beliefs
5 MARKERS
10 Commandments (5)
Firstly, the ten commandments are essential since they form the basis for being in God’s covenant with Moses. In the Torah, God states, ‘if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my people’. In return God will bless them and allow them to live peacefully in the land He promised the Jews.
Secondly, the 10 commandments map out some of the most important laws in Judaism. The first four map out rules for the relationship between humans and God e.g believing in only 1 God ‘worship no other gods but me’ and the last six focus on relationships between humans e.g. the Shabbat laws ‘remember the Sabbath and keep it holy’
Lastly, Jews today accept the need to live by these laws as boys and girls have their Bar and Bat Mitzvah at 13 and 12 years old to commemorate that they are ‘sons/daughters of the law’ given to Moses.
God as One (5)
stems from Abraham, founder of Judaism. first monotheist. reinforced in 10C in exodus. ‘worship no God but me’
Shema ‘hear…’ central prater in judaism, recited two times a day
no statues in synagogue, considered idolatry
Pikuach Nefesh (5)
term for saving life. torah → remember the shabbat and keep it holy. talmud helps jews to interpret torah.
talmud ‘he who destroys one soul of a human being, the scriptures considers him as if he should destroy the whole world
jewish apply PN during shabbat
all shabbat laws = broken to safe life
non kosher food eaten only when there is no kosher food.
Free will and mitzvot (5)
Firstly, the Torah teaches that God has given the Jews free will to choose to follow the mitzvot or not. They believe this because in the Torah God tells his humans, ‘you may eat the fruit from any tree’ showing their freedom in choice.
Secondly, Judaism does not teach that people are born sinful but that each individual is born with a tendency to do good (yetzer ha tov) or evil (yetzer ha ra). Jews believe that God gives them the mitzvot to guide them on how to behave and how to make sure they are following yetzer ha tov. In the Torah God states, ‘if you obey my commands, you will be my people’ so Jews make sure they use their yetzer ha tov to follow the mitzvot to please God.
Lastly, they also believe that God judges everyone on the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur on how well they have used their free will to follow the mitzvot.
Covenant with Abraham (5)
Firstly, God promised Abraham land. The Torah states that Abraham should ‘Go to the land will show you’. This is specified as the land of Canaan. This has lead Jews to believe they are entitled to the land of Israel. Influence: Jews pray for their return to Israel in the Amidah*.
Secondly, God promised Abraham many descendants. The Torah states, ‘You shall have many descendants… they will become a great nation’. Therefore the covenant marks the start of the Jewish race. Abraham= the ‘Father of Nations’. Without God’s covenant with Abraham- there would be no Judaism
Lastly, God required that Abraham become circumcised as a sign of the covenant. The Torah states, ‘every male amongst you shall be circumcised at eight days old’. The importance of this is reflected in the practise of Brit Milah*- where all Jewish boys are circumcised and join the covenant.
Life after death (5)
Firstly, the Nevi’im states, ‘those who sleep in the dust will awake, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt’ Orthodox and Reform Jews interpret this verse differently.
Secondly, reform Jews believe that you cannot say for sure what the afterlife will be like. Some might say that our souls rise after death, are judged and go to heaven (Gan Eden) or hell (Gahenna) and believe other say you die but live on in the memories of our friends.
Lastly, Orthodox believe there is an afterlife, and that they will resurrect in bodily form.The 13 principles of faith in Judaism state that Jews should believe in the ‘resurrection of the dead’. They also believe in judgement ‘some to everlasting life and others to ever-lasting contempt’. This motivate Jews to follow the mitzvot. Orthodox Jews believe that the resurrection will coincide with the messianic age where they will live forever in peace and prosperity.
8 MARKERS
IMPORTANCE OF THE LAND FOR JEWS(8)
promised by God through Abraham. torah ‘go to land i will show you’ ‘the whole land of Canaan will give you everlasting life’
call a country their own → protect from persecution. after holocaust. UN decides that jew s= land for own. no more oppresion
western wall = remains for sacred temple. God’s presence = Shekhinah
preserve identity of jews. e.g kosher food
USE OF TENAKH AND TALMUD
TENAKH
jewish holy book including torah and nevi’im
torah = most scared to jews as it was given to moses directly by God on mount sinai in the presence of the shekhinah
forms the basis of jewish identity tells the story of the jews and their relationship w/ God starting w/ Abraham
maps out exactly how Jews should behave in order to be in a covenant relationship w/ God → if you obey my commandments'
TALMUD
very important as it helps them make sense of how to apply laws given an ancient ppl
consists of the mishnah and rabbi’s commentaries called the gemara
proves that judaism is a living faith as jews wrestle w. the challenge of living out their beliefs in different cultures and contexts
clarity on pikuach nefesh ‘you should live y the law and not die by it’
SHEKHINAH (8)
Firstly, the Shekinah is the term for God’s presence here on Earth. The word comes from the Hebrew word meaning to rest or ‘dwell’. In mystical Judaism it is often used to refer to the feminine qualities of God and suggests nurturing or comforting like a mother does. The Shekhinah is felt by Jews when they pray and follow the mitzvot.
Secondly, evidence for the Shekinah comes from the Torah when God appeared as a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night to guide the Israelites to safety. It was present at major events such as when Moses received the 10 commandments on mount Sinai.
Thirdly, God being presented as having feminine qualities is very inclusive for Jewish women. It enables them to feel valued and for many may feel like a way to build a closer relationship with God .Some Jewish men and women believe the Shekhinah followed Jews into exile so can make them feel like they are protected wherever they are in the world.
Lastly, the Shekhinah shows that God desires to be present with his people and wants to be a part of their lives. It reminds Jews that God is omnipotent since the Torah tells us of the Shekinah intervening to save the Jews from the Egyptians. The importance of God’s presence is reflected in the synagogue. As God directed, the ner tamid light burns which represents Gods divine presence.
MESSIAH (8)
Firstly, Messiah means ‘anointed one’ who Jews believe will bring in a new age of peace and justice for mankind. The 12th principle of the Jewish faith is the belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the Messianic age.
Secondly, Orthodox Jews believe that the Messiah will be a great political leader. The prophets in the Nevi’im say ‘Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end’. They believe he will be a descendent of King David since the Nevi’im states he will ‘rule on David’s throne’. Orthodox Jews believe that the messiah will rebuild the temple, bring Jews back to Israel and set up his kingship in Jerusalem. The Messiah will bring in an age of peace. The Nevi’im says he will be a ‘Prince of Peace’.
Thirdly, Some Orthodox Jews believe that the messiah’s arrival will signal the end of the world and they pray for his coming. Some Orthodox Jews believe that the messiah will come when every Jew obeys the Shabbat* perfectly- or when all Jews obey the mitzvot perfectly*
Lastly Reform Jews don’t believe a Messia, they believe that the messianic age can be achieved by humanity today- when we act with peace*, love* and solidarity/ charity (tzedakah)* we can usher in the messianic age of peace, justice and prosperity ourselves.
MOSES (8)
Firstly, the Mosaic covenant is between God and the Jewish people, made possible through Moses. God gave the Jews the mitzvot via Moses on the top of Mount Sinai. In the Torah, God states‘if you obey my commands, you will be my people’. This is important as following the mitzvot gives Jews their identity and dictates how they live their lives e.g. kosher food laws.
Secondly, obedience to the laws is a key part of this covenant. They must be obeyed to remain in the covenant. This is very important to Jews and to signify the importance, Jews will have Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies to celebrate young people becoming of an age where they are able to take responsibility for following the mitzvot themselves.
Thirdly, the ten commandments were given as part of the Mosaic covenant and these form the bases of the rest of the 613 mitzvot. These are important because the fundamentals of Jewish life are focused round these commandments e.g. worship no God but me (monotheism) and keep the sabbath day holy (Shabbat).
Lastly, being God’s ‘chosen people’ means they are blessed. Jews believe that by following the mitzvot given to Moses they will receive protection and be blessed in the land that God originally gave Abraham.
GOD AS JUDGE AND LAWGIVER (8)
Jews believe God gave humans the laws, but also gave them free will as shown in the Torah, ‘you may eat the fruit of any tree’. Jews believe that God gave Moses laws and duties that are expected of all Jews- the Torah (written laws including the 10 commandments) and Mishnah (oral). Altogether these make up the 613 mitzvot that Jews should obey.
These laws form the basis of God’s covenant with Moses. The Torah states, ‘If you obey my commands you will be my chosen people’- in return for their obedience they will live in the land of Israel and prosper.
Jews believe that God judges them according to how well they follow the laws. The Nevi’im states, ‘those who sleep in the dust will awake, some to everlasting life, others to everlasting contempt’ – showing that Jews believe there are consequences for their actions.
Jews spend time reflecting on God’s judgement at the festival of Rosh Hashanah* (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur*. At this time, Jews believe that God weighs up our actions and decides whether or not your name is in ‘the Book of Life’
AFTERLIFE
ORTHODOX
believe there is an afterlife and that they will resurrect in bodily form ‘those who sleep in the dust will awake
the 13 principles of faith , jews should believe n the ‘resurrection of the dead’
believe in judgement ‘some to everlasting life and others to ever-lasting contempt’ → motivate them to follow mitzvot
believe that resurrection will coincide w/ the messianic age where they will live forever in peace
REFORM
cannot say for sure what the afterlife will be like
some might say that our souls rise after death, are judged and go to gan eden pr gan henna
other say you die but live on in memories of out friends
reofrm jews agree that we shoudl focus on how we live this life - ebing the best we can be
15 MARKERS
‘Belief in God’s oneness is the most important belief about God in Judaism’ (15)
Some Jews would agree with this statement. They would agree because the Shema states ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one’. They recite this 3 times a day every day showing how important the message of believing in one God is. Furthermore, the ten commandments emphasise this belief as it states, ‘worship no God but me’ and this is the very first commandment showing its importance. Additionally, this belief is reflected in a synagogue as there are no statues or pictures implemented into the design of the synagogue.
Some Jews would disagree and argue God as Creator is most important. This is because God created the world out of nothing showing his omnipotence, this is shown in Genesis 1 ‘in the beginning God created the heavens and earth’. Furthermore, God created a world that is perfect for humans and sustains life, showing his omnibenevolence. Additionally, Jews remember creation every week when they partake in Shabbat, reflecting when God rested on the seventh day of creation and following the commandment from Exodus to ‘keep the Sabbath day holy’. This is a weak argument as saying God created everything also means saying God created evil which is a hard truth for some Jews to accept.
Other Jews would disagree and say God as lawgiver is the most important. They have this view because during the Mosaic covenant God gave Moses the 613 mitzvot to live by. These mitzvot map out how Jews are to live according to God’s will. Additionally, following the laws God gave Moses gives them their identity as God told the Israelites in Exodus ‘follow these commands and you will be my people’ and they see themselves as the chosen people. This is a weak argument because not all Jews follow all 613 mitzvot so there is inconsistency across the religion.
There are other Jews who would argue God as judge is most important. The reason for this being that they see God as fair and just as explained in Psalms ‘you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness’. They also have the ten days of repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to atone for sins which further shows God’s fair nature.
The most compelling argument is that God as One is the most important aspect of God’s nature because evidence of the importance is seen through their physical buildings and the fact, they recite this statement of belief twice a day every day.
613 mitzvot (15)
Orthodox Jews would agree this statement. They believe the 613 mitzvot were given by God to Moses. Therefore, they must be kept.. The mitzvot outline how Jews are to live and behave in their relationship with God, ‘If you keep my covenant...you will be my chosen people’ . Therefore they must follow the mitzvot in order to remain in God’s favour and live peacefully in their promised land. This is a weak argument as it is impossible to keep all of the 613 mitzvot since many of them concern the temple in Jerusalem which no longer exists.
Furthermore, the importance of keeping the 613 mitzvot influences Jewish clothing and festivals. Jews tie many knots or tzizts on the corners of their tallits to help remember the 613 mitzvots when they pray. Jews also have a custom of eating pomegranates, with their many seeds, during Rosh Hashanah as a reminder of their renewed commitment to follow the 613 mitzvot in the new year. This is also a weak argument as Jews also pray every Yom kippur* to plead with God to have mercy on them for the sins they knowingly or unknowingly commit in the year ahead. This suggests that Jews understand that it is impossible to follow the 613 mitzvot perfectly and they ask God’s forgiveness in advance of the year.
Reform Jews would agree with this statement as they have an understanding that some of the mitzvot are more important than others e.g. the commandment to preserve life. Pikuach Nefesh is an obligation to break any of the mitzvot in order to save a life e.g. kosher Shabbat laws. Therefore, Jews don’t need to concern themselves with all 613 laws- simply the most important ones. This is a strong argument because 610 of the mitzvots can be broken in order to save life. Only three mitzvots should never be broken according to Jewish Law - committing adultery, idolatry and incest- therefore Jews do not have to keep all 613.
Many Reform Jews believe that the laws must be adapted into the modern day. Many of the mitzvot are now outdated and irrelevant in today’s society. Instead, the usually focus on the 10 commandments which have timeless value- and trying to bring about peace on earth in order to bring about the messianic age.
This is a weak argument as God is omniscient- he would not give the Jews laws that are not important or can be ignored in centuries to come. God’s laws must be trusted over human laws and individuals.
Abrahamic covenant = most important (15)
FOR
Abraham = first monothiest
1st monotheist to tell us how relationship between God and Jews work
beginning of the importance of land of Israel
where the jewish race started ‘many descendants’
circumcision wouldn’t have its meaning and importance today ‘every male should be circumcised at eight days old’
STRONG: moses = Abraham descendant. no covenant
AGAINST
was given 10C ‘obey commandments = my people’
freed Israelites → reason they have Shabbat
received 613 mitzvot
following mitzvot = key to identity -chosen ppl
tells them how to live
WEAK: not everyone follow 613
MCA:
abraham = no moses without abraham
and 2nd day of jewish year
celebrates when humans were created
‘rosh’ = head or beginning
slices of apples eaten= hope for a sweet new year
challah = the cycle of year
pomegranates = mitzvots reminded
shafar blown 100 times (sound like crying) = soul asking to reunited with God
10 days of returning → consider deeds during past year
→ make amends and plans to do better
→ God doesn’t forgive a wrongdoing if another person has already asked for forgiveness