The relationship
between the Hebrew people and their God (a "covenant" relationship
- a promised agreement between two parties)
The relationship
amongst the Hebrew people, identity with fellow Jews as an extended
"family" (a "Chosen" people)
Maintaining proper
social and moral relationships with other people (what God demands of them)
- how to live in this world, in community (the essence of Jewish Law as
found in Torah)
The basis of the Jewish
religion is its history
Time and history is
most important:
in individual lives
this is demonstrated through the celebration of life cycle events
in the life of the
Jewish people over the millennia - holiday celebrations commemorate
historic events in the life of the "community [of Israel]"
the key event is the Exodus
from Egypt recorded in the Biblical book of Exodus: The Passover
celebration, Torah and Sinai, elements of the Sabbath service are all
linked to this event
From the earliest of
times, the Jewish people have interpreted acts of history in light of God
acting through history especially on behalf of the Jewish people: either
to promote them or to punish them. History is seen as the story of God�s
intervention in the lives of His "Chosen People"