World religions Essay

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Judaism The historic roots and origin of Judaism started in the near east and the sacred text the Torah tell us how Jews became a people chosen by god to serve him. Two major festivals of the Judaism Religion are Passover and the Shavuot. “In ancient times, three of Judaism’s seasonal festivals Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot, were directly linked to the agricultural cycle of the year and were celebrated with a seasonal rite of pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem” (Lieber 2012). Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot are known as the shalosh regalim, the three feet, because they were once celebrated as pilgrimage festivals. A collection of psalms is added to the daily liturgy on each of the three pilgrimage festivals. These festivals help Jews appreciate the sacred uniqueness of each passing season and connect in a Jewish way to the rhythm of the natural world. Passover takes place during the spring and celebrates the spring theme of rebirth and renewal. The meaning or Question of Passover is what does it mean to be truly free? The Passover is an eight da festival known also as the time of our liberation. In the spring during the reawakening of the natural world Jews turn their attention to celebrating the season of liberation. The most commonly known Scripture of Passover says “you shall tell your child on that day it is because of what god did for me when I went out of Egypt. In every generation it is mandatory for a Jew to see their selves as one who personally went out from Egypt. Passover is such a popular holiday among Jews today because its central message resonates so well with regular American values .The Biblical story of the Israelites liberation from Egyptian bondage is the focal point of the Passover holiday. The Passover holiday arriving in the spring time represents a second New Year festival in the Jewish calendar. “On the first day of Passover, a special prayer is added to reflect the idea that ample dew in its proper season is a blessing from god” (Lieber 2012). One of the basic customs of the Passover holiday is abstention. Jews remain abstention from leavened bread for the entire eight days of the festival. Another custom of the Passover is cleanliness and spring cleaning. Also there is special meal preparation for the Passover holiday. The first two nights are celebrated with a special meal called Sedar. The Sedar is an ancient ritual known as Haggadah and serves as the script from the ritual. Passover isn’t a time for soul searching or major resolutions, but rather a time for clearing away with the old and making way for the new. The Shavuot holiday comes in the early summer and celebrates the ancient barley harvest and the first fruits of spring planting. Some fifty days after the Passover holiday is commemorated the Shavuot holiday is celebrated. The Shavuot pilgrimage festival celebrates the revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Also the observances practiced on Shavuot emphasize a love of Torah and the importance of study of all ages. The Shavuot holiday is celebrated with joyful synagogue services like a reading of the biblical book of Ruth. Shavuot is a time for celebrating milestones in their children’s religious education and also a time to affirm adult commitment to Jewish education. Sometimes Shavuot includes a ceremony called confirmation, a graduation from religious school for continued education for a number of years past. One custom of the Shavuot holiday developed in medieval times is to stay up all night to study the Torah. The ritual is called Tikkum Leyl Shavuot. Shavuot celebrates the culmination of the grain harvest, and also celebrated with a ritual called Bikkururim. “Bikkururim is an offering of the first fruits of the fields. Its customary among some Jews to eat dairy products during Shavuot. The practice is linked to the biblical book of songs, in which the Torah is compared to milk. One of the least-observed festivals, Shavuot however is just an important festival as the
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