Judaism

Bri’t	Jewish term for covenant
Halakah	Jewish Law
Gemara	Further commentaries elaborating on the Mishnah
Kiddush	Prayer over wine to sanctify the Shabbat
Messiah	The awaited Saviour of the Jewish nation.
Mishnah	Compilation of the oral law recorded by Rabbi Judah around 200 CE
Mitzvot	The 613 commandments prescribed to Moses; mitzvah is one.
Tikkun Olam	Jewish concept meaning, repairing the world.
Torah	First five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, or TaNak, containing the Law.
Bri’t	Jewish term for covenant

There are four major covenants recorded in the Hebrew Bible:
- Noah
  - God's saving actions - Saves Noah and his family from the flood.
  - God's promise - The earth will be destroyed again by flood.
  - Obligation - Noah and his descendants are called upon to live according to the ways of God, by tending to and caring for God's creation.

Abraham
- God's promise - Abraham's descendants will be as numerous as the stars and will lead to the formation of a great nation. This will begin with the birth of Isaac, whose son Jacob is the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
  - To live in the promised land of Canaan.

Exodus is defined as a going out. The story of Exodus is the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery by the Egyptians. It's key highlight of the story is the Israelites being led out of Egypt to the promised land.
Once the Israelites and Moses arrive at Mt Sinai, Moses makes his way up to receive two tablets from God with the ten commandments inscribed onto them. God explains to Moses that if the people will obey these regulations, he will keep his covenant with Israel and will go with them to retrieve from the Canaanites the land promised to Abraham.

*FEATURE*	*ORTHODOX* *[LARGEST]*	*CONSERVATIVE [TRADITIONAL]*	*PROGRESSIVE* *[REFORM AND LIBERAL]*
Number of Adherents Worldwide:	2.5 million people identify as an Orthodox Jew worldwide.	Approximately 1.1 millions Jews worldwide identify themselves as Conservative Jews.	2.2 Million Jews identify themselves as Progressive Jews.
Role of Women:	Mainstream Orthodox Jews are yet to have women in positions of leadership yet in recent years there has been a push for change. Women are prohibited from being a Rabbi. Highest position for women is a rabbi advocate [assistant] Orthodox rabbis discourage women from wearing a kippah, tallit or tefillin Modesty is vastly important for women practicing Orthodox Judaism; referring to the clothing they wear. Most Orthodox women only wear long skirts, and avoid wearing trousers. Married Orthodox women cover their hair with a scarf [tichel], hat, beret or even a wig.	Allowed to be called up for the reading of the Torah, except on Shabbat. Can become a Rabbi advocate and Rabbi. Can be counted as part of a minyan Encouraged to wear a tallit and tefillin.	Believes strongly in the equality of men and women. Women can be Rabbis, or Rabbi advocates. Women can wear a tallit. Women may perform many rituals traditionally reserved for men. In many Progressive and Reform synagogues, adult women count as part of the minyan.
Authority of Sacred Text:	The sacred text plays a major role for Orthodox Jews as they believe the words of God are timeless and have no need to be adapted. Torah is not flexible and is the strict law Believed to be written directly by God. Halakah is binded in all aspects, unless it goes against Civil laws.	For conservative Jews, the Torah is still of immense value to the traditions and primary authority to Jewish life. They believe that when studying the Torah, it shouldn’t always be through the eyes of their ancestors as it doesn’t ‘correspond’ with their modern lifestyle. Similarly to traditional Judaism, the governance of Jewish life guided by Halakah [Laws.]	The Hebrew Bible beyond Deuteronomy may be an authoritative text, but it does not have the final authority over the Progressive and/or Reform movement. Only ethical aspects are binding, however, additional aspects may be adapted into daily life by the individual’s own choice.
Principles and Objectives:	The significant core belief is that there is One single, omniscient, transcendent, non-compound God, who created the universe, and continues to be concerned with its governance.	Practices traditional Judaism. Is influenced by the contemporary societies of today, so that it can be interpreted by adherents and more relatable.	That Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernised and made compatible with the surrounding culture. Encourages to choose the ways to be Jewish that mean the most to them. Primacy of the Jewish ethical tradition over the obligations of Halakah.

The concept of covenant is a fundamental tenet of faith in Judaism, shaping its foundation, instigating the perception that Jews are the chosen ones. The three most sacred covenants in Judaism are the Noahic Covenant, Abrahamic Covenant and Mosaic Covenant.

Sacred texts and writings

The key text is the Tanakh, also known as the Hebrew Bible; it has 39 books. The Tenakh is divided into three sections, the Torah, the Neviuum and the Ketuvim. The Torah consists of the 5 books of Moses; outlining the 613 mitzvot which the Jewish laws and lore are extracted from. The Neviuum includes the history and writings of the Prophets, who are the Chosen people of God. They were ordered by God to provide messages and call to account those who have strayed from the principle teachings of the Torah. This section of the Tanakh contains 19 books, some of these include Micah, Zechariah and Jeremiah. The final part of the Tenakh is the Ketuvim, these are the writings of wisdom literature which provide insight. Throughout the 15 books found in this section, most of the wisdom is derived from the poetry in Psalms and Proverbs.

TIKKUN OLAM:

Tikkun Olam is a concept in Judaism; [Hebrew for “world repair”] has come to connote social action and the pursuit of social justice. Specifically reflecting the requirement for adequate stewardship throughout Judaism.

CONCEPT

DEFINITION

ETHICAL TEACHING

APPLICATION IN DAILY LIFE

Shmita

This is a central cycle of Judaism, the seventh year in which Jews are called to rest from the sixth years prior. In the Torah Jews are called to work the land for six days of the week and take the day off on the seventh as God did when he created the earth.

By asking how your behaviours affect the world, in either a positive or negative sense and what changes can be implemented is how Jews obtain ethical behaviour during the year of Shmita.

Nowadays Shmita is used as a means of understanding the commitments that one has in terms of the land. The ethical issue in real life that is being addressed by Jews through Shmita is the global and environmental problems of the twenty-first century.

Tzedakah

This means the justice actions and behaviour as well as the ways in which ethical teachings are applied to one's life considering those less fortunate in a society including those of disabilities, homelessness, destitute and the general public who are in need of assistance.

[Acts of charity, righteousness, justice and fairness.]

Possesses great importance to Jewish culture is significant as noted through the praising of practicing tzedakah by the Rabbi’s, “equal in value to all the other mitzvot combined.” This displays the value of tzedakah to Jews, too, its connection to ethical matters in real life.

For instance, a way in which practicing tzedakah is through the recognition of acting upon a small, or large, societal issue such as picking up rubbish, assisting elderly and showcasing attempts to repair the world.

How would a Jew make an ethical decision?

The Torah is the cynosure of Jewish principles and ethics; to which it comprises the Halakah. There are a multitude of inducements and reasons as to why a Jew would inaugurate ethical decisions throughout their life. The belief of God’s involvement in moral issues bestows Jews with an ethical thinking passion beyond what is found in countless other traditions and practices. Ethics are concerned with human values and behaviour, and Jewish ethics define correct Jewish behaviour. From Biblical times, the Halakah strove to raise the moral conscience of the people through prescription and exhortation. The tradition of Jewish ethics relies on biblical precedents.

Observance

Describe the importance of Shabbat

[make reference to assessment task #1]*

Shabbat is a tenet to Judaism and is depicted by a vast majority of Judaism adherents as the centrepiece of their life. The Shabbat occurs on the seventh day of the Jewish week, it is a day of rest and abstention from any form of work. It is the most important ritual observance in Judaism as it is inaugurated into the Ten Commandments. These consist of Exodus 20:8, “Remember the Sabbath day, to sanctify it” also known as Zachor and Deuteronomy 5:12, “Observe the sabbath day, to sanctify it” which is Shamor.

Zachor commands the Jewish people to remember the significance of Shabbat. This is the remembrance of God’s divine nature in being the Creator and to commemorate the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, which is the paradigm of the Covenant between God and the People of Israel. By resting on the Shabbat, Jews are reminded that they are free. Exodus 31:16 states “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.”; this verse encompasses the importance of the Shabbat for the Jewish people to remember and rejoice the promises of God.

Shamor commands the Jews to not complete any forbidden labours in order to preserve the sanctity of this liturgical day. This commandment prohibits any form of Melacha. This Hebraic word refers to work that is creative or in relation to gaining superiority over the environment; a conventional example of this is the Creation story found throughout the entirety of Genesis.

Additionally, in Exodus 31:17, it states that ‘for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.’ As God refrained from working on the seventh day, the Shabbat imitates this divine act, exemplifying its importance. As a result of God’s benevolence and in being the Creator of all, the Jews thank him for the gifts derived from the Shabbat and uphold its importance within their lives by commemorating the freedom granted by God and his creations.