Monday

www.jewfaq.org

Sections on Life cycle

http://scheinerman.net/judaism/index.html

• scheinerman.net/judaism/index.html

Bibles

• Jewish and Christian

• Jewish Bible has the same books as a Protestant Old Testament.

Bibles

Jewish Christian

Bible = Old Testament

_____________

New Testament

Apocrypha

Do NOT call the Jewish Bible the “Old Testament”

• Old Implies New, and Jews do NOT think it has been replaced!

Jewish Bible is TANAKH

Bibles

Different Versions in very early period

“Masoretic Text” MT (standard since 2nd century CE) for JudaismHebrew and a little Aramaic

Jewish Bible = Tanakh

•Torah “Instruction”

•Nevi’im “Prophets”

•Kethuvim “Writings”• P. 28 in Breslauer.

• http://www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm

1. Torah

• 5 Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers Deuteronomy.

• “Pentateuch”– Same in all Bibles: Jewish or Christian

2. Prophets

• Former P. History Books

• Latter P. Books of Prophecy– Often poetic– Attributed to named individuals

• Readings from prophets in synagogues are called the “HAFTARAH”

Prophet readings in Synagogue

• Torah Portions are “completed” by reading a related passage from the Prophets.

• These prophetic readings are called the

• “HAFTARAH”

Writings: Everything else

• Wisdom Literature

• Poetry / songs of Praise

• More history books

Jewish Bibles

• 3 divisions reflect ritual significance:

• Torah most important.

• Christian Old Testament is arranged more chronologically, and ends with prophetic books, in anticipation of the New Testament, held to be the fulfillment of O.T. Prophecy.

Festival Readings

• Some biblical books are especially important at various festivals:

Torah scroll

• 5 books written on a single scroll

• Ritual centre of Synagogue life.

Annual Cycle

• Torah scroll read every year, or every 3 years.

• Special festival when the end is reached and the congregation starts over again.

Ark in Krakow

Bimah in Krakow

Simhat Torah.

Jewish Biblical Interpretation

• Generally:

• Historicity of Israel’s story affirmed

• Metaphorical and Symbolic levels of meaning are accepted too.

Jewish Tradition

• Oral Torah describes “Halakhah” (to Walk), Jewish “Law” or the proper way of life as understood by the great Rabbis. Developed from thinking about “Written Torah:

• Civil, Family morals

• Ritual and other religious traditions.

Halakhah

• Discussed at great length in Oral Torah.

• Oral Torah: huge collection of books:– MISHNAH

– TALMUD

• Continuous tradition of talking about tradition…

What does Halakhah regulate?

• What happens you are born to when you die

• What you do when wake up to when you go to sleep

• Weekly

• Annual