Communication Between Cultures

Origins

Judaism was founded in approximately 1300 BCE, when twelve Israelite tribes came

to Canaan from Mesopotamia. Later, many of them settled in Egypt, where they

were held as slaves until they fled to Jerusalem in about 1200 BCE. One of the

most significant events in the forming of this religion is the role played by the

prophet Abraham. According to Jewishhistory, God chose Abraham to function

as the“father”of the Jewish people, a people that God designated as his“chosen

people.”To be the recipients of this honor, Jews entered into a sacredcovenant

with God.“The covenant was repeatedly renewed. Unlike a contract, the covenant

hadnodateofexpiration.”^90 Matlins and Magida offer an excellent summary of the

covenant:

Central to this covenant is the concept of being“chosen”as a people. For as Moses tells his

people in the Bible:“The Lord has chosen you to be a people for His own possession, out of

all the peoples that are on the face of the earth.”(Deut. 12:2)^91

In Jewish theology, this distinctive consideration was never meant to give special

advantages to the Jews, only to increase their responsibilities and therefore their

hardships.^92

In the nearly 4,000 years of historical development, the people who practice the

Jewish religion have exhibited not only a penchant for continuity but also a remark-

able adaptability. Torstrick speaks of this persistent ability to adapt:“The Jewish faith

developed over a 4,000-year period. Over that span of time, it has demonstrated a

remarkable capacity to adapt and persevere, to absorb elements from the civilizations

and cultures which it has come into contact with, but to also retain its own unique

identity and heritage.”^93

Core Assumptions

The Jewish worldview is expressed through a number of basic principles:

• We have already mentioned two of the most important assumptions at the heart
  of Judaism: (1) the covenant between God and the Jewish people that is the
  basis for the idea behind Jews being God’s chosen people and (2) the Ten Com-
  mandments, which represent not only the first direct communication between
  God and the Jewish people but also a set of philosophical and ethical precepts
  that are as relevant today as they were when they were first written on two stone
  tablets.


• Jews“believe in one universal and eternal God, the creator and sovereign of all
  that exists.”^94 This creed is clear and brief. It is expressed in Deuteronomy 6:4:
  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”


• Humans are inherently pure and good and are given free will. However, they have
  to accept the consequences of their actions.


• Jews, wherever they are in the world, share a common bond, sense of identity, and
  responsibility to each other.
  These core assumptions compose a belief system stressing the secular notion that
  placesgreat emphasis on this life rather than an afterlife.

124 CHAPTER 4•Worldview: Cultural Explanations of Life and Death

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