Jewish beliefs and teachings Flashcards
What is the Torah?
The first five scriptures of the Jewish Bible.
What is the Talmud?
The jewish written law.
What is the Tenakh?
The 24 Jewish scriptures
Why is the belief in one god a cornerstone in Judaism and how does the belief in one God affect Jewish understanding of their past and future?
-He is creator and has been with them from the start, this affects their understanding of the past as they see God in every event in the Tenakh, and follow the same laws God had given them, for example the 10 mitzvot, which makes them believe that God is with them everyday as they live out his rules.
-They believe that viewing God as one isn’t just that, but also viewing the whole world. They see him in their lives and in that the experience. History is very important for them, and seeing that he wasn’t always with them as a figure but rather in everything he created affects how they perceive the future as they believe that god is always with them.
Explain how the Shema expresses the Jewish belief in monotheism.
The Shema expresses the Jewish belief in monotheism as it quotes ,’Hear oh Israel! The lord, our god is one. You shall love the lord, Your god, with all your heart and mind and might’. This shows a monotheistic belief as it teaches Jews to devote themselves both spiritually and physically to God and only him. It implies that he is alone and requires their total obedience.
Explain how Christianity is influenced by this Jewish belief.
Christianity is influenced by Judaism’s monotheistic belief as we also have our own ‘version’ of the Shema which is the Creed, which also expresses the Christian belief in the there is only one god. It quotes ,’ I believe in one god, the father almighty,’ which is parallel to ,’The lord our god is one’ which proves how both religions share monotheism. Christianity is a branch from Judaism originally from Abraham’s sons.
Explain what the duty of Pikuach Nefesh is, and how it shows that the principle of Sanctity of Life is even more important than the mitzvoth.
The duty of Pikuach Nefesh is to safe a life even if it breaks other mitzvot, this is because of the Jewish belief of sanctity of life, that all life is holy as its made by God, therefore we have a duty to protect it as we were born with the purpose of carrying out God’s will.
Give a quote from the Shema.
Hear oh Israel! The Lord, our God, is one. You shall love the Lord, Your God with all your heart and mind and might.
‘God as the lawgiver and judge (the divine presence) is the most important belief in Judaism’
-I believe in this statement as it is one of the base teachings in Judaism which have been taught to Jews from a young age. This is important as it shows and influences Jews to always try practice their faith in order to strengthen their bond with God creating harmony between them as they follow God’s laws as the supreme lawgiver. In Judaism, morals and laws have been a centre for their faith, with the first ten mitzvot given by God having grown into 613 as the community increases.
-Some may disagree and say that God as one is more important because it is a common thread in the Torah, which is the Jewish holy book, which is crucial in Judaism. For example the Shema expresses the significance of having one God, and the total spiritual and physical devotion it requires of a Jew ‘ You shall love the lord, your god, with all you hart, mind and might’. The Shema prayer is not only found in the Torah but also in every Jewish house, as it is the foundation of all their beliefs, morals and laws.
-Others may also disagree saying that God’s Shekinah is more important due to the fact that God has been felt throughout Jewish history. History is very important in Judaism as the religion has suffered many injustices and a common idea is how God was always with the Jews guiding them, for example, his shekinah was seen by Moses through a burning bush to save his people and led them out of Egypt to the Promised Land as a pillar of smoke. This important as it links Jews today to the sacrifices and history which plays a big part in their identity.
-In conclusion I still agree with this statement as it gives Jews the opportunity to use their freewill that was gifted to them. God made them and freewill so that they can live in their own way, having the choice to follow and obey God, this is important as it helps Jews to consciously make an effort to appease God as God is the judge which influences them to do good orals consequences. It helps Jews to show discipline and humility, especially in events like Rosh Hashanah which makes Jews aware of their actions, in Deuteronomy ‘ as a father disciplines his son, so will god discipline you’.
‘The most important covenant was made in Mount Sinai’
-I disagree with this statement ad believe that Abraham’s covenant with God was more important as this is when monotheism was established at the start of Judaism. Monotheism is very important and is the centre to Jewish beliefs, morals and laws, with the idea of one God being repeated throughout Jewish households and scriptures. In the Shema it says,’ our God is one, you shall love the lord your good with all your heart, mind and body,’ furthermore demonstrating to Jews how being Jewish requires them to physically and spiritually devote themselves, and without Abraham this principle wouldn’t exist.
-Others may agree with this statement due to the fact that Moses was said to be a messiah type figure based on the peace he had caused when he saved the Jews from slavery in Egypt. In exodus God says ,’ trust in me and I will teach you what to say’, showing how his words were directly God’s and his actions were an example of God reaching out to help his people. God promised Moses the Promised Land which united all the Jews in hope for peace and without this covenant, Jews wouldn’t have been freed and have the hope and faith in God.
-However, some may also disagree with this statement but due to the fact that Noah’s covenant demonstrated the many challenges Jews may face in their faith, such as social pressures, and that they should try to follow God to be shown mercy. This covenant is very important as it shows Jews that god is merciful and loving, as he gives Noah a second chance to repent from human sins and to start anew as he cleansed the whole world with the flood.
-In conclusion, I still believe that Abraham’s covenant is the most important as he promises God to keep Judaism a special religion which requires an intimate relationship with God, in Genesis it says ,’ you are to undergo circumcision and this will be a sign of our covenant’, this happens at a very private part of the body, showing the permanent commitment and belonging to God and Judaism which sets them apart from any other religion which has influenced many special events such as Brit Milah which signifies a Jewish boy’s identity with their faith.
How does the synagogue provide a physical link to Jewish history for Jews today?
The synagogue provides a physical link to history by containing the Ark Hakodesh, which contains the 10 mitzvot. This is a link to the original ark which had the first 10 mitzvoth given to Moses at Mount Sinai in the first Jewish temple in Jerusalem, therefore the synagogue links Jews to the History of Jewish law.
Another way is that it is a substitute for the original Temple in Jerusalem, meaning it provides a space where Jews can feel God’s shekinah. This links to the tabernacle which Jews carried with them on the journey to the Promised Land, which was said to have had God’s presence in it, linking back to Jewish history.
What are the different functions for a synagogue?
Social events/ festivals- the synagogue should be a place to gather for celebrating Jewish faith and milestones, such as Bat Mitzvahs.
Education- some synagogue have a library of scriptures, helping people study God and therefore brings them closer to him.
Charity- People should use it to seek and provide refuge, God’s shekinah is in the synagogue and people should spread his work around the community.
How do orthodox and reform jews use the synagogue differently?
Orthodox Jews refer to the synagogue as a ‘skul’ meaning school in English, this shows that they beehive that the synagogue is for educational purposes, such as learning Hebrew and studying scriptures, as they believe it helps them get to know God more individually making them focus on their religion.
Reform Jews may however use the synagogue for gathering purposes such as providing services and charity to the community, as they believe that they need to practise God’s will in their daily lives in order to develop their relationship with God.
What is the importance of the:
-Bimah
-Aron Hakodesh
-Ner tamid
Bimah- is a reading pedestal that is mostly in the centre of the synagogue and is where the Torah is read from and the Rabbi teaches the service. It is important as it gathers the worshipper’s attention on worship and helps them to hear what the Rabbi has to say.
Aron Hakodesh- a cabinet which the ten mitzvot are kept, and is important as it symbolises how God and his laws are above anyone else, it is important as its situated at the wall facing Jerusalem where the original temple stood, meaning the congregation faces and commemorates the fallen temple.
Ner tamid- the everlasting light which is important as it symbolises how God leads Jews in the darkness, and that his shekinah is everlasting.
How do Reform and Orthodox synagogues look different?
Reform congregation are sat together, however in Orthodox synagogues the genders sit separately.
Reform Rabbis can be any gender but always male in orthodox.
Reform synagogues have more women responsible in mass whereas orthodox synagogues aren’t as equal in duties.
Orthodox may be spoken in Hebrew whereas Reform will be said in the country’s language.
