Judaism: Difference between revisions

===One God===

Judaism says that God [[wikt:exist|exists]] forever, that He is everywhere, and that He knows everything. He is above [[nature]] (“supernatural”) but He is in the world and He hears those who pray to Him and will answer them. God is the main [[wikt: power|power]] in the universe.<ref name=Birnbaum35/>

The Jews are [[wikt:sometimes|sometimes]] called the “[[wikt:choose|Chosen]] People". This is because the Bible says God told them, “You will be to Me a [[wikt:kingdom|kingdom]] of priests and a [[holy]] [[nation]]” (Exodus 19:6) and “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord chose you to be His own [[wikt:special|special]] nation out of all peoples on the earth” (Deuteronomy 14:2). Jews understand that this means they have special [[wikt:duty|duties]] and [[wikt:responsibility|responsibilities]] [[wikt:command|commanded]] by God. For example, Jews must [[wikt:build|build]] a [[Justice|just]] [[society]] and [[wikt:serve|serve]] only God. Jews believe that this [[wikt:agreement|covenant]] works in two ways: if they follow God’s laws, He will give them his love and [[protection]], but they are also responsible for their [[sin]]s – bad actions – and disobeying what God told them. Jews believe that they must teach other people that God exists and that God wants all people to do good actions. Jews believe that their [[wikt:job|job]] in the world is to be "a light to the nations" (Isiah 49:6) by [[wikt:show|showing]] the people of the world [[wikt:way|ways]] to make the world a [[wikt:better|better]] place.<ref name=ERP1/><ref name= Birnbaum70>{{cite book |title=A Book of Jewish Concepts |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofjewishconc00birn |last=Birnbaum |first=Philip |chapter=Attah Behartanu |year=1975 |publisher= Hebrew Publishing Company |location=New York |isbn= 088482876X |pages= [https://archive.org/details/bookofjewishconc00birn/page/70 70]-72}}</ref>

Jews do not try to [[wikt:convince|convince]] other people to believe in Judaism. Jews believe they have a special job to show the world that God [[wikt:exist|exists]], but people do not have to be Jewish to [[wikt:follow|follow]] God. All people can serve God by following the [[Seven Commandments of the Children of Noah|Seven Commandments (rules) given to Noah]]. But, Judaism [[wikt: accept|accepts]] people who [[wikt: choose|choose]] to [[Religious conversion|change their religion]] to Judaism.<ref name= Birnbaum134>{{cite book |title=A Book of Jewish Concepts |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofjewishconc00birn |last=Birnbaum |first=Philip |chapter= Proselytes |year=1975 |publisher= Hebrew Publishing Company |location=New York |isbn= 088482876X |pages= [https://archive.org/details/bookofjewishconc00birn/page/132 132]-134}}</ref>

Jews see ''mitzvot'' as acts that sanctify – bring [[Holy|holiness]] – to the world and bring people and the world closer to God. Jews do the ''mitzvot'' to sanctify the physical world and the things in it, such as food and [[drink]], clothing, and natural activities such as sex, work, or seeing [[wikt: beautiful|beautiful]] [[wikt:sight|sights]]. Before doing many acts, such as eating, Jews say a blessing – a short [[prayer]] –  that God makes and gives a person the things that they need for life.  In Judaism, life is most holy and [[wikt: important|important]]. A Jew must stop doing other ''mitzvot'' of the Torah to help [[wikt:save|save]] another person’s life.<ref name=ERP1/>

Many ''mitzvot'' in the Torah are about the [[Land of Israel]]. The [[Talmud]] and later books call these ''mitzvot'' “commandments [[wikt:connect|connected]] to the Land” because Jews can only do them in the Land of Israel. For example, Jews give [[gift]]s to the poor or the priests from their [[wikt:field|fields]] every year, take fruit or animals to the [[Temple in Jerusalem]], and must stop working on the land every seven years (the “shmittah” – sabbatical year).<ref name= Birnbaum390/><ref name=J101LOI>{{cite web|last1=Rich|first1=Tracey|title=The Land of Israel|url=http://www.jewfaq.org/israel.htm|website=Judaism 101|access-date=23 June 2014}}</ref>

===The Land of Israel===

The Jewish people believe their [[history]] as a [[nation]] begins with [[Abraham]]. The story of Abraham in the Torah begins when God tells Abraham to leave his country. He [[promise]]s Abraham and his [[wikt:descendent|descendants]] a new home in the land of [[Canaan]]. This is now known as the Land of Israel. It is named after Abraham's grandson, Jacob, who was also called Israel and who was the father of the twelve tribes. This is where the name “Land of Israel” comes from. The land is also called “the Promised Land” because in the Torah, God promises to give the land to the children of Abraham ({{Bibleverse||Gen|12:7|HE}}, {{Bibleverse||Gen|13:15|HE}}, {{Bibleverse||Gen|15:18|HE}}, {{Bibleverse||Gen|17:8|HE}}).<ref name=J101LOI/><ref name= Birnbaum62>{{cite book |title=A Book of Jewish Concepts |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofjewishconc00birn |last=Birnbaum |first=Philip |chapter= Eretz Yisrael |year=1975 |publisher=Hebrew Publishing Company |location= New York Company |isbn= 088482876X |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bookofjewishconc00birn/page/62 62]-66}}</ref>