top of page

JUDAISM

What is Judaism?

Judaism is one of the world’s oldest religions, and is the source of the Old Testament for all forms of Christianity. Their ultimate goal is to follow and serve Yahweh (YHWH). However, to follow and serve Him deeply is to follow the Ten Commandments, written in their holy scriptures which is the Tanakh.

​

The Tanakh is a collection of 24 books that are divided into three major parts: Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim.

The Torah contains their creation story and the earliest history and tradition of Judaism. It also contains their laws and teachings, including the Ten Commandments received by Moses from Yahweh. The Nevi’im contains details about their prophets and lastly, the Ketuvim or “writings” that express philosophical outlooks in life.

​

Over the years, the followers of this faith were called in various names. In the past, they were once called “Hebrews”, as much of their history is written in the Hebrew Bible (which Christians call it the Old Testament of their Bible). Currently, it is used to refer someone who takes part in Jewish culture.

Torah

Ketuvim

Tanakh

Origin and Short History

Judaism is founded by the covenant between Abraham and Yahweh about 3,500 years ago. 450 years later, a second covenant was made with Moses, when he freed the Jews from Egypt. There were also two sequential happenings that formed a single event: (a) The destruction of the temple of Jerusalem in 586 BCE; and (b) the rebuilding of the temple 3 generations later.

​

​

Over time, denominations of the Judaism were formed due to differences in their beliefs. There are three denominations:

​

  • Orthodox Judaism. They are traditionalists who prefer to follow practices as they were written in their scriptures.

​

  • Reform Judaism. They prefer to adapt new practices to blend in with European culture, and would rather abandon outdated beliefs.

​

  • Conservative Judaism. They try to reconcile the two aforementioned denominations by being open to change and also preserving old traditions.

Traditions and Beliefs

In terms of beliefs, the Jews believe in the coming of a Messiah. Unlike Christians, they do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah because for them, the Messiah has yet to come. They believe that the Messiah will be a political and military leader who will rule Israel as a model of the rest of the world.

​

Jews have dietary practices in which food consumption and handling must be done according to the religious laws. There are also specific rules of how to slaughter, cook, and serve animals which is called Kosher.

Jews reading scriptures

An Orthodox Jew following Kosher to properly slaughter a chicken.

The feast of the Passover is also one of the major celebrations in Judaism. It is celebrated for 8 days and it starts every 5th of Nisan, the beginning of the Jewish liturgical year. The Seder is the paschal meal shared by the family and the eve of the first day of the feast. The primary food ingested during the Passover is matzah or unleavened bread as it symbolizes freedom and liberation.

​

Information taken from the book “Introduction to World Religions” by Cornelio, J. et. al.

bottom of page