However, if you ask many secular Jews if they feel they have a connection to the scriptures, they will say yes, because whilst they do not believe every word that is written in the Bible, they still take the view that it embodies many of the historical, cultural, social and philosophical stories of the Jews over the ages. Their collective outlook is wide-ranging - from secular to traditional and orthodox to ultra-orthodox. In Israel itself, the majority of citizens are Jews but not all of them consider themselves religious (i.e. Photo by Anton Mislawsky on Unsplash Books on Jewish Customs and Traditions justice, compassion, and charity).įather and son praying at the Western Wall. In essence, it is a way of encouraging Jews to act in a way that presents the most positive aspects of Judaism (i.e. Originating from the prophet Isaiah, it essentially implies that Jews have a moral and ethical obligation to behave according to the highest standards, in order to set an example. Moreover, In Hebrew, there is a term ’Or Lagoyim’ which, basically translated, means ‘light unto the nations’. They refer not just to religion in Judaism but the long and rich history and culture of the Jewish people. The sacred texts of Judaism cannot be underestimated and their importance goes far beyond their religious teachings and messages. What do these sacred texts contribute to Judaism? And whilst this is definitely the case (think of how many Jewish Nobel Prize winners there are, not to mention authors, screenwriters, and scholars) in its strictest sense ‘People of the Book’ refers to the Jews’ relationship with their holy books their sacred scriptures. Today, many people associate the term with the idea that Jews have a great love of literature and prize learning above all other things. As a result, they were tolerated and allowed to practice their own belief system (albeit keeping a rather low profile!) ![]() ![]() Although they were regarded as ‘infidels’ they were also accorded a special status - People of the Book (since they possessed a book that described a revelation from God). In Arabic ‘Ahl Al-Kitab’, ‘People of the Book’ (in this case, not just Jews but also Christians) were those who lived in Muslim lands and followed monotheism (a belief in one God).
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