Signs and Symbols
Level: Basic |
 On the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes (and many
not-so-traditional homes!), you will find a small case like the one pictured
at left. This case is commonly known as a mezuzah (Heb.: doorpost), because
it is placed upon the doorposts of the house. The mezuzah is not, as some
suppose, a good-luck charm, nor does it have any connection with the lamb's
blood placed on the doorposts in Egypt. Rather, it is a constant reminder
of G-d's presence and G-d's
mitzvot.
The mitzvah to place mezuzot on the doorposts of our houses is derived from
Deut. 6:4-9, a passage commonly known as the
Shema (Hear, from the first word of the passage).
In that passage, G-d commands us to keep His words constantly in our minds
and in our hearts, by (among other things) writing them on the doorposts
of our house. The words of the Shema are written on a tiny scroll of parchment,
along with the words of a companion passage, Deut. 11:13-21. On the back
of the scroll, a name of G-d is written. The
scroll is then rolled up and placed in the case, so that the first letter
of the Name (the letter Shin) is visible
(or, more commonly, the letter Shin is written on the outside of the case).
The scroll must be handwritten in a special style
of writing and must be placed in the case to fulfill the mitzvah. It
is commonplace for gift shops to sell cases without scrolls, or with mechanically
printed scrolls, because a proper scroll costs more than even an elaborately
decorated case ($30-$50 for a valid scroll is quite reasonable). According
to traditional authorities, mechanically printed scrolls do not fulfill the
mitzvah of the mezuzah, nor does an empty case.
The case and scroll are then nailed or affixed to the right side doorpost
on an angle, with a small ceremony called Chanukkat Ha-Bayit (dedication
of the house - yes, this is the same word as
Chanukkah, the holiday celebrating the
rededication of the Temple after the Maccabean revolt against Greece). A
brief blessing is recited. See the text
of the blessing at Affixing the
Mezuzah.
Why is the mezuzah affixed at an angle? The
rabbis could not decide whether it should be
placed horizontally or vertically, so they compromised!
Every time you pass through a door with a mezuzah on it, you touch the mezuzah
and then kiss the fingers that touched it, expressing love and respect for
G-d and his mitzvot and reminding yourself of the mitzvot contained within
them.
It is proper to remove a mezuzah when you move, and in fact, it is usually
recommended. If you leave it in place, the subsequent owner may treat it
with disrespect, and this is a grave sin. I have seen many mezuzot in apartment
complexes that have been painted over by subsequent owners, and it breaks
my heart every time I see that sort of disrespect to an object of religious
significance.
For more information about mezuzot or to purchase valid scrolls for a mezuzah
online, visit the S.T.A.M. website.
 The Torah also commands us to wear
tzitzit (fringes) at the corners of our garments as a reminder of the
mitzvot. Num. 15:37-41. There is a complex
procedure for tying the knots of the tzitzit, filled with religious and
numerological significance.
The mitzvah to wear tzitzit only applies to four-cornered garments, which
were common in biblical times but are not common anymore. To fulfill this
mitzvah, adult men wear a four-cornered shawl called a tallit (pictured above)
during morning services, along with the tefillin.
In some Orthodox
congregations, only married men wear a tallit;
in others, both married and unmarried men wear one. In
Conservative,
Reform and
Reconstructionist synagogues, both
men and women may wear a tallit, but men are somewhat more likely than women
to do so. A blessing is recited when you
put on the tallit. See the text of the blessing at
Tallit and Tefillin.
Strictly observant Jewish men commonly wear a special four-cornered garment,
similar to a poncho, called a tallit katan ("little tallit"), so that they
will have the opportunity to fulfill this important mitzvah all day long.
The tallit katan is worn under the shirt, with the tzitzit hanging out so
they can be seen.
There is no particular religious significance to the tallit (shawl) itself,
other than the fact that it holds the tzitzit (fringes) on its corners. There
are also very few religious requirements with regard to the design of the
tallit. The tallit must be long enough to be worn over the shoulders (as
a shawl), not just around the neck (as a scarf), to fulfill the requirement
that the tzitzit be on a "garment." It may be made of any material, but must
not be made of a combination of wool and linen, because that combination
is forbidden on any clothing. (Lev. 19:19; Deut. 22:11). Most tallitot are
white with navy or black stripes along the shorter ends, as in the illustration
above. They also commonly have an artistic motif of some kind along the top
long end (the part that goes against your neck). This motif is referred to
as an atarah (crown). There is no particular religious significance to the
atarah; it simply tells you which end is up! It is quite common, however,
to write the words of the blessing for putting
on the tallit on the atarah, so you can read the blessing while you are putting
the tallit on.
If a blessing is written on your tallit, you should be careful not to bring
the tallit into the bathroom with you! Sacred writings should not be brought
into the bathroom. For this reason, many synagogues have a tallit rack outside
of the bathroom. Conversely, if you see a room in a synagogue with a sign
that tells you to remove your tallit before entering, you can safely assume
that the room is a bathroom!
 The Shema also commands us to bind the words to our hands and
between our eyes. We do this by "laying tefillin," that is, by binding to
our arms and foreheads leather pouches containing scrolls of
Torah passages.
The word "tefillin" is usually translated "phylacteries," although I don't
much care for that term, partly because it isn't very enlightening if you
don't already know what tefillin are, and partly because it means "amulet,"
and suggests that tefillin are some kind of protective charm, which they
clearly are not. On the contrary, the word "tefillin" is etymologically related
to the word "tefilah" (prayer) and the root
Pe-Lamed-Lamed (judgment).
Like the mezuzah, tefillin are meant to remind us of
G-d's mitzvot.
At weekday morning services, one case is
tied to the arm, with the scrolls at the biceps and leather straps extending
down the arm to the hand, then another case is tied to the head, with the
case on the forehead and the straps hanging down over the shoulders. Appropriate
blessings are recited during this process.
The tefillin are removed at the conclusion of the morning services. See a
general outline of this process and its blessings at
Tallit and Tefillin.
Like the scrolls in a mezuzah, the scrolls in tefillin must be hand-written
in a special style of writing. A good, valid
set of tefillin can cost a few hundred dollars, but if properly cared for
they can last for a lifetime.
For more information about tefillin or to purchase valid tefillin online,
visit the S.T.A.M. website.
 One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the menorah,
a seven-branched candelabrum used in the
Temple. The
kohanim lit the menorah in the Sanctuary every
evening and cleaned it out every morning, replacing the wicks and putting
fresh olive oil into the cups. The illustration at left is based on instructions
for construction of the menorah found in Ex. 25:31-40.
It has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the
nation of Israel and our mission to be "a light
unto the nations." (Isaiah 42:6). The sages emphasize that light is not a
violent force; Israel is to accomplish its mission by setting an example,
not by using force. This idea is highlighted in the vision in Zechariah 4:1-6.
Zechariah sees a menorah, and G-d explains: "Not
by might, nor by power, but by My spirit."
The lamp stand in today's synagogues, called the ner tamid (lit. the continual
light, usually translated as the eternal flame), symbolizes the menorah.
The nine-branched menorah used on Chanukkah
is commonly patterned after this menorah, because Chanukkah commemorates
the miracle that a day's worth of oil for this menorah lasted eight days.
The most commonly known and recognized piece of Jewish garb is actually the
one with the least religious significance. The word yarmulke (usually, but
not really correctly, pronounced yammica) is
Yiddish. According to Leo Rosten's The Joys
of Yiddish, it comes from a Tartar word meaning skullcap. According to some
Orthodox and
Chasidic rabbis
I know, it comes from the Aramaic words "yerai malka" (fear of or respect
for The King). The Hebrew word for this head covering is kippah (pronounced
key-pah).
It is an ancient practice for Jews to cover their heads during prayer. This
probably derives from the fact that in Eastern cultures, it is a sign of
respect to cover the head (the custom in Western cultures is the opposite:
it is a sign of respect to remove one's hat). Thus, by covering the head
during prayer, one showed respect for G-d. In
addition, in ancient Rome, servants were required to cover their heads while
free men did not; thus, Jews covered their heads to show that they were servants
of G-d. In medieval times, Jews covered their heads as a reminder that G-d
is always above them. Whatever the reason given, however, covering the head
has always been regarded more as a custom rather
than a commandment.
There is no special significance to the yarmulke as a specific type of head
covering. Its light weight, compactness and discreteness make it a convenient
choice of head gear. I am unaware of any connection between the yarmulke
and the similar skullcap worn by the Pope.
 The Magen David (shield of David, or as it is more commonly known,
the Star of David) is the symbol most commonly associated with Judaism today,
but it is actually a relatively new Jewish symbol. It is supposed to represent
the shape of King David's shield (or perhaps the emblem on it), but there
is really no support for that claim in any early rabbinic literature. In
fact, the symbol is so rare in early Jewish literature and artwork that art
dealers suspect forgery if they find the symbol in early Jewish works.
Scholars such as Franz Rosenzweig have attributed deep theological significance
to the symbol. For example, some note that the top triangle strives upward,
toward G-d, while the lower triangle strives downward, toward the real world.
Some note that the intertwining makes the triangles inseparable, like the
Jewish people. Some say that the three sides
represent the three types of Jews: Kohanim,
Levites and Israel. Some note that there are
actually 12 sides (3 exterior and 3 interior on each triangle), representing
the 12 tribes. While these theories are theologically interesting, they have
little basis in historical fact.
The symbol of intertwined equilateral triangles is a common one in the Middle
East and North Africa, and is thought to bring good luck. It appears occasionally
in early Jewish artwork, but never as an exclusively Jewish symbol. The nearest
thing to an "official" Jewish symbol at the time was the
menorah.
In the middle ages, Jews often were required to wear badges to identify
themselves as Jews, much as they were in Nazi Germany, but these Jewish badges
were not always the familiar Magen David. For example, a fifteenth century
painting by Nuno Goncalves features a rabbi
wearing a six-pointed badge that looks more or less like an asterisk.
In the 17th century, it became a popular practice to put Magen Davids on
the outside of synagogues, to identify them
as Jewish houses of worship in much the same way that a cross identified
a Christian house of worship; however, I have never seen any explanation
of why this symbol was chosen, rather than some other symbol.
 The Magen David gained popularity as a symbol of Judaism when
it was adopted as the emblem of the Zionist
movement in 1897, but the symbol continued to be controversial for many years
afterward. When the modern state of Israel
was founded, there was much debate over whether this symbol should be used
on the flag.
Today, the Magen David is a universally recognized symbol of Jewry. It appears
on the flag of the state of Israel, and the Israeli equivalent of the Red
Cross is known as the Red Magen David.
 This symbol, commonly seen on necklaces and other jewelry and ornaments,
is simply the Hebrew word Chai (living), with the two Hebrew letters Cheit
and Yod attached to each other. Some say it refers to the Living
G-d; others say it simply reflects Judaism's focus
on the importance of life. Whatever the reason, the concept of chai is important
in Jewish culture. The typical Jewish toast is l'chayim (to life). Gifts
to charity are routinely given in multiples of 18 (the numeric value of the
word Chai).
 The hamesh hand or hamsa hand is a popular motif in Jewish jewelry.
Go into any Jewish gift shop and you will find necklaces and bracelets bearing
this inverted hand with thumb and pinky pointing outward. The design commonly
has an eye in the center of the hand or various Jewish letters in the middle.
There is nothing exclusively Jewish about the hamesh hand. Arab cultures
often refer to it as the Hand of Fatima, which represents the Hand of G-d.
Similar designs are common in many cultures. Why it has become such a popular
symbol among Jews? I haven't been able to find an adequate explanation anywhere.
My best guess: in many cultures, this hand pattern represents a protection
against the evil eye, and the evil eye has historically been a popular
superstition among Jews.
For some lovely illustrations of Jewish variations on this design,
see:
Chaim Peretz Vitrage
© Copyright 5756-5766 (1995-2006), Tracey
R Rich
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