Judaism Keywords. Flashcards
(97 cards)
1
Q
Ethical.
A
Defines what is right and wrong. In religion, this means “the good life”, the life worth living.
2
Q
Monotheism.
A
A belief in one God.
3
Q
Abraham.
A
Founder of the Hebrew nation - the father of Isaac and Ishmael.
4
Q
Torah.
A
The law on which Judaism is founded - in the first 5 books of the Jewish Bible.
5
Q
Tenakh.
A
The Jewish Bible and consists of the Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim collected together.
6
Q
Nevi’im.
A
Second part of the Jewish Bible amd means ‘prophets’. It includes words of special messengers from God.
7
Q
Ketuvim.
A
This is the third and final section of the Jewish Biblre - it includes Jewish poetry and history.
8
Q
Talmud.
A
The oral Torah - collection of Jewish law and tradition.
9
Q
Moses.
A
He was the prophet and leader of the Israelites. He led the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and received the Ten Commandments from God.
10
Q
Ten Commandments.
A
These are the first 10 of the 613 commandments given by God to the Jewish people. They are the foundation of Jewish ethics, behaviour and responsibility.
11
Q
Covenant.
A
An agreement between God and his people - the basis for the idea that Jews are the chosen people.
12
Q
Sheol/Gehenna.
A
The underworld of the dead/ Hell a place or state of torment and suffering.
13
Q
Nezikin
A
Civil and Criminal law especially in cases of damages.
14
Q
Noahide code.
A
The seven laws given to Noah after the Flood for all of humanity.
15
Q
Gemiluth Chasadim.
A
“The giving of loving- kindness” - it applies to all types of charitable works. It is a mitzvah that you complete without expecting anything in return.
16
Q
Rashi.
A
A medieval French rabbi who wrote commentaries on the Talmud.
17
Q
Tosafots.
A
These are medieval commentaries on the Talmud.
18
Q
Juda Halevi.
A
A Spanish poet and Philosopher.
19
Q
Piyyutim.
A
A Jewish liturgical poem.
20
Q
Sabbath.
A
A day of religious observance and abstinence.
21
Q
Halakah.
A
A collective body of Jewish laws derived from the written and oral Torah.
22
Q
Haskalah.
A
Jewish Enlightenment.
23
Q
Name 3 of the 613 mitzvots.
A
- Do not commit sodomy with a male.
- Do not eat things that swarm in the water.
- A man shall not wear women’s clothing.
24
Q
What are the biblical covenants?
A
Throughout the Jewish Scriptures, God makes a number of covenants. Covenants are mutual promises between God and Israelites.
25
What is the covenant of Adam?
- The first covenant is made in the Garden of Eden between God and Adam.
- God promises to provide for humanity but he does not ask for anything in return.
26
What is the covenant of Noah?
- The second covenant is made with Noah after the flood in which God destroyed almost everything that was on the Earth.
- In this passage, God promises that he will never punish the world again as he died during the flood.
27
What is the covenant of Abraham?
- God made three covenants with Abraham.
28
What is the covenant of the land?
In the first covenant, God tells Abraham that he will now live with his family.
29
What is the covenant of the cutting?
In the second covenant, God promises that Abram will have children and repeats the promise of giving him the land. He also warns Abram that his descendants will be enslaved later. Here, however, Abram is ordered to sacrifice some of his animals for God.
30
What is the covenant of the circumcision?
In the third covenant with Abraham, God promises to look after his descendants for ever but also requires that all the males in Abraham's household and family are circumcised as a sign of the covenant.
31
What is the covenant of Moses?
The covenant with Moses is sometimes called the Sinai covenant because it was made while the Jews were wandering in the Sinai desert after they had been led out of their captivity in Egypt. The basis of this Covenant is the Ten Commandments.
32
What is the covenant of David?
In the covenant with King David, God promises David that he will look after his children and that they will rule Israel. However, God does not want David to build a temple for him.
33
What are the 13 principles of faith?
The closest that anyone has ever come to creating a widely-accepted list of Jewish beliefs is Moses Maimonides' thirteen principles of faith.
1} Only God will makes things.
2} There is only one God.
3} God is incorporeal.
4} God is eternal.
5} Prayer is to be directed to God alone and no other.
6} The words of the prophets are true.
7} Moses was the father of the prophets.
8} The written Torah was given to prophets.
9} There will be no other Torah.
10} God knows all the actions and thoughts of human beings.
11} God will reward the good and punish those who break his commandments.
12} The messiah will come.
13} God will resurrect the dead.
34
When did Conservative Judaism appear?
It appeared in Europe and America in the mid-19th century. It is also known as Masorti. The founders of the movement welcomed the emancipation and the end of the ghetto life of Jews as well as their increased westernization.
35
What did it appear as?
Conservative Judaism appeared not as a split from Orthodoxy but as a reaction to reform.
36
What did the movement support?
The conservative movement continued to support Jewish life both in America and Israel.
37
What happened in 1915?
In 1915, Jews were granted the right to use electricity on the Sabbath and to travel to the synagogue.
38
What happened after World War 2?
The number of conservative Jews increased rapidly and by the 1950s, half of American Jews described themselves as Conservative.
39
What is Liberal and progressive Judaism?
In the UK, there is a distinct body that is termed liberal and progressive Judaism. it began on 18th October 1902 and was founded in February 1902.
40
Why was this?
It was an attempt to retain the allegiance of the many Jews who were drifting away from Judaism.
41
What is the ULPS?
The Union of Liberal and Progressive synagogues. It now has 30 congregations and a thriving youth movement. In some ways, it has become more traditional in its practice but it still retains a radical approach to social issues and a liberal theology.
42
What is the Sabbath?
The Sabbath is one of the most important Jewish festivals. The heaven and earth were finished and all their array. On the seventh day, God finished the work that he had been doing and he ceased on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy because on it God ceased from all the work of creation that he had done. Jews are instructed to keep the Sabbath in the Ten commandments. The Torah has very strict punishments for breaking the Sabbath. There are three different types of activity that are forbidden on the Sabbath:
- No food.
- No work.
- Do no work.
43
What are Kashrut?
- The laws of Kashrut are an extremely important aspect of Jewish life. Jews can eat food that is kosher but they cannot eat what is forbidden.
- All blood is forbidden. Fish are kosher if they have scales, fins and a backbone. Shellfish are not permitted. Meat and dairy products may not be eaten or cooked together.
- There are 3 different categories of kosher food:
- Meat.
- Milk, all milk and milk products.
- Parev or parve.
44
What are the rites of passage?
There are four rites of passage in Judaism: birth, initiation, marriage and death.
Birth:
- Shalom Zachar: On the first Friday night after a boy is born, friends of the family and the Rabbi are invited to 'greet the male'.
- Shalom Nekevah: This is a relatively new custom of 'greeting the daughter'.
- Covenant of circumcision.
45
Where were the Ten commandments given to Moses?
The law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai and it is contained in the essence of the Ten Commandments.
46
What are 4 of the ten commandments?
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
47
What are the first five books of the scriptures?
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deutereonomy.
48
What does the Tenakh do?
- It gives a history of the first 3500 years.
49
What's the written torah?
- The written Torah is at the heart of Judaism as the word of God. The Torah shows a way of life by which the people can live in obedience to God.
50
What else did Moses recieve on Mount Sinai?
The Oral Torah was also given to Moses on Mount Sinai.
51
What is the Sabbath?
The Sabbath is one of the most important Jewish festivals.
52
What does Judaism teach?
Judaism teaches that only Jews have to live according to the 613 mitzvot.
53
What is Zionism?
Zionism is a movement to reunite the Jews of the Diaspora and for them to return to the Promised land. The first hope of return was in the 6th century BCE, when Jews were held in captivity in Babylon.
54
What else happened relating to this?
There have always been Jews who have moved to Israel and lived among the small groups left after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. In the 19th century, two rabbis called Jehuda Alkalai and Zevi Hirsch Kalischer began teaching that Jews must prepare for the return of the Messiah. The name Zionism was first used in 1890 by Nathan Birnbaum. Some Orthodox Jews haave always refused to support Zionism, saying that Israel could not be reborn until after the Messiah returned.
55
What book was published in 1896?
In 1896, Theodor Herzl published a book called Der Judenstat in which he called for the establishment of Eretz Israel as a Jewish state. 1897 saw thee first Zionist congress in Basle which saw the Basel programme. The goal was the creation for the Jewish people of a home in Palestine secured by public law.
56
What is Rabbinic literature?
Rabbinic Literature can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history.
57
What did Judah Halevi argue in the 12th century?
In the Kuzari, the 12th century Jewish philosopher Judah Halevi argues that God revealed himself to Adam, his descendants and the Jewish people.
58
What have Reform Jews done?
Although reform Jews continue to believe in the doctrine of revelation, they have distanced themselves from the traditional understanding of God's disclosure. In the Columbus platform of 1937, reformers advanced the notion of progressive revelation to explain God's interaction with later generations.
59
What does tradition say about the Bible?
According to tradition, the entire Bible was communicated by God to the Jewish people.
60
What distinction is made in rabbinic literature?
In rabbinic literature, a distinction is drawn between the revelation of the Five books of Moses and the prophetic writings.
61
The Chosen people.
The concept of Israel as God's chosen people has been a constant feature of Jewish thought from Biblical times to the present.
62
What is the Halakah?
Halakah is the code of conduct encompassing all aspects of Jewish life.
63
What is the Diaspora?
Diaspora means dispersion and is used to describe the dispersion of the Jews from Israel. During their history, Jews have moved all across the world, sometimes through choice but often because of persecution. The Jews were finally expelled from Israel by the Romans in 70 CE. There are now two main groups of Jews.
64
Who was Judah Halevi?
Judah Halevi was a poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain either at Toledo or Tudela. Spain was a Muslim country at the time and he was educated in Hebrew and Arabic. At this time, the Jews were not being persecuted in Spain.
65
What did he do at a young age?
He travelled at a young age to Andalusia.
66
What were Judah Halevi's thoughts on Israel?
He became increasingly disillusioned with living in the Diaspora and began to consider travelling to Israel while waiting for the Messiah. At one point he dreamt that the Messiah would come in 1130 CE.
67
What did Halevi know about the journey?
Halevi knew that the journey was dangerous and that life in Israel was difficult because it was ruled by the crusading armies at this time. His friends and family urged him not to go.
68
Who was Moses Mendelssohn?
Mendelssohn was a leading philosopher of the englightenment in Germany and became a spiritual leader of the Jews there.
69
What were his philosophies?
Existence of God:
- Mendelssohn used a modification of the ontlogical argument. Humanity has an idea of God.
Immortality of the soul:
- He argued that there are an infinite number of souls that form the inner part of the universe.
Freewill:
- Mendelssohn argued that if every act of will has a cause, then human freedom cannot exist.
70
Who was Moses Maimonides?
Maimonides is probably the most important figure in post-Talmudic Judaism.
71
What is Rabbinic Judaism?
Rabbinic Judaism is based on the idea of a dual Torah which suggests that the Torah was revealed to Moses in two ways; written and oral. The Oral Torah became part of Jewish traditions after the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD.
From this, the Mishnah was developed to prevent Jews from breaking laws of the Torah. This combined helps Jews establish holiness and prepare for the Messianic age, which is when the Messiah will come to earth.
72
What is a rabbi?
A rabbi is a teacher of the Torah.
73
What were the two writings?
Mishnah and Gemara.
74
What are the three main branches of rabbinic Judaism?
- Orthodox.
- Conservative.
- Reform.
75
What are the names of the Two Talmuds?
The Jerusalem talumud and the Babylonian Talmud.
76
What is the Diaspora?
This Diaspora had an impact on rabbinic thought because it led to rabbinic discourse about Jewish belief to be recorded. Diaspora means dispersion and is used to describe the dispersion of the Jews from Israel. During their history, Jews have moved all across the world, sometimes through choice but often because of persecution. The Jews were finally expelled from Israel by the Romans in 70 CE. There are 2 main groups of Jews.
77
Why is Rabbinic Judaism significant for Jewish beliefs?
- Explains how Jews should behave.
- Strongly influenced by revelation of Written and Oral Torah to Moses.
- Rabbinic commentaries throughout daily life and practice - the Mishnah.
- Recorded Jewish beliefs - as a result of Midrash.
- Emphasises that Torah cannot be interpreted without referring to Oral Torah.
78
Who was Rashi?
Rashi was born at Troyes in France.
79
Where he was educated?
He studied at the academies of Mains under Jacob ben Yakar and Isaac Ben Judah and at Worms under Isaac ben Eleazar ha-levi.
80
What was his commentary on the Jewish scriptures?
Rashi commented on almost all of the books of the Bible. The principal work of the commentary was to add the literal interpretation of the text to the French tradition of Midrashic interpretations. There are some important characteristics of Rashi's commentary. He did not appear to be concerned with philosophical ideas and therefore was not required to try to reconcile them with Biblical ideas. Nor did he seem concerned with mysticism or any moralistic views.
81
What was Rashi's commentary on the Babylon Talmud?
The most important aspect of Rashi's work was his commentary on the Babylon Talmud.
82
What parts of the Jewish bible did Rashi commentate on?
Rashi commented on almost all books of the Bible. He commented on the books in the order in which they happen but did complete the work.
83
What is Targum?
Targum means translation.
84
In what ways has Targum played an important role in Jewish history?
- Targum became particularly important after the exile in Babylon.
- The Targums were translations of the scriptures.
- Made them more intelligible to worshippers.
85
What was the Enlightenment?
The Enlightment was a movement that challenged many of the assumptions of the church and used human reason to determine how the world should be. By definition, this began to raise questions about the status of Jews. For if Christianity was no longer the dominant faith, there was little reason for Jews to be excluded from society. Gradually across Europe, there were moves to grant Jews full rights as citizens. This movement was called the Emancipation. The Emancipation was a slow process and it was conditioned by a lot of old prejudices. Jews were expected to demonstrate that they really were loyal to their host society and that despite their religious differences, they could fit in with people around them.
86
How did Jews respond to these challenges?
```
Assimilation.
Ultra Orthodoxy.
Modern Orthodoxy.
Reform
Zionism.
```
87
What was Early Reform?
- The early reformers were not led by early scholars and rabbis, but by laymen. They had no problem with traditional Judaism and their reforms were largely cosmetic.
- Two thinkets heavily influenced the next stages of the Reform movement. Abraham Geiger was a biblical scholar who accepted the claims of biblical critics that humans had been involved in the writing of the Bible. This led to a theory of Progressive Revelation.
88
What is Modern Reform?
Modern Reform in Britain has drawn closer to tradition. In particular, they have now accommodated Zionism as an idea. Halacah has a vote but not a veto in decision making. Members of reform synagogues do not consider themselves bound by Halacah, but will incorporate it into their lifestyle to the extent that they feel it is appropiate.
89
Is reform a good thing?
Advocates of Reform Judaism argue that it keeps the religion up to date and that it provides a safety net for those Jews who might leave the faith altogether if they had no other option than strict Halachik observance.
90
What do opponents of it say?
Opponents of it see it as a watered down version of Judaism which has been invented to suit the needs of fashion and to suit the convenience of Jews who are unwilling to meet the demands of traditional Judaism.
91
What are they disturbed by?
They are particularly disturbed by Reform conversion procedures, which threaten the unity of the Jewish people by accepting as proselytes people whom large sections of the community cannot recognise as Jewish.
92
What is Orthodox Judaism?
Orthodox Judaism is the term which refers to Jews who believe literally that the Torah is from heaven and that since the Torah is divine and God does not change his mind, it makes no sense to reform our traditions. Jews are duty bound to observe the Halacah as laid down in the traditional text.
93
What is modern/neo orthodoxy?
Another philosopher to meet the challenge of modernity was Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. Unlike most Orthodox rabbis of his time, he attended university as well as studying under the top Talmudists of his times. He was deeply troubled by the assimilationist tendency and he made it his mission to demonstrate that Orthodox Judaism was fully compatible with modernity. He wrote a book called the Nineteen Letters, which set out the complaints of a young Jew and Hirsch's response.
94
What are the major differences between Reform and Orthodox Judaism?
Reform:
- They believe that the written Torah was put together by people and that the Oral Torah also is a human work.
- Reform Jews believe that one should decide one's religious practice according to educated individual conscience.
- It is normal for a Reform rabbi to drive to synagogue on Shabbat.
- Reform Jews respect the idea of Kashrut, but believe that questions of observance are up to the individual.
- They've removed the concepts of the Cohen, Levi and the Mamzer.
- Men and women sit together.
- Open to the possibility of meaningful sexual relationships outside marriage.
95
What about Orthodox Judaism?
- Orthodox Jews beleve that the written Torah is the word of God and that Oral Torah was put together with divine inspiration.
- Orthodox Jews believe that we are bound to keep tradition as laid down by the Torah.
- Its laws define the spirit of Shabbat.
- Laws of Kashrut are divine commands.
- Men and women sit separately.
96
What is Rav Hirsch's attitude to reform?
Rav Hirsch was a fierce opponent of reform, which he believed was watering down traditional Judaism. He argued that like Catholicism and Protestantism, Orthodox and Reform were two movements which could not live together and so he argued for separation.
Hirsch's great success came as rabbi of Frankfurt where he built a community of university professors, bankers, scientists etc all of whom he comitted to an observant way of life.
97
What are the differences between Modern orthodox and other steams of Judaism?
Modern Orthodox Jews tend to respect other streams of Orthodox Judaism as legitimate and appropiate for their members. They share a complete commitment to observance of Jewish law,.
