MODULE 7
lot of challenges. Unfortunately, one event of the
JUDAISM
in this module, we will learn about the first of
the three major Abrahamic religions –
Judaism. This religion is more than just an
expression of faith, but it is also a culture, a
civilization, and a story that the Jewish
people share. According to data, Judaism has
around 14 million followers spread across the
globe. About 45% live in Israel, another 45%
live in the United States, and the rest of the
Jewish population are scattered around the
world. More than merely affirming with the
teachings of Judaism, the Jewish people, no
matter how secular, still find and identify
themselves with the culture of Judaism.
INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM
Now, it is time to leave East Asia and set our
journey toward the Middle East. This module
will discuss Judaism, a religion that began in
Israel.
In this module, you will see that Judaism shares
some distinct commonality with Islam and
Christianity. The reason behind this is because
Judaism, together with Christianity and Islam,
belongs to what we call the "Abrahamic
religions." This means that these religions trace
their origins to Abraham – the man considered
to have discovered and made a covenant with
the One God, YHWH (read Yahweh or
Yehowah). The term Abrahamic is often used to
refer to these religions because of the emphasis
they give to Abraham. These three religions all
believe in one God. However, despite this
relatedness, these religions remain unique in the
way they interpret their faith. Jews, Christians,
and Muslims all believe that they worship the
same God, but that does not imply that their
traditions preach the same message. The ethics
of these world religions may converge, but their
doctrines, laws, and mythologies do not.
The people who worship Judaism are called
Jews. If we look at the world's history, we can
say that this religion has already been through a
modern world that is always associated with
Judaism is the Holocaust, where 6 million Jews
were exterminated by Nazi Germany for just
simply being Jews. However, despite this
devastating event, this religion still maintains its
relevance and continues to flourish up to this
day.
JUDAISM: DID YOU KNOW?
Fun Fact!
Star of David
A common misconception in Judaism is that the
Star of David, a hexagram, a compound of
two equilateral triangles, usually depicted in
blue, had always been a Jewish trademark.
Historically, this symbol has been used in many
different religions. In Hinduism, the star has
been used as a symbol of Shiva and Shakti, or
male and female. It is also used in Mormonism
to symbolize heaven and earth. There is no
definitive evidence as to when Judaism adopted
the symbol, but one of the first instance was in
the 13th century when it was put by Jewish
people in Prague on a red flag. The Star of
David’s status as a trademark of Judaism only
took off during the 19th century when the
Jewish people tried to make a distinction of
their community from others. The use of the
of David could also probably be an attempt to
create a highly religious symbol that is similar
to the cross of Christianity.
DISCUSSION ON THE PATRIARCHS,
KINGS AND PROPHETS, BIRTH OF
JUDAISM, THE HOLOCAUST, AND
JUDAISM TODAY
Perhaps most of you are unaware that the history
and origin of Judaism are contained in a
collection of sacred texts known through the
acronym TNK, also known as the Hebrew
bible. Christians also consider this scripture as
divinely inspired. The origin of Judaism does
not only involve the story of one person.
Rather, it is a long list of events involving
numerous people from different generations.
One thing that we do not know and realize about
the Bible is that it is a historical book filled
with many great stories. Many events that
happened in the Hebrew Bible have been used as
a reference for several movies. The story of
Noah's Ark, the escape of Moses from Egypt,
and the story of Samson and Delilah are only
some of the many events that can be seen in the
scripture. This only shows the richness of
Judaism's origin story.
The following are represented by the acronym
TNK:
 Torah - which means law
 Nevi’im - which means prophets
 Ketuvim - which means writings
The Patriarchs
Abraham
The TNK starts with the story of creation
found in the book of Genesis, which is also the
first book of Torah. In this story, it was
emphasized that YHWH is the only creator
and that He made man in His image and
likeness. Because of this, all human beings are
considered as stewards of God's creation
because they are superior compared to other
living things. The history of man and woman
can also be found in this book through the story
of Adam and Eve who are believed to be the
first man and woman. The following chapters
of the book of Genesis feature how Adam and
Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden
because they disobeyed YHWH's order.
The book of Genesis also tells the story of
Noah's ark wherein the Earth was destroyed
by a flood because the world has grown
wicked.
The next chapters of the book of Genesis
feature the story of Abraham. This man has an
important role to play in history and the
formation of several religions. Because of the
obedience of Abraham to YHWH's
command, he was chosen to be the father of
many nations.
A covenant between YHWH and man was
formed. YHWH promised Abraham that his
children and his children's children will be
made a great nation. Maybe some of you are
not familiar with the term covenant. To
enlighten you, this word may mean a pact, deal,
contract, etc. So in essence, YHWH and
Abraham agreed. Their deal states that
Abraham must obey YHWH's commands
and, on the other hand, YHWH will continue
to bless and deliver his promise to Abraham.
From Mesopotamia, which is today known as
Iraq, Abraham and his wife Sarah traveled to
a land which was to become Israel. It is in this
place where they settled. The covenant was
renewed in each generation, starting from
Abraham's son, Issac, then to Isaac's son,
Jacob, who was later named Israel. Jacob had
12 sons who became the ancestors of the 12
tribes that comprise the nation of Israel.
Jacob's favorite son was Joseph. The sons of
Jacob did not like this and felt jealous of Joseph.
Because of this, Joseph's older brother sold
him to slavery in Egypt to get rid of him. This
is where the book of Genesis ends, and this
event would pave the way to the story of the
second book of the Bible - Exodus.
Moses
The second book in the Bible is Exodus. This
book narrates the journey of Moses in leading
the Israelites and the descendants of
Abraham in their escape out of Egypt after
many long years of slavery and persecution.
This escape from Egypt was a prayer answered
for the Israelites because for a long time, they
were asking YHWH to help them get away from
the shackles that the Pharaoh of Egypt
imposed on them. If you are familiar with the
crossing of the Red Sea, this is the specific
event where the story was taken from.
The mission of Moses did not just end with
their escape from Egypt. Delivering them into
the "Promised Land" was the ultimate goal.
However, contrary to the initial ideas of the
Israelites or Hebrews, as we know them now,
the journey to the "Promised Land" was not
smooth. It was a long journey and most of them
doubted if YHWH was true to His promise or
not.
In Moses' experience of the burning bush in
the book Exodus, it was revealed that the
sacred name for the Jewish deity is YHWH,
which is a tetragrammaton containing four
Hebrew consonants. In English, the term
"Lord" is used when YHWH appears in the
text.
For the Jews, the tetragrammaton is a symbol
of God's holiness and transcendence.
Therefore, it has an incommunicable property.
YHWH is not pronounced by the Jews.
Instead, the Hebrew term for lord or ADONAI
is used whenever YHWH appears in the text.
God's supremacy over all his creation is
manifested in the commandments and the
prayers recited by the Israelites.
During their journey to the "Promised Land,"
while they were on Mount Sinai, the covenant
of YHWH and Israelites was renewed
through the Ten Commandments and other
laws given to Moses. These laws and the Ten
Commandments became the foundation of the
new covenant. YHWH promised to protect and
be loyal to His people only if they, the
Hebrews, followed the Ten Commandments
and the laws entrusted to Moses.
In the remaining books of Torah – Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy – the experience
of the Israelites in Mount Sinai were continued
to be narrated. These books recount how the
laws and commands were given to the Hebrews
to fulfill their end of the bargain. Their journey
in the Torah consists mainly of wandering in
the wilderness in search of the Promised Land.
They brought with them the Ark of the
Covenant wherein the Ten Commandments,
which were given in tablets were kept. This
Ark of the Covenant was kept inside a tent as
prescribed by the Torah. Good things happen
whenever they obey the commandments, like
winning wars against the opposing tribes.
However, bad things happen when they disobey.
Because of this, Hebrews lived by the belief that
if they follow YHWH's covenant, they will be
brought to a land flowing with milk and honey
no matter how difficult it is. This kind of
relationship is somehow similar to the
relationship between a parent and a child. If the
child obeys his or her parents, gifts and
expression of approval are given to reinforce the
same kind of behavior. But when the child
commits bad actions, sanctions are imposed to
discourage the same kind of behavior. However,
as the cliché goes, "No parent can stand seeing
their child suffer." No matter how disobedient
and stubborn a child has been, parents shall
never turn away from their suffering child. This
is also true with the relationship between the
Hebrews and YHWH. Despite the constant
grumbling and infidelity of the Hebrews,
YHWH has delivered on his promise.
As you can see by now, the main theme of the
Torah is about the laws and commandments
that YHWH has established over his people.
Also, the Torah is Mosaic in origin which is
why it is also called the book of Moses. This is
the main reason why it was called Torah or
law. This theme is present in Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Torah is also known as Pentateuch, which
means "five books."
Kings and Prophets
Before we proceed with this part of the
discussion kindly click on the link and watch the
video.
How to Read the Bible: The Prophets (Links to
an external site.)
The story of the Hebrews continued in the
Nevi'im or the book of prophets. After almost
40 years wandering in the desert, the
Hebrews finally reached the Promised Land.
The books of Joshua, Judges, first and second
Samuel, and first and second Kings tell us the
story of the Hebrews from their conquest in
the land of Canaan to the establishment of
Israel around the 10th century BCE.
The Hebrews were first ruled by King Saul.
After Saul's death, he was replaced by a
shepherd named David. This king is famous
for his battle against the giant, Goliath. He
was then succeeded by his son Solomon.
During their reigns, Israel flourished because
of their wisdom.
However, the decline of Israel as a nation
came after Solomon's reign for failing to
sustain the unity of the northern kingdom in
Israel and the southern kingdom in Judah.
Because of this, Israel and Judah became easy
prey for other nations.
As a result, the Hebrews were again conquered
by the Assyrians and the Babylonians. After
50 years, the Persians deposed the
Babylonians and let the Jewish exiles return
to their homeland under the rule of the
Persians. Some Jews returned to the ruined
Promised Land,
while others went to Egypt and other lands.
Those who did not return to the Promised
Land were called the "Diaspora Jews."
Based on the story of the Jewish people, Israel
flourished when they remained faithful to
YHWH and catastrophe happened when they
disobeyed. Because of this, most Jewish people
became preoccupied with staying faithful to
the covenant to maintain their status as
YHWH's chosen people. This is also the reason
why the era of the prophets occurred. The
prophets, during the time of the Hebrews, were
not foretellers of the future but were the
people that reminded and challenged the
Hebrews to stay faithful to the covenant to
avoid the day of the Lord.
The last part of the TNK is the Ketuvim. This
part consists of different types of literature like
poetry and narratives that are extensions of
the prophetic stories. The Ketuvim represents
the most artful and creative literary works in
the TNK.
Birth of Judaism
The term that we now know as Judaism was
only formed after Israel vanished as a nation
as this was conquered by other civilizations.
This term originally just refers to the believers
of the religion in the Persian province of
Judea, while the term "Jew" was only used
after the Babylonian exile. It referred to the
people of Israel and Judea who spread
through the Mediterranean – the Diaspora
Jews.
Overall, the background of Judaism as a
religion is found in the TNK. However, TNK
is only the beginning of the story of Judaism.
Different writings are still discovered and
continue to help shape the religion that is
Judaism today.
The Holocaust
Another event that immensely impacted the
religion of Judaism is the infamous Holocaust.
For those of you who are not aware of what the
Holocaust is, it is the extermination of all Jews
living in Germany during World War II.
More than 6 million Jews, which is about
66% of their whole population in Europe, were
killed by the Nazis. Many of the survivors were
barely breathing when they were rescued. The
reason behind the persecution is because of
Hitler's idea that the Jews were the reason
why Germany lost during the first world war.
He accused them of being a traitor.
Also, the ideology of the Nazis was flawed.
They viewed the Aryan race and their race of
origin as superior compared to every nation.
They saw themselves as an "ÜBERMENSCH,"
which means superman or overman.
This means that they believed that they were
higher human beings compared to others and
treated non-Aryans, especially the Jews, as
"UNTERMENSCH" – an inferior person or
someone lesser than a human being.
As a result, Jews – men, women, old, and young
– were mercilessly killed and some even became
subjects of various inhumane experiments.
However, the Holocaust ended the long
persecution of Jews in Europe for simply
being Jews. This was the final test that Judaism
faced to be accepted in modern Europe.
Through this, we can see how a wrong
understanding of our nature as humans can
affect our view of good and evil. It also
influences how we treat other people. The ironic
thing with the Nazis is that they were too
proud of their status as Übermensch, but still
managed to commit one of the most horrendous
crimes in human history. This happened because
of their misplaced understanding of their nature
as humans. This is the reason why we, your
religion and values education teachers, try our
best to make you aware of our nature as humans.
We do not just discuss morality to show how
bad you are as a person. Neither do we teach you
values to show you that we are perfect because
the reality is that we are not. We will never be,
but this does not remove the fact that there will
always be an idea of goodness and badness that
you and I will always be subjected to. Unaware
as we are, the seemingly boring and
uninteresting lessons we learn from our religion
and values education classes that we often
ignore are necessary to prevent another horrible
thing, like a Holocaust from happening again.
This Holocaust became a nightmare for the Jews
and up until this day, its effects are still felt. This
also left a long-term consequence on the religion
of Judaism. Some believers inevitably changed
their perspective on the existence of YHWH.
Where was God when 6 million Jews were
being killed? However, some Jews just saw it as
another terrible punishment for their infidelity,
and that obeying the covenant will spare them
from another punishment.
Judaism Today
After the second world war, the Jews who
stayed in their homeland – those who
returned to Israel after the Babylonian exile –
saw the realization of their dreams. The
modern state of Israel was established, wherein
the Jews were free to live and were able to
express their identity as Jewish people. This
event encouraged other Jews to return home.
Hence, there was a massive influx of Jews from
different countries to Israel.
This event did not end the problems of the
Jews. Instead, another problem arose. Because
of the massive migration, the tension between
the Jewish people and the Arabs, who were at
that time and place, started to build up. For
the Jews, the land where they settled in Israel
was claimed by the Arabs, which they called
Palestine. In other words, these two groups of
people found themselves disputing over their
territory, and living together with different
beliefs made the situation even worse.
The United Nations even intervened in their
conflict and suggested to just separate the
land – creating a Jewish State of Israel and an
Arab State of Palestine. However, this did not
work well with both sides. Until now, war has
been their only way to resolution.
Discussion on Branches of Judaism
Traditions
Over time, several groups have branched out
from traditional Judaism. From a formerly one
and unified religion, Judaism has now several
different traditions. Events and factors, like the
American and French revolutions, Western
 Enlightenment and Modernity, and even o Separatist - These people live a life of
Christianity are some of the major reasons that fidelity to the Torah. However, they
influenced other groups of Judaism to be practice their faith away from society.
formed. There is only a small portion of this
specific group and most of them reside
According to records, at the turn of the
in Israel and other countries.
millennium, there were around 14 to 18 million
Jews. Most of these still follow the traditional
o Integrationist - This group of people
way of following the Torah, while some have
believes that they can still be Jews
chosen to adhere to a newer practice called
even if they participate in society.
"Reform Judaism."
Most Orthodox Jews follow this
The following are the branches of Judaism: strand.

 Reform - This type of Judaism has spread from

Germany to Europe and to the United States
 Conservative - This branch stands between
where it is now particularly prominent. This
the Reform Jews and the Orthodox Jews.
tradition was greatly influenced by
Therefore, it is like the middle way between
modernization in Germany during the 19th
the two aforementioned branches. Like the
century. The German influence is apparent in
Reform Jews, they also use the vernacular
the language that their spiritual leaders
or their everyday language in worship. This
called "rabbis" used during their worship.
movement also does historical research on
Instead of Hebrew, they read their Sabbath
traditional teachings that make them like
liturgy in German. Compared to traditional
the Orthodox Jews. They balance the
Judaism, this movement is more lenient when
commitment to the Torah and the constant
it comes to following the Torah. They also
evolution of the modern world in their
abandoned the idea that there will be a
practice of faith. They ordain women
messiah that will restore the Jews in Israel.
rabbis, which is a practice of the Reform
Because of this, they also believe that Israel is
Jews, but not of the Orthodox Jews.
not their homeland, but instead accepted
their place of birth as their native land.
 Reconstructionist - This movement was born
from the tradition of Conservative Jews.
 Orthodox - This tradition is a counter-
They consider Judaism as a civilization. They
movement to Reform Judaism. This means
believe that the key to the well-being of Jews
that the people who formed this type of
is to practice the Jewish culture. Creating
Judaism did not agree to the practices of
spaces and places where Jews from different
Reform Judaism because they were too
orientations can celebrate and continue the
progressive and too liberal.
culture is one of their main ideas. Some
For them, the Torah is the word of YHWH, Reconstructionist movements in the United
which means that it must be strictly observed. States hold meetings inside individual
Also, they believe that it is obedience to the houses instead of synagogues, which are the
Torah that makes them Jews. In summary, the traditional Jewish place of worship.
firm observance of the law is the ultimate
determiner of their identity as Jews. This Discussion on Repentance
branch is further divided into two sub-groups: Religious Experience
the separatists and the integrationists.
The goal of most religions in the Middle East is
for humans to repent. One of those is Judaism.
This religion believes that when the covenant or
the relationship of YHWH with His people is
broken, repentance is necessary to restore
that relationship. The meaning of repentance
here does not only mean regretting one's
mistakes but also implies that one should again
follow the will of YHWH.
This concept of repentance has two
dimensions: the individual and societal
dimensions.
The individual repentance commonly happens
before death and the idea of an afterlife is
what encourages people to repent. Judaism
believes that those who repent will have their
consolation through salvation and bliss, while
those who refuse will continually be alienated
even in the afterlife.
Many Orthodox Jews focus on the societal
dimension. They are more interested in the
restoration of Israel as a state. They believe
that the Messiah – the person who will deliver
the Jewish nation – will only come if they
repent and follow the laws of the Torah. This
plays a big part in the political and religious
status of Israel and Judaism in general.
Furthermore, the reason why repentance is a
very important practice is because of their
anxiety that the day of the Lord might
suddenly arrive. This is the time when
everyone will be judged according to what they
have done. To better understand this concept,
kindly watch the video on the link:
Day of the Lord
Note that only the scenes before Jesus apply to
Judaism. The Jews do not acknowledge Jesus
as the Messiah, but only as a regular Jew. This
day of the Lord must not only be understood as
the end of the world. The Jews also see it as the
day when they will be punished for their
infidelity. An example of the day of the Lord
would be the destruction of Israel and the
Holocaust.
Discussion on the Torah and Sabbath
The Torah
The Torah serves as a guide for the Jews on
how they should live their lives. It functions
both as scripture and law. The written Torah is
considered as their scripture and the Oral
Torah is a series of guidelines that have been
deliberated by Jewish teachers in the
interpretation of the written law. However,
how the Torah should be understood is still up
for debate until this day. Nevertheless, the Jews
still follow the Torah in whichever way it is
interpreted.
Probably most of us see laws as a restrictive
source of hassle in our lives. For example, we
find it hard to obey the simple rules of our
parents because we like to do things differently.
It is always easier and more comfortable if we
live our lives the way we want to do. However,
this is not the case for the Jews. One incredible
and amazing thing about their spirituality is
that they find joy in their obedience to the
Torah. They do not see these laws as
liabilities. For them, the law is YHWH's gift to
their religion and culture. The Orthodox Jews
believe that the Torah is the actual word of
YHWH. Therefore, following the Torah is
considered as an expression of gratitude to
YHWH.
Sabbath
The Sabbath is at the heart of the Jewish
calendar which is a 25-hour period which
starts at the sunset of Friday. The Sabbath is
like a reenactment of the day when YHWH
rested in the creation story. It is also a
commemoration of YHWH's mercy in the
Israelite exodus from Egypt. Therefore, the
Sabbath is scripturally-based and it recalls the
key moments of YHWH's involvement with
Israel. In their original tradition, the Sabbath
Day is allotted for everyone to rest. Usually, if
the sabbath is celebrated at home, a blessing, which they call "talit," is worn over the head
which they call kiddish, is performed. This and body to signify humility before YHWH.
blessing is done over bread and wine which are
the Sabbath meals and the lighting of the Also, a kippah is worn by men through their
Sabbath candles. To commemorate the waking hours to symbolize reverence for
goodness of YHWH, two loaves of bread are YHWH.
used that symbolize the manna that came Summary and Conclusion 7
down from heaven during the Israelite
journey to the Promised Land. In this module, we have discussed the religion of
Judaism. Our discussion focused mainly on its
Havdalah, which means "separation," ends history and events that shaped the religion we
the celebration of Sabbath. This activity is a now know as Judaism. Also, the different
farewell to the holy day and a distinction from branches of Judaism were tackled. Lastly, its
the rest of the days of the week. forms of spirituality were also explained.
Moreover, the celebration of the Sabbath varies There are many things we can get from this
through each branch of Judaism. religion. However, the most significant one is
the emphasis of this religion on the relationship
The Orthodox and Conservative Jews
between YHWH and His people. The story of
observe the Sabbath during Saturday
the Jews shows that if they obey the laws of
mornings. Passages from the TNK are read as
YHWH, they get rewarded but if they disobey,
prescribed by a set yearly cycle. Being the
punishment always comes next. This leaves us
most traditional, the Orthodox Jews extremely
with a good reflection – Does YHWH punish us
observe this day. Even riding automobiles,
or is it just our wrongdoing that places us in a
lighting, and putting out lights are prohibited.
bad situation?
Likewise, the Conservative Jews are also
somehow strict, but give an exception to
necessary activities, like driving to the
synagogues. The Orthodox Jews believe that the
only place of worship is the temple in Israel
which is set for rebuilding once the Messiah
arrives.

Whereas, the Reform Jews, being the most

lenient, are at liberty to choose which
commandments they will observe. They
worship in buildings called "temples."
Taking part in the Sabbath rituals is a
traditional practice for the Jews. Praying three
times a day is mandatory. Further, there are
also required dress codes.

Male Jews wear a leather box containing

passages and scriptures, which they call
"tefilins." They place one tefillin on the
forehead while the other one is on the left
arm, which signifies that the TNK is in the
mind and heart of the believer. A shawl,