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Judaism (Mosaic Covenant (400 years after God made the covenant with…
Judaism
Mosaic Covenant
400 years after God made the covenant with Abraham, the Jews were slaves in Egypt under the rule of Pharaoh
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God chose Moses to go to Pharaoh and ask him to release the Jews - did this through the burning bush
When Pharaoh doesn't listen, God sends 10 plagues, and Pharaoh releases the Jews
God parts the Red Sea for the Jews and drowns the Egyptian army- allowing the Jews passage to the promised land
Mosaic covenant was when Moses went up Mt Sinai to pray, and was given the 10 commandments (The Decalogue) by God
Moses is gone for 40 days, and by the time he gets back the Jews are worshipping the statue of a golden cow. Moses breaks the 10 commandments in anger, and goes to get another set
4 commandments about God, 6 about how Jews should behave towards each other
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God will be the God of the Jews, and in return they shall obey his laws - reminds the Jews that they are God's 'chosen people'
Nature of God
Judaism is monotheistic - a religion that believes that there is only one God - God cannot be divided
Shema - a Jewish Prayer affirming the belief in the one God, found in the Torah
God is the creator. Due to his overwhelming significance, he sustains his creation, he is judge of their actions and treats them likewise, and is constantly at work by caring for his people
God as one
God is ever present in peoples lives - everything they see, hear and experience - they regard each experience as a meeting with God
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For Jews, God is a single, whole, indivisible entity who cannot be divided. He is infinite and eternal, beyond the full understanding of mankind - this makes him the only being who should be worshipped
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God as law giver
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Mitzvot - The Jewish rules on how to behave in life. For orthodox Jews there are 613 - eg. Kosher laws
Merciful
God shows compassion and forgiveness to humans - he has the power to punish them but he doesn't always use it
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Jews believe God rescued them from slavery in Egypt - he sent the 10 plagues to persuade Pharaoh to "Let my people go"
Shekinah
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In Torah seen as a cloud of dust and a cloud (pillar) of fire which lead the Jews safely through the desert to the promised land
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A sign of God's power - the angel of death (the 10th plague) is an example of how God can be merciless to the enemies if the Jews
Some Jews believe Shekinah is the feminine form of God, as Shekinah is a feminine word in Hebrew - this also shows that Judaism is relevant to the modern world view of equality between the genders
When the Jews arrived at the promised land, they built a temple that is said to have housed Gods spirit
Today the Ner Tamid is an eternal light always found in the Synagogue to represent that God is always present
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Shekinah allows God to be immanent (close) while maintaining his transcendence (Holiness) eg. through a pillar of fire, God brings warmth and light but getting too close will burn you
God as Judge
Jews believe God gave them laws to follow, and that God judges everyone in this life and after death
People are judged on their actions, behaviour and beliefs
Jews believe God judges fairly and is merciful so will will also accept a person can repent if they make mistakes
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Abrahamic Covenant
Abraham is considered to be the first Jew, to guide the religion
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Terms of the covenant
God promises
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To protect him (and the Jews) and to reward him (and the Jews) - "I will bless those who bless you, but curse those who curse you"
Abraham promises:
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Circumcise all boys at the age of 8 days - "You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you" Genesis 17
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Sanctity of life
Jews believe in Genesis - God creates all humans "In the image of God." He breathed life into Adam - therefore human life is holy and sacred as it was given by God
Life is sacred and belongs to God, so only God has the right to take it away - Jews must always preserve and protect life
Jews are therefore against euthanasia or assisted suicide, however, as technology helps to keep people alive, there is the ethical issue of would it be kinder to let that person die if they were suffering or in pain
The Torah teaches "He who destroys the soul of a human is considered to have destroyed the soul of the whole world. If he saves one soul, he saves the world"- Babylonian Talmud
Pikuach Nefesh
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Some say that the human body should be whole when buried, as it will be resurrected, while others say that is is an honour to save a life by using your organs to save someone else
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Evil and Free will
In order for God to have the ability to create the universe, he must be different from all species
He must be omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent (he is everywhere and anywhere at once)
Jews believe God created everything, therefore he must have also created evil, however when he creates evil he creates it in order to give humans free will
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Key Moral Principles
Justice
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It means bringing about what is right and fair in law, or making a wrong action right (repenting, attoning, forgiving)
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The Torah and prophets help Jews to bring about justice - show mercy, not revenge or anger
The Torah shows Jews how to treat the poor and vulnerable, and help with their wellbeing
"But let justice well up like water, righteousness like an unfailing stream." Amos 5:2
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Kindness to others
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The rules forbid murder and other negative actions, but also provide positive laws