Breaking The Jewish Code Perry Stone

building blocks, toy charity boxes to teach giving of charity to the needy, Purim noisemakers, Passover (Seder) props, and numerous toys linked to Hanukah.7 As the child reaches maturity, he or she is presented a tallit (a Jewish prayer shawl) and taught the history and spiritual significance of the shofar (the horn made from an animal horn). As children grow, they are taught to hold the elderly in high respect. In Orthodox communities, the older men are the elders and are looked upon for their experiences in life and their wisdom. In early Jewish families, members of the families were so close knit that at death, deep mourning lasted for seven days, followed by a lighter mourning for thirty days. Children were taught to mourn for their parents for twelve months, and the anniversary of the day of the death was to be observed. The Five Stages in Life The life cycles in a Jewish family can be summed up in one word: celebration! This concept of celebrating life is manifested through the seven yearly feasts and the Sabbath cycles and begins at birth and continues to the moment of marriage. This life celebration progresses through five stages, with each stage initiating a new religious ritual or experience that introduces and commemorates each stage. Stage 1: The celebration of circumcision According to God’s commandment, a Jewish male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This act of physical circumcision is more of a spiritual ceremony than a