Ch. 12: Judaism

an agreement established long ago between God and the ancient Israelites, first through Abraham and later through Moses; God's chosen people

Judaism's most basic theological statement that declares the uniqueness of God: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone." -Deut. 6.4

instruction; law; the first five books of the Bible

teacher of Torah and leader of Jewish worship

directly involved in guiding and caring for creation on a day to day basis

they focused on the study of the Torah rather than on the rituals observed at the Temple- all you need for synagogue worship is a Torah

teaches that God can best be known with the heart, through love

YHWH

traditionally believed to have been revealed directly by God to Moses and the central statement of Judaisms's religious laws

Tanakh

received the Law at Mount Sinai and is regarded as the Torah's author

an ethnic group that shares a common history and religion

directly involved in history

leveled Jerusalem and decreed that Jews could no longer inhabit Palestine

the Exodus from Egypt and the revelation on Mount Sinai

1948

worship

literally "instruction"; the will of God as it is revealed to humankind

Greek for "five books"; the Torah

the most famous of the 613 laws in the Torah, found in chapter 20 of Exodus

a building for Jewish worship

someone who is called to speak for God

the starting point for rabbinic study of the oral Torah; a collection of sacred traditions that was written down in about A.D. 200 and contains teachings of the rabbis of the preceding four centuries

the vast depository blending together the oral and written forms of Torah, based on the Mishnah with extensive rabbinic commentary

the situation of Jews living away from their homeland, a circumstance that has been true for most Jews since the classical period

the most famous text of Jewish mysticism

Jewish mysticism, which teaches that God can best be known with the heart

a form of Judaism that arose in eighteenth century easter Europe and emphasizes mysticism, a personal relationship with God and the community, and the leadership of the zaddik

a movement that was originally committed to the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland; since 1948, generally the support of Israel

the persecution of the Jews by German Nazis from 1938 to 1945, resulting in the murder of nearly six million Jews; sometimes called the Shoah

the high point of the Passover festival

repentance

a physical feature that distinguished the Israelites from people of other nations

a coming-of-age ritual for a Jewish girl

a prayer of mourning

the people who conquered Palestine and the surrounding area in the seventh century A.D.

the man God called to be the father of a great nation; the first patriarch

Abraham's grandson, also known as Israel

the person who helped free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt

the Israelite king whom Jews have always regarded as a prototype of the Messah

the person who built the Temple in Jerusalem

the people who conquered the northern kingdom, Israel, in 722 B.C.

the people who conquered the southern kingdom, Judah, in about 587 B.C.

the people who destroyed the Jerusalem Temple for the second time in A.D. 70

a Jewish philosopher who lived in Muslim Spain during the medieval period and who applied the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle to the biblical tradition and contributed Judaism's most famous statement of beliefs

holds that being Jewish and being completely involved in modern society are compatible

maintains that Torah is the standard of truth and that life within society must always conform to it; deeply traditional

somewhat open to change and modern ways, but is quite strict regarding observance of traditional Jewish practices

the Law, the Temple-service, and deeds of loving kindness

Torah

sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday; worship and rest

the new year

repentance through confession of sin

the Exodus of the Jews from bondage in Egypt

the point at which a child takes on the religious responsibilities of an adult and becomes responsible for observing the detailed practices of daily Jewish life

the bride and groom stand beneath the huppah, which creates a special, sacred space; seven blessings are read over a cup of wine; the groom breaks a wine glass beneath his foot

bridal canopy

the Hebrew name for the skullcap males are required to wear

a small container with a scroll on which the Shema is written, hung on many Jews' doors

the Hebrew term for Sabbath

Torah

prophets

writings