jewish beliefs Flashcards
God as a lawgiver and judge
613 Mitzvot in the Torah, form basis of Halakah (accepted code for
jewish life)
First 10 Mitzvot: 10 comms given to Moses by God
God judges people during the festival of ROSH HASHANAH (jewish new year: god decided future for next year dependant on actions from the past year)
AFTER DEATH: god determines how they spend the afterlife
The divine presence (Shekinah)
Early Judaism: Tabernacle housed this, a portable temple that jews carried through wilderness to Canaan
After Canaan was conquered this was replaced by Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem: centre of jewish worship where God’s presence was experienced.
Tenakh describes how jews were led by pillar of fire or a cloud on journey to Canaan (god demonstrating his power + glory)
Life after death
jewish holy books do not contain much info about this therefore beliefs have developed over centuries, meaning some jews disagree with others
-> focus on present and living in a way pleasing to god, not that concerned by afterlife
Heaven and Sheol
Many jews believe they will go to Gan Eden (paradise) when they die. There are no clear teachings about the state of it, apart from that it will be with God, either in a physical or spiritual place.
Some jews believe people who do not enter Heaven go to Sheol - a place of waiting where souls are cleansed.
There are no beliefs about a place of eternal punishment.
Judgement and resurrection
Some jews believe they will be judged as soon as they die ‘as the dust returns to ground … lifebreath returns to God.’ Tenakh
Some believe God will judge everyone on the day of judgement (after the coming of the Messiah)
‘those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake’ Tenakh
Origins of the Messiah
Messiah used in Tenakh to describe Kings of Israel
(first king was Saul, 11th century BCE).
Before saul was king, prophet samuel anointed him with holy oil to show he was chosen by god to rule over jews.
‘The lord herewith anoints you ruler over his on people’
Leader is expected to be a future King of Israel and lead jews, being a descendant of Saul’s successor: King David.
The nature of the Messiah
Lead jews during Messianic age: a time of peace, harmony, prosperity where everyone will want to become closer to God.
Uphold Torah Law and be ultimate teacher of it
Rule over humanity with kindness/justice
Bring in world peace, unite humanity
Rebuild Temple in Jerusalem, gather jews back to Israel.
Contrasting Jewish beliefs about the Messiah
Orthodox Jews believe there is a descendant of King David in every generation who was potential to become Messiah, and if jews are worthy of redemption this person will be directed by God to become Messiah.
Reform Jews reject the idea of a Messiah- do not believe in a future Messianic age but believe it will be achieved by everyone working to create world peace, rather than by leadership of one person.
Abraham and the promised land
Abraham travelled to Canaan after he was promised this land by God as a place where him and his descendants could make a ‘great nation’ Tenakh
Once Abraham and Sarah reached Canaan Gold told abraham ‘I WILL GIVE ALL THE LAND THAT YOU SEE TO YOU AND YOUR OFFSPRING FOREVER’ Genesis Tenakh
Story shows importance of only worshipping one God as abraham tried to convince people in Ur to stop worshipping idols, believing there was only one God and this was wrong.
Covenant with Abraham
Covenant: agreement between God and an individual person (made on behalf of rest of Jews)
God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations, if he agreed to ‘walk in God’s ways and be blameless’ Genesis
The covenant was sealed through action of circumcision, as he promised to do it to himself and all males in his household
God kept his promise by making it possible for Sarah to conceive despite her old age (she gave birth to Isaac who is seen as a gift from God to mark start of covenant)
Escape from Egypt
Around 400 years after Abraham’s covenant jews were being forced to work as slaves in Egypt, so God chose Moses to lead their escape and allow them to return to Canaan. God sent a number of plagues to Egypt to convince the Pharaoh to free them. Once they had left they wandered for many years in the desert before reaching Mount sinai, where moses climbed to top and received 10 comms on two tablets of stone, which he carried down
The Ten commandments
Form foundation of jewish law, give Jews important guidance on his to have a good relationship with God (first 4 commandments) e.g ‘keep the sabbath holy’
Form basis of covenant at Sinai: in which God agreed to protect Jews from harm and be their God, in return for them obeying his laws (Mitzvot)
First 4 Commandments (relationship with God)
- I am the lord your god
- You shall have no other Gods beside me
- You shall not swear falsely by the name of your God
- Remember the sabbath day and make it holy
Commandments 5-10 (relationship with others)
- Honour your father and mother
- You shall not murder
- You shall not commit adultery
- You shall not steal
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
- You shall not covet
KMP: Justice
Pursing justice is a sacred duty for jews: prophet Micah states that god requires people to ’do justice and to love goodness’ Tenakh
Laws in torah gives guidance on this
Jews believe Torah and prophets were sent by God to help people bring about justice in a way that demonstrates mercy
KMP: healing the world
Many jews help to heal the world by contributing to social justice/protecting environment e.g volunteering in a charity such as World Jewish Relief (helping those in poverty)
Some jews believe healing the world involves more than this and should include obeying mitzvot and becoming closer to God
KMP: Kindness to others
Showing positive, caring actions to all living things
Many of laws in Torah give guidance on this, teaches that jews should love others as they love themselves
‘Love your fellow as yourself’ Tenakh
‘You shall love him as yourself, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt’ Tenakh
Sanctity of Life
Genesis describes creation story: life is valuable and sacred as it is given by God, therefore can only be taken by him, meaning jews have a duty to preserve life.
-> opposes euthanasia/murder, cannot do anything to quicken a person’s natural death
‘he who destroys one soul of a human being… as if he should destroy a whole world.’ Sanhedrin 4:5
Pickuach Nefesh
Emphasises value of human life, allowing Jews to break Jewish laws in order to protect it
e.g. breaking shabbat
Free will
Good action leads to a life of fulfilment: bring jews closer to God and ensure they are judged favourably by him.
Bad actions do the opposite (in life and death).
Adam and Eve display use of free will to disobey God- banished from garden of Eden as a result. (Shows how humans are given a choice of how to live but bad use of free will has serious consequences).
Mitzvot between man and God
- how to improve relationship with God
- covers areas of worship, sacrifice, importance of festivals
- first 4 of the 10 commandments
Mitzvot
Gives guidance on how to use free will correctly (in a way that pleases God): the mitzvot originated from God while Jews were under leadership from Moses, following them carefully makes it impossible to disobey God
Mitzvot between man and man
- tell news how to improve their relationship with others
-> Torah teaches that Jews should show love towards each other and by doing this Jews are showing their love for God - cover areas such as treatment of workers/how to settle disputes
- help Jews to live as members of their faith and community in a way that pleases God
