Jewish Symbols -
Meaning
Judaism is the
name given to followers of the Jewish faith. The word 'Judaism' comes
from the Judah tribe which was one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Abraham is known as the father of the Jewish people, his life and
relationship with god is a vital part of Judaism. Jewish Symbols are an
essential part of
the Jewish faith, they are objects that followers worship and pray to. They are
tools for teaching the religion to others and items are often passed
down from generation to generation. Each individual religious symbol has its own
deep significance.
Jewish Symbols - What is
a Monotheistic Religion?
Is Judaism Monotheistic? Yes! In fact Judaism is the worlds oldest
monotheistic religion. Monotheism is derived from the Greek
word 'monos' which means "single" and 'theos' which translates to "god"
and is the belief in one god. The following list of religions are all
examples of monotheistic religions: Bahá'í, Christianity, Hinduism,
Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.
Jewish Symbols -
Star of David
- The star
of David is probably the most well known of the Jewish
symbols
- It is
recognised as a six pointed star formed by two
interlocking triangles
- The
symbol is thought to have originated from the shield
carried by David to slay Goliath
- The star
of David appears on the flag of Israel, known to
followers of the Jewish faith as the promised land. It
is without doubt one of the most important Jewish
symbols
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Jewish Symbols - Menorah
The seven branches of the
Menorah are symbolic of the seven levels of heaven and the number of days
in a week. The menorah symbol is believed to have been created from gold
which was cast into the fire by moses.
Jewish Symbols - Torah
The Torah is the sacred book
of Judaism and comprises four levels of meaning: literal, allegorical,
homiletically and mystical. Studying the holy scriptures of the Torah is
an extremely important part of the Jewish religion. The Torah is also
known as the Pentateuch and is the first five books of the Hebrew bible.
The Torah scriptures are a set of rules or laws which were given to
Moses on Mount Sinai, they helped Moses to lead the Jewish people from
captivity in Egypt to Israel, a journey known as the Exodus. The torah
scriptures are stored the ark, an image of an ark is shown at the bottom
of the page.
Jewish Symbols - Chai
- Chai
symbols are made up from the letters Chet and Yod from the
Hebrew alphabet
- Many
Jewish people wear pendants and medallions with the Chai
symbol
- Chai is
also spelt 'Hai'
- Chai
means living in Hebrew
- The
letters in the word Chai add up to the number 18
according to the Jewish numerical system known as
Gematria which assigns numbers to words and phrases
- 'Giving
Chai' refers to the Jewish tradition of giving gifts in
multiples of 18
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Jewish Symbols - Synagogue
The synagogue is the place
of worship for followers of the Jewish faith, it is a central part of
the Jewish community and has three specific functions:
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It is a meeting place for the community
-
It is a place of study. Followers can learn the Hebrew language
and contemplate on the scriptures of the Torah
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It is a place of worship. Followers congregate on the Sabbath
and services are held. Men and women do not worship together,
there is a separate area in the synagogue for men and women
Jewish Symbols -
Definition of Belief
Being religious is defined as
the outward act or form by which a person indicates their recognition of
the existence of a god or of gods having power over their destiny, to
whom obedience, service, and honor are due. Having a religious belief or
faith is being in awe of some superhuman and overruling power, whether
by profession of belief, by observance of rites and ceremonies, or by
the conduct of life. Religion is a
framework of beliefs relating to supernatural or superhuman beings or
forces that transcend the everyday material world. Being religious is to
have a strong belief, a faith in a supernatural power or powers that control
human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality".
Dream Explanation
- Religious
Dreaming that
you are deeply religious, foretells of a negative turn to your business
affairs and a disruption to your life. Dreaming that you are over
religious means that your goody goody character will repulsed your lover
or mate.
Jewish Symbols
- Spirituality
Discover facts and
information about a huge range of spiritual and religious emblems,
symbols
and signs. Read about each of the individual symbols and its
particular significance to
the Jewish faith. What is the significance of the Jewish Star of
David? What are Chai symbols? Find out
interesting facts about the sacred Torah, one of the most important
Jewish symbols. Discover the answers to these questions and
many more, a useful educational resource for everyone.
Jewish Symbols
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