What Is Judaism?

What Is Judaism?

Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, and is based on the teachings found in the Torah, the Jewish holy book. Jews believe in a single, omnipotent, all-powerful, all-knowing God, who created, sustains, and oversees every aspect of existence.

In Jewish thought, God—who is called a number of different names throughout Jewish literature—created the world for your benefit, meaning and pleasure: the greatest pleasure being a relationship with Him.¹ The Torah is considered the manual—by way of its lengthy narrative sections, as well as its commandments and laws—that teaches you how to develop and deepen that relationship.

• Who is the founder of Judaism?
• What is the holy book of Judaism?
• A Brief History of Judaism
• Is Judaism an Ethnicity?
• Beliefs of Judaism
• Practices of Judaism
• Judaism & Conversion
• Summary
• FAQs

Who is the founder of Judaism?

According to Jewish tradition, Judaism’s founder is the biblical character Abraham, who is first mentioned in the book of Genesis (11:26). Rabbinical tradition teaches that Abraham rejected the pagan beliefs of his time (middle bronze age, or about 3800 years ago) and embraced the idea of a single, omnipotent, all-powerful deity, which is today considered the foundation of Jewish, as well as other ethical monotheistic beliefs (like Christianity and Islam).

Abraham was a prophet, and his conversations with God—and God’s promises to him—are recorded in the book of Genesis, chapters 12-22. Abraham was married three times—and had at least eight children—although the special pact, or covenant, that God made with him was passed down exclusively through his son Isaac (Genesis 25:5), and grandson Jacob (Genesis 28:4), and not any of his other descendants.

Throughout the Torah, as well as the other books that make up the Bible, the Jewish people are referred to as the “Children of Israel,” which is the name given to Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, in Genesis 32:29. The names of Jacob’s (or Israel’s) 12 sons are also used to refer to the tribal groupings, or clans, as well as the territories they inhabited in the ancient Near East (parts of modern day Israel and Jordan). Over time, the name Judah—meaning both the tribe as well as the territory—came to refer to all Jewish people, and hence the names “Jewish,” and “Jew.”²

Jews are also sometimes called “Hebrews (עברים)”—that’s also the name of their language (עברית)—which comes from the Hebrew word “to cross over (עבר),” and is a reference to Abraham, who, so to speak, “crossed the river,” and distinguished himself, and his descendants, with his radical, or different beliefs.

What is the holy book of Judaism?

Judaism’s holy book is the Torah, also called the “Five Books of Moses,” and consists of the biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The name, “Torah,” means “instructions,” and it’s often referred to as “Torat Chaim,” or “Instructions for Living.” In addition to the narrative sections that describe the birth and development of the Jewish nation, the Torah also contains the 613 commandments, which are the tools—or instructions—to live a meaningful, spiritual, balanced, and Jewish life.

The Torah is also the first five books of the Tanach (תנ׳ך), which is a Hebrew acronym for the Torah, Prophets, and Writings; otherwise known as the 24 books of the Jewish Bible.

According to Jewish tradition, the Torah’s authority comes from the revelation at Mount Sinai—as chronicled in Exodus, chapters 19 and 20—when the entire Jewish nation, en masse, experienced a group prophecy of the entirety of the Ten Commandments.

The Torah is also called the “Written Law,” and was originally transmitted together with an oral companion (called the “Oral Law”), which contains an in-depth explanation of the Torah’s many details and intricacies, as well as the ethical, philosophical, and mystical ideas embedded within the text of the written law. Over the millennia, the oral law was arranged, organized, and published as various works including:

• The Mishna: the basic principles of the Oral Law
• The Gemara: a discussion of the ideas contained in the Mishna (also known as the Talmud)
• Various collections of Midrashim, or ethical, philosophical, legal, and mystical insights presented as a running commentary that follows the order of verses as written in the Torah and later books of the Bible
• Numerous collections of mystical and kabalistic teachings
• Legal codes, as well as later collections of rabbinical commentaries and writings

A Brief History of Judaism

As noted above, Judaism’s founder is the biblical character, Abraham, who’s life—as well as that of his descendants, and including the promises God made to them—is described at length in the book of Genesis.

However, the true dawn of the Jewish people begins in ancient Egypt, where the nascent Jewish nation had descended into slavery, and were oppressed by their Egyptian overlords. As chronicled in the book of Exodus, God—via the great Jewish leader, Moses, as well as through numerous miracles and wonders—freed the Israelites from their captivity, and brought them to Mount Sinai (considered to be near the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, a small land bridge that connects Africa and Asia, and which blocks the Red Sea from flowing into the Mediterranean), where in 1312 BCE they experienced a national prophetic revelation, and received the text of the Ten Commandments and the foundations of ethical monotheism.

In 1272 BCE, the Jewish people began their conquest of the land of Israel and established the first commonwealth, which lasted until 422 BCE with the destruction of the Temple of Solomon, and subsequent Babylonian exile. It was during this period that most of the books of the Bible were written.

In 370 BCE, some Jews returned to Israel from exile, and reestablished a Jewish community in Israel. Their governing body, called the Great Assembly, instituted a number of important changes, including canonizing the Bible, standardizing prayer, composing numerous short supplications and blessings, and establishing many important laws and decrees. This second commonwealth lasted throughout the Greek conquest of Alexander the Great and well into the Roman era, culminating with the destruction of the second Temple in the year 70, and the crushing of the Bar Kochba rebellion in 135.

In about 200 CE, Rabbi Judah the Prince compiled the Mishna, the first great work of rabbinic scholarship, which forms the basis of Jewish law. The Babylonian Talmud was compiled and redacted over a 200 year period, with the final edits made around the year 474. Most of the other important rabbinical works—including multiple collections of Midrashim, as well as the Zohar, the primary text of kabbalah—were written around this time as well.

The subsequent centuries, including the period of the Crusades, saw the development of the Jewish diaspora, with Jews living throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. As Jews began to pick up the languages, tastes, and customs of the nations in which they lived, they began to divide into different groups including, Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, and other culturally distinct groupings of Jews. The common denominator being their Jewish lineage, heritage, beliefs, scholarship, and commitment to Jewish law and observance. The great codes of Jewish law; and myriad Biblical commentaries, responsa, philosophical works, and liturgical poetry were written during this period as well.

The modern era saw a greater embrace of Judaism’s mystical traditions—especially after the period of the great 16th century Tzfat school—and also the rise of the Hasidic movement, and the beginnings of the modern yeshiva, or house of learning.

Is Judaism an Ethnicity?

It’s complicated. According to Jewish tradition, Jewish people descend from a common ancestor, and throughout the biblical and classical eras were a distinct ethnic group, with, in general, olive-colored skin, and dark eyes and hair.³ According to the Mishna (Negaim 2:1), which was published around 200 CE, “Jewish people are like boxwood (אשכרוע), and neither black [like Ethiopians] or white [like Germans], but of an intermediate shade.”

But given the last 2,000 years of exile and dispersion, with Jews scattered throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and the new world; along with the subsequent development of Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, Persian, Yemeni, Ethiopian, and other Jewish communities; as well as a history that includes conversions, intermarriage, and generations of eating different diets and speaking different languages; a single “Jewish” racial or ethnic distinction can no longer be said to exist.

And yet, despite that, Jewish people throughout the world are still considered to be genetically similar, which even includes particular genes indicating members of the priestly class (כהנים).

Beliefs of Judaism

Jews believe in one, omnipotent, infinite God. God is the creator, sustainer, and supervisor. He created the world, sustains it, and oversees everything that happens throughout the totality of existence. God is all-powerful, as in, the only power, which means that everything that happens, only does so because of God’s direct, intimate, and constant involvement. Nothing exists or happens independent of God’s will. God is the only reality—and the source of all of reality—and He created everything, as in all of existence, for you.

God created the world for your benefit and pleasure, and the greatest pleasure is a relationship with Him. He gave the Torah to the Jewish people, which are the instructions for living. The Torah contains 613 commandments (mitzvot/מצות), and those are the tools to establish and deepen your connection with Him. Judaism is also a religion of personal responsibility, and the strength of your relationship with God is up to you.

Judaism is egalitarian, meaning that since God is infinite, every person is the same distance from God. Every person has the same, equal opportunity to come close to God, and you don’t need a priest, king, or holy man to act as an intermediary, or to facilitate your relationship with Him. You can do it yourself.

Your existence is also purposeful, and inherently meaningful. God is infinite and all-powerful, and yet He chose to create you. Your existence isn’t an accident. You’re here by design.

These ideas have changed the world. The Jewish people taught the world the tenets of ethical monotheism, concepts like the dignity of the individual, the brotherhood of man, equality and justice, the value of education, the centrality of family, social responsibility, respect for human life, and the importance of longing and working for peace. Ideals that nowadays most westerners hold to be “self-evident.”

Practices of Judaism

Jewish practice includes a weekly sabbath (Shabbat/שבת), which is a day chock full of customs, traditions, and laws designed to facilitate spiritual rejuvenation and growth; an annual holiday cycle that includes a new years celebration (Rosh Hashanah/ראש השנה), a day of atonement (Yom Kippur/יום כיפור), Sukkot (סוכות), Passover (פסח), Shavuot (שבועות), and also numerous rabbinical celebrations like Hanukkah (חנוכה) and Purim (פורים), and fasts.

Jewish practice also includes a daily meditation on the idea of God’s infinite unity, called the Shema (שמע), as well as daily prayer, lifecycle events—like circumcision, bar or bat mitzvah when a child turns 13 (for boys) or 12 (for girls), weddings, funerals, and a seven-day mourning period (called shiva/שבע) following the death of a close relative—dietary laws and restrictions, and more.

Jewish law also mandates the daily study of Jewish wisdom, and many communities offer classes, as well as private tutorials, on myriad topics including personal growth, daily Talmud study, analysis of the weekly Torah reading, Kabbalah and mystical teachings, and much more.

Judaism & Conversion

A Jew is someone who either a) was born to a Jewish mother, or b) converted to Judaism later in life. A person born to a convert is Jewish, and has the exact same “Jewish status” as any other Jew.

Converting to Judaism includes three steps:

1. Believing in God and the divinity of Torah, and committing to keeping the Torah's commandments
2. Immersion in a mikvah, which is a type of ritual bath linked to a reservoir of rain water
3. For men, getting circumcised

Being a Jew, whether you were born into it or accepted it later in life, means that you are a part of the Jewish people. Your story is the Jewish story, and your mission is the Jewish mission, which means living the values as outlined in the Torah.

In Summary

Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, and is based on the teachings found in the Torah. It was founded by the biblical character, Abraham, about 3,800 years ago, and its holy book, the Torah, was given to Moses and the Jewish nation in 1312 BCE at the revelation at Mount Sinai, although the corpus of Jewish literature was compiled over millennia. The Jewish people no longer have distinct ethnic features, even though they are still considered to be genetically similar. Jewish belief is centered around God, who created the world for your benefit and pleasure, and the Torah is your guidebook, or instructions for you to follow. But the ball is in your court: Judaism is a religion of personal responsibility and choice, and how close or connected you feel to God is entirely up to you.

FAQs:

• What is the Difference Between Christianity and Judaism?

Although Christianity and Judaism are both monotheistic faiths, and Christianity considers itself, in a sense, a continuation or fulfillment of the covenant, or pact, God made with the Jewish people—even going so far as accepting the Jewish Bible, in toto, and calling it the “original” or “old” testament—the similarities end there. Christianity rejects the “yolk of the commandments” (as in the obligation to observe the Torah’s 613 commandments), the concept of the Jewish people as “God’s chosen people,” the impossibility of God existing in human form, and the idea that prayer can only be directed to God alone and not to an intermediary or proxy. Christianity and Judaism also have very different understandings of concepts like sin, the afterlife, and much more.

Judaism also rejects, completely and totally, the significance or importance of Jesus, or that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah because:

1. Jesus did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies: The Messiah is supposed to do a number of things, including, returning all Jews to the land of Israel, building the third temple, and ushering in an era of peace, which obviously didn't happen.
2. Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah: The Messiah is a direct descendant of King David on his father's side, which is impossible if the virgin birth is true. He will also lead the nation to observe all the Torah's commandments, which Deuteronomy 13 says are forever, even though Jesus, in the new testament, says are no longer applicable.
3. Biblical verses referring to Jesus are mistranslations: When read in context—and not cherry picked—the "suffering servant" in Isaiah 53 is referring to the nation of Israel; and the "alma" in Isaiah 7:14 is referring to any young woman, and not specifically a virgin.
4. Jewish belief is based on national revelation: The basis of Jewish belief is the national experience at Mt Sinai, which has never been superseded or repeated.

• What is Hasidic Judaism?

Hasidic Judaism is an Orthodox Jewish movement that was started in the mid-18th century by Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, more commonly known as the Baal Shem Tov. Hasidic Jewry was originally centered in Eastern Europe, and it’s estimated that by the mid-19th century, more than half of the region's Orthodox Jews were Hasidic Jews. The movement placed a strong emphasis on prayer, devotion, and mystical teachings; and modified the traditional Ashkenazi Siddur, or prayer book. Most Hasidic communities also have a leader, or Rebbe, who is often revered for his piety.

1. Path of the Just, Chapter 1: “Man was created for the sole purpose of rejoicing in God and deriving pleasure from the splendor of His presence; for this is true joy and the greatest pleasure that can be found.”
2. The term “Jew” is first used in the generic sense—as a catchall for all Jewish people—in Esther 2:5 in reference to Mordecai who is called “Mordecai the Jew (איש יהודי),” even though he’s actually from the tribe of Benjamin.
3. Although there were notable exceptions. In the Bible, Moses’ wife, Zipporah, was said to be dark-skinned or Ethiopian. King David was a redhead. Queen Esther had an olive complexion, and many rabbinical sources note that Sarah, from the Book of Genesis, was particularly fair.