Religion

• Patriarchs


  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the physical and spiritual ancestors of Judaism
• Torah


  The first five books of the Bible (Old Testament)
• Talmud


  The oral Torah
• Midrash


  Rabbinic writings that interpret the Torah
• Abraham


  • Born as Abram in the city of Ur, Babylonia in 1948 from Creation (aka, 1800 BCE) as the son of Terach
  • Came to believe that the entire universe was the work of a single Creator
  • Tried to convince his father of the folly of idol worship
  • God called him and made an offer - if Abram would leave his home and family, then God would make him a great nation and bless him
  • Abram's acceptance of this offer was established as the 'brit covenant'
  • Abraham was subjected to ten tests of faith
  • Adopted a nomadic lifestyle in Israel which was promised by God to Abram's descendants
  • Abram (100) and Sarai (90), God changed Abram's Name to Abraham (father of many) and Sarah (from my princess to princess). They then had Isaac (ancestor of the Jews)
• Isaac


  • Subject of the 10th and most difficult test, God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering
  • Demonstrated Isaac's faith as he knew he was to be sacrificed and did not resist, but God ended up saving him in the end
  • Served as evidence that God abhors human sacrifice
  • Isaac married Rebecca who had fraternal twins (Jacob and Esau)
• Jacob


  • Jacob was the more spiritually-minded twin
  • Esau sold his birthright of spiritual leadership to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew
  • Jacob was deceived into marrying Rachel's older sister (Leah), and later married Rachel as well as their maidservants Bilhah and Zilpha
  • He has 12 sons and a daughter
  • He sought reconciliation with Esau, however, this happened the night before he was alone with God and wrestled with a man all night until he demanded a blessing from the man who ended up being an angel in disguise
  • He blessed Jacob and gave him the name "Israel" as in "the one who wrestled with God"
  • Jewish people are said to be descended from Jacob and refer to themselves as the 'Children of Israel'
• Jacob's 12 sons


  • Reuben
  • Simeon
  • Levi
  • Judah
  • Zebulun
  • Issachar
  • Dan
  • Gad
  • Asher
  • Naphtali
  • Joseph
  • Benjamin
• Joseph


  • Joseph's older brothers were jealous so they sold him into slavery and convinced their father that he was dead
  • Joseph elevated his status in Egypt and interpreted visions for the Pharaoh, paving the way for his families later settlement in Egypt
• As centuries passed, the descendants of Israel became slaves in Egypt
• Moses


  • Moses' life was spared and he came to be adopted by the pharaoh's daughter
  • Moses killed an Egyptian at one point who was beating one of the Hebrews
  • Because of this, Moses was forced to flee to save his life, taking refuge in Midian
  • Moses experienced an extraordinary encounter with God in the burning bush at Horeb (Mount Sinai)
  • God announces that Moses is to be the one to lead the people out of Egypt
  • Moses petitions the pharaoh but his request is refused
  • God then sent Moses and Aaron to the pharaoh with the threat of catastrophe
  • Moses was instructed by God to part the sea with his staff, allowing the Hebrews to cross to the other side
  • Moses wasn't permitted to enter the promised land for showing improper anger and lack of faith (he got mad and hit a rock out of frustration)
• Exodus


  The process of the Hebrew people being liberated from their captivity in Egypt
• Sinai Covenant/The Ten Commandments

  • The covenant that God made with Abraham is renewed through Moses
  • Moses encounters God face-to-face at Mount Sinai where Moses received the 10 commandments
  • The first five concern God's relationship with humanity, the second five concern a person's relationship with other people
  • God revealed the entire Torah to Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
• Mitzvot


  The 613 commandments that observant Jews are required to follow, including the Ten Commandments
• Orthodox Judaism

  • Accepts the authority of the code of Jewish law and rejects modernist adjustments
  • Ultra Orthodox: Hasidic Jews reject most of the modern world
  • Modern Orthodox: Balances requirements of living in modern circumstances while being faithful to the world views of the dual Torah (oral and written)
  • Opposed changes to Judaism brought about by the Enlightenment and the Reformed Jews
  • Also referred to as Rabbinic Judaism
  • Preserved their faith when Jews were being assimilated in Europe
  • Accept the Torah as divinely revealed and the rabbinic expansion as biblical law guided by God
  • The Torah is seen as eternal and unchanging as one cannot alter the word of God
  • Hasidism plays a key part in orthodoxy and it was founded by Israel ben Elizier (Baal Shem Tov) in the late 18th century
  • Orthodox services are in Hebrew, men and women sit separately in the synagogue, likely to be kosher and follow Jewish dietary laws, have high moral concerns for the world's wellbeing, strict in the way they keep the commandments/mitzvot
• Conservative Judaism


  • At the centre of the Jewish religious spectrum
  • Founded by Zacharias Frankel, it is a less radical movement which broke from progressive Judaism at the Peterburg Conference in 1885
  • Prayers in English, yet most of the service is in Hebrew, use of an organ in the synagogue, keeps the authority of the oral law (Mishnah) but reverses the right to reinterpret it, focus on the promised land and the continuation of Jewish traditions, women allowed into conservative rabbinical schools
• Progressive Judaism


  • Also known as Reform or Liberal Judaism
  • Inspired by the freedom of Enlightenment, began in 1810 with the building of the first temple in Germany
  • Synagogues are known as temples, rejects belief in a personal messiah, return to the holy land, reintroducing temple sacrifice, religious services are in the local language, men and women are not segregated at the temple, less importance of the traditional Jewish laws, belief in the reinterpretation of the Torah in the light of modernity, equality of women in reading Torah as services, use of organ in services, belief in continuing revelation that is not confined to a particular group/age, belief that God allows for different applications of the truth of Torah
• Monotheism


  The belief in a single God who is the Creator and Ruler of the universe
• Oneness of God


  Judaism is a monotheistic faith - spiritual entities cannot be divided, this is the most fundamental aspect of Jewish belief
• Tetragrammaton


  The unutterable name of God, made up of four Hebrew consonants (YHWH), translates to "I am who I am"
• God the Creator


  • The Lord is the Creator; he forms the whole universe and all things in it (Genesis 1)
  • He transcends the created universe but has a close, loving, and involved relationship with it
  • God created the world as a reality distinct from Himself yet dependent on Him
• God as a Ruler


  • Supreme, Immanent, Transcendent, Omniscient (all knowing), Omnipotent (all powerful), Omnipresent (everywhere at once)
  • He is the one and only God, all other Gods are false, for God will have no other Gods beside Himself
• Moral law prescribed by God


  General rule of right living set out by God's will
• Mitzvot


  The 613 commandments that observant Jews are expected to follow, though an individual cannot follow all of them as they are not all applicable to one person
• 7 Noahide laws


  Commandments that apply to everyone
• Judgement day


  The righteous receive life in the kingdom of God while the evil go to Gehinnom (a place of torment) reserved for the evil after death
• Covenant


  An agreement/promise made between God and humanity with rights and responsibilities to fulfil on both sides, initially made with Abraham, then cemented with Moses
• Covenant


  • Promises a land and a nation, reassures Abraham that despite his childless marriage, his descendants will number as many as stars in the sky
  • Rights and responsibilities; Abraham must walk in the presence of God
  • Hebrew people received God's protective mercy and justice in exchange for their fidelity and obedience to the mitzvot
  • Jewish people are the "Chosen people of God"
  • 10 commandments given to Moses by God (Exodus 21:1-17), marks the beginning of the Sinai law (Torah), lists what is expected of Jews in order to fulfil the covenant
• Halacha


  The requirements of the covenant, in return, God gives the gift of love to His people
• The Torah


  The first five books of the Bible (Old Testament), includes the covenant between God and the people of Israel, includes the 613 mitzvot which, when followed, a Jewish adherent is guided on the path of the righteous in life, sets the law that Jewish people must follow to keep the covenant, outlines rituals and practices, God's revelation to humanity, revealing his intentions
• The Nevi'im


  The second section of the Tanakh containing the books of the Prophets
• Torah


  Most important source of Jewish teachings, gives a detailed set of practical guidelines and ideals for Jewish everyday life
• Orthodox Jews


  Believe the five books of the Torah are the literal word of God as heard and recorded by Moses
• Moses


  The Law-Giver, providing the law that guides 'the way' (halacha)
• Torah


  Through its teachings, a Jew is guided on the path of righteousness in life and drawn to God
• Reading and studying the Torah is an integral part of Jewish religion and way of life
• Importance of the Torah

  • Includes the covenant between God and the people of Israel
  • Includes the 613 mitzvot which, when followed, a Jewish adherent is guided on the path of the righteous in life
  • Sets the law that jewish people must follow to keep the covenant
  • Outlines rituals and practices
  • God's revelation to humanity, revealing his intentions
• Oral Torah


  The Talmud (Babylonian)
• Nevi'im


  The second section of the Tanakh containing the books of the prophets
• First Prophets


  • Joshua
  • Judges
  • 1 & 2 Samuel
  • 1 & 2 Kings