World of Education/World of Education.iso/world_j/judeahlp.zip/SURVEY.DIS

Text File | 1991-11-13 | 24KB | 848 lines

WELCOME TO THE OHR SOMAYACH TORAH SURVEY
*Press ENTER to
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Explore the Torah
*Or F1 for HELP
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+SINAI REVELATION
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Written Law
*Five books of Moses, Prophets, Writings, etc.
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Oral Law
*Explanations, Mishna, Gemara, Law and customs, etc.
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+WRITTEN LAW
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Five books of Moses- Chumash
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Prophets- Neviim
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Writings- Ketuvim
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FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
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Genesis - Breishit
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Exodus  - Shmot
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Leviticus - Vayikra
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Numbers - Bamidbar
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Deuteronomy - Devarim
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PROPHETS
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Joshua
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Judges
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Samuel
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Kings
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Isaiah
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Jeremiah
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Ezekiel
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The 12 Prophets
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THE 12 PROPHETS
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Names of the 12 Prophets
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Explanation
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WRITINGS
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Psalms
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Proverbs
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Job
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The Five Megillot
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Daniel
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Ezra and Nehemiah
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Chronicles
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ORAL LAW
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Oral Traditions
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Sanhedrin
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Zohar
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Mishna
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Gemara
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Geonim
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Rishonim
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Acharonim
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Code of Jewish Law
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Responsa
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ORAL TRADITIONS
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Legal Explanations and Definitions
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Rules of Exegesis
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Oral Traditions
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Explanations of Narrative
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Ethics
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Kabbalah (Mysticism)
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SANHEDRIN
*__ The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court
and legislative body of the Jewish people,
as well as being responsible for the
accurate transmission of the Oral Law.
*__ Each town and city, (depending on size)
and each of the 12 tribes had its own
Sanhedrin, consisting of 23 judges for
capital crimes and 3 judges for other matters.
*__ The Great Sanhedrin consisted of 71 judges
and was situated on the Temple Mount
in Jerusalem.
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MISHNA
*__ The Mishna was redacted by Rabbi
Judah the Prince in 170 C.E. in
Israel. It is a concise formulation
of Jewish law and ethics containing
Biblical, Oral and Rabbinic laws and
written in Hebrew.
*__The following are the six orders
(Shisha Sedarim, "Shas") of the Mishna.
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Seeds - Zeraim
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Times - Moed
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Women - Nashim
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Damages - Nezikim
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Holiness - Kodshim
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Purity - Taharot
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GEMARA
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Jerusalem Talmud
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Babylonian Talmud
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GEONIM
*__The Geonic period extends from about
690 C.E. until the 11th century.
*__The first Geonim or "geniuses"
were the heads of the Babylonian academies
in which the Mishna was studied and the
Gemara written.
*__Most of the Geonim lived in Babylon, Egypt
and Nth.Africa. They wrote responsa as well as
brief commentaries on the Talmud. Included among
the Geonim were Rav Hai Gaon, Rav Saadya Gaon and
Rav Sherira Gaon.
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RISHONIM
*__The period of the Rishonim, "the early
Sages", starts from about the 11th century
C.E. and extends to the 15th century.
*__Among the most famous of the Rishonim are:
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Rashi
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Maimonides
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Nachmanides
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GENESIS
*__ This book's Hebrew name is Bereshit,
"In the beginning". It deals with the
Creation, Adam and Eve, the Flood,
the Patriarchs and the Matriarchs,
and ends with the descent of Jacob
and his family to Egypt.
*__ It also contains the commandment
of circumcision, and the promises to
Abraham that he would receive
the Land of Israel, and that his
descendants would be a blessing to
the rest of the world.
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EXODUS
*__ The title of this book, "Shmot"
(names) refers to the names of
the Jews who entered Egypt. It
deals with their exile, slavery and
suffering; the life of Moses,
and his initial prophecies; the
plagues and the Exodus.
*__It also describes the Revelation at
Mt.Sinai, where the Jewish
people received the Written and
the Oral Torah.
*__Exodus closes with
the building of the Mishkan, a
portable Temple which housed the Tablets
of the 10 Commandments.
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LEVITICUS
*__"Vayikra", meaning "and he called" is
the first word of this book. Here,
G-d calls to Moses and informs him in
detail of the laws of the Priests, the
Temple, the sacrifices and the Festivals.
*__Much of the Jewish code of morality
and ethics appears in Vayikra, including
the famous statement "Love your neighbor
as yourself".
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NUMBERS
*__ "Bamidbar", "in the desert", details
the travels, battles and struggles of
the Jews during their 40 year sojourn
in the desert after the Exodus.
*__It starts with a census of the
12 tribes and describes their
formation in the Israelite camp,
and ends with the capture
of the East Bank of the
Jordan river and the subsequent
settlement there of the Tribes
of Reuven and Gad.
*__The rebellion of Korach and
the sending of 12 spies to Israel
are also discussed.
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DEUTERONOMY
*__ "Devarim", "words", refers to Moses'
address to the Jews before his death.
This prophetic farewell includes rebuke,
encouragement, warnings and prophecies.
*__Many commandments that would only
apply in Israel and that govern
interaction with other nations
are explained. Moses then wrote
13 copies of the complete Torah,
giving one to each tribe and placing
one in the Holy Ark.
*__The Five Books close with the
death of "the greatest of all prophets"
and "the most humble of all men", Moses.
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JOSHUA
*__The first book of the Prophets, Joshua, continues from
the death of Moses, with the appointment of Joshua as the new
leader of the nation.
*__It discusses the conquest and
subsequent division of the Land of Israel;
detailed accounts of the entry into Israel;
the wars with the Canaanites and the battle of Jericho.
*__ Apart from being a great military commander, Joshua was
a renowned spiritual leader, who composed the prayer
"Aleynu Leshabeach", and the 2nd blessing of "Grace after
meals".
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JUDGES
*__The Book of Judges, "Shoftim", details
Jewish history following Joshua, up until
the era of the first kings.
*__The judges ruled the people in civil
and criminal law; in matters of Jewish practice;
and in military and political affairs.
*__Among the numerous judges in the book,
we find Gideon, Samson, in his struggle with
the Philistines, and Deborah.
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SAMUEL
*__ Samuel was born in answer to
the prayers of his mother, Chana,
and served from his youth in the Tabernacle
under the High-Priest, Eli,
who was also the last of the Judges.
*__ As a prophet, he anointed
Saul to be the first King of Israel,
and chose David as Saul's replacement
when he failed to destroy the Amalekites.
*__ Main themes of the book include: David's
slaying of Goliath the Phillistine; David's
flight from King Saul; and the rebellion of
Absalom against his father, King David.
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KINGS
*__ King David's son, Solomon,
ruled over Israel at a time of peace
and prosperity and built the First Temple.
At the end of his reign Jeroboam and Rechoboam
split the country into the Kingdoms
of Judea and Israel.
*__ They were succeeded by other
Kings until the destruction
of the Temple and the exile to Babylon
410 years later.
*__ Other main topics include:
the prophecies of Elijah and Elishah;
and Elijah's challenge to the
worshipers of the idol "baal"
on Mt. Carmel.
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ISAIAH
*__Isaiah, or "Yeshayahu",
predicted the destruction of
the First Temple in vivid detail.
*__He is best known for his
prophecies of consolation and
redemption, which are read as Haftorot
on the Sabbaths following
the Ninth of Av.
*__Isaiah's prophecy includes the
well-known verse "They will
beat their swords into plowshares...
nation shall not raise sword against
nation, and they will no longer study war".
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JEREMIAH
*__Jeremiah, or "Yirmiyahu", warned of
the Temple's destruction and
witnessed it. Besides comforting
the Jewish people in their
exile he also counselled
them about behaviour in exile
and preparation for their
imminent return to Israel.
*__Jeremiah's prophecy that
"the sound of joy and the sound
of gladness, the voices of a
bride and groom" will again be heard
in the "cities of Judah and the
streets of Jerusalem" is part
of the Jewish wedding ceremony.
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EZEKIEL
*__Ezekiel, or "Yechezkel", lived at
the time of the destruction of
the First Temple and was exiled
together with the Jewish people to Babylon.
*__He rebuked the Jewish people for their
failings and warned them of the destruction
of the Temple; he also gave them hope with
his prophecies of the return to Zion and
the Messianic age.
*__Ezekiel's vision of the "Divine Chariot"
serves as a major source text for many
Jewish mystical writings.
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THE 12 PROPHETS
*Hosea
*Joel
*Amos
*Jonah
*Obadiah
*Michah
*Nahum
*Habakkuk
*Zephaniah
*Haggai
*Zechariah
*Malachi
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THE 12 PROPHETS
*__The short books comprising the
12 Prophets are grouped together.
*__One of the most famous is
Jonah, in which the prophet
warns the city of Nineveh of
its impending destruction.
Eventually the people of Nineveh
repented thereby rescinding the decree.
*__Malachi closes the books of the
Prophets with an exhortation
to follow the Torah and with
a prophecy about Messianic times
when "the hearts of parents will return
to their children, and the hearts of
children to their parents".
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PSALMS
*__"Tehillim", "praises", the
Hebrew name of Psalms, refers both to
the content and purpose of this book.
*__Here King David gives expression
to the whole range of human emotion
and thought as it relates to G-d.
*__He captures through poetry and song
the praise of the soul for G-d in all
situations, both favorable and unfavorable.
*__Much of Jewish liturgy, music and
poetry is based on Psalms. They form a
central part of the Jewish prayerbook
(Siddur) and were sung by the Levites
in the Temple.
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PROVERBS
*__Proverbs, "Mishlei",
was written by King Solomon and
contains his ethical instructions
in the form of parables.
*__This book forms the basis of
many later works of rebuke, ethics
and  character improvement, known as
"Mussar" literature.
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JOB
*__The book of Job recounts the story
of the sufferings of a righteous man,
Job, "Iyov", and various
responses to his suffering.
*__Philosophers throughout the centuries
have found insights here, into some of
the major philosophical problems in religious
thought, such as:
*the suffering of the righteous; the
existence of evil; Divine Providence
and free will; and the workings of
Divine Justice.
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THE FIVE MEGILLOT
*__The Five Megillot, or "scrolls"
are each read on special occasions
in the Synagogue.
*__The Song of Songs on Passover;
the Scroll of Ruth on Shavuot; Lamentations
on the Ninth of Av; Ecclesiastes on Succot;
and the Scroll of Esther on Purim.
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Song of Songs
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Ruth
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Lamentations
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Ecclesiastes
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Esther
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SONG OF SONGS
*__The Song of Songs, "Shir Hashirim",
is described by the Sages as being
the most holy of all Prophetic literature.
*__King Solomon, the author, presents
the love between the Jewish
people and G-d in the form of a poetic
dialogue between a man and a woman.
*__Extensive Midrashic and Rabbinic
commentaries elucidate this beautiful
work and explain the depth of the
allegories used by King Solomon.
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RUTH
*__ During the period of the Judges, a
Moabite woman, Ruth, and her Jewish
mother-in-law, Naomi, both lost their
husbands after having left Israel
during a famine.
*__ Instead of returning to her people, Ruth
converted to Judaism, and after marrying
Boaz, gave birth to a son, who was King David's
grandfather.
*__ She embraced Judaism with the famous
phrase: "Wherever you go, I will go,...
your nation is my nation, and
your G-d is my G-d".
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LAMENTATIONS
*__The prophet Jeremiah predicted and
witnessed the destruction of the First
Temple by the Babylonians.
*__In this book "Eicha", he mourns the
destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem,
the desolation of Israel, and the exile
of the Jewish people.
*__"Eicha", meaning "How" is the
first word of the book;
"How does the city sit solitary, that
was full of people! How is she become
like a widow! She that was great among
the nations, and princess among the
provinces, how is she become a vassal!"
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ECCLESIASTES
*__Ecclesiastes or "Kohelet" was written by
King Solomon, who refers to himself here
as Kohelet, Son of David.
*__In this book King Solomon analyzes the
futility of a totally materialistic life,
and points out the frustrations and the
cynicism of one who lives without a
spiritual dimension.
*__The famous opening statement of Kohelet
is "Vanity of vanities, said Kohelet,
vanity of vanities, all is vanity".
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ESTHER
*__The Scroll of Esther, named for
Queen Esther, relates the story behind
the celebration of Purim.
*__ Set in the capital city of Persia,
Shushan, in about 350 B.C.E., it details
the threat to the Jewish people by Haman's
plan of annihilation.The Jews were saved by
a miraculous turn of events, precipitated by
Mordechai and Queen Esther.
*__ It is read publicly on Purim and
teaches us to give thanks to G-d,
and to "give charity to the poor
and send presents to our friends."
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DANIEL
*__Daniel, a Judean youth, of great
wisdom and beauty, was captured
and taken to Babylon prior to the
destruction of the Temple. He was
trained to be a servant to the king,
Nebuchadnezzar.
*__There, he laid the foundations of
the Torah study for which Babylonian
Jewry later became famous.
*__Daniel's book is written in Aramaic,
the language of Babylon. In it he
portrays the various enemies of the
Jewish people using the famous metaphor
of the four beasts.
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EZRA and NEHEMIAH
*__The books of Ezra and Nehemiah
are usually considered as one book,
due to their common author, Ezra, and
their common subject matter, the return
from captivity in Babylon.
*__The return and settlement of the
Jewish people in Israel and the building
of the Second Temple are described
in detail.
*__Ezra is well known for instituting
the public reading of the Torah on
Mondays and Thursdays, in addition to
the reading on Shabbat which was
introduced by Moses.
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CHRONICLES
*__Chronicles is known in Hebrew
as "Divrei Hayamim", meaning "the
events of the days".
*__It details the genealogy of all
the major figures in the Tanach,
from Adam to Ezra the Scribe.
*__Chronicles is also a summary of
Jewish history from the beginning of time
until the building of the Second Temple.
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ZOHAR
*__The Zohar was written by the students
of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai, who transcribed
his teachings, in about 170 C.E. in
Israel.
*__It discusses the concepts of
Creation ex nihilo, Divine Providence
and its mechanisms, the metaphysical
meaning of the commandments of the
Torah and the the connection between
the physical and the spiritual.
*__ Written in Aramaic,
it follows the order of the
Five Books of Moses. The Zohar is the
principle source text of the Kabbalah,
the Torah's mystical teachings.
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MAIMONIDES
*__ Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, the Rambam,
was one of the first codifiers of
Jewish law. His fourteen volume
Mishneh Torah covers all of Jewish
law, belief and practice. He was
born in Spain in 1135, lived
most of his life in Egypt, and died
there in 1185.
*__ His works include the Book of Mitzvot,
enumerating all 613 commandments;
the Guide for the Perplexed,
a complete philosophy
of Judaism; and many letters and responsa.
He was also a famous physician and
wrote many medical treatises.
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ACHARONIM
*__The period of the "Acharonim", or the
"later Sages", starts from about the
15th Century C.E. and extends to contemporary
times.
*__Among the most famous of the
Acharonim are: Rav(Rabbi) Yosef Caro and
Rav Moshe Isserles, the authors of the
Code of Jewish Law; Rav Eliyahu, the Gaon of Vilna;
Rav Chaim Soloveichik; Rav Yisrael Meir
Kagan, the Chafetz Chaim; and Rav Moshe Feinstein.
*__They wrote commentaries on the Talmud
and the Written Law, works of philosophy and ethics,
and responsa.
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CODE OF JEWISH LAW
*__The Code of Jewish Law is known in
Hebrew as the "Shulchan Aruch" or the
"Set Table". It contains in its four sections the
laws of: daily practice; Sabbaths and festivals;
Kashrut; business; and marriage and divorce.
*__The Shulchan Aruch was written by a
Sephardic scholar, Rav Joseph Caro,
in Safed in approximately 1560 C.E..
It also contains the comments and rulings
of Rav Moshe Isserles of Cracow, that
include European Jewish custom (Ashkenazic).
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RESPONSA
*__"Responsa" are the responses of
Torah scholars to questions of Jewish
law posed to them both by laymen and
experts.
*__These scholars apply the law and
philosophy of Judaism to the
changing circumstances of Jewish life;
to technological and social innovations;
to medical issues; and other aspects of
contemporary living.
*__Responsa literature provides insight
into the workings of Jewish law and reveals
the concerns of Jews around the world
and throughout the ages.
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LEGAL EXPLANATIONS AND DEFINITIONS
*__These consist of definitions of
terms and concepts, and descriptions of
objects, for example:
*__The definition of prohibited "work"
on the Sabbath; the exact appearance
of Tephillin; and the times of the
beginning and end of the day, for
legal purposes.
*__In short, these traditions
provide the knowledge that is
necessary to translate the Written
Torah into actual practice.
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RULES OF EXEGESIS
*__There are thirteen basic rules of logic
and style that govern the interpretation
of the Written Law. They ensure that the
Torah is explained in a rational and
consistent fashion and in a way that conforms to
the grammar and style of Biblical Hebrew.
*__These rules, known as the 13 rules of
Rabbi Ishmael, are the prime categories,
and they include within them many
derivative principles.
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ORAL TRADITIONS
*__Some of the traditions of the
Oral Law are neither interpretations
or definitions of something in the
text of the Written Law.
*__These non-textual
traditions are known in Hebrew as
"Halachot LeMoshe MiSinai",or
"laws from Moses at Sinai", and
they are practices and laws that have
been verbally transmitted from generation
to generation, originating with the
revelation at Sinai.
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EXPLANATIONS OF NARRATIVE
*__Part of the Oral tradition deals
with explanation and interpretation
of the narrative sections of the
Torah. Many of these explanations are
in the form of allegories and they form
the bulk of the works known as the
"Midrashim".
*__The Midrashim were written
in Aramaic and Hebrew by the Sages of
the Mishna and their contemporaries,
and follow the text of the Torah.
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ETHICS
*__Jewish ethics are neither
a matter of personal preference or
a social contract, rather they are
an integral part of both the Written
and Oral Laws that were revealed at
Sinai, and go hand-in-hand with the
Jewish legal code.
*__These ethics can be
found in a Tractate of the Mishna
called "Pirkei Avot", or as it is commonly
known, "Ethics of the Fathers" and also
throughout the Talmud in the "Aggadata",
the sections dealing with moral issues
and homiletics.
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KABBALAH (MYSTICISM)
*__"Kabbalah", "tradition" deals
with the relationship of the physical
and the spiritual worlds.
*__The 3 main parts of the Kabbalah are:
Maasei Bereshit, the deeds of Creation,
explaining creation ex nihilo, and the concept
of the Infinite G-d creating a finite reality;
Maasei Merkava, the deeds of the chariot,
which discusses Divine Providence;
and Taamei Hamitzvot, reasons of
the commandments, explaining the
rationale of the commandments and the
effect of the physical on the spiritual.
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ZERAIM - SEEDS
*__The first tractate (Masechta)
of this order is "Berachot",
"blessings" which discusses the
laws of blessings, prayers and
the synagogue service.
*__The other ten tractates discuss
the agricultural laws that apply
in the Land of Israel and also those
that apply outside of Israel.
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MOED - TIMES
*__This order deals with the sanctity of
time.
*__It contains twelve tractates that
discuss: the Sabbath, Festivals,
the High Holidays, the calendar,
and the fast days.
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NASHIM - WOMEN
*__This order deals with the sanctity
of the male-female relationship.
*__Its seven tractates discuss: the laws
of marriage and divorce, the marriage
contract (Ketuva), incest and adultery,
vows and their annulment, and levirate
marriages (Yibum and Chalitza).
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NEZIKIM - DAMAGES
*__This order deals with the laws governing
a persons possessions.
Its nine tractates discuss:
*__Damages and torts; lost and
abandoned objects; business ethics
and laws of trade; property
and inheritance; jurisprudence,
government and the monarchy;
laws of evidence, punishment and oaths;
the prohibition of idol worship and
relationships with pagans; and the laws
of erroneous rulings by a court.
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KODSHIM - HOLINESS
*__This order deals with the laws of
the sacrifices and offerings in the
Temple; the laws of redemption of
the firstborn; donations to the
Temple treasury; and the laws of
Kashrut, the Jewish dietary code.
*__Kodshim contains eleven tractates.
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TAHAROT - PURITY
*__Taharot deals with the laws of spiritual
purity and impurity (Tumah vetaharah).
Its twelve tractates discuss the laws
of family purity; impurity caused by
death and disease and the various
methods of purifying people and objects.
*__The laws, structure and purpose of
the Mikva are also detailed in this order.
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JERUSALEM TALMUD
*__The Jerusalem Talmud was redacted
in the year 350 C.E. by Rav Muna
and Rav Yossi in Israel.
It contains explanations of the
Mishna, legislation, customs,
case histories and moral
exhortations.
*__The Gemara is a synopsis
of the discussions, questions
and decisions of the Academies
in Israel where the Mishna
had been studied for almost
200 years.
*__Due to the location of the
Academies, the agricultural laws
of the Land of Israel are
discussed in great detail.
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BABYLONIAN TALMUD
*__The Babylonian Talmud was redacted
in the year 500 C.E. by Ravina
and Rav Ashi, two leaders
of the Babylonian Jewish community.
The language of the Talmud is
Aramaic, in Hebrew script.
*__It contains explanations of
the Mishna, legislation, customs,
case histories and moral
exhortations.
*__The Gemara is a synopsis
of the discussions,
questions and decisions of
the Babylonian Academies in
which the Mishna was studied
for more than 300 years.
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RASHI
*__Rashi, is an acronym for Rabbi
Shlomo Yitchaki, a French scholar
born in 1040.
*__He is one of the most popular and
prolific of the Medieval commentators.
Rashi wrote commentaries on the Five
Books of Moses, the Prophets,the Writings,
the Mishna, the Gemara and the Midrash.
*__His works are such an essential part
of Jewish literature that the Code of
Jewish Law considers it mandatory for
every Jew to study the Torah with Rashi's
commentary weekly.
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NACHMANIDES
*__Nachmanides, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman,
is also known by his acronym "Ramban".
He was born in Spain in 1134, where he lived
for most of his life, and died in Israel in
1204, after having immigrated there in his
later years.
*__Nachmanides wrote commentaries on the Five
Books of Moses, the Talmud, and on a number of
books of the Tanach. He is considered one of
the greatest of the Kabbalists and his commentary
on the Torah contains many mystical
insights.
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