Judaism Symbols and their Meanings

Founded more than 3,500 years ago, when Prophet Moses gave The Torah to the Jews, which is the document that Judaism is based on, this religion is one of the oldest religion that exists on this earth. In fact, Jewish history existed before Prophet Moses handed over the Torah. It is known to exist in 1812 BC, when there was a covenant established between God and Abraham, who is also known as the father of the Jewish descent and the founder of Judaism. In fact, Judaism is one of those few religions, including Christianity and Islam, in which Abraham plays a very important role. Another point to be noted is that, although Judaism is the oldest of religions, it is also one of the smallest. 2010 estimation states that there are only 13.4 million Jews in the world, which accounts for merely 0.2% of the population. Maybe it is because of the few followers, that the Jews give a lot of importance to their culture and customs. We shall be discussing some of the main Judaism symbols and their meanings, to understand about this religion in a better way.

Judaism Symbols and What They Mean

Like any other religion, the signs and symbols play a very significant role in the life of each and every Jew. The life of each and every person who follows Judaism is ruled by a set of rules, customs and traditions, that they need to follow in order to live according to the wishes of the one God who created heaven and earth. They believe that those who follow God and his commandments are the ones who will be rewarded, and those who don't will be punished by God. There are various signs and symbols that signify the Jews to follow the will of God and live a life according to his will. Some of the main Judaism symbols and their meanings are listed as follows.

Symbol	Meaning
Star of David	Also known as the Magen David or the Shield of David, this is the emblem of the Jews. You would be surprised to know that the symbolic representation of the Star of David in Judaism began in the 17th century, to represent themselves against the Christians who took the Cross as their representative symbol. There is no reason as to why only this symbol was chosen to represent the Jewish community. However, this symbol represented the shield of King David, which was considered in the Middle East and North Africa to bring good luck. Experts also say that the top triangle represented the upward direction towards God, and the lower triangle symbolized the real world that exists below. The Star of David has all the triangles intertwined, which represents that each and everything is inseparable and interrelated to each other.
Menorah	A Menorah is also one of the most important symbol in Judaism. There are 7 branched Menorahs (the candleabrum with 7 stands) that were lit every evening in the temples and cleaned every morning. It is also the symbol of Judaism like the Star of David. The 9-branched Menorah is usually lit during Hanukkah, which is an 8-day festival celebrated in memory of the re-dedication of the Second Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It is said that the Jews had oil enough to light the Menorah for only one night, but miraculously, the light lasted for eight days. The ninth holder is known as the Shamash, which means the helper which lights up the rest of the candles. Other symbolism of the Menorah is to represent the mission of Israel, which is "a light unto all nations". A Menorah represents eternal flame.
Mezuzah	If you have ever visited a Jewish home, you would know what it is. A Mezuzah is a small case which is placed on the doorpost of Jewish people who follow the tradition. Placing the Mezuzah on the doorpost is among the commandments of God, in which he asks people to remind themselves again and again about the existence of God in their lives, in their heart, and in their minds. Which is why, the Mezuzah is placed on the doorposts, so that the Jews are reminded about God's existence. The Mezuzah is a small case which contains the handwritten scroll with the Shema, which is the passage wherein God commands us to remind us again and again about his presence and commandments. So unlike the common belief, the Mezuzah is not a good luck charm, but it rather signifies the presence of God.
Torah Scroll	Remember I mentioned about the Torah right at the beginning of the article! The Hebrew Bible, also known as the Tanakh, consists of three parts. The first being the Torah, which consists of the 5 books of Moses. These 5 books consist of the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The word TaNaCh is derived from the three parts, wherein 'T' is for Torah, 'N' is for Nevi'im and 'CH' is for Ketuvim, Nevi'im and Ketuvim being the second and third part of the Hebrew Bible. Another interesting thing about the Torah scroll is that it is always kept in an Ark, and that no one is allowed to touch it. Which is why, the Jews use a special metallic pointer known as the Yad, which is used while reading the Torah.
Tallit	Also known as the Jewish Prayer Shawl, the Tallit is a four-cornered shawl which is worn by Jewish men during prayers and other religious ceremonies. The Torah states that in order to be reminded of the Mitzvot, which means the commandments, one must wear Tzitzit or fringes in the corner of the garments. The fringes are nothing but reminders of the commandments of God. The Tallit should be long enough to be considered as a garment that is worn over the shoulders, and not just wrapped around as a scarf on the neck. If you ever visit a synagogue, you would see a Tallit rack. It is also forbidden to take your Tallit within the bathroom, as something as Holy and symbolic like the Tallit should not be there.
Tefillin	Yet another symbolic representation of remembering God and his commandments is the Tefillin. It is a set of small leather cubic boxes which contain the sacred verses of the Torah. These cubic boxes are black in color, and are attached with black leather straps. The Jews tie up the Tefillin to follow the commandment of the Torah, which says, "You shall put these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall tie them for a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as Totafot between your eyes." ~ Deuteronomy 11:18. There are two types of Tefillin, the Hand Tefillin and the Head Tefillin. The Hand Tefillin, as shown in the picture, is wrapped around the arm, hands and the fingers. Whereas the Head Tefillin is placed over the forehead with the straps around the shoulders and the head. These are worn while praying, to be reminded of God's presence and power. In fact, a Jewish acupuncturist called Steven Schram, also states that the Tefillin is designed in such a manner that it stimulates the acupuncture points that clear the mind and harmonizes the spirit during prayers.
Kippah	Also known as Yarmulke, the Kippah is a small skullcap worn by a Jewish male. The head is covered as a sign of humility and the acknowledgment of God as the supreme power. Also, it is mentioned in the Talmud to "Cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you", therefore, another symbolism of wearing the Kippah at all times is to feel the presence of God over you all the time. It is a tradition to wear the Kippah all the time, especially during prayer, as it 'honors the presence of God'. Young Jewish boys are encouraged to wear the Kippah so that the fear of God always resides in them, and that they do not engage in bad habits. Nevertheless, wearing a Kippah is a symbol of Jewish acknowledgment and fear of God.
Shofar	A Shofar, as you can see in the picture, is a horn which is blown by the Jews during Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year, which is celebrated during the first two days of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, known as the Tishrei. The Torah refers these days as Zikaron Terua, which means "remembrance of the blowing of the horn". The Shofar is usually the horn of a kosher animal, mostly of the Ram. It also symbolizes the eternal sacrifice of Abraham when he was willing to sacrifice his only son, and when God saw this he allowed him to sacrifice a Ram instead. Another symbolism of blowing the Shofar on New Year is the call to repentance, and that each and everyone should wake up to the call of the Shofar and repent. The blowing of the Shofar is also mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the Rabbinic literature, and the Talmud. A spiritual interpretation of the blasting of the Shofar is this. The Shofar should be a naturally hollow material which produces sound with the human breath, just like God breathes life into humans. The natural curve of the horn represents the bending of the human heart for repentance towards God.
Chai	The symbol Chai, as shown in the picture, is a combination of two Hebrew letters, Chet (ח) and Yod (י). The word Chai means "living" in Hebrew, and this term holds a very important place in the life of each and every Jew. You will usually see this symbol in jewelry and necklaces. This symbol represents the importance life holds for the Jews, a life that is a gift from the living God. In fact, when it comes to charity, the Jews always offer gifts of charity in the multiples of 18 (18, 36,54, and so on). This is because the numeric value of the symbol Chai is 18. So 18 symbolizes the number of life, and giving charity in the multiples of 18 represents the gift of life.
Hamsa Hand	Also known as the Hamesh Hand, Khamsa, Hand of Fatima, this symbol represents the five books of Torah. The number five is known as Hamesh in Hebrew, and the Torah consists of the five books. The Hamesh Hand also reminds the Jews that they should use all the five senses to praise God. Not only this, the symbol also represents the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet Heh, which is a representation of one of God's Holy names, thereby making this sign a symbol of God's hand. The Hamsa Hand can be found in various religious jewelry, artifacts, and decoration items. It consists of an eye in the middle, symbolizing protection against the evil eye.

These were some of the main Judaism symbols and their significance. Each and every symbol holds an important significance in the life of a Jew. And I am sure, after going through the aforementioned write-up, you would have understood their faith and tradition in a much better way. I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I did writing it. It is beautiful to learn about different cultures and traditions, and understand how so many different beliefs and faiths exist in one world. If learning about different cultures and traditions excites you the same way it does for me, then I think this write-up was worth a read. Wasn't it?