Religion
Judaism
The Torah describes a covenant between God and the people of Israel. (Genesis 17; Exodus 19:5–6)
01
Identity Card
- Name and etymology
- From Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Type
- Abrahamic monotheistic religion + ethno-religious tradition.
- Founder or origin
- Patriarch Abraham (~1800 BCE); Moses received the Torah at Sinai (~1300 BCE).
- Date and place
- ~2nd millennium BCE, ancient Near East / Canaan.
- Adherents
- ~15 million; concentrated in Israel and the United States.
02
Source of Authority
- Primary scripture
- Tanakh, especially the Torah; rabbinic Judaism also relies on the Mishnah and Talmud for interpretation. (Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Mishnah Avot 1:1)
- Source of truth
- Divine revelation through Torah; rabbinic tradition and interpretation.
- Authority structure
- Rabbis (teachers/interpreters); no central religious authority.
03
Core Beliefs
- Core idea
- The Torah teaches that Israel is called to live in covenant with the one God and follow His commandments. (Exodus 19:5–6; Deuteronomy 6:4–5)
- View of God or ultimate reality
- The Shema declares that the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4)
- View of humanity
- The Torah says humans are made in God’s image and are responsible for moral choices. (Genesis 1:27; Deuteronomy 30:19)
- View of the world
- The Torah presents creation as good and human life as responsible before God. (Genesis 1:31; Genesis 2:15)
04
Practical Implications
- Purpose of life
- The Torah calls Israel to love God, keep His commandments, and live a holy life. (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:2)
- Ethics
- Jewish ethics emphasize commandments, justice, mercy, study, and care for others. (Micah 6:8; Leviticus 19:18)
- Afterlife
- Jewish texts discuss resurrection and the world to come, but many traditions put more emphasis on faithful living in this life. (Daniel 12:2; Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:1)
- Key practices
- Key practices include Shabbat, kosher food laws, prayer, Torah study, and festivals. (Exodus 20:8–11; Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 6:7)
05
Comparative Lenses
- Main branches
- Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist.
- Relationship to others
- Foundational to Christianity and Islam.
- Common critiques
- Tensions over interpretation, secular Jewish identity, Zionism.
- Modern adaptations
- Reform movements, secular Jewish culture, modern Israeli identity.
Simple educational summaries. For religions, claims are attributed to scripture or major source texts where possible; where no scripture exists, wording describes what followers/supporters generally hold. References are starting points, not exhaustive academic citations.