Comparative Religion - Judaism and Covanent Big ideas: Covenant, Monotheism,Messiah, Oral Law, Idea of ‘God’, “man” and God, Progressive Judaism

(20) And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. (21) And the LORD smelled the sweet savour; and the LORD said in His heart: ‘I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (22) While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.’

(1) And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. (2) Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying: ‘So let the gods do [to me], and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time.’ (3) And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. (4) But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom-tree; and he requested for himself that he might die; and said: ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.’ (5) And he lay down and slept under a broom-tree; and, behold, an angel touched him, and said unto him: ‘Arise and eat.’ (6) And he looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the hot stones, and a cruse of water. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. (7) And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said: ‘Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.’ (8) And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meal forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. (9) And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said unto him: ‘What doest thou here, Elijah?’ (10) And he said: ‘I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’ (11) And He said: ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.’ And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake; (12) and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (13) And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said: ‘What doest thou here, Elijah?’

It is our duty to praise the Master of all, to ascribe greatness to the Molder of primeval creation, for He has not made us like the goyim of the world, nor emplaced us like other families of the earth, nor assigned our portion like theirs, nor our lot like all their multitudes. For, they bow to vanity and emptiness and pray to a god who helps not. But we bend our knees, bow and acknowledge our thanks before the King Who reigns over kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He.

He stretches out heaven and establishes earth’s foundation, the seat of His homage is in the heavens above and His powerful Presence is in the loftiest heights.
He is our God and there is none other. True is our King, nothing beside Him. As it is written in His Torah, “You are to know this day and take to your heart that Hashem is the only God, in heaven above and on the earth below, there is none other.”

Therefore we put our hope in You Hashem our God that we may soon see Your mighty splendor to remove detestable idolatry from the earth, and false gods will be utterly cut off, to repair the universe (the words in the Hebrew text are letakein olam (a form of tikkun olam), as no respectable Jewish source would ever fail to mention at the first opportunity in connection with the history of this term; it is quite obvious that Luria himself made such a huge deal out of verbal symbolism, that this connection is by no means an exercise in trivial pursuit) through the Almighty’s sovereignty.

Then all mankind will call upon Your Name, to turn all the earth’s wicked toward You. All inhabitants of the world will recognize You, and know that to You every knee should bend, every tongue should swear.
Before You, Hashem, our God, they will bend every knee, and cast themselves down, and to the glory of Your Name they will render homage, and they will all accept upon themselves the yoke of Your kingship, that You may reign over them soon and for all eternity (leolam vaed).
For the kingdom is Yours, and You will reign for all eternity in glory, as written in Your Torah: “Hashem shall reign for all eternity.” And it is said (Zechariah 14:9): “Hashem shall be King over all the world. On that day Hashem will be One, and His Name will be One.”

(1) Moshe received the Torah from Sinai, and transmitted it to Yehoshua, and Yehoshua to the Elders, and the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, and establish many students, and make a fence for the Torah.