Understanding Judaism involves knowing how those practicing the religion view the the role of humanity within the world (anthropology). Judaism also provides solutions to overcome problems of humanity (soteriology).

Anthropology

Judaism teaches that human beings were created directly by God. Based on biblical teachings, Adam and Eve are the first people. All the problems of humanity result when these first humans disobey God’s commandment to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Once Adam and Eve eat fruit from the tree, they possess divine knowledge that God did not want them to possess. For disobeying, God curses Adam and Eve, driving them out of Eden. He also makes many aspects of human beings’ lives difficult: Adam and Eve are made mortal, and painful childbirth becomes the way for human beings to continue to exist. God also curses the land, requiring hard work to be able to produce food to survive. God punished their disobedience through exile, a theme that we see over and over in Jewish narrative and their experience throughout history.

According to this biblical story all future human beings were punished by God because of this original disobedience. From that point forward, human beings had to atone for the mistakes of Adam and Eve and prove that they were righteous through obeying God’s covenants. Once Adam and Eve possessed the divine knowledge of knowing good and evil, they were expected by God to be able to make the decision to do what is right by obeying the covenants that God made with them. Notice that atonement for the sin of Adam is described only as obedience to God.

Throughout the Torah, God established many covenants between Himself and human beings. These covenants challenged his people to obey specific commands. In Judaism, humans have free will and can choose whether to follow the covenant. Fundamentally, humans must choose to obey the covenants with God, or else be punished.

Soteriology

Human beings are saved from sin by obeying the covenants with God. Historically, these included proper ritual sacrifices and offerings. Today, the emphasis is more on following the moral and ethical commandments of God. When human beings are faithful and follow the covenants, they are rewarded by God in this lifetime.

For example, the Jews have been awarded at various times throughout history with rulership over the “holy land” of Canaan. Since the Hebrew Bible does not describe an afterlife, beliefs about destinations after death vary among Jews.