Inclusion, Exclusion, and Group Stability in Jewish Rituals: Biblical and Contemporary Religious rituals, the performance of similar actions and vocal expressions based on prescribed traditions and cultural norms, range from private ceremonies to large gatherings, and from single acts to those repeated frequently. The occasions for religious rituals vary: contingencies such as illness or misfortune; life-stages (birth, religious initiation, marriage, and death); or recurrent occasions such as holidays. What interests me the most are the connections between religious rituals and psychology. This paper examines the roles that religious ritual play in the Bible and the psychological processes at work in contemporary Jews who participate in these devotional acts. Just as the community is bound by the Torah, the Torah is bound by the community; to the community; and within the community. Psychologically, religious rituals enforce group commitment and thereby foster social group stability.