13 Jewish Symbols to Know
Judaism
is based on learning the Torah and doing the mitzvahs, through which
we connect with G‑d and make the world a better place. Many symbols have been associated with Jewish people,
Jewish scholarship, and Jewish culture throughout history.
§ Menorah: The Temple Candelabra
§ On Gravestones: Open Hands and the
Pitcher
§ Torah Decor: Lions and Eagles
§ Etrog and Lulav Branch (or Palm Tree)
§ Magen David: Six-Pointed Star
1.
Luchot: The Two Tablets
Detail from an early printing of Shnei Luchot Habrit
(Amsterdam, 1698). (Photo: Library of Agudas
Chassidei Chabad—Ohel Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch)
Appearing
on synagogues, hospitals, and the uniforms of Jewish chaplains in the US military,
the two tablets that Moses received at Mount Sinai are poignant
reminders of the Divine mission of the Jewish people: to live by G‑d's will are sometimes etched with the first few words of each of the Ten Commandments or just the first ten letters of
the Hebrew
Alphabet, one for each commandment.
Interestingly,
the more common iteration of the tablets, featuring rounded tops, is a
historical inaccuracy introduced by Renaissance artists. According to Talmudic
tradition, the tablets were made from sapphire and shaped like cubes.
Read: What Shape Were the Luchot?
2. Menorah:
The Temple Candelabra
This sign bears an image that resembles the Temple
menorah. (Photo: Chaya Mishulovin, Lubavitch Chabad of Skokie)
The seven-branched golden menorah (candelabra) featured prominently in the Tabernacle Moses, built in the desert, in the Holy Temples, and later in Jerusalem. "Do you think that I need its light?" G‑d asks "rhetorically. "It is a t" statement to all of humanity that the Divine presence rests in Israel."
Interestingly,
this symbol is also often misrepresented with rounded branches (as depicted on the Arch of Titus), while many authentic Jewish sources suggest slanted,
straight branches.
Perhaps the Jewish predilection toward light-giving symbolisms can be traced to King Solomon's Solomon's that "the mitzv "h is a lamp, and Torah is light."
At
times," the eight-branched menorah, the kind used in Jewish homes to
celebrate the holiday of
Chanukah, is also used as a Jewish symbol on synagogues, letterheads, and other places.
Explore the differences between the Chanukah and Temple menorahs
3.
Torah Scroll
The logo used by hundreds of Gan Israel camps bears an
open Torah scroll.
An
open Torah scroll is often used as the central part of a yeshivah or other institution of Torah study's logo. The scroll contains the Five Books of Moses, handwritten on parchment in Hebrew
by a trained scribe ("sofer").
"He says that the 600,000 letters in the Torah scroll correspond to the
600,000 collective Jewish souls (understand the math of this equation),
as every Jew has a portion of the Torah, and there is a portion of every
Jew within the Torah. Thus, the message of this symbol is that the Torah should
not just sit in the holy ark;
it should be opened, read, studied, and internalized by every member of the
Jewish nation.
4.
On Gravestones: Open Hands and the Pitcher
The hands-on this gravestone indicate that it marks the
resting place of a member of the priestly clan.
In
addition to Stars of David (see below), scrolls, and tablets, Jewish
gravestones often feature several unique symbols. A pair of hands with the
fingers spread in the Vulcan salute indicates that a Kohen, a member of the priestly clan who blesses the
Jewish people while holding their hands in this position,
is buried there.
A
gravestone marked with a pitcher of water is generally that of a Levite,
who is honored with washing the hands of the Kohen before the Priestly Blessing is administered.
By
the same token, a lit candelabra (usually with several branches) is often used
to decorate the grave of a righteous Jewish woman, who was indeed
particular to light the
Shabbat candles in her home every Friday
afternoon and on the eve of Jewish holidays.
5.
Torah Decor: Lions and Eagles
Torah
scroll covers and the holy arks in which they are stored are often decorated
with lions (their forepaws atop the two Tablets). Eagles are also standard
on synagogue accouterments, such as the silver crowns atop Torah
scrolls.
These
are violent animals that are not even kosher, so what are they doing near
the Torah, whose "ways are "pleasant, and tributaries are peace"?
First,
"it should be noted that the lion is the symbol of the tribe of Judah,
which produced David, Solomon,
and other great kings, including the Messiah.
These images also evoke the words of Judah ben Teima, who was known
to say, "Be bold as" a leopard, light as an eagle, fleeting as a deer, and
mighty as a lion, to do the will of your Father in Heaven."
Indeed,
"his words echoed by David, who eulogized Saul and Jonathan (II Samuel 1:23) as
"lighter t "eagles and stronger than lions" in their "Divine service.
6. Etrog and Lulav Branch
(or Palm Tree)
In ancient times, the four species taken together on the holiday of Sukkot—the lulav (palm branch), etrog (citron), hadas (myrtle), and Arava (willow)—were used as prominent Jewish symbols and can still be seen on some of the recovered coins from the short-lived Bar Kochba revolt (132-135 CE).
The Midrash teaches that each of the four species represents a different type of Jew, yet the mitzvah can only be performed when all four are present, symbolizing the unity of our nation.
Read more
about the unity of the Four Species
7.
The Seven Species
What Is So Special About the Seven
Species With Which Israel Was Blessed?
8.
Magen David: Six-Pointed Star
The Star of David graces the oldest surviving complete copy of the Masoretic text, the Leningrad Codex, dated 1008. (Phote: Wikimedia)
The
six-pointed star (or hexagram) is probably the most ubiquitous Jewish symbol but also the least significant. While little is known about the origin of the
Star of David (or, in Hebrew, Magen, "Shield of" David), it has long been
associated with Jewish people and graced thousands of synagogues all over the
world.
Discover the Mystical Significance of the Star of David
9. Doves and Olives
Art by Sefira Lightstone
The
dove and the olive branch have become a universal symbol of peace due to
the somewhat misunderstood biblical
story of the dove bringing back an olive leaf to Noah to signify that the waters had receded after the
Great Flood.
At
the same time, each has been used individually as a symbol and metaphor for the
Jewish people since Biblical times.
In Jeremiah,
G‑d calls the Jewish people "a leafy olive tree, fair with goodly fruit." 5 One exp" anation is that "just as t "e leaves
of the olive tree do not fall off either in summer or in winter, neither shall
the Jewish people be cast off, either in this world or in the world-to-come
(Talmud, Menachot 53b)."
In Song
"f Songs, the moving depiction of the loving relationship between G‑d and His
nation, the "dove" is "n ad "active and is often used to describe the bride, the Jewish
people. One explanation of this symbolism is that "Just like "a dove, once
she meets her mate, never leaves him for another… and just as a dove whose
fledglings are taken from her nest still doesn't abdoesn'ter nest…, so are the
Jewish people faithful to G‑d." 6
Why Is "the Olive Branch a Symbol of Peace?
Explore the Jewish symbolism of the
dove
10.
Chai Pendant
A chai pendant is worn by a woman.
After
the Star of David, the chai is the next most popular
Jewish pendant. Chai is Hebrew for "life." The" word" is written
with two letters, chet, and yud, with
the combined numeric value of 18. This explains why Jews love giving birthday
presents, donations, and other gifts in multiples of 18 (36, 54, 72, 90, etc.).
More about giving gifts in multiples
of 18
11. Maccabee Shield
Displaying
the Hebrew word מכבי
(Maccabee) on a banner or flag harkens back to the second Temple period when a
small band of Jews, called the Maccabees,
successfully revolted against their Greek oppressors. From that time on, the
word מכבי
(Maccabee) has symbolized the small and powerless overcoming great odds against
mighty tyrants.
The
classic explanation of the word Maccabee is that it is composed of the initial
letters of a verse the Jewish people sang after G‑d split the sea: "Mi kamoch" ba'eilim Hba'eilimי כמוך באיליםי׳),
"Who
is li" e You among the mighty, O G‑d?" Although "we may be weak and outnumbered,
ultimately true might belongs to G‑d, and with trust in Him we can overcome all
odds.
12" High
Priest's BPriest'ste
Art by Sefira Lightstone
Often
found in synagogues, frequently embroidered on the curtain covering the holy
ark that houses the Torah scrolls, the breastplate (chosen) was
one of the eight priestly garments worn by the high priest (kohen gadol) while
serving in the Holy Temple. It featured 12 precious gemstones corresponding to
the 12 tribes of Israel.
Likewise,
one can often find depictions of the flags, animals, or produce that symbolize
each tribe based on the blessing Jacob gave his children before he
passed away.
Although
we may come from different backgrounds and tribes with many
distinct customs, we remain one unified nation.
The High Priest's BPriest'ste (Choshen)
13.
Hamsa: The Hand
The
Hamsa, a symmetrical image of a palm with an eye in its center, is familiar to
many cultures, including Judaism. Some question whether it is a
legitimate Jewish symbol, and many people refrain from wearing the Hamsa or
hanging it in their homes.
The
Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, Sephardic leader of the
19th century) notes that there is a custom to say "Hamsa" (w "ich m" and "five"
in "rabi") to ward off the evil eye, and explains that that is why many wear a
little hand of five fingers with the letter "hei" (who "e n" metric equivalent is
five) written on it. Apparently, he did not consider it a problem.
It
is essential to remember that the Talmud says
the evil eye only affects you if you place importance on it and worry about it.
If you ignore it, the evil eye does not affect you.
Rabbi
Menachem Posner manages editor at Chabad.org, the world's laworld'sewish informational website. He has been writing, researching, and editing for
Chabad.org since 2006 when he received his rabbinic degree from Central
Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch. He lives in Chicago, Ill., with his family.
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