Religions: Meaning and Purpose for Individuals, Social Transformation and Cohesion
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- Date Submitted: 02/12/2011 12:51 AM
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Meaning and purpose for the individual
Example One: Judaism
In considering the meaning and purpose of religion for an individual who practises Judaism this religion’s most important feature is the worshiping of a single, omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, transcendent God, who created the universe and governs it. Because for the individual who believes in Judaism, God established a covenant with the Jewish people, at Mount Sinai, revealing his laws and commandments in the Torah. In Rabbinic Judaism, the Torah comprises the written Pentateuch (Torah) and the oral law tradition (later transcribed as sacred writing).
From this, the meaning and purpose of their life is to serve the one true God and to prepare for the world to come. The "Olam Haba" thought is about elevating oneself spiritually, connecting to God in preparing for "Olam Haba"; Jewish thought is to use "Olam Hazeh" (which is this world that they live in now) to elevate themselves for the life to come or after life. "Al shlosha devarim," a well-known Mishnah from Pirkei Avot, relates to one of the first scholars of the Oral Law, Simeon the Righteous, and as part of this religions belief the saying that "the world stands on three things: on torah, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness." This concept further explains the Jewish mentality towards the meaning of it all.
The Kabbalah seeks to define the nature of the universe and the human being, the nature and purpose of existence, which Judaism follows as an explanation of meaning and purpose for the individual who follows this religion. Through the Kabbalah, its teachings help Jews to gain understanding of these concepts and progress their way to spiritual realization.
The Kabbalah was originally developed entirely for Jewish thought and it mainly uses classical Jewish sources to explain and demonstrate its teachings which only followers of Judaism would understand.
For the Jew or follower of Judaism as their religion, Kabbalah explains the...
Example One: Judaism
In considering the meaning and purpose of religion for an individual who practises Judaism this religion’s most important feature is the worshiping of a single, omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, transcendent God, who created the universe and governs it. Because for the individual who believes in Judaism, God established a covenant with the Jewish people, at Mount Sinai, revealing his laws and commandments in the Torah. In Rabbinic Judaism, the Torah comprises the written Pentateuch (Torah) and the oral law tradition (later transcribed as sacred writing).
From this, the meaning and purpose of their life is to serve the one true God and to prepare for the world to come. The "Olam Haba" thought is about elevating oneself spiritually, connecting to God in preparing for "Olam Haba"; Jewish thought is to use "Olam Hazeh" (which is this world that they live in now) to elevate themselves for the life to come or after life. "Al shlosha devarim," a well-known Mishnah from Pirkei Avot, relates to one of the first scholars of the Oral Law, Simeon the Righteous, and as part of this religions belief the saying that "the world stands on three things: on torah, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness." This concept further explains the Jewish mentality towards the meaning of it all.
The Kabbalah seeks to define the nature of the universe and the human being, the nature and purpose of existence, which Judaism follows as an explanation of meaning and purpose for the individual who follows this religion. Through the Kabbalah, its teachings help Jews to gain understanding of these concepts and progress their way to spiritual realization.
The Kabbalah was originally developed entirely for Jewish thought and it mainly uses classical Jewish sources to explain and demonstrate its teachings which only followers of Judaism would understand.
For the Jew or follower of Judaism as their religion, Kabbalah explains the...