RELS 101 Ch 3: Judaism

Reconstructionism

Branch of Judaism founded by Mordechai Kaplan who taught his followers that the scriptures were not divinely revealed, but created by the Jewish people. He established the first Jewish Community Centres, synagogues that are social and cultural centres rather than religious ones. Invented the bat mitzvah (female equivalent of the coming of age celebration "bar mitzvah" for males). Reconstructionists still observe dietary laws and the wearing of the kippah (skullcap).

Conservative Judaism

Branch of Judaism founded by Zacharias Frankel as a middle ground between liberal Reform and staunchly conservative Orthodox Judaism. Belief that the core teachings of Judaism were divinely revealed, but Judaism has changed with time and are slightly open to interpretation. Women are allowed to become rabbis depending upon the particular synagogue.

Orthodox Judaism

Branch of Judaism led by Samson Raphael Hirsch. Sought to apply the Torah to all aspects of life. They follow Halakah and the laws of the Torah and believe the Hebrew Bible to be the word of God. The most conservative Orthodox Jews are known as Haredim. Men and womens' roles are highly divided, and they must pray separately during services.

Gaonim

Leaders of the academies which flourished in major Persian cities. They would receive questions from rabbis and answer with responsa.

Moses

Led the Israelites out of enslavement in Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. Took 40 years. Moses is known as the Lawgiver because he received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai (he had to do this twice because he smashed the first copy over a golden idol the Israelites made while he was gone up the mountain the first time).

Rabbi Hillel

Led the religious school Yeshiva and was famed for his piety. Lenient interpretation of the Torah. Rival of Rabbi Shammai. Was deemed to have the correct answer in the majority of their 300+ arguments.

The Jewish Calendar

Lunar calendar with 12 months, each being 29.5 days adding up to 354 days in a year. 7 out of every 19 years, a thirteenth "leap month" is added. A new day begins at nightfall when at least three stars can be seen in the night sky. Years are counted from the biblical creation of the universe (last year was 5776).

The Guide of the Perplexed

Maimonides's book for Jews who find their faith tested by the challenges of living in a cosmopolitan, advanced environment.

Abraham Geiger

Spiritual leader of the Reform movement. Argued the bible evolved with the people and biblical stories could be applied to then-current Jewish concerns. Made connections between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Covenant

"Brit" in Hebrew. An agreement or promise to either perform or abstain from a specified action. The first covenant is God's promise to Noah to never destroy the world with flood again. The Israelites' covenants with God were special in that they had to live by a moral code in addition to offering sacrifices.

Simchat Bat

"Joy of a daughter", a modern day celebration equivalent to the one celebrated after the birth and circumcision of a son. Celebrated only by more liberal branches of Judaism.

Torah

"Law". Consists of five books known as the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Contains the stories of Creation all the way until the entry into the Promised land, as well as God's instructions on how to live a morally and ritually acceptable life. The Pentateuch is the most sacred part of the Hebrew Bible.

Baal Shem Tov

"Master of the good name" or "Besht". Encouraged Jews to worship with the heart rather than the mind. Founded Hasidism.

Kristallnacht

"Night of Broken Glass". Night of spontaneous anti-Jewish riots which resulted in the destruction of hundreds of Jewish homes, synagogues, and businesses and the deportation of thousands of Jews to concentration camps. The act was a reaction to a Jewish boy assassinating the third secretary at the German Embassy in Paris.

Seder

"Order". The ritual meal which is the main focus of Passover. The centerpiece of the table is a plate of five or six symbolic foods. The door is opened and wine is poured for the prophet Elijah, whose return will herald the coming of the utopian Messainic Age.

Passover

"Pesach" in Hebrew. Celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The term Passover comes from when death passed over the Israelites when God sent a plague to kill Egyptian firstborns. The celebration lasts seven days.

Hasidism

"Piety". Hasidim believe that deep, passionate religious feeling is more important than scholarship. They were led not by rabbis but by charismatic Tzaddikim "righteous men" whose authority is based on supernatural power. One can develop a personal connection to God through a personal relationship with a Tzaddik. Worship includes joyous prayer, dancing, and singing.

Nevi'im

"Prophets". Prophets are men such as Moses, who were believed to speak for God to the Israelites.

Karaites

"Scripturalists". The main opposition of the Gaonim. They did not believe in the Talmud as being divine truth, and encouraged individual Jews to interpret the Torah on their own to solve their problems.

Rabbi

"Teacher". Orthodox Jews believe only men can be rabbis. The term Rabbi once referred to the Pharisees who were one of the few Jewish groups to survive the end of the Second Temple period and kept the Jewish oral tradition alive. Rabbis train at a school called Yeshiva.

Hanukkah

"The Festival of Lights" commemorates the reclamation of the Temple by Maccabees. Legend said the Temple's menorah (seven-branched oil lamp) remained lit for eight days despite only having a day's worth of oil. Thus Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting the menorah for eight days and eating foods cooked in oil.

Shalosh Regalim

"Three Pilgrimages". The three major festivals Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.

Ketuvim

"Writings". Contains songs, prayers, wisdom literature, and historical texts.

YHWH

"Yahweh", the personal name of God. Some Jews consider it too sacred to be uttered. May come from the Hebrew verb hayah "to be". Incorrectly mashed with "Adonai" to produce the name "Jehovah".

Minyan

"number" in Hebrew. A group of 10 adult males required to make up a public prayer group.

Essenes

A Jewish monastic community formed from disapproval of Hasmonean Temple management and Hellenized Jews. They are vigorously observant and are focused on cultic purity - making oneself pure enough to be accepted into the sacred spaces of God. They have an apocalyptic worldview and are believed to have written the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Philo

A Jewish philosopher

Sabbatai Zvi

A student of Lurianic Kabbalah who was declared messiah in Turkey. He was imprisoned and agreed to convert to Islam to avoid being killed, but he and his remaining followers continued to practice Judaism in secret. They are known as the Donmeh "returners".

Chabad

A subgroup of Hasidism. The name is an acronym for their three core concepts: chokmah (wisdom), binah (reason), and da'at (knowledge). It was founded by Rebbe Shneur Zalman (Chabad-Lubavitch) who turned the group into an international organization with the goal of reaching out to Jews and hastening the coming of the Messianic Age. Some of his followers believed he was the messiah.

Documentary Hypothesis

A theory proposed by Julius Wellhausen, which argues that the Pentateuch was written by at least four different authors over a very long period of time. This would mean the Bible was of human, not divine creation. The theory is contrary to the Orthodox belief that the Pentateuch was written by one person, Moses.

Patriarchs of the Jews

Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob.

Sukkot

An eight day holiday commemorating the Israelites' wanderings in the wilderness. A structure called a sukkah is erected outside and is slept in, weather permitting. The sukkah has a roof made of organic material, so the light of God may shine through, representing Israelites' willingness to put themselves under God's protection.

Anti-Semitism

Anti-Jewish sentiment. Jews are often blamed during times of struggle, such as after WWI when Europe found itself in economic and political disarray. Anti-Semitic rhetoric often include accusations against Jews as Christ-killers, economy-destroyers, or practitioners of an antiquated religion. (Ex. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Mein Kampf).

Humanistic Judaism

Branch of Judaism built upon the Reconstructionist movement. It is an entirely secular community, and their liturgy makes no reference to God. Jewish holidays have been re-interpreted in ways that make them more relevant to contemporary concerns. Welcomes all people.

Sefirot

The 10 channels of God's energy and power, which are strengthened by the devotion of the people.

The Spanish Reconquest

The Christian Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, took the last Muslim land in Spain and forced all Jews to either leave or convert. Most of the expelled Jews went to the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

Yom Kippur

The Day of Atonement. Jews fast, pray for God's forgiveness, and examine their own consciences. A ram's horn is blown to signal the beginning of the holiday.

Septuagint

The Greek version of the Hebrew bible. Latin for "seventy". Was translated by 70 sages who all produced the same text, despite working separately, which was taken as proof that the work was divinely sanctioned.

The Jewish Bloodline

The Halakah states that to be a Jew, one must be born to a Jewish mother. Orthodox and Conservative groups continue to follow this rule. Reform and Reconstructionists accept a child as Jewish if either parent is Jewish and if they have been raised as Jewish.

Tanakh

The Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament). An acronym for the three sections: Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim ("TaNaKh"). Made of 24 books in total.

Jewish life under Persian rule

The Islamic Persian Empire respected Jews and Christians for also worshiping one god and possessing a divine book. However, they favored the Jews since they did not produce images of God to be used in their worship. Jews were defined as dhimmis "protected peoples", and were guaranteed protection and religious freedom as long as they paid special taxes.

David

The Israelites' greatest king (~1000BCE), who started off as a young shepherd boy who protected the Israelites from the Philistines by killing their giant warrior, Goliath, with a slingshot. David was a messiah and a warrior king. He is the father of Solomon.

Haskalah

The Jewish Enlightenment, caused by the European Enlightenment (which made people more open minded and lowered restrictions on Jews). Philosophers such as Moses Mendelsshon advocated for Jewish education to be restructured in a way that would help Jews assimilate into European society. Less time spent studying the Talmud.

Rosh Hashanah

The Jewish New year, said to be the day on which God opens the "Book of Life" on the new year. He will inscribe each individual's fate for the year in it on Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the High Holidays (10 days of celebration).

Halakhah

The Jewish law.

Synagogue

The Jewish place of congregational worship and community gathering. It is called Beit K'nesset in Hebrew, Conservative Jews use Synagogue (Greek), the Yiddish term "Shul" for Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, and Temple for Reformist Jews. Synagogue is run by a board of directors made up of laypeople, and receives most of its funding from membership fees and donations. Some but not all have rabbis (instead, different members of the community lead the service).

Monotheism

The belief in one god, which is a belief central to the major Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Pre-exile Israelites did practice polytheism. Monotheism was effectively established by the Second Temple period.

Israelites

The biblical people of Israel. They were the precursors of modern Jews. The chosen people of God according to the Tanakh.

The Holy Ark (Ark of the Covenant)

The chest in which the Torah scrolls are kept. The scrolls are never touched by the hand (which can damage the paper). A pointer called a yad ("hand" in Hebrew) is used to navigate the scrolls.

Diaspora

The dispersion of Jews from Israel. Began with the Exile.

Israel

The ethnic group who lived in Canaan. May come from "the one who struggled with God" (Abraham's son Jacob wrestled with a divine being and was renamed Israel). The modern state of Israel exists within the old region of Canaan.

Exile

The fall of the Israelites to the Babylonians. The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed, Israelite leaders were transported to Babylonia, and the national cohesion of Israel was destroyed. Ended when Cyrus of Persia conquered the Babylonians and freed their prisoners. (Note: only the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Babylonians. The southern kingdom, Judah, fell to the Assyrians)

Hellenization

The introduction of Greek culture, language, and institutions. Alexander the Great brought Hellenization to Jewish lands. Reaction to Hellenization among Jews varied widely, but Jews in rural areas tended to be less accepting of it.

Mount Zion

The mountain at which some Jews predicted all peoples would worship God at in the future when Jerusalem would become the center of the world.

Ayn Sof

The name which Kabbalists refer to God as.

Shema

The oldest and most highly revered prayer. Found in Deuteronomy. Proclaims unwavering allegiance to the one-and-only-God.

Semitic

The peoples descended from Shem, the man whom both Jews and Arabs descended from. Shem was one of the three sons of Noah.

Circumcision

The removal of the foreskin from the penis using a circumciser called a mohel. This ritual comes from the brit milah/bris "covenant of circumcision". The circumcision is done eight days after a child's birth, and is followed by celebration. Usually performed at home, can be done at synagogue.

Yarmulke/Kippah

The skullcap which Conservative and Orthodox males wear.

Haggadah

The text read aloud during the Seder meal. It celebrates the Exodus from Egypt, and the story of pass over.

Sadducees

The wealthy members of society who made up the Jewish council (Sanhedrin) and were responsible for running the Temple. They believed only in the Torah and demanded a rigid interpretation of it. Focus on sacrifices and cultic worship.

Mishnah

The written version of the Oral Torah. The first written version came from Judah haNasi "Judah the Prince".

Points of consensus

There are four points on Judaism which most all scholars can agree on: 1) There is only one god 2) The Torah is sacred 3) Israel are the chosen people of God 4) Temple in Jerusalem is where God and his people met

Apocalyptic

Those who hold apocalyptic views believe the end of the world is imminent. Many Jews adopted apocalyptic worldviews during times of intense persecution.

The Creation of Humanity

Two different versions: 1) Man and woman are created at the same time in the image of God. They are made as equals. 2) Man is created in the image of God, and woman is formed from one of Man's ribs to serve him as a companion. The second version is the most commonly known, and Rabbis have claimed the woman created in the first version became Lilith, a demon succubus who torments pregnant women and encourages adultery. Eve was her replacement as Adam's wife.

Jewish Prayer Services

Two forms 1) pre-set 2) Spontaneous, made up on the spot. Spontaneous is more common. Services are held 3 times a day, as well as before meals, waking, etc. The Torah and Nevi'im are read on Sabbath day. Each one of the 54 sections of the Torah is read for a week, so the entire Torah is covered in the span of a year.

Shimon Bar Kosiba

a.k.a Bar Cochba "son of the Star". Led a failed revolt against Roman emperor Hadrian planned to build a city on the remains of Jerusalem. Jews were driven out or killed and Judea was renamed Syria-Palestina.

Holocaust Memorial Day

a.k.a Yom HaShoah. A day of remembrance of the millions of Jews who died during the Holocaust.

Midrash

A rabbinic commentary or interpretation on the Hebrew scriptures.

Jewish/Judaism

A religion, an ethnicity, and a culture. One can be Jewish without actively practicing the religion, but by being born to Jewish parents. The word "Jew" may come from "Judah", the name of the land they once considered their homeland.

Haredim

A rigorously observant sub-group of Orthodox Jews. Their lives are spent studying ancient Jewish texts.

Tefillin/Phylacteries

Small black leather boxes containing words of scripture which men wear during weekday morning prayer. They are tied to the forehead and upper arm.

Solomon

Son of David. Built the first Temple of Jerusalem, the center of Jewish identity and worship. After his death, his kingdom split into Israel and Judah.

How Jews deal with death

- Jewish religion does not traditionally have an afterlife - Friends and family should be with the dying person as much as possible - Body must be buried within 24 hours, usually deposited straight into the ground without a coffin - The week after the funeral, family members "sit shiva" for a week during which they receive visitors who listen to their grievances. Mirrors are covered and friends and family drop off food so the mourners can focus on mourning. - The mourning period ends after a month. - Children of the deceased recite the Kaddish (which praises the name of God) every day for a year, and men are expected to do it in synagogue. - Widows may remarry after 90 days, Widowers must wait for 3 festivals to pass (7 mo.).

The Decalogue (Ten Commandments)

1. One and only one God 2. No idolatry 3. No misuse of God's name 4. Keep Sabbath day holy 5. Honor your parents 6. No murdering 7. No adultery 8. No stealing 9. No giving false evidence against your neighbor. 10. Don't covet your neighbor's stuff

The S.S. St. Louis

936 Jews seeking asylum boarded the St Louis from Germany to Cuba. They were forced to return to Europe after being turned away from Cuba, the US, and Canada. 227 out of the original number died in concentration camps.

Mishneh Torah

A 14-volume code of Jewish law written by Maimonides.

Messiah

A promised deliverer of the Jewish people. From the Hebrew "mashiach" which means "anointed one", a reference to the ritual anointing of new kings with oil.

Reform Judaism

A branch of Judaism which intertwined Enlightenment ideals with Judaism. Was established by Israel Jacobson. Reformists understand Judaism to be a religion which changes with time. Most do not observe dietary laws and their place of worship is called Temple, not Synagogue (because they have abandoned the belief that the Temple of Jerusalem will be resurrected. This is also why their services involve music, which was original banned after the Temple's destruction). Interfaith dialogue is encouraged and women are allowed to serve as rabbis.

Talmud

A collection of rabbinic commentaries which can be divided into two parts: the Mishnah and the Gemara.

Mitzvah

A commandment. The Rabbinic Movement identified 613 commandments within the Torah. The first mitzvah is "be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth..."

Isaac Luria

A highly influential Kabbalah scholar who introduced the concept of tikkun "mending". He believed God retracted (tzimtzum "contraction") himself to make space for the 10 Sefirot and the first man. The first man caused the Sefirot to be shattered, and evil entered creation. Restoration of the world could be done through tikkun olam, a positive religious act. This idea that the world could be healed by the devotion of the individual appealed to many Jews.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes

A king from the Greek Seleucid dynasty. He performed many egregious acts against Jews, including forbidding circumcision and the observance of Sabbath day, and converting the Temple of Jerusalem into a temple for Zeus. His rule was ended by the Maccabean Revolt.

Law of Return

A law adopted by the Israeli government which gives every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel.

The Ketubah

A marriage contract. The ketubah was first introduced to protect the economic rights of wives. Establishes a dowry and "bride-price" (the amount to be paid to the wife from the husband's estate in the case of a divorce). Today the ketubah is not widely used or recognized.

Purim

A minor holiday celebrating Esther and her uncle Mordecai preventing the extermination of the Persian Jews by a Persian official named Haman. It is celebrated by reading the Book of Esther, dressing in costume, and gifting food.

Therapeutae

A monastic group which differed from the Essenes in that they included both men and women. Members renounced private property and family life.

Zionism

A movement triggered by the oppression Jews faced in Europe. Zionists have a vision of Jews returning to Israel to establish a nation there. The movement was officially begun by Theodor Herzl. Their vision was validated when the State of Israel was created in Palestine for the Jewish people after WWII.

The Dreyfus Affair

A notorious example of anti-Semitism. He was a French-Jewish army officer who was falsely accused of spying for Germany. The evidence was based on forged documents. He was sentenced to live in prison two times, and was eventually released after the army cover-up was revealed.

Samaritans

A peoples descended from the Jews who were not deported from their land after the Assyrians took control. They have evolved from mainstream Jewish practices. Their Bible contains only the Torah/Pentateuch, and their holy place is Mount Gerizim, not the Temple of Jerusalem.

Abraham

Descendant of Noah who became the ancestor of all Israelites. He left Mesopotamia with his immediate family in search of Canaan. At the halfway point called Haran, God makes a covenant with Abraham, agreeing to give Canaan to his offspring if he offers his son Isaac as a sacrifice. At the last moment, an angel instructs a ram to be sacrificed instead.

Divorce

Divorce must be initiated by the husband. The agreement to divorce must be mutual. Property belonging to the wife is returned. Divorce is strongly discouraged, and thus not as common among Jews as it is in other populations.

The Spanish Inquisition

Ferdinand and Isabella set up tribunals in numerous cities to weed out Conversos - Jews who claimed to have converted to Christianity but continued to practice Jewish religion in secret.

Rabbinic Movement

Following the destruction of the second Temple, rabbis began adding and interpreting the Oral Torah. The movement ended sacrificial worship, emphasized ethical behavior and prayer, and unified Jewish communities by shifting focus towards Torah study and Synagogue rather than worship at a specific place (Temple).

Kosher

Food that is proper in accordance with the Jewish dietary laws (kashrut). Pigs, rabbits, shellfish, and birds of prey are forbidden. Meat and milk cannot be cooked together, and the meat must come from animals slaughtered humanely (cut across the throat).

3 Things the wife is entitled to

Food, clothing, and marital rights (sexual relations).

Tallit

Fringed prayer shawl worn by men during morning prayers.

Responsa

Gaonim answers to rabbis' questions based on interpretation of Talmudic laws.

Sabbath

God took six days to create the world and rested on the seventh, Sabbath. The seventh day of each week is recognized as a day of rest from ordinary activity.

The Holocaust

Greek for "whole" "burnt". Referred to in Hebrew as the Shoah ("catastrophe"). Began with Hitler's Mein Kampf, which incited the eradication of Jews on the basis that they were the source of Germany's economic troubles. The Nazi Party was established, Jewish people saw their rights all removed, and over 6 million Jews died from starvation, disease, or in concentration camps.

Mizrahim

Hebrew for "East". Jews living in the Middle East. They speak Arabic, Persian, or Kurdish.

Ashkenazim

Hebrew for "Germany". Jews living in France and Germany. Yiddish, a mixture of Hebrew, German, and other languages, is commonly spoken.

Sephardim

Hebrew for "Spain". Jews living on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). They may speak Ladino, a blend of Spanish and Hebrew.

Kabbalah

Hebrew for "to receive". This Jewish mystic tradition became popular during Jewish expulsion from many European countries during the Middle Ages. According to tradition, the devout can receive direct revelations from God through meditation or ecstatic prayer. Was influenced by Islamic Sufism.

Life under Herod the Great

Herod the Great became emperor after the end of the Hasmonean dynasty. Many Jews did not accept his rule because he was not of Jewish descent. However, he made many advances on behalf of the Jewish people and did a major renovation on the second Temple.

Marriage

Jews are encouraged to marry and have children to fulfill Yahweh's mitzvah "be fruitful and multiply...". The wedding can take place anywhere. At the ceremony, the rabbi prepares the ketubah, the bride and groom are married under the chuppah, a glass symbolizing future hardships is broken under foot, and blessings are recited

The Second Temple Period

Jews returned to their homeland and rebuilt the Temple of Jerusalem after being freed from Babylonian control. The second temple lasted from 515BCE-70 CE.

Zealots

Jews who vehemently rejected Roman culture and incited violent rebellion, resulting in the First Jewish Revolt. The revolt ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple as well as the death and enslavement of much of the Jewish population.

The Maccabean Revolt

Judah and his brothers (the Hasmonean family) gathered a band of fighters whose guerilla warfare proved effective against the Seleucid army. Judah's ability to fight earned him the nickname Maccabees "the Hammer". The Maccabees successfully reclaimed the Temple and the Hasmoneans ruled for a time.

Hebrew

Once used synonymously with "Jew" to describe the Jewish ethnic group, now only refers to the Hebrew language.

Pharisees

Opponents of the Sadducees. Advocated for the loose interpretation of the entire Tanakh and the application of Halakhah to everyday life. They gave answers to questions that arose from scripture and how to live lawfully. Their teachings were eventually recognized as the divinely revealed Oral Law or Oral Torah.

Rabbi Shammai

Rival of Rabbi Hillel. Had a strict view of the Torah.

Jewish life under Christian Roman rule

Roman emperor Constantine I allowed Christians to practice their religion freely, which eventually led to Christianity becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire. Christian leaders differentiated themselves from Jews by vehemently denouncing Jews, Jewish law, and Judaizers (Christians who practiced elements of Jewish relgion). Early Christian literature blamed Jews for the death of Jesus. Jews were subjected to harsh social and economic restrictions and some rulers forced them to either convert or die.

Pogroms

Violent mobs aiming to persecute Jews by taking and destroying their businesses, homes, and lives. Common in Tsarist Russia, which turned a blind eye to them.

Shavuot

a.k.a "Festival of Weeks". A one or two day celebration of God's revelation of the Torah to Moses. The Decalogue and Book of Ruth are read, a book containing Bible passages and rabbinic commentary is read through the whole night, and sweet dairy foods are eaten.

Moses Maimonides

a.k.a "Rambam". He was a personal physician to a high official in the court of Saladin. He produced the Mishneh Torah and The Guide of the Perplexed. He combined Greek philosophy with biblical teachings and argued against a literal interpretation of the bible.