Tag Archives: ritual

(Anthropology of Judaism) Lag Ba’Omer

Posted on May 12, 2020 by zjb

Touching upon the history and anthropology of Jewish religion, as well as concluding methodological reflections. With many thanks to Joshua Schwartz and Shari Rabin, respectively, for the kindness of sharing their expertise and these two scholarly references re: the pilgrimage … Continue reading →

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(Coronavirus) Hoarding Eggs in Israel (Passover)

Posted on April 6, 2020 by zjb

For anyone interested in the matrix created by foodways, religious culture and ritual, mass society, and social psychology and object cathexis in particular local contexts, and coronavirus.  Feel free to throw in bio-power. In Israel, this is now a grave … Continue reading →

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(Zohar Says) Burn Incense To Forge Bonds with Ein Sof (Coronavirus)

Posted on March 30, 2020 by zjb

Reading around I learned something, this about the Zohar on the power of the Tabernacle-Temple incense and, today, regularly reciting the verses concerning it to stay the plague and all other demonic forces. The Zohar picks up its cue from … Continue reading →

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Virtual Shabbat (Liberal Judaism) (Coronavirus)

Posted on March 22, 2020 by zjb

Not terribly enthusiastic, I’ve been not thinking enough about the phenomenon that will be live streaming Shabbat and other tefilot and the many aesthetic choices that will matter going forward. This one conveys something to do with the aesthetics of … Continue reading →

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Empty City Empty Shabbat (Coronavirus)

Posted on March 13, 2020 by zjb

It’s almost sundown and New York City is shutting down, schools, museums, concert halls, Broadway, synagogues and churches, as if for the Sabbath. The entire civic ritual system in its public aspect is grinding down to a halt, moving deeper … Continue reading →

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(Coronavirus) Not The Time For Mezuzah Kissing

Posted on March 4, 2020 by zjb

(h/t Mika Tal)

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New York City Street Corner (Habad)

Posted on February 26, 2020 by zjb

This un-extraordinary little scene, it must have been around Christmas. From top to bottom, watch what happens to the street corner, a momentary ritual transformation, at Columbus and 97th Street. Note too how the WordPress category-tag algorithm puts this little … Continue reading →

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(Striking Gods & Other Objects) Canaanite Temple Remains (Lachish)

Posted on February 18, 2020 by zjb

Sharing and saving for students these images from this article in Ha’aretz of diminutive temple remains, including two tough little striking gods. They were dug up in central Israel at Lachish, an important Canaanite town-city circa 1800 B.C.E.. From the … Continue reading →

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The Priestly Blessing is Weird and Most Impressive (Hertz Pentateuch)

Posted on August 2, 2019 by zjb

As I continue to scroll through the Hertz Pentateuch in search of wayward things and other points of interest that tell us something about the HP and its time and place, I found this odd and unexpected thing. It’s his … Continue reading →

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Jewish Ethics & the Hertz Pentateuch

Posted on May 20, 2019 by zjb

You know he was going to make a big deal of the so-called Holiness Code (Leviticus 17-22) and there he was. The Hertz Pentateuch tags chapter 19 as “A Manual of Moral Instruction.” These chapters are for Hertz more than … Continue reading →

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