Judaism is a religion founded on the belief in one God who was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Moses. His name is often pronounced today as “Yahweh” which derives from the Roman letters YHWH, a translation of His original name in Hebrew, the pronunciation of which is unknown. Jews do not write the name of God lightly both due to a command in Deut. 12:3 that instructs that the name of their God never be erased or defaced and because "God" is not His actual name. Out of respect it is often written instead as G-d.
One of the core beliefs of Judaism is that God has worked through the Jews, His chosen people, throughout history. The term "Jew" can be a little tricky to define because it refers both to a race of people and to those who practice this religion. For example, someone can be born into a Jewish family and participate in Jewish culture without believing in God. This would be called a cultural/ethical Jew. However most agree that someone may also be called a Jew if they practice the Jewish religion whether they were born into a Jewish family or not. There are some very orthodox Jews who claim that you have to be born Jewish but for the most part conversion is possible.
One of the core beliefs of Judaism is that God has worked through the Jews, His chosen people, throughout history. The term "Jew" can be a little tricky to define because it refers both to a race of people and to those who practice this religion. For example, someone can be born into a Jewish family and participate in Jewish culture without believing in God. This would be called a cultural/ethical Jew. However most agree that someone may also be called a Jew if they practice the Jewish religion whether they were born into a Jewish family or not. There are some very orthodox Jews who claim that you have to be born Jewish but for the most part conversion is possible.
13 Articles of Faith
While there is no official creed or set of beliefs that all Jews must adhere too, in the 12th Century AD a gentleman by the name of Moses Maimonides who was a Jewish Rabbi and philosopher wrote down 13 Articles of faith that tend to sum up quite nicely what most Jews believe:
Jews believe that actions are a testament of faith and that all humans have the capacity for either good or evil. Many look to the Jewish law as a moral guideline, which is contained in their scriptures, the Tanakh and interpreted and explained through a book called the Talmud.
- God alone is the creator and ruler of all things. He alone has made and will continue to make all things.
- There is only one God and He is unique.
- God does not have a body or material form. He transcends time and material reality.
- God is eternal.
- God and God alone deserves worship, praise, and prayer.
- The prophets were valid and spoke only the truth.
- Moses was the greatest of the prophets.
- Moses was given the oral and written traditions of the Torah.
- There is no other valid Torah and never will be another.
- God knows the hearts and deeds of all men, nothing is hidden from Him.
- God rewards the good and punishes the wicked.
- There is a Messiah who is yet to come.
- The dead will be resurrected.
Jews believe that actions are a testament of faith and that all humans have the capacity for either good or evil. Many look to the Jewish law as a moral guideline, which is contained in their scriptures, the Tanakh and interpreted and explained through a book called the Talmud.
Holy Books
The Tanakh
The Tanakh is a library of 24 holy books, which you may recognize if you are a Christian as belonging to what you refer to as the Old Testament. The Tanakh is traditionally divided into 3 sets of books as follows:
1.The Torah- These are the first five books of the Tanakh which were said to be written by Moses. They include: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Within these books are the creation and flood stories as well as the record of the Israelites decent from Abraham. Also included is the story of the Israelites enslavement by Egypt as well as their journey out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Along the way God establishes a covenant with them and imparts on them a set of laws to follow which instruct them how to live life both as individuals and a society.
1.The Torah- These are the first five books of the Tanakh which were said to be written by Moses. They include: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Within these books are the creation and flood stories as well as the record of the Israelites decent from Abraham. Also included is the story of the Israelites enslavement by Egypt as well as their journey out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Along the way God establishes a covenant with them and imparts on them a set of laws to follow which instruct them how to live life both as individuals and a society.
2. Nevi’im- These are books of Prophets, which are often divided into the Early Prophets and Late Prophets. The books of the Early Prophets are mostly records of the history of prophets and kings, while the books of the Later Prophets are the prophecies, oracles, and narratives of a line of prophets from the mid 8th to 5th century BC.
Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, First and Second Kings.
Later Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the 12 Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, First and Second Kings.
Later Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the 12 Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
3. Kethuvim or Kethubim: A collection of Hebrew writings that are often divided into 3 sections:
-The Book of Truth- Psalms, Proverbs, and Job.
Psalms is a collection of poetry and songs that express everything from joy, to praise, to grief, many of which were written by King David (whose probably singin one here on the left). Proverbs is a collection of ancient wisdom and sayings and Job is a short story about a man God tests by taking everything from him.
- The Five Scrolls- Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther.
The Song of Songs is an often racy book of love poetry, many of which feature of the exploits of King David’s son King Solomon, who is supposedly one of the greatest lovers who ever lived. Ruth is the tale of a foreign woman who marries into an Israelite family and her faithfulness to them. Lamentations mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and Ecclesiastes is sort of an ancient existential look at the meaning (or lack thereof) of life. Esther is the account of a Jewish woman who became a Persian Queen and went on to save the Jews of Persia from a planned mass murder by a guy named Haman, who was cheif vizer to her her King husband.
Other Writings-
Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and First and Second Chronicles
Daniel is the story of a prophet, named (good guess) Daniel, often famous for his Lion’s den escapade. Daniel was also a prophet who interpreted dreams and recorded prophecies, some about the end of time.
Ezra- was written at a time when the Jews were returning to Judea from exile in Babylon at the end of the 6th century BC and records their attempts at and obstacles over rebuilding their Temple and beginning a new life.
Nehemiah- was a governor of Judea in the 5th century BC while it was still under Persian rule. This book is a record of his attempts to build a wall around Jerusalem to make it a safe place to live again, because all the Jews of that time where scattering to the surrounding villages for safety reasons where some had started to dabble in pagan religions.
First and Second Chronicles- are basically ancient court records that recount the reign of kings, down to King David in the first book, and down through all the kings until the Jews’ Babylonian exile in the second.
-The Book of Truth- Psalms, Proverbs, and Job.
Psalms is a collection of poetry and songs that express everything from joy, to praise, to grief, many of which were written by King David (whose probably singin one here on the left). Proverbs is a collection of ancient wisdom and sayings and Job is a short story about a man God tests by taking everything from him.
- The Five Scrolls- Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther.
The Song of Songs is an often racy book of love poetry, many of which feature of the exploits of King David’s son King Solomon, who is supposedly one of the greatest lovers who ever lived. Ruth is the tale of a foreign woman who marries into an Israelite family and her faithfulness to them. Lamentations mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and Ecclesiastes is sort of an ancient existential look at the meaning (or lack thereof) of life. Esther is the account of a Jewish woman who became a Persian Queen and went on to save the Jews of Persia from a planned mass murder by a guy named Haman, who was cheif vizer to her her King husband.
Other Writings-
Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and First and Second Chronicles
Daniel is the story of a prophet, named (good guess) Daniel, often famous for his Lion’s den escapade. Daniel was also a prophet who interpreted dreams and recorded prophecies, some about the end of time.
Ezra- was written at a time when the Jews were returning to Judea from exile in Babylon at the end of the 6th century BC and records their attempts at and obstacles over rebuilding their Temple and beginning a new life.
Nehemiah- was a governor of Judea in the 5th century BC while it was still under Persian rule. This book is a record of his attempts to build a wall around Jerusalem to make it a safe place to live again, because all the Jews of that time where scattering to the surrounding villages for safety reasons where some had started to dabble in pagan religions.
First and Second Chronicles- are basically ancient court records that recount the reign of kings, down to King David in the first book, and down through all the kings until the Jews’ Babylonian exile in the second.
The Talmud
The Talmud is a collection of wisdom and teaching from some of the most talented Jewish Rabbis and scholars of it’s time. There are generally two types of writing contained in the Talmud called Halakha and Aggadah:
Halakha writings concern the first five books of the Torah and are mostly commentaries on Jewish law.
Aggadah writings are more diverse as far as subject matter and are many times more philosophical in nature.
Much of the commentary in the Talmud is preceded by a portion of Jewish law cited from in a book known as the Mishna. Until around 200 AD Jewish law was kept alive through oral tradition until the Mishna became the first place it was officially written down.
There are two versions of the Talmud, the “Jerusalem Talmud” and the “Babylonian Talmud”, called the Gemara which was recorded by the Jews of Babylon between the 3rd and 5th centuries AD and is now the most commonly used version of the text.
Halakha writings concern the first five books of the Torah and are mostly commentaries on Jewish law.
Aggadah writings are more diverse as far as subject matter and are many times more philosophical in nature.
Much of the commentary in the Talmud is preceded by a portion of Jewish law cited from in a book known as the Mishna. Until around 200 AD Jewish law was kept alive through oral tradition until the Mishna became the first place it was officially written down.
There are two versions of the Talmud, the “Jerusalem Talmud” and the “Babylonian Talmud”, called the Gemara which was recorded by the Jews of Babylon between the 3rd and 5th centuries AD and is now the most commonly used version of the text.
The Zohar
Remember the whole red bracelet craze Madonna started a few years ago? Well these stylish accessories where actually a part of a much wider belief system known as Kabbalah, which is an ancient form of Jewish mysticism. It’s based on the study of the book The Zohar (which literally means “The Shining”) which was written 2000 years ago and is a mystic commentary on the writings of the Tanakh. Kabbalah is not only a form of mysticism in itself, many of its teachings also form the basis for many ancient mystery religions.