Judaism: The Basics »

The oldest of the world’s major faiths, Judaism as practiced today represents a tradition that goes back nearly 6,000 years. Accessible and wide-ranging, Judaism: The Basics is a must-have resource covering the stories, beliefs and expressions of that tradition.

Key topics covered include:

• the Torah


• Israel – the state and its people


• Passover


• Reform Judaism, Orthodox Judaism and Zionism


• the impact of the Holocaust.

With a glossary of terms and extensive suggestions for further reading, Judaism: The Basics is an essential guide through the rich intricacies of the Jewish faith and people.

Preface     ix
Acknowledgments     xiii
Introduction: Defining Judaism     1
Religion as a cultural system: Ethos, ethics, ethnos     1
Judaism: The social entity, its way of life and worldview     2
What question does Judaism ask and what answer does it set forth?     3
Judaism and the Jews     5
The Israelite people, the Israeli state     7
Judaism Through Story     9
Defining Judaism through stories     11
Scripture and the narrative repertoire of Judaism     13
Which books of Scripture tell the story? The Torah and the former prophets     13
The latter prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets     18
The writings     18
From the history of ancient Israel to a narrative of the human condition     19
Adam, Eve and Eden, Israel and the Land     20
Adam and Israel: The parallel stories     21
Who and what is Israel?     25
Supplying the sustaining script     25
Israel and the nations     29
Five great occasions of basic Judaism     35
The community of Judaism and Passover     38
How Passover defines Judaism     38
The lesson ofPassover     39
Who and what is Israel?     41
The story of Passover perpetually present     44
The Israelite before God and the Days of Awe     47
A different kind of narrative     47
The narrative of the Days of Awe: The New Year, the Day of Remembrance     48
Rosh Hashanah, the New Year: The birthday of the world     52
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement     54
New beginnings on the Day of Atonement     56
Sukkot / the Festival of Tabernacles     58
The individual Israelite and Israel in history: the Huppah; the Covenant of Abraham; eating lunch     61
How the marriage rite (Huppah) defines the bride and groom within the narratives of Judaism     62
How the rite of the Covenant of Abraham (circumcision) defines the newborn son within the narratives of Judaism     66
How the Grace after Meals situates the Israelite within the narratives of Judaism     70
Judaism in Behavior and Belief     75
The purpose of the Law, the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath     77
The 613 Commandments and their single purpose     79
"'What is hateful to you, to your fellow don't do.' That's the entirety of the Torah; everything else is elaboration. So go, study!"     80
"Study is greater, for study brings about action"      81
The Ten Commandments     83
The Sabbath     89
God is One, merciful and just     92
Ethical monotheism     93
God represented as one     94
The creed of Judaism: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One"     95
How does the Torah prove the justice of God?     98
"Measure for Measure" illustrated by the ordeal of the wife accused of adultery     100
The problem of evil     101
How Judaic monotheism solves the problem of evil     101
How does the Torah prove the mercy of God?     103
All Israel has a portion of the world to come     104
How do we know that the Resurrection of the Dead is basic to Judaism?     107
The Secular History of Judaism     109
The formation of normative Judaism     111
From story to history     112
The Pentateuch in historical context     113
Second Temple Judaisms, 450 B.C.E. to 70 C.E.     114
The social world of Second Temple Judaism     115
Qumran's Judaic system     116
The scribes and the Pharisees before 70 C.E.     117
The first phase of Rabbinic Judaism, 70-200 C.E.: The Judaism of the Mishnah     119
The second phase of Rabbinic Judaism, 200-600 C.E.: The Judaism of the Talmuds     126
The articulation of normative Judaism     129
The success of Rabbinic Judaism in Western civilization     130
Subsets of Rabbinic Judaism: New philosophical thinking     134
Maimonides     137
Judah Halevi     137
Subsets of Rabbinic Judaism: Media of mystical piety, Hasidism     141
Rabbinic Judaism defines its heretics: Karaism and Sabbateanism     145
Karaism and the doctrine that at Sinai God revealed the Torah to be transmitted through two media, written and oral     146
Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative Judaisms, Zionism     148
Competition in defining Judaism in modern times     149
Why did the Rabbinic system meet competition?     149
Reform Judaism     151
Integrationist Orthodox Judaism     154
Conservative Judaism     157
Zionism     162
The Holocaust     169
How Judaism speaks today     171
The Judaism of Holocaust and Redemption     171
The worldview, way of life, and theory of Israel of the Judaism of Holocaust and Redemption     173
The problem of evil     175
How Judaism speaks today     176
An Orthodox voice      177
A Reform voice     182
Glossary and Abbreviations     186
Bibliography     191
Index     194