Theology 12 Unit 3 Study

Covenant

An agreement established between God and ancient Israelites (first through Abraham, then through Moses) designating the Jews as God’s Chosen People with distinct rights and responsibilities.

Shema

Judaism’s foundational theological statement: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.”

Torah

Meaning “instruction”; the revelation of God’s will, specifically the divine law contained in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.

Tanakh

The Hebrew Bible, composed of three main divisions: Torah (Instruction), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).

Rabbi

Meaning “teacher”; an authorized teacher of Torah and leader of Jewish communal worship.

Mishnah

The foundational written compilation of rabbinic Oral Torah, redacted around 200 CE to preserve four centuries of teachings.

Talmud

The extensive depository of the Oral Torah, containing the Mishnah accompanied by detailed rabbinic commentary and legal argumentation.

Diaspora

The dispersion and existence of Jewish communities living outside their ancestral homeland.

Kabbalah

The Jewish mystical tradition teaching that the divine nature can be contemplated and known intimately through the heart.

Hasidism

An 18th-century Eastern European movement emphasizing mysticism, personal intimacy with God, tight-knit community, and the leadership of a charismatic zaddik.

Zionism

The late 19th-century movement to reestablish a sovereign Jewish homeland, and since 1948, the continued support for the State of Israel.

Anti-Semitism

Hostility, prejudice, or discrimination directed specifically against Jews and Judaism, extending from biased attitudes to violent persecution.

Holocaust (Shoah)

The systematic, state-sponsored genocide carried out by Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, resulting in the murder of approximately six million Jews.

Shabbat

The weekly day of religious celebration and physical rest, observed from sunset Friday through sunset Saturday.

Rosh Hashanah

The Jewish New Year festival celebrated in early autumn, marking the start of the High Holy Days and commemorating the creation of the world.

Yom Kippur

The “Day of Atonement”; the most solemn and significant holy day of the Jewish year, observed through prayer and strict fasting for the forgiveness of sins.

Passover (Pesach)

An eight-day spring festival commemorating the liberation and Exodus of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

Bar Mitzvah / Bat Mitzvah

Meaning “son/daughter of the commandment”; the rite of passage marking a child’s transition to religious adulthood and the assumption of adult duties under Jewish law.

Anamnesis

The theological process by which past acts of divine care and salvation are made present to believers through ritual and liturgical celebration.

Tikkun Olam

A foundational Jewish concept meaning “repairing the world” through active social justice, moral integrity, and ethical responsibility.

Origins of Jewish Life Cycle Markers

Rooted in biblical narratives and traditional commandments, evolving across generations through Halakhah (Jewish law) and communal customs.

Four Central Themes of Jewish Life Cycle Rituals

Covenant, Belief, History, and Community & Translation.

Three Major Covenantal Benefits for Israel

A unique relationship with God, designated identity as the Chosen People, and ongoing divine protection and guidance under the law.

Three Material Benefits of the Abrahamic Covenant

Countless descendants, inheritance of the Promised Land, and divine blessing and protection for Abraham's lineage.

Three Sections of the Tanakh

Torah (Instruction/Law), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).

Function of the Oral Torah

Provides essential explanations, practical applications, and legal interpretations necessary to implement the written Torah's laws in daily life.

Primary Reason for Redacting the Oral Torah (~200 CE)

To prevent sacred traditions and oral teachings from disappearing amid severe persecution and the scattering of Jewish communities throughout the Diaspora.

Least Strict Jewish Denomination Regarding Halakhah

Reform Judaism, which emphasizes adaptability, individual autonomy, and modern ethical values over binding ritual law.

Most Strict Jewish Denomination Regarding Halakhah

Orthodox Judaism, which insists on full, strict adherence to traditional Jewish law as an immutable divine mandate.

Traditional Jewish Emphasis Concerning the Afterlife

Prioritizes righteous living, ethical action, and honoring God in the present world over extensive speculation about the world to come.

Communal Nature of Covenant in Judaism

A shared collective responsibility binding the entire Jewish people, where individual ethical adherence supports the greater communal commitment to tikkun olam.