What are some key beliefs on Judaism?
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There are several different branches of Judaism, including Reform, Conservative, Orthadox, Ultra-Orthadox and Reconstructionist. There will be many differences between each of those, especially in terms of adherence to the 613 mitzvot (commandments), but I'll try to hit the points of agreement:\n\n1. A belief in one diety\n2. A common identity rooted in the stories of the Torah (Old Testament)\n3. A code of ethics known as mitzvot that came from G-d\n4. The belief that G-d gave makind the Torah, in which the guidelines for living an upright lift\n\nA famous story says that a well-known Rabbi known as Hillel was asked your very question by a Roman. In fact, the Roman said that he would only follow a religion that could be explained while the teacher stood on one foot. So, lifting one foot, Hillel said, "What is hateful to you, do not do to others. The rest is commentary. Go and study."
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I am not Jewish, but I would say that their culture puts a great deal of emphasis on learning, education and scholarly pursuits. The Torah (first five biblical books) means law or teaching. So law and teaching are highly valued and an essential part of their heritage.
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Judaism's answer is that Gd started Judaism when He revealed Himself to Abraham, entered into a covenant with Abraham, and continued to re-establish, and reaffirm that same covenant with Abe's son Isaac, again with Isaac's son Jacob, and then again through Jacob's 12 sons who became the 12 tribes, and then again with their descendants, the entire Jewish people, through Moses at Mt. Sinai, and on and on through Jewish history. \n\nMark Twain wrote:  ""The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then . . . passed away. The Greek and the Roman followed. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts. … All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"" The answer to Twain's question, What is the secret of his immortality is that Judaism was started by Gd.
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Basic Humanist principles, which pre-date religion. Half the Ten Commandments are basic common sense - not killing each other, not stealing - they are the rules that a society will self-determine.\nPersonally I believe that there is just *morality* and that pre-fix is redundant. For the most part, people are moral, with or without God.
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I am Jewish.\n\nJews do not believe in Hell, in the Christian sense. When you die, your conscience determines whether you will be able to withstand the presence of G-d, or whether YOU will turn away from that light and exist without G-d's presence.\n\nHell and the Devil are purely Christian concepts, based on Greek mythology... and the demonization of all the gods from the pagan cultures that the Romans converted.\n\nIt actually is pretty sad, that Christians feel that one can only truly turn to G-d through fear of punishment. In Judaism, one turns to G-d out of conscience, love, and respect for one's Creator.\n\nIn Judaism, the "evil" in the world that is sourced from natural causes (e.g. death, illness) is a test of personal spiritual strength. G-d is concerned with the growth of one's spirit, not in your current physical situation. The evil in this world originating with mankind is something we brought upon ourselves through our own choices (or the backwash of being near people making such choices).  We are, after all, made in G-d's image... conscious, intelligent, and creative, with the free will to use those gifts as we will. In the end, those making those negative choices, when they die... will their true, deep conscience and awareness of the darkness they brought into others' lives allow them to turn toward the light of G-d?
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""Why is it Jewish People believe they are the chosen people?""\n\nBecause we are, because Gd said so, because Gd does not change his mind, because Gd said the covenant between Him and we Jews is eternal, just like He is eternal, because History has proved this to be true, because the Jews themselves have proven this to be true!!!\n\nAs Mark Twain Wrote in Harper's Magazine, March issue, 1898\n"Concerning The Jews"::::\n\n"""To conclude. - If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one per cent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star-dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. \n\nHe has made a marvellous fight in this world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. \n\nThe Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"""  \n\nThat secret is that we are, indeed, Gd's Chosen People!!
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A hardy love for Matzoh balls? (Kidding.)\n\nI would imagine if a person finds Judaism an authentic and convincing religious path, and was willing to adapt to the difficulties of being observant, that would be reason enough.
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Judaism:  The Religion of the Hebrews\n\nThe Jewish religion was unique in the ancient world because it was monotheistic.\n \nAlmost 2,000 years ago, many Jews were forced to leave their homeland in Palestine. This diaspora, or scattering of people, sent Jews to different parts of the world. Wherever they settled, Jews maintained their identity as a people by living in close-knit communities and obeying their religious laws and traditions. These traditions set Jews apart from other people. Yet they also helped them survive centuries of persecution. \n\nJudaism is numbered among the world's major religions for its unique contribution to religious thought as well as its influence on two later religions, Christianity and Islam. Both these faiths, which also emerged in the Middle East, were monotheistic. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all honor Abraham, Moses, and the prophets, and they teach the ethical world view developed by the Hebrews.
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This is a good website. It comes from Judaism 101!
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According to Judaism, all the righteous in the world, Jewish or not, have their portion in the world to come.\n\nFirst and foremost, Jews believe strongly in the concept of Chasedei Umos Haolam (lit. Righteous People of the Nations of the World) that they are abundantly and lavishly rewarded for their good deeds. So, according to the jewish view, salvation is truly for every good-doer or do-gooder in the world, regardless of faith or heritage.\n\nHowever, for a more in depth discussion, this question is quite tricky. First and foremost, the term "salvation" or in hebrew, Yeshua, does not relate to personal salvation, heaven or hell etc.\n\nIt is not an individualistic concept, but is more specifically used in reference to deliverance from exile, a future messianic era where moshiach, lit. meaning "an anointed one", will bring peace to the world and lead the entire jewish nation to congregate in israel at the future third temple. While there is no temple, the jews are considered a scattered people. \n\nThis future period is a time of peace for everyone. It is not exclusionary. The world will presumably be business as usual. But people, enlightened by a high ethical and moral understanding, will get along better with each other. And war and strife and fear will not be a staple of daily life (as they are now, during this period of exile). Thus it will be a time of deliverance from persecution and plague for everyone alike.\n\nAs for going to heaven vs. hell, judaism teaches us not to focus our energies on this aspect of existence so that we don't constantly think about getting rewarded (see ethics of our fathers). And rather do good deeds for the sake of doing good deeds.\n\nAll in all, according to judaism, if you're a good person, you're going to heaven!
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I am a Jew and hear people say all sorts of things.\n\nYou will only continue very many diff things, since from the Jews came all other western and even some eastern religions like Bhuddism.\n\nSo lets start with the first Jew. Here it is from the Talmud.\n\nHis name was Abraham, he had an Idea that the world was created by a greater something, he could not name it, so he called it The Name, untill this day Jews call GD 'HaShem', which means 'The Name'.\n\nThe decendants of Abraham formed as 12 tribes. We where made slaves in Egypt for 200 years and as proffesionals and forced labrors built up Egypt. Its a long story and you can read it in the Bible, but eventualy we came to Mount Sinai and received the Torah.\n\nThe Torah was translated into Greek and from there into all other languages, it has been called the Old Testment.\n\nThen came a young Jewish kid who was rejected by his rabbi, who was one of the top ones for the reason of immodesty, so basicly he was a college reject. He didnt mean to, but he created a whole new religion. All he claimed where a few wil things but over 2000 years people distorted it with their imagination to look like it looks now, its called Christianity. Jesus wouldnt know what it was if he where alive today, and from Heaven he looks down and both laughs and cries at it.\n\nMuslims came later, they call GD as Allah which is one of the names GD is called in the Torah. Bhuddism is based on Kabbalah which a feild in Torah Academia.\n\nSo cut it short, we beleive in the Torah. We beleive it is life. The Torah gives 613 commandmants, of all sorts. 248 of them posative are 'Though Shalt...'365 of them are negative commands meaning 'Thou Shalt Not do/be/go/put/etc...'. We believe the Torah speaks to us as the Word of God and is the manual for life. There are 248 bones standing up the human body and 365 muscles, sinews and ligaments, holding them together, moving them etc.\n\nUs Jews consider our Torah not just copywrite, but any non-jew ith motives of breaching the copywrite is forbidden to read it and liable to a death penalty. Christianity and a bloody 2000 years of history in the west was from breaching that copywrite, distorting it, adding stuff, taking out, by mad people.\n\n\nProverbs 3:13-20\n\n13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. 19 By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; 20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. \n\nWe are like a real family, though all over the place and allways on the move when persecuted, each Jew knows 90% of worldwide Jewish family names, we help each other out.
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Christianity is like Judaism plus some extras.  Plus, Christians believe that after Christ came, the traditional Jewish law of sacrifices and certain other laws were no longer needed; they served a purpose, but Christ fulfilled that purpose once and for all (to atone for sins).  So there are parts of it that Christians also accept and believe, like the 10 commandments and the one God, but they also believe in the divinity of Jesus and his death and resurrection as the ultimate sacrifice.
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the kabbalah center has online courses and literature. check out the link below. It;s a good start
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Actually, i believe in my religion not only for the obvious reasons, but also because of what it does for me. And i am not talking about the Christian heaven thing, either.\n\nJudaism gives to me a love of learning for its own sake. \nIt gives me a discipline through the demands for kosher and shabbat observance. \n\nIt makes me a part of something that has lasted through 4,000 (thats four THOUSAND!) years of persecution, misrepresentation, misunderstandings, people stealing our rituals and giving them meanings that contradict the Bible, things no other faith on earth has had to endure, but we endured it. (Which means that we have been reading, singing, worshipping, studying, observing, enjoying, things that have been done this way since recorded time began on this planet!) \n\nIt gives me a direction on how to treat others, not by merely spouting platitudes ("love each other") but in real concrete terms of how to show that love and how to measure up (tithing, that kind of thing). \n\nIt has given birth to a people on earth who have given to the OTHER people on earth far far far more than one should expect from so small a people, like 16% of every Nobel Prize given in the world have been given to Jews, when the Jews are about one tenth of one percent of the world's population. \n\nJudaism brings Gd into my life on a moment by moment basis, enabling me to get through an awful lot that most never have to, for which they should say, 'thank Gd,' like having a wife sick for more than half our marriage, and losing her, my brother, and my father all in a space of 20 months.\n\nAll this and so much more!\n\nThere is a passage in the Talmud where the rabbis are debating the existence of Gd. Finally the number one head rabbi is asked, 'what would you do if you had undeniable proof that there is no Gd?' and he answered them and said, 'I would get up tomorrow morning and recite the morning prayers.' This means he does Judaism for himself, because of what it does for himself, and through him, for the world.\n\nSo do i.
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Jewish education, holidays, tradition and life cycle events are the foundation of Humanistic Judaism.  While the important role of God in Jewish history and tradition is recognized, and spirituality is greatly valued, Humanistic Judaism holds that supernatural authority should play no role in human affairs; the branch is non-theistic in observance and content.
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This is the path that is taught by the Buddha.  It is the noble 8-fold path.  This is also taught by many many religions in various ways.  The Bible says "moderation in all things."  Judaism teaches the middle way.  It is a wise way to live without having extremes of indulgence nor extremes of asceticism.
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Christianity & Judaism do not have to be mutually exclusive.  Many, many Jewish people over the last 2000 years have given their lives to the Messiah yet retained their Judaism.\n\nThe Messiah is Jewish.  He came first to the Jews and then to the rest of the world.  If you have a Jewish understanding of His teachings they have a deeper meaning.  He was speaking to the Jewish people in His parables, they understood the deeper meanings.\n\nSome groups teach that in order to become a Christian you have to leave your Jewishness behind.  But why?  Should we not celebrate the Feasts & Festivals and observe the same Fasts as He did?  Should we, as Jews, turn our backs on His heritage in order consider ourselves Christians?\n\nHowever, we should strive to live the way God intended, not the way the Rabbi's have fenced off the law and made it more of a burden then it was ever intended to be.  (Mat. 23)