Judaism and the Meaning in Various Things: Human Existence and Justice - Research Paper Example

 Introduction Judaism refers to a religious tradition that originated nearly four thousand years ago, and it has its roots in the ancient near eastern parts of Canaan, presently known as the Palestinian and Israel territories. Judaism tradition is grounded in the social, ethical and religious laws as they are expressed in the Torah, which consists of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Judaism tradition tends to lay emphasis on the practice over beliefs. The passion for meaning lifted the Jews from obscurity to their permanent religious greatness, and this makes Judaism to be described as a search for meaning in all things. This claim is supported by Huston Smith, who describes Judaism as the tradition that tries to find meaning in human existence, creation, morality and justice as explained in the paper. Meaning in Creation Many religions have found it difficult to find meaning in the universe and this brings many confusions. Judaism has addressed this concern by drawing meaning from the book of Genesis (Smith, 2009). In the book of Genesis, it is explained that God created heaven and earth in the beginning. The superficial meaning of the statement explains how the world was created and the reason for its existence. Philosophically, this statement shows that God created the universe and its existence and because God is good, His creation too is good. Judaism believes that the universe was created by God and the creation is inherently good. Therefore, people should live in harmony with God in order to have a good life. Because man was created in God’s image and likeness, he was given responsibility by God to take control of all his creation. After god created the universe and everything in it, He finally created man to take charge of the creations. Judaism emphasizes both in matter and spirit, contrary to most eastern religion (Smith, 2009). Meaning in Human Existence Judaism tries to understand the existence of human beings by using various concepts. The Jewish understands human beings as a blend of divinity and dust. Once human beings are created, they make or break themselves trying to create their own destinies through their decisions. Human beings have a free will and this allows them to choose their destiny (Smith, 2009). Man was created in the image of God and this makes man an important creation of God. This also shows that human being is a beloved child of God. The human being is inherently sinful and because sin means separation, human being misses the mark. Human beings are also limited implying that they are weak and mortal. Meaning in Morality Moral laws are usually required due to the fact that man is a social animal, and without care his relation will definitely become unsuccessful. Judaism asserts that human relations will be very difficult if people perform various actions at will without moral constraints. The moral codes of Jewish are mainly in two forms namely ritual and ethical prescriptions. Judaism asserts that the Hebrew Bible has 613 laws that control the behaviors of people (Smith, 2009). According to Judaism, the basis of the laws lies within the Ten Commandments. Four laws out of the Ten Commandments form ethical basis since breaking them they lead to immorality. The four laws show that there are four danger zones in human life and if they get out of control they can cause unlimited trouble. The first law allows people to quarrel and argue but with a limit because it does not allow killing. This law enables people to live morally with each other thus preventing the unnecessary disorder in the society. Smith (2009) explains that Judaism considers idolatry to be immoral and this does not allow sexual indulgence outside marriage. The law does not allow premarital sex because it rouses passions that cannot be tolerated by the community. Judaism allows people to make as much wealth as they wish but not to steal other people’s property because stealing is considered immoral. The fourth law does not allow people to bear false witness. People should speak nothing but the truth. Meaning in Justice Prophets determine God’s justice and according to the western civilization, two convictions are held concerning the prophets (Smith, 2009). The first conviction explains that the future of people depends greatly on the social order justice. The second conviction explains that people are responsible for the well being of the society as well as for their personal dealings. The prophetic movement has undergone various distinct phases. Whereas the Writing Prophets such as Jeremiah and Isaiah challenged corruptions in the oppressive institutions and in the social order, the Pre-writing Prophets such as Elisha and Elijah mainly challenged the individuals. When stated abstractly, the Prophetic Principle explains that social justice is the prerequisite of political stability because it is in the nature of things that injustice will not bear (Smith, 2009). When stated theologically, the Prophetic Principle shows that God Has high standards and because of that He cannot tolerate corruption, exploitation and mediocrity. The Jewish prophets hold a conviction that human beings are God’s creation and therefore they possess the rights that the kings must respect (Smith, 2009). Splendor and wealth do not have a high value as compared with justice, purity and mercy. Conclusion Judaism tends to explain how god created the universe and everything in it. Judaism also explains the moral life that people should live by observing the four commandments. The Jewish Prophets determines God’s justice and their convictions about human beings as God’s creation enable them to respect the man. Therefore, Judaism can be explained as trying to find meaning in various things such as human existence, justice, creation and morality as explained in the paper. List of references Smith, H. (2009). The World's Religions, Revised and Updated. New York: HarperCollins. Smith, H. (2009). Why religion matters. New York: HarperCollins. Read More