Judaism
From Encyclopædia
{joo'-day-izm} Judaism, the religion of the
Jews, claims over 14 million adherents throughout the
world. It is the oldest living religion in the Western
world. Historically, Judaism served as the matrix for
Christianity and Islam, the other two great monotheistic religions, which together with Judaism claim half the
world's population as adherents.BELIEFSJudaism was the first religion to teach MONOTHEISM, or belief in one God. This belief is the basis of Judaism and is summed up in the opening words of the Shema, recited daily: "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One" (Deut. 6:4).
Jews believe that God's
Providence extends to all people but that God entered into a special COVENANT with the ancient Israelites. They do not believe that they were chosen for any special privileges but rather to bring God's message to humanity by their example. Belief in a coming
messiah has been a source of optimism for
Jews.The beliefs of Judaism have never been formulated in an official creed; Judaism stresses conduct rather than doctrinal correctness. Its adherents have a considerable measure of latitude in matters of belief, especially concerning the messianic future and immortality. Judaism is a this-
world religion; its objective is a just and peaceful
world order on earth. This hope is assured by the belief that God is the Lord of history as well as of nature.The basic source of Jewish belief is the Hebrew
Bible (called the "Old Testament" by Christians), especially its first five books, called the TORAH or the Pentateuch. The Torah was traditionally regarded as the primary
revelation of God and his law to humanity; it is considered as valid for all time. Its laws were clarified and elaborated in the oral Torah, or the tradition of the elders, and were eventually written
Down in the
Mishnah and
Talmud. Thus, Judaism did not stop developing after the
Bible was completed. The traditional Jewish
prayer book is an important result of this process of development, reflecting the basic beliefs of Judaism as well as changes in emphasis in response to changing conditions. During the
middle ages, systematic codes of talmudic law were compiled. Jewish
literature--legal, ethical, philosophic, mystical, and devotional--is virtually endless.PRACTICESJudaism has a system of law, known as HALACHAH, regulating civil and criminal justice, family relationships, personal
ethics and manners, social responsibilities--such as help to the needy,
education, and community institutions--as well as worship and other religious observances. Some laws once deemed very important, for example, laws governing the offering of
sacrifice and most rules of ceremonial defilement and purification, have not been practiced since the destruction of the Second
temple in Jerusalem in AD 70.Individual practices still widely observed include the
dietary laws (see KOSHER); rules concerning the marital relationship, daily
prayer, and study; and the recital of many blessings, especially before and after meals. The
Sabbath and festivals are observed both in the home and in the SYNAGOGUE, a unique institution for
prayer and instruction that became the model for the church in
Christianity and for the mosque in Islam. Traditionally observant
Jews wear tefillin, or PHYLACTERIES, on their forehead and left arm during morning
prayers, and affix to their doorposts a mezuzah, a little box containing a parchment scroll inscribed with passages of the Torah that emphasize the unity of God, his
Providence, and the resulting duty of serving him. In accordance with biblical law, men wear a fringed shawl (tallith) during
prayer. Covering the head is a widespread custom.The Jewish religious
calendar, of Babylonian origin, consists of 12 lunar months, amounting to about 354 days. Six times in a 19-year cycle a 13th month is added to adjust the
calendar to the solar year. The day is reckoned from sunset to sunset.The
Sabbath, from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, is observed by refraining from work and by attending a synagogue service. Friday evening is marked in the home by the lighting of a
lamp or candles by the woman of the household, the recital of the kiddush (a ceremonial blessing affirming the sanctity of the day) over a cup of wine, and the blessing of children by parents. The end of the
Sabbath is marked by parallel ceremonies called havdalah. Similar home ceremonies occur on the festivals.The holidays prescribed in the Torah are the two "days of awe," ROSH HASHANAH (New Year) and
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and three joyous festivals,
Passover,
Shavuoth (Feast of Weeks), and the Feast of TABERNACLES. Later additions are the festive occasions of CHANUKAH and PURIM, and the fast of the Ninth of Av (Tishah be-Av), commemorating the destruction of the
temple.On the 8th day after birth, male children are circumcised as a sign of the covenant with Abraham; the boy is named during the ceremony (see CIRCUMCISION). Girls are named at a synagogue service. At the age of 13, a boy is deemed responsible for performing the commandments (BAR MITZVAH). To mark his new status, the bar mitzvah takes part in the
Bible readings during a synagogue service. (The ?ynagogue service is sometimes popularly referred to as the bar mitzvah.) A similar ceremony for girls (bat mitzvah) is a recent innovation. Somewhat older is the confirmation ceremony for both sexes introduced by Reform Judaism; it is usually a class observance on or near
Shavuoth.Judaism has characteristic, but not unparalleled, customs concerning
marriage and death and mourning. The importance attached to recital of the KADDISH
prayer by mourners dates from the
middle ages. The
prayer itself is much older and was originally recited as the conclusion of a sermon; it is related in thought and
language to the "Lord's
prayer" of Christians. After the disasters during the First Crusade, the
Jews of
Central and later [[Eastern
Europe|Eastern Europe]] introduced a memorial service on
Yom Kippur and on other holidays; they also began to observe the anniversary of the death of parents.HISTORYIn the biblical account, the patriarchs ABRAHAM,
Isaac, and JACOB received the
revelation of the one, true God, who promised special protection to the Israelite tribes (of whom there were 12, descended from the 12 sons of Jacob, who was also called Israel).OriginsMany 19th-century scholars held that monotheism gradually emerged out of
polytheism, the evolution being complete only with the great prophets in the 8th century BC and later. Today many are convinced that monotheism was already a reality in the days of MOSES (13th century BC) and that later prophets developed more fully only the ethical and spiritual implications of the belief. All the Israelite tribes agreed on the worship of one God named Yahweh (see GOD); they shared the
memory of
slavery in
Egypt, the deliverance under Moses, and the
mosaic covenant and
revelation at
Sinai. Although some practices were borrowed from surrounding peoples (agricultural festivals, civil jurisprudence), the Israelite religion was kept pure of paganism through the strenuous efforts of the prophets. Unparalleled in any other Near Eastern religion are Judaism's
prohibition of images, observance of the
Sabbath,
dietary laws, legislation guaranteeing support of the poor as a matter of right, and protection of slaves and animals against cruelty. When a loose tribal confederation was replaced by a national state under Kings SAUL and DAVID a national
temple in Jerusalem helped unify the people spiritually. After the division of the kingdom following the death (c.933) of SOLOMON, the northern kingdom of Israel also had national shrines (see
ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF;
JUDAH, KINGDOM OF).ProphetsThe PROPHETS exercised decisive influence on all development in Israel. From the time of the 11th-century-BC prophet Samuel, they ceased to be mere soothsayers and became more and more national leaders, speaking in the name of God (the Hebrew word for prophet is navi, meaning "spokesman"). They upheld strict principles of justice and humanity, criticizing bluntly the most powerful forces in the
nation. They warned of national disaster unless a radical improvement of religious and moral standards was realized. The reform movement led by King JOSIAH (c.640-609 BC), based on the Book of DEUTERONOMY, was probably undertaken under prophetic influence; the reforms included abolishing all local shrines and sanctuaries and limiting
sacrifice to the
temple in Jerusalem. This dramatized belief in one God and reduced the importance of
sacrifice in the daily life of the worshiper. The gap left by the abolition of the local shrines was eventually filled by the establishment of the SYNAGOGUE, but there is no clear reference to this new institution until some four centuries later. The most mature and eloquent expression of prophetic ideals is found in the recorded speeches of the later prophets, beginning in the 8th century BC with the prophet Amos.The Exile and Foreign InfluencesThe fall of both kingdoms and the BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY (586-538 BC) were perceived as a confirmation of the prophetic predictions and therefore of the truth of their message. Thus the Israelites were prepared to listen to the prophets of hope who ?ow appeared, promising not only national restoration but also the ultimate redemption of all peoples from idolatry, injustice, and war.
