Judaism
•Hillel’s answer to the Gentile (transparency)
–Leviticus. 19:18
–Torah
–All else is commentary
–Go to study Torah (not synagogue for prayer; not temple for sacrifice; not
meditation)
•Maimonides (Jewish philosopher 1135-1204) “definition” of “Judaism”
•The 3 pillars of Judaism
–Yahweh
–Covenant
–Torah (law)
•The 3 pillars of the world (Torah, divine service, acts of charity)
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Abraham – took El Shadai as his deity
Moses – a henotheist at first; at Mt Sinai, a covenant was established between
Yahweh and Moses. Moses became a monotheist
Covenant: moral and ethical demands made upon the people (Micah 6:8)
– A new concept in the history of religion
– A focus on the moral and ethical life (of a people)
– Guidance and protection from God (Yahweh)
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Obey the covenant ----- peace and prosperity, etc.
Transgress the covenant ----- punishment (Hosea 14: 1-2a)
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Destruction of the temple (587-586 BC) and exile
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– Was a major event: God used the pagan nations to give chastisement
Background of the difficulty for Jesus:
Follow God’s Word: life, blessing, glory
Reject God’s Word: death, curse, punishment
Gen 1:28
Gen 9:1-3
Human responsibility - Jewish people --- Adam ------- Noah -----
Gen 3:23, 24
Gen 12:1-3
Canaan (Ex 3:8)
Gen 9:20-27
Deut 30:16
Abraham ------------ Moses ----------- Joshua ---------------
Gen 15: 9-13
Die in Wilderness
Num 14: 32-34
Deut 30:17, 18
Mal 4:5, 6; Isaiah 9:6 (Kingdom)
----- Jesus
Isaiah 53:6-9; Malachi 4:6 (Cross)
Jewish History
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After Return from Exile:
– 1) Persian Period (539-333 BC)
• Ezra: “people of the Book”
• Torah becomes central to life and faith
• Schism (Jew-Samaritan)
– 2) Greek Period (333-63 BC)
• 175 BC Antiochus “Epiphanes” (“God manifest”)
• Program of Hellenization (=persecution of the Jewish religion)
• “abomination of desolation” (Daniel, Mark 14)
• An altar to the Greek god Zeus was placed in the Jewish Temple
• 167 BC Maccabean revolt
• 164 BC Re-dedication of the Temple
• 143 BC Qumran community (a longing for a Messiah)
– 3) Roman Period (63 BC – 135 AD)
• Fall of Jerusalem (135 AD)
• Destruction of the Temple (70 AD)
• Formation of Rabbinic Judaism
• Rabbi: “teacher”; one learned in the Torah; replaces priest and prophet
– 4) Diaspora (beyond the borders of Palestine)
– 5) State of Israel established (1948)
Scripture
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Sources for Rabbinic Judaism
– 1) Hebrew Bible (90 AD Council of Jamnia) – Ta Na Kh
• Torah (Law: “first 5 books” plus)
• Nebiim (Prophets)
• Ketubim (Writings: Wisdom literature)
• Judaism’s source of sacred history
• Study of its words is to sacred reality as scientific analysis is to literal
reality
– 2) Apocrypha – Greek translation for those Jews living beyond Palestine
– 3) Pseudepigrapha – a group of writings including the DSS (Dead Sea
Scrolls)
– 4) Mishna : re: the written Torah – each generation tries to make the Law
relevant for its time;
• Consists of Halakah (directions for daily living: do’s and don’ts)
– 5) Talmud (comprehensive)
– oral Torah, written Torah
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mishna (halakah)
application
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Gemara (commentary)
Talmud
View of God in Rabbinic Judaism
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Strict Monotheism
– God is One
– Schema (Deut 6:4-9)
– God is personal, just, righteous, holy
Jewish View of the Cosmos
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The world has been created by Yahweh, and is completely dependent upon Him
Psalms 8:3; 19:1
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Genesis – creation
– Faith is projected back into pre-history
Jewish View of the Human Being
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Created in God’s image – Imago Dei
– Special dignity
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Freedom of will – we are responsible for our actions
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A unitary being
– No mind-body division as in Greek philosophy
– A psycho-physical being (from dust), rooted in nature
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We have 2 tendencies:
– Yetzer hara – evil inclination
– Yetzer tov – good inclination
The Human Problem as seen in Judaism
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“Sin” is a rebellion against God
There is no absolute evil
Evil is corrective or reformative in nature
Proverbs 3:11-12
Suffering is often a punishment for sin (Isaiah 3:10)
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God has some purpose behind allowing evil to exist, but that is hidden from us
Job 42- following
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Yetzer hara
Salvation in Judaism
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Strict obedience to the Torah
Study of the Torah is important
Centrality of study is distinctive among world religions
Study of the Torah is the means par excellence towards
knowledge of God, and His ways
• “Build a fence around the Torah”
• Because of free will there is a possibility of sin, but forgiveness
is always possible where there is sincere repentance Ezekiel
18:30-32
Conduct
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Conduct as seen in Judaism
– Imitatio Dei (Leviticus 19:2. 18)
– Observe the moral law (Torah)
– Torah is the blueprint for conduct both 1) ethical and 2) religious
– Religiously-prescribed behavior is important
– “The Law of the Heart”
– Obedience to the Torah must be total, inner and outer (inner person and
outer person)
– 10 commandments
• 6-10 very similar to moral precepts in Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.
The Mishkan and Its Correspondences
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See article and transparency
Religious Festivals in Judaism
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Exodus (freedom)
– Pesach (passover) with seder meal
– Shavuot (commemorative of revelation of the Torah)
– Sukkot (recalls the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness)
Re-dedication of the Temple (164 BC)
– Hanukkah
New Year and anniversary of creation of Adam and Eve
– Rosh Hashanah
Day of Atonement
– Yom Kippur
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The ritual life of Judaism is focused in the home
Family unit is central to much of the religious activity
Festivals are celebrated around the meal table
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Home is central to:
– Dietary laws
– Laws of family purity
– Education (especially of children)
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Judaism in America (3 main groups):
– Orthodox Jews
• Follow Talmudic teaching
• Avoid mixing with the “world”
– Reform Judaism
• Seek to adapt to the society
• Lay aside most Talmudic practices
• Hold services on Sunday in “church,” etc.
– Conservative Judaism
• Seek to retain essential Judaism, while avoiding the tendency to
assimilation of Rabbinic Judaism
• Rigorous intellectual leadership
Mystical Judaism – the Kabbalah
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Kabbalah (“receiving”):
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Embraces an entire way of life
Oral Torah: taught only to select people
The Hebrew Bible is an “owner’s manual” to the universe
With the proper knowledge, one can manipulate the universe
Like dynamite, it is dangerous, and requires the proper training and attitude
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The Bible is of divine origin (every word/letter is significant) (transparency)
There can be no real contradictions or mistakes (though there may seem to be)
The Bible has eternal value (there are no contextualizations)
1) plain, 2) symbolic, 3) allegorical, & 4) esoteric meanings – to every verse
The information conveyed by the Bible contains all potential knowledge in the
universe (like on a chromosome) [even email, if you know how to interpret]
Science and religion are both from God and ultimately complementary
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Jewish mysticism
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Ain Sof (the undifferentiated)
First chapter of Genesis
First chapter of Ezekiel
– Instructions to achieve prophetic/mystical consciousness
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Step-down system
– 10 spheres of energy – sefiroth (the ways the infinite assumes finite
existence)
– Emanate from the Ain Sof down to our realm
– Only 7 spheres are accessible to humans
– The Tree of Life (see transparency)
– The scope of the Torah and its study (transparency)