Judaism- World Religions
What are Reconstructionist Jews?
-Mordecai Kaplan (founder) -G-d, Torah, and the people of Israel formed to basis of the Jewish experience. Broadened the definition of what it meant to be a Jew. Not just religious. -influenced by American ideals of democracy and practicality -"more drastic than reform and less disturbing than revolution" -secular Jewish activity has a place in Judaism. Not all Jews would want to search out G-d or study the torah -symbolic vs. literal: sees angles, prophecy, revealed law (suggest the Torah not divinely revealed), the Messiah, and G-d as useful symbols. God: "the power that makes me feel even higher ideals" - women can be rabbis -does not accept the idea of Jews as the chosen people -sees Judaism as a changing cultural force- "a people" -" a whole civilization which expresses itself...in literature, art, music, even cuisine" - smallest movement in the united states (less than 2%)
Are there times where tale-bearing is allowed?
-required in a Jewish court of law - required if a person is in danger -permitted if someone is entering a relationship that he would not enter if he knew certain information, but person is not allowed to reveal info if the same objective could be fulfilled w/o revealing info. Ex. if could talk a person out of marrying for reasons other than the disease, you may not reveal the disease
What is Sukkot?
An autumn harvest festival in which tabernacles (booths/huts) are set up on lawns or grounds of the temple, or in the backyard of homes. The tabernacles commemorate the portable thatched huts that the Hebrews lived in during the Exodus, prior to their entry into Canaan. At this time, Jews give thanks to G-d for all their bounty (good fortune)
How can we exercise our humanity in the direction of goodness?
By freely choosing to do what G-d would have us do, instead of following our instincts as all other animals do.
What is the oral Torah? How is it thought to complement the written Torah?
It is the material taught and transmitted by Judaism's great rabbis of antiquity. It complements b/c some laws needed elaboration, written Torah did not always say enough. It could not directly address the continually changing situations.
Why are some animals okay to eat and others not?
Only certain species are allowed (cows, sheep, chicken, fish) and others (pigs, shellfish) forbidden. Torah does not say why. It may be that the forbidden animals had personality traits from which people wanted to disassociate themselves with. Birds of prey are permitted, while gentler birds are permitted. Or it may be simply an arbitrary division, a way of introducing categories of permitted and forbidden to keep us conscious of what we are consuming.
Traditional Judaism is often called what? Was it always called this name? How did it begin?
Orthodox, but we might recall that until the Reform movement began there was no need to give a special name to traditional Judaism, because all Jews were traditional in belief and practice. In a sense, Orthodox Judaism came into being only after the Reform began, and as a response to it.
What do other groups believe about the idea of the Chosen People?
The Chosen People idea is so powerful that other groups have appropriated it. Both Catholicism and Protestantism believe that G-d chose the Jews, but that two thousand years ago a new covenant was made with Christianity.
What is Tefillin?
The Shema is worn by Jewish men in Tefillin worn with the straps clockwise by Sephardic men (Jews who originally settled in Muslim countries) and anticlockwise for Ashkenazi Jews (Jews who originally settled in Christian countries). The head tefillah has the 4 key Shema passages on 4 separate parchments, the hand tefillah has them on just one piece. They are worn by adult men at all weekday morning services.
What is a tallit?
a four-cornered prayer shawl worn by adult Jewish men for morning services. the Tzitzith fringes are a reminder of the 10 Commandments commanded by the Bible.
What is Purim?
a holiday celebrated in Feb or March, commemorating the story of the book of Esther (how the Jews of Persia were saved from the wicked designs of the evil Haman, chief minister of the Persian king, by the brave Esther and her cousin Mordecai
What did Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, founder of the small but influential Reconstructionist movement, advocate for?
advocated for the dropping of chosenness for two reasons: to undercut accusations of the sort made by Shaw that the Chosen People idea was the model for racist ideologies, and because it went against modern thinking to see the Jews as a divinely chosen people
Define the term covenant in relation to the Jews
am agreement established long ago between G-d and the ancient Israelites, 1st through Avraham and later through Moshe. G-d promised that if they would keep the covenant by obeying the Law (Torah), they would be G-d's "treasured possession", "holy nation", and "kingdom of priests". Because of covenant, Jews are understood to be G-d's Chosen People. Being the Chosen People, they are expected and challenged to live as befits a "holy nation", or a good and righteous people. The covenant is between G-d and the people. For this reason, Judaism places a big emphasis on group identity.
How can Orthodoxy be described?
as a branch of Judaism committed to retaining traditional practice and belief. Orthodox Jews are hesitant to discard any traditional practices, even those not demanded by the Torah but simply revered as reasonable later developments that are said to "guard" the Torah from being lost or misinterpreted
why is a person listening to gossip worse than the person speaking the gossip?
b/c no harm could be done by gossip if no one listened to it
Why is saying a negative truth worse than a negative lie?
b/c the person won't be able to defend or deny it
what is the symbol for the covenant?
circumcision (bris mila), the removal of the foreskin, which must be carried out on the eighth day after the infant is born, providing the baby is well enough. It is a joyous family occasion.
What does the Jewish way of life impose when there are rules for diet, sleep and working habits?
imposes rules to take the most common and mundane activities and invest them with deeper meaning, turning every one of them into an occasion for obeying (or disobeying) G-d.
What is the Torah (Pentateuch) and what does it contain?
the 1st five books of hebrew bible, revelation of G-d and Judaism's central code of morality. There are 613 commandments. It can be seen as a history book, a family album, and a love letter. It is the written part of the Torah
What is apart of the Oral Torah?
the Mishnah and Talmud. The Mishnah is the interpretation. It is the start of the study of the Torah. It is written down as a sacred text. The Talmud is the combination of the Mishnah and the Gemara that together makes the Talmud. It is the commentary on the Mishnah and Torah. It serves as analysis. Judaism encourages intellectual curiosity as an act of worship.
Why were the descendants of Avraham given the task of making G-d known to the world?
the Torah never tells us. What G-d does say in Deuteronomy is that "it is not because you are numerous that G-d chose you, indeed you are the smallest of people". Because of the Jews small numbers, any success they would have in making G-d known to the world would presumably reflect upon the power of the idea of G-d. Had the Jews been a large nation with an outstanding army, their success in making G-d known would have been attributed to their might and not the truth of their ideas. After all, non-Muslims living in Arab world were hardly impressed by the large numbers of people brought to Islam through the sword.
What is Olam Ha-Ba?
the afterlife. Olam Ha-Ba is the world to come or the spiritual world that souls go to after death.
What is Rosh Hashanah?
the anniversary of the creation of the world, which ushers in the "10 Days of Awe", a period of reflection, repentance, and renewal (Jewish New Year)
What is the literal meaning of the term prophet?
"One who speaks for". The person it is for is G-d
What are the Jewish people regarded as?
"The Chosen People"
What are the two divisions within Judaism?
1. Cultural 2. Observance (religious)
What are the elements of the covenant?
1. the gift of the Torah 2. the marriage contract between G-d and Israel 3. The gift of the land of Israel
How many Yom Kippur Sins are about speech?
11 out of 43
What is the Pentateuch?
A greek term meaning the first 5 books of the Torah
Why were the Jews chosen?
Because they are descendants of Avraham
When using the term Orthodox to refer to traditional Jews, what various types are there that need to be recognized and distinguished?
Integrationists- seek to play a role in civil society Separatists- want to live their traditional lifestyle apart from society, sometimes without political activity. Most Orthodox Jews support the state of Israel, and many accept the need for secular education in addition to traditional learning, but some are opposed to both
Who is traditionally regarded as the author of the Torah? How many specific laws is the Torah thought to contain?
Moshe. G-d revealed the law once and for all to him. It contains 613 commandments
Why did G-d create human beings?
So that they could contribute the one thing His creation lacked, the act of freely choosing goodness
What is Passover?
This holiday commemorates the historical events found in the Book of Exodus, and celebrates the importance of "freedom" with a special meal called a seder. Even children and guests play a role in the re-telling of the Exodus story.
How did the notion of one G-d become known to the world?
Through the Jews
True or False: Everything in G-d's world can be holy if you realize its potential holiness?
True
What makes human beings different from other living creatures?
We have eaten of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Where other creatures can be obedient or disobedient, only human beings can be good.
Since the Temple being destroyed and we no longer bring animal offerings, what has become the currency of our transactions with G-d?
Words. Judaism bids us use words to heal, to comfort the sick and the grieving, to bring peace between enemies. And it forbids us to use our divinely given power of speech, the same power that lets us communicate with G-d, to gossip or humiliate. The Talmud goes so far as to say that embarrassing a person and causing him to blush, or insulting him and causing him to turn pale, is a form of bloodshed.
During most of Christian history, and among Evangelical Christians to the present day, what does Christian chosenness mean?
meant that only Christians go to heaven while the non-chosen are either placed in limbo or are damned.
What are the rules in regards to sexual contact and marriage?
*Jews didn't want to suppress something so natural like other religions, but also didn't want to let it control them - Jews are religiously obligated to marry and have children (for those who dont marry or cant have kids, Judaism understands themselves to simply be victims of circumstance) - sexual activity is limited to married couples, and limited to certain times even within marriage. Adultery is wrong, not because the woman is the man's property but b/c sexual contact is so uniquely intimate an activity that it belongs only in the framework of an ongoing intimate relationship. No sex during menstruating because the blood is considered as a magic power, the secret of life, and a man must keep a distance from it. It can also be as a mourning for the potential life that was lost. Or it can also be a way to regulate sexual activity to maximize the possibility of procreation and childbirth. - Judaism sees sexual relations as more than for making babies, but as a means of pleasure and to feel loved as well.
Identify the three related meanings of the term Torah?
- "Instruction" - Refers to the 1st five books of the Bible which are believe to have been revealed to Moshe - Refers to the will of G-d as it is revealed to humankind - Loosely translated as "law" (guides proper human conduct
What are reform jews?
- Moses Mendelssohn (founder), was heavily influenced by the ideals of the European Enlightenment: human dignity, equality, individual liberty, democracy, secular education, development of science (every Jewish tradition could be questioned) - more liberal interpretation of Jewish law: individual conscience and informed choice the priority -question ancient practice or attitudes that are inconsistent with the life of a modern person/contrary to one's moral conscience - nontraditional in dress -talit/tefilim (optional or dropped) -first to declare men and women equal/women rabbis/bat mitzvah -women and men do not sit separately in the synagogue -services conducted in both Hebrew and native language -choir and organ music common -support Zionism as a primary religious value -goal: thoroughly modernize Judaism so that it would survive in the contemporary world -viewed by orthodox branch as dangerous. they see reform practices as diluting the purity of traditional judaism - 42% of north american Jews are reform. the fastest growing division
What are rules that Orthodox synagogues take part in?
- Separate the genders, w/ females often sitting in an upstairs gallery - For a service to take place, there must be a quorum (minyan) of ten Jewish males - Services are conducted completely in Hebrew and led by male rabbis -Only males may celebrate the coming of age ceremony (bar mitzvah) - men at prayer use the talit and at weekday morning prayer use the tefillin -men must keep their heads covered with kippa, prayer shawl, or hat) as a reminder that G-d is above all - social roles (especially among "ultraorthodox) are strictly separate, Men are breadwinners of the family, and women are responsible for running the household -the hair of the beard and in front of the ears is sometimes left uncut by males, in response to a command in the Torah -some men choose to wear the dress that developed in central Europe during the 19th century- a black hat and black coat (originally a beaver-skin hat and a black smock) - women cover hair with wig, kerchief, cut it short, although this is condemned by some rabbis. The hair is covered as an expression of modesty, b/c a woman's hair is considered seductive - the orthodox household keeps strictly kosher - they prohibit any manual labor on the sabbath. cooking is not allowed , nor is driving a car, walking long distances, dialing a telephone, or even turning on an electric light
Even though there is no single official creed that all Jews accept, Jews believe:
- There is only one G-d, to Whom prayer is directed, and with Whom each person has a personal and direct relationship -Congregational prayer and community are a cornerstone of faith -The torah is a guide to righteous living, as a continual source of revelation, although not all accept it literally -study of torah is equivalent to prayer - g-d is supreme over all and possesses absolute sovereignty -people have free will and there is no original sin -righteousness is not limited to members of the Jewish faith - they share a sense of community and responsibility for Jews throughout the world
What are Conservative Jews?
-started in Germany, strong roots in the U.S. -reform movement too radical -philosophically and theologically, Conservative Judaism stands between Orthodoxy and Reform -Rely on the consensus of learned scholars and the accepted practice of the community. Therefore change does come about but slowly -strict regarding observance of traditional Jewish practices (Hebrew services, keep kosher, Sabbath strictly observed)/use electricity and drive to service on Sabbath -accept women as rabbis -synagogue practices-traditional but modern -women admitted as equal participants in the service - has bar mitzvahs and bat -hebrew the principal language of prayer/English sermons -the family pew (mixed gender seating) accepted in some synagogues -zionism accepted -40% of north american jews are conservative
What are the culturally based divisions?
1. Sephardic Jews - sephardim -origins: southern spain (after Diaspora- Roman victories in 70 C.E. and 135 C.E.) "a center of flourishing Jewish life, especially under Muslim rule" - 1492 Muslims and Jews expelled- language and culture spread (Morocco, Greece, Egypt, Holland, England) -Ladino (common language of Sephardic Jews), spanish mixed with Hebrew words and written in Hebrew -Morocco: Significant numbers of Jews lived here until recent times. Many emigrated to Israel. - 50% of all Jews in Israel are of Sephardic background 2. Ashkenazi Jews - Jews who lived in or came from central Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Hungary) -Ashkenazim -Poland shtetls (polish towns made up entirely of Jews. Before the Holocaust, 3 million Jews lived in Poland alone). -Yiddish (common language of central European Judaism) - also referred to as "Jewish" - a medieval form of German mixed with Hebrew and written in Hebrew - strong culture: stories, theatre, music, and books - culture essentially ended after the Holocaust. However, Yiddish lives on in the United States, Canada, and Israel - Recent signs of revival Other Forms - Ethiopian Judaism (Falashas) - India (western coast) - Yemen - Iraq
What is Yom Kippur?
A day in which "G-d reckons up the sins of every person for the previous year" and accordingly, sets their fates or the coming year. On this day each person assesses his/her life and makes amends/asks for forgiveness. Fasting for 24 hrs is required.
What is Shabbat?
A day in which Jews are to detach themselves from all day to day problems, and everything unpleasant in life. A day to rest, recharge, reunite with family and G-d. A day to imagine the world the way it is supposed to be-w/o injustice, pain, or problems
What is Tisha B'Av?
A day in which Jews remember the destructions of the temples in Jerusalem, first by the Babylonians, and later by the Romans. Jews are taught to cherish their history, even if the memory is painful
What is Shavuot?
A festival celebrated 7 weeks after Passover, which commemorates the harvest of first fruits, and commemorates the revelation of of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. Many bar/bat mitzvahs are held at this time. Perhaps the least celebrated of the jewish holidays
What is Chanukah?
A joyous festival which celebrates the Maccabees victory over the Syrian Greeks and the rededication of the temple. An eight branched menorah is sued to commemorate the miracle of the burning oil in the temple. Jews reflect on how even a small light can dispell darkness
Why should you not gossip even if it is positive?
B/c it is said that tale-bearing leads to bloodshed. In the case of interaction w/ enemies, you cannot say positive things to a person's enemy b/c they will get a chance to contradict you and this will have made you the initiator of gossip. You can also spark jealously. You may also become egotistical. The person may also not feel comfortable with you sharing information about them, success or failure. It isn't your place to share.
What do the rabbis comment on in the Talmud, and how do they support their arguments?
Based directly on the Mishnah, small portions of the Mishnah are cited, followed by intricate commentary. Rabbis support their argument by citing biblical passages. Talmud presents a grand scheme of interpretation of G-d's will, blending oral and written forms
Why are Jews supposed to eat sitting down?
Because animals eat standing up and as humans we are given the ability to eat with meaning and thought unlike animals who eat just for survival and satisfaction. We can consider and think more deeply about why we eat, for what purpose, and who to thank.
True or False: the search for holiness, for the encounter w/ G-d, is confined to the synagogue?
False. Everything we do can be transferred into a Sinai experience, an encounter with the sacred. The goal of Judaism is not to teach us how to escape from the profane world to the cleansing presence of G-d, but to teach us how to bring G-d into the world, how to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.
Why is the Hebrew Bible known as the Tanakh?
It is a common way of referring to the Hebrew bible derived from the 1st letters of the Hebrew names of its 3 sections, Torah (T), Prophets (N), and Writing (K)
Does Judaism believe that chosenness endows Jews w/ special rights in the way racist ideologies endow those born into the "Right race"?
Not at all. Chosenness is so unconnected to any notion of race that Jews believe that the Messiah himself will descend from Ruth, a non Jewish woman who converted to Judaism
What does Judaism insist when it comes to laws?
That living by G-d's laws is a matter not only of obedience, but of a more important kind of freedom. It is the freedom to control yourself rather than be slave to desire. Many of the rules and rituals of the Jewish way of life are spiritual calisthenics, designed to teach us to control the most basic instincts of our lives-hunger, sex, anger, acquisitiveness, and so on. We are not directed to deny or stifle them, but to control them, to rule them rather than let them rule us, and to sanctify them by dedicating our living of them to G-d's purposes. The freedom the Torah offers us is the freedom to say no to appetite. If you have had virtually no experience saying no, what are the chances for happiness? But if all your life you have practiced the control of instinct, saying no to food, to sexual opportunities, to other temptations, how much better will your chances be? The Law tries to make us strong enough to resist the many temptations to sin to which the human being is subject daily. Whereas Christianity might say that the effort is futile, that we can never become strong enough to resist sin, Judaism would insist that we owe it to G-d to have the moral seriousness at least to try.
What was allowed to change in the Hebrew Bible?
The written text of the Torah could never be changed, the Oral Law however was always subject to expansion and revision. Obscure biblical precepts could be clarified. Outdated laws referring to an agricultural society could be updated to meet the needs of a commercial society. New laws could be drafted to deal with new problems (modern medical procedures, space travel), and with the transition from a world where non-jews were hostile idol-worshippers to one where non-jews were more likely to be friendly Christians sharing the same monotheistic heritage.
Why do observant Jews avoid pronouncing the divine name? How is the name written?
They venerate their g-d so deeply and constantly that they avoid pronouncing the divine name- considering it too holy to be spoken by human beings
What makes a person a good Jew?
This question is not answered by checking someone's diet or counting how often someone prays. A good Jew is someone who is constantly striving to become a better Jew
When was the Mishnah written, and what does it contain?
Written in 200 AD. Contains the teachings that were formulated and transmitted orally by the rabbis. Came to be regarded as sacred text.
What are three ways we can handle instinctual urges?
Yield( as animals do), suppress (not healthy b/c you end up thinking about it and obsessing too much), or sanctify (to make it holy. We can apply rules of permitted and forbidden to them in a way that no other living creature can, and we can then go on to enjoy them within those limits)
Why is harm done by speech worse than other types of harm?
You can't predict how bad it will affect. You can never repay. If you steal from someone, they will get their money back someday. If you hit someone, the bruise will heal, but if you say something harmful it can really hurt that person's feelings and stay with them forever.
When an animal is slaughtered how must it be done?
in as painless a manner as possible. It should make a difference to us whether, in our compromise to kill for our dinner, we have taken care to minimize the animal's pain. A Jewish ecology, defining our relationship to the earth and the creatures that inhibit it, would not be based on the assumption that we are no different from other living creatures. It would begin with the opposite idea: We have a special responsibility precisely because we are different, because we know what we are doing. There can be no mixing of dairy and meat because you cannot combine the meat with the milk its mother produced to feed it. Its cruel.
What is the percent of Orthodoxy in Israel?
in continental europe it was nearly destroyed by Nazis. In Israel only a tenth of population is orthodox
How is tzedakah viewed?
it is an obligation known as "doing the right thing". It is not charity because charity implies that you give to the poor because you are a generous person. Tzedaka means that you give to the poor, even if you don't feel like giving, because Judaism tells you that it should be done. It tells us that G-d has chosen to make us His intermediary in passing something on to the poor, so that I will be included in the good deed, but I have no right to keep that portion of my wealth for myself any more than the postman has the right to keep for himself a check addressed to me. The purpose of tzedaka is to help the poor, not to give us opportunities to feel virtuous. It remains an important teaching that money is not ours, but G-d's
How does Olam Ha-Ba play a role in Judaism?
it is rarely discussed in Jewish life, be it among Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox Jews. This is in marked contrast to the religious traditions of the people among whom the Jews have lived. The Torah, the most important Jewish text, has no clear reference to afterlife at all
What is the Shema?
it the prayer that declares the uniqueness of the Israelites' relationship to G-d. Recited at least 2 daily.
What are some reasons suggested for the nondisclosure of afterlife?
one could be that Jews may not have not wanted to be as death obsessed as their oppressors, the Egyptians, were. Torah is so obsessed with this world that it forbids its priest to come in contact with a dead body. The Torah, therefore, might have been silent about the afterlife out of a desire to ensure that Judaism not evolve in the direction of the death obsessed Egyptian religion. A second reason could come from the idea that throughout history, those religions that have assigned a significant role to afterlife have often permitted other religious values to become distorted. For example, belief in the afterlife motivated the men of the Spanish Inquisition to torture innocent human beings; they believed it was morally desirable to torture people for a few days in this world until they accepted Christ, and thereby save them from the eternal torments of hell.
What does the Talmud say about the tongue?
that it is an instrument so dangerous that it must be kept hidden from view, behind two protective walls (the mouth and teeth) to prevent misuse. The harm done by speech is even worse than the harm done by stealing or by cheating someone financially. Some sources indicate that there is no forgiveness for lashon hara (disparaging speech). Speech has been compared to an arrow: once the words are released, like an arrow, they cannot be recalled, the harm they do cannot be stopped, and the harm they do cannot always be predicted, for words like arrows often go astray.
What was a new idea that Ezra established?
the idea of interpretation. He said that there would be no more prophets. In place of revelation, there would be interpretation. If you need to know what G-d wants of you, dont consult an oracle or wait for a prophet to tell you. Read the torah, and if the answer isnt clear, read it again more carefully or consult an expert. This now meant that Jews had to be literate in a world where most people were not. It meant that the most important people in the Jewish community were not the strongest, the best-looking, or the richest, but the most learned, b/c only they could deduce accurately how G-d wanted us to live. As a result, an "aristocracy of intellectuals" developed. If a person showed the ability to understand the classic texts, they would be the prominent leader.
What is Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom HaShoah)?
the wailing of sirens at a specified time in Israel. Calls all Jews to stop for a moment, and to remember a very tragic story (Yom HaShoah)- which must never be forgotten
What is the Mezuzah?
the words of the Shema are also found in Jewish homes on the lintel of the outside door (and most inside) in a Mezuzah which means doorpost
What do the rabbis note about speech?
they note that the universe itself was created through speech
According to some Jewish sources, what is the true meaning of chosenness?
to make G-d known to the world