10 Cwi Final Judaism Study Guide

Judaism Overview: - Judaism (Hebrew: ‫ )יַהֲדות‬is the religion of the Jewish people, based on principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Talmud - Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still in practice today. - Jewish history and doctrines have influenced other religions such as Christianity, Islam and the Bahá'í Faith God(s) - It differs from many religions in that central authority is not vested in a person or group, but in sacred texts and traditions - Belief in a single, omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent, transcendent God, who created the universe and continues to govern it - God revealed his laws and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of the Torah Scriptures: - Jews are often called the "People of the Book," and with good reason: Judaism has an age-old intellectual tradition of text-based Torah study - Study rabbinic literature - The basis of Jewish law and tradition ("halakha") is the Torah - there are 613 commandments in the Torah. Some of these laws are directed only to men or to women, some only to the ancient priestly groups Beliefs: - Written and Oral Torah as its fundamental core belief - Today most Orthodox authorities hold that these beliefs are obligatory, and that Jews who do not fully accept each one of them are potentially heretical (Basically, every belief is blessing god) - Traditionally, Jews recite prayers three times daily, with a fourth prayer added on Shabbat and holidays - Shabbat, the weekly day of rest lasting from shortly before sundown on Friday night to shortly after sundown Saturday night, commemorates God's day of rest after six days of creation. - Passover (Pesach) is a week-long holiday beginning on the evening of the 14th day of Nisan - Shavuot ("Pentecost" or "Feast of Weeks") celebrates the revelation of the Torah to the Israelites on Mount Sinai - Sukkot ("Tabernacles" or "The Festival of Booths") commemorates the Israelites' forty years of wandering through the desert on their way to the Promised Land - The High Holidays (Yamim Noraim or "Days of Awe") revolve around judgment and forgiveness - Hanukkah, ‫חנוכה‬, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight day Jewish holiday that starts on the 25th day of Kislev (Hebrew calendar). - Synagogues: religious building