Judaism, Christianity, Islam: Module 3: Judaism

With this Module we get to the heart of the course.  We will begin with an academic survey of Judaism.  This Module, as the ones that follow, concludes with an interview with a member of the clergy to show what the tradition also looks like from the inside.

This is my own specialty, so it is bound to be a bit richer than my presentation of the other traditions.  For an accessible but more in-depth introduction, see my book, Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, Practice.

I have created a Discussion Board, where you can also jot down your thoughts (organized by Module) and read the thoughts of others.  The Topic for this Module is here.

 Outcomes

By the end of this Module you should:

• Know the names of the different modern Jewish movements, when and how they formed, and their major characteristics;
• Know the general trajectory of the historical development of Judaism, along with some key dates, terms and figures;
• Be more sensitive to the role that historical events plays in shaping religion;
• Understand the role the power and powerlessness has played in Jewish history;
• Be able to define and indicate the significance of: the Torah; the Tanak; Midrash; Oral Law; the Mishnah; the Gemara; the Talmud; codes; responsa; and the Zohar;
• Be able to distinguish the Bible, the Torah, the Tanak, and the Old Testament;
• Understand how the Jewish textual tradition builds on earlier layers;
• Understand the role that the study of traditional texts plays in Judaism
• Know why it is problematic to speak of Jewish “beliefs”
• Know the Jewish concepts of God, Torah, Israel, and Redemption;
• Have a better grasp of how halakhah is understood and the role it plays for different Jewish groups
• Have a basic knowledge of some of the major Jewish rituals, particularly kashrut and Shabbat;
• Have a basic knowledge of the Jewish calendar and the other regularly occurring holidays;
• Have a sense of the siddur (Jewish prayer service) and, especially after your site visit, how it is used

1.  This Module begins with a lecture that outlines the general sweep of the history of Judaism:

2.  You may also want to watch this documentary on Hasidism in America:

As you watch, think about:

• The role that dress plays in their identity and religious lives;
• The role of joy in Hasidism;
• Emic vs. etic perspectives.  The film producers are trying to create a story that would be compelling to their audience; the speakers are almost entirely offering emic perspectives.  Think about how such statements should be evaluated by scholars of religion;
• How the issue of gender plays out in this community

3.  The Holocaust and the Modern State of Israel have assumed great importance for many Jews today.  There is also a huge bibliography on each of these topics.  For one perspective on the Holocaust and Jewish identity, see this article.  For one perspective on Israel and its connection to Judaism, see this lecture:

4.  Scripture plays a foundational role in Jewish tradition.  But what is Scripture, and whence did it arrive?  For a short introduction to this issue, read this essay and then watch the two videos below.  For a longer one, read my book, How the Bible Became Holy!

5.  Read some Tanakh!  Any translation would work, although I prefer the Jewish Publication Society edition, especially as annotated in The Jewish Study Bible.  Unfortunately, that book is not freely available, so the New Revised Standard Version is also good.  To get a taste of its flavor (and complexity), start with Genesis 1-9; Exodus 19-20; Deuteronomy 4-6; Isaiah 1; Psalms 23.  Think about:

• There are several instances in these short selections of “polyvocality,” in which the biblical text seems to be talking about the same thing in two places but has contradictions.  Find one and write about it.
• Compare the passages from Isaiah, Psalms, and one of the passages from the Torah.  In content and style, are they more alike or different?

6.  Can one “live” the Bible?  A. J. Jacobs wrote a book some years back called, A Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.  He talks about this book in this video:

7,  The Bible cannot be “lived” all on its own.  It is too complicated, contradictory, and simply incomplete.  The Rabbis, beginning around the third century CE, developed a framework for moving the Tanakh from text to life.

• For an introduction to the Rabbis and their literature, read the Wikipedia entry (far from ideal, but it is difficult to find something that is open source);
• Watch this video on the rabbinic distinction between the “Written Law” and the “Oral Law”:

• And then, for an introduction to Midrash and Talmud, watch this:

• The Talmud is not an easy text to read.  It has a distinctive style. Below you will find an extract of the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Ta’anit, 11a).  Note that the words in bold are the actual text of the Talmud; the other words were inserted by the translator to make the discussion easier to follow:

  Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Anyone who has food for himself but nevertheless starves himself in years of famine will be saved from an unusual death, as it is stated: “In famine, He will redeem you from death” (Job 5:20 Links to an external site.). This is derived from the precise wording of the verse. According to its straightforward meaning, instead of “in famine,” it should have said: From famine, as one is delivered from famine. Rather, this is what the verse is saying: As a reward for starving himself in years of famine, Job will be saved from an unusual death.

  Similarly, Reish Lakish said: It is prohibited for a person to have conjugal relations in years of famine, so that children not be born during these difficult years. As it is stated: “And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came” (Genesis 41:50 Links to an external site.). It was taught in a baraita [an old tradition]: Nevertheless, those without children may have marital relations in years of famine, as they must strive to fulfill the mitzva [commandment] to be fruitful and multiply.

  Likewise, the Sages taught in a baraita: When the Jewish people is immersed in distress, and one of them separates himself from the community and does not share their suffering, the two ministering angels who accompany a person come and place their hands on his head, as though he was an offering, and say: This man, so-and-so, who has separated himself from the community, let him not see the consolation of the community.

  A similar idea is taught in another baraita: When the community is immersed in suffering, a person may not say: I will go to my home and I will eat and drink, and peace be upon you, my soul. And if he does so, the verse says about him: “And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine; let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die” (Isaiah 22:13 Links to an external site.). And the prophecy continues with what is written afterward, in the following verse: “And the Lord of hosts revealed Himself in my ears: Surely this iniquity shall not be expiated by you until you die” (Isaiah 22:14 Links to an external site.).

  The baraita comments: Up to this point is the attribute of middling people, who merely exclude themselves from the suffering of the community. However, with regard to the attribute of wicked people, what is written about those who hope for more of these days? “Come, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant” (Isaiah 56:12 Links to an external site.). And what is written afterward? “The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart, and godly men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come” (Isaiah 57:1 Links to an external site.). This verse teaches that righteous people suffer early death to prevent them from witnessing the harm that will befall these evil people.

  What do you see as the central message of the passage?  What do you make of the form in which that message is conveyed, especially in light of what you learned about the Talmud? To explore the Talmud and other rabbinic literature further, you can go to sefaria.org.

8.  Even the Talmud, vast as it is, cannot fully cover the vast expanse of what it means to live in accordance with God’s will.  So over the years, rabbis developed additional forms of literature, codes and responsa, to provide guidance.  For an introduction to that literature, watch the following video:

Then read a sample responsum on the observance of the Sabbath in space found on this website.

9.  Another important, but complex, book in the Jewish cannon is the Zohar.  For an introduction, watch this lecture:

10.  Maimonides famously penned the “Thirteen Principles of Faith” (you can read it here).  This was, and remains, controversial, as is the entire topic of whether Jews must “believe” anything.  For an introduction to the problem, watch the video below:

11.  It is by no means obvious what “God” means to Jews; in fact, there are a number of different understandings:

And a couple of things to think about:

• Reread Genesis 1-3.  Does this describe a transcendent God, one who has little direct contact with the workings of the world and history, or an immanent God, who is involved in the affairs of humankind?  Or both?  How might you understand the different approaches to God?
• We have broached the topic of theodicy in this section.  Read Exodus 20:5-6; Exodus 34:6-7; Jeremiah 31:29; Ezekiel 18:2; and Job 21:19.  What perspectives do these texts offer, and can they be reconciled?

12.  God, Torah, and Israel are central concepts in the Jewish tradition.  All are complicated.  Here are introductions to Torah and Israel:

Read a short article on “Who is a Jew?” available on this website. 

13.  One of the primary concepts in all religions is eschatology, the explanation of if and how time comes to an end and if there is a concept of “redemption.”

Look also at the following text from the Talmud.  What is its central point?

And Rabbi Abba says: You have no more explicit manifestation of the end of days than this following phenomenon, as it is stated: “But you, mountains of Israel, you shall give your branches, and yield your fruit to My people of Israel, for they will soon be coming” (Ezekiel 36:8 Links to an external site.). When produce will grow in abundance in Eretz Yisrael, it is an indication that the Messiah will be coming soon. Rabbi Eliezer says: You have no greater manifestation of the end of days than this following phenomenon as well, as it is stated: “For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; nor was there peace from the oppressor to him who exits and to him who enters” (Zechariah 8:10 Links to an external site.). When there are no wages for work and no rent paid for use of one’s animal, that is an indication that the coming of the Messiah is at hand.

The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase: “Nor was there peace from the oppressor to him who exits and to him who enters”? Rav says: It means that even for Torah scholars, with regard to whom the promise of peace is written, as it is written: “Great peace have they who love Your Torah; and there is no obstacle for them” (Psalms 119:165 Links to an external site.), there will be no peace from the oppressor. And Shmuel says: It means that the Messiah will not come until all the prices are equal.

Rabbi Ḥanina says: The son of David will not come until a fish will be sought for an ill person and will not be found, as it is stated with regard to the downfall of Egypt: “Then I will make their waters clear and cause their rivers to run like oil” (Ezekiel 32:14 Links to an external site.), meaning that the current in the rivers will come to a virtual standstill. And it is written thereafter: “On that day I will cause the glory of the house of Israel to flourish” (Ezekiel 29:21 Links to an external site.).

Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina says: The son of David will not come until the contemptuous [hazalla] kingdom of Rome will cease from the Jewish people, as it is stated: “And He shall sever the sprigs [hazalzallim] with pruning hooks” (Isaiah 18:5 Links to an external site.). And it is written thereafter: “At that time shall a present be brought to the Lord of hosts, by a people scattered and hairless” (Isaiah 18:7 Links to an external site.).

16.  “Kashrut” describes the complex laws that govern traditional Jewish eating: what can be eaten; how meat must be slaughtered; what can be eaten with what and on which dishes, etc.  For an overview, read this essay and watch this video: