Download original form of Judaism as they view it to be presented in the Torah

Judaism
At the outset, it is important to note that there is a distinction between the Jewish people
and the religion of Judaism; not all Jewish people are religious. Many profess to be atheists or
agnostics. There are also Jews who are religious, yet have converted to other religions.
Of the some 15 million Jewish people in the world today:
• around 4.5 million are in Israel
• some 7 million are in North America
• approx.1 million are in countries that were part of the former Soviet Union
• approx. 2 million are spread throughout European countries
Judaism
• Monotheistic belief in G-d also called Yahweh
(YHWH – I am), sometimes written in English
Bible translations as Jehovah (some Jews prefer
not to write out His name as that would violate the
Third Commandment – Thou shalt not take the
name of the Lord in vain.) Jews also call Him
Adonai, which means Lord
• Began with Abraham, who was called out of the
land of Ur in Mesopotamia, to the land of Canaan,
which is where present day Israel is located.
• Following the Law of God given to the people by
Moses (which is why it is sometimes called the
Law of Moses)
• Following scriptures such as the Torahand Talmud
Is “Jewish” a Religious or Ethnic Identity?
Yes and no. Being Jewish can mean you are a part of a religious movement. However, the great majority
of Jews become a part of the religious movement through birth and not due to their beliefs or actions. In
this way, being Jewish is like being a citizen of a religious movement. A Jewish identity is automatically
bestowed on the babies of Jewish mothers. And this identity stays with them throughout life no matter
what they believe or how they act.
A person who was born to a Jewish mother or has gone through the conversion process is considered a
Jew even if he or she does not believe in Judaism and does not observe Jewish practices. Thus, there are
non-religious Jews or secular Jews.
A person who was not born to a Jewish mother or has not gone through the conversion process is not
considered a Jew even if he or she believes in Judaism and observes Jewish practices. Thus, the
conversion process is a very meaningful because it is the only way for a non-Jew to become Jewish.
Basic Worldview
• Universe is made by G-d but is an arena for
humans to live in and enjoy, exercising free
will, in cooperation with G-d’s guidance.
• G-d is the omnipotent, sovereign, personal,
all-good Creator.
• People were created by G-d to follow His
Will which can improve the human
condition until a paradisal age is reached
Destiny of the World
• Will be led by God through various
historical periods
• A messiah that has been prophesied about
will come in and lead the world into a
paradisal state
What Is Expected of Humans?
• To honor and serve G-d by following the
Law of Moses in letter or spirit
• To maintain the identity of the people
• To promote the ethical vision of the great
prophets and humanitarians
• Jewish customs are followed in the home as
well as in the place of worship.
Origins
• Adam and Eve – First humans created by God
disobeyed Him and were forced to leave the
Garden of Eden
• They continue to procreate to make the human
race but humanity is very sinful
• Noah and family (wife, sons and their wives) are
chosen to survive along with male and female
animals on the Ark as God destroys the world with
a flood
• God makes peace with humanity but it continues
in its sinfulness
Abraham – Father of the Hebrew
people
• Lived near Ur in Mesopotamia (between Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers)
• Obeyed a command by God to leave his relatives
and take his wife and household westwards to the
land God wanted him to have
• God appeared to him in a dream and told him that
his descendants would be as numerous as the stars
in the sky and the sands of the beach
Abraham and Sarah
• Abraham was visited by three angels, who told
him that by the following year his wife Sarah
would be pregnant.
• Sarah was believed to be barren. She told
Abraham to sleep with her servant Hagar, who
bore him Ishmael. Perhaps, this is what God
intended.
• Not so, eventually Sarah conceived and bore
Abraham a son, who was named Isaac.
• Sarah regretted telling Abraham to be with Hagar
and feared that Ishmael would take Isaac’s
inheritance. She pestered Abraham until he sent
Hagar and Ishmael away.
• According to Islamic tradition, Abraham and his
son Ishmael were the founding fathers.
Abraham and Isaac
• While Isaac was still a boy, God commanded
Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
• Abraham was going to follow through with it.
• God sent an angel to stop Abraham before he
killed Isaac. This act of obedience was credited as
obedience to Abraham.
• Abraham and God made a covenant (agreement).
Abraham would make sure all his descendants
were circumcise their sons, and God would bless
them. This would be an outward sign of their
cleanliness, holiness, and dedication to God.
Sacrifice of Isaac (Brunelleschi)
Genealogy
• Abraham begot Isaac
• Isaac begot Jacob
• Jacob begot twelve sons who will become the
Twelve Tribes of Israel
• Jacob led the family down to Egypt, where one of
his sons Joseph had been taken and risen in power,
in search of food.
• The family remains but later generations of
Egyptian rulers enslave the Jews living in Egypt
• They remain in bondage for 400 years until they
are freed by G-d through Moses
Moses
Moses was the greatest prophet, leader and teacher that Judaism
has ever known. In fact, one of the primary Principles of Faith is
the belief that Moses‘ prophecies are true, and that he was the
greatest of the prophets. He is called "Moshe Rabbeinu," that is,
Moses, Our Teacher/Rabbi. Interestingly, the numerical value of
"Moshe Rabbeinu" is 613: the number of mitzvot that Moses
taught the Children of Israel! He is described as the only person
who ever knew God face-to-face (Deut. 34:10) and spoke
directly to God (Num. 12:8)
Moses continued
God spoke to Moses directly, in plain
language, not through visions and dreams,
as God communicated with other prophets.
The story Moses is so central to the Jewish
faith because of his leadership in the
Hebrew exodus from Egypt, his founding of
the nation of Israel, and his role as the
person receiving the law of the Jewish
people (the Ten Commandments & the
Torah).
The Ten Commandments
• For Jews, they are rules to follow in their
relationships with G-d and people.
• According to tradition, G-d carved five
commandments onto two tablets.
• The first tablet deals a person’s with relationship
with the Divine (G-d).
• The second tablet deals with a person’s
relationship with other people.
• The Fifth Commandment – honor father and
mother, appears to deal with human relationships.
However, rabbis teach that parents can be looked
at as creators, and reflect a Jew’s relationship with
God.
The Ten Commandments
• 1. Belief in G-d
– This category is derived from the declaration in Ex. 20:2 beginning, "I am
the L-rd, your G-d..."
• 2. Prohibition of Improper Worship
– This category is derived from Ex. 20:3-6, beginning, "You shall not have
other gods..." It encompasses within it the prohibition against the worship
of other gods as well as the prohibition of improper forms of worship of
the one true G-d, such as worshiping G-d through an idol.
• 3. Prohibition of Oaths
– This category is derived from Ex. 20:7, beginning, "You shall not take the
name of the L-rd your G-d in vain..." This includes prohibitions against
perjury, breaking or delaying the performance of vows or promises, and
speaking G-d's name or swearing unnecessarily.
• 4. Observance of Sacred Times
– This category is derived from Ex. 20:8-11, beginning, "Remember the
Sabbath day..." It encompasses all mitzvot related to Shabbat, holidays, or
other sacred time.
• 5. Respect for Parents and Teachers
– This category is derived from Ex. 20:12, beginning, "Honor your father
and mother..."
• 6. Prohibition of Physically Harming a Person
– This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not
murder."
• 7. Prohibition of Sexual Immorality
– This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not
commit adultery."
• 8. Prohibition of Theft
– This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not
steal." It includes within it both outright robbery as well as various
forms of theft by deception and unethical business practices. It also
includes kidnapping, which is essentially "stealing" a person.
• 9. Prohibition of Harming a Person through Speech
– This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not
bear false witness against your neighbor." It includes all forms of
lashon ha-ra (sins relating to speech).
• 10. Prohibition of Coveting
– This category is derived from Ex. 20:14, beginning, "You shall not
covet your neighbor's house..."
Key Leaders from Ancient Israel
• Abraham – father of the Hebrew people; set them
on the path of monotheism – different from
neighboring tribes
• Moses – giver of God’s law which includes Ten
Commandments (called the Law of Moses)
• Joshua – successor to Moses; led the conquest of
Canaan giving Hebrews a foothold in Palestine
• The Judges – spoke God’s word
• David – Greatest king of Israel in terms of
pleasing God; a man after God’s own heart
• Solomon – Son of David, wisest man who ever
lived, built the first permanent temple for God
Civil War Through Captivity
• Two of Solomon’s sons had a civil war over the kingship
of Israel the nation. The northern 10 tribes of Israel
retained the name Israel, the southern two tribes – Judah
and Benjamin – were called the Kingdom of Judah. These
two nations became rivals
• Both nations had a sequence of kings who did evil in the
sight of the Lord (idol worship and associated rituals);
occasionally a good king would come along and attempt to
right the kingdom; eventually both kingdoms lapsed back
into idol worship
• Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire and the
people were separated and relocated throughout the
Assyrian Empire.
• Judah lasted longer but was conquered by the Babylonians
led by King Nebuchadnezzar. The Temple of Solomon was
plundered and destroyed. Most of the Jews were brought to
Babylon.
Captivity to Freedom
• The Jews in Babylon had to stay there for 70 years
to atone for the sins of their predecessors.
• Babylon was conquered by the Persians. The
Jewish people were freed and even given money
and other provisions to return to Jerusalem and
rebuild.
• Some Jews preferred to remain in Babylon, which
they had come to accept as their home.
Deed – Not Creed
Judaism focuses on the importance of the righteous deeds and obedience, rather than
justification found in faith (like Christians). “Correct actions” are spelled out in the
Torah.
Whether one is an Orthodox, Reform, or Conservative Jew, the unifying belief is that
the goal of all humanity is to live in such a way as to perpetuate the betterment of self
and of society, therefore affirming one’s standing before God’s standard.
If there is any one religious principle that all Jews explicitly affirm and teach, it is the
unity and singularity of God as He is revealed though the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:4 –
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”) This – the Sh’ma as it is called – is
the cornerstone of all Jewish belief.
The Jewish life is one of duty and deed; it is
what you do to improve the here and now
that matters – the idea of “storing up
treasure for heaven” is unknown to the Jew
(This is a Christian concept).
Jews believe that they are born in grace, live
in grace, and that they will die in grace (sin
is not a fact of birth, it is a matter of
choice).
What’s the Purpose Then?
Tikun Olam: “Fixing the World” – the Jewish believer is engaged in the literal
process of fixing a broken world. This is the ultimate purpose of every Jewish
believer’s life. Through the observance of the law, the Jew will contribute to the
restoration of the nation of Israel, preparing the way for the Messiah to come
and take his place in God’s kingdom on earth:
“Judaism is a faith that believes in the renewal and change of the
human being. Change is hard and arduous but possible. We can remake
ourselves, because more than anything else, what we are is a product of our own
choice and our own work.”
Rabbi David Wolpe
• Olam Ha-Ba: “The World to Come” – Jews
believe that there is a world to come in
which the Messiah will reign, a world in
which the Jewish temple will be rebuilt and
the nation of Israel will be fully restored,
instituting a world order of justice and
compassion.
The Daily Life of a Jew
Mizvot: Rules - the 613 “do’s and don’ts” regarding the daily life of a
Jew – none of the Mizvot deal with beliefs, each of them deal
specifically with a particular action.
“Some look at the teachings of the Mizvot and deduce that
Jews are trying to earn their way into Heaven by observing rules. This
is a gross mischaracterization of the Jewish religion. It is important to
remember that unlike other religions, Judaism isn’t focused on the
question of how to get into Heaven. Judaism rather, is focused on our
life on earth and how to best live that life.
Rabbi Izakson
Non-Jews frequently ask me, ‘do you think that
you will go to Hell if you don’t do such-andsuch?’ – to which I always respond that the
question of where I’m going after death simply
doesn’t enter into the equation when I think about
observing the Mizvot. We perform the Mizvot
because it is our privilege and our sacred
obligation to do so…we perform them out of a
sense of love and duty to our Creator, not out of a
desire to get something in return.”
Rabbi Izakson
The “Branches” of Judaism
Reform
Conservative Orthodox Ultra Orthodox &Hasidism
Orthodox Jews are the oldest, most conservative, and most diverse
group of religious Jews. Modern Orthodox, Hasidism and Ultra
Orthodox share a basic belief in the derivation of Jewish law, even as
they hold very different outlooks on life. They attempt to follow the
original form of Judaism as they view it to be presented in the Torah.
They look upon every word in their sacred texts as being divinely
inspired.
Chasidism (Hasidism)
• Began in 1700s in Eastern Europe as another way for
people to become closer to G-d.
• Judaism focused on obeying Law of Moses to have a good
relationship with G-d, but a new leader Rabbi Israel ben
Eliezer aka Baal Shem Tov or Besht for short focused on
mysticism (more spiritual, meditative approach than
practical obedience)
• Believe Torah is word of God, daily praying, observing
holidays, raising children in Jewish ways, eating kosher
• Conservative colored nice clothes and hats for men; nice
clothes for women and COVERED hair – going out well
dressed and covering head shows respect for G-d
• Beards and curly hair – Leviticus 19:27 – You shall not
round the corners of your hair or the edges of your beards
Reform Jews are a liberal group, comprised
of mostly North American Jews, although
the movement started in the 1790's in
Germany. They follow the ethical laws of
Judaism, but leave up to the individual the
decision whether to follow or ignore the
dietary and other traditional laws. They use
modern forms of worship. There are many
female rabbis in reform congregations.
Often this group is referred to as practicing
“contemporary Judaism.”
Conservative Judaism began in the midnineteenth century as a reaction against the
Reform movement. It is a main-line
movement midway between Reform and
Orthodox. Some of the more “obscure” or
“ancient” traditions are not observed,
however the goal is to avoid changing the
religion to simply conform to cultural
norms.
The Messiah?
Jews believe that the Messianic prophecies are not fulfilled in
Christ…
1) Build the third temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
2) Gather all Jews back to the land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).
3) Usher in an era of world peace, ending hatred, oppression,
suffering and disease (Isaiah 2:4).
Messiah continued
•
•
Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel
– uniting the entire human race as one
(Zechariah 14:9).
5) Jews believe that the Messiah will be a
prophet, and because prophecy can only exist in
Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority of
the world Jewry, Jesus was not a prophet (during
the time of Ezra – circa 300 B.C. – this time the
majority of Jews refused to move from Babylon
to Israel, thus ending the line of prophets with
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi).
Messiah cont.
6) He must be descended on his father’s side from King David (Genesis 49:10 &
Isaiah 11:1). Of course, according to the Christian tradition Jesus was born of
a virgin, and therefore the Jewish believer holds that Christ could not possibly
have fulfilled this messianic requirement.
7) The Messiah will lead the Jewish people into full Torah observance.
Deuteronomy 13:1-4, states that all mitzvahs (laws) remain binding forever,
and anyone coming to change the Torah is immediately identified as a false
prophet…(see Jesus’ words on this in John 1:45, 9:16, & Acts 3:22, 7:37).
Jewish Life: Keeping Kosher
Kosher – follows dietary laws set out in the Law of Moses (In determining
whether a recipe you want to post is kosher, bear in mind the basic
concepts of kosher food: no mixing of dairy and meat; no pork or pork
products; no shell fish.
This also applies to food products containing such ingredients. For
example, a food coloring made from a shell fish would be considered
unkosher and would taint the food in which it might be used. Similarly,
using, e.g., an animal fat together with dairy ingredients renders the
product unkosher and taints even the implements used in making it.
Kosher
If a recipe is not in keeping with these basic
requirements, consider whether
substitutions can be made to adjust it (e.g.,
substituting margarine for butter in a meat
recipe). If you are unsure of how to make
such substitutions, post the recipe and ask
for suggestions as how to do so.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah (“son/daughter of the
commandment”) – Under Jewish Law, children
are not obligated to observe the commandments,
although they are encouraged to do so as much as
possible to learn the obligations they will have as
adults. At the age of 13 (12 for girls), children
become obligated to observe the commandments.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• The Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony formally
marks the assumption of that obligation,
along with the corresponding right to take
part in leading religious services, to count in
a minyan (the minimum number of people
needed to perform certain parts of religious
services), to form binding contracts, to
testify before religious courts and to marry.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• Although a Jewish girl or Jewish boy
automatically becomes a Bar Mitzvah upon
reaching the ages of 12 & 13 years,
technically no ceremony is needed to
confer these rights and obligations. The
popular ceremonies are not required, and do
not fulfill any commandment. It is a
relatively modern innovation, not
mentioned in the Talmud, and the elaborate
ceremonies and receptions that are
commonplace today were unheard of as
recently as a century ago.
Significant Jewish “Holy” Days
Shabbat – The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is
one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances.
It is primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment. Shabbat is the
most important ritual observance in Judaism.
It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten
Commandments. It recalls how God rested on the seventh day after
creating the world.
It is also the most important special day, even more important than
Yom Kippur.
Shabbat: Sabbath
"Shabbat" means to cease, to end, or to rest. Third
Commandment – Remember the Sabbath and keep
it holy.
People who do not observe Shabbat think of it as a
day filled with stifling restrictions, or simply as a
day of prayer;
Those who observe Shabbat consider it a precious
gift from God, a day of great joy eagerly awaited
throughout the week, a time when we can set aside
all of our weekday concerns and devote ourselves
to spiritual pursuits. The following are forbidden
on the Sabbath:
Sowing, plowing, reaping, binding sheaves,
threshing, winnowing, selecting, grinding, sifting,
kneading, baking, shearing wool, washing wool,
beating wool, dyeing wool, spinning, weaving,
making two loops, weaving two threads,
separating two threads, tying, untying, sewing two
stitches, tearing, trapping, slaughtering, flaying,
salting meat, curing hide, scraping hide, cutting
hide up, writing two letters, erasing two letters,
building, tearing a building down, extinguishing a
fire, kindling a fire, hitting with a hammer, taking
an object from the private domain to the public, or
transporting an object in the public domain. Also
prohibited are travel, the use of electricity, buying
and selling of goods or services, and other
weekday tasks that would interfere with the spirit
of Shabbat.
High Holy Days – Most Important
Jewish Holidays
• Day begins as sunset (Genesis – “And there was
evening and morning, the first day”) and ends
sundown next day
• Rosh Hashanah – Beginning of new year (first and
second days of Tishri) – Jewish holidays are often
a day longer than mentioned in the holy scriptures
• Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) – the ten days
starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom
Kippur
• Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement
Rosh Hashanah – In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah
means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the
year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the
Jewish New Year.
Little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of
the holiest days of the Jewish year, and the
American midnight drinking bash and daytime
football game.
Important similarity between the Jewish New Year
and the American one: Many Americans use the
New Year as a time to plan a better life, making
"resolutions."
Jewish New Year is a time of introspection,
looking back at the mistakes of the past year and
planning the changes to make in the new year.
“Holy” Days cont.
Yom Kippur – very important holiday of the Jewish year. Many Jews who
do not observe any other Jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or
attend synagogue services on this day.
"Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement.”It is a day set aside to "afflict the
soul," to atone for the sins of the past year – sins between man and God. On
Yom Kippur, the judgments of God are entered into “the books” and then
sealed.
This day is, essentially, the last appeal, the last chance to change the
judgment, to demonstrate repentance and make amends.
Passover – Passover is the time when each Jew
embarks on a personal journey from slavery to
freedom.
God performed many miracles and sent plagues upon
Egypt until Pharaoh freed the Hebrews from slavery.
God sent an angel to destroy all the first-born males
in Egypt. Moses instructed his people to put the blood
of a lamb on the door lintel and door jambs. The
angel would know to pass over these homes and the
first-born therein would be spared.
 Much like God delivered the Hebrew people from
their enslavement in Egypt (“passing over” their
firstborn, further convincing Pharaoh to free the
Hebrews).
Passover continued
In order to guide Jews in their quest, their Sages
carefully wrote an outline of 15 steps to freedom.
It's called the Haggadah. The Sages say that
Passover occurs on the 15th of Nissan (the Jewish
month), to teach us that just as the moon waxes for
15 days, so too our growth must be in 15 gradual
steps. Think of these as 15 pieces of the Passover
puzzle. Assemble them all and you've got
freedom!
Passover (Pesach)
• Begins on 15th day of Nissan
• “And this day shall become a memorial for you,
and you shall observe it as a festival for the L-RD,
for your generations, as an eternal decree shall you
observe it. For seven days you shall eat
unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall
remove the leaven from your homes…you shall
guard the unleavened bread, because on this very
day I will take you out of the land of Egypt; you
shall observe this day for your generations as an
eternal decree – Exodus 12:14-17
• The Jews did not have enough time to knead the
yeast into their bread for their bread to rise
because they left Egypt so quickly
Seder – Passover
Ceremony and Meal
• Passover includes saying prayers, drinking
wine, repeated ritual hand washing,
consumption of vegetables and bitter herbs
(reminder of bitterness of slavery in Egypt),
a meal, singing
• Fifteen step process - lengthy
Shavu’ot (shu-VOO-oht)
• Beginning on second day of Passover, Jews
count 49 days (seven full weeks). On the
50th day they celebrate Shavu’ot, which is
when the people of Israel were given the
Torah.
• It is a time of great anticipation. Passover
symbolizes when Jews were freed from
their bondage in Egypt. Shavu’ot
symbolizes when the Israelites were freed
from the sins of idolatry and immorality by
the giving of the law.
Succoth (soo-KOTE)
• Recognizes the time that the Jews had to wander in the
desert after the Exodus (the Jews disobeyed God about
going into the Promised Land – it was inhabited by giants
and most were too afraid to go in; God forced them to
wander the desert for 40 years until that generation died
out including Moses)
• Fifteenth day of Tishri (seventh month on Jewish calendar
– also the month of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur)
• Succoth also celebrates the final harvest of the year (five
days after Yom Kippur)
• Also called the Festival of Booths or Festival of Tents
• Jews had to spend the evenings in temporary tents for
seven days eating their meals out there and rejoicing (God
commanded them to rejoice)
• Observant Jews today who celebrate Succoth will
assemble makeshift dwellings outside their homes and eat
all their family meals there for seven days
Succoth Dwellings Then and Now
Chanukah
• Lesser holiday (compared to High Holy Days) but popular
• Begins on 25th day of Kislev
• Jews celebrate a miracle of how one day’s worth of oil
lasted for eight days when they were revolting against the
Greeks (the Greeks had been ruling Jerusalem since
Alexander the Great. Alexander was tolerant but later
Greek leaders were attempting to Hellenize the Jews. The
Greeks sent their own priests into the Temple and defiled
the holy oil).
• The Jews overthrew the Greek government in control and
rededicated their Temple.
• The leaders thought that the oil would run out (it was a
commandment by God that a lamp stay lit throughout the
night) after a day but it lasted eight days.
• The ninth candle (middle candle) is lit every night.
Menorah –
symbol of
Chanukah
• 9 candles – middle one (shamash) lit every night
and used to light one candle (eight total) per night
from right to left (like reading Hebrew)
• Recognizes how the oil lasted long enough to keep
a lamp lit until the Jews could get new sanctified
oil
• Original menorah of Temple was 7 branches – not
wanting to replicate anything from the Temple,
which was destroyed, out of respect
Conquest of Israel
• The nation of Israel repeatedly fell into idol
worship.
• The Jewish Bible (Old Testament of Christian
Bible) tells how God allowed Israel to lose time
and again against enemy armies as punishment for
their infidelity.
• God allows the Assyrians to conquer Israel (Israel
became a divided kingdom; the northern ten tribes
were still called Israel; the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin to the south and including the holy city
of Jerusalem called Judah). The Assyrians killed
many and uprooted their leadership and talented
citizens sending them to far flung parts of the
Assyrian Empire.
Conquest and Return to Jerusalem
• The Israelites of Judah and Benjamin were taken in
captivity to Babylon to lived under King
Nebuchadnezzar.
• The best and brightest were trained to serve the
Babylonian government. Among them were Daniel,
the famous interpreter of dreams.
• The Medes and Persians supplanted the Babylonians.
Daniel, by virtue of his God-given abilities, continued
to serve as an administrator under the Persians. The
Bible tells that he always remained true to God and
prayed faithfully.
The Return continued
• King Cyrus the Great had sympathy for the
Israelites and allowed them to return to Canaan.
He commanded that the Temple of Jerusalem be
rebuilt, gave them back the holy vessels that had
been taken by the Babylonians, and furnishing
them with vast sums of money and supplies to
rebuild Jerusalem.
• The Jews, who chose to return (many preferred to
remain in Babylon and were now speaking
Aramaic not Hebrew), rebuilt the walls of the city
and King Herod the Great built a new, spectacular
temple for God.
Jean
Fouquet,
Depiction
of Cyrus
the Great,
1470
Prelude to the Great Revolt (66-70
C.E.)
• Israel had been ruled by Roman puppets since the
beginning of the common era.
• They collected taxes from the people and gave
them to Rome. They often collected more taxes to
enrich themselves.
• In 63, Emperor Caligula pronounced himself a god
and ordered that a statue of him had to be put in
every temple in the Roman Empire.
• The Jews refused. They tried to pacify him to no
avail; Caligula raged against them. His sudden
assassination saved the Jews from an early
destruction.
Great Revolt
• In 66, Roman procurator Florus steals vast quantities
of silver from temple
• Jews kill Roman garrisons.
• Roman army of 60,000 attacks Galilee (kills or sells
into slavery 100,000 Jews); survivors flee to
Jerusalem to make a last stand.
• Roman army besieges Jerusalem. Jewish radicals
called ZEALOTS, start killing any moderate leaders
and rabbis – major civil war in Jerusalem.
• Burn Jerusalem’s supply of food to force everyone to
fight harder against the Romans.
• Summer of 70, Roman army breaches the walls of
Jerusalem beginning a major outbreak of violence
and death and destroy Second Temple.
• Estimated 1 million Jews died during Great Revolt
Arch of Titus in Rome
The Wailing Wall
The Wailing Wall
• Western Wall of the Temple built by Herod the
Great.
• Babylonians destroyed the original temple, the
Temple of Solomon, when they conquered
Jerusalem in 597 B.C.E.
• The Romans destroyed the Second Temple when
they conquered Jerusalem. The West Wall is all
that remains.
• Jews pray and shed tears at this wall over the
destruction of the temple.
• From 70 C.E. until the 20th century (1900 years!),
when the Zionists established the nation of Israel,
Jews had to pay for the right to pray at the Wailing
Wall.
The Jewish Diaspora (70 – 1948
C.E.)
• Period in which Jews spread our from
Palestine.
• They traveled all over the Mediterranean
world.
Diaspora – Centuries of
Discrimination
• Christianity became the main religion of
Eastern and Western Europe.
• Islam eventually became the main religion
of the Middle East, North Africa, and
temporarily Spain. Muslims were usually
more decent to Jews than Christians. Jews
living in Muslim lands just had to pay an
extra tax.
• In most European locations, Jews were
persecuted.
Diaspora and Discrimination
•
•
•
•
Jews were blamed for the Black Plague.
Jews were blamed for Jesus’ crucifixion.
Jews were hated for their financial success.
The dietary rules and rituals of Judaism were
scoffed at and thought to be akin to witchcraft.
• In Spain, after the Muslims were driven out, Jews
had to convert to Christianity or were driven out.
Inquisitors interrogated and tortured Jews, whom
they did not believe to be true Christians.
• In Europe during the Renaissance, Jews were
forced to live in ghettoes, poor neighborhoods, to
keep them separate.
• Some Russians attacked Jewish people and their
residences and burned their neighborhoods. These
attacks are called POGROMS.
Judaism – The Tie that Binds
• Judaism saved the Jewish people during the
Diaspora. It is was kept their religion and
ethnic identification going.
• Following the Law of Moses, observing the
holy days, and keeping the covenant made
between God and Abraham kept the Jews as
a people from extinction by hostile,
prejudiced ethnic groups.
Holocaust (1933-1945)
• Hitler began discriminating against Jews (banning
Jews from certain jobs, forcing them to wear the
Star of David on their clothing for identification)
as soon as he came to power in Germany. He
blatantly expressed his hatred and violent ideas
toward Jews in Mein Kampf and his speeches.
• Some wealthy Jews in Western Europe saw the
writing on the wall and escaped shortly after the
rise of Hitler.
• The window of opportunity to leave soon began to
close. European nations and America began to set
quotas for the number of Jews it would allow to
enter leaving multitudes of Jews trapped in Hitler
dominated lands.
After Holocaust
• Jews allowed by British to move back to
Palestine in vast numbers (some Jews had
been moving back since 1800s and living on
kibbutzim – small communal farms – but
set up quotas because large numbers of
Muslims already lived there)
• 1948 – Israel becomes a nation
Yarmulke
• Yiddish and Tartar for “skullcap”
• Cover your head so that the fear of heaven
may be upon you – Talmud Shabbat 156b
• A sign of respect for God to keep your head
covered; not a commandment
Star of David
• Magen David (Shield of David)
• No definitive interpretation
• Shape of David’s shield (David was a great warrior and a man
after God’s own heart.) or design on the shield
• Two equilateral triangles – one points up to G-d, one points
down to the earth – interconnection of God and people
• Intricately intertwined – the unity of the Jewish people through
history
• 12 exterior sides – symbolic of 12 Tribes of Israel
• Common good luck symbol in Africa and Middle East
• Jews were discriminated against during Middle Ages – forced
to wear something like it (looked like asterisk)
• Became the symbol of the Zionist movement – controversial –
no ancient rabbinical literature refers to it
• Chosen to be on the flag of the State of Israel