RMPS - Int2/Higher - World Religions - Judaism - Education Scotland

Religious, Moral and 

Philosophical Studies 

World Religions – Judaism 

[INTERMEDIATE 2; 

HIGHER] 

Paula Cowan 

University of Paisley, School of Education 

in collaboration with 

Henry Tankel 

abc

Acknowledgement 

Learning and Teaching Scotland gratefully acknowledge this contribution to the National 

Qualifications support programme for RMPS. 

First published 2004 

© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004 

This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes by 

educational establishments in Scotland provided that no profit accrues at any stage. 

ISBN 1 84399 032 6 

The Scottish Qualifications Authority regularly reviews 

the arrangements for National Qualifications. Users of all 

NQ support materials, whether published by LT Scotland 

or others, are reminded that it is their responsibility to 

check that the support materials correspond to the 

requirements of the current arrangements. 

© Learning and Teaching Scotland

CONTENTS 

Introduction 1 

Section 1: Judaism: an overview 3 

Section 2: The human condition 

What does it mean to be human? 7 

The concept and image of God 9 

Creation 13 

Shabbat 15 

The nature of humanity 20 

Section 3: The cause of the human condition 

Yetzer Harah and Yetzer Tov 23 

Suffering as a result of disobedience to God’s will 25 

Suffering is at times inexplicable 27 

Section 4: The goals 

The meaning of obedience to God: ritual observance, Part 1 29 

The meaning of obedience to God: ritual observance, Part 2 33 

The meaning of obedience to God: ethical living and social 

justice, Part 1 37 


justice, Part 2 41 

The importance of repentance 45 

Section 5: The final aim of existence 

The concept of the Messiah 53 

The Covenant 56 

Responsibilities of the Jewish people 58 

Section 6: The means 

The Torah 59 

The Ten Commandments 63 

Halachah, the Oral Law and the Talmud 66 

Attitudes of Reform and Orthodox Judaism 70 

RMPS: WORLD RELIGIONS – JUDAISM (INT 2, H) iii 


iv 

CONTENTS 

Section 7: The practices that help achieve the goals 

Moral and social responsibilities 73 

Rites of passage and education 79 

Appendix 

Glossary 85 

Further reading 88 

Useful addresses 89 

RMPS: WORLD RELIGIONS – JUDAISM (INT 2, H) 


INTRODUCTION 

Using these support materials 

These support materials comprise: 

• An introduction and overview 

• Information about key concepts of Judaism 

• References 

• Activities 

• Suggestions for further reading and research 

• A glossary 

• A list of useful addresses 

Words in the text that are written in bold type can be found in the 

Glossary section. 

The principal sources used are: 

• The Soncino Chumash, pub. The Soncino Press 

• The Complete Artscroll Siddur, pub. Mesorah Publications Ltd. 

Any standard version of The Old Testament text may be used for 

checking quotations from the Hebrew Bible. 

It is important to remember that these are holy books, so they should be 

treated, at all times, with respect. 

The suggestions for further reading and research include several website 

addresses which may not be on the internet permanently. The authors 

suggest that hard copies of these are printed out for reference from the 

following sections: 

• Section 1, pages 5–6 

• Section 4, page 36 




RMPS: WORLD RELIGIONS – JUDAISM (INT 2, H) 1 


INTRODUCTION 

Main features of the unit 

The Judaism unit at Higher level specifies key concepts which are 

studied under three categories: the human condition, the goals, and the 

means. 

The human condition 

• The image of God 

• Creation 

• Shabbat 

• Freewill of man 

• Evil and suffering 

The goals 

• Ritual observance 

• Ethical living and social justice 

• Repentance 

• The Messiah 

• The Messianic Age and the Covenant 

The means 

• The Torah 

• The Ten Commandments 

• Halachah, the Oral Law and the Talmud 

• Orthodox and Progressive attitudes to the Torah and the oral 

traditions 

• Justice 

• Charity 

• Lashon Harah 

• Brit Milah 

• Bar Mitzvah 

• Bat Mitzvah/Bat Chayil 

2 



SECTION 1 

JUDAISM – AN OVERVIEW 

The following support notes aim to explain and inform students about 

Judaism as a religion. It should be understood that the terms Judaism 

and the Jewish religion are not always exactly the same. Judaism is a 

broader term that can be used to refer to the totality of Jewish life and 

thought. Although the Jewish religion is the most important single 

component in Judaism, the importance of Jewish literature, culture and 

history as a mirror of the effect of the Jewish religion on Jewish people 

should be recognised. 

The word Jew is derived from the Hebrew Jehudi (or Yehudi), meaning a 

member of the tribe of Judah, which was the name of one of Jacob’s 

twelve sons. Most Jews are born into Judaism. According to Jewish law, 

a Jew is a person whose mother was Jewish or who has gone through a 

formal process of conversion to Judaism. This applies to Orthodox and 

Reform Judaism but Liberal Judaism additionally recognises as Jewish a 

person whose father was Jewish. 

Jewish people can be found throughout the world and this is why 

Judaism is a world faith. This means that Jews speak different languages 

and belong to different races and nations. The two main Jewish cultural 

groups are Ashkenazi, who are Western Jews, i.e. Jews from France, 

Germany and eastern Europe; and Sephardi, who are from Spain, 

Portugal, North Africa and the Middle and Far East. Most American Jews 

today are Ashkenazi as they are descended from Jews who emigrated 

from Germany and Eastern Europe from the mid-1800s to the early 

1900s. British Jewry is also mainly Ashkenazi and descended from Jews 

who emigrated from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Russia in the early 

1900s. A further group came from Germany in the 1930s following the 

rise to power of Adolf Hitler. 

Judaism covers a broad spectrum of Jewish belief, and can be perceived 

as ‘a tree of life which has one trunk but several branches’ (Romain, 

1991, p25). 

‘Orthodox’ is the term used to describe an umbrella group covering a 

wide variety of traditions from the fully observant (such as members of 

the Lubavitch and other Hassidic movements) to quite unobservant 

people who nevertheless acknowledge the authority of a fully observant 

minister or rabbi. Official orthodoxy, therefore, includes a wide range of 

beliefs, practices and attitudes. 




‘Progressive’ is the term used to describe the Reform and Liberal 

movements which have different beliefs and practices. Masorti is the 

umbrella body that serves the Masorti communities in the UK. This 

movement did not start in Britain till 1964, but it followed the general 

principles of the Conservative movement that started in Germany in the 

mid-19th century and it combines traditional Judaism with modern 

values. The Masorti communities are often regarded as distinctive from 

the Progressives as they accept Jewish Law as binding. 

Whilst the support materials describe in the main the beliefs of 

Orthodox Judaism, students should remember that there are many 

Jewish beliefs that are shared by Orthodox, Masorti, Reform and Liberal 

Judaism. (See section 6, p70.) 

Central to Jewish ritual observance is the Jewish calendar. This is lunar 

in organisation, meaning that the months are determined according to 

the time from one new moon to the next, which is the same time as it 

takes for the moon to travel round the earth. Since the lunar year 

consists of approximately 354 days compared to the 365 days of the solar 

year, it is necessary to adjust the year. This takes the form of an extra 

month occurring seven times in 19 years. This explains why Jewish 

festivals fall on different months of the solar calendar each year. While 

there is some variation in the short term, the lunar calendar is as 

accurate over a long period of time as the solar calendar. 

The Jewish festivals 

The Jewish festivals can be categorised in three groups: 

• The Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement. 

The Days of Awe are so called because they are serious festivals when 

Jewish people consider their shortcomings in the previous year and 

try to make amends and to atone for their sins. 

• The pilgrim festivals. 

These are Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot 

(Tabernacles), and are called ‘pilgrim’ festivals because it was on 

these days that the ancient Israelites were commanded to go on 

pilgrimage to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the temple. These 

festivals also include harvest festivals. Pesach is an eight-day festival 

commemorating the exodus from Egypt and it also celebrates the 

spring barley harvest. Shavuot is the festival of the giving of the law. It 

commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and also 

celebrates the summer wheat harvest. Sukkot is an eight-day festival 

4 




that commemorates the wandering in the wilderness and celebrates 

the autumn fruit harvest. 

The last day of Sukkot is known as Simchat Torah (the rejoicing of 

the Law) because this is when the cycle of weekly readings of the 

Torah is completed and begins again for the next year. It is an 

occasion of great jollity. 

No work is permitted on the Days of Awe or the pilgrim festivals, as 

commanded in the Torah, but work is permitted on the minor 

festivals because they commemorate events that took place after the 

Five Books of Moses were written. 

• The minor festivals. 

These festivals are based on historical events. The two most important 

of these are Purim, which commemorates the delivery of the Jews of 

Persia from an intended massacre at the time of Ahasuerus (Xerxes); 

and Chanukah, which commemorates the victory of the Maccabees 

over the Greek king Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BCE, allowing them 

to practise Judaism freely again. It is interesting to speculate that had 

it not been for this victory neither Judaism nor Christianity would 

exist to-day. 

Suggestions for further reading and research 

• Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews 

www.somethingjewish.co.uk 

Click on ‘Judaism Guide’ 

• Educating for Race Equality – a Toolkit for Scottish Teachers (under 

Faiths and Festivals) 

www.antiracisttoolkit.org.uk 

• Orthodox, Progressive and Masorti Judaism 

www.faqs.org.faqs/judaism/FAQ/02-Who-We-Are/preamble.html 

• Masorti/Conservative Judaism 

www.masorti.org.uk/amasorti.htm 

• Reform Judaism 

www.reformjudaism.org.uk 




• Liberal Judaism 

www.liberaljudaism.org/ 

• Collins, Dr Kenneth. (1987) Aspects of Scottish Jewry. Published by 

Glasgow Jewish Representative Council 

6 



SECTION 2 

What does it mean to be human? 

THE HUMAN CONDITION 

In this section we are going to look at some of the answers that a Jewish 

person might give to this question. Before we do, it will be helpful to 

think about your own ideas and experiences of what it is like to be a 

human being. We are all different in so many ways – we look different, 

have different lives and experiences – but we all have the common 

experience of living a human life. 

Activity 1 

Think about, discuss and record your class’s ideas about, or answers to, 

these questions: 

(a) Where does human life come from? 

(b) What different things make up a human being? 

(c) What makes human life happy and enjoyable? 

(d) What makes human life unhappy and difficult? 

(e) What do human beings need for survival? 

Activity 2 

Take a note of all the different ideas you have discussed and review 

them before completing the next exercise. 

(a) Circle all the ideas which you think help to describe what it is like 

to be a human being. 

(b) Use these ideas to help you make up your own ‘profile’ of a human 

being. 

You can present your ideas as a piece of writing, a poem or use them to 

complete the factfile on the next page. 




Factfile – The human being 

1. The origins of human life: 

2. The different parts that 

make up a human being: 

3. The things which make life 

happy and enjoyable: 

4. The things which make life 

unhappy and difficult: 

5. The essentials for human 

survival: 

8 



The concept and image of God 


According to Jewish law, a Jew is any person who is born to a Jewish 

mother, irrespective of the mother’s marital status; or any person who 

has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism (see 

Overview section, p3). Jewish people live in different continents of the 

world, speak different languages and hold different views about the ways 

in which Judaism should be observed. However, those who are 

committed to Judaism in some form share the belief in one God. This 

belief affects the way Jews interact in the world as everything one sees, 

hears or experiences is a meaningful encounter with God. Judaism is 

thus monotheistic like other religions such as Christianity and Islam, 

which came later. 

The fundamental belief in one God is declared twice every day in the 

Shema which Jews recite every morning and evening. Its opening 

sentence states ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.’ This 

pronounces the belief in one God to all Jews, who are referred to as the 

children of Israel. This can be found in the Siddur, and in Deuteronomy 

6:4. 

God is the creator of the universe, the father, lawgiver, king, mentor, 

and judge of humanity. There is much literature that is related to God in 

the Bible, and He may be considered as the ‘guiding light’ of the Bible 

for the following reasons: 

• He knows everything – He is omniscient. This knowledge includes all 

the past, present, and future free actions of human beings. His infinite 

wisdom and goodness explain His sense of justice and ability to 

judge. 

• He is also all powerful – He is omnipotent. He is compassionate, 

gracious, slow to anger, abundant in kindness and truth, forgiving 

iniquity (great injustice, wickedness), transgression (breaking a moral 

law) and sin (breaking a religious law). (Exodus 34: 6–7) 

• He exists everywhere at the same time – He is omnipresent. 

Jews believe that God is very different from human beings. He is not a 

physical entity. God is infinitely above and beyond everything else that 

exists (transcendent) or can be imagined. But although He may be far 

away in the heavens, yet He is also near to listen to our prayers. 

In prayer, Jews address God as ‘You’. Jews do not require an 

intermediary to communicate with God as they can directly 

communicate with Him. Man can have a relationship with God, but while 




God is loving and wants a relationship with people, He has strict 

standards and will judge people according to them. 

Jewish people never pronounce the name of God. God was only called 

by His name in the Temple, by the High Priest, on the Day of Atonement 

(Yom Kippur). In prayer He is referred to by the Hebrew word Adonai 

which means ‘my Lord’. When speaking about God, Jews often refer to 

Him as ‘Ha-shem’, which translated from Hebrew means ‘the name’. This 

conveys respect while not pronouncing God’s name. 

Judaism forbids idolatry, i.e. worshipping an image; this violates the 

principle of the divine oneness of God. Forms of idol worship in 

ancient times were statues, stars, and gods of the sea or of mountains or 

of the earth. Even trying to represent God as an image is regarded as 

idolatrous and is forbidden in the Ten Commandments; the implication 

is that He is so complex and beyond human understanding that He can 

never be portrayed as an image. 

Blasphemy in Jewish law is the utterance in public of the name of God. It 

may also cover speaking contemptuously of God. Both idolatry and 

blasphemy are considered as insults to God. A Jew is expected to 

develop a respectful and sensitive attitude towards issues and matters 

concerning God. 

10 

Source 

And God said: Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let 

him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and 

over the cattle, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He 

him; male and female created He them. 

Genesis 1: 26, 27 

The first line in the text above refers to mankind and not one individual 

person, and shows the elevated position given to man in the world, to 

rule over all the creatures of the universe which God created. 

The use of the plural in this text is the Hebrew idiomatic way of 

expressing deliberation and conveys God’s intent to create man. By 

using the words ‘Us’ and ‘Our’ this extract may also suggest that when 

God was creating man, He was speaking to all the spiritual forces that 




He had already created in the preceding five days. If so, the bringing of 

these forces and creatures together into the creation of man, makes 

man’s creation unique. An alternative interpretation is that ‘Us’ and 

‘Our’ represent the royal plural ‘we’, as God is the Sovereign of the 

Universe; Man is only created in God’s image so he is referred to in the 

singular. 

Judaism stresses the far-reaching importance of man precisely because 

he is made in the image of God. This indicates that humans in some way 

reflect part of God’s nature. The sense in which man (mankind) is made 

in God’s ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ does not refer to man’s physical 

characteristics but to other attributes. These include man’s moral 

judgement, the ability to reason, and free will. This means that we are 

created with the capacity to change ourselves from selfish to unselfish, 

from being interested more in ‘taking’ to being interested more in 

‘giving’. This would make us a blessing to those we come into contact 

with in our everyday activities. Man has the ability to guide his or her 

actions according to reasoning. Man is also capable of loving God and of 

having a spiritual bond with Him. 

References 

Carmell, Aryeh. (1991) Masterplan – Judaism: its program, meanings, 

goals. Pub. Jerusalem Academy Publications 

Activity 3 

Discuss with a partner how believing in one God can affect the way a 

person lives. 




Activity 4 

List the differences between God and man. Support each answer with 

an example of each difference. 

12 

Difference between Example 

God and man 


Idolatry: Avram and Terah 

The Golden Calf – Exodus 32: 2–10 

The Name of God 

www.jewfaq.org (in the ‘Word’ section) 



Creation 


Jews believe that God created the universe out of nothing. One 

consideration here is whether He would have wanted to create 

something from something which had already been formed. By creating 

the world in this way, Jews believe that God made it exactly the way He 

wanted – that is, in a way which involved order, harmony and continuity. 

Creation separated light from darkness, heaven from earth, and 

produced vegetation, the sun and the moon, fish, birds and other 

animals. Everything that was created was deliberate and the sequence in 

which it was created was also deliberate. 

The final goal of God’s creation is on the sixth day when both man and 

woman were created. Man is placed at the top of the scale of Creation. 

The name that God gave man was Adam which comes from the Hebrew 

word ‘adamah’ meaning the earth. Adam was created from the earth. 

The phrase ‘Let us make man’ (Genesis 1: 26) is not included in the 

previous verses which describe the creation of other forms. This phrase 

suggests the deliberation, thought and wisdom that went into the 

creation of man. 

Creation is described in Genesis 1: 28–31: 

Source 

And God blessed them; and God said unto them: Be fruitful and multiply, 

and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of 

the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that 

creepeth upon the earth. 

And God said: ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is 

upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree 

yielding seed – to you it shall be for food. 

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every 

thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul (I have 

given) every green herb for food.’ 

And it was so. 

And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. 

And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 

Genesis 1: 28–31 




The Jewish belief in Creation, as described in the earlier verses of 

Genesis 1 is compatible with the scientific theories of the origination of 

the universe. The insistence that the world and its contents are a result 

of the handiwork of God is an essential part of Jewish faith. Judaism 

emphasises that Creation is not spontaneous or the result of an accident 

but is God’s work and produced according to His definite plans and 

laws. 

Immediately after creating man, God blesses him and entrusts him with 

sovereignty over the animal creatures. The intimate relationship 

between God and human beings is implied by the phrase ‘And God said 

unto him’ as this phrase is exclusively used for man. 

The statement ‘that it was good’ which conveys God’s approval after 

each part of Creation was complete is not specifically made after the 

creation of man. This is because man is not complete and must always 

try to improve and develop himself and his world. Jews believe that 

Creation is ongoing in that God guides mankind towards the fulfilment 

of a purpose. 

When combined and united, everything God has made is viewed by Him 

to be ‘very good’ (Genesis 1: 31). God then ceased from further acts of 

Creation. Everything in the universe is as He willed it – this is the 

blueprint for a harmonious existence. God at the beginning mingles 

comfortably with His creations and there is a picture of harmony within 

nature as God ‘walks in the garden’ (Genesis 3: 8). 

Activity 5 

Using the Source text and the information above, indicate whether the 

following statements are True, False or Cannot Tell (the latter if the 

source/information does not provide the information). 

1. God was pleased with everything he had created. 

2. God blessed man not woman. 

3. God told man to look after the universe. 

4. By creating man on the sixth day, God was saving the best till last. 

5. God gave man seeds and trees for nourishment. 

6. God provided food for all animal creatures. 

7. Man lived in harmony with all the animal, bird, fish creatures. 

8. God’s close relationship with man originated from man’s creation. 

Activity 6 

A. Write the key sentences that support each of your True and False 

answers. 

B. Do you agree with statement number 4? Explain your answer. 

14 



Shabbat 


God rested from His work on the seventh day. This is Shabbat, the day 

of rest which is described in Genesis 2: 1–3. By resting on Shabbat and 

observing the laws relating to Shabbat, Jews proclaim their belief that 

God created the world, and that after completing His work, He stopped. 

When Jews observe Shabbat, they are in a sense imitating God as they 

too stop their work for one day. They are also keeping God’s fourth 

commandment, ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy’ (Exodus 20: 

8–11), which links with the creation narrative. 

Not only does Shabbat appear in the Ten Commandments, but it is also 

repeated more often in the Torah than any other commandment. 

According to the Book of Genesis, first there was darkness, and then 

came light. And each day is announced with the phrase ‘And the evening 

and the morning were the third day’, and so on. Thus, Jews take the 

viewpoint that the night time precedes the daytime. Shabbat thus begins 

at nightfall on Friday. This means that preparations for Shabbat are done 

beforehand, as no work, e.g. cooking or shopping, may be done on 

Shabbat itself. There are 39 forbidden types of work on Shabbat which 

are defined in the Jewish text called the Mishnah. These are called the 

39 forbidden melachot which were jobs that were necessary for building 

the portable Temple or Tabernacle that the Israelites built in the desert 

after they had come out of Egypt. Melachot include baking, lighting a 

fire, sewing and writing. They are not single tasks but are broad 

categories. For example sewing involves joining two materials 

permanently together by means of a third substance. Therefore it also 

includes stapling bits of paper together. Similarly writing would include 

word processing on the computer. 

There are also tasks that reflect the nature of the modern world that are 

forbidden on Shabbat. These include driving on Shabbat 1 , using the 

telephone, watching television, playing on the computer, taking 

photographs, switching on electricity. Orthodox and Reform Jews have 

different traditions in observing Shabbat, e.g. Reform Jews consider it 

acceptable to drive to synagogue while observant Orthodox Jews 

meticulously keep all the melachot. Irrespective of the various traditions 

of Judaism, all Jews try to make the atmosphere in their homes on 

Shabbat special and different from the rest of the week, and tend to 

make it a time for relaxing and spending time with the family. 

1 except in emergencies such as taking someone to hospital when this is 

permitted 




Preparation for Shabbat involves observant Jews in preparing all the 

Shabbat food beforehand. Food is kept hot by being placed on a metal 

sheet over the hot stove. The house is cleaned to welcome Shabbat and 

time switches are set to accommodate the turning off and on of lights. 

Adults and children get dressed in their best clothes and the Shabbat 

table is carefully made, with a special and different tablecloth, on which 

the best cutlery and crockery are placed. 

Just before sunset the mother or woman of the house lights two (white) 

Shabbat candles. As she does so, she beckons with her arms to welcome 

Shabbat into her home, and covers her eyes to recite a blessing 2 . 

Observant Jews will go to the synagogue for the special evening service. 

As people leave the synagogue, they greet each other with ‘Good 

Shabbos’ or ‘Shabbat Shalom’ which literally means ‘have a peaceful 

Shabbat’. 

At home, the father blesses the children and recites Kiddush, a blessing 

over wine. After everyone has washed their hands, the father or man of 

the house recites the blessing for bread over the challot. 

The two challot represent the manna, the miracle food which the 

Israelites ate during their journey through the desert (Exodus 16: 14– 

18). The manna appeared outside the doors of their tents on every day 

except Shabbat. To accommodate this, God gave them a double portion 

on Friday. This is represented by the double loaves at the Shabbat meal. 

The challot are usually plaited or braided loaves. The singular of challot 

is challah (pronounced cha-la, sounding ‘ch’ as in ‘loch’), which is a 

sweet, golden type of bread. 

After the blessing, the bread is cut and passed round for each person to 

take. The meal then begins. The meal is different from any other meal of 

the week in that grandparents, other relatives or friends may be invited 

as guests, and it is a relaxed, unhurried meal. Guests who wish to fully 

observe the laws of Shabbat and who do not live close by, will be invited 

to stay overnight until the end of Shabbat. Jewish families look forward 

to this weekly opportunity just to be together and enjoy each other’s 

company. 

Shabbat morning is the time for synagogue as the Shabbat morning 

service, called shacharit, is held. This is an altogether longer service 

than the weekday services, since in addition to the longer-than-usual 

weekday shacharit there is an additional service known as mussaf. A part 

16 

2 all blessings are said in Hebrew 




of the Torah, called a sidra, is read from the Sefer Torah each Shabbat 

so that the entire scroll is completed during the course of the year. 

After the service a communal kiddush is held in the hall attached to the 

synagogue for all the congregants. 

When it is dark enough for three stars to be seen in the sky on Saturday 

night, Shabbat is over. Shabbat ends with the Havdalah ceremony in 

which four blessings are recited. The first blessing is over a cup of wine; 

the second is done over fragrant spices which are kept in a special 

decorated holder. Spices commonly used are cloves and cinnamon. The 

spices are smelled to refresh the soul with the departure of the Shabbat 

spirit. The third blessing is recited over the light of the plaited candle. 

This candle has several wicks and their kindling shows that fire can now 

be made. This marks the distinction between Shabbat and weekdays. 

The final blessing is the Havdalah blessing itself. Havdalah means 

‘separation’ and this is the blessing over the separation of the holy day 

from the work day. After this blessing, the wine is drunk and a few 

drops of wine are used to extinguish the flame from the candle. 

The following extract describes the manner in which Shabbat should be 

observed. 

Source 

In order to honour Shabbat one should, as a matter of religious duty, take a 

hot bath on Friday, get dressed in festive clothes, and sit in a dignified 

manner waiting to receive Shabbat, just as if one were going out to meet the 

king…. 

One should set his table properly on Friday night, even if he feels the least 

need for food, and likewise at the end of Shabbat, so as to honour Shabbat 

at both its commencement and termination. 

Mishneh Torah 




Activity 7 

Put the following statements into the correct order. 

18 

Jews go to synagogue and hear the weekly Sidra being read. 

Kiddush takes place in the synagogue complex. 

Everyone in the house smells the spices. 

Two challot are placed on the table. 

The table is set so as to honour Shabbat. 

Shabbat lunch is cooked and prepared. 

Wine is used to extinguish the candle. 

Everyone helps to clean the house. 

The Shabbat candles are lit. 

Reference 

Forta, Arye. (1995) Examining Religions: Judaism 

Published by Heinemann 

Activity 8 

It is Friday evening and you are going out to the pictures with your 

friends. They want to phone another friend who is Jewish to go as well. 

(a) List the reasons why this is not a good idea for Jews. 

(b) Write down how you would explain this to them in a sensitive and 

respectful way. 




Shabbat and The 39 Melachim 

www.ou.org/chagim/shabbat 


Creation and Shabbat 

www.woodford.redbridge.sch.uk (go to religious studies, then Creation 

and Shabbat) 

Sefer Torah 

www.torahtots.com/torah/sefertorah.htm 




The nature of humanity 

The story of Creation showed that God has given a blueprint for a happy 

life, but man’s desire for independence upsets this existence. 

20 

Source 

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to 

dress it and to keep it. 

And the Lord God commanded the man saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden 

thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 

thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt 

surely die.’ 


Only after God told man to cultivate, work on the land and look after it, 

did He give him permission to eat of its fruits. Man’s most sacred 

privilege is freedom of will which is one of the basic principles of 

Judaism. Jews are required to learn what God has taught about what is 

right and what is wrong; and they are then left to choose between the 

alternatives. This includes the ability to obey or disobey God, the ability 

to choose between good and evil. So man is responsible for his actions. 

This is a very important principle in Judaism. God does not 

predetermine whether a man is good or bad. 

The one rule that God made was a test of the use that man would make 

of his freedom. This shows that man’s spiritual life may require the 

subordination of his desires to the law of God. There is a Jewish legend 

that man was created to be immortal but as a result of Adam breaking 

God’s law the gift of immortality was lost, a punishment that has 

subsequently affected all mankind. 

Genesis 3 tells of Eve falling into the temptation of the serpent, eating 

from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and giving Adam one of its 

fruits. When Adam replies to God’s call and says ‘I was afraid, because I 

was naked’ (Genesis 3: 10), he commits another offence by making an 

excuse for his wrongful behaviour and concealing the truth. Adam 

continues to throw the blame upon everybody but himself. First he 

blames Eve and then God himself. The Rabbis view this is an example of 

‘one sin leading to another sin’, i.e. the consequence of sin is further 

evil. 




Yet, even in judgement however, God shows his care, e.g. by ensuring 

clothing (Genesis 3: 21) after exiling Adam and Eve from the Garden of 

Eden. One interpretation for God’s cushioning of their punishment is 

that the relationship God had with Adam was like that of a parent to a 

firstborn child – i.e. it is particularly close and forgiving. Yet mankind’s 

suffering is a result of Adam and Eve succumbing to temptation and 

breaking God’s law. 

The story of Eden indicates the moral dilemma for people – they seek 

further knowledge and wisdom but they must not disobey God’s 

instructions in orer to gain these things. This reminds us that although 

God is the giver of life, humans are nothing without God. 

Activity 9 

Here are three examples of freedom of will. Highlight the actions that 

you would be most likely to choose in each of the following situations: 

(a) You are walking to the shops and see someone from school who 

you do not like, walking towards you. It is clear that this person is 

glad to see you and wants to speak to you. Do you: 

• Say hello and walk on 

• Stop and say hello 

• Walk over to the other side of the street to avoid the person 

• Ignore the person and keep walking 

• Other action – please state: 

(b) You see a £20 note on the ground as you walk home from school. 

Do you: 

• Leave it on the ground 

• Pick it up and keep it 

• Pick it up and take it to the police station 

• Pick it up and spend it immediately. 





(c) You are invited by a friend, Terry, to a party. You find out that one 

of your friends is very upset because he/she has not been invited. 

Your friend tells you that it’s not a mistake as he/she has heard that 

Terry has been telling stories about him/her and does not want 

him/her at the party. Do you: 

22 

• Say nothing to Terry or your friend and go to the party 

• Sympathise with your friend and go to the party 

• Sympathise with your friend and not go to the party 

• Tell others to boycott the party as Terry is being rude and 

excluding someone for no good reason. 


Activity 10 

Reflect on your actions from the previous activity and explain them in 

writing. 

Discuss what you have written with your group. 

Were your actions all the same or different? 

What does this show? 

Which actions are likely to lead to further trouble? How might they do 

so? 



SECTION 3 

Yetzer Harah and Yetzer Tov 

THE CAUSE OF THE HUMAN CONDITION 

Judaism believes that everyone has two opposing inclinations, the 

inclination to do good – the Yetzer Tov – and the inclination to do 

wrong – the Yetzer Harah 1 . However, these inclinations are not bad or 

good in themselves but they have the potential to do good or to do evil. 

They are our natural urges or impulses, and without them we could not 

function. 

The Yetzer Tov is our moral conscience. It can be strengthened by 

education and by constantly living in a moral way. The more we pay 

heed to it, the easier it becomes. Conversely, it can wither away if we do 

not learn how we should behave and if all our actions are governed by 

self-interest alone. The Yetzer Harah is our instinct for survival, the need 

for food, ambition, the wish to succeed, the wish to love, be loved and 

procreate. When controlled, these instincts are acceptable, even 

laudable; but uncontrolled, they can be evil. 

We need food to survive, but if we are greedy and take too much then 

that is not good for our physical health or our moral health. We are 

taking more than our fair share. Similarly, the wish to succeed is not bad 

in itself. Without it, no one would invent things, or create beautiful 

objects, or buy a house, or wish to improve their own and other 

people’s standard of living. However, if one cheats in order to succeed, 

or tells lies in order to get a job ahead of someone else then that is bad. 

In both these examples the good inclination has failed to modify or 

control the evil inclination and keep it within civilised bounds. In other 

words, we need ambition in order to get on in the world – but if that 

ambition is unchecked by our Yetzer Tov, our moral conscience, and is 

allowed to act regardless of other people, then it becomes evil, which is 

why it is called the Yetzer Harah, the evil inclination. Again, without the 

desire to make love we would become extinct, so that is legitimate and 

not bad in itself. However, if our sexual appetite is unchecked and we 

become sexual predators regardless of the feelings of the other party, 

then that is bad. The teachings of the Torah are referred to as the 

antidote to the Yetzer Harah. 

1 sometimes referred to as Yetzer Rah 




There are many other examples of this principle where the Yetzer Tov 

acts as a moderating and civilising influence to prevent the Yetzer Harah 

from gaining the upper hand over us and leading us to do evil. 

It is obvious, therefore, that Judaism believes that people have free will 

and are responsible for their choices and their actions. Yet it also is clear 

that man needs both Yetzer Harah and Yetzer Tov to survive. 

References 

www.jewfaq.org/human.htm 

Encyclopedia Judaica 8:1318 and 7:775 

(Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House Ltd, 1972) 

Activity 11 

Genesis 1 showed that Adam could not resist the temptation of the 

forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. This can be explained by 

(Can you complete this statement by filling in the blank?) 

Activity 12 

Read over the story of Joseph and his brothers. 

Explain the actions of the twelve brothers by referring to their Yetzer 

Tov and Yetzer Harah (Genesis 17: 19–33). 

Similarly, explain the actions of Joseph when he meets up with his 

brothers again (Genesis 42: 7–20). 

24 




Suffering as a result of disobedience to God’s will 

There are many examples in the Torah of the consequences of evil 

actions. The first of these was the result of eating of the tree of 

knowledge of good and evil, for which Adam and Eve were thrown out 

of the Garden of Eden. (See Genesis 3: 1–21 for this account.) 

The following quotation from the very next chapter – describing the 

very first murder and its consequences – is another example. 

Source 

Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the Lord said unto 

Cain: ‘Where is Abel thy brother?’ And he said: ‘I know not; am I my brother’s 

keeper?’ And He said: ‘What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s 

blood crieth unto Me from the ground. And now, cursed art thou from the 

ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from 

thy hand. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto 

thee her strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be on the earth.’ 


Some questions about this text: 

1. Was murder the only crime Cain committed? 

2. In which way did the Yetzer Harah influence the actions of Cain? 

3. Can all the actions of Cain be explained by the Yetzer Harah? 

Sometimes the results of disobedience are not due to the actions of an 

individual, but the actions of an entire people and there are many 

examples of the consequences for the Children of Israel of their 

disobedience as a nation. One of the best examples of reward for good 

behaviour and the consequences of disobedience being spelled out is 

the following which forms part of the Shema (see also section 2, p9). 



26 


Source 

And it will come to pass that if you will hearken diligently unto My commandments 

which I command you this day ……. Then I will provide rain for 

your land in its proper time, the early rain and the late rain, that you may 

gather in your corn, and your wine and your oil. And I will provide grass in 

your fields for your cattle and you will eat and be satisfied. Beware lest your 

heart be lured away and you turn aside, and serve other gods and worship 

them. For then the anger of the Lord will blaze against you. He will restrain 

the heaven, so that there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its 

produce; and you will soon perish from the good land which the Lord is 

giving you. 

Deuteronomy 11: 13–18 

The whole of the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, is the story of the 

interplay between God and the people of Israel and their successes and 

moral failures along the way. The moral failure of the people as a whole 

or of individuals by themselves is shown to lead to retribution. 

Reference 

Deuteronomy 28 

Activity 13 

Read the story of King Saul in I Samuel, 15: 14 ff 2 . What did Saul do 

wrong and how was he punished? 

Read the story in 2 Samuel, 12: 1 ff. How was King David punished? 

Think of other examples from everyday life, from the newspapers or 

television where bad behaviour has resulted in suffering. 

2 ff means ‘and the following verses until the end of the chapter’ 



Suffering is at times inexplicable 


There are many occasions when we see apparently innocent people 

suffering as a result of natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes or 

drought and famine and we wonder how this can be if God is just and 

merciful. These are the actions of nature over which no one has any real 

control, and they may affect large numbers of people. Sometimes large 

numbers of innocent people suffer as a result of human action such as 

aeroplane accidents or shipping disasters or fires and, of course, 

because of war. Sometimes it is individuals who suffer for no apparent 

reason. 

Judaism tries to answer this question in a number of ways. The Book of 

Job in the Hebrew Bible tells the story of a very good man who is tested 

by the loss of his livelihood, his family and his health. He looks for a 

reason and can find none, but he refuses to lose his faith in God and 

eventually family and fortune are restored to him. Here the reason 

which is put to us is that God was testing this outstanding man; that He 

had faith in Job and that this faith was truly vindicated despite all the 

pressures put upon him. 

Judaism also has a belief in the world to come, that this world is but the 

vestibule to another better place where the righteous finally get their 

true reward, a reward denied to the wicked. It is then suggested that the 

wicked may seem to prosper because they are getting their reward in 

this world for the good deeds they may have done (Judaism does not 

believe that anyone is wholly evil), so that nothing is owed to them in 

the world to come. Conversely, suffering is the punishment of the good 

for sins which even good people have committed in this world, so as to 

allow their reward in the world to come to be untarnished. 

Judaism also recognises that these explanations are not entirely 

satisfactory. Accepting that God is both just and merciful, it seeks to 

explain the problem of suffering by postulating that we are indeed 

incapable of understanding all the actions of an all-knowing and allpowerful 

God. We neither have the information, the knowledge nor the 

intellect to fathom the reasons for all of God’s actions. This requires of 

us an act of faith and of trust in God, which is the decision that Job came 

to in the end. 

We must accept that the problem of suffering is one for which we have 

no complete answer. 




Activity 14 

Suffering is an extremely difficult ethical problem to which there is no 

satisfactory solution or explanation. It leaves us with the obligation to 

act in an ethical way without what some would consider to be a 

sufficient guarantee of an eventual reward. There are however other 

reasons why people should behave in an ethical manner. 

Discuss in your group why this is so and suggest three reasons for 

behaving in an ethical manner. 

Activity 15 

(a) Identify three ways in which ethical behaviour is expected from 

you in this class. 

(b) Identify three ways in which ethical behaviour is expected from 

you outside school. 

(c) Is ethical behaviour the same for boys and girls? 

children and adults? 

teachers and pupils? 

28 



SECTION 4 

THE GOALS 

The meaning of obedience to God: ritual observance, Part 1 

The goals of life are to obey God and to build and maintain a close 

relationship with Him. For Jews this means study and observance of the 

Torah, which includes prayer, ethical living and social justice. There are 

613 different commandments in the Torah which can be categorised into 

religious, ethical and social obligations. Each of these is called a 

mitzvah. Every Jew has an obligation to carry out these mitzvot, to 

learn as much about Jewish beliefs and practices as possible and to teach 

them to their children. 

For Jews, the home is where children receive their earliest education in 

Judaism as parents show them by personal example how to live as Jews. 

Religious observances, particularly those connected with Shabbat and 

the festivals, strengthen Jewish family life in that the family plays a 

central focus in their celebrations. The many daily, weekly and annual 

religious practices help children develop their Jewish identity and an 

understanding of their faith. 

The religious obligations of the Torah such as the Shabbat, dietary laws 

and festivals, of course, only apply to Jewish people. In this section we 

will investigate prayer, the dietary laws and the two most important 

Jewish holy days: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. 

Prayer 

The concept of prayer is based on the conviction that God exists, hears 

and answers. As Father and King, God demands obedience from His 

children. Shabbat is an example of one religious observance. Most 

Jewish prayers are written in the first person plural because Jewish 

people have always been particularly group conscious and prayers were 

intended for congregational worship. Although the synagogue and the 

home are the usual places of worship, Jews believe that a person can 

pray to God whenever and wherever he or she wishes. This allows for 

spontaneity in praying as well as the set daily prayers. Jews consider 

both types of prayer to be important as both can be accompanied by 

great devotion. Prayer allows Jews to praise, adore and thank God as 

well as to reflect and repent. Prayer contributes to maintaining or 

building a close relationship with God and acts as a discipline that 

focuses the mind on spiritual matters and thereby lessens the danger of 



THE GOALS 

giving in to temptations and breaking God’s commandments. It can 

therefore be used as a weapon to keep the ‘Yetzer Harah’ in check. 

If people were only to pray to God when they had a need, they would 

probably not pray very often. Set prayers create a framework of regular 

times to set aside and turn to God. The siddur, the Jewish daily prayer 

book, is printed in Hebrew with page-by-page translations so that those 

who are not familiar with Hebrew can turn to a language they 

understand. Although Jews can pray to God in any language, Hebrew is 

regarded as the most appropriate language and is the language of Jewish 

prayer world wide. This allows Jews from different countries to follow a 

synagogue service anywhere in the world. 

Jewish men cover their heads as a mark of respect during prayer by 

wearing a hat or a kipah (pronounced kee-pah), which is a skull cap. 

Some very observant Jewish men wear a kipah or other head covering all 

the time. 

Each day there are three services in the synagogue: shacharit, minchah 

and ma’ariv. Observant Jews will thus pray three times a day. Observant 

men usually go to the synagogue as there is an obligation to pray with a 

minyan. Women are not under any obligation to pray but can choose to 

do so. On Shabbat and festivals many people attend synagogue if they 

can. 

30 

Source 

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one. And thou shalt love the Lord thy 

God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy might. 

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart. 

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them 

when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way, and when 

thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as 

frontlets between thine eyes. 

And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thy house, and upon thy 

gates. 

The Shema – Deuteronomy 6: 4–9 



THE GOALS 

The Shema is the most important declaration of Jewish faith. Its first 

sentence is the central statement of Jewish faith and is a sentiment with 

which all Jews throughout the world can identify. It is recited in the 

morning and evening services, and said before going to sleep. 

The above source is the first part of this declaration. The reference to 

‘thou shalt love’ is the first instance in human history that the love of 

God was demanded in any religion. This love is the distinctive mark of a 

worshipper who surrenders his mind and heart to God’s will. It involves 

man constantly striving to get spiritually closer to God. This 

unconditional love requires praying ‘with all thy heart’. ‘With all thy 

soul’ can be explained as ‘with your whole life’. ‘With all thy might’ can 

be explained as’ with your full concentration and power’. Such love is 

the true mark of man’s devotion to God. 

The remainder of the passage contains further commands. The first 

concerns teaching this commandment to one’s children and its daily 

recitation. The final two command Jews to wear tefillin and to place a 

mezuzah on the doorposts of their houses. The mezuzah contains this 

section of the Shema. It is a solid reminder to everyone who enters and 

leaves the house that the people living in this house are Jewish and are 

likely to uphold the principles of the Shema. 

Daily prayers include blessings before and after food, and at other times 

during the day. Each type of food has its own special blessing. For 

example there is a special blessing before eating fruit, and another 

blessing before eating bread. Deuteronomy 8: 10 commands Jews to 

bless God after they have eaten. This commandment is fulfilled by 

reciting an appropriate grace after eating. These prayers can be recited 

anywhere, but they are usually recited at home. 

Jews are also expected to acknowledge God’s kingship of the world on 

many other occasions. For example there are special blessings for 

hearing thunder or seeing a rainbow. Where children are taught these 

blessings and encouraged to say them, it becomes natural for them to 

see ordinary everyday things as opportunities for serving, thanking and 

remembering God. These prayers can be said anywhere. 



THE GOALS 

Activity 16 

1. Look up the Glossary for the meaning of the following words: 

shacharit, minchah, ma’ariv and minyan 

2. Find the sentences from the text that give you the information to 

complete the following sentences. Then write each sentence in 

your own words. 

(a) The Shema is regarded by many Jews as the most important prayer 

because… 

32 

Text sentence 

My sentence 

(b) Prayers are written in Hebrew because… 

Text sentence 

My sentence 

(c) Grace after meals is recited because… 

Text sentence 

My sentence 

(d) Men pray in the synagogue because… 

Text sentence 

My sentence 

(e) Jews can pray at home and at synagogue because… 

Text sentence 

My sentence 

(f) Jews recite special blessings, e.g. for thunder because… 

Text sentence 

My sentence 



THE GOALS 

The meaning of obedience to God: ritual observance, Part 2 

Kashrut 

The term ‘kosher’ means ‘fitting’ or ‘correct’. The word is usually used 

to describe foods that are made in accordance with Jewish law. This 

leads to the term kashrut which is the body of Jewish laws that deals 

with foods that Jews can and cannot eat and how those foods must be 

prepared and eaten. The laws of kashrut are found mainly in Leviticus; 

they were among the mitzvot given to the Jews during the period of 

wandering in the desert. 

However, the term ‘kosher’ may also be used for religious objects. For 

example, for a mezuzah to be kosher, it must be written by a trained 

scribe on parchment. This parchment must be made from the skin of a 

kosher animal. Once finished carefully writing, the scribe will give it to 

another qualified scribe to check. A mezuzah with mistakes or printed 

on paper treated to look like parchment is not kosher. 

All plants are kosher, but not all birds, animals or fish. For an animal to 

be kosher it must have cloven (split) hooves and must chew the cud, 

that is, it is a ruminant. Cows, sheep, goats and deer have these features 

and are therefore kosher. Pigs are not kosher, since although they have 

split hooves they do not chew the cud. On the other hand, a camel is 

not kosher because although it chews the cud it does not have a 

completely cloven hoof. Birds are kosher if they are not birds of prey. 

There is a long list of birds that are not kosher in the Torah (Leviticus 

11: 13–19). Kosher fish can be recognised by two features. They must 

have fins and scales. This means that seafood is forbidden since, for 

example, eels do not have scales, and lobsters or prawns do not have 

fins or scales. The wide range of fish that Jews are allowed to eat 

includes plaice, salmon and haddock amongst many others. 

Food that is not kosher is known as treif (pronounced tray-f). 

Kosher animals and birds must be killed according to the method of 

shechitah. This method has been proven to be a humane way of killing 

animals; the cutting involves the least amount of pain because the 

animal loses consciousness immediately. Causing pain to any living 

creature is strictly forbidden in Jewish law. Any animal or bird that is 

killed by another method is not kosher. Carrying out shechitah requires 

a great deal of training and is a very responsible job. This person has to 

be deeply religious and has to have passed an examination on shechitah. 



THE GOALS 

The Torah instructs Jews as to the further prohibitions that are required to 

satisfy the laws of kashrut. One general law is that eating any blood from an 

animal or bird is forbidden (Leviticus 7: 26–27 and 17: 10–14). To ensure 

that this is achieved, once meat or poultry are purchased from the kosher 

butcher they are then koshered. This involves soaking the meat or poultry 

in water for a set time, laying it out on thin boards to drain, covering it with 

salt and leaving it for a set time, and then rinsing thoroughly to remove the 

salt. Although this procedure used to be carried out at home, today it is 

usually done by the butcher before the meat is sold. 

By observing these laws, Jewish people demonstrate their obedience to 

God’s commandments. Even an egg may have blood in it, and once a 

blood spot in an egg is identified, the egg is deemed not kosher and is 

thrown away. This explains why Jews will break the egg over a cup rather 

than into the mixing bowl when baking. 

Keeping kashrut has serious implications for eating out and socialising. 

For example, observant Jews of the Orthodox tradition will not eat any 

food in a restaurant where non-kosher food is cooked and served. There 

is also a restriction as to the availability and choice of kosher food in 

hospitals. Jewish pupils who observe these laws fully will bring their own 

food to school. 

Reform and less observant Jews do not feel under the same obligation to 

keep all the laws of kashrut. They may avoid pork out of deference to 

tradition, but would not carry out their observance of the laws with such 

strictness as observant Orthodox Jews. 

Based on the commandment ‘You must not cook a young goat in its 

mother’s milk’ (Exodus 23: 19, Deuteronomy 14: 21), Jews who keep 

kosher homes do not eat meat and dairy foods together. Meat and 

cheese would therefore not be cooked or served together. After a meat 

meal no milk products are eaten for a period of three to six hours. Meat 

foods may however be eaten shortly after milk foods. A kosher kitchen 

would be organised in such a way as to separate the meat dishes, 

cutlery, utensils and work surfaces from those of the dairy containing 

milk or milk ingredients. Every kosher kitchen is equipped with two sets 

of dishes: one for meat, and one for milk. Separate tablecloths and dish 

towels are used for meat and dairy meals. 

Foods that contain neither meat not dairy produce (i.e. vegetables, eggs 

and fish) and have not been prepared in meat or dairy utensils are 

known as parev (pr. par-ev). Parev foods may be eaten with both meat or 

dairy foods. As kashrut forbids the eating of dairy foods immediately 

after a meat dish, many desserts have to be parev. 

34 



THE GOALS 

Activity 17 

1. Give the reason(s) why some of the following menus would not 

meet the requirements of kashrut while others would. 

Menus 

Menu 1 Menu 2 

Cream of Chicken Soup Toasted Garlic Bread 

Beefburger and Chips Cheese and Tomato Pizza 

Peas Mushrooms in Parsley Sauce 

Mixed Salad Green Salad 

Fresh Fruit Salad Apple Crumble and Custard 

Menu 3 Menu 4 

Melon and Pineapple Cocktail Mussels in a Wine Sauce 

Chargrilled Chicken Breast Salmon Steak with Roasted 

Grilled Tomatoes Courgettes and Caramelised Onions 

Fried Rice Mashed Potatoes 

Chocolate Gateau and Cream Assorted Cheeses and Crackers 

Menu 5 Menu 6 

Cream of Vegetable Soup Prawn Cocktail 

Fried Haddock and Chips Spaghetti Bolognaise 

Grilled Tomatoes Green Salad 

Fried Egg Garlic Bread 

Assorted Ice Creams Profiteroles and Chocolate Sauce 

Menu 7 Menu 8 

Orange or Pineapple Juice Bean and Onion Salad 

Roasted Lamb in a Mushroom Sauce Fried Scampi 

Roast Potatoes Chips 

Choice of Vegetables Tartare Sauce 

Bread and Butter Pudding Hot Apple Pie and Cream 



THE GOALS 

2. In a non-kosher restaurant, even those menus that appear to meet 

the requirements of kashrut in question 1 would not be deemed 

kosher by observant Jews. Explain the reasons for this. 


There have been attempts to ban shechitah in the UK. Find out more 

about this debate and its implications for Jews in the following articles: 

• ‘Shechitah’, by Raphael Grunfeld, 30/01/04: 

www.ounetwork.org/torah/dafyomi/5764/013004.htm 

• ‘British Jews uniting to fight campaign to ban kosher slaughter’, by 

Andrew Morris, 11/09/03: 

www.jta.orgpage_view_story.asp?intarticleid=13432&intcategoryid=2 

36 



THE GOALS 


justice, Part 1 

In Judaism, man has duties towards himself as well as towards his fellow 

man. This is suggested in the Shema as, according to the rabbis, the best 

display of ‘love of God’ is for people to live and act towards their fellow 

men in such a way as to make God and His Torah beloved in their eyes. 

In Jewish terms a moral individual is one who combines personal 

spiritual development with concern for other people. Acting in this way 

is an essential part of serving God. 

The Ten Commandments, which were given to Moses and the children 

of Israel on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20), transformed the Israelites from 

being a rabble of freed slaves to a nation with a legal structure. The Ten 

Commandments are effectively a summary of many of the most 

important mitzvot of the Torah. The first four refer to duties between 

man and God; the remaining six deal with duties between man and his 

fellow man. The Ten Commandments promote a code of living for the 

world at large and are not exclusively for Jewish people. They are 

particularly special to Jews for two reasons: 

1. They are universal commandments which are valid for all time – 

and so they require to be kept at all times. 

2. They are regarded as subject headings since many other 

commandments can be categorised under them. For example, laws 

about injury and compensation come from the eighth 

commandment – ‘Thou shalt not steal’. 

Most synagogues have a motif of the Ten Commandments, usually the 

first word of each commandment in two columns on the Ark or on its 

curtain representing the two tablets of stone which Moses brought down 

from the mountain. 

Jewish ethics lay great emphasis on reverence for parents and the aged. 

Being truthful is also an important Jewish ideal. The command not to 

take God’s name in vain (the second of the Ten Commandments) 

includes the crime of perjury whether in a court of law or not. The 

Torah tells Jews to ‘Keep away from a false word’ (Exodus 23: 7). 

Stealing, oppression and hatred of one’s neighbour are forbidden. 

However, man has duties towards himself as well as towards his fellow 

man; so he should preserve his health and he is allowed to protect his 

family, since life is considered precious because it has been given by God 

(Genesis 2: 7). 



THE GOALS 

Care for the weak, the widow and the orphan, the giving of charity and 

regard for the rights of others – in other words, love for one’s fellow 

man – are important virtues that are taught in Judaism. 

Ethics of the Fathers 

This collection of wise sayings can be found in the Siddur and its six 

chapters are studied each Shabbat from Passover until Rosh Hashanah. 

While the ‘fathers’ or forefathers of the Jewish people are Abraham, Isaac 

and Jacob, the ‘fathers’ referred to in the Ethics of the Fathers are the 

ancient sages and teachers. This collection contains the moral and 

practical teachings of these rabbis and sages whose lives encompassed 

nearly five hundred years, from the time of the last prophet to the end 

of the second century. The Ethics of the Fathers teach how people 

should act towards other people and God. The head of a Beth Din to 

this day is called the ‘Av’ Beth Din, i.e. a ‘father’, in the sense of a 

respected teacher. The following extracts describe seven ethical 

statements. 

38 

Source 

1. Keep far from a bad neighbour, do not associate with a wicked 

person. (Ch.1: 7) 

2. The world endures by three things: truth, justice and peace. (Ch.1: 18) 

3. Reflect on three things and you will not fall into the grip of sin: know 

what is above you – an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and a book in 

which all your deeds are written. (Ch.2: 1) 

4. Beware of rulers, for they befriend someone only for their own benefit; 

they act friendly when it benefits them, but they do not stand by 

someone in his time of need. (Ch.2: 3) 

5. When your enemy falls, be not glad, and when he stumbles let your 

heart not be joyous. (Ch.4: 24, taken from the book of Proverbs 3: 5) 

6. Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot. (Ch.4: 1) 

7. Despise no man, and find fault with no thing; for there is no man that 

has not his hour and there is no thing that has not its place. (Ch.4: 3) 

Ethics of the Fathers 



Activity 18 

1. Read the Ten Commandments and match the correct 

commandment with each of these headings: 

THE GOALS 

Theft Ritual Laws and Observance Falsehood Greed 

2. Suggest headings for the remaining commandments. 

Activity 19 

The following stories illustrate an ethical statement from Ethics of the 

Fathers. Read the stories and decide which ethics are being described. 

Explain your answer and refer to the moral behaviour that, according to 

the ethic, should be displayed. 

Paul is a friendly boy who likes to joke about and have a laugh. He 

likes going to the football match with his pals but as they are now 

working at weekends he has begun to go to the match on 

Saturdays with Ian. Ian’s been in trouble at school for being cheeky 

to the teachers and for rowdy behaviour. At the match, Ian shouts 

abuse at another boy in the crowd and soon a fight breaks out. Ian 

runs off but Paul is spotted by the police and taken to the police 

station. 

Alison and Caroline used to be friends but when Caroline began 

talking about Alison behind her back, their friendship ended 

abruptly. When Alison found out that Caroline had been telling lies 

about her, Alison decided to have nothing more to do with her. 

Caroline’s been telling lies about other people too and has been 

found out. Nobody wants to talk to her and she is the only person 

in the class who has not been invited to Alison’s New Year party. 

Alison is delighted with this development and is looking forward to 

her party. 



THE GOALS 

Write your own short story to show your understanding of the sixth 

ethic in the text. 

40 



THE GOALS 


justice, Part 2 

Chapter 19 of Leviticus is like a manual of moral instruction, which 

includes repetition of the essence of the Ten Commandments. It 

contains principles of justice and morality alongside ritual laws and 

observances. The first verses emphasise the importance of ‘holiness’. 

The words ‘Ye shall be holy’ (Leviticus 19: 2) are the keynote of the 

whole chapter and must be understood in terms of the concepts which 

follow: respect for parents, consideration for the needy, prompt wages, 

honourable dealing, love of one’s neighbour and equal justice to rich 

and poor. Holiness is thus achieved by fulfilling these (and other) 

obligations of life, willingly and justly. 

Source 

9. And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap 

the corner of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy 

harvest. 

10. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard; nor shalt thou gather the fallen 

fruit of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and for the 

stranger: I am the Lord your God. 

11. Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another. 

12. And ye shall not swear by My name falsely so that thou profane the 

name of thy God: I am the Lord. 

13. Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbour, nor rob him; the wages of a 

hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. 

14. Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the 

blind, but thou shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord. 

15. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the 

person of the poor, nor favour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness 

shalt thou judge thy neighbour. 

16. Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; 

neither shalt thou stand idly by the blood of thy neighbour; I am the 

Lord. 

17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; thou shalt surely rebuke 

thy neighbour, and not bear sin because of him. 

18. Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the 

children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I 

am the Lord. 

Leviticus 19: 9–18 



THE GOALS 

Consideration of the poor 

Leviticus 19: 9–10 considers the needs of the poor. The term ‘gleaning’ 

refers to the ears of corn which fall to the ground at the time of reaping. 

The ‘fallen fruit’ refers to the single grapes which drop in the gathering. 

The Torah instructs the owner of a field or a vineyard not to gather the 

grain which the reapers have failed to remove, or the grapes which 

remain after the vintage as they are to be left for the poor, who include 

the fatherless, the widow and the stranger. 

In Judaism, the poor man is a ‘brother’ and when he is in need he is to 

be given ungrudgingly with an open hand and an open heart. The law 

regarding the gleanings is expressed in similar terms in Deuteronomy 

24: 19–21 where provision is extended to the olive grove. 

‘Not respect the person of the poor’ (verse 15) can be explained in 

terms of partiality. The Torah fears that justice may be compromised by 

sympathy for the poor and the helpless. This verse does not mean that 

one should not grant respect to the poor but that if the poor individual 

is wrong, one’s compassion and sympathy must not overpower one’s 

duty to be just. Similarly one should not extend respect to, or prejudice 

in favour of, a ‘mighty’ or important person just because of his position 

or appearance. 

Duties towards one’s fellow man 

In Judaism, the love of God is incomplete without the love of one’s 

fellow man. The prohibition of harbouring a grievance against your 

fellow man is stated in verse 17. This originates from the common 

rabbinical view that much of the hatred in the world is quite unjustified 

and includes groundless hatred for its own sake. This includes racial and 

religious prejudices and bigotry. Verse 18 forbids repaying evil with 

further evil. Joseph’s behaviour on meeting his brothers after they had 

planned to get rid of him is among the noblest examples of forgiveness 

in the Biblical period. 

‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’ is the Golden Rule of Judaism 

and here is the first statement of this Golden Rule. The famous Rabbi 

Hillel 1 when asked by an intending convert to give him the essence of 

Judaism while, as it were, standing on one leg, replied, ‘Whatever is 

hateful unto thee, do it not unto thy fellow: this is the whole Torah; the 

42 

1 The greatest of the sages of the second temple period. He lived at the end 

of the first century BCE and the beginning of the 1st century CE 



THE GOALS 

rest is commentary. Go and learn’. This shows the importance he gave 

to this law. 

Even the criminal condemned to die, say the rabbis, deserves our 

brotherly love, and we must spare him unnecessary suffering. We must 

remember that we are all brothers in that all mankind traces its ancestry 

to Adam. 

The prophets 

The prophets were the conscience of the Jewish people. They conveyed 

a moral and ethical message from God to an often unheeding and 

uncaring populace. They pointed out the failings of what was often a 

materialistic society and called for justice and charity towards the poor 

and the disadvantaged. They foresaw and foretold the consequences for 

the people of Israel. Their message was important but was often 

unwelcome. 

The story of their lives and prophecies in the Hebrew Bible produced 

some of the most beautiful, poetic literature in the world, which has 

survived for thousands of years. 

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel were three of the major prophets who 

preached morality. For example, Isaiah criticised the people for their 

indulgence in excessive luxury (Isaiah 3: 16–26); for their practice of 

idolatry (Isaiah 2: 6–10); and for social injustice (Isaiah 5: 23); and 

Jeremiah criticised the prevalent idol-worship, the desertion of God and 

His Torah by the priests and prophets of Israel, the terrible social 

injustice, corruption and widely practised sexual immorality. 

The twelve minor prophets were Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, 

Micah, Nachum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi; 

they also harshly criticised the people for their lack of social justice, 

whereby they trampled upon the rights of the underprivileged. 

Reference 

Birnbaum, Philip. (1991) Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts 

Published by the Hebrew Publishing Company. 



THE GOALS 

Activity 20 

Write the verse or verses from Leviticus 19 (listed on p41) that the 

following sentences suggest or convey. If the sentence below does not 

convey a message from this source, write ‘does not say’. 

1. When judging matters, you should not show any preference to one 

type of person. 

2. Lying to anyone is not allowed. 

3. Never insult people with disabilities. 

4. Always observe the Lord’s commandments. 

5. Always be fair when you judge people. 

6. Do not seek revenge on people who have annoyed or wronged 

you. 

7. Keep some of your produce for the poor. 

8. You should do something if you know that your neighbour has 

been wronged. 

9. Always speak of God with respect. 

10. Always pay employees punctually for their work. 

11. Respect your neighbour as you would yourself. 

12. Telling tales is not acceptable. 

13. Remember that I am a just God but I can also show anger. 

14. You are not to keep the whole harvest in your field for yourself. 

15. Do not cheat employees. 

44 



The importance of repentance 

Repentance 

THE GOALS 

If someone has done wrong it is important that he should not have to 

bear a burden of guilt for evermore. Repentance, being sorry for what 

one has done and making amends where possible, is a way to wipe the 

slate clean and start again. Repentance offers a new opportunity, a new 

beginning. 

The Hebrew term for repentance is teshuvah which means returning to 

God after having sinned. In Judaism, repentance can only secure 

forgiveness for sins or transgressions against God. If a person repents in 

old age or on the day of his death then he is pardoned for his sins 

against God. However he will not be pardoned for his sins committed 

against his fellow men as these cannot be pardoned by repentance 

alone. Such a pardon requires the individual to make peace with the 

person or persons he has hurt, cheated or offended, and to redress the 

wrong done, by (for example) apologising, asking for forgiveness and 

compensating the injured party. 

The importance of repentance is emphasised in the Ethics of the 

Fathers, Chapter 2: 15, ‘Do repentance for your sins the day before you 

die’, and Chapter 4: 22, ‘Better is one hour of repentance and good 

deeds in this world than the whole life of the world to come.’ The 

former implies the need for frequent repentance, since a person does 

not know on which day he or she will die. 

Jews can repent at any time of the year but the month of Ellul (pr. ellool) 

is significant as this is when Jews prepare themselves to renew 

their pledges to God. Traditionally it was in this month that Moses went 

up to Mount Sinai for the second time to receive the Ten 

Commandments. This was after he had smashed the two tablets of stone 

on which they were written, having seen that the Israelites were 

committing the sin of worshipping a golden calf. Forty days later, in the 

month of Tishri (pr. teesh-ree), he returned with the Ten 

Commandments re-written. This showed that God had forgiven the 

Israelites for their sin. Ellul and Tishri are the months that are most 

strongly associated with repentance and forgiveness. During Ellul the 

shofar is blown each morning in synagogue to herald the coming day of 

judgement. Tishri is the seventh month of the Jewish calendar and is 

regarded by Jews as the holiest month in the year in the same way as 

Shabbat, the seventh day of the week, is regarded as a holy day. 



THE GOALS 

The Days of Awe 

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of 

Atonement, are known as the High Holy Days and are the most 

important days in the Jewish calendar. The ten days from Rosh 

Hashanah to Yom Kippur are called the Days of Awe or the Ten Days of 

Penitence (or Repentance). This is a time of serious reflection when 

Jews consider the sins they have committed in the previous year, repent 

to God and make peace with those they have wronged by contacting 

them and asking for forgiveness. 

Jews believe that God judges all people on Rosh Hashanah and decides 

what our circumstances shall be during the following year. Our actions 

of repentance, prayer, and charity during the Days of Awe can alter 

God’s decree for the year ahead, which is finalised on Yom Kippur. 

According to the Talmud, God determines who will be inscribed in the 

‘book of life’ and who will be inscribed in the ‘book of death’ for the 

coming year. The Days of Awe are thus days of great solemnity. 

The Shabbat which falls during this week is a special Shabbat called 

Shabbat Shuvah (pr. sh-oo-vah) which means the ‘shabbat of return’. 

46 

Source 

On Rosh Hashanah (it) will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur (it) will be 

sealed how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created, 

who will live and who will die; who will die at his predestined time and who 

before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by 

beast, who by famine, who by thirst…… 

Who will rest and who will wander, who will live in harmony and who will be 

harried, who will enjoy tranquillity and who will suffer, who will be impoverished 

and who will be enriched, who will be degraded and who will be 

exalted. 

But repentance, prayer and charity remove the evil decree. 

Mussaf prayer, Rosh Hashanah machzor (prayer book) 



Rosh Hashanah 

THE GOALS 

Rosh Hashanah is regarded as the birthday of the world, as it marks the 

anniversary of the day when God created man. Its names include Yom 

Ha’din (pr. ha-deen), the Day of Judgement, as this is when God judges 

people for their deeds of the previous year, and Yom Hazikaron (pr. hazee-ka-ron), 

the Day of Remembrance, as people remember their actions 

and deeds of the previous year. Rosh Hashanah lasts for two days. 

Like all Jewish festivals and Shabbat, prayers start with the evening 

service on the previous day. As people leave the synagogue, they greet 

each other with ‘Shana Tova’ (Happy New Year). This being the Jewish 

New Year many Jews will have sent Jewish New Year greeting cards to 

their family and friends beforehand. 

Preparation for Rosh Hashanah is very similar to Shabbat with the 

addition of a new fruit being bought. This fruit must be one that has not 

been tasted in the past year, e.g. a pomegranate. This symbolises 

renewal and a special blessing will be recited before eating it. Another 

popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in 

honey, and honey cake. These are symbols of wishing for a sweet new 

year. 

Like Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah will be brought in by lighting candles, and 

no work is allowed on the festival. The prayers for Rosh Hashanah are 

read from a special prayer book called a machzor. The high point of the 

morning service is the blowing of the shofar. Unlike in Ellul when only a 

few notes are blown, on Rosh Hashanah a hundred notes are blown to 

warn the people and stir them to improve their moral behaviour and 

become closer to God. This is in accord with the command, ‘And in the 

seventh month, on the first day of the month; …it is a day of blowing the 

horn unto you’ (Numbers 29: 1). 

This explains why Rosh Hashanah is also called Yom Teruah (pr. te-rooah), 

the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar. The notes of the shofar 

represent the crying of one’s soul yearning to be reunited with God. If 

Rosh Hashanah falls on a Shabbat the shofar is not blown; since 

observing the Sabbath when musical instruments are not played 

(because it is considered to be work) is more important than blowing 

the shofar. It is also an object lesson in the importance of observing the 

Sabbath. 

Another custom of Rosh Hashanah is tashlich, which takes place after 

the afternoon service of the first day of Rosh Hashanah. This involves 



THE GOALS 

reciting prayers by the banks of a river or lake; it symbolises throwing 

one’s sins into the waters. 

One of the prayers is taken from Micah 7: 10–20 

48 

Source 

He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and 

Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 

Micah 7: 19 

Yom Kippur 

Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish year. In 

addition to the laws of observing Shabbat, on Yom Kippur people are 

not allowed to wear leather shoes. Other prohibitions during this day 

are eating, drinking, bathing, anointing one’s body, and sexual relations. 

This fast day lasts for 25–26 hours. Children, pregnant women, sick 

people and the elderly are not required to fast. In Judaism, boys over 

the age of thirteen years and girls over twelve years are adults. 

Candles are lit to usher in the festival. The last meal before the fast 

begins is a festive meal. After this, there is a special evening service in 

the synagogue. Gold jewellery is not worn as this is a reminder of the sin 

of the golden calf. This is the only evening service of the year in which 

men put on a tallit. 

People pray five times on Yom Kippur. In addition to the three daily 

services there is mussaf after the morning service and a closing service 

called Neilah (pr. ne’ilah). 

A main feature of the services of the day is the confession, of which two 

versions are read. During the recitation which is said in an undertone, 

the members of the congregation strike the left side of their chest with 

the right fist each time the phrase ‘we have sinned’ is said. There are 

more than thirty verses that begin with this phrase. 



Source 

THE GOALS 

For the sin that we have sinned before You: 

• under duress and willingly; and for the sin that we have sinned before You 

through hardness of heart. 

• without knowledge; and for the sin that we have sinned before You with 

the utterance of the lips. 

• through harsh speech; and for the sin that we have sinned before You 

with knowledge and with deceit. 

• through inner thoughts; and for the sin that we have sinned before You 

through wronging a neighbour. 

• wilfully and carelessly; and for the sin that we have sinned before You by 

showing contempt for parents and teachers. 

• by exercising power; and for the sin that we have sinned before You 

through desecration of the Name. 

Confession prayer selected verses, Mussaf, Yom Kippur 

Although this prayer is recited by each individual, it is written in the first 

person plural as it is uttered collectively in the synagogue; look back at 

section 4 (p29) for further explanation. Even those who have not 

committed the sins mentioned in the confession recite this prayer as 

they share a common responsibility and humanity. It is important to 

remember that even the most sincere recitation of this prayer, which 

conveys deep remorse, does not pardon one’s sins against one’s fellow 

man unless one has asked pardon from him or her first. However, 

Judaism considers that every individual or offender should have the 

opportunity to be forgiven. 

But the Day of Atonement does not atone for everything. According to 

tradition, if a person transgresses a positive commandment and repents, 

he is immediately forgiven (Yoma 85b 2 ). (For example the commands to 

honour your parents or to restore lost property.) For a negative 

commandment, repentance suspends the punishment, and the Day of 

Atonement procures atonement (for example, the command not to tell 

lies). For a very grave sin, repentance and the Day of Atonement may 

suspend the punishment, and suffering completes the atonement. 

However, this does not interfere with the power and the duty of a court 

of law to try and sentence a criminal to an appropriate punishment. 

Saying sorry on the Day of Atonement is not intended to be an easy way 

out. Atonement is only of value if no third party has been injured. Under 

those circumstances pardon from the third party must be sought and 

restitution made. 

2 Yoma is a section of the Babylonian Talmud. 



THE GOALS 

References to Yom Kippur are found in Leviticus 16: 29, Leviticus 23: 27 

and Numbers 29: 7. 

The Book of Jonah is recited in the afternoon service to show God’s 

compassion to all His creatures, Jewish or non-Jewish, even those who 

are as sinful as the people of Nineveh if they genuinely repent. 

At the end of Neilah, a single blast of the shofar announces that the fast 

is over. It is customary to begin the following morning service earlier 

than usual to show one’s anxiety to start off in an exemplary way. 

Reference 

Birnbaum, Philip. (1991) Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts 

Published by the Hebrew Publishing Company. 

Activity 21 

Match the beginning with the most accurate ending. Write the sentences 

from the text that provide the correct answer. 

1. In Judaism, repentance can pardon: 

– any sin against God and man 

– most sins against God and man 

– any sin against God 

– any sin against man 

50 

Text sentence 

2. Jewish people repent: 

– in the Hebrew month of Ellul 

– in the Hebrew month of Tishri 

– on Rosh Hashanah 

– throughout the year but especially during Ellul 

Text sentence 



3. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are: 

– quite important days in the Jewish calendar 

– the most important days in the Jewish calendar 

– not important days in the Jewish calendar 

– as important as other holy days 

Text sentence 

4. Rosh Hashanah is called: 

– Yom Ha’din and Yom Kippur 

– Yom Ha’din and Yom Teruah 

– Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Yom Hazikaron 

– Yom Ha’din, Yom Teruah and Yom Hazikaron 

Text sentences 

THE GOALS 

5. The Ten Days of Penitence/Repentance are when Jews: 

– think of sins they have committed in their life 

– think of how they have been wronged 

– think of sins they have committed in the last year 

– think of sins they have committed since their last visit to the 

synagogue 

Text sentence 

6. Jews believe that God will change his judgement of people if they: 

– repent in synagogue 

– repent and pray in synagogue and give charity 

– give charity, repent and pray 

– do good deeds and repent 

Text sentence 



THE GOALS 

7. The confession prayer confesses to: 

– only sins committed by the individual 

– sins that have not been committed by the individual but have 

been considered by the individual 

– all the sins of others 

– the sins of others and to those committed by the individual 

52 

Text sentence 

8. Pardon for one’s sins to one’s fellow men is granted through: 

– asking forgiveness from the person(s) one has wronged and 

through repentance to God 

– repentance to God 

– sincere prayer 

– admitting guilt, repentance to God and sincere prayer 

Text sentence 



SECTION 5 

The concept of the Messiah 

THE FINAL AIM OF EXISTENCE 

Messiah (in Hebrew Mashiach, pr. Ma-shee-ach, ‘ch’ as in ‘loch’) means 

anointed, as were the kings and high priests of ancient Israel. Judaism 

believes that at some time in the future, a Messiah, a descendant of King 

David, will come. When that time comes, peace will reign on earth and, 

as described particularly in Isaiah, ‘the wolf also shall dwell with the 

lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the 

young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them … 

They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth 

shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’ 

(Isaiah 9: 6–7). The Messiah would be a man who, at the end of days 1 , 

would lead the Jewish people back to the land of Israel. He would be a 

prophet, teacher and leader. The Messiah was always to be an agent of 

God and not a saviour in the Christian sense. 

In this ideal and perfect world all the difficult problems which beset us 

will be solved and all the difficult questions will be answered. There is 

no accurate description of the Messianic era. It is a collection of ideas 

and hopes for the future, the details of which are uncertain. 

Jewish people do not believe that the Messiah has yet come, if only because 

the world is so obviously not at peace and so many of our problems remain 

unsolved. But the idea remains a hope and an expectation, one which has 

often been disappointed over the last two thousand years but to which all 

Jews continue to look forward. The Messianic idea does not originate in the 

Pentateuch, but it gradually develops throughout the time of the prophets 

as can be seen from the quotations below: 

Sources 

In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up 

the breaches (gaps) thereof, and I will raise up his ruins and I will build it as 

in the days of old. 

Amos 9: 11 

1 This term refers to the Messianic period of peace and tranquillity at the end 

of our present days of world-wide strife. 



54 


Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and 

David their king; and shall come trembling unto the Lord and to His goodness 

at the end of days. 

Hosea 3: 5 

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth 

for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting 

place shall be glorious. 

Isaiah 11: 10 

And many nations shall go and say: ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the 

mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will 

teach of His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go 

forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 

And He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide concerning 

mighty nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, 

and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against 

nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none 

shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken. 

Micah 4: 2–4 

There have been many people who have claimed to be the Messiah 

during the last two thousand years, but all were eventually found to be 

false. One of the most famous was Shabbatai Zevi in 1666 who had a 

great following throughout the Middle East and even as far west as 

England. There were even bets being made on the London Stock 

Exchange on the likelihood of him being the real thing. However, he 

was arrested by the Turkish authorities and offered the choice of 

converting to Islam or immediate execution. He chose conversion. The 

disappointment among the masses of Jewish people who had fervently 

believed in him was enormous. It had a devastating effect upon their 

morale and many gave up their Judaism. 

There have been many other false messiahs who managed to attract 

followers only to be disappointed by events. This always produced local 

political unrest and the governments of the countries in which these 

false messiahs operated were anxious to put down the movements from 

Roman times right up to the eighteenth century. 

It is for these reasons that the Talmud warns us not to try to guess or 

attempt to calculate when the Messiah will come because such hopes 

just lead to disappointment and disillusion of which there have been 

many examples over the last two thousand years. 



Olam ha-Bah 


The Olam ha-Bah (the world to come), as opposed to the Olam ha-Zeh 

(this world – the one we live in), is sometimes confused with the 

Messianic Age. It is, in fact, something quite different. It is the place to 

which our souls may go after death. One description which is given in 

the Talmud (Berachot 17a 2 ) is as follows: ‘in the world to come there is 

no eating, drinking, propagation, business, jealousy, hatred or 

competition, but the righteous sit, with their crowns on their heads, 

enjoying the brilliance of the Divine Presence.’ 

Activity 22 

Factfile – The Messiah 

1. The origins of the Messiah 

3. Three additional facts about 

the Messiah 

4. Reasons why Jews believe the 

Messiah is yet to come. 

5. The world when the Messiah 

comes (refer to Isaiah and 

Micah) 

Activity 23 

Find the sentence from the source box on p53–4 that means: 

(a) There will be no more wars. 

(b) The tabernacle will be rebuilt. 

(c) Countries will be at peace with each other. 

(d) People will want to follow God’s words and learn from them. 

(e) Man need not fear his/ her fellow man. 

2 Berachot is a section of the Babylonian Talmud. 




The Covenant 

There were a number of occasions in the early history of the Jewish 

people when God made promises; first to Abraham, who was the 

founding father of the Jewish people; and later to Moses, who was the 

leader who led them out of Egypt and who converted the children of 

Israel from a disparate group of slaves into a nation. 

Abraham had realised that there could only be one God, that there was 

no other god and that it was foolish for people to worship idols which 

they had made with their own hands. God told him to leave his homeland 

and go to ‘a land which I will show you’ (Genesis 12: 1). God tested 

his faith and because he showed himself to be completely faithful and 

obedient, God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17: 2 and 4). He 

promised him and his descendants the land of Canaan for evermore 

(Genesis 15: 18 and 17: 7–8). Circumcision for males, Brit Milah, became 

the sign of the covenant, agreement or promise (Genesis 17: 9– 

11). 

A somewhat different form of agreement was made with Moses and the 

people of Israel after he had led the Jews out of Egypt. Here the 

covenant is based on the whole of the laws that God gave to Moses to 

transmit to the children of Israel (Exodus 24: 3 and 7). The promises 

that were made then were conditional on good behaviour (Leviticus 26: 

3–4). However, despite the warning of the dire consequences if the 

children of Israel were not faithful to God (Leviticus 26: 14ff), the 

promise was made that the children of Israel would not in the end be 

rejected and that God would not break His initial covenant with them 

(Leviticus 26: 43–45). These promises have been kept by God up till the 

present day and observant Jews and even many secular Jews believe that 

God will keep his promises in the future. 

56 

Sources 

Genesis 17: 2 And I will make My covenant between me and thee. 

Genesis 17: 4 As for Me, behold. My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt 

be the father of a multitude of nations. 

Genesis 15: 18 In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: 

‘Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great 

river, the river Euphrates. 




Genesis 17: 7–8 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee 

and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting 

covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give 

unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land of thy sojournings, all the land 

of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 

Genesis 17: 9–11 And God said unto Abraham: ‘And as for thee, thou shalt 

keep My covenant, thou and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. 

This is my covenant which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy 

seed after thee; every man among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall be 

circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant 

between Me and you. 

Exodus 24: 3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the 

Lord, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice 

and said: ‘All the words which the Lord hath spoken, we will do.’ 

Exodus 24: 7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the 

hearing of the people; and they said: ‘All that the Lord hath spoken, we will 

do, and obey.’ 

Leviticus 26: 3–4 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep My commandments 

and do them; then I will give you rains in their season, and the land shall 

yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 

Leviticus 26: 14ff But if you will not hearken unto me and will not do all 

these commandments; and if you shall reject My statutes, and if your soul 

abhor Mine ordinances, so that you will not do all My commandments, but 

break My covenant; I also will do this unto you: I will appoint terror over 

you, even consumption and fever, that shall make the eyes to fail and the 

soul to languish; and you shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shall 

eat it... 

Leviticus 26: 44–45 And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their 

enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them 

utterly and to break My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But 

I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I 

brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might 

be their God. 




Responsibilities of the Jewish people 

There are two major statements in the Hebrew Bible about the 

responsibilities of the Jewish people. The first is ‘and ye shall be to me a 

kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ (Exodus 19: 6). It was to be 

Israel’s duty to bring the nations of the world to a realisation of the one 

God and of the universal truths and moral duties which every civilised 

human being should aim for. 

The second important responsibility of Israel was to be ‘a light unto the 

nations’ (Isaiah 49: 6). This means that the people of Israel should be an 

example to others and a teacher of the ways of God, and through this 

should demonstrate the ethical values by which mankind should live so 

that in the end there would be a world of peace and tranquillity. 

To a certain extent these aims have been fulfilled though not nearly 

sufficiently. Many of the moral principles of Judaism have been taken up 

by other religions such as Christianity. Christians have taken up the 

Golden Rule of loving one’s neighbour (see section 4, p41) and the 

principles of care for the poor and the disadvantaged is another part of 

the Golden Rule they have taken up. These principles and others are 

often referred to as the Judaeo–Christian ethic. 

The responsibilities have been summarised in one telling sentence in 

Micah – ‘What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love 

mercy and to walk humbly with thy God’ (Micah 6: 8). This sentence is a 

good guide for everyone, not just the Jewish people. 

58 



SECTION 6 

The Torah 

THE MEANS 

Torah means ‘instruction’ or ‘teaching’. In Judaism the word is used in 

many different ways. It can be used to refer to the first five books of the 

Bible (the Five Books of Moses), the whole Jewish Bible, or to the whole 

body of Jewish law and teachings. 

The underlying idea of ‘teaching’ is common to all these meanings and 

the Torah is considered to contain the guidelines to Judaism. It is 

inaccurate to consider the Torah solely as Jewish law, because studying 

the Torah refers to a wider range of Jewish topics, such as ethics, justice, 

religion and education. It covers in fact a whole way of life. Its study is 

central to Judaism and Jews and this is emphasised in the following 

writings and prayers. 

– Study the Torah again and again, for everything is contained in it. 

(Ethics of the Fathers 5: 25) 

– Every Jew must study the Torah, whether poor or rich, healthy or 

ailing, young or old… Ye shall study it day and night. (Mishneh 

Torah, Talmud Torah 1: 8) 

– The world depends on three things – on Torah study, on service (to 

God) and on kind deeds. (Ethics of the Fathers 1: 2) 

In Talmudic literature, the word Torah includes both the Written and 

the Oral Law. They were both given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Oral 

Law consists of explanations and interpretations of the Written Law and 

it was passed on by word of mouth. For example, Jews believe that 

Moses passed on the Oral Law given at Mount Sinai to his successor, 

Joshua, who in turn passed it to his successor, in a chain that was carried 

on until the Oral Law was written down many centuries later. 

In this section we shall define and examine the importance of the 

written Torah, which many non-Jews refer to as the ‘Old Testament’. 

This contains the following three sections: 

1. Torah (the Five Books of Moses) 

2. Nevi’im (pr. n’vee’eem) (the Prophets) 

3. Ketuvim (pr. kit-oov-eem) (Writings) 



THE MEANS 

The initial letters of these three section headings (T, N, K,) form the 

word Tanakh. This is the name Jewish people give to the Hebrew Bible. 

All of the Tanakh is written in Hebrew apart from parts of the books of 

Daniel and Ezra, which are written in Aramaic. 

1. The Torah 

Jews regard the Five Books of Moses as the holiest part of the Bible or 

the written Torah. Jews believe that Moses wrote down everything God 

had taught him in these five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers 

and Deuteronomy. 

The Five Books of Moses start with the story of Creation and the early 

history of mankind, including that of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the 

ancestors of the Jewish people. They also describe how after becoming 

slaves in Egypt, the Israelites were freed by God under the leadership of 

Moses who received the Torah on Mount Sinai. In addition to the 

history of the children of Israel up till their entry into Canaan (roughly 

present-day Israel), the Five Books of Moses contain religious, civil and 

criminal law, and even instructions related to public health. They also 

contain a description of the construction of the Tabernacle which 

remained the focal point of religious service until the temple was built 

around five hundred years later. 

The stories of their forefathers and of their ancestry tell Jews who they 

are; the laws and moral teachings tell Jews how to live and fulfil God’s 

will. For centuries Jews have read the Torah, studied it and scholars 

have written commentaries to explain it. Jews have lived by the laws of 

the Torah and, in times of persecution, have died for them. 

The Torah scrolls contain the Five Books of Moses only. They are kept in 

the synagogue in the ark or ‘aron kodesh’ (meaning the Holy Ark). Each 

scroll is handwritten. The reader reads it with a ‘yad’, a pointer, so as 

not to damage it. Orthodox Judaism allows any male who can, to read 

from the scroll. Its reading is not restricted to a rabbi or cantor. Reform 

Judaism additionally allows females to read from the Torah scroll. 

2. Nevi’im (Prophets) 

The books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings describe the history of 

the Israelites from the death of Moses. Written as history, their main 

purpose is to teach religion, and in particular, to relate what happens to 

the Israelites as a consequence of how they have behaved towards God. 

60 



THE MEANS 

The prophetic writings also contain the three books of Isaiah, Jeremiah 

and Ezekiel as well as twelve much shorter books of other prophets (see 

Section 4, p43). Containing less history and more ethics, the purpose of 

these books is to teach faith, justice and compassion. 

Extracts from Nevi’im are read in synagogue at the end of the Torah. 

Readings on Shabbat and festivals and are known as the ‘Haftarah’. 

3. Ketuvim (Writings) 

The books in this section of the Torah are varied. It includes Proverbs 

and Ecclesiastes, which include many wise sayings. It also contains 

Psalms, many of which are used in regular worship in the daily and 

weekly prayers. Other books are read on certain festivals. For example, 

the Song of Songs is read on Pesach, Ruth is read on Shavuot, Esther is 

read on Purim, Ecclesiastes is read on Sukkot and the book of Jonah on 

Yom Kippur. 

The Nevi’im and Ketuvim, though sacred, are not considered to be as 

holy as the Five Books of Moses. This is because they were written either 

by prophets or people inspired by the divine spirit 1 while the Five Books 

of Moses were written through direct communication with God. This is 

considered more important than the writings of any person. 

Activity 24 

1. Explain in your own words the connection between the Written 

Law and the Oral Law. 

2. Suggest why the Oral Law was eventually written down. 

1 The tradition is that God spoke directly to Moses. The prophets received 

their messages and inspiration in the form of a dream, but they were not 

able to converse with God as if in conversation. 



THE MEANS 

Activity 25 

Match the phrase from the left-hand column with the best correct 

ending from the right-hand column. 

The Tanakh contains the Five Books of Moses. 

The Torah contains the Five Books of Moses. 

Prophets contain the Torah. 

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, the Torah, Prophets and Writings 

Numbers and Deuteronomy 

are known as 

Writings contain the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and 

Judges. 

The Torah scrolls contain only the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. 

Teaching is central to the Written and Oral Law. 

62 



The Ten Commandments 

THE MEANS 

The Ten Commandments are written in the Torah in Exodus, the second 

of the Five Books of Moses. 

Source 

1. (Know that) I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of 

Egypt. (verse 2) 

2. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. (verses 3–5) 

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. (verse 7) 

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. (verse 8) 

5. Honour thy father and thy mother. (verse 12) 

6. Thou shalt not murder. (verse 13) 

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. (verse 13) 

8. Thou shalt not steal. (verse 13) 

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (verse 13) 

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house. Thou shalt not covet thy 

neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, 

nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s. (verse 14) 

Exodus 20: 2–14 

As previously mentioned, the Ten Commandments are among the most 

important of the commandments of the Torah and they summarise 

several other commandments under these ten headings (see section 4, 

p37). Four of the ten are positive commandments and the rest are 

negative. The following commandments that describe the duties of man 

to his fellow man require further clarification as their breadth and scope 

often lead to misinterpretations. 

5. Honour thy father and thy mother. 

The fifth commandment requires individuals to show respect, 

obedience and love to their mother and father alike. Such respect 

is continued on the death of the parents as it is also one’s duty to 

respect the memory of the departed parent. Only in the rare cases 

where parents do not deserve such respect, e.g. parents guiding 

their children to commit an evil or criminal act, would 

disobedience to this commandment be allowed. 



THE MEANS 

6. Thou shalt not murder. 

The sixth commandment forbids the intentional killing of human 

beings, apart from capital punishments imposed by a judicial 

tribunal, or in a war for the defence of national and human rights, 

or in self-defence. In those circumstances, killing of a human being 

is regretfully allowed. However, this requires to be distinguished 

from wilful murder or homicide. This commandment stresses the 

sanctity of human life by forbidding the intentional killing of a 

human being. 

8. Thou shalt not steal. 

The eighth commandment conveys the importance of respect for 

other people’s property by emphasising that taking away someone 

else’s property is wrong. This applies to acquiring property by 

cheating, embezzlement and forgery, and taking advantage of 

someone’s ignorance even if the action might be strictly legal. It is 

from this commandment that the laws about injury and 

compensation, loans and inheritance have been developed. 

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 

As in the commandment that ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as 

thyself’ (see section 4, p42), the word ‘neighbour’ here refers to 

one’s fellow man. This ninth commandment is concerned with 

wrong that is inflicted by word of mouth. So it forbids all forms of 

slander, defamation and misrepresentation, whether of an 

individual or a group of people defined by race or religion. It also 

forbids perjury. 

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house. Thou shalt not covet 

thy neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant… 

nor anything that is thy neighbour’s. 

The tenth commandment refers to man’s instincts and impulses of 

predatory desire which are the source of most sins committed 

against one’s fellow man. The man who uses his self-control 

effectively and masters his desires by not desiring his neighbour’s 

belongings will not steal, murder or commit adultery. This is 

further explained by the Yetzer Harah and Yetzer Tov (see Section 

3, p23). 

64 



Activity 26 

THE MEANS 

(a) Categorise the commandments into those that are between man 

and God and those that are between man and his fellow man. 

(b) Discuss the relevance in the modern world of each of the 

commandments between man and his fellow man. 

Suggestion for further reading 

The Ten Commandments: 

Search Ch 20 of Exodus at The Jewish Virtual Library www.us-israel.org 

to read the Ten Commandments in full. 



THE MEANS 

Halachah, the Oral Law and the Talmud 

Halachah and the Oral Law 

Halachah is the collective term used for Jewish law. The word can also 

be used for one particular law. According to Jewish tradition when God 

gave Moses the Torah, He also taught him how the commandments were 

to be kept. This was passed down by word of mouth and was part of the 

oral tradition. The Oral Law made it possible for Jews to live by the 

Torah as new conditions arose. 

The first systematic arrangement of the Oral Law was made by Rabbi 

Akiva 2 and served as the basis for the Mishnah. Rabbi Akiva classified the 

oral laws under specific headings and related the Oral Law to the 

Written Torah. 

Over the centuries new discoveries and social conditions have changed 

people’s ways of living and thinking about the world we live in. For 

example, the development of information technology and medical 

science have led Jews to raise new questions, such as whether computer 

hacking is theft and whether surrogate motherhood and cloning is 

permitted. This is why rulings continue to be added to the Halachah. It 

is an ongoing process and is always based on the principles outlined in 

the Torah. 

The Mishnah 

The Oral Law consisting of interpretations of the written law was 

preserved and handed down by word of mouth from generation to 

generation by sages. This collection of oral laws was later written down 

by Rabbi Judah Hanasi (‘Hanasi’ literal meaning ‘the prince’) in a text 

known as the Mishnah at the end of the second century. It was a time of 

great persecution following the destruction of the Jewish kingdom by 

the Romans. Many scholars were killed and Rabbi Judah Hanasi was 

concerned that as a result much of the Oral Law might be totally lost. 

The Gemarah 

Just as the Mishnah was an interpretation and development of the 

Written Law, so the Gemarah was a record of the further interpretations 

and discussions of the Mishnah over many centuries. The Mishnah and 

the Gemarah together form the Talmud. Eventually about the end of the 

66 

2 The foremost scholar of his age, a patriot and martyr. He lived 50–135 CE 



THE MEANS 

fifth century these were classified, edited and written down. Thus ended 

several hundred years in which all of the later commentaries had been 

handed down orally. This is what is known as the Babylonian Talmud. In 

addition to law, it also contains a vast amount of material on all sorts of 

subjects such as medicine, social conditions, comments on events of the 

day and so on. It is therefore not only a record of discussions but an 

entire social history. 

A similar attempt to do this in Israel had also been made about fifty years 

earlier and is known as the Jerusalem Talmud. Of the two, the 

Babylonian Talmud is considered the more authoritative and is 

therefore what is normally referred to as the Talmud. 

To this day the Talmud is the main subject studied in a Jewish academy 

known as a yeshiva (pr. ye-sheev-a). If one studied at the rate of one 

page a day, it would take fourteen years to complete a study of the 

Talmud. 

The Talmud is written in a very cryptic form and can be difficult to 

interpret. Therefore many rabbis wrote commentaries to guide people 

through it. By far the most important is that of Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben 

Yitzhak) and today’s standard printed Talmud contains Rashi’s 

commentary along with others at the sides of the text. 

Activity 27 

Examine the page from the Talmud reproduced on p68 and read the 

accompanying notes on p69. 

(a) Write a comment about the size of print of the extract 

(b) How many types of print do you think there are? 

(c) How many additions are there? 

(d) Where is the page number? 

(e) How many commentaries are there? 

Suggestions for further research and activities 

Find out more about Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Judah Hanasi and Rashi at the 

Jewish Virtual Website www.us-israel.org 

Standard printed Talmud page: www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/ 

TalmudPage.html#Page 



68 

THE MEANS 



A page from the Talmud (see Activity 27 on page 67) 

THE MEANS 

1. The page number ‘2’ represented by the Hebrew letter ‘B’ 

2. The title of the section – The Middle Gate 

3. Chapter 1 

4. The first two words of the chapter ‘Two people claim’ 

5. Sources of the additional marginal notes. (See 10 below.) 

6. The beginning of the Mishnah. It is written in Hebrew. As it is the 

beginning of a major section, the first word is written large and 

ornamented. This section is concerned with the problem when two 

people find an object and each claims it in total for themselves. 

7. The two large letters indicate the end of the Mishnah section and 

the beginning of the Gemarah, which is written in Aramaic. The 

discussion goes on for many pages. 

8. The commentaries by Rashi (Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac 1040–1105), 

one of the greatest scholars of the Middle Ages. 

9. The commentaries called Tosephot (additions) written by French 

talmudic scholars of the twelfth and thirteen centuries. 

10. Several other additional marginal notes on the text or the 

commentaries. 



THE MEANS 

Attitudes of Reform and Orthodox Judaism 

Originating in Germany in the early nineteenth century, Reform Judaism 

is currently the largest Progressive (see section 1, p4) Jewish group in 

the UK and is the second largest movement in British Jewry with a 

national presence. It has its own synagogues and prayer book, and Beth 

Din. Although recognised by Progressive authorities, the ordination of 

Reform rabbis is not recognised by Orthodox authorities. Reform and 

other non-Orthodox movements are larger in size than Orthodox 

Judaism worldwide. 

Reform Judaism’s shared beliefs with traditional Orthodox Judaism 

include recognition that the Torah is the foundation for Jewish belief, 

that human beings are created in the image of God and that Shabbat is a 

day of rest that is different from the rest of the week. While it views the 

Torah as being inspired by God, it considers that it was written down by 

humans according to their understanding of God’s will. In doing so, it 

views these man-made interpretations as being open to challenge and 

revision, and subject to being outdated in parts. 

Reform Judaism distinguishes between parts of Judaism that are unique 

and have eternal significance from those that are temporary and relative. 

The former include: 

• the principle of Shabbat as a holy day that is different from other 

weekdays 

• the covenant with God 

• the moral and spiritual demands 

• the pursuit of justice 

• the sanctity of life 

• the coming of the Messianic Age. 

The latter include: 

• dropping the laws of Shabbat (see section 2, p15) that are considered 

stifling to the delight or spirit of Shabbat 

• permitting the blowing of the shofar when Rosh Hashanah falls on 

Shabbat 

• observing the major fast days only, namely Yom Kippur and Tishah 

b’Av 3 

• rejecting certain roles of the Messiah as regressive, e.g. the 

restoration of sacrifices 

• not subscribing to the 613 commandments. 

70 

3 Of the four fasts in the year, Yom Kippur and Tishah b’Av are the only full-day 

fasts that begin at sunset and end at nightfall on the following day. 



THE MEANS 

Theoretically, the term halachah could refer to Reform and Orthodox 

legal practices but halachah is historically and commonly understood as 

being according to Orthodox interpretation. In this sense, Reform 

Judaism is regarded as non-halachic as it does not accept the theory, 

methodology or practice of Orthodox interpretations of Judaism. Even 

where observances are the same, Reform Jews may practise them for 

reasons that are not in accordance with halachah, e.g. Reform Jews who 

walk to synagogue on Shabbat may do so out of a preference to walk 

rather than not wishing to break one of the melachot (see section 2, 

p15). The Reform approach takes account of halachah alongside other 

criteria, such as present-day knowledge and the demands of changing 

circumstances, in formulating its conclusions. 

Orthodoxy regards the written and oral laws as having equal importance 

and still binding on Jews today. Reform Judaism does not accept the 

written and oral laws as binding. The Reform movement’s vision of 

Judaism is one that appeals to contemporary Jews and may be perceived 

as more responsive to modern needs than Orthodoxy. It neither views 

itself to be superior or inferior to Orthodoxy. It considers itself a valid 

expression and brand of Judaism today. 

One principle of Reform Judaism is that equality of men and women 

includes the full rights of women to participate in all religious activities 

which include the synagogue services. Women are thus allowed to carry 

the Sefer Torah, to read from the Torah, to lead the prayers, to wear a 

kipah (see section 4, pp38 and 39), tallit and tefillin, and to be 

included in a minyan. Reform synagogues do not have a balcony or 

division between men and women as in Orthodox synagogues, and men 

and women can sit together. The Bat Mitzvah ceremony takes the same 

form as a Bar Mitzvah (see section 7, pp80 and 81). Women can become 

rabbis and serve as ministers to Reform congregations. These practices 

are seen in the context of the natural rights of women which were 

denied to previous generations and are not to be found in Orthodox 

synagogues. 

Reference 

Romain, Jonathan (1991) Faith and Practice: A Guide to Reform Judaism 

Today. Published by Reform Synagogues of Great Britain 



THE MEANS 

Activity 28 

1. Write three ways in which a Reform synagogue service differs from 

an Orthodox synagogue service. 

2. Describe three shared beliefs of Reform and Orthodox Judaism. 

3. How would you expect Reform Jews to observe the laws of 

kashrut? What particular choices might they have? (Read over 

section 4, pp33–4 if you want to revise this.) Explain your answers. 

72 

Read the following article that fully explains this and correct your 

answer if necessary: 

www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/10-Reform/section-44.html 

Suggestion for further reading and research 

www.reformjudaism.org.uk 



SECTION 7 

Moral and social responsibilities 

Justice 

THE PRACTICES THAT HELP ACHIEVE THE GOALS 

Justice has been widely considered to be the most important moral 

value in Judaism, as it provides the basis for other ethical values. The 

Jewish search for justice begins with the following biblical 

commandments which set out a system of justice to ensure that 

impartiality and fairness were consistently practised. This consisted of 

the setting up of law courts and the appointment of judges. It directed 

the judges to treat people equally with patience and politeness, and 

forbade the acceptance of bribes. It emphasised the supreme duty of 

even-handed justice to all. 

Source 

Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy 

God giveth thee, tribe by tribe; and they shall judge the people with righteous 

judgement. 

Thou shalt not wrest (pervert) judgement; thou shalt not respect (show 

partiality to) persons; neither shalt thou take a gift; for a gift doth blind the 

eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. 

Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land 

which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 


The ‘judges and officers’ (verse 18) represent the authority of a system 

of justice. At the present time in Britain there is a Beth Din (pr. betdeen), 

which is a religious court, in towns where there is a sizeable 

Jewish community. This court is headed by three senior rabbis who have 

had special training and experience; they deal with matters of personal 

status such as marriage, divorce and conversion. In addition they decide 

on civil disputes when the litigants are willing to accept judgement 




according to Jewish law and accept the authority of the Beth Din. Many 

observant Jews prefer disputes to be settled in this way rather than 

through the ordinary courts. This does not apply to criminal cases. 

The passionate words ‘Justice, justice shalt thou follow’ can be 

interpreted as the key demand for humane legislation; they were the 

spur in the quest for social righteousness by the Israelite prophets and 

sages. They imply that justice should not only be done, but be seen to 

be done. They were also taken to imply that justice should be done even 

if it was to one’s own personal disadvantage. They were also interpreted 

as a demand not to use unjust means in an attempt to do justice, e.g. 

obtaining a rightful conviction with false evidence. 

The importance of justice is emphasised elsewhere in the Torah, e.g. ‘Ye 

shall do no unrighteousness in judgement; thou shalt not respect the 

person of the poor, nor favour the person of the mighty but in 

righteousness shall you judge your neighbour’ (Leviticus 19: 15). There 

are also many biblical commandments that emphasise justice in 

particular spheres of life, e.g. in relation to business affairs and in 

dealings between employer and employee. 

The belief in man being created in the image of God leads to the belief 

that each human being is sacred and unique. In Judaism, justice is an 

expression of the respect for the person of others and their rights. 

Judaism requires that human dignity be respected in every human being, 

from the delinquent petty thief to the murderer condemned to death. 

Although in theory the death penalty existed for offences that were 

regarded as particularly serious, such as murder, in practice it was 

almost never carried out. 

There was, and is, no place for mutilation in Jewish law. The verse ‘an 

eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ (Exodus 21: 24) has always been 

interpreted as referring to monetary compensation only. It teaches that 

if someone’s eye is injured, he or she may claim the cost of any medical 

treatment and compensation for the disability and other losses suffered 

and no more than this value. 

Judaism also gives serious consideration to people who are too weak to 

defend themselves against injustice and oppression. For example, it is a 

duty for Jews to show kindness to widows and orphans: ‘The Lord 

protects strangers; he sustains the fatherless and the widow’ (Psalm 146: 

9). 

74 




The idea of human rights is based on the belief that individuals have 

worth. To a large extent, this notion developed from the teachings of 

the Torah and the prophets. The moral laws in Judaism recognise the 

following fundamental human rights: 

• The right to live 

• The right of possession 

• The right to work 

• The right to clothing 

• The right to shelter 

• The right to leisure 

• The right to liberty 

(in Isidore Epstein, Judaism, 1982, p26) 

Judaism also requires Jewish people to keep the laws of the country in 

which they live. It also teaches that rights depend on responsibilities. 

An example of what happens to people when they stop fulfilling their 

responsibilities is found in the Torah (Deuteronomy 27: 15–26). All the 

things which God said would happen to the Jewish people in this 

terrifying quotation have happened at one time or another to some, if 

not all, of the children of Israel. The whole story of the Hebrew Bible is 

one in which it is shown that the Jewish people suffer when they are 

disobedient to God. 

The Hebrew word for justice ‘tzedek’ is closely related to the word for 

‘charity’ which is ‘tzedakah’. So ‘justice’, in its broadest sense, includes 

charity and philanthropy. It is not confined to the relations between 

individuals but also extends to relations between groups. It asserts the 

claims of the poor upon the rich and of the helpless upon those with 

the means to help. In so doing, the Jewish concept of justice covers 

notions of social justice. 

Activity 29 

Read the following sources (and others) and find examples of civil 

justice, social justice and criminal justice: 


Leviticus 19: 9–18 (see section 4, p41) 

Exodus 21: 24 

Psalms 146: 9 



Charity 

76 


The term ‘tzedakah’ has two meanings – ‘righteousness’ and ‘charity’. 

Charity is the right thing to do and so ‘tzedakah’ gradually came to 

mean ‘charity’ almost exclusively. It is first mentioned in the Torah as a 

characteristic of Abraham (Genesis 15: 6), in the sense of righteousness, 

and again in Genesis 18: 19, where it could mean both righteousness 

and charity, and it is commanded in Deuteronomy 15: 7–8. In Judaism 

all possessions are regarded as coming from God and every person is 

but a temporary guardian of what he has been given. Charity in the form 

of giving part of one’s possessions away is thus expected of every Jewish 

person. This is not simply a matter of philanthropy or generosity but a 

duty and an act of justice. Judaism regards the poor as having the right 

to food, clothing and shelter and that this must be honoured by the 

more fortunate. 

The Jewish year provides many opportunities to fulfil this 

commandment, e.g. at home before lighting the Shabbat candles, the 

mother or woman of the house will drop some money in the charity 

box. Before Yom Kippur, people will distribute money to charitable 

appeals (see section 4, p46, for the importance of charity in obtaining 

forgiveness for sins). There is a charity box in synagogue to which 

contributions are made every morning at prayers. Jewish children are 

also encouraged to put some of their pocket money into a charity box. 

There are many ways in which one can give charity. One can put money 

into a poor person’s hand but this may cause embarrassment. One can 

donate to a communal charity and, if desired, can do so anonymously. 

Judaism regards it as important to preserve human dignity and so 

considers some ways of giving charity as preferable to others. 

According to Maimonides 1 the best way of giving charity is to help the 

individual help himself by assisting him to become self-supporting. In 

this way the individual’s dignity is not lost, his self-respect is maintained 

and hopefully he reaches a position from which he in his turn can 

donate to those less fortunate. One should not give charity grudgingly. 

Charity should always be given cheerfully and compassionately. 

Charity may involve giving moral aid and comfort rather than or as well 

as money or materials. Here, one is giving of oneself. This may be by 

helping or visiting the sick, working with the elderly, comforting the 

bereaved or taking care of children whose parents are in difficulties. 

1 Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, one of the greatest medieval Jewish scholars 




Rich and poor are equally able to provide this type of charity and indeed 

both rich and poor may be grateful to receive the charity of a helping 

hand or a kind word when they are in distress. 

Lashon Harah 

One serious offence in Judaism is lashon harah, which literally means ‘a 

tongue of evil’. This term is used to describe the passing on of 

unpleasant information about another person. This includes lying, 

slander, telling tales (‘Do not go about as a tale bearer’ – Leviticus 19: 

16) and spreading rumours. Gossip of any kind – whether it be true, 

without malice or otherwise – is forbidden. Flattery too is considered in 

general to be offensive as it is regarded as a barrier to wisdom and 

knowledge, although it is permitted if it promotes peace, However, 

there are circumstances when passing on unpleasant, truthful 

information is necessary and permitted. For example, it would be right 

to warn an employer of a dishonest employee (or vice versa). 

The power of speech distinguishes man from other living creatures and 

Jews are required to take the responsibility of speech seriously. Each of 

the three daily prayer services ends with the recitation of the Amidah 

prayer during which Jews pray that God should ‘guard my tongue from 

evil and my lips from speaking falsehood’. Jews are expected to be 

truthful and not to humiliate or mislead a person by their use of the 

spoken word. 

‘Say little and do much’ 



Reference 

78 


Epstein, Isidore. (1959) Judaism 

Published by Pelican Books 

Activity 30 

1. (a) List three different ways of giving charity. 

(b) Prioritise the preferred means and provide justification of 

this. 

2. (a) From your experience which means of giving charity is the 

most common? 

(b) Suggest a reason as to why this is so. 


Find out about the different levels of charity at www.jewfaq.org 

Find out more about Maimonides at the Jewish Virtual Website www.usisrael.org 



Rites of passage and education 

Brit Milah 


Brit Milah (pr. breet meelah) is the term given to male circumcision, the 

oldest Jewish ritual and one that has remained unchanged up to the 

present day. (Judaism does not permit female circumcision.) 

Circumcision is practised by many peoples in the world but it is only for 

the Jewish people that it is a sign of their acceptance of their 

relationship with God. As described in Genesis 17: 9–14, where it 

originated from the time of Abraham, circumcision is an external symbol 

of the covenant. Brit Milah should take place, in accordance with 

Leviticus 12: 3 on the eighth day after birth, even if this falls on Shabbat 

or Yom Kippur. The only factor that allows the postponement of the 

circumcision is the baby’s health. 

As previously mentioned (in section 1), being Jewish is a matter of birth 

except in the case of a convert, so circumcision does not turn a baby 

into a Jew. According to halachah an uncircumcised Jew is still a Jew if 

he has a Jewish mother. 

A circumcision is an occasion for celebration for the family and the 

community. Today the preferred place for this to take place is at home. 

Appropriate short prayers and blessings are recited. The honour of 

being godparents is given to selected friends or family, and the baby is 

named. 2 The naming has its origins in Genesis as Abram’s name became 

complete when it was changed to Abraham after his circumcision. Whilst 

it is preferable to have a minyan for this event, it is not a requirement. 

The ceremony may conclude with a festive meal which has its origins in 

the circumcision of Isaac. 

Some circumcisions occur in hospital where the ceremony is curtailed, 

but the essential blessings can still be recited. 

Circumcision has become a controversial issue worldwide with claims 

that it causes unnecessary pain and is an infringement of the child’s 

rights. However, while the health benefits are very evenly balanced it is 

important to remember that it is not being done for health reasons but 

as an act of faith indicating a belief in God and in the covenant between 

God and Abraham. It is carried out even by the non-observant. It is a 

religious right upheld by human-rights legislation. Those who perform 

the circumcision are highly skilled after long training and there is a 

minimum of upset to the infant. 

2 A girl is named in the synagogue, usually on the first Shabbat after her birth. 





www.aish.com/literacy/lifecycle/what_is_circumcision$.asp 

Bar Mitzvah 

Literally meaning a ‘son of the commandment’, Bar Mitzvah is the term 

given to a boy when he reaches Jewish religious maturity, which in 

Jewish law takes place for boys at the age of thirteen. This is when he 

becomes a full member of the community. From this time onwards he 

becomes personally responsible for observing the commandments which 

incorporate his entire religious behaviour. However, this does not mean 

that his parents no longer continue to encourage, teach and advise him 

how to behave. Of course they do, and he should continue to respect 

them and follow their good advice and teaching. 

The boy is initiated into the ranks of the community by fulfilling two 

mitzvot which, as a minor, he was not obliged to do. These 

commandments are putting on tefillin during weekday morning prayers 

and being called up to perform the reading of the Law (the Torah scroll) 

in synagogue. The Bar Mitzvah boy will receive instruction in putting on 

tefillin, and in reading and singing a portion from the Five Books of 

Moses (the weekly sidra) and from the Prophets (the haftarah, a 

passage that has a similar theme to the weekly sidra). This involves a lot 

of practice. 

A Bar Mitzvah boy does not have to read his portion on a Saturday. After 

he has reached the age of thirteen years and a day he may be called up 

to read the Torah on a Monday or a Thursday, the two other days of the 

week when the Torah is read in synagogue, whichever is closest to his 

birthday. If he does this, he may be called up again on the following 

Shabbat. This is the boy’s first public reading of the Torah and is a 

celebratory family occasion. 

Most Bar Mitzvah celebrations take place on the Shabbat after the boy’s 

thirteenth birthday. Many friends and relatives will come to the 

synagogue to hear him. Several male relatives and friends will be 

honoured by being called to recite a blessing or participate in the 

service in some other way. The rabbi usually addresses the Bar Mitzvah 

boy in his sermon and congratulates him. 

Bar Mitzvah celebrations take place any time after the service and can 

take many forms, e.g. a meal or a party. Celebrations may be left till after 

Shabbat in keeping with the Shabbat laws, since, for example, playing a 

80 




musical instrument is not allowed on Shabbat. The Bar Mitzvah boy 

receives presents from his family and friends. It is important to 

understand that such a celebration, though memorable, is of secondary 

importance; boys become Bar Mitzvah whether they have a celebration 

or not. 

As a male adult, the Bar Mitzvah boy can now be counted as a member of 

the minyan which is required for public prayers; he is now obliged to 

fully observe the fast days; and he may be called up to the reading of the 

Torah in synagogue at any time. 

Bat Mitzvah 

Literally meaning a ‘daughter of the commandment’, Bat Mitzvah is a 

term given to a girl when she reaches Jewish adulthood and is a recent 

religious custom. Judaism accepts that girls mature earlier than boys and 

sets this at twelve years. This is when a girl reaches religious maturity 

and is responsible for observing the commandments. Though girls do 

not have required mitzvot to perform when they reach adulthood, they 

too are now obliged to fully observe the fast days. Whilst they can 

celebrate the day on which they attain personal responsibility in their 

faith, unlike boys who reach the age of thirteen and are expected to 

study and learn for their Bar Mitzvah, there is no such obligation for 

girls, though they may do so. 

There are various ways in which this can take place. The girl may speak 

about the sidra or the significance of the actual day, after the morning 

Shabbat service; or she may make a speech about a theme from the 

Torah on a Shabbat afternoon, to the congregation. This will display her 

knowledge of Judaism and is likely to be the product of attending 

special classes on Jewish Studies. Orthodox Judaism does not allow 

women to read the Torah or Haftarah, or to lead prayers. 

The rabbi may additionally address the Bat Mitzvah girl and congratulate 

her. The Bat Mitzvah girl will receive gifts from friends and family 

members. 

Bat Chayil 

Literally meaning a ‘daughter of worth’, a Bat Chayil (pr. ‘ch’ as in ‘loch’ 

– heye-eel) is an alternative to a Bat Mitzvah and is sometimes identical, 

the two terms being interchangeable. Whilst practices vary from 

community to community, this ceremony commonly takes place on a 

Sunday in the synagogue and the girl, or a group of girls, reads in 




Hebrew and English a passage of their choice. The rabbi addresses the 

girl or girls and the ceremony is usually followed by celebrations at 

home or in the communal synagogue hall. A Bat Chayil ceremony is 

commonly preceded by a course in Jewish Studies and recognises the 

girls’ graduation from this class. 

It is also a time for receiving gifts from friends and family members. 

Education 

It is important for Jews to learn to read Hebrew; inability to read 

Hebrew is a barrier to prayer and to following the services in synagogue. 

The Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah and Bat Chayil ceremonies involve young 

Jewish men and women in attaining a level of competence in Hebrew 

and Jewish Studies that will allow them to learn what the mitzvot are 

and how to carry them out. This is done by direct teaching in classes and 

indirectly by parents at home who create the appropriate Jewish 

environment. 

Adults are encouraged to continue with their study of Judaism to 

provide answers to questions which challenge the Jewish faith and its 

practices, and to understand the continued relevance of Judaism in the 

contemporary world. ‘He who does not increase his knowledge, 

decreases it’ (Ethics of the Fathers 1). 

82 




Activity 31 

Copy and complete the following table to show the many similarities and 

differences between Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Include the significance of 

education, family and the community in your answers. 

Similarities between Bar Mitzvah Differences between Bar Mitzvah 

and Bat Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah 


Bar/Bat Mitzvah: www.ahavat-israel.com/ahavat/torat/barmitzva.asp 



84 



APPENDIX 

Glossary 

APPENDIX 

Amidah: a silent prayer said when standing, a part of every service. The 

most common version contains eighteen benedictions concerning 

knowledge, repentance, health, prosperity, ingathering of exiles, 

justice, restoration of Jerusalem, acceptance of prayer, peace and so 

on 

Beth Din (pr. bet-deen): a rabbinic court that deals with matters of 

Jewish law 

Brit Milah: circumcision, the sign of the covenant 

Cantor: a singer who leads the congregation in prayer 

Challot (pr. ha-lot (‘ch’ as in ‘loch’)): the special plaited loaves of bread 

that are used for Shabbat and festivals 

Covenant: the agreement between God and Abraham which lies at the 

core of Judaism 

Haftarah: literal meaning is ‘conclusion’. A passage from the books of 

the Prophets with a theme that corresponds to the weekly sidra 

which is read at the end 

Halachah: collective term for Jewish law 

Havdalah: ceremony which brings Shabbat to an end and separates it 

from the new week 

Kashrut: the laws dealing with Jewish dietary regulations 

Kiddush (pr. key-doosh): blessing recited over wine at the start of 

Shabbat and festival meals 

Ma’ariv (pr. ma’ar-eev): evening service /prayers 

Machzor (pr. mach (‘ch’ as in ‘loch’)-zor): special prayer book for Jewish 

festivals. There is usually a separate volume for each festival 

Mashiach (pr. ma-shee-ach (‘ch’ as in ‘loch’)): anointed with oil like the 

kings of Israel. The Hebrew term for the Messiah 

Melachot (pr. me-lach-ot (‘ch as in ‘loch’)): works, the tasks that are 

forbidden on Shabbat 

Messiah: God’s anointed one – a future leader who will bring peace and 

harmony to the world 

Mezuzah (pr. mi-zoo-zah): small roll of parchment on which is written 

the Shema and two biblical passages concerning love for God and his 

precepts. It is enclosed in a metal or wooden case and fastened to 

the upper part of the doorpost on the right side of the entrance to 

each room 

Midrash: explanation; texts that elucidate the Torah by using stories or 

parables 



APPENDIX 

Minchah (pr. mean-ch-a (‘ch’ as in loch)): the afternoon service/prayers 

Minyan (pr. mean-yan): a quorum of ten males over the age of 13 

required before prayers can be said as a congregation 

Mishnah (pr. meesh-na): the first written version of the Oral Torah, 

compiled by Rabbi Judah the Prince, at the beginning of the third 

century 

Mishneh Torah: a compendium of Jewish law and ethics written by 

Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides) in the twelfth century 

Mitzvah (pr. meatz’va), pl: mitzvot: literal meaning: a commandment. 

It can also refer to any Jewish religious obligation, or more generally 

to any good deed 

Mussaf (pr. moo-saff): the additional service added on Shabbat and 

festivals 

Pentateuch: the Five Books of Moses 

Pesach/Passover: the festival of freedom celebrating the Exodus from 

Egypt 

Purim: the festival celebrating the deliverance of Persian Jews from an 

attempted massacre as told in the book of Esther 

Rabbi: scholar, teacher or minister who has achieved the required 

standard of knowledge 

Rosh Hashanah: the Jewish New Year 

Sefer Torah (pr. se-fer to-ra): the parchment scroll of the Torah (law) 

Shabbat (pr. sha-bat): the seventh day of the week, which is a day of 

rest 

Shacharit (pr. sha-ha-reet): the morning service/prayers 

Shavuot (pr. sha-voo-oht): the festival recalling the giving of the Torah 

and the harvest of the first fruits 

Shechitah (pr. sh’hee-tah): Jewish method of animal slaughter 

Shema (pr. sh’ma): principal statement of Jewish faith in one God 

Shofar (pr. show-far): ram’s horn which is blown on the Jewish New 

Year as a call to repentance 

Siddur (pr. see-door (‘oo’ as in ‘soon’)): a daily prayer book 

Sidra (pr. seed-ra): the weekly Torah portion, read in synagogue 

Simchat Torah: the festival of celebration when the annual cycle of 

readings from the Torah is completed and begins over again 

Sukkot (pr. soo-cot): the festival recalling the wandering of the Israelites 

in the wilderness after the Exodus 

Synagogue: Jewish house of prayer 

Tabernacle: an elaborate portable tent-like construction that served as a 

sanctuary when the Israelites were in the wilderness 

Tallit (pr. ta-leet): a prayer shawl with fringes worn by Jewish males 

Talmud (pr. tal-mood): the recorded discussions of the rabbis 

containing sayings, stories, teachings and legal arguments 

86 



APPENDIX 

Tanakh: the term for the Hebrew Bible, often referred to as the Old 

Testament 

Tashlich (pr. tash- leech (‘ch’ as in ‘loch’)): the symbolic throwing away 

of sins into a river or lake on the Jewish New Year 

Tefillin (pr. ti-feel-een): two leather boxes containing Biblical passages 

written on parchment scrolls (called phylacteries) that Jewish males 

over the age of thirteen wear at morning prayers during the week 

Teshuva (pr. t’shoov-a): repentance 

Tisha b’Av (pr. tee-sha bi-av): literal meaning: the 9th of Av. A fast day 

that commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples 

which were both destroyed on this day, and other tragedies that have 

befallen the Jewish people 

Torah: usually the Five Books of Moses, but can also refer to the whole 

body of Hebrew scriptures 

Yeshivah: an academy specialising in the study of Talmud 

Yom Kippur (pr. yom key-poor): the Day of Atonement, a fast day 



APPENDIX 

Further reading 

Birnbaum, Philip, Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts, Hebrew Publishing 

Company, 1991 

Epstein, Isidore, Judaism, Penguin, 1990 

Fishman, Isidore, Introduction to Judaism, Jewish Chronicle 

Publications, 1976 

Forta, Arye, Examining Religions: Judaism, Heinemann, 1995 

Pearl, Chaim and Brooks, Reuben, A Guide to Jewish Knowledge, Jewish 

Chronicle Publications, 1988 

Pilkington, C M, Judaism: An Approach for GCSE, Hodder and 

Stoughton, 1991 

Pilkington, C M, Judaism (Teach Yourself World Faiths), Hodder Arnold 

Teach Yourself, 2003 

Romain, Jonathan, Faith and Practice: A Guide to Reform Judaism 

Today, Reform Synagogues of Great Britain, 1991 

Turner, Reuben, Jewish Living, Jewish Chronicle Publications, 1982 

88 



Useful addresses 

J E Levingstone (for Judaica articles and books) 

55 Sinclair Drive 

Glasgow G42 9PT 

Tel: 0141 649 2962 

Lubavitch Scotland (for Judaica articles and books) 

8 Orchard Drive 

Giffnock 

Glasgow G46 7NR 

Tel: 0141 638 6116 

www.lubofscot.co.uk 

scotland@lubavitchuk.com 

APPENDIX 

The Glasgow Jewish Representative Council (arranges school visits to 

Giffnock and Newlands Synagogue) 

222 Fenwick Road 

Giffnock 

Glasgow G46 6UE 

Tel: 0141 577 8200 

Fax: 0141 577 8202 

www.j-scot.org/glwrep.htm 

jrepcouncil@aol.com 

Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation (Orthodox) 

4 Salisbury Road 

Edinburgh EH16 5AB 

Tel: 0131 667 3144 

e.h.cong@virgin.net 

Garnethill Synagogue (Orthodox) (arranges school visits) 

129 Hill Street 

Glasgow G3 6UB 

Tel: 0141 332 4151 

Fax: 01324 613750 

www.haruth.com/JewsUKGarnethill.html 

RMPS: WORLD RELIGIONS – JUDAISM (INT 2, H) 89

APPENDIX 

Giffnock and Newlands Hebrew Congregation (Orthodox) 

222 Fenwick Road 

Giffnock 

Glasgow G46 6UE 

Tel: 0141 577 8250 

Fax: 0141 577 8252 

www.giffnockshul.co.uk 

Glasgow New Synagogue (Reform) 

147 Ayr Road 

Newton Mearns 

Glasgow G77 6RE 

Tel: 0141 639 4083 

Fax: 0141 639 4249 

www.gns.org.uk 

shul@gns.org.uk 

Netherlee, Clarkston and Queen’s Park Synagogue (Orthodox) 

(arranges school visits) 

Clarkston Road 

Glasgow G44 

Tel: 0141 637 8206 

Fax: 0141 616 0743 

Newton Mearns Hebrew Congregation (Orthodox) 

14 Larchfield Court 

Newton Mearns 

Glasgow G77 5HB 

Tel: 0141 639 4000 

90

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