Download The Hebrews and Judaism

The Hebrews and Judaism
Jewish Beliefs and Texts
Jewish Beliefs Anchor Their Society
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The Jews are monotheistic, believe in one God and many believe the first.
The God of the Jews is YHWH and is never pronounced by Jews. In ancient
times where civilizations worshiped many gods, worshiping one god set
them apart.
Belief in One God
The worship of one God, Yahweh, shaped
Jewish society. Jews believe God has
guided them through history by using
leaders such as Abraham, Moses and
Joshua. Education is also important and
all children are taught the basics of the
faith. In ancient times, boys but not girls,
studied the texts and were trained in the
ways.
Justice and Righteousness
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Justice and righteousness are also central to the faith. To the Jews,
justice means kindness and fairness in dealing with other people
– even strangers and criminals. Jews are expected to giive aid to
those in need – poor, sick, homeless, etc. They also must be fair in
business deals. Jews should also be righteous – do the right thing
even if others choose not to. This is more important than
ceremony.
Observance of Religious and Moral Law
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Observance of the law is closely
related to justice and
righteousness. Moral and religious
laws given to them by God have
guided the Jews through history to
today.
Religious and Moral Law
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The Ten Commandments is the
most important of Jewish laws –
but only one part. Jews believe
that God gave Moses all of his
laws and that Moses wrote them
all down in a system that has
become known as Mosaic Law.
Religious and Moral Law
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Mosaic law guides many areas of Jewish life. It regulates the way people pray and celebrate
holidays. Jews are not allowed to work on holidays or the Sabbath. The Sabbath begins at
sundown on Friday night and ends at nightfall Saturday. Foods are also dealt with as far as what
can and can’t be eaten and the way things should be prepared. Pork and shellfish are out and meats
and other foods must be prepared in a kosher manner.
Religious and Moral Law
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Today, Jews who strictly follow mosaic law are called Orthodox Jews. Those
that don’t follow strictly the ancient ways are called Reform Jews. A third
group that falls between the two are called Conservative Jews
Texts List Jewish Beliefs
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THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE Jewish
Bible are known as the Torah and that is
where you find most of the law and also
a history of the Jews to the death of
Moses. Readings from the Torah are
central to services and almost all
synagogues have at least one. Readers
do not touch, but out of respect, follow
along with a pointer to mark text.
The Hebrew Bible
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The Torah is the first of three parts that comprise the Hebrew Bible. The
second part is eight books of the prophets = messages given to and shared by
prophets to the people from God. The final 11 books are stories, poems,
lessons, songs and history. The Book of Daniel is an example of faith
rewarded. The final part also has the proverbs and psalms, which provide
some of the most beautiful and thought provoking as well as comforting
texts in the Bible.
Commentaries
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For centuries, scholars have studied the
torah and Bible and have chronicled
commentaries on the difficult readings.
Many of these are found in the Talmud –
a set of commentaries on lessons for
everyday life. Many consider these
second only to the Hebrew Bible in
significance.
Dead Sea Scrolls
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The Dead Sea Scrolls are also important. Found in 1947 by young boys looking for a goat
in some caves, the few moldy scrolls brought about a search of the desert where others
were found. Written between 100BC and 50AD, they give us a picture of what lives of the
early jews were like.
Judaism and Later Cultures
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Jewish ideas have influenced the
cultures of many other lands, particularly
in Europe and the US. Besides
influencing societies with their ideas, the
religion will influence two major
religions – Islam and Christianity – all
linking to Abraham. The 10
Commandments are another huge
influence.
Later Cultures
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Finally, Jewish teachings can be
linked to the idea of charity and
giving to those less fortunate as
well as treating all fairly and with
respect – even those that may not
appreciate.
Yep – I wasn’t kidding
To Sum up …
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Exit: How have Jewish ideas helped shape modern laws?
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Stay tuned next time for Judaism Over the Centuries