The Story of Exile and Return
Hebrew Bible begins with God’s creation of the world in seven days, six days of labor and one day of rest.
Adam and Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden, first example of Exile.
God’s only law, do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Adam and Eve give in to temptation, break the law, and are banished.
This sets in motion two primary rythmic themnes of Judaism
The Nature of God
God is just, he punished wrongdoing.
God is merciful, he provides opportunities for repair.
God calls Abraham and his descendants to be his people and promises them a special land.
But the Israelites must wander for forty years and escape slavery.
God delivers to Moses the Torah, or law, on Mount Sinai as a new covenant.
Torah
A Religion and A People
On Converts and Creeds
Exile and Return]
The Sabbath and Minor Holidays
Zionism and The Holocaust
Feminist Theology and Kabbalah
Origin Story
Four Noble Truths
From Suffering to Nirvana
Budda, Dharma, Sangha