How to Understand Basic Beliefs and Practices
The Jewish people are followers of the world’s oldest monotheistic faith and have traditions stretching back to the earliest days of civilization. Not only do the followers of Judaism speak of their faith as a religion, but according to the religious concepts present among Jews, those born into the practice are born into the Jewish nation--and those who convert to the faith are said to join the Jewish nation. The Jewish people as a whole live under the Covenant that was formed between God and Abraham, and with these strong foundations the Jewish nation is unshakable.
The Conception of God in Judaism rejects deism, and states that God is active in the human world. It is based on a strict interpretation of monotheism, in which dualistic representations or a Holy Trinity is not present. Instead, God is one. The Jewish holy text, or Torah, states in Deuteronomy that God is a unity unlike any other. God is omnipresent, unfailing and has a personal relationship with His followers.
God was revealed to the Jewish nation through the Covenant with Abraham and the prophecy of Moses. Abraham, originally named Abram, was promised that by accepting the one true God as his only god, the land of Canaan would be given to his descendents. Practicing Judaism means that an individual will be living within this Holy Covenant.
Practicing Judaism demands a deep respect for the Prophet Moses and the laws that have been handed down unto the peoples of God. Those practicing Judaism within the boundaries of Ancient Egypt were prosecuted and placed into bondage. The great story of the Exodus states that Moses was the deliverer of these Jewish slaves and the traditional author of the Torah.
The words of the prophets are unquestionably true to those practicing Judaism. However, it is not always stated that these books are to be taken literally. Those who are practicing Judaism in a rabbinic tradition believe that God laid down both the words and meaning of the Torah, and therefore, these laws were based in part on an oral tradition. These laws would be passed down for almost two millennia before being recorded in the Mishna and the two Talmuds.
The resurrection unto everlasting life is promised to all the faithful practicing Judaism. Those practicing Judaism in an Orthodox capacity believe the resurrection a cardinal belief in the rabbinical tradition. Those practicing Judaism in a Conservative capacity affirm this same tradition, but leave open the possibility regarding as to how the promise of resurrection is to be interpreted. Those practicing Judaism in the Reformed or Reconstructionist traditions have rejected resurrection as a philosophy.
The Messiah is a future great Jewish King who will rule over the entire Jewish nation in the coming Messianic Age. When the Messiah comes, the Jewish people will live in peace and freedom in what will become an ultimate time of good. This good will spread across all of those practicing Judaism, and ultimately, over all of mankind. The eventual coming of the Messiah will mark the entrance of a savior for the Jewish nation from their constant struggle against innumerable odds.
Judaism requires one to follow a set number of laws to a policy of strict adherence. For the individual, there is little that is more spiritually fulfilling than the ability to cleanse one’s body and
soul through these laws. Furthermore, these stress the treatment of humanity and nature, and thus have tempered Jewish society to provide a great level of respect and freedom.
Practicing Judaism is a rewarding custom that yields great spiritual fruits. The Noahide laws are those given by God to Noah in order to make man no longer subject to His wrath. The laws prohibit idolatry, murder, theft, sexual deviancy, blasphemy, eating the living flesh of an animal before it is slaughtered, and ensure the just treatment of all under the civil law of the people. These concepts have ensured that those practicing Judaism are both a tempered people and one who are fair in their treatment of others.
The Halakha, or Jewish law, and the Ten Commandments, have also ensured the strict adherence to the moral path and ensured the sanctity of all peoples. According to the Talmud, there are 613 mitzvot, or holy commandments, in the Torah. These laws also encourage the regular attendance to services at the Synagogue or Temple. The celebration of the Sabbath is traditionally held from sundown on Friday until Saturday night, to honor the creation of the world and the day of rest provided by God in both His divine creation and that, which is ordered in the Commandments.
Generally the Sabbath ends with the arrival of three stars in the evening sky, and it is celebrated by the ceremonial lighting of candles that not only recalls the creation, but the redemption from slavery and bondage in Egypt at the time of the great Exodus. It is also marked as a time of great prayer, and synagogue services are held the evening, morning, and afternoon of the Shabbat cycle, marking the time passage of the entire Sabbath. Usually both the home and body are cleansed and groomed for the occasion, and it is a time spent in unity and love with one’s family.
Passover is a holy day for those practicing Judaism that also commemorates the deliverance from slavery in Ancient Egypt. It is generally held between March and April, and is celebrated by the abstention from eating leavened bread, as the fleeing members of the Jewish nation could not wait for bread to rise. A ceremonial Seder meal, consisting of Matza and bitter herbs, recall the suffering of the Jewish people. Various prayers are recited throughout the occasion.
Rosh Hashanah is the preverbial new year of the Hebrew Calendar. It is celebrated on the first day of the seventh Hebrew month of Tishrei. It is the first of the so called Days of Awe, or Yamim Noraim, that stress repentance for one’s sins. These prayers, however, come to a climax on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is the day of forgiveness in which a fast cleanses one as God forgives the sins of those practicing Judaism.
The Sukkoth is the Tabernacle Feast and it was once traditional for Jews to visit the great Temple in Jerusalem. Generally, one receives a blessing over each area of one’s house to mark it as one in submission to God’s will. It is one of the pilgrim feasts, and according to Zechariah, in the Messianic age to come Sukkoth will be celebrated by pilgrimages to Jerusalem by all peoples.
The eight days of Hanukkah are celebrated by the lighting of the nine candles of the Menorah, with the ninth candle being the Shamash and used to light the others to mark the eight days. The holiday may occur from November to December in the modern calendar, and it calls to mind the rededication of the great Temple in Jerusalem during the successful revolt of Maccabees. There was only enough oil to light the candles of the temple for a short period of time; however, through a miracle of God it burned for eight days. These eight days are also a time for family and exchanging gifts.
Purim calls to mind the defeat of the Persian Haman who plotted to eliminate the Jewish nation. The book of Esther is publicly recited, and when the name of Haman is mentioned, noisemakers are rung to blot out the name of evil. Gifts are exchanged, and charity is offered to the less fortunate.
Shavuot occurs in late May or early June and celebrates the anniversary of God’s gift of the Torah to Moses. It is also a pilgrimage festival, like the holiday of Sukkoth. Shavuot occurs fifty days after Passover, giving it the Greek name of Pentecost, or fiftieth day. The Shavuot is extremely important because with the gift of the Torah to the Jewish nation, the people that were practicing Judaism became a true nation with a set of laws in submission to God.
Judaism is a rewarding philosophy and religion that ties together all of its practitioners into a nation that is free of borders. All Jews are called to share in the Covenant and it is this incredible world family that sets the Jewish faith apart from all faiths. Even in the modern world, with its myriad concerns and worries, the Jewish people look to the future and the great Messianic age that will deliver humanity from its worldly problems.
