Introduction
Hinduism and Judaism are two very different religious systems. Hinduism is an old religion that originated in India, whereas Judaism is a monotheistic faith that dates back around 2,000 years. Hindus consider reincarnation and karma to be part of the spiritual road to self-realization, but Jews believe in life after death rather than reincarnation. With nothing in common, Hinduism and Judaism remain two of the most dominant yet diverse religions of our day.
According to legend, Hinduism began around 3000 BCE, whereas Judaism began around 1300 BCE. These are two of the most well-known and historic faiths, with millions of adherents. Until recent times, the two religions never interacted and grew separately in their different environments. It is reported that King Solomon obtained various items from Indian traders, including the timber used in the construction of their temple. Unlike Sanskrit and other European languages, the languages spoken by Jews and Indians evolved independently, with fewer common terms.
Hinduism vs Judaism
The main distinction between both religions is their approach to God; Hindus believe in multiple gods, whilst Jews only acknowledge one. Hinduism and Judaism have numerous startling distinctions that are both fascinating to investigate. Hindus, for example, believe in the oneness of all life, but Jews do not. This is an essential contrast between these two religions since it serves to establish their ideas about a variety of other topics, including mortality and the afterlife. These distinctions may be more visible, but they are also less noticeable when some parallels between these two religions are considered. Another difference between Hinduism and Judaism is that Hinduism is practised by Hindus all over the world, but particularly by those on the Indian subcontinent because India is the birthplace of Hinduism whereas Judaism is practised by the Jewish civilization and has its roots in the Middle East.
Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, dating back over 5000 years. Even though there were no pioneers, Hinduism is currently one of the most widely acknowledged religions, with millions of adherents. Hinduism is not a monotheistic religion since its adherents worship multiple gods, including Bramha, Vishnu, Shiva, and others. One fascinating feature of Hinduism is that its origins are not attributed to a specific person, which is unusual; nonetheless, Jews recognise Abraham as the creator of their religion.
The Hindu views of creation and the genesis of the cosmos are far more intricate than the Old Testament's Genesis. Judaism is a remarkably dualistic religion, but Hinduism ranges from monism to qualified dualism in its relationship between God and individual souls. Hinduism arose and flourished completely on the Indian subcontinent. While there are numerous variations in the philosophy and beliefs of life after death between these two religions, certain parallels do exist, such as how they have specific laws that their followers must follow to make it to paradise for Judaism and Niverna for Hinduism. Each religion has its own set of rules and laws that teach you what you should do to be a good person and satisfy their God or gods. They educate individuals on how to live a proper life and be good to others while they are on Earth. Both religions believe in an ultimate resting place for the spirit, and both have high moral standards for their adherents, such as kindness to the disadvantaged.
Difference Between Hinduism and Judaism in Tabular Form
| Parameters of Comparison | Hinduism | Judaism |
| Origin | India-Hindus | Israel/ Middle East -Jews |
| Religion | The Hindu faith is polytheistic. | Judaism is a monotheistic religion. |
| Age of Origin | 3000BCE | 1300BCE |
| Reincarnation | Hindus believe in rebirth. | Hindus believe in rebirth. |
| Religious Scripture |
Bhagavad Gita, Vedas
| Torah, Tanakh |
| God | There are several gods. | Only one god |
| Belief | Polytheistic | Monotheistic |
| Caste System |
Yes
| No |
| Statue Worshipping | Yes | No |
What is Hinduism?
Hinduism is the world's most commonly acknowledged and oldest religion, practised by billions of people who identify as Hindus. Hinduism is sometimes referred to as the 'Santana Dharma' in Sanskrit, which translates to 'Eternal or immortal Dharma,' implying that Hinduism did not start with a single adherent and has ancient historical origins. Hinduism is a varied religion that did not have a single founder. It dates back to antiquity and is practised by many distinct ethnic groups throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Hinduism holds that all existence is derived from a single source known as Brahman. Hindus believe in both rebirth and karma. Individuals seek enlightenment or Moksha to break free from the cycle of life and death.
Along with Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism, Hinduism is one of the world's major faiths. It is also one of the oldest faiths on the planet. Today, there are approximately one billion Hindus over the world. What we now call Hinduism was historically and continues to be known as Sanatan Dharma, which means "everlasting religion." Hinduism is difficult to define since there is no one founder, no single text, and no universally accepted set of doctrines. Hinduism has a long history, with many major personalities teaching many ideas and authoring countless sacred scriptures.
The vast majority of Hindus believe in a single ultimate deity (The Brahman).
Everything is a manifestation of and a portion of The Brahman, the ultimate reality; yet, The Brahman's characteristics and abilities may be represented by a wide range of gods/deities, all of which arise from The Brahman. The vast majority of Hindus believe in a single ultimate deity.
Everything is a manifestation of and a portion of The Brahman, the ultimate reality; yet, The Brahman's characteristics and abilities may be represented by a wide range of gods/deities, all of which arise from The Brahman. Hinduism considers a large number of Vedic writings, yogic scriptures, and rituals. Hinduism was the forerunner of temple construction and statue worshipping rituals.
The Bhagavad Gita, Hinduism's canonical scripture, teaches one to live a peaceful life based on Ahimsa and promotes countless principles and virtues, helping a Hindu to be a better person. Although Hinduism began on the Indian subcontinent, it is now widely recognised around the world, including in Mauritius, Nepal, Bali, and Indonesia. As previously stated, Hinduism is polytheistic, as Hindus worship an infinite number of gods. Although they regard Brahma to be the creator of the universe, each deity in Hinduism has its importance, such as Vishnu, who is the preserver of the cosmos, Shiva (the Supreme God), who is the creator, transformer, and destroyer of the universe, and so on. Although Hinduism began on the Indian subcontinent, it is now widely recognised around the world, including in Mauritius, Nepal, Bali, and Indonesia. As previously stated, Hinduism is polytheistic, as Hindus worship an infinite number of gods. Although they regard Brahma to be the creator of the universe, each deity in Hinduism has its importance, such as Vishnu, who is the preserver of the cosmos, Shiva, who is the creator, transformer, and destroyer of the universe, and so on.
According to Hinduism, human life is divided into four stages known as ashrama.
Ideally, everyone passes through all four stages, albeit most people do not reach the fourth. Some spiritual masters/saints may also proceed directly from the first to the fourth level. Hinduism is a philosophy of life. Every part of existence is assigned to god, from waking to sleeping. Thus, everything in Hinduism is attributed to the Supreme God.
The Hindu holy text Bhagavad Gita is shown to have been authored by the Hindu God Krishna during the Mahabharata. Along with the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu texts include the Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas, and so on. Hinduism also follows a caste and sub-caste structure; hence, you can notice and perceive many sub-castes in India; they differ within their states, but they all worship the same deity and follow the same scriptures. The Hindu sacred scripture Bhagavad Gita is said to have been written during the Mahabharata by the Hindu God Krishna. The Hindu writings, in addition to the Bhagavad Gita, include the Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas, and so on.
What is Judaism?
Judaism is one of the world's oldest religions, and it is being followed today. It arose from the ancient Israelites' beliefs, practises, and experiences. Judaism is now practised by millions of Jews on every inhabited continent. Jewish adherence is demonstrated through the performance of Jewish law's commands.
These commandments encompass both traditional customs, such as avoiding eating particular foods, and ethical duties, such as charitable giving. Some interpretations of Judaism hold that all Jewish teachings must be obeyed. Other branches of Judaism think that just the instructions on how to live moral lives are needed and that everything else is optional. As previously stated, the majority of Jews in Israel practise and preach Judaism. Jews are generally monotheistic, which means they believe in just one God, one creator. They are adamant that God revealed himself to Abraham, who is today regarded as the founder of their faith.
The term "Judaism" refers to the religion, culture, and ethnicity that arose in ancient Israel. The concept that God revealed himself to Moses and other prophets, which is documented in both scripture (the Torah) and rabbinic literature, is one of Judaism's monotheistic beliefs (Talmud). Judaism's core concept is that there is a single God who created the universe, cares about humans, and desires that people live decent lives.
This ethical monotheistic belief passed from Judaism to Christianity and Islam. It is one of the primary reasons why studying Judaism is essential for understanding global history. The Hebrew Bible is the name given to the Jewish Bible since it was originally written in Hebrew. Jews believe that studying the Hebrew Bible teaches them how to live a moral life. Because Christianity sprang from Judaism, the Old Testament of the Christian Bible contains the Hebrew Bible. Rabbis are Jewish religious authorities. Rabbi’s studied Judaism for many years. They teach, lead religious services, console grieving community members, and represent the Jewish community to the greater community. The significance of social justice, the belief that individuals and groups should be treated equitably, is taught in Judaism. This philosophy is based on the premise that all humans are created in the image of God and hence deserve respect and equal opportunity. Furthermore, the Torah instructs, "love your neighbour as yourself."
Judaism does not adhere to the notion of caste or caste prejudice. This distinguishes it from other religions. Later on, Judaism's books and scriptures inspired Christianity and Islam. Many countries, including Canada, the United States, and Egypt, practise Judaism today. However, the majority of settlements are in Europe. Judaism forbids statue worship because they think that being one with the deity requires a person to give up some tangible belongings. Judaism is frequently referred to be an Ethnoreligious organisation since its adherents have both ethnic and religious backgrounds and beliefs. They have cultural ideals of good and modest wearing, prayers, and temples; all of these things have led to Judaism becoming one of the most generally recognised and obeyed religions.
Difference Between Hinduism and Judaism in Points
- Hinduism is polytheistic, but Judaism is mostly monotheistic.
- Jews do not believe in reincarnation, although Hindus do.
- Hinduism does not have any rigorous dietary requirements, while Jews carefully adhere to Kosher food standards.
- Hinduism has no religious pioneer, however, Judaism believes Abraham to be their religious pioneer.
- Hinduism has a caste system, while Jews have no social distinctions.
- Hindus believe in numerous gods rather than a single one.
- The Jewish faith dates back 4000 years, but Hinduism dates back only roughly 5000 years.
Conclusion
Both Hinduism and Judaism eventually assist the searchers in becoming better individuals while also respecting other religions. Both of these religions place a premium on family life and the transmission of information, rites, and practises to the next generation. Both religions contain holy writings that are vital to their religions and give instructions about the connection between people and God, as well as between individuals. The sacred writings also provide directions on how to live, worship, and execute ceremonies. Pilgrimages to sacred sites are conducted by the faithful in all religions.
