Judaism, Exam 2

Question 1

Define the Jewish Exile.

Answer 1

: loss of independence and the exile of Judah’s elite to Babylon

Question 2

Why is God named as YHWH or G_D?

Answer 2

very common to find that Jews will write in English the word “God” as “G_d” to imitate God as the simplest form

Question 3

Define Bris.

Answer 3

physical covenant): circumcision

Question 4

Define Brit.

Answer 4

(spiritual covenant): covenant between God and his people

Question 5

What sets Judaism apart from Christianity/Islam?

Answer 5

Judaism does not seek converts

Question 6

Define the first five books of the Jewish Bible and generally summarize them.

Answer 6

Genesis: creation narrative
Exodus: passover
Leviticus: law/guidelines in respect to Jewish priests
Numbers: genealogy
Deuteronomy: summary of what goes on with Moses;

Question 7

Define Rabbinic Judaism.

Answer 7

tradition established by rabbis

Question 8

Define 3 Features of Rabbinic Judaism:

Answer 8

the fate of the jews is directly tied to obeying the Torah, the Torah is guarded by supplementary laws, and the Torah consists of both written and oral traditions (which originated from Moses)

Question 9

Define the Jewish enlightenment.

Answer 9

hanged the shape of Judaism, the Orthodox maintained traditional ways, and the Conservative made up a diverse middle collection of options for integrating Jewish heritage with the modern age

Question 10

Define the three Jewish Pilgrim festivals.

Answer 10

Sukkot (5 days after Yom Kippur, associated with the end of the Harvest Cycle), Passover (commemorates the Exodus/ must clean out all yeast from the house, prepare passover meal,), Shavout (celebrates the giving of the Torah)

Question 11

Define Purim.

Answer 11

Celebrating Esther winning freedom for the Jews

Question 12

Differentiate between Reform Judaism, Conservative judaism, and reconstructionist judaism.

Answer 12

Reform Judaism: highlights the more radical aspects; discards ritual aspects
Conservative Judaism: determining what rituals defined judaism and which were unneeded; retains traditional elements
Orthodox Jews: maintains ritual practices
Reconstructionist: rejects the idea of a chosen people and Judaism is a part of the evolution of culture

Question 13

Define the two different names for the characteristics of literature in judaism.

Answer 13

Halakah: character of law in material
Aggadah: does not have the character of law

Question 14

Define the concept of particularism.

Answer 14

Particularism: God would have a special people

Question 15

Define the Mishnah.

Answer 15

Oral Torah

Question 16

Define the Haggadah.

Answer 16

book that is used for the Passover ritual feast (but not a sacred object like the Torah)

Question 17

What does the word Torah refer to?

Answer 17

The word Torah refers to the Tanach, the five books, and to everything that has been written in an acceptable manner according to the Tanach
Torah is used to describe a pious, instructive, enriching book that is closely related to the Tanach

Question 18

What books does the Ketuvim (Writings) include?

Answer 18

poetical books (Psalms, Proverbs, and Job), the Megillot, or Scrolls (Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther), prophecy (Daniel), and history (Ezra, Nehemiah, and I and II Chronicles).

Question 19

Define the latter prophets.

Answer 19

Isaiah (constant calls for Jews to be spiritually and politically independent from their neighbors)
Jeremiah (emotional book, how desolate people become when they ignore God’s laws)
Ezechiel (could serve as a script for a UFO landing on the world; vivid presentation of the objects from somewhere in the skies that come down and land

Question 20

Define the shema.

Answer 20

Most important prayer in. Judaism

Question 21

Define Hasidism:

Answer 21

formed by Baal Shem Tov; emphasized pious simplicity rather than eloquence

Question 22

Define the Apocrypha.

Answer 22

Apocrypha: Greek, “hidden works”, doesn’t mean that these books are hidden from people, but means they are hidden as in NOT a part of the Tenakh (very widely read (apocrypha didn’t make the cut for the Torah?)

Question 23

Define the Talmud.

Answer 23

contains EVERYTHING that’s not in the Tenakh (Mishnah and Gemara is compiled in the Talmud; has many volumes)