Basic principles of the Jewish religion. Judaism is one of the oldest religions

Speaking about Judaism, observant Jews mean, first of all, the Jewish Tradition, within the framework of which knowledge is received and transmitted about G-d, the Creator of all things, about His relationship with people, about the purpose of creation, about how to live and what is required from a person. This tradition (“Masora”) is the same age as humanity, that is, it begins with the creation of the world, 20 generations before Abraham, the first Jew, and exists continuously to this day.

The Western Wall in Jerusalem today is one of the symbols of the Jewish religion

Thus, it is obvious that the numerous movements of “Orthodox Judaism” are Judaism, and no other Judaism exists. As for the “heterodox” movements, they are not Judaism at all in essence - these are religions that came out of the Jewish tradition, but broke ties with it. It is important to note that the various “Judaisms” that exist today in parallel with communities that remain faithful to the Jewish Tradition are gradually disappearing due to mass assimilation, as well as due to the distrust of the majority of the Jewish population, even secular ones. Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, said: “ I don't go to synagogue, But synagogue, in which I do not go- orthodox." Despite serious differences and deep contradictions between various groups in Israeli society, the overwhelming majority of citizens have a negative attitude towards “heterodox Judaism” and its popularity among the population is extremely low.

Influence of Judaism on other religions

Many ideas and traditions of Judaism are, in one form or another, incorporated by world religions such as Christianity and Islam, as well as many syncretic movements (Blavatsky’s theosophy, New Age, Rasta, etc.). They all draw a significant part of their ideas from Judaism, they all, in one way or another, start from the history of the world, which is set out in the Torah, declare themselves to be those who continued and “developed” true Judaism, argue with Judaism, try to refute it, take from it , what they like and discard what does not suit them, declaring what they discard is wrong or “no longer needed.”

Against the backdrop of disappointment in religions and a severe spiritual crisis in Western society, the Bnei Noah movement is becoming increasingly popular, uniting non-Jews who decided to observe the 7 Commandments of the descendants of Noah (Noah), given by G-d to humanity after the Flood. Many non-Jews decide to become Jews by converting in a rabbinical court.

The influence of Judaism on modern culture

For a long time, Jews were discriminated against and persecuted, and Judaism remained closed and, in fact, virtually unknown outside of Jewish communities. Judaism was considered the teaching of “dirty Jews”, a strange religion of “teachers and Pharisees” who did not want to correct themselves and assimilate. Nevertheless, Judaism had a huge influence on the development of political thought, on the development of a system of charity and mutual aid that was unknown ancient world, as well as the transformation of morality and morality into “universal human values”.

Almost all the basic values ​​of modern society, such as the seven-day week, “thou shalt not kill,” “thou shalt not commit adultery,” etc., the principles of the value of human life and the inviolability of private property, the institutions of family and justice - without a doubt, all this is the influence of the Hebrew Bible - Torahs on countries where Jews were scattered for many centuries. And this is how the Rambam explains the historical need for the dispersion of the Jews - to teach other peoples the Knowledge of the One G-d.

Judaism (from other Heb. I'm losing weight- inhabitants of ancient Judea). National religion of the Jews. Characteristic feature Judaism, which distinguishes it from the national religions of other peoples, is monotheism- faith in One God. On the basis of Judaism, two world religions arose: Christianity and Islam.

The ideas of the ancient Jews about the One God developed over a long historical period (19th - 2nd centuries BC), which was called biblical and included the era patriarchs(forefathers) of the Jewish people. As legend tells, the very first Jew was the patriarch Abraham, who entered into a sacred union with God - a covenant ( brit). Abraham made a promise that he and his descendants would remain faithful to God and fulfill the commandments as proof of this ( mitzvot) - norms of behavior that distinguish a person who worships the true God. For this, God promised Abraham to protect and multiply his descendants, from which he would come whole people. This people will receive from God the possession of Israel - the land on which they will create their own state. The descendants of Abraham formed a union of 12 tribes (tribal groups), related by blood, which descended from the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel), son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin , Dan and Naphtali.

But before receiving the land promised by God (the Promised Land), the descendants of Abraham ended up in Egypt (about 1700 BC), where they were enslaved for 400 years. The prophet Moses brought them out of this slavery ( Moshe). The exodus of God's chosen people was accompanied by numerous miracles, which God performed as proof of his power. This was followed by a 40-year wandering in the desert, during which all former slaves had to die so that only free people would enter the land of Israel. During this wandering through the desert, the central event of Judaism and its entire history takes place: God calls Moses to Mount Sinai and through him gives the entire Jewish people the Ten Commandments and Toru- The law written in five books and called the Pentateuch of Moses. The Sinai Revelation, received by Moses, marks the beginning of the existence of the Jews as a single people, and Judaism - the religion that this people professes. God of the Jews, named after Yahweh(The Being, from whose being everything flows), had neither images nor temples. The main object of worship of the Jews was the Ark of the Covenant - a casket in which two stone slabs (tablets) with the Ten Commandments carved on them were kept. The Ark of the Covenant was considered the earthly residence of God, invisibly present throughout the world.

In the 11th century BC e. Jews create the state of Israel, the capital of which becomes the city of Jerusalem (Yerushalayim). In 958 BC. e. King Solomon builds a Temple in Jerusalem on Mount Zion in honor of the One God, where the Ark of the Covenant was placed. A new beginning has begun in the history of Judaism, temple period, which lasted about 1500 years. During this period, the Jerusalem Temple became the main spiritual center of Judaism and the only place where religious rites were performed.

The exclusive right to perform temple services, the most important element which were sacrificed, possessed Aaronids- descendants of Aaron, brother of Moses, who formed the highest category of priesthood - kohanim(priests). They were served Leviim(Levites) - people from the clan of Levi. The servants of the Jerusalem Temple constituted a special category of Jewish society. Their descendants still perform special ritual functions and observe additional prohibitions: for example, kohanim should not be under the same roof with a dead body, marry a widow or divorcee, etc.

During the same period, writing is completed Tanakh- The Holy Scriptures of Judaism (the Christian tradition fully included the Tanakh in the section of the Bible called the Old Testament).

In 587 BC. e. Israel was captured by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, who destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and forcibly resettled most of the Jews to Babylonia. The prophet Ezekiel becomes the spiritual leader and mentor of the settlers. He developed the idea of ​​​​the revival of Israel, but as a theocratic state, the center of which would be the new Jerusalem Temple. The creator of this new state should be Messiah- descendant of King David. Under the Persian Achaemenid dynasty, the Jews were able to return to Jerusalem, which received the status of a self-governing city (VI-V centuries BC). The second Jerusalem Temple was built, but the leaders of the new religious community, Ezra and Nehemiah, refused to accept into it the Israelis who had not been in Babylonian captivity, as well as those who remained in Palestine, because they believed that they had ceased to be Jews, having mixed with peoples who worshiped other gods. The rejected part of the Israelis created their own special community Samaritans, preserved in Palestine to this day. Since the time of Ezra, the idea of ​​the Jewish people being chosen by God has acquired special significance in the teachings of Judaism.

The period of the history of Judaism from the 2nd century. BC e. to the 6th century n. e. got the name Talmudic. It is characterized by a thorough systematization and ritualization of the Jewish cult, which from a temple ritual turned into a system of numerous regulations, often scrupulous and minute - down to the details of appearance, hairstyle and clothing - which a righteous Jew had to follow in his daily life.

In the 1st century BC e. Roman rule is established over Israel. At this time, a number of movements and sects emerged in Judaism, of which the direction became the most authoritative let's break it(Pharisees) - supporters of the democratization of teaching and the introduction of customary law into it, the so-called Oral Torah. At the beginning of the 1st century. n. e. how one of the Jewish sects arises and Christianity, which quite quickly opposed itself to Judaism, separated from it and formed into an independent religion.

In 67-73 n. e. the famous Jewish War broke out against the rule of Rome, during which the Temple of Jerusalem was again destroyed (70), and after the Bar Kokhba uprising (132-135) the Jews were expelled from Israel and settled throughout the Roman Empire and in countries Asia, where they formed a large diaspora. Over time, various ethnic groups of Jews were formed in the Diaspora, with their own linguistic, everyday and ritual characteristics. The most significant ethnic community in the Jewish people is Ashkenazim- European Jews, whose ethnocultural center arose in medieval Germany in the 9th-12th centuries. (Ashkenaz is the name of Germany in medieval Jewish literature) and established itself in most European countries, the USA, Latin America and South Africa. Among the Ashkenazim, the spoken Hebrew language arose - Yiddish, formed on the basis of a mixed German-Slavic lexical and grammatical base and Hebrew writing. Another significant ethnic group of Jews emerged in medieval Spain during the period of Arab rule. She got the name Sephardi(Sephard was the Hebrew name for Spain in the Middle Ages). After the expulsion of the Sephardim from Spain in 1492, they settled in the countries of the Middle East, Turkey and the Balkans, where they preserved the everyday life that had developed in Spain, as well as the language ladino, formed on the basis of Old Spanish. Later, all Jews in Asian countries began to be called Sephardim, as opposed to European Jews. Other distinctive ethno-confessional communities arose in the East: Falashas in Ethiopia, black Jews in India, Iseloni in China, Iranian Jews.

With the formation of the diaspora begins new stage in the history of Judaism, called rabbinic. The most important innovation of the Diaspora was the replacement of temple worship, which could only be performed in Jerusalem, with prayer meetings in synagogues under the guidance of teachers of religious law - rabbis(from other Hebrew rabbi- my teacher). The rabbi, as a recognized expert in religious tradition, is the spiritual mentor of the community ( kegilla), sits on a religious court and teaches at a religious school. Rabbis are trained in yeshivas- theological schools that operate at the largest synagogues. In Orthodox Judaism, only men can be rabbis, but non-Orthodox denominations have recently recognized the right to rabbi status for women. The Kehillah becomes the only form of organization of the Jewish community. The rabbis developed a system of religious and customary law ( halacha), which began to regulate the life of all Jewish communities.

During this period, the books of the Holy Scriptures were systematized and the so-called Masoretic Codex Tanakh. It consists of 39 books, divided into three sections: Torah(Teaching)- books Bereshit(In the beginning, Christian name Genesis), Shemot(Names, Christian Exodus), Vayikra(And he called, Christ Levite), Bemidbar(In the desert, Christian Numbers) and Devarim(Words, Christ. Deuteronomy); Neviim(Prophets)- books Ye'oshua(Christ. Joshua), Shofetim(Judges) Shmuel 1 And 2 (Christ. 1 and 2 Kings, or the prophet Samuel), Melachim 1 And 2 (Christ. 3 and 4 Kings), Yeshaya(prophet Isaiah) Yirmeya"(prophet Jeremiah) Yehezkel(Prophet Ezekiel) and Terey-Asar(books of the 12 so-called minor prophets); And Ketuvim(Scriptures) books Te illim(Praises, Christian Psalms), Mishley(Proverbs, Christ. Proverbs of Solomon), Iyov(Job), Megillot(Scrolls); consists of 5 separate books: Shir-ashirim(Song of Songs) Ruth(Ruth) Eiha(Lamentations), Ko"elet(Ecclesiastes), Esther(Esther)], Daniel(Prophet Daniel) Ezra(Ezra), Nehemiah(Christ. Nehemiah, or 2 Esdras) and Divrei "ayamim 1 And 2 (Christ. 1 and 2 Chronicles, or Chronicles).

At the beginning of the 3rd century. a set of rules and oral traditions is compiled - Mishnah(Interpretation), or Shas(Six orders), to which in the III - V centuries. Commentaries were added to the sacred texts - Gemara. Mishnah and Gemara make up Talmud- the second holy book of Judaism. The Talmud has two editions, called the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmud.

At the beginning of the 8th century. Judaism spread among part of the Turkic tribes that were part of the Khazar Kaganate. Their descendants are Karaites, formed a separate branch of Judaism. The peculiarity of Karaite Judaism is that it recognizes only the books of the Tanakh and rejects the Talmud.

In the 12th century the outstanding Jewish thinker and rabbi Moses Maimonides, or Rambam (1135 - 1204), systematized the basic dogma of Judaism and outlined it in an extensive treatise Mishneh Torah(Interpretation of the Torah), which became an encyclopedic guide to the Torah and Talmud. In the 16th century Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575) completed the systematization of the instructions of the Talmud. The code he compiled Shulchan Aruch(The Set Table) became a practical guide to Talmudic law accepted by Orthodox Judaism.

After the expulsion of the Jewish people from Israel, mystical schools, known under the general name Kabbalah(Heritage). One of the most influential centers of this teaching was formed in the 16th century. in the Galilee city of Safed under the leadership of Rabbi Isaac Luria, or Ari (1536-1572). Kabbalists sought to comprehend the hidden meaning of the Torah and other books of Holy Scripture, which they believed contained a symbolic description of God and all Divine processes. Kabbalists developed the doctrine of sefirot- ten hypostases of the hidden God, each of which is endowed with special qualities, and all together they are in constant dynamic interaction and control material world. The main work of the Kabbalists is Zohar(Shine), is revered by them on a par with the Torah and Talmud. The teachings of Kabbalah had a great influence on the formation of other mystical movements in Judaism, and above all on Hasidism(from other Hebrew hasid- pious), which arose in the 18th century. and became widespread among the Jews of Volhynia, Podolia and Galicia. Hasidism rejected the authority of rabbis and revered tzaddikim- righteous people who, according to the Hasidim, are in constant communication with God and gifted with supernatural power, which allowed them to manifest everything that exists of their own free will. Gradually, Hasidism found a compromise with the rabbinate and was recognized as Orthodox Judaism.

At the end of the 18th century. under the influence of the ideas of the French Revolution, a movement for the emancipation of Jews arose - askala(enlightenment), which leads to the crisis of Orthodox Judaism and the emergence reformist direction, who sought to adapt Judaism to the norms of the European way of life. However, the fear of assimilation with the non-Jewish population already in the middle of the 19th century. also intensified the traditional orthodox movement, which opposed reformism. Currently, the majority of Jews in Europe and the United States are adherents of Reform Judaism, while in Israel Orthodox Judaism predominates.

A peculiarity of the teachings of Judaism is that it is based on two contradictory ideas: national chosenness and universalism. It was the doctrine of God's chosenness of the Jewish people that became the main obstacle to the spread of Judaism among other peoples not ethnically related to Jews, although the adoption of Judaism by individuals, ethnic groups and even entire nations took place in history.

The universal nature of the teachings of Judaism is manifested primarily in the idea of ​​the unity, universality and omnipotence of God, the creator and source of all things. God is incorporeal and has no visible image, although man was created by God in his image and likeness. The idea of ​​the One God is expressed in the Jewish creed, the Shema, with which the services begin: Hear Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! . In Judaism, a custom has developed not to use the name of God in everyday speech, replacing it with the word Adonai (Lord, Lord). Reinforcing this rule, the keepers of the sacred texts added vowel marks to the consonant letters of the word Yahweh for the word Adonai. From this connection arose the widespread transcription of Jehovah - a distorted form of the name Yahweh.

Having created man, God gave him free will and choice, but commanded him to fulfill mitzvot(commandments) embodying goodness and correct behavior. The first covenant made by God with the forefather of mankind, Noah, includes the so-called Seven Commandments of the sons of Noah. They establish prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, bloodshed, theft, incest, eating meat cut from a living animal, and the command to live according to the laws. According to Judaism, the acceptance of the Torah by the Jewish people was accompanied by the imposition on Jews of special 613 commandments, the observance of which is not obligatory for other peoples. Most of them define norms of everyday behavior, food rules, economic regulations, rules of ritual cleanliness, hygienic standards, and prohibitions on the combination of incompatible entities (flax and wool; two different draft animals in one harness, etc.). Special instructions relate to religious practices and observance of holidays.

Among mitzvot the so-called Ten Commandments(Greek Decalogue), containing universal ethical standards human behavior: monotheism, prohibition on the image of God, on pronouncing His name in vain (in vain), observing the sanctity of the day of rest on the seventh day (Saturday), honoring parents, prohibition of murder, adultery, theft, false witness and selfish lust. Deviation from fulfilling the commandments, as a consequence of the principle of free will, is considered as a sin, which entails retribution not only in the other world, but also in earthly life. Thus, ethical and social justice contained in the commandments becomes the central tenet of the entire dogma of Judaism.

Ideas about the immortality of the soul, about the afterlife and the future resurrection of the dead are not directly reflected in the Torah and have a later origin in Judaism.

The constant disasters and persecutions that befell the Jewish people in exile, as well as the exile itself, are considered by Judaism as part of the retribution for deviations from correct execution commandments and as a burden of chosenness. The people's deliverance from suffering will come after liberation, which will bring Messiah(Old Heb. Mashiach- God's Anointed) - king-savior. The Messiah will appear in the form of a humble teacher from the line of King David and with his coming the kingdom of God will be established on earth - Heavenly Jerusalem, where all the Jews scattered throughout the world will be miraculously transported. The dead will rise and peace and brotherhood of man will prevail everywhere. The doctrine of Jerusalem as a lost glory and homeland has not only a mystical, but also an earthly character in Judaism. Belief in the eventual return to the promised land ( Aliya), which manifests itself in daily prayer and in the Easter wish Next year - in Jerusalem! , became the ideological basis Zionism- national-political movement for the restoration of the Jewish state in the historical homeland of the Jewish people - Palestine. The founder of Zionism was a Jewish publicist from Austria, Theodor Herzel (1860-1904), author of the book The Jewish State. The result active work Zionist organizations was the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, the return to it large quantity Jews from Europe and the USA and the associated revival of religious life both in Israel itself and in the Diaspora.

The Jewish calendar is based on a lunar-solar calendar with a 19-year cycle, within which 12 years consist of 12 months and 7 years (leap years) - of 13 months. The months of the year have Assyro-Babylonian names and are in the following order: Tishrei(September October), heshvan(October November), Kislev(November December), Tevet(December - January), shevat(January February), adar(V leap year- Adar I and Adar II) (February-March), Nissan(March, April), Iyar(April May), sivan(May June), Tammuz(June July), aw(July August), Elul(Aug. Sept).

The weekly holiday is Shabbat(Saturday) - a day of rest, the onset of which is marked by the lighting of candles, a special blessing and a festive meal after the rising of the first three stars every Friday evening. On Shabbat all work (including lighting a fire) and movement are prohibited. vehicles and other rest disturbances. Saturday is usually dedicated to prayer and reading the Torah.

The most important holidays after Shabbat are Yom Kippur(Judgment Day), accompanied by strict fasting and special penitential prayers and rituals, and Rosh Hashanah(New Year), celebrated respectively on the 10th and 1st days of the month of Tishrei.

The most important holidays in the tradition of Judaism are considered to be the so-called three pilgrimage holidays, during which - before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple - everyone was obliged to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to make a sacrifice in the Temple. The first one is Passover(Passover, other Hebrew Exodus), the celebration of which begins on the 14th day of the month Nisan and lasts 7 days. This holiday is dedicated to the memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the acquisition of freedom, as well as the onset of spring and the beginning of the ripening of the first sheaf. The main ritual establishment of the Jewish Passover is seven days of eating matzahs- special unleavened bread as a reminder of Egyptian slavery. During the seven days of the holiday, it is not only strictly forbidden to eat, but even keep in the house any products containing yeast. On the first and second evenings of Easter a special meal is held - seder, during which every adult Jew must drink four glasses of wine. 50 days after Easter, the harvest of the first sheaf takes place, which is celebrated with the holiday Shavuot(Pentecost) on the 6th day of the month of Sivan. This day is also dedicated to the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. Third pilgrimage festival Sukkot(Tabernacles), celebrated from the 15th to the 22nd day of the month of Tishrei and is dedicated to the memory of the 40-year wandering of the Jews in the desert, as well as the harvest of the autumn harvest. On Sukkot, special huts (tabernacles) with an open roof are built, in which people live and eat all days of the holiday.

Major holidays are also Hanukkah And Purim. Hanukkah (Feast of Consecration) is celebrated from the 25th day of the month of Kislev for 8 days. It was erected in memory of the liberation of Jerusalem by the Maccabees from Seleucid rule in 164 BC. e. and is dedicated to the renovation of the Temple, desecrated during the Maccabean Wars. During the eight days of Hanukkah, eight candles placed in a special lamp are lit - Hanukkiah. Purim (Feast of Lots) is celebrated on the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar and is dedicated to the legendary events described in the book of Esther (Esther). It says that during the reign of the Persian king Artaxerxes I (465-424 BC), under whose rule the Jews were then, the royal minister Haman wanted to exterminate the Jewish people, but his plan was frustrated thanks to the cunning of one from the royal wives of the Jewish woman Esther and the wisdom of her educator Mordecai. As a result, the Jews were saved, and the villain Haman was executed. The holidays of Hanukkah and Purim are celebrated with special joy: on the days of the holidays, everyone gives each other gifts, games, dances, folk festivals and children's matinees are organized.

In addition to holidays, Judaism also accepts fasts that are dedicated to mournful events. Jewish history. Jewish fasting involves complete abstinence from food and drink for the entire day until sunset. Most important posts are: Tisha B'Av(9th day of the month of Ava) - in memory of the destruction of the first and second Temples; Tzom Gedalya(3rd day of the month of Tishrei) - commemorates the assassination of Gedaliah, the last Jewish ruler of Judah in 186 BC. e.; Asara be-Tevet(10th day of the month Tevet) - in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. e.; And Shiva-asar be-Tammuz- in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. e.

Among the rituals life cycle the most important and most sacred is circumcision (britmila)- surgery to excise the foreskin in boys on the eighth day after birth. According to tradition, this ritual was established back in the time of Abraham and symbolizes the union of God and Israel, being a sign of belonging to the people of God. Upon reaching the age of 13, when religious majority comes, boys undergo the ritual Bar Mitzvah (Son of the Commandment): On the first Saturday after their 13th birthday, they are called to read the Torah for the first time during a prayer meeting in the synagogue. From this moment on, a Jewish boy must fulfill all religious duties and is responsible for his sins. In the 19th century a custom arose to celebrate the religious coming of age of girls upon reaching the age of 12 (Bat Mitzvah - Daughter of the Commandment). Often both of these rituals coincide with the holiday of Shavuot. During the Talmudic period, the canon of Jewish marriage was also formed. It includes an engagement ceremony ( kiddushin), conclusion marriage contract (ketubba) and the marriage ceremony, which is performed by a rabbi in the presence of two witnesses.

The system of food prohibitions is very important in Judaism ( kashrut): It is completely prohibited to eat the meat of pigs, odd-toed ungulates (horses, donkeys), animals without hooves (rabbits, hare), birds of prey, and fish without scales. Clean ( kosher) is considered to be the meat of ruminant artiodactyls (sheep, goats, cows) and birds slaughtered by a carver ( shoikhet) according to a special rule, and the blood must be completely removed from the meat. There is also a ban on the simultaneous consumption of meat and dairy foods, cereals and legumes, and even mixing them in the same container.

Center for Religious and public life in Judaism is synagogue. The status of a synagogue is determined by the presence of a special icon case for storing Torah scrolls, which is located in the wall facing Jerusalem. In the center of the hall is installed bima- an elevated place with a table for reading the Torah. The characteristic attributes of the decoration of the synagogue are the seven-branched candlestick ( menorah), replica lamp of the Jerusalem Temple; ark - a casket with a Torah scroll with images of a lion and an eagle; tablets - stone tablets with initial words Ten Commandments; and the Star of David (Mogendovid) - a six-pointed star composed of two equilateral triangles (according to legend, it was inscribed on the shield of King David). Since God, according to the doctrine of Judaism, does not have a figurative form, any images of God, as well as images of people, are prohibited in Judaism.

Worship in the synagogue includes individual and communal prayers, Torah reading and chants performed by a choir under the direction of a cantor. Sermons are preached on Saturdays and during holidays. In Orthodox synagogues, the seats for women are separated by a partition or placed in the upper gallery. In reformed synagogues, men and women often sit together. Synagogues usually have a special room for ritual ablutions - mikveh.

Judaism has three obligatory daily services: shacharit(morning), minha(daytime) and maariv(evening). They are performed both publicly - in the synagogue, and individually - at home. To perform public prayer it is necessary minyan- the presence of at least ten men who have reached religious adulthood. On Saturdays and holidays a special prayer is read in memory of the temple sacrifice - musaf. Prayer occupies a central place in synagogue worship Shmoneh Esre(18 blessings). An important part of worship services is also kaddish- a memorial prayer that is read for the deceased during a year of mourning and on the anniversary of the death of a son for his deceased parents. During morning services On Monday, Thursday and Saturday a Torah scroll is read. Men wear special attire during prayer: tales- quadrangular bedspread white with a special pattern and tassels at the corners, a round cap ( bale), as well as a prayer belt irregular shape, worn under outerwear so that its corner looks out. At the time of morning prayer in weekdays to the head of the believer with the forehead and to right hand A tefillin (phylactery) is fastened with a strap - a box with the text of a prayer embedded in it. Men are required to wear hats while in the synagogue, and the most religious Jews never take them off.

Every person born of a Jewish mother or who professes Judaism in accordance with religious law is considered a Jew.

Currently, followers of Judaism are settled all over the world and almost all of them are Jewish by ethnicity. According to various statistics, the total number of Jews in the world ranges from 13 to 14 million people; of which 4.6 million people live in Israel and more than 1 million people in the territory former USSR. Organized communities of followers of Judaism exist in more than 80 countries around the world. Missionary work among the non-Jewish population is not practiced in Judaism, but the entry of non-Jewish people into the Jewish community is allowed, although it is quite difficult. Non-Jews converting to Judaism Gerim) after undergoing the conversion rite, they are considered Jews; they are even forbidden to be reminded of their non-Jewish origin. In addition, there is whole line ethnic groups who profess Judaism, but at the same time are aware, to one degree or another, of their difference from the Jews. They are the Samaritans and Karaites, as well as groups of Judaizers in Africa (Ethiopia, Zambia, Liberia), India, China, Burma, the USA and other countries. In Russia at the end of the 18th century. Among the peasants of the central provinces, the Judaizing sects of Subbotniks and Gers arose, a few followers of which have survived to this day.

Judaism is one of ancient religions world and the oldest of the so-called Abrahamic religions, which, in addition to it, includes Christianity and Islam. The history of Judaism is inextricably linked with the Jewish people and extends back centuries, at least three thousand years. Also, this religion is considered the oldest of all those that proclaimed worship to one God- a monotheistic cult instead of worshiping pantheons of various gods.

The emergence of faith in Yahweh: a religious tradition

The exact time when Judaism arose has not been established. The adherents of this religion themselves attribute its appearance to approximately the 12-13th centuries. BC e., when on Mount Sinai the leader of the Jews, Moses, who led the Jewish tribes from Egyptian slavery, received Revelation from the Almighty, and a Covenant was concluded between the people and God. This is how the Torah appeared - in in a broad sense words of written and oral instruction in the laws, commandments and requirements of the Lord in relation to his fans. A detailed description of these events is reflected in the book of Genesis, the authorship of which is also attributed to Moses by Orthodox Jews and which forms part of the written Torah.

A scientific view of the origins of Judaism

However, not all scientists are ready to support the above version. Firstly, because the very Jewish interpretation of the history of man’s relationship with God includes a long tradition of honoring the God of Israel before Moses, starting with the forefather Abraham, who, according to various estimates, lived in the period from the 21st century. to the 18th century BC e. Thus, the origins of the Jewish cult are lost in time. Secondly, it is difficult to say when the pre-Jewish religion became Judaism proper. A number of researchers attribute the emergence of Judaism to much later times, right up to the era of the second Temple (mid-first millennium BC). According to their conclusions, the religion of Yahweh, the god professed by the Jews, was not monotheism from the very beginning. Its origins lie in the tribal cult called Yahwism, which is characterized as a special form of polytheism - monolatry. With such a system of views, the existence of many gods is recognized, but veneration is given to only one - one’s divine patron based on the fact of birth and territorial settlement. Only later did this cult transform into a monotheistic doctrine, and thus Judaism appeared - the religion that we know today.

History of Yahwism

As already mentioned, God Yahweh is the national God of the Jews. Their entire culture and religious traditions are built around it. But to understand what Judaism is, let’s briefly touch on it sacred history . According to Jewish belief, Yahweh is the only true God who created the entire world, including the solar system, the earth, all its flora, fauna and, finally, the first pair of people - Adam and Eve. At the same time, the first commandment for man was given - not to touch the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But people violated the divine command and were expelled from paradise for this. Further history is characterized by the oblivion of the true God by the descendants of Adam and Eve and the emergence of paganism - gross idolatry, according to the Jews. However, from time to time the Almighty made himself felt, seeing the righteous in the corrupt human community. Such was, for example, Noah - the man from whom people again settled on the earth after the Flood. But Noah’s descendants quickly forgot the Lord, starting to worship other gods. This continued until God called Abraham, a resident of Ur of the Chaldeans, with whom he entered into a Covenant, promising to make him the father of many nations. Abraham had a son Isaac and a grandson Jacob, who are traditionally revered as patriarchs - the ancestors of the Jewish people. The last one - Jacob - had twelve sons. By God's providence it happened that eleven of them were sold into slavery by the twelfth, Joseph. But God helped him, and over time Joseph became the second person in Egypt after Pharaoh. The family reunion took place during a time of terrible famine, and therefore all the Jews, at the invitation of Pharaoh and Joseph, went to live in Egypt. When the royal patron died, another pharaoh began to brutalize Abraham's descendants, forcing them to do hard work and killing newborn boys. This slavery continued for four hundred years until God finally called Moses to free his people. Moses led the Jews out of Egypt, and at the command of the Lord, forty years later they entered the Promised Land - modern Palestine. There, waging bloody wars with idolaters, the Jews established their state and even received a king from the Lord - first Saul, and then David, whose son Solomon built the great shrine of Judaism - the temple of Yahweh. The latter was destroyed in 586 by the Babylonians, and then rebuilt by order of Tire the Great (in 516). The second temple lasted until 70 AD. e., when it was burned during the Jewish War by the troops of Titus. Since that time it has not been restored, and worship has ceased. It is important to note that in Judaism there are not many temples - this building can only be one and only in one place - on the temple mount in Jerusalem. Therefore, for almost two thousand years, Judaism has existed in a unique form - in the form of a rabbinic organization led by learned laymen.

Judaism: Basic Ideas and Concepts

As already mentioned, the Jewish faith recognizes only one and only God - Yahweh. In fact, the true meaning of his name was lost after the destruction of the temple by Titus, so "Yahweh" is simply an attempt at reconstruction. And she did not gain popularity in Jewish circles. The fact is that in Judaism there is a ban on pronouncing and writing the sacred four-letter name of God - the Tetragrammaton. Therefore, from ancient times it was replaced in conversation (and even in Holy Scripture) with the word “Lord.”

Another important feature is that Judaism is the religion of purely one nation - the Jews. Therefore, it is a rather closed religious system, which is not so easy to get into. Of course, in history there are examples of the adoption of Judaism by representatives of other nations and even entire tribes and states, but in general, Jews are skeptical about such practices, insisting that the Sinai covenant applies only to the descendants of Abraham - the chosen Jewish people.

Jews believe in the coming of the Moshiach - an outstanding messenger of God, who will return Israel to its former glory, spread the teachings of the Torah throughout the world and even restore the temple. In addition, Judaism has a belief in the resurrection of the dead and the Last Judgment. In order to righteously serve God and know him, the people of Israel were given the Tanakh by the Almighty - the sacred canon of books, starting with the Torah and ending with the revelations of the prophets. The Tanakh is known in Christian circles as the Old Testament. Of course, Jews categorically disagree with this assessment of their Scripture.

According to the teachings of the Jews, God cannot be depicted, therefore in this religion there are no sacred images - icons, statues, etc. Visual arts- this is not at all what Judaism is famous for. We can also briefly mention the mystical teachings of Judaism - Kabbalah. This, if we rely not on legends, but on scientific data, is a very late product of Jewish thought, but no less outstanding. Kabbalah views creation as a series of divine emanations and manifestations of a number-letter code. Kabbalistic theories, among other things, even recognize the fact of transmigration of souls, which distinguishes this tradition from a number of other monotheistic, and especially Abrahamic, religions.

Commandments in Judaism

The commandments of Judaism are widely known in world culture. They are closely connected with the name of Moses. This is truly the true ethical treasure that Judaism brought to the world. The main ideas of these commandments come down to religious purity - worship of the one God and love for him and to a socially righteous life - honoring parents, social justice and integrity. However, in Judaism there is a much more expanded list of commandments, called mitzvot in Hebrew. There are 613 such mitzvot. This is believed to correspond to the number of parts of the human body. This list of commandments is divided into two: prohibitive commandments, numbering 365, and imperative commandments, of which there are only 248. The generally accepted list of mitzvot in Judaism belongs to the famous Maimonides, an outstanding Jewish thinker.

Traditions

The centuries-old development of this religion has also shaped the traditions of Judaism, which are strictly observed. Firstly, this applies to holidays. Among the Jews they are dedicated to certain days calendar or lunar cycle and are designed to preserve the memory of the people about any events. The most important holiday of all is Passover. The command to observe it was given, according to the Torah, by God himself during the exodus from Egypt. That is why Passover is timed to coincide with the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian captivity and the passage through the Red Sea into the desert, from where the people were later able to reach the Promised Land. Also known is the holiday of Sukkot - other an important event, which celebrates Judaism. Briefly, this holiday can be described as a remembrance of the Jews’ journey through the desert after the exodus. This journey lasted 40 years instead of the initially promised 40 days - as punishment for the sin of the golden calf. Sukkot lasts seven days. At this time, Jews are required to leave their homes and live in huts, which is what the word “Sukkot” means. Jews also have many other important dates that are celebrated with celebrations, special prayers and rituals.

In addition to holidays, there are fasts and days of mourning in Judaism. An example of such a day is Yom Kippur - the day of atonement, prefiguring the Last Judgment.

There are also a huge number of other traditions in Judaism: wearing sidelocks, circumcision of male children on the eighth day of birth, a special kind of attitude towards marriage, etc. For believers, these are important customs that Judaism imposes on them. The basic ideas of these traditions are consistent either directly with the Torah or with the Talmud, the second most authoritative book after the Torah. They are often quite difficult for non-Jews to understand and comprehend in the modern world. However, it is they who shape the culture of Judaism today, based not on temple worship, but on the synagogue principle. A synagogue, by the way, is a meeting of the Jewish community on a Sabbath or holiday for prayer and reading the Torah. The same word also refers to the building where believers gather.

Saturday in Judaism

As already mentioned, one day per week is allocated for synagogue worship - Saturday. This day is generally a sacred time for Jews, and believers are especially zealous in observing its statutes. One of the ten basic commandments of Judaism prescribes keeping and honoring this day. Breaking the Sabbath is considered a serious offense and requires atonement. Therefore, not a single devout Jew will work or generally do anything that is forbidden to do on this day. The sanctity of this day is associated with the fact that, having created the world in six days, the Almighty rested on the seventh and prescribed this to all his admirers. The seventh day is Saturday.

Judaism and Christianity

Since Christianity is a religion that claims to be the successor of Judaism through the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Tanakh about the Moshiach on Jesus Christ, the relations of Jews with Christians have always been ambiguous. These two traditions especially moved away from each other after the Jewish conclave imposed a herem, that is, a curse, on Christians in the 1st century. The next two thousand years were a time of enmity, mutual hatred, and often persecution. For example, Archbishop Cyril of Alexandria expelled a huge Jewish diaspora from the city in the 5th century. The history of Europe is replete with such relapses. Today, in the era of the heyday of ecumenism, the ice has gradually begun to melt, and dialogue between representatives of the two religions is beginning to improve. Although among broad layers of believers on both sides there is still distrust and alienation. Judaism is difficult for Christians to understand. Key Ideas christian church are such that the Jews are charged with the sin of the crucifixion of Christ. Since ancient times, the Church has represented Jews as Christ-killers. It is difficult for Jews to find a way to dialogue with Christians because for them, Christians clearly represent heretics and followers of the false messiah. In addition, centuries of oppression taught the Jews not to trust Christians.

Judaism today

Modern Judaism is a fairly large (about 15 million) religion. It is characteristic that at its head there is no single leader or institution that would have sufficient authority for all Jews. Judaism is spread almost everywhere in the world and consists of several denominations that differ from each other in the degree of religious conservatism and the peculiarities of their doctrine. The strongest core is represented by representatives of Orthodox Jewry. The Hasidim are quite close to them - very conservative Jews with an emphasis on mystical teaching. Following are several Reform and Progressive Jewish organizations. And on the very periphery there are communities of Messianic Jews who, like Christians, recognize the authenticity of the messianic calling of Jesus Christ. They themselves consider themselves Jews and, to one degree or another, observe the main Jewish traditions. However, traditional communities deny them the right to be called Jews. Therefore, Judaism and Christianity are forced to divide these groups in half.

Spread of Judaism

The influence of Judaism is strongest in Israel, where about half of all the world's Jews live. Another approximately forty percent comes from countries North America- USA and Canada. The rest are settled in other regions of the planet.

Many people know that Islam and Christianity are the most widespread religions in the world, but not everyone knows their origins from the long traditions of another worldview - Judaism.

This creed is considered one of the oldest on our planet and is inextricably linked with the Jewish people, with their mentality, national and ethical views. What is Judaism? What do Jews believe and who do they worship?

What does the word "Judaism" mean?

Concept "Judaism" associated with the ancient Greek word Ἰουδαϊσμός , used to denote the Jewish religion as opposed to Greek paganism. The term comes from the name of the biblical character Judah, after whom the kingdom of Judah was named, and subsequently the entire Jewish people.

Judas, the son of the patriarch James, should not be confused with the other Judas who sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, since they are two different individuals.

What is Judaism?

Judaism is a monotheistic religion that recognizes the oneness of God. Its history goes back about 3000 years and covers several important stages. The origin of the doctrine began around the 10th century BC. e. among the nomadic Semitic peoples who revered the god Yahweh and actively practiced sacrifices on altars.

At the second stage of development, covering the period from the 6th century BC. e. Until the second century of modern chronology, Judaism was built on the ideas of the Second Temple and welcomed the observance of the Sabbath and circumcision. IN Western countries this stage is well known thanks to the New Testament, which describes the life and deeds of Jesus Christ.

The third stage, called “Talmudic Judaism,” began in the 6th century and lasted until the 18th century. At this time, the Babylonian Talmud was recognized as the most authoritative interpretation of the Torah, and the traditions of the Jewish rabbis came to the fore.


Unlike Islam and Christianity, modern Judaism is not a world religion, but a national religion, that is, according to Jews, it cannot be professed without being a descendant of the forefathers of the Jewish people.

Who are the Jews?

Jews are an ethno-religious group that includes people born Jewish or those who converted to Judaism. As of 2015, there are over 13 million representatives of this religion in the world, with more than 40% of them living in Israel.

Large Jewish communities are also concentrated in Canada and the USA, the rest are located mainly in European countries. Initially, the Jews were understood as the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah, which existed from 928 to 586 BC. Later, this term was used to refer to the Israelites from the tribe of Judah, and now the word “Jew” is almost identical to the nationality “Jew.”

What do Jews believe?

The beliefs of the Jews are based on monotheism and are outlined in the Mosaic Pentateuch (Torah), which, according to legend, was given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. The Torah is often called the Hebrew Bible because in Christianity it corresponds to the books of the Old Testament. In addition to the Pentateuch, the Holy Scriptures of the Jews include two more books - “Neviim” and “Ketuvim”, which together with the Torah are called “Tanakh”.

The Jews have 13 principles, according to which God is one and perfect. He is not only the Creator, but also the Father of man, and also acts as a source of love, goodness and justice. All people are equal before God, since they are His creations, but the Jewish people themselves have a great Mission, which is to convey Divine truths to humanity.

Jews firmly believe that at the end of days all the dead will be resurrected and will continue to exist on this earth.

Currents of Judaism

In modern Judaism, which began around the 1750s, several sects emerged from the main religion (Orthodox Judaism). So, in early XIX century, Reform Judaism arose in Europe, whose followers believe that over time, Jewish traditions develop and acquire new content.


In the middle of the same century, Conservative Judaism emerged in Germany, based on more liberal views than the Orthodox religion, and in the first half of the 20th century, Reconstructionist Judaism emerged, based on the ideas of several Jewish rabbis, in particular Mordechai Kaplan.

Judaism is one of the most ancient religions. Its origins go back to the 2nd millennium BC. e. It was finally formed in the 1st millennium BC. e.

In the 2nd millennium BC. e. in the north of the Arabian Peninsula lived Jewish tribes who led a nomadic lifestyle. Their main occupation was cattle breeding. They professed primitive polytheistic beliefs.

Since the XV-XIV centuries. BC e. Jewish tribes begin to conquer the agricultural regions of Palestine and settle on the conquered lands. Gradually, primitive communal relations are replaced by slaveholding ones. Around the 10th century. BC e. The Jews develop a slave state, which soon splits into two kingdoms - Israel and Judea. At this time, the Jewish religion itself began to take shape.

Originally the Jews had many gods. The main gods of a particular tribe played a special role. The gradual rise of the tribe of Judah led to the fact that from the many Hebrew gods, main god tribe - Yahweh, who becomes the main god of all Jews, and then their only god. Of great importance in this process was the construction of a temple in Jerusalem in honor of Yahweh, which became the center Jewish religion.

In the 1st millennium BC. e. The main religious document of Judaism is created - the Torah, which included the first five biblical books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The text of the Torah was created over the course of long period time, starting from the XIII and ending with the V century. BC e. The content of the Torah is based on the traditions of both the Jewish people and the myths of the Assyro-Bylonians, Egyptians, Phoenicians and other peoples of the East. During the 5th-1st centuries. BC e. The Torah was supplemented by other “holy books”, which together with the Torah made up the first part of the Bible - the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is the ideological basis of the Jewish religion. The Old Testament books tell about God’s creation of man and the world and about the life of the first people - Adam and Eve in paradise, about their famous fall from grace and their expulsion from the biblical paradise, about the fate of the descendants of this “first couple”, and then from religious positions describes the history of the Jewish people up to our era. The Old Testament biblical books contain the doctrinal principles of the Jewish religion, numerous moral and religious instructions that a devout Jew must follow, as well as ritual instructions and prophecies. In addition to purely religious books, the Old Testament includes works that represent literary monuments of the Jewish people.

In the VII-VI centuries. BC e. the settlement of Jews outside Palestine begins, caused by the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests. It especially intensified during the period of Roman rule and after the suppression of Jewish uprisings against Rome in the 1st and 2nd centuries. n. e.

Being in dispersion (diaspora), Jews are deprived of the opportunity to visit their religious center - the Jerusalem Temple, which in 70 AD. e. was destroyed by the Romans. Therefore, they begin to gather in local congregations - synagogues. The leadership role in synagogues is gradually passing to rabbis - religious mentors who enjoyed the authority of experts " scripture" The rabbis were engaged in the interpretation of the Torah and other books of the Old Testament in relation to new historical conditions. The result of this rabbinic activity was the Talmud, compiled in IVb. BC e.-V century n. e. The Talmud is a collection of various instructions in the faith, religious, legal and ethical norms, ritual rules, etc. Gradually, the Talmud turned into a document regulating the life of Jewish communities and regulating to the smallest detail the life of every Jewish believer.

In the Jewish dispersion, a number of sects emerged that reflected the class heterogeneity of Jewish society in religious form. Thus, the Sadducees sect expressed the interests of the clergy and the top of Jewish society, the Pharisees sect - the interests of the middle social strata, and the Yesens, or Essens, sect - the poor.