Judaism 101: What Are the Jews All About
Anyway?
March 30, 2021 - 1:30 pm ET
By Rich Weissman, Palm Springs, California (www.richweissman.com)
As we
celebrate Passover, I find many folks asking me about Judaism and being Jewish,
not understanding how it all works. So I wrote this Judaism 101 piece. Read it
if you want to understand the basics of Jews and Judaism.
The
Jews first began as the Hebrews during the Bronze Age 5,000+ years ago. They
became the Canaanites and then became Jews with Abraham, the “first Jew” and
the father of the Jewish people, who lived in 2000 BCE (before common era, i.e.
BC). Later, the Jews became a united nation under Moses, who brought the Jews
out of Egypt where they had been enslaved for 400 years. Moses took them into
Israel in 1300 BCE and brought forth the concept of a monotheistic religion,
based on the 10 basic rules for leading a kind and moral life. The Torah is the
5 books of Moses. It is claimed that Torah writings were started during the
Moses journey to Israel, and then completed later, along with the subsequent
Prophets and the Writings. Together, these books are the “Tanach” (the “Jewish
Bible”). Originally written in Hebrew, then translated into Aramaic, and then
into Greek, Latin, and working up the chain more recently into English in the
King James Bible in 1600 CE (common era, i.e. AD). I have read it in Hebrew,
and it loses a lot in translation. First, in Hebrew one can see that many. many
different writers wrote portions over long periods of time, as the language
changes. Second, the translations are often poor. Did you know that in the
Jewish Bible the word for God starts with “Gods,” yes plural, moves into “My Lord,”
and ends with the word that cannot be spoken for God – it is the present tense
of the verb to be in Hebrew, so it literally means “the state of be-ing.” God
is not anthropomorphized and is not in human form. And in the beginning, there
wasn’t “a void” as stated in English, there was “chaos,” and from it came
order. Big difference. And it’s not “vanity, vanity, all is vanity”; it’s
“futility, futility, all is futile” – rather existential.
The
12 tribes of Israel were delineated, and the Jewish kingdom began with David’s
conquer of Jerusalem and King Solomon in 1000 BCE, when the First Temple was
built in Jerusalem, starting the Jewish Biblical era. It went through the 6th
century BCE, with the fall of the Temple by the Babylonians and the exile of
the Jews to Babylon. 400 years later, the Jews returned to Israel and built the
2nd Temple and a new era of Jewish renaissance began again, with Greek
(Hellenistic) and Roman influence. This period ended with the fall of Jerusalem
by the Romans, the destruction of the 2nd Temple, and the dispersion of the
Jewish people again from the land of Israel in the 1st Century CE. In 1948,
after the Holocaust, the Jews re-established the nation of Israel yet again
with the birth of the modern State of Israel, once more bringing together and
connecting the Jewish people with the land of Israel, and engendering yet
another Jewish return from dispersion and a new Jewish renaissance. Jewish
history is a series of destruction, death and dispersion (slavery, confinement,
etc.), return, renaissance, followed by destruction, death and dispersion
again, repeating the cycle until 1948. For Jews, the yearning for return to the
land of Israel in freedom is indelibly etched into our psyche, with the goal of
ending the ongoing cycle and living permanently as a sovereign people in
Israel.
Here’s
the crux of Judaism: There are two critical writings that came to be after the
Biblical period: the “Talmud” (“Mishnah” and “Gemara”) and the “Midrash,” and
Jews have for thousands of years defined ourselves as Talmudic, not Biblical.
This is the key and must be understood in order to understand Judaism. The core
of the Talmud and other writings and books of Jewish thought and prayer is that
Judaism is not about “faith,” but about questioning and debate, interpreting
and challenging. Great minds over the millennia (the great Talmudic scholarly
Rabbis in Judaic history) would debate the meaning of the Jewish Bible, and its
relevancy throughout the centuries. The Talmud is like Facebook. One great
Rabbi writes an interpretation and another disagrees and another joins in the
debate, and so on, and these debates go on for centuries with new great Rabbis
adding their viewpoints to the discussions and counter-discussions. So, living
strictly by the Jewish Bible had long passed with the fall of the Jewish
Biblical era. Instead, Jews came to understand the Jewish Bible as a series of
stories (what my Rabbi calls Jewish mythology), to be interpreted and used as a
foundation for debate on issues, without right or wrong answers, without
absolutes. And God is contemplated as conceptual, and not human. It is in the
process of debate (as shown in the Talmud, et. al.) that we come to understand
what makes sense in a changing world.
As I once asked a learned Orthodox Rabbi
many years ago, “Do we believe in afterlife?” He responded, “We don’t know, but
if it helps you to believe in that, go ahead; if it doesn’t, then don’t – you
need to decide what makes your life fulfilled and what gives you purpose.” I
also asked him if we believe that the Jewish Bible is true and factual. He
said, “Who knows, but that’s not the question. The question is what can you
learn to improve your life by the stories? How do the stories inspire you?” I even
asked him if there is a God, to which he replied, “There is no answer to that –
you can choose to believe or not believe, and you can define God in a way that
fulfills you. You need to answer that question for yourself.” Finally, I questioned
why God would have asked Abraham “where are you?” Wouldn’t an omnipotent,
all-knowing God know? The reply I received was simple: Do you think God asked
this as a matter of physically finding Abraham, or is this more interpretive,
in that we each must each ask ourselves “where am I and how do I fit” in this complex
world? I’m often asked if Rabbis (which
means teachers) have the answers. No, they are highly educated people who have
the questions and the understanding of The Jewish Bible, the Talmud, et. al. to
guide us with the debate to help us each determine the meaning of these texts
in our own lives. For Jews, religion is about finding meaning and relevance,
not about absolute answers. Attend a Jewish synagogue service (as J.D. and I
often do each week), and you’ll hear the Rabbi’s interpretation and questions
about the weekly Torah portion and what it might mean to us. Not dictums, not
imperatives, but personally interpretive, and always up for debate.
Jews
have 3 languages: Hebrew, the ancient Jewish language, ubiquitous to all Jews,
and hence the language that was re-introduced as the spoken language with the
creation of modern Israel; Yiddish, the common language of the European Jews –
Ashkenazi Jews (Ashkenazi means German) – based on the German language; Ladino,
the common language of the Spanish, African, Middle and Far Eastern Jews –
Sephardic Jews (Sephardic means Spanish/Portuguese and Moorish, with ties to
the Arabic world) – based on the Spanish language. They all used the Hebrew
letters, and Yiddish and Ladino were developed by the Jews in the diaspora
after the fall of the 2nd Temple and the dispersion of the Jewish people. As an
example, my father, first generation American, born in New York City but spoke
Yiddish as his first language, and at family gatherings when I was young,
Yiddish was the dominant language, although they also spoke Hebrew, but that
was for synagogue. When both sets of my grandparents were together, they would
often communicate in Yiddish (and read the Yiddish newspapers).
From
the original Hebrews 5,000 years ago, through the Biblical period, to the 2nd
Temple period, and then to the diaspora (dispersion), and the recent creation
of modern Israel, Judaism and our people have evolved (and certainly we have
wandered). Many think that Jews think and live according to the Jewish Bible as
in the Biblical period of the 1st Temple. We do not and haven’t for the
millennia (except for the Chassidism – the ultra-orthodox who wear the black
coats and hats, which is a recent movement which began in the 18th Century in
the Ukraine as a spiritual revival sect that broke-away from mainstream Judaism
to attempt a more “Biblical” type of living). There are three things that ultimately
bring Jews together: the 10 Commandments, which are good rules for living a
moral life, and the “Shma,” in which Jews state the core belief in the
singularity of God. These are the two foundations, along with “Tikun Olam” (fix
the world) – the belief that each Jew should seek to continually improve the
world, generation to generation (“L'dor V'dor”), and move humanity forward.
We
are a progressive people, and we celebrate life ("Le Chaim” – to life); we
are in the present, not worshiping death or reincarnation, not worshiping
ancestors nor worshiping the here-after. The only rewards are those during our
lifetimes and how we improve the lives of those around us. And we believe that
joyfulness, such as enjoying family and friends, sex (yes, sex), good food and
drink, laughter, music, dance, or other ways to experience happiness, are positive and should be
pursued. Life is meant to be enjoyed, shared, and fully lived without fear. “Sin”
and retribution is not a Jewish concept, and hasn’t been for a long time. We believe
that we have been given the ability to experience joy in so many ways, and we
should not shy away from it.
For
American Jews, who came to America from the 1820’s to the 1920’s in the
millions, these immigrants changed the face of modern Judaism, and the face of
America itself in music, art, literature, education, social and physical
sciences, technology, medicine, law, politics, and progressive thinking. These
Jews created new American Judaic movements (e.g. the Reform Movement) and the
American Jewish renaissance, which adapted Judaism to the new and modern world
in our hemisphere where intellectual and educated discourse is generally
admired.
So,
when non-Jews present arguments utilizing the Jewish Bible as “fact,” I point
out that it’s our Bible, and we look at it from an altogether different set of
lenses. If they want to understand an issue, read the Talmud, et.al. and see
how the great Jewish minds have debated the issue from different angles, rather
than quoting the Jewish Bible as literal and definitive. Think of it, how often
do you hear a Jew quote the Jewish Bible as literal to advance an opinion? I
know this is hard for folks who think in terms of religion as absolutes and the
writings as verbatim. In Judaism, it’s all up for debate as we take nothing on
face value nor on “faith” – faith is a concept foreign to Jews (let’s repeat
that, faith is a concept foreign to Jews) – but on thoughtful and intellectual
questioning and discussion as to how things fit, or don’t fit, into our lives
as things change, often with inconsistencies, nuance, and ambiguities, which is
part of the process of ongoing Jewish learning and debate. We learn from the
past, but we don't live in the past.
Jews
are also a people of law. For thousands of years we have had our own
sophisticated court system and sets of laws upholding justice. We believe in written
law and adjudicating in Jewish courts in peaceful ways. Even in the U.S. today,
Jews have our own separate court and legal system, consisting of groups of
Rabbis as judges who can settle issues between Jews in areas of marriage,
divorce, family and other matters, based on Jewish law. These judges also
convert people as part of the conversion process. I went before the “Bet Din”
(Jewish court) in Oregon to finalize my divorce many years ago. J.D. went before
the Bet Din for his conversion. And, J.D. and I were married by our Rabbi
according to Jewish law long before same-sex marriage was legal in the U.S.
Many aspects of the U.S. court system are based on the Jewish system (e.g.
juries, evidence, defendants, etc.) which Jews have used over the millennia.
And,
in Judaism we do not proselytize (and we don’t like when others try to
proselytize us). Being Jewish is traditionally matrilineal (although today it
has changed to be either matrilineal or patrilineal). It’s a birth right.
Converting to Judaism is a very rigorous course (need to learn Hebrew, Jewish
history, the Jewish Bible, Talmud, et. al., and need to discuss and debate with
a set of Rabbis), and Rabbis will only convert those who genuinely want to
become Jewish and understand the complexities and layers of the religion, the
culture, and the people. It takes years of study. Once Jewish, by birth or
conversion, one cannot stop being a Jew (we can’t make ourselves not Jewish).
Moreover, Jews have the “right of return,” which means that any Jew who emigrates
to Israel is an automatic citizen of Israel (if they want). That, too, is part
of our birth right (and conversion right), so that Jews know that there is a
“home” in which they will always be accepted and safe.
Jews
have multiple first, middle and last names. We have our names in the nation in
which we live (e.g. American names), but we also have our Hebrew names (and for
some, Yiddish or Ladino names as well). My Jewish marriage license
("Ketubah") lists J.D. and me according to our Hebrew names (mine
given at birth, J.D.'s at conversion), and we signed the license in Hebrew with
our Hebrew names.
Judaism
requires literacy, as every young adult (or convert) must study, debate and
read from the Torah to the congregation, and provide their own interpretation
of the Torah reading to the congregants, demonstrating literacy and command of
Judaism and interpretative skills for bar/bat mitzvah. I remember one day when
my youngest daughter came home from evening Jewish school. I asked what they
did in class. She told me that they debated the question of the existence of
God in a post-Holocaust era. She said it was a good discussion, and of course,
without conclusion, and she did not come to any conclusions herself but would
continue to think about it. We still debate that question.
Finally,
and of great importance, Jews don’t expect others to think about religion as we
do. We’re different, we appreciate that religion is very personal, and we’re
tolerant, as we know that Judaism is not the best fit for most people (and
really, we’re good with that, and we don't like the term Judeo-Christian as we
are a unique and stand-alone religion, not incomplete, not tied to other
religions), and we think that religion of all kinds does not belong in the
secular space. We do not impose our religious beliefs into secular law, and
clearly distinguish between our religion vs. the secular world in which we
live. For Jews, religion is a private matter. At the door to my house, there is
a "Mezuzah" on the doorpost (you'll often see those at Jewish homes).
It's a small case that contains words from Torah. It signifies that one is
leaving the secular world and entering a Jewish home, giving clarity to the
distinction and separation. Coming home, one often touches it as a symbol of
recognition of an understanding of the secular outside the door, the Jewish
inside the door.
And,
perhaps most importantly, we appreciate that Judaism far transcends religion –
it’s also a people, a shared 5,000+ year history, a rich culture, cuisines, rituals,
languages, and a plethora of ideas and customs that make Jews different and
that unify us in giving our lives purpose. We have Jews of all kinds, from all
nations on the globe, of all colors (yes, there are many black and brown Jews
from Africa and the Middle/Far East), with differing ideas about their
individual views and practices of Judaism, yet all one people. We talk about
ourselves as “Am Yisroel” (the people of Israel), as we define ourselves as a singular people in ways well beyond written texts. I did my genetic test and it came
back 99% Jewish of Ashkenazi background (with 1% “other”). Oy, for that I spent
good money? And I still want to know what the “other” 1% is!
Mind
you, there are certain Jews who may disagree on some of the points here, and
that’s good. We love to talk amongst ourselves. As we say: discuss (and we are
a talkative bunch who do not subscribe to the notion that silence is golden –
remember Tevya in “Fiddler” debating with God and questioning God’s role, and
ultimately tossing aside tradition for a new way of defining Judaism for
himself?).
So,
for Passover, as we celebrate the exodus from Egypt, we are thankful for our
freedom. Was there a Moses and did he lead the Jewish people across the sea and
through the desert? Who knows. But the better question is what do we learn from
the story of the Exodus? For Jews, we learn to abhor slavery and we celebrate
the coalescing of the Jewish people and a religion founded on the rights of all
peoples to be free from tyranny and injustice.
