Key Moral Principles
Religious Studies A: AQA GCSE Religions, topic 5.2.6
Key Moral Principles
Judaism teaches its followers to show respect to God and each other. They must also seek justice. The Torah and the prophets remind Jews of their ethical duties.
Respect to God
Followers should respect God through:
Prayer.
Fasting.
Studying scripture.
Following His laws (Torah).
Respect to each other
Followers should respect each other by:
Following teachings about justice.
Practicing tikkun olam (healing the world).
Showing kindness to others.
Justice
Jews must pursue justice, truth, and peace.
This follows the verse, “Justice, Justice you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 18:20).
This instruction is mainly for judges but also applies to individual Jews.
Ethical Duties of Jews
The Torah and the prophets remind Jews of their ethical duties.
Prophets
The prophets often corrected the nation for failing in ethics and personal conduct.
The prophet Amos, in particular, gave strong rebukes.
Caring for one another
When the rich mistreated the poor, prophets like Amos and Isaiah spoke out harshly.
People suffering from injustice must be helped.
Individuals cannot ignore those who are suffering.
Test yourself on Key Moral Principles
How do Jews show respect to God?
Tikkun olam is a component of the key moral principle of Judasim. What does tikkun olam mean?
Jews must pursue justice, truth and peace, in keeping with which verse?
What are the key moral principles of Judaism?
Which prophet was known for harshly rebuking the nation for failing in ethics and personal conduct?