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Rabbi Weiner Summary

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Criterion C: Summary of Significant Findings The interview with Rabbi Weiner proved to be very illuminating, and quite a bit about the meaning of ethics in Jewish monotheism was displayed. When asked why Jews place such importance on following the halakha, Rabbi Weiner said, “Ethics is the core of Judaism because of the Covenant that Abraham made with God. It’s not enough simply to believe in God, one must act in a moral manner in order to truly be considered ethical from a Jewish perspective.” (Weiner). He also described Jewish ethical monotheism as a sort of “Covenantal Ethics”, in which the many commandments given to the Jewish people by Adonai form the essence of Jewish worship and study (Weiner). A personal relationship and belief in …show more content…

As the prophet Micah says in the Tanakh, “He [Adonai] has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness...” (JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh, Micah 6:8). With the Jewish origin of ethical monotheism established, the other half of the research question could be explored. One verse from the Book of Romans in The New American Bible, sanctioned by the Catholic Church, provides a good example of a contrasting view of monotheism from that of Judaism. Paul remarks, “…we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (The New American Bible, Romans 3:28). Unlike in Judaism, the Catholic faith perceives a central belief in God to be more central to monotheistic belief than following holy laws. This perspective is stated very simply by Jesus Christ himself, as he says in the book of Mark, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (The New American …show more content…

The origin of ethical monotheism for all of the Abrahamic religions lies in Judaism, where Adonai is the one true God. While having a strong belief in God, as Rabbi Weiner said, certainly deepens the Jewish faith from a religious perspective, the halakha is what actually serves as the ethical center of Judaism. The hypothesis based off of early research predicted that this would be the case, but the interview with the Rabbi as well as an examination of the Tanakh confirmed this position. It is with Catholicism, however, that the significant findings contrast somewhat with the hypothesis. From the research, it was predicted that Catholics would generally place more importance on faith as their holy center than on law, which is indeed the case. Jesus Christ died for the sins of humanity, and it takes more than just ethical action to repay that debt. Yet, in the hypothesis, the role that Biblical ethics has on the Catholic faith was not foreseen. Catholics view Baptism as one of the most ethical actions a person can undertake in their lifetime; and, though this sacrament is indeed a matter of Biblical law rather than faith, it still greatly informs their monotheistic beliefs. Though Catholicism definitely places more value on a firm conviction in God than Judaism, it cannot simply be written off as a religion with no need for ethical

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