Rowley, H.H. Worship in Ancient Israel the Passover Haggadah. 296.142 P268g

Schauss, H. Guide to Jewish Holy Days.

Vainstein, Yaacov. The cycle of the Jewish Year. Jerusalem : Jewish Agency, 1964. Jewish Mysticism (All of them are Jews, except Rowley (scholar) and Sigal.)

Hoffman, The Heavenly Letter.

Scholems, G. Jewish Mysticism.

Scholems, G. On the Kabbalah.

Simpson, W. W. Jewish prayer & worship.

C. Jewish Religious Practices

  1. Calendar: Lunar = 354 days (cf Solar = 365 days). They coincides every 19 yrs.
  2. Prayer : Spontaneouse prayer: Each day Jews prays 3 times.

Morning: (Shacharit, 'dawn') Afternoon : (Minchah, 'offering')

Evening: (Arvit/Maariv, 'even-tide'). Each prayer contains a central piece, the Amidah ('standing').

Amidah ('standing') = Shmoneh Esreh ('18')

3 Affirmations + 13 petitions + 3 affirmations = 19 benedictions. Originally, it has 18 benedictions, the 12th one is added to pray against the Notrim (x'ns), in 100 AD. Hence, the Messianic Jews left the synagogue. N.B. "Somewhat different versions exist amongst the various Jewish communities, but the essential structure is the same. When this prayer is said with a minyan, a quorum of ten adult males, it is first recited silently by each congregant, and then the prayer-leader or cantor repeats it aloud." [quoted in Untermann p.168]

3. Two Main groups of feast

a) High Holy Days. (the Ten Days. of Repentance, Greenstein p.47f)

It is also called the "ten days of Return (Teshuvah )". (Vainstein p.105)

i) Time: From 1st Tishri (Rosh Hashanah, Head of the Year = New Year) to 10th Tishri (Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement)

ii) Meaning : Jews believe every person's deeds are recorded in the book of life Prayer, repentance, and good deeds can alter the verdict of Rosh Hashnah. [Greenstein p.48] "According to legend, the books of life and death for the coming year were sealed at the close of Yom Kippur. Jews therefore began the custom of wishing one another a kindly fate;" [quoted in Syme p.36] by a common greeting on Yom Kippur is Gemar Chatimah Tovah, "May you finally be sealed for good." [Syme p.36]

iii) Symbols

1st Tishri (Rosh Hashanah, Head of the Year = New Year)

a) Sounding of the shofar, a ram's horn: stimulate personal assessment. It has a deep mystic and homiletical root.

  • Tekirah : long brass : New beginning - reponds to God & weep.
  • Shebarim: _ _ _ 3 medium : Last warning -- break sinful life & repent.
  • Teruah . --------- 9 stado : Weeping -- material life is not our target.

b) Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the water: God will wash away our sins. Some walks into the water, throw all the things in our pockets. (Taschbih)