Judaism: Beliefs And Teachings Flashcards

1
Q

What is the concept and nature of judaism?

A

Judaism, a monotheistic religion developed among ancient Hebrews. Judaism is characterized by a belief in one transcendent God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Do Jews say ‘God’ or ‘G-D’ and why?

A

In writing Jews refer to God as either G-D or adonai (Lord) to show respect. Jews believe the name of God is holy and special. To misuse the name is a sign of disrespect.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What type of religion is Judaism?

A

Judaism is a monothiestic religion - meaning Jews believe there is only one God

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What does God as one mean?

A

God as one means:
• Everything in the universe has been created and sustained by God
• All morality-beliefs and values come from God
• God is a single,whole indivisible being
• God is infinite,eternal
• God is the only being who should be praised and worshipped

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the Shema?

A

The Shema is a Jewish prayer which affirms the belief in one God

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Where does the Shema come from and what does it say?

A

The Shema says from deuteronomy 6:4-5 - ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.You shall love the God your Lord with all your heart and all your soul and with all your might.’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Why is the Shema important to Jews?

A

The Shema is important as it expresses the belief in one God, it instructs Jews on how they should respond to this belief in their daily life and it is the word of God

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How do Jews see God as a lawgiver?

A

Jews believe that God has given many religious laws to help them live in a way that pleases him. These laws are called mitzvot, and there are 613 mitzvot in the Torah that give Jewish people detailed instructions about many aspects of daily life.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How do Jews see God as a judge?

A

While there is no one Jewish view of what happens to a person after death, many Jews believe that after they die, God will judge each person on how well they have kept his laws. Those who have followed God’s laws will be rewarded but those who have not will be punished.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the Shekhinah?

A

Shekhinah is the belief that God can focus his presense in a certain place, on earth. This means humans can more readily experience God - not that God is more present

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Where does the word Shekhinah come from?

A

The word Shekhinah comes from the Hebrew word ‘ shocken’ meaning to dwell or to settle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What do Jews believe God does not have?

A

Jews believe that God has no physical form - so shekniah does NOT mean that God is physically present nor that God is split into certain parts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

State the quote from Isiah 6:1-2

A

“I beheld my Lord seated on a high and lofty throne”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the three main ‘categories’ of Jewish belief

A

Orthodox Jews,Ultra-Orthodox Jews and Reform(Liberal) Jews

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What do Orthodox Jews do?

A

Orthodox Jews strictly follow laws and practices in the Torah

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What do Ultra-Orthodox Jews do?

A

Ultra-Orthodox Jews very strictly follow the laws and practices in the Torah

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What do Reform Jews do?

A

Reform Jews believe Jewish laws and practices should be re-interpreted to suit modern life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What do Jews believe God is?

A
  • Omnipotent ( God is all powerful )
  • Omniscient ( God is all knowing )
  • Omnipresent ( God is everywhere at once )
  • Omnibenevolant ( God is all loving )
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What do most Orthodox Jews believe about creation?

A

Most Orthodox Jews believe God literally made the world in six days - they reject the Big Bang and evolution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What do most Reform Jews believe about creation?

A

Most Reform Jews believe God created the world using the Big Bang and humans through evolution - they embrace science

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Why do Jews believe God as a ‘sustainer’?

A

God sustains the universe - everything needed for life. But, humans have distributed resources (food,water etc) unequally so some people have less than they need. Jews who choose to help those in need are therefore helping fufill God’s plan for creation.

Fact: There is enough food available for everyone in the world to have 3,000 calories per day.But food is not distributed equally

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is free will?

A

Free will is the G-D given ability to make our own choice

23
Q

State how free will originated

A
  • As creator of everything, Jews believe that God must have created evil
  • However he gave humans free will
  • The choice to do good rather than bad makes the act more significant to God
  • However, people sometimes choose to misuse their free willl, therefore evil has to exist
24
Q

What is the mitzvot?

A

The mitzvot are 613 commandments which help Jews to use their free will correctly by providing divine guidance on how to live

25
Q

What do the mitzvot help Jews with?

A

They help Jews make responsible choices, and ensure that the results of their choices are good and pleasing to God. This is why Jews believe the mitzvot are important

26
Q

What are mitzvot between man and God?

A

Mitzvot between man and God are mitzvot that tell Jews how to build their relationship with God. E.g. the Torah teaches that Jews should remember and worship God on Shabbat

27
Q

What is mitzvot between man and man?

A

Mitzvot between man and man tell Jews how to treat one another and improve their relationship with other people. E.g. the Torah teaches love for our neighbour

28
Q

What is the Jews belief about heaven?

A

For many Jews, thinking about whether there is reward, punishment or any sort of afterlife at all, is unimportant. Judaism focuses much more on people’s actions and purpose in their lives on Earth, rather than ideas about what might happen after people die.

Judaism does have ideas about an afterlife, but unlike some other religions, the Jewish faith does not have a single, agreed-upon teaching about life after death

29
Q

What is Sheol?

A

When the early Jewish scriptures were written, many Jews believed that when they died, people descended to a dark place called Sheol. In early Judaism, a place of darkness. In later tradition, it became a place of purification or waiting

30
Q

What do many Orthodox Jews believe about when the Day of Judgement will happen?

A

Many Orthodox Jews believe that the Day of Judgement, or Yawm ad-Din, will occur after the coming of the Messiah.

31
Q

What do many Reform Jews believe about when the Day of Judgement will happen?

A

Some Jews, including some Reform Jews who do not accept the idea of a Messiah, believe that they will be judged as soon as they die.

Others believe they will be judged twice: firstly by God when they die, and secondly by the Messiah on the Day of Judgement

32
Q

What do many Orthodox Jews believe about resurrection?

A

Many Orthodox Jews believe that after they die, each person’s physical body will be resurrected. Therefore, cremation and any action that changes the body after death, like autopsy, is forbidden

33
Q

What do many reform Jews believe about resurrection?

A

Many Reform Jews believe that only the soul will be resurrected. The body is not needed because in life it was simply a container for the soul

34
Q

What is the origins of the belief of the Messiah?

A

Many Jews today believe that God will one day send a Messiah who will lead the world into an age of peace and understanding

35
Q

Where did the word messiah originate?

A

The word Messiah, which is Mashiach in Hebrew, means ‘anointed one’. It comes from the time when kings were anointed as a sign of their God-given power.

36
Q

What are the Orthodox beliefs about the messiah and the messianic age?

A

• The Messianic Age will only start after the Messiah’s arrival on Earth. It is therefore important for Jews to pray for the Messiah, also known as the ‘redeemer’, to come.
• The Messiah will be a human being descended from King David, although he will have superhuman qualities and abilities
• In the Messianic Age, Jews will triumph over the enemies of Israel leading to the destruction of weapons and people living in peace.
• The Messianic Age will be a sign of the end of the world and the physical resurrection of the dead.
• The Messiah will rebuild the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and restore the authority to rule over Israel to the descendants of King David.

37
Q

What are the reform beliefs about the messianic age?

A

• Human beings are responsible for bringing peace to the world. Instead of praying for a Messiah, Jews should pray for a Messianic Age, which will be an age of peace. Reform Jews pray for redemption rather than for a ‘redeemer’.
• There will not necessarily be a person who is the Messiah
• Humans can bring on the Messianic Age by joining together to create a better world. The Messianic Age will not bring about conflict, but peace and understanding between all people
• Many Reform Jews do not believe that there will be an end to the world, or that the dead will be resurrected
• The rebuilding of the Temple is a metaphor for the Messianic Age where there is peace and all people know God and follow his commandments

38
Q

In the Abrahamic Covenant, what did the lord say to Abraham about the promised land?

A

The lord said to Abraham, “ Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”(Promised Land).

This lead to Abraham leaving with his family and set out on the the journey.

39
Q

If Abraham agreed to what God said about the promised land, what did God do in return? (Abrahams first covenant)

A

In return of what Abraham did, God would do in return blessing everyone, make his name great, bless those who bless Abraham, and curse those who curse Abraham and people on Earth will be blessed by G-D . This is Abrahams first covenant

40
Q

What is the second covenant with Abraham?

A

Abraham agreed to G-D that he would sacrifice some of his livestock. In return, God promised to give Abraham children and descendants more than the stars. G-D also repeats the promise of land

41
Q

What is the third covenant with Abraham?

A

G-D makes promises to Abraham but it requires that all male Jews are circumsised at the age of 8 days old.In return, G-D promised Abraham that he would be fruitful and make him the father of nations

42
Q

What was the story of the escape from Egypt with Moses and the Jews?

A
  • Many Jews that lived in Egypt were slaves
  • Moses told by God to tell Pharaoh to let Jews go
  • Pharaoh refuses
  • God sends 10 plagues each representing an egyptian god
  • On the 10 plague, angel of death visits egypt and pharaohs first born son dies
  • So pharaoh frees Jews
  • These events above are connected to the Jewish festival of the Passover feast
  • Jews had 24 hours to pack up everything and leave (known as exodus)
  • After Jews leave Pharoah changes his mind and sets after Jews to stop them
  • When Moses crossed Red Sea, god parted it so they could cross
  • As pharaoh pursued them g-d closed the waters and they drowned
  • The hebrews made it safely across and they found themselves in the desert
  • Journey lasted 40 years in search for the promised land
43
Q

How did the Ten Commandments originate?

A

After some time in the desert, Jewish people forgot G-D of Abraham had freed them from slavery and began to worship other G-Ds and idols that were prevalant at the time. This created for themselves a golden calf at the foot of Mount Sinai. This angered Moses and G-D,it was at this point in Jewish history G-D gives the 10 commandments (Mitzvot or laws) which were instructions for the Jewish nation.

44
Q

When the Jews had to keep the Ten Commandments, what did they respond with?

A

The Jews had to keep these commands, and when Jewish people Were given these commands by Moses, they responded ‘We hear and obey’

45
Q

What is the sanctity of life?

A

The Sanctity of life is the belief that life is holy and precious because it comes from God (seen in Genesis when God breathes life in Adam)

46
Q

How does the Sanctity of Life influence Jewish attitude?

A

The Sanctity of Life inflences Jewish attitude as the Sanctity of life means only God should begin and end life and that all life should be preserved and protected. Jews show this belief by condemning murder and abortion but also giving blood and having organs donated after death

47
Q

What is the Pikuach Nefesh?

A

Pikuach nefesh is a Jewish principle which allows Jewish laws being broken to save life,this emphasises how important life is to Jews

48
Q

When is it acceptable for Jews to break the mitzvot? (Example)

A

For example, the Jews find the Shabbat very valuable to them as it is a law which keeps the Sabbath day holy, it is permitted for them to save a life (for eg),removing rubble from a collapsed wall to save a child or extinguishing a fire if someone was trapped. This is an example of when breaking the Mitzvot is acceptable

49
Q

How is Justice defined in Judaism?

A

Justice is defined in Judaism as bringing about what is right and fair,according to the law, or making up for a wrong that has been committed.It is important as the Torah gives important guidance on the treatment of the poor and vulnerable,so there is equality in justice. For Jews there is never any reason to ignore justice or suffering of others

50
Q

What are examples of a Jew showing ‘justice’?

A

E.g - Participate in your community and help those who are traumatised

51
Q

What is healing the world defined as in Judaism?

A

Healing the world is defined as actions that draws people closer to God. Other Jews believe the term means obeying the mitzvot and trying to become closer to God spiritually. It is important as God created the world, and by protecting the environment or poor, Jews are protecting Gods creations

52
Q

What are examples of Jews ‘healing the world’?

A

E.g:
- Buying recyclable products or biodegradable products
- Buying eco-friendly products
- Using renewable sources of energy
- Participating in charitable work

53
Q

What is kindness defined as in Judaism?

A

Kindness is defined as being kind to others whilst not doing anything that is negative. This is to make sure Jews love themselves and others. It is important as the Torah contains positive laws about acts of kindness to living things, both Jews and non-Jews alike.

54
Q

What are examples of Jews showing acts of ‘kindness’?

A

E.g:
- Helping elderly with groceries
- Being kind to friends