UNDERSTANDING

JUDAISM
Prepared by: Jahan G. Cataruja LPT
INTRODUCTION
• Part of the covenant between God and Israel is to
follow the Ten Commandments that God gave
Moses. As written in the Old Testament, the
tablets contain the 10 percept that the Israelites
must follow to show their faith in and loyalty to
God, as stipulated in the covenant at Mt. Sinai.
INTRODUCTION
• Abraham is believed to be the founder of
Judaism. God called and promise Abraham that
he would become the father of many nations. He
became the forefather of Israelites.
• Moses, on the other hand, a descendant of
Abraham, became God’s messenger and helped
liberate the Israelites from the hands of the
Egyptians. Part of God’s covenant with his people
was to bring them to the Promised Land of
Canaan.
INTRODUCTION
• The Israelites wandered in the desert for almost
40 years before they were able to reach Canaan.
The death of Moses led to Joshua’s takeover of
the leadership paving the way to various events
such as the Israelites found their kings,
experienced division and political and religious
turmoil, and suffered frim cruel tyrants until the
destruction of the temple of Jerusalem.
ORIGINS
• Judaism is associated with
ethnic identity. The word
“Jew” refers to the “Jewish
identity” rather than a belief.
• As a religion, Judaism
identifies with the biblical
“Israel” which started during
the time of Abraham and
Sarah more than 4000 years
ago. This consists of people
who obeyed the laws and
commandments of God
written in the Hebrew Bible.
ORIGINS
• The teachings of Judaism were transmitted
from one generation to the other through oral
tradition. Authors from different traditions
compiled the narratives and stories that
became the first five books of the Hebrew
Bible, called the Torah (“Teachings”).
Followed by the books of Nevi’im
(“Prophets”) and the Ketuvim (“Writings”).
TORAH
NEVI’IM
KETUVIM
ORIGINS
• The Hebrew Bible starts with the creation story,
the narrative on the origin of sin, and the calling
of Abraham. He and his wife Sarah were tool old
to bear children but God gave them a son whom
they named Isaac. Isaac had two sons – Esau
and Jacob (which later became the source of the
twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph, one of Jacob’s
sons, was sold by his brothers, was taken to
Egypt, and became successful in the court of the
pharaoh. When Jacob and his sons experienced
famine, Joseph rescued them and brought them
to Egypt.
ORIGINS
• The Exodus tells the story about the plight of the
people of Israel from Egypt. The new pharaoh
condemned all Israelites to slavery. Moses, who
was born and grew in the court of the pharaoh,
helped liberate the Israelites from oppression and
slavery with God’s help.
• Today Jews celebrate the exodus or the dramatic
exit from slavery and a memorial of God’s love to
his chosen people in a feast called the Passover.
ORIGINS
• Another important figure in Judaism is David, who
is known in his epic fight against Goliath. He
became the King of Israel and was considered as
the greatest ruler in Jewish history.
• David’s son Solomon also became king of Israel.
He was known for the construction of the First
temple in Jerusalem. His death caused division
among the Israelites.
QUESTIONS:
• How did Judaism begun?
• Who are the prominent
figures in Judaism? What
are their essential
contributions?
• What are the significant
events that led to the
foundation of Judasim
HOLY BOOK
• The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (Torah, Nevi’im, and
Ketuvim) is not just a compilation of books but
also a collection of historical narratives, myths,
poems, laws, genealogies, sayings, love songs,
prophecies, and prayers.
TORAH / TEACHINGS
• The Torah consists
of the following
books: Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and
Deutronomy
TORAH
• GENESIS – tells us about the creation story, the
origin of sin, the account of Adam and Eve, and
the story of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
and Joseph.

• EXODUS – tells the dramatic story of the

Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the
calling of Moses as the liberator and messenger
of Gód’s covenant and the detailed account of the
meeting at the tent in Mt. Sinai and the Ark of
Covenant.
TORAH
• Leviticus – contains the detailed laws and
commandments of God as implied by the
Ten Commandments.

• Numbers – accounts the rules for and

obligations of the twelve tribes. It also tells
the story of the Israelites’ journey in the
desert.
TORAH
• DEUTRONOMY – composed of Moses’
reflective speeches, which summarized the
meaning of the events in Exodus and the
journey in the desert. It also affirms the
value of the covenant law as a guide for
the life of the Israelites in the Promise
Land.
NEVI’IM / PROPHETIC BOOKS
• Feature stories and
narratives on the plight,
sufferings, and
exploitation, and other
encounters of the Jews
under the hands of their
conquerors. The book
contain the teachings
and preachings of
prophets such as Amos,
Joshua, Isaiah, Ezekiel,
Jeremiah, Jonah,
Habakkuk, and Micah.
 KETUVIM / SACRED WRITINGS
• This is the storehouse of literary
genres such as poetry and
metaphors. It includes the book of
Psalms which contains prayers
full of emotions; Proverbs which
has vivid imageries and moral
maxims by the sages; Song of
Songs which is full of teachings
on poetic love; Ecclesiastes
which is packed with reflections
on the meaning of life; and Job
which is a story that tackles
philosophical insights about evil.
QUESTIONS:
• What are the Holy Books of
Judaism?
• How important are these
books to the Jewish people?
• How is the Hebrew Bible
related with the Holy Bible of
Christianity?
BASIC TEACHINGS
• The belief in God’s existence
• The belief in His unity
• The belief in His incorporeality
• The belief in His timelessness
• The belief that He is approachable through
prayer
• The belief in prophecy
• The belief in the superiority of Moses to all
the prophets
BASIC TEACHINGS
• The belief in the revelation of the Law, and
that the Law as contained in the
Pentateuch is the revealed by Moses
• The belief in the immutability of the Law
• The belief in the Divine providence
• The belief in Divine justice
• The belief in the coming of the Messiah
• The belief in the resurrection and human
immortality
YAHWEH / JEHOVAH
• As what David proclaimed in 1 Chronicles 17:20,
“Oh Lord, there is no one like you and there is no
God but you, just as what we have always
understood.”
• Judaism follows a monotheistic worldview. God
knows what is right or wrong, or what is good or
bad. He is just.
YAHWEH / JEHOVAH
• The Hebrew bible is filled with narratives that
speak about God who deals with his people on a
personal level. This kind of God made the Jews
feel they are not alone in their sufferings and
pain, struggles and torments, and happiness, and
joy.
• God’s omnipotence (being all-powerful) and
omniscience (being all-knowing) is greatly
manifested in the Hebrew Bible.
Women in Judaism
• “The princess is honored
inside.” This Rabbinic
expression attest that
women in the classical
Judaism were confined to
household work and they
participated less in public
rituals of prayer and
worship. This means that
women are not expected or
required to participate or
engage in any activity in the
synagogue.
Women in Judaism
• While men are assigned
with roles of public matters
or concerns in traditional
Jewish societies, women
were assigned with roles
in the private sphere. They
were not given the chance
to recite blessings before
nor to follow the reading of
the Torah scroll.
Women in Judaism
• Haskalah – a Jewish enlightenment movement
started in the late 18th century which argued that
there was no incompatibility between the
traditional norms and rituals and the modern
mainstream mores or customs of the public
sphere. This means that Jewish women should
not only be confined within the household, but
must rather be engaged in matters of public
concern.
• As a result, new forms of Jewish religious
movements such as Reform Judaism,
Conservative Judaism, and Modern Orthodoxy
have surfaced.
QUESTION:
• What are your thoughts
about the conservative
practice of Judaism towards
their women? Do you agree
or disagree about their role in
the Jewish society?
SABBATH
• Known as the rest day for the Jews. It
begins before sundown Friday night and
ends at Saturday nightfall. The start is
marked by the lighting of Sabbath candles,
usually done and prepared by woman of
the household and followed by recitation of
Kiddush (sanctification) over a cup of wine
or grape juice. The Sabbath ends with a
Havdalah (separation) prayer.
THE WHYs AND HOWs of SABBATH
ROSH HASHANAH
• Literally translates as “Head of the Year”, Rosh
Hashanah is the Jewish New Year or the Day of
Memorial or Remembrance. It is characterized by
blowing the shofar. According to the Torah, Rosh
Hashanah marks the beginning of a 10-day
period up to Yom Kippur. It is during this period,
according to one Talmudic version, when the
creation of the world was complete.
YOM KIPPUR
• Also known as the “Day
of Atonement”. It is
considered as the holiest
day of the year for Jews.
Central to this holy day is
the act of atonement and
reconciliation. All healthy
adults accomplish such
as religious acts through
prayer and complete
fasting and abstinence
from all food and drinks.
HANUKKAH
• Also known as the Festival
of Lights and Feast of
Dedication. It marks the
defeat of Seleucid Empire
who tried to prevent the
Israelites from practicing
Judaism. It was Maccabee
brothers who destroyed the
overwhelming Seleucid
forces and the rededicated
the Temple in Jerusalem.
HANUKKAH (short video clip)
SUKKOT
• Literally means “Feast of
Booths or Tabernacles”,
the Sukkot is a seven-
day festival and is one of
the three pilgrimage
festivals mentioned in the
Torah. It commemorates
the years that Jews
spent in the desert on
their way in which God
protected them under
difficult desert conditions.
Yom HaShoah
• Is formally celebrated as the
“Holocaust and Heroism
Remembrance Day”. Held on
the 27 Nissan or April/May
Jewish communities
commemorate during this day
the victims of the Holocaust
and the Warsaw Ghetto
uprising. Public
commemoration usually
includes religious rituals such
as the recitation of Psalms,
memorial prayers and kaddish,
and the lighting of memorial
candles.
REMEMBRANCE DAY