Analytical Essay on Jewish Religion

Passover is one of the most significant holidays in the Jewish calendar and is a time for Jews to remember how they were freed from captivity in Egypt. It was the first holiday given to Jewish people by God and it speaks deeply to the Jewish soul. In Judaism, the event of leading the Israelites out of Egypt is significant as it is the foundation of the Jewish religion and their religious identities. This significant event allowed for a covenant, the Mosaic covenant, to be established with the Jewish people and God and provided them with a new perspective on how they should live their lives. The Passover is celebrated in honor of Moses, the man who led the Israelites out of slavery. Celebrating Passover allows Jews to regain God’s trust and illustrate the importance of the coexistence of past and future redemptions at the Seder. This celebration is explored through the three worlds of the text.

To begin with, leading the Israelites out of Egypt was difficult, especially considering the social and political circumstances during that time. The story about the Israelites being freed from slavery, as stated in the book of Exodus, was written in 1300 BCE which modern scholars believe was a composition of products from the Babylonian exile (Egypt timeline, 2020). In 1304, Ramesses II was born and became the third Pharaoh of Egypt. Ramesses II was considered to be one of the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful rulers in Egypt (A Timeline of the Ancient Egyptians, 2020). Once he became the new Pharaoh, he established a hierarchy system that placed certain groups of people in different positions in society. Although his ruling brought much success, he also began taking Hebrews as slaves for himself and those who were wealthy (14th Century BC – Ancient History Timeline, 2020). The reign of Ramesses II led to changes in the social hierarchy and resulted in Jews being captured and used as slaves, which was a significant time in Jewish history. The idea of Mosaic authorship has been corroborated by Jewish sentiment for many years as Jews always believed Moses wrote the Torah. However, Reform and Orthodox Jews have begun to doubt Mosaic authorship after the documentary theory was proposed. This theory suggested that four authors wrote the Torah rather than Moses.

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Egyptian society had been drastically changed during the time of Exodus, especially their slave system as Jewish people were being used as slaves. Israelite prophets, wisdom teachers, and priests established a monotheistic system of religion. This system established the fundamentals of three of the major religions in the world: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam (Israelite History in the Context of the Ancient Near East, 2020). Israelites had very few rights in society as they were ranked as the lowest people in the Egyptian social hierarchy. The Israelite's sentiment towards Egypt was based on the fact that they had minimal power and from the negative depiction of the Pharaoh they had determined (Hunt, 2009). Although their society was divided, ancient sources indicate that men and women were treated with equal opportunity and freedom. Women decided who they would marry and could separate from men whenever they wished to do so. The factors regarding their society and people factored into the way the Exodus story was shaped and written.

The story of Moses in Exodus and the Passover became a significant event that shaped the religion of Judaism, specifically Exodus 12:21-51. The story of Exodus begins with the story of Passover. This was also the most central scene in Exodus. Moses, the prophet, instructed the elders of Israel to slaughter a lamb as a sacrifice. Moreover, they must take hyssop, a busy aromatic plant, and dip it in blood, applying it to the doorposts (Gray, 2018). He ensured that the Lord would pass over their door and not let the destroyer enter their house (Passover, 2020). This scene outlined the essence of Jewish religion and customs. Passover commemorates the story of the Israelites being led out of Egypt and invokes the themes of family, freedom, and remembrance (The Passover Story in a Nutshell, 2020). Participation in the event allows a Jew to symbolically and vicariously relive the events of Exodus. The celebration of Passover was one that everyone had to be part of, including slaves (The Passover (Pesach) Seder, 2020). Although, slaves could only eat if they were circumcised. On the day of the Passover, “That very day the Lord freed the Israelites from the land of Egypt, troop by troop” (Exodus 12:51) (Gray, 2018). Overall, in the story, Moses and God are portrayed with the characteristics of compassion, grace, faithfulness, and forgiveness through their actions to protect their people (Characteristics of God, 2020). The story of Exodus supports the significance of the Passover in the Jewish religion.

Themes and purpose indicate the significance of why Passover was celebrated by the Jews. Exodus revolves around the themes of faithfulness, grace, power, freedom, and family. The main theme outlines Israel being saved and freed for a purpose, which was to serve God’s glory. Moreover, it enlightens Jews to believe that God is powerful to the point that he would deliver his people from the Pharaoh (The Global Message of Exodus, 2020). God’s intention was only to reaffirm His covenant with Abraham. Jewish people were born into bondage where God always vowed to protect the Jews. After God rescued and preserved His people, he established the Feast of Passover as an everlasting memorial. This supports the hypothesis as the feast symbolized God saving His people and giving them a new insight into their lives. The lessons of Passover have been passed on over several hundred years and are considered in everyday life. The relationship between Moses and God is presented as a partnership to teach His people and save them from sin.

The teachings of Exodus can be explored through the World in front of the text as it had a major influence on everyday life for Jews both morally and ethically. The Passover continues to be celebrated today through the ritual meal known as the Seder. The Seder contains symbolic food such as herbs, haroset (a mixture of nuts, apples, and wine), and matzah (cracker-like bread). This celebration makes Jews more aware of how God freed their ancestors and that trusting in God will allow you to accomplish anything. These key teachings are considered every day to uphold God’s electing manner, the realization of nationality, and divine power and triumph. God teaches His people to be faithful and not to underestimate his powers. The link between the coexistence of the past and future emanates through the story. Overall, the Passover was a nonverbal teaching experience instructed by God himself, to ensure that His people would not forget Him (The Power of Passover, 2020). The relationship God wishes to establish illustrates that He cares. This bond is usually instigated at the beginning of religion and indicates that the events of Exodus became the first steps of Judaism. Jewish principles have also affected the moral codes that Jews follow today.

Exodus morality is based on justice. Giving justice to the weak and poor is essential in the life of a Jew, as stated by God. This is applied in today’s society by honest weights and measures, giving interest-free loans to the poor, sharing crops, and treating everyone equally (Towarnicky, 2020). The modern conception of human freedom is to not accept the disadvantaged and is very powerful in today’s society. Jews do not follow this. The memory relived about Exodus turns into a moral dynamic and evokes feelings of repulsion and determination to help others escape from slavery (Greenberg, 2020). The moral values upheld by Jews are based on the fact that we must not perpetrate upon others that which was perpetrated upon us. The moral dynamic imposed by actively remembering slavery in Egypt is reinforced and expanded in Exodus (Towarnicky, 2020).

The events of Exodus are significant to Jews as they created and established the beginnings of their religion. The Passover celebration captures the identity of a Jew as it highlights the relationship God formed with the Jews. By protecting them, he informed the Jews that he would always protect them; in return, they were to continue demonstrating their faith in God by obeying His commandments. Exodus also revealed the growth of their nation and religion. This became the stem of three major religions but had the greatest impact on Judaism. The story of leading the Israelites out of Egypt and establishing a nation at Mt Sinai created a link to creation. This link to creation was considered to be the center of the religion and illustrates the coexistence between the past and future redemption. This story also presents the main themes of freedom and thanksgiving for God’s physical intervention. If it weren’t for the Israelites' trust in God, they would have remained slaves in the city of Egypt. Freedom is not an end in itself. People were freed to serve for God’s glory; Israel was chosen as holy where only special people lived. Freedom is mainly celebrated through the Passover with the ritual meal known as the Seder. This event doesn’t only allow Jews to remember God but also Moses, their savior, the one who freed them from slavery. As free people relive the memory of being led out of Egypt, they also remember the morals and ethics that they should apply in life.

Along with the religion, the Jewish people were also inspired by Moses, the leader. Although Moses was sent down by God to help the Jews, they were still amazed by his leadership and skills in helping them escape. Moses was born a slave who stuttered and had a temper. He did not work much before being called by God. When he confronted the Pharaoh to release his people, the Pharaoh laughed at him and brushed him away. Nevertheless, Moses went on to challenge the world’s most powerful ruler and lead his people from oppression and slavery. Moses’ leadership displayed universal truths and insights into the teachings instructed by God. He could teach people of different faiths. Moses’ leadership had a huge impact on the way people viewed him and God. It was thanks to him that Passover could be celebrated and a new religion could be born.

In conclusion, leading the Israelites out of Egypt was significant as it coerced the beginnings of a new religion and people’s religious identities. The reign of Ramesses II led to changes in the way society was managed and resulted in Jews being used as slaves by noble Egyptians, which was significant in the Jewish religion. The considerations made about their society and people factored into the way the Exodus story was shaped and written. Exodus supports the hypothesis that the Passover was very significant in the Jewish religion. The moral and ethical teachings of the Passover have been passed on over several years and are considered in everyday life. Jewish principles have also affected the moral values that Jews live by today. The moral dynamic imposed by actively remembering slavery in Egypt is reinforced and expanded in Exodus. As free people relive the memory of being led out of Egypt, they also remember the morals and ethics that they should apply in life. It was thanks to Moses that Passover could be celebrated and a new religion could be born. Comment by Mae Williamson: Overall you’ve done a good job conveying your points and used an interesting perspective with the food. I would’ve added more points about the lifestyle being dictated by the rules the Mosaic covenant implemented. In addition, you may want to research why Moses was not allowed in the Promised Land as its story can be a crucial point for either your world of or the world in front of the text. I appreciate you taking the time to look over mine and hope you have a lovely evening

Annotated bibliography

• Greenberg, R. (2020). Why The Exodus Was So Significant | My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 23 April 2020, from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-exodus-effect/

This a reputable source as it is a non-profit and nondenominational Jewish media organization created by members of the Jewish religion. This particular article was written by a high-ranking rabbi and therefore contains informative statements that are thoroughly referenced. It is very factual and highlights in-depth reasons for the topic. It also highlights interpretations from more than one religion however it is not the focus of the article.

• Mark, J. and Mark, J., 2020. Moses. [online] Ancient History Encyclopedia. Available at: [Accessed 26 March 2020].

This source was written by a scholar who has studied ancient Egypt in-depth and was a philosophy professor at the Marist College. Therefore, this source is reliable. The article from the encyclopedia explores Moses and the Book of Exodus in depth from different religious perspectives and how it affected that religion. It contains very few contradictions and is backed by factual evidence from books and other articles.

• Schlenker, C., Denham, R., Denham, R., & Deacon, J. (2020). Passover Message In A Time Of Plague. Retrieved 23 April 2020, from https://www.wglt.org/post/passover-message-time-plague#stream/0

This source is reliable as it provides an exclusive interview with Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe about the message and themes of Passover and how they have evolved. Although the points stated may be opinionated towards one perspective, it provides a realistic and very religious opinion of what Passover means to Jews. The article has also referenced some highly academic articles.

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