An essay donated by Rabbi A.S. Maller
Judaism: The BIG Themes
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A. By virtue of their religion Jews have always been, and will always be, a minority.
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In a pagan world where everybody worshipped many Gods, Jews worshipped only one.
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In a pagan world where everybody represented the divine visibly through sculpture, painting, or a natural object, Jews were taught that God was invisible.
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When it’s daughter religions, Christianity and Islam took over the western world, the Jews continued to follow their own tradition and refused to assimilate.
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Of all the religions and cultures that existed in the western world 3,000 years ago when David was King in Jerusalem only the Jews have survived.
- Even in the Messianic Age “each nation will follow its own God” (religion) and Jews will follow their God. i.e. religious pluralism is the will of God. (Micah 4:5)
B:
Since Jews did not choose this historical fate, they felt they were chosen by God to play an important role in the spiritual development of humanity.
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Jews were redeemed from Egypt not as individuals but as a community/people.
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The covenant at Sinai was with the whole people not just with the believers.
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The Jewish religion is mostly the outgrowth of events that happened to the people, not the result of the spiritual insights of one or more individuals.
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When non-Jews become Jewish they join the Jewish people i.e. “your people shall be my people” precedes “your God shall be my God” (Ruth 1:16)
C: Differences are very important even though nothing is totally black or white. Differences are of degree and relative mixture. Thus Judaism teaches:
- This world, and what you make of it, is more important than the next world.
- How you behave is more important than what you believe.
- Human nature is both good and bad, but in most people the good is greater than the bad.
- God will not make us good without our co-operation (free will) and humans alone can’t create a holy society. God and humans need each other.
D. Relationships are the most important aspect of living a good life.
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Relationships demand commitments. (covenants)
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To do something from a sense of duty is spiritually superior to doing it just because you want to do it. (mitzvah)
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To do something as part of a community or a tradition is better than to just do your own thing.
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Relationships are mutual, interactive and continually changing, so Judaism is an always developing religion, as each generation reacts to God's continual call.
Note:
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"Mitzvah" is Hebrew for "commandment." "A combination of a
religious law, personal obligation, and a privilege." Plural is
Mitzvot. Often used to refer to a meritorious or charitable act. Hebrew miṣwāh. First known Use: 1650 CE
First posted: 2013-AUG-18
Latest update: 2013-AUG-18
Author: A.S. Maller
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