Nadene Goldfoot
I've been asked to explain in depth our purpose for being Jewish. We are not G-d's favorite people; we were chosen by G-d, the chosen ones, to perform a task throughout our life, and what was that?
1. The major purpose was to bring monotheism to the world-to believe in one G-d.
We evidently did bring it to many. We were the first monotheistic religion in the world. Christianity and Islam actually grew out of Judaism. Jesus (Joshua) was told to be a Jew teaching Judaism but updating it. It's said that he lived with the Essenes in caves for a period. He lived at the turn of the century, dying in about 29 CE. It was a time of Roman occupation in Jerusalem since 4 BCE which was 10 years past King Herod's death, as the city and Temple would be destroyed by them in 70 CE. Jews were being hung up on crosses by the thousands.
Later, Mohammad lived from 570 to 632 CE. He came from Mecca but lived in Medina, a place where Jews (people of the book) also lived who used to sit outside their tents reading the Torah out loud. There were three main Jewish tribes in Medina before the rise of Islam in Arabia: the Banu Nadir, the Banu Qainuqa, and the Banu Qurayza. He would pass by and listen. He did not read or write, but decided that his people should also be a people of a book, and set about to dictate his thoughts to a scribe. He told the biblical stories, often changing them according to his memory or to suit his cause. He was considered a prophet by his people as he claimed that the angel, Gabriel, gave him information for his book, the Koran. Banu Nadir was hostile to Muhammad's new religion. Other Jewish tribes lived relatively peacefully under Muslim rule.
The first thing a Jew might hear and learn is from Deut.6:4, "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our G0d, the Lord is One." This is the main theme of Judaism-one indivisible G-d by whose will the universe and all that is in it was created. It was a radical departure from polytheism and idolatry that permeated throughout the world at the time of Abraham and his grandson, Moses. It was Moses who seemed to act as a radio receiver, being told what to do and say by G-d. Though Moses was born a Jew, he had been raised as an Egyptian,, possibly an Egyptian with doubts. He reacted differently than any true Egyptian of that day when he saw an overseer beating a Jewish slave and in trying to stop him, wound up killing him. At that he had to flee, as even a prince of Egypt could not do that, so fled to the outskirts, the countryside, so to speak, and lived there until age 80, when he returned to release the slaves from bondage.
Believing the bull was a god led to human sacrifice...hard to believe today.
Why is this so important? If you believe in 2 gods it's destroying the belief of one source , you can then start believing in 3 gods, and you're right back to square one. That brought about appeasing all your gods and doing things that were abominable. This is what Moses experienced when he left Aaron to climb Mt. Sinai. The people got tired of waiting for him to return and made a golden calf and danced around it like crazy people. According to the Bible, the golden calf (עֵגֶּל הַזָהָב 'ēggel hazāhāv) was an idol (a cult image) made by the Israelites when Moses went up to Mount Sinai. In Hebrew, the incident is known as ḥēṭ' ha'ēggel (חֵטְא הַעֵגֶּל) or the Sin of the Calf. It is first mentioned in Exodus 32:4.
2. Another purpose was to be the light of nations, to teach what we have learned. What kind of light are we to spread out? Knowledge; education, a way of life that was different than what they were living. We're used as the example to spread G-d's message to men and to give guidance for the future;. This has been done through the prophets.
People were living as polytheists, believing in many G-ds and doing abominable things because of this. How is it best to wean them away from such a life? how to act, how to react as a good person. We are to be kind. Kindness (hessed) must be developed. Jewish daily way of life must speak of kindness because we believe that Jewish religious faith and observance aims, above all, to achieve a perfection of the human relationship and to create a better society. It has to work against the odds of a person's emotions of anger, getting even, envy, etc.
A religious Jew tries to bring holiness into everything they do, by doing it as an act that praises God, and honours everything God has done. For such a person the whole of their life becomes an act of worship. We are to be a holy people. What does that mean? it means :dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred. "the Holy Bible. "Because Jews have made a bargain with God to keep his laws, keeping that bargain and doing things in the way that pleases God is an act of worship.
3. Another purpose of Jews is to learn to live a better way of life, and that is found in the Torah, which is the 5 Books of Moses, the writings he did during the 40 years Exodus.
The goal of Jewish life is to embody Torah, the living word of the living God addressed to all creation through the life and experience of Am Yisrael, the Jewish people. This Jewish insight teaches us that as Jews we have the opportunity to take the wisdom of our tradition and make it real in the world in which we live. What we say and what we do is consequential. By making the spiritual and ethical insights of our Torah the foundation of our lives, we transcend our human limits. We connect ourselves to God, and can join our people’s prophets, priests, kings, heroes and sages as one of those who live and teach Torah.
Our lives are our teaching. How we live and what we do reveal who we are and who we want to become. When we, as Jews, strive to make the Torah real in our lives, we partake of a living tradition. We become part of a human community dispersed over time and space whose struggles with life’s issues give us the wisdom and insights we need in our lives. We join our own life experience with theirs as we take their teachings and transform them into our own. This becomes our own personal commentary on the Torah and is the heart of our legacy to those who follow us.
We are to have 3 characteristics: to be merciful, modest and kind. So, we are to do mitzvot; perform deeds of kindness. All who possess these 3 characteristics are worthy people.
The concept of kindness (hesed) includes all forms of kindness shown by a person whenever he exerts himself on behalf of another. To refuse "all such services as one may render a neighbor without himself suffering detriment" is worthy of Sodom, as in Sodom and Gomorrah. But even when to serve other people may result to our inconvenience or to the injury of our interests, we are commanded in every page of the Scriptures and in Talmudical works to exercise humanity and show love for our fellow mortals.
I would start by saying that the first event brought to our attention would be to expand on the Ten Commandments that G-d presented to us. By the end of our famous Exodus from Egypt to Canaan, we were given 613 precepts (mitzvot de-orayta) besides commandments decreed. We are to do a mitzvah, or many are mitzvot. This is any good or charitable deed.
The very essence of Judaism rests upon the acceptance of a spiritual-historical event in which our ancestors participated as a group, as well as upon acceptance of subsequent spiritual revelations to the Prophets of Israel. Receiving these 10 Commandments at Mount Sinai 7 weeks following the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt was a most traumatic event. As the light of nations, we are to share these with others. Of course the first step is to be putting them into our practice.
The 1st ten were most important. We expect of all people other than Jews to follow 7 of them which are called the Noahide Laws. (scan down for them) The ten are given to us in 2 places; Exod 20:2-14, and repeated with slight variations in Deut. 5:6-18. The main difference between the 2 versions concerns the law of the Sabbath which in Exod is motivated by G-d's resting on the 7th day of creation, while in Deut. the reason given is the deliverance from Egypt. 
The division into 10 Commandments is not apparent in the Hebrew original and the Christian tradition regarding this differs slightly at the outset from the Jewish (maintaining that the 1st verse is not a commandment and dividing into two either the 2nd or 10th commandment. According to Jewish tradition, the 1st 5 commandments describe man's duties to G-d, the latter 5 his responsibilities to his fellow-man.
1. BELIEF IN G-D-- I am HaShem, your G-d, Who as taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. This is the positive commandment to believe in the existence of HaShem as the only G-d. (Remember, people at this time believed in many gods, one for every aspect of life) (They made gods-idols) (They had no reason not to believe this way). The Israelites were given a reason passed down to them from Abraham, but their lives were all touched by polytheism.)
2. PROHIBITION OF IDOLATRY--You shall not recognize the gods of others in My presence. You shall not make yourself a carved image nor any likeness of that which is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the water beneath the earth. You shall not prostrate yourself to them nor worship them, for I am HaShem, your G-d-Who visits the sin of fathers upon children to the 3rd and 4th generations, for My enemies; but Who shows kindness for thousands of generations to those who love Me and observe My commandments.
3. PROHIBITION OF VAIN OATHS--You shall not take the Name of Hashem , your G-d, in vain, for HaShem will not absolve anyone who takes His name in vain. Just as it is forbidden to show contempt for G-d by making an idol, so it is forbidden to disgrace His Name by using it for no valid purpose.
4. THE SABBATH-- This day serves as a constant reminder that G-d is the Creator, Who created for 6 days and rested on the 7th, Sabbath observance bears testimony to this concept. This includes not only deed but attitude, for when the Sabbath arrives, one should feel that all his work is finished, even though his desk or workbench is still piled high. Six days shall you work and accomplish all your work means that no matter what is still left to be done, one should feel as much at ease as if everything was finished.(Rashi comment).
5. HONORING PARENTS-- When people honor their parents, G-d regards it as if they honor Him. Last commandment in honoring G-d, which shows a revealing light on the significance G-d attached to the honor He wants to show parents.
6. PROHIBITION AGAINST MURDER--Showing faith in G-d. someone with true belief in G-d as the Creator and Sustainer of human life will not commit murder. This corresponds to the 1st commandment.
7. PROHIBITION AGAINST ADULTERY--The term refers only to cohabitation with a married woman, which is a capital offense. It is parallel to the 2nd commandment, which forbids idolatry, for someone who betrays the marital relationship can be expected to betray G0d.
8. PROHIBITION AGAINST KIDNAPPING--"Stealing" refers to kidnaping. A kidnaper who forces his victim to work for him and then sells him into slavery is liable to the death penalty. The commandment against ordinary theft is found in Leviticus 9:11. Stealing is compared to the 3rd commandment because one who steals my well seek to cover his tracks by swearing falsely.
9. PROHIBITION AGAINST BEARING FALSE WITNESS-- In addition to its literal meaning, this passage prohibits gossip and slander.
10. PROHIBITION AGAISNT COVETING--Only a Divine Lawgiver could have decreed. A mortal ruler can legislate against murder and theft, but only G-d can demand that people sanctify their thoughts and attitudes to the point where they purge themselves of such natural tendencies as jealousy and covetousness.
Evidently not all people accept the 10 Commandments which seem so obvious to many of us today to be good rules of behaviors. One wonders if 7 of them would be acceptable and not offensive to some. There was a time in the USA where some of our 10 Commandments were observed as a law in this country but not anymore. An example:
- "Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain: As with the first two Commandments, this is a purely religious requirement that is not expressed in American law anymore. There was a time when blasphemy was punished. If it were still possible to prosecute people for blasphemy (a common, but not necessarily accurate, interpretation of this Commandment), it would be an infringement on religious liberty."
Chabad, our teachers in Judaism, present 7 Noahide laws. What Are the Seven Noahide Laws? The 7 Noahide Laws are rules that all of us must keep, regardless of who we are or from where we come. Without these seven things, it would be impossible for humanity to live together in harmony.
- Do not profane G‑d’s Oneness in any way.
Acknowledge that there is a single G‑d who cares about what we are doing and desires that we take care of His world. - Do not curse your Creator.
No matter how angry you may be, do not take it out verbally against your Creator. - Do not murder.
The value of human life cannot be measured. To destroy a single human life is to destroy the entire world—because, for that person, the world has ceased to exist. It follows that by sustaining a single human life, you are sustaining an entire universe. - Do not eat a limb of a living animal.
Respect the life of all G‑d’s creatures. As intelligent beings, we have a duty not to cause undue pain to other creatures. - Do not steal.
Whatever benefits you receive in this world, make sure that none of them are at the unfair expense of someone else. - Harness and channel the human libido.
Incest, adultery, rape and homosexual relations are forbidden.
The family unit is the foundation of human society. Sexuality is the fountain of life and so nothing is more holy than the sexual act. So, too, when abused, nothing can be more debasing and destructive to the human being. - Establish courts of law and ensure justice in our world.
With every small act of justice, we are restoring harmony to our world, synchronizing it with a supernal order. That is why we must keep the laws established by our government for the country’s stability and harmony.
These laws were communicated by G‑d to Adam and Noah, ancestors of all human beings. That is what makes these rules universal, for all times, places and people: 
The entire people saw the thunder and the flames, the sound of the shofar and the smoking mountain; the people saw and trembled and stood from afar. They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we shall hear; let G-d not speak to us lest we die." Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for in order to elevate you has g-d come; so that awe of Him shall be upon your faces, so that you shall not sin."... It's possible that such an event has been indelible in our genes. So many things are found in our genes these days. A lengthy period of fasting of our grandparents shows up in our genes with our behavior such as weight gain, etc.
We were given the Torah (1st 5 books of Moses) (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) through Moses. Whether Written or Oral, it is the teaching that directs man how to live. Although it speaks primarily to Israel, ritual law, generally thought of as "religious observances," are only part of the total complex of commandments. This Torah covers the entire range of human and social behavior. It asserts its jurisdiction in areas of behavior which in other religions are generally thought of as belonging to the ethical or moral domains or to the jurisdiction of secular civil and criminal codes of law. Even its no-legal and non-statutory sections stress spiritual truths and convey insight into the still finer extra-legal ethical and moral norms of behavior. Torah is the embodiment of the Jewish faith. It contains the terms of his Covenant with G-d. It is what makes a Jew a Jew.
The Talmud tells the story of a proselyte who came to the great sage, Hillel, in the 1st century BCE and asked to be taught the whole Torah quickly, in the time that he could remain standing on one foot. Instead of losing his temper at this impossibly presumptuous request, Hillel showed great patience and understanding. He answered by saying: "What is hateful to you, do not do to others. This is the whole Torah, the rest is its commentary. go and study it." Hillel had a way of explalning commandments. "and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Lev. 19:18. This had been his way of doing it. This stands as the capsule summary of Judaism along with the go and study part.
By searching for reasons of obeying such laws, we have felt that the thinking about it and searching is raising us spiritually. We are drawing closer to the Mind of the Divine in trying to understand a deep meaning. We are to be a holy people. Why? This purpose of holiness permeates all of Jewish religious law, and encompasses every aspect of human concern and experience. 
Jeremiah 1:10. Jeremiah lived in the 7th-6th cents BCE. He was a Cohen from a priestly family of Anathoth near Jerusalem. These were the days of King Josiah of Judah . It's a period of people following others in burning incense to the gods of others and prostrating themselves to their own handiwork. רְאֵה הִפְקַדְתִּיךָ הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה עַל־הַגּוֹיִם וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכוֹת לִנְתוֹשׁ וְלִנְתוֹץ וּלְהַאֲבִיד וְלַהֲרוֹס לִבְנוֹת וְלִנְטוֹעַ׃ (פ) See, I appoint you this day Over nations and kingdoms: To uproot and to pull down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant. Jeremiah recognized that the continuation of Judaism required an active effort to abandon certain elements of tradition that were standing in the way of the continued health of the community and to create new approaches in their place. In essence, this might have started the Reform Movement.
Jews have always regarded themselves as the members of a unique group with each individual member sharing the common destiny. They remained a nation even during the centuries of exile. In biblical times, the Jews regarded themselves as a group possessed of a national individuality differing from that of its neighbors. Indeed they were, as they were to be the light of the nations, to be this service for others. They carried a heavy responsibility. For doing so, they have suffered greatly from the very aspects of life that others wouldn't work on, such as COVETING. Coveting has led to innumerable wars between nations, wanting other people's property. JEALOUSY is another. 
Our place in the world, wrote Herman Wouk, author of THIS IS MY GOD, depends on what we contribute to mankind. We have contributed our Torah, the Mosaic vision of G-d, of right conduct, and of first and last things. It is our life, and the length of our days. As we keep that flame burning, it seems to me, we earn our right to survive as a people before G-d and men.
Watch this on youtube. The Mystery of the Jews: Who are the Jews? What impact have they had on the world? A powerful short film that reveals the real story behind "The Mystery of the Jews". With remarkable insights by renowned historians, world leaders and perceptive authors. "The Mystery of the Jews" challenges the normative conception of human history. https://www.simpletoremember.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAm-2BBhANEiwAe7eyFHUYtdhni8L_MTkXSqaBvHoJznhWZ97IGzduDajiXy0ftOk_1QO9fBoCnzcQAvD_BwE#.YDvyHmhKiUk
Revised with editing suggestions from son Steve Henwood 7:00pm. 2/28/21
Resource:
To Be a Jew, by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin
Tanakh (Bible) The Stone Edition
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://www.learnreligions.com/ten-commandments-basis-for-american-law-250894
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/beliefs/beliefs_1.shtml#:~:text=Judaism%20means%20living%20the%20faith&text=A%20religious%20Jew%20tries%20to,becomes%20an%20act%20of%20worship.
https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/goal-life
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