Judaism

Introduction to World Religions and

Belief Systems
Background and
Founders
Background and
Founders

• Judaism is the oldest of the

monotheistic religions, whose
origins date back to the mid-
second millennium or around 1500
BCE.
• Jewish tradition traces its
developments to the ancient
patriarch Abraham, and his
descendants Isaac and Jacob.

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Background and
Founders

• It is believed that Judaism was

instituted with the covenant
between God and the Israelites in
Mt. Sinai.
• The prophet Moses, who led the
Israelites out of slavery from
Egypt, guided, taught, and
interpreted God’s will, and his
divinely-inspired teachings laid
the foundation of Judaism.

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Followers

• The adherents of Judaism are

called Jews. Though Judaism
has always had a relatively small
following, it still had a
significant role in the
advancement of Near Eastern
and Western civilizations.

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Followers

• Judaism had a great influence on

Christianity and Islam, two other
great monotheistic faith traditions.
• The Jews are known for having a
rich, colorful history—particularly
for having faced enormous
difficulties.

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Followers
• Jews are found in many countries around the world. Large Jewish communities are located in the
United States, Israel, and a number of European nations—mainly Britain, France, and Russia.
Sacred Texts or Holy
Writings
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Sacred Texts or Holy
Writings

• Central to the Jewish people’s

faith commitment and identity is
their understanding of the
covenant with God, Yahweh.
• The Torah is the main sacred text
of Judaism, which corresponds to
the five books of Moses or the
Pentateuch.

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 Sacred Texts or Holy
Writings
• The Jews are faithful to its moral imperative and ritual norms
and they consider that Torah to be divinely revealed instruction
of the Scriptures.
• The Hebrew Bible is called Tanach, which is a collection of
sacred writings.

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 • For the Jews, the Torah is the first revealed law given
The Torah—The to Moses and recorded in the Hebrew sacred texts.
Jewish Written • The Torah includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Law
 The Torah—The
Jewish Written Law
• The Nevi’im is sub-divided into major and minor
prophetic books along with the historical accounts.

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The Torah—The Jewish Written Law

The Major Prophetic Books are those of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and

Ezekiel.

The minor prophetic books comprise of Hosea, Amos, Micah,

Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, and Malachi
 • The last sub-section is the Ketuvim.
The Torah—The • This consists of the Psalms, the Proverbs, the Song
Jewish Written of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Ruth, Esther, Daniel,

Law Lamentations of Jeremiah, the histories in

Chronicles, and Ezra-Nehemiah.
The Torah—The
Jewish Written Law

• Every Jewish synagogue has at

least one Torah scroll, which was
handwritten by a scribe on
parchment.
• A section of Torah is chanted on
the Sabbath and on Mondays and
Thursdays

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The Torah—The Jewish Written Law

After the Sabbath reading of the Torah, there is also a reading from
the Prophets, which is known as the Haphtarah.

Psalms and readings are an important part of worship and religious

services among the Jews.
 • Other books from the Ketuvim are read at the
synagogue service on special occasions.

The Torah—The • The Book or Ruth is read at the harvest festival of

Shavuot; the Megillah of Esther is read with great
Jewish Written noise at the Feast of Purim, and the Lamentations of

Law Jeremiah are read sitting on the floor of the

synagogue on the Fast of the 9th of Av as the
congregation mourns the destruction of the Temple
and other tragedies in Jewish history.
 Recording the Oral
Tradition
• The rabbis, learned and pious men, set about writing down the
oral tradition so that Jews may better understand what was
expected of them as they prepare for the coming of the
Messiah.
• The first of the rabbi’s writings is called the Mishnah.

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Recording the Oral Tradition

The Mishnah is the oral law in Judaism, as opposed to the written

Torah.

The Mishnah was collected and committed to writing around 200

CE and forms part of the Talmud.
Recording the Oral
Tradition
• Orthodox Judaism believes that God gave Moses explanations
and examples of how to interpret the Law that Moses did not
write down.
• These unwritten explanations are known in Judaism as the Oral
Torah.
Recording the Oral Tradition

• The Oral Torah was believed to be passed down by Moses to Joshua

and then to the rabbis until the advent of Christianity, when it was
finally written down as the legal authority called halakha.
• The two main sections of the Oral Torah are the Mishnah and the
Gemara.
 Recording the Oral
Tradition
• The Mishnah essentially records the debates of the post-
temple sages from 70 to 200 CE and is considered the
first major work of “Rabbinical Judaism.”
• It is composed of six orders (sedarim), arranged
topically;

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 Recording the Oral Tradition

Sedarim Meaning in Focus of each Sedarim in Mishnah

English
Zeraim Seed Discussions concerning prayer, diet, and agricultural laws
Moed Festival Discussions about holidays
Nashim Women Discussions about women and family life
Nezikin Damages Discussions about damages and compensation in civil law
Kodashim Holy things Discussions regarding sacrifices, offerings, dedications, and other
temple-related matters
Tohorot Purities Discussions regarding the purity of vessels, foods, dwellings, and
people.
The Talmud

The Talmud is the It is another form

compendium of of scripture and is
learning that is the the written version
basic source of of the Jewish oral
Jewish law and law which includes
codes. commentaries.
The Talmud

• The Talmud is composed of the Mishnah and

the Gemara.
• The Gemara refers to the additional
commentaries on the Mishnah which were
compiled from 200 to 500 CE.
The Talmud

• In Judaism, the Talmud is just as

important as the Hebrew Bible.
• It is used to explain the laws that may
not be clear in Scripture.
The Talmud

Aggadah are not The Aggadah are

A second type of writing in considered law (halakha), sometimes used with
the Talmud is called the but literature hat consists halakha to teach a
Aggadah. of wisdom and teachings, principle or make a legal
stories, and parables. point.
The Talmud

• Different sects of Judaism have different views on the Talmud.

• The Orthodox sect holds that the Oral law or Talmud is just as
inspired as the Bible, but Conservative and Reform Jewish sects do
not.
Doctrines and Beliefs
The Ten Commandments and 613 Rules

Jews find guidance and direction

Judaism is a way of life—a life of
for their lives in the 613
obedience to the Torah, through
commandments found in the
which God intends to sanctify every
Torah, which are taught and
aspect of human existence.
interpreted by the rabbis.
 3 
“You shall have no
other gods before me.
The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments

• 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven
above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to
them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing
the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those
who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me
and keep my commandments.
The Ten Commandments

• 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not
hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
The Ten Commandments
• 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work,
neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any
foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the
sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the
Sabbath day and made it holy.
The Ten Commandments
• “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God
12 

is giving you.
 “You shall not murder.
13 

The Ten Commandments

 “You shall not steal.
15 

The Ten Commandments

16 
“You shall not give false
testimony against your
neighbor.

The Ten Commandments

17 
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You
shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or
female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that
belongs to your neighbor.”

The Ten Commandments

One Universal God:
Yahweh/Jehovah
• The primary tenet of Judaism is the belief in one universal
God. The God of Jews, Yahweh, is also considered the God of
all peoples and nations.
• Yahweh is considered the creator of the universe, and is eternal,
perfect, all knowing, holy, and without physical form.
 • The second important belief of Judaism is that the
Jews were chosen by God to receive His law.
One Universal God: • This is seen in the covenants between God and
Yahweh/Jehovah humankind. The first covenant was God’s selection
of Abraham to be the father of a great nation that
would live in the Promised Land of Canaan.
One Universal God: Yahweh/Jehovah

Each week, the Sabbath The Torah contains

celebrates the creatorhood instruction on how Jews
of God, which is the are to live with God and
primary understanding of with each other in God’s
the divine. world.
 Prayer is the central mode of worship of
Judaism. The Jews’ relationship with God was
tested in the destruction of their temples.

Worship/Prayer

In the absence of temples, offerings were

replaced by prayers and study, by the words of
the heart, soul, and mind.
Worship/Prayer

Prayer is a means to express Adoration, thanksgiving,

adoration, needs, and love to petition, confession are some
God, seeking help and of the main forms of
reconciliation. expression for prayer.
Worship/Prayer

The responsibility to
recount the Shema is
The Shema is a separate from the duty
pronouncement of to pray, and a Jew is
faith in one God. beholden to say
Shema in the morning
and at night.
 • The opening line of the Shema, “Hear, Israel, the

Worship/Prayer Lord is our God, the Lord is One” taken from

Deuteronomy 6:4, is repeatedly said throughout the
course of the prayer services.
 • The mandate of praying the Shema is fulfilled by
Worship/Prayer narrating it in the Shacharit and Maariv.
Holy Places
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Holy Places

IN THE JEWISH FAITH, ISRAEL IS MANY VISIT THE WESTERN WALL IN

CONSIDERED TO BE A MOST HOLY JERUSALEM, AS IT IS THE ONLY
PLACE. REMAINS OF THE LAST JEWISH
TEMPLE.
Spiritual Significance of the Western Wall

01 02 03
In 826 BCE, King He intended it to be the He envisioned it as a
Solomon built the first core and heart of the sacred site where people
Holy Temple. Jewish nation. would feel inspired to
talk to God, a place
where no one would feel
alone.
Spiritual Significance of
the Western Wall

• According to the Midrash, the

Shekinah, or the glory of the
divine presence, is within the
Western Wall and never left it.
• The Holy of Holies or the inner
chamber of the sanctuary reserved
for the presence of God, was built
into the west side of the Temple.

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 Festivals

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Festivals

• The are many significant holy

days and festivals celebrated in
Judaism.
• The Sabbath or the seventh day
of the week is given significance
in Jewish faith, as this day is held
sacred as commanded in the Ten
Commandments.

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Festivals

• Significant Jewish feasts include

Hanukkah, or the festival of
lights, which is the celebration
of the Jews’ survival and a
commemoration of the
rededication of the Temple in
Jerusalem after a period of
persecution.

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Festivals

• Passover marks the Exodus and

liberation of the Jews from Egypt and
is celebrated during the spring.

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Festivals

• Rosh Hashanah is the celebration

of the Jewish New Year, which is
celebrated on the first or second
day of Tishri in September
• It is marked by the blowing of the
shofar and begins the ten days of
penitence concluding in Yom
Kippur.

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 On Yom Kippur, the High Priest
enters the Holy of Holies in the
Temple to sprinkle blood on the ark
of the covenant and offer incense.
Festivals
The Torah states that in ancient
times, the High Priest would also
sacrifice a bull and a goat, and
place blood from the Lord’s goat
onto the second goat.
Jewish Population
Worldwide
Jewish Population Worldwide

Ever since the end of the Second World war, the Jewish population
steadily increased, reaching around 14.2 million in early 2015.

The approximations are grounded on halacha criteria for those

living in Israel, and self-identification for those living outside of
Israel.
Jewish Population Worldwide

• Outside of Israel, where about 6.1 million Jews live, the largest
Jewish population is in the United States.
• Those living in the US are the largest in diaspora. In 1957, there
were 5 million Jews in the US, which increased to 5.7 million by
2013.
Jewish Population Worldwide

1) Israel – 6,103,200 7) Russia – 186, 000 13) Hungary – 47,900

2) United States – 5,700,00 8) Germany – 118,000 14) Iran – 20,000

3) France – 457,000 9) Australia – 112,500 15) Asia – 19,700

4) Canada – 385,300 10) Africa – 74,700 16) Romania – 9,400

5) Latin America – 383,500 11) South Africa – 70,000 17) New Zealand – 7,600

6) Britain – 290,000 12) Ukraine – 63,000 18) Morocco – 2,400

Holy Symbols
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• The menorah is the seven-branched candelabrum which

originally stood in the Temple of Jerusalem. It is said that the
middle branch represents the Sabbath.
• Star of David is another important symbol in the Jewish faith,
and it represents the relationship between God and the Jewish
people.

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Main Sects: Orthodox,
Conservative, and Reform

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Main Sects:
Orthodox,
Conservative,
and Reform Throughout most of history, the Jews Modern times, however, show a wide
have been united by their shared variety of Jewish cultures and
religious traditions. religious beliefs.
Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism emerged

as a reaction to modernity
Orthodox Jews believe that
and was the product of the
they preserve the essence of
separation of conservative
Jewish identity.
sects from reform-minded
groups.
 Orthodox Judaism teachers that
traditional Jewish law, as given to
Moses by Yahweh in the form of the
Torah, is the ultimate religious authority
that binds all Jews.
Orthodox
Judaism
Modern interpretations of the Bible that
treat sacred Jewish works as mythical of
fictional are rejected as irrelevant.
 Orthodox Jews also strictly follow the dietary
code of kashrut. They only eat the kosher foods
listed in the book of Leviticus.

Orthodox
Judaism Some important features of this dietary code are
that pork and shellfish are treyf; fish must have
both scales and fins; meat and dairy products are
not to be mixed; and a kosher kitchen should
have two sets of dishes—one for dairy and one
for meat.
 Orthodox Jews pray daily, but the core of Jewish worships is
weekly observance of the Sabbath.

Orthodox
Judaism
On the Sabbath, all work stops. Meals and other necessities
are prepared beforehand so that the entire day, from sunset on
Friday to sunset on Saturday, can be dedicated to rest and
worship.
 Conservative Judaism was inspired by
the ideas of Zecharias Frankel and
Solomon Schechter.

Conservative
Judaism Conservative Jews believe that the
mandates established in the Torah and
the Talmud must be followed within the
context of living tradition.
Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism also

places a strong emphasis on
In 1983, during a conservative
Jewish community-building in
convention, they finally
the form of religions education
approved of the ordination of
for children, youth programs,
women.
women’s groups, and adult
education.
Reform Liberal
Judaism

• Reform Judaism was founded by

Abraham Geiger. Reform Judaism
emphasized the evolving nature of
religion and emphasized values
and ethics over tradition and
ceremony.
• For Geiger, the God of Reform
Judaism fostered the pursuit of
justice and liberty.
Reform Liberal Judaism

For Geiger, the temple that

The liberal interpretation of
needed to be rebuilt was not
Judaism is seen not only as an
an actual building in
affirmation of Jewish beliefs,
Jerusalem; it was an ideal
but also a means to connect
spiritual structure of values, of
with non-Jews.
justice, and of freedom.
Differences of Orthodox,
Conservative, and Reform Liberal
on different aspects

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 History

Orthodox Judaism Conservative Judaism Reform Liberal Judaism

The Orthodox movement The principal founders of It started in the 1800’s in

emerged in the 19th century in Conservative Judaism were Germany and encouraged
Bratislava, with Rabbi Moses Zecharias Frankel who the examination of religion
Sofer calling on all traditional founded the Jewish with an eye toward
Jews to uphold the customary Theological Seminary of rationality and
beliefs and practices of Breslau in 1854 and egalitarianism.
Judaism Solomon Schechter.
 Governing Principles

Orthodox Judaism Conservative Reform Liberal

Judaism Judaism

Adherence to both Written and Emphasizes the importance Allows for substantial
Oral Torah. of traditional Jewish texts to individualism, but requires
guide ethics and practice. basic principles to be followed
Orthodox Judaism believes that or accepted, e.g., the Torah is
both came from God and must divinely inspired written by
be obeyed. humans.
 Views on God

Orthodox Judaism Conservative Judaism Reform Liberal Judaism

Orthodox Judaism affirms There is only One God and There is only One God.
monotheism, or belief in God provides standards of
one God. right and wrong that people The doctrine of the One,
should follow. living God, who rules the
world through law and
love.
 Interpretation of texts and laws

Orthodox Judaism Conservative Judaism Reform Liberal Judaism

Believes that both Written and Oral Conservative Judaism teaches that Believes that the Torah was written
Torah are of divine origin, and studying the Hebrew Bible and by human hands, in the language of
represent the word of God. other Jewish texts leads to wisdom its time, with divine inspiration.
and good deeds so Jewish culture
This is similar to the view of emphasizes the importance of Teaches that Judaism’s ethical laws
conservative movement, but learning. are binding, while ritual laws can be
Orthodox movement holds that such adopted to fit modern society. It
information is the exact word of favors individual choice over
God and does not represent any obligatory beliefs and practices.
human creativity.
 Role of women

Orthodox Judaism Conservative Judaism Reform Liberal Judaism

Men and women sit separately Men and women sit Women are allowed to
in the synagogue. together in synagogues. In participate in ordained roles
many conservative and men and women are not
Women are not ordained as congregations they separated in meetings.
rabbis, nor do they count in participate in the choirs.
minyan. While the synagogue The sexes are to be treated
is the domain of men, the Treat others well, equally.
home is clearly the domain of including women.
women.
 Orthodox Judaism Conservative Judaism Reform Liberal Judaism
Jerusalem is the holiest or The Land of Israel is the Jerusalem is not a physical
most sacred city. most important spiritual place, but a place of ethical
center. values rooted deeply
within the hearts of Jewish
The daily prayers address people all over the world.
the importance of the Land
of Israel to the Jewish past
and future.

Views on Jerusalem
 Orthodox Judaism Conservative Judaism Reform Liberal Judaism
Synagogue services are conducted Hebrew is the predominant Uses the native language of the
in Hebrew. language but the native language congregants as well.
of the worshippers is used as well.
Belief that the process of
reinterpretation of the Torah to the
language of today is ongoing, and
that every Jew has a stake and a
role in that restatement and
extension.

Language
Issues: Holocaust,
Zionism, Anti-Semitism
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The Holocaust and its Memory
• The Holocaust refers to the mass slaughter of European civilians, particularly the six million Jews,
by the Nazis during the Second World War.
• The Holocaust left an indelible impression on the conscience of the world. Jews, in particular,
have vivid, personal recollections of family members who were victims in the Holocaust.

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The Holocaust and its
Memory
• The Iraeli Knesset, or parliament, has set aside the 27th day of
the Hebrew month of Nisan as Holocaust Remembrance Day to
provide a yearly reminder of this tragic event.
 • The Holocaust left European Jewry almost

The Holocaust completely wiped out, with many Jews around the
world left in shock at the atrocities committed.
and its Memory • Many Jews sought refuge in other countries such as
England, France, and the United States.
The Holocaust and its Memory

Several Jewish communities This is especially true in larger

thrive in many areas in Europe. cities like Rome and Milan. In
Italian Jewry has recovered Spain, Jews were promised
somewhat from the experiences equal rights to those of other
of World War II. faiths in 1966.
Zionism

• Zionism is a movement that

sought the establishment of a
Jewish state in Palestine.
• The movement centered on the
symbolism of Mount Zion, which
is the hill upon which Jerusalem
was built.
 Zionism began in Eastern Europe in the
19th century and gained prominence
through the efforts of Theodor Herzl and
Asher Ginsberg.

Zionism
Herzl envisioned that the Jewish
homeland would allow Jews to leave
nations that were intensely anti-Semitic
and enable them to have a better chance of
achieving success.
Zionism

With the world community reeling

from the atrocities of the Holocaust,
The Zionist dream of a Jewish world opinion began to favor the
homeland became a reality after the establishment of a place where Jews
Second World War. who were violently ousted from
their homes and homelands could
find their own identity.
Resurgence of Anti-Semitism
• The lessons of the Holocaust made such an impression on the nations of the world.
• This led to a reexamination of anti-Semitic ideas and its overall decline worldwide. Recent events,
however, have revealed a resurgence of anti-Semitism.
Resurgence of Anti-Semitism

Traces of anti-Semitism can be seen in propaganda related to Arab

nationalism and the plight of Arab Palestinians.

The actions of the state of Israel is often seen in the light of

Judaism and Zionism, and thus, all Jews are blamed by Arab
extremists for the difficulties experienced by Palestine.
PETA #3

Movie Review: “Genesis of the Jews”

Watch a movie featuring aspects of Jewish history, life, faith, and

tradition (e.g. Fiddler in the Roof, Ten Commandments, Ben Hur).
Write a movie review detailing the aspects of Judaism shown in the
fil. Gove your reaction about the movie.