Judaism

T/F: Judaism is an abrahamic tradition

True—they consider Abraham to be the of the Jews

around how old is Judaism

~3000 years

covenant + what does it mean

an agreement established between God and the Israelites —> Jews are God’s people

Torah

God’s revelation of the divine will to the chosen people

In what book and when was the Torah written

Recorded in the Hebrew Bible w/ the writings of rabbis from the first centuries after the romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem

What happened after the temple was destroyed?

a whole branch of Judaism was gone

when was the second temple destroyed

70 AD

Yahweh

another name for God b/c God’s name is too holy to be spoken

Shema

uniqueness of the Jews’ relationship with God + Judaism’s most basic theological statement

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone”

What does Torah translate to?

the law or “instruction”

Pentateuch — what is it and what does it mean

another name for the Torah proper — Greek term meaning “Five Books” for the first 5 books of the Bible

who did God give the Pentateuch to and where?

Moses on Mt. Sinai

Tanakh

Written Torah

How many parts is the Tanakh written in + what are those parts?

3 parts

1. Torah Proper —> first five books

2. The Prophets —> historical accounts and proclamations of God’s will

3. The Writings —> Poetry of the psalms, wisdom literature, short stories, historical accounts, etc (diverse)

How many specific laws is in the Torah?

613

what is the Torah a code for?

holiness

Where is the Torah kept?

in an ark

Mishnah

oral Torah / sacred text

was the Mishnah written down? If so, when?

yes in 200 AD but orally preached by rabbis

Rabbi

teacher of Torah and leader of Jewish Worship; hebrew for teacher; someone who has mastered the sacred writing of Judaism (mainly the bible and talmud)

Talmud

vast depository of the Mishnah + interpretation of God’s will with the written Torah (massive work)

Who are the people of the covenant?

Jews (people of Judea), Israelites

what type of religion is Judaism?

monotheistic

what does Shema translate to?

“hear”

How do Jews live out the covenant?

honoring God’s Divine Will and Laws in all aspects

How many books in the Tanakh/written torah?

24 books

Where does the name “Tanakh” come from?

T = the torah proper (first five books)

N = nevi’im (the book of the prophets)

K = ketuvim (writings)

Is the oral Torah the law?

NO — it’s the study and interpretation of the law by rabbis

What two books is the oral Torah written in?

Mishnah — bare bones of the laws

Talmud — explains the Mishnah

when was the Mishnah written

200ish AD

when was the Talmud written?

600 AD

Why was the Oral Torah written down?

b/c the Romans destroyed the Second Temple

Why was the temple so important?

it was a sacrificial place for Jews + animal sacrifices were very important

who are the Pharisees

took over the Levites / priests’ traditions

When was the Diaspora + why did it happen?

135 AD b/c Roman killed Jews out of the land

Jewish timline

Deicide

Jews were falsely accused of this (killing Jesus)

Classical Judaism

descendants of Israelites — second temple destroyed + failed second revolt (diaspora)

Medieval Judaism (8th-mid 18th. C.) — major information

under European rule + Jews were successful moneylenders + black death + violent persecution

Why were Jews accused of starting the bubonic plague?

they were successful moneylenders which led to economic jealousy

where did most Jews escape persecution to

West (Poland had most)

What did Jews have to wear in Medieval Judaism and why?

identifying clothing b/c it was secular/church law

examples of identifying clothing

hat

yellow badge called Rotellaround badge

What were 2 causes of Anti-Judaism?

• economic jealousy

• religious fervor

what were 2 things Jews were accused of?

• Blood libels — that they used Christian children for rituals

• deicide — that they killed Jesus

What was the Catholic Churches’ 2 responses to Anti-Judaism

• Official pronouncement

  • condemned violence

  • forbade forced conversion

• Contributed to anti-Semitism by…

  • socially marginalizign Jews

  • Respecting supersessionism or replacement theology

Supersessionism + what did the Church say

to sit upon to preside over a theological claim — claimed that Christians have replaced the Jews as God’s people because the Jews rejected Jesus

What arose from the Enlightenment? (3)

New forms of modern Judaism

• Hasidism

• Zionism

• Anti-Semitism

Hasidism

Kbbaith mysticism — God is known first w/ the heart then through personal relationships

Zionism (when did it come about + what was it)

arose in late 19th c. after Holocaust

support for Israel

When was Israel established as a state?

1948

Shoah

Jewish word for Holocaust

translation of Holocaust

“Burnt offering”

translation of Shoah

“catastrophe”

Anti-Semitism

hostility against Jews + belief that Jews were a separate race

Holocaust/Shoah

persecution of Jews by german nazis + death of 6 million Jews

Modern Judaism

Jewish Emancipation after Enlightenment — Jews gained equal political + civil rights

What specific rights did Jews gain?

• access to education

• right to own property

• right to hold public office

• right to participate fully in society and freely engage in a wide variety of occupations/professions

What points did Nostra Aetate make? (5)

• stressed shared spiritual heritage (patrimony)

• advocated for respect + dialogue

• rejected charge of deicide

• called for accuracy in Christian biblical interpretation + religious education

• denounced all displays (past + current) of hatred, persecution, and anti-Semitism

How is life sancitified?

through day-to-day observance of the commandments

mitzvah

other name for commandment

What is the main form of prayer?

daily + consistent worship

Who is prayer obligatory for?

adult males over 13

examples of items used for prayer (4)

• kipah

• tefillin

• tallit

• mezuzah

kipah

head covering (also called yarmulke in Yiddish)

tefillin

small black leather box containing four biblical passages written on parchment

Tallit

garment worn during prayer

mezuzah

a thing you hang between entrances and doorways + shows a visible reminder of the Jewish people for both household and those who enter

orthopraxy

emphasizes the right practices + a direct statement to Torah

orthodoxy

emphasizes the right/generally accepted doctrine, practice, etc.

synagogue

center of Jewish prayer, study, and fellowship

what does the Synagogue contain?

Sefer Torah

Sefer Torah

scroll with the first five books of the Bible hand written in Hebrew and delicate paper

What is often the center of social life + worship?

the home

t/f: the home usually has a mezuzah

True

Kosher

proper — following strict dietary and food preparation rules/laws; designation for prepared foods meaning its ingredients and preparation have been certified as kosher by a proper rabbinic authority

Does Kosher mean the food was blessed by a rabbi?

NO

Is a land animal kosher?

if it has split hooves + chews its cud + has both kosher signs

Is fowl kosher?

The Torah lists 24 non-kosher bird species (basically all predatory/scavenger birds)

is fish/seafood kosher?

only if it has fins and scales — water mammals are NOT kosher

are reptiles, amphibians, worms, and insects kosher?

NO with the exception of four types of locust

What does meat include?

any food containing even a small quantity of meat or bones of mammals and fowl

What does dairy include?

milk of any kosher animal + any milk products made with it (even foods containing a small quantity)

What two types of food cannot be eaten together?

dairy and meat can NOT be eaten together

pareve

foods that are neither meat nor dairy

What are eggs, fruits, vegetables, and grains considered?

pareve

Can pareve foods be mixed with / eaten together w/ meat or dairy?

Yes — BUT fish (pareve) cannot be eaten with meat b/c of health concerns outlined in Talmud

Torah translation

“instruction”

YHWH

means Hebrew has no vowels

What is contained in the mishnah?

collected teachings of the rabbis of the preceding four centuries

what does Talmud translate to?

Study and knowledge

What is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism?

Talmud

what is the most important text of the oral torah?

Mishnah

What is the primary source of Jewish religious law and theology?

Talmud

When and where were the two versions of the Talmud written down?

450 AD in Palestine

600 AD in Babylon

what does Prophet translate to

“one who speaks for”

What does diaspora literally mean + what language

greek for dispersion

Diaspora definition

the situation of Jews living away from their ancestral homeland which has been a circumstance for most Jews since classical period

What did zionism seek to do + since when?

re establish a Jewish homeland since 1948