What is Judaism? Here is a brief synopsis of Judaism, its perceived problems of existence, its path and method of resolving problems, and its implicit values as a system.
Abram, whose name was changed by God to Abraham, is the founder of this rich and complex religious tradition, c. 1900-1600 B.C.E. Judaism is a religion that is deeply embedded in the history of a culture, evidenced not only in its continuity with the past, but in its literature, poetry, prophets, political leaders and teachings. From the beginning of its inception, Judaism has sought to distinguish itself as a religion obedient to the one true God in contradistinction to the various lesser idols, principalities and powers.
The traditional Jewish understanding of the human condition posits that man is estranged from God, and therefore lives in the moral and spiritual darkness of sin. The mythology behind this separation is played out in the first chapters of Genesis, when through disobedience the progenitors of the human race are cast out from paradise and subjects of God's wrathful curse. The estrangement of man from God results in suffering, alienation, lack of justice, murder and moral chaos. The task of salvation involves coming into a proper relationship with Yahweh through his covenanted people, the community of His elect, and in that context seek to worship him through good works, keeping the Law, and pleasing Him in all that one does.
Entrance into the elect people of God usually occurs during infancy, but there are adult converts as well. For men, this means being circumcized, which is a sign of the covenant God made with Israel, to set him apart as a nation and a holy people. On a moral level, Jews traditionally also seek to make the Law a part of one's inmost being, doing what is right in every situation, and expressing the love of God through charity, or striving for social justice and peace. Jews have historically seemed to emphasize the value of the works that one does, the existential deed, above and beyond the abstract system of what one believes, or the creed. Most modern Jews view all of life as sacred, so that the duty of every Jew is to imitate God in all his actions, thoughts, words, motives and in his use of time. This act of imitation is a way of sanctifying oneself, rather than acting in accordance with the lower passions of a fallen human nature, and is therefore contingent more on the experiential aspect of how one lives his life than on the abstract aspect of what one merely believes.
There are four basic branches of Judaism, including Orthodox Jews, which are divided into two categories: those who are Orthodox and traditional in belief, and the Hasidic, which is a particular, more mystical sect. The second branch is the Conservative Jew, the third the Moderate and the fourth the Liberal/Enlightened Jew, who follows rationalistic contemporary values in light of his heritage, rather than the traditional religious ones.
Judaism generally affirms the relevancy of social harmony and justice, the existence of free-will, the centrality of the human being in the universe, the implicit sacredness of life as the good creation of Yahweh, the realization of human progress and the ethical injunction to contribute to society in a positive and productive manner.
