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ElizabethNeoman
ComparativeReligions
BlockE
WorldReligionsPaper
October13,2014
Judaism:TheMotherFaith
ItisalmostimpossibletoimaginewherereligionwouldbewithoutJudaism.Judaismis
oneofthethreemajorreligionsandisthebasisofChristianityandIslam,twoothermajorworld
religions.TheJewishfaithwasthefirstmonotheisticreligion,hasemergedoveranumberof
centuries,practicescertainreligiousrites,andhasspecialritualsthatrelatetocomingofageand
marriage.
Over3500yearsago,anomadleadernamedAbrambecamethefirsttoproclaimabelief
inone,trueGod.AccordingtotheBible,GodaskedAbramtoleavehiscountryandhome.God
establishedacovenantwithAbramandpromisedhimland,manydescendants,andarelationship
withHiminreturnforleaving.AlthoughAbramandhiswifeSaraiwereoldandchildless,they
obeyedGodandlefttheirhome.GodrenamedAbramasAbrahamwhichmeans"fatherofthe
people,"andchangedSarai'snametoSarah.HeblessedSarah,whowaspreviouslybarren,with
achildnamedIsaac.Isaacbecamethenextgreatleaderoftheclan,alsoknownasthepatriarch.
(
NewAmericanStandardBible
,Genesis12,15,17BBCReligions,1).

Isaac'sson,Jacob,becamethenextpatriarchofJudaism.HewasrenamedIsraelandhad
twelvesonswhobecamethetwelvetribesofIsraelwhoformedtheIsraelitesmeaningGods
people.AftertheIsraelitesmovedtoEgypt,theywereenslavedandtreatedharshly.AnIsraelite
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namedMoses,whogrewupinthePharaoh'shousefledtoMideanandbecameashepherdafter
killingafellowEgyptian.WhileinMidean,hesawabushengulfedinflamesthatdidnotburn.
GodcalledMosesbynameandrevealedthatHisnamewas"YHWH."MosesreturnedtoEgypt
anddemandedthatPharaohfreetheIsraelites.PharaohlettheJewsgotothePromisedlandafter
theTenPlagues.ItwasduringtheirflighttothePromisedlandthatGodgavethemtheTen
Commandments.AftertheIsraelitesenteredthePromisedLandofCanaan,Godeventuallyset
upakingdomruledbySaul,thenDavid,andeventuallySolomon,whobuiltthefirsttemple.A
civilwaroccurredafterSolomonsdeathin920BCthatcausedtheUnitedKingdomtosplitinto
IsraelinthenorthandJudeainthesouth(JewishHistory,Mr.Olszyk,18).
TheJewsenteredaconstantstruggleofreligiouspersecutionandexile.In721BC,the
northernkingdomofIsraelwasconqueredbytheAssyrianswhokilledmostoftheJewsand
intermarriedwiththerest.In587BC,theBabylonianstookoverthesouthernkingdomofJudea,
destroyedSolomonstempleandmovedtheJewsintoBabylon.TheJewsdevelopedthe
synagogueandcodifiedthecanonofscriptureduringthisexile.In537BC,thePersians
conqueredtheBabyloniansandallowedtheJewstoreturn.UnderPersianrule,lifewasrelatively
peacefulandtheJewswereabletorebuildtheirtemple.Later,theywereconqueredbythe
GreeksandtheRomans.WhileJewswereunderRomanrule,theystartedarebellionagainst
authoritiesin66AD.Aspunishment,theRomansdestroyedthesecondtemplein70ADand

dispersedtheJewsthroughouttheempire,anexileknownastheDiaspora(JewishHistory,Mr.
Olszyk,18).
Duringthemedievalperiod,Jewsbeganformingsmallcommunitiesthroughoutthe
knownworld.ManycitieshadaJewishsectionandstatesponsoredantiSemitismincreased.A
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newwaveofJewishpersecutiondevelopedintheearlynineteenthcenturyandbeganin
predominantlyMuslimcountriessuchasMorocco,Iraq,andPalestine.ManyJewsdesiredto
returntheHolyLandandreestablishaJewishstatewheretheycouldlivepeacefully,a
movementcalledZionism.TheJewsmigratedtoPalestineandtriedtobuildasocietythereover
thenexttwohundredyears.AntiSemitismdevelopedoverthenextcentury,resultedintragic
actsofantiSemitismsuchastheHolocaust.TheHolocaustwasthepersecutionofJewsby
GermanNazisfrom1933to1945andresultedinthemurderofonethirdoftheJewishpeople
(JewishHistory,Olszyk,18JeffreyBrodd,213).
ThehistoricalstrugglesoftheJewsshapedJudaismitself.Withthefallofthetemple,the
LeviticalpriesthoodandtheSadduceesdisappearedandwerereplacedbyrabbis,teacherswho
studyJudaism.Judaismeventuallyseparatedintothreedenominationsthatarestillpresenttoday.
ReformedJudaismbeganduringthemid1840sinGermanyinanattempttomodernizeJewish
practices.AlthoughReformedJewsdiffergreatlyintheirbeliefs,theygenerallyallseethe
Matzothandbiblicalstoriesassymbolicandusefulbutnotessential.Asareactionagainst
ReformedJews,ConservativeJudaismformed.ConservativeJewsbelieveintheTorah's
teachingsandtrytoliveoutitsteachingsbutalsobelieveinadaptingtoculturalnormsand

workingintheworld.OrthodoxJudaismrejectstheideathattraditionschangeandtakethe
Torahliterally(JewishFolkloreandDenominations,Olszyk,2Brodd,210).
TheJewsusetheTorahasaguide.ThefirstfivebooksoftheTanakh,orHebrew
scriptures,aretheTorah,commonlyknownasthelaw.Thesebooksaregenesis,Exodus,
Leviticus,NumbersandDeuteronomy.ThentherearetheHistoricalBookswhichtalkaboutthe
historyoftheJewishpeoplefromtheentranceofthePromisedLandandtheWisdomliterature
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whichprovideshymnsforwordsandwisesayings.LastlyarethebooksoftheProphets,which
talkaboutjustice,prophecy,andGodswillforthepeopleandtheTalmud,whichisacollections
ofcommentaryontheTorahfromaseriesofrabbis(JewishBeliefs,Olszyk,2).
AllJewsparticipateincertainpracticesandrituals.Jewssayprayersatleastthreetimes
daily:inthemorning,theafternoon,andtheevening.Theyalsofollowdietarypracticesthatare
consideredproperaccordingtotheTorah.Theycannoteatpork,forexample,ormixmeatand
dairyproducts.Jewsworshipinsynagogueswhichserveascentersofprayer,study,and
fellowship.TheJewsconsiderSaturdayastheSabbathandrefrainfromanykindofworkand
worshipatthesynagogueonthisday(Brodd,214215).
Additionally,JewsfollowholidaysthatarefundamentaltoJewishlife.Themost
importantholydaysareRoshHashanah,YomKippur,andPassover.RoshHashanahisthe
festivalofthenewyear.Itoccursinearlyfallandisobservedfortwodays.RoshHashanahisa
religiouseventinvolvingbothfestivitiesandseriouscontemplation.Theyparticipateina
celebrationofGodscreationoftheworldaswellashavingfestivemealsandvisitingthegraves
offamilymembers.Thenextholiday,YomKippur(alsoknownastheDayofAtonement),is

Judaismsmostimportantholyday.YomKippuremphasizesrepentancethroughconfessionof
sinthroughprayerandabstainingfromfood,drink,andwork.ThelastfestivalisPassoverwhich
occursearlyinthespringandlastsforeightdays.ItcommemoratestheExodusoftheJewsfrom
bondageinEgypt(Brodd,213216).
Jewsalsohavespecificritesofpassagethatmarkmajorlifechanges.Tomarkthebirth
ofachild,Jewscircumciseboysandnamebothboysandgirls.Theritualsignifiesentranceinto
theJewishcommunityofdescendantsofAbraham.Theyalsohavespecialritesthatmarkthe
Jewish
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comingofage,atwhichachildtakesonthereligiousresponsibilitiesofanadult.Boyshavebar
mitzvahs(sonofthecommandment)whichtakeplaceontheirthirteenthbirthdays.They
becomesparticipantsforthefirsttime,performingsuchtasksasreadingfromtheTorah.Girls
havebatmitzvahs(daughterofthecommandment)whicharecelebratedinthesamemanner.
Judaismshavespecialpracticeswhenitcomestomarriageaswell.Weddingsarepatternedafter
theunionbetweenAdamandEve.Thebrideandgroomstandbeneaththehuppah(bridal
canopy)whichcreatesaspecial,sacredplace.Thegroomconcludestheceremonybystepping
onaglasstosignifythedestructionofthetwoTemplesandasareminderthatmarriageinvolves
difficultiesandpain(Brodd,216218).
AccordingtoDr.ShiraWeiss,Judaismisthetruereligionandsuperiortoallother
religions(
HowDoWeKnowJudaismistheTrueReligion?
,50).ThereissometruthinJudaism.
EvenaftertheJewswereabletosurvivesomanystruggles,theystillhadcompletetrustinGod.
ThefactthattheyclungontoGoddespitethosehardshipsismonumental.TheGodtheybelieve

inmustbethetrueGodbecauseHebroughtthemoutofthosedifficulttimes.Thereare,
however,someproblemsconcerningthetruthofJudaism.TheTorahprophesizeswhatthe
comingMessiah(thesavioroftheJewishpeople)willbelike.ItstatestheMessiahwould
comefromthetribeofJudah,wastobornatBethlehem,wouldpresenthimselfasridingona
donkey,wouldarrivebeforethedestructionoftheSecondTemple,andwouldbetorturedto
death.Jesus,whowasthefounderofChristianityandthesonofGod,matchesthedescriptionof
theMessiahperfectly.OneofthemostimportantbeliefsofJudaismisthetheconceptofwaiting
fortheMessiahtocome.SinceJesus,however,metallthecriteriathattheJewsbelievedwould
bethetraitsoftheMessiah,technicallyHefulfilledtheirprophecyandwasthetrueMessiah.
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Therefore,Judaismisafalsereligioninthatrespect(WhatproofdoyouhavethatJesuswasthe
Messiah?,1).
Judaismisamorallygoodreligion.Jewishpeopleleadrespectableandmorallives.They
followrulessuchasthoseoftheTenCommandmentswhichinstructJewsnottokill,steal,lie,or
commitadultery.Jewsalsohaveanobligationtohelptheneedyandvisitthesick.Theybetter
theircommunitiesandaredevotedtoGod(JeffreyBrodd,214).
Inconclusion,Jewsareadmirableforadheringtolawsandalwayshavinghopeand
strongfaithinGod.Jewsfollowedthefirstmonotheisticreligionanddevelopedpracticesthat
havebeenadoptedbyotherreligions.Judaismformsthebasisofmostmodernreligionsandis
trulythemotherofallmajorreligionstoday.

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WorksCited
Brodd,Jeffrey.
WorldReligions:AVoyageofDiscovery
.Winona,MN:SaintMary's,2003.
Print.
Judaism.
BBCReligions
.BBCWorldNews,23June2009.Web.10Oct.2014.

Mr.Olszyk.
JewishBeliefs
.PowerPointpresentation.9October,2014.
Mr.Olszyk.
JewishFolkoreandDenominations
.PowerPointpresentation.13October,2014.
Mr.Olszyk.
JewishHistory
.PowerPointpresentation.8October,2014.
TheHolyBible:NewAmericanStandardBible
.Cambridge:CambridgeUP,2007.Print.
Weiss,Shira.
ShavuottoGo
.N.p.:YeshivaUniversity,n.d.Print.
WhatproofdoyouhavethatJesuswastheMessiah?
JewsforJesus
.JewsforJesus,18Sept.
2013.Web.10Oct.2014.