Jewish Beliefs Flashcards
What is the Tenakh
The jewish sacred scripture
How many books are in the tenakh
24
What is the name of the 3 sections of the tenakh?
Torah-law (first 5 books)
Nebi’im-prophets (e.g jeramiah)
Ketuim-writings (e.g psalms)
What is the Talmud
The oral law/comentary on the Torah
(Explination of the Torah by thr rabbis)
Orthodox jews
Striclty follow laws and practices in the Torah
Ultra orthdox jews
Very Striclty follow laws and practices in the Torah
Reformed jews
The belief that traditional jewish laws should be reinterpreted to suit modern life
What does the Shema say ?
‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might’
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
4 sections of Gods nature?
He is…
ONE
CREATOR
LAWGIVER
JUDGE
God as ONE (quote):
‘Hear, o Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone’ (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) (SHEMA)
God as CREATOR (quote):
‘God created the heavens and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1)
God as LAWGIVER (quote):
“The LORD is our Lawgiver” (Isaiah 33:22)
God as JUDGE (quote):
“The LORD is our Judge” (Isaiah 33:22)
God’s characteristics as ONE
• Single, whole, indivisible being
• Everything is created and sustained by one God
• Only being who should be worshipped
• Shema shows we should love and be dedicated to God • Source of all morality, beliefs, values
God’s characteristics as CREATOR
• Created the universe with the ability to support life
• Created all living things
• ‘Rested’ and made the seventh day holy
• Sustains life on earth. He provides all the resources needed for life on earth the survive
• God created everything, including evil which is a necessary consequence of free will
God’s character as Lawgiver
• Gave the Jews 613 mitzvot (laws)
• He expects people to follow to help them love/worship Him/love each other/teach them how to behave
God’s character as judge
• Judges people on how well they follow the laws he gave
• Judgements are considered to be merciful (fair)
Omnipotent
All powerful
Omniscient
All knowing
Omnipresent
All present
omnibenevolent
All loving
Eternal
Everlasting
Merciful
Shows compassion and forgiveness to humans
Shekhinah
The devine presence of God at a specific place or time
(God focuses his presence in a certain place) e.g The temple, the tabernacle
Life after death
• Tenakh does not contain much info about afterlife
• Difference in beliefs among Jews
• Jews are not too concerned with life after death
Heaven and Sheol
• Many Jews believe if they follow the faith correctly = heaven/paradise (Gan Eden)
• Not known if heaven is a place or a state
• Some Jews believe those who do not go to heaven go to Sheol → a
waiting place where souls are cleansed
• Some Jews believe souls that do not go to heaven cease to exist after a period of time
Judgement and resurrection
• Some Jews believe that they will be judged by God as soon as they die →‘the lifebreath returns to God.’
• Others believe God will judge on the Day of Judgement, after the coming of the Messiah → “Many of those that sleep … will awake, some to eternal life, others … to everlasting abhorrence”
• Some Jews believe in physical or spiritual resurrection, but many do not
Messiah meaning
Anointed one
Who is the messiah in jewish belief?
the one who will be anointed as King at the End of Days or Messianic age.
Orthodox jews believe the messiah will be…
Messiah will be a person who is a descendant of King David
In every generation there is a descendent of King David who has the potential to be the Messiah if the Jews are worthy.
This person will be directed by God to become the Messiah
Encourages Jews to work harder at making the world a more fair place and to follow Jewish law more enthusiastically Messiah will gather Jews back to Israel, re- establish government
Messiah will rebuild the Temple
Will bring world peace and unite humanity
Will rule over humanity with justice and kindness
Christians believe the messiah is….
Believe the Messiah was Jesus
Believe this because his death lead to the
salvation of humanity
He established the Kingdom of God
He will come again at the end of time to complete the Kingdom of God (Messianic age)
Reformed jews believe the messiah will be…
Messiah is metaphor, not a literal person
Believe in a future Messianic age, achieved through people working together to achieve peace
It is a means to encourage Jews to work harder at making the world a more fair place
Moral principles of judeism
Justice, healing the world, kindness to others
Sanctity of life/Pikuach Nefesh
Sanctity of life - the belief that all life is holy as it was created by God
Pikuach Nafesh - the obligation to save a life even if doing so breaks Jewish law
Mitzvot
Mitzvot – Jewish rules or commandments
• There are 613 mitzvot
➢There are 248 positive mitzvot which are commandments
telling Jews what they should do
➢There are 365 negative mitzvoth which are commandments telling Jews what they should not do
