Judaism

Judaism is the word used to describe the way of life, philosophy and religion of the Jews of the ancient times who happen to be Israelites of the present day. It covers widely on the Jewish practices, organizational groups and the positions taken regarding to theology. Judaism as a religion is founded on the belief of a single God and is expressed as a relationship of the agreement made with between God and the Jews on Mount Sinai. This belief of a single God originates from Torah which is part of the Hebrew bible presented in oral or written forms.

The covenant is the major reading script of the Jewish people and Judaism at large. It had the promise of God to Abraham to make a great nation out of him and years afterwards commanding the Israelite nation to worship him alone. The Jews were to be a reflection of God to the world through their actions and doing his will by loving other people.

Various aspects of Judaism

The Jews were guided by literature based on the Torah which is the five books written by Moses consisting of commandments addressed to different groups. Some were addressed to men, women, farmers and others to priestly groups in the Judaism dominant land of Israel. Although there were Jews who believed in written texts, most of the Jews believed in oral law which was later recorded in written form and explained.

Rabbinic Judaism holds that oral law is very important in interpretation of the written law. Outside Israel today things are different with several denominations like Humanistic, conservative, orthodox, Jewish renewal and other types of Judaism which all have different approaches to Torah.

Judaism Vs. other religions

Judaism and Islam have things in common streaming from the fact that they both arose from Abraham. Arabs believe that they descended from Ishmael while Jews believe that they descended from Isaac. These two were sons of patriarch Abraham. What brings the difference between them is that Jesus was not regarded as a prophet by the Jews but as a Messiah.

Christianity was part of Judaism initially before each taking different ways. The diversion of these religions was based on several factors like the nature of Jesus and God and the meanings attached to God’s commandments. People in the Christian lands were tortured with legal restrictions and physical tortures until their empowerment in the 18th and 19th centuries.