Video Notes - Key Terms and Concepts (Spinoza, Temple Destruction, Euthanasia in Victoria)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key people, places, texts, and concepts from the notes. Terms focus on Spinoza, the destruction/exile, and the Victoria euthanasia debate, including ethical and theological foundations.

Baruch Spinoza

17th-century Jewish philosopher in Amsterdam who rejected conventional Jewish beliefs, embraced rationalism, argued ‘God is nature and nature is God,’ and was excommunicated by Jewish authorities.

Rationalism

Philosophical approach emphasizing reason and evidence over revelation; Spinoza used rationalism to critique Jewish beliefs and law.

Destruction of the First Temple (586 BCE)

Babylonian conquest led to the Temple’s destruction and exile of Jews from Judea, sparking a crisis in faith and changes in ritual life.

Babylonian Exile

Deportation of Judeans to Babylon after the Temple’s destruction, disrupting social structures and leading to new forms of religious practice.

Temple in Jerusalem / Ark of the Covenant

Central sanctuary for worship believed to house God’s presence; its destruction ended sacrificial worship and led to new forms of ritual (synagogues).

Covenantal relationship / Land of Israel

The belief in a special, God-given bond with the Jewish people and the Land of Israel as an eternal homeland; core to Jewish identity.

Torah not divinely revealed (Spinoza)

Spinoza’s view that Jewish law and the Torah do not have a single divine origin but are rational, human constructions.

“God is nature and nature is God”

Spinoza’s key statement challenging a personal, supernatural God and framing God as the totality of nature.

Excommunication (Writ of Excommunication)

Formal act by Jewish authorities expelling Spinoza from the community; read aloud in synagogue with symbolic candle extinguishing.

Kohanim (Priesthood)

The priestly social class responsible for certain religious duties and transmission of oral law; its loss destabilized leadership after exile.

Beth Din

Rabbinic court or Jewish court that interprets and applies Jewish law within the community.

Rabbinic Council of Victoria

Orthodox Jewish authority in Victoria, Australia; opposed euthanasia, engaged with lawmakers, issued statements, and supported community guidance.

Voluntary Assisted Dying Act (Victoria, 2019)

Victoria’s law legalising assisted dying; sparked ethical and theological debate within Judaism about life’s sanctity.

Pikuach Nefesh

Jewish obligation to save a life, often overriding other commandments and prohibitions against taking life.

“Do not kill” (Sixth Commandment)

Biblical prohibition against murder; foundational ethical rule in Judaism.

Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5

Ethical maxim: ‘If you destroy one life, it is as if you destroy the entire world’—emphasizing the sanctity of life.

Genesis 2:7 / Genesis 1:27 (Imago Dei)

Biblical concepts: God breathes life into humanity and humans are created in God’s image, underscoring intrinsic divine value of life.

Synagogue-based worship (post-Temple)

Shift from Temple sacrifices to daily prayer and communal worship in synagogues, with prayers oriented toward Jerusalem.