Judaism Core Beliefs and Sacred Texts

Core Beliefs

• Monotheistic religion: belief in one God, Yahweh
• Divine revelation: Torah (first five books of the Hebrew Bible) is considered the word of God
• Covenant: special relationship between God and the Jewish people
• Importance of ethics and morality: treating others with kindness, justice, and compassion

Sacred Texts

• Tanakh (Hebrew Bible):
  • Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
  • Nevi'im (Prophets)
  • Ketuvim (Writings)
• Talmud: collection of oral traditions and commentary on the Torah
• Mishnah: written version of oral traditions
• Gemara: commentary on the Mishnah

Practices and Rituals

• Shabbat (Sabbath): day of rest, observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening
• Kashrut (dietary laws): restrictions on food and drink
• Tefillah (prayer): three daily prayers, with a focus on the Shema (declaration of faith)
• Brit milah (circumcision): male circumcision as a sign of covenant
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah: coming of age ceremony at 13 (boys) or 12 (girls)

Denominations

• Orthodox: traditional, adheres to traditional practices and laws
• Conservative: balanced approach, flexible with modernity
• Reform: liberal, emphasizes individual interpretation and adaptation
• Reconstructionist: emphasizes community and social justice

Key Figures

• Abraham: considered the first Jew, patriarch of the Jewish people
• Moses: leader who received the Torah from God
• Rabbi Akiva: influential Talmudic scholar
• Maimonides (Rambam): medieval philosopher and codifier of Jewish law

Core Beliefs

• Judaism is a monotheistic religion, believing in one God, Yahweh
• The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is considered the word of God and a divine revelation
• There is a special covenant between God and the Jewish people
• Ethics and morality are important, with a focus on treating others with kindness, justice, and compassion

Sacred Texts

• The Tanakh is the Hebrew Bible, consisting of the Torah, Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)
• The Torah includes the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
• The Talmud is a collection of oral traditions and commentary on the Torah
• The Mishnah is the written version of oral traditions
• The Gemara is a commentary on the Mishnah

Practices and Rituals

• Shabbat is the day of rest, observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening
• Kashrut refers to the dietary laws and restrictions on food and drink
• Tefillah refers to the three daily prayers, with a focus on the Shema, a declaration of faith
• Brit milah is the male circumcision ceremony, a sign of covenant
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a coming of age ceremony at 13 (boys) or 12 (girls)

Denominations

• Orthodox Judaism is traditional, adhering to traditional practices and laws
• Conservative Judaism takes a balanced approach, being flexible with modernity
• Reform Judaism is liberal, emphasizing individual interpretation and adaptation
• Reconstructionist Judaism emphasizes community and social justice

Key Figures

• Abraham is considered the first Jew and the patriarch of the Jewish people
• Moses was the leader who received the Torah from God
• Rabbi Akiva was an influential Talmudic scholar
• Maimonides (Rambam) was a medieval philosopher and codifier of Jewish law