The Major Jewish Holidays Essay Research Paper

The Major Jewish Holidays Essay, Research Paper

THE MAJOR JEWISH HOLIDAYS

The Jewish people are a people of celebration. All year long there are many holidays that the Jewish people love to celebrate. Seven of the major Jewish holidays are Shabbat, Purim, Passover, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, Rosh Hashana, and Shavuot. Each holiday has its own customs, presentations, and services that make it different from the other Jewish holidays. In this essay I will explain in detail each of the seven major holidays.

Shabbat may be the most important holiday observant in Judaism. Shabbat is a weekly day of rest for the Jewish people. This is a day when the Jewish people pause from their normal busy lives so that the soul can rest. The source of Shabbat comes from where God created the earth in six days, and on the seventh he rested. In Exodus 20:11 the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day, he rested; therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it. Shabbat is the only festival required in the ten commandments.

There are certain things that the Jews are forbidden to do on Shabbat. Any work that is creative is restricted in Jewish law. Plowing, baking, weaving, trapping, building, tying, kindling a fire, and hitting with a hammer are all tasks not to be done on Shabbat. Rabbis have also prohibited travel, buying and selling, electricity, and the use of the automobile on Shabbat.

Preparing for the Shabbat begins about 2pm on Friday afternoon. People leave work early to go home and prepare for Shabbat. Shabbat officially begins at sunset. Candles are lit and a blessing is recited. The ritual, performed by the women of the house, officially marks the beginning of the Shabbath. Two candles are lit, representing the two commandments zachor and shamor. Now the family attends evening service. The service is very short at about 45 minutes long. After service, everyone goes home for festive dinner. After dinner the birkat ha-mazon is recited. The birkat ha mazon is recited everyday, but on Shabbat it is done with upbeat music.

Shabbat is observed differently by each Jew. Many Jews spend the day deep in prayer at the synagogues. Some use the Shabbat as a day to gather with friends and family. Family and friends often meet for big meals on Shabbat. At these meals members of the household recite Kiddish over a cup of wine. This is to recount the story of creation. Hamotzi or the breaking of the bread also takes place at these meals. Others attend Friday night services and light candles. Hadlakot Nerot is the lighting of the candles. The Jews light the candles and bless them. “They are placed on a Shabbat table as a source of warmth and illumination” (Jewish.org pg.2). All of these ways symbolize Shabbat as a special day from all the other days of the week.

Purim is the most festive of the Jewish holidays. “Purim, or the Feast of Lots, celebrates the survival of Jews among other cultures.” (Comptons pg.1) The story of Purim is told in the book of Esther. During the reign of King Ahasuerus in the 5th century BC. The king chose Esther to be his wife unknowing she was a Jew. Everything was fine until the king’s chief advisor Haman ordered all subjects to bow to him. Mordecai, Esther’s uncle refused for religious reasons. Haman then convinced the king to let him kill all the Jews. Esther heard of Haman’s plan and arranged a meeting with her husband. She told him she was a Jew and revealed Haman’s plan. The king punished Haman by killing him and his sons instead of the Jews. After this the Jews celebrated a great victory over an enemy.

Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, which usually falls sometime in March. the Purim holiday is preceded by a minor fast, the Fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther’s three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the king. Dramatizations of the Purim story are often performed. This is called Purimspiel, and is most often performed by young Jewish children. It is customary to hold carnival like celebrations and hold beauty pageants on Purim. Americans sometimes refer to Purim as a Jewish version of Mardi Gras.

On Purim Jewish people are also required to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts for charity. The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos. A common treat for charity is hamentaschen. These are triangular fruit-filled cookies. Jewish people are also required to drink heavily. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordecai,” though opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is. This may be the most looked forward to holiday in the Jewish calendar for the Jewish people.

Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel, but little attention is paid to this part of the holiday. The primary observation of Passover are related to the escape of the Jews from Egypt after generations of slavery. This story is told in Exodus, CH, 1-15.

“The most significant observance related to Passover involves the removal of chametz (leaven) from Jewish homes.” (jewholidaya.com pg.3) This commemorates the fact that the Jews left Egypt in such a hurry, and did not have time to