RELI 216 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Rabbinic Judaism, Oral Torah, Jewish Holidays

• School: Concordia University
• Department: Religion
• Course: RELI 216
• Professor: Howard Joseph

Document Summary

Judaism claims to be the oldest biblical faith; practiced by jews, they see themselves as direct descendents of the biblical ancestors. 20th century philosopher called it the star of redemption it"s a self (cid:272)o(cid:374)tai(cid:374)ed s(cid:455)ste(cid:373) e(cid:454)pressi(cid:374)g god"s hope for hu(cid:373)a(cid:374)it(cid:455). Hu(cid:373)a(cid:374)s (cid:272)o(cid:374)(cid:374)e(cid:272)t to god through a(cid:449)are(cid:374)ess of their creatureliness, the study of revelation, and the performance of good deeds leading to redemption. In traditional judaism, torah study is the study of revelation. Not only is it a way of gaining i(cid:374)for(cid:373)atio(cid:374), (cid:271)ut also a (cid:449)a(cid:455) to u(cid:374)dersta(cid:374)d god"s (cid:448)ie(cid:449) of (cid:449)hat the (cid:449)orld should (cid:271)e. The torah is a religious experience between god and a believer, which develops a sense of (cid:272)lose(cid:374)ess. God addresses the i(cid:374)di(cid:448)idual a(cid:374)d the (cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:373)u(cid:374)it(cid:455) through the words of the torah. The study of the written torah, over the years, gave birth to interpretations, explanations and applications of laws by successive generations of sages & rabbis.