judaism

Judaism is monotheistic religion. Jews believe in one, omnipresent God, who created and continues to govern the universe. It is the foundation religion of both Islam and Christianity, and its primary sacred text is the Tanakh ("Old Testament" or "Hebrew Bible"). However, unlike Christianity and Islam, Jews believe that the messiah is yet to come. Modern Judaism is divided into several sects, with no central governing authority. These sects vary greatly in their practices and observances, and the most common are Orthodox (very traditional), Reform (very liberal), and Conservative (somewhere in between).

Judaism is an ancient religion, dating to apoximately 2000 BCE, according to tradition, when God (YHVH) made a covenant with Abraham, which identified his tribe as the chosen people. Abraham is viewed as one of the three patriarchs of Judaism, along with Jacob and Moses. Each patriarch confirmed the covenant with YHVH; however, Moses is considered to be the most important, who sealed his covenant with the revelation of the 10 commandments at Mt. Sinai, and is credited with writing the first five books of the Tanakh (Torah, lit. law of Moses): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deutoronomy. The Torah describes the early history of the Israelite tribe, and defines YHVH's laws for the chosen people.

Judaism has no central governing body, no catechism, and the Shema is the only universally accepted daily prayer. Perhaps the only universal belief in Judaism is the belief in one, omniscient, indivisible God.The division of God, such as in the Trinity of Christianity, and polytheism are both considered heretical. Another widely accepted belief includes the divinity of both the Written Torah (Tanakh), and the Oral Torah, which are oral traditions outlined in the texts of the Talmud and the Mishrahim.

The practices of Judaism vary widely among the differenct sects of Judaism. However, there are a few historically standard practices. The concept of adherence to "Mitzvah" or divine commandments, is seen as an integreal part of daily life. According to tradition, there are 613 Mitzvah, 10 which are univeral for all people as outlined in the 10 commandments, and 603 especially for Jews. These commandments can be found in various places such as the priestly codes in the Torah, and the Talmud and Mishra. Some of the most important mitzvah include the Shema, Circumcision, Shabbat (observance of the Sabbath), Kashrut (Kosher Guidelines), and emmersion in a Mikvah (Ritual Baths and conversion).

Judaism is a life-centered religion, and its sacred texts say almost nothing about the afterlife. There are no definate illustrations of a "heaven" or a "hell" as most people think of them, and there are very few illusions to the world to come. Various Jewish thinkers have proposed re-incarnation, the proverbial better place, and ressurection of the dead in the messianic age. Most modern Jews (with the exclusion of Reform Jews) believe in ressurection and a Judgement Day.