|
|
|
Jews celebrate the main Judaic lifecycle events which include birth, mitzvah (becoming sons and daughters of the commandments), marriage and death. Brit Milah (Bris Milah, The Covenant of Circumcision) is a Jewish religious ceremony that welcomes Jewish male infants into a covenant between G-d and the children of Israel by ritual circumcision of the foreskin by a circumcisor called a mohel in front of family and friends. A seudat mitzvah celebratory meal follows the ritual. This often controversial ritual originated with Abraham and his descendants. Genesis 17:10 -12 "...Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me an you. Throughout your generations every males among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old..." Initially circumcision only involved cutting off the tip of the foreskin, the part that extends past the glans of the average male infant. Because Jewish Hellenist wanted to be assimilated into Greek society two thousand years ago, they found ways to lengthen their foreskin so it appeared that they had not be circumcised at all. To counter this practice, the rite of circumcision became much more extensive and involved milah, the clearing of the glans. The Torah gave no specific reason as to why the covenant had to be remembered through the rite of circumcision. The twelfth century Jewish scholar Maimonides contended that the ritual of Brit Milah was meant to weaken the bond between men and women and to reduce sexual behavior. Philo, a first century Jewish philosopher thought that the purpose of the rite of circumcision was to excise the enticement and pleasure of sex. Deuteronomy 10:16 implored the Jews to "Circumcise, then, the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn any longer". The suggested meaning of this passage and those that followed was that ethical acts between people was just as important as spiritual acts between people and G-d. The expectation was that pious Jews would also behave ethically towards others. Jeremiah 9:26 stated that "...the houses of Israel is uncircumcised in the heart." After the Exodus from Egypt, all the males born on the long journey retained their foreskins and were uncircumcised until Joshua made some flint knives and ordered that all the males undergo the circumcision of their foreskin at Gilgal before the Passover celebration. There is an anti-circumcision movement in Judaism today, and a small number of Jews are choosing not to circumcise their sons. Several Reconstructionist and Reform rabbis support their decision. Liberal denominations strongly recommend circumcision but do not make it a required obligation to practice Judaism. They have developed an unofficial substitute welcoming ceremony for uncircumcised male infants called Brit Shalom (Covenant of Peace). Zeved habat (Zebed habat) is the naming ceremony (mostly Sephardic) for girls that corresponds to the non-circumcision part of the Brit milah ceremony for boys.
Usually celebrated
sometime during the first month after a Jewish girl's birth, the ceremony is
held either privately in the synagogue or at home in a party. The ceremony is
lead either by a rabbi or a cantor and generally consists of the mother's
thanksgiving for deliverance, the recital of the Song of Songs, and the name
giving prayer.
The Simchat Bat (Brit Bat) celebration for girls advanced by the Ashkenazi Jews that welcomes the new daughter into the covenant has gained acceptance in Jewish communities of all denominations. Usually, the ceremony consists of a communal welcoming, a naming done over a cup of wine, biblical quotes, and traditional blessings When Jewish children reach the age of maturity they undergo B'nai Mitzvah and are responsible for themselves under Jewish Law. Jewish boys who are thirteen years old become Bar Mitzvah, "sons of the commandment". Jewish girls who are twelve years old become Bat Mitzvah, "daughters of the commandment". The Bar Mitzvah for Jewish boys usually takes place on the Shabbat after his thirteenth birthday. A boy may read from the Torah, give a homily, and lead part of the prayer services. Afterwards, there is a celebratory meal with family, friends, and community members. Non-orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Jews celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Jewish girls the same way as the Bar Mitzvah. Many of the girls celebrate Bat Mitzvah at age thirteen rather than twelve
Most Orthodox Jews will
not allow women to read from the Torah or lead the prayer services. In a less
public way Orthodox Jewish girls learn a book of Tanakh or seder of Mishnah,
recite verses from the Psalms or Book of Esther, or lecture on a Jewish topic to
celebrate Bat Mitzvah. After B'nai Mitzvah, Jewish children are then entitled to
full participation in all areas of Jewish community life. They are also
personally responsible for adhering to Jewish ethics. law, traditions and
rituals. weddings; death and burial; and mourning, Shiva...Continue On
|
|
|
Explore 
Visit other 
Judaism
Jewish Judaic Talmud 
