Understanding Judaism

Photographer : Evan Broder

The chosen

Jews make up only about 0.22% of the world population (about 14 million people) but Judaism is considered one of the world’s most prominent religions. This could be because several other world religions, such as Christianity, Islam and Baha’i, trace their roots back to Judaism.

Many Jews regard themselves as ‘the chosen people of God’. This, however, does not mean that Jews think they are better than everyone else. Jews believe that they have been selected by God to have more challenging responsibilities.

The world’s largest Jewish population lives in the US. Israel and Russia rank second and third in world Jewish populations. Australia ranks ninth, with 92,000.

A (very) short history of Judaism

Dates are approximate, but Jews believe that their faith began around 2000 BCE (Before Common Era) when God made an agreement with Abraham. Abraham, his son Isaac and grandson Jacob are considered the three most important men in the Jewish faith (as well as Christianity, Islam and Baha’i).

After some time (hey, I said this was short!), as the story goes, the Jews landed in Egypt, where they were made slaves by Pharaoh. They were later led from Egypt by Moses and into the Promised Land (present-day Israel and Palestine) by Joshua.

What was once considered a tribe of people soon became a kingdom, with Saul as the first King. He was succeeded by David and Solomon, who built the first Temple in Jerusalem.

Around 70 CE the Temple was destroyed, and the Jews were scattered throughout the known world. The Zionist movement, which began in late 19th century Europe, aimed to re-establish a Jewish state. That goal was achieved in 1948 with the creation of Israel.

So, what’s it all about?

Holy texts

The holy texts of Judaism are split into two parts: The Tanakh (also know as the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament), and the Talmud.

The Tanakh has three parts:

• the Torah (Pentateuch)—the first five books of the Scriptures, including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
• the Nevi’im—21 books of Jewish history after the Exodus, as well as prophetical sayings
• the Ketuvium—also known as ‘the Writings’, these 13 books tell the stories of great and inspirational Jews like Ruth, Job and Daniel. The Ketuvium also includes Psalms and Proverbs.

13 principles

The Jewish Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (also know as Maimonides), established 13 principles of Judaism which are still largely common today. They are:

1. God exists.
2. God is one and unique.
3. God is incorporeal (a spirit).
4. God is eternal.
5. Prayer is to be directed at God and no other.
6. The words of the prophecies are true.
7. Moses was the greatest of the prophets and his prophecies are true.
8. The Written Torah and Oral Torah (the Talmud) were given to Moses.
9. There will be no other Torah.
10. God knows the thoughts and deeds of men.
11. God will reward the good and punish the wicked.
12. The Messiah (saviour) will come.
13. The dead will be resurrected.

Jews do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Some, although not all, believe that Jesus was a prophet of God. Others believe he is the false idol of Christianity. Jews believe the true Messiah will come in the future to save humankind, resurrect the dead and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Along with the 13 Principles, Jews also abide by the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses in Exodus. Some Jews also follow the 613 dietary and lifestyle laws spelled out in Deuteronomy.

Festivals

Boy, do Jews know how to party! There are seven major holidays on the Jewish calendar, although in actuality, some are quite solemn.

• Passover is celebrated every spring to commemorate the Jews’ flight from Egypt. This includes a ritual Seder meal, which contains many bitter herbs to remind participants of the bitterness of slavery.
• Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year and the anniversary of creation according to the Jewish calendar, over 5700 years ago. This holiday is celebrated every spring.
• Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement (repentance), celebrated ten days after Rosh Hashanah. The day is spent atoning for sins and fasting.
• Sukkoth is an eight-day harvest festival held in spring.
• Hanukkah is an eight-day festival celebrating the miracle of the oil, in which one day’s worth of oil lasted for eight. It is usually held in December.
• Purim, celebrated in the autumn, commemorates Queen Esther’s triumph over the plot to slaughter all Persian Jews.
• Shavuot commemorates God’s revelation of the Torah to the Jewish people. This holiday takes place in early May or late June.

Jews also celebrate Bar (boys) or Bat (girls) Mitzvah. These celebrations mark when a young man (13-years-old) or woman (12) comes of age.

Movements

Just like in most other religions, not all Jews agree on their faith. That’s why the Jewish faith is split into five movements: Orthodox (the most conservative), Conservative (moderate), Reform (the most liberal), Reconstructionist (states the Jews aren’t the chosen people of God), and Humanistic (which doesn’t believe in God at all). There are, of course, different levels of commitment in Judaism, just as with every other religion. How one chooses to practice (or not practice) his or her faith is up to the individual.

How do I know this?

Adherents.com, Major Religions Ranked by Size, http://adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html

ReligiousTolerance.org, Description of Judaism, http://www.religioustolerance.org/jud_desc.htm

Society for Humanistic Judaism Homepage, http://www.shj.org/