What is the Jewish equivalent to the Christian holy sacraments?
For example, if you are not confirmed into Christianity, you are not technically Christian. Is there a Jewish confirmation as well? Do you have to have a bar mitzvah?
In general, not really. Jews do NOT have any rituals that are regarded "as imparting divine grace."
Converts need to have a circumcision (if they’re male), and immerse in the Mikvah. They do not need a Bar Mitzvah.
A Bar Mitzvah is just a ceremony celebrating the fact that the boy is a legal adult acc Jewish Law, and therefore is now able to do Mitzvot, and is responsible for his actions.
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September 27 2009 05:34 pm | Christian
kingsinnersoul on 27 Sep 2009 at 10:48 pm #
the only way you will be consider as a Jew, only if:
1) your mother is a Jew (if she converted she had to be at the time of your birth); those days people become more reform, and they consider that its enough if your father is Jewish, and you r mother is not – then they will consider you as a Jew. but the orthodox Jews will not consider you as one until you pass the conversion.
2)convert:
Since the requirements for conversions vary somewhat within the different branches of Judaism, so whether or not a conversion is recognized by another denomination is often an issue wrought with religious politics. In general, immersion in the mikveh is an important part of conversion. If the person who is converting is male, circumcision is a part of the conversion process as well. If the male who is converting has already been medically circumcised, there is a ritual circumcision that is relatively simple.
the Bar-Mitzva is the ceremony for a young male when he hit the age of 13. at this age he is considered adult by the biblical low, and therefore he will bear the responsibility for his deeds. until the age of 13 – his parents will bear the responsibility for anything he does. (its the same for women, but they have Bat-Mitzva at the age of 12 – i guess the bible consider women to be more mature than men)
as far as for your question if Jews have something equivalent to the Christian holy sacraments – the answer is: YES.
but its different than what you consider sacraments.
the catholic church:
Though not every individual has to receive every sacrament, the Church affirms that, for believers as a whole, the sacraments are necessary for salvation.[2] Through each of them Christ bestows that sacrament’s particular grace, such as incorporation into Christ and the Church, forgiveness of sins, or consecration for a particular service
the Jews have something else. do not believe in heaven nor in hell. so redemption is not something the Jews pursue . Jews have the Mitzvot – the commandments. its not only the 10 commandments like do not kill – do not lie, but its Do’s and Don’t Do’s that should improve the way of living. physically and mentally.
I hope it helps.
References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_to_Judaism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacraments_of_the_Catholic_Church
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitzvah
Steven שמואל on 27 Sep 2009 at 11:29 pm #
In general, not really. Jews do NOT have any rituals that are regarded "as imparting divine grace."
Converts need to have a circumcision (if they’re male), and immerse in the Mikvah. They do not need a Bar Mitzvah.
A Bar Mitzvah is just a ceremony celebrating the fact that the boy is a legal adult acc Jewish Law, and therefore is now able to do Mitzvot, and is responsible for his actions.
References :
Jewish
allonyoav on 28 Sep 2009 at 12:13 am #
No- if you are Jewish, you are Jewish. celebratign a Bar Mitzvah is actualyl a very recent innovation that only started in the 19th century- before that the person would receive an aliyah (call-up) to the Torah to show the community they were now old enough to count for a minyan (the quorum of ten men needed for certain prayers and for public reading of the Torah).
Whether or not someone has a bar mitzvah, they are automatically considered to be bar mitzvah which is actually merely the age at which a person is considered to be liable for their own actions under Torah law.
References :
Orthodox Jew