1. JudaismJudaism RELS 110: World Religions

2. Slide 2. Possible exam questions List as many of Moses Maimonides’ 13 principles as you can remember, and explain them in a sentence or two each.

3. Slide 3. Divine Name Originally, the Israelites’ name for God was “Yahweh”, written as the consonants YHWH Jews stopped pronouncing the name of God They would substitute another word, either The Name (“HaShem”) LORD (all in capital letters to indicate it stands for the divine name, not the usual word for “lord”).

4. Slide 4. Monotheism in Judaism The religion that first developed the concept of monotheism belief in and worship of a single God. monotheism developed gradually Abraham and other early Jewish figures accepted the prevailing belief that there were many gods. What made the Jews unique: they chose to recognize and worship only one god who traveled with them wherever they went.

5. Slide 5. Representations of God in Judaism the god of the Jews is an invisible god. In the Bible God declared himself to be beyond depiction or imagination. unusual among the cultures in which Judaism first arose. Judaism still ptohibits making images of God.

6. Slide 6. The Chosen People Jews claimed a special relationship to their God He had chosen them to be his people. This relationship is referred to as a covenant: God made promises to the Hebrew people they in turn promised fidelity to him alone. this developed into the conviction that this god was in fact the only God, of the universe and of all peoples. Judaism eventually committed itself to a strict monotheism. How to combine chosenness with one God for everyone? God had chosen the Jews for a special mission in the world. Jews feel responsible to a higher standard than other peoples since they were appointed by God to be “a light to the world.”

7. Slide 7. An Ethnic Religion Judaism has functioned both as an ethnic group and a religion Many people today consider themselves Jews solely because of their familial relations and not because of any religious beliefs or practices they follow. The rest of the world, in its turn, has tended to regard Jews the same way. Compare Hinduism, Shinto, Daoism. More so in Judaism because it has been a minority religion

8. Slide 8. The Sacred in History Other religions had myths and legends, stories of creation and the interaction of important ancestors with the gods. Judaism made these interactions a continuing saga of God’s relationship to his chosen people. History doesn’t move in cycles; it is linear, it had a beginning It will some day have an end.

9. Slide 9. OrthopraxisOrthopraxis concern for the people’s ongoing relationship to God. Not so much what individuals believed about God, But how the community related to God. most important facet of Judaism became not orthodoxy, or correct belief, but orthopraxis, or correct practice.

10. Slide 10. Jewish Theology Being a good Jew is mostly about following Jewish law, not about believing anything in particular about God. theology (literally, the study of God) is not as important as in Christianity. Still, Jews have at times articulated Jewish beliefs about God. One of the most famous of these articulations is the “Thirteen Principles of Faith” authored by Moses Maimonides, a rabbi who lived in the twelfth century CE in Spain.

11. Slide 11. Thirteen Principles of Faith 1.God is Creator and Guide. 2.God is One in a unique Way. 3.God does not have a physical form. 4.God is eternal. 5.God and God alone is to be worshiped. 6.God is all-knowing. 7.God gives rewards and punishments. 8.God has revealed his will through the prophets. 9.Moses is the greatest of the prophets. 10.The Torah was revealed to Moses. 11.The Torah is eternal and unchanging. 12.The Messiah will come. 13.The dead will be resurrected. (Moses Maimonides, 13th C.)

12. Slide 12. Summary: Basic Principles of Judaism Judaism is best known as the first monotheistic religion. Jews developed the doctrine of monotheism gradually over their early history. Judaism is both an ethnic group and a religion, and the two identities are brought together in the belief that Jews are “the chosen people.” God is believed to be actively involved in historical events in Judaism, sometimes in a way that permanently changes the relationship between God and God’s people. Judaism is a religion of orthopraxis, valuing ritual and the keeping of God’s laws over holding particular beliefs about God.

13. Slide 13. Quiz fun

14. Slide 14. Possible Exam Question What, according to Proverbs, are the differences between the “wise” and the “foolish” in terms of their (a) thinking, (b) behaviour, and (c) fortunes?

15. Slide 15. ProverbsProverbs Introduces us to the Material, convictions, worldview shared by Jews, Christians, Muslims alike. Proverbs 12:15: “Fools think their own way is right; the wise listen to advice” Same kind of thing we would say today. Sounds the same; meaning a bit different. Divides people into two categories: Fool or wise. An Observation – this is not a command. Proverbs 12:16: “Fools show their anger at once; but the prudent ignore an insult.” Two groups of people: (1) principled; (2) immediate moment. Proverbs 12:19: Truthful lips endure forever; but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. 12:21: No harm comes to the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. 12:22: Lying lips are an abomination; faithful are his delight.

16. Slide 16. Proverbs’ View of Reality Concerns are universal, not nation-specific. Israel is not mentioned at all. Concerns are with this life, not the afterlife. With the way of wisdom-created world. Stresses importance of human choice Like Islam: Sayyed Hossein Nasr: Everything in the Universe is Muslim except for Man. Wise=righteous will prosper; foolish=wicked do not. God’s wisdom is reflected in the moral order, as in the physical order “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” Wisdom begins by taking God into account.

17. Slide 17. Choice (in Proverbs’ worldview) Not: a fork in the road, and no one to tell us one is right and one is wrong. Rather: a beautiful intricate rug & a child with muddy boots. It is appropriate to take the boots off. We didn’t make the world; it was made a certain way we didn’t determine. Will we respect the way the world is made? Will we be insensitive, stupid, mean?

18. Judaism video 00-06 1. What is the significance of Canaan and where is it today? 2. What is monotheism? How does it define Judaism?

19. Slide 19. Cultural Context of Judaism For roughly the last two thousand years, Judaism has existed as a minority religion which has been key in the formation of Jewish identity. Jews have faced anti-Semitism in many different lands. Historically, the most vicious anti-Semitism was that of Christians who blamed Jews for the death of Jesus. Especially in Europe, Jews were prevented from owning land or working in many different professions, and were kept in segregated Jewish neighborhoods called ghettoes. The worst and most recent persecution of Jews was the Holocaust, in which the government of Nazi Germany attempted to eradicate the European Jewish population under the pretext that they were racially inferior to other Europeans.

20. Slide 20. Game time!

21. Slide 21. Summary of Genesis 1-11 Creation: good, way good. Paradise: everything ideal. Flood (Noah) Gen 8:21: I’m not going to curse them. Why? Not because they’re good, but because evil is their nature. Believe in these stories: literally or not? Some do, some don’t. Even early interpreters were divided. These stories tell us important things about the human condition. Important convictions are told by the way of story. Easy to sum up the basic principles/convictions: The Vision of Reality in Genesis 1-11 …

22. Slide 22. 1. The universe is created by God and good. Huston Smith on “the little word ‘very’ gives a lilt to the entire religion. The Jews refused to abandon the physical aspects of existence as illusory, defective, or unimportant. Fresh as the morning of creation, they were to be relished with zest. In Jewish faith, there is a strict division of creation and creator. Don’t worship nature (Mother Earth). She is sister earth, a creature, as we are.

23. Slide 23. 2. Humans are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) What does the “image” imply? God rules all, so people are given rule over the rest of God’s earthly creation (Dominion, in 1:28). Not exploit/devastate Rule is always given to be exercised for the good of those ruled OR: People are made with a capacity to enjoy God in ways other creatures cannot. The ideal is someone who “walks with God” – has communion with God OR: people can serve God in ways other creatures cannot. Instinctive action vs. moral action: we can do what is right as a moral choice. OR: People can reflect God’s character in ways that other creatures cannot.

24. Slide 24. 3. Humans are created male and female For companionship (2:18) Propagation (1:28) Marriage and family are divine institutions, part of the ‘order’ of creation.

25. Slide 25. 4. Humans remain creatures Humans remain dependent on God. They need to recognize their limits. One command, to remind of limitations Tower of Babel

26. Slide 26. 5. Human existence is spoiled Human existence, and all creation, is spoiled by human pretensions of autonomy. When they think they can make their own rules … when they try to do what they themselves want, independently from God … When humans choose their own interests, not those of creation … Jews think people have an evil inclination and a good inclination, with a constant struggle. People can overcome the evil inclination. That’s why the solution is guidance regarding what to do. It is not beyond you. Christians say humans cannot help but sin. It is such a part of human nature. A more pessimistic problem; a more radical solution. Islam: forgetfulness is the problem; in principle we can do it, when reminded. Adam repented and became a prophet.

27. Slide 27. 5. Human existence is spoiled (continued) Chaim Pearl: “Our stories imply that man has a tendency to sin. But that is very different from the concept that he has the destiny to sin.”

28. Slide 28. 6. God’s commitment to the goodness of creation God’s commitment to the goodness of creation is expressed both in divine judgement and in redemption. He won’t allow it to be spoiled by humans. God is merciful, compassionate, patient.

29. Slide 29. The Jewish Scriptures The Hebrew Bible is composed of many of the same books as the Christian Old Testament. The Hebrew Bible consists of three major sections, the most important of which is the Torah, or first five books of the Bible.

30. Slide 30. The Jewish Scriptures Torah or Pentateuch: Books of Moses Nevi’im “prophets” Ketuvim “writings”

31. Slide 31. The Jewish Scriptures The Hebrew Bible was written between approximately 900 and 200 BCE. The Talmud, which is an interpretation of the Torah, is regarded as authoritative by the Jewish religion. The Talmud, sometimes called the “oral Torah,” brings the Torah into conversation with continuing events in the life of the Jewish people via the practice of midrash, or “reading scripture forward” to find its significance for present times.

32. Slide 32. Possible Test Questions What is meant by “Torah”? What role does “Torah” play in Judaism?

33. Slide 33. TorahTorah Means “guidance, instruction, law” Used for: All revelation (all God says to humans) The Pentateuch (Genesis, Exod., Leviticus, Numbers, Deut.) Sum of all the commandments God is believed to have given Moses on Mt. Sinai. Includes: “written Torah” in Exodus, Leviticus, some in Numbers and Deuteronomy Supplemented by “Oral Torah” Torah is to be the law for a whole community. A community cannon have various implementations. Not every detail is given (what is work?). Adapt Torah to new situations. Includes Halachah and Haggadah.

34. Slide 34. Oral Torah Halakhah Tells people what they should do. Spells out precise terms of Israel’s obligations under the covenant. Haggadah Narratives, illustrating and encouraging proper behaviour. Collections of “Oral Torah” include: Mishnah Talmud(s) – Babylonian and Palestinian Midrashim – commentaries on biblical books, containing both halakhah and haggadah.

35. Slide 35. MishnahMishnah A collections of laws – hard reading – concise, formulaic. Majoring in minors: E.g., Don’t do any work: What constitutes “work”? The main classes of work are … separating two threads. This is how we serve God – by submitting every detail to Him. Most famous section: Avot (or Aboth, or Pirke Avot) Near the beginning of Avot: On three things the world stands: On Torah, Worship (Service) and Loving Deeds It is our part to be faithful, even if we don’t understand. The fear of God comes before wisdom.

36. Slide 36. Quiz Game Hebrew Scriptures

37. Slide 37. Possible Test Question Discuss briefly the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) as a drama of the relationship of God with humanity.

38. Slide 38. 1. Patriarchal Period Abraham & Sarah Isaac & Rebekah Jacob & Rachel&Leah 12 sons of Jacob (including Levi, Judah, Joseph) = the 12 tribes of Israel

39. Slide 39. 2. Egypt & the Exodus Moses & Aaron (typical protest against his call, but even more than usual) Pharaoh doesn’t know God Plagues

40. Slide 40. 3. Wilderness & Mt. Sinai Moses & Aaron Laws Instructions for tabernacle carried out: sanctuary How unbelieving Israel was – God kept coming through Jews see this as their past, but also their present. E.g., Abraham gets promises of people & land, but does not possess people or land. Or: story of wilderness: don’t be like that generation in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Warning of prosperity and danger of pride. Depend on God. Don’t adopt religions of other nations.

41. Slide 41. 4. Conquest & Settlement Joshua & Judges (Also Deborah, Gideon, Samson, Samuel) People who deliver them when they cry out from oppression. A repeated cycle. Finally they demand a king.

42. Slide 42. 5. United Monarchy Kings: Saul, David, Solomon Saul disobeys God. The lineage is taken from him. God makes a commitment to David (2 Samuel 7): Your sons will be on the throne forever Solomon builds the temple in Jerusalem. Has women trouble; foreign gods.

43. Slide 43. 6. Divided Monarchy Northern Kingdom (Israel) Capital came to be in Samaria Various dynasties Southern Kingdom (Judah) David captured Jerusalem Davidic dynasty: 400 years. Assyrians captured Samaria in 722 BCE.

44. Slide 44. 7. Judah Alone Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 587 or 586 BCE. After a series of prophets had warned them to reform their ways.

45. Slide 45. 8. Babylonian Exile Nebuchadnezzar (-538) captured Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple.

46. Slide 46. 9. Postexilic Period Persian king Cyrus conquered the Babylonians Cyrus allowed Jews to return to their home land. Ezra (scribe), Nehemiah (rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls) 515 BCE- Second Temple period begins

47. Slide 47. Quiz Game Ancient History of Judaism

48. Slide 48. Possible Test Question Summarize the message of the following prophets to their contemporaries and the themes in their prophecies that are important in Judaism: Amos Isaiah.

49. Slide 49. ProphecyProphecy Prophets are intermediary figures, conveying to ordinary people messages from deity / spiritual world / supernatural world that aren’t accessible to ordinary people. Prophecy is a form of intuitive mediation (rather than inductive mediation, which is recognizing what is there, e.g., divination). Prophetic activity follows a divine commission (e.g., Amos, Jonah). Prophecy is more than foretelling the future – this is an element, but not the core. Social justice – another important characteristic, but it’s note what makes them prophets. At Sinai, people say to Moses, “We can’t bear to hear the Lord directly; you go and tell us what he said.” Early examples of prophets in Israel: Moses (prototype) Samuel (also a judge) Nathan (a court prophet; 2 Samuel 11-12): doesn’t rubber-stamp what the king wants. Tells a story of a rich man. To pronounce upon rights & wrongs of establishment. Elijah – Ahab & Naboth (1 Kings 21)

50. Slide 50. David & Nathan But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, 12 1 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6 he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” 7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! ” 2 Samuel 11:27-12:15.

51. Slide 51. Amos, c. 750 BCE The first prophet whose words form the substance of a biblical book. Why? His words were directed to the people as a whole? He was told to go away, and had no venue? Shepherd from the South (Judah) with a message for the North (Israel) Prophetic career in North lasted less than a year (2 years before earthquake) Foretold destruction of Northern Kingdom (prosperous, complacent). Was vindicated. Offended people by parodying and dismissing their piety. Alas for you who desire the “day of the Lord” (when deliverance would come)

52. Slide 52. Amos’ Message Amos denounces Israel’s neighbours for crimes against humanity: All nations are responsible before God: compassion, no war crimes, selling slaves, defiling the dead. This would delight Israel, but then he moves on to condemn Israel, too. Amos 9:7 says in effect, “You have no special immunity.” Are you not like the Ethiopians to me, O people of Israel? says the Lord. Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?

53. Slide 53. Amos’ Message Amos 3:1-2 – your special relationship means a special responsibility: Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

54. Slide 54. Amos’ Message Pronounced pending doom on religious people lacking a social conscience. Chapter 6: beds of ivory, sing idle songs, drink wine, but are not grieved. Amos 5:21-24 I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

55. Slide 55. Summary of Amos Insistence that God is concerned about justice for all nations (Edomites, etc.) Israel’s special relationship entails special responsibilities. Religious worship was acceptable only when they practices social justice. Only when they had compassion on the poor

56. Slide 56. “Major” Prophets Two of the “major” prophets are assigned for this course. The difference between “major” and “minor” prophets is the length of the books. Isaiah: active before 722 BCE (for over 40 years) Commissioning – told in Isaiah 6: vision of Lord in the temple; seraphim; Holy, Holy Holy. Whom will I send? I will. Nobody will listen.

57. Slide 57. Isaiah 1:10-17 Sodom & Gomorrah were sinful cities (see Genesis 18&19) destroyed before Isaiah’s time. Who are Sodom & Gomorrah for him? Sinners in general? Jerusalem. Expect the same kind of judgement as S&G. Your offerings are abominations; learn to do good & seek justice. God is looking for justice; failing that he is not interested in religiosity of people who oppress.

58. Slide 58. Ethical Monotheism In the past (1880-1960/1970) the religion of the prophets was reduced (by scholars) to “ethical monotheism” (In contrast to books of the law) against the temple of Jerusalem. God wasn’t interested in religious ritual. More recently, there has been a backlash against making the prophets in our own image.

59. Slide 59. Isaiah 5 Song of the Vineyard Produced sour grapes – I can’t do anything for it anymore. Looked for righteousness; found oppression.

60. Slide 60. Isaiah 11:1-9 Paradise restored, when Davidic king is reinstalled. The wolf will lie down with the lamb.

61. Slide 61. ReviewReview Amos, c. 750 BCE, Shepherd from the South (Judah) with a message for the North (Israel) Amos’ Message Insistence that God is concerned about justice for all nations (Edomites, etc.) Israel’s special relationship entails special responsibilities. Religious worship was acceptable only when they practiced social justice. Ethical Monotheism Isaiah: before 722 BCE Isaiah 6: Commissioning in the temple. Isaiah 1:10-17: God is looking for justice rather than religiosity. Isaiah 5: Song of the Vineyard. Looked for righteousness; found oppression. Isaiah 11:1-9: Paradise restored, when Davidic king is reinstalled.

62. Judaism video 06-24 3. What was Abraham’s Covenant with God? 4. What did Moses contribute to Judaism after his meeting with God on Mount Sinai? 5. What is the Torah? 6. Who are Saul, David and Solomon, and what did they do to help establish a Jewish homeland? 7. What happened to the Israelites between the reign of Solomon and the building of the second Temple? 8. What are the three parts of the Hebrew Bible?

63. Slide 63. Possible Test Question How do the major groupings of Judaism today differ in practice and beliefs?

64. Judaism video 24- 9. How did the Jews fare under Roman rule? 10. How did Judaism change as it became synagogue- centered rather than temple- centered after 70 C.E.? 11. What is the purpose of the Talmud? 12. What impact did Islam have on the evolution of Judaism?

65. Slide 65. The Jewish Diaspora The Diaspora, or dispersion from the land of Israel, provoked a major transition in Judaism from being a religion of temple and sacrifice to a religion of synagogue and scripture. After the Diaspora, Jews settled throughout Europe and the Middle East, eventually splitting into two major groups, the Ashkenazim and the Sephardim, who developed somewhat different languages and customs. A mystical tradition of Judaism, Kabbalah, developed during the Middle Ages in Europe. The pressure of living as a stigmatized minority religion in Europe led Jews to develop more charismatic movements like Hasidism, to look forward eagerly to the coming of the Messiah, and to begin to redefine Judaism in ways that would make it fit more easily into European culture.

66. Slide 66. The Jewish Diaspora Practice

67. Judaism video 35- 13. What is the role of education in Judaism? 14. What are the diverse roles of the synagogue today? 15. What is the importance of the Jewish Sabbath? 16. What are the most sacred of the High Holy Days during the Jewish religious year? 17. What three laws take precedent over the preservation of a human life? 18. What does being kosher mean? 19. How does Jerusalem serve as a central theme in Judaism? 20. What is the Zionist movement? What was its main goal?

68. Slide 68. Psalms: Origins and Use What sorts of things happened in the ancient temple? Feasts, hymns, individual sacrifice, confession, vows. Psalms were composed / adopted by professional singers in the temple. Appropriate psalms were performed to suit occasion of the community’s or individual’s worship What would be the kind of ceremony at the temple, at which each Psalm would have been used? “I was glad when they said to me, let us go up to the house of the Lord.” (triumph) “Have mercy on me, O God; blot out my transgressions” (confession)

69. Slide 69. Psalms: Origins and Use Each guild of singers (Asa, Korah, etc.) had its own repertoire of psalms. In time, collections of psalms were assembled into a scroll. Thereafter, used as private as well as community devotion. People for 2000 years have found in the Psalms what they wanted to say but couldn’t find the words. A treasured collection.

70. Slide 70. Psalms: Themes / Worldview It is fitting and right for God’s creatures to celebrate his goodness. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;” (Ps 92:1). Humans are all part of God’s created order Whereas human beings are frail and mortal, God is eternal, faithful, merciful. Human life is full of trouble, from which God alone can deliver. God is righteous and will enforce justice in the world. This is both a hope for the righteous and a cause for celebration for the whole world. God’s presence is to be enjoyed at his Temple. He himself is the true reward.

71. Slide 71. Judaism in America Practice

72. Slide 72. Judaism in America More Jews now live in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. Jews immigrated to the United States in two major waves: the first group came from Germany, mostly in the nineteenth century, while the second group came from Eastern Europe and Russia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Four branches of Judaism exist in America: Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist. Those who stayed closest to Jewish law remained Orthodox, while those who were interested in molding Judaism to some extent to help it flourish in its new environment became Conservative Jews. Marriage between Jews and non-Jews has driven the various branches of Judaism to grapple with questions of Jewish identity.

73. Slide 73. Zionism & the State of Israel The Zionist Movement inspired the creation of the modern state of Israel. The first leader of the Zionist Movement, Theodor Herzl, was a secular Jew. Other possible Jewish homelands were considered by the Zionist Movement. Israel came to be in its present form through a series of directives from Great Britain and the United Nations as well as persistent conflicts with its Arab neighbours. Religious and political conflict persist within Israel today, not only between Jews and non-Jews, but between different sorts of Jews. Any Jew anywhere in the world is welcome to move to Israel and become a citizen.

74. Slide 74. Zionism & the State of Israel Practice

75. Slide 75. Jewish Practice Jews pray and worship both at home and at synagogue. Communal prayer requires the presence of a minyan (ten Jews). The Sabbath is the most important Jewish holiday and is celebrated every week as a day of rest. A portion of the Torah is read each week in synagogue services. Jews respect certain dietary rules known as the laws of kashrut (kosher). Many Jews do not pray regularly, observe the Sabbath, attend synagogue, or keep a kosher diet, but they are still regarded as Jews.

76. Slide 76. Jewish Rites of Passage Jews bring their children into the covenant that God made with Abraham through special services for infants: brit milah for boys and naming services for girls. Sons are welcomed into the covenant as infants via circumcision. Jews mourn the deaths of their close relatives by sitting shivah and reciting a special prayer for a year after the death.

77. Slide 77. Bar Mitzvah Coming-of-age services (bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah) mark a transition into religious adulthood for Jews. The many obligations placed upon Jews according to Jewish law are reserved for adults, but traditionally Jewish children become adults at a comparatively young age: thirteen. The bar mitzvah service officially recognizes a boy’s religious coming-of-age. After his bar mitzvah, a Jewish boy, if he is observant, is expected to wear tallit and tefillin and to pray three times a day. Recently, coming-of-age services have been established for girls (bat mitzvah).

78. Slide 78. MarriageMarriage A Jewish marriage contract is called a “ketubah.” Jewish weddings include seven blessings and the breaking of a glass to commemorate the destruction of the Second Temple, and take place under a canopy.

79. Slide 79. Jewish Holidays The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar that is corrected each year to stay roughly synchronized with the solar calendar. The major Jewish holidays are both seasonal celebrations and commemorations of historical events. The most recently created Jewish holiday is Yom Hashoah, a commemoration of the Holocaust and those who died in it.

80. Slide 80. High Holy Days The most important holidays of the Jewish year are called the high holy days. Rosh Hashanah They begin with Rosh Hashanah, a New Year’s festival that usually falls in September. The hallmark of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the shofar, or ram’s horn. According to Jewish tradition, Jews must attend synagogue so that their names will be put down in the book of life for the next year. Rosh Hashanah is a happy day, celebrated with sweet foods like apples and honey. Yom Kippur Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the most solemn day of the Jewish year, falls ten days after Rosh Hashanah. On Yom Kippur adult Jews are expected to fast from sundown to sundown, and to attend synagogue services where they collectively apologize to God for all the wrongs they have committed in the course of the year.

81. Slide 81. Minor Jewish Holidays There are a number of minor Jewish holidays commemorating events in the history of the Jewish people. Hanukkah One of the most famous in the United States is Hanukkah, a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish year that has become important as a way of giving Jewish children a holiday to celebrate that is full of gifts and lights, as is Christmas, which also falls in December. Purim Late in winter comes the holiday of Purim, which honours Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, who successfully fended off a persecution of the Jews in Mesopotamia. The Book of Esther, which recounts the story of Purim, is read aloud in the synagogue. Whenever the name of the villain of the tale, Haman, is spoken, the congregation reacts with boos and hisses and the grinding sound of noisemakers called graggers. Purim is also a time for carnivals. Children dress up as the heroes and villains of the tale or in whatever costumes they wish. There are often games, mask making, and dancing.

82. Slide 82. Jewish Holidays Practice

83. Slide 83. Women in Judaism Women have played important roles in Jewish history as recorded in the Hebrew scriptures. Many Jewish laws do not apply to women. The laws of niddah, or sexual purity, are a special obligation for Jewish women. Jewish marriage law protects a woman’s rights in marriage but limits her opportunities for divorce. Jewish feminists have recently challenged and often changed Jewish tradition to make more room for female participation, leadership, and equality with men. (practice)

84. Slide 84. Midterm test question possibilities for Judaism Multiple Choice (on textbook and lectures) Passage Identification (on scripture readings and lectures): Proverbs, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah Paragraph questions (on lectures and textbook) Discuss briefly the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) as a drama of the relationship of God with humanity. What is in each of the three parts of the Jewish scriptures? What, according to Proverbs, are the differences between the “wise” and the “foolish” in terms of their (a) thinking, (b) behaviour, and (c) fortunes? What view of human nature and potential is reflected in the first three chapters of Genesis? What is meant by “Torah”? What role does “Torah” play in Judaism? Summarize the message of the following prophets to their contemporaries and the themes in their prophecies that are important in Judaism: Amos, Isaiah. How do the major groupings of contemporary Judaism differ in practice and beliefs? List as many of Moses Maimonides’ 13 articles as you can remember, and explain them in a sentence or two each.

85. Slide 85. CovenantsCovenants Formal arrangements establishing terms of relationship between two parties, based on solemn undertakings of obligations by one or both parties Divine covenants reflect: Divine concern for relationships with humanity Divine involvement in history

86. Slide 86. CovenantsCovenants Abraham Heschel: “Judaism is a religion of history, a religion of time. The God of Israel was not found primarily in the facts of nature. He spoke through the events in history. While the deities of other peoples were associated with places or things, the God of the prophets was the God of events..." “The term, ‘God of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob’ is semantically different from a term such as ‘the God of truth, goodness, & beauty.’ Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob do not signify ideas, principles, or abstract values. Nor do they stand for teachers or thinkers… [They] are not principles to be comprehended but lives to be continued.” “To be a Jew is to renounce allegiance to false gods; to be sensitive to God’s infinite stake in every finite situation; to bear witness to God’s presence in the hours of God’s concealment; to remember that the world is unreedemed.”

87. Slide 87. Divine Covenants Made with Abraham & his descendents Israel at Mt. Sinai In a sense, a reaffirmation – they swear they will keep the ordinances David and his descendents (2 Samuel 7:12-16) Prophets themselves had prophesied. A covenant cannot fail, if begun by God. On the throne forever. Even if interrupted, it must have a future. Basis for hope for Messiah in Judaism.

88. Slide 88. Sanctuaries of Israel Where did people worship? Patriarchal Period: Altars at sites of theophanies Wilderness Period: Tabernacle /tent of meeting Courtyard with bronze altar Holy place: lampstand (menorah), table, altar of incense Most Holy Place: Ark of the covenant and mercy seat Solomon’s Temple (1st Temple period) on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem Resembled tabernacle Destroyed 587/586 by Nebuchadnezzar

89. Slide 89. Sanctuaries of Israel Second Temple (includes Herod’s Temple) 515BCE- 70CE God was said to dwell (Gen. 25) above the ark of the covenant Did they think he actually was confined there? Some unsophisticated people probably did. Others said God cannot be contained there, yet he has chosen to meet his people there, in the appointed place. It came to be seen that sacrifices were only to be made in Jerusalem. Therefore festivals also must be celebrated in Jerusalem: 3 pilgrimage feasts: Tabernacles, Weeks, Passover. (Only priests could enter the temple. People could only go to the surrounding court.)

90. Slide 90. Sanctuaries of Israel Synagogues: Meeting places for people, not dwelling. Perhaps already in exilic period, at least in post-exilic period.