Product Code Database
The Hebrew language word for 'symbol' is , which, in early Judaism, denoted not only a sign, but also a visible religious token of the relation between God and human.
| Menorah | Represents the Temple in Jerusalem. Appears in the Emblem of Israel. | |
| Four species | Represents the festival of Sukkot. Often an accompaniment of the Menorah. | |
| Shofar | Represents the High Holy Days. Used as an instrument harkening in the new year in a ceremonial fashion. | |
| Star of David | The Star of David, a symbol of Judaism as a religion, and of the Jewish people as a whole.Yacov Newman, Gavriel Sivan, Judaism A-Z It also thought to be the shield (or at least the emblem on it) of King David.
Jewish lore links the symbol to the "Seal of Solomon", the magical signet ring used by King Solomon to control demons and spirits. Jewish lore also links the symbol to a magic shield owned by King David that protected him from enemies. Following Jewish emancipation after the French Revolution, Jewish communities chose the Star of David as their symbol. The star is found on the Flag of Israel. | |
| Shin | Symbolizes El Shaddai (conventionally translated "God Almighty"), one of the Names of God in Judaism. This symbol is depicted on the ritual objects mezuzah and tefillin, and in the hand gesture of the Priestly Blessing. | |
| Tablets of Stone | Represents the two tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed at Mount Sinai. | |
| Lion of Judah | The Hebrew Bible compares the tribes of Judah and Dan to Asiatic lion: "Judah is a lion's whelp."Book of Genesis 49:9
Often a pair of lions appear as heraldic , especially of the Tablets of Law. | |
| Chai (symbol) | "Life" in Hebrew. | |
| Hamsa | In Jewish and other Middle Eastern cultures, the Hamsa represents the hand of God and was reputed to protect against the evil eye. In modern times, it is a common good luck charm and decoration. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols, page 70, Ellen Frankel, Betsy Platkin Teutsch. Rowman & Littlefield, 1992 | |
According to Philo:"Vita Mosis," 3:209 The priest's upper garment symbolized the ether, the blossoms represented the earth, the typified running water, and the bells denoted the music of the water. The ephod corresponded to heaven, and the stones on both shoulders to the two hemispheres, one above and the other below the earth. The six names on each of the stones were the six signs of the zodiac, which were denoted also by the twelve names on the breastplate. The Priestly turban was the sign of the crown, which exalted the high priest above all earthly kings.
Josephus interpreted as follows:"Antiquities" 3:7 §7 The coat symbolized of the earth, the upper garment symbolized heaven, while the bells and pomegranates represented thunder and lightning. The ephod typified the four elements, and the interwoven gold denoted the glory of God. The breastplate was in the center of the ephod, as the earth formed the center of the universe; the girdle symbolized the ocean, the stones on the shoulders the sun and moon, and the jewels in the breastplate the twelve signs of the zodiac, while the miter was a token of heaven.
The Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem Talmud, Menachot 7:1 and MidrashLeviticus Rabbah 10 described each garment as providing atonement for a specific sin: the coat for murder or for shatnez, the undergarment for unchastity, the miter for pride, the belt for theft or trickery, the breastplate for any perversion of the Law, the ephod for idolatry, and the robe for slander.
Gematria is form of cipher used to generate a numerical equivalent for a Hebrew word, which sometimes is invested with symbolic meaning. For example, the gematria of "chai" (the Hebrew word for life) is 18, and multiples of 18 are considered good luck and are often used in gift giving.
Salt was offered with every Korban;; the preservative effect of salt symbolized the eternity of the covenant between God and Israel.; ; see also In the Talmud salt symbolizes the Torah, for just as "the world cannot exist without salt", so it can not endure without the Torah.Soferim 15:8
The priestly breastplate, worn by the Kohen Gadol in the Temple in Jerusalem, had twelve stones representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The breastplate, or the stones on their own, are sometimes used as symbols.
Argaman (Tyrian purple) was another luxurious ancient dye, and was symbolic of royal power.; I Maccabees 10:20, 11:58
Tola'at shani ("scarlet") was considered a striking and lively color,; ; and was used in priestly garments and other ritual items, but could also symbolize sin.
White (as in linen or wool garments) symbolized moral purity.; ;
Yellow has an association with an Antisemitism forced identification mark (see Jewish hat and Yellow badge).
Passover celebrated the rebirth of nature, and symbolized the origin of the Jewish people. The eating of Maror symbolized the miseries of the Egyptian bondage. In the evenings four cups of wine were drunk, to symbolize the four world-kingdoms.Talmud Yerushalmi Pesachim 37c; Genesis Rabbah 80 People eating during the Passover meal reclined, in the style of free rich aristocrats, to represent their liberation from slavery.
Ahijah the Shilonite tore Jeroboam mantle into twelve pieces, to typify the division of the kingdom of Israel, and Zedekiah made horns of iron to encourage Ahab to engage in war with Ramoth-Gilead. King Joash, at the command of the prophet Elisha, shot arrows from the open window into the air, to symbolize the destruction of his enemies.
Isaiah walked naked and barefoot to show how the Ancient Egypt and Ethiopians would be treated when taken captive by the , while Jeremiah wore a yoke upon his neck to induce the nations to submit to the King of Assyria. Ezekiel was commanded to inscribe the names of certain tribes upon separate pieces of wood, to show that God would reunite those tribes.
Some gravestones show a tree with branches either outspread or broken off, symbolizing the death of a young man or an old man respectively; or they have a cluster of as an emblem of Israel.
The Star of David ( Magen David) occurs frequently.
Sometimes figures symbolized the name of the deceased, as the figure of a lion for Loeb, a wolf for Benjamin, and a rose for the name Bluma/Blume.
On Ashkenazi Jews Torah binders, the inscriptions often follow the same pattern. After naming the son then the father and other relevant data, a standardised saying follows; the boy should grow to the Chuppah (marriage canopy) and good deeds under the guidance of the Torah. These sentences are usually illustrated with paintings or embroidery. Common symbols include plants or flowers, symbolising the tree of life (often equated with the Torah), a chuppa (to illustrate the wish for a marriage under the guidance of the Torah), a Torah scroll and crown, and animals.
Symbols attributed to the 12 tribes:
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