Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts ("The Oral Law") and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim.

Compared to other modern Judaisms, Orthodox Judaism is characterized by:

• Belief that the Torah was transmitted by God to Moses;
• Belief in a Jewish eschatology, including a messiah, a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, and the resurrection of the dead.
• Adherence to Halakha, traditional Jewish law, as interpreted and determined by Orthodox rabbis; and
• Intensive dedication to the study of Torah, as a matter of practice, belief, and organizational priority.

Diversity within Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism's central belief is that the Torah, including both the Written Law and the Oral Law, was given directly from God to Moses and can never be altered or rejected in any way. As a result, all Jews are required to live in accordance with the Commandments and Jewish law.

However, since there is no one unifying Orthodox body, there is no one official statement of principles of faith. Rather, each Orthodox group claims to be a non-exclusive heir to the received tradition of Jewish theology, while still affirming a literal acceptance of Maimonides' thirteen principles.

Subgroups

The various subgroups of Orthodoxy differ in their social structures, cultural practices, religiosity, relation to secular and non-Orthodox JEwish culture, and specific understandings of Jewish law. These groups, broadly, comprise Modern Orthodox Judaism and Haredi Judaism, the latter comprising Hasidic Judaism and "Mitnagdish" (non-Hasidic Hareidi) Judaism.

• Modern Orthodoxy advocates increased integration with non-Jewish society, regards secular knowledge as inherently valuable, and is somewhat more willing to use Talmudic arguments to revisit questions of Jewish law
• Religious Zionism, characterized by belief in the importance of the modern state of Israel to Judaism, often intersects with Modern Orthodoxy.
• Haredi Judaism advocates segregation from non-Jewish culture, although not from non-Jewish society entirely. It is characterized by its focus on community-wide Torah study (in contrast with Modern Orthodoxy, which decentralizes the role of Torah study for lay people). Engaging in the commercial world is often seen as a legitimate means to achieving a livelihood, but participation in modern society is not perceived as an inherently worthy ambition. The same outlook is applied with regard to obtaining degrees necessary to enter one's intended profession: where tolerated in the Haredi society, attending secular institutions of higher education is viewed as a necessary but inferior activity. Pure academic interest is instead directed toward the religious edification found in the yeshiva.
• Hasidic Judaism places great emphasis on all Jewish traditions, including the mystical, and generally prefers separation from all non-Jewish society.