TORAH

Sefer Torah at
old Glockengasse Synagogue (reconstruction), Cologne, Germany

The etymological meaning of "Torah" is direction, teaching, instruction, or doctrine. Its root in Hebrew is ירה, (yareh) which means to shoot an arrow in order to hit a mark. The mark or target is the truth about God and how one relates to Him.

Meanwhile, in the Rabbinic Judaism terminology, Torah may refers many different definitions depending on which context it referred to. The first and very limited sense is the five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) given by God to Moses in Mount Sinai. Other experts say that Torah refers to all the law given to Moses the written Torah and the Oral Torah. While, in the broader sense, Torah refers to the whole body of Jewish law and teachings.

TORAH SHEBICHTAV (WRITTEN TORAH)

Torah Shebichtav or written Torah are the five books of Moses dictated by God to Moses in the Mount Sinai, Egypt. This revelation happened during Moses’ exodus together with the Hebrew people (ancestry of seven sons of Abraham) escaping from Pharaoh’s tyranny to the promised land of Canaan. The reason of the exodus was because the Hebrew people, who were very well-accepted in Egypt when Joseph becomes one of the rules of Egypt, underwent very terrible treatment by Pharaoh, one of which is slavery.

In Christianity this written Torah is called the Old Testaments. Regardless to some insignificant changes in the way and which language it is written, the ideas found in Torah is exactly similar to that in the Old Testament of Bible. It concludes us that in Judaism there is no Old Testaments nor New Testaments. Another way to call the written Torah is Tanakh, meaning law of Judaism or the Jewish Bible.

The five books of Moses teaches moral and ethics by telling the stories of the previous prophets of the Abrahamic religion (Monotheism) and ways of living under the Judaism law. Each part of the five books are named based on the several beginning verses. They are Bereishith (In the beginning...) later on translated as Genesis in English; Shemoth (The names...) as Exodus; Vayiqra (And He called...) as Leviticus; Bamidbar (In the wilderness...) as Numbers; and Devarim (The words...) as Deuteronomy.

Genesis

Genesis begins with the creation process of the universe, the creation of the first human (Adam) and his descent. It continues with the story of the three patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and Joseph as well as the four matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel). God promised the patriarchs the land of Canaan. However, Jacob’s sons decided to leave Canaan for Egypt for famine suffering Canaan.

Exodus

Exodus presents the revelation of a teaching for Hebrew people though Moses in Mount Sinai on their journey out of Egypt. They accept the teaching and agree to be His worshiper and obey His law. It also tells about the first violation of the covenant upon the Golden Calf Idolization. It is finished with the instruction of building Tabernacle/Temple and the story of how it is constructed.

Leviticus

Leviticus explains the procedures of how to utilize the newly built Tabernacle/Temple. Explanation about cleanliness and uncleanliness, animals permitted to eat, the law of how to slaughter animals, Day of Atonement, and moral and ritual laws. This book also include the explanation about rewards for realizing the God’s commandments and punishment to not doing them.

Numbers

Number chronicles the consolidation of the Hebrew people to be a community moving together from Sinai to the promised land of Canaan. At that time, Canaan was full of infidels that the Hebrew people could not just migrate to it. They wander in the desert for forty years in the surrounding area of Kadesh. The book is ended up with that they reach Moab opposite Jericho region and are ready to enter the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy contains a series of religious preaching by Moses on the land of Moab opposite Jericho. The essential topic of the book is a warning to the Children of Israel to not worship idolatry, to not walk on the way of the infidels.

Today’s Written Torah are kept in Ark of Covenant in Synagogues. When reading the written Torah, one is supposed to not touch it, some say because it is too sacral to be touched by humans, some say humans are supposed to not contaminate its purity, some others say that human’s sweat contain acid that can break the leather over time. People read it with the help of a pointer call “Yad”, in Hebrew Yad means hand, the pointer is in the shape of hand.

Torah Ark of the Szeged Synagogue

A yad resting on an open Torah scroll.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah

http://www.jcjcr.org/jewish-basic-concepts#Torah-written

http://www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm

TORAH SHEBE'AL PEH (SPOKEN TORAH)

Torah Shebe'al Peh or Spoken Torah is a part of the Jewish Bible (whole body of Jewish law/ Tanakh) which is the commentary to the written Torah. Some verses of the written Torah are taught with insufficient details, they need further explanation so that the commandments or Mitzvos are easily understandable. The details to those verses are found in the Spoken Torah.

According to Rabbinic tradition, the Spoken Torah is revealed along with the Written Torah to Moses at the same time, i.e. during his forty day contemplation meeting his God in Mount Sinai. To avoid incomplete subject, misinterpretation, and abuse, it was prohibited to record the oral law into writing material as well as to publish it. For hundreds of years, it remained oral and apprenticed orally from generation to generation.

In the year of 135 CE, a great revolt led by Simon Bar-Kokhba arose following the second destruction of Solomon Temple by Roman ruler in Palestine (Canaan). This failed rebellion caused decline of the Jewish community. Over a million Jews were persecuted and even killed. Schools of Torah Studies (Yeshiva) along with thousands of their rabbinical scholars and students were devastated. The number of knowledgeable Jews declined in a huge number.

The death of so many Torah teachers made up Rabbi Jehudah haNasi’s mind to start documenting the Oral Law in to written materials, it happened approximately in 200 C.E. Rabbi Jehudah decided to take fast reaction to preserve the Oral Law even if to realize that he would break the resistance of leading Judaism rabbis upon writing the Oral Law for centuries.

'Siege and destruction of Jerusalem', La Passion de Nostre Seigneur c.1504

The major explanation over the written Torah is compiled in the Mishnah, compiled between 200-220 C.E. by Rabbi Yehudah haNasi. A series of commentary and debate regarding the Mishnah is compiled in the Gemara. The compilation of the Misnah and Gemara is the Talmud. There are two periods of Talmud production and publication. First in Jerusalem 300-350 CE, so-called the Jerusalem Talmud, and second in Babylonia 450-500 CE, so-called the Babylonian Talmud.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_Torah

http://www.torah.org/learning/basics/primer/torah/oraltorah.html

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/talmud_&_mishna.html

Jewish Contribution to American Literature

Saya mengerutkan dahi ketika melihat bahwa salah satu mata kuliah saya di MA in American and British Studies adalah mata kuliah tentang kontribusi Yahudi (Bani Israel) terhadap literatur Amerika. Seberapa penting kah pengaruhnya sehingga saya PERLU mempelajarinya? 

Sebelum membahas mengenai sebaerapa jauh pengaruh Yahudi terhadap literatur Amerika, disarankan oleh desen pengampu Prof. Boris Naimushin untuk mengetahui sejarah umat Yahudi dan juga ajaran Judaism itu sendiri.

Saya akan menerangkan tentang sejarah umat Yahudi terlebih dahulu. Nama-nama tokoh penting dalam uraian ini akan menggunakan bahasa yang akrab di telinga saya, tetapi saya juga akan mencantumkan nama dalam bahasa yang digunakan oleh umat Nasrani dan Yahudi dalam tanda kurung. Saya tidak akan membandingkan kisah ini dalam kacamata tiga agama, karena pastinya akan ditemukan berbagai perbedaan (perspektif), namun justru akan saya cari persamaannya. Hanya Allah SWT yang maha tahu akan segalanya, jika anda temukan beberapa cerita yang tidak sesuai, saran dan kritik membangun akan diapresiasi oleh penulis.

The bosom of Abraham -
medieval illustration from
the Hortus deliciarum of Herrad of Landsberg (12th century)
Source : Wikipedia

Apakah Anda masih ingat dengan kisah nabi Ibrahim (Abraham), beliau tinggal di sebuah negeri yang bernama Canaan (saat ini adalah Palestina, dan semua daerah yang telah direbut oleh Israel). Sejarah umat Yahudi dimulai dari beliau. Dua anak Nabi Ibrahim yang sangat kita kenal adalah Nabi Ismail (Ishmael) dari Istri beliau yang bernama Hajar (Hagar) dan Nabi Ishak (Isaac) dari istri beliau yang bernama Sarah (Sarah). Keturunan Nabi Ibrahim melalu Nabi Ishak inilah umat Yahudi berasal. 

Umat Yahudi yang sekarang ada di dunia ini semuanya berasal dari Nabi Ishak. Anak beliau adalah Nabi Yaqub (Jacob). Tentunya anda masih ingat dengan kisah anak-anak Nabi Yaqub, jumlah mereka adalah tiga belas orang, satu diantaranya adalah juga seorang nabi yakni Nabi Yusuf (Joseph). Rasanya saya tidak perlu menceritakan cerita apa yang terjadi dengan anak-anak Nabi Yaqub, cukup garis besarnya.

Ringkasnya, seluruh saudara Nabi Yusuf beserta ayah mereka Nabi Yaqub hijrah ke Mesir (Egypt) karena negeri Canaan mengalami musim paceklik yang sangat parah. Dari anak-anak Nabi Yaqub inilah tujuh suku Yahudi berasal. Dan nama Yahudi (Judaism/Jews) berasal dari salah satu anak beliau yakni Judah.

Pada awal keberadaanya di Mesir, umat Yahudi diterima dengan baik, salah satu diantara penyebabnya dalah bahwa Nabi Yusuf merupakan salah satu orang berkuasa disana. Namun, tahun demi tahun perlakuan penguasa Mesir terutama Raja Firaun (Pharaoh) menjadi sangat buruk, umat Yahudi bahkan ditindas, mendapatkan perlakuan tidak baik, disiksa dan dijadikan budak. Dalam suasana terpuruk seperti itu, hadir Nabi Musa (Moses) dan saudaranya Nabi Harun (Aaron) untuk membebaskan umat Yahudi dari belenggu perbudakan Firaun menuju Negeri yang dijanjikan (the Promised Land) Canaan. 

Dalam perjalanan menuju Canaan, rombongan tersebut istirahat di pegunungan Sinai. Di bukit gunung Sinai ini, Nabi Musa berkontemplasi selama 40 hari dan bertemu dengan Allah SWT (YHWE/Allah) dan memberikan kitab Taurat (Torah) yang mencakup lima bab (lima kitab) termasuk sebuah kitab yang bersisi sepuluh perintah tuhan (the ten commandments).

Secara garis besar, kemudian umat Yahudi (Bani Israel) berhasil menaklukkan Canaan dari bangsa yang telah tinggal di sana selama umat Yahudi berada di Mesir. Mereka hidup dengan bahagia dan damai, kemakmuran melimpah ketika Nabi Daud (David) menjadi Raja Canaan, bahkan mencapai masa keemasannya ketika putra Nabi Daud, Nabi Sulaiman (Solomon), menjadi Raja Canaan. Nabi Sulaiman membangun sebuah tempat untuk beribadah yang megah berlapis emas, Baitul Maqdis (Bet HaMikdash/Solomon Temple), didalamnya disimpan Tabut Perjanjian (Ark of Covenant) sebuah kotak sakral berisi Taurat.

Ilustrasi Baitul Maqdis (Bet HaMikdash/Solomon Temple)

Pada tahun 597 (Before Common Era/Sebelum Masehi), Babylonia (Saat ini Syria) menyerang Jerusalem, Raja-raja dibunuh, rakyat disiksa, dan ribuan umat Yahudi dipindahkan ke Babylonia untuk menjadi budak, namun dalam ruang rahasia mereka masih mengamalkan ajaran Nabi Musa, mereka membangun Synagog (tempat ibadah Yahudi). Pada saat babylonia ditaklukan oleh Cyrus, umat Yahudi memiliki kehidupan yang lebih baik, jumlah mereka meningkat, sebagian mereka kembali ke Jerusalem sebagian yang lain memilih untuk tetap tinggal di Babylonia. Di Jerusalem, umat yahudi membangun kembali Baitul Maqdis yang telah dirusak. 

Kemudian, datanglah serangan dari barat, bangsa Roma dibawah pimpinan Alexander the great menguasai Jerusalem, pada masa inilah Nabi Isa Almasih (Jesus) lahir. Pada tahun 70 CE (common Era/Masehi) Baitul Maqdis  kedua dihancurkan oleh bangsa Romawi. Pada masa Alexander ini, umat Yahudi berimigrasi ke berbagai pusat-pusat perkembangan peradaban seperti Babylonia, Alexandria, Roma, dan kota-kota lain di Eropa. 

18th-century portrait of Maimonides

Pada permulaan abad ke-7 Masehi, seorang Arab bernama Muhammad SAW lahir dan membawa ajaran baru yang menyempurnakan Taurat dan Injil, Islam. Islam sejak saat itu menyebar dan berkuasa meliputi Asia barat, Afrika Utara, hingga Eropa barat daya. Pada masa keemasa Islam di Andalusia (Spanyol) pada abad ke 9, 10, dan 11, umat Yahudi di Spanyol mengalami masa keemasan. Mereka memiliki nama Arab, berbicara dengan bahasa Arab, menjadi Filusuf, Dokter, Fisikawan, seperti Abu Imran Musa bin Maimun bin Abdullah al-Qurtubi al-Israili (Maimonides), Judah ben Shmuel Halevi, Abu Harun Musa bin Ya'acub bin Ezra, dll. Namun, kemudian Islam dan Yahudi diusir oleh umat Kristen, sebagian umat Yahudi pergi dan sebagian menetap di Spanyol. Mereka dibaptis, dipaksa memeluk agama Kristen, namun dalam kesembunyian, mereka masih menjalankan keyakinannya. 

Sampai disini dulu keterangan saya tentang sejarah umat Yahudi. Nanti, akan saya terangkat lagi tentang Yahudi di era perang dunia dua dan bagaimana akhirnya mereka sampai di benua Amerika.

Terima Kasih.

Sources:
Lectures of Prof. Boris Naimushin, PhD
http://www.odyeda.com/en/
http://www.science.co.il/Israel-history.php
http://www.jewfaq.org/index.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism