Judaism Basics

Study Notes

Judaism is one of the world's oldest religious traditions and a foundational religion for both Christianity and Islam.
It is not only a religion but also an ethnic and cultural identity.
The tradition has no historical records of its origin, but it originated in the land of Canaan, where modern-day Palestine and Israel are located.

Judaism is a monotheistic religion, believing in one deity, Yahweh or Elohim, meaning "I am" or "God".
Many Jews consider the name of God so holy that they will not write the vowels or pronounce it, instead using "Adonai" or "Lord".
Judaism's monotheism was unique in its early days, differing from surrounding polytheistic religions.
The religion is based on covenants, or promises between the Israelites and Yahweh, with specific terms and blessings.

The Abrahamic covenant, established with Abraham, guaranteed the land of Canaan to his descendants in exchange for circumcision.
The Mosaic covenant, established through Moses, created the rules, laws, and guidelines of Judaism, including 613 mitzvot or commandments.
The mitzvot include the Ten Commandments, kashrut (food laws), prohibitions against sorcery, witchcraft, and magic, and more.

The Tanakh, also known as the Hebrew Bible, is an acronym for the three sections: Torah (law/teachings), Nevi'im (prophets), and Ketuvim (writings).
The Torah is the most important text in Judaism, establishing the law, teachings, traditions, and commandments.
The Talmud, meaning "study", is a Jewish text produced by rabbis, including the Mishnah (oral laws) and the Gemara (rabbinic commentaries).

Kippah, or yarmulke, is a head covering worn by men during prayer.
Tallith is a fringed prayer shawl worn during prayer, traditionally worn by men.
Tefillin is a box bound to the head or arm containing a small scroll of the Torah, worn as a reflection of the commandment in Deuteronomy 11:18.

There are different branches of Judaism, including:
- Orthodox Judaism: teaches that the Torah is the literal word of Yahweh and that all Jewish law should be followed strictly.
- Reform Judaism: teaches that the Torah and Jewish laws were created by humans and do not need to be followed strictly.
- Conservative Judaism: teaches that most Jewish law should be followed as well as possible, considering changes in society.
- Reconstructionist Judaism: teaches that Jewish laws do not need to be followed strictly, but should be followed whenever possible.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all Abrahamic religious traditions, viewing Abraham as their ancestor.
Jesus, the founder of Christianity, was Jewish and observed Jewish law, and his followers began Christianity.
Islam views Judaism as a cultural heritage and uses the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian New Testament as religious texts, with the Qur'an superseding them.