2.1: Public Acts of Worship

Question 1

What is the purpose of public worship?

Answer 1

• It gives Jews a sense of belonginging within a community of Jewish believers.
• Provides the oppurtunity to take part in prayers which can only be said in a congregation.
• The rabbis have taught that worshipping publicly gives more merit than worshipping alone
• Provides the oppourtunity to feel the strength of the faith.
• Fulfils the requirement to worship publicly in the Temple
• Providees statutory times and worshipping at times, giving order and purpose to people’s religious lives.

Question 2

What is the nature of public worship?

Answer 2

• Worshipping is either homage or reverance.
• Jewish public worship is where this worship happens in a synagogue with a congregation of Jewish worshippers.

Question 3

What are some of the features of public worship?

Answer 3

• Every Friday, at the start of Shabbat, the synagogue holds evening prayers. At the end of the service, the rabbi takes a cup of wine and says the kiddush.
• Shabbat morning is the main service of the week. The Sefer Torah is taken out of the Ark and carried to the bimah for the rabbi to read the sidra, and then giver a sermon.
• On Shabbat afternoon, the synagogue holds afternoon prayers where the Sefer Torah is again taken out of the Ark, and a short part of the next week’s sidra is read.
• Synagaogues have special services for festivals, especially Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Simchat Torah

Question 4

SOWA : Deuteronomy 11:13

Answer 4

“Love the Lord your God, and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul”

Question 5

Why is synagogue worship important to the Jewish community?

Answer 5

• To love God with all your heart and with all your soul requires Jews to worship in community with other Jewish people.
• Synagogue worship is needed for the Jewish community to celebrate Shabbat properly
• Synagogue worship gives the communtiy the oppourtunity to share the great festivals (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Pesach etc), and family celebration (Brit Milah, Bar Mitzvah, weddings etc)

Question 6

Why is synagogue worship important for a Jewish individual?

Answer 6

• Worshipping with others in the synagogue worship gives a person sense of belonging in a Jewish community
• It provides the oppourtuniuty to think about/reflect in the meaning of life.
• It gives the oppourtunity for people to discover more about what it means to be a Jew.

Question 7

Why do Jewish people worship in different ways?

Answer 7

• Orthodox synagogues separate men and women because they believe that the Mitzvot are God’s words.
• Liberal/Reform synagagogues demosntrate complete equality of the sexes because they believe that the Torah was wriiten by humans and inspired by G-d, rather than being the direct word of G-d.

Question 8

SOWA : Psalm 116

Answer 8

Says that worship is a way to repay G-d for his great goodness.

Question 9

SOWA : Prophet Zechariah

Answer 9

Says men and women should be separated for periods of mourning

Question 10

SOWA : Talmud

Answer 10

Recommends men and women being separated for worship.