Explain why Jews may observe the Sabbath in different ways Essay Example for Free

Explain why Jews may observe the Sabbath in different ways Essay In Judaism there are many divisions of Jews and their faiths. However, there are two main sub-divisions that all Jews will fit into unless they are only Jews by race and not by faith (Secular) although these Jews may carry on the traditions of their ancestors. The sub-divisions are Progressive Jews and Orthodox Jews. Orthodox can be translated from ancient Greek as meaning God given/ Right Belief, Orthodox Jews are those who are very strict observers of the Torah and rules regarding Jewish celebrations. Due to the ways in which society has changed since the torah has written, the orthodox Jews try to find ways of fulfilling the Torah in their society. The orthodox Jews believe that the Torah is the exact word of God as given to Moses who carved out the 10 commandments. The orthodox Jews believe that Moses was only secretary to God and what is written in the Torah is exactly Gods words from Mount Sinai. This makes it very important for orthodox Jews to keep all 613 mitzvot. As a result of this strict following of the law means that the orthodox Jews have strict ways of following the Sabbath. On this day they will always eat Kosher meals, as at all other times in the year, they will not drive a car, this is thought to resemble lighting a fire- forbidden to do on Sabbath in Torah, and this can be seen because the car parks at Orthodox Synagogues are always closed during Shabbat. The Jews will also not be allowed to cook, write or turn on lights as the Torah forbids that any creative work may be done at Shabbat because as God rested on this day then why should the Jews work. The above three examples are forbidden because they either result in fire being made, which is not allowed, or can have a creative effect, i.e. letter to politician. Other everyday happenings not allowed are turning on/ watching television and driving a car. These are both because they use electricity or petrol and so mean a flame being created to start them. Progressive Jews are those that have broken off from the orthodox Jewish community. Their main difference to the orthodox Jews is that they do not believe that the Torah is the exact word of God. However, Progressive Jews are still as strict about moral laws for the community but less concerned about ritual laws. Progressive Jews believe that as the rules have been intended for man then the ancient rabbis have written the Torah. They also believe that Judaism should change in order to accommodate modern society and so each generation of Jews should choose their own laws to follow. For example, some Progressive Jews might choose not to follow the Kosher laws and eat food products that Progressive Jews who do follow Kosher, would not, such as pork and bacon. (Jewish law believes the pig to be an unclean animal and so does not allow Jews to eat its meat, or that of any other unclean animal.) As a result of their different beliefs in the Torah the Progressive Jews will probably be less strict with their laws on Shabbat. Some progressive Jews might not follow kosher meals although many still will. Others will still drive to work, light a lamp or write a letter. The items that are forbidden in the Talmud are known as Melachah, which translates as work, this is because Jews are supposed to abstain from work on the Sabbath. Another main difference would be in the Synagogue. The service would often be in the vernacular language, whereas in orthodox synagogues the service is often in Hebrew, women would sit with men and sometimes there may be a female rabbi. However even with these difference s the fundamentals of Orthodox and Progressive Jews is the same. These are the family and the centrality of the Sabbath to the continuation of the Jewish faith.

Free Essay on Homers Odyssey: Order vs. Chaos :: Homer Odyssey Essays

Order vs. Chaos in The Odyssey In The Odyssey, Homer portrays the reoccurring theme of order versus chaos. This theme is particularly evident within the first twelve books of The Odyssey. Homer shows the importance of instilling order where there is chaos or confusion. To eliominate chaos and regain order, a strong hero is needed along with the intelligence to find a solution to the problem. In the first twelve books of The Odyssey Homer shows the need for a cunning hero in order to restore peace where there is chaos through the suitors, the storm off the coast of Scheria, the Kyklopes, and Scylla and Charybdis. The first and most evident example of chaos in The Odyssey is the presence of the suitors. Since Odysseus never returned form the Trojan War, many suitors who sought to marry Odysseus' wife, Penelope, were disrespecting Odysseus' house. The house was filled with the chaos that the suitors caused. They were there for so long because Penelope was resistant to remarry. While they were there, they continued to consume all of Odysseus' possessions. His wife is besieged with suitors and his entire house is threatening to fall. With the absence of their king, Odysseus, in Ithica his house was being overrun by the greedy suitors. Although order is no restored in Ithica until the end of Odysseus' journey, it is hinted at what is needed to end the confusion within the first four books, or the Telemacheia. Since Telemakhos is still too young and not fully matured enough to restore order in his father's house, it will take Odysseus' return. Even the goddess Athena recognize s the need for Odysseus' warrior strength and intelligence when she says, " bitterly you need Odysseus, then! High time he came back to engage these upstarts. I wish we saw him standing helmeted there in the doorway, holding shield and spear, looking the way he did when I first knew him. (The Odyssey, Homer, Robert Fitzgerald's translation, pp. 9)∝ The rest of the books in this section are dedicated to Odysseus' journey home so that he can restore order to his homeland and be with Penelope. Homer also shows that a cunning hero is needed when faced with chaos in the episode where Odysseus is stuck in a storm off the coast of Scheria.

The Paradox of the California Dream

â€Å"More gold has been mined from the thoughts of men than has been taken from the earth. † – Napoleon Hill Dreaming something is very different than trying to accomplish it. The famed author Napoleon Hill puts it so wisely: many more people dream and try to become rich and successful than the small percentage that actually accomplish that goal. In the article â€Å"California: A place, A People, A Dream,† James Rawls argues that the California dream consists of five main factors. These factors are Health, Romance, Opportunity and Success, Warmth and Sunshine, and Freedom.People come from all over the world to live this dream, which sometimes turns into a nightmare instead. Based on texts such as The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, The Republic of East L. A. , by Luis J. Rodriguez, California travel guides, and others, the California dream is perceived and lived differently by different people. The California dream is not how it seems; it is a paradox to the l ower class but a reality for the wealthy. The California dream changes drastically depending on your level of income. As we see in the majority of Luis J.Rodriguez's stories, opportunity and success is what lower class families are focused on. â€Å"Pigeons† is about a young, poor couple who are doing whatever it takes to support their family. â€Å"Although apprentices were called oil greasers†¦ it was a Job that promised up to 15 dollars an hour within two years†¦ What more could a young, poor, married couple living in East L. A. ask for? † (109). For a typical poor couple like that, Jobs like these are very common. For them, the California dream is being able to support a family and live happily.While this can be thought of as a dream, it is what is expected everywhere and is not unique to California in any way. If you compare this definition to Rawls' definition, it is nowhere near the full California dream. In fact, it is only one fifth of it, which does n't really make it a dream. In contrast, the California dream changes a lot for upper and some middle class families. For wealthy families, all of James Rawls' five factors play into the picture when deciding to move to California or not. Romance, Warmth and Sunshine, andHealth are all added benefits that California has. These added benefits are some of the main things that wealthy people are focused on. Being wealthy, they most likely have or had some sort of well paying Job/source of income, inheritance, etc. The climate, health, and Romance of California are not things that a single person can control. They are more or less unique to California and very attractive to people with disposable income. California Travel guides are generally directed towards the upper class. â€Å"California Dreaming?Travel deals to Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego,† is a travel guide for wealthy people out of state. It highlights some of the main things people think of when they think o f California. â€Å"Want to feel like a celebrity while you are at it? Indulge in a spa day at the Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel and Spa($99, a low by $101; expires June 29). † While this sounds attractive to many people in all financial classes, the question is if someone can afford it without losing a meal or electricity for their family. Unfortunately, many lower class people cannot.Too often, neducated, lower class families come to California with the dream of living a lavish lite like the wealthy; this is a tar tetcned dream. California's lofty cost of living makes it hard for a lot of people to think of living here as a dream. With California housing prices two times the national median, it takes much perseverance that many people think isn't worth living in the new, overcrowded California. Maribel Vazquez Lemus is one of those people. In an article published on CNN, she talks about her situation. â€Å"[she] skips two meals a day so she can afford to feed her kids†¦S he wants to move East–perhaps out of the state–so she can find better employment and lower rent. Right now she pays $400 for a single bedroom in someone elses house. She and her two daughters all sleep together in that room. † Believe it or not this is quite a common situation for young families. The amount of single parents are growing at a constant rate, adding to the difficulties of raising one or more children. In a recent study done by the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA), the cost of raising a child is the highest it has ever been. The verage middle-class family who had a child in 2011 will shell out $234,900 to keep it fed and a roof over its head for the next 17 years†between $12,290 and $14,320 per year. † This is one fifth of the $51 ,017 national median income and it has to be over two fifth with two kids. By moving somewhere else where the cost of living is much cheaper, like Maribel Vazquez Lemus wants to, this number can be reduced significantly. With California being the most populous state since 1970(1970 California Census)–and the population still rising–the cost of living has nothing else o do but rise as well.The California dream is a paradox; an idea that is very attractive thinking about it, but very opposite living it. California is perceived as the place to make easy money, meet a partner, and get a tan. These things simply aren't realistic. It is Just as hard, if not harder to earn a living in California. And the inflation Just adds to the trouble. We see this example of the paradox of the California Dream is The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, when living in California is much different than the main character, Baba, anticipated. Baba loved the idea of America.It was living in america that gave him an Clearly, living in Fremont, CA did not live up to their expectations. At all. Hearing so many positive things about it, they don't know how they can be experiencing these negativ e things such as the the lack of trust. â€Å"No one trusts anybody! † Baba says. Later in the book, we see more negative reasons why the state is not living up to expectations. â€Å"The Bay Area's smog stung his eyes, the traffic noise gave him headaches, and the pollen made him cough. The fruit was never sweet nough, the water never clean enough, and where were all the trees and open fields? (l). More and more things that seem like they should all be here but clearly aren't. At the moment Baba and his son are very disappointed, as are many other people that came to California to live the dream but have failed to get that opportunity. Maybe the paradox stems from the old California. From the 1970's when the California dream for all classes, not Just the upper class, was actually a realistic thing. Or maybe it stems from the countless celebrities such as Steve Jobs and Tiger Woods ho nave emerged trom Calitornia.Either way, the old Calitornia dream, where an overwhelming nu mber of people came to California with nothing and left with something, is dying out. Whether it is because of the decline in education, the high cost of living, or the unrealistic perception that outsiders have on California, the old dream is being replaced by new, tougher times in California. The California Gold Rush days are long gone. Getting rich so easily Just does not happen anymore. Luck is a main reason why people still move to California, and a main reason why they fail, too.The future is still bright for the Golden State, though. Many of the problems that have caused this end to the dream have fixes that aren't too complicated. Soon, in the near future, it will be clear for most people that there is no such California dream anymore. Hopefully sometime after that it won't be as clear. And hopefully soon after that it will be clear that the California dream is back. But for now, the California dream is â€Å"fizzling out. â€Å"As James Rawls' stated, the California Dream is â€Å"quite impossibly everything–and quite possibly nothing at all. † A paradox for many, a reality for few.

Sexual Identity And Gender Expression - 1399 Words

To conceptualise sexual identity and gender expression, Judith Butler (1990) proposes a poststructuralist perspective; that gendered behaviour (masculinity and femininity) is learned, a performative act, and that gender is constructed through a ‘heterosexual matrix’. She describes this as [A] hegemonic/epistemic model of gender intelligibility that assumes that for bodies to cohere and make sense there must be a stable sex expressed through a stable gender (masculine expresses discursive male, feminine expresses female) that is oppositionally and hierarchically defined through the compulsory practice of heterosexuality (Butler, 1990; 151). She proposes that one is born a particular sex, which in turn dictates one’s gender, which in turn†¦show more content†¦Reality, from the realist perspective, is seen to have a stratification of existence, which Bhaskar (date) outlines as the ‘empirical’, the ‘actual’ and the ‘real’. The empirical is the experienced, a sub-set of the actual; the things and events in their concrete historicity, and these are both a sub-set of the real; the structures, the internal relations of the actual parts. Socially, realists distinguish the ‘empirical’ reality of social life from the ‘real’ objects whose causal powers effect social change through ‘actual’ mechanisms. This ontological depth has bearing when exploring the sex-gender relationship, where there are real anatomical sex differences, and empirically real gender differences. Rather than â€Å"deterministic†, sex categories are â€Å"causa l† to result in a particular gender. One born to a particular anatomical sex tends to be a particular gender; the outcome is probable. That is because of the actual mechanisms, the cultural, religious, historical truths, that create a tendency between the ‘real’ and the ‘empirical’. This is what Butler somewhat fails to portray: the influences of race, class, and time. â€Å"Heteronormativity† is the term coined to define the systemic and pervasive belief, structurally, socially and somewhat unconsciously, that heterosexuality is the normal and inevitable sexuality, it ‘makes sense’. It is grounded in determinism; that one’s anatomical sex must compliment their partner’s ‘opposite’Show MoreRelatedSexual orientation is the preferred term used when referring to an individuals physical and or1100 Words   |  5 PagesSexual orientation is the preferred term used when referring to an individuals physical and or emotional attraction to the same and or opposite sex. Heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual and pansexual are all sexual orientations. An individuals gender identity and expression is distinct from their sexual orientation. 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