Jewish symbolism

"According to one theory, the six-pointed "shield of David" which adorns the modern Israeli flag, started to become a national symbol with David al-Roys crusade. "Ever since," writes Baron, "it has been suggested, the six-cornered shield of David, theretofore mainly a decorative motif or a magical emblem, began its career toward becoming the chief national-religious symbol of Judaism. Long used interchangeably with the pentagram or the Seal of Solomon, it was attributed to David in mystic and ethical German writings from the thirteenth century on, and appeared on the Jewish flag in Prague in 1527."

"It is a common custom to write [Gods name,] Shaddai, on the outside of a mezuzah opposite the empty space left between the two passages."

"The four species are all plants that need an abundance of water, and at the end of Sukkot, prayers for rain will be said."

"In brief, the Tree of Life is a compendium of science, psychology, philosophy and theology."

"Hearing that the woman will bear children, the only good news in Gods grim prophecy of the dismal human future (sorrow, sweat, toil, and death), he grasps at this straw of hope, renaming the woman Eve (Chavah), because she is the mother of all living (chai). From Adams hopefulness, Eve gets the first genuinely proper name in the Bible."

"The light blue Star of David lies in a sea of white, between a single light blue stripe on top, another on the bottom. This elegant design is the Flag of the State of Israel."

"...in 1648, .. Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II gave the Jews of Prague permission to fly a "Jewish flag" over their synagogue, in recognition of their part in saving the city from the Swedish invaders, who besieged the city as part of the 30 Years War. This "Jewish flag" was red with a yellow Star of David at its center."

"Everyone recognizes the blue stripes and Magen David of the State of Israels flag. Likewise, the LGBTQ Jewish flag – a Magen David centered on the rainbow flag – is commonplace and self-explanatory."

"The object of the theoretical (as separate from the practical) Qabalah, insofar as this thesis is concerned, is to enable the student to do three main things: First, to analyze every idea in terms of the Tree of Life. Second, to trace a necessary connection and relation between every and any class of ideas by referring them to this standard of comparison. Third, to translate any unknown system of symbolism into terms of any known one by its means."

"Just as Hanukkah candles are lighted one by one from a single flame, so the tale of the miracle is passed from one man to another, from one house to another, and to the whole House of Israel throughout the generations."

"The children of Israel received without idealisation the statements of their great lawgiver. To them the tables of the law were true tablets of stone, prepared, engraved, broken, and re-engraved; while the graving tool which thus inscribed the law was held undoubtingly to be the finger of God."

"The terms used for this metal are either baaz or avaz, kassitera, kassiteron, and gassiteron (Gr κασσίτερος) Both baaz and kassitera are used in the same passages (Men 28b and elsewhere), which implies that they were two different metals or kinds of the same metal The Temple menorah was not to be made of them, but when the Hasmoneans cleansed the Temple and needed a new menorah (the golden one having been carried off by Antiochus IV), they made it of seven spears plated with tin It was forbidden to make weights out of metal – tin and lead being mentioned specially – because metal wears away The traveler Pethahiah of Regensburg (12th century) reports that in Babylonia people were summoned to synagogue by a tin instrument In the later Middle Ages up to modern times tin was used extensively for artistic ritual objects such as Hanukkah menorot, seder, Kiddush, and Havdalah plates, etc"