Judaism Religion Teachings and Festivals

Judaism Religion

Rabbinic Judaism is the main form of Judaism that has existed from the 6th Century to date. From this form of Judaism, three different forms of Judaism have been established which are conservative, Orthodox and reform.

Covenant -- Torahic teachings defines it as an agreement that the people had with God. An Arch of Covenant as highlighted in the books of Samuel and Kings symbolized the agreement between God and the people before heading to Canaan.

Halakhah defines the entire structure of the Jewish Laws as they are taught from the oral or the written Torah taught to the Jews. The 613 Mitzvot as taught in the Torah structure the greater body of the Halakhah.

Mitzvot denote the good deeds that the Jews are taught. They are 613 laws coupled with the rabbinic teachings are all meant guide the moral behavior among the Jews.

Gentile refers to a person that is not a Jew. It can refer to people of other religions according to the Torah.

Tanak is an acronym that denotes the teachings (Torah), Prophets (Nevi\'im) and writings (Ketuvim) which are the three basics of the Masoretic teachings of the Jews.

Mishnah is a component of the Talmud that explains various traditional Jewish practices in the legal and ceremonial aspect. It offers guidance for the younger Jews so that they can follow the steps of their ancestors.

Gemara is one of the components that form the Talmud. It is a rabbinical analysis of the Talmud and explains matters about the Mishnah

Talmud is part of the Jewish Law relating to civil and ceremonial legal practices. It comprises of the Mishnah and the Gemara

Kosher is a term describing the preparation (mainly of food) as per the direction of the Jewish teachings and laws.

Torah are teachings in Judaism mainly from the five books of Moses. They form the fundamental teachings of the moral behavior of the Jews.

Q2

Reform is the part of Judaism that tries to make the traditional Judaism progressive by introducing certain reforms that could make it compatible with the modern world. This form of Judaism is mainly concerned with the inclusion of other people that might not subscribe to the old tenets of Judaism. Conservative Judaism is explained as the group that seeks to conserve the old Judaism tradition. This form of Judaism relates to preservation of ancient Jewish practices. It believes in the divinity of the Talmud and the Torah and although they support the modern translation of these laws, they prefer preserving them like in the times of old. Orthodox Judaism is referred to as the group that chose to divert from the reforms and the conservative Jews. The Orthodox Jews prefer following the practices of the Rabbis like in the times of old. They observe the commandments in every practice they perform and they follow the Torah to the letter based on the rabbinic interpretations of the medieval times. The ultra-orthodox Jews are strictly conformists and they are opposed to any idea of making Judaism progressive or modern. They opposed inclusivity of any individual that feels the religion should adapt to their modern way of life.

Q3

The main biblical events that happened from the time of Abraham are meant to give the Jews a sense of origin. God promised Abraham that he will be a father of nations and when he bore Isaac, he set off the growth of the generations. Abraham\'s son Isaac bore Jacob who was later renamed as Israel, the father of the Jews. Isaac developed the Jewish ceremonial practices of taking care of the livestock and working hard to earn a wife. He also developed the practice of passing on blessings to the offspring. Jacob then bore Levi who gave birth to Kehath who then bore Moses\' father Amram. Through Moses, God made a promise to deliver the Jews to Canaan at the time of the burning bush. Moses birthed the covenant between God and the Jews.

Q4

In 70 CE, the practice of temple worship among the Jews died down after the Romans destroyed the Jewish temple for the second time. The Jews became scattered into different parts of the world and the synagogues replaced the temples while the Rabbis replaced the Jewish priests. The Rabbis were at the time, great thinkers and teachers of the law.

Q5

The ancient Jewish sect that is primarily responsible for shaping the dominant form of Judaism from 70 CE to the nineteenth century is the Pharisees. The pharisaic sect was quite strong and they implemented the teachings of the Talmud forming the bulk of the Jewish teachings up to date.

Q6: Jewish Rituals and Festivals

Bris/Brit Milah is the circumcision ceremony of the Jews. Circumcision is performed on male children on their eighth day after birth according to the Jewish religion.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah is the process of initiation of a Jewish girl according to the Jewish religion. It is conducted when the girl is twelve years and one day old. After the ceremony, the girl is said to have attained religious maturity.

Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. It is mainly celebrated on the first or the second day of September.

Yom Kippur is a ceremony that marks the ten days of penitence in the Jewish religion. The Jews fast for ten days starting from the day of Rosh Hashanah.

Passover is a Jewish religious ceremony that commemorates their liberation from Egypt where they had been slaves.

Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival that commemorates the rededication of the temple after desecration by the Syrians on 165 BC.

Sukkot is an autumn Jewish festival that commemorates the shelters that the Israelites had in the wilderness.

Q7: People and their importance

Rashi -- He was a French Rabbi who authored commentaries on the Tanakh and the Talmud.

Maimonides -- He was a Jewish Rabbi whose commentaries on Jewish teachings are remembered to date.