All about Judaism

JUDAISM: Levi S. Jacob, Ralphy E. Jhirad - Compilers; Lustre Press Pvt. Ltd., M-75, Greater Kailash-II Market, New Delhi- 110048. Price not mentioned.

MAN DOES not live by bread alone. He requires food for thought and needs guidance in knowing about the existence and nature of the Supreme, his equation with the Supreme, the mode of right living in this world and the means of getting ultimate release from the shackles of birth and death and reaching out to the Supreme.

To meet these needs of mankind, several religions have evolved with the passage of time, some of them being ancient and some others more recent.

Judaism, the religion of the Jews, is stated to have originated nearly 4000 years ago, long before the advent of Jesus Christ. It was given to Abraham (around 1800 B.C.) to propound this religion, advocating monotheism. It preaches faith in God and sets up a moral code prescribing a complete way of life. Their holy scripture is the Bible of Israel, of which `Torah' is an important part in five books, containing the revelations received by Moses.

The `Torah' contains commandments directing what should be done and what should not be done. These can be divided into ritual commandments and ethical ones. The ritual commandments relate to rites and ceremonies of the religious type, while the ethical ones, as the name indicates, preach moral dos and don'ts. Over the centuries, further sacred literature was added, containing ethical and moral teachings by several scholars.

The book under review gives in a nutshell the religion, philosophy and practice of the Jews. Judaism believes in a monotheistic God, who is omniscient, omnipresent and all- powerful. He created heaven and earth, man and the world. God has no bodily form, but for human comprehension and conception, He is described in terms applicable to human beings. Man should respect God, realise his unworthiness and insignificance before the Almighty, and above all love God dearly, even as he loves his own wife and children.

Somewhat similar to the caste system of the Hindus, the Jews also had three divisions - the priestly class, assistants to priests and the common man. These divisions passed on from father to son and down the line.

The geographical history of the Jewish land is explained briefly. Details of the various festivals celebrated, together with their genesis and religious and historical significance, are recounted. Prayer and worship are dealt with in a separate chapter. The Jewish prayers, common to the entire community, have been formulated and formalised as a separate holy book. Minor variations are, however, permitted to suit the individuality of persons living in different countries.

The authors further proceed to explain the prayers, an integral part of the Jewish life. The place of worship is called synagogue. The Jewish day begins and ends at sunset. Prayers are offered three times a day, in the evening, morning and afternoon, either collectively in the synagogue or individually, if one is unable to attend the synagogue.

The Jewish scriptures equate parents with God and stress on service to one's parents, even as the Vedas do. Judaism beautifully puts it that man owes his creation to three: the God Almighty, father and mother. While the father and mother provide the physical body of the child, God provides the soul.

The holy books mention in great detail how to show respect and behave towards one's parents and how to attend to their needs. In fact, an exhaustive code of conduct towards parents has been laid down. After the parents' death, mourning is observed for one year and their death anniversaries are regularly and solemnly observed, as is the case with the Hindus.

Giving charity to the poor is again a strict commandment of the Jewish scriptures and the best form of charity is described as one, where the donor and the donee do not know each other. Peaceful and amicable living with one's neighbours and service to the needy are also impressed upon. Types of food which are permissible and which should be avoided are catalogued, just as Lord Krishna explained in the Bhagavad Gita the ``sattvic,'' ``rajasa'' and ``tamasa'' types of food.

All males, 13 years and above, are required to offer prayers three times daily, but these are obligatory - not compulsory - for women with household duties and responsibilities. Rituals observed on festive occasions like the birth of a child and marriage, and ceremonies connected with death are explained briefly in the book.

Artistic activities that are special to the Jewish community are catalogued. Their philosophy states that man has freedom for action to do good or evil and hence it is his duty and responsibility to tread on the right path. Judaism believes in the immortality and eternity of the soul and teaches that God loves all good people, to whatever religion they belong i.e. whether they are Jews or not. Salvation also is not restricted to Jews alone but is available for all.

The Jew prays not only for himself but for the prosperity and well-being of the whole world, just as the Hindus say ``Lokas samastas sukhino bhavantu'' (Let all the world be happy and prosperous). Judaism thus teaches love of God and love of man and abhors all violence.

This book can be called a primer on Judaism. The authors have done a nice job and deserve all congratulations. Couched in very simple language that is easy to understand, the book presents the essentials briefly and makes interesting reading, helping one to understand the Jews and Judaism.

Neatly printed on art paper, without any printing errors, and elegantly got up, the book is a visual treat. Beautiful pictures add to its value.

V. N. GOPALA DESIKACHARIAR

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