The Jewish life cycle : custom, lore and iconography : Jewish customs from the cradle to the grave / Daniel Sperber ; [translated from the Hebrew by Ed Levin].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sperber, Daniel, author.

Contributor:

Levin, Edward (Translator), translator.

Language:

English

Hebrew

Subjects (All):

Judaism--Customs and practices.

Judaism.

Life cycle, Human--Religious aspects--Judaism.

Life cycle, Human.

Culture.

judaism.

Physical Description:

2 volumes : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

Second edition including addenda et corrigenda.

Place of Publication:

Ramat-Gan : Bar Ilan University Press, 2025

Summary:

"This volume describes the major "rites of passage" of the Jewish life cycle. From birth, through circumcision, to marriage, divorce, sickness, death and mourning. Daniel Sperber presents detailed descriptions of the major customs attending these events. These customs are examined in light of their original sources, their integration and evolution in varying Jewish communities, and the popular explanations given for their practice, both historically and today. This book draws on the whole spectrum of rabbinic literature, comparing its stories and explanations with folk beliefs of other cultures throughout the world. Sperber makes use of a wide range of resources -- medival and modern, legal, foldloristic, anthropological and literary -- in his discussion of customs, proving that Jewish communities were never isolated from their environment. He also examines in depth the earliest origins of many of our well-known and commonly practiced Jewish customs. This book makes use of iconographic material found in illustrated books written by non-Jews describing Jewish practice. These illustrations are analyzed in detail, constituting yet another rich source for the understanding of the evolution of Jewish customs. Customs, by their nature, are often taken for granted. In this book, Daniel Sperber offers an expert, detailed, and lively analysis of some of the most and least commonly practiced customs in Jewish tradition. This edition includes the Addenda that was originally published separately."-- Back cover.

Contents:

Part 1. Life

Part 2. Death.

Volume 1: Life : Some North African fertility and pregnancy customs ; Protective charms for the pregnant woman ; New mother impurity ; Circumcision only while standing? ; Circumcision over earth or over water ; Cirumcision as a form of sacrifice ; Who drinks the circumcision wine and the place of women in society ; Women Mohalot ; The two wine cups of circumcision ; One and twelve candles at the circumcision ; Tahanun on the day of the circumcision ; The third day after the circumcision ; Aspects of the redemption of the firstborn ; On the "reasons" for customs: The Halakah ; The Wimpel ; The breaking of plates during the Tena'im ceremony ; Betrothal rings ; Some wedding preparations ; Wedding dates ; Fasting on the wedding day ; The "Huppah"

the wedding canopy / ceremony ; Appendix: the nature of the Huppah ; The wedding ring in the cup of wine ; Throwing a shoe at a wedding ; "Confetti": the throwing of wheat kernels at weddings ; "How they dance before the bride" ; The bride's entry into the bridal suite ; The lighting of candles after the wedding ; The morning after ; The Regel Redufin of Caucasus Jewry ; The Halitzah ceremony ; On divorce

Death : Omens of approaching death ; The manner of sitting while visiting sick ; The moment of death ; Asking posthumous pardon of the dead ; The custom of the deceased's wife passing under the Bier ; The firstborn of an animal in the cemetery ; The table for the coffin ; The rolling and overturning of the coffin ; How the deceased is laid in his grave ; A separate row of graves for women who died during childbirth ; The direction of graves ; The seven evil spirits and the seven funeral stations ; Casting seven coins next to the deceased ; The plucking of grass when leaving the cemetery ; The candles, spices, and flutes of the deceased ; Kohanim walking on the graves of the righteous ; A kerchief around the neck of the mourner, and the practice of covering the head ; The meaning of the Kaddish: "May his great name" ; The memorial candle ; The Eastern mournng practices ; Mourning for the firstborn ; "The death of Nasi" and the mourning for Moses

Volume 2: Life : On swallowing foreskins ; Pregnant women wary of sleeping under moonlight ; Placing a Torah scroll on a woman experiencing a difficult birth ; The sword as a protective measure for pregnant women ; On Lilith and all her traits ; Birthdays, Bar-Mitzvah and Bat-Mitzvah ; Forty days required for the fetus to acquire human form ; On naming the newborn ; Combatting dangers facing the newborn before circumcision ; A tree was planted when a child was born ; A variety of circumcision and post-circumcision customs ; The Halakah and the Akeekah ceremonies ; The Bat Mitzvah ceremony ; Some bridal customs ; Warding off the threat of death: cross-dressing ; The Huppah and mock nuptuals ; The wedding ring ; On wedding dates ; On the interval between the betrothal and the marriage ceremony ; On Destrarum lunctio ; Some additinal marriage customs ; The "seven blessings" and the blessing over the wine ; On shoe throwing ; On the dance of death ; Proof of bride's virginity ; On the Halakhic status of menstruant women and those shortly after giving birth

Death : Omens of approaching death ; Visiting the sick ; How the dead are dead? ; On pouring out water after a person's death ; How the corpse should be placed and taken out ; Overturning beds on the part of the mourner ; On kissing a dead corpse ; Closing eyes of dead, and other funerary practices ; Making sure that the departed is really dead ; Some funerary customs ; On a small coin for charity and atonement during a funeral ; Does the corpse retain his tzitzit? ; On those who are buried separately ; Met Mitzvah, and unidentified corpse ; On encircling ; Torches above Bier at a roman funeral ; Some notes on images on tombstones ; On mourners changing their seats in the synagogue ; Visiting the cemetery during the Shivah ; Washing hands and feet on the seventh day of mourning ; The candle as a symbol of life at birth ; Women's recitation of the Kaddish ; The readings on a great Rabbi's death ; Fasting on the Jahrzeit

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9789652266835

9652266833

9789652266552

9652266558

OCLC:

1559061064