Why is there Judaism?

Answer 1

The question is worded rather awkwardly and leads to two separate interpretations. I will attempt to answer both.

1) Why did the first people who professed what is now called Judaism, choose to change their beliefs to what is now called Judaism (as opposed to remaining in whatever concurrent religion they previously believed in)?

Judaism holds that God revealed himself to Moses atop Mount Sinai where the remainder of the community was able to see and participate in the revelation. That experience was so moving and convincing that they took on the laws and customs that God gave them during that revelation. (They previously had an ethnic identity but little religious identity.)

2) Why has Judaism endured from over 2000 years ago to the present day?

Historical/Sociological Answer: This is a much more involved question to which nobody has a definitive answer. The most common answers have to do with the following: The strong dogmatic nature of the religion, which calls upon its practitioners to spend much of their lives in fulfillment of the commandments (as opposed to being able to openly assimilate like many other religions across the last 2000 years). Judaism's rejection of open proselytization, has promoted a strong sense of community which led to Jews having less overall exposure or long-term friendships among non-Jews; and a more unified sense of identity. Jews were frequently attacked in violent pogroms in Europe and infrequently attacked in a similar fashion in the Arab World, which led to a strong communal identity and inter-reliance. Finally, because Jews did not openly proselytize, they developed a quasi-ethnic/cultural identity separate from the religious Jewish identity, so that even non-religious people still consider themselves Jewish whereas a non-religious person with Christian, Moslem, Hindu, or Buddhist parentage would not consider themselves of that religion if they did not believe its tenets.

Religious Answer: Judaism exists and has endured thanks to God's covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:1-2 and 18:19) and with the Israelites (Exodus 34:27 and 19:5).

Answer 2

Judaism exists because we feel the desire and need to acknowledge, worship and obey God, creator of the universe. The way in which we carry out the relationship with God, is the way which we have inherited from Abraham, and as expounded in the Torah which God gave us. See also the Related Links.

Link: How Judaism was founded

Link: More about the Torah

Answer 3

The question is worded rather awkwardly and leads to two separate interpretations. I will attempt to answer both.

1) Why did the first people who professed what is now called Judaism, choose to change their beliefs to what is now called Judaism (as opposed to remaining in whatever concurrent religion they previously believed in)?

Judaism holds that God revealed himself to Moses atop Mount Sinai where the remainder of the community was able to see and participate in the revelation. That experience was so moving and convincing that they took on the laws and customs that God gave them during that revelation. (They previously had an ethnic identity but little religious identity.)

2) Why has Judaism endured from over 2000 years ago to the present day?

Historical/Sociological Answer: This is a much more involved question to which nobody has a definitive answer. The most common answers have to do with the following: The strong dogmatic nature of the religion, which calls upon its practitioners to spend much of their lives in fulfillment of the commandments (as opposed to being able to openly assimilate like many other religions across the last 2000 years). Judaism's rejection of open proselytization, has promoted a strong sense of community which led to Jews having less overall exposure or long-term friendships among non-Jews; and a more unified sense of identity. Jews were frequently attacked in violent pogroms in Europe and infrequently attacked in a similar fashion in the Arab World, which led to a strong communal identity and inter-reliance. Finally, because Jews did not openly proselytize, they developed a quasi-ethnic/cultural identity separate from the religious Jewish identity, so that even non-religious people still consider themselves Jewish whereas a non-religious person with Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist parentage would not consider themselves of that religion if they did not believe its tenets.

Religious Answer: Judaism exists and has endured thanks to God's covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:1-2 and 18:19) and with the Israelites (Exodus 34:27 and 19:5).