Judaism is a way of life. It is a religion that goes beyond the normal boundaries and reaches deep into daily life. “To be Jewish is to live a certain way before God, not to hold to a specific creed or confession “ (Rousmaniere, 128). The laws of the Torah, its interpretations in the Mishnah and the Talmud teach a Jewish person how to live and what rules to follow. To be Jewish means more than just going to a synagogue and praying. Jewish traditions place a high value on the sanctity of daily life and community spirit. Prayers were not limited to the synagogue, but also took on an active role in the home. Meals were very important in the Jewish tradition. Blessings were said at the beginning and the end of the meal. Not only during ceremonial meals on the Sabbath, but everyday meals and snacks as well. These table prayers include “ Blessed are You, Adony our God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine” and “ Blessed are You, Adony our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who takes bread out of the earth” (Rousmaniere, 137). The only proper food for a person following Jewish law to eat was kosher food. This food must also be prepared in a certain way.

Judaism is based on a three-legged stool. One of these legs consists of acts of charity. Charitable works, justice and fairness to all people are part of the sturdy foundation of Judaism and are a vital part in a person’s life. A Jewish person must always be clean and pure in the eyes of God when preparing to worship. Therefore there were ritual washings to remove the evils so God could not see them. Water became very symbolic and entailed a profound spiritual meaning. The idea of purity encompassed a large part of Jewish life. For example, a woman is not pure during and for the following week after her monthly period. She was not allowed to engage in sex with her husband until she went to the Mikvah and purified herself again. This was one of the reasons why Jews were very fertile. Following this purification, the woman’s menstrual cycle was at the point of ovulation. This time held the greatest possibility to conceive a child. A Jewish person must also visit the Mikvah to purify one’s self after a funeral, (which they were only allowed to attend if it was part of their immediate family), coming in contact with a deceased person, visiting a cemetery or attaining any contact with death.

The different outlooks regarding the story of Adam and Eve allow us to see the different approaches between Christianity and Judaism. Christianity believes Adam’s sin is passed down to all his descendants and the only way to be free of that sin is to accept Jesus as the Messiah. According to this religion we are all born as sinners. However, in the Jewish religion we are all born neutral with both good and bad tendencies. By following Judaism and its laws and making it your way of life, it is said you will follow the good path instead of evil. Christianity lays a great part of its foundation on what you believe. Faith is very important. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, believing that He alone can wipe away our sins, and believing that He died for our sins and will soon walk this earth again are major concepts of this religion. Christianity and Judaism have different “ways of life”. There are no guidelines in Christianity as to proper foods and Christians believe more strongly in heaven and hell. Placing much emphasis on what we do in this life to prepare us for what lies ahead in our after life. In Judaism, the Sabbath falls on a Saturday where the holy day in the latter religion is on Sunday. Christianity places great value on the cross as a symbol of this religion. The cross that Jesus was nailed to with a crown of thorns on his head. The cross that He carried on His back to His crucifixion. The cross that He died on.

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