Judaism: beliefs and teachings Flashcards
Judaism is a monotheistic religion. What does this mean?
- they only belive in one god
Where is the belief in God as One expressed?
- in the shema
What is the Shema?
- an important jewish prayer
Who is the only being who should be praised and worshiped?
- God
God as one means god is the source of what?
- all jewish morality, beliefs and values
Who has everything in the universe been created and sustained by?
- God
What phrase in the shema confirms there is only one god?
- The lord is our God, the Lord alone
What sentence in the shema shows how jews should respond to the belief of one god?
- you shall love the lord your god with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might
Why do many jews close their eyes when reciting the first line of the shema?
- to avoid distractions
Why do some jews write G-d?
- as a sign of respect
What is the jewish bible called?
- the tenakh
What is the first section of the Tenakh called?
- the torah
What does Genesis tell about the timings for gods creation?
- God took 4 days to make the universe fit to support life
- God took 2 days to create all living creatures
- God then rested and made the seventh day holy (shabbat)
What do many orthodox Jews reject?
- Scientific theories of evolution
Jews believe that God is what?
-Omnipotent
- Omniscient – all knowing
- Omnipresent – everywhere at all times
Why do Jews believe God gave people free will?
- He wants people to be able to choose to do good, this makes the act of doing good more significant
Why do Jews view God as the lawgiver?
- because God has given the many laws to help Jew use their free will correctly
How many laws are there in the Torah?
- 613
What do many orthodox/ultra-orthodox Jews belive about the events in Genesis?
- that they actually happened about 6000 years ago
Jews believe that god created the universe, but he also…
- sustains it
- he provides all the resources needed for life on earth to survive
Jews who excorcise free will help to improve the balance of what? How?
- resources
- by giving to those who are less fortunate
What is the quote from Isiah that shows Jews belive in one god?
- “I am the Lord and there is no one else”
Or - “I the lord do all these things”
What are the mitzvot?
- the 613 laws found in the Torah
What are the first ten mizvot? What are they?
- the Ten Commandments
- laws god gave to Moses after he rescued the Jewish slaves from Egypt
Jews belive God judges them based on what?
- how well they follow the mitzvot
When are the two main times God judges people for Jews?
- During the festival of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish new year)
- after death
What is the Shekinah?
- the presence of God on earth
In early Judaism, what was the tabernacle considered to house?
- the divine presence of god (shekinah)
What is the Tenakh?
- the Hebrew bible
What does the Tenakh say guided Jews to Canaan?
- a pillar of fire
- or a cloud
What were the cloud and pillar of fire considered to be?
- appearances from God
What is a reason for the differences among Jews about what happens after death?
- Jews are not too concerned with the afterlife, instead they think its more important to focus on the present and live in a way pleasing to god
Where do many Jews belive they will go after they die, if they follow their faith correctly?
- heaven or paradise (Gan Eden)
What do some Jews belive where people will go if they don’t go to heaven?
- to Sheol
- a place of waiting where souls are cleaned
- Jews do not belive in a place of eternal punishment
Some Jews belive as soon as they die, God will what? This belief is supported by what?
- judge them
- Ecclesiastes
What do some other Jews belive about when god will judge them? What is this belief supported by?
- on the day of judgment, after the coming of the Mesiah
- Daniel
What does the Messiah mean?
- the anointed one
Who is the Messiah? What will they do?
- a future leader of the Jews
- rule over humanity with kindness and justice
During what time will the messiah rule?
- the messianic age
The messiah will be a descendant of who?
- King David
What is the Messianic age?
- a time where the messiah will lead the Jews
- a time in the future of global peace and harmony, when everyone will want to become closer to God
What do Orthodox Jews believe about descendants of King David?
- there is one in every generation who has the potential to become the messiah
- if the Jews are worthy of redemption, this person will be directed by god to become the messiah
What will the future Messiah do, in terms of the Torah?
- uphold the law in the Torah and be the ultimate teacher of it
What will the future Messiah do to the Temple of Jerusalem?
- rebuild it and gather all Jews back to Isreal
Do many Jews belive in the idea of the Messiah? What do they belive?
- no, they reject it
- they believe in a future Messianic age, but belive this will be achieved by everyone working together to create world peace, rather than due to the leader of on person
Why don’t Jews belive Jesus was the Messiah?
- because they believe he did not fulfill the expectations that Jews have for the Messiah
What is the Promised Land?
- The land of Canaan, which god promised to Abraham and the Jews
Why was Abraham so special in the time he lived in?
- he only believed in one god when people believed in many gods
What did Abraham try to do about worshiping gods?
- he tried to convince people there was only one god and statues shouldn’t be worshiped
Where did Abraham, some of his family and his wife decide to go? Did they make it there?
- to Canaan
- they didn’t make it, and settled somewhere along the way
When did God tell Abraham to continue his journey to Canaan?
- when he’d spent a couple years at the place on the way to Canaan
What did God promise Abraham if he continued his journey to Canaan?
- “I will make you a great nation and bless you”
Once he got to Canaan, what did god tell Abraham?
- “I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever”
The promise between Abraham and god is known as what?
- The covenant with Abraham
How was the covenant with Abraham sealed?
- the action of circumcision
What is the Covenant at Sinai? What did it require?
- the covenant between god and Moses
- for Jews to follow God’s laws in return for protection and blessing
Who did golf give the Ten Commandments to? When?
- to Moses
- after the Jews escaped from Egypt
How did Moses/God help free the Jews from the slavery of Pharaoh?
- he asked him to release the Jews so they could return to Canaan
- god sent a number of plagues to Egypt, making sure they didn’t effect the jews
What do the Ten Commandments give to Jews?
- important guidance on how to have a good relationship with gpd
What are the three key moral principles in Judaism?
- Justice
- healing the world
- Kindness to others
the key moral principles help Jews to live in a way that is…
- pleasing to god
What does the Key moral principle of justice refer to?
- bringing about what is right and fair, according to the law
- or making up for a wrong that has been committed
Jews believe the Torah and the prophets were sent by god to help people…
- understand how to bring about justice in a way that demonstrates Mercy
What does Healing the world involve?
- taking actions to help God’s work in sustaining the world
How do Jews aim to show kindness to others?
- by showing positive, caring actions towards all living things
Where do Jews get the guidance on how to be kind to others from?
- The laws in the Torah
What is sanctity of life?
- refers to the idea that life is sacred and holy because it has been created by god
The sanctity of life means that only god has the right to…
- take life away
What is pikuach nefesh?
- the duty Jews have to save a persons life if they can, due to the sanctity of life
Where does the belief of Sanctity of life stem from?
- the creation story in genesis
What does Pikuach nefesh emphasise?
- how valuable human life is to Jews
According to pikuach nefesh, Jews have an obligation to save a persons life even if doing so breaks Jewish laws. True or False?
- True
What kind of laws are Jews able to break in order to save a persons life?
- the laws of the Shabbat
Jews believe god has given them free will. What does this mean for Jews?
- they have the ability to make thier own decisions but the decisions they make have consequences and can bring them either closer to god or lead the, away from god
What do good actions lead to for Jews? Who do they bring Jews closer to?
- a life of fulfilment
- closer to god, and ensure they are judged favourably by him
What don’t bad actions do?
- do not bring people closer to god, in life or after death
What do they mitzvot do?
- give guidance to Jews on how to use their free will correctly, to live in a way that pleases god
What do Jews believe if they follow the mitzvot carefully? Why?
- it makes it impossible to disobey god
- they belive this because the mitzvot in the Torah came from god while the Jews were under the leadership of Moses
What are the two categories of the mitzvot?
- mitzvot between man and god
- mitzvot between man and man
What do the mitzvot between man and god tell Jews? What areas do they cover?
- tell Jews how they can improve their relationship with god
- worship, sacrifice and the observance of festivals
What do the mitzvot between man and man tell Jews? What areas do they cover?
- hoe to improve their relationship with other people
- the treatment of workers and how to settle disputes
