Aarika Stanford

RLGN 1100
21 March 2020
Judaism

Judaism is one of the most ancient monotheistic religions, and it is the way of life and

practices for the Jews. It is important for people to understand that Judaism involves a nation

as well as a religion and culture. Those who claim to be Jewish follow principles given to them

from the Torah which derives from the Hebrew bible and are direct words from God. Judaism is

described by belief in the one God who revealed himself to Abraham and the prophets, and the

way of religious life in conjunction with His scriptures and teachings. Although there are

differing viewpoints on things such as afterlife in the Jewish community, it is the common belief

that followers of Judaism should repent and devote their lives to God in order to achieve the

covenant that was promised to Abraham.

Judaism is commonly referred to as an “ethical monotheism”, wherein the God

(referred to as YHWH in Hebrew) they serve is deemed as a compassionate and good divinity,

and one that has imparted His teachings upon the Jews and world to live by. This religion

emphasizes the “Oneness” of God, rejecting the Christian theory of YHWH in human form. The

singular God praised in Judaism is granted the role of the creator of earth, as well as the creator

of all living things that dwell the earth. This deity is often referred to as the “Infinite One”. In

Jewish religion, there are different views concerning the formation of the world and how

everything came to be. Although most people tend to believe that creation would be a positive

circumstance, in later mystics it is viewed more so as an error. The Lurianic system of Kabbalah
encourages the theory that there was a cosmic disturbance wherein the ten vessels God had

planned to hold the Sephirotic light with shattered which resulted in the existence of evil. That

evil was distributed into each human along with goodness, or “divine sparks”. By Lurianic belief,

the coming of the Messiah would correct this but until then, people are to liberate themselves

through repentance and devotion to God.

The Lurianic system of belief has had a large appeal with the followers of Judaism. As

taught by Rabbi Isaac Luria, YHWH withdrew into a void space in order to begin the process of

creating the earth. During this process, the Creator allowed light to enter the empty space,

which made a creative force into ten vessels called the Sephirot. As Brodd states, “the ten

‘vessels’ God had prepared… mysteriously shattered, leaving the material universe in disarray”

(371). This disturbance was the “true origin of evil and disorder in the world” according to Luria,

and it caused the distribution of sparks throughout the cosmos and into the soul of every

human. This theory suggests that all the sparks will be reunited with God in the end of time.

The fundamental and basic laws of Judaism are found in the teachings of the Torah. The

Torah is the first five books of the Hebrew bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and

Deuteronomy. This word is also commonly used referring to a commentary anthology known as

the “Oral Torah” or the “Talmud”. The sacred scripture of the Torah implies communication

between God and humans, and trustworthy nature of those who have divine speech and

wisdom. The teachings of the Torah are set in place to show human beings how to achieve

righteousness though God by aligning their will with His. This will result in a peaceful and

absolved world. It is believed that all people are created in the image of God, merciful and just,

yet there are still evil aspects about every person, therefore making them divided between
good and bad. Mystical tradition suggests that this issue can be fixed by prayer, study, and

meditation, all of which show a devotion to YHWH. Other teachings, such as the Ten

Commandments, demonstrate the Israeli covenant that was created with God. God promised

Abraham land and numerous descendants under the condition that the people of Israel would

keep his laws and obey Him. This covenant calls for continuous and active service of God’s

purpose for the nation of Israel and the world.

The commandments under which the Jewish people study was designed to allow

humans to reach their full potential through YHWH, or to achieve righteousness. These

scriptures create communication with God and humans. By aligning human will with the will of

God, followers of Judaism get closer to righteousness, and they do this by studying the

principles from the word of God. The goal of Israel is “becoming a ‘holy nation’ completely

obedient of His will, and second, by representing God to the peoples of the world who have no

knowledge of His existence” (Brodd, 367). As well as becoming liberated people themselves, it

is the mission of Judaism to extend their knowledge to everyone in the world. This will hold

them true to the covenant previously made with God and requires active devotion to the

teachings the Israelites are given.

Judaism does not hold to the notion that humans are utterly evil, or hopeless for moral

and spiritual advancements. Instead, it holds true that everyone can attain religious wisdom,

then applying it to the way they live. The purpose of Jewish people is to attain universal and

political justice and peace. They do this through rituals, prayers, and ethical actions, ways that

embody the Torah. The afterlife is a subject that differs among biblical texts. Most writers claim

the death of the body to be a passage to the underworld while other texts, such as the Second
Book of Kings, depict a miraculous transition from life to afterlife wherein the prophet Elijah

ascended to heaven on a fiery chariot. The rabbinic era created the vaguely described belief of

a “world-to-come”. It does not entail details as to whether the departed enter the new world

after death or if there will be an ultimate judgment under the law of God. The subject of

afterlife remains in question today for Jews.

Judaism remains an enthusiastic religion in that they believe everyone has the chance to

become a morally correct individual, and that humanity can in fact make progress. They believe

anyone can become a Jew and create a good life after death. As far as the afterlife, there are

several different outlooks on it. For example, the Book of Daniel introduces the reference to the

dead rising to life again, and the Second Book of Kings depicts a fiery ride into heaven. In

mainstream Judaism the idea of a “world-to-come” is widely accepted, but to the extent to

which would take place is not clear. Brodd states, “questions such as whether the departed

enter the world-to-come automatically upon death or only after some ultimate judgment has

been passed upon that soul by God… were left unanswered” (370). There are so many

questions surrounding death and afterlife, and these questions are answerable by only God,

therefore making it hard for some to encourage this theory. Many reform-minded Jews

disregarded this belief as “folk belief” because there is no evidence to support the claim of

existence beyond this earth.

The monotheistic religion of Judaism encourages those who follow it to abide by the

Torah (Hebrew, “laws”). A religious Jew ties faith and holiness into daily acts, to serve YHWH

and honor the things he has done. Judaism itself means “living the faith”, and it is clear they

take this in great regard by living by the Torah, a principled framework and the basis of all the
biblical commandments. Although there are ways in the Jewish community that are not directly

agreed upon, they all emphasize the importance of being devoted and spreading the word and

love of God to other people, thus keeping the covenant between the people of Israel and God.
 Works Cited

Brodd, Jeffrey, et al. Invitation to World Religions. Oxford University Press, 2019.