101 Things Everyone Should Know About Judaism

Beliefs, Practices, Customs, And Traditions

Richard D Bank, James B. Wiggins

• Publisher: Adams Media
• Year: 2005
• ISBN:
  9781440518645
• Topic: Teología y religión
• Subtopic: Teología judía

What's the difference between Reform and Orthodox Judaism? What does it mean to keep kosher? And what are mizvot? Compact and comprehensive, 101 Things Everyone Should Know about Judaism touches on all these basics and more. You'll learn all you need to know about this ancient religion and culture - from the significance of the Torah and Talmud, to the importance of holidays and the meaning of religious objects and symbols. You'll also find out about:

• Major Biblical events that have shaped Jewish history and tradition
• Judaism's concept of God, the soul, and the afterlife
• The structure of Jewish liturgy and prayer services
• The Ten Statements, and other Jewish laws
• Practices associated with life milestones
• Language, literature, food, and other cultural elements

Thoughtful and engaging, this portable volume packs in a wealth of fascinating, detailed information that is sure to leave you with a deepened appreciation for this rich tradition.

— 1 —
WHAT DOES BEING JEWISH MEAN?

Judaism is a tradition with a long history. In spite of many changes, trials, and tribulations, it has endured for thousands of years, demonstrating an amazing ability to survive while remaining true to its essence. Judaism developed the concept of monotheism, the belief in one God, and served as the foundation for Christianity and Islam. All of these accomplishments, and more, make Judaism a religion worthy of study.

The word Judaism does not appear anywhere in the Bible or in early rabbinical literature. Hellenized Jews actually introduced this concept in the second century B.C.E. to describe their religious practice.

Judaism is more than just a religion, however—it is also a way of life. Through the ages, Jews have been regarded as a “people,” a “nation” (though, for most of its existence, one without a homeland), a “race,” and a “culture.” Because it is such a comprehensive term, it is difficult to pinpoint all of the many facets that encompass and define Judaism.

Over the course of history, non-Jews often took it upon themselves to define what it meant to be Jewish. Sometimes motivated by anti-Semitic beliefs, they did not limit their concept of the Jews to those who professed the faith of Judaism and complied with its tenets. In some cases, people who did not consider themselves to be Jewish were labeled Jews just the same. The worst example came when, in 1933, the German Third Reich decreed that a person was Jewish as long as he or she was descended from at least one Jewish parent or grandparent. This was a more expansive interpretation than the traditional Orthodox requirement, which stipulates that a person must be born of a Jewish mother to be Jewish. Of course, the Nazis had their own sinister reasons for expanding this delineation.

There is no doubt that Jewish people should determine what it means to be a Jew and to practice Judaism. In fact, Jews have been considering this subject for centuries, and today it remains a point of argument and controversy among Jews. Although it is beyond the scope of any book to decide who is Jewish and who is not, this book will attempt to distill and examine a cogent definition of Judaism.

Judaism teaches that God made an eternal covenant with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), and that every Jew participates in this covenant as one of the Chosen People. However, being “chosen” by God does not necessarily impart a notion of superiority.

First and foremost, Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, wherever they reside. Though over the centuries Jews have dispersed among nations, a strong sense of kinship has remained. This “transnationalis” explains why some Jews feel a connection when introduced to someone else who is also Jewish, experience a sense of pride when a Jew is honored for a major accomplishment, or bear an inordinate sense of loss when learning of something terrible that has befallen a fellow Jew. As Amos Oz, an Israeli writer, observed, “To be a Jew means to feel that wherever a Jew is persecuted for being a Jew—that means you.”

Part 1
THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUDAISM JUDAISM IS A RELIGION STEEPED IN HISTORY. OVER THE COURSE of 4,000 years, what began with the covenant God made with Abraham, the first Jew, evolved through Moses and other Jewish leaders and prophets, all the way to the present. Today, Judaism is a religion with a rich tradition, and several different offshoots have developed. It's important to note that the different branches within Judaism should not be referred to as “denominations.” For instance, although there are differences in the respective philosophies of the Orthodox and Reform movements, involving such religious elements as custom, practice, and observance, the differences are not nearly as great as those between and among some Christian denominations. Although throughout history various movements in Judaism have sometimes split off, they have remained different branches growing from the trunk of the same tree.

— 2 —
JOSEPH'S SAGA AND THE JOURNEY TO EGYPT: THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF PASSOVER

Passover celebrates the Jews' Exodus from Egypt, one of the preeminent events in Jewish history. The Passover narrative is recounted in Exodus, the second book of the Torah (the first part of the Hebrew Bible, the five books of Moses). Exodus begins with the death of Joseph and the appearance of a new pharaoh in Egypt. However, it's important to know more about Joseph and exactly how the Hebrews came to be enslaved in Egypt. Without Joseph and his extraordinary adventures, the Hebrews never would have found themselves in Egypt in the first place.

Joseph was the second-youngest son of Jacob (also called Israel), grandson of Isaac and great-grandson of Abraham. Jacob had twelve sons (hence, the twelve tribes of Israel), and Joseph was his favorite. His brothers were jealous, but Joseph did nothing to assuage this jealousy. In fact, he made it worse by doing such things as preening about in his “coat of many colors,” a special present from his father. Joseph's jealous brothers wanted to be rid of him, and so they secretly sold him into slavery, telling Jacob that a wild animal had killed Joseph.

Eventually, Joseph became a favored servant to a wealthy Egyptian family. When he rejected the licentious advances of his master's wife, she accused Joseph of attacking her and Joseph soon found himself in prison. While incarcerated, Joseph earned a reputation as an interpreter of dreams. This talent proved useful, and Joseph was summoned to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. Joseph said that Pharaoh's dreams foretold of a great famine, and so he advised Pharaoh on how to prepare for it. When Joseph's prophecy proved true, Pharaoh was grateful and Joseph was given a position of great authority in Egypt.

Meanwhile, the famine ravaged Canaan, the home of Jacob and his family. And so Jacob dispatched his sons to Egypt to buy grain. When they reached their destination, they met with an unexpected surprise, though they did not realize it at first. The person in charge of the grain supplies was none other than their brother Joseph. Once Joseph concluded that his brothers were truly repentant for what they had done to him, he revealed himself, and an emotional family reunion ensued.

Upon hearing that his father was still living, Joseph instructed his brothers to bring him to Egypt. Naturally, Jacob was thrilled to hear that his favorite son was alive. Jacob's entire family gathered all their belongings and made the journey into Egypt, settling in a district known as Goshen.

Though they thrived in Egypt, the Hebrews remained a separate people. They didn't intermarry, and they maintained their identity largely by speaking their own language, wearing distinctive clothing, and giving their children Semitic names.

When Jacob and his clan entered Egypt, they numbered seventy men and women. Since Jacob was also called Israel, his descendants referred to themselves as the Children of Israel. In time, these people became a mighty nation. But their dramatic population growth proved perilous to them in years to come.

— 3 —
THE EXODUS: DELIVERANCE FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT

Once Joseph died, the Hebrews fell out of favor with Pharaoh. Things no longer boded well for the Hebrews. Their growing numbers threatened the power structure in Egypt. Consequently, in an effort to keep the Hebrew population in check, the Egyptians enslaved them, assigning them harsh work under cruel conditions.

Many scholars believe that Ramses II (1300–1234 or 1347–1280 B.C.E.) was the pharaoh who enslaved the Hebrews. Ramses was known for deploying slave labor to construct his building projects. However, it is likely that Ramses' son, Merneptah, was the pharaoh at the time of the plagues and the Hebrews' exodus from Egypt.

Things became even more precarious for the enslaved Hebrews when astrologers informed Pharaoh that a Hebrew male child born at that time would someday overthrow him. As a result, Pharaoh decreed that every newborn Hebrew male should be drowned in the Nile River.

Not willing to accept the decree as a fait accompli, Moses' parents, Amram and Yochebed, placed their baby boy in a basket and floated him down the Nile River. The boy's sister, Miriam, followed the basket at a safe distance. She watched as Pharaoh's daughter, Bityah, found the basket and lifted it from the river. Little did Miriam know that her brother would ultimately grow up to be the man who defeated Pharaoh.

Bityah called the baby boy Moses (which means “arrived by water”). Moses had a good life growing up as a prince in Pharaoh's palace, but everything changed one day when he saw an Egyptian overseer striking a Hebrew slave. When the overseer would not stop the beating, Moses killed him. Fearing for his life, Moses fled to Midian, where he married Tziporah, the daughter of Jethro, a Midianite priest, and became a shepherd. One day, while tending his flock, Moses came upon a burning bush that was not consumed by the flames. It was then that God spoke to Moses, instructing His reluctant emissary to go into Egypt and tell Pharaoh to free the Hebrews.

Taking his brother Aaron with him for support, Moses conveyed God's demand to Pharaoh. Far from being cooperative, however, Pharaoh was angered, and he made things worse for the Hebrews. Since Pharaoh would not take God's demand seriously, ten plagues were visited upon the Egyptians to demonstrate God's power. These plagues included blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the slaying of firstborn males.

Before subjecting the Egyptians to the final plague, God directed Moses to instruct each Hebrew family to slaughter an unblemished lamb before sundown. They were to smear the blood of the lamb on doorposts and thresholds and then prepare the lamb for their dinner.

During this meal, the original seder, the Hebrews ate the roasted lamb, unleavened bread (because there was not sufficient time for the dough to rise), and maror (bitter herbs). While the Hebrews recounted the many miracles God had performed for them, God passed through Egypt, slaying every firstborn male. Because God passed over the Hebrews' houses, which were marked with the smeared blood of the sacrificial lambs, their sons were spared. Thus, the holiday that celebrates the Jews' eventual liberation from Egypt is known as Passover.

At last, this final plague persuaded Pharaoh to release the Hebrews. The following day, Pharaoh ordered the Hebrews to leave immediately. Under Moses' leadership, the Hebrews departed Egypt. Pharaoh soon regretted his decision, however, and so he sent his army to pursue the Hebrews, catching up with them at the Sea of Reeds (also known as the Red Sea). With the sea directly ahead of them and Pharaoh's mighty army at their backs, the Hebrews were trapped, but God parted the water and allowed them to pass through. When the Egyptian army pursued, they were not so lucky. The water fell back and they all drowned. Gathered together in safety, the Hebrews sang songs of praise to their God (Exodus 15:1–20).

But the Hebrews' trials and tribulations weren't over yet. They wandered in the desert for forty years before entering the Promised Land as a free people.

— 4 —
SCHISM AND REBELLION: THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF HANUKKAH

The story of Hanukkah is a combination of fact and legend, with a little miracle thrown in. To understand the circumstances in which this story took place, a brief history lesson is necessary.

Following the death of King Solomon (c. 997 B.C.E.), the twelve tribes that had comprised the kingdom of Israel split: Israel (consisting of the Ten Tribes) and Judah (comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin). Near the end of the First Temple Era, the Assyrians conquered Israel, and the Ten Tribes were dispersed (hence, the phrase “the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel”). Later, in 586 B.C.E., Babylon conquered the kingdom of Judah and destroyed the First Temple.

After the Babylonian exile, when the Persians conquered the Babylonians, the Persian policy allowed the Judeans to return; many chose to do so and rebuilt the Temple. In 338 B.C.E., Philip of Macedonia successfully invaded Greece. Two years later, after Philip's death, his son, Alexander the Great, conquered territories from Macedonia and Greece to the Persian Empire, including Egypt and Judea.

In Hebrew, the name Judah is “Yehudah,” so the people of Judah were called Yehudim. The Greeks used the word Iudea; later, when the Romans replaced the Greeks in control of that part of the world, they changed Iudea to Judea. Thus, these people became known as Judeans and their religion as Judaism.

The Jews did not resist Alexander's army when it arrived in Jerusalem. Alexander was a benevolent ruler who attempted to create a universal culture that blended Greek religions and Eastern philosophy. This culture, known as Hellenism, soon made its presence felt in the hills of Judea.

Many Jews eagerly embraced Hellenism, and it permeated the Jewish community. To these Jews, known as the Hellenists, Greek culture represented the future and success. Many of them spoke Greek as their primary la...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. What does being Jewish mean?
• PART 1: THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUDAISM
• 2. Joseph's saga and the journey to Egypt: The historical context of Passover
• 3. The Exodus: Deliverance from slavery in Egypt
• 4. Schism and rebellion: The historical context of Hanukkah
• 5. The Maccabean Rebellion and the reclaiming of the Temple
• 6. Exile in Persia: The historical context of Purim
• 7. Esther makes her case and the Jews prevail
• 8. Branches of Judaism under Greek and Roman rule
• 9. The difference between Karaitic, Ashkenazic, and Sephardic Jews
• 10. Orthodox Judaism
• 11. Reform Judaism
• 12. Conservative Judaism
• 13. The emergence of Reconstructionism in twentieth-century America
• 14. The schism between mystics and traditionalists, and the beginning of Hasidism
• 15. Hasidic practices today
• PART 2: ESSENTIAL BELIEFS AND LAWS
• 16. The Torah: Judaism's cornerstone
• 17. The Talmud: Applying the laws of the Bible to life
• 18. Using the responsa tradition to answer contemporary questions
• 19. Midrashim: Interpretive stories
• 20. Halakah: Jewish law and accumulated jurisprudence
• 21. The Ten Statements
• 22. The 613 mitzvot
• 23. Other laws: Geizeirah, takkanah, minhag, and lashon ha-ra
• 24. Basic tenets: The Thirteen Principles of Faith
• 25. Striving to comprehend the nature of God
• 26. The eternal nature of the soul
• 27. The Jewish concept of the afterlife
• 28. Resurrection and the world to come
• 29. Honoring the dead
• 30. Spirituality and mysticism: Connecting to divine sparks
• 31. The Kabbalah
• 32. Understanding God's essence through the Kabbalistic Tree of Life
• 33. Establishing justice through good deeds
• 34. The Jewish outlook on interfaith marriage and divorce
• 35. What does keeping kosher mean?
• PART 3: RELIGIOUS SERVICES AND OBJECTS
• 36. What it means to be a rabbi
• 37. What does a cantor do?
• 38. The importance of prayer
• 39. House of prayer: The synagogue
• 40. Prayer during formal worship
• 41. Blessings
• 42. Important things to know when attending a Jewish service
• 43. Items found in the synagogue
• 44. “Laying” tefillin
• 45. Why do Jews wear skullcaps, prayer shawls, and tassels?
• 46. Judaic decorations: The Star of David, the chai, and the hamesh
• 47. The mezuzah and other religious items found in Jewish homes
• PART 4: HOLY DAYS AND FESTIVALS
• 48. Observing Shabbat
• 49. Why are certain activities prohibited during Shabbat?
• 50. Shabbat services
• 51. What do Jewish families do during Shabbat?
• 52. Seeking forgiveness and reconciliation during the Days of Awe
• 53. Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year
• 54. Rosh Hashanah ceremonies, customs, and services
• 55. Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement
• 56. Which activities are prohibited on Yom Kippur?
• 57. Yom Kippur preparations and services
• 58. The significance of Sukkot
• 59. Building and using a sukkah
• 60. Sukkot services and liturgy
• 61. Shemini Atzeret: The Assembly of the Eighth Day
• 62. Simchat Torah: Completing the cycle of readings
• 63. Hanukkah's religious significance
• 64. Lighting the Hanukkah menorah
• 65. Hanukkah customs, traditions, and services
• 66. Purim observances and celebrations
• 67. A time for rejoicing and celebrating
• 68. Recognizing the hidden face of God and the power of the individual
• 69. What is chametz?
• 70. Passover services and observances
• 71. The Passover seder
• 72. Key elements of the seder ceremony
• 73. Shavuot: The Festival of Weeks
• 74. Shavuot services
• 75. Tisha BAv: Memorializing the destruction of the Temples
• 76. Tu B'Shevat: New Year for Trees
• PART 5: CEREMONIES AND MILESTONES
• 77. Finding a soul mate through a matchmaker
• 78. The Jewish view of marriage
• 79. Mitzvot that deal with marriage and sexual relations
• 80. Kiddushin and the ketubah: Betrothal and marriage contract
• 81. Key elements in a Jewish wedding ceremony
• 82. Marking the birth of a new child
• 83. The Jewish view on adoption and abortion
• 84. The importance of naming ceremonies and the circumcision ritual
• 85. Redemption ceremonies
• 86. Bar and bat mitzvah: Becoming sons and daughters of the commandment
• 87. The bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies
• 88. Parties, feasts, and other activities to celebrate bar and bat mitzvahs
• 89. Confirmation: Celebrating continued education
• 90. Jewish funeral ceremonies
• 91. What does sitting shiva mean?
• 92. The final phases of mourning
• PART 6: JEWISH CUSTOM, CULTURE, AND TRADITION
• 93. The Hebrew language as a common thread
• 94. The sacred language and the mother tongue
• 95. Hebrew's renaissance in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
• 96. The history of Yiddish literature
• 97. The rise of modern Jewish writing
• 98. Yiddish poetry, drama, journalism, and music in the twentieth century and beyond
• 99. Jewish cuisine
• 100. Common food dishes
• 101. Jewish humor as a means of speaking about existential questions
• APPENDIX: TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS: HINDUISM, JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, BUDDHISM, AND ISLAM