The Essence of Judaism
As Hillel, the Sage, said to an impatient inquirer, "The essence of Judaism is that you do unto others as you would have done unto yourself - the rest is interpretation".
Rabbi Akiva said, "Love your neighbor as yourself".
Below, please find some general questions. For more detailed areas, there are two sub-categories: Jewish ValuesandJewish Sources & Studies.
a. Judaism is more than the first monotheistic religion; it is essentially a way of life, which prioritizes an all-encompassing code of behavior and observance - for private, family and community life, for study and self-improvement, and for improvement of the world.
b. It recognizes that people are not perfect, but can function at a higher level; the people that follow the 10 Commandments count 613 positive and negative precepts in the Written and Oral Law.
c. God-given life is a sacrosanct value, as is love and respect for the human creators of that life. It is core to Judaism to honor one's parents.
d. People are expected to know right from wrong and accept responsibility for their actions, especially actions towards others - this is the Jewish interpretation of free will.
e. Judaism does not believe in deprivation or asceticism, but in moderation.
f. It is a religion of family and togetherness, of community interaction and care.
Q:
Where can I start reading online about Judaism and Jewish Life?
A:
a. The Maven list of links under Judaism - easily browsed. http://www.maven.co.il/
b. FAQ sections like that on the shamash website on
http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/ hl-index.html
c. Judaism 101, which is really succinct and specific on Jewish tradition
http://www.jewfaq.org/
d.. Yahoo's FAQ
http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/Faiths_and_Practices/Judaism/
e. For specific questions, JewishGates holds volumes of information
http://www.jewishgates.org/
f. A bibliography by category
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet-faqs/html/judaism/reading-lists/general/faq.html
Q:
Where can I find out about the different approaches and movements in Judaism?
A:
In General:
Cohen, Arthur A. and Mendes-Flohr, Paul, Eds., Contemporary Jewish Religious Thought Original Essays on Critical Concepts, Movements and Beliefs, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
Books:
Gillman, Neil, Conservative Judaism: The New Century, Behrman House, 1996. (available on Amazon.Com)
b. Orthodox Judaism
Online:
hhtp://www.ou.org/masthead.html
Books:
Hartman, David, A Living Covenant: The Innovative Spirit in Traditional Judaism, Jewish Lights Publication, 1998.
Schlossberg, Eli W., The World of Orthodox Judaism, 1997.
Books:
Meyer, Michael A., Response to Modernity: A History of the Reform Movement in Judaism, Wayne State University Printing, 1995.
d. Reconstructionist Movement
Online:
http://www.shamash.org/jrf/whorrcon.html
Books:
Kaplan, Mordecai M., Judaism as A Civilization: Toward a Reconstruction of American Jewish Life, Jewish Publication Society, 1994.
e. Secular Humanistic Judaism
Online:
http://www.shj.org/
Books:
Kopel, Renee and Katz, Zev, editors, Judaism in a Secular Age: An Anthology of Secular Humanistic Jewish Thought, 1996.
Q:
What is Judaism's role in Israel today?
A:
This is a difficult nut to crack, and it depends on your own outlook, as well as what has been institutionalized.
Personal Observance
About one quarter of Israel's Jewish population define themselves as anywhere from ultra-orthodox through religious to quite traditional. About the same percentage observe some traditions, while another 20% say they go to the synagogue on Yom Kippur (=70%) and another 8% (=78%) say that they fast on Yom Kippur but stay at home. A similar percentage observe the Seder gathering in some form on the first night of Pesach.
Public Observance versus Private
There is, on the one hand, the desire expressed in the Declaration of Independence to reflect the historical, cultural and spiritual centrality of the Land of Israel in its statehood, and its openness to Aliyah. Public holidays are observed on Jewish Festivals; the IDF, most hospitals and public services, ensure that the food they serve is Kosher...
On the other hand, there is a strong movement to de-institutionalize Judaism as the state Religion, in terms of its impact on individual free will and practice, issues of pluralism and on personal status.
What books would you recommend about Judaism and Jewish Thought?
A:
a. Amsel, Nachum (Rabbi Dr.), The Jewish Encyclopedia of Moral and Ethical Issues, Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale, New Jersey, London.
b. Appel, Gersion, A Philosophy of Mitzvot: the religious-ethical concepts of Judaism, their roots in biblical law, and the oral tradition. New York, Ktav Pub. House, [1975].
c. Ariel, David, What Do Jews Believe? The Spiritual Dimensions of Judaism, Schocken Press, 1995.
d. Cohen, Arthur A. and Mendes-Flohr, Paul, eds., Contemporary Jewish Religious Thought Original Essays on Critical Concepts, Movements and Beliefs, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
e. Epstein, Isodore, Judaism, A Historical Presentation, Pelican Books.
f. Gewirtz, Leonard B., The authentic Jew and his Judaism; an analysis of the basic concepts of the Jewish religion, New York, Bloch Pub. Co. [1961].
g. Greenberg, Irving, The Jewish Way, Summit Books, New York NY, 1988.
h. Holtz, Barry W., ed., Back to the Sources, Reading the Classic Jewish Texts, Summit Books, Simon & Shuster, Inc., New York, 1984.Noveck, Simon, ed., Contemporary Jewish Though A Reader, B'nai B'rith Department of Adult Jewish Education, 1963. Library of Congress catalog no 62-21933, Fourth paperback edition, 1976.
i. Katz, Steven T., 1944. Jewish ideas and concepts, New York, Schocken Books, 1977.
j. Maimonides, Moses, The Guide of the Perplexed, Translated with Introduction & Notes by Shlomo Pines, The university of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.
k. Rotenstreich, Nathan, Jewish Philosiphy in Modern Times: From Mendelssohn to Rosenzweig, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco.
l. Strassfeld, Sharon and Strassfeld, Michael, eds., The Jewish Catalog Series, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia PA
m. Telushkin, Rabbi Joseph, Jewish Wisodom, Ethical, Spiritual and Historical Lessons from the Great Works and Thinkers, William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York.
n. Telushkin, Rabbi Joseph, Jewish Literacy_ The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History, William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York.
o. Wouk, Herman, This is my God, Dell, NY, 1959
Postscript: Halevi, Judah, The Kuzari (Kitab Al Khazari), An Argument for the Faith of Israel, Schocken Books, New York.
