Judaism Flashcards
(19 cards)
What Jews believe about the nature of God?
- God is one (can’t be divided)
- Creator
- Law-giver
- Judge
- Eternal
- All-powerful
- All-good
- All-knowing
- Everywhere
- Beyond time and space
- Concerned with humanity (given everything to support human life)
- Intervening in the world
- Transcendent and Immanent
What do Jews mean when they call God ‘Law-Giver’ ?
- Gave Torah
- 613 Mitzvot
- Linked to covenant
Issues: If God is omni-potent and Omnibenevolent how do Jews explain the problem of evil and suffering?
- God is Transcendent - beyond human understanding - Humanity will benefit from evil in ways we can’t understand
- Freewill - allows suffering from Freewill as punishment for breaking the covenant
God is loving and caring - he taught them how to live and people who disobey are guilty of sin, which will be punished in afterlife
Issues: Divergence in beliefs about God as judge.
- “God will bring every deed into judgement whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes)
- “Multitude of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel)
- Some believe God will judge as soon as they die - some believe they’ll be judged by God and the Messiah on the Day of Judgement
Name all of the Jewish festivals.
- Rosh Hashanah
- Yom Kippur
- Sukkot - Pilgrim
- Shavuot - Pilgrim
- Pesach (Passover) - Pilgrim
- Hannukah
Talk about Rosh Hashanah.
Marks the Jewish new year and ration of the world
“On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets” (Leviticus)
Shofar horn is blown
Reform Jews - Can listen to a recording of the horn
Book of life opens for 10 days - Dictates your year ahead
Talk about Yom Kippur.
Book of life is closed until next year - Focused on repentance and seeking forgiveness
“For on this day shall Atonement be made for you to cleanse you; from all sins you shall be clean before the lord” (Leviticus)
Holiest day in Judaism - sacred solemn day - final day before book of life closes
Fast for 25 hours to dedicate time seeking God’s forgiveness (includes no make-up/bathing/designer clothes)
Reform Jews would mind make-up
Wear white - purity
Swing money over head 3 times and give to poor (Reform)
Swing chicken over head 3 times (Orthodox)
Talk about Sukkot (Pilgrim).
Remembers Israelites living i temporary shelters in the wilderness on journey to promised land
“You shall dwell in booths for seven days” (Leviticus)
Reform - May not stay whole time
Reminder of God’s care and less fortunate
Build and eat in sukkah for 7 days (no work for first two days - spend as much time as possible in them
Read story of Israelites
Sukkah - at least two walls and part of a third
- Roof should be made of Etrog (citron fruit / Palm branch / Myrtle Branch / Willow Branch
Talk about Shavuot (Pilgrim).
Remembers God giving the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai (50 days after Pesach) - It’s a Harvest festival
“Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession” Exodus
- Spend the night studying the Torah to make up for some people falling asleep
- Synagogue decorated with flowers - symbolise God’s transformation
- Read book of Ruth
- Eat dairy products - symbolises “land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus)
Talk about Passover/Pesach (Pilgrim).
Remembers Israelites freedom from slavery in Egypt
“Each man is to take a lamb and slaughter them at twilight… The blood will be a sign for you. I will pass over you” (Exodus)
Thanks God for freedom and passes on heritage to children
Celebration of covenant
Eat a seder meal - unleavened bread - must remove all chametz from homes
Haggadah is read - tells story in 14 steps
Zeroa (shank bone) - lamb sacrifice made in temple
Talk about Hannukah.
Remembers rededication of the temple after Maccabee’s win over Syrians after 3 years of war
Miracle of oil lasting eight days instead of one
“every year at that season the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days” Maccabees
- Celebrate God’s power and presence
- Teaches children how lucky they are
- Celebrated for 8 days
- Candles lit from right to left - by 8th day all candles are lit
- Eat fried foods
- Children play dreidel
- Shamash (helped candle) Used to light the 8 other candles on the Hannukiah - some reform Jews may use electric candles
What are the books of Sefer Torah?
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Deuteronomy
- Numbers
What are the books of Chumash (printed Torah)?
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
What are the books of the Talmud?
- Berakhot - blessings and prayer
- Shabbat - laws of the Sabbath
- Sanhedrin - Court and criminal law
What are the books of the Torah in the Synagogue?
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
What are the books of the Tenakh (Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim)?
Torah (Law)
- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus
Nevi’im (Prophets)
- Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah
Ketuvim (Writings)
- Psalms, Proverbs, Job
What are the books of the Use of Tenakh at home?
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Genesis
What is in the Amidah prayer?
Aka standing prayer
Most important part of synagogue service
Contains 19 blessing - E.g:
- Avot - Praising God as God of their ancestors
- Binah - Asking for wisdom and understanding
- Teshuvah - Prayer to repent and turn back to life based on Torah
- Refuah - prayer to heal sick
What do Jews believe about divine providence?
“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse, therefore choose life.” (Deuteronomy)
“The heart of man plans his way.” (Proverbs)
