Judaism And Their Holy Book

Judaism And Their Holy Book
In the past religions had many gods each god is in charge of special job. They had only one view of
god, and it is by carving a stone or dirt into many gods that have spiritual powers. The Abrahamic
religions changed the past view of god by saying there is only one god and we as humans should
worship. The Abrahamic religion gave an explanation of the creator of the world and how humans
should live by showing their holy book. Each Abrahamic religion speak about one god but view or
follow it differently. Abrahamic religions effectively shaped the world. Throughout this essay I will
write about Judaism and their holy text the Torah, and I will tie it in with Rabbi Edwards recording
and Novak book.
According to The Worlds' Wisdom book by Philip Novak, "If we date its origin to the Exodus from
Egypt some 3200 years ago... ". (Novak 175). Judaism started after Egypt Exodus over 3500 years
ago, and was founded by Moses their leader. Their history traces back to Abraham's time when his
tribe was worshiping many gods. Judaism book the Torah has a rich view of Jaws way of life.
During Rabbi Edwards's recordings he said that, "The Torah means a law or teachings..." that is why
Jewish people most understand the book. According to the Novak book, "The Jewish bible is
properly called the Tanakh...a word derived from the three consonant T, N, and K" (Novak, 175).
The Torah was not written by Moses, but God used Moses to write the law. I like that Torah teaches
people to be humble and
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Jewish Influence On Everyday Life
Judaism continues to influence the everyday life of the believer in various ways. These ways include
through the Mitzvot, Kosher food and the torah scrolls. Judaism originated over 3500 years ago in
the Middle East. Jews believe that God appointed the Jews to be his chosen people in order to
demonstrate holiness and ethical behaviour to the world's population. Judaism was founded by
Moses, although Jews trace their history back to Abraham. Jews believe that there is only one God
with whom they have a covenant with. In exchange for all the good that God has done for the
Jewish people, Jewish people keep God's laws and try to bring holiness into every aspect of their
lives throughout their lives.
Judaism continues to influence the daily life ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Permitted foods are known as "kasher" or more commonly in English, kosher. (Morrissey et al.
2009). Kosher is a key practice with the Jewish religious tradition. Dietary requirements are listed in
the mitzvah. From Mitzvot 149 to Mitzvot 169 states the laws of dietary requirements. It is
important for Jews to keep kosher as the ancient saying goes "you are what you eat". It was thought
that if you did eat unclean animals it would affect ones health so this is why it was stated in the
mitzvah. "You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud" (Leviticus 11:3–
8). No crustaceans are to be consumed due to them being unclean because they consume rotting
vegetation found in the sea. Not all Jews obey the dietary laws, or "keep kosher"; sometimes their
actions towards keeping kosher depends on what denomination of Judaism they belong to. With
society evolving and the migration of Jews around the world there is a need for kosher restaurants.
Today most products in the supermarket have the kosher seal of approval to cater for dietary needs
of the Jews. An example of this is image 2– a kosher

The Destruction Of The Temple Essay
Before the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, Jewish practices had their own meaning. In The
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia it states,
Israel 's chosenness consists of this special designation and the task that accompanies it. God
promises the land of Canaan to Israel as their homeland, the place in which the Temple will be built
and sacrificial worship of God carried out. The holy days were the Sabbath, Passover, Shavuot, and
Sukkoth; and circumcision, dietary laws, and laws pertaining to dress, agriculture, and social justice
characterized the structure of the biblical religion. (Judaism)
As you can see from this explanation, the Temple within the "Promise Land" and Torah are the
centrality of this faith. Rabbi Dalia Marx (Ph.D.) wrote, "In the past, only those who made
pilgrimage and entered its gates experienced the Temple," making the Temple only seem as
important to those that made that trip to the Temple, before its destruction (Marx). The authors
Daniel R. Schwartz and Zeev Weiss bring up another topic all together concerning Jewish change
before the Temple destruction. They state that, "Diaspora Jews developed various strategies to deal
with the inaccessibility of the Jerusalem Temple...They created alternatives to Temple worship...At
least for Diaspora Jews...the destruction of the Second Temple would not have made a major
difference with regard to their religious practice and Jewish identity" (Weiss and Schwartz).
Another object to discuss that was apparent

Reform Judaism Essay
Next is the Reform Judaism. It's originated in 19th century. This branch of Judaism stresses giving
up laws that are separate from modern cultures like kashrut/ kosher, which are dietary laws. They
emphasize on the ethical teaching of the Torah, and dietary laws are optional observances. They
reject all forms of gender separation and differentiation. They have the first ordained women as
rabbis and they adopted the Bat Mitzvah. Their women can study Torah and Talmud. They use the
science to study Torah/instruction and teaching. They worship and read Torah out loud in the
Temple of Friday night. They have no Talmudie restriction on Sabbath. Talmud is a commentary on
the laws of the Torah. For instance, they can drive the car if they ... Show more content on
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They are accustomed to wear tallit/prayer shawl and tefellin/leather boxes containing biblical
passages. One box is placed on the forehead and the other is placed on the left arm to indicate that
their minds and will are devoted to God. They have to cover their heads with a hat or yarmulke
while they praying to show reverence to God.
Moreover, all Orthodox, some Conservative and Reform Jewish women are attentive to the practice
of family purity or ritual of purity. In a traditional orthodox home, husband and wife abstain from
sexual intercourse during menstruation and thereafter for seven days. Women then immerse
themselves in a mikveh/pool of ritually pure water. After done so, women then can have sexual
relations with their husbands. Also for giving birth to a son, a woman waits for seven days and then
visits the mikveh, whereas for giving birth to a daughter, a woman waits fourteen days and then
visits a

Social And Justice Issues Involving The Jewish Community
"Shir Tikvah is a Kehillah kedosha (holy community) joyfully revealing the intersections of Talmud
Torah (lifelong Torah study), t 'filah (prayer), tzedakah (justice), and hachnasat orchim (radical
hospitality)". Shir Tikvah meaning "Song of Hope" is a Reform Jewish Temple located on
Minnehaha Parkway in Minneapolis. The congregation was established in 1988 when Stacy Offner,
first woman Rabbi in MN, resigned from Mount Zion Temple after a disagreement over her
homosexuality. Offner and six of her supporters joined together as they shared a mutual vision of
starting a synagogue with more of a liberal approach to Judaism. They desired to have a synagogue
that was welcoming and personal: encouraging people with varying Jewish lifestyles to be active in
the study of the Torah, as well social and justice issues involving the Jewish community. About a
month later, the small group held an informal meeting to discuss their ambitions with people who
they thought would be interested. More than 200 people attended this meeting.
The first Shabbat service, led by Rabbi Offner, was held in May of 1988 at the St. Paul Jewish
Community Center. Shir Tikvah's members agreed that all decisions would be made democratically.
Early in 1990 they decided to join the Reform movement. The congregation also came up with a
policy that there will be no discrimination basis of race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. Shir
Tikvah was the first synagogue in the MN to perform same–sex wedding

Moses Maimonides, 13th Century Jewish Adherent
In guiding the life of adherents, the 'laws and the rules' and the 'love of God' are interdependent
notions. Because the 'Halachah' is seen as the law, then this commandment to love is put into
practice by Jews in their everyday life. Aspects of life that are informed by this connection are their
ethical framework, adherence to key beliefs as set out by Moses Maimonides, 13 Principles of Faith
and certain aspects of key practices such as synagogue services.
The 'law' and the 'love of God' also had a role in guiding the life of Moses Maimonides, 13th
century Jewish scholar and Jewish adherent. The connection between the concepts urged
Maimonides to bring forth the connection to his text the 'Safer Ha Maor' or 'Commentary on the
'Mishnah' which ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The two main variants in Australia are (Modern) Orthodox and Progressive. The basic beliefs of
modern Judaism emerged from and follow the council of Yavneh (70–132 CE). Today, as in the past,
Jewish beliefs find expression through the authority of the Rabbi as a teacher of halachah (legal
tradition) and Torah, and through the religious practices of the faithful Jew who fulfils the mitzvoth
(commandments). The ethical principles of Judaism are lived out through the commandments of the
Torah, the rule of life, Moses Maimonides (d. 1204) penned the most famous summary of Jewish
belief–the Thirteen Articles of Faith. This combined with the Torah and mitzvoth contains important
teachings on covenant, prayer, humanity, the afterlife, and the religious roles of individuals, families
and the Jewish community.
The discussions of the Rabbis have led to important applications of the principles set down in the
Torah and provide clear guidance to the Jewish communities in terms of their relationship to the
environment and their responsibility to protect

The Law Dbq
A General Answer to a Complex Question
The Torah, the Tanak, the Hebrew Bible, and the Pentateuch. No matter how you say it they all
mean the same thing. The Torah is the foundation of Judaism: the most sacred documents. The word
Torah can mean numerous things. It often simply refers to the T in Tanak. It is most commonly
translated to mean " the law". There are five books that make up the Torah. These books are referred
to as the Five Books of Moses: Exodus, Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The books
of the Torah tell the Israelites a story. A story that begins where we begin, and ends before the
introduction of the Savoir. It is often questioned, who the author(s) of the Torah is (are). For this
question there are generally two main hypotheses: Mosaic Authorship and the Documentary
Hypothesis.
Thousands of years ago, it was taught and learned that Moses was the sole author of the Torah, or
the Pentateuch; this is known as the Mosaic Authorship. Although this view was proven to possess
many flaws, it is still believed by some people today. It is now agreed by most that there cannot be
one exclusive author to such an epic document. This is due to the fact that many studies have
conducted in order to prove that there is indeed more than one author. It was decided are simply too
many discrepancies when it comes to writing styles, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is noted that the Elohist source was composed in the 800s or early 700s BCE. A priest is the only
known composer of this specific source. The Elohist's name came from their use of the Hebrew
words Elohim. This is the word the Elohist source uses to refer to G–D. Elohim is known to be a
very general term for G–D. This is in contrast to the personalized divine name: YHWH. The Elohist
source is much less epic than the Yahwist source. In fact, the Elohist source solely appears in
fragments throughout the Yahwist

The Guide For The Perplexed
The Guide for the Perplexed is in a separate category different from the purely religious original
commentary in the Mishneh Torah. It is highly regarded as a major philosophical text in truth,
however it will be better and more correct to call it a theological treatise. It seeks to reconcile the
Jewish faith and religion with the challenges against it from philosophic and scientific texts at the
time, specifically the system of Aristotle and his followers. A great deal of its contents overlap with
much of the Commentary and the Mishneh Torah. As in Maimonides' other works, he provides a
general introduction explaining his objectives in composing his text, describing in general terms his
contents. He also has offered directions from ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The text had many words and expressions of the Torah; some are Homonyms that is singular words
that have different meanings in different contexts. All the terms have both literal and figurative
meanings, which are subject to the context. These semantic subtleties lead many to misunderstand
the text thus confusing and perplexing them and contrasting these misconceptions with the realities
of the philosophical or scientific truth. Truth cannot conflict with itself, as the toner the word of God
is absolutely true and the conclusion of sound reason must also be true, any conflict between them
becomes a serious problem. Such conflicts however are routed in either misunderstanding of the
Torah text or a misunderstanding of the philosophical and scientific premises or even both.
Maimonides sets out to clarify many of the ambiguous terms and expressions in the Torah texts. It
goes without saying that Maimonides would be considered a theologian, due to the fact that he is
interested in dealing with, "the field of study and analysis that treats of God and of God's attributes
and relations to the universe; study of divine things or religious truths; divinity" (Dictionary.com).
The ultimate aim of his "Guide" was to clarify the passages and provide a proper understanding of
the scriptures. It is interesting to note that Maimonides understood that his writings and
interpretation were controversial for his time. Maimonides

An Orthodox Jewish Perspective On Happiness
An Orthodox Jewish Perspective On Happiness
Toba Cohen
May 21, 2015
Capstone
Maalot of Baltimore Social–scientists, phychologists, philosophers, and the media are all seeking to
find the true root of happiness and well–being. Each views the meaning of happiness differently.
Some of them define happiness in the context of pleasure. How does traditional Judaism define
happiness and suggest its attainment? How does this compare to and differ from the secular goals of
happiness? Traditional Judaism is a religious sect which bases its principals, values, and lifestyle on
the Torah. The Torah was given to Moses by G–d on Mount Sinai over 3000 years ago, and has been
handed down through the generations in its unchanging form. Traditional Jews view the Torah as a
divine guidebook for life. The Torah contains instruction about how to live a meaningful life and
very specific details pertaining to the service of man towards G–d (Ethics of the Fathers 1:1). The
Torah contains many references to happiness and its attainment. The main word that is used to mean
happiness is simcha. The Jewish people say in the daily prayers, "Serve G–d with joy" (Psalms
100:2). In Deuteronomy, G–d rebukes the Jewish nation and warns them that if they do not follow
His words, they will be cursed with detailed specific punishments. G–d attributes all of these
punishments to the fact that they "did not serve G–d with joy and with a good heart" (Deuteronomy,
28:47). To understand what the word simcha

Try To Be A Man Satlow Summary
In his article "Try To Be A Man," Satlow argues that the rabbis constructed their view of manhood
based on their definition of self–restraint. Based on their understanding of the teachings in the
Torah, the rabbis considered self–restraint, in terms of both Torah study and sexual acts, as the path
to God, but saw complete sexual renunciation to be going against a commandment of God found in
the book of Genesis. In contrast, early Christians asserted that celibacy, or total sexual renunciation,
demonstrated self–restraint as well as the path to God. Using "Try To Be A Man," Genesis 1:28, The
Life of Saint Pelagia the Harlot, and 1 Corinthians 7:8–9, I will argue that the differences in early
Christian and rabbinic views of manliness, especially relating to women, allowed early Christians to
focus on sexual renunciation as the highest form of sexual restraint while the rabbis focused on a ...
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In 1 Corinthians, Paul asserts that celibacy is the best path for someone to follow: "To the unmarried
and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain unmarried as I am. But if they are not
practicing self–control, they would marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion"
(1 Corinthians 7:8–9 RSV). In this verse, Paul clearly defines the relationship between self–control
and sexual renunciation. Like the rabbis, Paul believed that people that do not have self–restraint
should marry rather than have illicit sex. However, whereas the rabbis held that it was best to
practice moderate levels of self–control between the extremes of indulgence and renunciation, Paul
claims that the highest form of self–control is celibacy, or renouncing sex completely. Because a
man cannot renounce sex but still reproduce, the rabbis would be unable to view sexual restraint and
sexual renunciation as the same concept like Paul does in this

The Torah Is The Most Important Text Of The Jewish Faith
Before we can compare the role of the Torah in Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, we need to
know what the Torah is and what is contains. The Torah is the most important text of the Jewish
faith. It contains the first five books of Moses in the Hebrew bible, or the Tanach. The first book,
Genesis, talks about how the world was created by god then subsequently destroyed by him because
of the wickedness within it. Exodus talks about how Moses, who was raised by the Egyptian
Pharaoh, left Egypt, only to return for the Israelites and take them back to the land God Had
ordained for them. Also in this book, Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mt.
Sinai. Leviticus talks about rituals, sacrifices, and atonements that are performed by ... Show more
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The binding nature of halakhah is accepted among Conservative Jews, but they believe that the Law
should be able to change and adapt with the world, while still remaining true to Jewish values. All of
the Orthodox Jews share the key feature of the dedication to both the written and oral Torah
(Orthodox Judiaism).
Read loud in the synagogue, Shabbat Morning prayer is the Torah portion for the week. There can
be several variations within Conservative synagogues. Some are unrecognizable from Reform
Judaism, with the exception that more Hebrew is used. Other synagogues are practically Orthodox.
Men and women sitting together is the exception. Some are very traditional in the reading of the
Torah and prayers, but not in form, while others are more traditional in the form of the service, but
not in the substance contain within it. Both sects of Judaism are very accepting of visitors, in fact,
they encourage it. If a non–Jew were to visit, they should dress as if they were going to their own
church with modesty and proper attire. Also, even though the synagogue may differ from your
current house of worship, you should refrain from criticizing the décor. You would not walk into a
stranger's house and criticizes there home, would you?
Many of weekly readings are not found in the Torah, but in the Oral Law which orthodox Jews are
dedicated to, as well as the Torah. Many of the laws found within the Torah would not be able to be
understood

The Destruction Of The Second Temple
Essay question: Which is the most significant event for the transformation of Judaism: (a) the
Babylonian Exile; or (b) the destruction of the second temple in 70CE?
Introduction
Judaism as one of the oldest religions in the world has been through various historical changes.
Started with the practice and belief of ancient Israeli people, through the conquering and changing
of different kingdoms and empires, Judaism and Jewish people changed and adapted to maintain
their identity, belief and existence. Judaism that we know nowadays is a result of its historical
changes, primarily from the Babylonian Exile and the second temple periods.
What is Judaism?
Judaism began around the year 1800 B.C.E in the Middle East and was established with the ... Show
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Jewish sacrificial practice was originally offered in the Jerusalem Temple (Sanders 2016). They
sacrificed animals to gain peace and forgiveness, and the animals were distributed among the priest,
the altar and the worshipper after the ritual slaughter (Sanders 2016). The exile disrupted the
religious identity of Jewish people that was closely tied to their native land, the place that was seen
as YHWH's house. The captivity resulted in the abolition of their temple, which led to the changes
in their religious practices as Jewish people could no longer perform their rituals at their sacred
homeland.
The focus of Jewish religion was then shifted to studies and prayers. Instead of sacrificing animals,
they promoted the worshipping and the study of the Torah. This was the foundation of the
development of the synagogue. Synagogue was the house of assembly where the Jews could gather,
study and pray. The growth of the synagogues helps to maintain Jewish tradition and religious
culture while they were in the host country (Hammer 2010). Therefore, the synagogue was the
central institution of Judaism after the exile.
In the beginning, Israel was a tribal society that was organised according to the acknowledgement of
the twelve sons of patriarch Jacob (Zvi 2012, p.25). After the exile, tribal groups were replaced by
clans. The tribal society was only credible before the Jews left their motherland. Within the tribal
society, the rights of citizenship were given at birth, which

Great Book Ethnography
Great Book Ethnography Project about theTemple of Israel and the Torah
Ethnography studies behavior of individuals in their natural setting, how they interact with each
other, and the meaning they place on said interactions (Watson–Gegeo, 1988). Judaism is a
monotheistic, sociocultural way of life and one of its central scriptures is the Hebrew Bible. The
first part of the Hebrew Bible is the Torah, and it is the teachings, laws, moral, and rituals revealed
by God to his chosen people (Professor Brummitt, PAR 125, Lecture # 7). One of the main focuses
of this Great Book Ethnography was to observe how the Torah scripture was used during the
Shabbat service and how the Rabbi and members of the Temple of Israel in Wilmington, NC
practiced rituals ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Practitioners still read the Torah in Hebrew to this day (Professor Brummitt, PAR 125, Lecture # 7).
He did not touch the inside of the scroll because it was handwritten, old, and delicate, so a pointer
called Yad was used instead. A member and the Rabbi said the Torah scrolls were 141 years old
made from parchment and copied by a trained scribe from another Torah, even the mistakes. It was
also said the Torah was most sacred compared to the Torah commentaries. When asked if only the
Rabbi could read the Torah scrolls, it was implied they could be read by any Jewish person older
than 13 years old during service with the Rabbi's

World Religion Engagement Paper # 2 Essay
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
World Religion Engagement Paper #2
Submitted to Dr. Campbell in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
APOL 525 D01
Pluralism and World Religions
by
Joseph Scott
December 4, 2016
Contents
Introduction 1
Worship Experience 1
World View 3
Reaching our Muslim Brethren 5
Conclusion 6
Bibliography 7
Introduction Having the privilege to serve in the military has allowed this writer the opportunity to
be exposed to the pluralistic society in a way which has exposed him to the beauty of the diversity
enjoyed in American culture. One aspect of said diversity is the interaction which has taken place
amongst the Christian and various world religions who also wear the same uniform in defense of
America. It was the pleasure of the writer to attend a local synagogue in which his Jewish brothers
and sisters welcomed him with open arms. The local congregation of Jewish believers went out of
their way in order to ensure their newest visitor understood the flow of service and the significance

of the ritual which took place on the first Shabbat or Sabbath of the month. The following essay will
serve to detail the worship experience as well as how it and other beliefs of Judaism
compare/contrast with the Christian faith.
Worship Experience The writer did not have any personal Jewish associates in order to interview so
it was incumbent upon to seek out a local congregation which would welcome him and his

Site Visit : Temple Beth El
Site Visit: Temple Beth El I had been contemplating when I would go to a Shabbat service over the
last couple of weeks. I had some conflicts with the times and there were also a couple of Jewish
holidays happening during the months of September and October, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom
Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. I became aware that services may change
location and style during the high holidays depending on the congregation. High holidays do not fall
on the day each civil calendar year; the Jewish calendar is based on a 12 month lunar cycle with an
extra month occasionally added.
I finally decided on Temple Beth El in Hollywood, FL as my site visit location. Prior to attending
Shabbat services on Friday, October 9, 2015; I made a phone call and found out that the temple is a
reform congregation, which means it is a bit more liberal.
As stated by Kaplan in American Reform Judaism "the term reform refers not to a particular reform
that occurred at a specific point in the past but to a commitment to a continual and ongoing process"
(29). She also explains how in other parts of the world, Reform movement affiliates prefer the term
progressive, this emphasizes their "commitment to continuing revelation and the ongoing nature of
divine communication" (30). One of the main differences of Reform Jews is the view of the Torah
as God inspired and not directly handed to Moses at Mount Sinai, still giving the Jewish law
authority but with the option to choose

Jewish Learning Essay
Jewish Learning
After I finished learning in Yeshiva, I was completely burnt out from Judaic studies. I just wanted to
completely immerse myself in secular studies. After all, I was trying to catch up after not learning
English or math for five years. However, recently I realized how important it is to learn something
in Judaism every day to maintain a strong connection with God. As a result, I started incorporating
some Jewish learning into my daily schedule.
In the beginning of this school year, I set up a chavrusa with my friend. We decided to learn sichos
of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The sichos are discussions on that week's Torah portion. They usually
combine the dialogue with Chassidic thought. For example, this week's parsha relates ... Show more
I took one exam on the subject and need to take one more. The time period I am learning starts from
after the destruction of the second temple until the end of the geonim era. What I especially like
about that time period is that it gives me a background information of all the rabbis mentioned in the
gemara. For example, Reish Lakish was a highway robber who could jump across rivers (Holder,
1989). R' Yochanan convinced him to do teshuvah after he told Reish Lakish that he could marry his
sister. You can purchase the book I used on Amazon at

Moses Maimonides : A Scholar Of The Middle Ages Who Decoded
MOSES MAIMONIDES
Moses Maimonides, widely known as RaMBaM was a scholar of the Middle Ages who decoded,
translated and created major Jewish texts, which much of Judaism has foundations on. Through his
works, namely the Commentary of the Mishnah, the Guide for the Perplexed, and the Mishneh
Torah, Maimonides aided the Jewish community through the clarifications of beliefs, the challenge
of questioning one's beliefs, maintaining relevances to the Jewish community and shaped
interactions within and between Judaism and other cultures and religions. Both the people of his
context, and modern Jewish society have been shaped by Maimonides, in scholarship, lifestyle and
Jewish renewal, despite criticism from other scholars.
Maimonides clarified Jewish principal beliefs, about God, responsibility and various laws. The
Mishneh Torah, a reprised version of the Torah logically and systematically indexed (1), and the
Commentary on the Mishnah, aided appreciation of Oral Law, without excessive study of the Torah,
Talmud, nor Mishnah. His works compiled Judaism's main beliefs into the '13 Articles of Faith' and
the 613 mitzvot. (2) The Articles of Faith defined a focus onto Judaism's essences on God and His
nature, which are standardly incorporated into Jewish literature, creeds, and prayer books. This
emphasises its importance to Jewish expression and rituals, domestic and communal celebrations.
Similarly, the Mishneh Torah forms the halakhic code, through philosophical essays, Jewish

Judaism Shabbat Summary Essay
Judaism is an ancient religion which originated in the Middle East and has spread throughout the
world. Today the followers of Judaism have many tradition s and rituals in which are celebrated all
year round in thanks and in praise to God. Shabbat is one of the most important rituals and is
celebrated by nearly every variant of the Jewish Religion.
Judaism is essentially a practical religion. It is lived through observance of the law that God has
revealed. Accordingly, the understanding of a moral law is that such a law is embedded in the
revelation of God. It is the responsibility of human beings, therefore to study the, principally the
Torah, in order to understand the appropriate response to moral questions. The Torah serves as a ...
There are various rituals associated with the Sabbath. Just before the Sabbath is about to start the
wife lights two candles. The first candle is meant to represent the injunction to keep the Sabbath and
the second candle represents the commandment to remember the Sabbath. A short synagogue
service takes place at sunset to mark the beginning of the Sabbath.
The most important celebration that takes place on the Friday of the Sabbath is the Shabbat dinner.
This takes place at home with family and friends. The Shabbat table is laid with two loaves, known
as "hallot" which, like the candles, represent the dual Shabbat commandments to keep and
remember Sabbath, and cups, over which Kiddush is recited. The father blesses the children in order
of age, before Kiddush is recited over the wine, which "gladdens the heart" (Psalm 104:15).
On the following day, two meals are eaten, one following the morning synagogue service and the
second meal is eaten in the afternoon, generally with coffee and cake. The former meal is preceded
by Kiddush. Saturday morning is usually spent in Torah study at the synagogue. The highlight of the
service is the reading of a specified segment of the Torah.
The appearance of three stars in the darkened sky at sunset marks the end of the Shabbat. At this
point,havdalah is recited. Essentially, havdalah which means "division" is a recitation which praises
God for creating distinctions, between what is considered sacred

Jewish Memorial Service Research Paper
A Jewish burial service is recognized by its straightforwardness, modesty, and seriousness. Its
general arrangement has not changed for more than four thousand years. It is typically held inside of
24 hours of passing, however no later than three days. The mitzva of going with the dead to the last
resting spot is so extraordinary it supersedes all other mitzvot, including Torah study. Be that as it
may, before the memorial service can happen, the body of the perished must be arranged for
internment as per Jewish convention. A Jewish memorial service is recognized by its
straightforwardness, quietude, and seriousness. Its general arrangement has not changed for more
than four thousand years. It is typically held inside of 24 hours of passing,

Menachot 29b : God, Moses, And Rabbi Akiva
Menachot 29b is a prominent source from ‫בבלי‬ ‫תלמוד‬ which is one of the main justifications for later
generation of Rabbis being deserving to interpret Torah and Torah law even though they did not
obtain the Torah directly themselves. There are three prominent people in the story of Menachot 29:
God, Moses, and Rabbi Akiva. The source begins with Moses atop Sinai, about to receive the Torah
from God. Moses had noticed that while the Torah was originally written with just plain Hebrew
letters, God had begun to add crowns certain Hebrew letters. Moses was confused as to why they
were being added on, and God said that they were added on so that Rabbi Akiva may interpret them
along with every detail in the Torah to the dot. Moses then requested to see this great man, and god
in effect teleported him to a Beit Sefer with Rabbi Akiva. Moses sat at one of the back rows where
the worst students sat, and tried to understand what the Rabbi and his students were talking about,
but could not. Moshe then heard a student ask Rabbi Akiva, "Our teacher, from where do you learn
this?" and Akiva replied, "It is a law [that was taught] to Moshe at Sinai." Moshe then came back to
Sinai with God, and questioned God as to why he would give Moshe the torah instead of someone
such as Rabbi Akiva who was so smart. God replied by telling him to be quiet, and that this is his
decision. Moses then asked God if he could see what happened to someone such as great as Rabbi
Akiva. God teleported Moses to

Bat Mitzvah Research Paper
Bat Mitzvah is a ceremony that is celebrated for girls transitioning into adults in the Jewish
community. In the earliest days, Bat Mitzvah was a short ceremony that included a blessing by the
child's father. In the modern time, Bat Mitzvahs include Torah Readings, Speeches and a
Celebration. In the beginning, Bat Mitzvah was not a ceremony for girls. It started out with a
ceremony for boys, called Bar Mitzvah. Bar Mitzvah ceremonies started out as a religious status.
When a Jewish boy turned 13 years old, he would immediately turn into a Bar Mitzvah. However,
Between the 6th to the 12th century, the modern Bar Mitzvah ceremony and rituals started to appear.
In the 13th century, After chanting blessings and reading a portion of the Torah, ... Show more
In the Bat Mitzvah, the meals served will be Kosher. Kosher are food prepared according to the
requirements of the Jewish law. The reason why they eat Kosher is because they believe these rules
were given by God himself, and it is important to follow them. For the Bat Mitzvah, these are the
dishes that will most likely be served. First, Challah is a loaf of white leavened bread. The word
'Challah' means, "to pierce," in Hebrew. It's significant because The Book of Samuel tells us that
King David gave ring–shaped bread to the people that brought food in God's (YHWH) Ark into the
tent. During the temple ritual, twelve challot, (challot is the plural of Challah) made of fine flour,
were placed on the altar. Israelites found baking bread outside of the temple and had to leave the
Challah "as a gift to the Lord" (Num. 15:20). "The Ezekiel prophet used this as donations to the
priest" (Ezek. 44:30). Second, The Kugels are baked casserole, most commonly made from egg
noodles. It's significant because it looks like the manna. The manna is the food that fell from heaven
during the Jews 40–year journey in the desert. The crust found in the Kugel symbolizes the dew that
fell prior to and after the manna. Third, Tuna are large fish that live in warm seas and are caught for
food. It's significant because it has the capability to enhance the Jewish community. The Temple in
Jerusalem used to be the home of

The Theory Of Tzoraas ( Leprosy )
Introduction
There is a strong obligation from the Torah to have a spiritual mentor. The Mishna in Pirkei Avot
(Ethics of the Fathers) wrote "‫רב‬ ‫לך‬ ‫עשה‬ (asey lecha rav) (make for yourself a teacher) (1:6). This is
the first place in TaNaCH that one is commanded to have some form of mentor, a leader who can
provide wisdom and direction.
The Mishna also stated "‫עצמו‬ ‫מנגעי‬ ‫חוץ‬ ‫רואה‬ ‫אדם‬ ‫הנגעים‬ ‫כל‬ (kol ha'negaim adam ro'eh chutz m'nagai
atzmo) (A man can examine all defects except for his own)" (Negoim 2:5). This statement was
originally used to discuss the topic of Tzoraas (leprosy) regarding the fact that one cannot self–
diagnose Tzoraas, but it can also be a metaphorical reference to a person's character flaws and
spiritual defects ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
(Wolf, n.d.) Every person has his own bribes be it tangible, such as money or gifts, or intangible
such as personal interests, motives and goals, which blind him from being able to form a clear
judgement. As much as one would like to be objective in forming an opinion or making a decision,
it is ultimately impossible for he is biased and swayed by his personal bribes. As Rabbi Wolf
expressed:
Often, people say, "I can be objective in this case, despite my connection to it." Recognizing the
difficulty of proper judgment when personal concerns are involved, we may nonetheless convince
ourselves that we are immune to bribery, intellectually and emotionally capable of separating fact
from feeling.
Yet the Torah cautions us that the danger of bribery is not merely a possibility, nor even a
probability. It is an automatic effect. Bribery – monetary or otherwise – skews one 's perception,
literally "blinding" him to reality. No one is immune.
This is why it is imperative upon each person to attain a mentor for himself. A mentor can
impartially assist one make decisions, choose wisely, and take steps towards improvement.
Having a spiritual mentor is advised also in the Talmud where it declared "a prisoner cannot free
himself from his prison" (Sanhedrin 95a). Silberberg (n.d.) expounded: "So too, a mentor provides
us with the outside help that we need to lift ourselves up from the prison imposed

Yeshiva University Cheating
"Psss What is the answer for number 4?"; almost every single time I took an exam as a Yeshiva
University student I remember a subtle whisper enter my ear with intentions of getting an answer
from me, proving that at least once which proves that at least one person in the class is currently
cheating. So, I want to ask the simple question of why? What makes students particularly at yeshiva
university try to scam the system and cheat? Why as a school that represents the Jewish philosophy
which deliberately looks down on cheating, people are not able to respect the system and show
honesty during exams ? Furthermore; students here are sometimes in a situation where they are
lying to themselves. There are a lot of different perspectives of why ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Either the students cheat themselves or they are trying to cheat their professors. Some Rabbis even
claim that it's a big Issur of Gneivat Daat, but I disagree and think that the focus shouldn't be on the
Halacha perspective about cheating, but about the morals that as a school who represent the Jewish
world. If we show the world of ethical and honest we are, not just we make the other religions loves
us, but also we are going to make a big Kiddush Hashem. And I am a fervent believer that with this
attitude of positivity, we will make a big change in and out of the university

Analysis Of Eyes Wide Open
The film Eyes Wide Open takes place in Mea Shearim which is an area in Jerusalem where strictly
Orthodox Jews live in a tight community with minimal connections to the outside world. The main
characters in the movie are Aaron who is a butcher, married man, and father to several children, and
Ezri who is a Yeshiva student and a stranger to the community. The protagonist, Aaron, hires the
stranger to work in the butcher shop, and Ezri brings Aaron to the Yeshiva to study the Torah. As the
men cut chicken and pray, they become sexually attracted to each other which is strictly forbidden
per Jewish beliefs. Over time, Aaron and Ezri's' desires for each other become a movement as it
ruptures the normative masculine ways of the community. Accordingly, the movie does an excellent
job at exploring the masculinity of Orthodox men and the factors that shape it such as work, clothes,
family, community, and desire, while demonstrating the negative beliefs of other characters. In the
movie, there are numerous rituals that take place for various functions. Firstly, Aaron and Ezri
perform a cleansing ritual before communal prayer. The function of this ritual is to cleanse the sins
of both men before reading the Torah. The second ritual performed in the film is the wearing of a
tallit and the tefillin which represents their devotion to Judaism's practices. Thirdly, the men
pronunciation of prayers and bodily movements during their studies is very evident as the men read
from the Torah, drink red wine, and interpret scripture. Through these rituals, the men's masculinity
and body gestures are given meaning because the rituals provide structure for their lives and
empower a movement. Furthermore, the main point of these repeated rituals and images such as
communal prayer, kissing, and bathing functions as a product of exoticism to educate secular Jewish
communities. Hence, the men believe homosexuality is normal as lust and desire is a human
behavior; they were born attracted to each other. Rabbi Steven Greenburg, who wrote Wrestling
with God and Men, expanded upon the Ultra–orthodox idea of morality as he presents the biblical
stories of David and Jonathon, destruction of Sodom, and Leviticus (Greenburg 4). In doing so,

Bible Justice Study
At this point in the study, one must now look at specifics of justice throughout the Bible. This will
be done by breaking the text into sections so thorough analysis can be achieved. However, one must
note that the fundamental study of justice throughout the Bible could take pages to flesh out. Thus,
this paper is simply a survey of justice and there are undoubtedly far more pages one could explore.
The previous pages have set a solid foundation for the following content. With that, the starting
place for this study will begin like any other story, at the beginning, the Torah or Pentateuch in this
instance. The Torah and can be translated as "the law of God" and Pentateuch means the first five
books of the Bible (Bruckner 2002). These titles ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The centrality of this verse is action in the form of love. This is a form of justice in the eyes of God.
The examples given, "alien," widowed," or "orphan" are representations of people that can easily be
taken advantage of due to their vulnerability. This mirrors the Exodus story as Israel was oppressed
due to their vulnerability and they cried to God and God heard them (Ex. 2:23–25). "The same fate
awaits these oppressors as that which fell on the Egyptians. They will be killed, thus making their
own wives widows and their own children orphans" (Enns 2000:452). Clearly God takes this matter
seriously. On the contrary, some may question God in this instance in view of the ruthless manner in
which he acts. At first glance, the appearance of love seems to be absent from God's character. Yet,
isn't Yahweh God a God who is abounding in love? In sum, a God that is not founded in justice
allows evil to run rampant in the world. Thus, justice in this form is necessary to control evil. This
dimension adds purpose and hope for humanity, opening the door for God's mission because he does
not wish to release his wrath on his creation (Weatherly 2017). God loves his people dearly and is
calling them to a certain code so they may bask in his righteousness, in turn making themselves

Judaism : The Religious Life Of Israel
Judaism, while there are many, is one of the oldest surviving religions in the world. Judaism is a
way of describing an approach to serving God. It is the term used to describe the religious life of
Israel. Judaism is a way of life that has been observed by the Jewish people for almost 3,300 years,
starting when the ancestral Father of Israel, Abraham was chosen by God. Jews deem themselves as
descendants of Abraham and Sarah, Rachel and Jacob and Leah, Zilpah and Bilhah, and Isaac and
Rebekah. Orthodox Judaism is the strictest commitment to the traditional beliefs and traditions of all
the Jewish observances. It originated in response to the Jewish practice introduced by the Reform
movement. Orthodoxy asserts that both the The Torah, which is the first five books of the Hebrew
Bible, and the Oral Torah, which is the interpretive Talmud are authoritative regarding observance
and Jewish doctrine, instructing modern Orthodox Jews to maintain and support ancient Jewish law.
The word Judaism derives from Judah, one of Jacob the patriarch's, sons. The descendants of ten of
Jacob 's sons plus two of his grandsons made the two tribes of Hebrews who emigrated from Egypt.
There are three main branches of Judaism, Orthodox, Reform and Conservative. While each branch
has deeper layers, Reform seeks to modernize Judaism. It emerged after the ghetto life was
emancipated in the late 18th century. Conservative Judaism emerged in Germany in the 19th century
as a reaction to the extreme

Synagogue Visit
The Synagogue or Beit Knesset, the Jewish house of worship, is a very intriguing and complex
institution, and when conducting a tour, it requires a great amount of knowledge for the tourist who
have never visited a Synagogue, to have an adequate understanding of the institution. Being enrolled
in Religious Studies 217, I have gained a lot of knowledge that allow me to believe that I would be a
very informative and enlightening tour guide. When conducting a tour of a Synagogue, I would
inform my tourist of the religious rituals that take place in the temple and important religious
figures, objects, clothing and ceremonies, so that they could have an adequate understanding of the
Synagogue and learn of the important rituals that happen inside ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The first two ceremonies I would explain are the Bar Mitzvah and the Bat Mitzvah, which are quite
similar to each other. At the age of 13, Jewish boys become a Bar Mitzvah and at the age of 12,
Jewish girls become a Bat Mitzvah. The ceremony, which usually takes place during the Shabbat
morning service, may feature the bar/bat mitzvah child leading prayers, or reading the
Torah/Haftarah. If my guest were to attend one of these ceremonies, I explain that they should dress
formal, wear a tallit and kippah, and should be respectful of the ceremony and the individuals. The
next ceremony I explain to my tourist is the male circumcision ceremony, called the Brit Milah. On
the eighth day from when the child is born, the ceremony takes place following the morning prayer.
The mother of the child hands over her child to a husband and wife due, known as the kvatters. Then
the child is placed in the chair of Elijah, a chair designated for circumcisions and the mohel, the
ritual circumciser, performs the ritual with the child's father beside him. Following the circumcision
is a prayer and a festive meal, consisting of meat, fish, dairy and wine. The last ceremony I explain,
is the naming ceremony form girls, known as Simhat Bat. This ceremony is begun with a Hebrew
welcome, "Brucha

Midrash Definition
The Halakhah Judaism is not only a set of beliefs about God, the universe and man, but Judaism is a
comprehensive way of life. In Judaism there are rules and practices outlined for almost all day to
day activities and the manner in which Judaism believers must conduct themselves. These set of
rules and practices in Judaism are known as the Halakhah, which translated means "to walk" (Efron
pg. 144). However, in order for the Halakhah to emerge rabbis had to study the Torah and develop
their own ways of interpreting the Hebrew Bible known as midrash. "Midrash is derived from a
Hebrew root meaning "to seek" or "to investigate," midrash however is not an easy term to define"
(Efron pg 143). The Midrash refers to a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Bible and it also
describes the approach of interpretation reproduced in these collections. As the Midrash was created
there became two different forms rabbinic expression, which became known as the Halakah and
Aggadah. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"By the time of the Babylonian Talmud, rabbinic sages had come to believe that the Torah revealed
to Moses had two forms, the written Torah and an oral Torah transmitted by the Sages" (Efron et al.
pg. 144). The oral Torah consists of orally transmitted teachings of the elders themselves. The oral
Torah includes; legal debates, rulings, biblical interpretations, wise sayings of the sort collected in
Pirkei Avot and stories of the rabbis' own exploits. The written Torah on the other hand consists of
the five books of Moses God gave to the Jews at Mt. Sinai. However, the rabbis' felt that the oral
Torah was necessary, because from their perspective, the written Torah was insufficient by itself the
rabbis' recognized that the written Torah contained too many gaps and interpretive difficulties to
stand on its own without

The Shema Prayer
Their belief in a single God, the concept of the moral law prescribed by God and the idea of the
covenant are the base of learning for the Jewish to practice their religion. The Shema Prayer is
prayed 3 times a day and is the prayer which describes the three major principles that the Jewish
focus their beliefs on.
The Jewish strongly believe in a single God who is the creator and ruler of the universe. 'The Lord
is our God, the Lord is One' is a phrase from the Shema prayer that the Jewish strongly live upon
meaning that there is only one God and the he is eternal. God is unique and indivisible. He is the
ultimate source of all of creation and the most powerful.
Just like Christians and the Bible, the Jewish follow and study the Torah which guides them to
approach and respond to moral questions appropriately. God supplied the Jews with a ... Show more
The sign of the covenant was a rainbow.
Abraham : God's promise to Abraham was that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars and
he would be the leader of a nation. His people would be given a land of their own known as Canaan
(the Promised Land). The sign of this covenant was circumcision.
Moses and the People of Israel : God's promise was that he would help the Hebrews escape from
slavery in Egypt. The sign of the covenant was the animals sacrifice to God.
David : God's promise was that he would choose the humble Shepard David to become a powerful
and victorious king.
In conclusion, the three principle beliefs in the Jewish religion are derived from the Ten
Commandments, the covenants between God and his people, the Torah and the belief of one God
which are all expressed in the Shema prayer which plays a major role in the lifestyle of a Jewish
Individual. Without the three principle beliefs and mainly the Torah and the Ten Commandments,
the Jewish religion wouldn't have a strong path to follow which results in failure in the

Bible And The Book Of Exodus
Rabbinical Judaism sects of the modern era trace their roots back to Pharisees living in the Second
Temple Period of ___. However, the foundational stories of Judaism found in the sacred Torah are
even older. Many of the traditions, characters, and places mentioned in the first five books of the
Hebrew Bible are so ancient that their historical accuracy cannot be verified. Even though these
events would've taken place millenniums ago, the stories of the Torah continue to have a significant
impact on Judaism today. This paper will focus specifically on the stories of Moses found in the
book of Exodus and how the methods used by modern Orthodox and Reform Jews to study the
Torah significantly affect how they reconcile their present faith with the tales of the past.
According to the book of Exodus, after Moses had lead the Israelites out of Egypt they began their
journey to a land promised to them by God. During this journey atop Mount Sinai, God revealed
himself to Moses and presented a covenant to the Israelites: if they followed God's laws, they would
be a chosen people, a nation set apart. According to Exodus, God then gave his laws directly to
Moses who then shared them with the people. The Mosaic Covenant became the basis of the ...
Orthodox Jews reject the notion of historical criticism; they feel no need to scientifically prove that
the events in the Bible actually took place. They firmly and literally believe that the 613 laws
recorded in the Torah came from the mouth of God. Because they take this view, Orthodox Jews
continue to practice all of the purity, dietary, and social guidelines outlined in the Torah. Regardless
of the changing world around them, this sect looks to the past to learn exactly what God expects of
them which informs almost every decision they make in their day to day

“If The Bible Can Be Described As Authoritative,. Where
"If the Bible can be described as authoritative,
Where does that authority originate?" The authority of the Bible originates with God Himself. God's
directions over the events in heaven and on earth's history reveals His authority. However, the
authority of the Word of God must be handle carefully. I gleaned to first start with the Torah or
Pentateuch, which can be quite complicated. And yet, it is the first section of the Hebrew Scripture
sanctified also accepted as authoritative in the religious community. Another key point, is the
writings of the Torah, per Jewish tradition was dictated to Moses by God. Correspondingly, to
understand where the authority originated is in interpreting the Torah. Chiefly, the Five ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, the events in the Bible were real historical circumstances experienced by real historical
persons who lived also communicated in their own cultural framework. Not to mention, their
language, their mode of communication, their understanding of the world around them, their
manners and customs were all, to some degree, products of their culture. In fact, to interpret the
Torah and the Historical Books, understanding the name in which the Hebrew people knew God.
Markedly, I also gleaned Elohist is the generic term for God considering the Hebrew people did not
know Yahweh for God until the time of Moses. Therefore, if understanding correctly, to interpret the
historical books, one must keep in mind the Hebrew was sensitive about history and their
fundamental belief was that Yahweh was the God of all history also it's process, His will and
purpose. In my opinion, the Deuteronomic history interprets the real history while telling a true
story. Giving meaning to the importance of the covenant, Yahweh's will (to obey all will be well; to
disobey evil will fall on them). This helps the interpreter understand how the material was structured
also the source. However, Priestly history is material which is specifics aspects, tracing the way, the
belief in the priority and heavily weighted towards the matters with which priests was concerned.
Therefore, I agree with the author in interpreting the historical books. One must first understand the
meaning of the words

Paradigms Of The Jewish Culture
Paradigms in Jewish Culture
Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Jewish religious movements, sometimes referred
to as denominations, can be looked at in terms of paradigm shifts in the Jewish Culture. Jewish
denominations include different groups of Jews that have developed since the ancient times. In the
United States, these denominations took the form of three large groups known as Orthodox,
Conservative, and Reform. While each denomination keeps to certain core beliefs, there is diversity
within the faith as a whole.
Orthodox Judaism. Historically, there is no such thing as Orthodoxy (Kress, 2014). This term is used
primarily in North America. The specific term "Orthodox Judaism" has a recent origin and is used
specifically to differentiate the followers of more traditionally practicing Jews from the more
Liberal Jewish movements (Kress, 2014). The so–called ultra–Orthodox may be the most
recognizable Jews due to their distinctive garb (Wertheimer, 2014). Many of the people from this
denomination live in densely populated enclaves, speaking Yiddish among themselves, and
consciously reject much of the Western culture. They arrange their family lives, daily routines,
finances, and politics in a manner entirely different from other Jewish denominations (Wertheimer,
2014). The largest following of the ultra–Orthodox consist of Hasidism. Orthodox Judaism believes
that both the Written and Oral Torah are of divine origin, thereby representing the

Compare And Contrast Judaism And Monotheism
Pharisees: spiritual grandparents of rabbinic Judaism. "They believed that God controlled all things,
yet decisions made by individuals also contributed to the course of a person's life." Also, they
believed in the resurrection and the award/punishment in the afterlife notion.
Reform Judaism: the more liberal, progressive, modern thinking sect of Jews. The reformers began
by reforming the prayer service to bring it into line with Western sensibilities. They also began to
reexamine the underpinnings of Judaism, the meaning of the Torah, reward and punishment of the
afterlife, the meaning end of time, and the role of Jews in the integrated world. Reform Judaism
wants to more tolerant of non–Jewish religions as well.
Monotheism: this means the belief that there is only one God. Monotheism is present within all
three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Monotheism should be a source of
unity for all three of the Abrahamic religions. It should provide an opportunity to unite among all
three religions. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is also the study of who Christ was, and his life. There are many questions brought up on this
topic, like was he God, human, spiritual being etc. Jesus Christ for some people was a real person in
Christianity and other Abrahamic religions. Other religions believed that Jesus wasn't an actual
person, they believe that Jesus is a spiritual being that we should look upon for guidance.
Mishnah: is the commentary on how to apply the Torah to everyday life. The Mishnah has major
connections to the Bible, Torah, and the Talmud. The Mishnah is one of the most important written
documents in the Jewish

Rashi's Sheet Of Torah Study
Despite the monumental work, his modesty made him hesitate in exposing the fruit of their labor.
Furthermore, Rashi wanted to know if this would be received favorably. For this Rashi wrote his
commentary on sheets of parchment and began a two–year journey through the various yeshivas –
Academies of Torah study – at the time. During this trip Rashi did not reveal his identity, so that
their presence pass unnoticed. He reached a Yeshiva and sat among the other students to listen to the
presentation by the teacher or rabbi who ran it. Fittingly the teacher came to explain a difficult
passage, which was trying to do the best we can, but inevitably there were still dark and arcane
details. At night, when Rashi was left alone, he took one of the sheets of parchment in which the
passage quoted ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Rashi completed its work and while he was leaving his scrolls, his secret was discovered. His
identity was made public very quickly and commentary was used by young and old, winning a few
times gained popularity by another commentator. Today there are almost no issues of Chumash, the
Tanakh or the Talmud, that are not accompanied by this great comment, and today is almost
inconceivable the study of the Talmud without the help of it. Rashi had no sons, but his sons were
also great sages of the Torah. One was Rabbi Jacob Tam, another was Rashbam. His grandsons and
disciples formed a very unique studies academy, and were called the Tosafot, whose commentary to
the Talmud, also occupies an important place. During his last years of life, Rashi saw its tranquility
disturbed by the serious events that shook the Jewish community. It was the era of the Crusades.
Rashi's heart was broken by the appalling hardships they touched live nearby, and regret is faithfully
reflected in the poems he wrote, many of which became part of our prayers, especially in the

Moses Ben Maimonides Research Paper
Rabbi Moses ben Maimonides: Tackling Atheism
"From Moses to Moses, there arose none like Moses" is the great epitaph marking a grave in the city
of Tiberius in the holy land. Moses Maimonides is regarded by many as the greatest Jewish
philosopher ever, and his influence on the Jewish people approaches the influence of the first Moses
(of the Torah or Old Testament). As a rabbi, Halachist, Physician, religious scholar, communal
leader, and commentator on the art of medicine, his influence has spanned centuries and cultures. He
was born Moshe ben Maimon, in March of 1138 in Cordoba Spain; in Hebrew he is known by the
acronym of Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon, Rambam, and to the world at large as "Maimonides". He
obtained a portion of his education from ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
So many notions that Americans embrace emanate from Jewish history, tradition and culture:
independence, individualism, fairness, decency, justice, charity and even several values on business
practices. It has even been said the struggle of the ancient Hebrews against the Pharaoh came to
embody the struggle of the colonist against English tyranny. The earliest legislation of the colonies
of New England was all determined by Scripture, and the Hebrew Bible was seen as the original and
pure source of Christian values; therefore that was the guide for all legalistic and ritualistic
activities. The Bible even played a central role in the curriculum of all institutions of higher
education with both Hebrew and Bible studies offered as required courses. Many of our earliest
colleges even adopted some Hebrew word or phrase as part of their official emblem or seal. It is
evident with the birth of American democracy, Jewish ethical ideas were legally enshrined into the
laws of a non–Jewish nation. Isn't it interesting that the Ten Commandments is a mix of laws that
are the foundations of almost every legal system (murder, theft, bearing false witness) with laws that
are religious (idolatry, observing Sabbath) and with the Tenth Commandment dealing with
"coveting" and "desiring". Jewish culture, values and ideas have even permeated many aspects of
modern

Halakha, Jewish Religious Law And Religious Commandments
Halakha by definition is Jewish religious law, encompassing both civil and religious commandments
and prohibitions. The word Halakha stems from the root meaning to walk. Halakha involves the
study of law and customs in the Jewish religion. According to rabbinic law it must be performed to
sanctify all life and attain redemption. This idea when introduced was a collection of rabbinic
commentaries from the Hebrew bible or the torah. The importance of halakha among Judaism and
its trends, ideas, theories etc. is the fact that halakha is trying to integrate itself into the world and
not just strictly deal with Jews but integrate itself into the world of non–Jews. Halakha is derived
from the oral and written torah. The laws can cover many ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Responsa are the answers to questions Jews posed in the ancient days, the questions not addressed
by halakhic law but questions posed in everyday life. The importance of responsa in Judaism is the
fact that we have a physical database so to speak on questions about Judaism or about practices, we
have somewhere where the rabbis answered questions posed by the gaon and Jews of the era and
even though they won't correlate with some questions and situations we go through today as modern
Jews in America, the basic questions of Judaism and basic concerns would be covered by the rabbis
of the ancient times. The Talmud has many response within it, they cover business ethics, ethics,
customs, etc. The most posed questions and answers to the responsa would be rules about ordinary
incidents of life.
ID: Samuel Ha nagid was born in 993–1055.Samuels real name was Samuel ibn Naghrillah but once
he became an intellectual and a major part of Granada Jewry, he changed his name to nagid meaning
"Chief". Samuel ha nagid was a "statesmen and a military commander, scholar, and poet who
reached the highest level achieved by a Jew in medieval Muslim Spain, serving as vizier of Granada
and leading a Muslim army into battle."(Efron, et.al, glossary). Samuel HaNagid 's importance

Comparing The Tanakh, The Talmud, And The Mishnah
The Tanakh, the Talmud, and the Mishnah are three very vital pieces in Judaism. They are very
important collections of Scriptures that are central to the Jewish way of life and practices. The
Tankakh includes the teachings and stories of Judaism; the Torah, the Book of Ruth, Ecclesiastes, et
cetera. The Talmud and the Mishnah are collections of interpretations of the teachings given in the
Torah and other teachings. Various rabbis give their input on what Yawheh truly meant in his
commandments and try to teach other Jews how they should follow them. The Tanakh, Talmud, and
Mishnah are all central pieces to what makes Judaism what it is.
The Tanakh is the collection of the scriptures of Judaism. It is commonly referred to as the Jewish
Old Testament or the Jewish Bible, however these names are not the ones used by the Jewish
people. Their Scripture that is comparable to that of the Christian Bible is the Tanakh. The name is
made from an acronym of the Hebrew names of the three components of Jewish ... Show more
One is the Y'rushalmi and the other is the Bavli. The Y'rushalmi is the Jerusalem Talmud which
comes from Israel. The Bavli is the Babylonian Talmud which is the edited version of the
Y'rushalmi. Today, the Babylonian Talmud is more well–known than the Jerusalem Talmud and is
the one that is more widely used in Judaism. The Talmud is also split up into two separate works;
the Mishnah and the Gemara (Isaacs). The Mishnah is a collection of the opinions and
interpretations of rabbis on Jewish laws. Those rabbis who share their opinion in the Mishnah are
known as Tannaim which in Aramaic means teachers. The main purpose of the Misnah is to add
additional information to the commandments and to clarify them as well. The Mishnah serves as a
guide for those who are confused by the laws they are given in the Torah. In the Mishnah, the rabbis
interpret and explain the commandments as best they can

American Judaism: Orthodox to Reform and Everything...
American Judaism:
Orthodox to Reform and Everything Between
American Jews today identify themselves as Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, or Reconstructionist.
These four movements in modern American Judaism are different in many aspects, but one must
remember that even though there are differences in the different beliefs of the Jewish movements,
that all Jews share a common bond of a history and a destiny. They are one people. These four
movements are not considered denominations, but are differing philosophies. Many Jewish religious
observances and practices cannot be easily put into a single particular movement because within
each movement there is a wide diversity in custom, practice, and observance. These movements
range from ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Therefore, any infraction or failure to observe any of these commandments are considered a sin and
that the Torah, not personal belief or conscience, is the judge of action (Einstein & Kukoff, 1989, p.
152). The other basic belief of the Orthodox movement is that God gave Moses the whole Torah at
Mount Sinai, including the Written Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and the Oral Torah (the
oral tradition interpreting and explaining the Written Torah). They believe that the Torah is true and
that it has came down to modern times intact and unchanged (Rich, 2003).
Many of the mitzvahs center on strict laws governing almost every aspect of daily life. These
include at the most basic the strict dietary laws known as the Kashrut, which dictates food that
cannot be consumed and very strict laws on the proper way to slaughter animals (Rich). This type of
food is often called kosher. One of the most important mitzvah's that Orthodox Jews follows is their
very strict and traditional observance of the Sabbath. They devote the Sabbath to a day of prayer,
study, rest, and visiting with friend and family (Rich). On the Sabbath there are also strict rules on
what may not be done on this day, which includes any form of work, even something as simply as
turning on a light switch (Einstein & Kukoff). One can see from these rules that Orthodox Judaism
is very traditional in its views and practices and that

Judaism And Their Holy Book

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Judaism And Their Holy Book