JUDAISM GLOSSARY TERMS

Bat mitzvah A rite of passage which marks the coming of maturity for a Jewish girl, so that
under Jewish law they are autonomous individuals. A girl becomes bat mitzvah
when she is 12 years old.
Covenant A series of agreements recorded in the Hebrew Bible between God and the
people of Israel. The Covenant lies at the heart of the Jewish religion as it the
living expression of the relationship between God and the people of Israel.
Covenant of This refers to the covenant between God and Abraham following the birth of
circumcision Ishmael where God reaffirms the promise that Abraham will be the ancestor of a
great nation and that his descendants will live in the land of Canaan. Abraham
and his descendants are required to walk in the presence of God and be
blameless in order to receive God's blessing. Circumcision (brit milah) is to be
the sign of this covenant.
Devekut Refers to the devotion or attachment to God.
Halakhah The Hebrew term for "walking'" refers to the collective body of Jewish rabbinic
law, custom and tradition. The halakhah is the legal component of the Talmud,
which is comprised of the rules and laws for living.
Hasidism A Jewish movement within Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, which developed in
Eastern Europe during the eighteenth century. Its principal teaching stresses the
notions of joy, love, awe of God and devotion to God.
Haskalah Also known as the Jewish enlightenment was a movement in 18 th century
Europe which advocated the integration of secular society with the Jewish
religious society, and a secular education alongside study of Hebrew and Jewish
history. The movement marks the beginnings of the modern movement for
Jewish emancipation.
Messiah A term that means the "anointed one" is typically used to refer to the anticipated
saviour and liberator of the Jewish people.
Patriarchs The Patriarchs of Judaism refer to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Passover (also known as Pesach) Jewish festival commemorating the Exodus and the
liberation from slavery. The name is derived from the "passing over" of the holy
spirit over the Hebrew households when the tenth plague caused the death of the
first born.
Promised Land Refers to the land of Canaan, which in modern times refers to the State of Israel
and the Palestinian territories.
Sinai covenant This refers to the covenant made between Moses and God on Mount Sinai,
where Moses receives the Ten Commandments.
Sinai law Also known as the Law of Moses refers to the Ten Commandments which were
given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai.

Origins of Judaism
Covenant
• The origins of Judaism are traced back to significant figures known as Patriarchs.
• The first of these is Abraham (Abram) who with his wife Sarah (Sarai) received the
promise of God.
• This promise, known as Covenant, expresses the commitment of God to the people
known as the Hebrews or the people of Israel. It is from this people that Judaism stems.

Abraham
• The Patriarch Abraham was originally known as Abram.
• He lived a semi nomadic life in southern Mesopotamia near the Euphrates River.
• He was the shepherd son of Terah and brother of Nahor and Haran.
• Abraham experienced the call of God in which he received the promise of being blessed
and becoming a great nation.
• He was also called to leave his own territory to move to the land that would be shown to
him by God (Genesis 12:1).

Isaac
• In the context of this Covenant Abraham is told that he will indeed have his own son with
Sarah.
• The Covenant made with Abraham is to be passed on through his son who is to be named
Isaac.
• Despite the promise of the Covenant, considerable time passes before Sarah becomes
pregnant and gives birth to the son who is named Isaac.
• In keeping with the Covenant Isaac was circumcised when he was eight days old.
• Later God calls Abraham to take his son Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer him as a
holocaust.
• The tradition shows that Abraham is obedient to God's call and takes his son to the place
where he is to be sacrificed.
• As they approach the designated place Isaac asks his father where the animal is for the
holocaust.
• Abraham continues with the preparations to sacrifice Isaac until at the last moment an
angel of God intervened and instructed Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac.

Jacob

• From the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah Jacob and Esau were born.
• Isaac and Jacob, along with Abraham are known as the patriarchs of Judaism.
• Jacob was to be known as Israel, after he wrestled all night with an angel - the name
Israel means 'contender with God' (Genesis 32:29).
Moses and the Torah
• This encounter comes in the form of God calling Moses for the mission of liberating the
Hebrew people from their captivity in Egypt.
• God is announced to Moses as "the God of your father.the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6).
• As the encounter proceeds the name of God is revealed to Moses. This name is regarded
as sacred in the Jewish tradition and is not spoken out of reverence for God.
• Exodus chapter 19 begins the climactic experience of Moses' encounter with God at
Sinai.
• Moses encounters God face to face on Mount Sinai.
• In this encounter Moses receives the Ten Commandments
• These commandments are the beginning of what is referred to as the Sinai law.
• This law is the Torah, the very heart of the Jewish tradition.
• The Torah spells out the expected response of the Jewish people to the requirements of
the Covenant.
• The Ten Commandments are followed immediately in the text by numerous laws
governing all aspects of community life.
• The chapters of laws amount to 613 including the Ten Commandments. These are the 613
mitzvot of the Torah which are required to be followed by observant Jews.
• The 613 mitzvot of the Torah form the basis for the actions of Jewish people in relation to
every aspect of life.
• They govern religious ritual, interpersonal relationships, business dealings, dietary
requirements and a myriad of other concerns.
Jewish Variants

Reformed Judaism
• Oral and written law do not represent literal word of God
• Reform Judaism developed in nineteenth century German as a result of the
experience of the Haskalah, which is also known as the Jewish Enlightenment.
• Later in the century Reform Judaism was brought to America by German
immigrants.
• Reform Judaism is characterised by its rejection of the concept of divine
revelation as a direct dictation of the Tenak by God.
• Reform Judaism holds the belief that the Torah was written by divinely inspired
human beings.
• The implication of this core belief is that the Torah is inspirational and
instructional, but not binding in a literal sense, since it is not the literal word of
God.
• a movement away from strict of halakhic observance.
• The halakhah encompasses a broad spectrum of laws regulating dietary
requirements, sexual and familial purity.
• It also formalised the existence of a priestly caste and codes of dress.
• The reform movement's rejection of halakhic laws was most pronounced in the
early years of its development
• The rejection of strict halakhic observance, whilst explicit was not absolute, as the
ethical commandments set out in the Torah were still considered binding.

Conservative Judaism
• Conservative Judaism began in Germany in the mid to late nineteenth century
as a reaction towards Reform Judaism
• Due to its explicit and outright rejection of halakhic practice.
• Its founder, Zacharias Frankel, initially joined the Reform Movement in rejecting
the belief that the Written Law was the literal word of God in favor of the notion
that authorship should be attributed to divinely inspired human beings.
• The core belief of Conservative Judaism is the belief that the ritual law whilst
binding is open to interpretation and it is up to each new generation to make the
halakhic law applicable to the age.
• Conservative Judaism differs from Orthodox Judaism in that whilst both
acknowledge the importance of the halakhah in regulating the day to day life of a
Jew
• Conservative Jews believe that the interpretation of these laws are ever-evolving
and capable of being adjusted to contemporary needs.
Orthodox Judaism
• Orthodox Judaism is the name given to what has been mainstream Rabbinic
Judaism for centuries.
• Orthodox Judaism is characterised by a strict observance of the commandments as
they see these commandments or mitzvot as the direct will of God.
• The position of Ultra Orthodox Judaism has hardened in response to the growing
influence held by Reform and Conservative Judaism.
• The Hasidic Jews (sometimes spelt Chasidic) are usually regarded as an example
of Ultra Orthodox Judaism.
• They are recognisable by their distinctive dress which includes long black coats,
round black hats, beards and side locks.
• Modern Orthodox Judaism is immersed in the surrounding culture while at the
same time maintaining faithful observance of the Torah.
• Modern Orthodox communities Jews will be found involved in a range of
professions and involved in most aspects of modern community life.
• In modern society the Modern Orthodox Jew seeks to maintain observance of
the Torah through carefully attending to the dietary, ritual and ethical
requirements of the tradition.