Religion Essay: Judaism as a Compass for Modern Living

This essay examines Judaism as a guiding force in the modern world, referencing Rabbi Jonathan Sacks's quote about faith being a compass. It explores the religion's characteristics, including beliefs in one God, the importance of the Torah and Tanakh, and core ethical teachings. The essay analyzes how these elements interact to provide direction in contemporary society. It discusses the significance of monotheism, the role of the family, and the commitment to social justice (Tzedakah). The essay also delves into the observance of Shabbat and other rituals, showcasing how Judaism provides a framework for ethical behavior and a sense of community. The essay integrates discussions from the sacred texts of Judaism and secondary sources. It highlights the historical context of Judaism and its ongoing relevance. The essay also touches upon the different branches of Judaism, including Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform, and their approaches to modern living. The essay emphasizes the importance of Jewish values in improving society and promoting world peace, including the values of social justice, human dignity, and fixing up the world. The essay also examines how Judaism emphasizes the importance of family and community, and the role of religious customs and beliefs in maintaining a sense of identity and belonging. The essay concludes by emphasizing the continuing relevance of Judaism in the modern world.

Running Head: Sociology
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Religion (Judaism)
3/28/2020

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Essay: Judaism religion
Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people which is comprised of the cultural, collective
religious, civilization and legal tradition. This religion is the expression of God that was
established with the children of God1. This religion holds the God of YHWH which is Abraham,
Jacob, Isaac, and the Israelites.
There are several characteristics of the Judaism religion which are the symbol of the Jewish
holiday is the menorah of Chanukah2. The right branches ate there in the candelabra with the
ninth branch called Shamash which is the candle of so-called helper. Another major
characteristic of the Judaism religion is that during the morning prayers garments are worn on
the four-cornered of the hands called the Tallit. Mezuzah is the object which is found in this
religion on the homes of the Jewish on the right doorpost. It is considered as the blessing when it
is hung and it is stored in the protective case as it is written by hand.
Abraham believes in one God and he was the holy man so God told him to leave the city and
their relatives and to live in the holy land. From their story of this religion has originated. The
characteristic of Judaism is that the Torah also means teaching. It is the book of the Bible that
was given to Moses with the oral commentary in the written form. Tanakh is the scared text
made up of the Torah which includes the Writings and Prophets.
Another characteristic of this Judaism religion is that it is the branches of three things which are
orthodox, conservative and reform. The capital of Israel is Jerusalem and it is the holy city of this
religion3. The major place of worship of Judaism religion is the Synagogue which is a Jewish
house of worship and serves the education and the community center also. There are several
1 Friedman, H.H., Warter, I. and Warter, L., 2016. What are the Essential Core Values for Individuals and
Organizations? Lessons from Judaism. Journal of Applied Ethics and Biolaw, 1, p.4.
2 Jotkowitz, A.B., Agbaria, R. and Glick, S.M., 2017. Medical ethics in Israel—bridging religious and
secular values. The Lancet, 389(10088), pp.2584-2586.
3 Miller, D.M., 2014. Ethnicity, Religion and the Meaning of Ioudaios in Ancient ‘Judaism’. Currents in
biblical research, 12(2), pp.216-265.

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rituals and rites in this religion which is Kiddushin. It is a contract of the marriage in front of the
two witnesses between the grooms and bride responsibilities.
There are certain core beliefs of the religion Judaism which are its beliefs in one God which si
monotheism and pray three times a day. The core belief of this religion is that the charity of the
part of their income to the Tzedakah. When the people died they take for the funeral to Shiva and
focus on the grief for 7 days.
Judaism religion relates to the ancient Hebrews. The religious belief is mainly accommodating in
the Judaism religion that includes the ancient beliefs of the religion. It is a type of ethnic religion
that involves the collective religious and cultural tradition of the Jewish people thinks that there
is only one god and that god is Yahweh. These people think that God made the universe and the
whole universe controls by the god itself4.
According to those people, God is spiritual and not physical. The main belief of Jews is that God
is one and complete being. Judaism includes several beliefs and these beliefs improve the overall
system of the religion and make the Judaism religion famous among the world. The main views
involve in Judaism are that God exist but there is only one god and they worship for that one
God only and the last is that God created the universe without help.
As an example, Jewish values and beliefs are included. The main beliefs of Judaism include
Monotheism, Identity, and covenant. Judaism also gives several teachings and the main
teachings include that there is only one god. Jewish values play an important role in the overall
religion of Judaism and this increases the different values and attitudes of the different people
included in the Jews. The different beliefs of the person include different acts. The main values
of Judaism are In G-d’s likeness, social justice, human dignity and fixing up the world5. All these
4 Miller, D.M., 2014. Ethnicity, Religion and the Meaning of Ioudaios in Ancient ‘Judaism’. Currents in
biblical research, 12(2), pp.216-265.
5 Jotkowitz, A.B., Agbaria, R. and Glick, S.M., 2017. Medical ethics in Israel—bridging religious and
secular values. The Lancet, 389(10088), pp.2584-2586.

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values make religion better and improve the overall community of the Jews people. World peace
is also improved by these values and beliefs included in Judaism. Judaism is a trust of the public
that believes that God the Jews to his chosen people to manage the overall ethical behavior
towards the world. Judaism also includes the family faith and many Jewish customs and beliefs
revolve around the home6.
6 Friedman, H.H., Warter, I. and Warter, L., 2016. What are the Essential Core Values for Individuals and
Organizations? Lessons from Judaism. Journal of Applied Ethics and Biolaw, 1, p.4.

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References
Abulof, U., 2014. The Roles of Religion in National Legitimation: Judaism and Zionism's
Elusive Quest for Legitimacy. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 53(3), pp.515-533.
Batnitzky, L.F., 2013. How Judaism became a religion: An introduction to modern Jewish
thought. Princeton University Press.
Campbell, H.A. ed., 2015. Digital Judaism: Jewish negotiations with digital media and culture.
Routledge.
Friedman, H.H., Warter, I. and Warter, L., 2016. What are the Essential Core Values for
Individuals and Organizations? Lessons from Judaism. Journal of Applied Ethics and Biolaw, 1,
p.4.
Jotkowitz, A.B., Agbaria, R. and Glick, S.M., 2017. Medical ethics in Israel—bridging religious
and secular values. The Lancet, 389(10088), pp.2584-2586.
Miller, D.M., 2014. Ethnicity, Religion and the Meaning of Ioudaios in Ancient
‘Judaism’. Currents in biblical research, 12(2), pp.216-265.