Judaism
While studying various religions of the world, a manifestation of pronounced similarity has materialized. Amongst all faiths and religions, there is only one that is somewhat like Christianity. Judaism stands on many of the same beliefs, ethical guidelines, and texts that Christianity stands on, making it an interesting religion to explore. John Esposito states, “Judaism finds its roots in the story of the God who made promises to Abraham and his descendants that were fulfilled centuries later” (Esposito, 2015, p. 84). According to the ESV, “Evangelical Christianity and traditional Judaism share many biblically based beliefs and much ethical common ground. This common heritage is not surprising. Areas of basic belief include belief in one eternal, omniscient God, the Creator of heaven and earth” (ESV). Additionally, the Encyclopedia of Columbia, states, “Judaism is the religious beliefs and practices and the way of life of the Jews. The term itself was first used by Hellenized Jews to describe their religious practice, but it is of predominantly modern usage; it is not used in the Bible or in Rabbinic literature and only rarely in the literature of the medieval period” (2017). Yet, this is not to say that there are no major doctrinal differences between Judaism and Christianity, but that Judaism, unlike any other, shares some of the foundational truths, symbols, and stories of the Christian faith. A religion that runs almost parallel to the Christian faith sparks intrigue and is worthy of close examination. However, this paper is specific, in that it explores Jewish rites of passage, specifically circumcision, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, marriage, death and their significance from the Jewish perspective. Each rite of passage will also explore additional questions or concerns that arise. The paper will begin with circumcision.
Circumcision
Circumcision is a significant rite of passage for Jews. Farhadian states, “Generally a child is considered Jewish if his or her mother is Jewish. The male child is circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, representing his entrance into the covenant relationship. Male converts to Judaism, even if they are adults, are expected to undergo circumcision” (Farhadian, 2015, p. 328). As stated by Michael Swartz, “The idea that a covenantal relationship exists between God and the children of Abraham is a driving force behind biblical and postbiblical Jewish theology and has informed every stage of Judaism” (Swartz, 2005). Additionally, for the Jew, circumcision is also supported by scripture. For Jews, circumcision began as a law under the Abrahamic covenant. Genesis 17:10-11, states, “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you” (ESV). According to the ESV translation, circumcision was intended to focus attention on the importance of Abraham’s offspring, the royal line through which blessing would come. Circumcision served as a distinction between covenant-believing and non-covenant peoples. However, some may wonder why Jewish customs require males to bear the mark of circumcision in their flesh, while females remain exempt.
Females Exempt from Circumcision
There are many different schools of thought as to why female Jews are exempt from physical circumcision. Shayne Cohen, states, “Some assume that Jewish women are equal to Jewish men, if not superior to them; in contrast, others state explicitly that women are inferior to men. Others argue that circumcision, unlike Christian baptism, has no connection with membership or status within the religious community, because it is simply a commandment like any other commandment or because its intended effect is to remove a moral blemish affecting men” (Cohen, 2005, p. 109). However, as above-mentioned, the Jewish circumcision custom revolves around a clear mandate from Genesis 17, which marks circumcision as the sign of covenant people. Yet, women are exempt.
Sharon Siegel (2014) offers an explanation to the mystery. Siegel states, “The totality of all covenantal actions and interactions—whether involving Abraham, Sarah, or both—comprise the covenant of Abraham. That fact that Abraham, who interacts directly with God, happens to be a man does not limit covenantal membership to men. The covenant of Abraham, which represents the genesis of the eternal covenant of Abraham, encompasses all Jews—men and women alike” (Siegel, 2014, p. 91). Although baby girls are exempt from circumcision, they are nonetheless included and accepted as a part of the covenant peoples, and as covenant people, take part in the succeeding rite of passage into adulthood as boys do; Bat/bar mitzvah.
Bar Mitzvah/ Bat Mitzvah
When we discuss Bar/Bat Mitzvah, we are discussing a ritual within Judaism that serves as a rite of passage for ethnic Jews. Michelle Clark states, “The idea of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah is to bind the child to the community, at the same time that he or she is freed from childhood and recognized as a separate young adult within the community” (Clark, 1996). The celebration or ceremony serves as the bridge that leads into adulthood and religious adherence and responsibility. Some may say that the rite of passage observed by Jews, could be compared to the 18th birthday of an American male or female. However, there is more significance to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, that deserves observation and analysis. First, it is important to define “rite of passage”. For Jews, a rite of passage functions as a mark of transition which commences a change in individual status. According to Charles Farhadian, “Jews follow rituals that mark major transition in their lives from birth to death, usually referred to as rites of passage. Usually rites of passage are accompanied by a ceremony marking a new status of the individual” (Farhadian, 2015, p. 329). Although Jews have many rites of passage, the object of discussion is the bar/bat mitzvah. In Hebrew, bar mitzvah means “son of the commandment” which provides insight about the significance and sincerity of the ceremony. For boys, 13 is the age of entrance into adulthood, and 12 is the age that girls experience the rite of passage into adulthood. Farhadian states, “When a boy is considered an adult, he goes through a bar mitzvah ceremony; at the comparable time, the girl goes through a bat mitzvah ceremony. At a bar mitzvah ceremony, the boy attains religious adulthood, and the father ceases to be responsible for the actions of his son” (Farhadian, 2015, p. 330). The bar mitzvah boy’s father has a unique role in the ceremony.
As stated by Seidman, “On that occasion, the father pronounces a special prayer which is more involved than appears on the first reading. The father says: ‘Blessed (art Thou), who has relieved me of this responsibility.’ In effect, the father is launching the young man on his own, with individual obligations’” (Seidman, 1973). The Father is an important part of the home, but for the Jewish community, his role is of paramount importance, as indicated. The bar mitzvah boy’s status changes, and he begins to accept responsibility and covenant obligations, and it is the father who releases him into his new status. Bar mitzvah is not only in line with Jewish customs, but it can also function as a powerful force in the life of young boy or girl. Siedman states, “Even where the real status does not come at once, it is a portent and a promise, and it gives the young person the sense of social mobility he seeks. It contains the ‘consensual quality of transition’ necessary to make a valid impression on a growing person and insure him of eventual advancement and self-definition” (Seidman, 1973). Although bar/bat mitzvah may be commonly referred to when discussing the entire ceremony, it is the reading of the Torah, which represents the term.
Torah
The Canon of the Hebrew Bible consists of three parts: The Torah, the Nevi’im, and the Ketuvim. According to Corrigan et. al., “Each of these canons is a kind of peg upon which hang the narrative strands of the biblical story” (Corrigan, 1998, p. 7). The Torah is foundational for Jews. Farhadian states, “The Torah sets out the teachings of the written law of the Jewish people, which is the source of Jewish oral law. It also contains the history of the Jewish people from the creation of the world until the death of Moses. Since it is both history and a large body of laws, the Torah is the ultimate source of many Jewish religious practices” (Farhadian, 2015, p. 315). Additionally, Corrigan et. al., states, “The central focus of the Torah is the description of a series of covenants, or promises, sealed between God and Israel” (Corrigan, 1998, p. 8). The calling up to the reading of the Torah is a symbol of a boy's attaining maturity. He is called up on the first occasion that the Torah is read following his 13th birthday according to the Jewish calendar. This is the first public demonstration of his new role as a full member of the community and, in modern times, it is to this occasion that the term bar mitzvah usually refers. To read from the Torah holds great significance, not simply for the boy or girl, but also for the family. The individual, as well as the family, shares in the special day and acknowledges and supports the newfound privileges and responsibilities that their child now has. According to Zvi Kaplan and Norma Joseph, “Members of the boy’s family are also called up to the reading of the Torah, and a special sermon is frequently delivered by the rabbi, stressing the boy’s new responsibilities and privileges. In many modern synagogues, the rabbi ends his sermon by invoking the Priestly Blessing or other blessing, and the bar mitzvah boy is given a gift from the congregation” (Kaplan & Joseph, 2007). To read from the Torah is a great honor and privilege, but may be denied to those with disabilities.
Developmentally disabled
The bar/bat mitzvah is not only welcome to those who are developmentally healthy, but is also available to the developmentally disabled, although strained and complicated. Gila Vogel et. al., states, “The issue of celebration of bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies for youngsters with developmental disabilities is a complex one. Jewish legal culture seems to reflect a contradictory blend of sensitivity and insensitivity towards those with disabilities” (Vogel, 2003). Developmental challenges seem to hinder kids with these types difficulties. Because of the level of understanding and responsibility involved in the bar mitzvah ceremony, many kids with severe developmental disabilities are looked over. Vogel continues, “In classical Jewish tradition, the obligation to perform commandments endows the individual with dignity. Thus, exemptions or disqualifications from the responsibility of fulfilling various commandments can be seen as an assault on the esteem of the personhood of the individual with a disability” (Vogel, 2003). Bar/bat mitzvah increases the confidence and self-esteem of the young person, and as aforementioned, gives the boy or girl a sense of direction, honor and upward mobility. However, if the developmentally disabled child is exempt or disqualified, based on the assumption that they are unable to perform, they are effectively robbed of the benefits of such a ceremony. The Bar/ bat mitzvah functions as the first sign of adulthood, preparing the new adult and places the individual on the trajectory for marriage.
Marriage
In most cultures, marriage is of great significance, and it also true of marriage in the Jewish community. Farhadian states, “A significant motive for marriage is to have children, for Jews believe this to be a biblical commandment, while being single is typically discouraged. According to Judaism, marriage is instituted by God. (Farhadian, 2015, p. 331). This belief is taken from Genesis 2:18, which states, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner’” (ESV), indicating, from the Jewish perspective, that marriage is, not only important, but a mandate and an institution designed by God. For the Jew, marriage functions as the place for procreation. Farhadian states, “A significant motive for marriage is to have children, for Jews believe this to be a biblical commandment, while being single is typically discouraged” (Farhadian, 2015, p. 331). This perspective is also taken from Genesis, which states, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…” (ESV). In the Jewish marital tradition, marriage is composed of three different elements with crucial importance.
Elements of Jewish Marriage
In the Jewish community, the union of marriage has contractual, social, and sacred elements. Elliott Dorff states, “The contractual nature of Jewish marriage has several important implications. First, like any contracting parties, the couple may modify the terms of the standard contract, the ketubbah. Second, because marriage is a contract, the parties are free to terminate the contract at will, without showing grounds to any public authority; indeed, only the writ of the husband, not that of the court, can dissolve a marriage” (Dorff, 1999). Contracts are legal or binding agreements between two parties that have agreed upon the terms of the contract. This is the basis for the contractual element of marriage. Jews acknowledge that, because the agreement is between two people, it is solely the right of the two parties to dissolve the union. However, there is also a social element to marriage. Dorff states, “Marriage is social in that it is especially vital to group self-perpetuation, creates a new social unit of husband and wife, and they are public occasions” (Dorff, 1999). Lastly, marriage is sacred. It is the vehicle of procreation, a command given by God. Procreation is divine, and is to be embraced only in the bonds of marriage. Procreation ensures that God’s covenant promise is passed on to generation after generation. Dorff states, “God wants people to marry because marriage enables some forms of divine activity to take place. Marriage advances the work of creation and the fulfillment of the covenant as each couple participates in making new lives and in passing on to their seed the promise and responsibility received from their ancestors” (Dorff, 1999). While the contractual element of marriage is present, and to some extent, available for use, the social and sacred elements bear heavy on its use. However, the elements are somewhat complicated in the presence of an interfaith/intercultural marriage.
Interfaith Marriage
Interfaith marriage may easily be riddled with internal and external pressures, because different faiths hold different definitions of the marriage and the functions of it. Although Intermarriage between a Jew and a Gentile occurs frequently, it is not given the same blessing and is looked down upon by religious Jews. Research may provide answers to the disapproval of intermarriage. In a study conducted on Jewish intermarriage, the results indicated that intermarriage changes the landscape of Jewry, especially here in America. Bruce Philipps states, “Only a minority of mixed-parentage respondents identified with Judaism. Identification with Judaism was even further reduced among the current children of mixed-parentage respondents who had married non-Jews. Thus, there will be fewer practitioners of Judaism in the future, and this development will at some point become evident in the number and/or size of synagogues and other Jewish institutions” (Philipps, 2005). Intermarriage seems to threaten the continuity and strength of the Jewish culture. Differences in faith, seems to cause more marital and familial conflict. In additional study (Chintz, 2001) assessed the relationship between a couple’s similarity in religious beliefs and practices and their level of marital conflict and stability. Chintz states, “The results suggest that it is not the type of religious marriage, but rather the degree of agreement on Jewish issues, that predicts marital conflict and stability in both same-faith and interfaith Jewish marriages. Results of this study indicated that Jewish religious homogamy is an important factor in conflict and stability in both interfaith and same-faith Jewish marriages.” Chintz’s study reveals that interfaith marriage will most likely be controversial and conflict based, if both spouses disagree on foundational religious beliefs. With this information, it clear to see why marriage to a Gentile may be frowned upon in the Jewish community. However, there are sources that speak to the contrary.
Calvin Goldscheider states, “Whether changes in the community are seen as part of its vanishing or its transformation depends on how the community constructs its institutions and values. Issues of ethnic assimilation and the loss of ethnic identity may begin—but do not end—with calculating rates of intermarriage” (Goldscheider, 2003).
Sexual Relations
As stated in the Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia, “Marriage is called kidushin, or ‘making holy’. To set up a family home is to take part in an institution imbued with holiness. Celibacy is regarded as wrong because in the Torah, God told Jews to multiply. Sex is not considered acceptable outside marriage, but it is an important part of the love and care shown between partners”. Jews believe that the marriage institution is divine, a belief that is taken out of the Old Testament. To seek celibacy in marriage, is to be in violation of the command given by God. Marriage was established by God and, as stated above, it is the only relationship that fulfills God’s command to ‘be fruitful and multiply’. Marriage is not simply a contract, but it is sacred covenant. Malachi 2:14 indicates that God is a witness to the covenant between man and woman, and Jews do their best to honor this vow.
Roles and Responsibilities
Within the Jewish marriage rite of passage, both men and women have roles and responsibilities that they are expected to honor, although husbands and wives may share in certain responsibilities. For example, in Genesis 3:14-19, God gives Eve certain responsibilities as well as he does Adam. Adam is responsible for working and providing, while Eve is responsible for the household and the family. The Jewish husband is to provide support for his wife, clothing, ransom, and medical attention. The Jewish Encyclopedia states,
The husband must allow for the support of his wife as much as comports with his dignity and social standing. "She ascends with him, but does not descend," is the Talmudic principle; that is to say, she is entitled to all the advantages of his station in life without losing any of those which she enjoyed before marriage. The rights of the wife are implied in the husband's duties, while her duties are mainly comprised in his rights. She should not go out too much (Gen. R. lxv. 2), and should be modest even if alone with her husband (Shab. 140b). The greatest praise that can be said of a woman is that she fulfils the wishes of her husband
Death
Death is the last rite of passage observed by adherents of the Jewish faith. According to Elliott Dorff, “Because every person’s body belongs to God, a patient does not have the right either to commit suicide or to enlist the aid of others in the act, and anybody who does aid in this plan commits murder. The patient does have the right, however, to pray to God to permit death to come” (Dorff, 2005). The body is not the possession of man, but of God. Therefore, man is in no position to end their own life or assist in aiding anyone else to do so. Although this perspective relates to all contexts, it is applied to end-of-life situations that occur in hospitals. However, the individual is not barred against prayer that will permit death to come.
Farhadian states, “Death is another major rite of passage, and duties and rituals accompany this last transition in the Jewish community. It is customary for Jews to have their own burial grounds, which must be consecrated, although nowadays it is not uncommon to find Jewish sections in gentile cemeteries” (Farhadian, 2015, p. 331). The place that the dead are buried must be set apart, as the Jews are God’s people, and must not mix with Gentiles. This is evident in the fact that they have separate or consecrated burial grounds. According to Esposito, “A person facing death is encouraged to say a prayer of confession, asking for forgiveness of sins and healing if possible. The prayer continues by asking that the person’s death, if it to come now, serve as atonement for all his or her sins. Burial takes place on the day of death or the day after, without embalming” (Esposito, 2015, p. 102). In Genesis 3:19, God tells Adam, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (ESV). This scripture provides instruction for Jewish adherents in times of death. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, “In ancient times, Jews use to bury their dead without the use of a coffin (aron). This was to symbolize the returning to the Earth and dust. In Israel today, many people are still buried directly in the ground. However, in many western countries, local law requires a body to be buried in a coffin” (AICE).
Conclusion
For Judaism, the various rites of passage that have been discussed, are of great importance. Circumcision is foundational and establishes communal and covenantal identity for Jews. Although females are exempt from circumcision, it is believed that they are still covenant individuals. Bar/bat mitzvah serves as a kind of segue between childhood and adulthood and places a significant amount of responsibility on the individual. However, it also provides a sense of direction and upward mobility for kids, including those with developmental disabilities. Bar/bat mitzvah places the new adult onto the trajectory of marriage, which consists of contractual, social, and sacred elements. Death is the final rite of passage, one that is taken seriously and given much respect.
The exploration of Jewish rites of passage, has broadened my understanding of the religion, and has given me great insight into their beliefs. Additionally, I have found that I appreciate the level of devotion and care in trying to stay true to their perception of the Old Testament text.