At the Core of Jewish Belief - Essay Example

At the Core of Jewish Belief Spiritual belief systems have long been held sacred to many, no matter where you lived. It is held deeply within the fiber of your own being and as such is very sacred. Like many observed during the period of World War II, Hitler's Germany set out on a campaign of complete destruction of the Jewish population as a means of ridding the world of what Hitler himself viewed as an inferior group. To call one 'A Jew' in the sense of saying that, "Oh, she's 'A Jew'", by many Jewish people would be taken into negative context and seen as a derogatory way of describing the heritage and faith that is so rich within their past, which is not unlike the other cultural faiths throughout the world. Just as the other cultures themselves have faced, the Jewish population through history has too faced strife and sacrifice that has greatly impacted the past, present, as well as future for them. As for the development of Judaism, the, "Hebrew religion began to give rise to Judaism after the destruction of the temple and the exile of Judah in 586 BC," ("Judaism" p.1). As many would come to know after the end of World War II, Jewish citizens were often referred to in derogatory means as being 'a Jew'. While the person in fact would have been of Jewish decent, the casual throwing out of the label of them being Jewish by extent served as a way to demean and diminish the societal value of a culture and precious belief system. Further elaborating, "The term 'Jew', in its biblical use, is almost exclusively postexilic. The Jewish religion of the biblical period evolved through such historical stages as the intertestamental, rabbinic, and medieval to the modern period of the nineteenth century with Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism," ("Judaism" p.1). Like Christians and Muslims, Jewish people as well have a tenant system of faith. According to the Elwell Evangelical Dictionary of M R Wilson, found at the bottom of the previously used source, modern Jewish faith believers are shaped by the following tenants; (1) Man is pivotal in the universe. He sees himself as a partner with God in the unending process of creation. In rabbinic thought, "God needs man as much as man needs God." (2) Man is a responsible moral agent, fully accountable for his acts. He is free to shape his own destiny. (3) Human progress is possible as man realizes the great potential within him. The nature of man is basically good, or neutral, free from the encumbrance of original sin. Thus man may be optimistic and hopeful about his future. (4) "This-worldliness" is a distinguishing mark of Judaism. The Hebrew Scriptures focus more on earth and man than upon heaven and God. Hence, lengthy speculation about the afterlife and otherworldly realities has never occupied a major position in Jewish thought. (5) All of life must be regarded as sacred. Man is to seek to imitate God in sanctifying his every action. Time must be imbued with the seeds of eternity. (6) Man is to pursue peace, justice, and righteousness. Salvation is dependent upon the betterment of society through good deeds. Historically, Jews have seen the Messiah as God's anointed human representative (not a God-man) who would usher in a golden age of societal and spiritual redemption. Today, however, Reform Judaism teaches that the Messianic Age will appear when humankind collectively, by its acts, reaches a level of true enlightenment, peace and justice. (Wilson Evangelical). One of the founding premises for belief is what most has come to know as the Ten Commandments. It is these ten 'rules' that act as a way to show people what they should and should not do. As for how it is taught by Hebrew standards, "Traditional Judaism teaches that the first tablet, containing the first five 'words' or commandments, identifies our duties regarding our relationship with the LORD, while the second tablet, containing the last five commandments, identifies our duties regarding our relationship with other people," Going on to say that they are, (1) I am Adonai thy God. (2) Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me. (3) you shall not take the Name of Adonai thy God in vain. (4) Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. (5) Honor your father and mother. (6) You shall not murder. (7) You shall not commit adultery. (8) You shall not steal. (9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor and finally (10) you shall not covet. The source further states that, "According to Jewish rabbinical tradition, the Ten Commandments comprise a 'distilled' subset of the complete Torah (written and oral) that was revealed to Moses at Sinai. The mishpatim- the contents of sefer habrit- actually are an elaboration of 'unpacking' of the contents of the Ten Commandments. In other words, all of the various commandments found in the Torah can be categorized under one of these ten main categories. For example, the commandment not to do work on the Sabbath day falls within the category of the Fourth Commandment; the commandment to preserve life (pekuah nefesh) falls under the category of the Sixth Commandment, and so on. In this way, Jewish tradition traces back all of the various commandments of the Torah to the most fundamental laws as revealed in the Ten Commandments," ("Commandments" p.1). "The Greatest Commandment" While one would not wish to consider a commandment more important than the one before or after it, each commandment does in fact hold a unique place compared to its counterparts. Such as, "In the early temple period, the Ten Commandments were recited immediately before the Shema as part of the seder (order) of worship, and this seems to be right, since the Shema encapsulates all of commandments to be the duty to love," ("Commandments" p.1). To show how this best encompasses the spiritual intent of the Torah as God saw it; the following biblical passages are provided which can be found as well in the King James Version of the Christian Bible. They are as read, And of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."(Matt 22:40) So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matt 7:12). And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life" He said to him, "What is written in the Law How do you read it" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." (Luke 10: 26-29). All societal structures are bound by laws which are meant to protect them. To describe the Jewish law itself, the online encyclopedia Wikipedia defines it as Halakha. Halakha, "is the collective body of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions," Writing further that, "Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life. Hence, Halakha guides not only religious practices and beliefs, but numerous aspects of day-to-day life. Halakha is often translated as 'Jewish Law,' though a more literal translation might be 'the path' or 'the way of walking.' The word is derived from the Hebrew root that means to go or walk," ("Halakha" p.1). In considering modern times, "Under contemporary Israeli law, however, certain areas of Israeli family and personal status law are governed by rabbinic interpretations of Halakha. Reflecting the diversity of Jewish communities, somewhat different approaches to Halakha are found among Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, Sephardi, and Yemenite Jews. Among Ashkenazi Jews, disagreements over Halakha, and over whether Jews should continue to follow Halakha, have played a pivotal role in the emergence of the Reform, Conservative, and the Reconstructionist streams of Judaism," ("Halakha" p.1). To further understand Jewish law, it is imperative to be aware of the codes of law. The first seven those are; (1) The Mishnah, composed by Rabbi Judah the Prince, in 200 CE, as a basic outline of the state of the Oral Law in his time. This was the framework upon which the Talmud was based; the Talmud's dialectic analysis of the content of the Mishna (gemara; completed c. 500) became the basis for all later halakhic decisions and subsequent codes. (2) Codifications by the Geonim of the halakhic material in the Talmud. An early work, She'iltot ("Questions") by Achai of Shabcha (c. 752), discusses over 190 Mitzvot - exploring and addressing various questions on these. The first legal codex proper, Halakhot Pesukot ("Decided Laws"), by Yehudai Gaon (c. 760), rearranges the Talmud passages in a structure manageable to the layman. (It was written in vernacular Aramaic, and subsequently translated into Hebrew as Hilkhot Riu). Halakhot Gedolot ("Great Law Book"), by R. Simeon Kayyara, published two generations later, contains extensive additional material, mainly from Responsa and Monographs of the Geonim, and is presented in a form that is closer to the original Talmud language and structure. (Probably since it was distributed, also, amongst the newly established Ashkenazi communities.) The She'iltot was influential on both subsequent works. (3) The Hilchot of the Rif, Rabbi Isaac Alfasi (1013-1103), summations of the legal material in the Talmud. Alfasi transcribed the Talmud's halakhic conclusions verbatim, without the surrounding deliberation; he also excludes all Aggadic (non-legal, homiletic) matter. The Hilchot soon superseded the geonic codes, as it contained all the decisions and laws then relevant, and additionally, served as an accessible Talmudic commentary; it has been printed with almost every subsequent edition of the Talmud. (4) The Mishneh Torah (also known as the Yad Ha-Hazaqah for its 14 volumes), by Maimonides (Rambam; 1135-1204). This work encompasses the full range of Talmudic law; it is organized and reformulated in a logical system - in 14 books, 83 sections and 1000 chapters - with each Halakha stated clearly. The Mishneh Torah is very influential to this day, and several later works reproduce passages verbatim. It also includes a section on Metaphysics and fundamental beliefs. (Some claim this section draws heavily on Aristotelian science and metaphysics; others suggest that it is within the tradition of Saadia Gaon.) It is the main source of practical Halakha for many Yemenite Jews - mainly Baladi and Dor Daim - as well as for a growing community referred to as talmidei haRambam. (5) The work of the Rosh, Rabbi Asher ben Jehiel (1250/1259-1328), an abstract of the Talmud, concisely stating the final halakhic decision and quoting later authorities, notably Alfasi, Maimonides, and the Tosafists. This work superseded Rabbi Alfasi's and has been printed with almost every subsequent edition of the Talmud. (6) The Sefer Mitzvot Gadol (The "SeMaG") of Rabbi Moses ben Jacob of Coucy (13th century, Coucy, France). "SeMaG" is organised around the 365 negative and the 248 positive commandments, separately discussing each of them according to the Talmud (in light of the commentaries of Rashi and the Tosafot) and the other codes existent at the time. (7) "The Mordechai" - by Mordecai ben Hillel, d. Nuremberg 1298 - serves both as a source of analysis, as well of decided law. Mordechai considered about 350 halakhic authorities, and was widely influential, particularly amongst the Ashkenazi and Italki communities. Although organised around the Hilchot of the Rif, it is, in fact, an independent work. It has been printed with every edition of the Talmud since 1482. ("Halakha" p.1 Jewish Codes of Law) As many seek to claim spiritual dominance over another, it is important to remember that at the root, the Jewish belief system is in fact the basis for both the Christian, as well as the Muslim faiths. Rabbi Berel Wein talks of this when he says that, "One of the traits of the Jewish people over the ages has been its unswerving and unshakable tenacity. In terms of influence, Judaism has been the most influential of all faith systems in the world. It is the 'mother' religion of the two other monotheistic faiths; Christianity and Islam," Going on to say that, "Its ethics and world view form the basis of much of the value system of Western civilization and society, even of the most secular elements of that society," (Wein p.1). Like the United States has a President, many countries, especially in Europe, continue a monarchy rule that has lasted for centuries. The Jewish people were no different when it came to monarchy rule, most notably with their most infamous ruler named Herod. "Herod was the most competent Jewish king of this period and amply earned the title, "Herod the Great," bestowed on him by historians. He was an able administrator, who loyally carried out the wishes of Rome. He kept the peace, reduced banditry in the land, and for his efforts was awarded additional territories to rule. His building activity was carried out on a lavish scale-aqueducts, amphitheatres, citadels, the city of Caesarea, and most notably the new Temple in Jerusalem, which he restored to the grandeur of Solomon's time. Yet he never did gain the approval of his Jewish subjects, who always regarded him as an alien (he was an Idumean, or Edomite)," Further saying that, "Herod dealt ruthlessly with real or suspected opponents, even having three of his sons and his wife Mariamne murdered; so the story of the massacre of the innocents (Matthew 2:16) is entirely in character. He died unmourned in 4 B.C.E," ("Background" p.1). One of the biggest after effects of the war of 66-70 came with, "The canon of the Jewish Bible was finally determined, at the gathering of rabbis (or learned teachers) in 90 C.E., at Jabneh (or Jamnia). Previously, two of the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible had been fixed: Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy; canonically defined in about 400 B.C.E.); and the Prophets (the former prophets, comprising Joshua to 2 Kings, and the latter prophets, comprising Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve [Minor Prophets]; canonically defined in about 200 B.C.E.). In 90 C.E., the third division, the Writings, was also declared to be scripture, including Psalms, Daniel, and all the other books of the Hebrew canon. (The term canon refers to the authoritative limits of which books are recognized as scripture.) In later times Jews often refer to their Bible as TaNaK, representing the first letter of Torah, or Law; Nebi'im, or Prophets; and Kethubhim, or Writings, the three divisions of Scripture," ("Background" p.1) Encompassing all of that, it can be said that like Christianity and Muslim belief, Judaism too serves a purpose in the formulation of spiritual thought and it has done so throughout the ages, most likely continuing to do so going into the future of man. The Jewish faith itself is filled with such rich tradition and history. Traditions, which, like many others, sought to enlighten the believers, as well as educate and inform the outside observers. Sadly, as it was in the days of early strife for early Jews, there continues to be a perception of lacking any validity in its belief system. Many believers in God have found it being the case that their beliefs are to be judged by the rest of the world and in most instances, not in the way they may judge it themselves. Biblical laws, whether they are Christian, Muslim, or in this case Jewish, teach that the central idea is the belief in one God and to do right by him. From the days of early history, leading to present day, Jewish people have been forced under a restriction of being seen as the ones who betrayed God and as such lead to his ultimate crucifixion. That, as well as the death of 6 million innocent Jews during Hitler's reign of terror in Germany in the 1940s, has proved that no matter what can happen to a culture, it can rise above any occurrence as long as it sticks to its core belief system. The act of staying true to what was written for them thousands of years ago by their ancestors, not hoping that it will make them better than anyone else, but that they know it's what's right. To do what is right is the only choice to make as far as they are concerned. The choice to live by a set doctrine which clearly outlines the decisions in life which are to be made in order to live a happier, as well as more fulfilled life. References "Judaism". Accessed On: 25 March 2008. URL: http://mb-soft.com/believe/txo/judaism.htm The Jewish Background. "The History of Palestine in New Testament Times: Herod the Great" Accessed On: 26 March 2008. URL: http://www.paulonpaul.org/booth/jewish_ background.htm Aseret Hadiberot- The Ten Commandments. Accessed On: 25 March 2008. URL: http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Torah/Ten_Cmds/ten_cmds.html Wein, Berel. The Voice of Jewish History. Jerusalem Post: Tenacity. Published: 30 August 2006. Accessed On: 25 March 2008. URL: http://www.rabbiwein.com/Jerusalem-Post/2006/08/149.html Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. A Definition of "Halakha". Accessed On: 26 March 2008. URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_law Read More