Who Are the Main Figures of Judaism?
Students of Jewish history can gain insights into today's Jewish world by learning about the personalities that shaped Judaism through the ages. Historical and religious figures guided the Children of Israel as they evolved from a nomadic tribe into a nation. Each historical figure provided direction and leadership which has allowed the Jewish people to progress to their present religious, national, cultural and ethnic identity.
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Abraham
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Jewish tradition regards Abraham as the first monotheist. According to the Bible's Book of Genesis, Abraham was the first individual in history to teach that there is only one God. Jews regard Abraham as their patriarch and note that God promised Abraham that "I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great; and you will be a blessing." (Genesis 12:2) Jews regard this promise as relating to the Jewish people and believe that the Jews are the descendants to whom God referred.
Moses
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Moses led the Children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, forming them into a nation and a people. When, under Moses's leadership, the Children of Israel received the Torah at Mount Sinai they acquired the information and tools that they would need to enter the land of Israel and form their independent realm. Moses acted as intermediary between the newly freed Children of Israel during their desert wanderings as they took their initial steps in Torah observance and in building their national identity.
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Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi
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Jewish tradition relates that, at Mount Sinai, God gave the Torah, including the oral and written law, to the Jews. With the upheavals of the Roman occupation of the first and second century C.E. (Common Era, also known as Christian Era and Current Era.) many of the era's great rabbis began to record the oral law. They undertook these writings in order to guide Jews so that, in their exiles and dispersions, they would not forget important aspects of Jewish law, custom and tradition. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi functioned as an important leader of the Judean Jewish community toward the end of the second century and beginning of the third century C.E. He compiled and edited the contributions of the era's great rabbis into the 63 tractates of the Mishna, the basis of the Talmud. This codification of Jewish law played a major role in maintaining Jewish religious unity and cohesion when Rome subsequently exiled the Jews from Judea and scattered them into the diaspora throughout the world.
God taught Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai the secrets of the Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism., while the rabbi was hiding from the Roman conquerers in the second century C.E., The Kabalah encompasses the Jewish belief that within the Torah, specific words, phrases, lines, and even letters allow humankind to discern God's messages that allow each individual to strengthen his relationship with God and with his fellow man. Upon leaving the hiding spot, Rabbi Bar Yochai traveled throughout Israel's north, teaching and expanding on his Kabbalah studies. He dictated the central book of Kabbalah, the Zohar, to his student. The discipline of Kabbalah study has affected Jewish life for almost 2000 years. Until recently only a few Jewish scholars studied Kabbalah in each generation, but Kabbalah has influenced Jewish sages and scholars above and beyond its limited circles, forming the basis of the Hassidic Jewish movement and playing a major role in the Sepharadic (Mediterranean and North African) Jewish community.
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
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God taught Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai the secrets of the Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, while the rabbi was hiding from the Roman conquerers in the second century C.E., . The Kabalah encompasses the Jewish belief that within the Torah, specific words, phrases, lines, and even letters allow humankind to discern God's hidden messages. Later Rabbi Bar Yochai traveled throughout Israel's north, teaching and expanding on his Kabbalah studies. He dictated the central book of Kabbalah, the Zohar, to his student. The discipline of Kabbalah study has affected Jewish life for almost 2000 years. Until recently only a few Jewish scholars studied Kabbalah in each generation, but Kabbalah has influenced Jewish sages and scholars above and beyond its limited circles, forming the basis of the Hassidic Jewish movement and playing a major role in the Sepharadic (Mediterranean and North African) Jewish community.
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