Judaism is one of the first known monotheistic religion, dating back to between 1300 B.C. in Israel, .22% of the world is Jewish. Judaism was founded by Abraham, who lead his family to Ur for the "Promised Land" of Israel. He was the first person to claim that there is only one God, Yahweh. Abraham was a patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all three religions lay claim to the holy land of Islam. In 1250 B.C., Moses named God's laws the 10 commandments. It is a tradition grounded in the religious, ethical, and social laws as they are articulated in the Torah. The Jewish holy book, called the Torah, is known as the Old testament in the Bible. Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias, and Safed are all Holy Cities to their Deity, God.
Important words:
Gentile- anyone who is not Jewish
Gemara- commentary on the Moral Torah
Mishnah- book in which the Oral Torah was recorded
Mitzvot- the commandments of God requiring deeds of loving kindness
Gentile- anyone who is not Jewish
Gemara- commentary on the Moral Torah
Mishnah- book in which the Oral Torah was recorded
Mitzvot- the commandments of God requiring deeds of loving kindness
Major symbols include the Star of David, which is said to be used by the Biblical King David, but became associated with the faith in the middle ages when it started to appear on flags, tombstones, and synagogues decorations. The hexagram symbolizes the six directions of space, the divine union of male and female energy, and the four elements. The menorah is a nine branched candelabram lit during the eight day holiday of Hanukkah, or a seven branched menorah used in the temple of Jerusalem. The Menorah stands for light, wisdom, and Divine inspiration. It is an ancient practice for Jews to cover their heads during prayer, so the yarmulke (sometimes pronounced yammica) is used to cover the heads as a sign of respect to God. The hamesh hand is a popular motif in Jewish jewelry. This hand pattern represents a protection against the evil eye (a malignant spiritual influence caused by the jealousy of others), and the evil eye has historically been a popular superstition among Jews.
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To receive the rewards of the afterlife, you must keep the commands of the Torah, such as; 13 Principles of Faith and Rabbinic Tradition. The 13 Principles of Faith are the most widely accepted list of Jewish beliefs and are referred to as "the fundamental truths of the religion and its very foundations". Rabbinic Tradition is based on the belief that Moses received the Written Torah as well as an oral explanation, the Oral Torah, from God which Moses transmitted to the people.
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The major denominations are Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative. Each denomination has many differences, such as; orthodoxy upholds the halakhic, legal aspect, way of life as illustrated in the Torah. Reform Judaism subjects religious law and customs human judgment, differentiating between the Torah and the specifics of the time when they were written. Conservative Judaism is sought to conserve the tradition by applying new, historical methods of study within the boundaries of Jewish law.
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