Modern Orthodox Judaism: A brief overview

             The philosophy of Judaism is as broad and diverse as its four thousand years would suggest. The past century and a half, however, has clearly been one of the most dramatic times in both Jewish history and Jewish thought. The emancipation of European Jewry, or haskalah, the Holocaust, the rebirth of the State of Israel and the rise of the American Jewish community have all dramatically impacted the way Jews act and feel about themselves, G-d and their faith. Different groups of Jews have responded to these events in different way, leaving what had once been a fairly monolithic faith splintered in to many radically different streams. One of these streams, Modern-Orthodoxy, has undergone a renaissance in recent years, and is one of Judaism's fastest growing sects.
             Modern Orthodox Jews believe in the omnipotent, omniscient God of the Bible. "Attribute to the Lord all glory and power" (Psalm 29). The God of Orthodox Judaism is the creator of the world ("In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1"), and the master of history (I am the Lord your God, who took you out of Egypt). He is personally involved in human affair, and revealed his will through prophecy. God, according to Orthodox Judaism, is not, nor ever was, corporeal ("He posses no image nor body", Liturgy).
             God is not merely seen as an indifferent universal power, but as the creator and a lover of justice and mercy. "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and walk humbly with God?" asks the prophet Micha. God does not merely request humans to do well, but rewards those who follow his commands and punishes those who fail. "He repays the righteous according to their righteousness and the wicked according to their evil" (Liturgy)
             Though all Orthodox Jews believe in this picture of God, there is still room for different pictures of the Lord within this framework....

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Modern Orthodox Judaism: A brief overview. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:50, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/93526.html