Judaism Evolution in the State of Israel - Essay Example

Judaism is not merely the religion but also the culture, ethics and law of the Jewish people. Its history can be traced back to 4000 years and it is one of the first monotheistic faiths. It is also one of the oldest religious traditions practiced even today. Many different sects and faiths have evolved from Judaism including Samaritanism, Islam and Christianity. Judaism has never been bound by any dogma; they only believe in halakha (Jewish law). It is bound by one belief that there is one single God, known as Jehovah, who is omniscient, omnipotent, omni benevolent, transcendent, the one who created the universe. They are firm in their belief that God who created the world pledged to the Jewish to reveal the laws and commandments in the form of Torah (five books of Moses). The practice of Judaism involves the study and practice of the laws and commandments. For the past 4000 years, the Jews experienced slavery and conquest, occupation and exile. In addition, they have also experienced anarchism and theocratic self-government. The culture and religion has gradually evolved. The major periods of the Jewish history may be divided as the ancient period, the middle ages, the renaissance, the age of enlightenment and the modern era. The Jewish religion developed after the Roman destruction of Israel in 70 CE. Ancient Hebrew religion refers to the ancient Hebrew religion from the Biblical times upto the first century of the modern era. After 70 CE, Rabbinic Judaism evolved which last until the age of enlightenment. The modern era gave raise to diverse faiths like Zionism, Hasidism, and Reform Judaism. Judaism evolved thousands of years ago in the deserts of the Middle East, which was called Israel. Their religious lineage can be traced back to the biblical patriarch Abraham and then to Isaac and Jacob. They led a nomadic way of life. After a Jewish revolt, when Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews were expelled, the Jewish worship took place around the rabbis or the saints, who became the teachers. According to Orthodox Judaism, Abraham was the first to preach monotheism. Following a famine, Abraham’s grandson Jacob with his family was forced to go to Egypt. Their descendents were enslaved and forced to labor. God sent Moses to free them from this and bring them back to the Land of Israel promised to their ancestors. After wondering in the Sinai desert for 40 years, they were granted the Torah, which included the Ten Commandments. This is how monotheistic faith came into existence. When the Land of Israel was under the control of Greece, it was influenced by the Greek culture. The Greeks began to oppress the Jews and the Jews became united in this fight. This war continued for twenty five years but after the war ended the Jews split into various sects like Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes. These sects vanished after the second temple was demolished in 70 CE. Christianity survived by breaking with Judaism and becoming a separate religion; Pharisees survived thenceforth known as Rabbinic Judaism now known as Judaism. The Sadducees rejected the divine inspiration of the Prophets as also the core tenets of the Pharisees beliefs system. They only relied on the Torah. The Zealots was not a religious movement. They preferred death to being under the control of the Romans. Later some Jews in the eighth and the 9th century also segregated and relied upon the Tanakh. They rejected the oral traditions of the Rabbis as they believed it be the work of the sages and not what was handed down by God. They developed their own traditions. They formed the Karaite (meaning people of the scripture) sect, which can be found in small number in Israel even today. The exodus from Egypt in the 1300 BCE, left a deep impression on the minds of the Jews that every year Jews celebrate Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost) and Succot (Feast of Tabernacles). This event became a symbol of liberty and freedom. It is interesting to note here that Abraham and Moses feature in Islam and Christianity too. In Islam, Abraham is known as Ibrahim and an important prophet of Muslims was called Mussa. The Israelis spent the next two centuries in settling down. They conquered most of the Land of Israel, gave up their nomadic way of life. They took up farming and learnt various crafts. This tribal organization was constantly reeling under trials and tribulations and sought a leader without could direct them. Subsequently different ethnic divisions came up each with their own beliefs and practices. Orthodox Judaism believes that Torah was written by God and handed down through Moses. This sect again had two bifurcations – the modern Orthodox Judaism which is the common traditional form but the other group known as Haredi Judaism is a very conservative form of Judaism. Conservative Judaism developed in the Europe and the US in the 1800s as the Jews reacted to the changes that came in due to Enlightenment and Jewish emancipation. They believe that Torah is a divine document but do not accept that it was dictated by God to Moses. Progressive Judaism, originally formed in Germany, comprises of Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism. Humanistic Judaism is another small nontheistic movement that believes that Jewish culture and history is its identity. Thus each group followed its own set of belief. Those who observed the rituals like Sabbath are considered religious and following the laws of the God while others are not considered pious. According to Bible, humanity was created in the image of God but Judaism believes that has no form; God is omnipresent and omniscient. The Hebrew words translated as "image" and "likeness" in Gen. 1:27 do not refer to the physical form of a thing.1 ‘Tzelem’ in Gen. 1:27 implies ‘image’, which refers to the nature or essence of a thing. Judaism has been surrounded by mysticism and mystical experiences since the early days. Stories are similar to heaven souls and reincarnation as in Christianity. The area of mysticism too has been subject to personal interpretations like most of Jewish beliefs and practices. Various laws are also practiced by each group in their own ways. Prayers are offered in synagogues or Jewish houses of prayer and study but there are no set rules what these synagogues may contain. There are three main daily prayer services. The laws of kashrut (keeping kosher)2 are the dietary laws, which relate to purity, health, and holiness. Niddah (menstruant) is the law relating to family purity. A woman has to have mikvah (ritual bath) following menstruation before she can have sexual intercourse. Offering of qorbanot was a Jewish ritual from the ancient times. It means ‘sacrifice’ or ‘offering’, which amounts to giving up something. The literal meaning of the Hebrew word comes from Qof-Resh-Bet, which means "to draw near". The practice of sacrifice of animals stopped after the temple was destroyed in 70 CE, as there was no proper place to offer them. The Torah specifies that sacrifice be offered at designated place. To offer sacrifice at any other place was taken as sin. Today prayer has taken the place of sacrifice. Repentance, confessions, and good deeds are considered essential steps to seek forgiveness. The concept of animal sacrifice itself was misunderstood. It was not the ‘animal’ or the living being that was to be sacrificed but perhaps God wanted that every human being should surrender the animalistic tendencies that develop within him. This can be done through prayers and good deeds. God’s idea was to draw the people close to him through renunciation. Sabbath is the day of the rest and is linked to the story of creation in Bible. It is believed that God rested on the seventh day while creating the universe, hence the Jews too observe Sabbath, the holy day. It begins at sunset on Friday and ends with sunset on Saturday. Jews call it Shabbat while Hebrews called it Sabbath, which means ‘rest’. Observing this day reminds the Jews of the Covenant and brings joy that they are able to fulfill God’s wish. During this period they keep away from all work schedules and spend a calm and peaceful time, as God had desired. This perhaps was God’s way of conveying that some time every week has to be kept away not for physical rest but to allow the mind to dwell on God alone. The Jews are a closely-knit community as they believe that God appointed them as his chosen people to spread goodness and ethical behavior round the world. They bring holiness into every aspect of their daily life. The Sabbath meals are very special occasions. The Rabbanites and the Karaites differed in their observation of Sabbath. The former sect lighted a flame before the Sabbath and left it on through out the period while the Karaites believed that Bible specifically prohibits the light to be ignited. They thus kept their houses dark during the period of Sabbath. Torah is read publicly during Sabbath. The respect for the women in the Jewish tradition is a part of their ethnic culture. These women were consulted for marriage even in ancient times. Men were not allowed to beat or mistreat their wives. Even as far as Judaism is concerned, the Jews never believed like Christianity that God was male or masculine. Judaism maintains that God has both masculine and feminine qualities. The Jewish scholars believed that ‘man’ was created in the Gen 1:27 with dual gender. This was later separated as man and woman. They also believe that women have been blessed with intuition and intelligence to a greater degree than men have been. The rabbis believed that women were ‘built’ (Gen. 2:22) rather than "formed" (Gen. 2:7)3. They were educated and held position of respect like women judges were found. Nevertheless, as in any society and culture, the Jewish women were also discouraged from working outside the home, believing that they would neglect their primary duty of looking after the household. Birth, death and marriage are important events in the life of a Jew. Human life is the most important in Judaism. They believe that all have come from a single person and hence taking a single life amounts to destroying the entire world. Euthanasia is not supported. Judaism requires violating the commandments if necessary to save a human life. Death is not considered a tragedy but a normal process, even if it occurs early in some case. Signs and symbols are found in traditional Jewish homes. On the doorsteps, a case called mezuzah (Heb.: doorpost)4 is found. It is so named because it is placed at the doorstep. It is meant as a constant reminder of God. This mezuzah is derived from the passage Deut. 6:4-9. This passage God urges humanity to constantly keep him in their hearts and mind, hence the placing of this case at the entrance. The period of Enlightenment emerged in the late 18th century. The emancipation of Jews in many European countries brought enlightenment. In the last 50 years, there has been an increased interest in knowing the history and practices of Judaism. The Jews do give a lot of importance to the family, education, religion, art, and culture; they have a community feeling and are striving to increase their presence. In countries like US, Canada, UK and South Africa, Judaism exists along with its traditional practices and rituals but each group brought about changes and reforms to suit the geographic location, personal interpretations, and convenience. Today, any faith or religion faces the same situation. People form their own sects due to personal differences and disparities in historical facts. Whichever location, whichever sect, the Jews in general believe that Judaism is a faith of action. Every action of theirs is an act of worship. They want that they be judged not by the intellectual content of their beliefs but by the way they live their life and by the way they contribute in spreading the word of God around the world. Bibliography: Religion & Ethics, Judaism, 03 April 2006 Judaism, 03 April 2006 Jewish Denominations, 03 April 2006 Israel, 03 April 2006 Read More