Many concepts message sent in Torah and Jewish tradition seems a quintessentially modern, but it has many thousands of years ago. This is a collection of a few things we have in this day and is an integral part of ancient Jewish wisdom. So what is that?
- neo monotheistic
Judaism presents a powerful concept that there is one God has created and operates the universe. This is a profound breakthrough with the object model has been present before, where the capricious gods and anger seem to dominate these random events, and should be satisfied - often in ways pretty awful, as the sacrificial children.
Torah, in contrast, offer a different model to the extreme of the universe, which enhance rather than lower. It teaches that nothing is random; the world was created for a purpose, and the rest of us, too. Each of us has a separate mandatory target in my life and have a duty to reveal their full potential.
This is an extraordinary idea out. The ordinary man is seen as divine creatures and important. Torah explains that every individual is created in & nbsp; betzelem Elokim, & nbsp; in the image of God. Regardless of the circumstances or our possibilities are, every life is sacred and special. All the factors that make a civilized society are rooted in this perception.
- weekend
" 6 days you shall do work and complete all your work, but the 7th day is Shabbat feast for the Lord thy God; you shall not do anything for this day "(Exodus 20: 8). There is nothing inherently unreasonable to broken long monotonous life of man: Week 7 days are not found anywhere else in the natural world. Yet, today, through thousands of years of Jewish day introduction to the concept of Shabbat, 7 day week concept has spread across the globe.
the concept of Jews on the day Shabbat - to stop working in the first day of the 7 days - helped establish the idea of the week, and take up the path of social assigning a specific work week - and a periodic interval for entertainment.
- census
British Book of year Armageddon 1086 is often mentioned as the survey (investigation), the first national population, but the Torah 2,400 years ago there was a record of a census of the Jews (Book of exodus 30). After leaving Egypt, Moses has held a draw for the Jews. It must have been a huge survey: he counted 603.550 mature man.
- Where asylum
At the time of ancient Israel, Jews were ordered to build "six cities refugee" on the 2 banks of the Jordan river, where those accused of manslaughter could flee before receiving their judgment (Exodus 35: 6 ). In this city, they were safe from the victim's relatives that they allegedly killed and be safe from the village charter.
- in fairness before the law
Alone in the ancient world era, Jews proclaim the dignity of all human beings: men and women, rich and poor. The ancient laws of justice often contain many laws for people with different social status. Even to this day, when the infringement of human rights in the world ridiculed the equality of justice, the Torah remains the beacon of light, to emphasize that all people - regardless of location - must be judged the same: "you shall not bend to justice; you shall not be partial to the poor and the rich pay tribute; with probably right & nbsp; you will judge thy people "(Book of Levi 19:15).
- The court system
Torah contains one the earliest system of high courts and lower levels. When developing the Jewish state after leaving Egypt, Moses their leader that is increasingly difficult to adjudicate their disputes. Moses father Yitro's wife introduced him to a unique solution: establish a comprehensive legal system in the world first. Under his guidance, Moses has established four levels of court, from the local ward where people resolve minor disputes, straight to the Supreme Court, & nbsp; supervisor & nbsp; the lower courts' decisions and the most difficult cases (the Book of Deuteronomy 1: 11-15) .
- animal Rights
animal rights movement it seems very modern - the transport welfare laws are now starting to be offered at the Western countries in the mid-19th century - but they have their antecedents in Jewish thought. Torah and Tamud filled with detailed instructions regarding good treatment to animals: We are prohibited muzzle an ox & nbsp; in the harvest (customary ancient to prevent the animals eat crops) or & nbsp; slipped General & nbsp; an animal health with a weaker (because it can cause excessive stress on the smaller animals) (Deuteronomy 25: 4). When we pick up the eggs, the Torah instructs that first of all we have to chase away a mother hen (Deuteronomy 22: 7). Talmud even ordered us to eat animals before our own meals.
- rotational crops
today, the farmers how to maintain the fertility of the land, it will be more effective when the field crop rotation and to rest periodically. In Israel, the practice also has a strong spiritual aspect more. "In six years you shall cultivate land and harvest what it produces. And 7th year, you will not be cultivated and the harvest, and thy people will eat in the impoverished, and wildlife on the field shall eat what is left over for them; and ye also do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove "(Exodus 23: 10-11). This practice - which is still by many farmers to follow Israel to this day - remind us that God is above all land and who controls our lives.
- fine
When the Torah introduces the great pay monetary damages instead of someone's life, it was a revolutionary idea. The Code of Hammurabi of Babylon's rulers (1795-1750 BC) mandatory death penalty for the most serious crimes; 19th century BC with draconian laws to punish any Athenian crime by death. Even today, some countries still apply the brutal physical punishment; in Saudi Arabia, people are taught to hook eye offenders; Iran also used to punish her blind, said a man stalking a woman must be poured acid on the 2 eyes. Both the two countries, as well as many other Muslim countries, also using the hands or feet as a punishment for the crime.
Jewish Law, opposite , codified genres fines for a variety of offenses, allows people convicted of theft or negligence of their debt paid off and return to normal life.
- Schools public
In 64 AD, Yehoshua Ben Gamla Master ordered that all Jewish children age 6 or older to attend school, regardless of whether their parents are eligible or not. He even specified the maximum size of a class - no more than 25 children per teacher. The Jewish community scrambling to put ideas into practice Master Yehoshua, established schools are subsidized or free in the Jewish community around the world. As philanthropist George Hanus Chicago Education noted: "it is the first case in history was recorded on an established system of general education compulsory capital support from the larger community ... many scholars believe that the pattern of Gamla is the inspiration for the public education system for free are common in the West, including the United States. "