Judaism Flashcards
Who are the Patriarchs?
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Covenant with Abraham
God promises Abraham land and descendants in return for worship of one true God
Why is Abraham’s story considered the beginning of Judaism
Established ideas of a Chosen People and Promised Land, established God as the creator and ruler over all things. Charged Abrahams people to protect the covenant between God and humanity
Define Exodus
A going out: a departure or emigration, usually of a large number of people. The departure of the Israelites from Egypt under Moses, second book of bible
Why were Israelites enslaved
They kept reproducing, king of Egypt thought there were too many
Passover
Remembers Israelites freedom from slavery. They remember 3 things: God is good, death is passed over the houses of Israelites, Israelites passed over Red Sea when they were escaping
10 Commandments
God spoke to moses high on the mountain slopes and made a new covenant with the Jews that renewed the one he had made with Abraham, God provided commandments that would allow them to keep his covenant
Seder
Passover meal
7 Beliefs: One God
One God is Judaism’s fundamental or
foundational belief. God is Omnipotent (all-powerful), Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipresent (exists everywhere)
7 Beliefs: Keeping the Covenant
The covenant is the expression of God’s
loving relationship w/ his ppl. The covenant consists of 613 mitzvoth
means “laws” or “commandments,” but it is
more accurate to use “guidance.”
7 Beliefs: The Chosen People
Idea of being a “chosen people” is an ongoing
theme in Judaism. This is what the covenant is about, God protects his ppl & the ppl obey God to reach their full potential.
7 Beliefs: The Promised Land
Abraham’s story 1st suggests this idea
too, God tells Abraham to move to Canaan. Moses is also told to deliver the
Hebrews from slavery and lead them
to a land “flowing with milk and honey”
7 Beliefs: The Messiah
Messiah: an anointed one
Most Jews believe in the idea of a Messiah:
-Descendent of King David
-Will establish peace & harmony
-Restore Jewish sovereignty of the Promised Land
Jews believe the Messiah is still to come
7 Beliefs: Sin
- failure to live the covenant
- seen as main obstacle to living with covenant, break in relationship with God
- celebrate a day of repentance, Yom Kippur, last opportunity to ask God for forgiveness before Book of Life is sealed
-God cannot forgive sins done to others so people ask for forgiveness from ppl they may have hurt
7 Beliefs: Life and Death
- Life on earth is part of a process of living in
union w/ God - Process continues when body dies, soul moves into the afterlife where you are rewarded or punished
- also believe that souls of the dead will all return to their bodies in a mass resurrection
Purposes of Kosher
- Helps Jews conform to the Divine Will, as expressed in the Torah
- Shows the distinction of the Jewish people (different from others)
- Shows humility of the Jewish people (methods of killing animals in a humane manner)
- Takes an ordinary act that everyone does (eating) and infuses it with a special quality to make it unique
Clean and Unclean Food
- Approved land animals must be mammals which chew their cud and have cloven hooves.
- Pork and rabbit are prohibited.
- Fish must have fins and scales. Shellfish is prohibited.
Mixing Milk & Meat
- The Torah states not to “boil a kid in its mother’s milk.”
- Meat and milk (and anything made with dairy and meat products) cannot be served in the same meal, or cooked using the same dishes or utensils, or stored in a way that could cause them to intermingle.
- A kosher household will have at least two sets of pots, pans and dishes: one for meat and one for dairy.
- One must wait a significant amount of time between eating meat and dairy
Slaughtering
- The Torah prohibits consumption of blood because the life of the animal is contained in the blood.
*For this reason, Kosher slaughtering removes all traces of blood. - The method of slaughter is a quick, deep stroke across the throat
The Shema
The Shema is the centerpiece of the
daily morning and evening prayers, considered most essential prayer, daily recitation
Mezuzah
Is a small handwritten parchment or
scroll containing the Shema & other biblical
passages. Placed inside small case, on right side of door frames.
Magen David/Star of David
appears on flag for state of Israel, 2 triangles pointing up and down, represents covenant relationship between God and humanity
Tefillin
is a series of leather straps & small boxes are
worn during prayer, Inside boxes are tiny scrolls. A physical reminder of God’s centrality in Jewish worship & the fulfillment of mitzvoh found in the Sherma
Kippah
Kippah is the traditional skullcap worn by
Jewish men, Worn to show respect for God during prayer,
Tzitzit and tallit
Tallit is the four cornered prayer shawl (white in colour with blue stripes), each shawl has fringes tzitzit or tassels tied to each end or corner
Menorah
Has 7 branches, Hanukkah Menorah has 9 branches. Menorah is ancient source of light, stands for light, wisdom, divine inspiration
Torah Scroll
The most Sacred Ritual Object, The Torah is the very heart and center of Jewish teaching
Shofar
A ram’s horn blown primarily during the High Holy Days or the Days of Awe because their importance for the forgiveness of sin and the coming new year
Rosh Hashanah
Jewish new year celebration
Begins in about september
Yom Kippur
- Means “Day of Atonement”
- Falls on 10th day of Jewish New year, usually september or october
- Solemn day of fasting
- Jews must atone for their sins by reconciling with God and those who they have sinned against
Passover
- It is celebrated in the first month of the Jewish year, on the 15th day of Nisan (March/April)
- Jewish people retell the Passover story and have a Seder meal
Hanukkah
- Means “Festival of Light”
- Celebrates the Jewish victory over the Syrian Greeks in 165 B.C.E.
- During Hanukkah, the candles on the menorah are lit, blessings are recited, fried foods are eaten, children play traditional games, and gifts are given
Shabbat
- Sabbath, every week from sunset on friday to sunset on saturday
-Spending time with family, refraining from work, attending synagogue services, praying, studying the Torah, and having a Sabbath meal are important
