Day 6 Jewish Beliefs

Jewish Beliefs

Jewish Beliefs Anchor Their Society 

• Religion is the foundation upon which the Jews base their whole society. In fact, much of Jewish culture is based directly on Jewish beliefs.

• The central beliefs of Judaism are beliefs in God, education, justice, and obedience. 

Multiple Choice

What are the 4 central beliefs?

• God, education, justice, and obedience.

• God, right and wrong, justice, and obedience.

• Right and wrong, education, justice, and obedience.

Belief in One God

• Most importantly, Jews believe in one God. The Hebrew name for God is YHWH, which is never pronounced by Jews, as it is considered too holy.

• The belief in only one God is called monotheism.

• Many people believe that Judaism was the world’s first monotheistic religion. It is the oldest such religion that is still widely practiced today. 

Multiple Choice

What is the belief in only one God is called?

• Polytheism

• Monotheism.

• Mototheism

Belief in Education 

• Another central element of Judaism is education and study. Teaching children the basics of Judaism has always been important in Jewish society.

• In ancient Jewish communities, older boys—but not girls— studied with professional teachers to learn their religion.

• Even today, education and study are central to Jewish life. 

Justice

• Also central to the Jews’ religion are the ideas of justice and righteousness.

• To Jews, justice means kindness and fairness in dealing with other people. Everyone deserves justice, even strangers and criminals.

• Jews are expected to give aid to those who need it, including the poor, the sick, and orphans.

Multiple Choice

The Jews believe that everyone deserves justice, even strangers and criminals.

Righteousness

• Righteousness refers to doing what is proper.

• Jews are supposed to behave properly, even if others around them do not.

• For the Jews, righteous behavior is more important than formal ceremonies. 

Multiple Choice

Jews are supposed to

• behave on impulse

• behave properly, even if others around them do not.

• behave properly, and join others around.

Observance of Religious and

Moral Law

• Observance of the law is closely related to justice and righteousness.

• Moral and religious laws have guided Jews through their history and continue to do so today.

• Jews believe that God gave them these laws to follow. 

Mosaic Law

• The most important Jewish laws are the Ten Commandments. The commandments, however, are only part of Jewish law.

• Jews believe that Moses recorded a whole system of laws that God had set down for them to obey.

• Named for Moses, this system is called Mosaic law. 

Multiple Choice

Jews believe that Moses recorded a whole system of laws that God had set down for them to obey. These laws are called the

• Ten Commandments

• Mosaic Laws

• Moses Laws

Mosaic laws guide many areas of Jews’ daily lives.

• For example, Mosaic law governs how people pray and celebrate holidays.

• The laws forbid Jews to work on holidays or on the Sabbath, the seventh day of each week.

• The Sabbath is a day of rest because, in Jewish tradition, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. The Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown Friday and ends at nightfall Saturday, the seventh day of the week. 

Kosher

• Among the Mosaic laws are rules about the foods that Jews can eat and rules that must be followed in preparing them.

• The laws state that Jews cannot eat pork or shellfish, which are thought to be unclean.

• Other laws say that meat has to be killed and prepared in a way that makes it acceptable for Jews to eat.

Jewish Communities

• In many Jewish communities today, people still strictly follow Mosaic law. They are called Orthodox Jews. 

• The Conservative Jews fall in the middle.

• Reform Jews choose not to follow many of the ancient laws.

Multiple Choice

What does "Orthodox" mean?

• strictly follow

• kind of follow

Open Ended

What do Mosaic Laws mean? Give as much information that you can.