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Judaism is a religious culture Halacha, or Way, and religious beliefs based primarily on The Torah (The Hebrew Bible), which is comprised of 613 commandments (Mitzvot) that cover all aspects of life from birth to death (G-d's revealed instructions to the Jewish people). Halacha (Halakha, Halakhah, Halachah), the "way to go", referred to the overall system of of Judaic religious law, to entire collection of rabbinical legal texts, or to a single rule. Passed down from generation to generation over the years, the Halacha has been developing and expanding since before 500 BCE. As a combined body of customs, rabbinical law, judicial opinions, recommendations, legislation, and traditions, the Halacha guided Jewish daily living, as well as, Judaic religious practices and beliefs. In the past the Halacha served as enforceable civil and religious law. Today only voluntary consent binds Jewish citizens to the Halacha. Rabbis interpreted Halacha in order to determine the applicability, authority and legality of state laws in regard to Jewish citizens. Modern day Jews are not restricted to Halacha traditions for most of their civil, commercial, and criminal law. Non-Jewish laws, as well as, non-Jewish legal jurisdiction are binding on Jewish citizens.
In Israel
rabbinical interpretations of the Halacha govern certain areas of personal and
family life. Often compared to the Aggadah, a diverse body of rabbinical literature that was narrative and
philosophical in nature, the Halacha writers sometimes drew upon the rabbinical
literature.
The Halacha also consisted of guidelines for the hundreds of commandments (Mitzvot) of the Torah which had been expanded by dialogue and argument about the Mishnah and Talmud (the oral law), commentaries on Talmudic and other rabbinical literature, the she'eloth u-teshuvoth (questions and answers literature), and the Shulkhan Arukh (the Jewish code of law). Different rabbis in diverse Jewish communities often interpret the Halacha guidelines differently, and, it is also the subject of intense Torah study in yeshivas. In the past, the Sanhedrin served as the Jewish legislative body highest court. Laws enacted and rulings made by the Sanhedrin were Halacha that was binding on all Jews. The Sanhedrin ceased functioning in this role after 40 ACE. Judaism now have neither a singular judicial hierarchy nor an appellate review process. Local rabbinical courts make rulings about Judaic law that only apply to the local Jewish community. During their 4,000 year history, the Jewish people have - been conquered and been the conquerors; been occupiers and been occupied; been self-governing and been enslaved; and been nationalists and been exiles. They have also been influenced by the cultures of ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Persia. A Hebrew Bible passage from Deuteronomy offers a thought provoking perspective on the often intense struggles of the Jewish people with different cultures and peoples over the millenium. Deuteronomy 11:22-25..."If you will diligently observe this entire commandment that I am commanding you, love the Lord your G-d, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and mightier than yourselves. Every place on which you have set foot shall be yours; your territory shall extend from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the Western Sea. No one shall be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will put the fear and dread of you on all the land on which you set foot, as he promised you. The G-d of the Israelites made a divine covenant with Abraham promising a good life for all if they followed the teachings he revealed to them. Judaism's next leader was Moses who received the Law from G-d after he led the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt.
The most important of the commandments of the Torah
were the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are:
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