Judaism

Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, with around 14 million followers. It is one of the first recorded monotheistic faiths and one of the oldest religious traditions still practiced today.

Over the last two thousand years, Judaism has not been monolithic in practice, and has not had any centralized authority or binding dogma. Despite this, Judaism in all its variations has remained tightly bound to a number of religious principles, the most important of which is the belief in a single, omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, transcendent G-d, who created the universe and continues to be involved in its governance.

According to Jewish thought, the G-d who created the world established a covenant with the Jewish people, and revealed his laws and commandments to them in the form of the Torah. The practice of Judaism is devoted to the study and observance of these laws and commandments, as they are interpreted according to the Tanakh, Halakha, responsa and rabbinic literature.

Basic History

According to Orthodox Judaism and most religious Jews, the Biblical patriarch Abraham was the first Hebrew. Rabbinic literature records that he was the first to reject idolatry and preach monotheism. As a result, G-d promised he would have children: "Look now toward heaven and count the stars/So shall be your people." (Genesis 15:5)

Abraham's first child was Ishmael and his second son was Isaac, whom G-d said would continue Abraham's work and inherit the Land of Israel (then called Canaan), after having been exiled and redeemed (1920BCE). G-d sent the patriarch Jacob and his children to Egypt, where after many generations they became enslaved. Then G-d sent Moses to redeem the Israelites from slavery, and after the Exodus from Egypt, G-d led the Jews to Mount Sinai and gave them the Torah (1491 BCE), eventually bringing them to the land of Israel.

Once the Jews had settled in the land of Israel, the tabernacle was planted in the city of Shiloh for over 300 years. As time went on, the spiritual level of the nation declined and the Philistines captured the tabernacle in Shiloh. The people of Israel then told Samuel the prophet that they needed to be governed by a permanent king, as were other nations. Samuel accepted this request and appointed Saul, a great but very humble man, to be their King (1095 BCE).

Later, when King David reigned, he wished to build a permanent temple, and as a reward for his actions, G-d promised David that he would allow his son to build the temple and the throne would never depart from his children (David himself was not allowed to build the temple because he had been involved in many wars, making it inappropriate for him to build a temple representing peace). As a result, it was David's son Solomon who built the first permanent temple in Jerusalem.

After Solomon's death, his Kingdom was split into the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah (931 BCE). After several hundred years, because of rampant idolatry, G-d allowed Babylonia to conquer the Kingdom and destroy the Temple which had stood for 410 years. The people were expelled into Babylonia, with the promise that they would be redeemed after seventy years (586BCE).

After seventy years the Jews were allowed back into Israel under the leadership of Ezra, and the Temple was rebuilt. The Second Temple stood for 420 years, after which it was destroyed by the Roman general Titus (70CE). The Jewish temple is to remain in ruins until a descendant of David arises to restore the glory of Israel and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Jewish Faith

Judaism has no formal set of beliefs which one must adhere to be a Jew. However, over the centuries, a number of clear formulations of Jewish principles of faith have appeared, many with common elements, and though they differ with respect to certain details, they demonstrate a wide variety of tolerance for varying theological perspectives.

The closest that anyone has ever come to creating an accepted list of Jewish beliefs is Rambam’s thirteen principles of faith. They are accepted today by Orthodox Judaism.

1. G-d exists
2. G-d is one and unique
3. G-d is incorporeal
4. G-d is eternal
5. Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and to no other
6. The words of the prophets are true
7. Moses was the chief and greatest of all the prophets
8. The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were given to Moses
9. There will be no other Torah
10. G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of men
11. G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked
12. The Messiah will come
13. The dead will be resurrected

The Ten Commandments

Judaism focuses on relationships: the relationship between G-d and mankind, between G-d and the Jewish people, between the Jewish people and the land of Israel, and between human beings. Scriptures tell the story of the development of these relationships, from the time of creation, through the creation of the relationship between G-d and Abraham, to the creation of the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people, and forward.

Jewish thought generally divides the Ten Commandments into two halves, the first five dealing with the relationship between G-d and humanity, and the second dealing with relationships between people.

These two are parallel and equal: duties to G-d are not more important than duties to people, nor are duties to people more important than duties to G-d. However, if one must choose between fulfilling an obligation to G-d and fulfilling an obligation to a person, Judaism teaches that the obligation to a person should be fulfilled first.

1. Belief in G-d - The belief in the existence of G-d, that G-d exists for all time, that G-d is the sole creator of all that exists.
2. Prohibition of Improper Worship – Prohibition of worshiping any other gods as well as the prohibition of idolatry.
3. Prohibition of Oaths – Prohibition of never using G-d’s name in vain.
4. Shabbat – Remembering the Shabbat and all the deeds encompassed by it.
5. Honour for Parents and Teachers
6. Prohibition of Murder
7. Prohibition of Adultery
8. Prohibition of Theft
9. Prohibition of False Witness
10. Prohibition of Coveting

Jewish Practice

Prayer

There are three main daily services, named Shacharit, Mincha and Maariv. They play the purpose of increasing the awareness of G-d in our daily lives but most importantly provide time for introspection. The Jewish approach to prayer differs among the various branches of Judaism. While all use the same set of prayers and texts, the frequency of prayer, the number of prayers recited at various religious events, and whether one prays in Hebrew or the vernacular differs from denomination to denomination. There are also prayers and blessings recited throughout the day, such as those before eating and drinking.

Shabbat

Shabbat is primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment. It lasts from shortly before sundown on Friday night to shortly after sundown Saturday night, commemorates G-d's day of rest upon the completion of creation as well as the Exodus from Egypt. It plays an important role in Jewish practice and is the subject of a large body of religious law.

At the beginning of Shabbat, it is usual for the woman of the house to light a pair of candles and say a blessing praising G-d. The evening meal begins with a sanctification of Shabbat made over a cup of wine, and a blessing said over two loaves of bread. Shabbat involves two interrelated commandments: to remember (zachor) Shabbat, and to observe (shamor) Shabbat.

There are 39 Melachas or forbidden acts on Shabbat which constitute observing the Shabbat in Orthodox Judaism. Some of these include using electricity, grinding, weaving and tying.

Chaggim (Festivals)

Chaggim (festivals) celebrate revelation by commemorating different events in the passage of the Children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt to their return to the land of Canaan. There are also minor festivals which commemorate events in post biblical time.

There are three pilgrim festivals which coincide with the agricultural season, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot. Pesach or Passover commemorates the Jews exodus from slavery in Egypt and coincides with the barley season. It centres on the Seder which is a retelling of the story of the exodus. Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Ten Commandments to the Jewish people and Sukkot commemorates the wandering of the Jews in the desert and is characterised by construction of temporary booths called sukkahs that represent the temporary shelters of the Children of Israel.

The High Holidays Rosh Hashana (New Year) and Yom Kippur are times of atonement in Judaism. There are 10 days in-between these two festivals and they are a time for apologising to those whom one has wronged. The time peaks at Yom Kippur when Jews fast for 24 hours and mark the day with self scrutiny and reflection on the past year.

There are many minor festivals and fast days throughout the year for example Purim which celebrates the events of the Book of Esther and Chanukah which celebrates the miraculous win by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire.

Kashrut

The laws of kashrut ("keeping kosher") are the Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with Jewish law is termed kosher, and food not in accord with Jewish law is termed treifah or treif. From the context of the laws in the book of Leviticus, the purpose of kashrut is related to ritual purity and holiness, as well as health. Some core laws are the prohibition of eating pig and not mixing meat and milk foods.

Synagogues

Synagogues are Jewish houses of prayer and study, they usually contain separate rooms for prayer (the main sanctuary), smaller rooms for study, and often an area for community or educational use. Synagogues contain an arc, where the Torah scrolls are kept, a bimah which is usually an elevated platform from where the Torah is read and an eternal light representing the eternal light of the Temple. Different streams of Judaism have different laws regarding to Synagogues, such as whether or not men and women sit together.

Streams of Judaism

Over the past two centuries the Jewish community has divided into a number of Jewish denominations; each has a different understanding of what principles of belief a Jew should hold, and how one should live as a Jew.

Orthodox Judaism

Orthodoxy believes that G-d gave Moses the whole Torah at Mount Sinai. The "whole Torah" includes both the Written Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and the Oral Torah, an oral tradition interpreting and explaining the Written Torah. They believe that the Torah is true, that it has come down to us intact and unchanged. They believe that the Torah contains 613 mitzvot (good deeds) which are bound upon Jews.

Orthodoxy asserts continuity between pre-Enlightenment Judaism and modern-day Orthodox Judaism. Most of Orthodox Judaism holds to one particular form of Jewish theology, based on Rambams' 13 principles of Jewish faith. Orthodox Judaism broadly (and informally) shades into two main styles, Modern Orthodox Judaism and Haredi Judaism. The philosophical distinction is generally around accommodation to modernity and weight placed on non-Jewish disciplines.

Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism thought developed in Europe and the United States in the 1800s and was formally organised in 1913. Conservative Judaism maintains that the truths found in Jewish scriptures and other Jewish writings come from G-d, but were transmitted by humans and contain a human component.

Conservative Judaism generally accepts the binding nature of halakhah, but believes that the Law should change and adapt, absorbing aspects of the predominant culture while remaining true to Judaism's values.

There is variation in practice amongst conservative synagogues and this represents a core flexibility in Conservative Judaism. Some Conservative synagogues relate in practice more to Reform Judaism and some are very similar to Orthodox Judaism.

Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism was developed in Germany. Reform Judaism does not believe that the Torah was written by G-d. The movement accepts the critical theory of Biblical authorship: that the Bible was written by separate sources and redacted together. Reform Jews do not believe in observance of commandments as such, but they retain much of the values and ethics of Judaism, along with some of the practices.

Reform Judaism developed a prayer service in the vernacular, and emphasized personal connection to Jewish tradition over specific forms of observance. Today, many Reform congregations have returned to Hebrew prayers and encourage some degree of legal observance.

Reconstructionist Judaism

Reconstructionist Judaism started as a stream of philosophy by Mordechai Kaplan, a Conservative Rabbi, and later became an independent movement emphasizing reinterpreting Judaism for modern times. Reconstructionist Judaism does not hold that Jewish law, as such, requires observance, but does emphasise the role of the community in deciding what observances to follow.

Lifecycle Events

Brit Milah

At the age of 8 days old male babies are welcomed into the covenant through the rite of circumcision.

Zeved bat

Welcoming female babies into the covenant by means of a naming ceremony

Bar mitzvah and Bat mitzvah

This passage from childhood to adulthood takes place when a male is 13 years old and female is 12 years old.

Marriage

A wedding takes place under a chupah, or wedding canopy, which symbolizes a happy house. At the end of the ceremony, the groom breaks a glass with his foot, symbolizing the continuous mourning for the destruction of the Temple.

Death and Mourning

Mourning practices in Judaism are extensive, but they are not an expression of fear or distaste for death. Jewish practices relating to death and mourning have two purposes: to show respect for the dead (kavod ha-met), and to comfort the living (nihum avelim), who will miss the deceased. Respect for the dead is of the upmost importance in Jewish practice.

Jewish Calendar

The Jewish calendar is based on three astronomical phenomena: the rotation of the Earth about its axis (a day); the revolution of the moon about the Earth (a month); and the revolution of the Earth about the sun (a year). These three phenomena are independent of each other, so there is no direct correlation between them. On average, the moon revolves around the Earth in about 29½ days.

The Earth revolves around the sun in about 365¼ days, that is, about 12.4 lunar months. The lunar month on the Jewish calendar begins when the first sliver of moon becomes visible after the dark of the moon. In ancient times, the new months used to be determined by observation.

When people observed the new moon, they would notify the Sanhedrin. When the Sanhedrin heard testimony from two independent, reliable eyewitnesses that the new moon occurred on a certain date, they would declare the Rosh Chodesh (first of the month) and send out messengers to tell people when the month began.