Religion and Ethics

JUDAISM

Jewish Ethics – Sources of Ethical Authority The primary sources of Judaism are the Hebrew

Bible and Rabbinic literature. The Hebrew Bible is known as the TENACH (it does

not include the NT) – it has 3 parts:1)Torah – Teachings2) Neviim – Prophets3) Ketuvim – Writings The MIDRASH is a form of ancient written biblical

commentary & interpretation – it often seeks to uncover the hidden meaning of the Torah. It also contains AGGADAH, which are stories, legends, wise sayings, parables, prayers & other forms of writings

Jewish Ethics – Sources of Ethical Authority Strictly speaking the Torah is the first five books of

the Tenach – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy. However the word TorahTorah is used in several ways.

Torah is usually translated by the word law but way of life is more appropriate – to observant Jews, the Torah is God’s gift – it is the communication of His will for His people and the study and practice of it is their privilege.

While the Torah gives guidelines for moral behaviour, applying those guidelines is often up to the individual.

It includes matters of personal morality/ law

Jewish Ethics – Sources of Ethical Authority HALACHAH is the Jewish Law, showing the way to

follow God, the route that God requires. It is the legal tradition in Jewish religious writing.

Beginning with the 613 mitzvot or commandments of the Torah, the halachic tradition was expanded through the clarification of the mitzvot through centuries of the writings of the rabbis.

Ten of the best known are the Ten Commandments or Decalogue – these have never lost their value as spiritual & moral guidelines for the Jewish people – but modern problems see rabbis supply answers where necessary in a way that is meaningful today.

Jewish Ethics – Sources of Ethical Authority Pious Jews look to the Torah for guidance for all their

actions. But the mitzvot are open to a variety of interpretations, so Jews study them carefully so that they can understand them & grasp their wisdom.

Halachah, with its detailed rules, became, in the time of the rabbis the foundation of Jewish life. So collections of these rules began to be made. Each collection is called a MISHNAH. The Mishnah, then, is the Oral Law established in written form. It has six main divisions – one part the “Ethics of the Fathers” deals solely with moral guidance. It contains a number of sayings for Jews to follow.

Jewish Ethics – Sources of Ethical Authority The Gemara is an Aramaic commentary on,

elaboration of, and scriptural underpinning of the Mishnah. The Mishnah and Gemara are contained in the TALMUD (from the Hebrew word to learn). The Talmud is the most authoritative work of the Oral Torah. It was written in the period 200-500 CE.

As legal traditions came to be written down, so narrative traditions were also recorded. The name given to this narrative material is Aggadah (story telling) – it is the non-legal tradition in Jewish religious writing

Ethical Monotheism

Judaism’s ethical mitzvot are standards of human behaviour that lead people to lives of decency, kindness, righteousness, justice, goodness & compassion.

They serve to elevate & enoble human relationships & inspire people to strive for the highest good. The Jewish “ethical code” is based on the authority of the Author – this code is called ethical monotheism, because the ethic, the standard of behaviour comes from the One Lord God.

God’s ethical commandments are not affected by time or place – right / wrong are universal.

Ethical Monotheism

Judaism’s ethical code – ethical monotheism – comes from God – by following Judaism’s ethical code, and by continually striving to ingrain and observe its principles and moral mandate, observant Jews come to understand and act on what God expects of them – to be truly human and humane.

The ethical and moral teachings of Judaism are grounded in the Torah, “the rule of life”. In traditional Jewish thinking, to live by the Torah is to live as a religious Jew.

Ultimately the Halachah is concerned with guiding believers in right relationship with God/family/others

Jewish Beliefs

The main principles of the Jewish ethical system are derived from the Tenach, the Talmud and the ongoing rabbinical tradition:

1)the need for justice………. 2)act with piety…… 3)act in a way that brings “shalom”……….. 4)actions must be pervaded with compassion…. 5)dietary laws 6)shabbat observance 7)Responsible for community they live in 8)the mitzvot – good deeds commanded by God

Jewish Beliefs

9)ethics address the whole community….. 10) divine retribution ………………… Halachah is the fleshing out of the essence of ethical

living, so that it can be understood and actually lived by the follower.

At its core, though, the Halachah symbolises the very ethical principles upon which Judaism is based.

Basis of Jewish ethics is the belief that every human is created in the image of God, and is therefore worthy of respect & dignity

It is important to be “intrinsically” ethical in person & character

Jewish Beliefs

according to Judaism a person uses morality and a system of ethics to reach in two directions:

1)proper conduct between an individual and God 2) proper conduct between two or more people The first caters for the religious aspect of one’s life

and the second allows for an ethical and just society. Both of these are derived form the Halachah and for

the Jewish person it provides an ethical and moral framework for life.

Jews believe that when they keep God’s mitzvot, they bring holiness into the world and prepare it for the time when all human beings will know him.

Jewish Beliefs

The Jews have a special assignment to act in such a way as to turn people towards an ethical God.

The Talmud speaks of three principles in life: 1) Torah or “learning” 2) Service of God – to be worshipped out of love not

fear 3) Performance of good deeds or charity Keeping the mitzvot means leading a disciplined life. Jews believe that by fulfilling the commandments,

they are communicating with God – they understand the mitzvot to be God’s way of reaching out to people.