The Journey of Judaism: From Abraham to Moses

Throughout the history of human religion, the concept of a single God did not exist from the beginning. The heavens were filled with the sun, moon, and stars, while the earth was home to mountains, rivers, and seas. In the face of nature's vastness, humans perceived multiple deities: gods of rain, war, fertility, love, and death. Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Canaan were no different. Each city had its own god, and kings believed they were protected by divine guardians. Powerful nations were thought to be under the protection of powerful gods, intertwining religion and power.

Amidst this world, a small yet profound question emerged: Could there truly be so many gods? Might there be a single source that created all of existence? This question marks the beginning of Judaism.

Today, the proportion of Jewish believers in the global population is relatively small. However, the impact of Judaism on world civilization cannot be measured by the number of its adherents. Christianity was born from the soil of Judaism, and Islam also embraced the traditions of Abraham and Moses within its faith. Tracing the roots of these two major religions that shape the modern world leads back to a small land in Southwest Asia and the ancient faith of one people.

Thus, understanding Judaism goes beyond comprehending a single religion. It is the first step in understanding Christianity and Islam, as well as examining the significant roots of religion, philosophy, ethics, and politics that have influenced the world for thousands of years. At the forefront of this journey stands one individual: Abraham.

Abraham Leaves His Homeland

According to the Hebrew Bible, Abraham's original name was Abram. He was called by God to leave his homeland, kin, and father's house to journey to Canaan. The historical existence of Abraham cannot be independently verified through archaeological evidence. Therefore, his story should primarily be understood as a narrative of religious memory and faith passed down by the ancient Israelite community. The Bible itself cannot be read solely through the lens of modern historical standards; it is a vast religious text that encompasses history, law, poetry, prayer, confessions of faith, and theological interpretations.

Regardless of the challenges of historical verification, it is clear that the story of Abraham has become a foundational archetype that shaped the spirit of Judaism. The first key element is 'departure.' Abraham leaves the familiar world for an unfamiliar one. He departs from his land, transcends familial boundaries, and moves away from the world of gods he once knew. Religion here does not merely provide comfort; it demands that humans abandon the familiar and walk toward the unseen. The history of faith may well be the history of human 'departure.'

What was given to Abraham was not a completed nation, an army, or a temple, but a promise—promises of descendants, land, and blessings. The Book of Genesis expresses this relationship as a 'covenant.' The spirit of the covenant that began between Abraham and God becomes a central theme that permeates the entirety of Israelite faith, especially through the subsequent covenant with Moses at Sinai.

This is where the uniqueness of Judaism begins. God is not merely a force of nature to be appeased through sacrifices. Instead, God establishes a relationship with humanity, demanding responsibility, and humans become beings bound by promises and obligations within that relationship. Faith has become a covenant.

The story that began with Abraham continues through his son Isaac and then to his grandson Jacob. Jacob is given the name 'Israel' in the Bible, and his twelve sons are remembered as the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is difficult to confirm whether the twelve tribes historically diverged from a single lineage. The formation of the ancient Israelite community was likely much more complex than the genealogies presented in the Bible.

However, in religion, memory can sometimes be more powerful than lineage. “We are descendants of Abraham. We are the children of Jacob, that is, Israel.” This shared memory binds various families and tribes into a single community. While a nation binds its citizens through territory, religion can bind a community through memory. At the heart of this memory lies one of the most intense events in Jewish history: the Exodus.

God Hears the Cries of the Oppressed

The Book of Exodus recounts how the Israelites lived as slaves in Egypt and how Moses, called by God, led them out of Egypt. The stories of the ten plagues, crossing the Red Sea, wandering in the wilderness, and receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai have deeply permeated not only Judaism but also Christianity and Western culture.

However, there is insufficient archaeological evidence to fully substantiate the scale and manner in which the Bible describes the Exodus. This does not mean that history negates faith. It suggests that when reading ancient religious texts, one must distinguish between the truths expressed by faith and the facts that history can verify.

In fact, making this distinction clarifies the intellectual significance of the Exodus. The God of Judaism does not first appear in royal palaces; rather, He is the God who hears the cries of the oppressed. He enters history to liberate those who are oppressed.

At that time, the gods of empires generally sided with kings and victors. When a powerful nation triumphed in war, its god was thought to be strong. However, the God of the Hebrew Bible appears differently. He listens to the cries of slaves rather than the voices of imperial kings. He sees human suffering over power.

Thus, the Exodus is not merely a story of national migration; it is a story of liberation. The Jewish Passover continually brings this event into the present. It does not merely commemorate the fact that someone left Egypt long ago; it revives the community's memory that they and their families stand within that history of liberation.

Yet Judaism takes a step further. It does not view liberation as an immediate transition to freedom. The law is given to those who have escaped slavery. After liberation comes the commandments. After freedom comes responsibility. This is the unique spirit of Judaism.

Moses and Sinai: Adding Responsibility to Freedom

If Abraham is the 'father of faith' in Judaism, Moses is the greatest prophet and the central figure of the law tradition. The Bible states that he was raised in the Egyptian royal court but ultimately chose to share the fate of his Hebrew kin. Called by God in the wilderness, he stands before Pharaoh.

“Let my people go.”

This brief cry has endured for thousands of years. Those advocating for the abolition of slavery, fighting against racism, and resisting dictatorship and colonial rule have invoked the language of the Exodus in their times. This is because it declares that no one is born as an eternal slave.

However, Moses's more significant role emerges after liberation. At Sinai, according to the Bible, Moses receives the Ten Commandments, and Israel enters into a covenant with God. The Ten Commandments begin with the relationship between God and humanity but extend to relationships among humans, covering parents, life, marriage, property, testimony, and desire. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not covet. Religion does not only look to the heavens; the religion of the heavens becomes the ethics of the earth.

In Judaism, believing in God does not end with acknowledging His existence in one’s heart. Life must change. The powerful must not treat the weak unjustly. Orphans, widows, and strangers must not be ignored. Unjust wealth and power face severe criticism from the prophets. The spiritual roots that allowed later prophets like Amos, Isaiah, and Micah to denounce social injustices lie within this tradition of covenant and justice. In this sense, the Ten Commandments are not merely a list of prohibitions; they establish the minimum order for how free individuals should live. If the Exodus granted freedom, Sinai taught the responsibility of that freedom.

Monotheism Did Not Emerge Overnight

To understand Judaism, it is essential to address a critical issue. It is historically overly simplistic to claim that Abraham suddenly established a complete philosophical monotheism, leading all Israelites to believe in only one God from that moment onward.

Even a reading of the Bible reveals that ancient Israelite society constantly clashed with the religions of surrounding nations and repeatedly fell into idolatry. The command to “serve only Yahweh” implies the existence of a reality where other gods were worshipped.

Monotheistic faith became clearer through a long and intense intellectual and historical process. It evolved from the belief in 'our God' to the assertion that 'our God is the greatest,' ultimately deepening into the universal belief that 'there is only one God, the God of the entire universe.'

Particularly, historical disasters such as the destruction of the kingdom and the Babylonian exile posed fundamental questions to the Israelites. Did God also fail when the nation fell? Did God disappear when the temple was destroyed? They sought the opposite answer: God is not confined to the territory of a single nation or a single temple; He is the God of heaven and earth, of all nations and history. From a tribal god to the God of the universe, the concept of 'one' in Judaism deepens.

“Hear, O Israel,”

One of the most significant confessions of faith in Judaism is the 'Shema.' Beginning in Deuteronomy 6, this confession starts with the call to “Hear, O Israel” and teaches to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and might. A particularly striking word here is “hear.”

It instructs to listen before seeing. Humans tend to see only what they want to see. However, to listen, one must humble oneself. One must be ready to accept other voices. The beginning of religion may lie not in speaking but in listening. Listening to the sounds of nature, the voice of conscience, the suffering of neighbors, and the fundamental questions resonating deep within oneself.

The God of Judaism warns against humans creating images to confine Him. He is the invisible God. Therefore, the center of faith shifts from visible idols to listening to the Word. The Word is recorded, and the record becomes the Torah.

From here, a significant seed emerges that allows the Jewish people to survive even after losing their land and temple. Territory can be taken away. The temple can be destroyed. Dynasties can vanish. However, the Word can be carried. Books transcend borders. Memory cannot be easily taken away. The stories of the Torah and Talmud, synagogues, and the Sabbath, as well as family and education, all begin here.

Is Election a Privilege or a Responsibility?

When discussing Judaism, the term 'chosen people' is unavoidable. It refers to the belief that God chose Israel. Misunderstanding this can easily lead to a sense of ethnic superiority, thinking, “We are better than other nations.”

However, within the Jewish tradition, there is a strong current that understands election not as privilege but as obligation and responsibility stemming from a covenant. Being chosen does not mean one can live freely; it means one must bear greater responsibility because they are chosen.

This ancient religious concept can also be applied to today’s leaders and powers. A high position is not a privilege but a responsibility. Those who have much bear greater social responsibility. Those who are well-educated have a responsibility to use their knowledge for the community. The moment one interprets election as responsibility rather than privilege, the story of Judaism from thousands of years ago becomes an ethical framework for the 21st century.

From Abraham to Moses: “Departure, Liberation, Covenant”

The long journey of Judaism can be summarized in three words: “Departure, Liberation, Covenant.”

Abraham departed. Moses led the slaves out. A covenant was established at Sinai. Departure freed humans from the familiar world, the Exodus liberated them from oppression, and the covenant imposed responsibilities on free individuals.

Therefore, defining Judaism merely as a religion that believes in one God does not capture its depth. It is a religion that questions how humans should live before that one ultimate source.

Now, this brings to mind a 20th-century Korean thinker: Dasuk Yoo Yeong-mo.

Dasuk contemplated the concept of 'one' throughout his life. The 'one' he spoke of was not merely the number 1; it referred to the source of all existence and the ultimate to which humanity must return. He believed that within humans lies the true self, 'Eolna,' awakening toward that one.

Of course, one should not equate the God of Judaism with Dasuk's 'one.' The God of Judaism is a personal God who makes covenants with Abraham, calls Moses, and demands commandments and responsibilities from humanity throughout history. In contrast, Dasuk's 'one' is a unique Korean religious philosophy that explores the ultimate of existence while digesting Christianity and Eastern thought in his own language. The historical and theological differences are clear.

However, at a deep level, a single question converges: What is the source of all these many things?

Where do humans come from? Why must we live? How should we live? And ultimately, where do we return? Abraham left his homeland with these questions, and Moses walked through the wilderness with them. Dasuk held onto these questions in 20th-century Korea and spoke of 'one.'

Different times, different languages, and different religions exist. Yet, the ultimate questions humans pose are remarkably similar. Perhaps the 5,000-year history of Asian spirituality is, in fact, the history of these questions.

Believing in One

The 21st century is once again giving rise to numerous 'gods.' Money becomes a god, and power becomes a god. Nations and ethnicities can become gods, and technology can become a god. Now, even AI emerges as a new authority, knowing more than humans and making faster judgments.

Just as ancient people created idols from wood and stone, modern individuals can create idols from numbers, algorithms, capital, and power.

Thus, the first question of Judaism, which has crossed thousands of years to reach us, remains alive: What do you truly serve? Money? Power? Desire? Technology? Or is it the one that transcends all of these?

The spiritual significance of monotheism lies not only in reducing the number of gods from many to one but also in relativizing the many things that humans have absolutized. A king is not a god. Money is not a god. A nation is not a god. Humanity itself is not a god. It establishes an ultimate standard above all these.

Therefore, believing in one means that humans are liberated from the many idols of the world. The ancient narrative that begins with Abraham's departure, passes through Moses's Exodus, and culminates in the Sinai covenant holds meaning even today.

Depart. From false gods.
Be free. From all powers that enslave humanity.
And take responsibility. As a free human being.

This is the ancient question left by Abraham and Moses, and the first great message that Judaism has imparted to human civilization. At the end of this path, one word awaits again: “One.”

Not just one among many, but the one that makes many things possible. Humanity has walked thousands of years in search of that one. This long journey is not yet over.