What are two contributions Abraham made to the development of Judaism?

Answer 1

Abraham, being the forebear of the Israelites, and the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob (renamed: Israel), the grandson of Abraham, and one of the twelve sons of Jacob was Judah, the originator of the Jews from where Judaism originated. Therefore, one of Abraham's contributions to the development of Judaism was that he was indirectly the originator of it.

The Holy Bible states that Abraham voluntarily would sacrifice his son Isaac, as God commanded him, and God saw his faithfulness and prevented Abraham to actually kill his son Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob and Jacob was the father of Judah from whom Judaism originated. Therefore, through Isaac and Jacob, Abraham again contributed to the development of Judaism.According to the Torah, God tested Abraham's faith and obedience many times. The final test was the hardest. It was common at that time to offer animals as a sacrifice to the gods. An animal such as a sheep would be killed and then burned on an altar. In his old age, Abraham had finally fathered a son, Isaac. The Torah says that one day god tested Abraham by telling him to make a sacrifice of his son. Abraham dearly loved his son. Yet his devotion to God was so complete that he brought his son Isaac to a mountain to be sacrificed. At the last minute, God sent an angel to stop Abraham from killing his son. That proved that Abraham had faith and obedience, and God renewed the promise to him.

Answer:

According to tradition, Abraham founded Judaism, and Moses later received the Torah from God.
Abraham, tenth generation descendant of Noah, of Hebrew lineage, was the son of Terah, uncle of Lot, father of Isaac, grandfather of Jacob, and ancestor of the Israelites. His story is in Genesis ch.11 (end), through ch.25. Jewish tradition states that he was the first to teach belief in One God; and it is in his merit that Jews continue to exist (Genesis 18:19, and ch.17).
Abraham (18th century BCE) came from ancestry that had been God-fearing a couple of centuries earlier but had afterwards slipped into idolatry (Joshua 24:2). Nimrod, the idolatrous tyrant, had brought Abraham's father (Terah) from the Semitic ancestral seat near the conjunction of the Balikh and the Euphrates, and instated him in a position of power in his army in the royal Babylonian city of Ur, where Abraham was born. Nimrod persecuted any who would question his idolatrous cult.
The Kuzari (Rabbi Judah HaLevi, 1075-1141) states that Abraham was gifted with high intelligence; and, as Maimonides (1135-1204) describes, Abraham didn't blindly accept the ubiquitous idolatry. The whole populace had been duped, but the young Abraham contemplated the matter relentlessly, finally arriving at the conclusion that there is One God and that this should be taught to others as well. This is what is meant by his "calling out in the name of the Lord" (Genesis ch.12). As a young man, he remonstrated with passersby in public, demonstrating to them the falsehood of their idols; and our tradition tells how he was threatened and endangered by Nimrod.
Subsequently, Terah relocated to Harran; and it is here that Abraham began to develop a circle of disciples (Rashi commentary, on Genesis 12:5).
Later, God told Abraham in prophecy to move to the Holy Land, which is where Abraham raised his family.
He continued his contemplations, eventually arriving at the attitudes and forms of behavior which God later incorporated into the Torah given to Moses. Abraham taught disciples (Talmud, Yoma 28b), gave tithes (Genesis ch.14), strove to raise a family (Genesis ch.15, 17, and 24) which would serve God (Genesis 18:19), made a covenant with God (Genesis ch.15 and 17), welcomed guests into his home (Genesis ch.18) unlike the inhospitable Sodomites (Genesis ch.19), prayed for people (Genesis ch.18), rebuked others when necessary (Genesis ch.20), eulogized and buried the deceased (Genesis ch.23), and fulfilled God's will unquestioningly (Genesis ch.22). He became renowned as a prince of God (Genesis 23:6).
All of these forms of behavior were based upon the ways of God, which Abraham comprehended through his contemplations. These, and similar personality traits, were the teachings of Abraham and his descendants.
It is therefore clear why God expresses His love for Abraham (Isaiah 41:8) and calls Himself the God of Abraham (Genesis 26:24), and says that Abraham obeyed Him fully (Genesis 26:5). And this is why, according to our tradition, Abraham is credited with having begun the religion which became known as Judaism. However, Abraham and his descendants observed their traditions voluntarily, until the Giving of the Torah to Moses 3325 years ago, when God made it obligatory.

Answer 2

1) Initiating and spreading the belief in One ethical God.

2) For I (God) have known him (Abraham), that he will command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice" (Genesis 18:19).

Abraham considered it highly important to hand down and teach his traditions; and this attitude has continued among the Jews to this day.

Answer 3

1) Under the command (Exodus ch.3) and guidance of God (Exodus ch.13), Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus ch.12).
2) Moses received from God the two Stone Tablets which were inscribed with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 31:18).

3) Moses heard the entire Torah in prophecy (Exodus 24:12) and wrote it down before he died (Deuteronomy 31:24).

Moses was an Israelite, a great-great grandson of Jacob. He was born 245 years after the death of Abraham. The time when Moses was born was when the Pharaoh had ordered his people to kill all Israelite male infants because he (Pharaoh) was afraid that the Israelites would become too strong for him (Exodus ch.1-2).

Moses' mother didn't want him to die. So she made a basket for him and put him in it to float in the Nile reeds. He was found by Pharaoh's daughter, who took pity on him (Exodus ch.2) and raised him as her own son. (See: How did Moses know he was an Israelite?)

Moses was forced to flee after killing a cruel Egyptian taskmaster, and went to Midian, where he wedded the daughter of Jethro.

He eventually achieved the highest level of prophecy (Deuteronomy ch.34) and was called upon by God (Exodus ch.3). He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery (Exodus ch.12). He received the Torah from God (Exodus 24:12) and later recorded it in writing (Deuteronomy 31:24). He went up on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights (Deuteronomy ch.9-10) and brought down the Two Stone Tablets with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 31:18). He brought the Israelites into the covenant with God (Exodus ch.19 and ch.24), and he oversaw the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus ch.35-40). He was the humblest of men and the greatest of prophets (Numbers ch.12).

See also:

What problems did Moses face and overcome?

Answer 4

He led the Israelites out of the Egyptian slavery (Exodus ch.12), and he received the Two Stone Tablets of the Ten Commandments from God (Exodus 31:18).

Moses was an Israelite, a great-great grandson of Jacob. He was born 245 years after the death of Abraham. The time when Moses was born was when the Pharaoh had ordered his people to kill all Israelite male infants because he (Pharaoh) was afraid that the Israelites would become too strong for him (Exodus ch.1-2).

Moses' mother didn't want him to die. So she made a basket for him and put him in it to float in the Nile reeds. He was found by Pharaoh's daughter, who took pity on him (Exodus ch.2) and raised him as her own son. (See: How did Moses know he was an Israelite?)

Moses was forced to flee after killing a cruel Egyptian taskmaster, and went to Midian, where he wedded the daughter of Jethro.

He eventually achieved the highest level of prophecy (Deuteronomy ch.34) and was called upon by God (Exodus ch.3). He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery (Exodus ch.12). He received the Torah from God (Exodus 24:12) and later recorded it in writing (Deuteronomy 31:24). He went up on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights (Deuteronomy ch.9-10) and brought down the Two Stone Tablets with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 31:18). He brought the Israelites into the covenant with God (Exodus ch.19 and ch.24), and he oversaw the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus ch.35-40). He was the humblest of men and the greatest of prophets (Numbers ch.12).

See also:

What problems did Moses face and overcome?

Answer 5

1) "...The Lord, God of the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 24:3). This verse, spoken by Abraham, states his belief in One God, Lord over all. This is in contrast to the vast numbers of idolaters, who ascribed every created class of things to a different deity.

2) For I (God) have known him (Abraham), that he will command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice" (Genesis 18:19).

This verse, spoken by God, states that Abraham will educate his descendants in the ways of God. Abraham considered it highly important to hand down and teach his traditions; and this attitude has continued among the Jews to this day.

See also the Related Link.

More about Abraham's belief

Answer 6

Moses achieved the highest level of prophecy (Deuteronomy ch.34) and was called upon by God (Exodus ch.3). He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery (Exodus ch.12). He received the Torah from God (Exodus 24:12) and later recorded it in writing (Deuteronomy 31:24). He went up on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights (Deuteronomy ch.9-10) and brought down the Two Stone Tablets with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 31:18). He brought the Israelites into the covenant with God (Exodus ch.19 and ch.24), and he oversaw the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus ch.35-40). He was the humblest of men and the greatest of prophets (Numbers ch.12).

Background:

Moses was an Israelite, a great-great grandson of Jacob. He was born 245 years after the death of Abraham. The time when Moses was born was when the Pharaoh had ordered his people to kill all Israelite male infants because he (Pharaoh) was afraid that the Israelites would become too strong for him (Exodus ch.1-2).

Moses' mother didn't want him to die. So she made a basket for him and put him in it to float in the Nile reeds. He was found by Pharaoh's daughter, who took pity on him (Exodus ch.2) and raised him as her own son.

Moses was forced to flee after killing a cruel Egyptian taskmaster, and went to Midian, where he wedded the daughter of Jethro.

See also:

What problems did Moses face and overcome?

Answer 7

He delivered GOD's people from Egyptian rule and delivered GOD's 10 Commandments unto them.

Answer 8

He delivered God's people from egyptian rule and delivered God's 10 commandments unto them

Answer 9

1) Belief in One God.

2) Circumcision.

Answer 10

At God's guidance, Moses:

Took the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery

Gave the Israelites God's Torah.