Identifying a Defining Theme Beyond Persecution in the Jewish Faith
A characteristic and perhaps the most fundamental feature of Judaism, taken from it by Christianity and Islam, is the unity of the ritual and moral codes. Even in the Ten Commandments, most injunctions are purely moral, while religious ultimata are formulated as a moral imperative; a violation of moral injunctions, a crime against one’s neighbor, is punished as severely as a crime against God (Wilson, 2021).
Illustration of the Theme in Antiquity (2500 BCE–500 CE)
The Ten Commandments, however, are one of the oldest attributes in the Jewish worship of God. They were created in the second century BC in the Papyrus Nesh, and their first part lists the Ten Commandments, and the rest contains the three parts of the Shema Yisrael (Wilson, 2021). There is no doubt that these fragments were used during prayer even before the rise of Christianity. It was dated to the times when the custom required the recitation of all four parts of the Shema.
Illustration of the Theme in the Middle Ages (500–1500 CE)
In the Middle Ages, Judaism transitioned from temple worship to prayer meetings in synagogues, led by rabbis, interpreters of the Torah, and the Talmud. As true connoisseurs of religious values, these people penetrated all spheres of public life: they became spiritual gurus of communities, entered religious courts, and began to teach religion (Messages of Christ, 2016). Their main teaching, however, was to expound the principles of morality. Rabbis noted that morality and God were inextricably linked, proving that morality and God’s connection is a foremost religious theme (Simpletorememer, 2016).
Illustration of the Theme in the Modern Era (1500–Present)
Modern Judaism is a religion that teaches about God’s creation of man in his image, God’s desire to help humanity, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. In Judaism, God is all-powerful and perfect, the source of justice, love, and goodness, both the creator of all things and the father of humanity. On the other hand, man is of absolute value as an immortal spiritual being created in the image and likeness of God. In this doctrine, the ideal purpose of man is regarded as the infinite and comprehensive improvement of the human spirit, by which we primarily mean moral values.
References
Messages of Christ. (2016). The Last Supper and the Passover Feast HD. [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Simpletorememer. (2016). The Mystery of the Jews. [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Wilson, M. R. (2021). Our Father Abraham: Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.