Judaism

It is considered one of the oldest religions in the world, Judaism is known for its ethical monotheism. Its core beliefs and traditions are shared with Islam and Christianity.

History:

Judaism began as early as 2000 BCE as the religion of Abraham and of the small nation of the Hebrews. Through thousands of years of suffering, persecution, dispersion, and the occasional victory, Jewish religion and culture has been profoundly influential.

Today, about 14 million people identify themselves as Jews, and nearly 3.5 billion others follow belief systems directly influenced by Judaism. 

The central religious belief of Judaism is that there is only one God. Monotheism was uncommon at the time Judaism was born, but according to Jewish tradition, God himself revealed it to Abraham, the ancestor of the Jewish people. 

Judaism teaches that God took special care of the Hebrews who would later become the Jews. After rescuing them from slavery in Egypt, God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses, and many more religious and ethical guidelines in the Torah ("the Law").

Judaism has few essential beliefs which are "13 Articles of Faith," many Jews do not accept all these, and Jewish beliefs vary widely on theological matters such as human nature and the afterlife.

-Beliefs:

1. God exists

2. God is one and unique

3. God is incorporeal

4. God is eternal

5. Prayer is to God only

6. The prophets spoke truth

7. Moses was the greatest of the prophets

8. The Written and Oral Torah were given to Moses

9. There will be no other Torah

10. God knows the thoughts and deeds of men

11. God will reward the good and punish the wicked

12. The Messiah will come

13. The dead will be resurrected

-Prayers

Private: A devout Jew is required to pray three times a day – morning, afternoon, and evening. Although preferably with a quorum [Minyan] of at least ten adult Jewish men in a synagogue setting (if one is available), prayers can alternately be recited individually at home or wherever else one may be located.

An additional morning worship service is included on the Sabbath and Festivals, along with special prayers for specific holy days. Hebrew or Hebrew/English (or Hebrew/other local language) books containing structured liturgies are used during prayers.

For all male Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist and some Reform Jews the head is covered during prayer with a skull cap [yarmulke] or ordinary hat. Note: most Orthodox men will cover their heads at all times as a sign of reverence to G-d. During morning prayers, a prayer shawl [Tallit] which as fringes at the four corners (in obedience to a command found in the Torah), is worn by adult males. 

 

On non-Sabbath/Festival days, two small leather phylacteries [Tefillin] boxes are attached to the forehead and arm with leather straps by adult Orthodox males and by some adherents of other branches. The boxes contain four passages of Hebrew scripture written on parchment, Exodus 13:1 – 10 and 13:11–16, Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13-21. Although these items may be visually inspected (if handled with respect and care), only a qualified rabbi or scribe may open the sinew closed portions of the boxes. Also, whenever possible, a Jewish inmate should not be required to pray in a room/cell that contains either a toilet or symbols of any other religions.

Corporate: Although a Minyan is required to conduct a complete Jewish worship service, a lesser number of Jewish males and females can conduct corporate prayer with certain proscribed sections of the service being omitted. Those who are not properly Jewish cannot serve in a Minyan. Likewise, non-Jews should not utter some particular Jewish blessings or participate in certain Jewish liturgical functions. The Pentateuch is divided into weekly portions which are publicly read throughout the Jewish calendar year in synagogues each Sabbath from a Hebrew hand-scribed parchment scroll. Parts of these are further publicly read each Monday and Thursday morning. Related sections of the writings of the Prophets are also publicly read on the Sabbath. Specified other holy writings are publicly read on various holy days. A specially trained person is required to accomplish these readings (which can only be done from proper scrolls) and certain difficult conditions would have to be met in order for such readings to be done in a prison setting.

- Weddings:

Jewish wedding ceremonies incorporate many ancient traditions and symbolic gestures (including the well-known breaking of glass), and divorces are obtained within the Jewish community.

- God:

When it comes to beliefs, Judaism is best known for its "ethical monotheism," which is the belief in one God who demands ethical behavior of humans. God's name in Hebrew is YHWH, which simply - but significantly - means "I am." The sacred name of God as revealed to Moses in the Torah is YHWH. The name of God is critically important to Jewish beliefs. Since ancient Hebrew was written without vowels, it is not know what the original pronunciation of this word. The common pronunciation "Jehovah," however, is imprecise. It is derived from combining the vowels for Adonai ("Lord") with the four consonants of YHWH. A more "correct" pronunciation, and that which is used among scholars, is "Yahweh."

- Jewish practices

In Judaism, rituals and religious observances are grounded in Jewish law (halakhah, lit. "the path one walks." An elaborate framework of divine mitzvot, or commandments, combined with rabbinic laws and traditions, this law is central to Judaism.

Halakhah governs not just religious life, but daily life, from how to dress to what to eat to how to help the poor. Observance of halakhah shows gratitude to God, provides a sense of Jewish identity and brings the sacred into everyday life.

In addition, the Jewish religion recognizes several significant occasions in a person's life. While many times the individual is the focus of the festivities, the family, and in many cases the entire community, participate in the commemoration. These special events are some of the most important practices of Judaism. 

The Mitzvot

The Hebrew word mitzvot means "commandments" . Although the word is sometimes used more broadly to refer to rabbinic (Talmudic) law or general good deeds ("It would be a mitzvah to visit your mother"), in its strictest sense it refers to the divine commandments given by God in the Torah.

Rabbinic Law 

Jewish law incorporates a large body of rabbinical rules and laws. These are considered just as binding as the mitzvot, although the punishments for violating them are less severe. Another difference is that it is possible, though unlikely, for the rabbinical laws to be changed, but no rabbi can change the Torah mitzvot. The rabbinical portion of halakhah falls into three groups: a gezeirah, takkanah, and minhag.

 

Holy book