Religion and Spirituality

The Meaning Behind Popular Jewish Gift Items

To say that the Jewish people have many traditions is a huge understatement. They have a number of holidays; Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Chanukah, those are only the famous ones, there are many others. Not to mention Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, weddings etc., You can just imagina that this translates to a lot of gift giving. There is usually a symbolic gift item or two for every Jewish occasion, and here are some very interesting facts behind them.

Benchers - A bencher or “birchon” is a Jewish Prayer booklet. It can contain a number of prayers and songs for Jewish occasions. The most common one is the “Birkat Hamazon” or Grace After Meals. Praying after meals comes from a passage in the Bible, in Deuteronomy 8:10 which says, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He gave you”. Benchers are often adorned with different artistic designs and are typically given aways as gifts during weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.

Kippahs – Kippahs are the skullcaps which have come to typify the Orthodox Jewish man. Kippahs, also known as yarmulke, are worn because Jewish people believe that it is a way of honoring God. It is, as Rabbi Hunah ben Joshua explained, “Because the Divine Presence is always over my head.” Kippahs come in a variety of colors, designs and fabrics. However, children’s kippot with designs that do not conform to traditional Jewish values are not allowed.

Mezuzah cases – A mezuzah case is a container for a mezuzah, which is a piece of parchment which has Hebrew verses written on it. The mezuzah is placed on the doors of a Jewish home, with the exception of the bathroom door. Nowadays, it is typically placed on the front door only. It is said that the mezuzah protects the inhabitants of the house by placing them under God’s care.
Modern mezuzah cases often feature tasteful designs done by Israeli artists.

Seder plates – Seder plates are used to serve symbolic foods during the commemoration of Passover. Six food items are placed on the place, each with it’s own symbolic significance to the Exodus. The six symbolic foods are:

• Maror and chazeret — Bitter herbs, but usually horseradish or romaine lettuce eaten as substitute.
• Charoset — A mixture of chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon and sweet red wine
• Karpas — A vegetable dipped in salt water, usually parsley, celery or boiled potato.
• Z’roa — A roasted lamb
• Beitzah — A hard-boiled egg

Menorahs – The Chanukah menorah is probably the most recognizable Jewish artifact. It is a Candle Holder with nine branches, with one candle lit for every night of Chanukah. The story of Chanukah has it that after the re-dedication of the Holy Temple, the Jews found only enough oil for the menorah to burn for one day. Miraculously, the oil continued burning for eight more days, which was just enough time for new oil to be made. The ninth candle, the shamash, is used to light the other candles and is usually placed in a higher position than the other candles.  Menorahs come in a variety of styles as well, like a model firetruck and one which uses flickering electric light bulbs instead of candles.

About the Author

Harry G. Mason has been writing about virtually everything under the sun for quite some time now. He is a loving husband and a doting father.

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