...Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world, before Judaism was born, there were pagan religions. Judaism was created by Abraham whereas every other contemporary of Abraham understood that there were days and nights, stars and sky, the ocean and the land, and they also believed that each were an individual entity. Abraham and God a covenant and God chose the Jewish people to be His people. Abraham was the first to establish Judaism as "religion of the deed, not the religion of the creed. I decided to do this interview on is Judaism. I have always been interested in this religion and was ready to learn more about Judaism and Jewish people beliefs. The temple that where I visit is called Temple B'Nai Israel, spoke to the rabbi of the temple. The religion was maintained despite severe persecutions in many nations. Judaism practices for over six thousand years. According to Simani, the Torah, which is the five books of Moses, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” This day stated is the Shabbat. It is observed as the day of rest because God rested from creation”. As an example of how the traditions are founded and practiced many events that are continued are stories from both the oral and written Torah. The written Torah is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Each book has extensive histories of the Jewish people and is the documentation of this history. The first book is also known as the Breshit. This book describes the creation, Adam...
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...Judaism It is interesting to note that the three major religions of the World, even in contemporary times, are all religions that have Abrahamic traditions, and that they remain at the forefront of social, political, and cultural events worldwide: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All are called Abrahamic religions because each utilizes the teaches of Abraham in its central historical view of the world. Each of the three Abrahamic faiths are monotheistic, and actually account for over 50% of the world’s population, or almost 4 billion people (Christian Science Monitor, 8/4/98). Note, too, that besides the three major traditions, other religions cite their traditions from Abraham: Mandaenism, Rastafairnism, Bahai, Samaritan, and the Druze (“Why Abrahamic?”) It is also interesting to note that within these three religious teachings, there are considerable areas of commonality, yet the three are often at odds with one another over political and social issues, even in the contemporary world. The name Judaism comes from the Hebrew word Yehuda, meaning celebrated or praised. This set of beliefs originated from the ancient tribes of the Middle Eastern deserts, the Israelites, and told within the Talmud, or the ancient Hebrew Bible. In essence, Judaism is the special relationship that the Children of Israel have with God, and that special relationship derived from promises and covenants of law, tradition, and civil rights. Many scholars, in fact, see Judaism...
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...According to Israel’s Ministry of foreign affairs the Jewish religion is the oldest of the three monotheistic faiths. Judaism is a set of cultural beliefs passed on for around 5,000 years. Judaism is more of a culture religion This is interesting. I’m not sure what you mean by a “culture religion.” I assume this means a religion that also has a strong sense of culture and identity. that is a set of traditions followed by the Jewish community and followers. I had interviewed a person by the name of Brent Leder who is a Reformed Jew. When he was in the fourth grade, Brent had started to learn Hebrew. In order for him to be Bar Mitzvah, he must know the Hebrew language and must read from the Torah at the age of 13. He has inspired me to learn more about the Jewish religion and what it means to be Jewish. That’s great. It’s good to have an open mind and want to learn more about religion. As I sat down and asked Brent questions about his religion, he began to tell me about the meaning and the history of Judaism. Since he practices the reformed sect of the religion there are more lenient rules because it is the least strict of the three sects. When I had asked him about what the Jewish thoughts and beliefs are about Jesus, Brent said, “Jesus was just a carpenter that was sentenced to crucifixion on the cross.” Interesting response. More dismissive of Jesus than many Jews are. As I asked questions, Brent began to get in depth about the religion by telling me everything he knows. I...
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...religion, believers worship several gods. Judaism; a religion of the Jews is strongly believed to be a monotheistic religion. The Bible gives evidence of polytheism in this religion. Because of this, there has always been a debate on where to place the religion. The intent of this paper is to explore more on the religion with an attempt to answer the most contentious questions. (1). How can it be explained that Judaism is a monotheistic religion but clearly acknowledges other gods? Judaism is a monotheistic religion despite the polytheistic evidences given in the Hebrew Bible. According to the Jewish history, the conquerors of Babylon who set the Jews free were powerful monotheists. They believed that the name used to refer to God did not matter as long as one worships him. In the Bible, many names are used to refer to God. This has always caused a contention as to whether Judaism is monotheistic or polytheistic. The Jews believe that each name used in the Bible is with reference to the same one God. This shows that Judaism is purely monotheistic. Although Judaism originally avowed the monotheistic conception of God, this conception later failed to get perfection in the religion. This is because of the Polytheistic practices of the Jewish people. The evidences from the bible therefore only warn them against polytheistic practices. (2).What relation does Abraham play in understanding the nature of morality within Judaism? Judaism customarily emphasizes on ethical monotheism...
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...Salvio Silva REL 2250- Religions of the World- Fall Term I 2014 Professor Cassie Lipowitz September 28, 2014 Reflection Paper, Assignment #5 Judaism It is a fact that Human Beings depend on interaction with others to survive. In order to preserve the quality of such interaction, it is essential that moral awareness be part of society in general. It is also a fact that moral rules need to be established to keep us functioning as society. Basically, we all need to understand, and be aware of how far we can go to avoid damaging other people. Moral rules are necessary and exist to remind us of what is right and what is wrong. At the same time, they also protect us from being threaten by others possible intentions. Smith states in his book, The World’s Religions, that the Hebrew Bible contains 613 commandments to guarantee the integrity of the vital relationship among human beings. The commandments mentioned, cover four important factors of Human Beings lives believed to be the basic factors that dictates it. Without monitoring them, Human race existence would be jeopardized. It is interesting how force, wealth, sex and speech do have a huge impact in the way we rule our lives. It is doubtless that no having a moral control of each of these factors would probably make our lives impossible. I do believe in the importance of such guidelines. Although I agree with its accuracy because they can serve us as a reference, or a reminder of how to act in an ethical way, society itself...
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...Judaism Name: Institution: Instructor: Course: Date: Judaism Branches of Judaism According to Morrison, Brown, and O'Brien (2009), there are four distinct branches of Judaism. First, Orthodox Judaism is a traditional branch that embraces strict observance of ritual and moral provisions in the traditional Jewish law. This branch of Judaism has a number of movements. These include Modern orthodoxy that embraces the adoption of Western culture and Charedi Judaism that emphasizes Jewish culture among others (Morrison, et al., 2009). Second, Reform Judaism emphasizes Judaism’s ethical laws and ritual laws to be changed to fit into the modern society (Morrison, et al., 2009). It also emphasizes the observance of social justice and morality as shown in Judaism and retaining of traditional practices that are found meaningful. Therefore, this branch embraces individual choice rather than observance of beliefs and practices. Third, Conservative Judaism supports observance of Jewish tradition while at the same time embracing any adaptations to fit into modern society (Morrison, et al., 2009). In addition, the branch supports the use of Jewish texts to determine ethics and best practices. Lastly, Reconstructionist Judaism does not treat Judaism as just a religion but an evolving civilization that is always accompanied by religious components (Morrison, et al., 2009). The branch emphasizes non-binding compliance to the Jewish Law. But it also points out that it should be followed...
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...Judaism In recent years the Jewish community has faced a crisis that involved Jews in Israel as well as around the world. Diversity is an issue that has triggered a difference of opinion with the Jewish faith. Some Jews want things to change while others want things to remain the same. Within the Jewish community you have what is called ultra-Orthodox or Haredi. The ultra-Orthodox symbolizes the Jewish community who has an extreme form of Judaism. These individuals despise all forms of Judaism other than what they beliefs and views are. One view in particular would be most forms of Judaism practiced in America and Israel would be excluded for not being genuinely Jewish. Rabbinic Judaism established the model for Jewish life from the sixth century CE until modern forms of Judaism came about. The ultra-Orthodox Jew wants to preserve the premodern Judaism against any new ways that maybe introduced. The diversity in Judaism can be seen by comparing a New York neighborhood. On one side of town a Rabbi leads a traditional worship service at an Orthodox synagogue, which is a role that women are not allowed to hold. But a few blocks away a female rabbi heads up a more liberal Friday night prayer service. There’s an enormous Jewish following in the United States as well as in Israel; but there’s also communities of Jewish people spread throughout Europe, Africa, India, China, Latin America and the Middle East. Modern day Judaism also wants to preserve vital basis of their faith but...
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...Israel to God. The last book, Ketuvim, contains poetry, theology and drama. The Hebrew Bible is thought of by Christians as the Old Testament. This is because all of the teachings found in it are before Jesus Christ. You can find the prophecy of Jesus’ birth in Isaiah 7:14 2. Describe the major similarities and differences between the four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist). How are these four groups distinct from one another? The similarity between all four is very simple. They are all very proud of their faith and view it not only as religion but as a life style that they identify themselves as Jewish before anything else. Each one does have strong values and want to better their religion. The differences seem to be more in where they interact with the world outside their communities. In Orthodox Judaism, you will find the traditionalists. They do not believe in altering the Torah in anyway. The other side of that is Reform Judaism. They want to adapt the rituals and laws to fit into the modern world. In between those two you have Conservative Judaism. Here there is an understanding that there is importance in both areas, upholding the...
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...Holthausen World Religions Exam Essay #4 Judaism Judaism is an ancient religious tradition going back approximately four thousand years. Religious Jews today must decide how they will address the question: How should I practice my traditional religion in today’s world? Discuss examples of the range of options for religious Jews in answering this question. What are the religious practices and lifestyles as they determine the appropriate “Way of Life” for themselves as religious Jews? [Be thorough in giving examples.] (13.5 pts.) Jewish people have always seen themselves as a united community with the belief of one supreme God with no extras added to it. Religious Jews see themselves as a people that has been harassed and persecuted over the last 3 thousand years so that today being Jew makes them an unusual nation; a nation that has no definite borders, but instead uses its history as a way of defining themselves as community. The Jewish people have had a complex history, so naturally there are a myriad of ways that Jews identify themselves. Regardless of how these ways may differentiate, there is still a deep connection that runs deep across the world. Today’s world has given the Jewish people a period of peace and stability, an opportunity to truly understand their identity without the interruption of negative forces. Jews seek meaning in everything and wish to interpret things in a way that facilitate the truth. The first aspect of Judaism to note is their sense of connection...
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...Judaism 1. The real impact of the ancient Jews lies in the extent to which Western civilization took over their perspective on the deepest question life poses 2. The achievement of the Jews lies in neither in their antiquity nor their land size, but rather, for their passion in meaning. Philosophy: 1. Being of the Other (god) must be taken into account - No human being is self-created -Everyone, at some point finds his or her power limited 2. Hebrews refused to acknowledge God as having the these qualities (i) Prosaic: Its center is a being of awesome majesty (ii)Chaotic: coalesced in diving unity (iii)Amoral/ indifferent: its goodness was “from everlasting to everlasting” 3. Unlike the rest of the world, Judaism affirmed the world Opening chapter of Genesis concludes with God surveying his handiwork and finding it “very good” However desperate the situation, meaning was always waiting to be won Pressing for meaning in every direction, the Jews refused to abandon physical aspects of existence as illusory, defective and unimportant (unlike Buddhism) 4. Even though know the human self is limited and weak, they saw its unspeakable grandeur Moral weakness weighed heavier for the Jews “I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me” Sin comes from people forging their destinies through free decisions Jews believe that people are God’s beloved children 5. The Jews believed history is important. Reasons: (i) Context in which life is lived affects...
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...was the chosen people of God because they were the descendants of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob whose name was later changed to Israel which mean ‘to wrestle with God’ After God changed Jacobs name to Israel he also gave him a blessing. Israel later was led out of Israel by God and within the twelve tribes one of them was the tribe of Judah which today are known as the Jews in modern Judaism. This can create hostility because of the position and offense that some could take on the claim. Many today that are spiritual or believe in God also seek a close relationship and approval from God. So such a claim could and has led to much animosity and violence between various groups. In my own understanding of a chosen people and the history of the Judaism’s belief in it is that Israel would later become a type of spiritual body and not so much the physical blood born nation that descended from Jacob. Why is the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem a pivotal point in studying Jewish history? This is a pivotal point in study because it marks a time in which Judaism changed and the canon of scripture was in process of formation and many books and interpretations of correct religions practice were all competing for acceptance. The old ways of ceremonial temple based religion then gave way to a more decentralized religion based on the Hebrew Scriptures, on the practice of the Pharisees and the religious practice in the synagogues. The destruction of the temple...
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...Judaism Kory A. Lavine REL134 Monday March 9, 2015 Johnny Boudreaux Judaism Judaism considered one, if not the oldest religion in the world. A religion steeped in historical events, notable people, symbolism, with approximately 14.5M practitioners to date. Though not well known, Albert Einstein is one of the more famous, present day Jewish professionals. Born in Germany, He was the eldest of two children born to Hermann and Pauline Einstein. Mostly known for his “Theory of Relativity”, which challenged all ideas of space and time once set by Sir Isaac Newton, Albert took an early interest in science. At age five, when he was intrigued by a compass’s invisible forces, and again at age twelve, when he found a book on geometry. At sixteen, he wrote his first scientific paper titled: “The Investigation of the State of Aether in Magnetic Fields.". In which he questioned “If the light were a wave, then the light beam should appear stationary, like a frozen wave. In reality, the light beam is moving.” This paradox would dominate his thinking for the next ten years. In 1905, while working in a patent office, Einstein submitted a paper for his doctorate and had four other papers published. It was four articles that would present grant Einstein his academic recognition, and where the famous “E=mc2” equation first appeared. The physics community initially dispelled Einstein until the founder of quantum theory Max Planck, garnered his attention. Einstein’s success continued to...
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...John Miles Humanities 111 Thursday Professor Walker Chapter 5 Writing Assignment In comparing the Judaism to the many religions we studied earlier we can see that there are many differences between them with really only one similarity. The similarity being that both types of religions believed that if you followed the god’s commands, you would be rewarded, but if you strayed, you would be punished. One of the numerous contrasts is that Judaism was monotheistic, where the Jews believed in one ethical and all powerful god that wanted to impose ethical principles of humans. The earlier religions believed that the gods were humanistic in nature and pragmatic in the use of their power. Everything the people in the other religions did was to serve their gods and make them happy. Another difference is the Jews had a strict ethical code to live by set forth by the Ten Commandments while the other religions were looser in their rules. These rules were set down by whoever was ruler at the time and could change depending who was in charge at the time. The Jews were forbidden from making any images or likenesses of God. The earlier religions had many sculpture and paintings of their many gods. I believe living by the ethical code set by the Jewish code and worshipping only Yahweh gave their life meaning. To me, the meaning of their life was to live a life free of sin and if you did sin to seek forgiveness instead of paying reparations like the other religions....
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...Judaism has millions of followers around the world. There are basically three major movements in the U.S. today: Reform, Conservative and Orthodox. Some people also include a fourth movement, the Reconstructionist movement, although that movement is substantially smaller than the other three (Bender). In this essay I will examine in detail the differences between the four main branches of Judaism as practiced in the United States. The Orthodoxy is made up of several different groups. It includes the modern Orthodox, who has largely integrated into modern society while maintaining observance of Halakhah (Bender). The Chasidim, who live separately and dress distinctively (Bender). Yeshivish Orthodox, who are neither Chasidic nor modern (Bender). The Orthodox movements are all very similar in belief, and the differences are difficult for anyone who is not Orthodox to understand. They all believe that G-d gave Moses the whole Torah at Mount Sinai (Rich). This includes both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. They also believe that the Torah is true, and that it has come down to the believers intact and unchanged. Reform Judaism does not believe that the Torah was written by G-d. Many non-observant, nominal, and agnostic Jews identify themselves as Reform because it is the most liberal movement, but that is not really a fair reflection on the movement as a whole (Bender). They also believe that the Bible was written by separate sources and redacted together (Rich). Reform...
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...and Judaism Islam and Judaism share a common origin in the Middle East and share many cultural and philosophic aspects between themselves. The similarities in the two religions derive largely from the influence of Muslim culture and philosophy on the practitioners of Judaism and Islam. In the Middle East Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are the three great religions. They all share similarities, especially in their origin, but also hold their differences. Judaism is a monotheistic religion, as is with Islam. It originated from the Hebrews, who believed that God was their special protector and was everything, the most powerful, and is present everywhere. Like Islam, Judaism has a holy book called the Torah, a sacred recording of laws and events in the Jewish history. The Jewish faith believes that God gave them the Ten Commandments through Moses, “the Lawgiver”. According to the Jewish tradition, God made a covenant, or agreement with Abraham, the founder of Judaism. Islam was strongly influenced by Judaism. Islam was founded by Mohammad and also holds a monotheistic approach to religion. Just like Judaism it has a holy book similar to Judaism’s Torah, called the Koran. The Koran contains the sacred text as spoken to Muhammad from God. The Koran not only teaches about God, but about how to lead a good, faithful life. Muslims believe in one all-powerful, compassionate God, known in Arabic as Allah. Similar to the Ten Commandments given by Moses in Judaism, the...
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