Physical And Spiritual Origins Of Judaism

Jewish history began about 4000 years ago in the part of the world that today we call the Middle East. No one person ever began Judaism. The beliefs that became the Jewish faith came about gradually. However, some people were important in making it happen. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, known as the patriarchs are both the physical and spiritual ancestors of Judaism. They founded the religion known as Judaism and their descendants are the Jewish people. According to the Jewish tradition, Abraham was the first to believe there was only one God and left his home to go on a journey because he believe that was what God wanted him to do. He began to teach his beliefs to others. God promised Abraham that one day his descendants would posses a country …show more content…
Daily prayers are collected in a book called a Siddur, which derives from the Hebrew root meaning order because the siddur shows the order of prayers. A Synagogue is the buildings were Jews go to worship God. For the Jews, worship means praying to God, thanking him for the things he has done and asking for his help in their life. They believe that worshiping God is very important. Every Sabbath, the Jewish holy day, many Jews go to the Synagogue because it is a special place to worship God. A synagogue service includes readings from the scriptures, prayers, and singing of Psalms. Usually there is a sermon. Some synagogue services include readings from the Torah; the books of teaching that are written on scrolls. The scrolls are carried carefully from the Ark to the Bimah to be read, and back again after the reading is finished. At services in the synagogue, men wear a Kippah. It is a skullcap, which is beautifully embroidered. It is worn as a sign of respect for God. At morning services, they also wear a tallit. A tallit is a prayer robe, usually made of silk or …show more content…
In Hebrew it is called Sukkoth. The festival lasts a week. It celebrates two thing; It recalls how the Jews in old days used to take offerings of fruit to the temple. Secondly, it recalls how the Jews were once traveling in the desert and lived-in tabernacles. The most important part of Sukkoth is the roof. This is a reminder of the time in Jewish history when Jews were traveling in the desert with no real home. The day after the end of the feast of tabernacles is called Simhat Torah. This means rejoicing in the Torah. It marks the yearly reading of The Torah and is a day for spirited rejoicing. The scrolls are carried in procession around the synagogue, while all Jews people, including the learned and pious, join in with singing and