Download SECTION 2.2 Covenant, Land, Tikkun Olam

Topic
Description of Topic
2.2
The Covenant
Biblical basis of covenant
The nature of God’s
Covenant with Israel
Torah observance as a
consequence of
covenantal relationship
Covenant and the Land
The meaning of Torah
observance for its followers
Torah as a living document
(Written and Oral Law,
Halacha)
How Torah promotes a
lifestyle of holiness for its
followers
The biblical connection
between the Covenant and
the land of Israel
The centrality of the State
of Israel in Jewish religious
and cultural life today
Comparison
between
Jerusalem as a holy place
for Jews with Rome for
Roman Catholics, Mecca for
Muslims or the Ganges for
Hindus
Learning Outcomes
Explain the Jewish
understanding of God’s
covenant with Israel
The mutuality of the Explain the importance
covenantal relationship
of Israel for the Jewish
people biblically and in
contemporary times;
Explain why belief in
God’s covenant makes
demands on the Jewish
people; read and
interpret a selection of
biblical texts in which the
concept of Covenant is
discussed; discuss the
meaning of these beliefs
for followers of Judaism
today
Briefly explain the meaning
of Torah observance for its
followers
Explain what is meant by
those who claim Torah to
be ‘a living document’
Give an example of how
Torah promotes holiness
for its followers
Explain the
interrelatedness of these
beliefs in Judaism
Explain the origins of the
centrality of Israel in Jewish
religious and cultural life
today
Compare the significance of
Jerusalem as a holy place
for Jewish people with
another holy place
COVENANT
‘An agreement between two contracting parties, originally sealed with blood; a
bond, or a law; a permanent religious dispensation. The old, primitive way of
concluding a covenant was for the covenanters to cut into each other’s arm and
suck the blood, the mixing of the blood rendering them ‘brothers of the
covenant’. (Jewish Encyclopaedia online)
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B’rit, the Hebrew word for Covenant appears 270 times in the Hebrew Bible.
It means covenant, pact or treaty
Ancient covenants were made by animal sacrifice hence the phrase ‘to cut a
covenant’
B’rit implies the shedding of blood in the process of making an agreement.
What is a Covenant?
A formal agreement between two parties
Witnessed by both humans and deities/G-ds
Proclaimed by public reading and “deposit” of treaty in public place
Shrines of witnessing deities
Sealed by an oath and ritual sacrifice
“If I am not faithful to this covenant, may what is done to these animals be
done to me.”
Three Kinds of Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) Covenants
Suzerainty (or Vassal) Treaty: Agreement between two unequal parties,
one of higher status and one of lower status
Parity Treaty: Agreement between two parties of equal status
Land Grant: Agreement between two unequal parties, one of higher status
and one of lower status
Suzerainty (or Vassal) Treaty had six parts:
Preamble
Historical prologue
Stipulations
Provisions for treaty deposit & public reading
List of Divine witnesses to the treaty
Blessings & curses (for fidelity or infidelity to the treaty)
A Suzerainty Treaty
An alliance between a great monarch and a subject king
The overlord is lauded for past favours, but has no explicit duties under the
covenant
The vassal pledges allegiance to the overlord
Pay taxes
Keep own borders secure
Provide military support against overlord’s enemies
Make no alliances with other great lords
Marriage was the most common “suzerainty treaty” in the ANE
Husband has higher social status than wife
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Husband is wife’s “overlord” (Ba’al)
Wife is to obey husband n Wife becomes chattel of husband
Wife owns no property; it belongs to husband
Wife cannot divorce; only overlord can end treaty
Parity Treaty
Two parties of equal power and social status
Two monarchs forming an alliance for mutual aid
Two merchants forming a trade agreement
Marriage contract (ketubah) between the father of the bride and the groom
(NOTE: the bride herself is not of equal status with the groom in ANE)
Land Grant
Free gift of land to faithful subject of a great monarch or servant of a wealthy
landowner
Greater party binds self to the treaty
Lesser party benefits from the gift, but may not be bound to any specific
stipulations, either before or after reception of the land grant
Differences between Grant and Treaty
GRANT
The giver of the covenant makes a
commitment to the vassal
Represents an obligation of the master
to his vassal
Primarily protects the rights of the
vassal
No demands made by the superior
party
TREATY
The giver of the covenant imposes an
obligation on the vassal
Represents an obligation of the vassal
to his master
Primarily protects the rights of the
master
The master promises to reward or
punish the vassal for obeying or
disobeying the imposed obligations
Exercise
Look at the following texts and answer the following questions in relation
to them:
Genesis 2
Genesis 9:1-17
Genesis 12:1-4
Genesis 15
Genesis 17:1-14
Exodus 24:1-8
Exodus 34:1-27
1.What kind of treaty is this?
2.What leads you to think so, i.e., what formal characteristics of the
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passage suggest that it falls into this category?
3.What source is behind this story?
4.What does identification of the kind of treaty illustrated here tell you
about the source’s view of Israel’s G-d?
LITERACY MOMENT
Highlight key words in relation to
Covenant which are contained in
the above section. Explain their
significance.
COVENANT WITH NOAH
The relation of humanity to G-d was also
conceived of in Biblical times as a covenant
concluded by G-d with certain people and
nations, from which all laws derived their
sanctity and their eternal nature. G-d, when
creating the heavens and the earth, made a
covenant with them to observe the rules of day
and night, and when the floods caused by the
sins of all had interrupted the operation of the
law, G-d hung the rainbow in the clouds as a
sign of the covenant, to assure people that it
would not again be suspended on account of
humanity’s sin. G-d, therefore, made a special covenant with Noah.
According to traditional Judaism, G-d gave Noah and his family seven
commandments to observe when he saved them from the flood. These
commandments, referred to as the Noahic or Noahide commandments, are
inferred from Genesis Chapter 9, and are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
to establish courts of justice;
not to commit blasphemy;
not to commit idolatry;
not to commit incest and adultery;
not to commit bloodshed;
not to commit robbery; and
not to eat flesh cut from a living animal.
These commandments are fairly simple and straightforward, and most of them
are recognized by most of the world as sound moral principles. Any non-Jew who
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follows these laws has a place in the world to come.
The Noahic commandments are binding on all people, because all people are
descended from Noah and his family.
COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
(Abridged from http://www.ijs.org.au/Abraham-andthe-Covenant/default.aspx)
Genesis tells how G-d establishes a ‘covenant’
with Abraham to be passed on to future
generations. The first statement of this special
relationship appears in Chapter 12, in which
Abraham promises to forego all allegiances to
his previous idolatrous community and to
make a new life in the "Promised Land":
And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace
and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make
you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name
great…and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves."
The covenant is restated in Chapter 15 with a dramatic contractual ceremony
featuring a divine fire passing between sacrificial animals, and a promise that the
descendants of Abraham will be restored to their land after four hundred years
of slavery.
The covenant is sealed in Chapter 17, when Abraham agrees that the sign of the
covenant will appear on the bodies of all his male descendants through
circumcision. At the same time, G-d promises:
"And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and
kings will emerge from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and
between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as
an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a G-d and to your seed after you. And I
will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land
of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a G-d."
Abraham’s covenant is handed on to his son, Isaac, whom G-d explicitly blesses
in Chapter 26, and through him to Jacob and his descendants. In Chapter 32,
Jacob wrestles with an angel. Henceforth his name becomes 'Israel' - 'He who
wrestles with G-d'. His descendants become “The Children of Israel”, and the land
is known as “The Land of Israel”.
Abrahamic covenant is akin to a grant covenant.
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COVENANT WITH MOSES
In Exodus 3, Moses has his first encounter with
G-d in a burning bush. Moses sees a bush
which burns without being consumed - a
symbol of the presence of G-d which defies
usual human experience of things. And he
hears a voice which calls him by his own name
(Exodus 3:4)
The other great face to face encounter with G-d
is three months after the Israelites have left
Egypt and Moses has returned with them to
Sinai where he first met G-d. The encounter is
awesome. When G-d appears to the people of Israel, a whole mountain burns; for
when G-d comes, Sinai becomes like a volcano (not an actual volcano, but G-d's
coming is so awesome that the only way to depict it is in the language of the most
overwhelming of known phenomena): G-d then gives the Ten Commandments
to Moses as a kind of basic constitution or charter for Israel, together with some
more detailed laws (the mitzvot) that apply the Commandments within everyday
situations. Israel responds by promising obedience (Exodus 24:3-7).
Moses then wrote the conditions of the covenant down, offered sacrifices to G-d,
and then sprinkled both the book and the people with blood to seal the covenant
(Exo. 24:8). The Mosaic covenant is akin to the suzerain-vassal treaty.
COVENANT WITH DAVID (2 SAMUEL 7)
In his covenant with David, G-d presents David with two categories of promises:
those that find realization during David’s lifetime (2 Sam 7:8-11a) and those that
find fulfillment after his death (2 Sam 7:11-17)
Promises that find realization during David’s
lifetime (7:9-11a) A Great Name ( v. 9; cf. 8:13): As
He had promised Abraham (Gen 12:2), the Lord
promises to make David’s name great (2 Sam 7:9).
Although David’s accomplishments as king cause his
reputation to grow (2 Sam 8:13), G-d was the driving
force in making David’s name great. He is the One
who orchestrated David’s transition from being a
common shepherd to serving
as the king over Israel (2 Sam 7:8).
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A Place for the People (v. 10). The establishment of the Davidic Empire relieved
a major concern involved in G-d’s providing a “place” for Israel (7:9). The land
controlled by Israel during David’s reign approached the ideal boundaries of the
promised land initially mentioned in conjunction with G-d’s covenant with
Abram (Gen 15:18). Consequently, during David’s reign the two provisions of
the Abrahamic Covenant that deal with people and land find initial
fulfillment. In addition to this and more closely tied to the immediate context,
the “place” that G-d will appoint for Israel probably highlights the idea of
permanence and security.
KEY COVENANT SUMMARIES
Name
Summary
NOAH
After the flood:
The Lord promised Noah and his descendants that He would never destroy
the world again with a universal flood (Genesis 9:15).
(Genesis 9)
The Lord made an everlasting covenant with Noah and his descendants,
establishing the rainbow as the sign of His promise (Genesis 9:1-17).
Noahide Laws
ABRAHAM
(Genesis 12-25)
This covenant is with all peoples.
The Lord promised Abraham that He would make him and his descendants a
great nation (Genesis12:1-3).
You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign
of the covenant between me and you. (Genesis 17)
Covenant promise for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
This covenant is necessary for Judaism. Binding on Jews.
MOSES
(Exodus and
Deuteronomy)
DAVID
(2 Samuel 7)
Mt Sinai
.if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own
possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me
a kingdom of priests and a holy nation... (Exodus 19:5)
Commandments: Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21). Binding on
Jews and has obligations. It is mutual reciprocal.
David’s name will be made great
‘And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they
may dwell in their own place, and be disquieted no more; neither shall the
children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first’ (2 Sam 7:10).
Allusion to greater permanence and security of place.
COVENANT: SUMMARY BOX
A Covenant is an agreement, bargain or contract between G-d and Jews.
B’rit is the Hebrew word meaning Covenant.
To cut a covenant
Originated with Noah, than Abraham/Isaac/Jacob and Moses.
Contains 613 mitzvot.
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G-d promises to protect his chosen people and give them the Promised Land. Today the
Covenant is still kept strictly by Orthodox Jews but less strictly by Reform Jews.
It is the foundation of Jewish faith.
The implications of the Covenant are that Messiah/messianic Age will come and Jerusalem
will be rebuild/peace on earth.
After this Jews will be judged on how they have kept the mitzvoth.
Zionists say covenant is already fulfilled – State of Israel 1948. Some say it is a privilege to be
chosen by G-d.
Big responsibility to follow laws, they have been persecuted and exiled and to lead other
nations to G-d.
Covenant is the heart of Judaism; others say communities, festivals and rites of passage are,
along with synagogues.
Chosenness can sometimes be confused with superiority.
There is diversity of beliefs, Modern Orthodox thinkers as well as Reform Jews reject this
idea of superiority.
Exercise
Give the distinctive emphasis in each of the four covenants of G-d with Noah,
Abraham, Moses, and David under the following diagram:
Name
To whom was the What was offered by G-d What
the
covenant
in the Covenant?
people were
addressed?
obliged to do?
Noah
Abraham
Moses
David
LITERACY MOMENT
Explain the term ‘Mitzvot’,.
Give some examples of Mitzvot.
THE LAND OF ISRAEL
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The history of the Jewish people begins with Abraham. His story begins when
G-d tells him to leave his homeland promising him and his descendants a new
home in the land of Canaan (Genesis 12). This is the land now known as Israel
after Abraham’s grandson whose descendants are the Jewish people.
The land is often referred to as the
Promised Land because of G-d’s repeated
promise (Genesis 12:7; 13.15; 15:18; 17:8)
to give the land to the descendants of
Abraham.
The land is described repeatedly in the
Torah as a good land and ‘a land flowing
with milk and honey’.
(Exodus 3:8)
Jews have lived in this land continuously from the time of its original conquest by
Joshua more than 3200 years ago until the present day, though Jews were not
always in political control of the land, and Jews were not always the majority of
the land's population.
The land of Israel is central to Judaism. A substantial portion of Jewish law is tied
to the land of Israel, and can only be performed there.
Some rabbis have declared that it is a mitzvah (commandment) to take
possession of Israel and to live in it (Numbers 33:53)
The Talmud indicates that the land itself is so holy that merely walking in it can
gain you a place in the World to Come.
Prayers for a return to Israel and Jerusalem are included in daily prayers as well
as many holiday observances and special events.
Living outside of Israel is viewed as an unnatural state for a Jew.
The world outside of Israel is often referred to as "galut," which is usually
translated as "diaspora" (dispersion), but a more literal translation would be
"exile" or "captivity."
When Jews live outside of Israel, they feel they are living far from their land.
Jews were exiled from the land of Israel by the Romans in 135 CE, after they
defeated the Jews in a three-year war, and Jews did not have any control over the
land again until 1948 CE.
The Covenant and the Land
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Abriged from http://www.ijs.org.au/Abraham-and-the-Covenant/default.aspx and
Dan Cohn-Sherbok’s Judaism: History, Belief and Practice.
Abraham
The Book of Genesis tells how G-d establishes a ‘covenant’ with Abraham to be
passed on to future generations. The first statement of this special relationship
appears in Genesis 12, in which Abraham promises to forego all allegiances to his
previous idolatrous community and to make a new life in the "Promised Land":
And the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your land and from your birthplace
and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make
you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name
great…and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.’
The covenant is restated in Genesis 15 with a dramatic contractual ceremony
featuring a divine fire passing between sacrificial animals, and a promise that the
descendants of Abraham will be restored to their land after four hundred
years of slavery.
The covenant is sealed in Genesis 17, when Abraham agrees that the sign of the
covenant will appear on the bodies of all his male descendants through
circumcision. At the same time, G-d promises:
‘And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and
kings will emerge from you. And I will establish my covenant between Me and
between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as
an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a God and to your seed after you. And I
will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the
entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them
for a God."
Abraham’s covenant is handed on to his son, Isaac, whom G-d explicitly blesses
in Genesis 26, and through him to Jacob and his descendants. In Chapter 32,
Jacob wrestles with an angel. Henceforth his name becomes 'Israel' - 'He who
wrestles with G-d'. His descendants become “The Children of Israel”, and the land
is known as “The Land of Israel”.
Moses
After the Exodus and when Moses received the tablets of the Law on Mt Sinai, the
Jews moved on to Kadesh-barnea near the border of Canaan. Moses saw the
Promised land from a distanced ‘And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to
the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the
land…. And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham,
to Isaac, and to Jacob ‘ ‘I will give it to your descendants’. I have let you see it
with your eyes, but you shall not go over there”’ (Deuteronomy 34:1, 4).
Joshua
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After the death of Moses, Joshua was commanded by G-d to lead the Jewish
people into the Promised Land. After crossing the Jordan river, he captured
Jericho and Ai. Subsequently he defeated both southern and northern kings. The
second part of the Book of Joshua begins with a list of areas which had not been
conquered in the plain and valley regions as well as on the coast. To encourage
the people, Joshua delivered speeches telling them to remain steadfast in their
faith and to be obedient to the covenant.
The Tribes
After Joshua’s death, the people began to form
separate groups. These were the twelve tribes of
Israel. The confederation of the 12 tribes was
primarily religious, based upon belief in the one
"God of Israel" with whom the tribes had made a
covenant and whom they worshiped at a
common sacral center as the "people of the Lord"
(Judg. 5:11; 20:2).
The Judges
There were national heroes who served as
judges after Joshua’s death e.g. Othniel, Ehud,
Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson. They
were tribal and attached to particular regions
and their reign continued for more than 150
years during the 12th and 11th centuries BCE.
The Covenant between G-d and the Israelites
formulated by Moses, was repeatedly
proclaimed at gatherings in such national
shrines as Shechem. Such an emphasis on covenantal obligations reinforced the
belief that the Jews were the recipients of G-d’s loving kindness and that they
were his chosen people.
The Monarchy
During Samuel’s lifetime, people found tribal alliances and simple trust in G-d’s
power inadequate. Politically and militarily, Israel had little resistance to
invading armies. Saul, David, Solomon were the first
kings of Israel. Jerusalem was set up as the administrative
capital. The narratives show accounts of human and
divine power, of military alliances, strategies, victories
and defeats. It also shows the tensions between G-d as
king and the Hebrew kings. With the construction of the
First Temple under Solomon, cultic practice was now
located in the Temple in Jerusalem. After the death of
Solomon the ten northern tribes revolted. Unwilling to be
ruled by Solomon's son, Rehoboam, these tribes
established their own kingdom. The great empire of David
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and Solomon was gone never to be seen again; from 922 BCE were two mighty
kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah),
which lost all the territory of David's once proud empire within one hundred
years of Solomon's passing.
Agricultural Festivals associated with
the Land
Over time and as they settled, it became
clear to the Jewish people that the Go-d of
the Covenant directed human history. The
Exodus and the entry into the Promised
Land were seen as the unfolding of a divine
plan. Unlike their Canaanite neighbours
who worshipped local gods, engaged in
human sacrifice of children, and magic
fertility rituals, the Israelites adapted the
three Canaanite agricultural festivals to
suit their religious aims. The spring festival was transformed into Pesach to
commemorate the Exodus from Egypt. The autumn festival became Sukkot, a
celebration of the dwelling in tents during the time in the desert. The early
summer festival was changed to Shavuot to bear witness to the giving of the Law
on Mt Sinai. The three festivals eventually became occurrences of pilgrimage to
remind the Jews of their former sufferings, liberation and dedication to the
Covenant, but they had their origins in the Canaanite agricultural rhythms.
G-d’s dominion over the Land
The Torah itself presents a number of different views or theologies regarding the
Land of Israel. G-d is identified as the ultimate ruler and owner of the land of
Canaan that is being granted to the children of Israel. Under His reign, Israel is to
live in the spirit and observance of the Torah.
In contrast to the local deities familiar throughout the land of Canaan, the G-d of
Israel is portrayed as a universal king who authority extends beyond the
boundaries of this land. The universality of G-d’s dominion is reflected in
Deuteronomy where it states: “Although heaven and the heaven of heavens
belong to the L-RD you G-d, the earth with all that is in it, yet the L-RD set his
heart in love on your ancestors alone and chose you, their descendants after
them, out of all the peoples.”
The prophet Jeremiah in chastising the Children of Israel for their lapses into
idolatry refers to the land as G-d’s own possession: “I brought you to this
country of farm land to enjoy is fruit and its bounty; but you came and defiled My
Land, You made My possession abhorrent. The priest never asked themselves,
“Where is the L-RD?” The guardians of the Teaching ignored Me and the
prophets prophesied by Baal and followed what can do no good.”
The Jubilee Year in the Land
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The Torah adds to the idea that the Land possesses inherent sacredness by its
legislation regarding the commandment to leave the ground fallow during the
7th year. Leviticus 25 states: ‘G-d spoke
to Moses at Mount Sinai, telling him to
speak to the Israelites and say to them:
When you come to the land that I am
giving you, the land must be given a rest
period, a sabbath to G-d. For six years
you may plant your fields, prune your
vineyards, and harvest your crops, but
the seventh year is a sabbath of
sabbaths for the land. It is G-d’s sabbath
during which you may not plant your
fields, nor prune your vineyards. Do not
harvest crops that grow on their own
and do not gather the grapes on your
unpruned vines, since it is a year of rest
for the land. [What grows while] the
land is resting may be eaten by you, by your male and female slaves, and by the
employees and resident hands who live with you. All the crops shall be eaten by
the domestic and wild animals that are in your land.
Exercise
Discuss the important elements and Scripture quotations connecting the
Covenant to the Land.
LITERACY MOMENT
Make a note of and discuss the
Scripture quotations connecting
the Covenant to the Land.
Biblical
Connection between
Land
the Covenant and
In the five images below, describe what is the significance of their
connection to the history of the land of Israel
The Twelve Tribes of Israel
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The Judges
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The Kings
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The Agricultural Festivals (Specify)
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Moses, Prophet and Leader
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TIKKUN OLAM
From
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ethics/Caring_For_Others/Tikkun_Olam_Repairin
g_the_World_.shtml
"Tikkun olam" (literally, "world repair") has come
to connote social action and the pursuit of social
justice. The phrase has origins in classical rabbinic
literature and in Lurianic kabbalah, a major strand
of Jewish mysticism originating with the work
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from the 16th century.
The term "mipnei tikkun ha-olam" (perhaps best translated in this context as "in
the interest of public policy") is used in the Mishnah (the body of classical
rabbinic teachings codified circa 200 C.E.). There, it refers to social policy
legislation providing extra protection to those potentially at a disadvantage governing, for example, just conditions for the writing of divorce decrees and for
the freeing of slaves.
In reference to individual acts of repair, the phrase "tikkun olam" figures
prominently in the Lurianic account of creation and its implications: G-d
contracted the divine self to make room for creation. Divine light became
contained in special vessels, or kelim, some of which shattered and scattered.
While most of the light returned to its divine source, some light attached itself to
the broken shards. These shards constitute evil and are the basis for the material
world; their trapped sparks of light give them power.
The first man, Adam, was intended to restore the divine sparks through mystical
exercises, but his sin interfered. As a result, good and evil remained thoroughly
mixed in the created world, and human souls (previously contained within
Adam's) also became imprisoned within the shards.
The "repair," that is needed, therefore, is two-fold: the gathering of light and of
souls, to be achieved by human beings through the contemplative performance
of religious acts. The goal of such repair, which can only be effected by humans,
is to separate what is holy from the created world, thus depriving the physical
world of its very existence—and causing all things return to a world before
disaster within the G-dhead and before human sin, thus ending history.
While contemporary activists also use the term "tikkun olam" to refer to acts of
repair by human beings, they do not necessarily believe in or have a familiarity
with the term’s cosmological associations. Their emphasis is on acts of social
responsibility, not the larger realm of sacred acts--and on fixing, not undoing, the
world as we know it.
The phrase "tikkun olam" was first used to refer to social action work in the
1950s. In subsequent decades, many other organizations and thinkers have used
the term to refer to social action programs; tzedakah (charitable giving) and
gemilut hasadim (acts of kindness); and progressive Jewish approaches to social
issues. It eventually became re-associated with kabbalah, and thus for some with
deeper theological meaning.
Thus, over time tikkun olam went from being part of the religious technology of
medieval mystics to a standard part of the vocabulary of contemporary North
American Jews. Its goal shifted from dissolving history to advancing it. But the
phrase “tikkun olam” remains connected with human responsibility for fixing
what is wrong with the world. It also appears to respond to a profound sense of
deep rupture in the universe, which speaks as much to the post-Holocaust era as
it did in the wake of the expulsion from Spain and other medieval Jewish
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disasters.
Contemporary usage of the phrase shares with the rabbinic concept of "mipnei
tikkun ha-olam" a concern with public policy and societal change, and with the
kabbalistic notion of "tikkun" the idea that the world is profoundly broken and
can be fixed only by human activity.
However, except within traditionalist Hasidic communities, the use of "tikkun
olam" rarely reflects the belief that acts outside the realm of social responsibility
(for example, making a blessing before eating) effect cosmic repair; that tikkun
repairs the Divine self; or that the goal of "tikkun" is the complete undoing of the
created world itself.
Tikkun olam, once associated with a mystical approach to all mitzvot, now is
most often used to refer to a specific category of mitzvot involving work for the
improvement of society—a usage perhaps closer to the term’s classical rabbinic
origins than to its longstanding mystical connotations.
Exercise
Watch
the
Shalom
Sesame
song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uxS_HfUac
Tikkun
Olam:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What does it say about Tikkun Olam?
Explain Tikkun Olam.
How is it possible to mend the world?
What are the organizations today which work towards the wellbeing of
people and protection of the environment.
5. Do a practical class project which benefits some organization or an aspect
of conservation in your local area. Divide into groups and get each group
to conduct research into what is happening in your locality. Organise a
speaker. Conduct interviews. Present findings. Do something which
practically raises awareness of the issue in your school, in your local
library, or create a display, a webpage, a vimeo video of your findings.
6.
Tikkun Olam
Examine the image presented here.
What concept of Judaism in relation to its beliefs
and moral teachings does this picture best
represent?
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SOME EXAMPLES OF TIKKUN OLAM FOLLOW BELOW:
1. ACTION-RESEARCH PROJECT ON TIKKUN OLAM
To investigate how Tikkun Olam is applicable in our everyday lives and through
our everyday actions e.g. buying fair trade, rainforest alliance certified goods etc.
– food and clothes.
To appreciate how this is indirectly supporting not only those in developing
countries but also helping safeguard our biodiversity and the richness of life on
our plant.
Method
Create two world maps or globes
Divide students into groups and ask them to research different areas, e.g. ‘From
origin to eating’ – Pick some foods and follow their ‘journey’ from start to end –
impact on environment and conditions for producers etc.
From plant to people – Pick common items of clothing – carry out study as above.
Look at both of these from non-fairtrade perspective and then from fair-trade
perspective.
Students create a world that does not follow the Tikkun Olam model and then a
world that does.
Using visuals and samples of food, material etc to create a ‘balanced world’
where ethical consumerism reigns and healing is brought to our world.
Project culminates in a Purim celebration where students give small but ethical
gifts to one another with our Tikkun Olam Ethical Globe as a centrepiece of the
ethical celebration.
2. TU BISHVAT: THE BIRTHDAY OF THE TREES
1 What type of trees grow in our school?
2 What do trees do?
3 Why do we need to take care of them?
What is deforestation?
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NASA has released figures recently that an area of land twice the size of
California in Brazil has been suffering from drought for the last eight years, this
is one of the first signs that the Amazon area is suffering major consequences
from climate change. Deforestation is believed to be one of the key factors
involved in climate change.
Tikkun Olam
In judaism the Torah teaches that we are responsible for working and caring for
the earth. This is called Tikkun Olam in hebrew. On Tu Bishvat at the
beginning of Spring the role of trees in our world is celebrated. It is said that on
Tu Bishvat every tree turns a year older. On Tu Bishvat a seder meal is eaten
with seven fruits associated with Israel and four cups of wine. A sapling may be
planted, people may do some gardening or some activity associated with caring
for the environment and appreciating nature.
Tikkun Olam says that everyone can (and should) take care of their little corner
of the world and help to make it beautiful. I’m small but I can make a big
difference in the world could be one way to approach Tikkum Olam.
What can you you/we do to to put Tikkum Olam into practice in our school?
I can------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY
Introduction
In order to start this discussion, it can be helpful to look at our own relationship
to Tikkun Olam:
When you were young, did you have ideas about how you wanted to
improve the world?
Did anyone ever listen to you about your ideas or follow your lead?
Can you remember how you developed a social conscience?
What was going on in your life?
Was there anyone who was a model for you?
How old were you then?
Can you think of any examples of people or organizations that are currently
working to repair the world which inspire you?
What do you find discouraging when you think about taking initiative to
repair the world?
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How do you overcome your moments of hopelessness about the state of the
world today?
Explore the following topic in that context of tikkun olam.
Essential Dignity of Every Human Being
In the spirit that each person is made in the divine image, we recognize each
human life is of equal value and we honor the inherent potential in every person
and culture. In the Torah we are reminded about this and about our
responsibility to care for the poor and oppressed:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)
If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you
shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall
live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that
your brother may live beside you. (Leviticus 25:35-36)
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien,
giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:18)
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land
that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted
toward your poor brother.(Deuteronomy 15:7)
Explains the Talmud (Sotah 14a) "Just as the Lord clothes the naked as He did
with Adam, so you clothe the naked; just as the Lord visits the sick as He did with
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Abraham, so you visit the sick; just as the Lord comforts the bereaved as He did
with Isaac, so you comfort the bereaved; just as the Lord buries the dead as he
did with Moses, so you bury the dead." Similarly in the Midrash (homiletical
writings) we are told by the sage Abba Shaul, "Just as He is gracious and
compassionate, so you be gracious and compassionate." (Mechilta, Canticles, 3).
When you read all of what is expected, then it is important to keep that in mind
as you read facts about homelessness and poverty, particularly in Ireland.
FACTS
A special census report was published in September 2012 on Homeless Persons
in Ireland. The total figure is 3,808.
In Dublin there were 73 persons confirmed sleeping rough on the night of the
most recent count in Spring 2012. The chart below shows the figure for each
count since 2007.
Rough
Winter Spring Winter Spring Winter Winter Spring Winter Spring
Sleeper
07
08
08
09
09
2010 2011 2011 2012
Count
Total
104
111 101
98
60
70
59
87
73
Poverty is an underlying cause of homelessness. Other factors, many of which are
inter-related, also cause homelessness. These include: poor educational
achievement, poor quality jobs or unemployment, high cost of buying or renting
a home, difficult relationships at home, leaving institutional care, inadequate
community support services, ill-health - including mental health - physical,
sexual and mental abuse, disability, drugs and alcohol misuse, crime, and leaving
prison. People sleeping rough, living on the streets or in shelters may experience
absolute poverty. This means they are living without proper shelter, food,
clothing or medical care. Often, people who are homeless have little or no
support from family and friends.
There is an insufficient supply of appropriate and affordable homes for people in
poverty and people who are homeless. People who experience poverty may live
in poor quality private rented housing, have rent arrears, be under eviction
proceedings or have no security of tenure. Housing costs such as high rents
increase the poverty risk of people living in private rented houses or
flats/apartments.
Learning about homelessness from a photograph
Essential questions for photograph:
How can the specific details in a photograph combine to tell a story?
How do we treat people who are homeless?
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Activities
1. Pair and Share in the class. Together, make a list of all the fine details you
notice in this photo.
2. Discuss your lists with another set of partners. Use the following questions to
guide your discussion:
 Where do you think this photo was taken?
 Who are the subjects of this photo?
 How do the subjects look? What are they wearing?
 What other items do you see in this photo?
 What seems to be the overall mood of this photo?
3. Choose one of the following ways to explore this subject:
With your partner, use your list to write a fictional story. Imagine that the
photo is an illustration accompanying your story. Make sure all of the fine
details that appear in this photo are also mentioned in your story.
Consider the following when crafting your story:
 How do we treat people who are homeless?
 What stereotypes might someone have about the people in this photo?

How can your story defy these stereotypes?
 Write an article exposing homelessness and poverty in your own
community. Consider the following when writing your article:
 Are there areas in your neighborhood or town where people are living
in poverty? What do you notice about these areas?
 What stereotypes do others have about the people in those areas?
 What do you believe is at the center of the issue of poverty in your
town?
4. Share your story or article with the rest of the class. You can take turns reading
your story or article aloud in small groups or just to one partner.




How about YOU?
How can you find out about poverty and homelessness in your area?
Is there anything you could do about it?
Is there anything your class or school could do about it?
How could you motivate your class to take part in this example of tikkun
olam?
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There are many examples of individual student or school –initiated tikkun olam
projects. One example is the opportunity that hurricane Katrina provided for one
student:
Recalling that she was "horrified and consumed by the TV images" of Beth Israel
under water, Haley Fields, then just 13 years old, felt compelled to act. She said,
"It was incomprehensible to me how a synagogue could be without a Torah. It is
a tree of life for the Jewish people." Determined to raise money to buy Beth Israel
a Torah, Haley created a charitable organization, Every Minute Counts, with the
help of her family. She began to sell watches emblazoned with that phrase at her
day school and synagogue and set up displays at kosher restaurants in the area.
Soon her synagogue, Young Israel, took it on as a project as did several other
congregations in Los Angeles. In the space of a few months, Haley had sold 3,500
watches and raised $18,000.
What can YOU do?
4. TIKKUN OLAM AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Tikkun Olam" (literally, "world repair") has come to connote
social action and the pursuit of social justice. This idea of
social justice should not just be seen as a global issue but as
one that can be started right on our own door step. In Ireland
the prison population stands at over 5000 people with more
then 800 on temporary release and even more walking out of
courts each day with conditions attached that’s could see
them go to prison if terms are broken. With the rise in crime
due to the economic climate what can be done to combat these numbers.
With Tikkun Olam in mind
maybe we should turn to restorative
justice. Restorative justice is the idea
that focuses on the needs of the victims
and the offenders, as well as the
involved community, instead of
satisfying abstract legal principles or
punishing the offender. Victims take an
active role in the process, while
offenders are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, to repair the
harm they've done or by apologizing, returning stolen money, or community
service. Restorative justice involves both victim and offender and focuses on
their personal needs. In addition, it provides help for the offender in order to
avoid future offences. It is based on a theory of justice that considers crime and
wrongdoing to be an offence against an individual or community, rather than the
state. Restorative justice that fosters dialogue between victim and offender
shows the highest rates of victim satisfaction and offender accountability.
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So what has this got to do with Tikkun Olam? If Tikkun Olam is about
repairing the world is our world also our community and within our community
we have those that do wrong. We have a system that punishes, and yes some
people do need to be punished but we have others that can be changed and
shown a new path. Is throwing someone in prison for 3 years for stealing a car
social justice? How has this benefited
the victim or how has the 3 years in
prison benefited the criminal. In fact it
will probably mean the criminal skills
will be honed in prison and instead of
your car watch out home, and when he
has kids the cycle could continue and in
turn your kids will be his kids victim. If
we are to “repair” and in turn have
social justice then the action to take is
restorative justice.
Exodus 21:24 an eye for an eye is
often referenced when it come to the legal system but in fact it is often taken out
of context. Most scholars would argue that its about the restoration of damages.
Jewish legal scholar David Llewellyn notes, “Fewer people would be convicted
under the Mosaic code than under the penal codes of any of our fifty states”.






Research commissioned by the UK Government, which was undertaken
between 2004 and 2008 by a team headed by Professor Joanna Shapland
at the University of Sheffield, showed that 77% of victims offered an RJ
session took the opportunity. Offender participation rates were similarly
high.
Another research project, led by criminologists Professor Lawrence
Sherman and Dr Heather Strang found that 27% fewer crimes were
committed by offenders after they’d taken
part in an RJ conference than those
offenders who did not.
33% of offenders leaving prison are less
likely to reoffend after RJ.
55% of those who have had non-custodial
punishments are less likely to reoffend
after RJ.
The Government trials showed that 85% of
victims were satisfied with the process and
72% would recommend it to others.
The trials showed that through bringing about reductions in reoffending ,
RJ saved the Criminal Justice System nine times what it cost to deliver. In
other words, for every £100 of tax payers’ money spent on setting up RJ
sessions, £800 is saved on court time, legal representation, prison costs
and rehabilitation on a subsequent offence committed by the offender
who took part.
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

Ministry of Justice figures show that 49% of adults released from prison
are reconvicted within a year. 72% of under 18s released from custody
in 2008 reoffended within a year.
According to the National Audit Office, reoffending by ex-prisoners cost
the economy over £9.5 billion
between the years 2007 and 2008.
These
statistics
show
that
restorative justice can work and
that the definition of Tikkun Olam
supports and encourages this.
Maybe if this approach was to be
taken then the numbers in our
prisons would decrease and the
crime numbers would be down and
our communities would be safer places for all.
LITERACY MOMENT
Define Tikkun Olam:
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
ETHICAL MONOTHEISM
Exercise
1. Explain why we have Ten Commandments when there are 613
commandments in the Jewish law.
2. What are the biblical texts which are the basis for the Ten
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Commandments?
3. What was the purpose of the Ten Commandments?
4. Put the following mixed Ten Commandments in their correct order
according to JEWISH tradition.
Belief in G-d
This category is derived from the declaration in Ex. 20:2 beginning, "I am the
L-rd, your G-d..."
Prohibition of Oaths
Ex. 20:7, beginning, "You shall not take the name of the L-rd your G-d in vain..."
Prohibition of Improper Worship
This category is derived from Ex. 20:3-6, beginning, "You shall not have other
gods..."
Prohibition of Physically Harming a Person
This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not murder."
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.
Prohibition of Coveting
This category is derived from Ex. 20:14, beginning, "You shall not covet your
neighbor's house..."
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."
Respect for Parents and Teachers
Ex. 20:12, beginning, "Honor your father and mother..."
Prohibition of Theft
This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not steal."
Prohibition of Sexual Immorality
This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not commit adultery."
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF G-D
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/g-d.html
The nature of G-d is one of the few areas of abstract Jewish belief where there
are a number of clear-cut ideas about which there is little dispute or
disagreement.
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G-d Exists
The fact of G-d's existence is accepted almost without question. Proof is not
needed, and is rarely offered. The Torah begins by stating "In the beginning, G-d
created..." It does not tell who G-d is or how He was created.
In general, Judaism views the existence of G-d as a necessary prerequisite for the
existence of the universe. The existence of the universe is sufficient proof of the
existence of G-d.
G-d is One
One of the primary expressions of Jewish faith, recited twice daily in prayer, is
the Shema, (Deut 6) which begins "Hear, Israel: The L-rd is our G-d, The L-rd is
one." This simple statement encompasses several different ideas:
1. There is only one G-d. No other being participated in the work of creation.
2. G-d is a unity. He is a single, whole, complete indivisible entity. He cannot be
divided into parts or described by attributes. Any attempt to ascribe
attributes to G-d is merely man's imperfect attempt to understand the
infinite.
3. G-d is the only being to whom we should offer praise. The Shema can also be
translated as "The L-rd is our G-d, The L-rd alone," meaning that no other
is our G-d, and we should not pray to any other.
G-d is the Creator of Everything
Everything in the universe was created by G-d and only by G-d. Judaism
completely rejects the dualistic notion that evil was created by Satan or some
other deity. All comes from G-d. As Isaiah said, "I am the L-rd, and there is none
else. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil. I am the
L-rd, that does all these things." (Is. 45:6-7).
G-d is Incorporeal
Although many places in scripture and Talmud speak of various parts of G-d's
body (the Hand of G-d, G-d's wings, etc.) or speak of G-d in anthropomorphic
terms (G-d walking in the garden of Eden, G-d laying tefillin, etc.), Judaism firmly
maintains that G-d has no body. Any reference to G-d's body is simply a figure of
speech, a means of making G-d's actions more comprehensible to beings living in
a material world. Much of Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed is devoted to
explaining each of these anthropomorphic references and proving that they
should be understood figuratively.
We are forbidden to represent G-d in a physical form. That is considered idolatry.
The sin of the Golden Calf incident was not that the people chose another deity,
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but that they tried to represent G-d in a physical form.
G-d is Neither Male nor Female
This followed directly from the fact that G-d has no physical form. As one rabbi
explained it to me, G-d has no body, no genitalia, therefore the very idea that G-d
is male or female is patently absurd. We refer to G-d using masculine terms
simply for convenience's sake, because Hebrew has no neutral gender; G-d is no
more male than a table is.
Although we usually speak of G-d in masculine terms, there are times when we
refer to G-d using feminine terms. The Shechinah, the manifestation of G-d's
presence that fills the universe, is conceived of in feminine terms, and the word
Shechinah is a feminine word.
G-d is Omnipresent
G-d is in all places at all times. He fills the universe and exceeds its scope. He is
always near for us to call upon in need, and He sees all that we do. Closely tied in
with this idea is the fact that G-d is universal. He is not just the G-d of the Jews;
He is the G-d of all nations.
G-d is Omnipotent
G-d can do anything. It is said that the only thing that is beyond His power is the
fear of Him; that is, we have free will, and He cannot compel us to do His will.
This belief in G-d's omnipotence has been sorely tested during the many
persecutions of Jews, but we have always maintained that G-d has a reason for
allowing these things, even if we in our limited perception and understanding
cannot see the reason.
G-d is Omniscient
G-d knows all things, past, present and future. He knows our thoughts.
G-d is Eternal
G-d transcends time. He has no beginning and no end. He will always be there to
fulfill his promises. When Moses asked for G-d's name, He replied, "Ehyeh asher
ehyeh." That phrase is generally translated as, "I am that I am," but the word
"ehyeh" can be present or future tense, meaning "I am what I will be" or "I will be
what I will be." The ambiguity of the phrase is often interpreted as a reference to
G-d's eternal nature.
G-d is Both Just and Merciful
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Judaism has always maintained that G-d's justice is tempered by mercy, the two
qualities perfectly balanced. Of the two Names of G-d most commonly used in
scripture, one refers to his quality of justice and the other to his quality of mercy.
The two names were used together in the story of Creation, showing that the
world was created with both justice and mercy.
G-d is Holy and Perfect
One of the most common names applied to G-d in the post-Biblical period is "HaKadosh, Baruch Hu," The Holy One, Blessed be He.
G-d is our Father
Judaism maintains that G-d has billions of sons and daughters. We are all G-d's
children. The Talmud teaches that there are three participants in the formation
of every human being: the mother and father, who provide the physical form,
and G-d, who provides the soul, the personality, and the intelligence. It is said
that one of G-d's greatest gifts to humanity is the knowledge that we are His
children and created in His image.
CHARACTERISTICS OF G-D: SUMMARY BOX
G-d exists
G-d is one
G-d is the creator of everything
G-d is incorporeal (without a bodily form)
G-d is neither male nor female
G-d is omnipresent (present everywhere)
G-d is omnipotent (all-powerful)
G-d is omniscient (all-knowing)
G-d is eternal
G-d is both just and merciful
G-d is our Father
G-d is holy and perfect
ETHICAL MONOTHEISM
Any word which has the word theist‘ as part of it comes from the Greek root Theos
i.e. related to G-ds or G-d. We speak of a theist as one who believes in a G-d. We
speak of atheist as one who does not believe in any G-d. Ancient near eastern
religions were almost all polytheistic. The prefix poly means many‘. Polytheistic
means that they worshipped many G-ds and had cults and practices associated with
this. The prefix mono means one; monotheistic means the worship of one G-d. There
were pagan monotheists and they were often pantheistic which means that G-d was
equated with the world, not separate from it i.e. the sun was G-d, the moon was G-d,
etc., not that G-d created the sun or the moon. We speak of ethical monotheism in
relation to Judaism because biblical faith arrives at the oneness of G-d because of
ethical considerations and through a direct insight into the absolute character of moral
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law. There is a difference also not so much in how many G-ds are involved but what
kind of a G-d is involved. For example, the G-ds of paganism even monotheistic
pagan G-ds the G-d of ethical monotheism is G-d who is invites people into personal
relationship and the people’s response to that invitation is expressed in the observance
of certain practices and an ethical way of life.
Central to Ethical Monotheism in Judaism are the following:
Abridged from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/mono.html
1. There is one G-d from whom emanates one morality for all humanity.
2. G-d's primary demand of people is that they act decently toward one another.
If all people subscribed to this simple belief—which does not entail leaving, or
joining, any specific religion, or giving up any national identity—the world would
experience far less evil.
The G-d of ethical monotheism is the G-d first revealed to the world in the
Hebrew Bible. Through it, we can establish G-d's four primary characteristics:
1. G-d is supranatural.
2. G-d is personal.
3. G-d is good.
4. G-d is holy.
Dropping any one of the first three attributes means that it is not ethical
monotheism (it is possible, though difficult, to ignore holiness and still lead an
ethical life).
G-d is supranatural, meaning "above nature" . This is why Genesis, the Bible's
first book, opens with, "In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth"
in a world in which nearly all people worshipped nature, the Bible's intention
was to emphasize that nature is utterly subservient to G-d who made it.
Obviously, therefore, G-d is not a part of nature, and nature is not G-d.
The second essential characteristic is that G-d is personal.
The G-d of ethical monotheism is not some depersonalized force: G-d cares about
His creations. G-d knows each of us. We are, after all, "created in His image." This
is not merely wishful thinking why would G-d create a being capable of knowing
Him, yet choose not to know that being?
This does not mean that G-d necessarily answers prayers or even that G-d
intervenes in all or even any of our lives. It means that He knows us and cares
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about us. Caring beings are not created by an uncaring being. The whole point of
ethical monotheism is that G-d's greatest desire is that we act toward one
another with justice and mercy.
A third characteristic of G-d is goodness.
A G-d who is not good cannot demand goodness. Unlike all other G-ds believed in
prior to monotheism, the biblical G-d rules by moral standards. Thus, in the
Babylonian version of the flood story, the G-ds, led by Enlil, sent a flood to
destroy mankind, saving only Utnapishtim and his wife - because Enlil personally
liked Utnapishtim. It is an act of impulse not morality. In the biblical story, G-d
also sends a flood, saving only Noah and his wife and family. The stories are
almost identical except for one overwhelming difference: the entire Hebrew
story is animated by ethical/moral concerns. G-d brings the flood solely because
people treat one another, not G-d, badly, and G-d saves Noah solely because he
was "the most righteous person in his generation."
Words cannot convey the magnitude of the change wrought by the Hebrew
Bible's introduction into the world of a G-d who rules the universe morally.
Holiness
As primary as ethics are, man cannot live by morality alone. We are also
instructed to lead holy lives: "You shall be holy because I the Lord your G-d am
holy" (Leviticus 19:2). G-d is more than the source of morality, He is the source of
holiness.
Ethics enables life; holiness ennobles it. Holiness is the elevation of the human
being from his animal nature to his being created in the image of G-d. To cite a
simple example, we can eat like an animal—with our fingers, belching, from the
floor, while relieving ourselves or elevate ourselves to eat from a table, with
utensils and napkins, keeping our digestive sounds quiet. It is, however, very
important to note that a person who eats like an animal is doing something
unholy, not immoral. The distinction, lost upon many religious people, is an
important one.
One G-d and One Morality
The oneness of G-d is an indispensable component of ethical monotheism.
Only if there is one G-d is there one morality. Two or more G-ds mean two or
more divine wills, and therefore two or more moral codes. That is why ethical
polytheism is unlikely. Once G-d told Abraham that human sacrifice is wrong, it
was wrong. There was no competing G-d to teach otherwise.
One morality also means one moral code for all humanity. "Thou shall not
murder" means that murder is wrong for everyone, not just for one culture. .
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One Humanity
One G-d who created human beings of all races means that all of humanity are
related. Only if there is one Father are all of us brothers and sisters.
Human Life is Sacred
Another critical moral ramification of ethical monotheism is the sanctity of
human life. Only if there is a G-d in whose image human beings are created is
human life sacred. If human beings do not contain an element of the divine, they
are merely intelligent animals.
G-d's Primary Demand Is Goodness
Of course, the clearest teaching of ethical monotheism is that G-d demands
ethical behavior.
As Ernest van den Haag described it: "[The Jews'] invisible G-d not only insisted
on being the only and all powerful G-d . . . He also developed into a moral G-d."
But ethical monotheism suggests more than that G-d demands ethical behavior;
it means that G-ds primary demand is ethical behavior. It means that G-d cares
about how we treat one another more than He cares about anything else.
Jews and Ethical Monotheism
Since Judaism gave the world ethical monotheism, one would expect that Jews
would come closest to holding its values. In some important ways, this is true.
Jews do hold that G-d judges everyone, Jew or Gentile, by his or her behavior.
This is a major reason that Jews do not proselytize (though it is not an argument
against Jews proselytizing; indeed, they ought to): Judaism has never believed
that non Jews have to embrace Judaism to attain salvation or any other reward in
the afterlife.
But within Jewish religious life, the picture changes. The more observant a Jew is,
the more he or she is likely to assume that G-d considers ritual observances to be
at least as important as G-d's ethical demands.
This erroneous belief is as old as the Jewish people, and one against which the
prophets passionately railed: "Do I [G-d] need your many sacrifices?" cried out
Isaiah (Isaiah 1:11). The question is rhetorical. What G-d does demand is justice
and goodness based on faith in G-d: "Oh, man," taught the prophet Micah, "G-d
has told you what is good and what G-d requires of you only that you act justly,
love goodness and walk humbly with your G-d" (Micah 6:8, emphasis added).
In Judaism, the commandments between human beings and G-d are extremely
significant. But they are not as important as ethical behavior. The prophets,
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Judaism's most direct messengers of G-d, affirmed this view repeatedly, and the
Talmudic rabbis later echoed it. "Love your neighbor as yourself is the greatest
principle in the Torah," said Rabbi Akiva (Palestinian Talmud, Nedarim 9:4).
That is why when the great Rabbi Hillel was asked by a pagan to summarize all of
Judaism "while standing on one leg, he was able to do so: "What is hateful to you,
do not do to others; the rest is commentary now go and study" (Babylonian
Talmud, Shabbat 31a). Hillel could have said, "Keep the 613 commandments of
the Torah; now go and do them," but he didn't. In fact, he went further. After
enunciating his ethical principle, he concluded, "The rest is commentary." In
other words, the rest of Judaism is essentially a commentary on how to lead an
ethical life.
Unfortunately, with no more direct messages from G-d, and few Hillels, the
notion that the laws between man and G-d and the laws between people are
equally important gained ever wider acceptance in religious Jewish life.
Perhaps there are three reasons for this:
1. It is much more difficult to be completely ethical than to completely observe
the ritual laws. While one can master the laws between people and G-d, no one
can fully master human decency.
2. While ethical principles are more or less universal, the laws between people
and G-d are uniquely Jewish. Therefore, that which most distinguishes observant
Jews from non-observant Jews and from non Jews are Judaism's ritual laws, not
its ethical laws. Thus it was easy for a mindset to develop which held that what
ever is most distinctively Jewish—i.e., the laws between people and G-d—is
more Jewishly important than whatever is universal.
3. Observance of many laws between people and G-d is public and obvious. Other
Jews can see how you pray, how diligently you learn Talmud and Torah, and if
you dress in the modest manner dictated by Jewish law. Few people know how
you conduct your business affairs, how you treat your employees, how you talk
behind others' backs, or how you treat your spouse. Therefore, the easiest way to
demonstrate the depth of your religiosity is through observance of the laws
between man and G-d, especially the ones that are most public.
Yet, while observant Jews may overstress the "monotheism" in "ethical
"monotheism," the fact is that they believe the entire doctrine to be true. Secular
Jews, on the other hand, believe that ethics can be separated from G-d and
religion. The results have not been positive. The ethical record of Jews and non
Jews involved in causes that abandoned ethical monotheism has included
involvement in moral relativism, Marxism, and the worship of art, education, law,
etc.
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The lessons for religious Jews are never to forget the primacy of ethics and not to
abandon the ethical monotheist mission of Judaism. The lesson for secular Jews
is to realize that ethics cannot long survive the death of monotheism.
ETHICAL MONOTHEISM: SUMMARY BOX
One G-d
One morality
One humanity
Sacredness of human life because we are created in G-d’s image
G-d demands ethical behaviour; that we treat other people justly
G-d is the source of holiness in the living out of our lives
G-d enters into personal relationship with humanity
G-d is above nature
Exercise
1. Why do people believe in G-d?
2. How is belief in G-d connected to how we live our lives?
3. What are the challenges presented in today’s society in trying to live from
the perspective of ethical monotheism?
4. Discuss in detail, and using examples, why mercy and justice are linked in
the characteristics of G-d.
5. What are the two core elements central to ethical monotheism?
Comparison between Mecca/Makkah for Muslims
and Jerusalem for Jews
Look at the following two photographs. In each case,
(1)
identify the location
(2)
specify the religious traditions for whom this is their spiritual home
(3)
name the key figures with whom this site is associated
(4) describe why this place is important in that religious tradition.
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Picture 1 above:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Picture 2 above:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Fill in the following cloze passage in relation to Picture 1:
The ……… Wall or Wailing Wall is the last remaining wall of the Temple. It is the
most significant holy place for the Jewish people and therefore a site of …….. It is
known in Hebrew as the …………… ……………….. It is located in the city of
…………in the country of ……….. It is on the Temple Mount or Mount …..
According to Jewish tradition, this is the place where the creation of the world
began and where ……., the first human, was created. This was also the place
where …… had taken his son ……., bound him, and prepared to sacrifice him. The
dream of Jacob with the angels ascending and descending on a ladder was said to
have taken place here. The Holy of ……, the core of the First and Second Temple,
was said to have been in this area. The Wailing wall is the western support wall
of the Temple which was re-constructed in the time of ….. in 37 BCE. It is termed
the wailing wall because of the tears shed over the …….. of the Temple in 70 CE.
……. of visitors come to the Wailing Wall each year. The part of the Western Wall
that we see at the Prayer Plaza is ….. metres (187 feet) long. The entire length of
the Western Wall, however, is actually 488 metres (……. feet) long! Most of it is
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no longer visible and is underground. Thousands of children become Bar or
……… …………. in this sacred place. Soldiers serving in the Israeli Defence Forces
swear ……… here to their nation and homeland here. People write …………
……………. to G-d and place them in the crevices of the wall.
Jerusalem
Loyalty
Isaac
1600
Jewish
Abraham
Western
Wailing Wall
Temple Mount
Israel
Destruction
57
Millions
Prayer Notes
Bat Mitzvah
Adam Moriah
HaKotel HaMa’aravi
Holies
Herod
Pilgrimage
Aliyah
Fill in the following cloze passage in relation to Picture 2:
Makkah or Mecca is the holiest city in ………. Followers of this religion called ……
are known as …… Makkah is a city in the ….. of the Makkah Province in ………
……….. The full official name is Makkah al-Mukarramah [makka lmukarrama] or
[makkah almukarrama], which means "Mecca the Honored", but is also loosely
translated as "The ……. ……… of Mecca". A pilgrimage known as …… is obligatory
and undertaken by all followers of this religion at least once in their lifetime if
they are physically and financially able to do it. It is one of the five pillars of that
religion. They dress in simple white clothing to symbolize equality.
Mecca/Makkah is the birthplace of ……….. The ka’aba is a cube-like structure
located inside the Grand …… in Makkah. The …. is a semi-cubic building that
stands about 15 metres high and 10-12 metres wide. It is an ancient, simple
structure made of granite. In the South East corner, a black meteorite (the "Black
Stone") is embedded in a silver frame. Stairs on the north side lead to a door
which allows entry to the interior, which is hollow and empty. The Ka'aba is
covered with a kiswah, a black silk cloth which is embroidered in gold with
verses from the …… . The …… is re-done and replaced once a year. According to
the tradition, Abraham and his son ………. built this as a house of monotheistic
worship. During the annual pilgrimage, ……..walk around the Ka’aba in an anticlockwise direction, a ritual known as tawaf.
Saudi Arabia
Hajj
Kiswah
Muhammad
Holy city
Muslims
Islam
Mosque
Ka’aba
Muslims
Qur’an
LITERACY MOMENT
Explain the meaning of the terms
outlined in the cloze passages
above.
Find out where are Mosques
located in Ireland.
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Hejaz
Ishmael
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