Ritual Objects

On Passover night during the seder, Jews are commanded to drink four cups (Arba'ah Kosot) of wine (or grape juice).

The four species are four plants associated with the holiday of Sukkot. The commandment to gather the four species originates in Leviticus 23:40. Rabbinic sources discuss the exact meaning of each of the phrases in the verse and ultimately identify the four species as: the etrog (citron fruit), lulav (closed frond of a palm tree), hadas (myrtle bough) and aravah (willow branch).

The priestly garments (in Hebrew, bigdei kehunah) were special clothing, primarily made of linen, that were worn by the priests (kohanim) during their service in the mishkan and later in the Temple. In the book of Exodus, the artisans Betzalel and Oholiav are instructed to make the special garments, which are meant to serve as symbols of "honor and glory."

A genizah is storage for holy items that are no longer usable, such as torn parchments or other ritual objects that are worn out beyond use.

The tablets (luchot) are the two tablets upon which God wrote the Ten Commandments and which were taken down by Moses to be placed in the ark of the covenant. Moses broke the first set when he saw the people worshipping the golden calf, but they were replaced by a second set.

The Menorah is a large candelabra with seven branches that is located within the Temple shrine. The Menorah is lit and cleaned by the priests every day. The Menorah used on Hanukkah is called a Hanukkiah, and it has nine branches.

The Curtain (Parochet) is the finely embroidered cloth that covers the Ark of the Covenant and divides the Temple’s inner sanctum from the rest of the shrine.

A tallit is a large shawl — or some other four cornered garment — that requires tzitzit (fringes) and is worn over the head and shoulders during prayer. The tallit serves as a reminder of God's presence and God's commandments.

During the recitation of Birkat Hamazon (grace after the meal), when there are at least three people present, the Cup for the Blessing (kos shel bracha) is filled with wine and a special blessing is made. The person who is honored by leading birkat hamazon also drinks the cup of wine.

A Kippah, or yarmulke, is a type of head covering worn in order to recite blessings or prayers. It also serves as a reminder and sign of honor to God.

The Temple Vessels (Kli Hamikdash) are the main furnishings of the Temple and include the Menorah, the table, the Ark and the two altars.

Through the ages, Jews have covered their heads in different ways, depending somewhat on social context, even as they debate whether this practice is a law or a custom. While today, covering one’s head is associated primarily with humility, modesty, and piety, discussion of the issue has included mystical dimensions and protection against evil spirits.

The Lulav is a closed palm frond shaken on Sukkot alongside willow (arava) and myrtle (hadas) branches, as well as with a citron (etrog). Although the word Lulav technically only means “palm branch,” it’s usually used to refer to all of the branches and sometimes the citron as well.

The Showbread (Lechem Hapanim) are the loaves that are placed on a special table in the Temple each week. Every Shabbat, the priests (kohanim) eat the Showbread, and fresh loaves are then placed on the table.

The Golden Alter (Mizbeach Hazahav), which is also known as the Altar of Incense, is located within the Temple shrine and is used for burning incense.

The Copper Altar (Mizbeach Hanechoshet) is the altar upon which sacrifices and libations are offered. The Copper Altar is located within the Temple compound but outside the shrine itself.

Prior to the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, many homes and other locations had altars, or bamot, that allowed for sacrifices and other offerings. After the Temple was built, however, these altars — both private and public — were prohibited as ritual was centralized.

A mezuzah is the small parchment placed inside a case and attached to the right side of entryway doorframes where Jews reside. Written on the scroll are various sections from the Torah, such as the Shema, that feature some of Judaism's central principles.

The candelabra used to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting Chanukkah candles is called a chanukkiah. Sometimes also called a menorah, it is lit in homes and synagogues during Chanukkah to commemorate the miracle of the holiday, in which one day's worth of oil for the Temple menorah burned for eight days. A chanukkiah has a spot for a candle for each of the eight nights and an additional one for the shamash, the candle used to light the others.

Ma'aser Sheni (Second Tithe) is a second tithe taken from produce in Israel during the first, second, fourth, and fifth years of the seven-year cycle. As opposed to the other tithes, it is kept by the owner on condition that he eats it in Jerusalem.

Candles (nerot) — or any type of clean-burning oil lamps — are an important feature in the celebration of Shabbat and Jewish holidays. The main function of candles is to provide light in the home at night in order to enhance the festive atmosphere. Candles are also key to Temple and Chanukkah rituals.

Incense (Ketoret) was offered daily on the Golden Altar in the Mishkan and Temple, and its ingredients are dictated in the Torah. There are also mystical properties associated with it, as seen from its use in protecting Jews from God's wrath in the desert (Num. 17).

Libations (nesekim) are liquid offerings placed upon the Copper Altar that generally consist of wine and olive oil. On Sukkot, water is also used.

The menorah was a large candelabra with seven branches located within the Temple shrine in Jerusalem. The menorah was lit and cleaned by the priests every day. The menorah used on the holiday of Chanukkah is called a chanukkiah, and it has nine branches.

The mikveh is a pool (literally, a “gathering”) of water from a natural source. While the Temples stood, to gain entry into the Temple, to partake of certain sacrifices, or for a couple to be intimate — among other reasons — Jews tried to maintain a status of ritual purity. While there are different kinds of ritual impurity and as many processes to regain a status of ritual purity, immersion in a mikveh, a ritual bath, is an important element in the purification process. Today, the practice of immersion in a mikveh is used to mark life transitions, conversion to Judaism, to ready oneself for Yom Kippur, before birth, and as a central element in the observance of the laws of niddah (the practices surrounding menstruation, intimacy, and ritual purity).

The Mincha Offering (Korban Mincha) was the daily afternoon sacrifice of fine flour with olive oil and frankincense that was offered upon the Copper Altar in the Mishkan and in the Temple.

The Mishkan (in English, Tabernacle) was the temporary, portable Temple that the Jews were commanded to build after the revelation at Mount Sinai. It had all of the furnishings of the future Temple and served the same functions, but it was smaller and used fabrics and animal skins for its walls and roof.

Mixtures (taaruvot) of permissible and forbidden substances are a subject of much discussion and debate in Jewish law. Different criteria are used to decide whether there is a sufficient amount of a forbidden material to render a whole mixture forbidden.

Oil features in various contexts in the Jewish textual tradition. In the Bible, oil is used to anoint kings, High Priests, and vessels of the Tabernacle (mishkan), as fuel for the Menorah, and in various biblical stories. Oil also features as an element in food, cosmetics, medicine, and sacrifices, among other functions.

The Omer Offering (Korban HaOmer) consisted of a measure of barley that was brought to the Temple on the second night of Passover, which coincides with the barley harvest in Israel. Then, 49 days are counted until the wheat harvest, which is known as “Counting the Omer.”

Shabbat candles — nerot shabbat, in Hebrew — are used in the sanctification and celebration of Shabbat. The two candles symbolize the commandments to observe and remember the Sabbath, and they provide light in the home at night to enhance the atmosphere of Shabbat.

The shofar is made from the horn of an animal, usually a ram. In the Bible, the shofar was blown as a trumpet in battle and, today, is used primarily during Rosh Hashanah services and at the end of Yom Kippur as a “wake up call” to repentance or to announce God the King.

A sukkah is a temporary dwelling — sometimes called a hut — covered by organic material, like tree branches or bamboo. A sukkah (plural: sukkot) serves as the means of fulfilling the biblical commandment to live in a sukkah for a week on the holiday of Sukkot. For the duration of the holiday, as long as it is not raining, those celebrating typically eat, socialize, and sleep in the sukkah rather than in their permanent homes.

Tefillin are black leather boxes that contain small parchment scrolls on which specific passages from the Torah are written. Tefillin are worn on the upper arm and forehead, usually during morning prayers, except on Shabbat and holidays, as the means of fulfilling the commandment to "bind them as a sign on your hand and as a symbol between your eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:8).

Tekhelet is a dye used in ritual fringes, the tapestries in the Tabernacle, and the clothing of the high priest. Rabbinic literature delves into the spiritual significance of the dye and explains that tekhelet is derived from a sea-creature called the chilazon. At some point in history, tekhelet disappeared from ritual practice, likely because the traditions of how to identify the chilazon or how to produce tekhelet were lost. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Jewish scholars renewed discussion about the identification and usage of tekhelet in ritual fringes. These discussions are the focus of the books Treasures Hidden in the Sand, Ptil Tekhelet, and Ein HaTekhelet, among other books that explore the topic.

Terumah is the tithe, or heave offering, taken from produce grown in the land of Israel and given to the kohanim, or priests.

The red heifer — parah adumah in Hebrew — is an unblemished and completely red cow that has never been put to work. The animal’s ashes are used to purify someone who has come into contact with a corpse and thereby contracted ritual impurity.

A Torah scroll—sefer torah in Hebrew—is a copy of the Torah written by hand on parchment according to various rules to ensure its accuracy, readability, and holiness. It is primarily used in synagogues during Jewish prayer services.

Tzitzit are the ritual fringes added to four-cornered garments. Four strings are threaded through each corner and folded over and knotted in order to produce eight fringes. Ideally, three of the strings should be white and the fourth should be azure, which is known as tekhelet in Hebrew.