What is Judaism?
Judaism is one of the Southwestern Asian religions' oldest religion. Judaism is mostly concentrated in Israel, although it's followers, called Jews, also live in the U.S., Canada, South America, and many other European cities. Judaism was established over 3,200 years ago, and is the oldest monotheistic religion. It's a religion with a long tradition of faith and culture tied together. Basic teachings and laws come from the holy book which is called the Torah. The religious center of Judaism is Jerusalem, located in Israel. Jews refer God, as G-d, or other names, because if you write out His name, it puts you at risk of sin.
What do the Jewish believe in?
Judaism doesn't have a certain set lifestyle for each person. Jews believe that actions are more important than beliefs. Although there are certain places for there to be beliefs withing Judaism. Jews believe in the 13 Principles of Faith, which are very basic and general principles to follow.
Here are the 13 Principles of Faith:
Here are the 13 Principles of Faith:
- God (G-d) exists
- God is one and unique
- God is incorporeal (no material existence)
- God is eternal
- Prayer should only be directed to God alone
- The Prophets are true
- Moses and his prophecies are true, and one of the greatest prophecies
- The Torah, and the Talmud were given to Moses
- There is no other Torah
- God knows the thoughts and actions by men
- God will reward the good and punish the bad
- The Messiah will come
- Those who have died will be resurrected
The Jewish believe that Moses was given the Ten Commandments by God himself, what are those Ten Commandments?
- Thou shall have no other gods before me.
-There is only one true God, and you shouldn't be worshiping or recognizing more than one god. - Thou shall not make any graven images to worship.
-You cannot make/worship any pictures or statues of god, or any other animal. - Thou shall not take the Lord's name in vain.
-You cannot 'Swear to God,' or use God's name selfishly, or loosely. - Remember the Sabbath's day, to keep it holy.
-God created the world in 6 days, and on the seventh day, he rested. For the Jewish, the holy day of rest, is Saturday. - Honor thy father and mother.
-Respect your parents, and other superiors. - Thou shall not kill.
-Don't kill anyone. - Thou shall not commit adultery.
-You cannot cheat on your spouse. - Thou shall not steal.
-Don't steal from others. - Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
-Don't lie. - Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's property.
-Be happy with what you have, don't be jealous about things you don't have.
Jews and Christians follow these rules, to refrain from sin, and refrain from being evil.
What is the history behind Judaism?
The history of Judaism begins with Abraham. He questioned the thought of there being many gods. He decided that there was only one God, and he created everything in the world. Abraham was the head of his tribe, so he had many responsibilities, such as settling disputes and punishing lawbreakers. He was in charge of religious ceremonies, saying prayers and offering sacrifices at an altar. Abraham also had to decide if the land they lived on was sufficient enough for his tribe. One time, he left the region around Mesopotamia, and moved to Haran. While at Haran, God came to Abraham in a vision, and told him to leave Haran, and go to Canaan. Abraham, was not going to disobey God. So he took his tribe, (who later became known as Hebrews) to Canaan, to carry out God's will. Abraham continued to be the head of his tribe for many more years. Two more generations to be exact.
Jacob, Abraham's grandson, had twelve sons, who each led their own tribes. Together, the tribes all together were called the Israelites. They lived well, but a famine forced them to leave and go to Egypt.
At first, they were happily accepted in Egypt, but later on, they were forced to become slaves. This was the starting point of the persecution of the Jewish. Egyptian rulers forced the Jews to believe in their many gods. A new Jewish leader, Moses, had a vision. In the vision, God told Moses to ask the pharaoh for freedom. Moses asked the pharaoh, but the pharaoh refused. God sent ten hardships onto the Egyptians. One of the most grave hardships, was a plague, that killed Egypt's firstborn sons, including the pharaoh's son, although excluding firstborn Jewish sons. It scared the pharaoh, which finally allowed Jews to be free. According to the books, Moses led six hundred thousand men and their families away from Egypt. This journey was called the Exodus.
The Exodus took 40 years, when it usually lasted 11 days. The reason for taking the long way, was because the Jews couldn't travel through the land ruled by powerful rulers. During the Exodus, God gave Moses stone tablets which had the Ten Commandments written on them. They laws still are very important.
Eventually, the Jews finally reached Israel, where Jews created a strong nation. As time went on, the Jews, due to wars and invasions, slowly were forced to scatter all over the world, spreading the Jewish religion, which is called Diaspora.
Jacob, Abraham's grandson, had twelve sons, who each led their own tribes. Together, the tribes all together were called the Israelites. They lived well, but a famine forced them to leave and go to Egypt.
At first, they were happily accepted in Egypt, but later on, they were forced to become slaves. This was the starting point of the persecution of the Jewish. Egyptian rulers forced the Jews to believe in their many gods. A new Jewish leader, Moses, had a vision. In the vision, God told Moses to ask the pharaoh for freedom. Moses asked the pharaoh, but the pharaoh refused. God sent ten hardships onto the Egyptians. One of the most grave hardships, was a plague, that killed Egypt's firstborn sons, including the pharaoh's son, although excluding firstborn Jewish sons. It scared the pharaoh, which finally allowed Jews to be free. According to the books, Moses led six hundred thousand men and their families away from Egypt. This journey was called the Exodus.
The Exodus took 40 years, when it usually lasted 11 days. The reason for taking the long way, was because the Jews couldn't travel through the land ruled by powerful rulers. During the Exodus, God gave Moses stone tablets which had the Ten Commandments written on them. They laws still are very important.
Eventually, the Jews finally reached Israel, where Jews created a strong nation. As time went on, the Jews, due to wars and invasions, slowly were forced to scatter all over the world, spreading the Jewish religion, which is called Diaspora.
Who is God?
God, to the Jewish, is believed to be the creator of everything. The Jewish believe that there is only one God, and he is responsible for everything good in life. They only pray to God, and only worship God. God isn't male nor female. He has no significant shape. The Jewish believe that God was always there, that God is here right now, and God will be there in the future. The Jewish believe that God is always near us, no matter what. They also believe God will love you no matter what. Jews also believe that God will always exist, he will never go away.
What are religious books/people/etc.?
The Jewish Bible is written originally in Hebrew, a very old language. You read Hebrew from right to left, instead of left to right. Another name for the Jewish Bible is the Tanakh. There are three sections of the Tanakh: the Torah (the first five books,) Nevee'eem (Prophets,) and Ketuvim (writings such as Psalms and Proverbs.) There are two differences between a Christian Bible and a Jewish Bible. One: The Christian Bible arranges the books from the Jewish Bible in a different order. Two: The Christian Bible had 27 extra books that tell the story of Jesus and the spread of Christianity. Christians refer the Jewish part of their Bible as the 'Old Testament' and the Christian part as the 'New Testament.' Jews do not have the New Testament, because they believe you cannot replace the Tanakh.
What is the goal with Judaism?
The goal is to live a good life, and someday the Messiah will come, and bring the world into a time of complete peace. Thus, it will make everyone recognize and worship one God. Also, that the Messiah will gather all of the Jews to Israel, where the temple will be rebuilt, and the dead will be resurrected. Basically hoping someday everyone will believe in a monotheistic religion, and the temple of Solomon will be rebuilt.
The other goal that some Jews believe in, is that they are the 'chose people,' who were chosen by God, to take care of the Torah, and passing on the important values of the Torah to the rest of the world.
The other goal that some Jews believe in, is that they are the 'chose people,' who were chosen by God, to take care of the Torah, and passing on the important values of the Torah to the rest of the world.
What are some important Sites/Symbols of Judaism?
-Menorah
The menorah means "a light unto the nations." It also means an eternal flame.
-Yarmulke
It is a Yiddish word, which means skullcap. Orthodox Jewish men wear them, and every Jewish man wears one during worship and prayer.
-Star of David
The star is supposed to represent the shape of King David's shield. It is an awfully new symbol, and it's extremely rare for it to be seen in ancient Jewish writing.
The menorah means "a light unto the nations." It also means an eternal flame.
-Yarmulke
It is a Yiddish word, which means skullcap. Orthodox Jewish men wear them, and every Jewish man wears one during worship and prayer.
-Star of David
The star is supposed to represent the shape of King David's shield. It is an awfully new symbol, and it's extremely rare for it to be seen in ancient Jewish writing.
What are the branches of Judaism?
There are three branches of Judaism. Reform Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, and Conservative Judaism. They all connect back to the Torah, and the belief of one God. But there are different things that each branch has, depending on how strict the religion is.
Reform Judaism:
-Prayer is in English, instead of Hebrew
-Compatible with the changing 21st century world
-Believe that the laws in the Torah are only meaningful if they add to their relationship with God
-Most Sabbath rules aren't observed
-Most Kosher rules aren't observed
Orthodox Judaism:
-Response to Reform Judaism
-Believed that every letter of the Torah was given to Moses
-Traditional Judaism, since they believe that all traditional practices of Judaism reflects the will of God, and cannot be changed
Conservative Judaism:
-Response to Orthodox Judaism
-Believe there has always been a way to change Jewish law and tradition
-Basic law system cannot be changed
-Most things, such as Kosher, and Sabbath rules are still unchanged
-Rules are treated more liberally instead of Orthodox Jews
-Have more flexibility to change the traditional prayer rules to reflect modern problems
Reform Judaism:
-Prayer is in English, instead of Hebrew
-Compatible with the changing 21st century world
-Believe that the laws in the Torah are only meaningful if they add to their relationship with God
-Most Sabbath rules aren't observed
-Most Kosher rules aren't observed
Orthodox Judaism:
-Response to Reform Judaism
-Believed that every letter of the Torah was given to Moses
-Traditional Judaism, since they believe that all traditional practices of Judaism reflects the will of God, and cannot be changed
Conservative Judaism:
-Response to Orthodox Judaism
-Believe there has always been a way to change Jewish law and tradition
-Basic law system cannot be changed
-Most things, such as Kosher, and Sabbath rules are still unchanged
-Rules are treated more liberally instead of Orthodox Jews
-Have more flexibility to change the traditional prayer rules to reflect modern problems
What do the Jewish believe in about the Afterlife?
Jews believe that after you die, if you've lived a good life, you resurrect. If a sinner dies, his soul loses his portion in the World to Come. The resurrected will rise from the dead when the Messiah comes, and leads the Jews to peace. Some Jews believe in resurrection of souls, some don't. Those who are evil, do not resurrect.
How is Jewish Daily Life like?
Here is a link for each chapter in a Jew's life, and how traditions usually go. Link:
What does kosher mean?
Here is a link that explains the law of kosher. Link:
Jews have to eat meat that is kosher, also meat that is prepared in a specific way and drained of blood.
Some forbidden foods: meat that was taken from animals that do not have hooves and eat fish that doesn't have scaled or fins, and certain birds.
Meat and milk shouldn't be combined.
Jews have to eat meat that is kosher, also meat that is prepared in a specific way and drained of blood.
Some forbidden foods: meat that was taken from animals that do not have hooves and eat fish that doesn't have scaled or fins, and certain birds.
Meat and milk shouldn't be combined.
What are some holidays/festivals that the Jewish celebrate?
Here is a link that explains all of the Jewish festivals, along with the Jewish Calendar. Link:
Jerusalem- Israel's capital
Diaspora- Jews that live outside Israel
Orthodox- a person believing in what is traditionally accepted as right
Conservative- holding onto traditions and values
Reform- making changes in order to improve it
Torah- the law of God, recorded in the first five books of the scriptures
Talmud- collection of ancient writings about Jewish law
Synagogue- a building where the Jewish come together to worship
Rabbi- a Jewish teacher, who studies Jewish law
Kosher- food that satisfies the Jewish law
Yarmulke- a skullcap which is worn by Orthodox Jewish men
Diaspora- Jews that live outside Israel
Orthodox- a person believing in what is traditionally accepted as right
Conservative- holding onto traditions and values
Reform- making changes in order to improve it
Torah- the law of God, recorded in the first five books of the scriptures
Talmud- collection of ancient writings about Jewish law
Synagogue- a building where the Jewish come together to worship
Rabbi- a Jewish teacher, who studies Jewish law
Kosher- food that satisfies the Jewish law
Yarmulke- a skullcap which is worn by Orthodox Jewish men