$JES 911 Essence of World Religions Reference Book

Author(s): Pravin K Shah
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

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Essence of World Religions
Adherents There are about 14 million Jews worldwide; over half in the USA.
Goals The goal of Judaism lies in the strict obedience to God which can alleviate the plight of the individual and of society, bringing rewards in the future life when the Messiah will come to overthrow evil and reward the righteous in God's kingdom on earth, the Day of the Lord. The soul thereafter will enjoy God's presence and love forever.
Path of Attainment Man has two impulses; good and evil. He can either follow God's law or rebel and be influenced by Satan, who caused God's creation to go astray. To follow God's law is the highest morality, possible through obedience to the Torah, which pleases God. One must follow justice, charity, ethics and honesty, being true to the one true God, Yahweh. Judaism teaches that all people are created in God's image and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Synopsis The religion of the Jews is inseparable from their history as a people. By far the most profound characteristic of Judaism is its strict monotheism. The Jews hold an unshakable belief in one God and one God only, called Yahweh, from whom all creation flows. Jews typically do not refer to God as Yahweh. Much of the Torah traces the ancestry of Abraham through Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and finally to Moses, the foremost of God's prophets in Hebrew history. Moses gave Judaism the Ten Commandments and established the religious laws and traditions. Jews must also observe over 400 laws in addition to the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments for Worship and Conduct taken from Exodus 20:3:14:
You shall have no other gods besides Me. You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on earth
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