CHAPTER NUMBER : TITLE



Lesson 6: Judaism

Chapter Outline and Lecture Notes

I. Introduction

A. The Challenge of Defining Judaism

B. The Religion of Judaism Generally Unified by Belief in One God who Acts in Human Affairs and Chose the Jewish People as Agents

[TR] Nobel Prize Laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once remarked, “One can be a Jew for God; one can be a Jew against God; but one cannot be a Jew without God.” To understand this central feature of Judaism, one must examine the history of the covenant. A covenant is a sacred pact, or agreement between two or more parties. In the history of Judaism, an unusual pact was made between a god and a nomadic chieftain named Abram (later renamed Abraham). There are two very important and unique features of this ancient covenant. First, Mesopotamian gods did not make agreements with individuals. They were gods of cities, not individuals. Secondly, this covenant was a one-way covenant. This means that, unlike common covenants (e.g., modern leasing agreements), only ONE of the parties was responsible for fulfilling the terms of the agreement. In this case, amazingly, it was the god who promised to fulfill the agreement. [Read about the contents of the covenant in your textbook] Abraham and his people were “chosen” by this god and were promised land, protection, and descendents; and Abraham had no say in the matter whatsoever. Hypothetically, Abraham could reject this offer, accept the offer, forget about the offer…it didn’t affect the covenant. …Now are you beginning to understand Wiesel’s comment? In Jewish literature, this god chose to identify himself with this wandering group of nomads and would reveal himself to the world through their history (which he [the god] would orchestrate). The history of the Hebrew people was to be the history of the covenant & the history of this god. Over time, this local, wandering god (EL) would be understood in more universal terms as the only God and creator of the world (Yahweh). This link between people, God, and covenant history is most important in understanding what it means to BE a Jew. Now read about the early history of these nomadic people and their leaders in the text.

II. Biblical Patriarchs

A. God Promises Abraham He Will Have Descendants and They will be God’s Special People with their Own Land

B. Abraham’s Son Isaac, Grandson Jacob, and Twelve Great-Grandsons Become the Fathers of the Hebrew People

C. Hebrew Patriarchal Religion

1. Worshipped One God, Often Referred to as El

2. God Worshipped by Burning Animal Sacrifices in the Open Air; Temple Worship Comes Much Later

3. Basic Animistic Tendencies in Patriarch’s Worship

4. Patriarchs Circumcised Males as Sign of Covenant with Abraham (although circumcision not unique to Hebrews)

5. Patriarchs Kept a Sabbath Day

III. Exodus

A. Abraham Promised Homeland (Canaan) by God, but Descendants Become Slaves in Egypt

B. Story of Liberation from Slavery and Journey Out of Egypt (Exodus) are Heart and Soul of Judaism

1. God, Calling Self YHWH, Asks Renegade Murderer Moses to Lead Hebrews Out of Egypt by Speaking to Him through a Burning Bush

2. Ten Miraculous Plagues Afflict Egypt before the King (Pharoah) Agrees to Release Hebrew Slaves to Moses

3. Pharoah Pursues Runaway Hebrews While Crossing the Red (or Reed) Sea, Which Opened Miraculously for Them and Closed Again to Drown the Egyptian Army

IV. Sinai and the Law

A. YHWH Gives the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai

B. The Ten Commandments and the Renewal of the Covenant with Abraham

C. The Formation of Mosaic Law During Forty Year Journey in Desert on the Way to Canaan becomes Basis for the Pentateuch (First Five Books of the Hebrew Scriptures)

[TR] This story is of great importance to the history of Judaism for two reasons. First, it re-emphasizes the that the first covenant with Abraham was still in place and that the liberation of the people from Egypt was a partial fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham (one-way, not dependent on the devotion of the people). Secondly, it adds a two-way covenant WITHIN the one-way covenant. This covenant with Moses (which includes the Ten Commandments) is an ethical code ONLY for those who are already WITHIN the Abrahamic covenant. If one disobeys the laws of this second covenant, there will be consequences (punishments); but that would in no way remove him/her/them from the first covenant. [see again Wiesel’s statement].

So, to make this very plain: Being Jewish is not (primarily) something you believe. It is something you ARE as defined by God’s choosing. And given the long history of anti-Jewish hatred and exile, many Jews refer to this as God’s terrible choosing. It is a history of joy and sorrow from which they cannot escape. By the way, there is a story in the Hebrew Bible about one of Abraham’s grandsons (Jacob) whose name is changed to Israel—a name that is later attached to all of his descendents. The name Israel means “one who struggles (Isra) with God (el).” This then is a defining mark of Jewish faith: a holy struggle. Perhaps it is the defining mark of all human existence: struggle, exile, wandering, hope.

As a side note on the Ten Commandments: Because these laws were part of a covenant WITHIN the Abrahamic covenant, they were not considered to be applicable for non-Hebrew people. So, for example, the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” applied only to fellow Hebrews. The people were, in fact, commanded by their God to kill non-Hebrews and take their land! We’ll see later how these laws become thought of in a more universal context later. But that’s not how they are viewed in these early days of Hebrew history.

V. Post-Sinai Religious Institutions

A. The Ark of the Covenant

1. Box Carrying Relics of Exodus and Commandments

2. Eventually Placed in Solomon’s Temple

3. Likely Destroyed with Temple by Baylonians in 586 B.C.E.

B. The Tent of Meeting

C. Hebrews Invade and Conquer Land East of Jordan River, and Under Joshua Invade and Gradually Conquer / Displace Canaanite Peoples

VI. Religion in the Time of the Hebrew Monarchy

A. David, the First Effective King of the Hebrews

1. Captures Jerusalem and Makes it Capital

2. David Develops Israel into Powerful and Wealthy Nation

[TR] All the kings of Israel where considered to be Sons of God by adoption. As well, they were all called Messiahs (which means “anointed ones,” in accordance with their coronation ceremony that involved being adopted by God as oil is poured over their heads). Later, Christianity will teach that Jesus was in the bloodline of these Messianic kings, a Son of God. To early Christians (who were Jews), this title had nothing to do with being divine. It was a political/religious title denoting a special relationship with God as an instrument to be used in the fulfillment of the covenant. In our next lesson on Christianity, we’ll learn how this honorific title evolved into a new view of God as three-fold.

B. The Temple

1. David’s Son Solomon Builds Temple in Jerusalem

2. Design for Temple Similar to Canaanite Baalim Temples

3. Class of Priests Practice Animal Sacrifice in Temple

4. Possibly Sacred Dancing Before Ark a form of Worship

[TR] Refer to your notes on Basic religion to understand the temple complex and rituals. This temple was later associated with the geographic center of the world, as well as the place where the heavens and the earth touched (sometimes referred to as Zion). Extending this reasoning further, you can understand how, if Jews saw themselves as God’s special people and Jerusalem as the holiest place in the universe, then surely they alone were (are) worthy of living in Jerusalem. This feeling continues today!

C. The Prophetic Movement

1. Prophets as Ecstatic Visionaries with Healing Powers

2. The Royal Prophets: The Religious Advisors to the King

3. Some Prophets Denounced Wickedness Among the People and the Kings

4. Four Classical Jewish Prophets of the Eighth Century B.C.E Denounce Social Injustice and Call for Fidelity to Covenant

a. Amos

b. Hosea

c. Isaiah

d. Jeremiah

5. Classical Prophets Warn that YHWH Will Reject the Chosen People and Take Away their Land if They Do Not Repent

D. Civil War After Solomon’s Reign Divides Nation into Two Countries: Israel in the North and Judah in the South

E. People of Israel Erased Forever from History by Assyrian Invaders in 722 B.C.E.

[TR] Name Note: The people in the South (Judah) were called Jews. The people in the North (Israel) were called Israelites. But after the destruction of the South and exile of the North, later inhabitants of the land will be called both Jews and Israelites. They will rarely use the older name, Hebrews (which means “wanderer”). The word Hebrew is still used, however, as a Semitic language grouping.

VII. Exile and Return

A. Babylonian Empire Invades Judah (586 B.C.E.), Exiles People

1. While in Exile the Judeans Encounter Zoroastrianism

2. Prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah Teach that YHWH is God of All People in All Lands, Not a Geographically Limited Deity

3. Cyrus the Persian Liberates Judeans from Exile

B. The Priest Ezra (428 B.C.E.) Reforms Judaism After Exile, Begins Process of Forming Hebrew Scriptures

[TR] The Collection of Hebrew Scriptures (Hebrew Bible) is referred to using the acronym TANAK, which contains the first letters of each of the three main parts of this collection: T – Torah (meaning “teaching,” the oldest books), N – Nevi’im (the books of the prophets), and K-Ketuvim (the “writings”, books of wisdom and poetry). This is not referred to as an “Old Testament” as later Christians will say. This is not part one of a two-part story for Jews. While many of the books are identical to those in a Christian “Old Testament,” they are not found in the same order. Christians later reordered the books in an effort to show a historical progression, ending with a prophetic message about the future. Jews don’t think of history as an arrow being shot toward some future goal. God’s actions are an unfolding, like a circle that gets wider and wider, rather than a line than points in one direction.

C. Second Temple Built in Jerusalem Sixth Century B.C.E., Lasts Until 70 C.E.

[TR] At this point, Jewish faith takes a VERY legalistic turn, emphasizing strict observance of purification rituals. They believed that God had punished them in the past because they had not been “pure” enough. So, to avoid future punishments, the Jews that returned to and rebuilt Jerusalem became isolated from the rest of the world and from other Diaspora Jews (see next section) who remained in other places around the Middle East after their deportation/exile. During this period, the temple became the most important feature of the religion, with daily, weekly, and annual sacrifices to pay for their wrongdoing. Sometimes, you will hear this kind of Judaism referred to as Levitical Judaism. It is no longer present in the world, although there are movements among both fundamentalist Jews and Christians to bring it back.

VIII. Diaspora

A. Diaspora: Scattering of Jews All Around World

1. Diaspora Both Voluntary and Forced

2. Large Jewish Community in Alexandria Compels Jews to Translate Hebrew Scriptures into Greek (the Septuagint)

B. Synagogue

1. From Greek Synagogue, Assembly

2. Offers Jews outside Jerusalem Opportunity to Pray and Worship Together

3. The Rabbi (literally “my master”) Emerges as Teacher and Leader

a. How Does One Apply Laws Written by Nomadic and Agricultural People to Jews in the Iron Age?

b. Rabbis Sought Hermeneutical Principles for Applying God’s Law in Torah to the People

c. Debates Between Rabbinical Schools Arise

d. Rabbis Guide Jews in Diaspora Seeking to Live Differently than Non-Jew (Gentile) Neighbors

C. Diaspora Jews and Hope for Coming Messiah to Defeat the Enemies of Jews and Re-establish the Davidic Monarchy

1. Some Jews Consider the Messiah a Political Figure

2. Some Jews Consider the Messiah a Military Figure

3. Some Jews Consider the Messiah a Spiritual Figure

D. Jewish / Zealot Uprising of 66 C.E.

1. Violent Revolution Against Roman Rule of Palestine Smashed by Roman Military in 68 C.E.

2. Romans Besiege Jerusalem 70 C.E., Destroy Temple

[TR] See pictures in your text of what is left of the temple after this destruction: the Western Wall [the Wailing Wall]. Today, Muslims own most of what was the holiest site in Jewish history, the temple mount [Zion]. In the 7th and 8th centuries, Muslims built two worship buildings [Mosques] on top of this area, the most notably structure being the Dome of the Rock. Radical Jewish and Christian groups wish to reclaim this property and re-establish the temple sacrifice as it was in Levitical Judaism.

3. Rabbis Meet in Yabneh to Discuss Future of Judaism, Decide on an Official List of Books in Jewish Scriptures; Affirm Five Books of Torah, Prophetic Books

[TR] Before it’s destruction, the temple defined Levitical Judaism. Sacrifice was the only way to relate to a God who stands apart. You can imagine how devastating the temple destruction was. With the meeting in Yabneh, however, Judaism evolved into a more Rabbinic form (as it had been among the Diaspora Jews), focusing on the “sacrifice” of prayer and moral behavior. As well, literature and teaching were emphasized. This is the form it takes to this day.

E. The Mishnah

1. Jewish Rabbinical Leadership Moves Center of Discussion to Galilee Region in Second Century

2. Judah ha-Nasi Brings Together All Jewish Legal Commentary and Disputes Since Days of Ezra in the Mishnah (Repetition)

3. The Mishnah Illustrates Dilemma of Being Jewish without a Jewish Nation or Temple

4. The Mishnah Redefines Judaism as Religion of the Law

a. Secondary Level of Laws Added so that Keeping them Will Prevent Violating Primary Law (Torah)

b. The Mishnah Adds Detail and Specifics to the Torah in order to Guide Religious Practice to the True, Deeper Meaning of the Torah

F. The Talmud

1. After Compilation of the Mishnah, Center of Jewish Life and Learning Moves to Babylon

a. Zoroastrians in Babylon Accepted Jews, Who Prospered There

b. Constantine’s Granting Official Status to Christianity in Roman Empire Made Life Difficult for Jews

c. Jewish-Christian Tensions Drive Many Jews to Zoroastrian Babylon

2. The Gemara Offers Additional Commentary on Jewish Mishnah and Torah, Plus Commentary on all Areas of Jewish Life

3. When Gemara Added to Mishnah the Result is the Talmud

a. Palestinian Talmud Completed in 425 C.E.

b. Babylonian Talmud Completed in 500 C.E.

c. Babylonian Talmud Three Times as Large as Palestinian Talmud (2.5 million words)

4. Talmud Contains Halachah and Haggadah

a. Halachah (the proper way): Legal Material, Debates, Decisions

b. Haggadah (tale, narrative): History, Folklore, Sermons

c. 30 Percent of Babylonian Talmud is Haggadah

5. Jewish Scholars Form Academies for Study of Talmud

a. Talmud Scholars Who Ran Academies Known as Gaon

b. Period from 600-1000 C.E. Known as Gaonic Period

c. Saadiah ben Joseph (882-942 C.E.) Last Great Gaon

d. Karaite Rebellion Against Authority of Talmud, Appeal for Return to Pure Biblical Law

IX. Medieval Judaism

A. Judaism and Islam

1. Jews in Babylon, Palestine, Egypt, Turkey, North Africa, Spain Come Under Islamic Rule in Seventh and Early Eighth Centuries C.E.

2. Jews Suffer Sporadic Periods of Persecution Under Muslims

a. Jews and Muslims Live in Relative Harmony and Intellectual Cooperation Under Abbasid Dynasty, Baghdad Becomes Center of Jewish Religious Authority

b. Persecution Begins in 847 B.C.E.

c. Internal Strife Afflicts Judaism as Exilarchs and Karaites Challenge Academic Heads, Goanim

d. Jewish Religious and Intellectual Leadership Moves to Spain

B. Judaism in Spain

1. Jewish Presence in Spain Dates to First Century C.E.

2. Jews in Spain Persecuted By Christianity: Forced to Convert or Be Expelled; Law Unevenly Enforced

3. Muslim Conquest of Spain in 711 C.E., Begin Golden Age of Freedom and Tolerance for Jews

4. Many Leading Jewish Intellectuals Emerge from Spain

a. Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides) (1135-1204) Excelled as Physician, Talmud Scholar, Philosophy

b. Maimonides’ Guide to the Perplexed Endeavors to Synthesize Aristotle’s Philosophy and Judaism

5. Muslim Rule of Spain Declines in Thirteenth Century, and Resurgent Christians Persecute Spanish Jews

a. Forced Conversions to Christianity Common, But Many Conversos Secretly Practice Judaism

b. Thousands of Jews Massacred in 1391 C.E.

c. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella Expel Jews from Spain in 1492 C.E.

d. Jews Flee to Portugal, Italy, Morocco, Balkans, Turkey

C. Judaism in Other European Nations

1. After Babylon and Spain, No Clear Center of Jewish Life

2. Jews Settle in Many Places in Christian Europe and Muslim Countries

D. The Crusades

1. Crusades Begun in 1096 by Pope Innocent II

2. Crusaders Undertake both Attacks on Muslim Countries in Middle East, but also Widespread Attacks on Jews in Europe

3. By 1286 Many Jews Fled to Poland and/or Muslim Lands

E. The Kabbalah

1. The Kabbalah (literally: tradition) Collects Esoteric Jewish Writings on Angels, Demons, Magical Incantations, Charms, Witches, Ghouls, Interpretations of Dreams, Date of the Messiah’s Coming

2. Process of Compiling Kabbalah Began in Babylon Between 500 and 900 C.E., Produces the Sefer Yetzrich (Book of Creation)

3. The Sefer Hazohar (Book of Splendor), or the Zohar Likely Composed by Spanish Mystical Jew, Moses de Leon

a. The Zohar Becomes More Popular with Medieval Jews than Talmud

b. The Zohar Mixes Theology, Cosmogony, Discussions of Angels, Evil, and Far-Fetched Numerological Analyses of Scripture

4. Kabbalistic Group of Spanish Exiles forms in Galilee Under Direction of Isaac Luria (1534-1572)

5. Worldwide Judaism Under Persecution and Expulsion from Many Christian Countries, Find Solace in Kabbalah’s Mysticism, Found in it Hope for a Coming Messiah

X. Judaism and the Modern World

A. By End of Fifteenth Century Jews Expelled or Made Unwelcome in Nearly Every European Country

B. Jews Begin to Find New Home in Eastern Europe

1. By End of Sixteenth Century a Half Million Jews in Poland

2. Many Jews in Poland Work as Tax Collectors and Landlords

3. In 1648 C.E., Peasant Rebellion in Poland Leads to Pogroms Against Jews, Who Were Identified with Nobility

4. 1648-1656 C.E., 300-500 Thousand Polish Jews Killed

C. Protestant Reformation Negatively Impacts Jews

1. Luther Made Fierce Anti-Jewish Statements

2. Catholic Counter-Reformation Develops an Inquisition System that Persecutes Jews

D. The Ghetto System Develops to Segregate Jews in One Section of European Cities

1. Jews Live Under Curfew and Many Restrictions

2. Fourth Lateran Council (1215) of Catholic Church Decrees that Jews Must Wear Yellow Badges

XI. Responses to Modernity

A. Shabbatai Zevi

1. Seventeenth Century C.E. Charismatic Figure Who Claimed to be the Messiah, Raising Hopes of Jews Worldwide

2. Entered Turkey in 1665 C.E., Arrested and Given Choice: Convert to Islam or Die

3. Zevi Converts to Islam, Disappoints World Jews

B. Moses Mendelssohn (b. 1729)

1. German Eighteenth Century Jew Who Won Respect as Poet and Philosopher Among German Intellectuals

2. Befriends Lessing, Possibly Subject of Nathan the Wise

3. Encouraged Jews to Leave Ghettoes, Enter Modern World, Speak German Rather than Yiddish

C. Baal Shem Tov (1699-1760 C.E.)

1. Israel ben Eleizer Preaches God Found Not in Scholarly Research on Bible or Talmud, but in Simple Heartfelt Faith

2. Renamed Baal Shem Tov (“master of the good name”)

3. Followers, Known as the Hasidim, Centered in Eastern Europe

4. Hasidim Meet Opposition from Orthodox Rabbis

a. Contrary to Mendelssohn, Baal Shem Tov Teaches Jews to Shun Modern World, Live Own Tradition Faithfully in Own Jewish Enclaves

b. Hasidim More Interested in Mystical-Kabbalah Tradition Than Orthodox Rabbis

D. Reform Judaism

1. Prohibitions Against Jews Ending After French Revolution, Jews Entering Mainstream European Life

2. Many Modern Jews Seek to Reform Judaism to Update it and Make it Easier for Jews to Live as Mainstream Europeans

3. German Jewish Leaders in 1843 Teach Basics of Reform Judaism

a. There Is a Continuation in Development of Judaism

b. The Talmud Has No Authority For Modern Jews

c. Jews Seek No Messiah, and Know No Homeland But the Land of Their Birth

4. Vernacular Displaces Hebrew in Reform Jewish Worship and Kosher Food Laws Relaxed

5. Eastern European and Russian Jews Did not Reform, Faced Serious Persecution by their Governments, Many Flee

E. Zionism

1. Latent European Anti-Judaism Resurfaces in Dreyfus Case

a. In 1894 French Captain Alfred Dreyfus Accused of Betraying French Military Secrets During Franco-Prussian War

b. Anti-Jewish Hysteria Grips France

c. Dreyfus Convicted on Weak Evidence, Later Declared to be “Erroneous” Evidence

2. Jewish Reporter Theodore Herzl Covered Dreyfus Case

3. Herzl and Others Decide that Despite Liberal-Tolerant Facade Jews will Never be Treated Fairly in Europe, Must Seek Own Homeland

a. Zionist Movement Centered on Herzl’s Ideas Emerges, Settles on Palestine as Best Site

b. Early 1900s C.E. Jews Begin Buying and Settling Land in Palestine

c. In 1909 City of Tel Aviv Founded

d. By 1920, 50,000 Jews Living in Palestine

e. By 1928, 100,000 Jews Living in Palestine

f. By 1931, 175,000 Jews Living in Palestine

g. By 1933, 220,000 Jews Living in Palestine

4. British Balfour Declaration of 1917 Sows Seeds of Future Middle East Wars

a. British Govern Palestine Early Twentieth Century

b. Balfour Declares Britian “views with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”

c. Arab Muslims and Christians in Palestine Object to Jewish Occupation of Their Land and Homes

d. British Seek to Limit Jewish Emigration to Palestine to 15,000 Per Year in 1939, as Many European Jews Seeking Escape from Hitler

F. The Holocaust

1. Background Facts

a. Nazi Germany’s Nuremberg Laws of 1935 Reduce Jews to Second Class Citizens in Europe

b. Nazi Military Moves Across Europe, Reestablishes Ghettos and Segregates Jews

c. Thousands of Jews Arrested and Deported to Poland and Eastern Europe to work as Slaves

d. In 1941 Nazi Government of Germany Designs “Final Solution” of Jewish Problem: Systematic Mass Execution of at Least Six Million Jews

2. Possible Causes

a. German Racism

b. German Troubles Following WWI

c. Nazi Madness

d. Modern Efficiency

e. The Silence of the Rest of the World

3. Profound Lasting Impact on Judaism

a. World Jewish Population Reduced by One-Third

b. Zionism Given a New Moral Imperative among Some Jewish and Non-Jewish Thinkers

c. Jewish Theology Undergoes Crisis

G. The State of Israel

1. In 1947 United Nations Partitions Palestine into Jewish and Arab States

2. British Leave Palestine in May 1948, Israel Proclaims Statehood

3. Israel Attacked by Five Arab States but Survives

4. Palestinian Refugees Flee, Live in Squalid Camps for Decades

5. In 1967 and 1973 Arab Nations Attack Israel, Lose More Land to Israeli Military Advances, Including Old City in Jerusalem

H. Current Variations in Judaism

1. Currently 14,117,000 Jews in World, with 1.8 Million in New York City Alone—Largest Concentration in the World

2. Orthodox

a. Largest Group, Seeks to Preserve Traditional Jewish Culture and Religion and Resist the Secularizing Elements of Modernity

b. Follow Biblical and Talmudic Law, Favor Hebrew as Language of Worship

c. Tends to Segregate Genders in Worship

3. Reform

a. Centered in United States and Western Europe

b. Emphasizes Univeralsity of Traditional Jewish Values, Interfaith Dialogue, and Social Activism

c. Values Modernity, Seeks Perpetual Updating of the Ancient Faith

d. Prefers Vernacular to Hebrew in Worship

e. Does Not Segregate Genders in Worship; Ordain Woman as Rabbis

4. Conservative

a. Arises in Nineteenth Century C.E. Under Leadership of Sabata Morais as Reaction Against Extremes of Orthodox and Reform

b. Intellectual Center in Jewish Theological Seminary of American in New York City

c. Grounded in Rabbinic Tradition but More Relaxed than Orthodox

d. More Interested in Scientific Study of the Bible than the Orthodox

e. Prefers Vernacular to Hebrew in Worship

5. Reconstructionist Judaism

a. Grows Out of Conservative Judaism Under Leadership of Mordecai M. Kaplan

b. Judaism is More than a Religion—It is a Culture that Must be Lived as a Whole

c. Strongly Support the State of Israel

6. Fundamentalist Sectarian Judaism

a. Hostile to Non-Jews

b. Many Active in Israel’s Settlement Movement

c. Missionary Action Directed to Non-Observant Jews

XII. Jewish Festivals and Holy Days

A. Sabbath (Shabbat)

1. Most Important Holy Day

2. Begins Friday at Sundown, Ends Saturday at Sundown

B. Passover (Pesach)

1. Commemorates the Exodus from Egypt Under Moses when Angel of Death Passed Over Jewish Homes and Killed on Egyptians (first born sons)

2. Celebrated with Seder Meal in March-April

C. The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot)

1. Celebration of Weeks Fifty Days after Passover (May-June)

2. Commemorates Giving of the Law to Moses on Sinai

D. New Year (Rosh Hashanah)

1. Celebrated in September-October Commemorating First Days of Creation

2. Season Begins with Period of Penitence

E. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

1. Follows Rosh Hashanah’s Period of Penitence

2. Day of Abstinence from Work, Food, and Drink

3. Spend Day in Synagogue Praying for Forgiveness of Sins and Reconciliation

F. The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)

1. Five Days After Yom Kippur

2. Originally Autumn Harvest Festival, Later Attached to Exodus Memorial

3. Commemorates Wandering in Desert, Living in Makeshift Tabernacles

G. The Feast of Dedication (Chanukah)

1. November-December Commemoration of Judas Maccabaeus Retaking Temple from Greeks in 165 B.C.E.

2. Oil Remaining in Temple Miraculously Lasted Eight Days

3. Jews Light Candle for Eight Days to Commemorate Dedication of the Recaptured Temple

4. Proximity to Christmas Has Increased Importance of Chanukah for Jews in the United States

H. The Feast of Lots (Purim)

1. February-March Commemoration of Jewish Victory Over Enemies Plotting to Kill them (Book of Esther)

2. Day’s Name Comes from Story of the Plot: Lots Were Cast to Determine Which Day Jews would be Killed

I. The Son of the Commandment (Bar Mitzvah)

1. Rite of Passage for Thirteen Year Old Boys

2. Reform Jews Introduce Bat Mitzvah for Jewish Girls

XIII. Judaism Today

A. Interpreting the Holocaust Central to Jewish Identity Today

B. Future of the State of Israel Central to Many Jews Today

1. Many Contemporary Jews See Israel as Culmination of all their Centuries of Diaspora Wandering

2. Israel is the Haven for Jews Seeking Peace and Security from Persecution and Oppression

3. Israel’s Wars Often Interpreted Theologically by Many Jews

4. Many Disagreements about the Extent to Which Israel Ought to be a Secular or a Religious State

C. Preserving Identity in Modern Secular Would be a Concern for Jews

[TR] At this point, you have no doubt concluded that this entire lesson has been more of a history lesson. You are correct. But what about beliefs and practices? Where are all the statements about what Jews believe about God, the world, life after death, etc.? If you find yourself asking these questions, then you’ve missed the whole point of Judaism. Go back to the beginning and read it again.

Even so, I’ll offer a brief list of commonly held beliefs:

• There is One God who created the world and establishes moral codes for behavior.

• The history of the Jewish people is a picture of what God is like and how God acts.

• No clear view of life after death (no heaven or hell); persons remain “alive” in the memory of those who live on.

• The TANAK (especially the Torah) is the symbolic presence of God on earth.

-----------------------

The Dual Covenant

Disobedient Hebrews

[still within the larger

Abraham Covenant, but

outside the 2-way Moses

Covenant]

Non-Hebrew People

[completely outside of both

Covenants]

Obedient Hebrews

[within both covenants:

Abraham’s and Moses’]

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download