jewelry, remove nail polish, be naked and enter the water, saying a prayer of cleansing. The ceremony takes place under the watchful supervision of older women, who ensure that the ritual is performed correctly.

Advice

According to ancient Jewish tradition, the bride and groom should not see each other before the wedding, but today Jewish youth for the most part ignore this prohibition. If you want to have a real Jewish wedding, keep this in mind.

Husband and wife

The bride and groom are married under a special canopy (chuppah) - this is another ancient wedding tradition. Usually the marriage ceremony is held in a synagogue, but there are no strict rules on this matter. The wedding ceremony opens with the signing of a ketubah by the bride and groom - a kind of Jewish marriage contract, in which a separate clause (get) states the husband’s right to give his wife a divorce if she asks him for it. If the couple breaks up, then the man has no right to challenge this gett. According to the customs of the Jewish people, if a woman is not given a gett, then she does not have the right to remarry. Jews are very sensitive to family, so divorces are very rare among Jews.

SOCIAL LIFE

In Crimea, Jews were engaged in various crafts. They were watchmakers, shoemakers, furriers, and tailors. A special place occupied by jeweler-artists, whose works were examples of art. Unfortunately, the Keter Torah, a crown worn on a Torah scroll, made in Crimea, the Besamim, a traditional vessel for incense, which was made of silver with gilding and filigree, have not survived; traditional wedding rings, gold casting, enamel.

For a long time, art historians did not consider or write about Jewish folk art, while there were centers in Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, southern Russia and Crimea. Extremely interesting for their artistic merits were works made of bronze, silver, gold, decorative arts and calligraphic writing. These highly artistic products of Jewish masters have practically not survived in Crimea. You can see them only at exhibitions in Western Europe, in the Baltics, in Kyiv, Lvov.

Agriculture in Crimea was carried out small quantity Jews, since for a long time they were forbidden to engage in arable farming. Those who with great difficulty acquired land plots, they successfully grew wheat, garlic, beans, melons, and kept livestock.

Trade was considered a traditional occupation. Not everyone knows that the Jewish population was subject to double taxes. They paid taxes, like all people in Russia, but also for the fact that they were Jews! Only trade, with its rapid turnover and profits, allowed the Jews to pay the second tax. In Crimea, Jewish merchants, together with merchants of other nationalities, united in guilds. In 1877, Sevastopol became a trading port and agricultural products went abroad through it. The trading houses of Dreyfus, Yurovsky, and Glazer became known. There were similar trading houses in Kerch, Feodosia, and other cities of Crimea.

The urban Jewish population in Crimea was second only to the Germans in literacy. Among the Jews there were many famous doctors, lawyers, and pharmacists. Many became prominent scientists in Russia, the West, and America. At the beginning of the 20th century, with his virtuoso performance on international competitions Jewish musicians were famous.

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS

In the middle of the 19th century. Jewish traditions and rituals in Crimea and other provinces of Russia began to disappear. The reason for this was the movement of the idea of ​​Jewish enlightenment. Young people began to be introduced to secular knowledge along with religious ones. The doors of gymnasiums, colleges, institutes and universities opened for the most talented. At the same time, the percentage system for admitting Jewish children was preserved.

However, the Jewish community tried to preserve customs and rituals, such as “circumcision,” the ritual requirement for food (“kosher” and “tref”), and the coming of age ritual “bar mitzvah.” The Jewish community managed to preserve the traditions of the people, national rituals and holidays for many millennia, thanks to which the Jewish people survived.

Jewish family life was determined by Torah laws and traditions dating back to ancient times. The biblical blessing "be fruitful and multiply" was a mandatory religious commandment for the Jews. They got married early, boys - at 18 years old, girls - at 14 - 15 years old.

For young man When he was about to get married, there were 10 commandments. Marrying for the sake of wealth was not approved; it was recommended to marry a girl from good home. “Be careful when choosing a wife”; “Sell the last thing you have and marry the daughter of a learned man”; “Do not take a wife from a richer house than yours”; “I do not desire a boot that is too big for my foot,” “The joy of the heart is a wife,” “The heritage of God is sons.” This is how Jewish boys were prepared in advance for family life.

The girl knew only one thing - that she needed to learn to be a kind and zealous housewife and, even if her father had wooed her in childhood, she would be given the right to make her own choice. The law considered it desirable that parents should not rush into betrothal until the daughter decides whether she likes the groom.

Immediately after the engagement, the parents of the bride and groom entered into a written agreement. This legal document, which indicated the size of the dowry and the time of the wedding. An indispensable condition was that the parents of the bride and groom after the wedding should offer the newlyweds both shelter and board for two years. The contract stipulated that if one of the parties violated it without good reason, then those who violated pay a fine. The contract could be terminated, but if the groom sent gifts and they were accepted, then the contract became law. "Ktubah" - a marriage contract - determined the duties of the groom and the size of the dowry on each side.

As a rule, weddings took place in the fall. On the appointed day, when relatives and friends accompanied the bride and groom, a Jewish orchestra played: violin, lute, cymbal and tambourines. The guests were in the synagogue or in the square near it. The bride and groom stood under the wedding canopy. The groom put the ring on the bride and said the traditional words: “With this ring you are dedicated to me according to the faith and law of Moses and Israel.” The rabbi read the Ketubah and then he or the cantor chanted the seven wedding blessings. The groom was given a glass in his hands, and he broke it in memory of the destroyed Jerusalem Temple. Thus ended the religious part of the wedding ceremony.

Further, the wedding was of a secular nature. They sang about the groom, about the bride, about mothers. The bride performed a dance with a scarf; only men danced with her. On the second and third days, the newlyweds were invited to visit. And then everyday life went on. A feature of family life was its isolation, which determined its purity and strength. Violation of marital life immediately attracted severe condemnation from the community.

Jews did not differ in clothing from the local population. In different historical periods they wore Greek, Byzantine, and Genoese clothes. By the middle of the 19th century. by clothing it was possible to determine from which places in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and Germany the refugees arrived. Sometimes there were people dressed in a lapserdak with tzitzis, a skullcap, a hat with a fur trim, wide-brimmed hats, and wide, long-brimmed Turkish caftans, similar in cut to cassocks. These were very religious community members. Such clothing practically disappeared in the second half of the 19th century, because... Those who wore it were subject to heavy fines.

The Jewish month is determined by the moon, i.e. the length of the month is equal to the time the moon revolves around the earth - between 29 and 30 days. The day when a new moon is born is a new moon, Rosh Chodesh. The entire time she “lives” lasts the same month. The very meaning of the word hodesh (month) indicates this: it is the same root as the word hadash (new), i.e. the month begins with new moon. IN last Saturday Before the beginning of the new month, they pray and perform the “Blessing of the Month” ceremony. Some communities also host a festive meal.

Passover (Easter)

The great holiday of the historical Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the rebirth of nature confirms this philosophical idea. The holiday is called Pesach 14 Nisan (Passover, March-April). Passover in Hebrew means “to pass by, to pass by.” According to biblical legend, death passed over the Jews on the night when the firstborn of Egypt died.

Passover is a holiday on which Jews celebrate one of the most significant events in their history - liberation from Egyptian slavery. For more than three thousand years, every spring, Jews all over the world seem to walk the path from slavery to freedom anew, making every step of this journey a part of their own lives.

According to the commandment, on Passover it is forbidden to eat leavened bread and products made from cereals: wheat, barley, oats and millet. One of the most famous Passover customs is eating matzah for seven days. Matzo is made from flour and water, without salt (unleavened bread). Matzo is a symbol of freedom and at the same time a reminder that the Jews were slaves.

They prepared for the holiday in 10-15 days. In more prosperous houses, Easter (kashir) dishes were kept separately and used only on Easter. Poor families “cooked” their usual dishes for the holiday: washed, cleaned, boiled.

The main event of this unique celebration is a family meal called the Seder. It is held on the first two evenings of the holiday. The carefully designed ritual consists of 15 stages. It culminates in answers to four questions (essentially one question: “How is this night different from other nights?”).

1. Why on all nights can we eat both chametz (“leavened”, “leavened” - any flour dish, including bread, during the preparation of which a fermentation process occurred in the dough), and matzo, but on this night only matzo?

2. Why do we eat different greens on all nights, but on this night we eat bitter greens?

3. Why don’t we dip our food on all nights, but on this night we dip it twice?

Why is it that on all other nights we can eat sitting, upright and with our elbows, but on this night we all drink with our elbows?

Purim

Historical events of distant antiquity became the basis of the spring holiday “Purim”. This holiday is about two and a half thousand years old. It originated when the Jewish people were in exile and is dedicated to the miracle of the survival of the Jewish people. The history of this holiday is the story of a meeting with burning hatred of Jews, with an unbridled desire to destroy the entire Jewish people.

Two important mitzvot that Jews observe on Purim are mishloach manot (literally, “sending food”) and “giving gifts to the poor.” On Purim, you can see adults and children on the streets carrying plates and trays with pies, sweets, and bottles of wine. This commandment was given to strengthen friendship and brotherhood among the Jews.

The deep meaning of the commandment “gifts to the poor” is that it is on this day of general joy and fun that one must remember the needy brothers and try to ensure that they also take part in the fun and do not lack anything. It is customary to entrust the fulfillment of this commandment to children in order to accustom them to it.

Another ancient custom that gives Purim its special cheerful mood is masks and masquerade costumes. There is one explanation for this custom: one of the most important commandments that is fulfilled on Purim is the commandment of “gifts to the poor,” i.e. tzedakah, charity. A best way to fulfill this commandment - to give money to those in need so that the poor person does not know who exactly gave him the money. That’s why they dress up in masquerade costumes on Purim, so that the poor do not recognize their benefactors and are not embarrassed.

Ordinary pies and cookies are baked in the shape of crocodiles, turtles, hares and other funny toys. The most famous dish of Purim is triangular pies with poppy seeds - homentashen (homentashi).

Sukkot Tabernacles

On the 15th day of the month of Tishrei, the holiday of Sukot begins - the most joyful of the main holidays. In the Torah, the holiday is designated as a “time of joy” and a time of harvesting fruits. At the same time, the holiday is associated with the memory of the 40-year wandering of the Jews in the desert. When the Jewish people left Egypt and moved through the desert to come to the Land of Israel, the Almighty surrounded them on all sides with wonderful clouds. During the day they protected people from the scorching sun, at night - from the cold. Jews also lived in huts made of green branches (tabernacles) or tents during the harvest.

In memory of this, Sukot Tabernacles is celebrated for 7 days. When a person leaves his home, his fortress, and goes with his family to live in a hut, he thereby expresses his belief that there is no other shelter in this world except the Almighty.

Shavuot

The Jew enjoys living with the times. This means that a Jew must look into the Torah every day, and his actions, his behavior must correspond to the chapter that relates to today, week, season. In other words, every week reading different chapters of the Torah in the synagogue (and each of them, in turn, is divided into 7 parts), we must learn certain lessons for ourselves. Therefore, on Sunday we should take a lesson from the first part, on Monday from the second, etc. The very word “Torah” means teaching because it teaches us Jews how to conduct ourselves in life from day to day, from one year to the next, from holiday to holiday.

Funeral

Quantity various kinds The beliefs reflected in the funeral and memorial rites of Judaism are truly countless.

After a complex procedure for ascertaining death, the furniture was completely removed from the deceased’s house. His neighbors poured out all their water supplies - it was believed that the angel of death washed his sword in it. Mourning for the deceased was accompanied by wailing, relatives and friends tore their clothes.

The Talmud prescribes very complex funeral regulations: “The following actions are prohibited to the mourner on the first day by law, but on the last six days by the scribes: shaving the head, washing... anointing the head, performing marital duties, putting on boots, working, reading the law, preparing a luxurious bed, bare your head and welcome others.” The modern funeral rite among adherents of Judaism is very different from the Orthodox (Orthodox - unswervingly adhering to the foundations of some teaching or worldview), and the vast majority of believers today do not comply with the grueling regulations. Religious rite funerals are most often limited to the reading of prayers over the deceased, as a rule, by specially hired readers, and the memorial cycle is limited to orders for the reading of appropriate prayers in the synagogue. The custom of tearing one's clothes left a cut on the lapel, which is made by the relatives of the deceased.

Jewish wedding: laws and customs

The Jewish ceremony is called kiddushin, “dedication.” During this ceremony, the bride is dedicated to her groom and they are united in an unbreakable bond of holiness. The ceremony is usually held under open air. A special canopy is deployed over the bride and groom, which is called Chuppah. This symbolizes that the bride enters the home of her groom and they become one family under the roof of their home.

Under chuppah the betrothal ceremony is performed - Kidushin,– which is led by a rabbi. The groom puts it on the bride's finger gold ring and says: “Behold, you are dedicated to me as a wife with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel!” From this moment on, the bride is “separated” from all other men and belongs only to her husband, “dedicated” to him. This is the moment of marriage.

Then read out publicly Ketuba- an agreement on the obligations of the groom towards the bride. IN Ketube the obligations that the groom undertakes for the duration of married life are outlined, and the amount of material “insurance” in the event of the death of the husband or divorce is also established. The ketubah must be drawn up before the wedding ceremony.

Continue reading Sheva Berachot- seven wedding blessings, and at the end of the ceremony the groom breaks a glass, because even in the most joyful moments In our lifetime we must remember the destruction of the Temple and the centuries-long exile. After Hoops the bride and groom retire for a while in a special room - Heder Ihud.

This is followed by a festive feast.

After the completion of kiddushin, a festive meal is held. The wedding feast lasts seven days, which are called “seven days of feasting,” with the invitation of “new guests” who were not present at the wedding. Every evening during the festive meal, the “Seven Blessings” are said, in which they express gratitude to the Almighty for creating man and woman and uniting them in marriage.

According to custom, the bride and groom should not see each other in the last week before the wedding.

Hanukkah

During the time of the Second Temple, in the 2nd century. BC, the country of Israel was captured by the Greeks. They forced the Jews to renounce their faith, stop observing the Sabbath and studying the Torah, etc. The Greeks desecrated the Temple, humiliating the people to the extreme. The hour came when the family of temple clergy rebelled, joined by everyone who did not want to come to terms with the destruction of Jewish traditions. The small army of the rebels was led by the warrior Yehuda Makabi. It defeated a powerful enemy. When the soldiers liberated the Temple and wanted to relight the golden Menorah lamp that stood in it, it turned out that all the oil for the Menorah had been desecrated by the Greeks. They found a single jug of pure oil, which could only last for one night. However, the Almighty performed a miracle, and this oil burned for eight whole days.

In memory of the victory over the Greeks and the miracle that occurred in the Jerusalem Temple after the victory of the Jews in 164 BC, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days - starting on the 25th day of the month of Kislev (November-December).

As soon as evening falls, candles are lit in a lamp at the entrance to the house or on the windowsill to announce to the whole world about the miracle performed by the Almighty. Every day one light is added until on the eighth evening all eight are lit. A traditional hymn is sung.
During the holiday, it is customary to eat donuts and hash browns, which are fried in oil - this is reminiscent of the miracle of a jug of oil. Children have a fun holiday on Hanukkah.

Shabbat

The most important holiday is Saturday (“Shabbat”) - peace. This holiday is universal. It recalls the creation of the world and the emergence of the people of Israel. Already in the morning there is a festive mood in the house, the table is set in a special way: candles are burning, there is wine in a silver glass, two challahs (bread) covered with an embroidered napkin. The whole family gathers at the table in festive clothes. There is a lot of food on the table: stuffed and jellied fish, meat prepared according to different recipes, depending on where you live, all kinds of delicacies. Before meals they sing “Shalom Aleichem”. Then the food is blessed. At the table they talk cheerfully about different things. After lunch, another prayer: “Lord, give strength to your people! Lord, bless your people by granting them peace!” The festive mood lasts all day, and in the evening there is farewell to Saturday (“Gavdala”). During Gavdala, a special wicker candle is lit, over which a blessing is pronounced - “the creative light of lights.” After evening prayer, they wish each other a Good Week (“Shavus Tovi”), and everyone sings songs together.

Tu Bishvat

Tu Bishvat is known as the tree planting holiday ( New Year trees). It is called by the name of the month and day on which it is celebrated: the month is Shevat, and the fifteenth day (in Hebrew - Tu). So, Tu Bishvat is the fifteenth of Shevat, the middle of the Jewish month.

We first encounter this date in the Mishnah (the main set of laws of Halakha - ancient Jewish legislation). According to the Mishnah, it is forbidden to eat the fruit of a tree until it reaches three years of age, since, according to Jewish tradition, the first fruits are dedicated to God. The fruits of the first three years are considered “uncut,” that is, non-kosher and not permitted for consumption. The fruits of the fourth year should, according to tradition, be brought to the Temple, and in the fifth year the farmer himself can eat the fruits from his garden.

According to ancient custom, special meals are held on Tu Bishvat - a “fruit table”. The whole family gathers around a table decorated with flowers and decorations made by the children. In the center of the festive table, it is customary to place a dish with 15 types of fruits for which the Promised Land is famous: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, dates, etc. Preparing such a table requires work and money, but it’s worth the effort, to make a holiday for your family.

On this day, it is customary to travel outside the city to plant new trees.

Rosh Hashanah (Rosh Hashanah)

According to Jewish custom, the New Year (“Rosh Hashanah”) is celebrated in September. They celebrate it for two days. The harvest has already been harvested, you can relax and take stock of what you have done during the year, forgive those who offended you, and ask for forgiveness from those you offended. A devout Jew believed that on this day God opens a book in which the deeds of each person are recorded, and everyone is sentenced

On this holiday they eat a lot and deliciously. On festive table There should be grape wine, challah with honey, a fish head, apples with honey. You should definitely eat a pomegranate: “May your merits become numerous, like the seeds in a pomegranate.” They eat the head of a fish, “so that we are the head and not the tail.” And when they dip a piece of apple in honey, they say: “May the New Year be kind and sweet.”

On this day, the SHOFAR (ram's horn) is blown a hundred times in the synagogue, and this solemn sound proclaims the power of God, the gift of the Torah and the coming Messiah.

There is a very ancient custom: on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, in the afternoon, go to the bank of a river or lake to perform the rite of TASHLICH - “throwing” or “shaking out”. Nowadays, there is a custom of throwing bread crumbs into the water - a symbol of our sins and mistakes. After that, everyone goes to visit and gives each other gifts.

Maria Silver

AND The history of the Jewish people, dating back several thousand years, is full of dramatic and tragic collisions. For over four thousand years, Jews lived (and still live) in proximity to a variety of peoples. It is not surprising that they, willy-nilly, adopted other people's customs. Another thing is surprising: in all Jewish communities - from Russia to Australia, from America to China - many ceremonies, rituals and folklore are similar. Over the course of four millennia, the star of more than one civilization has risen and set. (Remember the school history course: Egypt and Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and Byzantium...) How did this small people scattered all over the world manage to preserve their traditions and customs unshakable? Perhaps the fact is that the Jewish people have been a bookish people since ancient times. Almost all of Jewish culture - including folklore and ritual practice - is based on sacred books common to all Jews, no matter where they live.
We want to talk here about the traditions and rituals associated in Judaism with pregnancy, childbirth and the first days of a child’s life. However, in such a story we will inevitably (for the reasons stated above) have to refer to Jewish sacred books - for example, the Torah and Talmud. Probably, not everyone knows what kind of books these are, and we found it possible to preface this article with a short essay that will allow inquisitive readers to orient themselves a little in Jewish religious literature, which serves as the source and basis of all rituals, rites and traditions of the Jewish people.
Humanity owes the Jewish people one of the oldest literary and historical monuments in the history of mankind - the Bible. Two religions consider the Bible to be their sacred scripture - Judaism and Christianity. According to Judaic doctrine, the Jewish people entered into a Covenant with God - a kind of agreement between God and people. The entire religious life of Jews is permeated with tense anticipation of the coming of the Messiah - God's messenger who will finally save the Jewish people from the grave suffering that has haunted them throughout their history. Christians believe that the Savior - Jesus Christ - has already been sent to humanity (and not just to Jews). This is exactly what it talks about New Testament, not recognized by Jews. (That is, the Christian Bible, unlike the Jewish Bible, consists of two parts - the Old Testament and the New Testament.) The core of the Old Testament is the so-called Pentateuch, consisting, as you might guess, of five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Pentateuch in Hebrew is Torah. Since Moses entered into a Covenant with the Lord, the life of a devout Jew has been strictly regulated. What, how and when to eat? How to get married, give birth, bury? Judaizers find the answer to all these questions - along with the Torah - in the Talmud. After the flight of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery, during forty years of wandering in the desert, the prophet Moses once ascended Mount Sinai, where he received from God stone tablets with the commandments carved on them, given by God to his people. However, it is believed that Moses was also honored with a conversation with God and received from him some oral instructions, which later became the basis of the Talmud.

So, what do orthodox Jews do and don’t do in connection with pregnancy, childbirth and the first days of a newborn’s life? Let's talk about everything in order.

Pregnancy

There are no magical or mystical rituals associated with pregnancy (or indeed with childbirth) in the Bible, but the Talmud is replete with them.
It was believed that a pregnant woman was constantly in wait evil spirits, from which they tried their best to protect her. Amulets with Bible verses were hung in the house. In eastern Jewish communities there was a custom called “hadash” (“new”), when a week before giving birth, girl friends came to the pregnant woman and sang special songs in which they asked for a happy fate for the newborn. In the Jewish communities of Germany, it was customary to draw a circle with chalk or charcoal on the walls of the room where the birth was to take place. Here, too, a few days before giving birth, a pregnant woman was certainly visited every evening - however, it was not girls who came, but boys - to read psalms specially prescribed for this occasion. Sometimes guests stayed overnight and “guarded” the pregnant woman. The fact is that, according to the Talmud, three people must be constantly present at the bedside of a pregnant woman, called upon to protect her from the machinations of evil demons. Sometimes in the house of the expectant mother, for the same purpose, strips of paper with the text of one of the psalms were hung above the windows, door, chimney opening and other openings through which it was believed that evil spirits could enter the house.

Childbirth

Already in the Torah - the oldest of all Jewish sacred books known to us - there is a commandment to “be fruitful and multiply” - the first command, given to humanity By God. And it also says that birth pangs are a punishment for the fall of mankind. It is interesting that later this idea received a logical development: if a difficult birth is a punishment for disobedience, then, accordingly, an easy birth, without pain and suffering, is a reward for righteousness. It is no coincidence that the Talmud tells the story that Moses’ mother was delivered from Eve’s curse thanks to her pious behavior. Midwives are also mentioned in the Bible. After analyzing biblical descriptions of childbirth, scientists came to the conclusion that in those days women gave birth while sitting on a special chair called a “mashber”, or on the husband’s lap, and midwives helped deliver the child. In the Talmud, a woman in labor is called “hayta” (“revived”) or “mahbalat” (“pledge”): according to Talmudic ideas, at the moment of childbirth she seems to temporarily die and is in the power of death, and then returns to life.
Among the Jews, as well as among many other peoples, in particular among the Slavs, it was believed that the absence of any kind of buttoned and closed items in the clothes of the woman in labor and in the room where childbirth occurs facilitates childbirth. The woman had to unbutton all the buttons and fasteners on her dress, take off her belt, and let her hair down. All windows and doors in the house were opened. In addition, they hung mirrors because they believed that Satan and other demons were hiding in them. Talmudists believed that a woman's suffering when giving birth to a girl is greater than when giving birth to a boy. During a particularly difficult birth, the key to the synagogue was placed in the hand of the woman in labor, and ribbons that were used to encircle the Torah scroll were placed next to her. In some Jewish communities (for example, in Ukraine), in especially difficult cases, relatives of the woman in labor even specially went to the synagogue and opened the ark in which the Torah scroll is kept - the so-called Aron Kodesh. Probably, the Jews borrowed this custom from their Christian neighbors, since it was universally accepted among the Slavs in such a situation to ask the priest to open the Royal Doors in the altar of the church. Both priests and rabbis tried for a long time (not very successfully) to fight this tradition.
Saturday for devout Jews is a holy day, when any kind of work is prohibited - you can’t even light a fire or turn on/off an electric light. However, for the sake of the birth of a child and the health of the woman in labor, Jewish Law allows breaking the Sabbath and all other holidays. True, if this or that action is not dictated by an immediate danger to the life and health of the woman in labor or the baby, on Saturday they still tried to refrain from this action. For example, if a birth took place on a weekday, the “baby place,” or afterbirth, should have been immediately buried in the earth as a guarantee that the person would eventually be returned to the earth. On Saturday, the afterbirth was not buried, but was preserved wherever possible: noble women - in bowls with olive oil, the poorer - in woolen scraps, and the very poor - in cotton wool.

After childbirth

After childbirth, both the mother and the newborn continue to be in a transitional, “borderline” state between life and death, between that world and this. For several days after giving birth, it is permissible to break the Sabbath in order to light a fire for the woman in labor, heat food, etc. Some rabbis believe that this period is calculated at three days, others at seven, and still others at thirty. It is characteristic that these numbers - three, seven and thirty - are different stages of mourning for a deceased person.
For some time after giving birth, a woman is considered ritually unclean. According to the biblical commandment, after the birth of a boy, a woman remains unclean for seven days, and then for another 33 days she must “sit in purification” - not touch anything sacred. After the birth of a girl, all periods are doubled: the woman is considered unclean for two weeks, and then “sits in purification” for 66 days. One of the books explains this as follows: although man and woman were created on the same day, Adam was introduced into the Garden of Eden a week later, and Eve only two weeks after birth, so boys have a timing advantage over girls.
In the case of the birth of a boy, the most difficult stage for the woman in labor and her son is considered to be the period from birth to circumcision. In one medieval Jewish book of the 10th century there is interesting story about the female demon Lilith.
Adam's first wife, Lilith, was, like Adam, created from the earth. They lived in the Garden of Eden and one day they decided to make love. Lilith demanded equality - she wanted to lie on top. Adam did not allow her to do this, then she said secret name God and disappeared. Adam was indignant, cried out to the Lord, and the Lord created him a second wife from his own rib - Eve, “flesh of flesh,” who was obedient to Adam in everything. And after Lilith, the Lord sent three angels - Sanvi, Sansanvi and Samangelof. They found Lilith standing in the middle of the sea and made a pact with her. Lilith promised that she would only harm small children until the day of circumcision and would not touch those children next to whom she saw these three angels or amulets with their names.
Since then, in many communities it has been customary to place amulets with the names of these angels in the baby’s cradle before circumcision. The Jews believed that evil spirits became very dangerous on the eve of circumcision, while after this ceremony the baby could fear their power much less. To ward off danger, they used all kinds of amulets and performed magical rituals. In European (Ashkenazi) communities, on the night before circumcision, they performed “vakhnakht” - a “night vigil” at the bedside of the mother and baby, during which as many candles as possible were lit, and relatives read prayers and had a special meal.

Boys: circumcision

The most important milestone in a boy's life (we'll talk about girls a little later) is circumcision. Circumcision is the removal of the “foreskin”, i.e. skin at the end of the penis. It was and is practiced by many peoples. There are carvings of ancient Egyptian priests at the moment of circumcision; Among the Romans, singers underwent this operation, believing that it improved their voice. Today, many non-Jewish men are circumcised simply because they believe that the foreskin easily becomes a source of infection if not kept clean. However, Jewish (and Muslim) circumcision is not just a surgical operation. It is done for religious, not medical reasons. Circumcision in Judaism marks a person's joining the Covenant between God and Jewish people. According to Jewish tradition, circumcision must take place on the eighth day - even if this day falls on Saturday or a holiday. However, if there are concerns about the child’s health, circumcision is postponed until later. late date. Circumcision is a joyful event; many guests are invited to this ceremony, a rich meal is served, and gifts are given to the baby. According to the tradition of European Jews (Ashkenazim), before circumcision, parents must choose a man and a woman, usually spouses, who will be “quatters” (“bearers”). The quatters bring the child to be circumcised. Their participation in the child's future life resembles the function of godparents in the Christian world. According to the Law, circumcision can be performed by anyone - it does not matter whether it is a man or a woman - but for many centuries the ritual of circumcision has traditionally been performed by a person specially trained in this craft. Such a person is called a “mohel.” When he is ready to begin the operation, the woman, the quatterine, takes the baby from the mother and carries him on a pillow to the room where the men are gathered. There she hands the child over to her husband, the quatter, who takes him to the mohel.
The child's father is standing nearby. Before performing the circumcision, the mohel places the child and a pillow on an empty chair, which is called the chair of Elijah the prophet. Exists ancient belief that the spirit of this prophet is present at every circumcision. The baby is then placed on the lap of the person chosen to be the “sandak” (“receiver”).
Throughout the entire procedure, the sandak holds the baby on his lap. The sandak's mission is considered very honorable. Parents usually ask the child's grandfather or a respected member of the community to become sandak. Once the circumcision is done, the father pronounces a blessing, which states that God commanded this to be done so that the child could join the Covenant. Then the mohel takes the boy in his arms, blesses him and gives him the name chosen in advance by his parents.

Girls: naming

Girls are given names differently. This usually takes place in the synagogue, on the first Saturday after the birth of the child. The girl's father is asked to read the text of the Torah.
Since ancient times, Sephardic Jews, residents of eastern communities, have named children after their closest relatives: father, mother, grandmother, etc. Among European Jews (Ashkenazim) it is not customary to give a child the name of a person who is still alive. The custom of naming children after righteous people (tzaddikim) is widespread. It is believed that the righteousness of a great person helps the one who bears his name to follow the right path in life.