THE BIBLE
The Bible is the sacred book of
Judaism. Christians refer to the Jewish Bible as the Old Testament. It is a
collection of many books. Some books of the Bible tell the history of the Jewish
people and show how God was active in human events. Some books set down laws and
rules. Other books consist of poetry or speeches.
The first five books of the Bible
are especially sacred to Jews. These books are called the Torah. Religious Jews
believe the Torah to be the word of God.
HOW DID JUDAISM BEGIN?
Jews consider the biblical figure
Abraham to be the father of the Jewish people. According to Jewish belief, God
made a covenant or agreement with Abraham. God promised to look after the
descendants of Abraham as his chosen people. They, in turn, would believe in one
God and obey his commands.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
In the 1200s bc, the Jews were living as slaves in
Egypt. A leader named Moses led them to freedom. On the way to the promised land
of Canaan, Moses received a message from God. The message was the Ten
Commandments, the most basic laws of Judaism. The Ten Commandments tell how
people should behave toward one another as well as toward God. Judaism was one
of the first religions to put ethics, or good behavior, at its center.
THE DIASPORA
The Jews ruled a kingdom off and on
for six centuries. Their great kings included Saul, David, and Solomon.
Eventually, they lost their country, which they called Israel, and were forced
to scatter. This scattering is called the Diaspora. It has continued for 2,500
years. Judaism has continued to develop during the period of the Diaspora, as
the Jewish people focus on their communities, books, and religious ideas.
Some Jews believe that the Diaspora,
or exile from the land of Israel, was a punishment from God for disobeying his
laws. They believe that God will send a prophet or messiah to Earth one day. The
world will then end and all the people who ever lived will face God’s final
judgment.
JEWISH WORSHIP
Jews come together for prayer in a
building called a synagogue. An important part of the synagogue is a cabinet
that houses a scroll on which the Torah is written. A rabbi (Hebrew for
“teacher”) conducts the worship service at the synagogue. The service includes
prayers and readings from the Torah.
The Sabbath is a day of rest and
prayer for religious Jews. The Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday evening
and continues until sunset on Saturday. Religious Jews pray three times a day.
They avoid doing any work on the Sabbath.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are
known as the High Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Jewish New
Year. Yom Kippur comes ten days later. On this day, Jews fast (go without
food) and pray for forgiveness of their sins.
Other Jewish holidays mark events
in Jewish history. Passover, for example, celebrates the escape from slavery in
Egypt.
BRANCHES OF JUDAISM
Judaism today is divided into
three branches. These branches offer different ideas about how to stay religious
while living in the modern world. Orthodox Jews keep strictly to the ancient
ways stated in Jewish sacred texts and Jewish law. Conservative Jews believe
laws and traditions may change to fit the times, though not easily. Reform Jews
believe individuals can choose which traditions to follow.
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