At some time every Christian needs to pay a respectful and educational visit to a synagogue. What better time than when in Israel. The Land is home to any of the forms and types of congregations usually found outside, but here the location offers an even more optimum chance to see how Judaism can influence a nation where the Orthodox form is the official religion of the secular state.
The centerpiece of Jewish worship was the Temple in Jerusalem. Built by Solomon and almost totally destroyed by the Babylonians, damaged, ignored and repaired over the centuries it endured. Herod enlarged what was left of the original structure so much that it was virtually a new building. This where the High Priest, priests and Levites offered up the required sacrifices and where the Jews were required to gather at certain times of the year to observe Feasts of the Lord.
The Babylonian Exile and The Diaspora were periods when the synagogues began to assume greater importance in Jewish religious life. The gathering of the men at the synagogue on the Sabbath was where the Scriptures were read, taught and discussed. There was an egalitarianism that did not exclude a member of the community from reading from the Torah. When Jesus rose to read from the writings of Isaiah on that fateful day in Nazareth and announced to His neighbors that those words of prophecy announcing the presence of the Messiah had come true that day they were astounded. They had known Him and His family all their lives and could not bring themselves to compare what they knew to what was transpiring. It was not because they were astounded that this carpenter could read or knew Scripture. He had been in their synagogue with them all this time and they could have read deeper to an astounding conclusion. Instead, He was rejected as a man gone delusional. There is no record of any return to Nazareth.
Jesus attended synagogue on Shabbat and taught in the synagogues where He stayed. In Capernaum, where He stayed with Peter, there is a synagogue nearby. The visible foundation dates from the 1st century, a 2nd century synagogue’s remains are atop these. The remains are impressive, showing how important the place was to the community.
Synagogues were local houses of study in towns and villages where Torah was taught and studied and where the men gathered on the Sabbath to hear the teachings. In contrast to most Christian churches, which worship on Sunday, the Jews worship on Shabbat. The Sabbath, Shabbat, begins at sundown on Friday and goes through sundown on Saturday. Using a Lunar calendar and numbering the days accordingly is one of the many differences in Jewish observance most Christians will notice. Shabbat is officially observed in secular Israel and the time before sundown on Friday is hectic as food is bought, cooked and taken home. In many places the sound of the shofar is heard, a sound that has been heard for thousands of years reminding us that we are to set side this one day and keep it holy (set apart, special).
When the cataclysmic destruction of the Temple by the Legions that besieged Jerusalem was over, the center of the Jewish world shook, but only for a moment. The village synagogue began to assume a new importance as worship and study went on. The leveling of the Temple, the murder of the priests and Levites who served it changed the centralization of Judaism but the existence of the village synagogue caused a development of a more diverse Judaism.
The term “rabbi” in the1st century was an honorary title, it means teacher. After 70 and 135 a more formalized education process resulted in what is generally termed Rabbinical Judaism. With the advent of this a tendency towards particular movements and sects also began. The result has been national regional, cultural and interpretative differences which still affect Judaism today. Today outside Israel issues such as intermarriage has brought new issues into focus which was never part of traditional Judaism. When there is a non-Jewish spouse often times families attend synagogue together and the traditional readings are only to be done by Jews. The questions of how much participation by non-Jews in synagogue worship are being discussed in many Conservative congregations in the United States. Israel is still very much a strong hold of Orthodoxy but at some point issues like these will arise.
Why should Christians ask to visit synagogues as part of their tours, or better still before travelling? Remember the Pharisees, Sadducees and other sects of the 1st century. Their viewpoints on observances, which Scriptures were they to follow and other issues caused them to group together in sects. Today we see many more differences and philosophical differences in interpretation and how far the interpretations can go. There are still differences, but a very solid agreement on the Bible as a foundation of the relationship between the Creator and His people is still central. An examination of how the synagogue has taken on a role once occupied by the Temple by necessity and its effects on a more regimented faith will be an excellent comparison.
Things are never really as they seem, and Israel runs deep, as deep as a river, the Bible and its riches. The synagogue is one of the best places to prepare for visiting and learning about this extraordinary Land. If possible try to arrange with your tour guide a visit to a synagogue or two when in Israel. Remember to observe the congregation’s traditions. By seeing how the synagogue has developed over the centuries we gain significant insight into the days of Solomon’s Temple and the Tabernacle where the Almighty met with Moses in the desert. We are called to gather together to worship as a congregation. Seeing the way a synagogue gives energy and life to a congregation should encourage us to renew our churches with passion and energy. Israel is a wonderful teacher of the past and times to come.
Follow News from JerusalemShare this page with your friends
Leave a Reply