$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
below, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord, your God. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, wife, male or female slave, ox or his ass, or anything that is your
neighbor's. The first four commandments are on religious belief and worship; the other commandments are on proper conduct and relationships with others. The Jewish people consider themselves a chosen people apart from all the other people of the earth by virtue of their covenant with Yahweh (God). They do not believe that they were chosen for any special privileges but rather have the responsibility to bring God's message to humanity by living a good moral life and obeying the laws of the Torah. Much stress is placed on the hallowing of daily existence, worship in the synagogue, prayer and reading of the scriptures. religions can boast of such a close knit family tradition as Judaism, making the home a great strength to the religion and a constant refuge to the faithful. Each day, morning and evening, every devout Jew affirms his faith by repeating Moses' prayer, "Hear O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is One". Judaism has a system of law, known as Halachah, regulating civil and criminal justice, family relationships, personal ethics and manners, social responsibilities such as help to the needy, education, and community institutions as well as worship and other religious observances. Individual practices still widely observed include the dietary laws (Kosher); rules concerning marital relationship, daily prayer and
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