Judaism

Language, Symbol, and Ritual

Key Terms

• Worldview: A way of seeing and performing reality

• Language: A system of communication using symbols

• Symbol: Something that represents something else (Letters and words are symbols)

• Ritual: Repetitive practices associated with the preservation of a particular worldview

Language and Image

• Because the Jewish tradition places so much emphasis on spoken and written language, many Jewish people are very cautious about speaking or writing the name of God outside of a religious context.

• This concern also extends to images. Many people interpret the second commandment (which is against making images or objects and then worshiping them) as a prohibition against making images of God. Why do you think this is?

Shin

• The first letter in Shaddai, a name for God in Hebrew.

Shield of David

The Shema

• First two words of the Jewish morning and evening prayers are Shema Yisrael

• “Hear, O Israel”• “The Lord is our God, the Lord is one”

(Deuteronomy 6.4)• What does this tell us about this

religion

Mezuzah

• “Doorpost”

The Tabernacle (Exterior)

The Tabernacle (Interior)

The Ark of the Covenant

Temple Menorah

Hanukkah Menorah