Introduction to Judaism

Dale Hathaway

hathawayd@winthrop.edu

2018-02-28 Wed

Winthrop University

Judaism 101
What is Judaism?
What do Jews believe? A Christian question
The Name of G-d
Rambam's list Maimonides
Torah: multiple & rich meanings
The Land of Israel
Shabbat

Judaism 101

What is Judaism?

Judaism has been described as:

a religion,
a race,
a culture, and
a nation

Note: All of these descriptions have some validity The Jewish people are perhaps best described as an extended family

What is Judaism? What does it mean to be a Jew? Most people, both Jewish and gentile, would instinctively say that Judaism is a religion. And yet, there are militant atheists who insist that they are Jews! Is Judaism a race? If you were to say so, most Jews would think you were an antisemite! So what is Judaism? Is Judaism a Religion?

Clearly, there is a religion called Judaism, a set of ideas about the world and the way we should live our lives that is called "Judaism." It is studied in Religious Studies courses and taught to Jewish children in Hebrew schools. See What do Jews Believe? for details. There is a lot of flexibility about certain aspects of those beliefs, and a lot of disagreement about specifics, but that flexibility is built into the organized system of belief that is Judaism.

However, many people who call themselves Jews do not believe in that religion at all! More than half of all Jews in Israel today call themselves "secular," and don't believe in G-d or any of the religious beliefs of Judaism. Half of all Jews in the United States don't belong to any synagogue. They may practice some of the rituals of Judaism and celebrate some of the holidays, but they don't think of these actions as religious activities.

The most traditional Jews and the most liberal Jews and everyone in between would agree that these secular people are still Jews, regardless of their disbelief. See Who is a Jew? Clearly, then, there is more to being Jewish than just a religion.

Are Jews a Race?

In the 1980s, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Jews are a race, at least for purposes of certain anti-discrimination laws.
Their reasoning: at the time these laws were passed, people routinely spoke of the "Jewish race" or the "Italian race" as well as the "Negro race," so that is what the legislators intended to protect.

Note: But many Jews were deeply offended by that decision, offended by any hint that Jews could be considered a race. The idea of Jews as a race brings to mind nightmarish visions of Nazi Germany, where Jews were declared to be not just a race, but an inferior race that had to be rounded up into ghettos and exterminated like vermin.

But setting aside the emotional issues, Jews are clearly not a race.

Race is a genetic distinction, and refers to people with shared ancestry and shared genetic traits. You can't change your race; it's in your DNA. I could never become black or Asian no matter how much I might want to.

Common ancestry is not required to be a Jew. Many Jews worldwide share common ancestry, as shown by genetic research; however, you can be a Jew without sharing this common ancestry, for example, by converting. Thus, although I could never become black or Asian, blacks and Asians have become Jews (Sammy Davis Jr. and Connie Chung).

Is It a Culture or Ethnic Group?

Most secular American Jews think of their Jewishness as a matter of culture or ethnicity.
When they think of Jewish culture, they think of
- the food,
- of the Yiddish language,
- of some limited holiday observances, and
- of cultural values like the emphasis on education.

Note: Those secular American Jews would probably be surprised to learn that much of what they think of as Jewish culture is really just Ashkenazic Jewish culture, the culture of Jews whose ancestors come from one part of the world. Jews have lived in many parts of the world and have developed many different traditions. As a Sephardic friend likes to remind me, Yiddish is not part of his culture, nor are bagels and lox, chopped liver, latkes, gefilte fish or matzah ball soup. His idea of Jewish cooking includes bourekas, phyllo dough pastries filled with cheese or spinach. His ancestors probably wouldn't know what to do with a dreidel.

There are certainly cultural traits and behaviors that are shared by many Jews, that make us feel more comfortable with other Jews. Jews in many parts of the world share many of those cultural aspects. However, that culture is not shared by all Jews all over the world, and people who do not share that culture are no less Jews because of it. Thus, Judaism must be something more than a culture or an ethnic group.

Are the Jews a Nation?

The traditional explanation, and the one given in the Torah, is that the Jews are a nation.
The Hebrew word for "nation" is "goy."
The Torah and the rabbis used this term not in the modern sense meaning a territorial and political entity, but in the ancient sense meaning a group of people with a common history, a common destiny, and a sense that we are all connected to each other.

Note: Unfortunately, in modern times, the term "nation" has become too contaminated by ugly, jingoistic notions of a country obsessed with its own superiority and bent on world domination. Because of this notion of "nationhood," Jews are often falsely accused of being disloyal to their own country in favor of their loyalty to the Jewish "nation," of being more loyal to Israel than to their home country. Some have gone so far as to use this distorted interpretation of "nationhood" to prove that Jews do, or seek to, control the world. In fact, a surprising number of antisemitic websites and newsgroup postings linked to this page (in an earlier form) as proof of their antisemitic delusions that Jews are nationalistic, that Israel is a colonial power and so forth.

Because of the inaccurate connotations that have attached themselves to the term "nation," the term can no longer be used to accurately describe the Jewish people.

The Jewish People are a Family

there is a certain amount of truth in the claims that it is a religion, a race, or an ethnic group,
but none of these descriptions is entirely adequate to describe what connects Jews to other Jews.
almost all Jews feel a sense of connectedness to each other that many find hard to explain, define, or even understand.
Traditionally, this interconnectedness was understood as nationhood or peoplehood
but those terms have become so distorted over time that they are no longer accurate.

Note: Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz has suggested a better analogy for the Jewish people: We are a family. See the third essay in his 2005 book, We Jews: Who Are We and What Should We Do. But though this is a relatively new book, it is certainly not a new concept: throughout the Bible and Jewish literature, the Jewish people are referred to as "the Children of Israel," a reference to the fact that we are all the physical or spiritual descendants of the Patriarch Jacob, who was later called Israel. In other words, we are part of his extended family.

Like a family, we don't always agree with each other. We often argue and criticize each other. We hold each other to the very highest standards, knowing that the shortcomings of any member of the family will be held against all of us. But when someone outside of the family unfairly criticizes a family member or the family as a whole, we are quick to join together in opposition to that unfair criticism.

When members of our "family" suffer or are persecuted, we all feel their pain. For example, in the 1980s, when Africa was suffering from droughts and famines, many Jews around the world learned for the first time about the Beta Israel, the Jews of Ethiopia. Their religion, race and culture are quite different from ours, and we had not even known that they existed before the famine. And yet, our hearts went out to them as our fellow Jews during this period of famine, like distant cousins we had never met, and Jews from around the world helped them to emigrate to Israel.

When a member of our "family" does something illegal, immoral or shameful, we all feel the shame, and we all feel that it reflects on us. As Jews, many of us were embarrassed by the scandals of Monica Lewinsky, Jack Abramoff and Bernie Madoff, because they are Jews and their actions reflect on us all, even though we disapprove. The Madoff scandal was all the more embarassing, because so many of his victims were Jews and Jewish charities: a Jew robbing from our own "family"! We were shocked when Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was killed by a Jew, unable to believe that one Jew would ever kill another member of the "family."

And when a member of our "family" accomplishes something significant, we all feel proud. A perfect example of Jews (even completely secular ones) delighting in the accomplishments of our fellow Jews is the perennial popularity of Adam Sandler's Chanukkah songs, listing famous people who are Jewish. We all take pride in scientists like Albert Einstein or political leaders like Joe Lieberman (we don't all agree with his politics or his religious views, but we were all proud to see him on a national ticket). And is there a Jew who doesn't know (or at least feel pride upon learning) that Sandy Koufax declined to pitch in a World Series game that fell on Yom Kippur?

What do Jews believe? A Christian question

Question: "What is Judaism and what do Jews believe?"
Answer: What is Judaism, and who or what is a Jew? Is Judaism simply a religion? Is it a cultural identity or just an ethnic group? Are Jews a clan of people or are they a nation? What do Jews believe, and do they all believe the same things?

Definitions

Dictionary definitions of a “Jew” include

“a member of the tribe of Judah,”
“an Israelite,”
“a member of a nation existing in the land of Israel from the 6th century B.C. to the 1st century A.D.,”
“a person belonging to a continuation through descent or conversion of the ancient Jewish people,” and
“one whose religion is Judaism.”

Who Is a Jew?

A Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism.
Most estimates suggest that there are about 13 million Jews in the world. The vast majority of these Jews live in either the United States (about 6 million) and Israel (about 5 million).
the differences between Sephardic (Spanish/Middle Eastern) and Ashkenazic (German/Eastern European) Jews, and other cultural subgroups of Judaism.
Judaism does not maintain that Jews are better than other people.

Belief

So, what is it that Jews believe, and what are the basic precepts of Judaism? There are five main forms or sects of Judaism in the world today. They are

Orthodox,
Conservative,
Reformed,
Reconstructionist, and
Humanistic or secular

Traditional beliefs

a short list of the traditional beliefs of Judaism would include the following:

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.

Scripture

Although Christians base much of their faith on the same Hebrew Scriptures as Jews do, there are major differences in belief:

Jews generally consider actions and behavior to be of primary importance; beliefs come out of actions. This conflicts with conservative Christians for whom belief is of primary importance and actions are a result of that belief.
Jewish belief does not accept the Christian concept of original sin (the belief that all people have inherited Adam and Eve's sin when they disobeyed God's instructions in the Garden of Eden).
Judaism affirms the inherent goodness of the world and its people as creations of God.

Mitzvoth (Commandments)

Jewish believers are able to sanctify their lives and draw closer to God by fulfilling mitzvoth (divine commandments).

No savior is needed or is available as an intermediary.
The 613 commandments found in Leviticus and other books regulate all aspects of Jewish life. The Ten Commandments, as delineated in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21, form a brief synopsis of the Law.
The Messiah (anointed one of God) will arrive in the future and gather Jews once more into the land of Israel. There will be a general resurrection of the dead at that time. The Jerusalem Temple, destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Romans, will be rebuilt.

Jesus and Judaism

Beliefs about Jesus vary considerably. Some view Him as a great moral teacher. Others see Him as a false prophet or as an idol of Christianity. Some sects of Judaism will not even say His name due to the prohibition against saying an idol's name.
The Jews are often referred to as God's chosen people. Meaning?

Patriarchs and women

The position of women under traditional Jewish law is not nearly as lowly as many modern people think.

Patriarchs

The Patriarchs and the Origins of Judaism from Abraham to the Children of Israel, discussing the lives of the Patriarchs.
Moses, Aaron and Miriam (Exodus)
Prophets and Prophecy
Jewish sages and scholars, including Hillel, Shammai, Rabbi Akiba, Judah Ha-Nasi, Rashi, Maimonides and the Baal Shem Tov.

The Name of G-d

YHVH – יהוה (“Yahweh”?)
Elohim "God"
El Shaddai "God Almighty"
YHVH Sabaoth "Lord of Hosts"
today often written G-d so that prohibition for defacing name of God won't be done inadvertently

Rambam's list Maimonides

The closest that anyone has ever come to creating a widely-accepted list of Jewish beliefs is Rambam's thirteen principles of faith. These principles, which Rambam thought were the minimum requirements of Jewish belief, are:

G-d exists
G-d is one and unique
G-d is incorporeal
G-d is eternal
Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and to no other
The words of the prophets are true

Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets
The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were given to - Moses
There will be no other Torah
G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of men
G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked
The Messiah will come
The dead will be resurrected

Who knows one? (From Seder)

Who knows one? I know one! One is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.
Who knows two? *I know two! Two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.
Who knows three? I know three! Three are the fathers, and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.
Who knows four? I know four! Four are the Mothers, and three are the fathers, and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.
Who knows five? I know five! Five are the books of the *[clap] Torah, Four are the mothers, and three are the fathers and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.

Who knows six? I know six! Six are the books of the *[clap] Mishnah, and five are the books of the *[clap] Torah, and four are the mothers and three are the fathers and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.

Who knows seven? I know seven! Seven are the days of the week [clap, clap], Six are the books of the *[clap] Mishnah, and five are the books of the *[clap] Torah, and four are the mothers and three are the fathers and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.
Who knows eight? I know eight! Eight are the days til the *Brit Milah. Seven are the days of the week *[clap, clap], Six are the books of the *clap Mishnah, and five are the books of the *[clap] Torah, and four are the mothers and three are the fathers and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.

Who knows nine? I know nine! Nine are the months til the baby's born Eight are the days til the Brit Milah Seven are the days of the week *[clap, clap], Six are the books of the [clap] Mishnah, and five are the books of the *[clap] Torah, and four are the mothers and three are the fathers and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.

Who know ten? I know ten! Ten are the Ten Commandments Nine are the months til the baby's born Eight are the days til the *Brit Milah Seven are the days of the week *[clap, clap], Six are the books of the [clap] Mishnah, and five are the books of the [clap] Torah, and four are the mothers and three are the fathers and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.

Who knows eleven? I know eleven! Eleven are the stars in Joseph's dream Ten are the Ten Commandments Nine are the months til the baby's born Eight are the days til the *Brit Milah Seven are the days of the week [clap, clap], Six are the books of the [clap] Mishnah, and five are the books of the [clap] Torah, and four are the mothers and three are the fathers and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.

Who knows twelve? I know twelve! Twelve are the tribes of Israel Eleven are the stars in Joseph's dream Ten are the Ten Commandments Nine are the months til the baby's born Eight are the days til the *Brit Milah Seven are the days of the week [clap, clap], Six are the books of the [clap] Mishnah, and five are the books of the [clap] Torah, and four are the mothers and three are the fathers and two are the tablets that Moses brought, and one is Hashem! In the Heaven and the Earth.

Torah: multiple & rich meanings

the concept of Torah,
the books of Jewish scriptures and other sacred Jewish writings.
entire Jewish Bible
Whole body of Jewish law & teachings

Prayers and Blessings

the importance of prayer in Judaism and the form and content of prayers and blessings.
The Hebrew word for prayer is tefilah.
The Yiddish word meaning "pray" is "daven," which ultimately comes from the same Latin root as the English word "divine" and emphasizes the One to whom prayer is directed.
For an observant Jew, prayer is not simply something that happens in synagogue once a week (or even three times a day). Prayer an integral part of everyday life. In fact, one of the most important prayers in Judaism, the Birkat Ha-Mazon, is never recited in synagogue!

Jewish Liturgy

the history and structure of the traditional Jewish prayer service.
Christian prayer and worship grew out of traditional Jewish liturgy
Major adjustments came to Jewish liturgy with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem

Central Prayers

Undoubtedly the oldest fixed daily prayer in Judaism is the Shema. This consists of Deut. 6:4-9, Deut. 11:13-21, and Num. 15:37-41. http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/705353/jewish/The-Shema.htm

The Land of Israel

the importance of the land of Israel to Judaism,
the rise of Zionism and
the formation of the state of Israel.

Synagogues, Shuls and Temples

Jewish places of worship,
modern synagogues and
the Temple of ancient times.

Shabbat

The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances.
People who do not observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with stifling restrictions, or as a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath.
But to those who observe Shabbat, it is a precious gift from G-d, a day of great joy eagerly awaited throughout the week, a time when we can set aside all of our weekday concerns and devote ourselves to higher pursuits.

Jewish Holidays

Jewish holidays generally. Includes a list of all Jewish holidays and their dates for the next five years. Provides links to pages about each specific holiday.

Passover
The Month of Tishri Tishri, the most holiday-intensive month of the Jewish year.
Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year
Days of Awe the period of introspection from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, known as the Days of Awe.
Yom Kippur the Jewish Day of Atonement
Sukkot the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles.