Jewish Places of Worship, Rabbis, and Marriage Laws

Places of Worship

The ultimate place of worship is the Temple of Jerusalem. However, as we all know, this temple is currently destroyed. Given this reality, for most Jewish believers, the synagogue serves as the Temple of Jerusalem, even though it may not be rebuilt (only the Wailing Wall remains). However, not all faithful Jews share that view. The synagogue, while conducting worship, performs other functions: it is the place of meeting and teaching the doctrine and laws.

Minister of Worship: Rabbi

From a technical standpoint, it is not accurate to say that the rabbi is a minister of religion, but today they are the closest equivalent to this concept in the Jewish religion. In fact, their role is to explain the Hebrew religion. They are the spiritual guide of the community and responsible for managing the religious ceremonies and prayers. To become a rabbi, one must complete a number of studies. Once the title is earned, the community decides in assembly or through the governing council. The union between rabbi and community is very close, so the rabbi assumes the role of director of the faithful of the community, and they are linked to the rabbi.

Priest

In the Jewish religion, there is also the priest. This is the person vested with a specific character, and empowers them to make sacrifices on behalf of the rest of the community, who worship God. The Jewish priests, Cohanim, come from the descendants of Aaron, brother of Moses, and are responsible for making offerings to God in the Temple of Jerusalem. In the absence of such a building, they work with the Rabbi in the direction of the religious ceremonies.

Sources of Jewish Law

The sources in Jewish law are specified in the written law (Talmud or Tanakh) and oral tradition. The written law is formed mainly by the Torah, whose content is in the first five books of the Bible or the Pentateuch. To these, we should add the books of the prophets and wisdom. The Talmud is composed of the Mishnah and Gemara:

• Mishnah: This is the Jewish oral tradition maintained for centuries, embodied in writing, which expands, explains, and refines various aspects and norms contained in the Torah. The Mishnah is divided into six books dealing with the land, parties, women, society, sacred matters, and purification.
• Gemara: The Gemara consists of explanations and comments on the text of the Mishnah, by various rabbis over the centuries. One can speak of two versions of the Talmud: the Jerusalem Talmud, written in Israel in the late 5th century, and the Babylonian Talmud, which is the one that has triumphed over time.

Properties of Marriage

Permanent Character: Regarding the calling of predictable time spent in the Jewish marriage, it does not, as in the Islamic field, for various reasons and causes, can be dissolved either voluntarily or by divorce by repudiation.

Chance of Polygamous Marriage: Polygamy, despite being a feature present in the Jewish couple from the earliest times, was banished from the eleventh century.