Judaism: Beliefs and teachings

Question 1

What does the Shema affirm belief in?

Answer 1

Shema (statement of belief) affirms belief in one God

Question 2

What does the belief in one God mean?

Answer 2

It means that there was one creator, who is indivisible and complete

Question 3

How did God make the world?

Answer 3

ex nihilo (from nothing) in His way and not dependent

Question 4

Where is the creation story found and what does it say?

Answer 4

• Book of Genesis

- six days of creation and the seventh day resting

Question 5

Give examples of when God gave laws

Answer 5

• Adam - not to eat from the tree
• Noah - after the flood
• these laws are spiritual and ethical code of practice

Question 6

What do the 613 laws cover?

Answer 6

• combine the Seven Laws of Noah, the Ten Commandments given to Moses and others
• cover all aspects of life, both spiritual and material actions

Question 7

What does the Tenakh show?

Answer 7

-gives examples of people disobeying God’s laws and how God punished them

Question 8

What do the Jews believe from the Tenakh?

Answer 8

-they believe that God will judge everyone, resulting in punishment and reward

Question 9

What does the Shechinah show?

Answer 9

-expresses how God is involved in the world - Humans cannot see God but people have said they felt his presence

Question 10

Give a quote showing the Shechinah

Answer 10

‘the earth shone in His glory’

Question 11

How the nature of God influences Jewish people?

Answer 11

• following the law is to please and serve God
• all aspects of their lives are ruled by God - examples tallith is a constant reminder of God’s laws
• God has and will punish people for not following his laws

Question 12

What does God see the Jews as?

Answer 12

-his treasured possessions

Question 13

As they are chosen people, what do they have to do?

Answer 13

• brings with it responsibility

- serve God through laws

Question 14

Why do Jews believe they will always be the chosen people?

Answer 14

-an everlasting covenant

Question 15

Abraham’s covenant

Answer 15

• God promised Abraham land and descendants
• Abraham would only worship One god and be obedient of him
• symbol: circumcision of male babies

Question 16

Why is Abraham so important?

Answer 16

• first covenant connected the Jews to God before the Torah was written
• tested ten times
• founding father of Judaism
• circumcision of all males unites the children of Israel
• For Jews, Abraham is a role model of belief and worship of their one God

Question 17

Moses’s covenant

Answer 17

• people promised to follow the laws
• God would continue to give people his blessings as his chosen people
• symbol: Sabbath day

Question 18

Why is Moses so important?

Answer 18

• laid down the laws that bind all Jews to God

- by observance they continue to serve God

Question 19

Mitzvot

Answer 19

• 613 laws

- govern all aspects of Jewish life - to build a better person and more harmonious society

Question 20

Ten Commandments

Answer 20

• condensed version of the 613 mitzvot
• following these commandments, it builds society as it sets the baseline of moral behaviour
• four laws concern God and other six concern relationships

Question 21

Mitzvot between Humans and God

Answer 21

• Jews believe God gave Moses - Halakah - ‘path one works’ - by following these laws they are doing what God wants
• Rabbis add to it to keep it up to date
• six constant mitvots - know there is God, don’t believe in other Gods…
• encouraged to believe in God as well as know Him in his mind and to love Him
• mitvots bring Jewish people closer to God

Question 22

Mitzvot between Human and Human

Answer 22

• laws relate to actions towards each other
• guiding principle
• act of serving God is fulfilled by acting responsibly

Question 23

Free will and the 613 mitzvot

Answer 23

• without free will, actions don’t have religious nor moral value
• in the Torah, God has a role in determining what humans do but it is also clear that they choose what they do
• reward and punishments follow
• sometimes they can’t control what happens but they can control their reaction to it

Question 24

Free will

Answer 24

• orthodox Jews follow the mitzvot strictly

- reform Jews believe that the mitzvot is open to interpretation

Question 25

Tikkun olam - healing the world

Answer 25

• acting morally to improve life on Earth

- Jews believe people are the Earth’s custodians - have a responsibility to look after the world

Question 26

What are important moral included in some mitzvot?

Answer 26

• justice, charity and kindness
• Gemilut hasadim (acts of loving kindness) is a central principle of Judaism
• tzedakah(charity) is also important - makes the world more just, so it’s an obligation rather than choice

Question 27

Pikuach nefesh

Answer 27

• follows the belief in sanctity of life - life being holy

- Sabbath can be broken in order to save someone’s life

Question 28

After-life

Answer 28

-Torah focuses more on life on Earth than on afterlife
-Tenakh talks about Sheol - souls of the dead live as shadows for eternity
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