yahoo post #10

Write a general overview/summary of Judaism as presented in chapter seven of your text.
According to Huston Smith, Judaism is a religion that sought meaning and whilst on that search they ultimately found meaning in God, creation, human existence, history, morality, justice, suffering, and messianism.

Judaism found meaning in God in that the Hebrews understood God to be the "Supreme Being." The Hebrew God proved to be meaningful because it was not "prosaic, chaotic, amoral, or hostile." The Hebrew God proved not to be prosaic because the Jews viewed it as a person, it was personified. The Hebrew God proved not to be chaotic because the Jews believed that their God transcended nature, which was chaotic. The Jews believed nature was created by their God, therefore, their God ruled nature. Also, the Hebrew God gave meaning to their life. It was a constant and this provided stability during the most turbulent of times. The Hebrew God proved not to be amoral and hostile because it did not pursue mortal women for sport as the gods of Greece had done and it did not distance itself from humans or act as if humans didn’t matter as the gods of Mesopotamia had done. The Hebrew God was moral and just and very much interested in the lives of humans, to which they would exult, "Who is like you among the gods, O Yahweh?"

Judaism found meaning in creation in that where others thought life to be a curse, the Jews believed it to be a blessing. The Jews accepted all of life’s obstacles, all of life’s trials and tribulations because they believed it to be part of God’s will and if God willed it, then it couldn’t be bad. God knew better than they so whatever they had to endure must be for the good of the people. Life and all that it had to offer were not just good, it was "very" good and it was there for the taking. Their thoughts on creation would also carry over to the afterlife. If God created everything, including the human body which houses the soul, then, the human body must be good, therefore, it must have a purpose here and the hereafter. Thus, even in death the creation continues in that the body is resurrected in the hereafter.

Judaism found meaning in human existence in that they never lost sight of man’s capabilities. They were well aware of the eternal struggle man would endure. The potential for moral weakness and transgression was always there but the potential for moral strength and affirmation was always there, as well. But for the Jews, the struggle appeared to weigh heavy because of they understood that man has failed in his freedom. Man has failed in that his choices were not the choices in which God had intended and hoped for and in turn, those choices distanced man from God due to guilt. Yet, in spite of man’s missteps, God never turned his back on his creation. The Hebrew God, therefore, was a loving God and they were his children.

Judaism found meaning in history in that it gave meaning to their life as people. History is important because the Jews believed that an understanding of how one lives their life, gives one the knowledge as to why certain problems arose or how certain opportunities were made available, and why one is where one is at in this stage in life. They saw the importance of taking meaning from one’s life. Second, the Jews believed the understanding of one’s personal history gives way to the fact that one person cannot always go at it alone, they will need help at some point; that the world is what it is because of the collective action of people, not a single person Third, the Jews believed everything happens for a reason, that there is no such thing as an accident in this world. God was the one who presented the problems and opened the doors of opportunity for all. God fashioned obstacles to be overcome. God fashioned all trails and tribulations as a way for spiritual growth. Whatever one encountered, it was purposely put there by God as a way to learn a lesson God intended you to learn. Finally, the Jews understood that there are instances in life that can never be relived. That when opportunity presents itself, one must act decisively. It is decisive action is what can make or break a man and a people. It is decisive action that will resonate throughout the ages. For the Jews, God was decisive when he acted on there behalf during critical points in their history and they were decisive as a people when they heeded God’s calling to be the "chosen people." Which is why they, more than any other peoples, have"singled themselves out for responsibilities rather than privileges." He chose them "to serve , and to suffer the trials that service would often exact." God chose the Jews for a reason.

Judaism found meaning in morality in that it determined how one should interact with others. Considering that man is a social animal in that he needs others to be human, he also acts out like an animal while around others. Morality bridges this divide. The Jews compiled 613 commandments that they thought were necessary to live an orderly and social existence. The Ten Commandments targeted "four principal danger zones..., which are force, wealth, sex, and speech." In regards to force, killing within the group will only promote blood feuds which in turn divides the community, therefore, "thou shalt not murder." In regards to wealth, to accumulate and amass wealth is fine, so long as you do not steal. Stealing from others will only generate resentment and ill-feelings that potentially can spin out of control, therefore, "thou shalt not steal." In regards to sex, any sex is fine so long as you don’t have sex with someone else’s husband or wife. Having sex with someone whom is married is taboo and strictly forbidden, therefore, "thou shalt not commit adultery." Finally, in regards to speech, say what you must but never lie while under oath, therefore, "thou shalt not bear false witness."

Judaism found meaning in justice in that their prophets understood that responsibility was not just on the individual but more so on society and that society will be judged "on the justice of its social order." Justice arrived via three stages of prophethood: the Prophetic Guilds, the Individual Pre-Writing Prohpets, and the Writing Prophets. In regards to the Prophetic Guilds, prophecy was a group venture. Groups of individuals would "lose their self-consciousness in a collective sea of divine intoxication." The loss of self-consciousness convinced both the practitioner and spectator that they were tapping into the divine. In regards to the Individual Pre-Writing Prophets, individual personalities emerged. It is during this stage of prophethood that prophecy became an individual act and God used the individual as a conduit to share his concerns and revelations. In regards to the Writing Prophets, God now spoke out on "injustices that were embedded in the social fabric." The injustices God spoke of were of the sort that would cast a negative light on the nation of Israel and thus, justify God’s wrath onto Israel. In other words, Israel was not meeting God’s standards and would have to be punished. Injustice of any sort will not be tolerated by God and should not be tolerated by man

Judaism found meaning in suffering in that they came to understand their predicament as God having high expectations of them. This belief required a high degree of belief. They never stopped believing in their God, they never stopped believing that everything happened for a reason, and most importantly, they never stopped believing that they were God’s chosen people. This allowed for them to never give up in the face of crisis and to continuously move forward in spite of overwhelming odds. Whatever they had to endure, God intended it to be. Each lesson learned in the face of trial and tribulation was an experience to later be of value to the world.

Finally, Judaism found meaning in messianism because the symbol of the messiah gave the Jews hope of a better tomorrow. Yet there was some disagreement about the actual messiah. For some the messiah would be politically charged, while for others the messiah would focus on the spirituality of man. For some the messiah would be "an actual Messiah," while for others the messiah would be an agent of God. For some the messiah would restore Israel to its past glory, while for others the messiah would make Israel a utopian society. Finally, for some the messiah would continue with Hebrew history, while for others the world would be presided over by a supernatural force.

All of the aforementioned allowed the Jews to put into practice rituals that have brought more meaning to their life. The importance of the ritual, not just as a religious practice, but also as a life practice, cannot be underestimated. "Ritual scripts our actions and directs our responses." Rituals help in times of death. Rituals help when courage is needed. Rituals even help during times of celebration. For the Jew, rituals are "The Hallowing of Life".