Sacred Objects with Symbolic Value in the Synagogue

Halit Ahmet Çiftçi; Furkan Kaçar

Article Details

Sacred Objects with Symbolic Value in the Synagogue

Authors:

Halit Ahmet Çiftçi | Furkan Kaçar

Publisher:

Süleyman Demirel University

Main Topics:

Din Araştırmaları

Journal:

Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 50, pp.119-136

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001294853

pISSN:

2602-2346

Keywords:

Abstract:

 The symbol, which is used as a tool in the expression of the sacred, consists of two parts that can be called visible and invisible. The visible part of the symbol is the material part of the symbol. Objects with a concrete structure, natural elements such as mountains, stones, sea, trees, celestial objects such as the sun, moon and stars, tools used in daily life, colors, sounds made to communicate can be given as examples of this part of the symbol. In this context, everything that can be perceived by the sense organs has the potential to form the visible part of the symbol. The other part of the symbol is the invisible part. All the thoughts, beliefs, ideals, and fears, joys, sorrows, worries and hopes that human beings reveal through reasoning can serve as an example to this part of the symbol. The emergence of the symbol is possible with the interaction of these two parts of the symbol. Namely, the phenomena that take place in the human mind and feelings manifest on concrete entities in order to be better understood. With this manifestation, phenomena that seem closed to human perception or that are very difficult to understand find the opportunity to reveal themselves through concrete entities. The symbol is also a kind of bridge that emerges as a result of the mentioned interaction. Through this bridge, people have the opportunity to travel from abstract facts to concrete realities. Religions also need symbols due to their structure. Therefore, creed issues, religious feelings and historical narratives that constitute the essence of religions are expressed through symbols. Judaism as a religion also contains many symbols. Jewish temples are the most common places where these symbols are used. It is accepted that the temple tradition in Judaism started with the portable tent temple called mishkan in the period of Moses and continued with the Temple of Solomon built in Jerusalem in the biblical ages. In this historical process, some objects in the temple were considered as a manifestation of the sacred by going beyond their intended use. These objects, which have gained a religious identity, are equipped with symbolic meanings with the effect of their holiness. Today, synagogues, which correspond to the last form of the Jewish temple tradition, host these symbolic objects. These objects, which distinguish the synagogue as a temple from places of worship of other religions, give Judaism an independent identity both in religious and national terms. In this context, the sacred objects in the synagogue act as a bridge in transferring the events experienced by Judaism throughout the ages to the next generation and reinforce their adherents devotion to religion. Many objects stand out in the synagogue. However, not all of these objects qualify as symbols. Because for any object to be a religious symbol, it must be associated with holiness and its gold must be filled with mental phenomena. In this context, objects such as the sacred cabinet, teva, Sefer Tora, Ner ha-Tamid, Menorah, Hanukiya, mikveh and shofar used in the synagogue are equipped with symbolic meanings because they carry the aforementioned elements. These objects went beyond their intended use and became a mediator in the disclosure of some facts. In this research, we will examine the symbolic meanings of the sacred objects mentioned above.

 The symbol, which is used as a tool in the expression of the sacred, consists of two parts that can be called visible and invisible. The visible part of the symbol is the material part of the symbol. Objects with a concrete structure, natural elements such as mountains, stones, sea, trees, celestial objects such as the sun, moon and stars, tools used in daily life, colors, sounds made to communicate can be given as examples of this part of the symbol. In this context, everything that can be perceived by the sense organs has the potential to form the visible part of the symbol. The other part of the symbol is the invisible part. All the thoughts, beliefs, ideals, and fears, joys, sorrows, worries and hopes that human beings reveal through reasoning can serve as an example to this part of the symbol. The emergence of the symbol is possible with the interaction of these two parts of the symbol. Namely, the phenomena that take place in the human mind and feelings manifest on concrete entities in order to be better understood. With this manifestation, phenomena that seem closed to human perception or that are very difficult to understand find the opportunity to reveal themselves through concrete entities. The symbol is also a kind of bridge that emerges as a result of the mentioned interaction. Through this bridge, people have the opportunity to travel from abstract facts to concrete realities. Religions also need symbols due to their structure. Therefore, creed issues, religious feelings and historical narratives that constitute the essence of religions are expressed through symbols. Judaism as a religion also contains many symbols. Jewish temples are the most common places where these symbols are used. It is accepted that the temple tradition in Judaism started with the portable tent temple called mishkan in the period of Moses and continued with the Temple of Solomon built in Jerusalem in the biblical ages. In this historical process, some objects in the temple were considered as a manifestation of the sacred by going beyond their intended use. These objects, which have gained a religious identity, are equipped with symbolic meanings with the effect of their holiness. Today, synagogues, which correspond to the last form of the Jewish temple tradition, host these symbolic objects. These objects, which distinguish the synagogue as a temple from places of worship of other religions, give Judaism an independent identity both in religious and national terms. In this context, the sacred objects in the synagogue act as a bridge in transferring the events experienced by Judaism throughout the ages to the next generation and reinforce their adherents devotion to religion. Many objects stand out in the synagogue. However, not all of these objects qualify as symbols. Because for any object to be a religious symbol, it must be associated with holiness and its gold must be filled with mental phenomena. In this context, objects such as the sacred cabinet, teva, Sefer Tora, Ner ha-Tamid, Menorah, Hanukiya, mikveh and shofar used in the synagogue are equipped with symbolic meanings because they carry the aforementioned elements. These objects went beyond their intended use and became a mediator in the disclosure of some facts. In this research, we will examine the symbolic meanings of the sacred objects mentioned above.

 The symbol, which is used as a tool in the expression of the sacred, consists of two parts that can be called visible and invisible. The visible part of the symbol is the material part of the symbol. Objects with a concrete structure, natural elements such as mountains, stones, sea, trees, celestial objects such as the sun, moon and stars, tools used in daily life, colors, sounds made to communicate can be given as examples of this part of the symbol. In this context, everything that can be perceived by the sense organs has the potential to form the visible part of the symbol. The other part of the symbol is the invisible part. All the thoughts, beliefs, ideals, and fears, joys, sorrows, worries and hopes that human beings reveal through reasoning can serve as an example to this part of the symbol. The emergence of the symbol is possible with the interaction of these two parts of the symbol. Namely, the phenomena that take place in the human mind and feelings manifest on concrete entities in order to be better understood. With this manifestation, phenomena that seem closed to human perception or that are very difficult to understand find the opportunity to reveal themselves through concrete entities. The symbol is also a kind of bridge that emerges as a result of the mentioned interaction. Through this bridge, people have the opportunity to travel from abstract facts to concrete realities. Religions also need symbols due to their structure. Therefore, creed issues, religious feelings and historical narratives that constitute the essence of religions are expressed through symbols. Judaism as a religion also contains many symbols. Jewish temples are the most common places where these symbols are used. It is accepted that the temple tradition in Judaism started with the portable tent temple called mishkan in the period of Moses and continued with the Temple of Solomon built in Jerusalem in the biblical ages. In this historical process, some objects in the temple were considered as a manifestation of the sacred by going beyond their intended use. These objects, which have gained a religious identity, are equipped with symbolic meanings with the effect of their holiness. Today, synagogues, which correspond to the last form of the Jewish temple tradition, host these symbolic objects. These objects, which distinguish the synagogue as a temple from places of worship of other religions, give Judaism an independent identity both in religious and national terms. In this context, the sacred objects in the synagogue act as a bridge in transferring the events experienced by Judaism throughout the ages to the next generation and reinforce their adherents devotion to religion. Many objects stand out in the synagogue. However, not all of these objects qualify as symbols. Because for any object to be a religious symbol, it must be associated with holiness and its gold must be filled with mental phenomena. In this context, objects such as the sacred cabinet, teva, Sefer Tora, Ner ha-Tamid, Menorah, Hanukiya, mikveh and shofar used in the synagogue are equipped with symbolic meanings because they carry the aforementioned elements. These objects went beyond their intended use and became a mediator in the disclosure of some facts. In this research, we will examine the symbolic meanings of the sacred objects mentioned above.

 Kutsalın ifade edilmesinde bir araç olarak kullanılan sembol, görünen ve görünmeyen diye adlandırılabilecek iki kısımdan oluşmaktadır. Sembolün görünene kısmı, sembolün maddi anlamda var olan kısmıdır. Somut bir yapıya sahip nesneler, dağ, taş, deniz, ağaç gibi tabiat unsurları, güneş, ay, yıldız gibi gök cisimleri, gündelik yaşamda kullanılan araç-gereçler, renkler, iletişim kurmak amacıyla çıkarılan sesler, sembolün bu kısmına örnek olarak verilebilir. Bu bağlamda duyu organları ile algılanabilen her şey sembolün görünen kısmını oluşturma potansiyeline sahiptir. Sembolün diğer kısmı ise görünmeyen kısımdır. İnsanoğlunun akıl yürütme yoluyla ortaya koyduğu tüm düşünceleri, inançları, idealleri ve bir his olarak korkuları, sevinçleri, hüzünleri, endişeleri, umutları sembolün bu kısmına örnek teşkil edebilir. Sembolün ortaya çıkması sembolün söz konusu iki kısmının etkileşimi ile mümkündür. Şöyle ki, insan zihninde ve hislerinde yer edinen olgular daha iyi anlaşılabilmek adına somut varlıklar üzerinde tecilli eder. Bu tecelli ile insan algısına kapalı gibi görünen ya da anlaşılması oldukça zor olan olgular somut varlıklar aracılığıyla kendini ifşa etme olanağı bulur. Sembol de, bahsi geçen etkileşimin neticesinde ortaya çıkan bir tür köprüdür. Bu köprü vasıtası ile insan, soyut olgulardan somut gerçekliklere yolculuk yapma olanağı bulur. Dinler de yapıları gereği sembollere ihtiyaç duymaktadır. Dolayısıyla dinlerin özünü oluşturan itikadı meseleler, dini duygular ve tarihsel anlatılar semboller yoluyla ifade edilmektedir. Bir din olarak Yahudilik de pek çok sembolü içerisinde barındırmaktadır. Bu sembollerin en yaygın kullanıldığı yerlerin başında ise Yahudi mabetleri yer gelmektedir. Yahudilikte mabet geleneğinin Musa döneminde mişkan adı verilen taşınabilir çadır mabet ile başladığı, biblik çağlarda Kudüste inşa edilen Süleyman Mabedi ile devam ettiği kabul edilmektedir. Bu tarihsel süreçte mabetteki bazı nesneler ise kullanım amaçlarının ötesine geçerek kutsalın bir tecellisi olarak düşünülmüştür. Dini bir hüviyet kazanan bu nesneler, sahip oldukları kutsallığın da etkisi ile sembolik anlamlarla donatılmıştır. Günümüzde ise Yahudi mabet geleneğinin son şekline karşılık gelen sinagoglar, bu sembolik nesnelere ev sahipliği yapmaktadır. Bir mabet olarak sinagogu, diğer dinlere ait ibadethanelerden ayıran bu nesneler, hem dini hem de milli anlamda Yahudiliğe müstakil bir kimlik kazandırmaktadır. Bu bağlamda sinagogdaki kutsal nesneler, Yahudiliğin çağlar boyunca tecrübe ettiği olayları bir sonraki nesle aktarmada köprü vazifesi görmekte ve müntesiplerinin dine olan bağlılıklarını pekiştirmektedir. Sinagogda pek çok nesne ön plana çıkmaktadır. Ancak bu nesnelerden hepsi sembol olma vasfını taşımamaktadır. Çünkü herhangi bir nesnenin dini sembol olabilmesi için kutsallıkla ilişkilendirilmesi ve altının mutlaka zihinsel birtakım olgularla doldurulması gerekmektedir. Bu bağlamda sinagogda kullanılan kutsal dolap, teva, Sefer Tora, Ner ha-Tamid, Menora, Hanukiya, mikve ve şofar gibi nesneler bahsi geçen unsurları taşımaları sebebiyle sembolik anlamlarla donatılmıştır. Bu nesneler kullanım amaçlarının ötesine geçerek birtakım olguların ifşa edilmesinde aracı olmuşlardır. Biz de bu araştırmamızda, yukarıda ifade edilen kutsal nesnelerin sembolik anlamlarını inceleyeceğiz. Sinagogda pek çok nesne ön plana çıkmaktadır. Ancak bu nesnelerden hepsi sembol olma vasfını taşımamaktadır. Çünkü herhangi bir nesnenin dini sembol olabilmesi için kutsallıkla ilişkilendirilmesi ve altının mutlaka zihinsel birtakım olgularla doldurulması gerekmektedir. Bu bağlamda sinagogda kullanılan kutsal dolap, teva, Sefer Tora, Ner ha-Tamid, Menora, Hanukiya, mikve ve şofar gibi nesneler bahsi geçen unsurları taşımaları sebebiyle sembolik anlamlarla donatılmıştır. Bu nesneler kullanım amaçlarının ötesine geçerek birtakım olguların ifşa edilmesinde aracı olmuşlardır. Biz de bu araştırmamızda, yukarıda ifade edilen kutsal nesnelerin sembolik anlamlarını inceleyeceğiz.

Article Details

Sacred Objects with Symbolic Value in the Synagogue

Authors:

Halit Ahmet Çiftçi | Furkan Kaçar

Publisher:

Süleyman Demirel University

Main Topics:

Din Araştırmaları

Journal:

Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 50, pp.119-136

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001294853

pISSN:

2602-2346

History of Religions

Judaism

Synagogue

Symbol

Object

SacredDinler Tarihi

Yahudilik

Sinagog

Sembol

Nesne

Kutsal

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Halit Ahmet Çiftçi | Furkan Kaçar

Publisher: Süleyman Demirel University

Main Topics: Din Araştırmaları

Journal: Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 50, pp.119-136

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 6/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001294853

pISSN: 2602-2346

Issues

Authors:

Halit Ahmet Çiftçi | Furkan Kaçar

Publisher:

Süleyman Demirel University

Main Topics:

Din Araştırmaları

Journal:

Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 50, pp.119-136

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001294853

pISSN:

2602-2346