Comprehensive at‑a‑glance guide to core tenets, practices, history, and diversity.
Absolute monotheism: One unique, indivisible, incorporeal God.
Judaism's absolute cornerstone belief: God is uniquely and indivisibly One. This concept, known as monotheism, permeates all aspects of Jewish thought and practice.
God's enduring, mutual pacts defining Jewish identity and responsibility.
Judaism is fundamentally based on a series of covenants – binding, mutual agreements – established between God and humanity, specifically with the Jewish people.
God's communication of will and wisdom, primarily at Sinai (Written & Oral Torah).
The belief that God has communicated His will, wisdom, and commandments to humanity. The peak of this revelation occurred at Mount Sinai.
Life guided by 613 Torah commandments (Mitzvot) and their legal development (Halakha).
The framework guiding Jewish life, based on divine commandments and their ongoing interpretation.
Lifelong intellectual engagement with sacred texts as a core mitzvah and form of worship.
The act of studying Jewish sacred texts is not merely academic but a central religious obligation (mitzvah) and a primary form of worship and connection to God.
Weekly day of rest (Shabbat) and annual holy days infuse time with holiness and meaning.
Judaism structures time, marking certain periods as holy (Kedushat HaZmanקְדֻשַּׁת הַזְּמַן), set apart from the mundane. Shabbat is the pinnacle of sacred time.
Moral action, justice (Tzedakah), and loving-kindness (Gemilut Chasadim) are core obligations.
Judaism is fundamentally an ethical monotheism: belief in one God demands moral responsibility towards fellow humans, created in God's image (B'tzelem Elohim).
Humans possess free will to choose good/evil, making them morally responsible; repentance (Teshuva) is possible.
A fundamental principle in Judaism is that humans possess Bechirah Chofshit – the freedom to choose between good and evil, right and wrong. This capacity makes humans morally responsible agents.
Striving to imbue life (people, places, time, actions) with sacredness (separation/dedication), following God's nature.
Holiness (Kedusha) means 'separation' or 'distinction' – setting apart people, places, times, objects, and actions for a sacred purpose, dedicated to God. God is the ultimate source of holiness.
Future era of universal peace, justice, and divine recognition ushered in by a human Messiah; includes hope for redemption and World to Come.
A core tenet of traditional Judaism is the belief in a future era of universal peace, justice, and divine knowledge, known as the Messianic Era, ushered in by a human leader called the Messiah (Mashiachמָשִׁיחַ) and culminating in ultimate redemption (Geulahגְּאוּלָּה).
Structured daily prayer (Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv) connecting individuals and community to God; key elements: Shema, Amidah, Kaddish.
Prayer in Judaism is a multifaceted practice involving formal liturgy, spontaneous personal supplication, and mindful intention (Kavanahכַּוָּנָה). It's seen as 'service of the heart' (Avodah shebaLev), a way to connect with God, express gratitude, make requests, and affirm core beliefs. In rabbinic thought, structured prayer replaced the Temple sacrificial system.
Laws defining permitted/forbidden foods and their preparation, promoting holiness and identity.
The system of Jewish dietary laws derived from the Torah (esp. Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14). 'Kashrut' comes from the Hebrew root 'Kasher' (כָּשֵׁר), meaning fit, proper, or acceptable. Observing Kashrut is a mitzvah often seen as promoting holiness, self-discipline, Jewish identity, and respect for life.
Acknowledging God through blessings (Berachot) over food, mitzvot, experiences; emphasizes ethical use of speech.
Judaism emphasizes infusing everyday life with awareness of God through the recitation of blessings (Berachot) and the mindful use of speech.
Handwritten parchment scroll of the Five Books of Moses; central to synagogue ritual, treated with utmost reverence.
The most sacred object in Jewish ritual; the physical embodiment of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), known as the Written Torah.
The Hebrew Bible: Acronym for Torah (Law), Nevi'im (Prophets), Ketuvim (Writings) - 24 canonical books.
The canonical collection of Jewish sacred scriptures, known in Christianity as the Old Testament. Tanakh is a Hebrew acronym based on its three sections, comprising 24 books in the traditional Jewish enumeration.
Core texts of Rabbinic Judaism: Mishnah (Oral Law code), Gemara (analysis), Talmud (Mishnah+Gemara), Midrash (interpretation).
Vast, complex corpora constituting the heart of Rabbinic Judaism, representing the written form of the Oral Torah and its continued development.
These texts are not seen as static but as a dynamic record of ongoing interpretation and debate, forming the bedrock of traditional Jewish thought and practice.
The 613 divine commandments derived from the Torah, guiding Jewish life and forming the basis of Halakha.
Categorized as 248 positive ('do') and 365 negative ('don't'); cover ritual and ethics (person-God / person-person).
The traditional enumeration of 613 specific commandments (singular: Mitzvah - מִצְוָה) found within the Written Torah (Pentateuch), serving as the foundational blueprint for Jewish law (Halakha) and ethical conduct.
Major streams of contemporary Jewish practice, largely originating in Ashkenazi communities' responses to modernity, reflecting diverse approaches to revelation, law (Halakha), tradition, and modernity:
Modern Judaism encompasses several major movements or denominations, largely shaped by diverse responses to the challenges and opportunities of modernity (Enlightenment, Emancipation, secularism) starting in 19th-century Europe. They differ primarily on the nature and authority of revelation (Torah) and Jewish Law (Halakha).
These movements represent a spectrum, differing significantly on conversion standards, liturgical practices, levels of observance, views on LGBTQ+ inclusion, intermarriage, and the role of women.
Major cultural-geographic subgroups ('Edot') with distinct histories, customs, languages, and liturgical traditions:
Beyond religious movements (which often include members from various backgrounds), the Jewish people comprise distinct ethnic and cultural subgroups shaped by centuries of geographic dispersion and interaction with surrounding cultures. These 'Edot' (communities) influence customs, pronunciation of Hebrew, liturgy (Nusach), music, food, and sometimes specific Halakhic interpretations.
These identities are complex and often overlap; intermarriage between groups is common today, especially in Israel and the Diaspora.
From Patriarchs, Exodus/Sinai revelation, through Monarchy, First Temple, Exile, Second Temple rebuilding, Maccabean revolt, Roman rule, and pivotal Temple destruction (70 CE).
Spanning roughly two millennia, this foundational period shaped Jewish identity, theology, and connection to the Land of Israel.
Post-Temple shift to prayer/study. Codification of Oral Law (Mishnah/Talmud). Geonic authority. Diaspora life: Medieval flourishing (Spain, Ashkenaz commentary) alongside persecution/expulsions. Law codes, rise of Kabbalah.
With the Temple destroyed, Judaism underwent a profound transformation, shifting authority to rabbis and texts, enabling survival and flourishing in diaspora.
Hasidism, Enlightenment (Haskalah), Emancipation, rise of modern movements, mass migration, Zionism, the devastating Holocaust (Shoah), establishment of Israel, and contemporary challenges/dynamics.
From the 17th century onwards, encounters with Enlightenment thought, nationalism, emancipation, and profound tragedy reshaped Jewish life globally.
Judaism engages philosophy to explore faith, ethics, and existence using reason alongside tradition. Key figures addressed reason/revelation, God, ethics, meaning.
Jewish philosophy involves the application of rational inquiry and philosophical methods to explore and articulate Jewish beliefs, ethics, and experiences. It often engages in dialogue with dominant non-Jewish philosophical traditions of the era, seeking synthesis, critique, or clarification of Jewish distinctiveness.
Key Themes: Relationship between Reason and Revelation, Nature and Attributes of God, Creation, Free Will vs. Determinism, Problem of Evil, Nature of Prophecy, Basis of Ethics, Jewish Chosenness, Meaning of Exile and Redemption, Interpretation of Scripture.
Key Figures (Chronological):
Central communal institution: House of Prayer (Tefillah), Study (Midrash), and Assembly (Knesset). Key features: Ark (Aron Kodesh), Bimah, Ner Tamid.
The synagogue emerged as the central institution of Jewish life following the destruction of the Second Temple, adapting functions previously centered around Jerusalem.
Key figures: Rabbi (teacher, legal/spiritual guide), Cantor (Chazzan - prayer leader), Gabbai (Torah service manager), Ba'al Koreh (Torah reader), volunteer Lay Leaders (board/governance).
Jewish communities traditionally rely on a combination of professional clergy and lay leadership to function.
Emphasis on strong community (Kehillah), mutual support (Tzedakah, Gemach, Bikur Cholim), collective responsibility, and lifelong Jewish education (Chinuch) through various institutions.
Judaism places strong emphasis on the community (Kehillahקְהִילָּה) and collective responsibility, alongside a deep commitment to lifelong learning.
Rituals sanctifying key life stages: Brit Milah/Naming, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Marriage (Chuppah/Ketubah), and structured Mourning (Shiva, Kaddish, Yahrzeit).
Jewish tradition marks significant life transitions with specific rituals and ceremonies (Simchotשְׂמָחוֹת - joys; Aveilutאֲבֵלוּת - mourning), embedding personal experiences within the communal and covenantal narrative.
Annual rhythm structuring Jewish time: High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur), Pilgrimage Festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot), Historical (Hanukkah, Purim), Fasts, Modern Holidays.
The Jewish calendar (Luachלוּחַ), lunisolar, structures the year around a cycle of holy days (Yamim Tovim - lit. 'Good Days') and festivals (Chaggim), commemorating historical events, agricultural seasons (in Israel), and core theological themes. Major festivals involve work restrictions similar to Shabbat (Yom Tov days).
Belief in a future era of universal peace, justice, and divine recognition, ushered in by a human Messiah; hope for redemption (Geulahגְּאוּלָּה) and ultimate World to Come (Olam Ha-Baהָעוֹלָם הַבָּא).
Anchors hope, informs ethics (Tikkun Olam), gives meaning to collective Jewish destiny; interpretations vary across movements.
Jewish eschatology centers on the belief in a future, ultimate redemption (Geulahגְּאוּלָּה), ushering in a perfected world known as the Messianic Era, and culminating in the World to Come (Olam Ha-Baהָעוֹלָם הַבָּא). This provides a linear view of history moving towards a divinely promised goal.