Judaism

Comunicación y Gerencia

What  do  we  know  about  Judaism?  

HISTORICAL  OVERVIEW  •  Origins:    Ancient  Israel  is  the  birthplace  of  the  three  

great  monotheisEc  religions  of  the  world:    Judaism,  ChrisEanity  and  Islam    

•  Tmeline:    Ancient  Israel  dates  back  approximately  4000  years  to  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament    

•  Patriarchs:    Great  patriarchs  of  Judaism:    Abraham,  Jacob,  Moses,  Joshua    

•  Adherents:    Smallest  major  world  religions,  making  up  0.2  %  human  race.        

•  History  of  PersecuEon:    Hebrews,  Israelites,  Jews,  Semites:    have  all  undergone  persecuEon  throughout  history;  from  Babylonian  CapEvity,  Exodus,  Diaspora,  Spanish  InquisiEon,  Holocaust  

•     

The  birthplace  of  Judaism  is  also  the  birthplace  of  ChrisEanity  and  Islam.    

ANCIENT  ISRAEL  

Roots and Patriarchs

Prior to the beginning of monotheism, Mesopotamia

(and most other regions) were predominantly polytheistic,

with various traditions and forms of worship.

• With the patriarchs Abraham and Moses, Judaism is the first of the monotheistic traditions to emerge. This early beginning

is characterized by the belief that only one God exists.

• The Lord said to Abraham, “Leave your country, your relatives, your father’s home, and go to a land that I am going to show you. I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation.”

• God said to Abraham, “You must agree to keep the covenant with me, both you and your future generations.”

The Patriarch Abraham - Story of Isaac and Ishmael

ABRAHAM’S  JOURNEY  

• Abraham  seZled  in  Canaan  

• “Take your son,” God said, “your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me.”

• Then he picked up the knife to kill him. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!... Don’t hurt the boy or do anything to him,” he said. “Now I know that you honor and obey God, because you have not kept back your only son from him.”

Monotheism  begins…  •  Abraham  proves  

his  devoEon  and  love  to  one  God  above  all    

•  This  began  the  monotheisEc  tradiEon  of  the  Hebrew  faith  with  the  establishment  of  the  “Covenant”,    “Chosen  People”  and  “Promised  Land”    

•  Hebrew  means  “From  across”-­‐  name  given  to  Abraham  and  his  followers    

•  Israelites:    Abraham’s  grandson  Jacob  renamed  Israel  which  means  “he  who  has  wrestled  with  God”.  His  descendants  were  called  “Israelites”    

•  Jews:    named  a^er  Jacob’s  son  Judah,  ancient  father  of  tribe  of  King  David’s  dynasty  

MOSES  

• Story of Moses (link)

MOSES  AND  EXODUS  •  Moses  received  revelaEons  from  God:    

burning  bush,  rod  /  staff,  10  plagues,  parEng  of  the  Red  Sea,  water  from  rock  

•  End  of  13th  century  BCE-­‐  Moses  led  the  Israelites  out  of  bondage  in  Egypt  during  Ramses  II  reign  called  the  EXODUS    

•  Moses  led  the  12  Tribes  of  Israel  to  Mount  Sinai  where  Yahweh  gave  him  the  10  Commandments,  uniEng  the  Hebrews  under  one  God    

•  Moses  and  Hebrews  searched  for  the  “Promised  Land”  or  the  land  of  milk  and  honey,  however  they  wandered  in  the  desert  for  40  years  

JOSHUA   •  Joshua  (Yehoshua)  was  the  disciple  of  and  successor  to  Moses.    

• When  Moses  was  alive,  Joshua  was  his  loyal  servant  and  minister.  A^er  Moses  died,  Joshua  led  the  Israelites  into  the  Land  of  Canaan.  

Movie Time

Selected Clips from 10 Commandments

Key Concepts of Judaism Covenant    •   solemn  and  binding  agreement  between  God  and  Abraham  (humanity)  as  God  as  the  Creator  and  the  Chosen  people      Chosen  People    • Jews  considered  themselves  to  be  God’s  Chosen  People  as  God  chose  Abraham  and  led  him  to  monotheism    •   Jews  were  instruments  of  God’s  will    •   God  chose  Jews  (humanity);  humanity  must  choose  God    Promised  Land    • Gained  significance  during  Moses’  life  as  Hebrews  sought  to  keep  covenant  and  develop  a  community  in  the  Promised  Land.    Jews  believe  this  is  Israel.  

MonotheisEc    •  Oneness  of  Creator  God    •  Human  obligaEon  to  worship  God    •  God  is  immaterial  and  indivisible    •  God  is  referred  to  as  YHWH  or  YAHWEH  “I  am  that  I  am”    Lineage    •     People  are  born  a  Jew  (through  mother)  or  can  convert  (gerut)  Mitzvah  •  act  of  performing  a  good  deed  or  commandment  (ie.  10  

Commandments)    •  Bible  contains  total  of  613  mitvoth    (some  posiEve,  some  negaEve)    Jesus    •  View  of  Jesus  =  born  a  Jew  a  preacher  and  teacher    •  Jesus  was  not  the  Son  of  God;  the  Messiah  is  sEll  to  come    Suffering    •  suffering  is  heightened  because  as  the  Chosen  People,  Jews  expect  

to  suffer  for  all  of  mankind    Death  and  A^erlife    •  on  death,  body  returns  to  earth  (dust  to  dust)  but  soul  returns  to  

God  who  gave  it    •  body  will  be  Resurrected  and  reunited  with  soul  at  a  later  Eme  

(therefore  no  cremaEon)  

MAIN  BELIEFS  

TORAH  •  consists  of  Five  Books  of  Moses  wriZen  on  parchment  scroll  in  ancient  form  by  hand  and  kept  in  Ark    

•  Torah  means  “law”  but  more  accurate  is    “revelaEon”,  “teaching”  or  “instrucEon”    

•  Torah  is  divided  into  54  secEons  and  one  porEon  is  read  each  week  (2  weeks  of  year  have  a  double  porEon)  so  that  the  enEre  Torah  is  read  from  beginning  to  end  in  a  year  

SACRED  RELIGIOUS  TEXTS    Torah  •  First  5  Books  of  Old  Testament  (Genesis,  

Exodus,  LeviEcus,  Numbers,  Deuteronomy)    

Tanukh    •  Jewish  Bible,  consisEng  of  Torah  (Law  of  

Moses),  the  Prophets,  and  the  WriEngs    

Talmud    •  Second  most  important  source  of  rabbinic  

Jewish  law  based  on  Mishnah,  which  complements  and  interprets  the  Torah  and  applies  scripture  to  everyday  life  and  observance    

Mishnah  •  Early  rabbinic  teachings  on  how  to  live  

according  to  Torah  

DEVELOPMENT  OF  JUDAISM  •  Judges:    tribal  leaders  

 •  Kings:    King  Saul,  King  David,  King  Solomon  (built  temple)  

 •  Division:    Northern  tribes  =  Israel;  Southern  tribes  =  Judah  

 •  PropheEc  TradiEon:    word  of  God  spoken  through  

prophets    “Love  God  and  keep  the  covenant  with  Him”    

•  Exile  in  Babylon=  Temple  of  Solomon  destroyed;  creaEon  of  synagogues  and  rabbis  and  concept  of  Messiah  “anointed  one”    

•  Diaspora:    dispersal  of  Jews  outside  of  Israel  and  HellenizaEon      

•  Maccabean  Revolt:    temple  rededicated  to  God    

•  Expansion  of  Roman  Empire  and  rule:    destroying  of  the  temple  leaving  only  the  Western  Wall;  rabbinic  Judaism    (interpretaEve  commentaries)  

Symbols  •  Star  of  David=  Shield  of  David  or  Solomon    =  unknown  origins      =  shape  of  King  David’s  shield;  symbol  adopted  by  Zionists    

1)   magic  pagan  emblem  used  to  ward  off  evil  2)   adopted  and  used  by  King  David  on  shields  of  his  

soldiers  to  symbolize  their  goal=  equality    (equilateral  triangles)  

3)   sign  of  the  coming  Messiah  who  it  is  believed  to  come  from  the  House  of  David  

4)   Symbol  of  universality  of  God    (six  sides  represent  north,  south,  east  west  and  land  above  and  world  below)    

Today  the  Star  of  David  appears  on  the  Llag  of  Israel.  

• The  Israeli  flag  is  rooted  in  Jewish  tradiEon.  The  white  background  symbolizes  purity.  The  symbols  on  the  flag  are  two  stripes—one  on  the  top  and  one  on  the  boZom—and  the  Star  of  David  emblem  adorning  the  center.  The  stripes  and  blue  color  are  inspired  by  the  techeileth  dye  of  the  tallit  (Jewish  prayer  shawl)    

• Jews  have  regarded  the  Land  of  Israel  as  their  homeland,  both  as  a  Holy  Land  and  as  a  Promised  Land.  The  Land  of  Israel  holds  a  special  place  in  Jewish  religious  obligaEons,  encompassing  Judaism's  most  important  sites  —  including  the  remains  of  the  First  and  Second  Temples  

•  Menorah=  ancient  source  of  light    7  branched=  Sabbath    9  branched=  Hanukah  1)  symbol  of  the  state  of  Israel  2)  described  in  Old  Testament  (Exodus):  God  instructs  Moses  to  make  a  candlestick  of  gold  with  6  branches  plus  the  main  stem  and  place  it  in  the  tabernacle  and  place  oil  and  cotton  within  the  stems  

3)    used  in  Hanukkah  lights    

The  Western  Wall  •  The  Western  Wall  in  the  midst  of  the  

Old  City  in  Jerusalem  is  the  secEon  of  the  Western  supporEng  wall  of  the  Temple  Mount  which  has  remained  intact  since  the  destrucEon  of  the  Second  Jerusalem  Temple  (70  CE)    

•  It  became  a  center  of  mourning  over  the  destrucEon  of  the  Temple  and  Israel's  exile    

•  Communion  with  the  memory  of  Israel's  former  glory  and  the  hope  for  its  restoraEon    

•  Became  known  in  European  languages  as  the  "Wailing  Wall".  

IMPACT  OF  ANCIENT  ISRAEL    •  Covenant  =  formal  agreement  

between  Hebrews  and  God  (Yahweh);  Hebrews  worshipped  God  and  only  God,  and  in  return,  they  would  be  God’s  Chosen  People  and  given  Canaan  as  the  Promised  Land    

•  Spiritual  ideas  profoundly  influenced  Western  culture,  morality,  ethics  and  conduct    

•  Three  of  the  world’s  most  dominant  religions:    Judaism,  ChrisEanity  and  Islam  all  derive  their  roots  from  the  spiritual  beliefs  of  the  Ancient  Israelites