Differences Between Hinduism And Judaism

Last Updated on December 11, 2021 by QCity Editorial Stuff

Hinduism and Judaism are two religious systems that have many differences. Hinduism is an ancient religion that was founded in India, whereas Judaism is a monotheistic religion that began around 2,000 years ago. Hindus believe in reincarnation and karma as part of the spiritual journey to self-realization, while Jews believe in life after death instead of reincarnation. The major difference between these religions however is their view on God; Hindus believe there are many gods while Jews only recognize one god.

The religions of Hinduism and Judaism have many striking differences, which are both interesting to explore. For example, Hindus believe in the oneness of all life while Jews do not. This is an important distinction between these two religions because it helps set up their beliefs about various other things as well, such as morality and the afterlife. These differences may be more obvious but they are also less noticeable when one looks at some similarities between these two faiths. 

Comparison Between Hinduism And Judaism

Parameters of ComparisonHinduismJudaism
Religion Hinduism is a polytheistic religionJudaism is monotheistic
Reincarnation Hindus believe in reincarnationwhereas Jews do not
Book Hinduism has no set holy book or scripture that followers are required to readTorah and Talmud are sacred texts for Judaism
God Many gods Single god 
Monotheistic not monotheisticJudaism is monotheistic

What Is Hinduism?

What Is Hinduism

Hinduism is a diverse religion with no single founder. It was founded in ancient times and has been practiced by many different ethnic groups throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Hinduism believes that all of existence emanates from a single source which it calls Brahman. Hindus believe in reincarnation as well as karma. The goal of the individual is to release oneself from this cycle of life and death through enlightenment or Moksha. 

There are more than one billion people in the world that identify as Hindu. That’s about 15% of the global population, and it makes Hinduism the third-largest religion in the world. What is Hinduism? It has three main beliefs: karma (actions you take now can influence your future), dharma (one’s duty or right action), and moksha (release from samsara, a cycle of death and rebirth). There are six schools of thought within Hinduism, but they all share these core values. The oldest scriptures for this tradition date back to 1500 BCE with texts called Vedas which include Upanishads that discuss self-knowledge through meditation on inner bodies like Chidakashvatantra Tantra. 

What Is Judaism?

What Is Judaism

The word “Judaism” is an umbrella term for the religion, culture, and ethnicity that originated in ancient Israel. Judaism’s monotheistic beliefs include the belief that God revealed himself to Moses and other prophets, which are recorded in both scripture (the Torah) and rabbinic literature (Talmud). The Hebrew Bible is a central text of Judaism. It has been the foundation of Jewish scholarship since its 6th century BCE composition. Rabbinic texts make up much of the Talmud, also considered authoritative Scripture by Jews; this makes it one of the world’s oldest religious texts still in use today.

Judaism has been around for thousands of years and is considered to be one of the oldest religions in the world. It started at a time when other major religions like Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam did not exist. Today there are approximately 14 million Jews worldwide; however, it’s difficult to know exactly how many people practice this religion because some people who identify as Jewish do not actively participate in any religious/cultural practices. Judaism is made up of three main groups: Orthodox Jews (followers), Conservative Jews (followers), and Reform Jews (followers). They all have their own beliefs, traditions, rituals/sacraments, holidays, etc., but they still consider themselves part of the same group because they believe that an individual can choose their path to Judaism.

10 Differences Between Hinduism And Judaism

1. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion while Judaism is monotheistic.

2. Hindus believe in reincarnation, whereas Jews do not.

3. Hinduism has no set holy book or scripture that followers are required to read, whereas the Torah and Talmud are sacred texts for Judaism.

4. Hinduism does not have any strict dietary restrictions, but Jews follow Kosher food laws strictly.

5. Hindus generally practice yoga as a form of meditation, whereas Jewish people may meditate using other methods such as prayer or chanting. 

6. The caste system exists in Hinduism but there is no class distinction among Jews.

7. Hindus do not believe in a single god, but rather many gods.

8. Judaism is monotheistic and believes in one God.

9. Jews have a strong sense of community and family.

10. The Jewish religion has been around for 4000 years whereas Hinduism has only been around for about 5000 years. 

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Hinduism

1. Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion.

2. There are more than 1 billion Hindus in India, making up about 80% of the country.

3. The word “Hindu” comes from Persian and means “river”, referring to the Indus River that flows through Pakistan into India.

4. The caste system is an important part of Hindu society – it places people into one of four groups based on their profession. 

5. Karma can be interpreted as fate or destiny; it dictates what happens to you after death depending on your good deeds and bad deeds over time. 

6. Yoga has been a part of Hindu culture for thousands of years – there are many different types of yoga including bhakti (devotional) yoga, Hatha (physical) yoga, karma (action-oriented) yoga, jnana (knowledge-based) yoga, raja (meditative) yoga.

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Judaism

1. Judaism is the world’s oldest religion.

2. The Torah (the first five books of the Bible) was written by Moses, and it is believed that he received these commandments from God on Mount Sinai.

3. Jews believe in one god called Yahweh or Jehovah.

4. Jewish people observe a set of rules called “mitzvot” which include things like praying three times daily and following kosher dietary laws.

5. There are two major branches of Judaism – Orthodox and Conservative.

6. The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters plus 10 vowel points; altogether there are 304 letters total.

Conclusion About The Differences Between Hinduism And Judaism

Hinduism and Judaism are two religions that have a lot in common. Both Hinduism and Judaism believe in one God, they both follow similar moral codes, but there is still a deep divide between the cultures of these two religious groups. Followers of each religion will look down on those who practice another faith because they feel their way is best for followers to find peace within themselves. Living with these differences can be difficult when people don’t understand where others are coming from or why they do what they do. 

References:

Resource 01: https://www.history.com/topics/religion/hinduism#:~:text
Resource 02: https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/

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