MODULE 3: UNDERSTANDING JUDAISM

Judaism
Definition
 Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion.
 It is one of the world’s oldest religions, originating around 3,500 B.C.E.
Adherents
 In 2015, the world Jewish population is around 15 million and 40% of which reside in
Israel.
 The remaining is spread around the world. This is called diaspora.
Name of Adherents
 Hebrews: refer to those who accepted Yahweh as their God.
 Israelites: descendants of the Hebrews.
 Jew: comes from Yehudah or Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel.

Elements of Judaism
God: Yahweh/ Jehovah
Founders: Abraham (2000 B.C.) and/or Moses (1391-1271 B.C.)
Sacred texts: Torah, Talmud
Doctrines: Ten Commandments, 618 Rules
Sects: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform Liberal
Issues: Antisemitism, Zionism, Holocaust
Cultural Practices and Traditions

God: Yahweh/ Jehovah

Single but all-powerful God
YHWH is the sacred name to God as revealed to Moses
common pronunciation today is “Jehovah”
Jews do not pronounce this holiest of names.
They read it as “Adonai”
They also refer to God as “Hashem”
It is also called “The Forbidden Name” or “The Unutterable Name”
Some Jews also refrain from writing the word “God” replacing it with “G-d”
The original concept of the God of Judaism is henotheistic. It means that adherents are devoted to a
single deity while accepting the possible existence of others.
Yahweh’s Characteristics
 Absolute, eternal and unchanging creator of the universe.
 Personal being that cares intensify for mankind
 His divine attributes are mercy, wisdom, righteousness, loving, kindness, justice,
compassion, patience and beauty.
 Jealous deity; sloe to anger but harshly punish

Founder: Moses and Abraham

Abraham: He is considered as the “Father of the family Jews” and to whom the Jewish history
begins.

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 Early known as “Abram” or “Avram”

 He lived during the Bronze Age, around 1800-2000 B.C.E.
 He lived in the City of Ur, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Sumer
 God entered into a covenant with Abraham.
 He was called by God to leave his home (Genesis 12: 1-3) going to Canaan.
 His wife is Sarah, who was barren.
 He had a son to Sarah’s Egyptian handmaid, Hagar. The son was named Ishmael.
 Later in life, the old Abraham and Sarah had a son named Isaac, the heir to God’s covenant.
 Abraham was tested (Genesis 22)
 Later on, Isaac married Rebecca who bore him twin sons, Jacob and Esau.
 Jacob, later on, named as Israel which means “the one who wrestled with God.”
 Among four different women, Jacob fathered twelve sons and one daughter.
 The twelve sons became the ancestors of the tribes of Israel.

 Why God chose Abraham?

“Abraham was chosen because
of his character, not because he is sinless.”
 Abraham was authoritative (he commands)
 Abraham was not a hypocrite (he leads)
 Abraham trusts God more than anyone (he let God do the justice and judgment)

Moses: He is known as “the most humble man on the face of the earth”.
 He was born in Egypt. (Amram and Yochebed)
 At the age of 3 months old, he was hidden in a basket and set afloat in the Nile River.
 He was found by the pharaoh’s daughter, Batyah.
 At the age of 40 years old, he left Egypt to Midian.
 He married Ziporah and had sons namely: Gershom and Eliezer
 At the age of 80 years old, God revealed Himself to him at Mount Horeb (Sinai)
 He talked to the pharaoh but the pharaoh refused.
 Ten plagues
1. Blood 5. Pestilence 9. Darkness
2. Frogs 6. Boils 10. Death of first born (Passover)
3. Gnats 7. Hails
4. Flies 8. Locusts
 He took Israelites to Egypt

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 He received the Torah from God

 He built Mishkan (divine dwelling)
 He led the children of Israel for 40 years.
 On his 120th birthday, he died on Mount Nebo.
 Why God chose Moses?
 He defends the oppressed
 He does the right thing
 He is faithful

Sacred Texts: Hebrew Bible and Talmud

Hebrew Bible: It is not just a compilation of books but also a collection of historical narratives,
myths, poems, laws, genealogies, saying, songs and prayers.
 Tanakh is the other name of the Hebrew Bible for Jews.
 Tanakh means “The Written Torah”
 It is known as The Old Testament in Christian Bible.
 Tanakh is an acronym of Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim, different parts of the Hebrew Bible.
 It has 24 books.
 Parts of the Hebrew Bible
 Torah: It contains much of the origin of the practices of Jews. It is the first five
books of the Hebrew Bible or the Tanakh.
 Torah means “teachings/ laws”
 Torah contains the first five books namely: Genesis (Origin), Exodus (The
Names), Leviticus (He Called), Numbers (In the Desert) and Deuteronomy
(Things or Words)
 Nevi’im: It contains the prophets who served as the spokespersons who criticize the
hypocritical practices of the Jewish rituals.
 Nevi’im means “Prophets”
 It is divided into subdivisions: the Former Prophets, the Late Prophets and
the Twelve Minor Prophets.
o Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings
o Late Prophets: Isaah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel
o Twelve Minor Prophets
 The prophets were specifically chosen by God to preach His message to the
people.
 Ketuvim: It contains works on poetry, temple, ritual, private prayer, philosophical
explorations, and other canonical works.
 Ketuvim means “Writings”
 It is a collection of liturgical poetry and wisdom literature that is divided into
three sections namely:
o Three Poetic Books: Psalms, Proverbs, Job
o Hamesh Megillot: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes
and Esther
o Other Books: Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles

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Talmud: It is one of the central works of the Jewish people. It is a record of teachings and
interpretations.
 Talmud means “The Oral Torah” or “Study”
 It contains all the studies and interpretations made by the Jewish rabbi or teachers about the
Torah.
 In short, Talmud is an authoritative collection of rabbic interpretations of the sacred
scriptures.
 Parts of Talmud
 Mishna
 It is the collection of Jewish oral laws.
 It is compiled by Jewish scholars over 2 centuries
 Parts of Mishna
o Zera im: “seeds”, daily prayers and religious laws in agriculture
o Mo ed: “festival”, ceremonies, rituals, observances and prohibitions
o Nashim: “women”, discusses married life
o Neziqin: “damages”, covers civil and criminal laws
o Qodashim: “holy things”, temple of Jerusalem, sacrifices, offerings
and donations
 Gemara
 It contains the prophets who served as the spokespersons who criticize the
hypocritical practices of the Jewish rituals.
 It is the analysis of Mishnah
 It includes commentaries about the Mishnah
 It includes legends, folklores and sayings.
 There are two versions: Jerusalem Talmud and Talmud Bavli
o Jerusalem Talmud: compiled by the scholars of the land of Israel
o Talmud Bavli: compiled by the scholars of Babylonia.

Doctrines: Ten Commandments and 613 Rules

Ten Commandments: These are set of absolute laws given by God to Moses at the biblical Mount
Sinai that shall govern the life of every Israelite.
1. I am the Lord your God, you shall not have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.

613 Rules: These are 613 commandments taken in the Torah given by God to the Jewish people.

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Sects: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform

Orthodox
 The most traditional expression of modern Judaism.
 They believe that the entire Torah was given to Moses by God.
 They are strict in the implementation of laws and are hesitant to revise any practices.
 They observe the traditional dietary practices, they eat only clean food and they honor the
Sabbath day.
Conservative
 The moderate position between Orthodox Judaism and Reform Judaism
 It conserves the traditional elements of Judaism while allowing for modernization.
 They recognize that change has always been part of the religion, but discern carefully which
change must be accepted.
 They try to reconcile the traditional orthodoxy and the liberal reform of Judaism.
Reform
 The most liberal expression of Judaism.
 They deny the Torah’s divine origin.
 They reject practices that seem outdated, such as kosher laws.
 In short, they emphasize change.
 They believe that the Torah can be changed to respond to new conditions.

Issues: Zionism, Anti-Semitism, Holocaust

Zionism
 Jewish nationalist movement that has its goal to create and support a Jewish national state in
Palestine.
 The idea originated in Europe in 19th Century.
 The Zionist believed that Jews as the chosen people of God will be reunited from dispersion
or exile back to their rightful homeland.
Anti-Semitism
 Discrimination against Jews as a religious or racial group.
 Semites were defined as people who are anti-Jews. Some sources named them as the Arabs
and Christians.

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 The Blood Libel and Ritual Murder

 Jews as Devil
 Jewish Smell
 Polluted Jewish Blood
Holocaust
 Six million Jews were killed, 1.5 million are children
 There were destruction of 5,000 communities
 After World War II, Germany lost and started to suffer from economic stability.
 Holocaust is known as Hitler’s “Final Solution”
 In Soviet Union, there was a mass grave with 1.5 million victims.

Culture and Traditions

Holidays
 Jewish holidays are special days observed to commemorate key events in Jewish history and
other events that depict the special connections with the world.
 Sabbath: It is the most important day in the Jewish calendar. It commemorates
God’s completion of the creation of the universe and His rest after six-day toil.
 Tishri: It is also known as the ‘Days of Awe’. It is the seventh month in the
ecclesiastical year of the Jewish calendar.
 Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year
 Yom Kippur: The most sacred and solemn day in the Jewish calendar
 Shalosh Regalim: Also known as ‘The Pilgrimage Festivals’
 Pesach (Passover): is an eight-day festival to commemorate and recreate the
Exodus of the Jews from Egypt
 Shavout (Feast of Weeks): is a two-day festival being held to commemorate
the revelation of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai
 Sukkot (Feast of Booths and Tabernacles): is a seven-day festival that
commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the
Promised Land
 Other Important Days
 Yom HaShoah (Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day):
commemorate the victims of Holocaust.
 Hannukah (Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication): celebrated to
commemorate the victory of Jewish fighters against the Seleucid Empire
 Purim (Feast of Esther): celebrates the deliverance of the Jews during the
Persian Empire
 Yom Yerushalayim: Day of Jerusalem
Life Cycle
 Judaism, just like any other religion, is consisted by different religious beliefs and practices
from birth today. And even in life after death.
 Birth and the 1st Month of Life
 Jewish people believe that life begins at birth
 They reject the notion of original sin
 Mothers must be sexually separated from their husband
 Baby showers are done after birth

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 Brit Milah (circumcision): This is done on the eight day of the male child
 Marriage
 Bashert (soul mates): 40 days before conceived
 Money (Ring), Contract (Ketubah) and Sexual Intercourse
 Death
 Abortion
 Life is valuable
 Death is a natural process and not a tragedy
 Mourning’s purposes are to respect the dead and comfort the living
 Dead people will have a Shomerim or Keepers
 Autopsies are discouraged unless local law requires it.
 Olam Ha-Ba
 Heaven
 Reincarnation
 Focused in life here and now
Sacred Place
 The Promised Land, temples, synagogues and shuls are some of the sacred places of Jewish
people.
 The Promised Land
 Land of descendants of Abraham
 Land of flowing milk and honey
 Israel = central to Judaism
 Jewish laws are tied to Israel
 Commandment: “To take possession of Israel and to live in it.”
 Synagogues, Shuls and Temples
 House of Prayer
 House of Study
 Do not pass around collection plates
Dietary Laws
 One of the areas of Jewish life heavily influenced by the laws from Torah is their food.
 Meat
 Meat must not be eaten with dairy products
 All blood must be drained before the meat is cooked and eaten
 Treif should not be eaten
 Pork and camel meat is prohibited
 Shellfish
 These are prohibited since Jewish people believe that these animals are
contaminated with what they eat.

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