Many times we hear the pair of words “Shabbat Shalom”, but what Shabbat is? and how Jews mark it? (THREAD)
The word “Shabbat” in Hebrew originated from the root ש-ב-ת which means ceased/stopped.
According to the Hebrew bible, on the seventh day God ceased his labor and reached the climax of Creation.
Shabbat in Judaism signifies the difference between the rest of the ordinary week and this holy day. On the seventh day, man stops from doing the usual things he does during the week and his soul connects to divinity and holiness.
Shabbat atmosphere begins on Friday morning, where the family is organizing the house cleaning and cooking. Before the sun sets, Jewish women carry a blessing on Shabbat & their families and light Shabbat candles to bring peace, calmness and light to their houses.
It’s customary for the men to be in the synagogues, and receive the Shabbat in a variety of prayers and Piyyutim (Jewish poets). Afterwards the man comes back to his family and they’re having Shabbat dinner.
Shabbat dinner consists of a blessing reminiscent of the creation of the world and the Exodus from Egypt thanks to God. The father blessed the wine that sipped by all family members, then blessed the challah and give all members to eat.
The family sing poets and then eat the dinner. The commandment on Shabbat is to be savored, the person has to enjoy all the goodness of the food, relax and connect with his soul. Even some say that it’s recommended to have sex to fulfill and empower the pleasure of the day.
At the end of Shabbat (Saturday evening), when the stars can be seen in the sky, Shabbat is over and a ceremony is held in which tell the difference between Shabbat and the rest of the days. The Shabbat manifests itself differently in each of the Jews:
Religious and traditional Jews will usually observe it by keeping it- they’ll not drive, work or turn on electrical appliances. Most secular Jews are observing the Shabbat by family meal and are often having a prayer and blessing but will not observe all the commandments.
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A scroll found in the Qumran cave in the 1950s and is believed to lead towards a great treasure of gold and silver, buried all across Jerusalem.
About the strange and mysterious scroll, The Copper Scroll 📜 (Thread)
Qumran Cave is a historical site discovered by chance by a Bedouin boy who saw ancient clay pots with engraved manuscripts when he walked around with his goat. Archaeological excavations began at the site and about 929 Jewish manuscripts, some of them scrolls, were found there.
Findings and remains of a settlement that existed nearby were also found near the cave.
In 1952, the unique scroll was found near the cave, different from the rest. Written in Hebrew-Aramaic script engraved on a pure copper originating in Egypt.
The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world.
These centuries manifested periods of tolerance, religious and cultural flourishing, alongside periods of anti-Semitism and persecution.
Jewish ethnic divisions- Sephardic Jews, also known as Spanish Jews (Thread)
A Sephardi Jew is a Jew descended from the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula in the late 15th century, prior to their expulsion.
Jewish presence on the Iberian Peninsula dates back to Roman period.
According to the Sephardic Jewish tradition, the first Jews who came to the region were descendants of Judah & Benjamin, inhabitants of Jerusalem who had been expelled by Titus. During the destruction of the Temple, thousands of Jews were expelled to Roma & the Iberian Peninsula.
This evening we will mark Tisha B'Av, a day of fasting to mark and commemorate the tragedies that befell the Jewish people, including the destruction of the Temple. (THREAD)
Tisha B'Av is the 9th day of the Hebrew month "Av", a day that is considered the culmination of a period of mourning which lasts for almost a month and began at the end of the holiday of Shavuot.
This period is called “The Three Weeks”, and considered to be a dangerous time with bad luck.
During this period throughout Jewish history, tragedies and disasters occurred such as: the destruction of the 2 Temples in Jerusalem, the expulsion of Jews from England, France, Spain.
Jewish ethnic divisions - Iranian Jews, also known as Persian Jews (Thread)
Iranian Jewry mostly calls itself "Persian Jewry" after the Persian kingdom in which they lived and after the Persian language the speak. The Jewish community in Iran is one of the oldest community and the only community to remind in a Muslim country.
The presence of Jews in the area occurred about 2500 years ago, with the exile of the Israelites by the king of Assyria. They lived with the Zoroastrians. The Zoroastrian religion influenced the Jewish religion and some of Jewish beliefs are originated in this religion.
What does the Star of David, also known as Magen David symbolize and does it have mystical power? (THREAD)
The shape of the Star of David is hexagram, a 6 pointed geometric stat, common mainly in Jewish and Buddhist culture.
The Star of David is a familiar symbol in Far East cultures, and can be found in ancient temples across India.
According to Hinduism, this symbolizes the goddess Lakshmi. In Buddhism it‘s believed that this symbol has a mystical power of peace and harmony and is even occasionally used in meditation.