The most revered prophet among the Jews. Prophet of the Jews - Judaism

Prophets in Judaism have always been special people. With their thoughts, God had the opportunity to reach those who believed in him, with their actions - to show the world an example of righteous life, and through their lips - to reveal his will to all living. Not everyone is destined to be a prophet. In this case, everything is decided by the Lord, not man. And often many prophets had to shoulder this heavy burden against their will. The Bible tells the story of the prophet Jonah, to whom God entrusted this greatest mission. However, the future prophet did not want to serve the Almighty and wanted to hide from his fate.

The emergence of the prophetic gift took place in ancient Egypt. And the prophets in Judaism owe their appearance directly to the Jewish people, because it was they who appealed to Moses with a request to provide them with the opportunity for such communication with God. People no longer wanted to read only sacred manuscripts; they longed for “live” communication with God, in order to hear his every word from the lips of the prophet. Perhaps the most important goal that served as the origin of prophecy as a gift was the incredible need for the wisest revelations of the Almighty, for the voice of the prophets inspired hope and strengthened faith. But in order for the Lord to have the opportunity to send his revelation through the prophets, the latter needed to control their thoughts in order to tune in to a special spiritual wave. Sometimes, in order for the prophet to achieve such a state, he had to enjoy the sound of melodic musical instruments for several hours.

But the prophets in Judaism did not limit their actions only to telling the world about divine revelations. The Lord rewarded his charges with various gifts. The prophets had the opportunity to help people by curing their rarest diseases. Also, the chosen ones, whom God awarded with the gift of prophecy, had the opportunity to look into the future, thereby predicting various events. Some of the prophets, in addition to their divine mission, took an active and fruitful part in the political life of the state of Israel and the kingdom of Judah. One of these chosen ones was Elisha, who influenced the events associated with the change of the ruling dynasty. One can also remember Ahiya, who inspired the founder of the Israeli state with his speeches. Daniel took the Babylonian throne for a while. Among the most famous prophets, we should note Isaiah, Elisha, Daniel, Jeremiah and Elijah.

The very first prophecies were described in books that told about the historical beginning of the Jewish people. The prophecies of later times were first voiced by Amos and Isaiah and were presented in the form of separate works that were written by trusted scribes, and in some cases by the prophets themselves. Over time, the works of all the prophets of the later period were contained in one book, which was called the Book of the Prophets.

All known prophecies are invaluable for the Jewish people and for all believers, since throughout the development of mankind, they carried not only the word of God, but moral values for future generations.

Moses has forever gone down in both Jewish and world history as an outstanding leader and the greatest of the prophets, but strangely, throughout the longest chapter of the Bible, Tetzaveh, which Jews around the world are reading this week, the name of Moses is not mentioned even once.

Commentators and interpreters of the Sacred Text have explained this in different ways. The great Jewish sage Baal Ha-Turim, who lived in Europe in the second half of the 13th - first half of the 14th centuries and wrote the fundamental work on Jewish law “Arbaa Turim”, believed that in this way the words of Moses himself were fulfilled. One day, in the heat of a dispute with the Creator, defending the Jewish people, Moses shouted: “Will you forgive them?!” If not, then erase my name from the book that You wrote!” As a result, the Almighty forgave the Jewish people, but did not forget the words of Moses and erased his name - not from the book, but from one chapter.

Another great sage and spiritual authority, the Vilna Gaon, who lived in Lithuania in the 18th century and became the founder of a whole movement within Judaism, believed that the reason was in the calendar: usually the reading of the Tetzaveh chapter falls on the week in which the 7th of Adar falls - the date of death Moshe. And the absence of his name in the text illustrates and symbolizes the sense of loss at the loss of the greatest Jewish leader.

Another outstanding rabbi and teacher of the law, Isaac Ben-Yehuda Ha-Levi, who lived in Spain in the 14th century and wrote a book of commentaries on the biblical text “Paneah Raza,” looked for reasons in the past - in the first conversation of Moses with the Creator, who revealed himself in the form of an unburnable bushes. Then the Eternal strongly recommended that Moses go to Egypt and bring the Jews out of there, but he refused this mission over and over again. At one point Moses said, “Send him whom You always send.” And then the Creator decreed that Moses would be accompanied by his brother Aaron. Thus, by sharing the mission with his brother, Moses lost part of his role, which he could have fulfilled in its entirety himself. The role assigned to Aaron is known - he became the first high priest, and only his descendants at all times could become high priests of the Jerusalem Temple. From this we understand that Moses had enough potential to be both a prophet and a high priest, but he himself refused part of the destiny. Therefore, as Isaac Ben-Yehuda HaLevi explained, the name of Moses is not mentioned in the weekly parsha Tetzaveh, dedicated to the high priests.

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The difference between Judaism and other religions is that it recognizes not only one, but several forms of religious leadership. The first leaders of the Jewish people were the prophets: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses. The main thing that united them was that the Creator was revealed to them. The figure of the prophet has always occupied the imagination of people. He or she is always a dramatic person, telling the truth, not afraid to challenge the powers that be or even the whole society in the name of higher, somewhat utopian ideas. No one had such a strong influence on the formation of the Jewish people as the prophets. And the greatest of them was Moses.

The leadership of the high priests is of a different type. The priesthood, from a functional point of view, became in demand with the giving of the Ten Commandments on the Tablets of the Covenants and the need to preserve the latter, as well as in connection with the emergence of laws related to the construction of the Temple, sacrifices and worship. High priests are the guardians of holiness, a separate caste in Jewish society of that time. They were to lead a closed life, concentrating on serving in the Jerusalem Temple and abstaining from participation in public life and political struggle. The latter, alas, was not always possible.

It can be assumed that Moses understood perfectly well what he was doing when he abandoned the priesthood in favor of his brother. These roles - the priest and the prophet - are too different. And literally in everything! Prophecy is a gift from G-d, but the high priesthood was inherited. Work in the Temple was impossible without such qualities as attention to detail, attention to the very last detail, extreme accuracy, but it did not require any outstanding personal qualities or great charisma from the priest. Prophets, on the contrary, embodied charisma and individuality, for no prophets prophesy in the same way.

The life of priests was regulated to the extreme - with additional restrictions designed to preserve purity and holiness, the need to wear special clothes and live away from everyone, a special routine of life, which was determined not by personal desires or even family needs, but by work - temple service. The prophet, on the contrary, could live however he wanted, anywhere. He could have been a shepherd like Moses and Amos, or a farmer like Elisha. Until divine revelation descended on the prophet, his life was no different from the life of other Jews.

Priests and prophets lived in different time regimes. The first - in cyclical time, each next day was similar to the previous one, as well as weeks and months. And no one and nothing should have shaken this routine. The Prophet lived in a much more dynamic time, each day could bring joy or curse, jubilation or pain, but was in no way similar to the previous one or the next.

There are even differences in vocabulary: the main words for temple priests were kodesh and hol, tahor itamei - holy and everyday, pure and unclean. For the prophet, these words were tzedek and mishpat, chesed and rachamim - righteousness and justice, kindness and compassion.

The difference between the consciousness of the high priest and the prophet in Judaism is as fundamental as the difference between Creation and Liberation. The High Priest speaks on behalf of G-d regarding timeless truths, and the prophet conveys the word of the Creator, relevant here and now! Without the prophets, Judaism would have become a historical cult, but without the priesthood, the people of Israel would not have become an eternal people. Moreover, according to the prophets themselves, the people of Israel were supposed to become a “kingdom of priests,” and not an army of prophets. The prophet kindled a fire in souls and hearts, the high priest had to maintain this flame, turning it into “eternal light.”

Jonathan Sachs

Judaism is the monotheistic national religion of the Jews. Followers of Judaism call themselves Jews. When asked where Judaism arose, both historians and theologians answer the same way: in Palestine. But to another question, when did monotheistic ideas arise among Jews, they answer differently.

According to historians, until the 7th century. BC. the Jews had a different religion. It is called the Hebrew religion. It originated in the 11th century BC. along with the emergence of classes and the state among the Jewish people. The ancient Hebrew religion, like all other national religions, was polytheistic. Historians believe that monotheistic ideas among Jews formed into a religion only in the 7th century. BC. during the reign of King Josiah in Judah (Southern Palestine). According to historians, not only the century, but also the year of the beginning of the transition of Jews from the Hebrew religion to Judaism is known from sources. It was 621 BC. This year, King Josiah of Judah issued a decree prohibiting the worship of all gods except one. The authorities began to decisively destroy traces of polytheism: images of other gods were destroyed; sanctuaries dedicated to them were destroyed; Jews who made sacrifices to other gods were severely punished, including death.

Theologians believe that Judaism was already practiced by the first people: Adam and Eve. Consequently, the time of the creation of the world and man was at the same time the time of the emergence of Judaism. Judaism Jew Hasidism Tanakh

According to historians, the Jews called this only God by the name Yahweh (“Existing One,” “Existing One”). Cultists believe that it is impossible to assert that God’s name was Yahweh, because if the people of that distant time knew the name of God, then today’s generation of people, for a certain historical reason, does not know His name.

The international directory “Religions of the World” states that in 1993 there were 20 million Jews in the world. However, this figure is apparently unreliable, because a number of other sources indicate that in 1995-1996 there were no more than 14 million Jews living in the world. Naturally, not all Jews were Jews. 70 percent of all Jews live in two countries of the world: in the USA 40 percent, in Israel 30. The third and fourth places in terms of the number of Jews are occupied by France and Russia - 4.5 percent each, fifth and sixth by England and Canada - 2 percent each. In total, 83 percent of Jews live in these six countries of the world.

There are four faiths in Judaism. The main confession is Orthodox Judaism. It dates back to the emergence of Judaism as such.

Karaiteism arose in Iraq in the 8th century AD. Karaites live in Israel, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. The word “Karaite” means “reader”, “reader”. The main feature of Karaiteism is the refusal to recognize the holiness of the Talmud.

Hasidism originated in Poland at the beginning of the 18th century. Hasidim are everywhere where there are Jews. The word “Hasid” means “pious,” “exemplary,” “exemplary.” Hasidim require “fervent prayer” from their adherents, i.e. loud prayer with tears in my eyes.

Reform Judaism arose in the early 19th century in Germany. There are supporters of reformed Judaism in all countries where there are Jews. The main thing in it is ritual reforms. If in Orthodox Judaism rabbis (as ministers of worship are called) wear special religious clothes during services, then in Reformed Judaism they conduct services in civilian dress. If in Orthodox Judaism rabbis say liturgical prayers in Hebrew (as the Jewish language is called), then in Reformed Judaism in the language of the countries in which Jews live: in the USA - in English, in Germany - in German, in Russia - in Russian. If in Orthodox Judaism women pray separately from men (or behind a partition, or on a balcony), then in Reformed Judaism women pray in the same room with men. While in Orthodox Judaism only men can be rabbis, in Reform Judaism women can also be rabbis.

There are eight main principles in the dogma of Judaism. These are the teachings:

about sacred books,

about supernatural beings

about Mashiach (Messiah),

about the prophets

about the afterlife,

about food prohibitions,

about Saturday.

The sacred books of Judaism can be divided into three groups. The first group includes one book-volume, which is called the word Torah (translated from Hebrew as “Law”).

The second group again includes only one book-volume: the Tanakh. The third group includes a certain number of book-volumes (and each volume contains a certain number of works). This collection of sacred books is called the Talmud (“Study”).

The Torah is the most important, most revered book in Judaism. All copies of the Torah from ancient times to the present day are written by hand on leather. The Torah is kept in synagogues (as Jewish houses of worship are called today) in a special cabinet. Before the start of the service, all rabbis in all countries of the world kiss the Torah. Theologians thank God and the prophet Moses for its creation. They believe that God gave the Torah to the people through Moses. Some books say that Moses is considered the author of the Torah. As for historians, they think that the Torah was written only by people and it began to be created in the 13th century. BC. The Torah is one book-volume, but it consists of five book-works. The Torah is written in Hebrew and in this language the books of the Torah have the following names. First: Bereshit (translated - “In the beginning”). Second: Veelle Shemot (“And these are the names”). Third: Vayikra (“And he called”). Fourth: Bemidbar (“In the Desert”). Fifth: Elle-gadebarim (“And these are the words”).

The Tanakh is one book-volume, which consists of twenty-four work books. And these twenty-four books are divided into three parts, and each part has its own title. The first part of the Tanakh includes five books, and this part is called the Torah. The first holy book, which is called the Torah, is also an integral part of the second holy book, which is called the Tanakh. The second part - Neviim (“Prophets”) - includes seven books, the third - Khtuvim (“Scriptures”) - includes twelve books.

The Talmud is a number of volumes of books. The original (written partly in Hebrew, partly in Aramaic), republished in our time, is 19 volumes. All volumes of the Talmud are divided into three parts:

Palestinian Gemara

Babylonian Gemara

According to the main idea of this teaching, believers should honor the prophets. Prophets are people whom God has given the task and opportunity to proclaim the truth to people. And the truth that they proclaimed had two main parts: the truth about the correct religion (how to believe in God) and the truth about the correct life (how to live). In the truth about correct religion, a particularly important element (partly) was the story of what awaits people in the future. The Tanakh mentions 78 prophets and 7 prophetesses. Veneration of prophets in Judaism is expressed in the form of respectful conversation about them in sermons and in everyday life. Among all the prophets, two great ones stand out: Elijah and Moses. These prophets are also revered in the form of special ritual actions during the religious holiday of Passover.

Theologians believe that Elijah lived in the 9th century. BC. As a prophet, he proclaimed the truth, and in addition, performed a number of miracles. When Ilya lived in the house of a poor widow, he miraculously renewed the supply of flour and butter in her house. Elijah resurrected the son of this poor widow. Three times, through his prayers, fire descended from heaven to earth. He divided the waters of the Jordan River into two parts and, together with his companion and disciple Elisha, walked through the river through a dry place. All these miracles are described in the Tanakh. For his special services to God, Elijah was taken alive to heaven.

In theology (both Jewish and Christian) there are two answers to the question of when Moses lived: 1/ in the 15th century. BC. and 2/ in the 13th century. BC. Supporters of Judaism believe that one of the great services of Moses to the Jews and to all humanity is that through him God gave the people the Torah. But Moses also has a second great service to the Jewish people. It is believed that God, through Moses, led the Jewish people out of Egyptian captivity. God gave instructions to Moses, and Moses, following these instructions, led the Jews to Palestine. It is in memory of this event that the Jewish Passover is celebrated.

The Jewish Passover is celebrated for 8 days. The main day of the holiday is the first. And the main way of celebrating is a festive family dinner, which is called the word “Seder” (“order”). During the Seder every year, the youngest of the children (of course, if he can talk and understands the meaning of what is happening) asks the oldest member of the family about the meaning of the Passover holiday. And every year the oldest member of the family tells those present about how God, through Moses, led the Jews out of Egypt.

All religions of class society have teachings about the soul. There are several main points in Judaism. The soul is the supernatural part of man. This answer means that the soul, unlike the body, is not subject to the laws of nature. The soul does not depend on the body; it can exist without the body. The soul exists as an integral formation or as a collection of smallest particles; the soul of each person was created by God. Also, the soul is immortal, and during sleep, God temporarily takes the souls of all people to heaven. In the morning, God returns the souls of some people, but not others. People to whom He does not return their souls die in their sleep. Therefore, having risen from sleep, the Jews in a special prayer thank the Lord for returning their souls. All other religions believe that while a person is alive, the soul is in his body.

The doctrine of the afterlife in Judaism has changed over time. We can talk about three versions of the doctrine of the afterlife, which successively replaced each other.

The first option took place from the time of the emergence of Judaism to the time of the appearance of the first books of the Talmud. At this time, the Jews thought that the souls of all people - both righteous and sinners - went to the same afterlife, which they called the word “Sheol” (the translation of the word is unknown). Sheol is a place where there was neither bliss nor torment. While in Sheol, the souls of all the dead people awaited the arrival of the messiah and the decision of their fate. After the arrival of the Messiah, the righteous received a reward in the form of a happy life on a renewed earth.

The second version of the doctrine of the afterlife existed from the time of the appearance of the Talmud until the second half of our century. In this version, the content of the books of the Talmud was interpreted as follows. To receive a reward, there is no need to wait for the Messiah: the souls of the righteous, immediately after parting with their bodies, were sent by God to heavenly paradise (“gan eden”). And sinners were sent to hell, to a place of torment. The words “Sheol” and “Gehenna” were used to refer to hell. (“Gehenna” was the name of the valley in the vicinity of Jerusalem, where garbage was burned. This word was also transferred to the name of the place of torment of the soul after the death of its body.) At the same time, it was believed that Jewish Jews go to hell only for a while, and Jews are wicked and people other nationalities (they were called “goyim”) forever.

The third option is set out in a number of works by modern theologians. Compared to the second option, the third has only one change in the understanding of the picture of the afterlife. But this change is very significant. A heavenly reward, according to a number of theologians, can be received not only by Jewish Jews, but also by people of other nationalities and with a different worldview. Moreover, it is more difficult for Jews to earn heavenly rewards than for non-Jews. People of other nationalities only need to lead a moral lifestyle, and they will deserve to live in paradise. Jews must not only behave morally, but also comply with all the purely religious requirements that Judaism imposes on Jewish believers.

Jews must observe certain dietary prohibitions. The largest of them are three. Firstly, they cannot eat the meat of those animals that are called unclean in the Torah. The list of unclean animals based on the study of the Torah is compiled by rabbis. It includes, in particular, pigs, hares, horses, camels, crabs, lobsters, oysters, shrimp, etc. Secondly, they are prohibited from eating blood. Therefore, you can only eat bloodless meat. Such meat is called “kosher” (“kasher” from Hebrew translates as “suitable”, “correct”). Thirdly, it is forbidden to simultaneously eat meat and dairy foods (for example, dumplings with sour cream). If at first the Jews ate dairy foods, then before eating meat they should either rinse their mouths or eat something neutral (for example, a piece of bread). If they first ate meat food, then before eating dairy they must take a break of at least three hours. In Israel, canteens have two windows for serving food: one for meat and one for dairy.

Judaism is the religion of a small but talented people who have made a significant contribution to historical progress. And for this alone, the national religion of this people deserves respect.

Judaism was an important ideological source for the two largest religions in the world - Christianity and Islam. The two main holy books of Judaism - the Torah and Tanakh - also became sacred for Christians. Many ideas from these books were repeated in the holy book of Muslims - the Koran. The Torah and Tanakh gave impetus to the development of world artistic culture, so a cultured person should know what Judaism is.

The main shrine of the Christian world has always been respected by Jews and Muslims. Because all world religions have eternal common values.

Judaism, Christianity, Islam were formed in the Middle East region, and therefore it is not surprising that they refer the reader to the same historical events of antiquity, and their Holy books contain similar storylines and characters, says Ekaterina to AiF Teryukova, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the State Museum of the History of Religion in St. Petersburg. - They all preach universal ones: do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, etc. Similar norms of human coexistence are recognized as moral behavior by other religions, for example, the first world religion in history - Buddhism.

Heroes

Abraham

Ibrahim

In all three religions, the first monotheist, from whom the Jewish and Arab peoples originated, showed the highest degree of submission to God, deciding without hesitation to sacrifice his son, in Christianity and Judaism - Isaac, in Islam - Ismail.

Jesus Christ

Isa

In Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth - Christ (ancient Greek - “Savior”) preached the imminent advent of the Kingdom of God, healed the sick, raised the dead, died a martyr’s death on the cross, atonement for human sins, and on the third day he was resurrected and ascended to heaven. Judaism does not recognize Jesus as the messiah, that is, as a savior. In Islam, Isa is one of the revered prophets of Allah, through whom God sent the Divine Scripture - the Injil (Gospel). The divine origin of Isa is not recognized.

Solomon

Shlomo

Suleiman

In Jewish and Christian traditions, he is revered as the son of David, the wise ruler of antiquity, and the builder of the Temple of Jerusalem. In Islam, he is the son of Daud, a prophet and a wise king, who understood the language of animals and birds. In all three religions there is a mention of Solomon's meeting with the Queen of Sheba (Bilqis in Islam).

Moses

Moshe

Musa

The description of the life of this prophet in all three religions coincides - a foundling raised in the family of an Egyptian pharaoh received stone tablets with the Ten Commandments from God. According to the teachings of Judaism, the Torah (the Holy Scripture of the Jews) was revealed to Moshe on Mount Sinai; in Islam, Musa is the interlocutor of Allah, to whom God sent down the Taurat (the Holy Scripture of Muslims).

St. George the Victorious

Girgis, Girgis, El Khudi

One of the most revered saints. According to his life, when persecution of Christians broke out, he went to Emperor Diocletian to defend his faith. According to legend, George was imprisoned and beheaded after monstrous torture. In the Muslim tradition, he is also a martyr for the faith who lived in Palestine. He was tortured to death in Mosul by Emperor Dadan, but then resurrected and performed many resurrections from the dead.

And:

the Virgin Mary

Maryam

Archangel Gabriel

Gavriel

Dzhabrail

and etc.

General stories

Flood

Noah (in Judaism and Christianity, Nuh - in Islam) is a righteous man who was saved during the Flood. At the direction of God, he made an Ark in which he hid his family and a couple of animals of each species. Considered the successor of the human race. In the Qur'an, Nuh is one of the most revered prophets. He preached monotheism, but to no avail. Then Nuh asked for help, and Allah ordered him to build a ship, then filled the world with water. All non-believers perished...

Judgment Day

It is recognized as a shrine by followers of all three Abrahamic religions. For Jews and Christians, this mountain is the place where Abraham rushed to sacrifice his son Isaac to God, and King Solomon built the Temple of the One God on its top. For Muslims, this is the site of Muhammad's ascension to the throne of Allah on the so-called Night of Ascension (Laylat al-Miraj). Nowadays, Jews gather to pray at the foot of the Temple Mount in front of the Western Wall.

The main stages of the development of Judaism. Complex of sacred books of the Torah. Tanakh. Norms of the Talmud.
Basic ideas of the teachings of Judaism.
Prophets and righteous men in Jewish culture.
Temple in the life of the Jews. The ritual side of Judaism.

The main stages of the development of Judaism. Complex of sacred books of the Torah. Tanakh. Norms of the Talmud.

Judaism- religion of the Jews. Judaism is the earliest example of monotheism in the world tradition (7th century BC). Some provisions of the national religion of Judaism became the foundation of two world religions - Christianity and Islam. The formation of Judaism as a monotheistic religion took place in several stages:

· polytheism (of the Vaal pantheons);

· identification of a tribal deity within the pantheon (circa 11th century BC);

· reform of the cult in 622 BC, securing the status of Yahweh as the only god.

In Judaism, God (Yahweh, Jehovah) appears as the omnipotent of the world and the creator of the law, the Torah. He is recognized not only as one in nature, as opposed to dualistic concepts of God, but also as the only one. The main article of faith of the Jews, the Shema (“Hear”), states: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). God’s activity is not limited to the creation of the world and the Torah “at the beginning of time,” his constant active participation in the affairs of the world is declared (divine providence). To designate his presence in the history of the Jewish people, the concept of Shekinah (Present) arises.

Within the framework of Judaism, the concept of God's chosen people finds its form. Yahweh makes a Covenant (brit) with the Jewish people (Israel) based on mutual obligations: Israel is obedient to God, while God provides protection to his people. The purpose of this Testament is the creation of a people of saints and righteous people, a people who would be a herald for the rest of humanity, a “light for the pagans,” a mediator between them and God in establishing divine dominion on earth. Closely related to this concept is the image of the sacred land (Israel, Palestine), which acts both as a condition and as a symbol of the fulfillment of the covenant.

Periodization of Judaism:

1. Biblical (formulation of a system of beliefs and religious practices, the canonical text of the Holy Scriptures).

2. Talmudic (development and execution of oral law).

3. Rabbinic (formation of the rabbinate as a religious institution).

4. Reformation (the emergence of the Haskalah ideology and the movement for religious reform).

The Holy Scriptures of Judaism include the following parts: Torah, Neviim (Prophets), Ketuvim (Writings), which together make up the Tanakh (according to the first letters of their names). In the tradition of Judaism, the Tanakh is regarded as revelation; the Torah itself was dictated to Moses on Mount Sinai.