Circumcision As An Initiation Into The Jewish Community

Circumcision has be a topic that has been discussed and debated for centuries. This childhood ritual has had evolving purposes and has been used in numerous cultures. This research paper will be specifically focused on the male circumcision as an initiation into the Jewish community as one of its members. It will also discuss the other childhood ritual of introducing the Torah on cakes baked with honey. There are many questions associated with this topics and many myths as well. What is circumcision? Why introduce the Torah to boys on cakes? What does it represent? How has it changed over time? What connection if any, does it have to Christianity? Does it involve ritual sacrifice? Is this practice still around today, and if so how has it†¦show more content†¦Genesis states that the first person to be circumcised was Abraham. God had told Abraham to not only circumcise himself, but his children, his slaves, and any males in his household as well. This was a practice that was to be done from generation to generation. In early history during BCE, this was used as a way to separate the Israelites from the Philistines. Years earlier, there wasn’t much difference between the Israelite community and its neighboring people. But with the arrival of the Philistines changed how they identified themselves as a separate group of people. As time progresses, so do the opinions when it comes to circumcision. There was a huge threat to the Jewish tradition due to the efforts of Jews to cover their marks of circumcision. Assimilation into the communities that Jews lived in was a common challenge. Keeping with tradition when living in a community that wasn’t always accepting, was difficult. Especially when it was sometimes punished greatly. Because circumcision was strongly associated with Judaism, many Jews would try to remove the marks of this ritual off of their bodies. During the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, there was great crisis for the Jews that were living in Jerusalem. Previously, Antiochus III allowed Jews to live according to their customs, but that was different under the rule of Antiochus IV. There was bans on religious traditions and even violations of temples. Because of Antiochus IV

Creative Writing; Point of View from a Stuffed Animal Kitten Free Essays

Sitting up high, I felt like the king of the world. All of my peers sat below me and some sat at my side like Louis the XIV’s assistants would sit by him. Because they were all below me, they all looked up to me. We will write a custom essay sample on Creative Writing; Point of View from a Stuffed Animal Kitten or any similar topic only for you Order Now I would see that they leave my land happily with welcoming denizens who carefully picked them out. A plethora of young aliens would frequently skip back and forth along my lane, picking up and hugging my soft and furry subjects with glee. Occasionally some of my peers found themselves laying lonely on the ground, but help always came. A much taller, weathered-looking alien came by and swept the helpless up and put them back on their shelves. I never fell though, of course. Nothing could touch me at the time, until I met the day that would bring my demise as a king of my land. It was a normal day like every other. I was watching over my peers with full intention of protection when I noticed a peculiar little alien. This alien was different and very unlike all other little aliens that came through my land. He wore a frown on his round face and stomped his feet out of displeasure to the middle of the lane. After a quick perusal, his zealous eyes threw angry glances towards me as I remained patient while enduring utmost disrespect. Before I could register in my mind what was happening to me, I was being squeezed by the fractious alien’s hands. He squeezed and pinched every part of my body: ears, nose, whiskers, tail, and paws. I was violated over and over as I was scanned and thrown into a plastic bag. Leaving my kingdom, I felt uncomfortable warmth all over my body. I couldn’t see through the translucent bag, but the bright light which passed through blinded me. I was roughly tossed into what I now know is a transportation vehicle, hitting my head. Quickly, the vehicle turned on, made a loud noise, and began moving. It hit many bumps and I hit my head continuously leaving my entire body sore. I was being smothered by the plastic bag I was contained in and soon lost consciousness. Within moments, my life had gone from greatness to nothing. I was once the beloved king of my people, but quickly became an obsequious slave. I was thrown at walls, wailed into furniture, stomped on the floor, and dropped in dirt. My face would be drilled into the mud many times over the years. Sticky juice and soda pop would be spilled on my once soft, clean fur. My long whiskers were cut, and my white fur was dirty. I felt more ugly than I looked. The giant family dog and the alien boy often played tug-of-war with my sore body, pulling me back and forth ripping the stitches at my limbs. Thick dog slobber would drip down my snout, further dirtying my fur. All I wanted was to be loved. All I wanted was to be cared for. It wasn’t too long until the alien boy stopped playing with me. The dog forgot about my existence as well. The feeling was bitter-sweet. I wasn’t being mistreated anymore, and I wasn’t constantly exposed to pain and discomfort, but I felt alone more than ever. Minutes felt like hours, hours felt like days, and days felt like weeks. I laid in a dusty corner for months facing the banal wall, only able to hear my surroundings. This feeling was common, common to anyone forgotten and mistreated. This is how I thought I would spend eternity. Soon life would change once more for me. One morning I found myself in a large bag with many others like me. There were teddy bears, toy horses, dolls, and cars. I was surprised to find out that they had been treated the same way I had been by the alien boy. Just like me, they all once had good lives which were ripped away from them by the alien. They were beaten and dirtied, but eventually forgotten. We were taken to the transportation vehicle and tossed into it. It started up, and within minutes we were at our destination. After being emptied out of the bag, my eyes met the faces of many little girl aliens. They rhapsodized over us, for their faces were filled with smiles as â€Å"oohs† and â€Å"ahhs† poured out of their mouths. They bounced up and down with excitement and anticipation. One alien gently grabbed my body and hugged me tightly to her chest. For the next several hours she swung me on the outside swings and took me everywhere she went. In the evening she would put me back on the top of my shelf – my new kingdom – for a respite and get me down again the next day. All of the new little aliens brought something to me I never had before. They brought me love that I had yearned for. How to cite Creative Writing; Point of View from a Stuffed Animal Kitten, Papers

Bingo Long Traveling Essay Example For Students

Bingo Long Traveling Essay Ask someone either at home or at work, How are you doing today? Several replies will be forthcoming. Some respond Ok, Fine or Surviving. As long as Sallie Potters Louisville Ebony Aces were playing ball in the Negro League circuit, times and surviving were good. A steady salary, Potters bus, driven by Potter, with reclining seats, which carried the team from one scheduled game to another, black hotels, black restaurants and night clubs made for an indulgent and uncomplicated life on the road. When Potter released veteran player Raymond Mikes, because he broke his foot rounding third base, playing the Philadelphia American Stars, Bingo organized the players and revolted against owner black owner Potter. After all, Bingo thought he knew all the ins and outs of the game, having watched Potter and fellow hustler Lionel Foster all these years. How hard could it be owning and managing a ball club? With Lionel backing Bingo with a little capital until things got going, a barnstorming baseball outfit was born. Bingo first recruited fellow teammate Leon Carter, the best pitcher alive, and then one by one talked Potters Aces into becoming Bingos All-Stars. Even Raymond Mikes had agreed to come along as bookkeeper. With third baseman Louiss Lincoln convertible and Bingos Auburn, the team was set and left for Pittsburgh to play the Elite Giants. Lionel had helped Bingo set up games in Cleveland, Toledo and Chicago, after that, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then Iowa. Life was good and surviving was no problem. Bingo knew hustling baseball games in small rural towns was a lot different than playing the usual scheduled games in the Negro League and tried to acquaint his teammates, who had not traveled west of Chicago, with this fact. We got to be polite and cheerful all the time even when we aint feeling it (Brashler 50). Life in segregated America was not easy for Negroes. White restaurants and hotels did not permit them inside. It was necessary to find black establishments, who would serve Negroes. If no place was found to put them up for the night, they slept in cars or outside on the ground in bedrolls. Even if they had money and were able to pay, prejudice and bigotry took charge and made life for the Negro, as a second class citizen. Bingo was aware of this, but he was going to find out first hand how it really was. Life would become survival. Once the All-Stars left the Eastern cities and established Negro League baseball schedules, they would have to hustle their own games. Because theses games were in smaller populated areas, the All-Stars would have to play more games just to break even. Lionel had advised them to play as many games as possible. Road travel was difficult and slow, streets and highways were not paved. Cars lumbered over the roads at a snails crawl. Dust not only covers the passengers, but also plugged up the cars engines. At times, after the last game, the players filed back into the cars, got as comfortable as possible and were driven by Bingo and Louis, or back up drivers, on to the next town, the next game. Showmanship was necessary. Upon entering small towns, it was necessary to drive down the business district, the driver would honk the horn as the players stood up in the car and waved to the people. Then they would change into their uniforms, re-enter the town, driving down the main streets, honking the horn, players would walk behind the car and wave and bow to the people, all in an effort to gain interest and enthusiasm in the upcoming ball game. At the beginning of the games, were hot ball routines, infield pantomimes and pitching shows. Then there was the baseball fields, in some cases just pastures with a couple of wooden benches and a broken down backstop. If an admissions stand could not be built, then the All- Stars would pass the hat in small rural areas. .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f , .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f .postImageUrl , .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f , .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f:hover , .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f:visited , .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f:active { border:0!important; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f:active , .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9c6d9a5f4393bb91557aaf5bcd57130f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: How The Other Half Lives Essay Paper SegregationAfter all, expenses have to be met. The strain of the road eroded players mentally and emotionally. Day in and day out it was the same routine over and over again. The ever present discrimination and class distension appeared in many different themes. Louis was razored for propositioning a white call girl, a white car mechanic took advantage of Bingos ignorance concerning needing new spark plugs for Bingos Auburn, Bingos car was destroyed when a white womans truck hit it, there were small white town hecklers at the ball .