Judaism

On the Golden Rule . . .

“Love your neighbor as yourself; bear a grudge against no man. Whatever you hate, do to no man.”

— Leviticus 19:18

JUDAISM — An Overview

Inception: Moses 1500-1350 BCE
Adherents: 14 Million [EBI Estimate]
Primary Value Proposition: Ethical Monotheism

The Word of (about and/or attributed to) God:

• The Lord, he is God; there is none beside him in heaven above or upon the earth beneath. Therefore shall you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
• The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork.
• He knows the number of the stars; he calls them all by their names.
• God reveals the deep and secret things because the light dwells with him.
• His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.
• God is our Father. Love your brother, for the Lord has said: ‘I will love my children freely.’
• The Lord is near all who call upon him in sincerity and in truth.
• God is the health of my countenance and the joy of my soul.
• The path of the just is as a shining light which shines more and more until the perfect day. They who are wise shall shine as thebrightness of the firmament and they who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
• Core Beliefs: Judaism begins with an ethical monotheism: the belief that God is one, and concerned with the actions of humankind. Micah’s summary of religious duty is “to do justly, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with thy God.” God is portrayed through progressive revelation as unitary and solitary; consequently, the Hebrew God’s principal relationships are not with other gods, but with the world, and more specifically, with the people He created.He commanded the nation of Israel to love and worship only one God. He also commanded the Jewish people to love one another; that is, Jews are to imitate God’s love for people. These commandments are but two of a large corpus of commandments and laws that constitute this covenant, which is the substance of Judaism.Jewish ethical practice is typically understood to be marked by values such as justice, truth, peace, loving-kindness, compassion, humility, and self-respect. Jews practice charity and refraining from negative speech.They are widely respected for their love of scholarly learning and yet, Baal Shem Tov taught that God is not found in the Talmud, the Bible or the libraries, but in simple heartfelt faith.