Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Regional Office IX, Zamboanga Peninsula

11 Zest for Progress

Z Peal of artnership

Introduction to World Religion and

Belief System
Third Quarter – Module 4:
Examine the Brief History, Core Teachings,
Fundamental Belief, Practices, and Related Issues of
Judaism.

Name of Learner: ___________________________

Grade & Section: ___________________________
0
Name of School: ___________________________
 Development Team of the Module

Writer/s: Tomas D. Calunsag

Willena A. Dalan
Editor: Isabel C. Amantiad
Illustrator: Name of illustrator/Photographer
Layout Artist: Peter Alavanza
Management Team: Dr. Isabelita M. Borres, CESO III
Dr. Majarani M. Jacinto, CESO IV
Dr. Raymond M. Salvador CESE
Dr. Juliet A. Magallanes, CID
Dr. Alma L. Carbonilla EPS
Dr. Florencio O. Caballero

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 Target
Hello dear learners! We hope that you are doing fine. This module was
designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master the brief
history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and related issues of
Judaism. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different
learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level
of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the
course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond
with the textbook you are now using.
The module contains:

 Lesson 4 – Examine brief history, core teachings, fundamental

beliefs, practices, and related issues of Judaism

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of the elements of Judaism.
2. Identify a story from the Old Testament that demonstrates the Jewish
belief in one God.

Review
Instructions: Choose the letter of the best answer among the given
choices. Write your answer in your answer sheet.
1. A belief of only one God.
a. Agnostism c. Monotheism
b. Atheism d. Monotheism

2. The great patriarch who is the origin of the well-known world

monotheistic religions like Islam and Christianity.
a. Abraham c. Moses
b. Adam d. Noah

3. The main religion of the Jewish people.

a. Christianity c. Hinduism
b. Islam d. Judaism

4. The instrument of God in propagating His words to the people.

a. Educators c. Politicians
b. Lawyer d. prophet
5. The messengers of God to humanity
a. Angels c. Pharaoh

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 b. Kings d. soldiers
6. The destiny of the just people after judgement day
a. Cave c. Heaven
b. Hell d. Purgatory

7. Considered as the most popular religion in the world based on

number adherents
a. Christianity c. Monarchism
b. Islam d. Paganism

8. The people who considered themselves as chosen by God.

a. Christians c. Jews
b. Gentiles d. Pagans

9. A place or situation intended for people who used to do evil.

a. Heaven c. Limbo
b. Hell d. Purgatory

10. The term used for the mass departure of the Hebrews
from Egypt.
a. Evacuees c. Genesis
b. Exodus d. Migrants

11. The one who led the Jewish people to exile from Egypt to
Canaan, the Promised Land
a. Adam c. Moses
b. Abraham d. Noah

12. The creator and ruler of the universe.

a. God c. President
b. King d. Prophet

13. The first book of the Holy scripture

a. Exodus c. Gospel
b. Genesis d. Leviticus

14 The son of Abraham who was about to be killed as an offering to

God at an altar in the mountain.
a. Jacob c. Isaac
b. Esau d. Ishmael
15.The son of Abraham considered as the ancestor of the Arabs
a. Esau c. Jacob
b. Ishmael d. Isaac

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 Lesson 1 JUDAISM

Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion that traces its origin as an

organized belief system during the Bronze Age in West Asia. The religion of the
Jewish people Judaism is one of three Abrahamic Religions that also include
Christianity and Islam. It is the religion professed by the Jews known as the
“people of the Book” in reference to their sacred text written covering nearly a
thousand years and formulized as a canon of teaching by the end of first
century C.E. The picture below is the Torah which is the most important text
of the Jewish people. It contains the “Five Books of Moses” and many sacred
laws. The Jews consider themselves as the people chosen by God to serve as
an exemplar of devotion and purity to humankind.

Discover
Activity 1

MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITY

Challenge yourself by arranging the jumbled letter words. Use your

answer sheet in arranging the jumbled words.
1. ENGSIES 6. W E J S H I
2. BHRAAMA 7. S O M E S
3. CNANAA 8. I S I A N
4. TANEPUETCH 9. B W E R E H S
5. COBAJ 10. U D I S A M J

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CONCEPT MAP

JUDAISM

Sacred Worship Beliefs and Sub-

Scripture and Doctrines divisions
s Observance
s

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
It is quite difficult to separate the history of Judaism from the history
of the Jews themselves (Parrinder 1971). The ancestors of the Jews were
groups of Semites called Hebrews whose origin can be traced in the desert
lands of Arabia (Brown 1975). The origin of the Jewish people and the
beginning of Judaism are recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible,
the Pentateuch. As a religion and culture, Judaism has three notable founding
figures or patriarchs, namely, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These biblical
patriarchs are the physical and spiritual forebears of the Jewish people and
their narratives can be found in Genesis 12-50 of their scripture.

Judaism is anchored upon God's revelation to Abraham that He is the

creator and ruler of the universe, and that He loves His creatures and
demands righteousness from them (Losch 2001). God chose Abraham and his
family from all the people living on earth as recorded in Genesis 12. After a
series of tragic events involving humankind, God entered into a covenant with
Abraham promising him that he would become the father of a great nation
and would possess vast tracts of land. Abraham, in return, must remain
devoted to the covenant. He would become the embodiment of uprightness

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and holiness to the world. Later on, he was succeeded by his son Isaac, his
grandson Jacob, and Jacob's twelve sons (Hopfe 1983).
These patriarchs are depicted as nomads in biblical stories. According
to tradition, Abraham's original name was "Abram" who was born in the city
of Ur of the Chaldeas around 1800 B.C.E. Questioning the folly of idol worship,
Abram left his home and family to heed the call of God en route to Canaan
situated on the western side of the Fertile Crescent. The Jewish people believe
that they descended from a tribe in Canaan located in the eastern
Mediterranean presently occupied by Israel, Jordan, and Syria (Bowker 1997).

A covenant has been established between God and Abram, and Abram
must prove his worth to this agreement by way of tests of faith throughout his
lifetime. While Abram and his wife Sarai were initially childless, Abram bore a
son to Sarai's Egyptian handmaid Hagar. He was named Ishmael who is
considered as the ancestor of the Arabs. However, Ishmael was not the heir to
God's promise. God changed Sarai's name to "Sarah, meaning "princess" or
"noblewoman." Later in life, the old Abram and Sarah had a son named Isaac,
the heir to God's covenant and the ancestor of the Jewish people. Abram's
name was changed to "Abraham" or the "the father of many nations."
Abraham's story is narrated in Genesis 11-25 of the Hebrew Bible.

The most difficult trial given to Abraham came when God commanded
that he sacrifice his own son Isaac at an altar in Mount Moriah. Abraham
obeyed by building a fire and tying up Isaac. With Abraham's obedience being
put to the test, an angel stopped him and he was eventually reunited with his
Son. A ram was instead sacrificed in place of Isaac.

Later on, Isaac married Rebecca who bore him twin sons, Jacob and
Esau. Always in constant strife, the younger Jacob bought Esau's birthright
and tricked his father Isaac into giving him Esau's blessing as the eldest son
(Bowker 1997). Jacob fled to his uncle's house to escape Esau's fury. Later
on, Jacob returned home and reconciled with Esau. A close encounter with
an angel merited him a change of name from Jacob to "Israel" which means
the one who wrestled with God." The Jewish people are referred to as the
children of Israel. Among four different women, Jacob fathered twelve sons
and one daughter. The twelve sons who became the ancestors of the tribes in
lsrael were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad,
Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. After being sold to slavery by his
jealous brothers, Joseph was brought to Egypt where his ability to see and
interpret visions earned him a place in the court as a vizier, a position next
only to the pharaoh. As famine struck Canaan, Jacob and his family were
forced to settle in Egypt. While the book of Genesis ends with a great nation
emerging from Abraham's descendants, the book of Exodus begins with them
crying out for deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Hopfe 1983). They were not
in Canaan as initially promised but were under enslavement in Egypt. As
centuries passed and the descendants of Israel grew in number, the alarmed
pharaoh decreed that all male children be put to death by throwing them to
the river. A woman from Levi's tribe, Jochebed, secretly placed her youngest
child in a woven basket and sent him down the Nile River. The pharaoh's
daughter Bithia, found the child, rescued him, and reared him as her own.

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Jochehe volunteered to nurse the child, now named Moses, who was raised
within the Egyptian royal family.
At the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian in defense of a slave and
fed to the Sinai desert where he spent the next forty years as a shepherd (Hopfe
1983). On Mount Horeb, Abraham's God revealed himself to Moses as he
spoke through a burning bush that was not consumed. Revealing God's name
as "Yahweh, he commanded Moses to return to Egypt and demand the release
of Israelites from slavery. After his initial refusal, the Egyptian pharaoh
conceded after the ten miraculous and horrific plagues were infected by God
upon Egypt and its people, most especially the plague on the first-born. While
the firstborn sons of every Egyptian household would die, sons of Israelites
would be saved if they marked their door posts with the blood of lamb killed
in sacrifice. In that fated night, the lamb must be cooked and eaten with bitter
herbs and unleavened bread. This is known as the Passover, an important
Jewish festival.

The Israelites were banished from Egypt with Moses leading them
across the Red Sea (Yam Suph or "Sea of Reeds" in some accounts). When the
pharaoh changed his mind and began to pursue the fleeing Israelites, Moses
parted the Red Sea that allowed them to cross the water and reach the dry
lands of Sinai. Meanwhile, the pursuing Egyptian chariots were drowned after
the waters receded. This event called Exodus became part of Jewish history
that manifested Yahweh's intervention to deliver his chosen people (Hopfe
1983).
Another significant event in Jewish history was the giving of the Ten
Commandments at Mount Sinai. These supreme laws, which are basic to the
Jewish people, were communicated to the Israelites through Moses during
their time in the wilderness. Moses eventually united the different tribes into
one group and consecrated to the worship of the one living god (Brown 1975).
Forty years after the Exodus, Moses died in the desert within reach of the
"Promised Land.

SOCIO-POLITICAL DYNAMICS OF JUDAISM

The Old Testament gives us ideas on socio-political dynamics of Judaism.
Understanding the Jewish concepts on politics and society would help us
understand the historical development of Judaism as one of the world's
religions and see its relevance in contemporary times.

The Jewish concept of leadership based on the Old Testament directs

us to certain types of leadership, one of which is kingship as the ideal form of
government. This can be deduced from the chronicles of the Kings of Israel
and Judah, as well as in the Book of Deuteronomy, which stated, "Let me put
a king over me like all the nations that are around me" (Deut. 17: 14-15). In
relation to the idea of kingship, the concept of "covenant" between the ruler
and the ruled is equally important as well in Judaism. Just as God the Father
entered into a covenant With His people (such as the covenant between God
and Abraham), the same should also be true for the King and his subjects.
Thus, socio-political dynamics can also be described as following the model of
tribal federation in which various tribes and institutions shared political

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power. Although they practice communal living, there were certain people who
hold important positions in society with regard to their roles in Judaism, such
as the rabbi who functions as a teacher and interpreter of the Jewish law and
customs. Thus, it can be deduced that for the Jews, politics, society, culture
and religion are all interconnected, thus Judaism is not only considered as a
religion but as a way of life as well.

SACRED SCRIPTURES
The Jewish people have been called the "people of the Book” in reference to
the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh or Mikra) that has been the authority, guide, and
inspiration of the many forms of Judaism that have evolved throughout the
different periods of time and in various places (Parrinder 1971). Composed
over a period of almost a thousand years, collections within the Bible became
established in its full canonical form by the end of the first century C.E.
(Parrinder 1971).

According to the Jewish tradition, the Hebrew Bible is divided into three
principal sections, namely the Torah, Nevi in, and Ketuvim. The foundational
text Torah ("Teaching") is composed of the first "Five Books or the Pentateuch
traditionally believed to have been authored by Moses through divine
instruction in Sinai. These include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy. Apart from containing basic laws for Jewish self-
understanding, the Pentateuch also narrates the history, religious statues,
and moral regulations for individuals and society, ceremonial rites and
creation stories by Yahweh, and the origin and growth of mankind (Braswell
1994). Meanwhile, the Nevi im ("Prophets") is subdivided into Barlher
Prophets, Later Prophets, and twelve minor prophets. Prophets served as
Spokespersons who criticize the hypocritical practices of Jewish rituals. They
were specifically chosen by God to preach his message to the people. Lastly
the Ketuvim ("Writings") form the third section of the Tonakh that contains
works on poetry, temple ritual, private prayer, philosophical explorations and
other canonical works.
In the strictest sense, Torah refers to the "Five Books of Moses."
However, it can also pertain to the entire Hebrew Bible known as the Old
Testament to non-Jews but 7anakh (or the "Written Torah") to the Jews.
Broadly speaking, Torah could mean the whole body of Jewish laws and
teachings.

Another sacred writing of Judaism is the Talmud (or the "Oral Torah")
which means "study." All studies and interpretations done by Jewish rabbis
or teachers of the Torah are contained in the Talmud. In short, the Talmud is
an authoritative collection of rabbinic interpretations of the sacred scriptures.
It
Contains materials of law and moral codes. Around the second century C.E.,
this oral law was compiled and written down as Mishnah or a restatement of
the law by a respected opinion. The next few centuries witnessed the writing
of an additional strand of commentaries in Jerusalem and Babylonia

about the Mishnah. Known as Gemara, it includes legends, folklores, and

sayings (Brasswell 1994). The Mishnah and Gemara comprise the Talmud that

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was completed in the 5th century C.E. Serving as the foundation for all Jewish
laws codes, the whole Talmud contains 63 tractates that is often printed over
6,200 pages long. Apart from being a book of law, the Talmud is also a
fountain of religious thought and inspiration similar to the Pentateuch (Jurji
1946).
The Pentateuch is the single most important scripture for the Jewish
people that became the source of their inspiration and direction for centuries.
It became the foundation of other essential Jewish writings, such as the
Talmud and Mishnah. With all these codified laws and legal materials,
Judaism has become a religion of the law and the Jews as the chosen people
have shown obedience to God's covenant throughout their long and
tumultuous history (Hopfe 1983).

BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES

In Judaism, actions are more significant than beliefs. However, while
Judaism has no dogma, there is definitely a place for belief within the religion
since it focuses on the worship of one god, the practice of good deeds, and the
love of learning (Brasswell 1994). For the Jews, there is one everlasting
god who created the universe in its entirety and remains the master of it
(Parrinder 1971).

Human beings were created by God who provided them the capacity to
decide what is right and wrong, and gave them the freedom and responsibility
for their own actions (Losch 2001). Humans have the ability to restrain their
evil intentions because of their propensities for both good and evil (Parrinder
1971). For Jews, all human beings are created equal. While God can
communicate with humans through revelations, humans can also commune
to him by means of prayers and meditations.

With regard one's Jewishness, a Jew is someone whose mother is a

Jew, although some sectors recognize the children of Jewish fathers as Jews,
too. While a Jew may not lose one's technical status as a Jew by converting to
another religion, he or she loses the religiosity emanating from his or her
Jewish identity. A person may also convert to Judaism, but he or she has to
undergo numerous rituals.

ARTICLES OF FAITH
Perhaps the closest approach in having an acceptable creed in Judaism was
proposed by the eminent medieval Jewish philosopher Moshe ben Maimon
(also known as Rambam or Moses Maimonides) during the latter part of
twelfth century C.E as an appendix to his commentary on the Mishnah.
According to Moshe ben Maimon, the minimum requirements of Jewish belief
as listed in his thirteen principles of faith are as follows:

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 Jewish Principles of Faith
1. God exists
2. God is one and unique.
3. God is incorporeal.
4. God is eternal.
5. Prayer is to be directed to God alone and to no other.
6. The words of the prophets are true.
7. Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the
prophets.
8. The Written Torah and the Oral Torah were given to Moses.
9. There will be no other Torah.
10. God knows the thoughts and deeds of men.
11. God will reward the good and punish the wicked.
12. The Messiah will come.
13. The dead will be resurrected.

Source: "What Do Jews Believe. Judaism 101.http://www.jewfaq.org/beliefs.htm

These statements of belief were eventually constructed as credo with
every article beginning with, I believe" and then later versified, set to music,
and included in prayer books (Jurji 1946). Though controversial when first
formulated and evoked much criticism or even disregarded for many
centuries, these principles are generally accepted nowadays by the Jewish
community.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are a set of absolute laws given by God to Moses at
the biblical Mount Sinai that shall govern the life of every Israelite. Most
scholars consider this period as the official beginning of Judaism as an
organized and structured belief system. These laws are twice mentioned in the
Hebrew Bible, particularly, in Exodus and in Deuteronomy

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 The 10 Commandments in Exodus 20:2-17
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image any likeness
of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow down to
them nor serve them. For l, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and
fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to
thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain,
for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall
labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the
LORD your God, In it you shall do no work you, nor your son, nor
your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor
your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six
days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that
is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed
the Sabbath day and hallowed it
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be
long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
"You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
“You shall not covet your neighbors house; you shall not covet
your neighbor’s wife nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor
his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's"

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The 10 Commandments in Deuteronomy 5:6-21
"I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is
in the water under the earth: you shall not bow down to them nor serve
them. For, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those
who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and
keep My commandments
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the
LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
"Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God
commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no
Work you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor
your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle,
nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and
your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were
a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from
there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm: therefore, the LORD
your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
"Honor your father and your mother as the LORD your God has
commanded you, that your days may be long and that it may be well with
you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you
"You shall not murder
"You shall not commit adultery
“You shall not steal.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
“You shall not covet your neighbor's wife and you shall not desire
your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his
ox, his donkey or anything that is your neighbors

Source: " 10 commandments List", Life Hope & Truth.

https;//lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandements/the-ten-commandments/10-
commandments-list/
Inscribed on two stone tablets, these commandments present God’s complete
and enduring standard for morality. These include instructions to venerate

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only one god, to honor one's parents, and to observe the Sabbath as a holy
day. Meanwhile, some proscribed acts that are pointed out in the
commandments include idolatry, infidelity, murder, theft, and deceit. For
more than three thousand years, the Ten Commandments have been
embraced by almost two thirds of the entire world population.
Apart from the Ten Commandments that form the theological basis of
other commandments, there are also 613 mitzvot or laws found within the
Torah (as identified by Rambam) that guide the Jewish people in their daily
living. Traditionally, there are 248 positive and 365 negative commandments
within the Torah (Parrinder 1971). These include laws about the family,
personal hygiene, diet, as well as duties and responsibilities to the community.

WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

The Jewish community utilizes a lunar calendar with twelve months, each
beginning at the new moon of 29 or 30 days. Every festival and Sabbath
commence and terminates at dusk (or sunset) rather than midnight in
adherence to the biblical pattern. The Jewish calendar is followed in
observance of festivities, holidays, and community and family celebrations
(Brasswell 1994). Jewish holidays are special days observed to commemorate
key events in Jewish history and other events that depict the special
connections with the world, such as creati1on, revelation, and redemption.

Sabbath
The most important day in the Jewish calendar is the Sabbath (or Shabbat)
which commemorates God's completion of the creation of the universe and his
rest after the six-day toil (Parinder 1971). This is the fourth law within the Ten
Commandments. It begins a few minutes before sunset on Friday and runs
until an hour after sunset on Saturday or almost 25 hours to be precise. At
Friday sundown, Sabbath candles are lighted and kiddush ("sanctification") is
recited over wine or grape juice. Children are then blessed by their parents.
Jews must abstain from work and must study the Torah. Some work
prohibitions include lighting fires, using money, and writing. The Sabbath
ends through the symbolic ritual or havdalah (division") done by dousing wine
on candles and smelling sweet spices.

The Days of Awe

Tishri is the seventh month in the ecclesiastical year of the Jewish calendar.
The first ten days of Tishri are called the "Days of Awe" (Yamim Noraim)
wherein the first two days comprise the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and the
tenth day as the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Rosh Hashanah marks the
start of the ten-day period of penitence leading to the Yom Kippur and is
distinguished from other days by blowing a ram's horn trumpet (shofar) in the
synagogue and eating apples dipped in honey which is symbolic for a sweet
new year. Using the shofar, a total of one hundred notes are sounded each
day, All Jews must undergo self-reflection and make amends for all the sins
hey have committed. Rosh Hashanah is also a day of judgement wherein God
assesses one's deeds and decides what lies ahead of him or her in the following

13
year. These deeds are recorded in the "Book of Life" and sealed on Yom Kippur.
Work is not permitted during the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur is the most sacred and solemn day in the Jewish calendar that
brings the period of repentance to its conclusion. The eve of the day is called
Kol Nidrei ("all vows") which are the opening words of a prayer. The words and
music of the Kol Nidrei are said to be the most powerful single item in the
Jewish liturgy. A day of fasting and praying for absolution of one's sins, it
provides every Jew an opportunity for both personal and communal
repentance (Parrinder 1971). One must also refrain from eating and drinking,
even water. Additional restrictions include washing and bathing, using
perfumes, wearing leather shoes, and engaging in sexual relations.
Symbolizing purity, it is customary for the Jews to wear white during the
holiday. An entire day must be spent in the synagogue while reciting prayers.
Another blowing of the ram's horn ends the final prayer service.

Pilgrimage Festivals
During the olden days, the Torah commanded the ancient Israelites to go to
Jerusalem on three pilgrimage festivals and participate in the worship at the
Temple. Also called the Shalosh Regalim, these are Pesach (Passover), Shavuot
(Weeks or Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles). These festivals spiritualize
human life and merge nature and history in a divine pattern (Jurji 1946).

Pesach is an eight-day festival that originally marked the beginning of

the barley harvest (Parrinder 1971). Its principal purpose is to commemorate
and recreate the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. A festive meal (seder) is
celebrated wherein the story of Exodus is narrated by the heads of the family
to the children.
Shavuot is a two-day festival that was originally a celebration of the
wheat harvest. Presently, it is now being held to commemorate the revelation
of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai.

Sukkot is a nine-day festival commemorating the autumn harvest and

the forty years of the Israelites stay in the desert wilderness subsisting solely
on the bounty of God. Temporary booths or structures (sukkah) are built in
homes with a roof through which one can see the stars in the sky. This is an
attempt to recreate Israelite life in the desert.

Other Important Days

There are many feasts and festivals celebrated by the Jewish people. The
family assumes the principal responsibility for worship, religious education,
and moral behavior (Braswell 1994). Rituals and ceremonies are done both at
home and in the synagogue.

Other important events in the Jewish calendar include the Hanukkah

Purim, and the Independence Day of the State of Israel. Hanukkah (Festival of
Lights or "Feast of Dedication") is a celebration to commemorate the victory of
Jewish fighters against the Seleucid Empire in 165 B.C.E. Purim (Feast of
Esther" ) celebrates the deliverance of the Jews during the Persian Empire,

14
specifically from the vizier Haman who wanted to annihilate all Persian Jews
as recorded the Book of Esther.
A brief outline of important dates and holy days in the Jewish calendar
is presented below with their approximation in the Gregorian calendar.

Jewish Months and Festivals

Nisan (March or April)
14-Passover Eve
15-21 Passover
lyyar (April or May)
5-Israel's Independence Day
Sivan (May or June)
6,7-Shavuot
Tishri (September or October)
I-Rosh Hashanah
10-Yom Kippur Atzeret
23 Simchat Torah
Kislev (November or December)
25-Hanukkah begins up to the second of lebet (December or
January)
Adar (February or March)
15-Sukkot
21-Hashanah Rabbah
22-Shemini
14-Purim
Source: George W. Braswell, Jr, Understanding World Religions. p. 89

Halakha
Because Judaism is also a comprehensive way of life, Jewish people follow a
set of rules and practices that govern their everyday living. Collectively called
halakha which translates as the path that one walks," these are Jewish
religious laws derived from the Written Torah and "Oral Torah" including the
613 mitzvot. Jewish laws contain directions on how to revere God and treat
other people and animals. Halakha instructs Jews what to do as they wake
up in the morning, what foods to eat, what clothes to wear, who to marry, and
how to observe Sabbath and holy days. When properly observed, halakha
increases one's spirituality as even mundane acts become essential to his or
her existence.

Synagogues
Synagogues are Jewish temples of worship, instruction, and community
fellowship that contain separate rooms designed for specific activities, such
as praying and studying. In Orthodox Judaism, men and women sit separately
at the synagogues; in Reform Judaism, they sit altogether in temples.

15
 Similar to a Christian church, synagogues have seats facing an elevated
platform with one or two lecterns or chair. The central feature at the platform
(bimah or tebah) and the holiest spot inside a synagogue is the ark where the
Torah scrolls are kept. Reminiscent of the original Ark of the Covenant, an ark
inside a temple is normally placed in a manner that when people face the ark,
they are facing in the direction of Jerusalem. An ornate curtain (parochet) veils
the ark while a lamp or lantern (ner tamid) burns before it is symbolizing the
constantly lit six-branched lampstand (menorah) in the Temple of Jerusalem
(Braswell 1994). While a Jewish layman may lead a prayer service during
Sabbath if there are 10 adult males present (minyan), the religious leader is
oftentimes a trained rabbi. He delivers sermon and interprets the Torah. The
rabbi serves as a pastor, administrator, and counselor.

The Temple
Around 1003 B.C.E., David conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital.
Bringing with him the "Ark of the Covenant," David intended to build a temple
to become the first and fixed place of worship for the Jews. However, God told
David that it would be one of his sons who will have the privilege of
accomplishing this task.

The Hebrew Bible acknowledged Solomon, David's son, as the builder

of the First Temple in Jerusalem around 1000 B.C.E. which was also known
as Solomon's Temple. Within the temple, the most important room was the
Holy of Holies" where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The ark contained the
tablets of the Ten Commandments and the Pentateuch. The First Temple
became the focus of Jewish worship for four hundred years until
Nebuchadnezzar II and the Babylonians completely destroyed the structure in
587 B.C.E during the siege of Jerusalem. Allegedly located in Temple Mount
or Mount Zion, the remains of the First Temple have never been found and
the "Ark of the Covenant has continually been shrouded in mystery.
In 353 B.C.E., the Jews began to rebuild their temple under the Persian
king Darius who ratified their effort. The Second Temple was completed in 349
B.C.E. and was substantially altered under Herod around 20 B.C.E. (Douglas
2007). This Second Temple lasted for about 420 years until the Romans razed
Jerusalem in 70 C.E. All but a portion in the western section was completely
destroyed. Presently, this is the famous "Western Wall" ("Wailing Wall or Kotel)
that has been a popular site of prayer and pilgrimage for the Jews throughout
many centuries.

For Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, a Third Temple will be

established before the coming of the messiah. Prophesized in the Book of
Ezekiel, it will be known as "Ezekiel's Temple" that will become a lasting
structure and serve as permanent abode of the God of Israel. The concept of
messiah or mashiach ("anointed one") in Judaism pertains to a great political
human leader descended from David who shall accomplish prearranged
things in the coming future, such as bringing of Jews to Israel, rebuilding a
new temple in Jerusalem, and establishing Jewish law as the law of the land
(Jurji 1946).

16
SUBDIVISIONS
Being one of the oldest religions in the world, Judaism has undergone various
changes in response to changing times and cultures brought about by key
historical events or philosophical upheavals. While there are certain beliefs
shared by most adherents, differences and diversity in faith also abound
among Jewish denominations and sects. Within Judaism are three present
day movements that emerged in response to the modern and secular culture
of Europe and America. These are Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative
Judaism. Two other smaller sects, namely Hasidism and Kabbalah, are
mystical approaches to the Jewish religion that emphasize spiritual
experiences over rational knowledge.

Orthodox Judaism is the most traditional of modern Judaism that

adheres to the authority of the entire Torah as given to Moses by God at Mount
Sinai. The Torah is the sole authority that must be strictly followed until the
present time. As it considers itself the sole and genuine heir to the Jewish
tradition, it rejects all other Jewish movements as undesirable deviations from
the original Jewish religion.
Reform Judaism (Liberal or Progressive Judaism) is considered the
most liberal expression of Judaism that subjects religious laws and customs
to human judgment. To a certain extent, it developed due to internal changes
in Judaism as well as other factors operating within society. Members of this
denomination sought to adhere to the original teachings of Judaism while
allowing some changes in their traditions. For example, services were
permitted to be conducted in mixed Hebrew and English, no longer conducted
solely in the Hebrew language. Moreover, women were also accorded equality
in terms of sitting together with men in synagogues and allowing them to
become rabbis unlike in other denominations.
Largely developed in the 20th century, Conservative Judaism seeks to
conserve the traditional elements of Judaism while at the same time allowing
for modernizations that is less radical than Reform Judaism. The application
of new historical methods of study in the light of contemporary knowledge but
within the limits of Jewish law may be applied to safeguard Jewish traditions.
Gradual change in law and practice 1s allowed only if such occurrence is in
harmony with Jewish traditions. Because Conservative Judaism falls halfway
between the two other major Jewish denominations, it is sometimes described
as traditional Judaism without fundamentalism.

Hasidism or Hasidic Judaism emerged in Germany during the twelfth

century. It was largely a spiritual movement that gives prime importance to
asceticism and experience as a result of love and humility before God. During
the eighteenth century, a modern Hasidic movement was started in Poland by
Baal Shem Toy ( "Master of the Good Name") as a reaction to the excessive
legalistic nature of Judaism during that time.

Lastly, Kabbalah is another mystical form of Judaism that attempts to

penetrate deeper into God's essence itself. While Kabbalists believe that God
moves in mysterious ways, they also hold that genuine knowledge and
understanding of that inner process is achievable. In the end, the most

17
fulfilling relationship with God can be accomplished. One important
commentary on the Torah that underpinned Kabbalah is the Zohar
("Splendor" or "Radiance") that first appeared in Spain in the thirteenth
century.

SELECTED ISSUES
Women in Judaism
Women's role in the Jewish religion is determined by the Tanakh, the "Oral
Torah, and Jewish customs. Mishnah instructs that women must follow
nearly all the negative commandments except trimming the beard and viewing
a dead body, Women must also follow all positive commandments not
structured by time but are exempted from those that are restricted by time,
The reason here is quite simple, that is, to release women from laws that they
find difficult or impossible to perform given their traditional domestic roles,
such as giving birth, taking care of the family, and accomplishing household
chores. ln addition, women have the right to be consulted on matters
concerning marriage. Judaism offers tremendous respect to roles given to
women as wives and mothers. Even Jewishness or the question of Jewish self-
identification is passed down through the mother.

For Orthodox Judaism, there exist different roles for men and women
in their religious lives. For example, it is sufficient for any woman to
understand the practical nature of the Torah, but she is traditionally excused
from furthering her education beyond that knowledge. In addition, she is
dissuaded from studying the almud and other complex Jewish writings up
until the twentieth century. However, provision tor education for Jewish
women has progressed rapidly n the past century. One interesting
phenomenon in Judaism is the concept of agunot or married women who wish
to divorce their husbands but whose husbands decline to do so. In Orthodox
Judaism, only the husbands are given this privilege.
Meanwhile, Conservative Judaism has acted upon several areas that
enable women to actively participate in Jewish rituals thereby minimizing
legal disparity between men and women. For example, women can now read
the Torah in public and be counted as part of a minyan. Lastly, Reform
Judaism affirms that men and women should be equal in terms of performing
their duties within the Jewish community. Prayer books have been revised in
order to avoid words and pronouns that appear male in character. Jewish
patriarchs and matriarchs must be placed side by side whenever they are
mentioned in prayer books. While men and women generally sit separately in
most synagogues, Reform Judaism has allowed women to sit together with
men. It is also worth mentioning that in Judaism, God is neither male nor
female. The Talmud likewise mentions both positive and negative remarks
about women. The presence of women in the Hebrew Bible is also noticeable.
For example, Miriam, the elder sister of Moses and Aaron, is considered one
of the liberators of the children of Israel. In addition, Deborah, being one of
the judges, is the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Finally, seven out
of the 55 prophets of the Bible were women, namely, Sarah, Miriam, Deborah,
Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. Numerous feminist leaders of the
twentieth century are also Jewish, including the two American activists Gloria

18
Marie Steinem and Betty Friedan. Respect to women has always been part of
the Jewish culture.

Jewish Diaspora and Zionist Movement

In the 16th and 17th centuries, there had been calls to persuade the Jews to
return to Palestine. During the late 18th century, the Haskalah ("Jewish
Enlightenment") movement promoted Jewish assimilation to Western secular
culture (Parrinder 1971). In the early 19th century, the idea of Jewish
returning to Palestine was kept alive by Christian millenarians or believers of
divine intervention that will ultimately bring a new world order. However,
these movements failed in their objectives. In 1881, a state-supported mob
attack or pogrom against the Jews occurred in Ukraine. While a pogrom was
aimed to persecute religious, racial or national minorities, this violent riot
became frequently directed at Jews. From 1881 to 1884, over 200 pogroms
occurred in the Russian Empire. As a result, Russian Jews emigrated to the
US and Western Europe (Perry 1988).
At the end of the nineteenth century, the Hungarian journalist and
political activist Theodor Herzl founded the Zionist movement that advocated
the return of Jews to Eretz Yisrael or "Land of Israel." The term ion, also a
Jewish synonym for Jerusalem, came from the name of a mountain where
Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was located. Originally secular in nature
supporters of this movement are called Zionists.
The Zionists believed that Jews as the chosen people of God will be
reunited from dispersion or exile back to their rightful homeland. The
dispersion of Jewish communities outside Israel that have continually
occurred since ancient history is called diaspora. Leon Pinsker, another
Zionist pioneer and activist, published his work Auto-Emancipation in 1882
that urged the Jewish people to strive for independence and appealed for the
establishment of a Jewish colony in Palestine.
Eventually, Zionist activities in the US became influential in garnering
American congressional and presidential support that led to the creation of
the state of Israel in 1948. Since that time of establishment, the Zionist
movement has come to promote the development and protection of Israel.

Holocaust
The term Holocaust is of Greek origin that means "sacrifice by fire." In history,
Holocaust pertains to the methodical, bureaucratic, and state-sponsored
persecution and execution of around six million Jews undertaken by the Nazi
regime and its collaborators from 1933 to 1945. For the Hitler-led Nazis, the
Germans were racially superior and considered themselves as the master race
as compared to the Jews who were seen as inferior people. Hitler's police chief,
Heinrich Himmler, also believed in Aryan superiority leading to the
enslavement and extermination of "non-Aryans" and the inferior race (Perry
1988). He was one of the German officials directly responsible for the
holocaust.

Another high-ranking German official, Reinhard Heydrich, became the

chief planner of the Nazis to wipe out the Jews in Europe (Perry 1988). Other

19
groups that were considered inferior were the Romani (or 8ypsies), some Slavic
peoples (such as the Poles and Russians), and even the physicaly and mentally
handicapped. Nonetheless, the Jews were perceived as the major threat to the
German racial community that had to be exterminated en masse especially
since there were over nine million Jews in Europe by 1933.
From 1941 up until 1945, Heydrich's plan called the "Final Solution to
the Jewish Problem" was implemented by the Nazis with the main objective of
annihilating European Jews through genocide or murder of an entire group of
people (Parrinder 1971). It came to be known as holocaust. Jews were
arrested, brought to death camps, became victims of mass shootings, and
placed in gas chambers, while others were beaten, starved, and tortured to
death. Still others became subjects of ruthless medical experiments
(Pery1988). Apart from the six million Jews who lost their lives, around
200,000 Romani and 200,000 disabled patients became victims of Nazi
policies. The Nazis also targeted Jewish children for extermination to create a
biologically pure Aryan society. The killing of Jewish children aimed to prevent
the emergence of a new generation of European Jews. As a result, about one
and a half million children were murdered all across Europe.

Anti-Semitism
The term anti-Semitism pertains to hostility towards and discrimination
against the Jewish people that was strongly felt in France. Germany, Poland
and Russia in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The term was
popularized in Germany around 1870s. The most common manifestations of
anti-Semitism were the many violent riots or pogroms undertaken against the
Jews. The planned extermination of the entire Jewish race during the time of
the holocaust was the most extreme form of anti-Semitism. Other forms of
anti-Semitic activities include the persecution and massacre of Jews
throughout history.

Political parties that were anti-Semitic in character were founded in

Germany, France, and Austria. Quite notable was the Nazi Party formed in
1919 that provided political articulation to theories of racism and achieved
popularity through dissemination of anti-Jewish propaganda. Adolf Hitler's
Mein Kanpf (My Struggle) called for the removal of Jews from Germany. These
deplorable activities continued with the Nazi's rise to power as the party that
called for economic boycotts against the Jews, burned Jewish books auld
enacted laws that were anti-Jew. On the night of November 9, 1938,
coordinated deadly attacks were carried out by the Nazis that destroyed
synagogues and shop windows of Jewish-Owned stores throughout Germany
and Austria. More than a thousand synagogues were burned and over seven
thousand Jewish businesses were destroyed or damaged. The event was
known as Kristallnacht or "Night of Broken Glass," referring to the shards of
broken glass that littered the streets.

20
 Analyze
What do you believe …?

Direction : Considering your knowledge about Judaism and the

Jewish people belief in one true God, you too will prove such faith
by :

1. Describing your personal belief through a Collage, poem, or a

song. These beliefs may link to a religion, or moral values or even
a belief in the best basketball team etc.

2. Answering the guide question:

a. What do you believe and why?
b. Who influenced you holding such belief/s? 9e.g. parent,
friend, other influences etc.) and what role do they play in
believing such faith?

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. Based on the activity, what are your realizations or
discoveries when doing the task? (include this answer in
your answer sheet)

Activity
Activity 1
Review Your Religion.
1. List down religious denomination that you know here in the
Philippines.
2. Based on teaching of your church, describe your God.
3. How do your church leaders handle your community? (answer
this in your answer sheet)

Activity 2
Create a Pie graph
Identify some of the important monotheistic religions and create
a pie graph in which you show the relative size of each religion. Write
your answer on a separate sheet.

21
 Enrichment Activity
Poster making, make a poster depicting the set of laws given by God to
people of Israel at Mt. Sinai through Moses or the Ten Commandments.
Use the rubric below as your guide.

Points
Criteria Description Points
Obtained
Organization The concept was
clearly and 10
creatively
conveyed
Content The illustration
were appropriate 5
to the theme
Visual The idea was
presentation clearly presented 5
based on the
pictures and
words used

Remember

Judaism is considered one of the oldest monotheistic

religions.
 Jews are an ethno-religious group and include those
born Jewish and
converts to Judaism. The largest Jewish religious
movements are Orthodox, Conservative Judaism and
Reform Judaism.
 Traditional Judaism maintains that a Jew, whether by
birth or conversion, is a Jew forever. Thus a Jew who
claims to be an atheist or converts to another religion is
still considered by traditional Judaism to be Jewish
 Jewish ethnic groups in several different geographic
locations the Ashkenazi Jews (of central and Eastern
Europe), the of the
Sephardi Jews (of Spain, Portugal, and North Africa), the

22
 Beta Israel of Ethiopia , and the Yemenite Jews from
the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
 Different classification of Judaism based on their
observances: Orthodox Judaism, Reform Judaism,
Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism,
Humanistic Judaism.
 Judaism is the oldest of the Abrahamic religion, and
its primary text is the Tanakh, or the Jewish
Bible, which is composed of the Pentateuch
(Torah), the Prophets (Nevi'im) and the Writings
(Ketuvim). Tanakh is an acronym that stands for the three
sections of the Hebrew Bible.

 Nature of God- Jews are monotheistic, they believe in only

one God

- God as one means that God is always present

in people’s lives, every sight they see, sound
they hear, and experience they are aware of is
regarded as a meeting with God.
- God as creator – a belief that God created the
universe out of nothing. He created it exactly
how he wanted it to be.
- God as lawgiver – a belief that believe
that God gave them free will. God wanted to
help the Jews to choose to do the right thing
with their free will, so he gave them
commandments.
- God as Judge – a belief that God not only gave
them laws to follow, but also judges them for
how well they follow these laws.

 Jewish’s ceremonies and rites are events that are

very important to Jewish people in their search

23
 toward kedushah or meaning “sanctification”.
 Sabbath is considered a day of utmost importance.
It is celebrated because God completed the creation
of the world in six days and made the seven day a day
of holiness and blessing. It is also a reminder that the
children of Israel were once slaves in the land of
Egypt and that Jews were therefore obliged to free
their servants and slaves from labor on the Sabbath.
 Holy Days are observed during fall season of the
year. These are days of reverence and awe and a time
to look into one’s heart and begin a new religious
year as a better person.

24
 ASSESSMENT
I. Multiple-Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer among
the given choices. Write the chosen letter on your notebook as your
answer sheet.

1. Who is NOT a patriarch?

a. Abraham c. Jacob
b. Isaac d. Moses

2. To whom did God make a covenant that he would become the

father of the great nation and would possess vast tracts of land,
and in return he would become the embodiment of uprightness
and holiness?
a. Abraham c. Jacob
b. Isaac d. Moses

3. What is the original name of Abraham?

a. Abrab c. Abrem
b. b. Abram d. Abremeo

4. The name of Abraham’s wife.

a. Claudia c. Magdalena
b. Elizabeth d. Sarah

5. The connotation and the meaning of the name,” Abraham”?

a. Holy father c. No son
b. Father of many nations d. powerful

6. The son of Abraham and Sarah.

a. Isaac c. Ishmael
b. Esau d. Jacob

7. Whose name was changed to” Israel”?

a. Isaac c. Ishmael
b. Esau d. Jacob

8. Who among the twelve sons of Jacob become the “Dreamer”?

a. Benjamin c. Ruben
b. Joseph d. Levi
9. The Commandments that served as the supreme laws of the
Jewish people.
a. Seven Commandments c. Nine commandments
b. Eight commandments d. Ten commandments

10. The people of Israel were led by a _______?

a. King c. Governor
b. Presidential d. Mayor
c.
11. The First five books of the Hebrews’ Bible is called______?
a. Attateuch c. Catateuch
b. Battateuch d. Pentateuch

12. The one believed as the Author of the First five books, the
Pentateuch was_____?
a. Aaron c. Pharaoh
b. Moses d. Princes

13. Which is the First of the Ten Commandments?

a. You shall have no other gods before me
b. You shall not murder
c. You shall not commit adultery
d. You shall not steal

14. The most important day in the Jewish calendar as their

commemoration of God’s completion of the creation of the
universe and his rest after six-day toil?
a. Christmas Day c. Sabbath Day
b. Holiday d. Seventh day

15. What do you call the Jewish temple of worship?

a. Church c. Mosque
b. Chapel d. Synagogues
Motivational Activity What I Know
1. GENESIS I
Assessment
2. ABRAHAM 1. D
3. CANAAN 1. D
2. B
4. PENTATEUCH 2. A
3. D
5. JACOB 3. B
4. D
6. JEWISH 4. D
5. A
7. MOSES 5. B
6. C
8. SINAI 6. A
7. A
9. HEBREWS 7. D
8. B
10. JUDAISM 8. B
9. A
9. D
10. B
Karagdagang Gawain 10. A
11. D
11. B
Answers vary 12. B
12. B
13. B
13. A
14. B
14. D
15. D
Activity 2 15. D
Answers vary
Answers Key
 References:

Ong, Jerome A., Jose, Mary Dorothy L., “Introduction to World

Religions and Belief Systems”, page 46 – 67.
Cornejo, Nigel L., et al. Fundamentals of World Religions.
MaxCor Publishing

House, Inc., 2019

Cornelio, Jayeel S. et al. Introduction to World Religions

and Belief Systems. Rex Books Store, 2017

Nicolas de Lange, An Introduction to Judaism (Cambridge

University Press, 2000

The book of Religion. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2013

Serapio, Maria Perpetua Arcilla. Introduction to World

Religions for Senior High School. Mindshapers Co., Inc.
2016
 Region IX: Zamboanga Peninsula Hymn – Our Eden Land

Here the trees and flowers bloom Gallant men And Ladies fair
Here the breezes gently Blow, Linger with love and care
Here the birds sing Merrily, Golden beams of sunrise and sunset
The liberty forever Stays, Are visions you’ll never forget
Oh! That’s Region IX
Hardworking people Abound,
Here the Badjaos roam the seas
Every valleys and Dale
Here the Samals live in peace
Zamboangueños, Tagalogs, Bicolanos,
Here the Tausogs thrive so free
Cebuanos, Ilocanos, Subanons,
With the Yakans in unity
Boholanos, Ilongos,
All of them are proud and true
Region IX our Eden Land
Region IX
Our..
Eden...
Land...

The Footprints Prayer Trees by Joyce Kilmer

One night I had a dream. I dreamed I think that I shall never see
that I was walking along the beach A poem lovely as a tree.
with the LORD.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
In the beach, there were two (2) sets of Against the earth’s sweet flowing
footprints – one belong to me and the breast;
other to the LORD.
A tree that looks at God all day,
Then, later, after a long walk, I noticed And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
only one set of footprints.
A tree that may in Summer wear
“And I ask the LORD. Why? Why? Why A nest of robins in her hair;
did you leave me when I am sad and
helpless?” Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who
intimately lives with rain.
And the LORD replied “My son, My son,
I have never left you. There was only Poems are made by fools like me,
one (1) set of footprints in the sand, But only God can make a tree.
because it was then that I CARRIED
YOU!