Why is judaism a revealed religion

Institutionally, the synagogue which had existed before AD 70 and the rabbinic study house replaced the Temple that had been destroyed. Medieval Judaism The rabbinization of all Jewry, including the growing Mediterranean and European Diasporas, was a gradual process that had to overcome sharp challenges from the Karaites and other antirabbinic movements.

The Arab conquest of the Middle East in the 7th century by Islamic Arab armies facilitated the spread of a uniform rabbinic Judaism. Thus, the hegemony over Jewry passed from Palestine to Babylonia, and the Babylonian Talmud came to be the most authoritative rabbinic document. In the cultural ambit of Islam, rabbinic Judaism encountered Greek philosophy as recovered and interpreted by Islamic commentators.

Rabbinic intellectuals began to cultivate philosophy to defend Judaism against the polemics of Islamic theologians and to demonstrate to other Jews the rationality of their revealed faith and law. Medieval Jewish philosophy typically concerns the attributes of God, miracles, prophecy revelation , and the rationality of the commandments. The most notable philosophical interpretations of Judaism were put forth by Babylonian gaon Saadia ben Joseph in the 9th century, Judah Ha-Levi in the 12th century, and, preeminently, Moses ben Maimon Maimonides in the 12th century Guide for the Perplexed, ?

The exposure to systematic logic also affected rabbinic legal studies in the Islamic world and is evident in numerous posttalmudic codifications of Jewish law, the most famous being Maimonides' elegant Mishneh Torah.

Philosophy and systematic legal codification were distinctly Sephardic activities and were opposed by the Ashkenazim, who preferred intensive study of the Babylonian Talmud.

Throughout the medieval period, Judaism was continually revitalized by mystical and ethical-pietistic movements. The Cabala is an esoteric theosophy, containing elements of Gnosticism and Neoplatonism , that describes the dynamic nature of the godhead and offers a powerful symbolic interpretation of the Torah and the commandments.

It began in small, elite scholarly circles but became a major popular movement after the calamitous expulsion of the Jews from Catholic Spain in The spread of the Cabala was facilitated by the mythical, messianic reinterpretation of it made by Isaac Luria of Safed.

Lurianic Cabala explained to the exiles the cosmic meaning of their suffering and gave them a crucial role in the cosmic drama of redemption. Luria's ideas paved the way for a major messianic upheaval, centered around the figure of Sabbatai Zevi, which affected all Jewry in the 17th century.

They also influenced the popular 18th-century Polish revival movement called Hasidism. Begun by Israel Baal Shem Tov, Hasidism proclaimed that, through fervent, rapturous devotion, the poor, unlearned Jew could serve God better than the Talmudist. Rabbinic opposition to Hasidism was eventually mitigated in the face of a more serious threat to both groups: the western European see Age of Enlightenment and the various modernizing movements that it generated within Judaism.

Modern Tendencies The civil emancipation of European Jewry, a process complicated by lingering anti-Jewish sentiment, evoked different reformulations of Judaism in western and eastern Europe. In the west particularly in Germany Judaism was reformulated as a religious confession like modern Protestantism. The German Reform movement abandoned the hope of a return to Zion the Jewish homeland , shortened and aestheticized the worship service, emphasized sermons in the vernacular, and rejected as archaic much Jewish law and custom.

The Reform rabbi took on many of the roles of the Protestant minister. Hegel, emphasized ethics and a belief in human progress. Right-wing Reformers, led by Zacharias Frankel, favored the retention of Hebrew and more traditional customs. Modern Orthodoxy, championed by Samson R.

Hirsch in opposition to the Reformers, sought a blend of traditional Judaism and modern learning. In eastern Europe, where Jews formed a large and distinctive social group, modernization of Judaism took the form of cultural and ethnic nationalism.

Like the other resurgent national movements in the east, the Jewish movement emphasized the revitalization of the national language Hebrew; later also Yiddish and the creation of a modern, secular literature and culture. Zionism , the movement to create a modern Jewish society in the ancient homeland, took firm hold in eastern Europe after its initial formulations by Leo Pinsker in Russia and Theodor Herzl in Austria. Zionism was a secular ideology but it powerfully evoked and was rooted in traditional Judaic messianism, and it ultimately led to the creation of the state of Israel in Judaism in America The contemporary American Jewish community is descended largely from central European Jews who immigrated in the midth century and, particularly, from eastern European Jews who arrived between and , as well as more recent refugees from, and survivors of, the Holocaust.

The multiple forms of Judaism in America—Reform, Conservative, Orthodox—have resulted from the adaptation of these Jewish immigrant groups to American life and their accommodation to one another.

Institutionally, Judaism in America has adopted the strongly congregationalist structure of American Christianity. Although affiliated with national movements, most congregations retain considerable autonomy. Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, the first movement to define itself, was largely German at the outset. In America, it was influenced by liberal Protestantism and particularly by the Social Gospel movement.

Its national institutions, all founded in the s and s by Isaac M. Once the bastion of religious rationalism, the Reform movement since the s has put more emphasis on Jewish peoplehood and traditional religious culture.

Its orientation remains liberal and nonauthoritarian. The Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, ordained its first woman rabbi in , and the Reform movement has worked to increase the participation of women in religious ritual.

In the year Reform rabbis voted to affirm gay and lesbian unions. While supporting same-sex unions, the CCAR, which passed the resolution, left it to individual rabbis to decide whether to perform such ceremonies and what kind of ritual to use.

Conservative Judaism The Conservative movement embodies the sense of community and folk piety of modernizing eastern European Jews. It respects traditional Jewish law and practice while advocating a flexible approach to Halakah.

An offshoot of the Conservative movement is the Reconstructionist movement founded by Mordecai M. Kaplan in the s. Reconstructionism advocates religious naturalism while emphasizing Jewish peoplehood and culture. Reconstructionists began to ordain women rabbis in the s, and in the JTSA voted to admit women to its rabbinical program and ordain them as Conservative rabbis.

Orthodoxy American Orthodoxy is not so much a movement as a spectrum of traditionalist groups, ranging from the modern Orthodox, who try to integrate traditional observance with modern life, to some Hasidic sects that attempt to shut out the modern world. The immigration to America of many traditionalist and Hasidic survivors of the Holocaust has strengthened American Orthodoxy.

No single national institution represents all Orthodox groups. The Synagogue Council of America is a forum for discussion and joint action among these movements.

Significance of Israel American Judaism has been profoundly affected by the Nazi destruction of European Jewry and the founding of the modern state of Israel. The Holocaust and Israel are closely linked in the perceptions of most contemporary Jews as symbols of collective death and rebirth—profoundly religious themes.

Israel has a religious dimension, embodying Jewish self-respect and the promise of messianic fulfillment. All movements in American Judaism excepting the ultra-Orthodox sectarians have become more Israel-oriented in the past decades. Both the Reform and Conservative movements have been striving to achieve legal recognition and equal status with Orthodoxy in the state of Israel, where marriage, divorce, and conversion are controlled by the Orthodox rabbinate, which is backed in the government by the important National Religious Party.

Special thanks to the Microsoft Corporation for their contribution to our site. The information above came from Microsoft Encarta. Here is a hyperlink to the Microsoft Encarta home page. Some of these links also have links to explore.. Academic Jewish Studies Internet Directory "Comprehensive list of links to academic associations, research institutes, study programs, libraries, archives, e-mail discussion groups and other WWW resources in the field of academic Jewish Studies worldwide.

By Steve Ruttenberg, University of Colorado. In , the network moved to the University of Minnesota, and in it became part of the H-Net Consortium in collaboration with the Shamash Project. We are searching for a common thread of knowledge, belief and practice that can be agreed upon and used to unify Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews.

We support amateur Torah scholarship and provide resources to beginning students of Biblical Hebrew and Torah. The Center provides information and advice to people who are considering converting to Judaism and to those who have converted.

The online exhibit includes images of 12 scroll fragments and 29 other objects loaned by the Israel Antiquities Authority. Later, the Talmud, a collection of teachings and commentaries on Jewish law, was created. The Talmud contains the Mishnah and another text known as the Gemara which examines the Mishnah.

It includes the interpretations of thousands of rabbis and outlines the importance of commandments of Jewish law. The first version of the Talmud was finalized around the 3rd century A. The second form was completed during the 5th century A. Judaism embraces several other written texts and commentaries. One example is the 13 Articles of Faith, which was written by a Jewish philosopher named Maimonides. Shabbat is recognized as a day of rest and prayer for Jews.

It typically begins at sunset on Friday and lasts until nightfall on Saturday. Observing Shabbat can take many forms, depending on the type of Judaism that a Jewish family may follow.

Orthodox and Conservative Jews, for example, may refrain from performing any physical labor, using any electrical device or other prohibited activities. Most observant Jews celebrate Shabbat by reading or discussing the Torah, attending a synagogue or socializing with other Jews at Shabbat meals. Throughout history, Jewish people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs.

Some well-known events include:. The group also kidnapped and crucified Joseph ibn Naghrela, the Jewish vizier to the Berber king.

The First Crusade: In the first of the Crusades —a series of medieval holy wars involving Christians and Muslims—thousands of Jews were killed, and many were forced to convert to Christianity. Experts estimate about , people were ousted and tens of thousands died while trying to reach safety.

The Holocaust: In the Holocaust , the most infamous of modern-day atrocities, the Nazis murdered more than 6 million Jews. During and after the Holocaust, many Jews returned to their homeland in the Middle East region known as Palestine and embraced Zionism , a movement for the creation of a Jewish state that emerged in 19th-century Europe.

In , Israel officially became an independent nation. David Ben-Gurion , one of the leading promoters of a Jewish nation state, was given the title of prime minister. This event was considered a success for the Jewish people who had tirelessly petitioned for an independent state in their homeland.

However, tensions between Jews and Arabs living in Palestine escalated in the years since Israel became a state and are still ongoing today. Orthodox Judaism : Orthodox Jews are typically known for their strict observance of traditional Jewish law and rituals. Orthodox Judaism is a diverse sect that includes several subgroups, including Hasidic Jews. Today, some Jewish people have a mezuzah holding the Shema on their doorpost or gate as a reminder of the oneness of God.

Jews believe that God created the world and everything in it. In Genesis 2, Jews learn that God created humans from dust:. The Torah teaches that the world belongs to God because he created it. Jews believe that God gave laws to the Jewish people so that they may live in a way that pleases him. Kuzari IV For Yehudah Halevi, Israel is a chosen people, who transform the world.

Other religions share a common root of Judaism; all religions are of the same tree with Judaism as the trunk. Many misread Yehudah Halevi's position as teaching the uniqueness of Judaism and the corollary falseness of other religions; we are true and they are wrong. However, as the above passage shows, the correct reading is that the other religions are only limbs on the trunk of Judaism. Even Halevi's limiting of prophecy to Judaism does not preclude the availability of some form of revelation for all.

The book itself opens with a story of a king getting inspiration from God through a true dream and thereby coming to learn of the higher Mosaic revelation. While I dealt with Yehudah Halevi, some of the same sentiments are found in Maimonides' writings, embedded within a more theologically contradictory halakhic grid. The complexity of Maimonides' position is beyond the scope of this paper. Yaakov Emden is an exemplar of a traditionalist pulpit rabbi and talmudist in Hamburg responding to the Eighteenth century Enlightenment and ideals of tolerance all around him.

He stretches the traditional inclusivist position into universal directions. We should consider Christians and Moslems as instruments for the fulfillment of the prophecy that the knowledge of God will one day spread throughout the earth.

Whereas the nations before them worshipped idols, denied God's existence, and thus did not recognize God's power or retribution, the rise of Christianity and Islam served to spread among the nations, to the furthest ends of the earth, the knowledge that there is One God who rules the world, who rewards and punishes and reveals Himself to man.

Indeed, Christian scholars have not only won acceptance among the nations for the revelation of the Written Torah but have also defended God's Oral Law. For when, in their hostility to the Torah, ruthless persons in their own midst sought to abrogate and uproot the Talmud, others from among them arose to defend it and to repulse the attempts.

Commentary to Pirkey Avot, Other religions share our God who commands on Sinai and rewards and punishes and acknowledge our scripture; accordingly, they have become our allies in this world. Emden's abstraction of the concept of Mosaic Torah as the acceptance of Scripture, allows him to view Christians and Moslems as sharing our devotion to Torah even if they do not accept the laws. Emden presents a model of interreligious cooperation premised on a shared premodern world of dogma and belief in God.

In contrast, his younger contemporary Mendelssohn contended that respect can only exist in a realm of secular modernity and tolerance based on universal truths. For Emden, respect is based on our shared commitment to God, His commands, and His providence.

Emden can serve as a model of a Rabbinic scholar willing listen and show a deep respect for another faith community and its scripture.

Emden also offers a unique model of a Rabbinic Jew reading the New Testament as part of the Jewish mission. Samson Raphael Hirsch was the Frankfort pulpit Rabbi and ideologue behind the Neo-Orthodox philosophy of remaining Torah-true while accepting the cultural, aesthetic, and intellectual mores of the wider culture.

Our example here of this ideology is his acceptance of Western civil society provided that the Jewish religion serves as a light unto the nations. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great; become a blessing.

Genesis The people of Abraham, in private and in public, follow one calling: to become a blessing. They dedicate themselves to the Divine purpose of bringing happiness to the world by serving as model for all nations and to restore mankind to the pure spiritual status that Adam had possessed. God will grant His blessing of the renewal of life and the awakening and enlightenment of the nations, and the name of the People of Abraham shall shine forth. Commentary on Genesis, ad loc.

It is not only a tool by which to interpret non-Jewish religions, but serves as a consistent trope in his interpretations of the mitzvoth. Jews are to be role models, spreading the enlightenment of experienced, non-intellectual knowledge of God to all. Hirsch bases this theology on his direct readings of the words of scripture mediated by the thirteenth-century commentary of Rabbi David Kimkhi, who had already explained the verses as teaching that the goal of Judaism is to be a Light unto the Nations.

There is no talk of roots and branches, but rather of models and influences. These traits make him a useful starting point for contemporary Jewish theologies without metaphysics. His writings embrace modernism by offering a vision of the restored land of Israel, at once evolutionary and Hegelian while at the same time mystical and messianic. His influence is widespread and influential as a Zionist dream of renewal of religious Judaism.

As for other religions, in my opinion, it is not the goal of Israel's light to uproot or destroy them, just as we do not aim for the general destruction of the world and all its nations, but rather their correction and elevation, the removal of dross.

Then, of themselves, they shall join the Source of Israel, from whence a dew of light will flow over them. Iggrot ha-Rayah It is necessary to study all the wisdoms in the world, all ways of life, all different cultures, along with the ethical systems and religions of all nations and languages, so that, with greatness of soul, one will know how to purify them all.

Arpelei Tohar Rav Kook acknowledges that other nations have other religions, and that many of them are based on the Torah. He obviously does not mean Torah in the narrow sense, but recognition that religions bring God's presence into the world. The precise meaning and method of purifying the other religions is left unanswered, shrouded behind the vision of renewal. One can encounter and empirically study them. Yet, it is a Jewish task to purify these other religions.

The actual process, however, of study, purification, and unification is left frustratingly vague. The Historical inclusivist approach enables Judaism to respect and appreciate Islam and Christianity on its own terms, if not on theirs. Like its metaphysical variation, it transforms the millennia of Diaspora into part of the redemptive progress of history, with all that entails for remembering and feeling the pains accumulated along the way.

In this second variation of the inclusive approach, non-Jewish religion finds its place not as part of a historical progression, but in the metaphysical realm. Other religions will be seen not as means of bringing individuals or nations to God the historical approach but as binding themselves to metaphysical realms just as Israel is bound to God.

The drama we see here on Earth is just a manifestation or epiphenomenon of the metaphysical situation. Rabbi Yosef Gikkitila, one of the foremost Kabbalists of the thirteenth century, was the author of the classic introduction to Jewish theosophy, Gates of Light.

The ability to differentiate attributes of God into a vertical hierarchy allows him to differentiate religions. When God unites with Israel and one merges with the other, then all the heavenly princes will be made into one group to worship God, may He be Blessed.

They will all serve the community of Israel, because it is from her that they will be sustained. In classical contexts, it enables a distinction between direct Divine providence granted to Jews, and the indirect guidance granted through the ministering angels to the other nations.

Here, Gikkitila is adding the notion of the Divine names. The apparent implication is that the religions of the gentiles provide access to some of the names of God, even if not as directly as does Judaism, which connects Israel to the greatest and most powerful of names, YHVH. All the nations are sustained by the single Divine name, only known in the other religions through a glass darkly.

Therefore there is one single God of creation; currently that unified perspective is veiled but eventually God will reveal Himself fully to all. There are many variants on this approach; all of them accepting metaphysical structures. See R. Elijah Benamozegh below as an example. These metaphysical constructs indicate a basis for Jewish-Christian respect and encounter not predicated on any of the non-religious principals of modernity.

In this, it might be a particularly useful basis for discussions with metaphysically-inclined churches; I can envision a mutual encounter with the Greek Orthodox Church concerning theories of Divine glory, blessings and energies. However, metaphysical models are limited in their utility in an era where few embrace, or even understand, metaphysical language.

Premising our encounter on a theology of angels and the power of Divine names would not be prudent for a Jewish community which put little stock in either. This position looks neither ahead to the future conclusion of history nor up to the supernal realm. Rather, it understands other religions by looking around in the present and back to the past: We are all children of Adam, created in the image of God and in relation with God. Lacking eschatology and metaphysics, this position proved particularly popular in the latter part of the 20 th century.

Ovadiah Seforno was a rabbi, rabbinic scholar, exegete, and philosopher in Renaissance Italy. He is noted for teaching Torah to gentiles, and dedicating his theological work, Light of the Nations , to King Henry of England. He suggests that Christians share with Jews this universal relationship with God and all humanity is the chosen people. However, after the Fall of Adam when humanity turned towards materialism, then Jews and the pious of the other nations are more special.

He uniquely proffers only a quantitative difference between Judaism and the other faiths. And you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation unto Me. For Seforno, all humanity is beloved by God and chosen from amongst all creation. As Zephaniah has prophecied, the nations will in messianic times all call upon God. The universal and the particular; The image of God and our commitment to Bible as understood by Rabbinic literature, Torah study, ritual law, and peoplehood.

As we have seen, for the exclusivist thinkers, Judaism is the sole path to God; those who are not Jews are at best bystanders in the Divine scheme, and at worst antagonists. This view can be found in some Talmudic texts and in many later commentators. Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhak, the great eleventh-century commentator on the Bible and Talmud is a standard in the Jewish curriculum.

Because Rashi is seen as the indispensable commentator, it is difficult to overstate his influence on contemporary discourse. He cites many of the polemical and negative rabbinic statements about gentiles or their typological equivalents in Noah, Esau, and Bilaam.

Even his very first comment on the Bible contains his own gloss on the Midrash, viewing the gentiles as armed robbers. Commentary to Exodus