Hello, friends and web-surfers. My name is Michael Sarko and this is Judeo Talk, an interactive blog for the discussion of Jewish faith, culture, history and current events. I'll be updating three times a week, shedding light on a rich tradition that stretches back thousands of years and continues to impact the lives of millions of people worldwide. Every Friday, there will be a Shabbat D'var post providing an introduction to some of the themes in the week's Torah portion. Additionally, feel free to email me with any questions about Judaism and I'll do my best to post the answer in this blog.
There is a famous Jewish story, known as a Midrash, about the importance of teaching and learning. In the story, a man goes to several different rabbis with the strange request of being taught Torah while he stands on one foot. Everyone was insulted by this request because it seemed silly and unnecessary. The only one who agreed to the stranger's odd stipulation was Rabbi Hillel, who was known for being a very open-minded and accepting man. Young Jews have long been told this story as a way to remind them to be open-minded themselves in the process of teaching and learning. Many tasks and topics seem daunting at the beginning, as if we are approaching them with no more stability or focus than we would have while standing on one foot. So, even if you don't know a thing about Judaism or Jewish culture, there's no need to turn away. Judeo Talk is a place where you only need a desire to learn.
So, what is Judaism? Plainly, Judaism is the oldest of the three central Abrahamic faiths, followed by Christianity and then Islam. All three of those religions is Monotheistic, meaning that one of their basic tenates is a belief in a single God. Because Jewish history stretches back nearly six thousand years, the exact origins of the faith and culture are not certain. In the religious tradition, the foundations of monotheism and therefore Judaism are placed on one man, Abraham. This is where the term "Abrahamic" comes from. According to his story in the bible Abraham was ethnically Sumerian, living in approximately 4000 BC, or as Jews prefer to say, BCE (before the common era). Early in his story, Abraham experiences divine forces and becomes devoted to spreading belief in a single, all-powerful God.
Of course, not everyone interprets the stories of the bible as being literal events, not even Jews. Unfortunately, retrieving accurate information about life and major events from thousands of years ago is exceedingly difficult. We do know that Jewish culture has existed since nearly the dawn of human civilization, thanks to writings and artifacts from ancient cities like Ur, Babylon and Jerusalem.
Whatever its origins, Judaism persists in the modern day, though its definition remains elusive. If this question could be answered so easily, I wouldn't have bothered making an entire blog about it. Sure, there's a textbook definition, but that doesn't even begin to explain what it means to be a Jew and how Jewish culture has contributed to the world at large. I hope you'll join with me in learning about one of this world's great cultural traditions. Shalom and welcome.
Got a question or a suggestion for a future topic? Email me at sarko.michael@gmail.com