Investigative Report Summary: Judaism Term Paper

I am a Muslim by faith and follow Islam as my religion. As I was curious about another Abrahamic religion i.e. Judaism, I decided to visit a rabbi and interviewed him regarding his faith. A rabbi is, in fact, a grown-up male who enjoys a very sacred position in the Jewish community as no other male can perform rituals other than him. He acts as a mentor for the Jews (and for anyone who is interested to know about the religion).The interview was an exceptionally informative experience for me as the rabbi informed me regarding a number of things related to Judaism that were not in my knowledge before. Due to this enlightening and helpful experience, I have now possessed valuable information about the history, festivals, rituals, beliefs, practices and ethics in Judaism.
After arranging a meeting with the community priest (Rabbi), I went over and asked him several questions regarding his experience as a Rabbi. I also questioned him about the traditions, holidays, practices and challenges that are faced by Judaism and Jewish people in the contemporary world. It was an enlightening incident as I got detailed answers from him. He told me that he had acquired formal education (like every rabbi) Jewish law i.e. Halakhah. His duties were to give instructions to the community, provide detailed and appropriate answers to all their queries and to straighten out any difference of opinion or clashes pertaining to the laws of Judaism. He also showed me his semikhah. He told me that semikhah is a document in black and white that is given to a rabbi after the completion of the study course that is necessary. After getting this document, a rabbi is authorized to settle conflicts regarding Jewish law and make appropriate decisions.
He also informed about his duty as the spiritual leader of the Jews. He told me that his duties include the preaching to the community, leading of religious services of the Jewish community and handling a number of matters related to the administration of the synagogue i.e. the holy worship place of Jews. Then, he made me know about the following facts about Judaism.
Judaism is ranked as one of the top ten most renowned religions on the planet. The Jews who are its followers are found throughout the world. Israel is the major country where the majority of the population follows Judaism. In other countries of the world, Jews are living as a marginal group. The other two countries where a majority of Jewish people live are United States and France. There are three Abrahamic religions and Judaism is one of them; the other two being Christianity and Islam. Abrahamic religions are, in fact, those religions in which Prophet Abraham is considered as the predecessor and patriarch of the followers. Judaism believes in monotheism which means that Jews have firm belief in the oneness of God who is popularized as Yahweh and Jehovah in Judaism. Thus, just like Muslims, Jews do not approve in the multiplicity of God and believe that there is only one deity who is Supreme and Omnipotent. They firmly believe that everything in the universe is under the command of One God who was, is and will always be present.
He also told me about the origin and history of Judaism and Jews and regarded them as inseparable. He referred to the Jewish history and informed me that it was God himself who, through a contract, created an interminable affiliation with the Jews. According to Jewish belief, the connection between Jews and God was because of Prophet Abraham and Prophet Moses who were the connectors. God chose Abraham as the father of followers of Judaism. In this contemporary era too, Jews firmly accept it as true that they are chosen by God as his favorite people. They also believe that God has selected them as a role model for the human race and they must be followed by everyone.
The rabbi also gave a detailed answer when I asked him about the Holy Texts of Judaism. I was already known that the Jews follow Torah as the main and most important religious document. However, I did not know that it consists of six hundred and thirteen instructions for Jews to follow as religious laws. These instructions are renowned as Mitzvot. Torah also contains the Five Books of Moses i.e. Deuteronomy, Exodus, Genesis, Leviticus and Numbers. Other sacred holy texts are the Nevi’im – of the prophets which are present in the scriptures of Jews.
When I asked him about the various kinds of Judaism, the rabbi once again gave me a comprehensive reply. I was told that Judaism has a number of branches that Jews throughout the world follow according to their own understanding. The four important branches of Judaism are Orthodox Judaism, Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism. Orthodox Jews give preference to follow whatever is contained in Torah in all circumstances. They consider Torah to be the divine text whose commandments must be followed. They are very adamant and resolute against any amendment or modification in the text of Torah considering it the word of One God. Conservative Jews have a strong belief that it is mandatory for Jews all Torah’s rules and principles. However, this Jewish sect act upon the commandments of Torah in a very contemporary manner and in a way that suits them most. They show real concern and worry about their descendants’ future.
Reformist Jews, on the other hand, unbendingly believe that there is room for modification and development in Judaism from time to time. They think so because of their commitment towards modern and innovative concepts and discriminating originality. Being the followers of modernism, reformist Jews do not tend to follow the conventional laws and traditions of Judaism. Instead, they favor alteration in the religious commandments according to the contemporary world’s demands and problems. This is the reason why they consider it essential to search for solutions and laws that may turn out to be appropriate for the modern times. According to them, it is not necessary and sufficient at the same time to just follow whatever is commanded in Torah. This is why they consider it as correct to change or modify the Torah commandments according to the need of the time. Reconstructionist Jews do not believe in Jews being the favorite people of God. Nevertheless, their admiration and reverence for both old traditions and contemporary lifestyle is great. According to them, it is an obligation for every Jew to involve him/her in building future of the Jews. Moreover, this sect greatly emphasizes on the moral principles and values of people and their significance.
The rabbi also gave me valuable information regarding various customs and practices that are fundamental for the followers of Judaism. Every family that follows Judaism follows the tradition of male babies’ circumcision. They also regard boys who reach the age of thirteen as the full member of the Jewish circle. They call this tradition as Barmitzvah. Jews also follow dietary prohibitions in a very strict manner. There is a box (mezuzah) in every Jewish house that contains a copy of the Shema inside it. Shema is the most imperative Jewish prayer. A Jewish child is made to learn this prayer as the first prayer. When I asked about holidays, I was told that Hanukkah (The Festival of Lights), Pesach (Passover), Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Shabbat, Sukkot (Festival of Booths) and Yom Kippur (The Days of Awe) are important holidays of Jews. When I asked him about the forbidden activities in his religion, he gave me various examples like theft/burglary, eating of sacred foodstuff, killing, working instead of resting on Shabbat etc. As far as children are concerned, they do not have any different practices and just like adult Jews, they also have to follow the commandments and instructions in as given in Torah.
I also inquired about the challenges that Jews face. He replied that the Jews are required to follow laws regarding diet in a very strict manner. There are a number of animals and birds that are not allowed to be eaten in Judaism. They need a “kosher” certification for their foods. Another challenge and also a big one is of Shabbath when it is not allowed for the followers to involve themselves in any other activity with the exception of reading. The women who follow Judaism are challenged by the rules of “Niddah” (a practice) in which it is not allowed for a woman whose menstruation cycle has started to involve in sexual intercourse. Now-a-days, Jews are facing an anti-Semitic attitude as a majority of people disregard and dislike them due to their origin, culture and traditional values.
In the end, he said that he was very grateful to God who chose him as a priest and enabled him to teach Judaism and its practices and values. He regarded himself a lucky man who was given the chance to facilitate people who want to understand the religion and practice it with the depth of their hearts. I had to agree with him that Judaism teaches a person a lot of lessons and I could not be any happier that I got the chance to learn about this wonderful religion.