Judaism.2

AT THE END OF THE LESSON, YOU
SHOULD BE ABLE TO:
• Narrate central events in the lives of Abraham and Moses as founders of
Judaism
• Identify and distinguish between the different sacred texts of Judaism.
• Identify and explain the basic doctrines and practices of Judaism.
• Distinguish the various denominations of Judaism.
• Discuss some of the challenges faced today by Judaism.

JUDAISM AND THE JEWS
• The term Judaism and Jew were derived from the word Judah, which
was the name of the fourth of the twelve sons of Jacob.
• Jews are also called Hebrews (The descendants of Abraham) and
Israelites (The descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel).
• Israelites mean Children of Israel or “God’s chosen people”.
• Non-Jews are called Gentiles.

TIMELINE OF
MOSES’ LIFE
•Joseph saves children of Israel from the famine
•Jacob and family move to Egypt
•430 years the children of Israel multiply and prosper in the land of Egypt
•Under new Pharaoh, the Hebrew people become slaves
Before Moses’ birth:
•Moses hidden in the bulrushes; found by Pharoah’s daughter
•Moses raised as Egyptian prince
•Moses kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian
•Moses marries Jethro’s daughter
•Burning Bush experience; God calls Moses to lead the people out of bondage
First 40 Years:
•Pharaoh refuses to let the Hebrew people go
•Ten Plagues
•Passover inaugurated
•Flight to Red Sea; Crossing of the sea and defeat of the Egyptians
Second 40 Years: Rescue of Israelites

Escape and First Year of Wandering
Trek to Sinai
Complaining and murmuring to Moses
Manna and Quails appear
Moses Sets up a Government
•Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai; God gives
them to Moses orally
•God gives Moses tables of stone with
commandments
•God tells Moses how to build the tabernacle
Wilderness Wanderings Second Year
Israel disobeys God, builds a golden calf
Moses’ anger, he is the first to literally break the
commandments (of stone)
Goes back up the mountain; Moses is now the
one to hew the stone tablets and write
•God’s words again
Skin of his face shone
cloud by day and pillar of fire by night: all
centered around the tabernacle
spies sent out into Canaan
38 Years of Desert Wanderings
Children believe the evil report of the 10 spies:
want to return to Egypt
Condemned to 40 years of wandering
Kadesh-barnea area
passage through Moab

TIMELINE OF MOSES’
LIFE
Commandments Repeated: End of Moses’ Human Experience
Joshua to succeed Moses
Allotment of tribes
Children of Israel told to destroy all high places and pictures
in Canaan (they do not do that)
Sema is instigated
Death of Moses – body never found (Deut 34:6)—120 years
old
Deut 34:6,7
6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against
Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.
7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his
eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

THE HEBREW BIBLE
AND OTHER
SACRED WRITINGS
The Tanakh (or The Hebrew
Bible)
- the primary or
foundational writings of
Judaism.
- contains the Torah,
the Nevi’im, and the Kethuvim.
- Written Torah is
often referred to as the Tanakh,
which is an acrostic of Torah,
Nevi'im and Ketuvim.
Torah
(The Teachings)
Nevi’im
(The Prophets)
Kethuvim
(The Writings)
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
(Former Prophets)
Joshua, Judges,
First and Second
Kings
(Latter Prophets)
Isaiah, Jeremiah,
and The Twelve
(treated as one
book) consisting of
Hosea, Joel, Amos,
Obadiah, Jonah,
Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, and
Malachi
Psalms, Proverbs,
Job, and the Festal
Scrolls:
Song of Songs,
Ruth,
Lamentations,
Ecclesiastes, and
Esther, Daniel, Ezra,
Nehemiah, and
First and Second
Chroicles

TALMUD
• Oral Torah
• a tradition explaining what the above scriptures
mean and how to interpret them and apply the
Laws. Orthodox Jews believe G-d taught the Oral
Torah to Moses, and he taught it to others,
down to the present day. This tradition was
maintained only in oral form until about the 2d
century C.E., when the oral law was compiled
and written down in a document called the
Mishnah.

TALMUD
• Over the next few centuries, additional
commentaries elaborating on the Mishnah were
written down in Jerusalem and Babylon. These
additional commentaries are known as the
Gemara. The Gemara and the Mishnah
together are known as the Talmud. This was
completed in the 5th century C.E.
• There are actually two Talmuds: the Jerusalem
Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud. The
Babylonian Talmud is more comprehensive,
and is the one most people mean if they just say
"the Talmud" without specifying which one.

THE NAMES OF G-D
Elohim
This Name is used in scripture when
emphasizing God's might, His creative power, and
His attributes of justice and rulership. Variations on
this Name include El, Eloha, Elohai (my God) and
Elohaynu (our God).
El Shaddai: this is usually translated as "God
Almighty,"
Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei (YHVH): It is often referred to as
the Ineffable Name, the Unutterable Name or the
Distinctive Name.
It is frequently shortened to Yah (Yod-Hei), Yahu or
Yeho (Yod-Hei-Vav), especially when used in
combination with names or phrases, as in
Yehoshua (Joshua, meaning "the Lord is my
Salvation"), Eliyahu (Elijah, meaning "my God is the
Lord"), and Halleluyah ("praise the Lord")

13 PRINCIPLES OF FAITH
G-d exists G-d is one and unique G-d is incorporeal G-d is eternal
Prayer is to be directed to G-d
alone and to no other
The words of the prophets are
true
Moses' prophecies are true, and
Moses was the greatest of the
prophets
The Written Torah (first 5 books
of the Bible) and Oral
Torah (teachings now contained
in the Talmud and other
writings) were given to Moses
There will be no other Torah
G-d knows the thoughts and
deeds of men
G-d will reward the good and
punish the wicked
The Messiah will come
The dead will be resurrected

ASERET HA-DIBROT: THE "TEN COMMANDMENTS"
1. Belief in G-d
This category is derived from the declaration in Ex. 20:2 beginning, "I am the L-rd, your G-d..."
2. Prohibition of Improper Worship
This category is derived from Ex. 20:3-6, beginning, "You shall not have other gods..." It encompasses within it the prohibition against the worship of other gods as well as
the prohibition of improper forms of worship of the one true G-d, such as worshiping G-d through an idol.
3. Prohibition of Oaths
This category is derived from Ex. 20:7, beginning, "You shall not take the name of the L-rd your G-d in vain..." This includes prohibitions against perjury, breaking or
delaying the performance of vows or promises, and speaking G-d's name or swearing unnecessarily.
4. Observance of Sacred Times
This category is derived from Ex. 20:8-11, beginning, "Remember the Sabbath day..." It encompasses all mitzvot related to Shabbat, holidays, or other sacred time.
5. Respect for Parents and Teachers
This category is derived from Ex. 20:12, beginning, "Honor your father and mother..."
6. Prohibition of Physically Harming a Person
This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not murder."
7. Prohibition of Sexual Immorality
This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not commit adultery."
8. Prohibition of Theft
This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not steal." It includes within it both outright robbery as well as various forms of theft by deception and unethical
business practices. It also includes kidnapping, which is essentially "stealing" a person.
9. Prohibition of Harming a Person through Speech
This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." It includes all forms of lashon ha-ra (sins relating to speech).
10. Prohibition of Coveting
This category is derived from Ex. 20:14, beginning, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house...

DOCTRINES
• The 613 Mitzvot
- Jewish tradition teaches that there are 613 commandments
- (commandments) that G-d gave to the Jewish people in the Torah (the
first five books of the Bible).

MITZVOT
G-d
• To know that G-d exists (Ex. 20:2; Deut. 5:6) (CCA1).
• Not to entertain the idea that there is any god but the Eternal (Ex. 20:3)
(CCN8).
• Not to blaspheme (Ex. 22:27; in Christian texts, Ex. 22:28), the penalty for
which is death (Lev. 24:16) (negative).
• To hallow G-d's name (Lev. 22:32) (CCA5).
• Not to profane G-d's name (Lev . 22:32) (CCN155).
• To know that G-d is One, a complete Unity (Deut. 6:4) (CCA2).
• To love G-d (Deut. 6:5) (CCA3).
• To fear Him reverently (Deut. 6:13; 10:20) (CCA4).
• Not to put the word of G-d to the test (Deut. 6:16) (negative).
• To imitate His good and upright ways (Deut. 28:9) (CCA6).

TORAH
• To honor the old and the wise (Lev. 19:32)
(CCA17).
• To learn Torah and to teach it (Deut. 6:7)
(CCA14).
• To cleave to those who know Him (Deut. 10:20)
(the Talmud states that cleaving to scholars is
equivalent to cleaving to Him) (CCA16).
• Not to add to the commandments of the Torah,
whether in the Written Law or in its
interpretation received by tradition (Deut. 13:1)
(CCN159).
• Not to take away from the commandments of
the Torah (Deut. 13:1) (CCN160).
• That every person shall write a scroll of the
Torah for himself (Deut. 31:19) (CCA15).

SIGNS AND
SYMBOLS
To circumcise the male
offspring (Gen. 17:12;
Lev. 12:3) (CCA47)
To put tzitzit on the
corners of clothing
(Num. 15:38) (CCA10).
To bind tefillin on the
head (Deut. 6:8) (CCA9).
To bind tefillin on the
arm (Deut. 6:8) (CCA8).
To affix the mezuzah to
the doorposts and
gates of your house
(Deut. 6:9) (CCA12).

PRAYER AND
BLESSINGS
To pray to G-d (Ex. 23:25; Deut. 6:13) (according to
the Talmud, the word "serve" in these verses refers to
prayer) (CCA7).
To read the Shema in the morning and at night
6:7) (CCA11).
To recite grace after meals (Deut. 8:10) (CCA13).
Not to lay down a stone for worship (Lev. 26:1)
(CCN161)

LOVE AND BROTHERHOOD
• To love all human beings who are of the covenant (Lev. 19:18) (CCA60).
• Not to stand by idly when a human life is in danger (Lev. 19:16) (CCN82).
• Not to wrong any one in speech (Lev. 25:17) (CCN48).
• Not to carry tales (Lev. 19:16) (CCN77).
• Not to cherish hatred in one's heart (Lev. 19:17) (CCN78).
• Not to take revenge (Lev. 19:18) (CCN80).
• Not to bear a grudge (Lev. 19:18) (CCN81).
• Not to put any Jew to shame (Lev. 19:17) (CCN79).
• Not to curse any other Israelite (Lev. 19:14) (by implication: if you may not curse those
who cannot hear, you certainly may not curse those who can) (CCN45).
• Not to give occasion to the simple-minded to stumble on the road (Lev. 19:14) (this
includes doing anything that will cause another to sin) (CCN76).
• To rebuke the sinner (Lev. 19:17) (CCA72).
• To relieve a neighbor of his burden and help to unload his beast (Ex. 23:5) (CCA70).
• To assist in replacing the load upon a neighbor's beast (Deut. 22:4) (CCA71).
• Not to leave a beast, that has fallen down beneath its burden, unaided (Deut. 22:4)
(CCN183).

DIETARY LAWS
• To examine the marks in cattle (so as to distinguish the clean from the unclean) (Lev. 11:2)
(affirmative).
• Not to eat the flesh of unclean beasts (Lev. 11:4) (CCN93). See Animals that may not be eaten.
• To examine the marks in fishes (so as to distinguish the clean from the unclean (Lev. 11:9)
(affirmative).
• Not to eat unclean fish (Lev. 11:11) (CCN95).
• To examine the marks in fowl, so as to distinguish the clean from the unclean (Deut. 14:11)
(affirmative).
• Not to eat unclean fowl (Lev. 11:13) (CCN94).
• To examine the marks in locusts, so as to distinguish the clean from the unclean (Lev. 11:21)
(affirmative).
• Not to eat a worm found in fruit (Lev. 11:41) (CCN98).
• Not to eat of things that creep upon the earth (Lev. 11:41-42) (CCN97)
• Not to eat any vermin of the earth (Lev. 11:44) (CCN100).
• Not to eat things that swarm in the water (Lev. 11:43 and 46) (CCN99).
• Not to eat of winged insects (Deut. 14:19) (CCN96).
• Not to eat the flesh of a beast that is terefah (lit torn) (Ex. 22:30) (CCN87).
• Not to eat the flesh of a beast that died of itself (Deut. 14:21) (CCN86).
• To slay cattle, deer and fowl according to the laws of shechitah if their flesh is to be eaten (Deut.
12:21) ("as I have commanded" in this verse refers to the technique) (CCA48).

DIETARY LAWS
• Not to slaughter an animal and its young on the same day (Lev. 22:28)
(CCN108).
• Not to take the mother-bird with the young (Deut. 22:6) (CCN189).
• To set the mother-bird free when taking the nest (Deut. 22:6-7) (CCA74).
• Not to eat the flesh of an ox that was condemned to be stoned (Ex. 21:28)
(negative).
• Not to boil meat with milk (Ex. 23:19) (CCN91).
• Not to eat flesh with milk (Ex. 34:26) (according to the Talmud, this passage
is a distinct prohibition from the one in Ex. 23:19) (CCN92).
• Not to eat the of the thigh-vein which shrank (Gen. 32:33) (CCN1).
• Not to eat chelev (tallow-fat) (Lev. 7:23) (CCN88).
• Not to eat blood (Lev. 7:26) (CCN89).
• To cover the blood of undomesticated animals (deer, etc.) and of fowl that
have been killed (Lev. 17:13) (CCA49).
• Not to eat or drink like a glutton or a drunkard (not to rebel against father or
mother) (Lev. 19:26; Deut. 21:20) (CCN106)

ANIMALS
THAT MAY
NOT BE
EATEN
Of the "beasts of the earth" (which basically
refers to land mammals with the exception of
swarming rodents), you may eat any animal
that has cloven hooves and chews its cud.
Lev. 11:3; Deut. 14:6. Any land mammal that
does not have both of these qualities is
forbidden.
Ex.
- The camel, the rock badger, the hare and
the pig are not kosher because each lacks
one of these two qualifications.
- Cattle, sheep, goats, deer and bison are
kosher.
Of the things that are in the waters, you may
eat anything that has fins and scales. Lev. 11:9;
Deut. 14:9.
- Thus, shellfish such as lobsters, oysters,
shrimp, clams and crabs are all forbidden.
Fish like tuna, carp, salmon and herring are all
permitted.

DIETARY LAWS
The Torah provides a list of
forbidden birds (Lev. 11:13-19;
Deut. 14:11-18), but does not
specify why these particular
birds are forbidden. All of the
birds on the list are birds of
prey or scavengers,
Other birds are permitted, such
as chicken, geese, ducks and
turkeys. However, some people
avoid turkey, because it is was
unknown at the time of the
giving of the Torah, leaving
room for doubt.
Of the "winged swarming
things" (winged insects), a few
are specifically permitted (Lev.
11:22), but the Sages are no
longer certain which ones they
are, so all have been forbidden.
Rodents, reptiles, amphibians,
and insects (except as
mentioned above) are all
forbidden. Lev. 11:29-30, 42-43.

A GENTILE'S GUIDE TO THE JEWISH
HOLIDAYS
• Passover
• This holiday commemorates the Exodus from
Egypt. Passover is celebrated for seven or eight
days (depending on your branch of Judaism)
starting on the night of a full moon in April.
Passover usually overlaps with Easter, though
occasionally Passover occurs a month after Easter.

A GENTILE'S GUIDE
TO THE JEWISH
HOLIDAYS
• Rosh Hashanah
• Rosh Hashanah is Jewish New Year, the day
when the year number on the Jewish calendar
increases. It occurs between Labor Day and
Columbus Day. It lasts for one or two days,
depending on your branch of Judaism.
• Yom Kippur
• Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of atonement, a
day of fasting and repentance to reconcile
ourselves with the Creator for the mistakes we
have made in the last year. It occurs on the ninth
day after the first day of Rosh Hashanah (Rosh
Hashanah occurs on the first day of the Jewish
month; Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th), so it is
usually in late September or early October

A GENTILE'S GUIDE
TO THE JEWISH
HOLIDAYS
• Chanukkah
• Chanukkah is the festival of lights,
commemorating the rededication of the Temple
in Jerusalem after a successful revolt against the
Seleucid Greeks. As part of the rededication, the
victorious Jews needed to light the Temple's
menorah (candelabrum), but they had only
enough oil to last one day and it would take
eight days to prepare more oil. Miraculously, the
one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days. The
miracle of the oil is commemorated with this
eight-day candlelighting holiday.

THE AFTERLIFE
The Jewish belief in an afterlife is called
Olam Ha-Ba, translated as The World
to Come. The expression is also used to
to refer to the messianic age, the
period in which the Messiah that the
Jews are waiting for will come.
Hell for Jews is temporary, which means
there is a specified time for punishment
after which the soul is either completely
destroyed or goes to a state of
remorse.
Jews emphasize on how to live life in
the here and now according to the laws
of God, and not on how to get into
heaven.

NATURE OF G-D
Most areas of Jewish belief are open to significant dispute, but
not the nature of the Creator:
• G-d Exists
• G-d is One
• There is only one G-d. No other being participated in the work of creation.
• G-d is a unity. He is a single, whole, complete indivisible entity. He cannot be
divided into parts or described by attributes. Any attempt to ascribe attributes
to G-d is merely man's imperfect attempt to understand the infinite.
• G-d is the only being to whom we should offer praise. The Shema can also be
translated as "The L-rd is our G-d, The L-rd alone," meaning that no other is
our G-d, and we should not pray to any other.

NATURE OF G-D
G-d is the Creator of
Everything
G-d is Incorporeal- We
are forbidden to represent
G-d in a physical form.
That is considered idolatry.
G-d is Neither Male nor
Female- (G-d has no
physical form.)
G-d is Omnipresent G-d is Omnipotent G-d is Omniscient
G-d is Eternal
G-d is Both Just and
Merciful
G-d is Holy and Perfect
Avinu Malkeinu: G-d is
our Father and our King

COMMON FACTS
ABOUT JUDAISM
The Jewish place of worship is called a Synagogue
The religious leader of a Jewish community is called a Rabbi
Unlike leaders in many other faiths, a rabbi is not a priest and has no special religious
status
The Jewish holy day, or Sabbath(Shabbat), starts at sunset on Friday and continues until
sunset on Saturday
During the Sabbath, Jews do not work(drive, cook, etc)

TYPES OF JUDAISM
• Orthodox Judaism: Orthodox Jews are typically known for their strict
observance of traditional Jewish law and rituals. For instance, most
believe Shabbat shouldn’t involve working, driving or handling money.
• Orthodox Judaism is a diverse sect that includes several subgroups,
including Hasidic Jews. This form started in the 18th century in Eastern
Europe and holds different values than traditional or ultra-Orthodox
Judaism. Hasidic Jews emphasize a mystical experience with God that
involves direct communion through prayer and worship. Chabad is a
well-known Orthodox Jewish, Hasidic movement.
• Reform Judaism: Reform Judaism is considered a liberal category of the
religion that values ethical traditions over strict observance of Jewish
laws. Followers promote progressive ideas and adaptation. Most of the
Jews living in the United States follow Reform Judaic traditions.

TYPES OF JUDAISM
• Conservative Judaism: Many people consider this form of Judaism
somewhere in between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. Typically,
conservative Jews honor the traditions of Judaism while allowing for some
modernization.
• Reconstructionist Judaism: Reconstructionism dates back to 1922 when
Mordecai Kaplan founded the Society for the Advancement of Judaism. This
sect believes that Judaism is a religious civilization that’s constantly evolving.
• Humanistic Judaism: Rabbi Sherwin Wine founded this denomination of
Judaism in 1963. Humanistic Jews celebrate Jewish history and culture
without an emphasis on God.
• Messianic Judaism: This modern movement combines the beliefs of
Judaism and Christianity. Messianic Jews believe that Jesus Christ was the
Messiah but still follow Jewish traditions.
• While there are various denominations of Judaism, many Jews don’t identify
with a particular classification and simply refer to themselves as Jewish.

LINKS FOR REFERENCES
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (January 02, 2008) Neviʾim.
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Neviim
• Tracey R Rich (2011). Welcome to Judaism 101!. Judaism101.
http://www.jewfaq.org/index.shtml
• History.com Editors (January 5, 2018) Judaism. HISTORY. A&E Television
Networks. https://www.history.com/topics/religion/judaism

Judaism.2

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