Encountering Judaism: The Way Of God's People 766764
Encountering Judaism The Way Of Gods People10copyright 2019 Ceng
Encountering Judaism: The Way of God’s People 10 or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. LEARNING OUTCOMES 2 website, in whole or in part. RELG4 | CH. Explain the meaning of Judaism and related terms 2. Summarize how the main periods of Judaism’s history have shaped its present 3. Outline the essential teachings of Judaism in your own words 4. Describe the main features of Jewish ethics 5. Summarize Jewish worship, the Sabbath and major festivals, and life-cycle rituals 6. Outline the main features of Judaism around the world today, especially in Israel and North America 3RELG4 | CH10 website, in whole or in part. Judaism • Historic religion of the Jewish people • Name originates from the ancient tribe of Judah • Other names for Jews prior to 500 B.C.E. • Hebrews: Derived from “Habiru,” which means “nomads” • Israelites: Derived from the patriarch Israel • Israelis
History of Judaism - From Creation to Abraham • Genesis • Chapters 1 to 11 narrate and provide a religious perspective on the: → Creation of the world → Rebellion of the first humans against God and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden → Wide dispersal of the people → Noah and the flood • Chapters 12 to 50 cover four generations of one family of the patriarchs and their wives
History of Judaism - From Creation to Abraham (continued) • Chapter 12 narrates the migration of Abraham from Ur to Canaan as God commanded → Covenant: Agreement in which God promised to be with Abraham and his descendants → Abraham promised to follow God and carry out the ritual of circumcision → Jacob’s twelve sons established the twelve tribes of Israel • Chapters 37 to 50 narrate the story of Joseph
History of Judaism - The Emergence of Israel • Book of Exodus - Narrates the story of: → Israel’s enslavement in Egypt → God’s call to Moses to lead the people out of Egypt → Pharaoh’s resistance and the Israelites’ escape through the parted waters of the Red Sea → Israel enters a covenant relationship with God and follows the Torah → Torah: Teaching conveyed by Moses in the first five books of the Bible
History of Judaism - The Emergence of Israel (continued) • Books of Joshua and Judges • Narrate the Israelites’ conquest of Palestine, division among the tribes, and the first hundred years of settlement • The Ark of the Covenant • Contained the two tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, Moses’ staff, and a pot of manna → Was housed in a tent-shrine called the tabernacle
History of Judaism - The First Temple Period (950–586 B.C.E.) • Marked by Solomon’s construction of a temple to God in Jerusalem, until the destruction of Jerusalem • Increased social and economic divisions were seen as a violation of God’s will • Death of King Solomon divided the people of God into two nations • Israel, composed of ten tribes in the north • Judah, composed of two tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south • In 722 B.C.E, the Assyrian Empire wiped out the northern kingdom of Israel • Conquered several Judean cities and deported their citizens
History of Judaism - The Second Temple Period (539 B.C.E.–70 C.E.) • Cyrus of Persia defeated the Babylonians • Allowed the exiled to return home and authorized the rebuilding of the Jewish temple • Alexander of Macedon conquered Israel in 330 B.C.E. • Greek culture diversified Jewish thought and belief → Gave birth to movements such as Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes • Seleucid dynasty of the Greek captured Jerusalem • Plundered the Temple and rededicated it to Greek gods and rituals • Led to the Maccabean Revolt → Seleucid armies were defeated and the Temple was rededicated to God → Commemorated in the winter festival of Hanukkah • Jerusalem was captured by the Roman Empire in 63 B.C.E
History of Judaism - Revolts and Rabbis • 66 C.E. - Jewish revolt against Rome • 70 C.E. - Destruction of the second Temple • The Jewish revolt ended all groups except the Pharisees → Rabbis: Successors of the Pharisees who preserved lay-led Judaism → Became spiritual leaders in the synagogues • 400 C.E. - Christianity becomes the official faith of the Roman Empire
History of Judaism - Revolts and Rabbis (continued) • Code of Justinian (527 C.E) • Contained discriminatory legislation against the Jews • Influenced European legal systems for centuries and contributed to anti-Semitism • Jewish community in Babylonia • Work of the rabbinic community was centered around the Mishnah → The Mishnah and related teachings helped produce the Babylonian Talmud
History of Judaism - Jews under Islamic and Christian Rule • Muslims were tolerant as long as the Jews recognized the supremacy of the Islamic rule • Jews had a second-class but protected status • Sephardic Jews • Sought philosophical clarification of beliefs and the systematic presentation of their faith • Prominent philosopher - Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, also known as Maimonides • Ashkenazi Jews • Lived in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe • Developed their own language, Yiddish • The Roman Catholic Church decrees altered life for European Jews in the 1200s • Christians were forbidden to lend money with interest, which led Jews into banking • Restrictions on Jews arose, and rising anti-Semitism led to expulsions and massacres
History of Judaism - Emancipation and Diversity • Restrictions on Jews were dropped in Western European nations • Jews either chose to assimilate or acculturate → Led to Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative movements • Modern anti-Semitism broke out in the 1870s and 1880s • Led to the rise of Zionism, which aimed at large Jewish emigration from Europe to Palestine • Friction between Arab Palestinians and Jews grew with Jewish immigration to Palestine • Conflict continues till today
History of Judaism - The Holocaust and its Aftermath • Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party won office in the 1932 German national elections • Moved toward totalitarian power with repressive measures • Introduced a series of anti-Semitic laws to purify Germany between 1933 and 1938 • Hitler ordered a “Final Solution” to the “Jewish Question” when WWII began • Holocaust: Nazi genocide of Jews and other groups • Concentration camps were erected in western Germany to kill Jews • About six million Jews perished • Few Germans risked death by opposing the government’s actions • Holocaust brought crisis of faith to Judaism • Was seen as a punishment for recent sins, a test of faith, or an opportunity to die for the faith by Orthodox Jews
Teachings of Judaism - The Tanak • Name of the Hebrew Bible • Acronym formed from the first three letters of Torah (instruction or law), Nevi’im (prophets), and Kethuvim (writings) • Was finalized in the first century C.E. • Septuagint - Second century B.C.E. Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible • Viewed by traditionalist Jews as the written revelation of God
Teachings of Judaism - One God • Judaism teaches monotheism • Ways in which individual Jews choose to relate to God varies • Shema: Basic statement of faith from Deuteronomy 6 that begins “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One” • Names for God are an important aspect of Jewish teaching about God → Include YHWH, Adonai, and Hashem
Teachings of Judaism - The Jews as God’s Chosen People • Jews believe that they were chosen to be in a covenant with God • Being chosen brings a call to be holy • Choice is based on God’s love • Helped them sustain themselves throughout a long and difficult history • Today, secular Jews have understood it to mean that their abilities should be put to use for the good of all humankind
Teachings of Judaism - Life After Death • The Tanak does not dwell into the concept of life after death • Later biblical tradition included concepts of resurrection and a final judgment leading to either a blessed or a damned eternal life → Reform Jews are allowed to form their own opinion about teaching → Conservative Jews interpret the teaching’s vivid imagery as symbolic • Jews believe that one need not be Jewish to enter heaven
Ethics in the Image of God • Jewish morality and ethics rest on foundation of ethical monotheism • God is the one and only God and is perfectly right and righteous • People of God were put in the good world he created to live in conformity with his nature and will • Humans are created in the image of God • Good and evil impulses were built by God into each human
The Torah • Whole teaching and law of Judaism • Stories and commandments that teach about life and death • Rabbis enumerate 613 commandments • All commandments come from God • The Ten Commandments • Leading commandments in the Torah • The Mishnah and the Gemara were compiled and combined into the Talmud → Expanded the Commandments
General Jewish Ethics • Biblical tradition includes broad legal injunctions, wisdom narratives with moral lessons, and prophetic teachings • Prophets exhorted the people to lead a life honoring God’s covenant → Jewish morality, encompassing both commandments and general ethics, is known to Jews as halakhah (walk of life) → Mishnah tractate of Pirke Avot, “Sayings of the Fathers,” is an important ethics text
Modern Jewish Ethics • Reform movement promoted the idea of Judaism as pure ethical monotheism • Orthodox rabbis have engaged in applied ethics by interpreting the Talmud for bioethics • “I and Thou” by Martin Buber • An influential book on Jewish social ethics • Uses two pairs of words to describe two different types of relationships between one’s self and others: “I-It” and “I-Thou”
Worship in the Synagogue • Main service takes place on Friday evening or Saturday morning • A minyan is required • Minyan: Minimum number of men required to have a service (usually ten) • All three branches share the same basic structure of service • Gathering into the main synagogue room • Hymns and prayers often led by a cantor, or singer
Worship in the Synagogue (continued) • Readings from scripture • Torah scrolls are kept in the ark • Ark: Closet or recess in the synagogue wall on the side nearest Jerusalem • Use of scrolls follows prescribed ritual
The Sabbath • Seventh day of the week • Day begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday • Begins at home with a festive meal for which the whole family is present → Women light the Sabbath candles at least eighteen minutes before sunset • No work may be done on the Sabbath
Jewish Annual Festivals Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Sukkot Passover Hanukkah Purim Shavuot
Jewish Practices • Jewish law dealing with what foods can or cannot be eaten, and how they should be prepared and consumed • Kosher rules are observed at all times, but additional kosher restrictions come during Passover • Commandment to circumcise is given in Genesis 17:10–14 as an essential part of Abrahamic covenant • Performed on the eighth day of a boy’s life by a mohel, even on the Sabbath • Coming of age ceremony for Jewish males and females, respectively Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah • Includes engagement, rings, a vow or document certifying marriage obligations, and a grand celebration • Purposes - Comfort the mourners and help the deceased into the next world • Burial must be carried out in less than forty-eight hours • Body must be buried in a wooden coffin directly in the earth • Jewish mourning practices have periods of decreasing intensity • Funeral rituals
Judaism around the World Today • In Israel • The Orthodox movement is the only branch of Judaism legally recognized in Israel • Only Orthodox rabbis are allowed to perform marriages, conversions, and grant divorces • In North America • The first American synagogue was established in 1677 in Rhode Island • Jewish immigration to North America increased in the early 1880s → Driven by persecution in Russia and Eastern Europe • Approximately 5.5 million Jews live in the United States → Major movements found in North America → Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionists
KEY TERMS
- Judaism
- Hebrews
- Israelites
- Israelis
- Menorah
- Star of David
- Patriarchs
- Covenant
- Circumcision
- Torah
- Ark of the Covenant
- First Temple Period
- Prophets
- Second Temple Period
- Diaspora
- Pharisees
- Essenes
- Maccabean Revolt
- Hanukkah
- Rabbis
- Synagogue
- Anti-Semitism
- Babylonian Talmud
- Sephardic
- Kabbalah
- Ashkenazi
- Hasidism
- Ghetto
- Emancipation
- Reform
- Orthodox
- Conservative
- Masorti
- Zionism
- Holocaust
- Shoah
- Tanak
- Henotheism
- Shema
- Resurrection
- Halakhah
- Minyan
- Ark
- Sabbath
- Rosh Hashanah
- Yom Kippur
- Passover
- Seder
- Kosher
- Mohel
- Bar mitzvah
- Bat mitzvah
- Shiva
Jewish laws and rituals underscore a deep connection to tradition, community, and faith, shaping its distinctive practices and global presence. Through historical upheavals, theological development, and dedication to ethical monotheism, Judaism remains a resilient religious tradition with vibrant contemporary expressions.
Paper For Above instruction
Judaism, one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, is a complex faith with a profound historical legacy and a vibrant contemporary presence. Rooted in biblical traditions and evolving through centuries of upheaval, Judaism emphasizes ethical living, communal worship, and an unwavering devotion to the idea of one God. This paper explores the core aspects of Judaism, its history, teachings, rituals, and its modern expressions around the world.
Historical Foundations of Judaism
The origins of Judaism can be traced back to the biblical patriarchs, with Abraham regarded as the seminal figure who established the covenant with God. The narrative begins with the creation story in Genesis, which details humankind’s initial rebellion, the subsequent flood, and the promise made to Abraham. Abraham's migration from Ur to Canaan exemplifies the earliest covenant, emphasizing divine promises and human obedience. The descendants of Abraham, through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob—who was later named Israel—formed the twelve tribes of Israel, forming the foundation for the Jewish ethnoreligious identity.
The formation of Israel as a nation is documented through the biblical account of Exodus, which narrates the Israelites' enslavement in Egypt, their liberation led by Moses, and the receiving of the Torah, God's law. The Ark of the Covenant symbolized God's covenant and presence with His people. The subsequent conquest and settlement of the land, the construction of Solomon's Temple, and the division into Northern Israel and Southern Judah marked significant political and religious developments. The destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians and the subsequent exile in Babylon led to the development of rabbinic Judaism and the compilation of sacred texts like the Mishnah and Talmud, which continue to influence Jewish law and ethics.
Evolution Through Conquest, Exile, and Dispersal
The history of Judaism is punctuated by periods of independence and foreign domination. The Second Temple period, beginning with the Persian conquest, saw Greek and Roman incursions, leading to significant religious diversification among groups such as the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes. The Jewish revolts against Rome in 66 and 70 CE resulted in the destruction of the Second Temple and marked a bittersweet turning point, transitioning religious focus from temple-centered worship to prayer and Torah study in synagogues. The subsequent diaspora dispersed Jews across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, shaping distinct communities with unique customs and interpretations.
Jewish Theology and Ethical Foundations
Central to Jewish belief is monotheism, articulated in the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One.” The divine names YHWH, Adonai, and Hashem reflect different aspects of God's relationship with His people. Jews see themselves as chosen by God, bound by a covenant to live holily and fulfill divine commandments. The concept of life after death remains somewhat ambiguous in biblical texts; however, later traditions emphasize resurrection, judgment, and the promise of eternal life, especially within rabbinic Judaism.
Jewish ethics rest on the foundation of ethical monotheism, advocating for justice, compassion, and righteousness in everyday life. The Torah commands moral principles encapsulated in the Ten Commandments and broader legal mandates in halakhah, the comprehensive Jewish law. Contemporary ethical thought, influenced by modern movements such as Reform and Orthodoxy, emphasizes social justice, bioethics, and community responsibility, exemplified in Buber’s “I-Thou” relationship paradigm.