Transcript The Hebrews and Judaism

The Hebrews and Judaism
Jewish Beliefs and Texts
Jewish Beliefs Anchor Their Society
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The Jews are monotheistic, believe in one God and many believe the first. The
God of the Jews is YHWH and is never pronounced by Jews. In ancient times
where civilizations worshiped many gods, worshiping one god set them apart.
Belief in One God
The worship of one God, Yahweh, shaped
Jewish society. Jews believe God has
guided them through history by using
leaders such as Abraham, Moses and
Joshua. Education is also important and
all children are taught the basics of the
faith. In ancient times, boys but not girls,
studied the texts and were trained in the
ways.
Justice and Righteousness
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Justice and righteousness are also central to the faith. To the Jews,
justice means kindness and fairness in dealing with other people –
even strangers and criminals. Jews are expected to giive aid to those
in need – poor, sick, homeless, etc. They also must be fair in
business deals. Jews should also be righteous – do the right thing
even if others choose not to. This is more important than ceremony.
Observance of Religious and Moral Law
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Observance of the law is closely
related to justice and righteousness.
Moral and religious laws given to
them by God have guided the Jews
through history to today.
Religious and Moral Law
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The Ten Commandments is the
most important of Jewish laws – but
only one part. Jews believe that
God gave Moses all of his laws and
that Moses wrote them all down in
a system that has become known as
Mosaic Law.
Religious and Moral Law
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Mosaic law guides many areas of Jewish life. It regulates the way people pray and celebrate holidays.
Jews are not allowed to work on holidays or the Sabbath. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday
night and ends at nightfall Saturday. Foods are also dealt with as far as what can and can’t be eaten
and the way things should be prepared. Pork and shellfish are out and meats and other foods must be
prepared in a kosher manner.
Religious and Moral Law
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Today, Jews who strictly follow mosaic law are called Orthodox Jews. Those
that don’t follow strictly the ancient ways are called Reform Jews. A third
group that falls between the two are called Conservative Jews
Texts List Jewish Beliefs
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THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE
Jewish Bible are known as the Torah and
that is where you find most of the law and
also a history of the Jews to the death of
Moses. Readings from the Torah are
central to services and almost all
synagogues have at least one. Readers do
not touch, but out of respect, follow along
with a pointer to mark text.
The Hebrew Bible
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The Torah is the first of three parts that comprise the Hebrew Bible. The
second part is eight books of the prophets = messages given to and shared by
prophets to the people from God. The final 11 books are stories, poems,
lessons, songs and history. The Book of Daniel is an example of faith rewarded.
The final part also has the proverbs and psalms, which provide some of the
most beautiful and thought provoking as well as comforting texts in the Bible.
Commentaries
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For centuries, scholars have studied the
torah and Bible and have chronicled
commentaries on the difficult readings.
Many of these are found in the Talmud –
a set of commentaries on lessons for
everyday life. Many consider these second
only to the Hebrew Bible in significance.
Dead Sea Scrolls
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The Dead Sea Scrolls are also important. Found in 1947 by young boys looking for a goat in
some caves, the few moldy scrolls brought about a search of the desert where others were
found. Written between 100BC and 50AD, they give us a picture of what lives of the early
jews were like.
Judaism and Later Cultures
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Jewish ideas have influenced the cultures of
many other lands, particularly in Europe
and the US. Besides influencing societies
with their ideas, the religion will influence
two major religions – Islam and
Christianity – all linking to Abraham.
The 10 Commandments are another huge
influence.
Later Cultures
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Finally, Jewish teachings can be
linked to the idea of charity and
giving to those less fortunate as well
as treating all fairly and with respect
– even those that may not
appreciate.
Yep – I wasn’t kidding
To Sum up …
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Exit: How have Jewish ideas helped shape modern laws?
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Stay tuned next time for Judaism Over the Centuries