What is Judaism?

Is Judaism as religion or a race? This question is frequently asked and is a misleading one. You must choose between one or the other. The truth is that it is neither. In fact, there is no word in the English language that adequately expresses the nature of Judaism and to limit one’s ideas to those words that are available in English is to commit a grave error. Analytic philosophers spend a great deal of time understanding how language affects thought. It is our duty to avoid allowing the English language force us into a particular thought pattern.

Most Jews share common racial characteristics. However, that is not an absolute rule because Judaism accepts converts and therefore even one without those racial characteristics is still very much a Jew. Even someone as gentile as Haman, an Amalekite [Esther 3:1; 1 Samuel 15:8], had descendants who converted to Judaism and became respected scholars [Talmud Gittin 57b, Sanhedrin 96b].

Judaism is a religion in that there are basic beliefs and practices that are incumbent on each Jew. However, even those who fail to practice or to believe are still Jews [Talmud Yevamot 47b; Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 268:12].

The Jewish People

A Jew is someone, or a descendant of someone, who willingly accepted the obligation to fulfill G-d’s commandments as explained in the Written and Oral Torah. The acceptance may have been at Mt. Sinai or anytime since as an act of conversion. However, as a result of his accepting, he and his descendants must fulfill these commandments. That is on a personal level.

Additionally, by accepting these commandments he has joined the Jewish people. What is the Jewish people? Is it a semi-secret nation out for its own political and economic power? No. It is a group of people united in their spiritual quest who, through a metaphysical union, are joined together in destiny. Jews are obligated to care for each other’s spiritual welfare and, by extension, physical welfare also. We distribute funds to help the indigent and teach each other G-d’s word.

However, we are not just a group of individuals with the same goal. We are one people and, as such, we must treat each other as if we were part of the same whole.

Consider the case of revenge. On a small scale, revenge is not only natural it is fair. If you jump in front of me in line it is only fair that another time I jump in front of you. In that way I recover what you took from me. If you refuse to lend me your lawn mower it is only fair that I be allowed to refuse to lend you my rake. However, the Bible tells us it is forbidden to take revenge or bear a grudge against other Jews [see Midrash Sifra ad. loc.]. Why does the Bible prohibit acting towards a fellow Jew fairly and require treatment better than fair?

Jerusalem Talmud Nedarim 9:4 (30a-b) It say [Leviticus 19:18] “You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people.” How could this be? [If the Bible was coming to tell us not to get used to acting with bad character traits it should apply even to those outside of your people – Korban Ha’Eidah commentary] It is as if you were cutting meat and the knife slipped and cut your hand. Would that hand cut your other hand [in revenge]?

The Jewish people are one organic unit and each Jew is spiritually connected with his fellow. To take vengeance on a fellow Jew is like the left hand taking vengeance on the right hand. They are two parts of the same whole.

For this reason, while Jews must treat everyone with respect, they must treat each other better. They are different parts of the same nation and must treat each other as one self [see the end of Leviticus 19:18].

The tochachah, the discussion of divine retribution, is said twice in the Pentateuch – Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. An astute reader will note that in Leviticus the Hebrew grammar is strictly plural while in Deuteronomy the Hebrew grammar is strictly singular. Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer (the famous Vilna Gaon) explains that Leviticus is referring to the nation as a group of individuals and is, as such, a warning to all individuals to follow the laws. Deuteronomy, however, is a warning to the nation as a whole. The Jewish people are a single nation who are punished as a whole even when the whole is not to blame [Aderet Eliyahu to Deut. 28]. When a person’s hand becomes infected the entire body suffers pain. Similarly, when one Jew sins the entire nation is punished. Thus, as one nation we are united in our destiny whether we like it or not.

What we will show in this site is that Jews must treat all gentiles fairly. However, because of their connection they treat each other as family, as part of the same nation.

See R. Meir Simcha HaCohen, Meshech Chochmah, Haftorah for Parshat Devarim; R. Yosef Engel, Otzrot Yosef, 2; R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Divrei Hagut Vaha’arachah, pp. 223-237; R. Hershel Schachter, Eretz HaTzvi, 17; R. Yonason Sacks, The Torah U-Madda Journal (Yeshiva University:1990), vol. 2 pp. 70-75, R. Mayer Twersky, TorahWeb, Shavuot 1999.

In the original article, the first instance of the word ‘Judaism’ was misspelled as ‘Judaim.’ This error has been corrected in the HaShem.Faith preservation.

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It is indeed interesting that anyone should make this claim about the Talmud. While it is certainly not true that Judaism views the Talmud as being holier than the Bible, what if it were true? How does that in any way show that Judaism is wrong?

However, as with most of these claims, the exact opposite is true. Judaism considers the Bible to be its holiest book and biblical laws are considered most important. Judaism views the Torah (Five Books of Moses) as the literal word of G-d. The Prophets (Joshua, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremeiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Prophets) are the divinely inspired words of the prophets to the people and the Sacred Writings (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Chronicles) are the divinely inspired words of the prophets to be inscribed. The Bible is the holiest book to Judaism and is treated with special respect. The following is taken from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Abridged Code of Jewish Law) in the laws regarding treatment of a Torah scroll.

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 28:3 A person is obligated to treat a Torah scroll with great respect and it is praiseworthy to appoint it a special place and to respect that place and beautify it. One should not spit in front of a Torah scroll and one should not hold it without a cloth [in between the scroll and one’s bare hands]. One who sees someone carrying a Torah scroll must rise before it until the Torah scroll is placed in its position or until one no longer sees it.

Similarly, we treat the Bible with such respect that no books are allowed to be placed on top of a Bible. Even a book of the Prophets or Sacred Writings may not be placed on top of a Torah [Talmud Megillah 27a].

From a legal perspective, biblical laws are more important than rabbinic laws.

Talmud Shabbat 128b Removing a utensil from its prepared function is a rabbinic prohibition, causing pain to animals is a biblical prohibition. The biblical prohibition comes and overrides the rabbinic prohibition.

We see the same in Talmud Pesachim 9b that we are stricter with biblical laws than with rabbinic laws. In Talmud Pesachim 4b, Eiruvin 30, and Ketuvot 28b children’s testimony is seen as acceptable only for rabbinic laws but not for biblical laws because they have stricter requirements. In Talmud Berachot 21a we see that when in doubt whether a biblical commandment has been fulfilled one must repeat it but when in doubt whether a rabbinic commandment has been fulfilled there is no need to repeat it. A similar idea is repeated in Talmud Avodah Zarah 7a – when there are two opinions about a biblical commandment we follow the stricter opinion but when there are two opinions about a rabbinic commandment we follow the more lenient opinion. Anyone familiar with Talmudic thinking immediately recognizes the ridiculousness of a claim that Judaism considers the Talmud more important than the Bible.

Not only is the Bible important to Jews, but the Talmud tells us that we are obligated to study it.

Talmud Avot 5:21 He [R. Yehudah ben Teima] would say: A five year old to Scriptures, a ten year old to Mishnah, a thirteen year old to commandments, a fifteen year old to Gemara…

However, Bible study may begin at the age of five but the Talmud tells us that it must remain a major part of our daily study routine.

Talmud Kiddushin 30a A man must always divide his years into three – one third in Scriptures, one third in Mishnah, and one third in Talmud. Who knows how long he will live? Rather his day must be split into thirds.

In fact, Talmud Berachot 8b tells us that a Jew must review a portion of the Torah each week twice and again in translation and finish the Torah each year.

There is no question that the Bible, as the Written Law, is a center-piece of Judaism and while the Talmud may contain discussions of the Oral Law, the Bible has precedence.

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