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Topic Description of Topic Learning Outcomes

2.2 The CovenantBiblical basis of covenant

The nature of God’s Covenant with Israel

The mutuality of the covenantal relationship

Explain the Jewish understanding of God’s covenant with IsraelExplain the importance of Israel for the Jewish people biblically and in contemporary times; Explain why belief in God’s covenant makes demands on the Jewish people; read and interpret a selection of biblical texts in which the concept of Covenant is discussed; discuss the meaning of these beliefs for followers of Judaism today

Torah observance as a consequence of covenantal relationshipCovenant and the Land

The meaning of Torah observance for its followersTorah as a living document (Written and Oral Law, Halacha)How Torah promotes a lifestyle of holiness for its followersThe biblical connection between the Covenant and the land of IsraelThe centrality of the State of Israel in Jewish religious and cultural life todayComparison between Jerusalem as a holy place for Jews with Rome for Roman Catholics, Mecca for Muslims or the Ganges for Hindus

Briefly explain the meaning of Torah observance for its followersExplain what is meant by those who claim Torah to be ‘a living document’Give an example of how Torah promotes holiness for its followersExplain the interrelatedness of these beliefs in JudaismExplain the origins of the centrality of Israel in Jewish religious and cultural life todayCompare the significance of Jerusalem as a holy place for Jewish people with another holy place

COVENANT

‘An agreement between two contracting parties, originally sealed with blood; a bond, or a law; a permanent religious dispensation. The old, primitive way of concluding a covenant was for the covenanters to cut into each other’s arm and suck the blood, the mixing of the blood rendering them ‘brothers of the covenant’. (Jewish Encyclopaedia online)

Jewish Studies, DWEC, NCCA, DES 1

B’rit, the Hebrew word for Covenant appears 270 times in the Hebrew Bible. It means covenant, pact or treatyAncient covenants were made by animal sacrifice hence the phrase ‘to cut a covenant’B’rit implies the shedding of blood in the process of making an agreement.

What is a Covenant?A formal agreement between two partiesWitnessed by both humans and deities/G-dsProclaimed by public reading and “deposit” of treaty in public placeShrines of witnessing deities Sealed by an oath and ritual sacrifice“If I am not faithful to this covenant, may what is done to these animals be done to me.”

Three Kinds of Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) Covenants

Suzerainty (or Vassal) Treaty: Agreement between two unequal parties, one of higher status and one of lower status

Parity Treaty: Agreement between two parties of equal status

Land Grant: Agreement between two unequal parties, one of higher status and one of lower status

Suzerainty (or Vassal) Treaty had six parts:PreambleHistorical prologue Stipulations Provisions for treaty deposit & public readingList of Divine witnesses to the treatyBlessings & curses (for fidelity or infidelity to the treaty)

A Suzerainty TreatyAn alliance between a great monarch and a subject kingThe overlord is lauded for past favours, but has no explicit duties under the covenantThe vassal pledges allegiance to the overlord Pay taxesKeep own borders secure Provide military support against overlord’s enemies Make no alliances with other great lordsMarriage was the most common “suzerainty treaty” in the ANEHusband has higher social status than wifeHusband is wife’s “overlord” (Ba’al) Wife is to obey husband n Wife becomes chattel of husband Wife owns no property; it belongs to husbandWife cannot divorce; only overlord can end treaty


Parity TreatyTwo parties of equal power and social statusTwo monarchs forming an alliance for mutual aidTwo merchants forming a trade agreementMarriage contract (ketubah) between the father of the bride and the groom (NOTE: the bride herself is not of equal status with the groom in ANE)

Land GrantFree gift of land to faithful subject of a great monarch or servant of a wealthy landownerGreater party binds self to the treatyLesser party benefits from the gift, but may not be bound to any specific stipulations, either before or after reception of the land grant

Differences between Grant and Treaty

GRANT TREATYThe giver of the covenant makes a commitment to the vassal

The giver of the covenant imposes an obligation on the vassal

Represents an obligation of the master to his vassal

Represents an obligation of the vassal to his master

Primarily protects the rights of the vassal

Primarily protects the rights of the master

No demands made by the superior party

The master promises to reward or punish the vassal for obeying or disobeying the imposed obligations

ExerciseLook at the following texts and answer the following questions in relation to them:Genesis 2Genesis 9:1-17Genesis 12:1-4Genesis 15Genesis 17:1-14Exodus 24:1-8Exodus 34:1-27

1.What kind of treaty is this?2.What leads you to think so, i.e., what formal characteristics of the

passage suggest that it falls into this category?3.What source is behind this story?4.What does identification of the kind of treaty illustrated here tell you

about the source’s view of Israel’s G-d?

LITERACY MOMENT


COVENANT WITH NOAH

The relation of humanity to G-d was also conceived of in Biblical times as a covenant concluded by G-d with certain people and nations, from which all laws derived their sanctity and their eternal nature. G-d, when creating the heavens and the earth, made a covenant with them to observe the rules of day and night, and when the floods caused by the sins of all had interrupted the operation of the law, G-d hung the rainbow in the clouds as a sign of the covenant, to assure people that it would not again be suspended on account of

humanity’s sin. G-d, therefore, made a special covenant with Noah.

According to traditional Judaism, G-d gave Noah and his family seven commandments to observe when he saved them from the flood. These commandments, referred to as the Noahic or Noahide commandments, are inferred from Genesis Chapter 9, and are as follows:

1. to establish courts of justice; 2. not to commit blasphemy; 3. not to commit idolatry; 4. not to commit incest and adultery; 5. not to commit bloodshed; 6. not to commit robbery; and 7. not to eat flesh cut from a living animal.

These commandments are fairly simple and straightforward, and most of them are recognized by most of the world as sound moral principles. Any non-Jew who follows these laws has a place in the world to come.

The Noahic commandments are binding on all people, because all people are descended from Noah and his family.

Jewish Studies, DWEC, NCCA, DES

Highlight key words in relation to Covenant which are contained in the above section. Explain their significance.

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COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM

(Abridged from http://www.ijs.org.au/Abraham-and-the-Covenant/default.aspx)

Genesis tells how G-d establishes a ‘covenant’ with Abraham to be passed on to future generations. The first statement of this special relationship appears in Chapter 12, in which Abraham promises to forego all allegiances to his previous idolatrous community and to

make a new life in the "Promised Land":

And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great…and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves."

The covenant is restated in Chapter 15 with a dramatic contractual ceremony featuring a divine fire passing between sacrificial animals, and a promise that the descendants of Abraham will be restored to their land after four hundred years of slavery.

The covenant is sealed in Chapter 17, when Abraham agrees that the sign of the covenant will appear on the bodies of all his male descendants through circumcision. At the same time, G-d promises:

"And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings will emerge from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a G-d and to your seed after you. And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a G-d."

Abraham’s covenant is handed on to his son, Isaac, whom G-d explicitly blesses in Chapter 26, and through him to Jacob and his descendants. In Chapter 32, Jacob wrestles with an angel. Henceforth his name becomes 'Israel' - 'He who wrestles with G-d'. His descendants become “The Children of Israel”, and the land is known as “The Land of Israel”.

Abrahamic covenant is akin to a grant covenant.

COVENANT WITH MOSES

In Exodus 3, Moses has his first encounter with G-d in a burning bush. Moses sees a bush which burns without being consumed - a symbol of


http://www.ijs.org.au/Abraham-and-the-Covenant/default.aspx


the presence of G-d which defies usual human experience of things. And he hears a voice which calls him by his own name (Exodus 3:4)

The other great face to face encounter with G-d is three months after the Israelites have left Egypt and Moses has returned with them to Sinai where he first met G-d. The encounter is awesome. When G-d appears to the people of Israel, a whole mountain burns; for when G-d comes, Sinai becomes like a volcano (not an actual volcano, but G-d's coming is so awesome that the only way to depict it is in the language of the most overwhelming of known phenomena): G-d then gives the Ten Commandments to Moses as a kind of basic constitution or charter for Israel, together with some more detailed laws (the mitzvot) that apply the Commandments within everyday situations. Israel responds by promising obedience (Exodus 24:3-7).

Moses then wrote the conditions of the covenant down, offered sacrifices to G-d, and then sprinkled both the book and the people with blood to seal the covenant (Exo. 24:8). The Mosaic covenant is akin to the suzerain-vassal treaty.

COVENANT WITH DAVID (2 SAMUEL 7)

In his covenant with David, G-d presents David with two categories of promises: those that find realization during David’s lifetime (2 Sam 7:8-11a) and those that find fulfillment after his death (2 Sam 7:11-17)

Promises that find realization during David’s lifetime (7:9-11a) A Great Name ( v. 9; cf. 8:13): As He had promised Abraham (Gen 12:2), the Lord promises to make David’s name great (2 Sam 7:9). Although David’s accomplishments as king cause his reputation to grow (2 Sam 8:13), G-d was the driving force in making David’s name great. He is the One who orchestrated David’s transition from being a common shepherd to servingas the king over Israel (2 Sam 7:8).

A Place for the People (v. 10). The establishment of the Davidic Empire relieved a major concern involved

in G-d’s providing a “place” for Israel (7:9). The land controlled by Israel during David’s reign approached the ideal boundaries of the promised land initially mentioned in conjunction with G-d’s covenant with Abram (Gen 15:18). Consequently, during David’s reign the two provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant that deal with people and land find initial fulfillment. In addition to this and more closely tied to the immediate context, the “place” that G-d will appoint for Israel probably highlights the idea of permanence and security.


KEY COVENANT SUMMARIES

Name SummaryNOAH(Genesis 9)

After the flood:The Lord promised Noah and his descendants that He would never destroy the world again with a universal flood (Genesis 9:15).

The Lord made an everlasting covenant with Noah and his descendants, establishing the rainbow as the sign of His promise (Genesis 9:1-17).

Noahide Laws

This covenant is with all peoples.ABRAHAM(Genesis 12-25)

The Lord promised Abraham that He would make him and his descendants a great nation (Genesis12:1-3).

You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. (Genesis 17)

Covenant promise for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

This covenant is necessary for Judaism. Binding on Jews.

MOSES(Exodus and Deuteronomy)

Mt Sinai

.if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation... (Exodus 19:5)

Commandments: Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21). Binding on Jews and has obligations. It is mutual reciprocal.

DAVID (2 Samuel 7)

David’s name will be made great

‘And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disquieted no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first’ (2 Sam 7:10). Allusion to greater permanence and security of place.

COVENANT: SUMMARY BOXA Covenant is an agreement, bargain or contract between G-d and Jews. B’rit is the Hebrew word meaning Covenant.To cut a covenantOriginated with Noah, than Abraham/Isaac/Jacob and Moses. Contains 613 mitzvot. G-d promises to protect his chosen people and give them the Promised Land. Today the Covenant is still kept strictly by Orthodox Jews but less strictly by Reform Jews. It is the foundation of Jewish faith. The implications of the Covenant are that Messiah/messianic Age will come and Jerusalem will be rebuild/peace on earth. After this Jews will be judged on how they have kept the mitzvoth. Zionists say covenant is already fulfilled – State of Israel 1948. Some say it is a privilege to be chosen by G-d. Big responsibility to follow laws, they have been persecuted and exiled and to lead other nations to G-d. Covenant is the heart of Judaism; others say communities, festivals and rites of passage are, along with synagogues. Chosenness can sometimes be confused with superiority.


There is diversity of beliefs, Modern Orthodox thinkers as well as Reform Jews reject this idea of superiority.

Exercise

Give the distinctive emphasis in each of the four covenants of G-d with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David under the following diagram:

Name To whom was the covenant addressed?

What was offered by G-d in the Covenant?

What the people were obliged to do?

Noah

Abraham

Moses

David

LITERACY MOMENT

THE LAND OF ISRAEL

The history of the Jewish people begins with Abraham. His story begins when G-d tells him to leave his homeland promising him and his descendants a new home in the land of Canaan (Genesis 12). This is the land now known as Israel after Abraham’s grandson whose descendants are the Jewish people.

The land is often referred to as the Promised Land because of G-d’s repeated promise (Genesis 12:7; 13.15; 15:18; 17:8) to give the land to the descendants of Abraham.


Explain the term ‘Mitzvot’,.

Give some examples of Mitzvot.

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The land is described repeatedly in the Torah as a good land and ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’.(Exodus 3:8)

Jews have lived in this land continuously from the time of its original conquest by Joshua more than 3200 years ago until the present day, though Jews were not always in political control of the land, and Jews were not always the majority of the land's population.

The land of Israel is central to Judaism. A substantial portion of Jewish law is tied to the land of Israel, and can only be performed there.

Some rabbis have declared that it is a mitzvah (commandment) to take possession of Israel and to live in it (Numbers 33:53)

The Talmud indicates that the land itself is so holy that merely walking in it can gain you a place in the World to Come.

Prayers for a return to Israel and Jerusalem are included in daily prayers as well as many holiday observances and special events.

Living outside of Israel is viewed as an unnatural state for a Jew.

The world outside of Israel is often referred to as "galut," which is usually translated as "diaspora" (dispersion), but a more literal translation would be "exile" or "captivity."

When Jews live outside of Israel, they feel they are living far from their land.

Jews were exiled from the land of Israel by the Romans in 135 CE, after they defeated the Jews in a three-year war, and Jews did not have any control over the land again until 1948 CE.

The Covenant and the Land

Abriged from http://www.ijs.org.au/Abraham-and-the-Covenant/default.aspx and Dan Cohn-Sherbok’s Judaism: History, Belief and Practice.

Abraham

The Book of Genesis tells how G-d establishes a ‘covenant’ with Abraham to be passed on to future generations. The first statement of this special relationship appears in Genesis 12, in which Abraham promises to forego all allegiances to his previous idolatrous community and to make a new life in the "Promised Land":

And the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great…



and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.’

The covenant is restated in Genesis 15 with a dramatic contractual ceremony featuring a divine fire passing between sacrificial animals, and a promise that the descendants of Abraham will be restored to their land after four hundred years of slavery.

The covenant is sealed in Genesis 17, when Abraham agrees that the sign of the covenant will appear on the bodies of all his male descendants through circumcision. At the same time, G-d promises:

‘And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings will emerge from you. And I will establish my covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a God and to your seed after you. And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a God."

Abraham’s covenant is handed on to his son, Isaac, whom G-d explicitly blesses in Genesis 26, and through him to Jacob and his descendants. In Chapter 32, Jacob wrestles with an angel. Henceforth his name becomes 'Israel' - 'He who wrestles with G-d'. His descendants become “The Children of Israel”, and the land is known as “The Land of Israel”.

MosesAfter the Exodus and when Moses received the tablets of the Law on Mt Sinai, the Jews moved on to Kadesh-barnea near the border of Canaan. Moses saw the Promised land from a distanced ‘And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land…. And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob ‘ ‘I will give it to your descendants’. I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there”’ (Deuteronomy 34:1, 4).

JoshuaAfter the death of Moses, Joshua was commanded by G-d to lead the Jewish people into the Promised Land. After crossing the Jordan river, he captured Jericho and Ai. Subsequently he defeated both southern and northern kings. The second part of the Book of Joshua begins with a list of areas which had not been conquered in the plain and valley regions as well as on the coast. To encourage the people, Joshua delivered speeches telling them to remain steadfast in their faith and to be obedient to the covenant.

The TribesAfter Joshua’s death, the people began to form separate groups. These were the twelve tribes of Israel. The confederation of the 12 tribes was primarily religious, based upon belief in the one "God of Israel" with whom the tribes had made a covenant and whom they worshiped at a common sacral center as the "people of

the Lord" (Judg. 5:11; 20:2).


The JudgesThere were national heroes who served as judges after Joshua’s death e.g. Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson. They were tribal and attached to particular regions and their reign continued for more than 150 years during the 12th and 11th centuries BCE. The Covenant between G-d and the Israelites formulated by Moses, was repeatedly proclaimed at gatherings in such national shrines as Shechem. Such an emphasis on covenantal obligations reinforced the belief that the Jews were the recipients of G-d’s loving kindness and that they were his chosen people.

The MonarchyDuring Samuel’s lifetime, people found tribal alliances and simple trust in G-d’s power inadequate. Politically and militarily, Israel had little resistance to

invading armies. Saul, David, Solomon were the first kings of Israel. Jerusalem was set up as the administrative capital. The narratives show accounts of human and divine power, of military alliances, strategies, victories and defeats. It also shows the tensions between G-d as king and the Hebrew kings. With the construction of the First Temple under Solomon, cultic practice was now located in the Temple in Jerusalem. After the death of Solomon the ten northern tribes revolted. Unwilling to be ruled by Solomon's son, Rehoboam, these tribes established their own kingdom. The great empire of David and Solomon was gone never to be seen again; from 922 BCE were two mighty kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom

(Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah), which lost all the territory of David's once proud empire within one hundred years of Solomon's passing. Agricultural Festivals associated with the LandOver time and as they settled, it became clear to the Jewish people that the Go-d of the Covenant directed human history. The Exodus and the entry into the Promised Land were seen as the unfolding of a divine plan. Unlike their Canaanite neighbours who worshipped local gods, engaged in human sacrifice of children, and magic fertility rituals, the Israelites adapted the three Canaanite agricultural festivals to suit


their religious aims. The spring festival was transformed into Pesach to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt. The autumn festival became Sukkot, a celebration of the dwelling in tents during the time in the desert. The early summer festival was changed to Shavuot to bear witness to the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai. The three festivals eventually became occurrences of pilgrimage to remind the Jews of their former sufferings, liberation and dedication to the Covenant, but they had their origins in the Canaanite agricultural rhythms.

G-d’s dominion over the Land

The Torah itself presents a number of different views or theologies regarding the Land of Israel. G-d is identified as the ultimate ruler and owner of the land of Canaan that is being granted to the children of Israel. Under His reign, Israel is to live in the spirit and observance of the Torah.

In contrast to the local deities familiar throughout the land of Canaan, the G-d of Israel is portrayed as a universal king who authority extends beyond the boundaries of this land. The universality of G-d’s dominion is reflected in Deuteronomy where it states: “Although heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the L-RD you G-d, the earth with all that is in it, yet the L-RD set his heart in love on your ancestors alone and chose you, their descendants after them, out of all the peoples.”

The prophet Jeremiah in chastising the Children of Israel for their lapses into idolatry refers to the land as G-d’s own possession: “I brought you to this country of farm land to enjoy is fruit and its bounty; but you came and defiled My Land, You made My possession abhorrent. The priest never asked themselves, “Where is the L-RD?” The guardians of the Teaching ignored Me and the prophets prophesied by Baal and followed what can do no good.”

The Jubilee Year in the LandThe Torah adds to the idea that the Land possesses inherent sacredness by its legislation regarding the commandment to leave the ground fallow during the 7th year. Leviticus 25 states: ‘G-d spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, telling him to speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land must be given a rest period, a sabbath to G-d. For six years you may plant your fields, prune your vineyards, and harvest your crops, but the seventh year is a sabbath of sabbaths for the land. It is G-d’s sabbath during which you may not plant your fields, nor prune your vineyards. Do not harvest crops that grow on their own and do not gather the grapes on your unpruned vines, since it is a year of rest for the land. [What grows while] the


land is resting may be eaten by you, by your male and female slaves, and by the employees and resident hands who live with you. All the crops shall be eaten by the domestic and wild animals that are in your land.

Exercise

Discuss the important elements and Scripture quotations connecting the Covenant to the Land.

LITERACY MOMENT

Biblical Connection between the Covenant and Land

In the five images below, describe what is the significance of their connection to the history of the land of Israel

The Twelve Tribes of Israel

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Judges

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Make a note of and discuss the Scripture quotations connecting the Covenant to the Land.

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The Kings

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Agricultural Festivals (Specify)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moses, Prophet and Leader

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TIKKUN OLAM


From http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ethics/Caring_For_Others/Tikkun_Olam_Repairing_the_World_.shtml

"Tikkun olam" (literally, "world repair") has come to connote social action and the pursuit of social justice. The phrase has origins in classical rabbinic literature and in Lurianic kabbalah, a major strand of Jewish mysticism originating with the work from the 16th century.

The term "mipnei tikkun ha-olam" (perhaps best translated in this context as "in the interest of public policy") is used in the Mishnah (the body of

classical rabbinic teachings codified circa 200 C.E.). There, it refers to social policy legislation providing extra protection to those potentially at a disadvantage - governing, for example, just conditions for the writing of divorce decrees and for the freeing of slaves.

In reference to individual acts of repair, the phrase "tikkun olam" figures prominently in the Lurianic account of creation and its implications: G-d contracted the divine self to make room for creation. Divine light became contained in special vessels, or kelim, some of which shattered and scattered. While most of the light returned to its divine source, some light attached itself to the broken shards. These shards constitute evil and are the basis for the material world; their trapped sparks of light give them power.

The first man, Adam, was intended to restore the divine sparks through mystical exercises, but his sin interfered. As a result, good and evil remained thoroughly mixed in the created world, and human souls (previously contained within Adam's) also became imprisoned within the shards.

The "repair," that is needed, therefore, is two-fold: the gathering of light and of souls, to be achieved by human beings through the contemplative performance of religious acts. The goal of such repair, which can only be effected by humans, is to separate what is holy from the created world, thus depriving the physical world of its very existence—and causing all things return to a world before disaster within the G-dhead and before human sin, thus ending history.

While contemporary activists also use the term "tikkun olam" to refer to acts of repair by human beings, they do not necessarily believe in or have a familiarity with the term’s cosmological associations. Their emphasis is on acts of social responsibility, not the larger realm of sacred acts--and on fixing, not undoing, the world as we know it.

The phrase "tikkun olam" was first used to refer to social action work in the 1950s. In subsequent decades, many other organizations and thinkers have used the term to refer to social action programs; tzedakah (charitable giving) and gemilut hasadim (acts of kindness); and progressive Jewish approaches to social issues. It eventually became re-associated with kabbalah, and thus for some with


deeper theological meaning.

Thus, over time tikkun olam went from being part of the religious technology of medieval mystics to a standard part of the vocabulary of contemporary North American Jews. Its goal shifted from dissolving history to advancing it. But the phrase “tikkun olam” remains connected with human responsibility for fixing what is wrong with the world. It also appears to respond to a profound sense of deep rupture in the universe, which speaks as much to the post-Holocaust era as it did in the wake of the expulsion from Spain and other medieval Jewish disasters.

Contemporary usage of the phrase shares with the rabbinic concept of "mipnei tikkun ha-olam" a concern with public policy and societal change, and with the kabbalistic notion of "tikkun" the idea that the world is profoundly broken and can be fixed only by human activity.

However, except within traditionalist Hasidic communities, the use of "tikkun olam" rarely reflects the belief that acts outside the realm of social responsibility (for example, making a blessing before eating) effect cosmic repair; that tikkun repairs the Divine self; or that the goal of "tikkun" is the complete undoing of the created world itself.

Tikkun olam, once associated with a mystical approach to all mitzvot, now is most often used to refer to a specific category of mitzvot involving work for the improvement of society—a usage perhaps closer to the term’s classical rabbinic origins than to its longstanding mystical connotations.

Exercise

Watch the Shalom Sesame song Tikkun Olam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uxS_HfUac

1. What does it say about Tikkun Olam? 2. Explain Tikkun Olam.3. How is it possible to mend the world?4. What are the organizations today which work towards the wellbeing of

people and protection of the environment.5. Do a practical class project which benefits some organization or an aspect

of conservation in your local area. Divide into groups and get each group to conduct research into what is happening in your locality. Organise a speaker. Conduct interviews. Present findings. Do something which practically raises awareness of the issue in your school, in your local library, or create a display, a webpage, a vimeo video of your findings.

6.

Tikkun Olam

Examine the image presented here.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uxS_HfUac

What concept of Judaism in relation to its beliefs and moral teachings does this picture best represent?

SOME EXAMPLES OF TIKKUN OLAM FOLLOW BELOW:

1. ACTION-RESEARCH PROJECT ON TIKKUN OLAM

To investigate how Tikkun Olam is applicable in our everyday lives and through our everyday actions e.g. buying fair trade, rainforest alliance certified goods etc. – food and clothes. To appreciate how this is indirectly supporting not only those in developing countries but also helping safeguard our biodiversity and the richness of life on our plant.

MethodCreate two world maps or globesDivide students into groups and ask them to research different areas, e.g. ‘From origin to eating’ – Pick some foods and follow their ‘journey’ from start to end – impact on environment and conditions for producers etc.From plant to people – Pick common items of clothing – carry out study as above.Look at both of these from non-fairtrade perspective and then from fair-trade perspective.

Students create a world that does not follow the Tikkun Olam model and then a world that does. Using visuals and samples of food, material etc to create a ‘balanced world’ where ethical consumerism reigns and healing is brought to our world.Project culminates in a Purim celebration where students give small but ethical gifts to one another with our Tikkun Olam Ethical Globe as a centrepiece of the ethical celebration.

2. TU BISHVAT: THE BIRTHDAY OF THE TREES

1 What type of trees grow in our school?2 What do trees do?3 Why do we need to take care of them?


What is deforestation?NASA has released figures recently that an area of land twice the size of California in Brazil has been suffering from drought for the last eight years, this is one of the first signs that the Amazon area is suffering major consequences from climate change. Deforestation is believed to be one of the key factors involved in climate change.

Tikkun OlamIn judaism the Torah teaches that we are responsible for working and caring for the earth. This is called Tikkun Olam in hebrew. On Tu Bishvat at the beginning of Spring the role of trees in our world is celebrated. It is said that on Tu Bishvat every tree turns a year older. On Tu Bishvat a seder meal is eaten with seven fruits associated with Israel and four cups of wine. A sapling may be planted, people may do some gardening or some activity associated with caring for the environment and appreciating nature.Tikkun Olam says that everyone can (and should) take care of their little corner of the world and help to make it beautiful. I’m small but I can make a big difference in the world could be one way to approach Tikkum Olam.

What can you you/we do to to put Tikkum Olam into practice in our school?

I can-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY

Introduction


In order to start this discussion, it can be helpful to look at our own relationship to Tikkun Olam:

When you were young, did you have ideas about how you wanted toimprove the world?Did anyone ever listen to you about your ideas or follow your lead?Can you remember how you developed a social conscience? What was going on in your life? Was there anyone who was a model for you? How old were you then?Can you think of any examples of people or organizations that are currently working to repair the world which inspire you?What do you find discouraging when you think about taking initiative to repair the world? How do you overcome your moments of hopelessness about the state of the world today?

Explore the following topic in that context of tikkun olam.

Essential Dignity of Every Human BeingIn the spirit that each person is made in the divine image, we recognize each human life is of equal value and we honor the inherent potential in every person and culture. In the Torah we are reminded about this and about our responsibility to care for the poor and oppressed:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)


If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. (Leviticus 25:35-36)

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:18)

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.(Deuteronomy 15:7)

Explains the Talmud (Sotah 14a) "Just as the Lord clothes the naked as He did with Adam, so you clothe the naked; just as the Lord visits the sick as He did with Abraham, so you visit the sick; just as the Lord comforts the bereaved as He did with Isaac, so you comfort the bereaved; just as the Lord buries the dead as he did with Moses, so you bury the dead." Similarly in the Midrash (homiletical writings) we are told by the sage Abba Shaul, "Just as He is gracious and compassionate, so you be gracious and compassionate." (Mechilta, Canticles, 3).

When you read all of what is expected, then it is important to keep that in mind as you read facts about homelessness and poverty, particularly in Ireland.

FACTS

A special census report was published in September 2012 on Homeless Persons in Ireland. The total figure is 3,808.

In Dublin there were 73 persons confirmed sleeping rough on the night of the most recent count in Spring 2012. The chart below shows the figure for each count since 2007.

Rough Sleeper Count

Winter 07

Spring 08

Winter 08

Spring 09

Winter 09

Winter 2010

Spring 2011

Winter 2011

Spring 2012

Total 104 111 101 98 60 70 59 87 73

Poverty is an underlying cause of homelessness. Other factors, many of which are inter-related, also cause homelessness. These include: poor educational achievement, poor quality jobs or unemployment, high cost of buying or renting a home, difficult relationships at home, leaving institutional care, inadequate community support services, ill-health - including mental health - physical, sexual and mental abuse, disability, drugs and alcohol misuse, crime, and leaving prison. People sleeping rough, living on the streets or in shelters may experience absolute poverty. This means they are living without proper shelter, food, clothing or medical care. Often, people who are homeless have little or no support from family and friends.


There is an insufficient supply of appropriate and affordable homes for people in poverty and people who are homeless. People who experience poverty may live in poor quality private rented housing, have rent arrears, be under eviction proceedings or have no security of tenure. Housing costs such as high rents increase the poverty risk of people living in private rented houses or flats/apartments.

Learning about homelessness from a photographEssential questions for photograph:How can the specific details in a photograph combine to tell a story?

How do we treat people who are homeless?

Activities

1. Pair and Share in the class. Together, make a list of all the fine details you notice in this photo.

2. Discuss your lists with another set of partners. Use the following questions to guide your discussion: Where do you think this photo was taken? Who are the subjects of this photo? How do the subjects look? What are they wearing? What other items do you see in this photo? What seems to be the overall mood of this photo?

3. Choose one of the following ways to explore this subject:With your partner, use your list to write a fictional story. Imagine that the photo is an illustration accompanying your story. Make sure all of the fine details that appear in this photo are also mentioned in your story. Consider the following when crafting your story:

How do we treat people who are homeless? What stereotypes might someone have about the people in this photo? How can your story defy these stereotypes?

Write an article exposing homelessness and poverty in your own community. Consider the following when writing your article: Are there areas in your neighborhood or town where people are living

in poverty? What do you notice about these areas? What stereotypes do others have about the people in those areas?


What do you believe is at the center of the issue of poverty in your town?

4. Share your story or article with the rest of the class. You can take turns reading your story or article aloud in small groups or just to one partner.

How about YOU? How can you find out about poverty and homelessness in your area? Is there anything you could do about it? Is there anything your class or school could do about it? How could you motivate your class to take part in this example of tikkun

olam?

There are many examples of individual student or school –initiated tikkun olam projects. One example is the opportunity that hurricane Katrina provided for one student:Recalling that she was "horrified and consumed by the TV images" of Beth Israel under water, Haley Fields, then just 13 years old, felt compelled to act. She said, "It was incomprehensible to me how a synagogue could be without a Torah. It is a tree of life for the Jewish people." Determined to raise money to buy Beth Israel a Torah, Haley created a charitable organization, Every Minute Counts, with the help of her family. She began to sell watches emblazoned with that phrase at her day school and synagogue and set up displays at kosher restaurants in the area. Soon her synagogue, Young Israel, took it on as a project as did several other congregations in Los Angeles. In the space of a few months, Haley had sold 3,500 watches and raised $18,000.

What can YOU do?

4. TIKKUN OLAM AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Tikkun Olam" (literally, "world repair") has come to connote social action and the pursuit of social justice. This idea of social justice should not just be seen as a global issue but as one that can be started right on our own door step. In Ireland the prison population stands at over 5000 people with more then 800 on temporary release and even more walking out of courts each day with conditions attached that’s could see them go to prison if terms are broken. With the rise in crime

due to the economic climate what can be done to combat these numbers.

With Tikkun Olam in mind maybe we should turn to restorative justice. Restorative justice is the idea that focuses on the needs of the victims and the offenders, as well as the involved community, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or punishing the offender. Victims take an


active role in the process, while offenders are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, to repair the harm they've done or by apologizing, returning stolen money, or community service . Restorative justice involves both victim and offender and focuses on their personal needs. In addition, it provides help for the offender in order to avoid future offences. It is based on a theory of justice that considers crime and wrongdoing to be an offence against an individual or community, rather than the state. Restorative justice that fosters dialogue between victim and offender shows the highest rates of victim satisfaction and offender accountability.

So what has this got to do with Tikkun Olam? If Tikkun Olam is about repairing the world is our world also our community and within our community we have those that do wrong. We have a system that punishes, and yes some people do need to be punished but we have others that can be changed and shown a new path. Is throwing someone in prison for 3 years for stealing a car

social justice? How has this benefited the victim or how has the 3 years in prison benefited the criminal. In fact it will probably mean the criminal skills will be honed in prison and instead of your car watch out home, and when he has kids the cycle could continue and in turn your kids will be his kids victim. If we are to “repair” and in turn have social justice then the action to take is restorative justice.

Exodus 21:24 an eye for an eye is often referenced when it come to the legal system but in fact it is often taken out of context. Most scholars would argue that its about the restoration of damages. Jewish legal scholar David Llewellyn notes, “Fewer people would be convicted under the Mosaic code than under the penal codes of any of our fifty states”.

Research commissioned by the UK Government, which was undertaken between 2004 and 2008 by a team headed by Professor Joanna Shapland at the University of Sheffield, showed that 77% of victims offered an RJ session took the opportunity. Offender participation rates were similarly high.

Another research project, led by criminologists Professor Lawrence Sherman and Dr Heather Strang found that 27% fewer crimes were committed by offenders after they’d taken part in an RJ conference than those offenders who did not.

33% of offenders leaving prison are less likely to reoffend after RJ.

55% of those who have had non-custodial punishments are less likely to reoffend after RJ.


The Government trials showed that 85% of victims were satisfied with the process and 72% would recommend it to others.

The trials showed that through bringing about reductions in reoffending , RJ saved the Criminal Justice System nine times what it cost to deliver. In other words, for every £100 of tax payers’ money spent on setting up RJ sessions, £800 is saved on court time, legal representation, prison costs and rehabilitation on a subsequent offence committed by the offender who took part.

Ministry of Justice figures show that 49% of adults released from prison are reconvicted within a year. 72% of under 18s released from custody in 2008 reoffended within a year.

According to the National Audit Office, reoffending by ex-prisoners cost the economy over £9.5 billion between the years 2007 and 2008.

These statistics show that restorative justice can work and that the definition of Tikkun Olam supports and encourages this. Maybe if this approach was to be taken then the numbers in our prisons would decrease and the crime numbers would be down and our communities would be safer

places for all.

LITERACY MOMENT


Define Tikkun Olam: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

24

ETHICAL MONOTHEISM

Exercise1. Explain why we have Ten Commandments when there are 613

commandments in the Jewish law.

2. What are the biblical texts which are the basis for the Ten Commandments?

3. What was the purpose of the Ten Commandments?

4. Put the following mixed Ten Commandments in their correct order according to JEWISH tradition.

Belief in G-dThis category is derived from the declaration in Ex. 20:2 beginning, "I am the L-rd, your G-d..."

Prohibition of OathsEx. 20:7, beginning, "You shall not take the name of the L-rd your G-d in vain..."

Prohibition of Improper WorshipThis category is derived from Ex. 20:3-6, beginning, "You shall not have other gods..."

Prohibition of Physically Harming a PersonThis category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not murder."

Observance of Sacred TimesThis category is derived from Ex. 20:8-11, beginning, "Remember the Sabbath day..." It encompasses all mitzvot related to Shabbat, holidays, or other sacred time.

Prohibition of CovetingThis category is derived from Ex. 20:14, beginning, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house..."

Prohibition of Harming a Person through SpeechThis category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

Respect for Parents and TeachersEx. 20:12, beginning, "Honor your father and mother..."

Prohibition of TheftThis category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not steal."

Prohibition of Sexual Immorality


This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not commit adultery."KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF G-D

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/g-d.html

The nature of G-d is one of the few areas of abstract Jewish belief where there are a number of clear-cut ideas about which there is little dispute or disagreement.

G-d Exists

The fact of G-d's existence is accepted almost without question. Proof is not needed, and is rarely offered. The Torah begins by stating "In the beginning, G-d created..." It does not tell who G-d is or how He was created.

In general, Judaism views the existence of G-d as a necessary prerequisite for the existence of the universe. The existence of the universe is sufficient proof of the existence of G-d.

G-d is One

One of the primary expressions of Jewish faith, recited twice daily in prayer, is the Shema, (Deut 6) which begins "Hear, Israel: The L-rd is our G-d, The L-rd is one." This simple statement encompasses several different ideas:

1. There is only one G-d. No other being participated in the work of creation.2. G-d is a unity. He is a single, whole, complete indivisible entity. He cannot be

divided into parts or described by attributes. Any attempt to ascribe attributes to G-d is merely man's imperfect attempt to understand the infinite.

3. G-d is the only being to whom we should offer praise. The Shema can also be translated as "The L-rd is our G-d, The L-rd alone," meaning that no other is our G-d, and we should not pray to any other.

G-d is the Creator of Everything

Everything in the universe was created by G-d and only by G-d. Judaism completely rejects the dualistic notion that evil was created by Satan or some other deity. All comes from G-d. As Isaiah said, "I am the L-rd, and there is none else. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil. I am the L-rd, that does all these things." (Is. 45:6-7).

G-d is Incorporeal

Although many places in scripture and Talmud speak of various parts of G-d's body (the Hand of G-d, G-d's wings, etc.) or speak of G-d in anthropomorphic terms (G-d walking in the garden of Eden, G-d laying tefillin, etc.), Judaism firmly


maintains that G-d has no body. Any reference to G-d's body is simply a figure of speech, a means of making G-d's actions more comprehensible to beings living in a material world. Much of Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed is devoted to explaining each of these anthropomorphic references and proving that they should be understood figuratively.

We are forbidden to represent G-d in a physical form. That is considered idolatry. The sin of the Golden Calf incident was not that the people chose another deity, but that they tried to represent G-d in a physical form.

G-d is Neither Male nor Female

This followed directly from the fact that G-d has no physical form. As one rabbi explained it to me, G-d has no body, no genitalia, therefore the very idea that G-d is male or female is patently absurd. We refer to G-d using masculine terms simply for convenience's sake, because Hebrew has no neutral gender; G-d is no more male than a table is.

Although we usually speak of G-d in masculine terms, there are times when we refer to G-d using feminine terms. The Shechinah, the manifestation of G-d's presence that fills the universe, is conceived of in feminine terms, and the word Shechinah is a feminine word.

G-d is Omnipresent

G-d is in all places at all times. He fills the universe and exceeds its scope. He is always near for us to call upon in need, and He sees all that we do. Closely tied in with this idea is the fact that G-d is universal. He is not just the G-d of the Jews; He is the G-d of all nations.

G-d is Omnipotent

G-d can do anything. It is said that the only thing that is beyond His power is the fear of Him; that is, we have free will, and He cannot compel us to do His will. This belief in G-d's omnipotence has been sorely tested during the many persecutions of Jews, but we have always maintained that G-d has a reason for allowing these things, even if we in our limited perception and understanding cannot see the reason.

G-d is Omniscient

G-d knows all things, past, present and future. He knows our thoughts.

G-d is Eternal

G-d transcends time. He has no beginning and no end. He will always be there to


fulfill his promises. When Moses asked for G-d's name, He replied, "Ehyeh asher ehyeh." That phrase is generally translated as, "I am that I am," but the word "ehyeh" can be present or future tense, meaning "I am what I will be" or "I will be what I will be." The ambiguity of the phrase is often interpreted as a reference to G-d's eternal nature.

G-d is Both Just and Merciful

Judaism has always maintained that G-d's justice is tempered by mercy, the two qualities perfectly balanced. Of the two Names of G-d most commonly used in scripture, one refers to his quality of justice and the other to his quality of mercy. The two names were used together in the story of Creation, showing that the world was created with both justice and mercy.

G-d is Holy and Perfect

One of the most common names applied to G-d in the post-Biblical period is "Ha-Kadosh, Baruch Hu," The Holy One, Blessed be He.

G-d is our Father

Judaism maintains that G-d has billions of sons and daughters. We are all G-d's children. The Talmud teaches that there are three participants in the formation of every human being: the mother and father, who provide the physical form, and G-d, who provides the soul, the personality, and the intelligence. It is said that one of G-d's greatest gifts to humanity is the knowledge that we are His children and created in His image.

CHARACTERISTICS OF G-D: SUMMARY BOXG-d existsG-d is oneG-d is the creator of everythingG-d is incorporeal (without a bodily form)G-d is neither male nor femaleG-d is omnipresent (present everywhere)G-d is omnipotent (all-powerful)G-d is omniscient (all-knowing)G-d is eternalG-d is both just and mercifulG-d is our FatherG-d is holy and perfect

ETHICAL MONOTHEISM

Any word which has the word theist‘ as part of it comes from the Greek root Theos i.e. related to G-ds or G-d. We speak of a theist as one who believes in a G-d. We speak of atheist as one who does not believe in any G-d. Ancient near eastern


religions were almost all polytheistic. The prefix poly means many‘. Polytheistic means that they worshipped many G-ds and had cults and practices associated with this. The prefix mono means one; monotheistic means the worship of one G-d. There were pagan monotheists and they were often pantheistic which means that G-d was equated with the world, not separate from it i.e. the sun was G-d, the moon was G-d, etc., not that G-d created the sun or the moon. We speak of ethical monotheism in relation to Judaism because biblical faith arrives at the oneness of G-d because of ethical considerations and through a direct insight into the absolute character of moral law. There is a difference also not so much in how many G-ds are involved but what kind of a G-d is involved. For example, the G-ds of paganism even monotheistic pagan G-ds the G-d of ethical monotheism is G-d who is invites people into personal relationship and the people’s response to that invitation is expressed in the observance of certain practices and an ethical way of life.

Central to Ethical Monotheism in Judaism are the following:

Abridged from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/mono.html

1. There is one G-d from whom emanates one morality for all humanity.

2. G-d's primary demand of people is that they act decently toward one another.

If all people subscribed to this simple belief—which does not entail leaving, or joining, any specific religion, or giving up any national identity—the world would experience far less evil.

The G-d of ethical monotheism is the G-d first revealed to the world in the Hebrew Bible. Through it, we can establish G-d's four primary characteristics:

1. G-d is supranatural.

2. G-d is personal.

3. G-d is good.

4. G-d is holy.

Dropping any one of the first three attributes means that it is not ethical monotheism (it is possible, though difficult, to ignore holiness and still lead an ethical life).

G-d is supranatural, meaning "above nature" . This is why Genesis, the Bible's first book, opens with, "In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth" in a world in which nearly all people worshipped nature, the Bible's intention was to emphasize that nature is utterly subservient to G-d who made it. Obviously, therefore, G-d is not a part of nature, and nature is not G-d.

The second essential characteristic is that G-d is personal.


The G-d of ethical monotheism is not some depersonalized force: G-d cares about His creations. G-d knows each of us. We are, after all, "created in His image." This is not merely wishful thinking why would G-d create a being capable of knowing Him, yet choose not to know that being?

This does not mean that G-d necessarily answers prayers or even that G-d intervenes in all or even any of our lives. It means that He knows us and cares about us. Caring beings are not created by an uncaring being. The whole point of ethical monotheism is that G-d's greatest desire is that we act toward one another with justice and mercy.

A third characteristic of G-d is goodness.

A G-d who is not good cannot demand goodness. Unlike all other G-ds believed in prior to monotheism, the biblical G-d rules by moral standards. Thus, in the Babylonian version of the flood story, the G-ds, led by Enlil, sent a flood to destroy mankind, saving only Utnapishtim and his wife - because Enlil personally liked Utnapishtim. It is an act of impulse not morality. In the biblical story, G-d also sends a flood, saving only Noah and his wife and family. The stories are almost identical except for one overwhelming difference: the entire Hebrew story is animated by ethical/moral concerns. G-d brings the flood solely because people treat one another, not G-d, badly, and G-d saves Noah solely because he was "the most righteous person in his generation."

Words cannot convey the magnitude of the change wrought by the Hebrew Bible's introduction into the world of a G-d who rules the universe morally.

Holiness

As primary as ethics are, man cannot live by morality alone. We are also instructed to lead holy lives: "You shall be holy because I the Lord your G-d am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). G-d is more than the source of morality, He is the source of holiness.

Ethics enables life; holiness ennobles it. Holiness is the elevation of the human being from his animal nature to his being created in the image of G-d. To cite a simple example, we can eat like an animal—with our fingers, belching, from the floor, while relieving ourselves or elevate ourselves to eat from a table, with utensils and napkins, keeping our digestive sounds quiet. It is, however, very important to note that a person who eats like an animal is doing something unholy, not immoral. The distinction, lost upon many religious people, is an important one.

One G-d and One Morality

The oneness of G-d is an indispensable component of ethical monotheism.

Only if there is one G-d is there one morality. Two or more G-ds mean two or


more divine wills, and therefore two or more moral codes. That is why ethical polytheism is unlikely. Once G-d told Abraham that human sacrifice is wrong, it was wrong. There was no competing G-d to teach otherwise.

One morality also means one moral code for all humanity. "Thou shall not murder" means that murder is wrong for everyone, not just for one culture. .

One Humanity

One G-d who created human beings of all races means that all of humanity are related. Only if there is one Father are all of us brothers and sisters.

Human Life is Sacred

Another critical moral ramification of ethical monotheism is the sanctity of human life. Only if there is a G-d in whose image human beings are created is human life sacred. If human beings do not contain an element of the divine, they are merely intelligent animals.

G-d's Primary Demand Is Goodness

Of course, the clearest teaching of ethical monotheism is that G-d demands ethical behavior.

As Ernest van den Haag described it: "[The Jews'] invisible G-d not only insisted on being the only and all powerful G-d . . . He also developed into a moral G-d."

But ethical monotheism suggests more than that G-d demands ethical behavior; it means that G-ds primary demand is ethical behavior. It means that G-d cares about how we treat one another more than He cares about anything else.

Jews and Ethical Monotheism

Since Judaism gave the world ethical monotheism, one would expect that Jews would come closest to holding its values. In some important ways, this is true. Jews do hold that G-d judges everyone, Jew or Gentile, by his or her behavior. This is a major reason that Jews do not proselytize (though it is not an argument against Jews proselytizing; indeed, they ought to): Judaism has never believed that non Jews have to embrace Judaism to attain salvation or any other reward in the afterlife.

But within Jewish religious life, the picture changes. The more observant a Jew is, the more he or she is likely to assume that G-d considers ritual observances to be at least as important as G-d's ethical demands.

This erroneous belief is as old as the Jewish people, and one against which the prophets passionately railed: "Do I [G-d] need your many sacrifices?" cried out


Isaiah (Isaiah 1:11). The question is rhetorical. What G-d does demand is justice and goodness based on faith in G-d: "Oh, man," taught the prophet Micah, "G-d has told you what is good and what G-d requires of you only that you act justly, love goodness and walk humbly with your G-d" (Micah 6:8, emphasis added).

In Judaism, the commandments between human beings and G-d are extremely significant. But they are not as important as ethical behavior. The prophets, Judaism's most direct messengers of G-d, affirmed this view repeatedly, and the Talmudic rabbis later echoed it. "Love your neighbor as yourself is the greatest principle in the Torah," said Rabbi Akiva (Palestinian Talmud, Nedarim 9:4).

That is why when the great Rabbi Hillel was asked by a pagan to summarize all of Judaism "while standing on one leg, he was able to do so: "What is hateful to you, do not do to others; the rest is commentary now go and study" (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a). Hillel could have said, "Keep the 613 commandments of the Torah; now go and do them," but he didn't. In fact, he went further. After enunciating his ethical principle, he concluded, "The rest is commentary." In other words, the rest of Judaism is essentially a commentary on how to lead an ethical life.

Unfortunately, with no more direct messages from G-d, and few Hillels, the notion that the laws between man and G-d and the laws between people are equally important gained ever wider acceptance in religious Jewish life.

Perhaps there are three reasons for this:

1. It is much more difficult to be completely ethical than to completely observe the ritual laws. While one can master the laws between people and G-d, no one can fully master human decency.

2. While ethical principles are more or less universal, the laws between people and G-d are uniquely Jewish. Therefore, that which most distinguishes observant Jews from non-observant Jews and from non Jews are Judaism's ritual laws, not its ethical laws. Thus it was easy for a mindset to develop which held that what ever is most distinctively Jewish—i.e., the laws between people and G-d—is more Jewishly important than whatever is universal.

3. Observance of many laws between people and G-d is public and obvious. Other Jews can see how you pray, how diligently you learn Talmud and Torah, and if you dress in the modest manner dictated by Jewish law. Few people know how you conduct your business affairs, how you treat your employees, how you talk behind others' backs, or how you treat your spouse. Therefore, the easiest way to demonstrate the depth of your religiosity is through observance of the laws between man and G-d, especially the ones that are most public.

Yet, while observant Jews may overstress the "monotheism" in "ethical "monotheism," the fact is that they believe the entire doctrine to be true. Secular Jews, on the other hand, believe that ethics can be separated from G-d and


religion. The results have not been positive. The ethical record of Jews and non Jews involved in causes that abandoned ethical monotheism has included involvement in moral relativism, Marxism, and the worship of art, education, law, etc.

The lessons for religious Jews are never to forget the primacy of ethics and not to abandon the ethical monotheist mission of Judaism. The lesson for secular Jews is to realize that ethics cannot long survive the death of monotheism.

ETHICAL MONOTHEISM: SUMMARY BOXOne G-dOne moralityOne humanitySacredness of human life because we are created in G-d’s imageG-d demands ethical behaviour; that we treat other people justlyG-d is the source of holiness in the living out of our livesG-d enters into personal relationship with humanityG-d is above nature

Exercise

1. Why do people believe in G-d?2. How is belief in G-d connected to how we live our lives?3. What are the challenges presented in today’s society in trying to live from

the perspective of ethical monotheism?4. Discuss in detail, and using examples, why mercy and justice are linked in

the characteristics of G-d.5. What are the two core elements central to ethical monotheism?

Comparison between Mecca/Makkah for Muslims and Jerusalem for Jews

Look at the following two photographs. In each case, (1) identify the location(2) specify the religious traditions for whom this is their spiritual home(3) name the key figures with whom this site is associated(4) describe why this place is important in that religious tradition.


Picture 1 above:(1) (2)(3)(4)

Picture 2 above:(1) (2)(3)(4)

Fill in the following cloze passage in relation to Picture 1:

The ……… Wall or Wailing Wall is the last remaining wall of the Temple. It is the most significant holy place for the Jewish people and therefore a site of …….. It is known in Hebrew as the …………… ……………….. It is located in the city of …………in the country of ……….. It is on the Temple Mount or Mount ….. According to


Jewish tradition, this is the place where the creation of the world began and where ……., the first human, was created. This was also the place where …… had taken his son ……., bound him, and prepared to sacrifice him. The dream of Jacob with the angels ascending and descending on a ladder was said to have taken place here. The Holy of ……, the core of the First and Second Temple, was said to have been in this area. The Wailing wall is the western support wall of the Temple which was re-constructed in the time of ….. in 37 BCE. It is termed the wailing wall because of the tears shed over the …….. of the Temple in 70 CE. ……. of visitors come to the Wailing Wall each year. The part of the Western Wall that we see at the Prayer Plaza is ….. metres (187 feet) long. The entire length of the Western Wall, however, is actually 488 metres (……. feet) long! Most of it is no longer visible and is underground. Thousands of children become Bar or ……… …………. in this sacred place. Soldiers serving in the Israeli Defence Forces swear ……… here to their nation and homeland here. People write ………… ……………. to G-d and place them in the crevices of the wall.

Jerusalem Abraham Destruction Bat Mitzvah Adam MoriahLoyalty Western 57 HaKotel HaMa’aravi Isaac Wailing Wall Millions Holies Herod1600 Temple Mount Prayer Notes Pilgrimage AliyahJewish Israel

Fill in the following cloze passage in relation to Picture 2:

Makkah or Mecca is the holiest city in ………. Followers of this religion called …… are known as …… Makkah is a city in the ….. of the Makkah Province in ……… ……….. The full official name is Makkah al-Mukarramah [makka lmukarrama] or [makkah almukarrama], which means "Mecca the Honored", but is also loosely translated as "The ……. ……… of Mecca". A pilgrimage known as …… is obligatory and undertaken by all followers of this religion at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able to do it. It is one of the five pillars of that religion. They dress in simple white clothing to symbolize equality. Mecca/Makkah is the birthplace of ……….. The ka’aba is a cube-like structure located inside the Grand …… in Makkah. The …. is a semi-cubic building that stands about 15 metres high and 10-12 metres wide. It is an ancient, simple structure made of granite. In the South East corner, a black meteorite (the "Black Stone") is embedded in a silver frame. Stairs on the north side lead to a door which allows entry to the interior, which is hollow and empty. The Ka'aba is covered with a kiswah, a black silk cloth which is embroidered in gold with verses from the …… . The …… is re-done and replaced once a year. According to the tradition, Abraham and his son ………. built this as a house of monotheistic worship. During the annual pilgrimage, ……..walk around the Ka’aba in an anti-clockwise direction, a ritual known as tawaf.

Saudi Arabia Muhammad Islam Muslims HejazHajj Holy city Mosque Qur’an IshmaelKiswah Muslims Ka’aba

LITERACY MOMENT



Explain the meaning of the terms outlined in the cloze passages above.Find out where are Mosques located in Ireland.

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