rel-2300 Module 3 Discussion - Assignment Essays

Judaism Discussion

After studying

Module 3: Lecture Materials & Resources

, as well as reviewing the

Judaism Resources

page, discuss the following:

In your reading of Chapter 10 – Encountering Judaism: The Way of God’s People as well as the other readings for the week, you have gained a better understanding of central themes of Judaism. As you learned more about the religion, you may have noticed the many similarities that Judaism shares with Christianity as the relationship between the two religions rather unique. Christianity is rooted in Judaism historically, scripturally, liturgically, and even theologically. No two major world religions have so much in common. Below are a handful of the common elements shared by these two religions, however it is important to note that even though these religions share several common elements, they articulate them differently. Last week, we expounded upon how some of these themes are understood in the context of Catholicism and now you will describe how they are understood in Judaism.

Select two themes from the list below and present the Jewish teaching on the chosen theme.

Jewish Understanding of God
Salvation
Creation
Eschatology
Pain and Suffering
Freedom and Free Will
Virtues
Sin

Each selected theme must:

Be explained in at least one paragraph
Incorporate at least 2 direct quotations with accompanying in-text citations from either the required weekly readings or a resource found on the “Judaism Resources” page linked below.

Submission Instructions:

Your initial post should be at least 150 words. Incorporate 6 different sources, formatted and cited as the instructor indicated in the announcements.
Respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts.
All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.

Encountering
Judaism: The
Way of God’s
People

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LEARNING OUTCOMES

2
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1. Explain the meaning of Judaism and related
terms

2. Summarize how the main periods of Judaism’s
history have shaped its present

3. Outline the essential teachings of Judaism in
your own words

4. Describe the main features of Jewish ethics
5. Summarize Jewish worship, the Sabbath and

major festivals, and life-cycle rituals
6. Outline the main features of Judaism around

the world today, especially in Israel and North
America

3RELG4 | CH10
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Judaism

• Historic religion of the Jewish people
• Name originates from the ancient

tribe of Judah
• Other names for Jews prior to
500 B.C.E.
• Hebrews: Derived from “Habiru,”

which means “nomads”
• Israelites: Derived from the

patriarch Israel
• Israelis

LO 1

4RELG4 | CH10
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website, in whole or in part.

History of Judaism – From Creation to
Abraham

• Genesis
• Chapters 1 to 11 narrate and provide a

religious perspective on the:
➖ Creation of the world
➖ Rebellion of the first humans against God

and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden
➖ Wide dispersal of the people
➖ Noah and the flood
• Chapters 12 to 50 cover four generations of

one family of the patriarchs and their wives

LO 2

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website, in whole or in part.

History of Judaism – From Creation to
Abraham (continued)

• Chapter 12 narrates the migration of
Abraham from Ur to Canaan as God
commanded
➖ Covenant: Agreement in which God

promised to be with Abraham and his
descendants
➖ Abraham promised to follow God and carry out

the ritual of circumcision
➖ Jacob’s twelve sons established the twelve

tribes of Israel
• Chapters 37 to 50 narrate the story of Joseph

LO 2

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website, in whole or in part.

History of Judaism – The Emergence of
Israel

• Book of Exodus – Narrates the story of:
• Israel’s enslavement in Egypt
• God’s call to Moses to lead the people out of

Egypt
• Pharaoh’s resistance and the Israelites’

escape through the parted waters of the
Red Sea
➖ Israelites enter a covenant relationship

with God and follow the Torah
➖ Torah: Teaching conveyed by Moses in the first

five books of the Bible

LO 2

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History of Judaism – The Emergence of
Israel (continued)

• Books of Joshua and Judges
• Narrate the Israelites’ conquest of Palestine,

division among the tribes, and the first
hundred years of settlement

• The Ark of the Covenant
• Contained the two tablets inscribed with the

Ten Commandments, Moses’ staff, and a
pot of manna
➖ Was housed in a tent-

shrine called the
tabernacle

LO 2

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History of Judaism – The First Temple
Period (950–586 B.C.E.)

• Marked by Solomon’s construction of a
temple to God in Jerusalem, until the
destruction of Jerusalem

• Increased social and economic divisions
were seen as a violation of God’s will

• Death of King Solomon divided the
people of God into two nations
• Israel, composed of ten tribes in the north
• Judah, composed of two tribes of Judah and

Benjamin in the south

LO 2

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History of Judaism – The First Temple
Period (950–586 B.C.E.) (continued)

• In 722 B.C.E, the Assyrian Empire
wiped out the northern kingdom of Israel
• Conquered several Judean cities and

deported their citizens

LO 2

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History of Judaism – The Second Temple
Period (539 B.C.E.–70 C.E.)

• Cyrus of Persia defeated the Babylonians
• Allowed the exiled to return home and

authorized the rebuilding of the Jewish temple
• Alexander of Macedon conquered Israel

in 330 B.C.E.
• Greek culture diversified Jewish thought and

belief
➖ Gave birth to movements such as

Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes

LO 2

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website, in whole or in part.

History of Judaism – The Second Temple
Period (539 B.C.E.–70 C.E.) (continued)

• Seleucid dynasty of the Greek captured
Jerusalem
• Plundered the Temple and rededicated it to

Greek gods and rituals
• Led to the Maccabean Revolt
➖ Seleucid armies were defeated and the

Temple was rededicated to God
➖ Commemorated in the winter festival of

Hanukkah
• Jerusalem was captured by the Roman

Empire in 63 B.C.E

LO 2

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History of Judaism – Revolts and Rabbis

• 66 C.E. – Jewish revolt against Rome
• 70 C.E. – Destruction of the second Temple
• The Jewish revolt ended all groups except

the Pharisees
➖ Rabbis: Successors of the Pharisees who

preserved lay-led Judaism
➖ Became spiritual leaders in the synagogues

• 400 C.E. – Christianity becomes the
official faith of the Roman Empire

LO 2

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History of Judaism – Revolts and Rabbis
(continued)

• Code of Justinian (527 C.E)
• Contained discriminatory legislation against

the Jews
• Influenced European legal systems for

centuries and contributed to anti-Semitism
• Jewish community in Babylonia

• Work of the rabbinic community was
centered around the Mishnah
➖ The Mishnah and related teachings

helped produce the Babylonian Talmud

LO 2

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website, in whole or in part.

History of Judaism – Jews under Islamic
and Christian Rule

• Muslims were tolerant as long as the
Jews recognized the supremacy of the
Islamic rule
• Jews had a second-class but protected

status
• Sephardic Jews

• Sought philosophical clarification of beliefs
and the systematic presentation of their faith

• Prominent philosopher – Rabbi Moses ben
Maimon, also known as Maimonides

LO 2

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website, in whole or in part.

History of Judaism – Jews under Islamic
and Christian Rule (continued)

• Ashkenazi Jews
• Lived in Western, Central, and Eastern

Europe
• Developed their own language, Yiddish

• The Roman Catholic Church decrees
altered life for European Jews in the
1200s
• Christians were forbidden to lend money

with interest, which led Jews into banking
• Restrictions on Jews arose, and rising

anti-Semitism led to expulsions and
massacres

LO 2

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History of Judaism – Emancipation and
Diversity

• Restrictions on Jews were dropped in
Western European nations
• Jews either chose to assimilate or acculturate
➖ Led to Reform, Orthodox, and

Conservative movements
• Modern anti-Semitism broke out in the

1870s and 1880s
• Lead to the rise of Zionism, which aimed at

large Jewish emigration from Europe to
Palestine

LO 2

17RELG4 | CH10
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History of Judaism – Emancipation and
Diversity (continued)

• Friction between Arab Palestinians and
Jews grew with Jewish immigration to
Palestine
• Conflict continues till today

LO 2

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History of Judaism – The Holocaust and
its Aftermath

• Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party won office in
the 1932 German national elections
• Moved toward totalitarian power with

repressive measures
• Introduced a series of anti-Semitic laws to

purify Germany between 1933 and 1938
• Hitler ordered a “Final Solution” to the

“Jewish Question” when WWII began
• Holocaust: Nazi genocide of Jews and

other groups

LO 2

19RELG4 | CH10
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History of Judaism – The Holocaust and
its Aftermath (continued)

• Concentration camps were erected in
western Germany to kill Jews
• About six million Jews perished
• Few Germans risked death by opposing the

government’s actions
• Holocaust brought crisis of faith to

Judaism
• Was seen as a punishment for recent sins, a

test of faith, or an opportunity to die for the
faith by Orthodox Jews

LO 2

20RELG4 | CH10
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Teachings of Judaism – The Tanak

• Name of the Hebrew Bible
• Acronym formed from the first three letters

of Torah (instruction or law), Nevi’im
(prophets), and Kethuvim (writings)

• Was finalized in the first century C.E.
• Septuagint – Second century B.C.E. Greek

translation of the Hebrew Bible
• Viewed by traditionalist Jews as the
written revelation of God

LO 3

21RELG4 | CH10
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website, in whole or in part.

Teachings of Judaism – One God

• Judaism teaches monotheism
• Ways in which individual Jews choose to

relate to God varies
• Shema: Basic statement of faith from

Deuteronomy 6 that begins “Hear, O Israel:
The Lord our God is One”

• Names for God are an important aspect of
Jewish teaching about God
➖ Include YHWH, Adonai, and Hashem

LO 3

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Teachings of Judaism – The Jews as God’s
Chosen People

• Jews believe that they were chosen to
be in a covenant with God
• Being chosen brings a call to be holy
• Choice is based on God’s love
• Helped them sustain themselves throughout

a long and difficult history
• Today, secular Jews have

understood it to mean that their
abilities should be put to use
for the good of all humankind

LO 3

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Teachings of Judaism – Life After Death

• The Tanak does not dwell into the
concept of life after death
• Later biblical tradition included concepts of

resurrection and a final judgment leading to
either a blessed or a damned eternal life
➖ Reform Jews are allowed to form their

own opinion about teaching
➖ Conservative Jews interpret the teaching’s

vivid imagery as symbolic
• Jews believe that one need not be

Jewish to enter heaven

LO 3

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Ethics in the Image of God

• Jewish morality and ethics rest on
foundation of ethical monotheism
• God is the one and only God and is

perfectly right and righteous
• People of God were put in the good world

he created to live in conformity with his
nature and will

• Humans are created in the image of God
• Good and evil impulses were built by God

into each human

LO 4

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The Torah

• Whole teaching and law of Judaism
• Stories and commandments that teach

about life and death
➖ Rabbis enumerate 613 commandments
➖ All commandments come from God

• The Ten Commandments
• Leading commandments in the Torah
• The Mishnah and the Gemara were

compiled and combined into the Talmud
➖ Expanded the Commandments

LO 4

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General Jewish Ethics

• Biblical tradition includes broad legal
injunctions, wisdom narratives with
moral lessons, and prophetic teachings
• Prophets exhorted the people to lead a life

honoring God’s covenant
➖ Jewish morality, encompassing both

commandments and general ethics, is
known to Jews as halakhah (walk of life)

➖ Mishnah tractate of Pirke Avot, “Sayings
of the Fathers,” is an important ethics text

LO 4

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website, in whole or in part.

Modern Jewish Ethics

• Reform movement promoted the idea of
Judaism as pure ethical monotheism

• Orthodox rabbis have engaged in
applied ethics by interpreting the
Talmud for bioethics

• “I and Thou” by Martin Buber
• An influential book on Jewish social ethics
• Uses two pairs of words to describe two

different types of relationships between
one’s self and others: “I-It” and “I-Thou”

LO 4

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Worship in the Synagogue

• Main service takes place on Friday
evening or Saturday morning

• A minyan is required
• Minyan: Minimum number of men required

to have a service (usually ten)
• All three branches share the same basic
structure of service
• Gathering into the main synagogue room
• Hymns and prayers often led by a cantor, or

singer

LO 5

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website, in whole or in part.

Worship in the Synagogue (continued)

• Readings from scripture
• Torah scrolls are kept in the ark

• Ark: Closet or recess in the synagogue wall
on the side nearest Jerusalem

• Use of scrolls follows prescribed ritual

LO 5

website, in whole or in part.

The Sabbath

• Seventh day of the week
• Day begins at sunset on Friday and ends at

sunset on Saturday
• Begins at home with a festive meal for

which the whole family is present
➖ Women light the Sabbath candles at least

eighteen minutes before sunset
• No work may be done on the Sabbath

LO 5

website, in whole or in part.

Jewish Annual Festivals

Rosh
Hashanah

Yom
Kippur Sukkot

Passover Hanukkah Purim

Shavuot

LO 5

website, in whole or in part.

Jewish Practices

• Jewish law dealing with what foods can or cannot be eaten, and
how they should be prepared and consumed

• Kosher rules are observed at all times, but additional kosher
restrictions come during Passover

Kosher

• Commandment to circumcise is given in Genesis 17:10–14 as
an essential part of Abrahamic covenant

• Performed on the eighth day of a boy’s life by a mohel, even on
the Sabbath

Circumcision

• Coming of age ceremony for Jewish males and females,
respectively

Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah

LO 5

website, in whole or in part.

Jewish Practices (continued)

• Includes engagement, rings, a vow or document certifying
marriage obligations, and a grand celebration

Marriage

• Purposes – Comfort the mourners and help the deceased
into the next world

• Burial must be carried out in less than forty-eight hours
• Body must be buried in a wooden coffin directly in the earth
• Jewish mourning practices have periods of decreasing

intensity

Funeral rituals

LO 5

website, in whole or in part.

Judaism around the World Today

• In Israel
• The Orthodox movement is the only branch

of Judaism legally recognized in Israel
• Only Orthodox rabbis are allowed to perform

marriages, conversions, and grant divorces
• In North America

• The first American synagogue was
established in 1677 in Rhode Island

LO 6

website, in whole or in part.

Judaism around the World Today (continued)

• Jewish immigration to North America
increased in the early 1880s
➖ Driven by persecution in Russia and

Eastern Europe
• Approximately 5.5 million Jews live in the

United

States

➖ Major movements found in North America
➖ Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and

Reconstructionists

LO 6

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KEY TERMS

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• Judaism
• Hebrews
• Israelites
• Israelis
• Menorah
• Star of David
• Patriarchs
• Covenant
• Circumcision
• Torah
• Ark of the Covenant

• First Temple Period
• Prophets
• Second Temple Period
• Diaspora
• Pharisees
• Essenes
• Maccabean Revolt
• Hanukkah
• Rabbis
• Synagogue
• Anti-Semitism

KEY TERMS (continued 1)

37RELG4 | CH10

• Babylonian Talmud
• Sephardic
• Kabbalah
• Ashkenazi
• Hasidism
• Ghetto
• Emancipation
• Reform
• Orthodox
• Conservative
• Masorti

• Zionism
• Holocaust
• Shoah
• Tanak
• Henotheism
• Shema
• Resurrection
• Halakhah
• Minyan
• Ark
• Sabbath

KEY TERMS (continued 2)

38RELG4 | CH10

• Rosh Hashanah
• Yom Kippur
• Passover
• Seder
• Kosher
• Mohel
• Bar mitzvah
• Bat (bas) mitzvah
• Shiva

SUMMARY

39RELG4 | CH10

• Judaism is the historic religion of the Jews
• Throughout its history, Judaism has faced

persecutions and other challenges
• Jews give importance to actions over belief
• The moral life of the Jewish people today

rests on biblical foundations
• Judaism has numerous rituals for different

occasions
• About 5.5 million Jews live in the United

States

website, in whole or in part. RELG4 | CH10

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