A PDF Has Been Placed On Moodle With Selections From Jewish

A Pdf Has Been Placed On Moodle With Selections From Jewish Scriptures

A pdf has been placed on Moodle with selections from Jewish scriptures and other writings. Read the Talmudic selection on Rabbinic authority that appears on p. 20 of the pdf (p. 372 of the text). Explain the significance of the debate recounted here. Place the text in historical context, and explain the role of debate between Rabbis about the meaning of scripture during this particular period of Jewish history. Also say what you make of Gd (the Holy One) laughing, as reported by Elijah. 2 pages, typed and double-spaced. Due Monday April 18th. first take home essay for midterm Strategies for writing short papers Good Strategies Trust your own ability to read and interpret the text. Read the text carefully, and make use of relevant sections of the textbook to help make sense of the context in which the text you are considering appears. Put your explanation in your own words. Think of how you might explain what you’ve learned to a friend who asked you about the class you’re taking. Bad Strategies Quoting the powerpoint slides used in class. Going online to find how others have interpreted this text. This can be helpful as part of the process of developing your own interpretations, but don’t lean too heavily on outside sources. Plagiarizing online sources. Forgetting to provide the explanation asked for in the assignment. Differing views of scriptures The traditional Jewish view is that Moses wrote the Torah after receiving its contents as a revelation on Mt. Sinai. Modern scholarship holds that the text of Torah is a redaction, a reconstruction done after the return from Babylon which united several strands of literature into one document. This view is known as the documentary hypothesis (see p. 93 of Religions of the West Today for a more detailed account of this viewpoint). Judaism in a Hellenic world As a result of the Diaspora, Jews found themselves scattered across the Hellenized Mediterranean world. Ideas drawn from Greek philosophy, mathematics, and science dominated this era. The application of reason (logos) as part of a systematic investigation of nature was the ruling principle, while the guidance provided by prophetic revelation was seen as limited in scope. Given the differences between Hellenic and Judaic cultures, questions of how to maintain Jewish identity outside of the traditional homeland became more pressing and difficult to answer. Some Jews became assimilated to the wider culture, while others formed isolated Jewish communities, such as the Essenes. Intellectually, allegorical interpretation was developed as a means of integrating Judaism with Greek philosophy; this is a method of reading texts symbolically. Philo of Alexandria is a good example of a Jewish thinker who engages in this kind of reading of the traditional scriptures. Apocalyptic Judaism “Apocalypse” is derived from a Greek word meaning “unconcealed” or “out of hiding,†hence it indicates a revelation or disclosure by Gd. In the centuries following the return from exile, as Jewish communities came into contact with other cultures to a greater extent than before, some Jews withdrew into isolated communities. In these communities, the idea that God’s plan for the world was still in place (and hence yet to be revealed) led to a variety of apocalyptic traditions. It was in this context that the traditions surrounding the coming of the Moshiach developed. Moshiach: the anointed one The Moshiach (or Mashiah) will be both a spiritual and a secular ruler, a human appearing in the end times. Jewish eschatology holds that this will inaugurate “The World To Come,†not an afterlife but rather a period of peace and prosperity for the world. He will restore the temple in Jerusalem. He will be of the line of David. He will be a great military leader, and also a judge who establishes Jewish Law. In every generation, the potential exists for the Moshiach to arise, should conditions on Earth call for it (either great sinfulness or great goodness). Christians believe that Jesus was the Moshiach, but Jews do not accept this claim, believing instead that The World To Come still lies in the future. The “Dual Torah†Jews believe that in addition to the written Torah handed to Moses at Sinai, there was an oral tradition also transmitted at Sinai but never written down until after the destruction of the second temple. This oral tradition became the Mishnah. Not all movements of Judaism accept this tradition, as some movements focus simply on the traditional written Torah. More Texts of Judaism Mishnah: written down around 200 c.e., these are rabbinical commentaries on the Torah (also believed to be the oral Torah). Gemara: These texts are completed between 400 and 600 c.e. by Jewish communities in Jerusalem and Babylonia (there are two distinct collections of commentary). These are Rabbinical commentaries on the Mishnah. Talmud: Talmud comprises both Mishnah and Gemara. The Talmudic tradition of commentary and interpretation continues to this day. While it is mainly a scholarly tradition, the idea that continual discussion and debate over the meaning of scriptural texts is at the heart of Jewish experience for anyone who identifies as a Jew. Midrash: these “investigations” are commentaries written by Rabbis in the early centuries of the common era. Midrash has come to be a general term for any commentary on scripture intended to provide advice for Jews seeking guidance in life. Halakha: Jewish Law “the path that one walks.†Mitzvot: commandments from the Torah. Gezirah: (“a fence around the Torahâ€) laws instituted by Rabbis to help uphold the Mitzvot (e.g., a requirement to not even handle implements of work on Shabbat, things like pencils, calculators, etc.). Takkanah: laws instituted by Rabbis, but with no special reference to the Torah (e.g., the requirement to light candles on Hanukkah). Minhag: customs which have been recognized as having the status of law (e.g., extending the observance of holidays to a second day so that the astronomical timing of the day will not be interfered with). Rabbinical Judaism The age of cogency (640 – 1800 c.e.) saw a growth in the power of Rabbis (teachers) within the Jewish community. Rabbis are authorities on Halakah, and they advise Jews on difficult questions of legal and moral interpretation. It is the Rabbis who develop and maintain the Mishnah and Talmud, systematizing the substance of Jewish belief. The 13 principles of faith developed by Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides) is an emblematic statement of Rabbinical authority. Officials of the Jewish Community Kohein: a priest who is charged with the duty of carrying out sacrifice in the Temple; traditionally identified as descendants of Aaron. (Levites were also charged with special duties pertaining to the maintenance of the temple.) Rabbi: a teacher; someone well-versed in halakah; Rabbis are not necessarily kohein and so do not perform any sacrificial rituals. Chazzan: a cantor who leads the group attending synagogue in singing and prayers. Synagogue: The House of Assembly and Prayer Synagogue is the term used by Conservative Jews to refer to the place of worship; this word literally means “house of assembly†(Hebrew: beit k’nesset). Reform Jews call it a temple, since they believe that the ancient temple is remade wherever and whenever they gather. Orthodox Jews call it a Shul (derived from the German word for school; a place of learning). The synagogue is the center of the Jewish community, and it serves as The place of worship or prayer The place for rituals, such as the Bar Mitzvah A place for social gatherings A Torah Scroll Every Synagogue has a Torah scroll (called a Sefer Torah), kept in an Ark (Hebrew: aron kodesh, or holy cabinet). This Ark has both a curtain and doors, which are opened and closed as part of worship services. The ark usually faces Jerusalem. In front of this is an oil lamp, satisfying the mitzvah to keep a light burning outside the Ark. A bimah (altar) is placed in front of the Ark, and the scroll is placed here to be read from during services. In Orthodox synagogues, women are separated from men, sometimes by a curtain or a wall. (This is meant to minimize distraction for the men while they are praying.)