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Judaism is a religious culture Halacha, or Way, and religious beliefs based primarily on The Torah (The Hebrew Bible), which is comprised of 613 commandments (Mitzvot) that cover all aspects of life from birth to death (G-d's revealed instructions to the Jewish people). The G-d of the Israelites made a divine covenant with Abraham promising a good life for all if they followed the teachings he revealed to them. Judaism's next leader was Moses who received the Law from G-d after he led the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Judaism is a religion based on the Jewish commitment to follow the Ten Commandments and a code of law that regulates how they worship and treat others.
The Tenakh was comprised of
the Torah (T), Nevi'im (N), and Ketuvim (K). The Chumashe Torah, the Five Books of Moses (Beresheet,
Shemot, Vayikra, Bamidbar, and Devarim) were give to the Jewish people during their exodus from Egypt.
The Torah has an oral and a written part and also contains teaching storied
about G-d's relationship with the Jewish people.
The most important commandments of the Torah were the The Ten Commandments which were: I am the Lord your G-d; You shall not recognize the gods of others in My presence; You shall not take the Name of the Lord your G-d in vain; Remember the day of Shabbat to keep it holy; Honor your father and your mother; You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; Do not give false testimony against your neighbor; You shall not covet your fellow's possessions. The Nevi'im (Prophets) recorded what G-d said directly to the prophets. The Ketuvim (Writings) of the prophets were guided by G-d. The Talmud consists of the Mishnah and Gemara. After the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed, a group of Sages wrote the Mishnah, a compilation of the Oral Torah. Traditionally Mishnah was studied through recitation out loud. Many medieval Mishnah manuscripts were vowelized and had partial cantillation. The oral traditions of local communities preserved local melodies used for chanting the Mishnah and pronouncing its words. The commentaries of Jewish scholars who studied the Mishnah over the next few centuries became known as the Gemara. The Talmud compiled in Jerusalem in the fourth century combined the Mishnah and the Gemara. Later in the fifth century a more comprehensive Talmud was complied in Babylon which is used and studied more than the first Talmud.
The beliefs and practices
shared by most Jews were gathered together gradually over a long period of time
from the earlier days recorded in the Bible, the Talmud, and the Midrash through
the dispersing years of the Diaspora after the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed
by the Romans to the founding of the state of Israel.
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