Jewish Gifts and symbols

Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New Year | Judaica - Jewish symbols - Israel specials

Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New Year | Judaica - Jewish symbols - Israel specials

Shana Tova!

Soon is the beginning of a new year according to the Jewish calendar. Everyone is greeting each other here with “Shana Tova” – May you have a good year or plainly saying: “Hag Sameah” – Happy holiday -Say Shana Tova to everyone you speak to.

Rosh HaShanah is the Jewish New Year. It falls once a year during the month of Tishrei and occurs ten days before Yom Kippur. Together, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are known as the Yamim Nora’im, which means the Days of Awe in Hebrew. In English they are often referred to as the High Holy Days.

The Meaning of Rosh HaShanah

Rosh HaShanah literally means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew. It falls in the month of Tishrei, that is believed to be the month in which God created the world. Hence, another way to think about Rosh HaShanah is as the birthday of the world.

Rosh HaShanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei. Jewish tradition teaches that during the High Holy Days God decides who will live and who will die during the coming year. As a result, during Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur (and in the days leading up to them) Jews embark upon the serious task of examining their lives and repenting for any wrongs they have committed during the previous year. This process of repentance is called teshuvah. Jews are encouraged to make amends with anyone they have wronged and to make plans for improving during the coming year. In this way, Rosh HaShanah is all about making peace in the community and striving to be a better person.


Even though the theme of Rosh HaShanah is life and death, it is a holiday filled with hope for the New Year. Jews believe that God is compassionate and just, and that God will accept their prayers for forgiveness.

Rosh Hashana Customs and Symbols

On Rosh HaShanah it is customary to greet people with "L'Shanah Tovah," which is Hebrew that is usually translated as "For a Good Year" or "May you have a good year." Some people also say "L'shana tovah tikatev v'etahetem," which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." (If said to a woman the greeting would be: "L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'tahetemi"). This greeting refers to the belief that a person’s fate for the coming year is decided during the High Holy Days.

The shofar is an important symbol of Rosh HaShanah. It is an instrument often made of a ram's horn and is blown one hundred times during each of the two days of Rosh HaShanah. The sound of the shofar blast reminds people of the importance of reflection during this important holiday. Learn more about the shofar in this article.

Tashlich is a ceremony that usually takes place during the first day of Rosh HaShanah. "Tashlich" literally means "casting off" and involves symbolically casting off the sins of the previous year by tossing pieces of bread or another food into a body of flowing water. Learn more about tashlich in this article.

Symbolic foods

Rosh Hashanah meals usually include apples and honey, to symbolize a sweet new year. Various other foods with a symbolic meaning may be served, depending on local minhag ("custom"), such as cooked tongue or other meat from the head of an animal or fish (to symbolize the "head" of the year).

Foods consumed with the Yehi Ratzons vary depending on the community. Some of the symbolic foods eaten are dates, black-eyed beans, leek, spinach and gourd, all of which are mentioned in the Talmud.

Pomegranates are used in many traditions, to symbolize being fruitful like the pomegranate with its many seeds.

The use of apples and honey, symbolizing a sweet year, is a late medieval Ashkenazi addition, though it is now almost universally accepted. Typically, round challah bread is served, to symbolize the cycle of the year. Gefilte fish and Lekach are commonly served by Ashkenazic Jews on this holiday. On the second night, new fruits are served to warrant inclusion of the shehecheyanu blessing, the saying of which would otherwise be doubtful (as the second day is part of the "long day" mentioned above).

Other symbolic foods are eaten in a special Rosh Hashanah Seder, particularly in the Sephardic and Mizrahi communities. Symbolic foods are eaten in a ceremony called the Yehi Rasones or Yehi Ratzones.

Yehi Ratzon means "May it be Your will", and is the name of the ceremony because it is traditional to eat foods symbolic of a good year and to recite a short prayer beginning with the Hebrew words "Yehi Ratson" ("May it be Your will") over each one, with the name of the food in Hebrew or Aramaic often presenting a play on words or pun in Hebrew or Aramaic. The foods eaten at this time have thus become known as "yehi ratsones". Typical foods, often served on a large platter called a Yehi Ratson platter, eaten by modern Sephardic Jews include apples dipped in honey, or baked or sometimes in the form of a compote called mansanada; dates; pomegranates, or black eyed peas; pumpkin in the form of savory pumpkin-filled pastries called rodanchas; leeks in the form of fritters called keftedes de prasa; beets usually baked and peeled; and the head of a fish: usually a fish course with a whole fish, head intact. It is also common to symbolize a year filled with blessings by eating foods with stuffing on Rosh Hashanah such as a stuffed, roast bird or a variety of stuffed vegetables called legumbres yaprakes.

A major significant symbol of Rosh HaShanah include the apples, honey and round loaves of challah. Apple slices dipped in honey represent our hope for a sweet new year and are traditionally accompanied by a short prayer before eating that goes: "May it by Thy will, O Lord, Our God, to grant us a year that is good and sweet." Challah, which is usually baked into braids, is shaped into round loaves of bread on Rosh HaShanah. The circular shape symbolizes the continuation of life.

On the second night of Rosh HaShanah it is customary to eat a fruit that is new to us for the season, saying the shehechiyanu blessing as we eat it to thank God for bringing us to this season. Pomegranates are a popular choice because Israel is often praised for its pomegranates and because, according to legend, pomegranates contain 613 seeds – one for each of the 613 mitzvot. Another reason for eating pomegranates on Rosh HaShanah has to do with the symbolic hope that our good deeds in the coming year will be as many as the seeds of the fruit.

Some people choose to send New Year’s greeting cards on Rosh HaShanah. Before the advent of modern computers these were handwritten cards that were snail mailed weeks in advance, but nowadays it is equally as common to send Rosh HaShanah e-cards a few days before the holiday.
So here is our wishing for our readers and friends Shana Tova. We also want to hope that this will be a good year for Israel the Palestinians and the Arab neighbours. Neither side will have a good year alone. It could only be a happy year for both people or it won’t be a good year for the both.

Once there was a tradition to send Shanot Tovot – special greeting cards for the new year, today you usually get e-cards instead.

Anyway we will present here with all kinds of different old Shanot Tovot for the nostalgic souls.

Best wishes for a happy New Year!

Simbolos de la Cabala – Kabbalah » El secreto de los anillos urbanos – La Poesia de mi anillo » La Boutique de los Anillos

Simbolos de la Cabala – Kabbalah » El secreto de los anillos urbanos – La Poesia de mi anillo » La Boutique de los Anillos

Newsletter 3 from Bluenoemi

Tu be Av - Israeli Valentine Day

Bluenoemi's Specials #3 In This Issue... Tu B'Av - The Jewish Valentine Day Coupon : "love" - for 5% discount at Bluenoemi site About Amulets Ptitim - Israeli pasta   Star of David   About the Pomegranate     Tu B'Av - The Jewish Valentine Day  Outside of Israel, Tu B'Av, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av, is the most minor of holidays.  In Israel, almost everyone has heard of the holiday of Tu B'Av because it has been warmly embraced by the secular public as a kind of Valentine's Day  since the holiday is also known as  "the Day of Love."    What is this holiday of Tu B'Av? A clear reference to the day is found in the Mishna, written almost 2,000 years ago. The Mishna speaks of Tu B'Av as a festive day upon which the "daughters of Jerusalem" would go out into the vineyards with white clothes that they had borrowed (so that no could tell who was rich or poor), and the girls would sing: "Boys, choose carefully. Don't look at appearances, but look at our families, for it is written, 'Grace is deceptive, Beauty is illusory. It is for her fear of the Lord that a woman is to be praised.'" Here, therefore, is an original source for Tu B'Av as a Jewish "Day of Love."  Historical significance   There is no way to know exactly how early Tu B'Av began. The fifteenth day of Ab was a popular holiday during the second Temple. The holiday celebrated the wood-offering brought in the temple.   The first mention of this date is in the Mishnah (compiled and edited in the end of the second century), where Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel is quoted saying, "There were no better (i.e. happier) days for the people of Israel than the Fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur, since on these days the daughters of Israel/Jerusalem go out dressed in white and dance in the vineyards. What were they saying: Young man, consider whom you choose (to be your wife)..."( Taanit, Chapter 4). Unmarried girls would dress in simple white clothing (so that rich could not be distinguished from poor) and go out to sing and dance in the vineyards surrounding Jerusalem. The Talmud states that there were no holy days as happy for the Jews as Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur. Various reasons for celebrating on Tu b'Av as cited by the Talmud and its commentators: While the Jews wandered in the desert for forty years, female orphans without brothers could only marry within their tribe, to prevent their father's inherited land in the Land of Israel from passing on to other tribes. On the fifteenth of Av of the fortieth year, this ban was lifted. Tribes of Israel were permitted to mingle with each other," namely: to marry women from other tribes (Talmud, Taanit 30b). This Talmudic source probably is alluding to a story in the book of Judges (chapter 21): After a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and other Israelite tribes, the tribes vowed not to intermarry with men of the tribe of Benjamin. That same year, the last of the generation of the sin of the spies, which had been forbidden to enter the Promised Land, died out. Cutting of the wood for the main altar in the Temple was completed for the year. Tu B'Av is both an ancient and modern holiday. Originally a post-biblical day of joy, it served as a matchmaking day for unmarried women in the second Temple period (before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E). Tu B'Av was almost unnoticed in the Jewish calendar for many centuries but it has been rejuvenated in recent decades, especially in the modern state of Israel. It is gradually becoming a Hebrew-Jewish Day of Love, slightly resembling  Valentine's Day  . It should be noted that Tu B'Av, like several Jewish holidays (Passover, Sukkot, Tu Bishvat) begins on the night between the 14th and 15th day of the Hebrew month, since this is the night of a full moon in our lunar calendar. Linking the night of a full moon with romance, love, and fertility is not uncommon in ancient cultures. For almost 19 centuries--between the destruction of Jerusalem and the re-establishment of Jewish independence in the state of Israel in 1948--the only commemoration of Tu B'Av was that the morning prayer service did not include the penitence prayer (Tahanun). In recent decades Israeli civil culture promotes festivals of singing and dancing on the night of Tu B'Av. The entertainment and beauty industries work overtime on this date. It has no formal legal status as a holiday-- it is a regular workday--nor has the Israeli rabbinate initiated any addition to the liturgy or called for the introduction of any ancient religious practices. The cultural gap between Israeli secular society and the Orthodox rabbinate makes it unlikely that these two will find a common denominator in the celebration of this ancient/modern holiday in the foreseeable future. The way that modern Israel celebrates this holiday, however, is a little different from the way it was celebrated in the days of old. On Tu B'Av in Israel, restaurants as well as music, dance, and theater festivals all try to capitalize on this romantic holiday by promoting events for lovers.   Love Gifts   Israeli Love Songs:    Geula Gil sings: Daber elai bi frahim ahuvi   Verses of Love:   Matzati et she ahava nafshi - I have found the one my soul loves Eshet Hail mi Imtza - who will find a woman of valour   Maim Rabim lo iehabu et ha ahava - Multitude of Waters cannot extinguish Love   Ani le Dodi ve dodi lee - Me to my Beloved and my Beloved for me   About Amulets From Wikipedia: An amulet (from Latin amuletum; earliest extant use in Pliny's Natural History, meaning "an object that protects a person from trouble"), a close cousin of the talisman  , consists of any object intended to bring good luck and/or protection to its owner. Potential amulets include: gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants, animals, etc.; even words said in certain occasions--for example: vade retro satana--(Latin, "go back, Satan"), to repel evil or bad luck.   Talismans in the Abrahamic religions A Crucifix, considered in Christian tradition as a defense against demons, as the holy sign of Christ's victory over every evil. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, most Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Orient believed in the protective and healing power of amulets or blessed objects. Talismans used by these peoples can be broken down into three main categories. The first are the types carried or worn on the body. The second version of a talisman is one which is hung upon or above the bed of an infirm person. The last classification of talisman is one with medicinal qualities. This latter category of item can be further divided into external and internal. In the former, one could, for example, place an amulet in a bath. The power of the amulet would be understood to be transmitted to the water, and thus to the bather. In the latter, inscriptions would be written or inscribed onto food, which was then boiled. The resulting broth, when consumed, was assumed to transfer the healing qualities engraved on the food into the consumer. Jews, Christians, and Muslims have also at times used their holy books in a talisman-like manner in grave situations. For example, a bed-ridden and seriously ill person would have a holy book placed under part of the bed or cushion. Judaism Amulets are plentiful in the Jewish tradition, with examples of Solomon era amulets existing in many museums. Due to proscription of idols, Jewish amulets emphasize text and names--the shape, material or color of an amulet makes no difference.  See also Khamsa. The Jewish tallis (Yiddish-Hebrew form; plural is tallitot), the prayer shawl with fringed corners and knotted tassels at each corner, is perhaps one of the world's oldest and most used talismanic objects. Some believe it was intended to distinguish the Jews from pagans, as well as to remind them of God and Heaven. An incorrect conjugation of the plural form (with Ashkenazi pronunciation), "tallisim," is very close to the term "talisman;" however, this is an incorrect etymology as the word talisman is of Greek origin. A little-known but well-worn amulet in the Jewish tradition is the kimiyah or "angel text." This consists of names of angels or Torah passages written on parchment squares by rabbinical scribes. The parchment is then placed in an Christianity Back of the Catholic Saint Benedict Medal with the Vade Retro Satana abbreviation: "Step back, Satan." The Catholic Church, and Christian authorities in general, have always been wary of amulets and other talismans. However, the legitimate use of sacramentals, as long as one has the proper disposition, is encouraged in traditional Christianity. For example, the crucifix is considered a powerful apotropaic against demons and fallen spirits, and rosaries or St. Christopher medals are frequently hung on rear-view mirrors of vehicles in Christian cultures as a way of invoking God's protection during travel. Lay Catholics are not permitted to perform exorcisms but they can use Holy water, blessed salt and other sacramentals such as the Saint Benedict Medal or the Crucifix for warding off evil.   Crucifix The Crucifix is one of the key sacramentals used by Catholics and has been used to ward off evil for centuries. The imperial cross of Conrad II (1024-1039) referred to the power of the cross against evil.[7] Many of the early theologians of the Catholic Church made reference to use of the sign of the Cross by Christians to bless and to ward off demonic influences. The crucifix is still widely used as a talismanic sacramental by Christians. In Christian culture, it is considered to be one of the most effective means of averting or opposing demons, as stated by many exorcists, including the famous exorcist of the Vatican, Father Gabriele Amorth. Medals A well-known amulet among Catholic Christians is the Saint Benedict Medal which includes the Vade Retro Satana formula to ward off Satan. This medal has been in use at least since the 18th century and in 1742 it received the approval of Pope Benedict XIV. It later became part of the Roman Catholic ritual.   Scapulars Some Catholic sacramentals are believed to defend against evil, by virtue of their association with a specific saint or archangel. The Scapular of St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic devotional scapular associated with Archangel Michael, the chief enemy of Satan. Pope Pius IX gave this scapular his blessing, but it was first formally approved under Pope Leo XIII. The form of this scapular is somewhat distinct, in that the two segments of cloth that constitute it have the form of a small shield; one is made of blue and the other of black cloth, and one of the bands likewise is blue and the other black. Both portions of the scapular bear the well-known representation of the Archangel St. Michael slaying the dragon and the inscription "Quis ut Deus?" meaning Who is like God?. Holy water The Catechism of the Catholic Church (number 301) specifically refers to the use of Holy water for "protection from the powers of darkness."[11] Catholic saints have written about the power of Holy water as a force that repels evil. Saint Teresa of Avila, a Doctor of the Church who reported visions of Jesus and Mary, was a strong believer in the power of Holy water and wrote that she used it with success to repel evil and temptations.  Islam Muslims also wear such amulets, called Ta'wiz, with chosen text from the Qur'an. The text is generally chosen depending on the situation for which the amulet is intended. Generally however, usage of amulets and other talismans is considered superstitious among more mainstream Muslims.     About Israeli Ptitim Ptitim, is a staple of the Israeli school lunch menu, the steady side dish . This Israeli toasted pasta now comes in many shapes, including stars, loops and hearts, but originally was shaped like grains of rice. In any case, ptitim are now known as Israeli couscous -- and this lunchroom fave has since been rediscovered as a versatile carb that can be boiled like pasta or first fried with onions and then cooked in boiling water or stock. Ptitim (Hebrew: Ptitim Afuyim, "baked flakes", commonly ptitim) is wheat-based baked pasta, originally produced in the shape of elongated rice grains and today mostly in the shape of round pearls. Nicknamed "Ben Gurion's Rice" in Israel, it is known as Israeli couscous or Jerusalem couscous in the United States and elsewhere and is one of the foods considered to be a unique Israeli culinary contribution. Ptitim was invented during the austerity period in Israel, when rice was scarce and in order to provide the needs of the Mizrahi immigrants, whose diets were largely made up of rice and couscous. Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, asked Eugen Propper, one of the founders of the Osem food company, to quickly devise a wheat-based substitute to rice. Consequently, it was nicknamed "Ben-Gurion's Rice" by the people. The company agreed to the challenge and developed ptitim, which is made of hard wheat flour and roasted in an oven. The product was instantly a success and not too long after ptitim made in the shape of small, dense balls (which the company termed "couscous") was added to the original rice-shaped ptitim. Ptitim is generally considered as a food for children, who sometimes have them plain, and other times with bit of fried onion, tomato paste, some spices for flavour and some vegetables. It is often served as a side dish to children along with schnitzel or another main course. About a decade ago, because of the young target audience of ptitim, ptitim was produced in the shape of rings and stars as well. In addition, special limited-editions are offered, such as heart-shaped ptitim. Due to health conscious consumers, ptitim is now also sold made of whole-wheat flour or even spelt flour. While considered a children's food in Israel, elsewhere in the world Israeli couscous is treated as an ingredient for "trendy delicacies". In the United States, it can be found on the menus of contemporary American chefs and can be bought in gourmet markets. Preparation Similar to pasta, ptitim is filling, and can be used in many different types of dishes, both hot and cold. Since they're of a small shape, they take less time to cook than pasta, taking about 6 minutes. Also, due to their small surface area, they can have a lot of sauce on them. In addition, ptitim tend to retain their shape and texture even if kept warm for a while or reheated, as well, unlike traditional tiny grains of North African couscous, they don't clump together as much. Commonly, ptitim is prepared, with sautéd onions or garlic (vegetables, meat, chicken or sausages can also be added), the ptitim is then added, and fried for a short time before adding water.[1] Ptitim can also be used as a substitute for pasta or rice. They can also go in soup, can be baked, can be served as a pie, or made as a risotto. From Wikipedia Today American chefs have been experimenting with this type of pasta since the early 1950s. Over the past few years there has been a sudden boom to explore this culinary favorite. About the Star of David The Star of David is known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David .   The Shield of David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism. History of the Shield of David (from Wikipedia) The Star of David in the oldest surviving complete copy of the Masoretic text, the Leningrad Codex, dated 1008. The Menorah on the Arch of Titus: notice the three stems on each side plus the central stem, totaling seven. Likewise the Shield of David came to be understood as seven, with two triangles of three points each united around a central point. By modern times, the Shield of David hexagram has become a widely recognized symbol to represent the Jewish people. However the origins of this use are complex with obscure developments emerging since medieval times. Star of David pendant Star of David necklace Regarding the Jewish use of the hexagram symbol, early Jewish literature does not mention it. The use of the hexagram in a Jewish context as a possibly meaningful symbol may occur as early as the 11th century, in the decoration of the carpet page of the famous Tanakh manuscript, the Leningrad Codex dated 1008. Similarly, the symbol illuminates a medieval Tanakh manuscript dated 1307 belonging to Rabbi Yosef bar Yehuda ben Marvas from Toledo, Spain.  The precise origin of the use of the hexagram as a Jewish symbol remains unknown, but it apparently emerged in the context of medieval Jewish protective amulets (segulot). In the Renaissance Period, in the 16th-century Land of Israel, the book Ets Khayim conveys the Kabbalah of Ha-Ari (Rabbi Isaac Luria) who arranges the traditional items on the seder plate for Passover into two triangles, where they explicitly correspond to Jewish mystical concepts. The six sfirot of the masculine Zer Anpin correspond to the six items on the seder plate, while the seventh sfira being the feminine Malkhut corresponds to the plate itself.     With its establishment in 1948, the State of Israel adopted the Shield of David for the Flag of Israel.   Pomegranate from Wikipedia Judaism Exodus 28:33-34 directed that images of pomegranates be woven onto the hem of the me'il ("robe of the ephod"), a robe worn by the Hebrew High Priest. Kings 7:13-22 describes pomegranates depicted on the capitals of the two pillars (Jachin and Boaz) which stood in front of the temple King Solomon built in Jerusalem. It is said that Solomon designed his coronet based on the pomegranate's "crown" (calyx). Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol for righteousness, because it is said to have 613 seeds which corresponds with the 613 mitzvot or commandments of the Torah . For this reason and others, many Jews eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah. However, the actual number of seeds varies with individual fruits. It is also a symbol of fruitfulness. The pomegranate is one of the few images which appear on ancient coins of Judea as a holy symbol, and today many Torah scrolls are stored while not in use with a pair of decorative hollow silver "pomegranates" (rimmonim) placed over the two upper scroll handles. Some Jewish scholars believe that it was the pomegranate that was the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden. Pomegranate is one of the Seven Species (Hebrew: שבעת המינים, Shiv'at Ha-Minim), the types of fruits and grains enumerated in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 8:8) as being special products of the Land of Israel.

Share this email Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe Here! Subscribe via RSS Get live updates in your web browser window. Unsubscribe If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter you can unsubscribe here. Related Blog Posts http://jewelry-fashion-accesories.blogspot.com/   http://bluenoemi.blogspot.com

{!contact_address} Email Template powered by AWeber

About the pomegranate

About the pomegranate

Pomegranate

from Wikipedia
Judaism

Exodus 28:33–34 directed that images of pomegranates be woven onto the hem of the me'il ("robe of the ephod"), a robe worn by the Hebrew High Priest.

Kings 7:13–22 describes pomegranates depicted on the capitals of the two pillars (Jachin and Boaz) which stood in front of the temple King Solomon built in Jerusalem.

It is said that Solomon designed his coronet based on the pomegranate's "crown" (calyx).

Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol for righteousness, because it is said to have 613 seeds which corresponds with the 613 mitzvot or commandments of the Torah .

For this reason and others, many Jews eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah.

However, the actual number of seeds varies with individual fruits.

It is also a symbol of fruitfulness.

The pomegranate is one of the few images which appear on ancient coins of Judea as a holy symbol, and today many Torah scrolls are stored while not in use with a pair of decorative hollow silver "pomegranates" (rimmonim) placed over the two upper scroll handles.

Some Jewish scholars believe that it was the pomegranate that was the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden.

Pomegranate is one of the Seven Species (Hebrew: שבעת המינים, Shiv'at Ha-Minim), the types of fruits and grains enumerated in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 8:8) as being special products of the Land of Israel.

The Shabbath

Shabbat

Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest and falls on the seventh day of every week. Observing Shabbat is the fourth of the Ten Commandments:

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, not thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Remembering, observing and taking pleasure the Shabbat is a commandment; hence, sorrow and distress should be avoided on the one hand and, on the other, no labor should be carried out during the Shabbat. The Bible speaks of lighting fire and going beyond the limits of the settlement. The Mishna expands and elaborates the labors forbidden on the Shabbat into thirty-nine different types, called the Labor Principles. The Labor Principles are labors that were performed during the building of the Tabernacle and were therefore forbidden on the Shabbat. Furthermore, preparing all manner of necessities on the Shabbat for a regular weekday is forbidden, in order to preserve the special status of the Shabbat.

Shabbath Candlesticks from Israel

Shabbat is not only a day of rest, but also a day of holiness and grace, as it is said:

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it

And indeed, neshamah yeterah (an ‘additional soul’), grace and sanctity should be added to the physical rest, to make this day markedly distinct from every other day of the week.

The Romans and Greeks derided the Jews over their Sabbath and maintained that they were a lazy people. The first century Roman historian Gaius Cornelius Tacitus asserted that “Their (the Jews’) hearts were seduced by laziness and they assigned to laziness the seventh year (fallow year) as well”.

When Jewish philosophers attempted to explain the value of the Shabbat they claimed that the purpose of this day was to gather strength for the days of hard labor. However, it can be stated with some certainty that in Jewish philosophy the Shabbat is not a means but an end in itself, the acme of the Jewish experience. One of the greatest Zionist philosophers, Ahad Ha’am, said: “More than Israel has kept the Shabbat, the Shabbat has kept Israel”. And indeed, during all the hardships they endured in the Diaspora, the Jews continued to observe the Shabbat and the Holy Days.



As the Shabbat commences, three of the seven species are blessed:

pure oil (olives) – the Shabbat candles that are kindled and blessed by the mother of the family,
new wine (grapes) – the kiddush of the wine by the father of the family, and
wheat – the blessing over the challa.

Handcrafted Challah Covers

[

The inauguration of the Shabbat is marked with the kiddush, and the termination of the Shabbat with the havdalah (separation). When reciting the kiddush, two challot, called Lechem Mishneh (Double Bread), are placed on the Shabbat table and covered with a special Challah Cover.

There are two reasons for using a Challah Cover: first, because the manna “lay as if in a box”, protected top and bottom by a layer of heavenly dew, the Lechem Mishneh is placed with the table cloth beneath it and the Challa Cover above. Second, because the wheat has to be blessed first, and only then the fruit of the vine, since wheat is mentioned before the grape in the verse that lists the seven species. However, due to the interdiction of beginning the meal before the kiddush, the challahs are covered so as not to embarrass them, as if they were not on the table. The Shabbat Eve kiddush is followed by washing of the hands before the meal. Then the head of the family removes the Challah Cover from the challas, places his hands on them, marks with a knife where he intends to slice the hallah, recites the HaMotzi blessing over bread, slices the halla and hands a piece to each member of the family.

From: Yahadut – Halachah Lema’aseh by Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, Masada Publishing.



There are three customary meals during the Shabbat: Shabbat Eve, following morning prayers on Shabbat and towards evening on Shabbat.

The Kabalat Shabbat (welcoming the Sabbath) prayer and Lecha Dodi prayer on Shabbat Eve, and reading the Torah portion of the week on Shabbat morning have been added to the Shabbat prayers in the synagogue. We take our leave of the special day with the Melaveh Malkah meal at the conclusion of the Shabbat and the havdalah.

In the days of the Maccabees the well-known rule was added: “Saving a life supercedes the Shabbat” – indicating the importance of protecting and saving a life despite the holiness of the Shabbat.

Shabbat is a holy day of rest for the Jewish people, the day on which God concluded his work and rested, as it is said in the Book of Genesis 2:1-3:

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.


The fourth of the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus and the Book of Deuteronomy is dedicated to the Shabbat. (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15).

The commandment to rest applies to any person associated with the Jewish people, including menservants, maidservants and strangers, and indicates a strong element of social justice and equality. The reasoning in the Book of Exodus is universal: the conclusion of the Creation. In contrast, the reasoning in the Book of Deuteronomy is national:

And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt.

The Torah is strict about observing the Sabbath and refraining from work, as it is said in the Book of Exodus 31:14:

Every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

The verses devoted to the laws of the Shabbat in the Torah, Prophets and the Hagiograph are relatively few. In contrast, the oral law in the Mishnah, the Talmud and Midrashim considerably expanded the Shabbat laws, and it has been said of this: “Mountains hanging on a thread”, mountains of judgments, laws and customs lean on a handful of verses in the Bible.

Israel Facts - Israeli facts | Judaica - Jewish symbols - Israel specials

Israel Facts - Israeli facts | Judaica - Jewish symbols - Israel specials

Israel History and todays life.

Israel's Facts

Official name: State of Israel (Hebrew: Medinat Yisrael)

Capital: Jerusalem (Yerushalayim)

Formal Name: Medinat Yisrael ("State of Israel")

Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu

President: Shimon Peres


Land Area: 20,330 sq km

Water Area: 440 sq km

Population: 7,503,800

Life Expectancy at Birth: Male - 76.57 years; Female - 80.67 years

Literacy (ability to read/write at 15+ years of age): Male - 97%; Female - 93%

Primary Religions: Jewish - 80.1%; Muslim (Suni) - 14.6%; Christian - 2.1%; Other - 3.2%



Labor Force: 2.3 million

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Agriculture - 2%; Industry - 17%; Services - 81%

Purchasing Power Parity: US$105.4 billion

Per Capita Purchasing Power Parity: US$18,300

Inflation Rate: 1.3%

Exports: US$23.5 billion (software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles and apparel)

Imports: US$30.6 billion (military equipment, rough diamonds, investment goods, fuels, consumer goods, raw materials)


Government: Israel is a democratic republic. The country's system of government is based on British common law. Its parliament, the Knesset, consists of 120 members, elected for 4-year terms, under a system of proportional representation. The chief of state is the President, who is elected by the Knesset for a five-year term. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is elected for a four-year term. In 1996, the law was changed to allow the Prime Minister to be elected directly (i.e., in a separate ballot from Knesset candidates). However, on March 7, 2001, the Knesset passed an amendment that returned elections for Prime Minister to the pre-1996 system. Under this amendment, which took effect in 2003, the Israeli public once again votes only for Members of the Knesset; the Knesset, in turn, picks the Prime Minister.


Elections in Israel are by secret ballot. Also, freedom of speech and religion are guaranteed under Israeli law.

Tu B’Av - The Jewish Valentine Day

Outside of Israel, Tu B’Av, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av, is the most minor of holidays. In Israel, almost everyone has heard of the holiday of Tu B’Av because it has been warmly embraced by the secular public as a kind of Valentine’s Day , since the holiday is also known as “the Day of Love.”

What is this holiday of Tu B’Av?

A clear reference to the day is found in the Mishna, written almost 2,000 years ago. The Mishna speaks of Tu B’Av as a festive day upon which the “daughters of Jerusalem” would go out into the vineyards with white clothes that they had borrowed (so that no could tell who was rich or poor), and the girls would sing: “Boys, choose carefully. Don’t look at appearances, but look at our families, for it is written, ‘Grace is deceptive, Beauty is illusory. It is for her fear of the Lord that a woman is to be praised.’”

Here, therefore, is an original source for Tu B’Av as a Jewish “Day of Love.”

Historical significance There is no way to know exactly how early Tu B'Av began. The fifteenth day of Ab was a popular holiday during the second Temple. The holiday celebrated the wood-offering brought in the temple.

The first mention of this date is in the Mishnah (compiled and edited in the end of the second century), where Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel is quoted saying, "There were no better (i.e. happier) days for the people of Israel than the Fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur, since on these days the daughters of Israel/Jerusalem go out dressed in white and dance in the vineyards. What were they saying: Young man, consider whom you choose (to be your wife)…"( Taanit, Chapter 4).

Unmarried girls would dress in simple white clothing (so that rich could not be distinguished from poor) and go out to sing and dance in the vineyards surrounding Jerusalem. The Talmud states that there were no holy days as happy for the Jews as Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur.

Various reasons for celebrating on Tu b'Av as cited by the Talmud and its commentators:

While the Jews wandered in the desert for forty years, female orphans without brothers could only marry within their tribe, to prevent their father's inherited land in the Land of Israel from passing on to other tribes. On the fifteenth of Av of the fortieth year, this ban was lifted. Tribes of Israel were permitted to mingle with each other," namely: to marry women from other tribes (Talmud, Taanit 30b). This Talmudic source probably is alluding to a story in the book of Judges (chapter 21): After a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and other Israelite tribes, the tribes vowed not to intermarry with men of the tribe of Benjamin.

That same year, the last of the generation of the sin of the spies, which had been forbidden to enter the Promised Land, died out.

Cutting of the wood for the main altar in the Temple was completed for the year.

Tu B'Av is both an ancient and modern holiday. Originally a post-biblical day of joy, it served as a matchmaking day for unmarried women in the second Temple period (before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E). Tu B'Av was almost unnoticed in the Jewish calendar for many centuries but it has been rejuvenated in recent decades, especially in the modern state of Israel.

It is gradually becoming a Hebrew-Jewish Day of Love, slightly resembling Valentine's Day .

It should be noted that Tu B'Av, like several Jewish holidays (Passover, Sukkot, Tu Bishvat) begins on the night between the 14th and 15th day of the Hebrew month, since this is the night of a full moon in our lunar calendar.

Linking the night of a full moon with romance, love, and fertility is not uncommon in ancient cultures.

For almost 19 centuries--between the destruction of Jerusalem and the re-establishment of Jewish independence in the state of Israel in 1948--the only commemoration of Tu B'Av was that the morning prayer service did not include the penitence prayer (Tahanun).

In recent decades Israeli civil culture promotes festivals of singing and dancing on the night of Tu B'Av. The entertainment and beauty industries work overtime on this date. It has no formal legal status as a holiday-- it is a regular workday--nor has the Israeli rabbinate initiated any addition to the liturgy or called for the introduction of any ancient religious practices.

The cultural gap between Israeli secular society and the Orthodox rabbinate makes it unlikely that these two will find a common denominator in the celebration of this ancient/modern holiday in the foreseeable future. The way that modern Israel celebrates this holiday, however, is a little different from the way it was celebrated in the days of old.

On Tu B’Av in Israel, restaurants as well as music, dance, and theater festivals all try to capitalize on this romantic holiday by promoting events for lovers.

We offer our hebrew poesie rings as a present for your and for your beloved.
Look at our Ani le Dodi rings assortment or the ring

Eshet Hail mi Imtza - who will find a woman of valour or

Multitude of Waters cannot extinguish Love or any of the many other models and verses.