Judaism

Question 1

Expressions of Faith: Shabbat

Answer 1

• only ritual mitzvah in the 10 commandments
• commemoration of creation, recalls God’s creation of the world

Question 2

describe the importance of Shabbat

Answer 2

• ‘Remember the sabbath day to sanctify it’ (Exodus 20:8)
• ‘Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord your God commanded you’ (Deut 5:12)
• the necessity of Shabbat is prescribed within the Ten Commandments and reinforced through Jewish scripture
• restrictions on work bring a further focus on God through meditation, prayer & contemplation
• is a reminder of God’s work in human history (Exodus) and world history (creation)
• reinforces the importance of community and family

Question 3

Principle Beliefs of Judaism

Answer 3

1. belief in a single God who is the creator and ruler of the universe
2. the concept of a moral law prescribed by God
3. the idea of the covenant

Question 4

1. discuss the belief in the one God and the attributes of God {Principle Belief}

Answer 4

God is believed to be incorporeal, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, who is the one and the creator of the universe.

Sheema Prayer (Deut 6:4) “Hear O Israel God is our God, the one and only”

Question 5

2. outline the concept of a divinely inspired moral law {Principle Belief}

Answer 5

God
right vs. wrong
(Deut 13:14) “You shall walk after the Lord your God”
(Exodus 20:1-17) 10 Commandments - foundational part of the Jewish ethical system
- the moral law contains human obligations within the covenant
- the law is made up of 613 Mitzvot which are either ethical or ritual in nature, the most important of these are the 10 commandment, conveyed in Exodus
- moral law is the ethical dimension of the Covenant, and forms the basis of halakha.

Question 6

3. identify the importance of the convenant for the Jewish people {Principle Belief}

Answer 6

obedient and faithful
Abraham’s covenant is marked with the ritual of circumcision

Question 7

Principle Core Ethical Teachings of Judaism

Answer 7

1. the Commandments of the Torah
2. the Prophetic Vision
3. the Book of Proverbs - wisdom, righteousness, purity and generosity of spirit

Question 8

outline the principle ethical teachings of Judaism:
- The Commandments of the Torah

Question 9

outline the principle ethical teachings of Judaism:
- The Prophetic Vision, including social justice and Tikkun Olam - the repair of the world

Question 10

outline the principle ethical teachings of Judaism:
- The Book of Proverbs - wisdom, righteousness, purity and generosity of spirit

Answer 10

• outlines that Jewish people should walk righteously with God

Question 11

describe the importance of ethical teachings in the life of adherents

Question 12

Shabbat

Genesis 2:2 (commemoration of God’s rest day after creation)

Answer 12

“And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done”

Question 13

Shabbat

Exodus 12:27 (celebrates God’s intercession in the history if Israel as it commemorates the Pesach)

Answer 13

” It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians”

Question 14

Covenant with Patriarchs (Abraham, Issac, Jacob)
including the promises of people and land.

Answer 14

Jewish adherents fulfilling the covnenant through faithfulness to G-d and the ritual of circumcision embedded in Genesis 17 with the promise of ‘Multitude of Nations’ > circumcision is the sign of the covenant between G-d and Abraham

Question 15

Sheema Prayer (Deut 6:4)

Answer 15

Mitzvot for orthodox Jews > use of a Tefflin
“Hear O Israel, God is our God, God the one and only”

Question 16

single God who is the creator and ruler of the universe

Answer 16

creator God (Genesis 1:1) “In the beginning G-d created the Heavens and the Earth” links to Shabbat which commemorates G-d’s creation of the world and his rest on the seventh day from work and his intercession in human history

Question 17

Covenant

Answer 17

a sacred agreement or mutual promise between God and a person or a group of people
e.g. G-d’s covenant with the Patriarchs (Abraham, Issac, Jacob) with the promise of a nation of chosen people and the Land of Canaan (or Land of Israel) , circumcision is the outward sign of the covenenant, serving as a physical reminder of the ongoing commitment between G-d and the Jewish people. {Genesis 17:9-14}