Judaism: God's Chosen People

Judaism is known as "the covenant between God and the people." The Covenant is an agreement made between God and the ancient Israelites through Abraham and then later Moses. When God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai he promised that if the Israelites kept the Covenant by obeying the Law, they would be God's "treasured possession." The Jews are God's Chosen People and must live righteously. Judaism places emphasis on group identity but now not all Jews are followers of the religion. Judaism is summarized as the "interpretation of the history of the Jewish people" and the "sanctification of life." The Torah is the Hebrew Bible which contains "God's revelation of the divine will to the Chosen People." Observant Jews consider God's name too holy

It is regarded as a sacred text and the starting point of the rabbinic study of the oral Torah. The Talmud is the next ring of interpretation and is based on the Mishnah. The Talmud provides a broader interpretation of God's will by blending together the oral and written forms of the Torah. The Talmud, however, is still being interpreted by modern Jews and this process is significant for the ongoing sanctification of life. The Jews were the descendants of the ancient Israelites, and during/after the time of the Exile they became known as Jews. They are an ethnic group that shares a common history and religion. History is greatly significant for Judaism because The Chosen People believe that history is "a record of God's will as manifested in the events of the world. " History is a means for measuring how adequately Jews have honored the Covenant. In 66 A.D, the Jewish war was initiated by Jews in Palestine to overcome their Roman rulers. The Jews lost and the Second Jerusalem Temple was also destroyed. But the Pharisees were able emerge from this event with their religious ways intact. With the compilation of the Talmud and Mishnah, classical Judaism was established and became the standard for

Reform Judaism agrees that as society changes, Judaism must adapt to it. Orthodox Judaism requires that life within society must always conform to the Torah; despite societal changes, Jewish life should not change. Conservative Judaism is a middle ground as it is open to change but requires strict observance of traditional Jewish practices.

For Jews, spiritual perfection is perfect observance because little emphasis is placed on theology. Torah defines ethical conduct and worship so all aspect of Jewish life are guided by these regulations. "The predominant form of daily worship is prayer." The home and the synagogue are locations for Jewish worship. The dinner table is considered the social/religious center of the home; all food is kosher. Synagogues are led by Rabbis who have mastered the sacred texts. The Sabbath is a day of rest, worship and celebration and it also the seventh day of creation. There are three important holy days: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover. Rosh Hashanah is the festival of the new year and a religious event. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement and emphasizes repentance through confession of sin. Passover "commemorates the Exodus of Jews from bondage in