The concept of religion has always been full of perplexity. With new religions taking birth at a rapid pace, people tend to get confused at the drop of a hat.
One such confusion that baffles us and appears to be strikingly similar is Hinduism and Judaism. Although being the oldest religions, they seem to be the same, and they are completely and intrinsically different in every way.
Key Takeaways
- Hinduism encompasses many beliefs, rituals, and practices, while Judaism is a monotheistic religion focusing on the covenant between God and the Jewish people.
- Hinduism originates from India, while Judaism has its roots in the Middle East.
- Reincarnation and karma are central concepts in Hinduism, whereas Judaism emphasizes following commandments and ethical behavior.
Hinduism vs Judaism
Hinduism originated in ancient India, aiming to achieve Moksha, which is liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Judaism developed in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of obeying God’s commandments and living a righteous life, and does not recognize reincarnation.
Hinduism is considered the oldest religion in the world, almost 5000 years old. Hinduism practically has no pioneer personality but still is one of the widest accepted religions, which is now followed by millions of followers.
Hinduism is not monotheistic, as the followers worship numerous gods, including Bramha, Vishnu, Shiva, and many more.
The Jewish civilization keenly follows Judaism. Judaism originated in Israel and has evolved from the religion in Israel and Judah.
The Jews refer to Israel as the ‘land of forefathers’. Jews consider the founder of Judaism as Abraham. It majorly comprises various texts and scriptures, which are to date followed by the Jews.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Hinduism | Judaism |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | India-Hindus | Israel/ Middle East-Jews |
| Age of Origin | 3000BCE | 1300BCE |
| Belief in Angels/ Prophets | No | Yes |
| Religious Scripture | Bhagavad Gita, Vedas | Torah, Tanakh |
| Statue Worshipping | Yes | No |
| Caste System | Yes | No |
| Belief in Reincarnation | Yes | Yes |
| Belief | Polytheistic | Monotheistic |
What is Hinduism?
As mentioned above, Hinduism is a widely accepted and oldest religion followed by billions of populations currently- referred to as Hindus.
Hinduism is quoted as the ‘Santana Dharma’ in Sanskrit, which translates to ‘Eternal or immortal Dharma’, stating that Hinduism never originated from a sole follower and has ancient historical roots.
Hinduism contemplates a tremendous amount of Vedic scriptures, yogic scriptures, and rituals. Hinduism was the pioneer of the temple building, statue worshipping ritual.
The Bhagavad Gita- the official scripture of Hinduism guides one to lead a life peacefully- following Ahimsa and preaches numerous values and ethics, thus guiding a Hindu to be a better person.
Although Hinduism originated in the Indian subcontinent, it is currently widely accepted in every part of the world, including Mauritius, Nepal, Bali, Indonesia, etc.
As aforementioned, Hinduism is polytheistic- as the Hindus worship countless gods.
Although they consider Brahma as the creator of the universe, every god in Hinduism possesses significance, like Vishnu- the preserver of the universe, Shiva (the Supreme God)- the creator, transformer, and destroyer of the universe, and so on.
Hindus intensely believe and follow the concept of Karma– that is, ‘what goes around, comes around’. They strongly believe that whatever sins they commit in their life will come back to bite them during death.
Hindus carry a primary goal- to be one with their god- the creator-Bramha. They suppose that if they sin, they might not unite with their god; thus, they refrain from committing any wrongdoings, fearing and respecting their god.
The religious scripture of Hindus- Bhagavad Gita, is proved to be written by the Hindu God Krishna during the Mahabharata. Along with Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu scriptures also encompasses Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas, etc.
Hinduism also pursues caste and sub-caste systems; thus, you can observe and perceive various sub-castes in India, and they differ within their states, but most of them follow the same god and scriptures.
What is Judaism?
As mentioned above, Judaism is practised and preached majorly by the Jews in Israel. Jews are predominantly monotheistic; that is, they believe that there exists only one God, only one creator.
They strongly believe that God revealed himself to Abraham, who is now considered as the pioneer of their religion.
Just like any other religion, Judaism also has its religious scriptures, for example, Tanakh is referred to as the Jewish Bible, while Torah is considered as their original ancient religious scripture/ text.
The Jews strongly believe in Angels and refer to them as the messenger of God, not visible to humans.
Judaism does not follow the concept of the Caste system or Caste discrimination. This stands out from other religions. The Judaism texts and scriptures influenced Christianity and Islam later on.
Many countries, including Canada, the United States, and Egypt, follow Judaism. But major settlements are in Europe.
Judaism prohibits statue worshipping as they believe a person can become one with the god only after leaving certain physical possessions.
The Jewish/Judaism laws are referred to as Halakhas and are followed by most Jews.
Recently, numerous Religious Movements have categorized Judaism into 3 major movements: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform.
Orthodox Judaism follows the Halakhas strictly, and the laws are unchangeable, while Conservative and Reform Judaism are comparatively lenient and liberal.
Jews firmly believe in life after death, and they don’t grieve over death as they have a conviction that life and death are part and parcel of life and it is all God’s plan.
Judaism is called an Ethnoreligious group that carries and pursues both ethnic and religious backgrounds and beliefs.
Culturally they have principles of decent and modest dressing, prayers, and temples; all these factors led to Judaism being one of the most widely accepted and followed religions.
Main Differences Between Hinduism and Judaism
- Hinduism is polytheistic, while Judaism is predominantly monotheistic.
- Hinduism has numerous religious scriptures, while Judaism primarily has Tanakh and Torah.
- Hinduism worships cows and focuses on the beef ban, on the other hand, Judaism focuses on the pork ban.
- Hinduism practices yoga to unite the mind and soul, while Judaism has no such practice.
- Hinduism promotes statue worshipping, in contrast, Judaism strictly prohibits statue worshipping.
- Hinduism has no pioneer in their religion, whereas Judaism considers Abraham as its pioneer.
- Hinduism promotes Caste System, on the other hand, Judaism prohibits Caste and Sub-Caste categorization.
- https://books.google.com/bookshl=en&lr=&id=KpIWhKnYmF0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR10&dq=hinduism&ots=5LMDWIPrsU&sig=CVJz3A1LynIj_P7tWyn6zExAOVQ
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=D7qPcsAFPvkC&oi=fnd&pg=PR10&dq=judaism&ots=IT6h-b5bS6&sig=P8Q48ObyMM9-dcwhPVc3Tzz5wN8
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
This article accurately captures the fundamental distinctions between Hinduism and Judaism. It’s an educational piece.
It’s fascinating to see how these two religions, despite being the oldest, have evolved in distinct ways.
The detailed comparison of Hinduism and Judaism provided a profound insight into the complexities and diversities of religious beliefs.
As a follower of Hinduism, I found this comparison very interesting. It is intriguing to see the differences and commonalities between the two religions.
This article was very informative and well-researched in terms of comparing Hinduism and Judaism.
The difference in beliefs, practices, and historical origins was skillfully articulated in the article.
I agree, the comparison was presented in a clear and concise manner.
This article gives a thorough and in-depth comparison of Hinduism and Judaism. It was very enlightening.