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Judaism is identified as a monotheistic religion with the belief of only one God. Judaism was established during the time of Abraham the prophet, where the initial covenant, or promise, of God was given to the people of Judaism. It is the religion of the ancient Hebrews and their descendants, where their teachings also influenced those of Christianity and Islam. Abraham and Moses are patriarchs of the Jewish faith, as well as, Isaac the son of Abraham and Jacob the son of Isaac. Just as any religion, Judaism is classified by its principle beliefs, sacred texts and core ethical teachings. Through the Jewish paradigm beliefs, sacred texts such as the Talmud and Tanakh, and core ethical teachings like the 10 commandments given by Moses and the Prophetic Vision, we can see the impact of Judaism on its adherents and their everyday lives. The mitzvot, also known as commandments, are derived and interpreted from all three aspects of Judaism and are compiled for Jews to follow and apply to daily life.
Judaism has no dogma, no official set of beliefs that one must have to be considered a Jew. They do not concern themselves with abstract concepts but rather focus on the relationships between God and humankind, God and the Jewish population, God and individuals, and humans amongst each other. We see a verse from Exodus saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery”, which emphasises the principle belief in God’s existence. Jewish principle beliefs stem from sacred texts and scriptures. These are interpreted and equipped to organise the core ethical teachings of Judaism.
Abraham was the core beginning of Judaism as a faith, giving reason to why he was considered the father of the faith. He stands as an example of the trust that one must have in God and His plan. Judaism is based on the covenant that was given to Abraham by God, and later on, the covenant given to Moses. Jew is the term given to those who follow the faith of Judaism, where an individual Jew can have a personal relationship with God.
God, in the Jewish faith, is a divine being who is omnipotent, referring to power, omnipresent, meaning constantly encountered, and omniscient, meaning all knowing. He has power over all events that occur on Earth, granting humans the opportunity of free will to choose between right and wrong. This gives significance to an individual’s actions and choices toward and against God. Though there is free will, it can be argued that God does have a role in determining human affairs, just as He interfered in human choice within Biblical scriptures. We see this in the hardening of the heart of the army of Canaan where the Bible states, “For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses” (Joshua 11:20 NIV). This is considered interference by God of free will as it causes the people to act differently or in a certain way.
Judaism’s sacred texts consist of the two major texts, which are, the Talmud and the Tanakh. The purpose of the sacred texts is to convey Jewish teachings, to guide the people and record traditions of the initial faith at the time of Abraham. The Tanakh is the primary Jewish sacred text. The word Tanakh is an acronym of the three sections that the text can be divided into. These include the Torah, Nevi’im and the Ketuvim and contains not only the beliefs of Judaism but its rituals and practices with prayers such as the Shema (daily prayer in Judaism) and important rules about rituals relating to holy days such as Pesach (Passover) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). The Tanakh consists of the same books of the Christian Old Testament, however, in slightly different order and minor differences. The Torah, meaning law or teaching, has 5 books inclusive of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. From this section of the Tanakh originates the Creation Story, where God created the world and universe, and the recount of lives of Abraham and Moses. This is where God’s covenant and commandments are given to the people of Israel. It contains the 613 Mitzvot (positive and negative rules for ethics). Exodus was the liberation of the people by Moses out of slavery and the journey to Mount Sinai where the well-known Ten Commandments were established, which are also recognised and utilised in Christianity. Up to Deuteronomy, Moses constantly reminds the people of God’s mercy and redemption to them with His rewards for obedience and punishments for disobedience. There is a theme of God’s fidelity, contrasting the people’s infidelity. Moses hands over his power to Joshua and the people are lead to the Promised Land of Canaan.
The second section of the Tanakh is the Nevi’im, meaning prophets, has 21 books. As the name describes, this section is divided into prophetical books. These books describe the communication God had with these prophets for the good of Israel, informing them what needed to be done to please God and the exile that the prophets suffered, setting an example for Jews that it will not be easy to practise faith openly. It reminds the Hebrew people of their covenantal obligations and that departing from these obligations have negative consequences.
The last section of the Tanakh is the Ketuvim which translates to writings and has 13 books. This book holds significant poems, historical occurrences, scrolls and overall contemplations of God’s goodness and justice laced through the section. The major poetical books are Psalms, Proverbs, and Job.
The other sacred text of Judaism is the Talmud, also known as the Oral Torah. The Talmud is a compilation of Rabbinical writings that act as an interpretation and application of the Torah scriptures. A Rabbi is a teacher of the Torah and is often compared to a priest in Christianity as they practice in the same concept. Orthodox Jews believe the Talmud was revealed to Moses and preserved orally until it was written down. The Talmud can be separated into two parts; the Mishnah and the Gemara. The Mishnah is organised like a law book, holding legal rulings and lessons elucidated by rabbis in early Judaism. It is divided into 6 parts, which include laws for different aspects of life such as marriage, prayer, criminal laws, ritual cleanliness, holy days, and the Temple. The Gemara is a rabbinic commentary and contemplation on the Mishnah. One of the points of Orthodox Judaism is to build up Talmudic law as the state law of Israel. Orthodox Jews submit themselves deliberately to Talmudic law and the rabbinic court framework, particularly in matters of dietary and custom law, marriage and separation, and social work. Conservative Judaism, although it is viewed as a more contemporary version of Judaism that adapts with time, it is dedicated to determining the proper response to modern issues. Whereas, Reform Judaism rejects the Talmud as an entirely human invention portraying medieval thought and values.
The Core Ethical Teachings of Judaism are a basis of Jewish principle belief and are completely derived from their sacred texts. The Talmud explains the laws of the Torah. The Core Ethical Teachings of Judaism include the explanation and application of the Ten Commandments, Prophetic Vision (Tikkun Olam), 613 Mitzvot and the 13 Articles of Faith composed by Moses Maimonides. Also, Halachah is a Jewish legal System. It means ‘going with God.’ It describes how a Jewish person ought to behave. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God in the book of Exodus in the Torah and are included in the 613 Mitzvot (laws). It states Ten laws to which all Jews should live by and preach. The Mitzvot are scattered throughout the Torah. For example, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:17). The 13 Articles of Faith is a summary of the basic beliefs of Judaism and its practical application to everyday life. It was created by Moses Maimonides as a clarification to avoid misinterpretation of beliefs. They are referred to as ‘fundamental truths of Judaism and its foundations’. It is a tradition to recite each principle after prayers in the synagogue (Jewish place of worship) starting with the phrase “I believe…”. The 13 articles of Faith are derived from the Mitzvot of which there are 248 positive (do) and 365 negative (don’t do) Mitzvots. There is also the Prophetic Vision (Tikkun Olam). Tikkun Olam is the concept of repairing the world through acts of kindness. Justice and freedom are articulated and it is evident that Jewish social groups are passionate about protecting other people. It empphasises the idea that each individual can contribute to the world to make it a better place for everyone. The book of Proverbs is another source of Jewish ethical teachings. This is a collection of moral and philosophical sayings in poetic form based on the human experience. In the book, we see major themes of righteousness, wisdom, purity and generosity. “He who gives to the poor suffers no want but he who ignores them gets many a curse”, is proof of righteousness. These Ethical teachings have a great impact on the lives of adherents as they determine the actions of the individual and their decision. The teachings are listed in practical applications to life and assist in maintaining peace amongst humans. Adherents are promoted by the ethical teachings of Judaism, contained in the Torah, the prophetic vision, the idea of Tukan Olam and the book of Proverbs, to ensure a safe and protective Jewish community of a place in the world where common laws and ideas encourage close bonds between individuals.
All aspects of religion have an impact on the adherents of the Jewish faith. It is evident that the three aspects of Jewish principle beliefs, sacred texts and core ethical teachings are all simultaneous of each other and are impacted by each other. Principle beliefs and core ethical teachings are interpreted and are derived from sacred texts, explaining specifically what a Jewish person needs to preach and praise in order to please God. Principle beliefs allow adherents to feel connected to a power larger than themselves and gives a sense of belonging. It also allows for great creativity where art and culture are combined in the portrayal of the Jewish faith. Sacred texts give order and management to the adherents everyday lives, allowing for good decisions to be made based on faith. Core ethical teachings are morals that allow individuals to remain morally sane and continue in a healthy lifestyle. In any society, ethics are vital for the enduring success and peace of the community. Kindness and loyalty within the community are valuable aspects of the ethics of Judaism.
The adherents of Judaism can be separated into three different kinds. Progressive Judaism, Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism. Progressive Judaism is the liberal branch of Judaism. They believe that the oral and written law is not regarded as the literal word of God.
They reject the concept of divine revelation as direct dictation of the Tanakh by God, instead, believing that the Torah was written by divinely inspired people rather than being the literal word of God. Also, synagogue worship tend to be simplified and modernised, men and women sit together and women can be rabbis. Orthodox Judaism is the traditional Jewish religion. They believe that the only way the Jewish religion will survive is to impose strict separation of Jews from secular society. An example is the Hasidic Jews who reject all attempts to sacrifice Halakhah to suit the changing social circumstances. There is to be no compromise with modern life which is seen in their clothing
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