JEWISH  RELIGIOUS  LITERATURE THE BIBLE THE  MIDRASH The 39 books of the Hebrew or Jewish Bible are Midrash means search out. The Midrash is a divided into three main sections. Each section has a collection of expositions-explanations or Hebrew name: To-rah, meaning law or teaching, also interpretations-of  the  Bible.  These  literary  works known as Pentateuch; N-vee-eem, prophets; were started more than 2,000 years ago. There are K-tu-veem, writings. It is customary to combine the many types of Midrash such as legal, ethical, and sounds from the beginning of each section title to social. Perhaps the most famous Midrasheem (plural form the acronym TaNak. This acronym refers to the form of Midrash) are the expositions of the five entire  Jewish  Bible. books of Moses. THE  TORAH THE ZOHAR The most precious and revered object in the Zohar means radiance or splendor. The origins of the synagogue is the Torah. The Torah is in the form of a Zohar are not entirely clear. It is possible that, from scroll made of parchment. It was originally A.D. 500 to A.D. 1800, the Zohar had more influence handprinted on animal skins. It contains the five upon Jewish minds and spirits than any other work. books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible, and The Zohar contains many essays explaining must be written by hand. Only a Torah in good important points of the five books of Moses. It condition may be used for worship services. includes a great number of complex philosophical writings, about the nature of the soul, creation, The Torah is read in its entirety over a period of 3 infinity, life after death, and other issues vital to years-the  Palestinian  cycle-or  over  a  1-year every  religion. period-the  Babylonian  cycle.  The  Babylonian cycle is the one most commonly used. The Torah has THE SHULCHAN ARUCH always been at the very center of Jewish spiritual life. The Shulchan Aruch is the Prepared Table. In the 1550s, Joseph Karo compiled a handbook on Jewish THE  TALMUD life. The Shulchan Aruch is meant to be a summary The Talmud is from the Hebrew lomed that means of Jewish law as it is found in the Talmud. It offer in study of teaching. It has often been called sea of a precise and brief form the do’s and don’ts of daily learning. The Talmud contains all the Jewish Jewish  life. religious laws. The Talmud also contains prayers, social ethics, parables, history, poetry, and much THE SIDDUR more. It contains the contributions of over 2,000 The Siddur is the prayer book. It is a rich collection scholars and sums up a thousand years of religious of Jewish literature reflecting the development of and social thought of the Jewish people. Jewish life. The Siddur contains material from all the primary sources named here. It is the single Since Jews have for centuries understood the Bible greatest  source  of  independent  Jewish  learning  today. through the eyes of the Talmud, it may be fair to say The  first  printed  Siddur  appeared  in  1486—30  years that  the  Talmud  has  exerted  more  direct  influence  of after  the  Gutenberg  Bible  was  published. Jews and Judaism than has any other work, including the  Bible. Figure  1-11.—Jewish  religious  literature. BRANCHES OF JUDAISM In the following paragraphs, let’s take a brief look at each of these branches. Today,  the  Jewish  religion  has  developed  into  the following three branches of Judaism: Reform  Judaism 1.  Reform Reform Judaism began in Germany in the 1840s and 2.  Orthodox spread to the United States and Canada. Because Reform Jews believe that some of the ancient laws should be 3. Conservative changed  to  fit  the  times,  they  are  not  so  strict  in 1-27