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TOPIC DESCRIPTION OF TOPIC LEARNING OUTCOMES2.1RevelationBiblical tradition about RevelationThe Jewish concept of God(Ethical Monotheism)

The Torah as God’s revelation

The Ten Commandments

The biblical account of the Sinai revelationThe role of Moses as intermediaryThe role of prophecyA monotheistic God who is a God of justice and a God of personal relationshipThe precept of ‘Tikkun Olam’ – the obligation to improve the world through building justice, peace, etc.The significance of Torah for JewsThe meaning of Torah as divine revelation and as a core basis for belief and practice in the Jewish faithHow the Ten Commandments has had an influence on two Charters that express moral values, e.g. the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the Constitution of the Irish State or the Constitution of the USA

Summarise the main religious beliefs in Judaism related to Revelation

Explain the role of Moses as a prophet

Outline the key characteristics of God according to Jewish belief

Explain briefly what is meant by ‘Tikkun Olam’

Explain briefly why the Torah is important in Judaism

Name the Ten CommandmentsPresent examples of the influence of the Ten Commandments on two modern Charters

REVELATION

Exercise:

A. The teacher shows a work of art and shows only a little at a time. Look at it. Ask the following questions:

1. What happens when you only see a quarter of it? 2. Can you identify what the picture is about when you only see a quarter?3. What happens when you see half? 4. What can you tell about the picture at this point?5. Look at the whole picture when it is completely exposed. What can you

say now on the basis of having the full view.

B. Each student gets the name of a celebrity stuck on their back. They have

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to find out who they are by asking questions as to their identity to which the person being asked can only answer yes or no in response.

1. How do you get to know who you are?2. What kinds of questions did you have to ask to elicit the information you wanted?3. How difficult is it to get the correct information?

(Proceed then to speak about revelation.)

Abridged from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/G-d/judaismrevelationrev1.shtml

In religion revelation is central to understanding G-d and spirituality. It is the act whereby an unknown and hidden G-d makes himself known to humanity. This view of revelation results unmistakably from the widespread use of the nifʿal of the verbs raʿah ("to see"), and yadaʿ ("to know"), to express in biblical Hebrew the idea of revelation. It occurs principally in narrative passages whose aim was to explain the origin of a holy place.

There is, however, the belief, which originated in ancient times, that it is deadly for man to see the Deity (Ex. 33:20; Judg. 13:22). Dreams and the mediation of angels have no mitigating effect, since the dream gives a stronger vision and the malʾakh YHWH ("angel of the Lord") is the revealing medium of the Lord, even the Lord Himself in self-manifestation. It is only rarely and to special persons, therefore, that G-d makes Himself visible, and communicates to man His purposes and intentions. He does so to Abraham (Gen. 12:6–7; 17:1–2), Isaac (Gen. 26:24), Jacob (Gen. 35:9–10; 48:3–4; cf. Ex. 6:3), Moses (Ex. 3:2ff., 16–17), Manoah (Judg. 13:21–22), and Solomon (I Kings 3:5ff.; 9:2ff.). Nevertheless, He may show Himself to the whole of the people at the Tent of Meeting (Lev. 9:4, 6, 23; Deut. 31:15; cf. 31:11), which is "a kind of permanent image of the revelation on Mount Sinai" (M. Haran, in: JSS, 5 (1960), 50–65, esp. p. 58). What the people see, however, is the kavod, the "Presence of the Lord" (Lev. 9:6, 23), or the ʿammud he-ʿanan, the "pillar of cloud" (Deut. 31:15). The latter indicates the Lord's Presence, but, at the same time, veils Him from sight. The kavod, whose original conception goes back to early times (cf. I Sam. 4:21; I Kings 8:11; Ps. 24:7–10), likewise signifies a veiled appearance of G-d, an appearance in a manner in which no precise form can be discerned. It probably alludes to a manifestation by fire, light, and smoke, connected initially with the circumstances in which the cult operated.

The G-d of Israel reveals Himself as acting in historical events. It may reasonably be inferred, therefore, that, according to the Bible, history is the milieu of G-d's revelation.

There are two types of revelation:

General revelation is indirect, and available to everyone. Some truths about G-d can be revealed through reason, conscience, the natural world, or moral sense.


Special revelation is direct revelation to an individual or a group. This sort of revelation includes dreams, visions, experience and prophecy.

Exercise:Give a concise definition of Revelation

TYPES OF REVELATION IN JUDAISM

Jews believe that G-d communicates with humans in all of these ways, and especially through scripture (special revelation). The Jewish scriptures, called the Tenakh, consists of 24 books. Sometimes the Tenakh is called the Torah, or the Jewish Bible. The first five books of the Tenakh (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) are particularly important. They are also called the Torah or the Five Books of Moses.

Jewish scripture

Genesis, the first book of the Jewish scriptures (the Tenakh), begins with an account of G-d creating the world:

In the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and the earth - when the earth was astonishingly empty, with darkness upon the surface of the deep, and the Divine Presence hovered upon the surface of the waters - G-d said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.

Genesis 1:1-2G-d's name

G-d speaks to Moses through a burning bush and Moses asks G-d’s name:

Hashem answered Moses, 'I Shall Be As I Shall Be.'

Exodus 3:14This is the first time that G-d’s name is given but it is not very clear.

In the Jewish scriptures G-d’s name is spelt with four consonants: YHWH. Jewish teaching says that the name is so holy that only the High Priest knew how to pronounce it. When they see these four letters Jews usually say the name Adonai which means 'Lord'. In some parts of the Jewish scriptures the word Hashem is used to avoid writing or saying the name of G-d.

The Jewish Scriptures say that Moses spoke to G-d:

As Moses would arrive at the Tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the Tent, and He would speak with Moses… Hashem would speak to Moses face to face, as a man would speak with his fellow.

Exodus 33:9, 11Although G-d does appear in the scriptures it is only in the Garden of Eden where G-d seems to appear in human form. This is called an anthropomorphism.

So G-d created Man in His image, in the image of G-d He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:27They heard the sound of Hashem G-d manifesting itself in the garden toward the evening.


Genesis 3:8Sometimes G-d is a pillar of cloud or flame, and sometimes just a voice. Sometimes he appears as a powerful king.

…I saw the Lord sitting upon a high and lofty throne, and its legs filled the Temple. Seraphim were standing above, at His service. Each one had six wings… And one would call to another…

Isaiah 6:1-2

Beliefs about G-d intervening in the world

Many miracles are described in the Tenakh. For example:

the account of Aaron and his stick which turned into a snake (Exodus 7:8-10)the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7: 14-11:10);the parting of the Sea of Reeds (Exodus 14)the manna and quails the Israelites were given for food by G-d in the desert

(Exodus 16)Elisha helps a poor widow (2 Kings 4: 1-7)

The Tenakh does not explain the details of how these miracles happen, but it does attribute them to G-d.

Some Jews accept these accounts literally. Others will regard the accounts as allegory, or using figures of speech, believing that the ‘miracle’ was not intended to be taken literally.

However these stories are regarded, they are accepted as accounts of times when G-d taught the people, and looked after them.

EXERCISEUsing www.prezie.com create a powerpoint presentation on aspects of revelation in Judaism. Make sure that you include definitions of revelation and give examples.

REVELATION IN THE BRANCHES OF JUDAISM

Rabbi Allen Selis, abridged from http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Shavuot/Themes_and_Theology/Denominations_on_Revelation.shtml

REFORM JUDAISMFor Reform Judaism, "Sinai" takes place every time a Jew makes a serious and conscientious choice. Reform Judaism’s Centenary Platform, adopted in San Francisco (1976), makes this simple and clear statement of Reform theology: "Jewish obligation begins with the informed will of every individual." The individual might consider all the dicta of Jewish tradition that has come before her, but in the moment of deciding whether to order tuna or bacon for lunch, the choice is still hers and hers alone. That moment of individual conscience, regardless of outcome, is sacred to Reform Judaism.


http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Shavuot/Themes_and_Theology/Denominations_on_Revelation.shtml

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Shavuot/Themes_and_Theology/Denominations_on_Revelation.shtml

http://www.prezie.com/

The Reform Movement’s 1937 Columbus Platform suggests that the written Torah is a "depository" of Biblical Israel’s consciousness of G-d—a record of past revelation—but certainly not the last word in our ongoing dialogue with G-d. Instead, "revelation is a continuous process, confined to no one group and to no one age." Indeed, according to Reform Judaism, G-d can "change Her mind." As such, Sinai is constantly taking place, and it is the role of the individual to listen closely to what G-d is saying.

ORTHODOX JUDAISMThe Orthodox tradition maintains that G-d taught everything which the Jewish people needed to know at Mount Sinai. This belief draws upon early Rabbinic literature. In Midrash Tanhuma (Buber-Ki Tisa 17), the Midrash relates: "When the Holy-One-Blessed-Be-G-d came to give Torah, He related it to Moshe in order. First Bible, then Mishnah, Aggadah and Talmud…even those future questions that a seasoned student would one day ask of his teacher. The Holy-One-Blessed-Be-G-d related even these things to Moshe at that time, as we find in the Torah: And G-d spoke of all these things…"

This Midrash effectively communicates the most significant aspect of Orthodox thought: G-d is the only legitimate source of knowledge and truth. No community or individual can take up this role. For the Orthodox Jew, all authority ultimately goes back to G-d and Sinai.

Rabbi Norman Lamm, chancellor of the modern orthodox Yeshiva University, put forth in an article in Commentary magazine that G-d most certainly had the ability to communicate whatever He wanted to convey at Mount Sinai, and that it would be absurd to "impose upon (G-d) a limitation of dumbness that would insult the least of His human creatures."

CONSERVATIVE JUDAISMWhile mainstream Conservative Jews envision a personal G-d most Conservative rabbis do not believe that G-d actually gave the Torah, letter by letter, at Mount Sinai. So what did happen? Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, in his G-d in Search of Man, argues that the chronological details of Sinai are irrelevant—since the Torah is a moral, not a chronological text. Rabbi Neil Gillman, in Sacred Fragments, argues from Franz Rosenzweig’s position that G-d merely revealed Himself at Sinai—the people of Israel then recorded their response to G-d’s presence in the form of Torah. While G-d might have initiated the revelation at Sinai, it was the human community which preserved that encounter.

RECONSTRUCTIONIST JUDAISMThe Reconstructionist stance rejects the divinity of the Sinai revelation—but not its sanctity. Founder Mordechai Kaplan’s program for the reconstruction of Judaism rejected the notion of a supernatural G-d. For him, G-d was not heavenly being but rather "…the process [in the world] that makes for creativity, integration, love and justice." This stance, by definition, denies the possibility of a Sinai, an event which Kaplan regarded as a mere legend. After all,


if there is no personal G-d, then what’s to reveal?

Kaplan identifies the content of Torah as a set of "folk-ways" that the people of Israel constructed and continuously adapted to fit the spirit of their age. The tradition would always have "a voice, but not a veto," as the entire body of tradition was always meant to be in flux. For Kaplan, there could never be a Sinai—instead, the folk-ways of each new generation would reflect the current needs of the Jewish soul. Each new tradition would be sacred—until its time had passed.

Exercise

Summarise the positions of each of the strands of Judaism on the subject of revelation. Use the highlighted texts above to help you.

1. Reform Judaism:

2. Orthodox Judaism:

3. Conservative Judaism:

4. Reconstructionist Judaism:

PROPHETS

Nevi’im (Prophets) presents Israel's history as a nation on its land.

The Israelites conquer and settle; they are beset by local enemies and eventually by imperial powers. Political and prophetic leaders vie for hearts; the supporters of G-d’s covenant do battle against the paganism of neighboring groups and among the Israelites themselves. A kingdom, a capital, and a Temple are built and eventually destroyed. At the end of Nevi’im, prophets who experienced the exile teach a renewed monotheism to Israel.

Historically, Nevi'im begins with the conquest of Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) under the leadership of Joshua, Moses' successor (c. 1200 BCE) and concludes with the prophecies of Malachi to those rebuilding the Temple after their return from Babylonia (c. 515 BCE).

Jewish convention divides the books into Nevi’im Rishonim, "Former


Prophets,"and Nevi’im Aharonim, "Latter Prophets." Nevi’im Rishonim consists of prose works built around a historical narrative - Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Nevi’im Aharonim encompasses the "literary prophets," such as Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah.

Two voices are heard in Nevi’im Rishonim. One is a nationalist voice, trumpeting heroic leaders such as Joshua and David and the empire briefly united under Solomon. More dominant is a covenantal voice, which explains the fortunes of leaders and the nation on the basis of their fidelity to G-d.

Scholars refer to Nevi’im Rishonimas the "Deuteronomic History" - history from the perspective of the thinkers behind the book of Deuteronomy. All together, the Nevi’im Rishonim describe the transition from a loose tribal confederation to a monarchy under Saul and David, the division into two kingdoms after Solomon, the conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE, and the end of the southern kingdom of Judah at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian Empire in 586

BCE.

Within the narrative of Nevi’im Rishonim we encounter the first individual prophets, known to scholars as "preclassical" prophets. Samuel was known as a "seer"; Elijah and Elisha foretold drought and famine and called forth miracles from G-d. What links these prophets with the classical prophets of the Nevi’im Aharonim is their role vis-a-vis the political leaders of Israel. Nathan confronted David over his affair with Bathsheba; Elijah stood against Ahab when the king confiscated Naboth's vineyard.

Nevi’im Aharonim contains the prophecies and teachings of individual prophets, mostly recorded in verse. The books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are the longest. They are followed by the books known collectively in Jewish tradition as the Trei Asar, "the 12"--shorter books of other prophets such as Amos, Micah, Hosea, and Jonah.

Amos and Hosea were prophets in the northern kingdom of Israel. Both prophets warned the nation that its turn away from G-d's covenant would lead to destruction by the Assyrians. Isaiah and Micah carried a similar message in Judah. Jeremiah delivered his prophecies of doom as the Babylonians approached and captured Jerusalem.

From exile in Babylonia, Ezekiel envisioned the restoration of Israel to its land. The last half of the book of Isaiah contains words of comfort and promise from one or two anonymous prophets speaking in exile. The last prophets spoke in Judea to those who had returned to rebuild the Temple.


The prophets before the exile spoke against idolatry and injustice. They saw G-d's people trusting in the Canaanite G-d Baal, in alliances with foreign powers, and in the power of Temple sacrifices to manipulate G-d's protection. They targeted the corruption of kings and elites who were recreating Egyptian oppression in the Promised Land. They critiqued not only the monarchies but the Temple cult as well, with the message that without justice and fair treatment in society, G-d would find sacrificial devotion to be hypocrisy.

Yet the prophetic role in the Nevi’im Aharonim was not simply to critique leaders and society. The prophets intercede with G-d on behalf of the people and argue their case. They imagine the eventual revival of Israel in a messianic future of peace and justice - though to some later prophets, an unsparing divine judgment would come first.

With exile and the destruction of the "House of the Lord" came a theological crisis: Had Israel's G-d been defeated? Had G-d abandoned the nation? Out of catastrophe, the last of the prophets worked out a new monotheism: Israel's G-d was the creator of the cosmos, not merely the protector of a small nation. G-d's order was built on justice and faithfulness - and if Israel lived up to these demands, she would be safe in G-d's favour. For centuries afterward, the Jewish people would see G-d's judgment in its national fortunes.

Exercises:

1. What is the Hebrew name for the prophets?2. How long did the period of prophecy last?3. Briefly, describe the two traditional divisions of the prophets in the

Hebrew Scriptures.4. Name one prophet from each section of the prophets.5. Explain the role of the prophets.6. Give an example of how one prophet exercised his role.

NUMERACY MOMENT

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How many books of the Hebrew Bible refer to the Prophets?

Calculate the years of prophecy in Palestine.

8

MOSES: JEWISH LEADER AND PROPHET

Abridged from http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Torah/Exodus/Moses.shtml by Rabbi Louis Jacobs. Rabbi Jacobs (1920-2006) was a Masorti rabbi, the first leader of Masorti Judaism (also known as Conservative Judaism) in the United Kingdom, and a leading writer and thinker on Judaism.

The biblical character of Moses is the most important figure in Judaism, the leader of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage and particularly, the great teacher of the Torah he received from G-d; hence the Torah is often called the "Torah of Moses."

The Biblical Story

As told in the Pentateuch from the beginning of Exodus to the end of Deuteronomy, the story of Moses begins with his birth to Amram and Jochebed in Egypt.

The Story of Moses

When his mother had hidden him in the reeds of the Nile in order to save his life, because he was threatened by Pharaoh's decree that every Hebrew male be put to death, Pharaoh's daughter took pity on the infant and adopted him as her son. When Moses grew to manhood he went out of the royal palace, where he had been brought up as an Egyptian prince, to see the afflictions of the Hebrews toiling under the lash of the Egyptian taskmasters.

Witnessing an Egyptian seeking to kill an Israelite, Moses killed the Egyptian, as a result of which he was obliged to flee for his life. Escaping to Midian, Moses served as a shepherd to Jethro, the priest of Midian, whose daughter, Zipporah, he married. During his stay in Midian, G-d appeared to Moses in the burning bush and ordered him to go to Pharaoh to demand that the people be released from their bondage; eventually, G-d said, Moses would lead them to the land of Canaan, the land of their fathers.

When, after the ten plagues, Pharaoh finally let the people go, the Egyptians pursued the escaping Israelites but were drowned in the waters of the sea, whereupon Moses led the people in a song of victory. Arriving at Mount Sinai, the people received the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) and, during his forty days stay on the mountain, where he neither ate nor drank, Moses received further laws and instructions which he taught to the people. Moses led the Israelites


http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Torah/Exodus/Moses.shtml

through the Wilderness for forty years until they came to the borders of the Promised Land. There Moses died at the age of 120 and there he was buried.

This is the bare outline of the Moses saga as told in much greater detail in the Pentateuch, and the whole is elaborated on in numerous Midrashic legends. According to the traditional view the Moses story, and, indeed, the whole of the Pentateuch, was compiled by Moses himself at the direct "dictation" of G-d, a view that is still accepted in Orthodox Judaism despite the fact that it has been heavily assailed by biblical criticism, in which discipline the Pentateuch is seen as a composite work produced in different periods of Israel's history.

The question of the historical Moses has exercised the minds of biblical scholars, very few of whom, however, go so far as to deny completely that Moses is a historical figure. What requires to be discussed is not so much the question of the historical Moses but rather the role this towering figure occupies in the life and thought of the Jewish religion.

Later Jewish Tradition

A marked ambivalence is to be observed in the Jewish tradition with regard to the personality of Moses. On the one hand, Moses is hailed as the intermediary between G-d and man, as the instrument of G-d's revelation of the Torah and the teacher of the Torah to Israel, as the father of all the prophets, with whom G-d spoke "face to face" (Exodus 33:11). On the other hand, strenuous efforts were made to reject any notion that Moses is divine or semi-divine.

Even in the Pentateuch, Moses is described as a human being with human failings. He is reluctant to be G-d's messenger (Exodus 3:11); he loses his temper (Numbers 20:9-11); he marries and has children (Exodus 18:2-4); and eventually, like all human beings, he dies and is buried (Deuteronomy 34). For all his role as the intermediary, it is not Moses but G-d who gives the Torah to Israel. There is a rabbinic saying that if G-d had not given the Torah to Moses, He could have given it, with the same effect, to Ezra. Judaism is in no way "Mosaism." It is the religion of the Jewish people.

In the Middle Ages, there were a number of Jewish thinkers who, evidently in response to the claims made for Jesus by Christians and for Muhammad by Muslims, so elevated the role of Moses that the Jewish religion was made to center on him.

Maimonides on Moses

Maimonides is extraordinary in laying down, as a principle of the faith, that the Jew is obliged to believe that Moses is the greatest man who ever lived and, even, that his status is of the angels. But, as with his other principles, Maimonides is reacting, in a particularly strong emphasis, to the challenges to Judaism in his day and a careful reading of Maimonides' formulation shows that he hedges round his statement with a number of reservations.

In his formulation of the seventh principle in the commentary to the Mishnah


(Sanhedrin10:1) Maimonides writes:

"The seventh principle of faith. The prophecy of Moses our Teacher. This implies that we must believe he was the father of all the prophets before him and that those who came after him were all beneath him in rank. He was chosen by G-d from the whole human kind. He comprehended more of G-d than any man in the past or future ever comprehended or will comprehend. And we must believe that he reached a state of exaltedness beyond the sphere of humanity, so that he attained to the angelic rank and became included in the order of the angels. There was no veil which he did not pierce. No material hindrance stood in his way, and no defect whether small or great mingled itself with him. The imaginative and sensual powers of his perceptive faculty were stripped from him. His desiderative power was still and he remained pure intellect only. It is in this significance that it is remarked of him that he discoursed with G-d without any angelic intermediary."

It has to be appreciated that, in addition to the reservations Maimonides goes on to express, he is thinking only of Moses' perception of G-d through which he received the divine communication. It is only in this that Moses is greater than any other human being, and it is not to be thought that Moses in himself was faultless.

The Considerate Teacher

From Talmudic times the usual name of Moses is Moshe Rabbenu, "Moses our Teacher." A passage in the Talmud (Yevamot 49b) states that the difference between Moses and all the other prophets is that they saw through a dim glass while Moses saw through a clear glass. Moses was chosen to be Israel's leader because he was so considerate, to his flock when shepherding for Jethro (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 2:2). In another passage (Nedarim 38a) Moses is said to have been wealthy, strong, and meek since the Holy One, blessed be He, only causes His spirit to rest on a person who has these endowments.

Moses and his brother Aaron are frequently mentioned together as the leaders of the people, Moses being the stern man of law, offering no compromise, while Aaron is the leader who loves peace and pursues it. Moses died through a kiss of G-d (Bava Batra 17a) and G-d Himself buried him (Sotah 14a) in a cave that had been prepared for him since the eve of the Sabbath of creation (Pesahim 54a).

Exercise: 1. Pretend that you are Moses and write a biography of your life.2. What kind of a person was Moses? 3. It is often said that Moses was a leader. What characteristics of

leadership do you see demonstrated in the life of Moses? 4. Why is Moses considered to be a prophet? Outline four reasons.5. Moses was considered a mediator between G-d and the people. How was

this to be seen in his life? Give examples. 6. In the diagram below, write four key facts about Moses as prophet.


Draw a story-board of the Sinai revelation

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

Summary Elements in the Biblical Account of the Sinai Revelation

Rosh Chodesh Sivan, first day of the third month after the exodus from EgyptThey reached Sinai desert and camped there.During this time they had travelled with divine protectionG-d had shown himself to them in signs: the manna and quail, the sweetening of the water, the defeat of Amalek, the crossing of the Sea of ReedsTheir faith grew more steadilyMoses ascended Mt Sinai and G-d spoke to MosesHe returned and uttered the words to the elders of the peopleThey said ‘Everything G-d has said, we will do.’They accepted the Torah outright without asking for any details of the obligations and dutiesWhen they had voiced their eagerness to obey, G-d spoke to Moses again and asked him to prepare the people for two days and on the third day, G-d would come down the mountainOn the third day, heavy clouds descended on the mountain, the shofar as played as G-d had requested. Thunder and lightning filled the air. The people moved closer to the foot of the mountain.The blasting of the Shofar grew louder but suddenly all sounds ceased and an absolute silence followed; then G-d proclaimed the Ten Commandments.The entire people heard the words spoken by G-d.


They begged Moses to be the intermediary between G-d and them, for if G-d himself would continue to give them the entire Torah, they would surely die.Moses told them not to be afraid, for G-d had revealed himself to them so that they would fear him and not sin.Then G-d asked Moses to ascend the mountain; for he alone was able to stand in the presence of G-d.There Moses received the two tablets containing the Ten commandments, and the entire Torah, to teach it to the children of Israel.Moses went up the mountain and stayed there for forty days and forty nights, without food or sleep, for he had become like an angelDuring this time, G-d revealed to Moses the entire Torah, with all its laws and interpretations.According to Jewish tradition, every Jewish soul that would ever be born was present at that moment, and agreed to be bound to this covenant.

ExerciseWrite the account of the whole Sinai experience from the perspective of Moses.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS/ASERET HA-DIBROT

(Abridged from http://www.jewfaq.org/10.htm)

According to Jewish tradition, G-d gave the Jewish people 613 mitzvot (commandments). All 613 of those mitzvot are equally sacred, equally binding and equally the word of G-d. All of these mitzvot are treated as equally important, because human beings, with our limited understanding of the universe, have no way of knowing which

mitzvot are more important in the eyes of the Creator.

But what about the so-called "Ten Commandments," the words recorded in Exodus 20, the words that the Creator Himself wrote on the two stone tablets that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai (Ex. 31:18), which Moses smashed upon seeing the idolatry of the golden calf (Ex. 32:19)? In the Torah, these words are never referred to as the Ten Commandments. In the Torah, they are called Aseret ha-D'varim (Ex. 34:28, Deut. 4:13 and Deut. 10:4). In rabbinical texts, they are referred to as Aseret ha-Dibrot. The words d'varim and dibrot come from the Hebrew root Dalet-Beit-Reish, meaning word, speak or thing; thus, the phrase is accurately translated as the Ten Sayings, the Ten Statements, the Ten


Declarations, the Ten Words or even the Ten Things, but not as the Ten Commandments, which would be Aseret ha-Mitzvot.

The Aseret ha-Dibrot are not understood as individual mitzvot; rather, they are categories or classifications of mitzvot. Each of the 613 mitzvot can be subsumed under one of these ten categories, some in more obvious ways than others. For example, the mitzvah not to work on Shabbat rather obviously falls within the category of remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy. The mitzvah to fast on Yom Kippur fits into that category somewhat less obviously: all holidays are in some sense a Sabbath, and the category encompasses any mitzvah related to sacred time. The mitzvah not to stand aside while a person's life is in danger fits somewhat obviously into the category against murder.

Exercise: 1. What are the Ten Commandments known as in the Torah?

1. What are the key texts of scripture which form the basis for the commandments?

2. If there are 613 commandments, why are the ten considered to be so important?

List of the Aseret ha-Dibrot

According to Judaism, the Aseret ha-Dibrot identify the following ten categories of mitzvot. Other religions divide this passage differently.

Please remember that these are categories of the 613 mitzvot, which according to Jewish tradition are binding only upon Jews. The only mitzvot binding upon gentiles are the seven Noahic commandments.


1. Belief in G-dThis category is derived from the declaration in Ex. 20:2 beginning, "I am the L-rd, your G-d..."

2. Prohibition of Improper WorshipThis category is derived from Ex. 20:3-6, beginning, "You shall not have other G-ds..." It encompasses within it the prohibition against the worship of other G-ds as well as the prohibition of improper forms of worship of the one true G-d, such as worshiping G-d through an idol.

3. Prohibition of OathsThis category is derived from Ex. 20:7, beginning, "You shall not take the name of the L-rd your G-d in vain..." This includes prohibitions against perjury, breaking or delaying the performance of vows or promises, and speaking G-d's name or swearing unnecessarily.

4. Observance of Sacred TimesThis category is derived from Ex. 20:8-11, beginning, "Remember the Sabbath day..." It encompasses all mitzvot related to Shabbat, holidays, or other sacred time.

5. Respect for Parents and TeachersThis category is derived from Ex. 20:12, beginning, "Honor your father and mother..."

6. Prohibition of Physically Harming a PersonThis category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not murder."

7. Prohibition of Sexual ImmoralityThis category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not commit adultery."

8. Prohibition of TheftThis category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not steal." It includes within it both outright robbery as well as various forms of theft by deception and unethical business practices. It also includes kidnapping, which is essentially "stealing" a person.

9. Prohibition of Harming a Person through SpeechThis category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." It includes all forms of lashon ha-ra (sins relating to speech).

10. Prohibition of CovetingThis category is derived from Ex. 20:14, beginning, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house..."

The Two Tablets: Duties to G-d and Duties to People


Judaism teaches that the first tablet, containing the first five declarations, identifies duties regarding our relationship with G-d, while the second tablet, containing the last five declarations, identifies duties regarding our relationship with other people.

You may have noticed, however, that the fifth category, which is included in the first tablet, is the category to honor father and mother, which would seem to concern relationships between people. The rabbis teach that our parents are our creators and stand in a relationship to us akin to our relationship to the Divine. Throughout Jewish liturgy, the Creator is referred to as Avinu Malkeinu, our Father, our King. Disrespect to our biological creators is not merely an affront to them; it is also an insult to the Creator of the Universe. Accordingly, honor of father and mother is included on the tablet of duties to G-d.

These two tablets are parallel and equal: duties to G-d are not more important than duties to people, nor are duties to people more important than duties to G-d. However, if one must choose between fulfilling an obligation to G-d and fulfilling an obligation to a person, or if one must prioritize them, Judaism teaches that the obligation to a person should be fulfilled first. This principle is supported by the story in Genesis 18, where Abraham is communing with G-d and interrupts this meeting to fulfill the mitzvah of providing hospitality to strangers (the three men who appear). The Talmud gives another example, disapproving of a man who, engrossed in prayer, would ignore the cries of a drowning man. When forced to choose between our duties to a person and our duties to G-d, we must pursue our duties to the person, because the person needs our help, but G-d does not need our help.

LITERACY MOMENT

NUMERACY MOMENT

Jewish Studies, DWEC, NCCA, DES

List the ten commandments as they are in the Jewish tradition. Show where those same commandments are in the Christian tradition. Explain the difference.

How many mitzvot are contained in the Jewish Law?

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UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

From http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/history.shtml

BACKGROUND

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second World War. With the end of that war, and the creation of the United Nations, the international community vowed never again to allow atrocities like those of that conflict happen again. World leaders decided to complement the UN Charter with a road map to guarantee the rights of every individual everywhere. The document they considered, and which would later become the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was taken up at the first session of the General Assembly in 1946. The Assembly reviewed this draft Declaration on Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms and transmitted it to the Economic and Social Council "for reference to the Commission on Human Rights for consideration . . . in its preparation of an international bill of rights." The Commission, at its first session early in 1947, authorized its members to formulate what it termed "a preliminary draft International Bill of Human Rights". Later the work was taken over by a formal drafting committee, consisting of members of the Commission from eight States, selected with due regard for geographical distribution.

The Commission on Human Rights was made up of 18 members from various political, cultural and religious backgrounds. Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, chaired the UDHR drafting committee. With her were René Cassin of France, a Jewish advocate of human rights , who composed the first draft of the Declaration, the Committee Rapporteur Charles Malik of Lebanon, Vice-Chairman Peng Chung Chang of China, and John Humphrey of Canada, Director of the UN’s Human Rights Division, who prepared the Declaration’s blueprint. But Mrs. Roosevelt was recognized as the driving force for the Declaration’s adoption.


http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/history.shtml

The Commission met for the first time in 1947. In her memoirs, Eleanor Roosevelt recalled:“Dr. Chang was a pluralist and held forth in charming fashion on the proposition that there is more than one kind of ultimate reality. The Declaration, he said, should reflect more than simply Werstern ideas and Dr. Humphrey would have to be eclectic in his approach. His remark, though addressed to Dr. Humprhey, was really directed at Dr. Malik, from whom it drew a prompt retort as he expounded at some length the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. Dr. Humphrey joined enthusiastically in the discussion, and I remember that at one point Dr. Chang suggested that the Secretariat might well spend a few months studying the fundamentals of Confucianism!”

The final draft by Cassin was handed to the Commission on Human Rights, which was being held in Geneva. The draft declaration sent out to all UN member States for comments became known as the Geneva draft.

The first draft of the Declaration was proposed in September 1948 with over 50 Member States participating in the final drafting. By its resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948, the General Assembly, meeting in Paris, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with eight nations abstaining from the vote but none dissenting. Hernán Santa Cruz of Chile, member of the drafting sub-Committee, wrote:“I perceived clearly that I was participating in a truly significant historic event in which a consensus had been reached as to the supreme value of the human person, a value that did not originate in the decision of a worldly power, but rather in the fact of existing—which gave rise to the inalienable right to live free from want and oppression and to fully develop one’s personality. In the Great Hall…there was an atmosphere of genuine solidarity and brotherhood among men and women from all latitudes, the like of which I have not seen again in any international setting.”The entire text of the UDHR was composed in less than two years. At a time when the world was divided into Eastern and Western blocks, finding a common ground on what should make the essence of the document proved to be a colossal task.

United Nations Universal Declaration of Human RightsPlain Language Version(From http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/resources/plain.asp)

1 When children are born, they are free and each should be treated in the same way. They have reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a friendly manner.

2 Everyone can claim the following rights, despite- a different sex- a different skin colour- speaking a different language- thinking different things- believing in another religion- owning more or less- being born in another social group- coming from another country


It also makes no difference whether the country you live in is independent or not.

3 You have the right to live, and to live in freedom and safety.

4 Nobody has the right to treat you as his or her slave and you should not make anyone your slave.

5 Nobody has the right to torture you.

6 You should be legally protected in the same way everywhere, and like everyone else.

7 The law is the same for everyone; it should be applied in the same way to all.

8 You should be able to ask for legal help when the rights your country grants you are not respected.

9 Nobody has the right to put you in prison, to keep you there, or to send you away from your country unjustly, or without good reason.

10 If you go on trial this should be done in public. The people who try you should not let themselves be influenced by others.

11 You should be considered innocent until it can be proved that you are guilty. If you are accused of a crime, you should always have the right to defend yourself. Nobody has the right to condemn you and punish you for something you have not done.

12 You have the right to ask to be protected if someone tries to harm your good name, enter your house, open your letters, or bother you or your family without a good reason.

13 You have the right to come and go as you wish within your country. You have the right to leave your country to go to another one; and you should be able to return to your country if you want.

14 If someone hurts you, you have the right to go to another country and ask it to protect you. You lose this right if you have killed someone and if you, yourself, do not respect what is written here.

15 You have the right to belong to a country and nobody can prevent you, without a good reason, from belonging to a country if you wish.

16 As soon as a person is legally entitled, he or she has the right to marry and have a family. In doing this, neither the colour of your skin, the country you come from nor your religion should be impediments. Men and women have the same rights when they are married and also when they are separated.Nobody should force a person to marry.The government of your country should protect you and the members of your family.


17 You have the right to own things and nobody has the right to take these from you without a good reason.

18 You have the right to profess your religion freely, to change it, and to practise it either on your own or with other people.

19 You have the right to think what you want, to say what you like, and nobody should forbid you from doing so. You should be able to share your ideas also—with people from any other country.

20 You have the right to organize peaceful meetings or to take part in meetings in a peaceful way. It is wrong to force someone to belong to a group.

21 You have the right to take part in your country's political affairs either by belonging to the government yourself or by choosing politicians who have the same ideas as you. Governments should be voted for regularly and voting should be secret. You should get a vote and all votes should be equal. You also have the same right to join the public service as anyone else.

22 The society in which you live should help you to develop and to make the most of all the advantages (culture, work, social welfare) which are offered to you and to all the men and women in your country.

23 You have the right to work, to be free to choose your work, to get a salary which allows you to support your family. If a man and a woman do the same work, they should get the same pay. All people who work have the right to join together to defend their interests.

24 Each work day should not be too long, since everyone has the right to rest and should be able to take regular paid holidays.

25 You have the right to have whatever you need so that you and your family: do not fall ill or go hungry; have clothes and a house; and are helped if you are out of work, if you are ill, if you are old, if your wife or husband is dead, or if you do not earn a living for any other reason you cannot help. Mothers and their children are entitled to special care. All children have the same rights to be protected, whether or not their mother was married when they were born.

26 You have the right to go to school and everyone should go to school. Primary schooling should be free. You should be able to learn a profession or continue your studies as far as wish. At school, you should be able to develop all your talents and you should be taught to get on with others, whatever their race, religion or the country they come from. Your parents have the right to choose how and what you will be taught at school.

27 You have the right to share in your community's arts and sciences, and any good they do. Your works as an artist, writer, or a scientist should be protected, and you should be able to benefit from them.


28 So that your rights will be respected, there must be an 'order' which can protect them. This ‘order’ should be local and worldwide.

29 You have duties towards the community within which your personality can only fully develop. The law should guarantee human rights. It should allow everyone to respect others and to be respected.

30 In all parts of the world, no society, no human being, should take it upon her or himself to act in such a way as to destroy the rights which you have just been reading about.

Exercise1. Read the Declaration above. Pick out five of the rights mentioned and

portray them in a collage of pictures which reflect them. 2. Which ones are most likely to be observed in today’s world? Explain.3. Which are most likely not to be observed? Elaborate.4. In your opinion, what are the five most important for today’s world? 5. Pick out any human rights mentioned in the Declaration and outline

where you see the Ten Commandments may have been of influence.

EXTRACTS FROM BUNREACHT NA HEIREANN/IRISH CONSTITUTION

From http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/html%20files/Constitution%20of%20Ireland%20(Eng)Nov2004.htm

THE NATIONArticle 1The Irish nation hereby affirms its inalienable, indefeasible, and sovereign right to choose its own form of Government, to determine its relations with other nations, and to develop its life, political, economic and cultural, in accordance with its own genius and traditions.

Article 2

It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish Nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland. Furthermore, the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage.

Article 3


1. It is the firm will of the Irish Nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSArticle 29

1. Ireland affirms its devotion to the ideal of peace and friendly co-operation amongst nations founded on international justice and morality.

2. Ireland affirms its adherence to the principle of the pacific settlement of international disputes by international arbitration or judicial determination.

3. Ireland accepts the generally recognised principles of international law as its rule of conduct in its relations with other States.

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTSPersonal RightsArticle 40

1. All citizens shall, as human persons, be held equal before the law.

This shall not be held to mean that the State shall not in its enactments have due regard to differences of capacity, physical and moral, and of social function.

1. 1° The State guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate the personal rights of the citizen.

2° The State shall, in particular, by its laws protect as best it may from unjust attack and, in the case of injustice done, vindicate the life, person, good name, and property rights of every citizen.

3° The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.

6. 1° The State guarantees liberty for the exercise of the following rights, subject to public order and morality:i. The right of the citizens to express freely their convictions and opinions.The education of public opinion being, however, a matter of such grave import to the common good, the State shall endeavour to ensure that organs of public opinion, such as the radio, the press, the cinema, while preserving their rightful liberty of expression, including criticism of Government policy, shall not be used to undermine public order or morality or the authority of the State.The publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an


offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law.

ii. The right of the citizens to assemble peaceably and without arms.Provision may be made by law to prevent or control meetings which are determined in accordance with law to be calculated to cause a breach of the peace or to be a danger or nuisance to the general public and to prevent or control meetings in the vicinity of either House of the Oireachtas.iii. The right of the citizens to form associations and unions.

The FamilyArticle 41

1. 1° The State recognises the Family as the natural primary and fundamental unit group of Society, and as a moral institution possessing inalienable and imprescriptible rights, antecedent and superior to all positive law.2° The State, therefore, guarantees to protect the Family in its constitution and authority, as the necessary basis of social order and as indispensable to the welfare of the Nation and the State.2. 1° In particular, the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.2° The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.

3. 1° The State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of Marriage, on which the Family is founded, and to protect it against attack.

ReligionArticle 44

1. The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty G-d. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion.

2. 1° Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen.

2° The State guarantees not to endow any religion.

3° The State shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimination on the ground of religious profession, belief or status.

DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL POLICY

Article 45

1. The State shall strive to promote the welfare of the whole people by securing


and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice and charity shall inform all the institutions of the national life.

2. The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing:i. That the citizens (all of whom, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood) may through their occupations find the means of making reasonable provision for their domestic needs.

ii. That the ownership and control of the material resources of the community may be so distributed amongst private individuals and the various classes as best to subserve the common good.

Exercise1. Is there anything which surprises you in what you have read of the

articles from the Irish Constitution?2. How are all people held equal before the Law in the Irish Constitution? 3. Do you see links between this document and the UN Declaration on

Human Rights? Outline them.4. Where are the connections between the Irish Constitution and the Ten

Commandments? Explain and outline them.


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Education

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