Judaism

Judaism
Why study worlds smallest religion?

Great influence on Western Civilization

Religion practice by Jesus
Connections to Christianity, Islam
It is a living religion
Still awaiting the Messiah
Being a Jew has ethnic and religious connotation

A religious Jew practices Judaism

An ethnic Jew may or may not practice Judaism
Judaism as a race comes from Nazi Anti Semitism when the
official policy of state was that the essence of Jewishness
was believed to be biological uniqueness which meant a
Jew couldnt avoid persecution

Biblical Period 1800BCE -323 BCE

Rabbinic Period 323BCE-637CE
Medieval Period 639-1783CE
Modern Period 1783-Present

Jewish History- Biblical Period

1. Abram-Abraham- father of many
Father of 3 Western Religions
Polytheistic tribe called forth to Canaan by
the one God
1st to establish covenant with el shaddai

Patriarchal Paradigms (model)

1.
2.
3.
4.

Abraham.bling obedience
IsaacPawn
Jacobarguer
Josephforesight/forgiveness

B. Egypt
B. Moses religious experience on Mt. Horeb
God reveals name YHWH
Challenges Pharaoh
YHWH v. the Egyptian gods and goddesses

Exodus- the LAW is given at Mt. Sinai

Into Canaan- Covenant broken and renewed
Time of Judges (Joshua)

C. Monarchy
Everything is governed by Religious Law
a. Saul- anointed by God at peoples request
b. David- Greatest King who establishes peacesaint/sinner
c. Solomon1

Split kingdom and fall of the kingdoms due to failure

to follow Covenant

2
3

BABYLONIAN EXILE

Return to Israel about 50 years later under

Zoroastrian influence. Rebuild Temple
Some Jews stay in Persia

d. Zarathustra
Belief in forces of good and evil
Universe is a cosmic battleground of good and evil
Hints at final battle Day of Judgment, Day of
Resurrection
May have influenced Jewish thoughts on Messiah

Jewish History- Modern Period

Coincides with age of enlightenment
In western Europe/us- new Jewish groups
Reform Judaism- advocated full integration into
culture where one lived
Conservative Judaism- counteracts Reform,
modifies Jewish traditions in limited ways
Orthodox Judaism- Most traditional, Hasidism
Reconstructionist Judaism- advocates Judaism as a
culture, not only a religion

Reform

Conservative

Orthodox

Reconstruction

Source of Torah Not God

Truth from God From God,

but transmitted given to Moses
through
humans

Dont believe in
God or Jews
are chosen

How is Torah
interpreted

Open to
change

Law can
change and
adapt

Strictly, not
subject to
change

Open, not
binding

Kosher

Follow is but
optional

Yes, but le
strictly

Yes, strict

Yes, because
you want too

Women Rabbis

Yes

Yes, some
cases

No

Yes

Descent from
Mother or
Father

From either
parent

Only from
Mother

Only from
Mother

From either
parent

 2. In Russia persecutions of Jews continued

Government creates false document to cover
their own corruption. Document outlines
Jewish plot to take over the world
3. Zionism- movement of 19th century to
restore a Jewish homeland in Palestine in
response to anti-Semitism
1948-Un returns to Palestine to Jew
1967- Six day war returns

2. Sacred Stories and Sacred Scriptures

a. Sacred writings: considered inspired by God
1. Tanakh- The Hebrew Bible
Torah- first five books
o
o
o
o
o

Genesis
Numbers
Exodus
Leviticus
Deuteronomy

Neviim-Prophets
Isaiah
Jeremiah

Ketuvim-writings

Jews believe God gave Moses 2 Torahs:

a) Written Torah
b) Oral Torahexplanation and interpretation of the Written
Torah. They cant be separated
Mishnah= Oral Torah written down and
codified
Law was organized into 6 sections

B. Other Sacred Writings

Commentaries on Mishnah:
Midrash- to examine
Jerusalem Talmud- commentaries
Babylonian Talmud- ore authoritative
Midrash- often a story to explain Biblical text

Rings of Interpretation
God Torah Talmud Midrash

3. Beliefs and Practices

Summed up in words: God, Torah, Israel
Shma
hear, o Israel the Lord our God the Lord is One

A. Who is God?
God gives meaning to everything
What did the Jews know about God
1. IS ONE-UNIQUE
2. IS CREATOR
3. IS GOOD
4. DESIRES GOODNESS FROM ALL CREATION

 But if creation is good then why do things in

nature go wrong?
Man is imperfect and responsible but can
change
Judaism believes:
Creations is inherently good
Life in harmony with God is good
The natural world is good and that man has dominion
The material aspects of life are important
The nature world can be host to, or make manifest God

B. Torah
Torah means Law or teaching
1. Gods self-revelation to Jews in ordinary and
extraordinary ways
2. Reading the Torah, one encounters GOD and
His will for ones life
3. Following the Torah brings freedom; A Jew
discovers Gods will for him or her
4. The commandment makes Torah real in the
world

Torah is more than Ten

Commandments
Mitzvot- commandment of Jewish Law. In the
Torah
613 mitzvots
248 positive
365 positive

GOD issues mitzvot not to give commands but

to offer guidance for what will make people
happy

C. Israel
Israel- people chosen by God for a specific
purpose
Jews are Jews only insofar as they respond to
being chosen
Their response: to fulfill the Covenant by:
Accepting Gods commandments
Living holy and righteous lives
Living lives as examples to rest of humanity
All life is holy

Halakhic- way Jewish law that covers all

aspects of life an individual and community

4. Sacred Times
1. Every part of life is to be devoted to God
Jewish Calendar:
a) Begins at creation of world
b) Is lunar; day begins and ends at sunset

Tishri- fall cycle includes: Rosh Hashanah, Yom

Kippur and Sukkot
Nisan- Spring cycle: Pesach and Shavuot

 2. Judaism focuses on the concrete rather

than abstract so ritual is very important
The purpose of ritual:
Eases the uncertainty of tense situations
Directs life in positive direction and channels emotions
Intensifies appreciation for events

Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur

Days of Awe- 10 day penitential period
Creation of world ritually commemorated
God judges each person on past years actions

Yom Kippur- day of fasting, prayer, repentance

of communal and personal sins
Tishuvah turning back to proper way of
living during days of awe

Sukkot
Feast of Tabernacles/Feast of Booths
Commemorates the wandering in the desert by
Jews for 40 yeas; had to protect themselves from
elements of nature
Building of huts reminds Jews God is the ultimate
protector

Pesach/ Passover
Commemorates Jewish freedom from slavery
in Egypt when angel of death passes over
Jews celebrate being personally freed by God
Ritual involves:
Seder- meal at home
Ritual food symbolic of Exodus
Retelling of Exodus story

 The Seder
Three matzah- in a hurry
Bitter herbs (or horse radish)-bitterness of slavery
The shank of a lamb-sacrifice of the lamb
A roasted egg-sacrifices made in building the
temple
Applesauce- symbolizes the bricks to build the
pyramids Parsley of watercress
Salt water- salty tears of slavery

D. Shavuot
= weeks; celebrated 50 days after Passover
1. Commemorates the giving of the Law to
Moses on Mt. Sinai
2. In Conservative and Reform movements
Jewish teenagers receive Confirmationpublic acceptance of Jewish faith

E. Freedom from Foreign Rulers

1. Hanukkah

Festival of Lights
1. Commemorates victory by Judas Maccabeus
over Antiochus IV who imposed Hellenization
2. 8 day celebration; lighting of Menorah
3. In US counterpoint to Christmas

2. Purim
Feast of lots
1. Celebrates victory of Jews over Haman, Prime
minister of Persia, by Queen Esther

F. Shabbat/Sabbath
Honors Jewish 4th Commandment
Jewish remember creation of world and how
God rested ALSO freedom from Europe
Observed from sunset Friday night until
sunset Saturday
Ritual includes no work, study of Torah,
synagogue and Shabbat dinner Friday night

H. Life Cycle Celebrations

Birth:
Boys: Brit Milah: Circumcision- 8 days after birth
Girls: Full Hebrew name revealed at synagogue by
Rabbi

Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah: Coming of Age

Ability to fully understand the Torah at 13
years of age for boys and 12 years for girls

 3. Marriage
The groom smashes a glass with his right foot, to
symbolize the destruction of the Temple mazal tov
le chaim
Huppah-decorated wedding canopy Garden of Eden

4. Death and mourning

Burial within 24 hours
Shiva(seven) begins on the day of burial and continues
until the morning of the seventh day after burial
Kaddis prayer of mourning

5. Sacred Spaces and Sacred Places

Sacred Spaces Synagogues and Homes
Synagogues replaced role of Temple and rituals
Jews could worship communally
Prayer 3x a day replaces animal sacrifice
Multifunctional:
House of Prayer
House of Study
House of Assembly

 Bimah- elevated platform where Torah is read

Home become sacred space
Mezuzah- doorpost small case containing
She ma on exterior wall of home
Kosher- Jews keep kosher because
They are called to be holy and set apart from rest of
world
Even though dietary laws appear senseless, following
them shows Jews are obedient to God

Kosher
Certain animals may not be eaten at all, pigs,
donkeys, horse, rabbit
Of the animals that may be eaten the birds and
mammals must be killed in accordance with
Jewish law
All blood must be drained from the meat or
broiled out of it before it is eaten
Certain parts of permitted animals may not be
eaten
Meat cannot be eaten with dairy.

Sacred Places
Land of Israel- promised to them by God living
there fulfills Gods will
Jerusalem- holiest city because:
Abraham sacrificed Isaac
Site of Jacobs dream
Temple housed Ark of the Covenant

God is most present in Jerusalem, some Jews

believe Messiah will come and rebuild Jerusalem

Judaism through a Catholic Lens

Commonalities:
History- old testament
Scripture- similar readings
Liturgy gospel and glory bee, collecting of alms
Theology one god

 Differences
Judaism
Still expects the Messiah or messianic age to come

Christianity
Jesus was the Messiah
Jesus is God

Jewish influences in Catholicism

The Hebrew Bible-Old Testament

Passover Meal- The Lords Supper
Passover- Holy Thursday
Shavuot- Pentecost

Jewish Christian Dialogue

Low Point

Christian cause of Anti-Semitism

Christ Killers
Crusades
Forced conversion
Cross- sign of pain

Nostra Aetate- No collective guilt of Jews for death of

Jesus
Jews dont have to convert in common
Keep memory of Shoah alive
Fight against materialistic, secular, relativistic world