Judaism: Tradition and Change

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JudaismTradition and Change
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Distinctive characteristics

• Dialogical
• Jewish history is a continuing dialogue with
  God rooted in a covenant
• Both sidespeople and Godparticipate
• Often takes the form of argument in the Bible and
  rabbinic writings
• The dialogue is grounded in each sides
  obligations to covenant
• Adaptive
• Has changed, radically at times, to accommodate
  new cultures and new challenges while preserving
  essential tradition
• Ortho-praxis (right practice)
• Focus on keeping mitzvot (commandments) as
  expression of covenant
• Doctrine can vary widely

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Passion for Meaning

• The real impact of the ancient Jews, however,
  lies in the extent to which Western civilization
  took over their angle of vision on the deepest
  questions life poses (Smith, 271).

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Worldviews in Religion

• Theism
• cosmos is a divine creation which reveals Gods
  glory (55)
• Essentially good, but may be marred by hostile
  forces (55)
• Full of signs of Gods goodness and purpose (55),
  in both nature and history
• God continuously guides and sustains the cosmos
  (55)
• Animism Polytheism
• Cosmos is full of powers revealed through nature
  (56)
• May be one High God above all others
• Buddhism
• No beginning point of cosmos no creator
• Cosmos is an impermanent, vast series of
  interconnected events (59)
• Seeing the world as permanent is a barrier to
  enlightenment
• Materialism (ex Marx)
• Life can be explained through material causes
• Concept of God in an invention (60)

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Ancient Israel Historical setting

• Developed in Mesopotamia ca. 3000 yrs ago
• Tiny land, small group of people fighting for
  survival
• Surrounded by powerful empires that rise and fall
• Akkadia, Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Greece, Rome
• Yet incredibly influential in Western culture

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Genesis 11-24

• Different view of God and world than in Enuma
  Elish, an ancient Babylonian myth
• Jews exiled to Babylon 587-539 BCE
• Enuma Elish
• world created out of bodies of defeated gods
• human beings are slaves to the winning gods
• Genesis 1

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Key ideas

• Monotheistic
• Fundamental statement of belief Shema Yisrael
  Hear O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is
  One
• Contrasts with other Ancient Near Eastern
  religions
• Had multiple deities, consorts, were more like
  humans
• Also had fertility gods and rituals Creator
  might be hostile
• In contrast, Israels God is different from
  humans
• not male (no consort)
• Always draws contrast (Am I a man, that I should
  lie?)
• Calls humans to higher moral standards
• But, cares deeply about people

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Covenant

• Central idea in Judaism
• God is revealed in history
• History has an end goal, is meaningful
• Belief is lived out practically
• Covenants in Judaism
• God with Noah
• God with Abraham (Gen 12, 15, 17)
• Big one God with Moses and Israel on Mt. Sinai
  (book of Exodus)

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Exodus Story

• Central narrative in Judaism
• Paradigm continues to interpret new experiences
• Retold each year in the Seder meal of Passover
• Remembers past, and interprets present
  circumstances as an ongoing story of Gods
  liberation of the oppressed
• Story that establishes identity
• Of God as liberator
• Of Israel as a people of God
• Of their covenantal relationship each has
  obligations

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Seder

• Haggadah
• Traditional story, blessings, songs, prayers
• Yet flexible many versions
• Unites past, present, and future
• Foods symbols of Exodus story
• Cup for Elijah
• Roles for the kids

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Seder, cont.

• What makes this a ritual?
• What makes it meaningful?
• How does it disclose identity
• Of Jews (Settings, p. 134, 137)
• Of God
• What does it mean for Jews today?

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Ongoing development Rabbinic Judaism

• Major crisis destruction of Jerusalem Temple by
  Romans in 70 CE
• Need new ways to practice religion in diaspora,
  without a geographic center, Temple, or
  priesthood
• Rabbis present new adaptable model study and
  prayer in the synagogue and at home
• Focus on study
• Torah Hebrew Bible
• Talmud (400-500 CE) includes
• Mishnah (200 CE) record of oral tradition by
  rabbis
• Gemara commentary on Mishnah
• 613 mitzvot (commandments)
• Focus on ritual and prayer in home and synagogue
• Sabbath (shabbat), holidays, keeping mitzvot

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Major change Reform Judaism

• Assumption Jewish law, halachah, is an
  historical collection of human responses to the
  divine. (Synagogues, 100)
• Redefined Judaisms place in the modern world
  (101)
• Develops in 1800s Germany
• Time of Enlightenment
• Belief in universality of truth, known through
  reason
• Religion seen as valuable for teaching morals
• Questioned religious authorities, scriptures
• Legal changes
• Emancipation laws give Jews citizenship
• Many Jews see value in assimilating to European
  society
• Adapted rabbinic Judaism to modern life
• Focus on moral law and social justice
• Traditions are adaptable
• keeping kosher, observing Sabbath, studying Torah
  and Talmud critically

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Jewish Synagogue interior
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Movements of Judaism

• Orthodox
• About 10 of American Jews
• Majority of Jews in Europe, Israel
• Conservative
• Started in 1913 in U.S. as a middle ground
  between Reform and Orthodox
• About 40-43 of American Jews
• Reform
• About 35-40 of American Jews
• Reconstructionist
• Started in 1967 in U.S.