Judaism - Beliefs (Paper 2) Flashcards
(31 cards)
What does God as One mean?
- God is the only being who should be worshipped
- God is the source of all Jewish morality, beliefs and values
- Everything in this universe has been created by God
What is the Shema?
- An important Jewish prayer
- “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” which confirms the belief in only one God
Give some beliefs about creation.
- Orthodox believe that the events in Genisis literally happened
- Reformed Jews take it less literally but still believe God is the creator
- Jews also believe that God sustains the world providing all the resources for life to survive
What three things do Jews believe God to be?
Omnipotent : all-powerful
Omniscient : all-knowing
Omnipresent : everywhere at all times
What are Jewish beliefs on evil and free will?
- The existence of evil is a necessary consequence of free will
- Free will makes the act of doing good more significant and in order to excersise free will there must be good and evil
- Jews excersise free will to improve the balance of resources : giving to the less fortunate
How is God shown as lawgiver?
- God gave 613 laws in the Torah known as the mitzvot
- First 10 mitzvot are the Ten Commandments
What are the two main times Jews believe God judges them? (God as Judge)
- During the festival of Rosh Hashanah where God judges the actions of Jews over the past year.
- Judged after death to see how they will spend the afterlife.
What is Shekhinah? Give examples on where you would find this.
- The presence of God on earth.
- The tabernacle considered to house the divine presence of God.
- A pillar of a cloud or fire on the Jews journey to Canaan
How does free will and the Mitzvot interlink with each other?
Good actions lead to a life of fulfilment and the Mitzvot gives guidance to Jews on how to use their free will correctly and to live in a way that pleases God.
What two categories can the mitzvot be divided into?
- Mitzvot between man and god
- Mitzvot between man and man
Mitzvot between man and God
- Mitzvot which tell Jews how they can improve their relationship with God.
- Most important are the first four of the Ten commandments.
- Cover areas such as worship, sacrifice and observance of festivals
Mitzvot between man and man
- Mitzvot that tell Jews how to improve their relationship with people.
- Cover areas such as treatment of workers and how to settle disputes.
- They help Jews live as members of their faith and community in a way that pleases God.
What are Jewish beliefs on the afterlife?
- Jews are not too concerned with the afterlife which is shown as Jewish holy books do not contain much information
- However, many Jews believe if they follow their faith correctly they will go to heaven (Gan Eden)
- Some Jews believe that those who don’t enter heaven go to Sheol, a place of waiting
What is heaven like for a Jew?
No clear teaching ; it is not known if it’s a state of consciousness, or a physical, or spiritual place.
When does judgement happen?
- Some Jews believe they will be judged as soon as they die.(Supported by Ecclesiastes)
- Others believe they will be judged by God on the Day of Judgement.(Supported by Daniel)
Beliefs about resurrection
Some Jews believe in the idea of spiritual or physical resurrection but many do not
Where did the term “Messiah” originate from?
“Messiah” was originally used to refer to the kings of Israel but now the term is used to refer to a future leader of the Jews.
What are the Orthodox beliefs about the Messiah?
Orthodox Jews believe there is a descendant of King David in every generation who has the potential to become the Messiah and if the Jews are worthy of redemption they would be directed by God to become the Messiah.
What are Reform beliefs about the Messiah?
Many Reform Jews reject the idea of the Messiah and believe in the Messianic age achieved by everyone working together to create a world of peace.
Common beliefs of what the future is like.
- Uphold the law in the Torah.
- Bring in world peace and unite humanity together.
- Rule over humanity with kindness and justice.
Abraham and the Promised Land story (summary)
- Abraham tried to convince people to stop worshipping idols.
- God told Abraham to journey to Canaan promising to make a great nation through him. “I will make you a great nation” Gensis.
- Abraham reached Canaan and God told him “I give all the land … to you and your offspring forever”. This became known as the promised land.
The Covenant with Abraham
- God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations.
- Abraham agreed to ,”Walk in God’s ways” (Genisis)
- The covenant was sealed through the action of circumcision.
- God kept his side of the covenant by making Abraham the father of many nations and allowing his wife to conceive even though she was very old.
The escape from Egypt
- Jews were being forced to work as slaves in Egypt.
- Moses asked the Egyptian Pharoh to release the Jews, so they could return to Canaan.
- After God sent a number of plagues the Pharoh released the Jews.
- The Jews left Egypt and wandered for many years.
- When they arrived at Mount Sinai, Moses climbed the mount and God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.
What was the covenant at Sinai?
- The Ten Commandments form the basis of the covenant at Sinai.
- If the Jews followed these commandments and other laws in the future God would protect the Jews and be their God.
