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Monotheism
• All of the great western religions
• Judaism • Christianity • Islam
• Believe in a personal God
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God
• This God is the creator and sustainer of all that exists
• He is not a
• Impersonal Force • Impersonal Power
2
God
• He is a person
• Judaism and Islam believe that • God is One Person
• Christianity believes that • God is Three Persons in One Being • The Trinity
3
Judaism
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• "It has been estimated that one-third of our Western civilization bears the marks of its Jewish ancestry.... The real impact of the ancient Jews lies in the extent to which Western civilization took over their angle of vision on the deepest questions life poses." -- Huston Smith, The World's Religions
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Number of Adherents
• There are about 12-14 Million Jews in the World today
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The top twelve Jewish populations in the world are:
• 1. USA 6,500,000 • 2. Israel 4,950,000 • 3. France 600,000 • 4. Canada 364,000 • 5. Britain 275,000 • 6. Russia 275,000 • 7. Argentina 197,000 • 8. Ukraine 112,000 • 9. Germany 98,000 • 10. Brazil 97,500 • 11. South Africa 88,000 • 12. Hungary 55,000 •
9
What is Judaism?
• Judaism has been described as: • a religion
• a race • a culture • a nation
• All of these descriptions have some validity
10
• Although Judaism also adheres to particular beliefs and practices
• Many Jews would consider the designation of
Judaism as a religion (or only a religion) far too narrow
11
National Judaism
• Judaism identifies its historical roots in the Hebrew Bible
• (Old Testament for Christians)
• In the Hebrew Bible the ancestors and followers of the system of beliefs we will be discussing were a distinct people or nation
known as Israel
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• Biblical Israel considered its destiny attached to a particular land
and linked its faith in God with God’s promises
to give that land to the offspring of Israel’s founding patriarch,
Abraham
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• All the agricultural regulations in Judaism such as tithing from farm produce
• or refraining from working the land during
the sabbatical year
• Pertain to the Land
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• For much of the biblical period, Israel was ruled as a monarchy
• at first united,
• then divided into two smaller kingdoms
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• The monarchal dynasty of Israel going back to King David would serve as a symbol of unity
• and ultimately as the focus of belief in a
future restoration
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• The biblical Israelites were instructed to refrain from intermarriage with surrounding
tribes that might corrupt their faith
• This enhanced even further the ethnic character of the adherent of the Israelite
faith
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Ethnic Judaism
18
Origin of the word “Judaism”
• The origins of the word “Judaism”
• also point to the ethnic and geographical roots
• rather than to a solely religious entity
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Judah
• The 4th son of the patriarch Jacob
• Son of Isaac
• Grandson of Abraham
• Progenitors of the “people of Israel”
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• With the establishment of an Israelite kingdom
• The monarchy that would rule over it for
approximately 400 years was founded by King David
• A descendant of the tribe of Judah
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• The kingdom would ultimately go by the name of Judah
• Thus the name took on political as well as
geographical significance
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Jews / Judaeans
• Those people either living in the land of that name
• or whose roots were in that land, • even if their ancestors had chosen to live
elsewhere • or had been forcible removed from it in the
context of some military conquest
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Judaism
• It was only in the Hellenistic Period (2nd Century B.C.)
• that the word “Judaism” appeared for the
first time as the designation of a
• culture or “way of life” maintained by those people linked to the land of “Judaea”
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Judaism
• The term Judaism appears for the first time in the Second Book of Maccabees (2:21; 14:38)
• a work written by a Jew describing the clash
between the Jews of Judaea and the Greek rulers (175-162 B.C.)
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Religious Judaism
• In addition to the national and ethnic components of Judaism,
Religion
expressed as a system of beliefs and practices
was certainly a critical component of Jewish self-perception
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• Some attempts have designated portions of Biblical Scripture
as representing the essence of what would
emerge as Judaism
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The 10 Commandments
• One common belief is that Judaism is summarized in the
• “Decalogue” • 10 Commandments
• given by God to Israel at Mt. Sinai • (Exodus 20:1-14)
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Other Scripture
• Other attempts have focused on a particular Biblical Scripture such as the prophet
Habakuk’s statement
• “The righteous shall live by faith” (Hab 2:4)
• According to this approach, the dominate element is a trust in God with everything else
evolving from this
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Post- Biblical Attempts
• Various Rabbinic Writings have tried to state the essence of Judaism
• None have been widely accepted
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Maimonides 1138-1204 A.D.
• Made the most famous attempt at formulating a list of Judaism’s “principles”
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Maimonides’ List
• 1. The existence of God • 2. God’s unity • 3. God has no corporeal aspect • 4. God is eternal • 5. God alone should be worshipped • 6. belief in prophecy • 7. Moses was the greatest prophet
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• 8. All of the Torah in our possession is divine and was given through Moses
• 9. The Torah will not be changed or superseded
• 10. God knows the actions of man • 11. God will reward those who keep the
Torah and punishes those who transgress it
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• 12. Belief that the Messiah will come • 13. Belief on the resurrection of the dead
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• Some of these principles were apparently aimed at refuting what Maimonides believed
were major challenges posed by
Christianity and Islam
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7. Moses is the greatest prophet
Rejects the roles ascribed to
Jesus by Christianity Muhammad by Islam
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9. The Torah will not be changed or superseded
• A Direct response to claims for supersession of the Torah by
• The New Testament by Christianity
• Islam by the Koran
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• As you can see, • these are very basic and general principles.
• Yet as basic as these principles are, the necessity of believing each one of these has
been disputed at one time or another,
• and the liberal movements of Judaism dispute many of these principles.
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What is Judaism?
• A phenomenon that includes:
• Ethnic • Geographic
• Social • Religious aspects
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The Stages of History
• For Jews,
• There is a collective past that contributes enormously to their sense of unity
• and without which Judaism cannot be
understood
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• The collective memory in Judaism is not merely a sequences of events that once took
place
• But a story to be studied, transmitted, and in certain cases, even re-lived
41
• Past and present come together in much of Judaism’s self-image
• Resulting in a variety of practical
manifestations
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The Biblical Period
• It begins with the earliest roots of the of the patriarchal family of Israel and its intimate
relationship with God
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• The Bible then records the stages leading to the emergence of the Israelites as a nation
Their liberation from bondage
Acceptance of the Torah Establishment of a kingdom in the Promised
Land
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Abraham
• Israelite history and religion both begin with Abraham
• Date: about 2000-1800 B.C.
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• Abraham is not only the progenitor of the Israelite people but also the father of its faith
• Abraham is described in the Bible as
“having faith in God” (Genesis 15:6)
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• Abraham’s faith is rewarded with a series of covenants with God
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• Abraham’s faith is later tested by God’s commandments and
• Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son
Isaac
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• This story became a defining moment for Jews throughout history
• Those whose willingness to accept all sorts of
pain and adversity while remaining steadfast in their faith would repeatedly be compared
to the patriarch Abraham
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• In later Jewish liturgy
• God is repeatedly asked to remember
• Abraham’s total commitment as justification for forgiving his seed’s frequent lapses
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Bondage and Exodus
• Bondage in Egypt for 400 hundred years
• Date: 1600-1200 B.C.
• Culminating in the Exodus under the leadership of Moses
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Egyptian Bondage Foretold
• Genesis 15:13-14 • 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for
certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four
hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will
come out with great possessions.
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Sense of Providence
• Because the bondage was foretold in the Bible,
• this gives the Jews a sense of providential
involvement in all subsequent history
• Nothing happens by chance
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Exodus
• The centuries of bondage in Egypt transform Israel from an extended family of about 70 to
a nation of about 1 million
• Date: 1400-1200 B.C.
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Miraculous Intervention
• Israel is saved from the Egyptian forces by the miraculous intervention of God
• The Parting of the Red Sea
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Mount Sinai
• The Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai where they receive the ultimate revelation from
God
• The Torah • The 10 Commandments
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The Promised Land
• After wondering for 40 years, the Israelites under Moses successor arrive at the
Promised Land
• The geographic element in Judaism
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Tribal Confederacy
• From the initial entry into the promised land to the Davidic Monarchy,
• the Jewish people were a tribal confederacy
composed of the 12 tribes of the Sons of Jacob / Israel
• Dates: about 1200-1000 B.C.
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The 12 Tribes of Israel
• REUBEN • SIMEON • LEVI (Priests) • JUDAH • DAN • NAPHTALI • GAD
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The 12 Tribes of Israel
• ASHER • ISSACHAR • ZEBULUN • JOSEPH (2 Sons: Manasseh and Ephraim) • BENJAMIN
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Davidic Monarchy
• King David was the first to unite all of the 12 tribes into one kingdom
• Alone with King Solomon (David’s Sons) • This was the greatest period of Jewish
History
• Date: about 1000-920 B.C.
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The Nation of Israel
• The period of the Davidic monarchy coincides with 2 major phenomena
• Both having lasting effect on Judaism as a
religion
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Jerusalem as Capital
• King David moves his capital to Jerusalem
• David’s son, Solomon builds the Temple in Jerusalem
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1st Temple
• Tens of thousands of Israelites and Caananites worked for seven years to build
the Temple.
• The Temple was completed in 968 BC and inaugurated in the year 961 BC with great
festivals and burnt offerings.
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The Dedication of the Temple
• 1 Kings 8:63
Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the LORD: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand
sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the LORD.
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70
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Divided Kingdoms
• Following the death of King Solomon
• The once united Kingdom of Israel is divided into 2 kingdoms
• The Northern Kingdom (Israel) 10 tribes • The Southern Kingdom (Judah) 2 tribes
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Appearance of the Prophets
• The Divided Kingdom coincides with the appearance of the great prophets
• Their teachings stress the moral and ethical
imperatives of the nation and its rulers
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Fall of the Kingdoms
• Following about 200 years of idolatry the Northern Kingdom is completely destroyed
by Assyria in 726 B.C.
• The Northern tribes (10 of the 12) are exiled into other parts of the Assyrian Empire
• “The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel”
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Judah Destroyed
• In 586 B.C. Jerusalem is destroyed along with the temple
• The great exile in Babylon begins
• Lasts for 70 years
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Destruction of Jerusalem
• This marks the end of the first and formative section of Jewish History
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Return from Exile
• The Hebrew Bible ends with the first stirrings of restoration, facilitated by the declaration of the Persian King Cyrus that allowed the captives in Babylon to return to Israel and
rebuilt the temple
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2nd Temple in Jerusalem
• The 2nd Temple in Jerusalem was completed in 516 B.C. and stood until its destruction by
the Romans in 70 A.D.
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Successive Occupation
• Ruled by a succession of conquering empires (Persia, Greece, Rome)
• And without a continuation of biblical prophecy,
• a new model of Jewish spiritual leadership begins to appear in the form of sages (rabbis)
verses in the Torah
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Jewish Diaspora
• A second major development in this stage was the initial appearance of a widespread
Jewish Diaspora throughout the empires
• This contributed to the rise a rabbinic leadership
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70 A.D.
• With the destruction of Jerusalem and the 2nd Temple in 70 A.D. by the Romans
• Judaism encountered a major challenge to its
very existence
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• Without a recognized and unifying cultic center
• And without access to sacrificial worship as
the prime mode of religious expression
• New systems and contexts for Jewish religious life began to emerge
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The Middle Ages
• New challenges appear
• The vast majority of Jews no longer reside in a Jewish homeland but were dispersed throughout lands controlled by either
Moslem or Christian rulers
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• No less important were the intellectual challenges to Judaism from the theologians
of both Christianity and Islam
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• This reality stimulated an enormous literary output, including:
• philosophical treaties
• a growing body of mystical literature
• The expansion and application of the existing legal system of Judaism to meet new realities
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• With all their differences,
• the vast majority of Jews throughout the world during the Middle Ages still adhered to the major guidelines and practical strictures
of Judaism
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The Modern World
• The modern world
• Beginning with the Enlightenment of the 18th century and continuing with the major political upheavals of the 19th century
• Introduced totally new challenges
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• For the first time
• Christian society in Western Europe opened its gates to the admission of the Jews
conditional on Jewish willingness to forgo some of the norms of religious behavior that
tended to keep them apart
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• Assimilation became an ever-growing challenge to the Jewish world
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• Deriving from the Enlightenment movement
• Jews began to raise serious questions regarding the nature of their religious beliefs
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• Critical study of the Bible was one of the many factors that encouraged the
establishment of
• circles of Jewish intellectuals striving to introduce the fruits of new research into the
lives and beliefs Jews
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• Traditional Jewish practice and belief was now challenged by a reform movement
• Ultimately leading to an unprecedented split
in the ranks of Judaism
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• For the first time
• Adherence to Jewish Halakha • (the all-embracing Jewish legal system)
• was not accepted by all Jews as an absolute
requirement of Judaism
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The Rise of Rabbinic Judaism
• Biblical worship is characterized by
• Animal Sacrifices • Worship at the Temple in Jerusalem
• Priests
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• For almost 1000 years this was the practice followed by Biblical Judaism
• Today the model is quite different
• Today it is the Rabbinic Model
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70 A.D.
• The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans
• Alternative systems had to be developed it
Judaism was to survive
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Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai
• 30 – 90 A.D.
• Established alternative religious practices in the absence of old priestly system
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• 1. Jewish religious expression became decentralized
• 2. The Temple in Jerusalem was replaced with minor sanctuaries called synagogues
• 3. New system of daily prayer introduced
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• 4. Rabbis (teachers) assumed leading role in absence of Temple priests
• 5. Whereas priestly claim to authority was based upon lineage, rabbi’s authority was earned through learning and individual charisma
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• 6. Rabbis were mobile
• They could attract disciples and establish local centers of learning throughout Judaea as well as the Jewish diaspora
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What about the atonement for sin?
• The O.T. sacrificial system was established for the atonement of sin
• The burnt offering (Lev. 1; 6:8-13) • The grain offering (Lev. 2; 6:14-23) • The peace offering (Lev. 3; 7:11-34) • The sin offering (Lev. 4:1-5:13; 6:24-30) • The guilt offering (Lev. 5:14-6:7; 7:1-10)
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Yohanan ben Zakkai
• Stressed “acts of loving kindness” as a suitable alternative to sacrificial worship
• Hosea 6:6
• 6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt
offerings.
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Prayer Replaced Sacrifice
• Hosea 14:1-2 • Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your
sins have been your downfall! 2 Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously,
that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
107
• The rabbis never presented their teachings as a system that superseded the Bible
• The success of rabbinic Judaism was precisely
in the balance between obvious innovation and continuous emphasis on the continuity
of their teachings with those of the Bible
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Jewish Religious Writings
• The Hebrew Bible
• More common designation today for jews would be
• Tanak
Torah / Nevi’im / Ketuvim
109
The Torah
• First Five Books of the Hebrew Bible
• Genesis • Exodus
• Leviticus • Numbers
• Deuteronomy
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The Torah
• The primary religious writings
• Inspired by God
• Given to Moses on Mt Sinai
It is read regularly as part of the synagogue ritual
111
The Torah
• All of the legal components of Judaism are considered to have their source in the Torah
• In antiquity, this was the primary text taught
to children who received their formal education
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The Torah
• Chronologically,
• the Torah begins with creation and ends with the death of Moses
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Nevi’im (Prophets)
• Former Prophets:
Joshua Judges
1 & 2 Samuel 1 & 2 Kings
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Nevi’im (Prophets)
• Latter Prophets:
• Isaiah • Jeremiah • Ezekiel
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Nevi’im (Prophets)
• The Twelve:
• Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, • Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
• Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
116
Nevi’im (Prophets)
• These books cover the period from Israel’s settlement in Canaan,
• after Moses’ death,
• until the destruction of the 1st Temple in 586
B.C.
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Nevi’im (Prophets)
• Although some of these books contain historical narratives,
• the majority present the exhortations of the
prophets to their contemporaries
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Nevi’im (Prophets)
• These include:
• The condemnation of the people and leaders for their sins,
• The foretelling of imminent or distant events,
• The hope for a renewed national and universal order
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Nevi’im (Prophets)
• The prophets enjoy a secondary role in the synagogue service,
• only portions are read after the major Torah
reading
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Nevi’im (Prophets)
• Prophets are not understood to be able to introduce new laws or abrogate existing ones
• Their role is primary to promote requisite
moral behavior
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Kethuvim (Writings)
• Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ruth • Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes
• Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, • Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 & 2 Chronicles
122
Kethuvim (Writings)
• A collection of varied genres
• Wisdom Literature • Poetry
• Historical Works
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Second Major Writings
• Produced by Rabbinic Judaism during the first six centuries A.D.
• The Mishna • The Midrash
• Babylonian Talmud • Palestinian Talmud
124
The Mishnah & Midrash
• Mishna and Midrash represent the earliest forms of Rabbinic literature.
125
The Mishnah
• Early 3rd century A.D. compendium of Rabbinic legal traditions
• became the basis for all subsequent rabbinic
legislation
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The Mishnah
• The central legal text of rabbinic Judaism
• Its 6 section cover all aspects of Jewish religious and social behavior
127
The Mishnah
• The major topics in these six sections are:
• Laws of agriculture • Festivals
• Marriage laws • Torts
• Laws pertaining to the temple • Aspects of ritual purity
128
The Mishnah
• The first systematic compilation of Halakha
• Halakha = The legal framework of Judaism
• All else is Aggada
129
The Midrash
• Follows the biblical text, primarily the Torah, as a sort of commentary
• Also has fables, parables, etc
130
The Talmud
• Means:
• "instruction, learning", is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish Law, ethics,
customs, and history.
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Babylonian Talmud Developed in Babylonia 3rd to 5th Centuries A.D.
Palestinian / Jerusalem Talmud Developed in Israel
350 A.D.
132
Jewish Theology
133 Rabbi Maimonides and his signature.
The Ten Commandments
134
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1st Commandment
• No other Gods
• Exodus 20:3
• "You shall have no other gods before me.”
136
“Before me”
• Means no other gods “in my presence”
How far does God’s presence extend?
The entire universe
137
• Prohibition against worshipping other gods
138
Why can’t we worship other gods?
• Because God is jealous
• Exclusivity
• We owe God our complete love and devotion
139
2nd Commandment
No Idols
Exodus 20:4
• "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the
earth beneath or in the waters below.
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What is an idol?
• Technical sense:
Any image of God
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God is Spirit
• God is Spiritual
• God cannot be visualized
• Anything made that is said to represent God is an idol
142
3rd Commandment
• Do not take the Lord’s name in vain
• Exodus 20:7
• "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone
guiltless who misuses his name.
143
The Lord’s Name
• Represents the person of God
• To take that in vain is to disrespect God Himself
144
4th Commandment
• No work on Sabbath Day
• Exodus 20:8-10
• Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.
145
Sabbath Day Rest
• To Rest
• To become revitalized
• To worship God
146
5th Commandment
• Honor your Mother and Father
• Exodus 20:12
• "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your
God is giving you.
147
Respect
• We must respect God
• We must respect our mother and father
• We must respect our elders
• Respect those who are older and wiser than we are
148
6th Commandment
• No Murder
• Exodus 20:13
• You shall not murder.
149
Murder v. Killing
• There are times when killing is acceptable
• Self-Defense • War
• Protection of the innocent
150
Murder is never Allowed
• Premeditated killing for revenge
151
7th Commandment
• No Adultery
• Exodus 20:14
• You shall not commit adultery.
152
Family Basis for Society
• The husband-wife relationship is sacred before God
• Nothing is to come between them
• The destruction of the family is the
destruction of society
153
Marriage is Gift from God
• Marriage was God’s gift for experiencing the deepest relationship of humanity
• Any sexual activity outside of marriage is an
attempt to enjoy the pleasure of sexual activity without the responsibility of
marriage
154
8th Commandment
• Don’t Steal
• Exodus 20:15
• You shall not steal.
155
Protection of Private Property
• We are not allowed to take what we do not own
156
Why Steal?
• We do not trust in God to provide for our needs
• We develop illegitimate desires
157
9th Commandment
• Don’t bear false witness
• Exodus 20:16
• You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
158
Old Testament Court
• Two witness were required to convict a person of a capital offense in the O.T.
• If you lied in court, someone could literally be
put to death because of it
159
10th Commandment
• No Coveting
• Exodus 20:17
• You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or
his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your
neighbor.
160
Coveting
• The intense desire to have that which someone else possess
161
Basis for Command
• The value of contentment
• Trust in God
• If we desire that which we do not have, we do not trust God to fulfill our needs
The Nature of God
• The nature of God is one of the few areas of abstract Jewish belief where there are a
number of clear-cut ideas about which there is little dispute or disagreement.
162
God Existence
• In general, Judaism views the existence of God as a necessary prerequisite for the
existence of the universe.
163
God is One: Monotheism
• One of the primary expressions of Jewish faith, recited twice daily in prayer, is the
Shema, which begins
• "Hear, Israel: The Lord is our God, The Lord is one."
164
God is the Creator
• Everything in the universe was created by God and only by God.
• Judaism completely rejects the dualistic
notion that evil was created by Satan or some other deity.
165
God is Incorporeal
• God does not have a body
• It is forbidden to represent God in a physical form.
• That is considered idolatry.
166
God is Omnipresent
• God is in all places at all times.
167
God is Omnipotent
• God is all powerful.
168
God is Omniscient
• God knows all things, past, present and future.
• He knows our thoughts.
169
God is Eternal
• God transcends time.
• He has no beginning and no end.
• He will always be there to fulfill his promises.
170
God is both Just and Merciful
• God will punish the guilty
• God also demonstrates mercy
171
God is Holy and Perfect
• God is morally pure
• God cannot sin
• God is perfect in all attributes
172
Human Nature
• A fundamental Jewish belief about human beings is that they are created in the image of
God.
• The general rabbinical interpretation of this concept is that humans have the ability to
reason.
173
• We have a moral conscience that reminds a person of God's law when one considers a
specific action or choice.
174
• We also have the impulse to satisfy one's own needs and desires.
• There is nothing intrinsically evil about the this,
• as it was created by God and is natural to humankind.
175
• It is also what drives us to good things such as eating, drinking, having a family, and
making a living.
• However, it can easily lead to sin when not kept in check by our moral conscience
176
Free Will
• The idea of human free will is fundamental to Judaism.
• The concept of original sin is rejected, and
every person has the ability to choose good or evil.
177
The Messiah
• The concept of the messiah seems to have developed in later Judaism.
• The Torah contains no specific reference to him,
• though some Jewish scholars have pointed out that it does speak of the "End of Days,"
which is the time of the messiah.
178
• The Tanak gives several specifications as to who the messiah will be.
• He will be a descendent of King David
(2 Samuel 7:12-13; Jeremiah 23:5), Observant of Jewish Law (Isaiah 11:2-5),
A Righteous Judge and Great Leader (Jeremiah 33:15)
179
• Jews do not believe that the messiah will be divine.
• A fundamental difference between Judaism
and Christianity is the Jewish conviction that God is so essentially different from and beyond humanity that he could never
become a human.
180
• Moreover, Jews find no foundation in the scriptures for such a belief about the
messiah.
• Passages viewed by Christians as indicating a divine messiah
• (such as the suffering servant of Isaiah 53) • are viewed by Jews as speaking of the people
of Israel.
181
Return of the Messiah
• A wide variety of opinions have been given by Jewish scholars as to the circumstances
that will prompt the messiah's arrival.
182
• Some say the messiah will come when the world is especially good;
• others say when the world has become
especially evil.
• The biblical clues that are offered suggest the messiah will come after a period of war and
suffering
• (Ezekiel 38:16).
184
The Messianic Age
• When the messiah does come, he will inaugurate the messianic age.
• The Tanakh employs the following
descriptions about this period:
185
• Peace among all nations • (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3)
• Perfect harmony and abundance in nature (Isaiah 11:6-9)
• (but some interpret this as an allegory for peace and prosperity)
186
• All Jews return from exile to Israel
• (Isaiah 11:11-12; Jeremiah 23:8; 30:3; Hosea 3:4-5)
• Universal acceptance of the Jewish God and Jewish religion
• (Isaiah 2:3; 11:10; 66:23; Micah 4:2-3; Zechariah 14:9)
187
• No sin or evil; all Israel will obey the commandments
• (Zephaniah 3:13; Ezekiel 37:24)
• Reinstatement of the Temple • (Ezekiel 37:26-27)
188
Ancient Worship
• Ancient Worship centered around the Sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem
• Atonement for sin thru animal sacrifice
• Yom Kippur
• The Day of Atonement
189
Modern Worship
• After the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. sacrificial worship ceased
• The rabbis developed a new system of
worship centered upon prayer
• Located in the local synagogue
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Rabbinic Judaism
• Set up formal system of prayer
• There are 3 daily prayers:
• Morning • Afternoon • Evening
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• All three daily prayers, as well as those of Sabbath and holidays, contain a central
prayer composed of 19 blessings
• This is know as the “Amidah” • (Prayer said while standing)
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• Each of the blessings details one of God attributes
• Reviver of the dead
• Dispenser of wisdom • Builder of Jerusalem
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The Shema: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
• 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6
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• These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 195
Torah
• After the prayers there is a reading of the Torah
• The synagogue will read the entire Torah
each year
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Sermon
• After the prayers and reading of the Torah there is a sermon or teaching on the passages
just read from the Torah
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Individual Life Cycles
• Judaism proscribes rituals and rites for all the major life passages in an individual’s life
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Circumcision
• The preferred age for circumcision is 8 days old
• Converts to Judaism are required to be
circumcised
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Bar Mitzvah
• Bar = Son • Mitzvah = Commandments
• “Son of Commandments”
• When a boy is recognized as a man in the Jewish community
• 13 years old
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• Boy could take part in all synagogue rituals
• Wearing of the “tefillin”
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Bat Mitzvah
• A girl is considered a woman by the Jewish community
• About 12 years old
• Only in Reformed Judaism could a woman
participate in synagogue rituals
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Marriage
• Very important to Jews
• The imagery of God’s love for Israel was commonly compared to marital relations
• Monogamous, although some men in the
Bible had more than one wife
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Death
• Ideal, a dying person should recite the shma and confess his or her sons
• The corpse is cleansed and dressed in plain
white shrouds
• Men frequently have their prayer shawls placed on them
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• Burial is in the ground
• After burial, a series of mourning periods begins
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• Stage 1: lasts 7 days • Refrain from everyday activities
• Stage 2: 30 days
• Just for immediate family • Assume regular activities
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• Stage 3: One year • Remember the deceased
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A Plurality of Judaisms
• In Ancient Times:
• Sadducees • Essenes
• Pharisees
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Sadducees
• Believed in a God that was totally removed from any active involvement in this world
• God does not determine or preordain human affairs
• No fate
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Sadducees
• Man has absolute control over his deeds
• Any reward or punishment that the Torah speaks of is the immediate results of human
action
• They are the direct consequences of how we behave and the retribution of God
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Sadducees
• Rejected the resurrection of the dead
• Or life after death
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Essenes
• Associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Almost the opposite of the Sadducees
• They claimed that everything was preordained by God as that man really has no
choice or free will to act as he wishes 212
Essences
• Believed in some type of spiritual survival
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Pharisees
• Middle ground between the Sadducees and the Essenes
• They believed that everything that transpires
is the will of God but man has free will to choose between good and evil
214
Pharisees
• Believed in eternal life based upon good and evil deeds done in this life
215
Modern Period
• Today there are basically 3 types of Judaism:
• 1. Reform • 2. Conservative
• 3. Orthodox
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Reform Judaism
• 19th century realities in Western Europe, primarily in Germany, led some Jewish
leaders to believe that the number of Jews would dwindle radically in light of the
attractive lure of modern European society that had opened its gates to Jews as a result
of emancipation
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Reform Judaism
• They claimed that Jewish forms and contexts for worship must be rendered more
attractive
• Following the models of Christianity
Reform Judaism
• In 1818, the first Reform synagogue
• (now called a temple)
• was opened in Hamburg
Reform Judaism
• Shortened prayer in German
• Sermon in German
• Organ music
Reform Judaism
• Major ritual components of Judaism were gradually abandoned by early Reform
Judaism
• More emphasis placed upon ethical teachings of prophets
• Rather than legal aspect of Torah
Reform Judaism
• Biblical scholarship had convinced the founders of reform Judaism that although the
Bible may have been “divinely inspired” it was the work of human beings
Reform Judaism
• Stress on a national-restorative element in Judaism was abandoned
• As was the belief in a personal messiah
Reform Judaism
• Vehemently opposed by the rabbinic leadership of the traditional Jewish
communities
Beliefs of Reform Judaism
Belief in Deity
• Beliefs vary among adherents, • including that of nonbelief or questioning
belief, • and all are welcome and considered
personal, • but the official stance is that there is one God
Almighty--Creator, all-powerful, ever-present, and all knowing--formless, incorporeal spirit.
Incarnations
• None, as only God is worshipped. Moses was the greatest of all prophets.
Origin of Universe and Life
• Most believe that Genesis is to be understood symbolically.
• God created and controls all phenomena
revealed by modern science
After Death
• Reform Jews believe in the world to come and a messianic age
• (but no individual Messiah).
• Personal beliefs in the details of afterlife are diverse, as there is no official position.
• Some believe in heaven and hell but only as states of consciousness;
• some believe in reincarnation; some believe God is all-forgiving;
• and some may not believe in an actual afterlife.
• Regardless, Judaism generally focuses on living a virtuous life,
• rather than working toward reward after death.
The Problem of Evil
• No original sin.
• Most often, Satan is interpreted symbolically to represent selfish desires that are inherent
within all.
• God gave people free will, and people are responsible for their actions.
Salvation
• The main emphasis is on living the kind of life that God commands, which will surely be
rewarded if there is an afterlife.
• Most believe God is forgiving of all;
• there is no hell to which some are condemned.
• Salvation is achieved through faith and prayer to God, good works, concern for the earth and humanity, and behavior that does
no harm to others.
• The extent to which one follows Jewish Law is an individual decision.
Conservative Judaism
• A moderate sect that seeks to avoid the extremes of Orthodox and Reform Judaism.
• Conservative Jews wish to conserve the traditional elements of Judaism while also allowing for reasonable modernization and
rabbinical development.
Conservative Judaism
• The teachings of Zacharias Frankel (1801-75) form the foundation of Conservative
Judaism.
• Frankel broke away from the Reform movement in Germany in the 1840s,
• insisting that Jewish tradition and rituals had not become nonessentials.
Conservative Judaism
• He accepted both the Torah and Talmud as enduring authorities
• but taught that historical and textual studies
could differentiate cultural expressions from abiding religious truths.
Conservative Judaism
• Conservative Jews observe the Sabbath and dietary laws,
• although some modifications have been
made to the latter.
Conservative Judaism
• As in Reform Judaism, women may be rabbis.
• In 1985, the first woman rabbi was ordained in a Conservative synagogue.
Conservative Judaism
• Conservative Jews uphold the importance of Jewish nationalism,
• encouraging the study of Hebrew and
support for Zionism.
Conservative Judaism
• Beyond these basic perspectives, beliefs and practices among Conservative Jews can range
from Reform to Orthodox in nature.
• It is more "a theological coalition rather than a homogeneous expression of beliefs and
practices."
Beliefs of Conservative Judaism
There is a God
• Most conceive of God as a personal Being, • but some refer to a creative force,
• a moral urge toward the good, • the totality of being,
• or a personification of the powerful and good qualities that we find in life.
God is One
• Rejects Trinity of Christianity
Human Value
All human beings are important since we all are God's creatures, created in His image.
Design of Universe
• The forces of nature do not operate randomly or haphazardly;
• on the contrary, they all work according to a
fixed, cohesive order created and maintained by God.
• All of science is based upon the assumption that such an order exists:
• otherwise no general rules about the behavior of objects could be formulated.
• Hence Judaism is in perfect agreement with the "uniformity of nature principle" in
science,
• although it adds the belief that the order is not the product of mere chance but is rather
the conscious creation of God.
Moral Order
• The world also operates according to a moral order, established and supervised by God.
God is Active
• God takes an active role in human affairs, past, present and future.
We are God’s Partner
• We are God's partner in creation.
• Human beings can, and morally must, contribute to the betterment of !he world in
whatever way they can.
• As God is active, so we must be.
Free Will
• Man has free will.
• Man is born morally neutral;
• He is not perfect, but he can make amends for his mistakes,
• and he bears the responsibility for his choices.
Orthodox Judaism
• Not a unified movement with a single governing body,
• but many different movements adhering to
common principles.
Orthodox Judaism
• All of the Orthodox movements are very similar in their observance and beliefs,
• differing only in the details that are
emphasized.
• They also differ in their attitudes toward modern culture and the state of Israel.
• They all share one key feature:
• a dedication to Torah, both Written and Oral.
• Orthodox Judaism views itself as the continuation of the beliefs and practices of
normative Judaism,
• as accepted by the Jewish nation at Mt. Sinai and codified in successive generations in an ongoing process that continues to this day.
• Orthodox Judaism believes that both the Written and Oral Torah are of divine origin,
and represent the word of God.
• This is similar to the view of the Conservative movement,
• but the Orthodox movement holds that such information (except for scribal errors) is the exact word of God and does not represent
any human creativity or influence.
Major Beliefs
• 1. The existence of God;
• 2. His unity;
• 3. His spirituality;
• 4. His eternity;
• 5. God alone the object of worship;
• 6. Revelation through his prophets;
• 7. The preeminence of Moses among the Prophets;
• 8. God's law given on Mount Sinai;
• 9. The immutability of the Torah as God's Law;
• 10. God's foreknowledge of men's actions;
• 11. Retribution;
• 12. The coming of the Messiah;
• 13. Resurrection.
Jewish Festivals
• The Jewish calendar is full of festivals and special days, either commemorating a major
event in Jewish history or celebrating a certain time of year
• (such as Jewish New Year).
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Sabbath
• The weekly day of rest on Saturday, is marked in Israel with most people spending the day
together with family and friends.
• Public transport is suspended, businesses are closed, essential services are at skeleton-staff
strength, and leave is granted to as many soldiers as possible.
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Purim (Festival of Lots)
• This one-day festival takes place four weeks before Passover and usually falls in February
or early March.
• It recalls the story of Esther, a Queen who foiled a plot by one of her advisors, Haman,
to kill all the Jews.
Pesach (Passover)
• This takes place around March/April time, and commemorates Moses freeing the
Israelites from their enslavement under the Pharaoh in Egypt.
• The festival lasts for eight days and during that time no 'leavened' food (i.e food
containing wheat or any type of grain) may be consumed.
• The reason for eating no leavened food is to remember when the Israelites had to leave Egypt in a hurry and did not have time to
prepare proper food for themselves
• their bread did not rise in time and so was considered 'unleavened' and tasted more like
crackers.
• This is symbolised on Passover by eating Matzah - unleavened bread.
Shavuot (Pentecost)
• Shavuot takes places seven weeks after Passover
• (usually around late May/early June)
• and commemorates Moses being given the Ten Commandments by God following the
Exodus from Egypt.
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
• The Jewish New Year takes place around September/October, and is considered one of
the most important and serious holidays • (or High Holy Days)
• in the Jewish calendar.
• As well as being a time for celebration it is also a time for reflection and repentance for
sins committed in the previous year.
• This period is known as The Ten Days Of Repentance and is traditionally a solemn
time.
Yom Kippur (Day Of Atonement)
• The Ten Days Of Repentance end with Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day Of Atonement,
• which is the day on which the fates of all
Jews are sealed for the coming year.
• This High Holy Day is the most solemn and serious day in the Jewish calendar,
• which involves praying for forgiveness for sins and afflicting oneself as punishment for
those committed in the past year.
• The fast begins with a special evening service known as “All Vows”,
• and synagogue services last for the whole of
the following day until the Fast ends.
• Although it is a solemn day,
• Yom Kippur is also thought of as a happy day because it is the time for Jews to cleanse
themselves of wrongdoings
• and reach a spiritual high.
Succot (Tabernacles)
• This festival begins five days after the end of Yom Kippur
• and commemorates the booths the Israelites
constructed in the wilderness and lived in after their exodus from Egypt.
• During the eight-day festival, Jews are supposed to live in a similar booth known as
a Succah (dwelling)
Chanukah (Festival of Lights)
• Another eight-day festival, which takes place in December.
• The story of Chanukah hails back to a period in history when,
• Jews were forbidden to follow their faith and many were forcibly converted or killed for
not converting.
• Eventually a band of Jews called the Maccabees gathered an army and revolted
against the Greeks and won the battle,
• although their temple and way of life was all but destroyed.
• This band of men sought to clean up the temple and restore the faith,
• but in order to light the temple the special seven-branch candleabra (Menorah) was
needed,
• and only enough oil could be found to keep it alight for one day.
• However, a miracle occurred and the Menorah continued to remain lit for seven
days on only one day's supply of oil
• until new oil could be made to keep the light going.
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283
The Ten Commandments
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1st Commandment
285
286
1st Commandment
• No other Gods
• Exodus 20:3
• "You shall have no other gods before me.”
287
“Before me”
• Means no other gods “in my presence”
How far does God’s presence extend?
The entire universe
288
• Prohibition against worshipping other gods
289
Why can’t we worship other gods?
• Because God is jealous
• Exclusivity
• We owe God our complete love and devotion
2nd Commandment
290
291
2nd Commandment
No Idols
Exodus 20:4
• "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the
earth beneath or in the waters below.
292
What is an idol?
• Technical sense:
Any image of God
293
God is Spirit
• God is Spiritual
• God cannot be visualized
• Anything made that is said to represent God is an idol
3rd Commandment
294
295
3rd Commandment
• Do not take the Lord’s name in vain
• Exodus 20:7
• "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone
guiltless who misuses his name.
296
The Lord’s Name
• Represents the person of God
• To take that in vain is to disrespect God Himself
4th Commandment
297
298
4th Commandment
• No work on Sabbath Day
• Exodus 20:8-10
• Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.
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Sabbath Day Rest
• To Rest
• To become revitalized
• To worship God
5th Commandment
300
301
5th Commandment
• Honor your Mother and Father
• Exodus 20:12
• "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your
God is giving you.
302
Respect
• We must respect God
• We must respect our mother and father
• We must respect our elders
• Respect those who are older and wiser than we are
6th Commandment
303
304
6th Commandment
• No Murder
• Exodus 20:13
• You shall not murder.
305
Murder v. Killing
• There are times when killing is acceptable
• Self-Defense • War
• Protection of the innocent
306
Murder is never Allowed
• Premeditated killing for revenge
7th Commandment
307
308
7th Commandment
• No Adultery
• Exodus 20:14
• You shall not commit adultery.
309
Family Basis for Society
• The husband-wife relationship is sacred before God
• Nothing is to come between them
• The destruction of the family is the
destruction of society
310
Marriage is Gift from God
• Marriage was God’s gift for experiencing the deepest relationship of humanity
• Any sexual activity outside of marriage is an
attempt to enjoy the pleasure of sexual activity without the responsibility of
marriage
8th Commandment
311
312
8th Commandment
• Don’t Steal
• Exodus 20:15
• You shall not steal.
313
Protection of Private Property
• We are not allowed to take what we do not own
314
Why Steal?
• We do not trust in God to provide for our needs
• We develop illegitimate desires
9th Commandment
315
316
9th Commandment
• Don’t bear false witness
• Exodus 20:16
• You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
317
Old Testament Court
• Two witness were required to convict a person of a capital offense in the O.T.
• If you lied in court, someone could literally be
put to death because of it
10th Commandment
318
319
10th Commandment
• No Coveting
• Exodus 20:17
• You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or
his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your
neighbor.
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Coveting
• The intense desire to have that which someone else possess
321
Basis for Command
• The value of contentment
• Trust in God
• If we desire that which we do not have, we do not trust God to fulfill our needs