Judaism is breed on the following beliefs: l l l l l l l There is one God. God  created  the  universe. God revealed His divine pattern for life for all mankind through the Torah. God gave the Torah to Moses for the Jewish people. God hears prayers directly; the pure in heart may commune   with   God   directly   without   any intercessor. Man is good and is not tainted with original sin. The immortality of the soul is the inheritance of everyone,  especially  those  who  are  remembered for  good  deeds. The beliefs of Judaism were forged in the history of the  Jewish  people. HISTORY The history of the Jews began about 4,000 years ago when  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  Jewish  people,  settled in the land of Canaan-now Israel. During a period of 40 years when the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness of the Sinai, the Ten Commandments were given to the people by God, through their leader, Moses. These commandments, and other laws described in the Bible, formed the basis of Judaism. Prophets Not always faithful to their religion, the Jewish people  were  provided  with  great  prophets  who  taught and  preached.  These  prophets  were  not  fortunetellers but men inspired by visions of God’s love for mankind. Among  the  prophets  were  Isaiah,  Hosea,  Malachi, Jeremiah, Micah, and Ezekiel. These ancient teachers gave the world an understanding of God and his love for people  through  their  addresses  to  the  Jewish  people. These testimonies are recorded in the Old Testament in the Prophetic Books of the Bible. Legacy and Identity of Judaism Traditionally,  the  teachings  of  Judaism  have included the love of God; respect for parents and the aged; love of neighbors, including the stranger; just dealings; kindness to animals; and a love of peace. Judaism also taught the lesson of liberty. Taking as their inspiration the thrilling story of the Israelite march from Egyptian slavery to the land of freedom, the ancient Jews  emphasized  the  importance  of  democracy.  In  fact, the words of Moses, “Proclaim ye liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof,” were inscribed on the American Liberty Bell. The Jewish people are remarkable because they have managed to retain their identity in many different countries  and  throughout  many  centuries  when  similar groups lost theirs by merging with other cultures. The most important tradition that kept the Jews together as a people was their religion. LITERATURE.—    Throughout  the  world  for centuries, the Jewish people have looked to the literature of Judaism for guidance and inspiration. There are several  important  and  widely  studied  Jewish  literary works that Jews world-wide use in the practice of their religion. Included in the great works of Jewish literature are the Torah, Talmud, Midrash, Zohair, Shulchan Aruch,  and  Siddur.  The  Jews  use  these  works  to establish, delineate, and interpret their laws, customs, traditions,  and  rituals. You  can  find  a  detailed description of’ these great Jewish literary works in figure 1-11. CALENDAR.— The  Jewish  calendar,  according  to tradition,  started  with  the  creation  of  the  earth approximately 3,760 years before the beginning of the Christian era. As shown in figure 1-12, the Jewish calendar is based on a lunar year of 12 months, 29 or 30 days per month, and approximately 354 days per year. To understand the Jewish holy days and traditions, you should  become  familiar  with  the  Jewish  calendar. NOTE: As you study the text and figures in this section, be aware of variations in spelling in regard to the English translation of Hebrew words representing Jewish holy days, rituals, literary works, and so forth. The   presentation   of   these   different   spellings   is intentional to allow you to become aware of the various transliterations for these words. ISRAEL.— For nearly 2,000 years, the Jews were without a homeland of their own and were scattered through  all  parts  of  the  world.  Although  the  Jews embraced many practices of their new lands, spoke the languages, and made many major contributions, their religion gave them a bond with Jews living everywhere else in the world. A bond they also shared, however, was the absence of a Jewish homeland. In 1948, the state of Israel was set up as a modern homeland for the Jews. 1-26