Dialogue Essay
Dialogue Essay
Dialogue Essay
Dr. Leap
Faith, Religion, and Society
6 December 2020
Judaism Teachings
Throughout this class I was able to expand my knowledge on Judaism; I had only known
the basics of this religion. I have learned a lot about the social teachings, theological framework,
and the contribution to civic engagement of Judaism. I learned how much Judaism cares for and
respects people and the environment. This religion believes that there is only one God, and God
wants all people to be compassionate and do what is just. This religion also believes that God is
neither female or male, has always and will always exist, is everywhere, and chooses to act in a
way that is fair and just ("Jewish beliefs").
Before this class, I did not realize how much of a family faith Judaism was. The first
ceremonies celebrated happen on the eighth day of life, so this is a religion that starts very early.
Many of the ceremonies celebrated by Judaism are about bringing families together and resting.
Jewish celebrations are different from Christian celebrations because they prohibit work on
certain days and for a certain amount of time. Jewish celebrations also prohibit food and drinks
for certain lengths of time, as well as certain foods in general; foods with yeast should not be
eaten during for Passover.
Jewish Americans are highly involved in their communities and civic life; many Jewish
people believe that Jewish traditions encourage engagement in their communities (Eliach and
Kaplowitz). Most Jewish Americans participate in civic engagement not only because they are
Jewish, but also because it is the right thing to do. I think Judaism is a very community focused
religion because it puts emphasis on helping people and doing the right thing. Jewish people are
involved in and pursue different political, social, and educational goals, and this is because while
they are all Jewish, they are all still their own person.
The Jewish Bible, known as the Tanakh in Hebrew, is comprised of many books; the
Pentateuch (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi’im), and the Writings (Ketuvim) ("Jewish sources"). The
Torah is the most known of all Judaism texts. The Torah, which is made of the first five books of
the Tanakh, is used to outline the laws that Jews are meant to follow. These laws were revealed
to Moses by God and were recorded in these five books. The Nevi’im is divided into two
sections. The first section of Nevi’im is the Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and
Kings. The second section of Nevi’im included the Latter Prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel;
and the Twelve Prophets of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Nevi'im).
The Ketuvim is divided into four sections: the poetical books, the Megillot (Scrolls), the
prophecy, and history. Poetical books include Psalms, Proverbs, and Job; the Scrolls include the
Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Ester; the prophecy is
Daniel; and history includes Ezra, Nehemiah, and the first and second Chronicles. (The Editors
of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ketuvim).
Judaism has a very long and very storied history. Judaism is almost 4,000 years old and
has a rich heritage of law, culture, and tradition (Editors). According to Time, the global Jewish
population is 14.2 million people. Jewish people have faced many trials throughout the religion’s
history. Those who follow Judaism understand how precious life is, and that you always need to
do what is fair and just. Jewish people love to help their communities because it is right, and it is
supported by their values. I think this religion is very much about helping yourself, others, and
the environment and animals. The Torah presents the laws Jews are to follow, and all of those
rules are about respecting human life and the environment. I think the meaning of life, through
Judaism, is about creating an environment that is safe and healthy for everyone and everything.
In Judaism, it is believed that there is only one God, and that God created the universe
and everything in it. Judaism follows the beliefs that God’s Creation, everything, is good and that
humanity should view God’s Creation and their place in it with love and awe. The Torah, the
most important book in Judaism, prohibits both the wasteful consumption of anything and the
extinction of species and causing undo harm and pain to non-human creatures (Troster). Wasting
resources is a direct violation of the commandment of Bah Tashhit. Humans are, according to
Judaism, created in the image of God and are given an obligation to save human life. Humans
were put on the earth by God to act as agents and to realize God’s presence; human beings are
the only things in Creation that have the power to disrupt it (Troster). The obligation to save
human life comes from Leviticus 18:5 and Leviticus 19:28.
Environmental justice is seen as a Jewish value; the Torah includes multiple laws that
strive to rectify the power and economic imbalances in Creation and human society. The Torah
included programs, Exodus 22:24-26, Leviticus 25:36-37, Deuteronomy 23:20-1, 24:6,10-13,17,
for creating a balanced distribution of resources across society (Troster). Humans are the cause
of any imbalances that are created in society and the natural world, so it is their responsibility to
fix those imbalances. “The Jewish concept of Tzedek demands that we create a worldwide
economy that is sustainable and that is equitable in the distribution of wealth and resources.”
(Troster). A major theme in modern Jewish social justice theology is tikkun olam. Tikkun olam
is expressed as an “activity that must be done by humans in partnership with God.” (Troster).
Humans as a whole have damaged the world with their ignorance and greed. It is important that
we fix the issues we have created, because there is no one else but us that can repair it.
I learned the most from the assigned readings from Complete Idiot's Guide on Judaism. I
knew the basics of Judaism, but I did not know the specifics of the celebrations and traditions. I
did not know what foods and drinks Jewish people had to abstain from for each, and I did not
know when exactly work was prohibited. I did not know that the Brit Milah and Brit Bat were
performed on the eighth day of life. I like that I was able to get a better insight into all of the
celebrations and traditions because I think it is important to know as much as you can about
different religions so you can treat everyone with respect and a part of that is respect for their
religion. The most surprising thing I learned was how much of a family faith this religion was. I
did not realize hoe important group prayer was to Judaism; some prayers may not be said unless
you are in a group, and each prayer has a different time to be done. I never would have thought
that you had to wait until a certain time of day and day of month in order to say a prayer.
Works Cited
"Jewish beliefs". Religions - Judaism: Jewish beliefs. 14 September 2009.
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/beliefs/beliefs_1.shtml>.
"Jewish sources". Jewish sources of authority - Sacred texts - GCSE Religious Studies Revision -
WJEC - BBC Bitesize. n.d. n.d. n.d.
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z99ky4j/revision/1>.
Editors, History.com. Judaism. 5 January 2018.
<https://www.history.com/topics/religion/judaism#:~:text=Judaism%201%20Judaism
%20Beliefs.%20Jewish%20people%20believe%20there%E2%80%99s,10%20Types
%20of%20Judaism.%20...%20More%20items...%20>.
Eliach, Ayalon and Rella Kaplowitz. Connecting the Dots: American Jews and Civic
Engagement. 29 February 2020. <https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/connecting-the-dots-
american-jews-and-civic-engagement/>.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Ketuvim. n.d. n.d. n.d.
<https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ketuvim>.
—. Nevi'im. n.d. n.d. n.d. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Neviim>.
Troster, Rabbi Lawrence. 10 Teachings On Judaism And The Environment. 6 June 2011.
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/10-teachings-on-judaism-a_b_844973>.