AQA GCSE Religious Studies B: Judaism Beliefs and teachings

What does the belief in God as one mean for Jews?

• God is a single, whole, indivisible being

• God is the only being who should be praised and worshipped

• God is the source of all Jewish morality, beliefs and values

• Everything in the universe has been created and is sustained by this one God

Where is the belief in God as One expressed?

• “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5

• This is the Shema, a prayer that shows how Jews should respond to this belief- by showing total loyalty, love and dedication towards God

How do Orthodox and Reform interpretations of the Creation stories differ?

• Orthodox Jews believe the events in Genesis literally happened 6,000 years ago and reject evolutionary theory

• Reform Jews interpret the Genesis creation less literally and accept the universe is much older and life has evolved over many years

Why is evil considered a necessary consequence of free will?

• “I make weal and create woe- I the Lord do all these things.” Isaiah 25:7

• God gave people free will because he wants people to be able to choose to do good. This makes the act of doing good more significant.

• But in order to exercise free will, there must be a choice between good and bad.

• This means that evil has to exist.

On which two main occasions does God judge people?

• During the festival of Rosh Hashanah- when God judges a person’s actions over the past year and decides the coming year’s fate

• After death- when God determines how they will spend the afterlife

Where was the Shekinah experienced by the early Jews?

• “…and the skirts of His robe filled the Temple.” Isaiah 6:1-2

• In the tabernacle carried with the Jews through the wilderness

• In Solomon’s Temple

• In a pillar of fire or cloud

Where might a person go after death?

• Teachings on this are unclear as Jews are not too concerned about the afterlife and focus on the present

• Some think righteous will go to Gan Eden- a place where people are with Him

• Some think that others will enter Sheol- a place of waiting where souls are cleansed

What scripture is relevant to judgement after death?

• “And the dust returns to the ground as it was, and the lifebreath returns to God who bestowed it.”

• “Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, others to reproaches, to everlasting abhorrence.”

What does a ‘Messiah’ represent?

• Originally refers to a King of Israel

• Means ‘the anointed one’- the prophet Samuel anointed Saul with oil before he became King

• Now refers to a future leader of the Jews

• Is expected to be a future king of Israel- a descendent of King David

What will the future Messiah do?

• Uphold the law in the Torah and be the ultimate teacher of it

• Bring in world peace and unite humanity together

• Rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem and gather all Jews to Israel

• Rule over humanity with justice and kindness

How do Orthodox and Reform beliefs about the Messiah differ?

• Orthodox Jews believe that there is a descendent of King David in every generation who has the potential to become the Messiah- if the Jews are worthy of redemptio, this person will be directed by God to become the Messiah

• Reform Jews reject the idea of the Messiah- while they believe in a Messianic age, they do not believe that a Messiah will establish it, but rather everyone working together to create world peace

What promises were made in the Abrahamic covenant?

• God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations

• Abraham promised to walk in His ways and be blameless

• This was sealed from the act of circumcision

What promises were made in the Mosaic covenant?

• God would protect the Jews from harm and be their God

• In return, Jews would have to obey His laws

• The 10 Commandments are the product of this promise

What is the significance of the mitzvot between man and God?

• These are mitzvot that tell Jews how they can improve the relationship with God

• They cover areas such as worship, sacrifice and the observance of festivals

Which commandments focus on how to have a good relationship with God?

1. You shall have no other gods besides Me

2. You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness

3. You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God

4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy

What is the significance of the mitzvot between man and man?

• They tell Jews how to improve their relationship with other people

• This teaches that Jews should show love towards other people and by doing this, Jews are showing their love for God

• They cover areas such as the treatment of workers and how to settle disputes

• They help Jews to live as members of their faith and community in a way that pleases God

Which commandments focus on how to have a good relationship with others?

5. Honour your mother and your father

6. You shall not murder

7. You shall not commit adultery

8. You shall not steal

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour

10. You shall not covet

Why is justice an important moral principle in Judaism?

• “…do justice and to love goodness” Micah 6:8

• This refers to bringing about what is right or fair according to the Law

• Jews believe the Torah and prophets were sent by God to help people understand how to bring about justice

Why is healing the world an important moral principle in Judaism?

• This involves taking actions to help God’s work in sustaining the world

• Jews may do this by contributing to social justice or protecting the environment

• This also means obeying the mitzvot and becoming closer to God

Why is kindness to others an important moral principle in Judaism?

• “Love your fellow as yourself.” Leviticus 19:18

• “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens.” Leviticus 19:34

• This can be done through showing positive, caring actions to all living things

Why do Jews believe in the Sanctity of Life?

• “He who destroys one soul of a human being, the Scripture considers him as if he should destroy a whole world.” Sanhedrin 4:5

• Genesis 2 tells how God breathed life into Adam and the whole of creation

• Life is therefore valuable and sacred because it is given by God

• Because God gave life to humans, only God has the right to take it away

• This means Jews have a duty to preserve life

What is pikauch nefesh?

• The obligation that Jews have to save a person’s life if they can, even if doing so breaks Jewish laws

• This shows how valuable human life is in Judaism

• In modern times, this includes driving a sick person to the hospital or performing a life-saving operation

Why do Jewish people use their free will to do good?

• Good actions lead a life of fulfilment. These bring Jews closer to God and ensure they are judged favourably.

• Bad actions will not bring people closer to God, in life or after death