SHS-Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

LESSON FOUR: Judaism

Objectives:

1. Examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and related
issues of Judaism (Know)
2. Explain how did the Jews show their faith in God. (Understand)

3. Write a summary of a chosen story from the Old Testament that demonstrates the Jewish
belief in one God or movie (e.g. Story of Samson) or Watch one of these films: Exodus:
Gods and Kings, 'Ten Commandments, Prince of Egypt, and Moses. (Do)

ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDING:
◆ Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world which originated in
West Asia
◆ The Jewish people consider themselves as the chosen people of God may become a
living example to the world of their faith and belief.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
◆ How do religions come about?
◆ How does religion differ from spirituality?

JUDAISM
Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion that traces its origin as an organized belief system
during the Bronze Age in West Asia. Judaism is one of three Abrahamic religions that professed by
the Jews known as the “people of the Book” in reference to their sacred text written covering nearly
a thousand years and formalized as a canon of teaching by the end of the first century C.E. The
picture is the Torah which is the most important text of the Jewish people. It contains the “Five
Books of Moses” and many sacred laws. The Jews consider of devotion and purity to humankind.

It is quite difficult to study key events in the historical foundation of Judaism without discussing
the history of the Jewish people from the time of the Hebrews’ mass departure from Egypt or the
Exodus. During the 20th century, the growth in their population has remained sluggish for quite a
long time as it grew to only 25% after the catastrophic event called Holocaust.

According to a 2014 report, there were around 14 million Jewish people representing 0.2% of
the entire world population. The largest concentration of Jews can be found in Israel, North America
(United States and Canada), and Central Europe. Other countries with sizable Jewish population
include France, United Kingdom, Russia, Argentina, Germany, and Australia.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
It is quite difficult to separate the history of Judaism from the history of the Jews themselves
(Parrinder 171). The ancestors of the Jews were groups of Semites called Hebrews whose origin
can be traced in the desert land of Arabia (Brown 1975). The origin of the Jewish people and the
beginning of Judaism are recorder in the first five books of the Hebrew bible, the Pentateuch. As a
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religion and culture, Judaism has three notable founding figures or patriarchs, namely, Abraham,
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Isaac, and Jacob. These biblical patriarchs are the physical and spiritual forebears of the Jewish
people and their narratives can be found in Genesis 12-50 of their scripture.

Judaism is anchored upon God’s revelation to Abraham that he is the creator and ruler of the
universe, and that He loves His creatures and demands righteousness from them (Losch 2001).
God chose Abraham and his family from all the people living on earth as recorded in Genesis 12.
After a series of tragic events involving humankind, God entered into a covenant with Abraham
promising him that he would become the father of great nation and would possess vast track of land.
Abraham, in return, must remain devoted to the covenant. He would become the embodiment of
uprightness and holiness to the world. Later on, he was succeeded by his son Isaac, his grandson
Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons (Hopfe 1983).

These patriarchs are depicted as nomads in biblical stories. According to tradition, Abraham’s
original name was Abram who was born in the city of Ur of the Chaldea’s around 1800 B.C.E.
questioning the folly of idol worship, Abram left his home and family to heed the call of god en routeto
Canaan situated on the western side of the fertile crescent. The Jewish people believe that they
descended from a tribe in Canaan located in eastern Mediterranean presently occupied by Israel,
Jordan, and Syria (Bowker 1997).

A covenant has been established between god and Abram, and Abram must prove his worth to
these agreement by way of tests of faith throughout his lifetime. While Abram and his wife Sarai
were initially childless, Abram bore a son to Sarai ‘s Egyptian hand maid Hagar. He was named
Ishmael who is considered as the ancestor of the Arabs. However, Ishmael was not the heir to god’s
promise. God changed Sarai’s name to “Sarah” meaning “princess” or “noblewoman.” Later in life,
the old Abram and Sarah had a son named Isaac, the heir to God’s covenant and the ancestor of
the Jewish people. Abram’s name was changed to “Abraham” or the “the father of many nations.”
Abraham’s story is narrated in Genesis 11-25 of the Hebrew Bible.

The most difficult trial given to Abraham came with God commanded that he sacrifice his own
son Isaac at an altar in Mount Moriah. Abraham obeyed by building a fire and tying up Isaac. With
Abraham’s obedience being put to the test, an angel stopped him and he was eventually reunited
with his son. A ram was instead sacrificed in place of Isaac.

Later on, Isaac married Rebecca who bore him twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Always in constant
strife, the younger Jacob bought Esau’s birthright and tricked his father Isaac into giving him Esau’s
blessing as the eldest son (Bowker 1997). Jacob fled to his uncle’s house to escape Esau’s fury.
Later on, Jacob returned home and reconciled with Esau. A close encounter with an angel merited
him a chance of name from Jacob to “Israel” which means “the one who wrestled with God.” The
Jewish people are referred to as the “children of Israel.” Among four different women, Jacob fathered
twelve sons and one daughter. The twelve sons who became the ancestors of the tribes in Israel
were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and
Benjamin. After being sold to slavery by his jealous brother, Joseph was brought to Egypt where his
ability to see and interpret visions earned him a place in the court as a vizier, a position next only to
the pharaoh. As famine struck Canaan, Jacob and his family were forced to settle in Egypt.

While the book of genesis ends with a great nation emerging form Abraham’s descendant the
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book of exodus begins with them crying for deliverance form Egyptian bondage (Hopfe 1983). They
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were not Canaan as initially promised but were under enslavement in Egypt. As centuries passed
and the descendants if Israel grew in numbers, the alarmed pharaoh decreed that all male children
be put to death by throwing into the river. A woman from Levi’s tribe, Jochebed, secretly placed her
youngest child in a woven basket and sent him down the Nile River. The pharos’s daughter, Bitha,
found the child, rescued him, and reared him as her own. Jochebed volunteered to nurse the child,
now named Moses, who was raised with in the Egyptian royal family.

At the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian in defense of a slave and fled to the Sinai desert
where he spent the next forty years as a shepherd (Hopfe 1983). On Mount Horeb, Abraham's God
revealed himself to Moses as he spoke through a burning bush that was not consumed. Revealing
God's name as "Yahweh," he commanded Moses to return to Egypt and demand the release of
Israelites from slavery. After his initial refusal, the Egyptian pharaoh conceded after the ten
miraculous and horrific plagues were inflicted by God upon Egypt and its people, most especially
the plague on the firstborn. While the firstborn sons of every Egyptian household would die, sons of
Israelites would be saved if they marked their door posts with the blood of lamb killed in sacrifice. In
that fated night, the lamb must be cooked and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. This
is known as the Passover, an important Jewish festival.

The Israelites were banished from Egypt with Moses leading them across the Red Sea (Yam
Suph or "Sea of Reeds" in some accounts). When the pharaoh changed his mind and began to
pursue the fleeing Israelites, Moses parted the Red Sea that allowed them to cross the water and
reach the dry lands of Sinai. Meanwhile, the pursuing Egyptian chariots were drowned after the
waters receded. This event called Exodus became part of Jewish history that manifested Yahweh's
intervention to deliver his chosen people (Hopfe 1983).

Another significant event in Jewish history was the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount
Sinai. These supreme laws, which are basic to the Jewish. people, were communicated to the
Israelites through Moses during their time in the wilderness. Moses eventually united the different
tribes into one group and consecrated to the worship of the one living god (Brown 1975). Forty years
after the Exodus, Moses died in the desert within reach of the "Promised Land."

SOCIO-POLITICAL DYNAMICS OF JUDAISM

The Old Testament gives us ideas on socio-political dynamics of Judaism. Understanding the
Jewish concepts on politics and society would help us understand the historical development of
Judaism as one of the world's religions and see its relevance in contemporary times.

The Jewish concept of leadership based on the Old Testament directs us to certain types of
leadership, one of which is kingship as the ideal form of government. This can be deduced from the
chronicles of the Kings of Israel and Judah, as well as in the Book of Deuteronomy, which stated,
"Let me put a king over me like all the nations that are around me" (Deut. 17: 14-15). In relation to
the idea of kingship, the concept of "covenant" between the ruler and the ruled is equally important
as well in Judaism. Just as God the Father entered into a covenant with His people (such as the
covenant between God and Abraham), the same should also be true for the King and his subjects.
Thus, socio-political dynamics can also be described as following the model of tribal federation in
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which various tribes and institutions shared political power. Although they practice communal living,
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there were certain people who hold important positions in society with regard to their roles in
 SHS-Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems
Judaism, such as the rabbi who functions as a teacher and interpreter of the Jewish law and
customs. Thus, it can be deduced that for the Jews, politics, society, culture and religion are all
interconnected, thus Judaism is not only considered as a religion but as a way of life as well.

SACRED SCRIPTURES

The Jewish people have been called the "people of the Book" in reference to the Hebrew Bible
(Tanakh or Mikra) that has been the authority, guide, and inspiration of the many forms of Judaism
that have evolved throughout the different periods of time and in various places (Parrinder 1971).
Composed over a period of almost a thousand years, collections within the Bible became
established in its full canonical form by the end of the first century C.E. (Parrinder 1971).

According to the Jewish tradition, the Hebrew Bible is divided into three principal sections,
namely the Torah, Nevi 'im, and Ketuvim. The foundational text Torah ("Teaching") is composed of
the first "Five Books" or the Pentateuch traditionally believed to have been authored by Moses
through divine instruction in Sinai. These include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy. Apart from containing basic laws for Jewish self-understanding, the Pentateuch also
narrates the history, religious statues, and moral regulations for individuals and society, ceremonial
rites and creation stories by Yahweh, and the origin and growth of mankind (Braswell 1994).
Meanwhile, the Nevi'im ("Prophets") is subdivided into Earlier Prophets, Later Prophets, and twelve
Minor Prophets. Prophets served .as spokespersons who criticize the hypocritical practices of
Jewish rituals. They were specifically chosen by God to preach his message to the people. Lastly,
the Ketuvim ("Writings") form the third section of the Tanakh that contains works on poetry, temple
ritual, private prayer, philosophical explorations, and other canonical works.

In the strictest sense, Torah refers to the "Five Books of Moses." However, it can also pertain
to the entire Hebrew Bible known as the Old Testament to non-Jews but Tanakh (or the "Written
Torah") to the Jews. Broadly speaking, Torah could mean the whole body of Jewish laws and
teachings.

Another sacred writing of Judaism is the Talmud (or the "Oral Torah") which means "study." All
studies and interpretations done by Jewish rabbis or teachers of the Torah are contained in the
Talmud. In short, the Talmud is an authoritative collection of rabbinic interpretations of the sacred
scriptures. It contains materials of law and moral codes. Around the second century C.E., this oral
law was compiled and written down as Mishnah or a restatement of the law by a respected opinion.
The next few centuries witnessed the writing of an additional strand of commentaries in Jerusalem
and Babylonia about the Mishnah. Known as Gemara, it includes legends, folklores, and sayings
(Brasswell 1994). The Mishnah and Gemara comprise the Talmud that was completed in the 5th
century C.E. Serving as the foundation for all Jewish law’s codes, the whole Talmud contains 63
tractates that is often printed over 6,200 pages long. Apart from being a book of law, the Talmud is
also a fountain of religious thought and inspiration similar to the Pentateuch (Jurji 1946).

The Pentateuch is the single most important scripture for the Jewish people that became the
source of their inspiration and direction for centuries. It became the foundation of other essential
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Jewish writings, such as the Talmud and Mishnah. With all these codified laws and legal materials,
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Judaism has become a religion of the law and the Jews as the chosen people have shown
obedience to God's covenant throughout their long and tumultuous history (Hopfe 1983).

BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES

In Judaism, actions are more significant than beliefs. However, while Judaism has no dogma, there
is definitely a place for belief within the religion since it focuses on the worship of one god, the
practice of good deeds, and the love of learning (Brasswell 1994). For the Jews, there is one
everlasting god who created the universe in its entirety and remains the master of it (Parrinder 1971).

Human beings were created by God who provided them the capacity to decide what is right and
wrong, and gave them the freedom and responsibility for their own actions (Losch 2001). Humans
have the ability to restrain their evil intentions because of their propensities for both good and evil
(Parrinder 1971). For Jews, all human beings are created equal. While God can communicate with
humans through revelations, humans can also commune to him by means of prayers and
meditations.

With regard one's Jewishness, a Jew is someone whose mother is a Jew, although some sectors
recognize the children of Jewish fathers as Jews, too. While a Jew may not lose one's technical
status as a Jew by converting to another religion, he or she loses the religiosity emanating from his
or her Jewish identity. A person may also convert to Judaism, but he or she has to undergo
numerous rituals.

ARTICLES OF FAITH

Perhaps the closest approach in having an acceptable creed in Judaism was proposed by the
eminent medieval Jewish philosopher Moshe ben Maimon (also known as Rambam or Moses
Maimonides) during the latter part of twelfth century C.E as an appendix to his commentary on the
Mishnah. According to Moshe ben Maimon, the minimum requirements of Jewish belief as listed in
his thirteen principles of faith are as follows:

Jewish Principles of Faith

1. God exists.
2. God is one and unique.
3. God is incorporeal.
4. God is eternal.
5. Prayer is to be directed to God alone and to no other.
6. The words of the prophets are true.
7. Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets.
8. The Written Torah and the Oral Torah were given to Moses.
9. There will be no other Torah.
10.God knows the thoughts and deeds of men.
11.God will reward the good and punish the wicked.
12.The Messiah will come.
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13.The dead will be resurrected.

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These statements of belief were eventually constructed as credo with every article beginning
with "I believe" and then later versified, set to music, and included in prayer books (Jurji 1946).
Though controversial when first formulated and evoked much criticism or even disregarded for many
centuries, these principles are generally accepted nowadays by the Jewish community.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are a set of absolute laws given by God to Moses at the biblical Mount
Sinai that shall govern the life of every Israelite. Most scholars consider this period as the official
beginning of Judaism as an organized and structured belief system. These laws are twice mentioned
in the Hebrew Bible, particularly, in Exodus and in Deuteronomy.

The 10 Commandments in Exodus 20:2-17

"l am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,
or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to
them nor serve them. For l, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to
thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless
who takes His name in vain.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor
your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger
who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and
all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and
hallowed it.
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD
your God is giving you.
"You shall not murder.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male
servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

The 10 Commandments in Deuteronomy 5:6-21

"l am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down
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to them nor serve them. For l, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
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fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing
mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him
guiltless who takes His name in vain.
"Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six
days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your
God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor
your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is
within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And
remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from
there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore, the LORD your God commanded you
to keep the Sabbath day.
"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your
days may be long and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving
you.
"You shall not murder.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor's house,
his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."
Source “10 Commandments List.”Life Hope & Truth, https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandments/the-ten-commandments/10-commandments-list/

Inscribed on two stone tablets, these commandments present God's complete and enduring
standard for morality. These include instructions to venerate only one god, to honor one's parents,
and to observe the Sabbath as a holy day. Meanwhile, some proscribed acts that are pointed out in
the commandments include idolatry, infidelity, murder, theft, and deceit. For more than three
thousand years, the Ten Commandments have been embraced by almost two thirds of the entire
world population.

Apart from the Ten Commandments that form the theological basis of other commandments,
there are also 613 mitzvot or laws found within the Torah (as identified by Rambam) that guide the
Jewish people in their daily living. Traditionally, there are 248 positive and 365 negative
commandments within the Torah (Parrinder 1971). These include laws about the family, personal
hygiene, diet, as well as duties and responsibilities to the community.

WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

The Jewish community utilizes a lunar calendar with twelve months, each beginning at the new
moon of 29 or 30 days. Every festival and Sabbath commence and terminates at dusk (or sunset)
rather than midnight in adherence to the biblical pattern. The Jewish calendar is followed in
observance of festivities, holidays, and community and family celebrations (Brasswell 1994). Jewish
holidays are special days observed to commemorate key events in Jewish history and other events
that depict the special connections with the world, such as creation, revelation, and redemption.
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Sabbath
The most important day in the Jewish calendar is the Sabbath (or Shabbat) which commemorates
God's completion of the creation of the universe and his rest after the six-day toil (Parrinder 1971).
This is the fourth law within the Ten Commandments. It begins a few minutes before sunset on
Friday and runs until an hour after sunset on Saturday or almost 25 hours to be precise. At Friday
sundown, Sabbath candles are lighted and kiddush ("sanctification") is recited over wine or grape
juice. Children are then blessed by their parents. Jews must abstain from work and must study the
Torah. Some work prohibitions include lighting fires, using money, and writing. The Sabbath ends
through the symbolic ritual of havdalah ("division") done by dousing wine on candles and smelling
sweet spices.

The Days of Awe

Tishri is the seventh month in the ecclesiastical year of the Jewish calendar. The first ten days of
Tishri are called the "Days of Awe" (Yamim Noraim) Wherein the first two days comprise the New
Year (Rosh Hashanah) and the tenth day as the Day of Atonement ( Yom Kippur). Rosh Hashanah
marks the start of the ten-day period of penitence leading to the Yom Kippur and is distinguished
from other days by blowing a ram's horn trumpet (shofar) in the synagogue and eating apples dipped
in honey which is symbolic for a sweet new year. Using the shofar, a total of one hundred notes are
sounded each day. All Jews must undergo self-reflection and make amends for all the sins they
have committed. Rosh Hashanah is also a day of judgement wherein God assesses one's deeds
and decides what lies ahead of him or her in the following year. These deeds are recorded in the
"Book of Life" and sealed on Yom Kippur. Work is not permitted during the Rosh Hashanah and'
Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur is the most sacred and solemn day in the Jewish calendar that brings the period of
repentance to its conclusion. The eve of the day is called Kol Nidrei ("all vows") which are the
opening words of a prayer. The words and music of the Kol Nidrei are said to be the most powerful
single item in the Jewish liturgy. A day of fasting and praying for absolution of one's sins, it provides
every Jew an opportunity for both personal and communal repentance (Parrinder 1971). One must
also refrain from eating and drinking, even water. Additional restrictions include washing and
bathing, using perfumes, wearing leather shoes, and engaging in sexual relations. Symbolizing
purity, it is customary for the Jews to wear white during the holiday. An entire day must be spent in
the synagogue while reciting prayers. Another blowing of the ram's horn ends the final prayer
service.

Pilgrimage Festivals
During the olden days, the Torah commanded the ancient Israelites to go to Jerusalem on three
pilgrimage festivals and participate in the worship at the Temple. Also called the Shalosh Regalim,
these are Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Weeks or Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles). These
festivals spiritualize human life and merge nature and history in a divine pattern (Jurji 1946).

Pesach is an eight-day festival. That originally marked the beginning of the barley harvest
(Parrinder 1971). Its principal purpose is to commemorate and recreate the Exodus of the Jews from
Egypt. A festive meal (seder) is celebrated wherein the story of Exodus is narrated by the heads of
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Shavuot is a two-day festival that was originally a celebration of the wheat harvest. Presently, it
is now being held to commemorate the revelation of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai.

Sukkot is a nine-day festival commemorating the autumn harvest and the forty years of the
Israelites' stay in the desert wilderness subsisting solely on the bounty of God. Temporary booths
or structures (sukkah) are built in homes with a roof through which one can see the stars in the sky.
This is an attempt to recreate Israelite life in the desert.

Other Important Days

There are many feasts and festivals, celebrated by the Jewish people. The family assumes the
principal responsibility for worship, religious education' and moral behavior (Braswell 1994). Rituals
and ceremonies are done both at home and in the synagogue.

Other important events in the Jewish calendar include the Hanukkah' Purim, and the
Independence Day of the State of Israel. Hanukkah (“Festival of Lights” or “Feast of Dedication”) is
a celebration to commemorate the victory of Jewish fighters against the Seleucid Empire in 165
B.C.E. Purim (“Feast of Esther”) celebrates the deliverance of the Jews during the Persian Empire,
specifically from the vizier Haman who wanted to annihilate all Persian Jews as recorded in the
Book of Esther.

A brief outline of important dates and holy days in the Jewish calendar is presented below with
their approximation in the Gregorian calendar.
Jewish Months and Festivals

Nisan (March or April) 15- Sukkot

14- Passover Eve 21- Hashanah Rabbah

15-21 Passover 22 - Shemini Atzeret

Iyyar (April or May) 23 - Simchat Torah

5- Isareel’s Independence Day Kislev (November or December)

Sivan (May or June) 25- Hanukkah begins up to the second of Tibet (December or
January)

6, 7 – Shavout Adar (February or March)

Tishri (September or October 14 – Purim

1- Rosh Hashanah

10- Yom Kippur

Halakha
Because Judaism is also a comprehensive way of life, Jewish people follow a set of rules and
practices that govern their everyday living. Collectively called halakha which translates as “the path
that one walks,” these are Jewish religious laws derived from the “Written Torah” and “Oral Torah”
including the 613 mitzvot. Jewish laws contain directions on how to revere God and
treat other people and animals. Halakha instructs Jews what to do as they wake up in the morning,
what foods to eat, what clothes to wear, who to marry, and how to observe Sabbath and holy days.
When properly observed, halakha increases one’s spirituality as even mundane acts become
essential to his or her existence.
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Synagogues
Synagogues are Jewish temples of worship, instruction, and community fellowship that contain
separate rooms designed for specific activities, such as praying and studying. In Orthodox Judaism,
men and women sit separately at the synagogues; in Reform Judaism, they sit altogether in temples.
Similar to a Christian church, synagogues have seats facing an elevated
platform with one or two lecterns or chair. The central feature at the platform (bimah or tebah) and
the holiest spot inside a synagogue is the ark where the Torah scrolls are kept. Reminiscent of the
original Ark of the Covenant, an ark inside a temple is normally placed in a manner that when people
face the ark, they are facing in the direction of Jerusalem. An ornate curtain (parochet) veils the ark
while a lamp or lantern (ner tamid) burns before it symbolizing the constantly lit six-branched
lampstand (menorah) in the Temple of Jerusalem (Braswell 1994). While a Jewish layman may lead
a prayer service during Sabbath if there are 10 adult males present (minyan), the religious leader is
oftentimes a trained rabbi. He delivers sermon and interprets the Torah. The rabbi serves as a
pastor, administrator, and counselor.

The Temple
Around 1003 B.C.E., David conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital. Bringing with him the “Ark
of the Covenant,” David intended to build a temple to become the first and fixed place of worship for
the Jews. However, God told David that it would be one of his sons who will have the privilege of
accomplishing this task.
The Hebrew Bible acknowledged Solomon, David’s son, as the builder of the First Temple
in Jerusalem around 1000 B.C.E. which was also known as Solomon’s Temple. Within the temple,
the most important room was the “Holy of Holies” where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The ark
contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments and the Pentateuch. The First Temple became
the focus of Jewish worship for four hundred years until Nebuchadnezzar II and the Babylonians
completely destroyed the structure in 587 B.C.E during the siege of Jerusalem. Allegedly located in
Temple Mount or Mount Zion, the remains of the First Temple have never been found and the “Ark
of the Covenant” has continually been shrouded in mystery.
In 353 B.C.E., the Jews began to rebuild their temple under the Persian king Darius who
ratified their effort. The Second Temple was completed in 349 B.C.E. and was substantially altered
under Herod around 20 B.C.E. (Douglas 2007). This Second Temple lasted for about 420 years until
the Romans razed Jerusalem in 70 C.E. All but a portion in the western section was completely
destroyed. Presently, this is the famous “Western Wall” (“Wailing Wall” or Kotel) that has been a
popular site of prayer and pilgrimage for the Jews
throughout many centuries.
For Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, a Third Temple will be established before the
coming of the messiah. Prophesized in the Book of Ezekiel, it will be known as “Ezekiel’s Temple”
that will become a lasting structure and serve as permanent abode of the God of Israel. The concept
of messiah or mashiach (“anointed one”) in Judaism pertains to a great political human leader
descended from David who shall accomplish prearranged things in the coming future, such as
bringing of Jews to Israel, rebuilding a new temple in Jerusalem, and establishing Jewish law as the
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law of the land (Jurji 1946).

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SUBDIVISIONS
Being one of the oldest religions in the world, Judaism has undergone various changes in response
to changing times and cultures brought about by key historical events or philosophical upheavals.
While there are certain beliefs shared by most adherents, differences and diversity in faith also
abound among Jewish denominations and sects. Within Judaism are three present day movements
that emerged in response to the modern and secular culture of Europe and America. These are
Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative Judaism. Two other smaller sects, namely Hasidism and
Kabbalah, are mystical approaches to the Jewish religion that emphasize spiritual experiences over
rational knowledge.
Orthodox Judaism is the most traditional of modern Judaism that adheres to the authority of
the entire Torah as given to Moses by God at Mount Sinai. The Torah is the sole authority that must
be strictly followed until the present time. As it considers itself the sole and genuine heir to the Jewish
tradition, it rejects all other Jewish movements as undesirable deviations
from the original Jewish religion.
Reform Judaism (Liberal or Progressive Judaism) is considered the most liberal expression
of Judaism that subjects religious laws and customs to human judgment. To a certain extent, it
developed due to internal changes in Judaism as well as other factors operating within society.
Members of this denomination sought to adhere to the original teachings of Judaism while allowing
some changes in their traditions. For example, services were permitted to be conducted in mixed
Hebrew and English, no longer conducted solely in the Hebrew language. Moreover, women were
also accorded equality in terms of sitting together with men in synagogues and allowing them to
become rabbis unlike in other denominations.
Largely developed in the 20th century, Conservative Judaism seeks to conserve the
traditional elements of Judaism while at the same time allowing for modernization that is less radical
than Reform Judaism. The application of new historical methods of study in the light of contemporary
knowledge but within the limits of Jewish law may be applied to safeguard Jewish traditions. Gradual
change in law and practice is allowed only if such occurrence is in harmony with Jewish traditions.
Because Conservative Judaism falls halfway between the two other major Jewish denominations, it
is sometimes described as traditional Judaism without fundamentalism.
Hasidism or Hasidic Judaism emerged in Germany during the twelfth century. It was largely
a spiritual movement that gives prime importance to asceticism and experience as a result of love
and humility before God. During the eighteenth century, a modern Hasidic movement was started
in Poland by Baal Shem Toy (“Master of the Good Name”) as a reaction to the excessive
legalistic nature of Judaism during that time.

Lastly, Kabbalah is another mystical form of Judaism that attempts to penetrate deeper into God’s
essence itself. While Kabbalists believe that God moves in mysterious ways, they also hold that
genuine knowledge and understanding of that inner process is achievable. In the end, the most
fulfilling relationship with God can be accomplished. One important commentary on the Torah that
underpinned Kabbalah is the Zohar (“Splendor” or “Radiance”) that first appeared in Spain in the
thirteenth century
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SELECTED ISSUES
Women in Judaism
Women’s role in the Jewish religion is determined by the Tanakh, the “Oral Torah,” and Jewish
customs. Mishnah instructs that women must follow nearly all the negative commandments except
trimming the beard and viewing a dead body. Women must also follow all positive commandments
not structured by time but are exempted from those that are restricted by time. The reason here is
quite simple, that is, to release women from laws that they find difficult or impossible to perform
given their traditional domestic roles, such as giving birth, taking care of the family, and
accomplishing household chores. In addition, women have the right to be consulted on matters
concerning marriage. Judaism offers tremendous respect to roles given to women as wives and
mothers. Even Jewishness or the question of Jewish self-identification is passed down through the
mother.
For Orthodox Judaism, there exist different roles for men and women in their religious lives.
For example, it is sufficient for any woman to understand the practical nature of the Torah, but she
is traditionally excused from furthering her education beyond that knowledge. In addition, she is
dissuaded from studying the Talmud and other complex Jewish writings up until the twentieth
century. However, provision for education for Jewish women has progressed rapidly in the past
century. One interesting phenomenon in Judaism is the concept of agunot or married women who
wish to divorce their husbands but whose husbands decline to do so. In Orthodox Judaism, only the
husbands are given this privilege.
Meanwhile, Conservative Judaism has acted upon several areas that enable women to actively
participate in Jewish rituals thereby minimizing legal disparity between men and women. For
example, women can now read the Torah in public and be counted as part of a minyan.
Lastly, Reform Judaism affirms that men and women should be equal in terms of performing
their duties within the Jewish community. Prayer books have been revised in order to avoid words
and pronouns that appear male in character. Jewish patriarchs and matriarchs must be placed side
by side whenever they are mentioned in prayer books. While men and women generally sit
separately in most synagogues, Reform Judaism has allowed women
to sit together with men.
It is also worth mentioning that in Judaism, God is neither male nor female. The Talmud
likewise mentions both positive and negative remarks about women. The presence of women in the
Hebrew Bible is also noticeable. For example, Miriam, the elder sister of Moses and Aaron, is
considered one of the liberators of the children of Israel. In addition, Deborah, being one of the
judges, is the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Finally, seven out of the 55 prophets of the
Bible were women, namely, Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther.
Numerous feminist leaders of the twentieth century are also Jewish, including the two American
activists Gloria Marie Steinem and Betty Friedan. Respect to women has always been part of the
Jewish culture.

Jewish Diaspora and Zionist Movement

In the 16th and 17th centuries, there had been calls to persuade the Jews to return to Palestine.
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During the late 18th century, the Haskalah (“Jewish Enlightenment”) movement promoted Jewish
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assimilation to Western secular culture (Parrinder 1971). In the early 19th century, the idea of Jewish
 SHS-Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems
returning to Palestine was kept alive by Christian millenarians or believers of divine intervention that
will ultimately bring a new world order. However, these movements failed in their objectives. In 1881,
a state-supported mob attack or pogrom against the Jews occurred in Ukraine. While a pogrom was
aimed to persecute religious, racial or national minorities, this violent riot became frequently directed
at Jews. From 1881 to 1884, over 200 pogroms occurred in the Russian Empire. As a result, Russian
Jews emigrated to the US and Western Europe (Perry 1988).
At the end of the nineteenth century, the Hungarian journalist and political activist Theodor
Herzl founded the Zionist movement that advocated the return of Jews to Eretz Yisrael or “Land of
Israel.” The term zion, also a Jewish synonym for Jerusalem, came from the name of a mountain
where Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem was located. Originally secular in nature, supporters of this
movement are called Zionists.
The Zionists believed that Jews as the chosen people of God will be reunited from dispersion
or exile back to their rightful homeland. The dispersion of Jewish communities outside Israel that
have continually occurred since ancient history is called diaspora. Leon Pinsker, another Zionist
pioneer and activist, published his work Auto-Emancipation in 1882 that urged the Jewish people to
strive for independence and appealed for the establishment of a Jewish colony in Palestine.
Eventually, Zionist activities in the US became influential in garnering American
congressional and presidential support that led to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Since
that time of establishment, the Zionist movement has come to promote the development and
protection of Israel.

Holocaust
The term Holocaust is of Greek origin that means “sacrifice by fire.” In history, Holocaust pertains to
the methodical, bureaucratic, and state sponsored persecution and execution of around six million
Jews undertaken by the Nazi regime and its collaborators from 1933 to 1945. For the Hitler-led
Nazis, the Germans were racially superior and considered themselves as the master race as
compared to the Jews who were seen as inferior people. Hitler’s police chief, Heinrich Himmler, also
believed in Aryan superiority leading to the enslavement and extermination of “non-Aryans” and the
inferior race (Perry 1988). He was one of the German officials directly responsible for the
holocaust.
Another high-ranking German official, Reinhard Heydrich, became the chief planner of the
Nazis to wipe out the Jews in Europe (Perry 1988). Other groups that were considered inferior were
the Romani (or gypsies), some Slavic peoples (such as the Poles and Russians), and even the
physically and mentally handicapped. Nonetheless, the Jews were perceived as the major threat to
the German racial community that had to be exterminated en masse especially since there were
over nine million Jews in Europe by 1933.
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Hungarian Jews being selected by Nazis to be sent to the gas chamber at Aushwitz concentration camp.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust

From 1941 up until 1945, Heydrich’s plan called the “Final Solution to the Jewish Problem”
was implemented by the Nazis with the main objective of annihilating European Jews through
genocide or murder of an entire group of people (Parrinder 1971). It came to be known as holocaust.
Jews were arrested, brought to death camps, became victims of mass shootings, and
placed in gas chambers, while others were beaten, starved, and tortured to death. Still others
became subjects of ruthless medical experiments (Perry 1988). Apart from the six million Jews who
lost their lives, around 200,000 Romani and 200,000 disabled patients became victims of Nazi
policies. The Nazis also targeted Jewish children for extermination to create a biologically
pure Aryan society. The killing of Jewish children aimed to prevent the emergence of a new
generation of European Jews. As a result, about one and a half million children were murdered all
across Europe.

Anti-Semitism
The term anti-Semitism pertains to hostility towards and discrimination against the Jewish people
that was strongly felt in France, Germany, Poland, and Russia in the late nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. The term was popularized in Germany around 1870s. The most common manifestations
of anti-Semitism were the many violent riots or pogroms undertaken against the Jews. The planned
extermination of the entire Jewish race during the time of the holocaust was the most extreme form
of anti-Semitism. Other forms of anti-Semitic activities include the persecution and massacre of
Jews throughout history.
Political parties that were anti-Semitic in character were founded in Germany, France, and
Austria. Quite notable was the Nazi Party formed in 1919 that provided political articulation to
theories of racism and achieved popularity through dissemination of anti-Jewish propaganda. Adolf
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Hitler’s Mein Kampf (My Struggle) called for the removal of Jews from Germany. These deplorable
activities continued with the Nazi’s rise to power as the party that called for economic boycotts
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against the Jews, burned Jewish books and enacted laws that were anti-Jew. On the night of
November 9, 1938, coordinated deadly attacks were carried out by the Nazis that destroyed
synagogues and shop windows of Jewish-owned stores throughout Germany and Austria. More
than a thousand synagogues were burned and over seven thousand Jewish businesses were
destroyed or damaged. The event was known as Kristallnacht or “Night of Broken Glass,” referring
to the shards of broken glass that littered the streets.

Summary
• The origin of the Jewish people and the beginning of Judaism are recorded in the first five books
of the Hebrew Bible, the Pentateuch.
• Judaism has three notable founding figures or patriarchs, namely, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
These biblical patriarchs are the physical and spiritual forebears of the Jewish people.
• Judaism is anchored upon God’s revelation to Abraham that he is the creator and ruler of the
universe, and that he loves his creatures and demands righteousness from them.
• The Jewish people have been called the “people of the Book” in reference to the Hebrew Bible
(Tanakh or Mikra) that is divided into three principal sections, namely the Torah, Nevi’im, and
Ketuvim.
• Jewish beliefs and doctrines are manifested in the Articles of Faith, in the Ten Commandments,
and in the 613 mitzvot or laws.
• Jewish holidays are special days observed to commemorate key events in Jewish history and other
events that depict the special connections with the world, such as creation, revelation, and
redemption. These include Sabbath, Days of Awe, and pilgrimage festivals.
• Synagogues are Jewish temples of worship, instruction, and community fellowship.
• At present, the three major denominations of Judaism are Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative
Judaism.
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