# 17 JAIN BBS and E-MAIL BULLETIN --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Computer-Based Jain Education and Information Service Jain Study Center of North Carolina (Raleigh) 401 Farmstead Dr. Cary, NC 27511-5631 and Federation of JAINA General Editor : Pravin Shah 919-469-0956 Jain E-mail Bulletins Subscription : Email Request to varia@sunsite.unc.edu Jain Database on Internet : Mahesh Varia at varia@sunsite.unc.edu Jainism questions, email to : Pravin Shah at enhb34a@prodigy.com Jain BBS direct modem connection : 919-469-0207 (free membership/access) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- hdr:rev:6/96 Compiled by Pravin Shah Jain Study Center of North Carolina Raleigh =================================== Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 18:31:28 -0500 (EST) > JUDAISM: > > Founded: > Judaism began about 3,700 years ago in Canaan, now Palestine and > Jordan. > > Founder: > Abraham is the father of the Hebrew people (Jews). God established > His covenant with Moses who emancipated the enslaved Jewish tribes > from Egypt. > > Sects: > Jews are divided into Orthodox, Conservative and Reform sects with > other regional and ethnic divisions. > > Major Scriptures: > The basic source of Jewish belief is the Hebrew Bible (called the "Old > Testament" by Christians), especially its first five books, called the > Torah or the Pentateuch. The Torah was traditionally regarded as the > primary revelation of God and his law to humanity; it is considered as > valid for all time. Its laws were clarified and elaborated in the > oral Torah, or the tradition of the elders, and were eventually > written down in the Mishnah and Talmud. Jewish literature on legal, > ethical, philosophic, mystical, and devotional is virtually endless. > > Adherents: > About 14 million worldwide; over half in the U.S. > > 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 the 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. > > 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, whom they call Yahweh, from whom all creation flows. > > 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. It was Moses who gave Judaism the Ten Commandments and > established the religious laws and traditions. > > The Ten Commandments for Worship and Conduct taken from Exodus > 2O: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 the earth 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 conduct and proper relationship with the > Creator. > > The Jewish people consider themselves a chosen people apart from all > the other peoples of the earth by virtue of their covenant with > Yahweh. They do not believe that they were chosen for any special > privileges but rather to bring God's message to humanity by their > example. > > Much stress is placed on the hallowing of daily existence, worship in > the synagogue, prayer and reading of the scriptures. Few 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. > > Some elements of Persian religion were incorporated into Judaism: a > more elaborate doctrine of Angels; the figure of Satan; and a system > of beliefs concerning the end of time, including a predetermined > scheme of world history, a final judgment, and the Resurrection of the > dead. These ideas were expounded in many visionary documents called > apocalypses; none of them were included in the Hebrew Bible except in > the Book of Daniel. > > Individual practices still widely observed include the dietary laws > (Kosher); rules concerning the marital relationship, daily prayer, and > study; and the recital of many blessings, especially before and after > meals. The Sabbath and festivals are observed both in the home and in > the Synagogue, a unique institution for prayer and instruction that > became the model for the church in Christianity and for the mosque in > Islam. > > The Sabbath, from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, is observed by > refraining from work and by attending a synagogue service. Friday > evening is marked in the home by the lighting of a lamp or candles by > the woman of the household, the recital of the Kiddush (a ceremonial > blessing affirming the sanctity of the day) over a cup of wine, and > the blessing of children by parents. The end of the Sabbath is marked > by parallel ceremonies called Havdalah. Similar home ceremonies occur > on the other festivals. > > The holidays prescribed in the Torah are the two "days of awe," Rosh > Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and three > joyous festivals, Passover, Shavuoth (Feast of Weeks), and the Feast > of Tabernacles. Later additions are the festive occasions of Chanukah > and Purim, and the fast of the Ninth of Av (Tishah be-Av), > commemorating the destruction of the Temple. > > The Jewish religious calendar, of Babylonian origin, consists of 12 > lunar months, amounting to about 354 days. Six times in a 19 year > cycle a 13th month is added to adjust the calendar to the solar year. > The day is reckoned from sunset to sunset. > > > Beliefs: > > In the One God and Creator who is incorporeal and transcendent, beyond > the limitation of form yet who cares for the world and its creatures, > rewarding the good and punishing the evil. > > In the Prophets of which Moses was God's foremost, and the Ten > Commandments revealed to him by God on Mount Sinai as man's highest > law. > > In the Torah as God's word and scripture, composed of the five Old > Testament books. They are God's only immutable law. > > That upon death the soul goes to Heaven (or to Hell first if it has > been sinful), that one day the Messiah will appear on earth and there > will be a Day of Judgement, and the dead shall physically arise to > Life Everlasting. > > That the universe is not eternal but was created by and will be > destroyed by God. > > That no priest should intervene in the relationship of man and God, > nor should God be represented in any form, nor should any being be > worshipped other than the One God, Yahweh. > > In man's spiritualization through adherence to the Law, justice, > charity, and honesty. > > That God has established a unique spiritual covenant with the Hebrew > people to uphold for mankind the highest standards of monotheism and > piety. > > In the duty of the family to make the home a House of God through > devotions and ritual, prayers, sacred festivals, and observation of > the Holy Days. > ============================================================================= > The following Articles were sent to our E-mail readers. > If you are a new member and would like to receive any of the > articles, please send E-mail to Dr. Mahesh Varia > > No Date E-Mail Article > > 01 03/22/94 Mahavir Jayanti and Jain Prayer > 02 04/06/94 Concept of God in Jainism > 03 04/26/94 Acharya Sushil Muni's Life and Mission > 04 04/26/94 Excerpts from Acharya Sushil Muni's speeches > 05 05/16/94 Jainism (Comparative Religion) > 06 05/31/94 Buddhism (Comparative Religion) > 07 06/13/94 Virchand R. Gandhi (Life and Mission) > 08 07/11/94 Christianity (Comparative Religion) > 09 08/02/94 Taoism (Comparative Religion) > 10 08/24/94 Hinduism (Comparative Religion) > 11 09/27/94 Confucianism (Comparative Religion) > 12 10/23/94 Five Great Vows of Jainism > 13 11/10/94 Jain Path of Liberation > 14 12/01/94 Jain Agam Literature - Part I > 15 12/14/94 Jain Agam Literature - Part II > 16 01/12/95 Jain Agam Literature - Part III > 17 01/28/95 Judaism (Comparative Religion) ==============================================================================