Category Archives: Judaica art
Mezuzah and Jewish Tradition
What is a Mezuzah?
Mezuzahs are a slim case with a prayer scroll rolled into it which can be found on the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes.
Generally, the Mezuzah is placed on the left doorposts – so when you exit a room the Mezuzah will be on the post to your left. The scroll is written on a special paper and handwritten in a specific style of writing
Some people will only place a Mezuzah on the post of doors that lead outside. However, traditionally you would place a Mezuzah on each room in the house except for the washroom.
Symbolism of the Mezuzah
The mitzvah is in the scroll rolled into the Mezuzah casing which contains a prayer called the “Shema” (Deut. 11:13-21). On the back of the scroll has G-d’s name written on it and on the Mezuzah case has the first letter of G-d’s name on it. There are different theories as to why we keep Mezuzot on the door posts. The most widely accepted is that G-d commands, in Deut 6:4-9, that the Jewish people remember his words and keep the Shema prayer close – both in mind and heart. So the Mezuzah is a symbolic representation of this agreement with God.
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with Artistic Hanukkah Gifts
Hanukkah brings pleasant moments to the Jewish family. Hanukkah commemorates the victories of our ancient heroes, known as the Maccabees. Hanukkah is celebrated with sparkling lights of the Hanukkah menorah, fun games and other Hanukkah gifts to commemorate the victory of the Maccabees who freed themselves from their oppressors.
Due to Hanukkah’s proximity to Christmas, it has become a popular custom in western societies to give Hanukkah gifts to those who celebrate this special holiday. Today, many non-Jews give Hanukkah gifts to their Jewish friends to show your solidarity with this wonderful holiday.
Birkat Kohanim in Contemporary Jewish Art
Birkat Kohanim is one of the most ancient Jewish prayers, also known as the Priestly Blessing or Nesiat Kapaim is a powerful Jewish prayer recited by Kohanim or Cohens. In the Jewish tradition, Birkat Kohanim can only recited by the Kohanim.
Who are the Kohanim?
The Kohens or HaKohanim, were the high priests of the israelitesin the Sinai desert. People who are called Kohens or Cohens today are decedents of Aaron and his sons. To this day, Kohens form a holy order and follow God’s commandments to protect them against ritual defilement. Kohens must follow certain rules that apply on their holy order. To maintain ritual purity, for example, the Kohens must abstain from going to cemeteries.
Birkat Kohanim in the bible
As the book of Numbers tells us, Aaron and Moses were commended by God to deliver this blessing to the Israelites.
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“The Lord bless thee and keep thee,
The Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”
(Book of Numbers, 6:24-26).
In contrast to the English translation, the Hebrew version of the bible includes the explicit name of God. Jewish scholars have argued the power of prayer is in the letters and words that form it. The Jewish scholar, Levi Ben Gershon, also known as Ralbag, discusses the importance of reciting Birkat Kohanim in no other language than Hebrew. In translation, argues the Ralbag the mystical power of the prayer held in the letters that comprise it might be lost.
Tallit – The Jewish Prayer Shawl Turns into a Work of Art
Jewish people are commanded by the bible to wear special garments beneath their cloths: “And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them” (Book of Number, chapter 15:39). Most Jewish people today do not wear Tzizit but wear Tallit (Tallis) instead.
The Jewish Prayer Shawl has special twined and knotted fringes and these fringes are commonly known today as Tzitzit. God has given the Jewish people, 613 commandments mitzvot. In Gematria, the word Tzizit equals 600. If you add the eight strands of the Tallit and the five knots, you sum up 613. The Tallit serves as a constant reminder of the 613 mitzvoth that God has given us in the Torah. Today you can find a wide range of Tallitot beautifully designed by Jewish artists.
Wearing the Tallit Nowadays
Nowadays, it is customary to wear a Jewish prayer shawl during morning services and while inside the synagogue. You can see Jewish people wearing the Jewish payer shawl on Bar Mitzvahs and other special occasions. In many Jewish communities around the world, it is customary that the groom wears a Tallit at his wedding day, under the Chuppah.
What Is a Car Mezuzah? A Modern Judaic Object
Recently, there are plenty of synagogues and Jewish shops selling a new modern Judaic object – a car Mezuzah. Plenty of Jewish people are starting to admire the various shapes and materials of car Mezuzahs that are being sold. However, what exactly is a car Mezuzah? To know what it is, you first need to understand what is a Mezuzah.
Before we talk about a Car Mezuzah…
A Mezuzah s affixed to door posts in Jewish homes. Originally, a Mezuzah is a roll of parchment which had been inscribed by hand with particular verses from the Torah, and is hung on door homes by the Jews. Hence, the origin of its name. There are however certain rules about the production of a Mezuzah. It needs to be inscribed on Kosher source of parchment, written by a trained Sofer Stam(inscriber), using a black inedible ink with a special quill, which contains to verses from the Torah, specifically the Shema (Deuteronomy 6: 4 -9) and the Vehaya (Deuteronomy 11: 13 – 21).
