Judaism: Characteristics of Religion

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Characteristics	Religion Judaism	Sources
Origin of All Things	God is a single creator of the world. That is why, God is discussed as the “cause of all existent things” in the world (Fisher, 2014, p. 278). There is the Creation Story, according to which the world was created during six days, and God decided to rest during the seventh day of the week. This day is celebrated today as Sabbath (Saturday).	Textbook
Nature of God/Creator	In Judaism, God is one and all-powerful. The monotheistic religion is based on the idea that God is indivisible. Moreover, the existence of God cannot come to an end. In spite of the fact that humans are created in the “image” of God”, God has no physical features or any form (Fisher, 2014, p. 279). As a result, the depiction of God is not typical for Judaism and for the art of the Jews. Instead, there is an ethical image of God because the Jews associate God with wisdom and love.	Textbook Article
View of Human Nature	Humans have the human nature which cannot be discussed as the divine nature. Thus, humans are not perfect, and they cannot become divine. Still, humans are created in the “image” of God” (Fisher, 2014, p. 279). That is why, humans can be discussed as the best creation of God in the world. Humans are created equal and having the free will. They can choose between the good and the evil. However, they should be obedient to God’s commandments represented in the Torah.	Textbook Article Lecture
View of Good and Evil	God manifests the good and fights the evil. The final victory of God over the evil will be observed when a Messiah comes. A Messiah is expected to establish peace. In the world, God punishes people who choose the evil because of their free will and guarantees the rewards for those who are faithful and righteous people.	Textbook
View of “Salvation”	Salvation can be achieved when a believer lives righteously. Salvation is an expected reward. The new world will come with a Messiah, and salvation will be granted for good people who love God.	Textbook Article
View of After Life	After death, those people who are believers and who love God are rewarded. For instance, when the Jews were sent to death in concentration camps by the Nazis, they hoped for God’s love and reward after death (Fisher, 2014, p. 272).	Textbook
Practices and Rituals	Traditional rituals include ‘circumcision’ for male babies; the focus on the dietary laws associated with eating the ‘kosher’food; wearing a ‘t’fillin’with scriptures; and wearing a ‘tallit’ by males while praying. The other important practice is ‘Bar Mitzvah’ as the ceremony to state the process of becoming the member of a community for males and‘Bat Mitzvah’ for females.One more important practice is keepingSabbath during which the Jews eat the Sabbath meal.	Textbook Lecture
Celebrations and Festivals	The Jews’ celebrations include Rosh Hashanah, Simhat Torah, Hanukkah, Purim, and Pesach among others. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year when they celebrate the start of the year during the seventh Jewish month. Simhat Torah is the celebration of ending the annual cycle of the Torah readings. Hanukkah is the celebration of the Maccabees’ victory in December, and its main ritual is the lighting of menorahs.Purim is the February celebration of the Jews’ liberation in Persia. Pesach is the March celebration of the Jews’ migration from Egypt.	Textbook Lecture