Evaluation questions in Judaism

I’ve been exploring various structures for World Religions questions this week, so I thought I’d share some that I’ve put together for Higher Judaism – particularly focusing on the final ‘beliefs’ section of the course specification: judgement; the Messiah; the Messianic Age; Olam Ha’ba. This one caught my attention because it has more to it than the other World Religions here, but there’s a lot of overlap between the beliefs so I thought it was an interesting one to experiment with.

Starting out with judgement, I wanted to try splitting the knowledge and understanding and analysis, before putting a final evaluation paragraph in (mimicking the language of the question). Which I think worked well…

Evaluate the significance of beliefs about Judgement

The Torah has many accounts of when G-d judged human action to be wrong and worthy of immediate punishment, for example, when He cast Adam and Eve from the Garden for eating from the tree of knowledge. (KU) Another example of immediate judgement would be when G-d destroyed the city of Sodom and turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt. (KU) A further example would be when G-d sent bears to tear boys apart for mocking His prophet Elisha. (KU)

A possible consequence of these beliefs is that a Jewish person may feel very anxious and be very cautious about ever breaking any of the commandments. (A) However, as these events happened so long ago, a Jewish person may feel that they are just stories to say that disobeying G-d is bad and should just be avoided. (A)

But Jewish people also observe an annual day of judgement called Rosh Hashanah. (KU) On this day, Jewish people believe that G-d reviews their actions and can choose to inscribe their names in the book of life which is then sealed on Yom Kippur. (KU) There are synagogue service on Rosh Hashanah where a ram’s horn (a shofar) is blown 100 times. (KU)

A possible consequence of these beliefs is that Jewish people feel like they will always have a second chance, because each year is a New Year. (A) The shofar blasts could help people to ‘wake up’ to the consequences of sin and remind them they need to put things right by Yom Kippur. (A)

However, some Jewish people also belief that there will be a final day of judgement after they die in which G-d will judge whether they are righteous or not. (KU) Some believe that they can then be awarded with a place in Gan Eden – a physical paradise. (KU) Whereas others believe that this is simply the soul being close to G-d. (KU) Others believe that this day of judgement will actually happen when the Messiah comes in the Messianic age. (KU)

A possible consequence of these beliefs is that Jewish people will have hope for the future because they don’t believe that life is the end. (A) They might also be highly motivated to follow the 613 mitzvot and build a personal relationship with G-d to further their chances of a good judgement. (A)

Overall, I think that these beliefs are significant because they affect how a person lives on a day to day basis. G-d is always watching, and knowing that He is judging people at all moments would have a big impact on how someone chooses to live their lives. (E) I also find them to be significant because annual judgement leads to Jewish people being reflective and ensuring they seek forgiveness from the people they have wronged and this would make society a significantly better place. (E) I also think that believing in a final judgement is significant because it gives life a clear purpose which is lacking for a lot of people in society today, and by having a shared purpose with others would allow them to feel part of something bigger – making life significantly better. (E) I also think that this is significant because it changes how people view death, it stops being something to fear and rather something that is just a continuation of life. Judgement need not be a bad thing if you don’t break the rules. (E) But ultimately, given the huge diversity of belief that there is around Judgement in Judaism, I don’t think that it is significant because people might be confused about what to believe and as a result just not think about it too much. (E)

For beliefs about the Messiah, I thought I’d go for a split approach and spend half of the essay on Orthodox beliefs and then look at Reform. I don’t LOVE this approach as it’s not as neat (in my head), but I did find this approach good for this question as the beliefs do affect the different traditions different.

Evaluate the significance of beliefs about the Messiah.

There are different understandings about the Messiah; Orthodox Jews believe that the Messiah is G-d’s Anointed one. (KU) They believe that G-d will send his chosen one at some point in the future. (KU) They believe it will be a human being possessing extraordinary powers of wisdom, justice and leadership. (KU) He will be a descendent of King David and will create a state greater than David’s Golden Age. (KU) He will restore the Temple in Jerusalem and the Jew’s obedience to the Torah. (KU) Orthodox Jews believe that the Messiah will defeat all Jewish enemies and drive them from Israel and the Kingdom will be of this world. (KU)

These beliefs could impact an Orthodox Jew in a number of ways. Firstly, they might wish to live in Israel so that they are ready for it to be established as a kingdom. (A) This could give them hope for the future and the resilience to live in a country that is so often in conflict. (A)

I do think that these beliefs are significant because it is a promise from G-d, and just as the Covenantal Promises have shaped Judaism in the past – and present – this promise could have significant change for the future. (E) I also think that they are significant because if the Messiah were to arrive in this form, the world would change drastically i.e. it would be a time of world peace which would be a significant difference in itself. (E)

Reform Jews have a very different understanding of the Messiah as they do not believe it will be a literal person. (KU) Instead, they believe that it will be an ‘age’ that can be brought about by people working together. (KU) This age will have some similarities to the state of the world brought about by the Messiah that Orthodox Jews believe in – it is believed to be a time of world peace as there will be an end to violence. (KU) This is based on teachings from the Tenakh, ‘They will beat their swords into ploughshares.’ (KU) the passage goes on to say that nations will not fight other nations, and they will not even train for war. (KU)

Given that this time can only be brought about by people working together, a Reform Jew might focus on the idea of ‘Tikkun Olam’ which means repairing the world and look for ways in which they can improve the world themselves. (A) As Reform Jews are partners with God in bringing about peace, they might feel a great sense of responsibility as they know that no one is about to appear to do the job for them. (A) This could equally bring about a sense of hopelessness, as given the state of the world today in terms of global violence, it could feel like an insurmountable task. (A)

However, I do think that these beliefs are significant because they give a very clear purpose for living, and a clear direction for someone to follow which isn’t always easy to find in life today. (E) I also think that they are significant because these beliefs shift the focus from an individual saviour, to the idea that they should pray for a better world. Moving from believing in something ‘beyond’ to something that is around us right now changes the focus of the religion. (E) I also think that they are significant because they feel like a more modern take on Jewish belief, that is perhaps more rational and in line with how non-religious people would think about the future. This feels significant because it is not a belief that is based on blind faith but a practical belief that could make the world better. (E)

For a question on the Messianic Age, it’s really tempting to just talking about the Messiah – so I tried to really focus in on the concept of the ‘Age’ and what this time is thought to be like. Obviously it’s impossible to really separate the two beliefs entirely….

Evaluate the relevance of beliefs about the Messianic Age (20)

The Messiah Age is a future time on earth where it is believed there will be peace over all the earth. (KU) Orthodox Jews believe that a human leader (the Messiah) will reign. (KU) It is believed that this person will be descended from King David and be a great warrior. (KU) He will gather all the Jewish people to Israel and rebuild the Temple. (KU) It is believed that all nations will live in harmony, with both hatred and conflict eliminated. (KU) The Tenakh has a number of verses that support this belief such as ‘swords will be driven into ploughshares.’ (KU) It is also said that it will be a time of unpredicted knowledge and awareness of God’s presence on earth. (KU) Some scholars teach that the Messianic Age will not be possible until all of Israel observe the commandments more fully; (KU) for example through observing Shabbat perfectly for two weeks running. (KU) Reform Jews do not believe that this age will be brought about by an individual, but that all people must work together to bring these events about. (KU)

These beliefs may create a feeling of hope amongst the Jewish believe as it would be a return to the ‘golden age’ of Judaism. (A) This can motivate Jews to pray because many of the prayers reference a return to Zion. (A) However, it could also lead to sense of frustration because the Messiah still hasn’t come after all these thousands of years. (A) A Reform Jew may be motivated to look for ways they could bring about peace on a personal level, perhaps supporting peace and reconciliation projects following conflict. (A) Both Orthodox and Reform Jews could be motivated to live in Israel, so they can work together effectively, or be there for the Messiah’s arrival. (A)

I think these beliefs are particularly relevant today as they look forward to a promise being fulfilled; the world is at conflict in so many ways and this promise provides a way out. (E) I also think that they are relevant because there is been a sharp rise in antisemitism in the UK but that will end in the Messianic Age, so Jews can live with hope even when facing abuse. (E) I also think that they are relevant because so many conflicts are cause by mankind, and any belief that motivates people to work actively towards peace has a place in the world today. (E) But I also think that they are irrelevant today as many people are doing these things even when they don’t believe in the Messianic Age, which shows that the belief is not really the driving factor. (E) I also think that they are less relevant than they were at the time of writing, as there is no real memory of King David’s Golden Age – it’s a time/place of a very different era and not really what many people would want today. (E)

For this final one, I decided to go for a KU-A-E approach. Whilst the word ‘impact’ hasn’t appeared in an evaluation question (yet) – I thought it would be interesting to see what it would be like…

Evaluate the impact of beliefs about Olam Ha Ba (20)

Olam Ha-Ba translates as ‘the World to Come’ and refers to the concept of the afterlife or a future Messianic age. (KU) As this concept is not mentioned in the Torah, and was a belief that developed over time, there is a greater emphasis on Olam Ha-Zah i.e. ‘the World as it is now.’ (KU)

Some Jewish believe that the world will be perfect once the Messiah has come and God has judged the living and the dead. (KU) They refer to the idea of ‘techiyat HaMetim’ which is the believe that sounds will be reunited with their physical bodies which will resurrect. (KU)

Most Orthodox Jews believe that people who follow the mitzvot given by God will be sent to Heaven after their body dies. (KU) There is no exact description, but it is often described as Gan Eden – a place of sunshine where people of all nations sit and eat together. (KU) Others believe that it is not a physical place but simply a feeling of the soul being close to God. (KU)

For those who do not follow the commandments, there is a risk that they will be sent to Gehinnom. Some believe that this will be a place of torment and a permanent punishment. (KU) Whereas others believe that this state by be temporary until a person’s soul has been cleansed. (KU)

An obvious implication of these beliefs is that Jews will be keen to follow the mitzvot so that they can avoid a negative judgement, particularly as this is of an unknown severity which increases fear. (A) It could motivate Jews to attend synagogue more frequently so that they can develop a strong relationship with God, trusting that He will guide them well). (A) These beliefs could inspire hope amongst Jews who look forward to a better future – particularly in terms of those who believe it will be the Messianic Age. (A) It could also be helpful to those who are grieving if they believe that this life is not the end, and that we will be restored in the future. (A) But given that this is not within the Torah, that could lead to a Jew focusing more on other beliefs that they think are more important. (A)

Therefore, I think that these beliefs can have a significant impact because they can alter the way a person acts in their day-to-day life particularly as there are so many mitzvot to follow. (E) I also think that this impact can be seen through effect they can have on a person’s mentality, as this gives a whole different purpose to life. (E) However, I do not think that do have much of an impact because of the lack of agreement on what it really is, and this has been proven by the fact that it is not viewed as something that should be focused on in Jewish life. (E) That said, I think that as they are beliefs that have developed over time, it is an idea that clearly matters to people and therefore does have an impact. (E) Also, given that these beliefs can motivate people to improve themselves, that in turn would have an impact on the world, and this could make it a significantly better place. (E)