JUDAISM

LEARNING GOALS Understand the key points of the origins of Judaism Know the difference between a contract and a covenant Understand what Rabbinic Judaism is and what the Diaspora is

ORIGINS OF JUDAISM... Last class, we explored the beginnings of Judaism... Here is a quick recap video! It also explores into the future of this unit when we will talk about how the Jewish people were continually blamed and persecuted!

Contract V.S Covenant The Jewish people have a sacred covenant with God, showing the immense faith and trust they had in God. The special relationship between the Jews and their God was established between God and Abraham, as well as God and Moses on Mount Sinai. Devout faith was also shown by David and his son Solomon On Mount Sinai God promised to care for the people of Israel, and they in turn promised to follow the Ten Commandments. This event came to be known as the Sinai Covenant.

CONTRACT VS. COVENANT Covenant Contract An  agreement between two parties Involves the services of people Deals with Secular (societal) affairs (money) People as witnesses Made by anybody who knows the value of money. Lasts for a certain amount of time and then expires Involves an agreement between two parties Involves the actions and beliefs of people Deals with Sacred affairs (eternal life) God as witness Made by adults who are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually mature. Lasts forever

A quick video summarizing the importance of the marriage contract

The Birth of Modern Judaism In 66CE, Judea was under the control of the Roman Empire A group of Jewish revolutionaries known as the Zealots, rose up against the rulers of the land In response, the Romans laid siege to Jerusalem, destroying the city and the temple

The Birth of Modern Judaism Rabbinic Judaism began at this time, by a group known as the Pharisees They encouraged people to gather in synagogues and study the Torah in houses now that the temple was destroyed. Individuals called Rabbis interpreted the Torah to help the Jewish people follow the laws of the covenant

The Birth of Modern Judaism This is where the name Rabbinic Judaism came from In 135 CE, the Romans expelled the Jews from Judea, forcing them to take refuge in other countries This became known as the Diaspora