The Hebrews and Judaism Jewish Beliefs and Texts

Jewish Beliefs Anchor Their Society The Jews are monotheistic, believe in one God and many believe the first. The God of the Jews is YHWH and is never pronounced by Jews. In ancient times where civilizations worshiped many gods, worshiping one god set them apart.

Belief in One God The worship of one God, Yahweh, shaped Jewish society. Jews believe God has guided them through history by using leaders such as Abraham, Moses and Joshua. Education is also important and all children are taught the basics of the faith. In ancient times, boys but not girls, studied the texts and were trained in the ways.

Justice and Righteousness Justice and righteousness are also central to the faith. To the Jews, justice means kindness and fairness in dealing with other people – even strangers and criminals. Jews are expected to giive aid to those in need – poor, sick, homeless, etc. They also must be fair in business deals. Jews should also be righteous – do the right thing even if others choose not to. This is more important than ceremony.

Observance of Religious and Moral Law Observance of the law is closely related to justice and righteousness. Moral and religious laws given to them by God have guided the Jews through history to today.

Religious and Moral Law The Ten Commandments is the most important of Jewish laws – but only one part. Jews believe that God gave Moses all of his laws and that Moses wrote them all down in a system that has become known as Mosaic Law.

Religious and Moral Law Mosaic law guides many areas of Jewish life. It regulates the way people pray and celebrate holidays. Jews are not allowed to work on holidays or the Sabbath. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday night and ends at nightfall Saturday. Foods are also dealt with as far as what can and can’t be eaten and the way things should be prepared. Pork and shellfish are out and meats and other foods must be prepared in a kosher manner.

Religious and Moral Law Today, Jews who strictly follow mosaic law are called Orthodox Jews. Those that don’t follow strictly the ancient ways are called Reform Jews. A third group that falls between the two are called Conservative Jews

Texts List Jewish Beliefs THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE Jewish Bible are known as the Torah and that is where you find most of the law and also a history of the Jews to the death of Moses. Readings from the Torah are central to services and almost all synagogues have at least one. Readers do not touch, but out of respect, follow along with a pointer to mark text.

The Hebrew Bible The Torah is the first of three parts that comprise the Hebrew Bible. The second part is eight books of the prophets = messages given to and shared by prophets to the people from God. The final 11 books are stories, poems, lessons, songs and history. The Book of Daniel is an example of faith rewarded. The final part also has the proverbs and psalms, which provide some of the most beautiful and thought provoking as well as comforting texts in the Bible.

Commentaries For centuries, scholars have studied the torah and Bible and have chronicled commentaries on the difficult readings. Many of these are found in the Talmud – a set of commentaries on lessons for everyday life. Many consider these second only to the Hebrew Bible in significance.

Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls are also important. Found in 1947 by young boys looking for a goat in some caves, the few moldy scrolls brought about a search of the desert where others were found. Written between 100BC and 50AD, they give us a picture of what lives of the early jews were like.

Judaism and Later Cultures Jewish ideas have influenced the cultures of many other lands, particularly in Europe and the US. Besides influencing societies with their ideas, the religion will influence two major religions – Islam and Christianity – all linking to Abraham. The 10 Commandments are another huge influence.

Later Cultures Finally, Jewish teachings can be linked to the idea of charity and giving to those less fortunate as well as treating all fairly and with respect – even those that may not appreciate.

Yep – I wasn’t kidding

To Sum up … Exit: How have Jewish ideas helped shape modern laws? Stay tuned next time for Judaism Over the Centuries