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THE ROAR LEARNING GUIDE SERIES

Sto. Niño Academy of Bamban, Inc.
Rizal Ave., San Nicolas, Bamban, Tarlac

Learning Guide No. 3 Lesson Title: Judaism: Origins/ Sacred Texts/

Subject: Introduction to World Religions and Belief Creed/ Code/ Cult
System_ Grade Level: 12
Coverage: Week Three

Name: _________________________________________ Section: ____________________________

“Do not confuse the forest for the trees.”

I. Prayer
Almighty God, creator of all things visible and invisible, source of all goodness and love.
Light the darkness of our understanding,
Give us a keen memory to grasp things correctly,
Be with us at the start of our work,
Guide its progress and bring it to completion. Amen.

II. Objectives
a. Content Standard: Demonstrates understanding of the elements of Judaism: Founders, Sacred Texts,
Doctrines, God, Sects, Issues

b. Performance Standard: Identifies a story from the Old Testament that demonstrates the Jewish
belief in one God

c. Formation Standard: Justify the core teaching of Judaism is the covenant of one God with a chosen
people vs. other people with many gods.

III. Meaning-making / Method

In this section, we shall examine the origins and sacred texts of Judaism. We shall begin with a
short historical account of the terms “Judaism” and “Jews.” This is intended to clarify how we shall
use these terms in our discussion. After which, we shall trace the history of Judaism and briefly
discuss the central events in the lives of Abraham and Moses. Lastly, we shall examine the different
sacred texts of Judaism, the primary and secondary ones, and the various books that constitute the
Hebrew Bible.

IV. Most Essential Learning Competencies

 Identify a story from the Old Testament that demonstrates the Jewish belief in one God

V. Activities / To-do list

Beginnings
(Refer to pages 175-195 for the discussion)

The very idea that history is not cyclical but a linear process, with a beginning, middle, and end, has its
roots in the people of Israel. The followers of Judaism (literally, Judah-ism) are called Jews. Based on a recent
estimate by Deming (2015, 270-71), there are about 14 million Jews in the world.
The terms “Judaism” and “Jew” were derived from the word Judah, which was the name of the fourth of
the 12 sons of Jacob. Originally, the term “Jews” (“Yehudi,” in Hebrew) thus referred to the members of the
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tribe of Judah. But later on, the tribe of Judah, along with some other tribes (those of Benjamin and Levi,
brothers of Judah), became part of the Kingdom of Judah when the Kingdom of Israel was split into the
Northern Kingdom, which became the Kingdom of Israel, and the Southern Kingdom, which became the
Kingdom of Judah. The Kingdom of Israel was later on conquered by Assyria (in 721 BCE) and the 10 tribes
constituting it were exiled from the land. They dispersed and were consequently assimilated by other peoples.
The Kingdom of Judah, whose tribes traced their lineage to Israel, was left (though after a century and a half
this kingdom was conquered by the Babylonians). In any case, from then on, the term “Jews” was used to refer
to the members of the Kingdom of Judah, and no longer just to the specific tribe of Judah.
Jews are also called Hebrews and Israelites.
Two persons are considered founders of Judaism, Abraham (2000 BCE) and Moses (1391-1271 BCE).
Torah, sacred text of Judaism.
The story of Abraham (Refer to Old Testament: Genesis Chapter 12-25)
The story of Isaac and Jacob (Refer to Old Testament: Genesis Chapter 25-35)
The story of Moses (Refer to Old Testament: Exodus Chapter 2-20)
After Moses died, Joshua led the new generation to enter Canaan.

Sacred Texts
The sacred writings of the Jews are divided into the primary (or foundational) and the supplementary
ones. The primary ones are those found in the Hebrew Bible (or Hebrew Scriptures), known in Hebrew as the
Tanakh (or Tanak). The supplementary ones are called the Talmud (which contains the Mishnah and Gemara)
and Midrash. The particular books of the Hebrew Bible are classified into three groups:
(1) The Torah (The Teachings), The name Tanakh is actually an acronym for
(2) Nevi’im (The Prophets), and these three particular books.
(3) Kethuvim (The Writings)

The word Torah means “teachings and instructions.” The Torah is the set of laws that God gave to Moses
on Mount Sinai.

The Nevi’im consists of materials from what are called former prophets (or major prophets) and latter
prophets (or minor prophets). There are in total 22 books comprising the Nevi’im. Each book is named after its
respective prophet.

The Kethuvim consists of materials that are generally based on human knowledge and experiences, some of
which reflect Greek, Persian, and Egyptian influences that greatly influenced the Israelites.

As noted above, the Talmud is a set of books consisting of the Mishnah and Gemara, which are
commentative and interpretative writings.
The Midrash examines the nonliteral meanings of the Tanakh. Midrash writings are ordered around the
layout of the Tanakh.

The basic doctrines and practices of Judaism are mainly defined by the Torah, which contains the
commandments Moses received from God on Mount Sinai.
The Jewish belief in an afterlife is called Olam Ha-Ba, translated as “The World to Come.”
Jewish males observe three daily prayer services during the day—in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
The Sabbath occurs every sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday.
On the eighth day after their birth, male infants are circumcised, which signals their entry into the covenant
between God and their Jewish patriarchs.

Understanding of God
In the sacred texts, of Judaism, the God of Israel was referred to in various ways. Sometimes, God was
just “God”, or in Hebrew Elohim. El is the common name for a god in Semitic language.
God is infinite and utterly beyond human understanding and imagination.
On other occasions, the God of Israel is referred to by his personal name, YHWH, as revealed to the
patriarch Moses in Exodus 3:14. In some versions, it is rendered as Yahweh and in others, the Lord.
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In Jewish tradition since before the first century CE, to guard the holiness of God’s name, the Hebrew
word Adonai (“the Lord”) is substituted for YHWH during the reading of the Bible.

Basic Doctrine
(Refer to pages 175-195 for the discussion)
The basic doctrines and practices of Judaism are mainly defined by the Torah, which contains the
commandments Moses received from God on Mount Sinai.
The Jews, however, believe that the rules or commandments, or mitzvoth in Hebrew, that God revealed
to Moses are much more than these 10 rules.
Accordingly, what the Jews refer to when they speak of the “Mosaic Law” or the “Law of Moses” are
not just the Ten Commandments but the entire 613 mitzvot. The 613 mitzvot were identified and itemized by
the Jewish philosopher and rabbi and Torah scholar Moses Maimonides (1135-1204).

The Thirteen Principles of Faith

1. God exists.
2. God is one and there is nothing else like him.
3. God is spiritual in nature; he does not have corporeal aspects (physical form).
4. God is an everlasting God, without beginning or end.
5. God alone is the appropriate object of worship and prayer.
6. The Hebrew prophets spoke the truth from God.
7. Moses was the greatest of God’s prophets.
8. God gave Moses both the Written and Oral Torah.
9. There is and will be no other Torah other than the one revealed to Moses.
10. God is aware of every thought and action of human beings.
11. The righteous will receive a reward from God; he will punish the wicked.
12. The promised Messiah will come at the proper time.
13. All human beings who have ever lived will be raised from the dead.

Monotheism
Thus, the Jews believe that there is only one God, the creator of the world and the author of the divine laws,
both written and oral, which were given to Moses.

RITUALS AND MAJOR FESTIVALS

 The Sabbath Day (Shabbat)
 Circumcision and Rite of Passage

SOME MAJOR CHALLENGES

 Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust

Activity #1
1. What is it about Judaism that I found inspiring? Why did I find beautiful?
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Activity #2
The core teaching of Judaism is the covenant of one God with a chosen people, and the Hebrew Scriptures is
filled with stories that demonstrates the Jewish belief in one God. Choose and identify one of these stories (from
the Old Testament), then answer following questions:

1. Read the story. Pay attention to the following details:

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a. What is the situation that moved the character/s to profess or display their belief in God?
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b. How does this faith in one God benefit the character/s?

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VI. Suggested Resources

 Manaloto, Christian B., Rapadas, Maria Teresita R., “Pilgrimage to Sacred Spaces: An Introduction to
World Religions”, 2016

VII. Parent’s/Guardian’s Comments and Suggestions

VIII. Teacher’s Feedback

Prepared by: Noted by:

________________________ __________________________
LUIGI CHRISTIAN R. BRACAMONTE RONALD D. DAVID
Subject Teacher OIC – Office of the Principal