Beasley, Cate, Goldstein,Hall, Pirtle
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God is the creator of all that exists; He is one,
incorporeal (without a body), and He alone is to be
worshipped as absolute ruler of the universe.
The first five books of the Hebrew Bible were
revealed to Moses by God. They will not be
changed or augmented in the future.
God has communicated to the Jewish people
through prophets.
God monitors the activities of humans; He rewards
individuals for good deeds and punishes evil.
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The Hebrew word mitzvot means
"commandments" (mitzvah is its singular form).
Although the word is sometimes used more
broadly to refer to rabbinic (Talmudic) law or
general good deeds - as in, "It would be a
mitzvah to visit your mother" - in its strictest
sense it refers to the divine commandments
given by God in the Torah
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A gezeirah is a rule instituted by the rabbis to prevent inadvertent
violation of a mitzvah. For instance, it is a mitzvah to refrain from work on
the Sabbath, but a gezeirah to avoid even the handling of any work
instruments on the Sabbath.
A takkanah is a law instituted by rabbis that does not derive from the
Torah. One example would be the lighting of candles on Hanukkah, a
post-biblical holiday. Takkanot can sometimes vary by region:
Ashkenazic Jews (who live in Christian nations) accepted a takkanah
banning polygamy in c. 1000 CE, while Sephardic Jews (who live in
Islamic societies) do not follow such a law.
A minhag, which is "a custom that evolved for worthy religious reasons
and has continued long enough to become a binding religious practice."
An example minhag would be the custom of celebrating certain holidays a
day longer in the Diaspora than in Israel. The term minhag is sometimes
used in a broader sense, to indicate the general custom or way of a
particular community. While these are not formalized or universal, it
congregants are still encouraged to follow the community minhag.
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The 613 commandments: The Jewish philosopher
Rabbi Maimonides made a list of the 613
commandments he found in the Jewish Bible, and
they have since become a standard list of what
God requires of Jews.
Kosher: The word "kosher" is the Anglicized form
of the Hebrew kasher, which literally means "good"
or "proper," but came to indicate an item "fit for
ritual use." Kashrut thus means "fitness" for ritual
use.
The Synagogue: The Jewish house of worship is a
synagogue. The synagogue is a place where Torah
readings, prayer and teaching take place
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Rabbi: It is imperative for the healthcare providers to understand the
importance of the rabbi’s counsel to the orthodox Jew so that they can aid
their patients with the challenges presented at the conclusion of life.
End of life decision making: While Judaism believes in the absolute
sanctity of life it also recognizes the Bible verse “a time to live and a time
to die” from the Book of Ecclesiastes.
Decisions: All decisions made by Orthodox Jews are consistent with the
will of God as expressed by the Jewish law.
Who is the decision maker? Jewish families look to the Rabbi for his
expertise in advising them with end of life decisions.
What do rabbis advise families regarding end of life care?: Many rabbis
have ruled that its ok to withhold medical interventions from the
terminally ill patient when there is no likely benefit to the patient, but
others believe that preservation of life outweighs all other possibilities.
Artificial Nutrition and Hydration: Most all Orthodox rabbis agree on the
fact that artificial nutrition and hydration should be provided to the
patient even if other medical interventions are being withheld. Hydration
and nutrition are basic needs and they believe these basic needs should be
met.
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Beliefs about Godhttp://www.gotquestions.org/Judaism.html
Rabbinic Law and More Jewish Practiceshttp://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/practices
/mitzvot.htm#rabbinic
End of Life Carehttp://www.hospicefoundation.org/uploads/200
9kinzbrunner.pdf
http://www.jewishpress.com/printArticle.cfm?co
ntentid=33511
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On Preparation for death:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Death_and_Mourning/Dying/Et
hical_Wills.shtml
On Dying
:http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Death_and_Mourning/Dying.sh
tml
On Death and Burial:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Death_and_Mourning/Burial_an
d_Mourning.shtml
On Making a Shiva Call:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Death_and_Mourning/Burial_an
d_Mourning/Shiva/How_to_Make_a_Shiva_Call.shtml
On Shiva:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Death_and_Mourning/Burial_an
d_Mourning/Shiva.shtml
On Going to a funeral:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Death_and_Mourning/Practical_
Aspects/Going_to_a_Funeral.shtml
http://www.interfaithfamily.com/life_cycle/death_and_mourning/Guide_to_Death_a
nd_Mourning_for_Interfaith_Families.shtml