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Religious Belief » Judaism » Beliefs BeliefsJews believe in one God, the creator and absolute ruler of the universe who has a special relationship or Covenant with the Jewish people based upon the promise made to Abraham: 'I will be your God and you will be my people' The first five books of the Hebrew Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, known as the Torah - were revealed to Moses by God. The Ten Commandments, found in the book of Exodus, form the main rules by which Jews live their lives. Other books which, along with the Torah, comprise the Jewish scriptures are gathered into collections known as the Prophets and the Writings. Jews also study other traditional teachings, collected over many centuries. Jews recognise a further 603 commandments, as taught by the ancient rabbis, which are used as guidance for life. Keeping to the Sabbath is very important to observing Jews, and their distinctive dietary laws (kosher) forbid the use of certain foods or combinations of food. Judaism was originally the religion of the Hebrew tribes but the tribulations of history, including the Holocaust, have seen the Jews scattered throughout the world. For many Jews, the modern state of Israel is at the centre of their religion and they will travel there to visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem, an important symbol of their faith. The main forms of Judaism are known as Orthodox, Reform and Progressive and each has their own tradition. There are currently around 18 million Jews throughout the world, mainly concentrated in North America (about 7 million) and Israel (4.5 million). |
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