Jewish Hand Signals?

5/30/2017 10:14:51 AM	Jewish Hand Signals?
freegratis Irving, TX 51, joined Dec. 2011	Every once in a while I catch a TV show called Discovering The Jewish Jesus (they also have a website http://discoveringthejewishjesus.com/ ) and the Rabbi there does a hand signal, surprisingly similar to the Nazi salute, except the Rabbi's hand signal is more horizontal and has an "emerging, twisting" motion away from him, toward the viewer. Does anyone know what that means? The Rabbi will also give the Aaronic blessing with both hands out, which I believe Leonard Nimoy explains was his source of the Vulcan hand signal. I believe that those who may know the answer to the first hand signal, do not believe in the rapture, but I'm glad to find a Jew teaching about Jesus, which I believe will be done in great measure after the rapture. Meet singles at DateHookup.dating, we're 100% free! Join now!
5/31/2017 9:02:25 AM	Jewish Hand Signals?
brashdoc Chehalis, WA 64, joined Aug. 2008	These might be helpful. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/06/the-iconic-live-long-and-prosper-hand-gesture-was-originally-a-jewish-sign/ Aaronic or priestly blessing hands signal http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/407512/jewish/Hand-Signs-of-the-Jew.htm http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/physical-movement-in-jewish-prayer/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hdG1aXlExI Shema Yisrael by Micha'el Ben David beautiful worship song on Deut 6:4 The Shema
6/1/2017 2:26:02 PM	Jewish Hand Signals?
share_n_love Fort Wayne, IN 62, joined Dec. 2012	en conflict. Jewish Hand Signs Hand signs do not play as important a role in Jewish religious practice as in some other communities. Because the signs tend to be traditional, they are used less frequently and often not at all by less traditional Jews. There are no doubt many Jews who have never seen some of the hand signs, nor do they understand their origins and purpose. The Sign of the Priestly Blessing Of all the Jewish hand signs, the most famous is that of the priestly blessing, the Birchat Kohanim, and yet it is rarely seen. This is the sign of both hands outstretched at shoulder height under a tallit, with the fingers spread apart, as the Kohen blesses the congregation. The Kohen's face is covered. The hands in the position of the priestly blessing are often seen as decoration on jewelry or on the tombstone of a Kohen. The hands are held with the fingers straight ahead with the little finger of each hand separated from the ring finger and a space between the second and third fingers. There is a further space between the two thumbs, making a total of five spaces. The palms are face downwards. The right hand is placed slightly above the left. This raising of the hands during the blessing is called the nesiat kohanim. Breast Beating At any time during a confessional, when the words "we have sinned" or words to that effect are stated, it is the custom to beat the left breast over the heart with the right fist. Self-flagellation is common in many religions. The Jewish practice of breast beating however, is not flagellation and is not intended to be painful. It is a symbol to remind the person of the words being spoken and to encourage penitence. Pointing at the Torah Following the reading of the Torah, the scroll is raised while still open for all to see. Once the act of raising the Torah or hagbah takes place, some communities have the custom to point at the Torah with the small finger, others point while holding the tzitzit or fringes of one's tallit while reciting the words "and this is the Torah." Blessings over Shabbat Candles When Shabbat candles are lit, a ritual involving hands takes place. Usually this is done by the woman lighting the candles, though if there is no woman in the house, a man is obligated to do it. The candles are lit, and with both hands she waves the light towards her three times. The symbolism is to draw the spirit of the holiness of the Shabbat towards her. She closes her eyes, covers them with her hands, and recites the blessing. It is this sight of physical movement, bathed in the soft glow of the candles, and the faint murmur of her prayers that has been etched into the memories of so many generations of Jews. It is often the physical aspect of a ritual that not only adds to but impresses on us the importance of the ritual, so that we remember it long after the ritual is over. That is what Jewish hand signs are all about.
6/2/2017 9:13:01 AM	Jewish Hand Signals?
freegratis Irving, TX 51, joined Dec. 2011	Thanks for your replies. Did I miss it? Or did you address this main hand signal I meant? (horizontal outward twisting) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxUZMrGCUWY#t=10s It's at 10 seconds to 13 seconds.
6/2/2017 3:03:49 PM	Jewish Hand Signals?
share_n_love Fort Wayne, IN 62, joined Dec. 2012	It's in my posting above. The Priestly blessing is the sign closely related to what you listed as Nimoy's Vulcan sign: The hands are held with the fingers straight ahead with the little finger of each hand separated from the ring finger and a space between the second and third fingers. There is a further space between the two thumbs, making a total of five spaces. A bit of trivia: "In his autobiography I Am Not Spock, Nimoy wrote that he based the Vulcan salute on the Priestly Blessing performed by Jewish Kohanim with both hands, thumb to thumb in this same position, representing the Hebrew letter Shin (?), which has three upward strokes similar to the position of the thumb and fingers in the salute. The letter Shin here stands for Shaddai, meaning "Almighty (God)". Nimoy wrote that when he was a child, his grandfather took him to an Orthodox synagogue. There he saw the blessing performed and was very impressed by it. I thought this might be an interesting bit of trivia to enjoy. As for his sign in the video, I could find nothing about it and I looked everywhere. All the sources say many groups have their own modified version of the signs, especially the Ashkenazic & Sephardic. My family never used them except the Shabbat Blessing...waving the hands toward you 3 times.
6/6/2017 10:41:24 AM	Jewish Hand Signals?
freegratis Irving, TX 51, joined Dec. 2011	Quote from share_n_love: It's in my posting above. The Priestly blessing is the sign closely related to what you listed as Nimoy's Vulcan sign: The hands are held with the fingers straight ahead with the little finger of each hand separated from the ring finger and a space between the second and third fingers. There is a further space between the two thumbs, making a total of five spaces. A bit of trivia: "In his autobiography I Am Not Spock, Nimoy wrote that he based the Vulcan salute on the Priestly Blessing performed by Jewish Kohanim with both hands, thumb to thumb in this same position, representing the Hebrew letter Shin (?), which has three upward strokes similar to the position of the thumb and fingers in the salute. The letter Shin here stands for Shaddai, meaning "Almighty (God)". Nimoy wrote that when he was a child, his grandfather took him to an Orthodox synagogue. There he saw the blessing performed and was very impressed by it. I thought this might be an interesting bit of trivia to enjoy. As for his sign in the video, I could find nothing about it and I looked everywhere. All the sources say many groups have their own modified version of the signs, especially the Ashkenazic & Sephardic. My family never used them except the Shabbat Blessing...waving the hands toward you 3 times. I knew the Spock one. I just threw that in, that I knew about it. Thanks. The main one I am interested in is from the Discover The Jewish Jesus rabbi.
6/6/2017 12:16:14 PM	Jewish Hand Signals?
cupocheer Assumption, IL 68, joined May. 2010	OP do you mean the "hand action" is different for circumcised individuals?
6/6/2017 5:44:02 PM	Jewish Hand Signals?
ronannlou Suffolk, VA 45, joined May. 2014	Because of what Leonard Nimoy explained at various Star Trek functions about where he got the Vulcan hand sign from, I have tried to read about others. So thank you for the information in this thread
6/7/2017 11:37:53 AM	Jewish Hand Signals?
freegratis Irving, TX 51, joined Dec. 2011	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxUZMrGCUWY#t=10s It's at 10 seconds to 13 seconds.
6/8/2017 11:49:27 AM	Jewish Hand Signals?
share_n_love Fort Wayne, IN 62, joined Dec. 2012	Quote from freegratis: I knew the Spock one. I just threw that in, that I knew about it. Thanks. The main one I am interested in is from the Discover The Jewish Jesus rabbi. According to my research of this, each sect has it's on spin on the hand gestures of the priestly blessing of the Mishpocha [family, friends, and congregation].
6/13/2017 1:22:20 PM	Jewish Hand Signals?
freegratis Irving, TX 51, joined Dec. 2011	He does the Aaronic blessing the apparent "standard" way. This was not my real question. Unrelated to that, he does an outward horizontal hand spear type gesture I was actually asking about. It sounds like "something he does" rather than having a standard meaning.
6/21/2017 6:31:10 AM	Jewish Hand Signals?
cupocheer Assumption, IL 68, joined May. 2010

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