Questions about Judaism answered by a Jew!

[Andaraawus]

Are Muslims allowed to go and see it?

 

[lavikor201]

Are Muslims allowed to go and see it?

Anyone is allowed to go there. I do not see many Muslims because it holds very little signifigance, but whenever I go I am taken aghast. The first time I ever went there, I did not understand what it meant, (i was 4) and I was taken aback by it. I began crying, and it is probably the farthest memmory I have of my childhood. I began crying because I felt something, Unexplainable. The tears were of joy, not sorrow.

I welcome you to go there, with the hope it will have some signifigance to you. I believe prayers are awnsered at the Kotel. I know mine have been.

 

[Andaraawus]

i think that would be an intresting venture, thats if, they grant me a visa.

are you allowed to touch it?

Didnt Jews circumbate the holy of holys clockwise or anti clockwise? and what sinificance did that have?

 

[lavikor201]

are you allowed to touch it?

Of course. In ritual customs you may write a prayer on a note and slip it into a crack of the wall.

To see a live video feed from the kotel click here: http://english.thekotel.org/cameras.asp

There are three different cameras to click. 5AM Israeli time, around 10 or 11 new york time morning prayers begin at the kotel.

Click Here: Notes in the Kotel cracks

Morning Sukkot Prayers.

The Pope even visited, and it means nothing to his religion.

 

[Andaraawus]

Thanx for the answer and the video link.

I have quite a few questions

1.Didnt Jews circumbate the holy of holys clockwise or anti clockwise? and what sinificance did that have?

2. What would you say are the main differences between Judaism and Islam? (answer that one through private mail if you wish)

3. Do Jews believe that Muslims are going to heaven for believing in the G-d of Moses ?(anwser that one through private mail if you wish)

 

[Andaraawus]

it would really be good if Muslims can have live cameras in Makkahand Medinah like that

 

[Muhammad]

it would really be good if Muslims can have live cameras in Makkahand Medinah like that

They do - at least in Makkah they do; you can watch the prayers live Alhamdulillah. For further information, please see Imams of the Haramain thread! (Sorry for going off-topic).

 

[Andaraawus]

Salaams thats a like long page l topic..... subhan-Allah ... thanks for the suggestion though. Please can you find that link for me

 

[lavikor201]

1.Didnt Jews circumbate the holy of holys clockwise or anti clockwise? and what sinificance did that have?

Not sure. I will check and get back to you.

2. What would you say are the main differences between Judaism and Islam? (answer that one through private mail if you wish)

Belief in a new prophet and scriptures, or die hard belief in the old ones which state that no word shall ever be added.

3. Do Jews believe that Muslims are going to heaven for believing in the G-d of Moses ?(anwser that one through private mail if you wish)

if Muslims do indeed follow the Seven Laws of Noah (laws for all gentiles) which I am told the Quran enforces and try not to lead astray or hurt the Jews from observing Torah ect... then yes, Muslims will indeed go to heaven.

 

[Andaraawus]

ah wow im hearing the muslim call to prayer live from masjid al aqsaa the time here in london is 3:26 am ...so i gather Jews and Muslims do their morning prayers around the same time .

 

[Andaraawus]

Please show me the verse from the Tanakh in regards to the following:

Belief in a new prophet and scriptures, or die hard belief in the old ones which state that no word shall ever be added.

Its always good to know.

 

[Andaraawus]

What are the seven laws of Noah?

 

[lavikor201]

ah wow im hearing the muslim call to prayer live from masjid al aqsaa the time here in london is 3:26 am ...so i gather Jews and Muslims do their morning prayers around the same time .

Yes it is around the same time. At night, during your prayers, thousands of worshipers will be at the Kotel dancing, singing and praying very loud with fevor because Shabbat is coming.

Please show me the verse from the Tanakh in regards to the following:

לֹא תֹסִפוּ, עַל-הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם, וְלֹא תִגְרְעוּ, מִמֶּנּוּ--לִשְׁמֹר, אֶת-מִצְו*ֹת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי, מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם.​

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the L-RD your G-d which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2)​

What are the seven laws of Noah?

Seven Laws of Noah, The Laws which all gentiles must follow:​

• To behave justly in all relationships, and to establish courts of justice.
• To refrain from blaspheming G-ds name.
• To refrain from practicing idolatry.
• To avoid immoral practices, specifically incest and adultery.
• To avoid shedding the blood of ones fellow man.
• To refrain from robbing ones fellow man.
• To refrain from eating a limb torn from a live animal.

 

[Andaraawus]

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the L-RD your G-d which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2)

This applies to humans, however G-d can add to His word whenever it pleases Him.

Is there Biblical references i can tie in with this:

To behave justly in all relationships, and to establish courts of justice.
To refrain from blaspheming Gods name.
To refrain from practicing idolatry.
To avoid immoral practices, specifically incest and adultery.
To avoid shedding the blood of ones fellow man.
To refrain from robbing ones fellow man.
To refrain from eating a limb torn from a live animal.

Thanks for the info,like to compile and learn what people believe,
Do you have references for the laws of Noah. ? or is really the basic ten commandments ?

 

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Hi Lavikor

A question popped into my mind: other than Muslims, which other religious /ideological groups do Jews believe will be rewarded with heaven? Atheists (or most Buddhists) who deny God? Christians who worship the 'son' of God? Zoroastrians who believe in a god of good and a god of evil? Hindus who worship numerous deities? Satanists?? I'm having difficulty thinking of any groups that comply with all seven of the noahide laws.

On a semi-related note, I had a discussion about a year ago with another Jew on this forum who believed pantheism was acceptable in Judaism. Your thoughts on this matter?

Peace.

 

[Pygoscelis]

What exactly constitutes blasphemy?

Are atheists blasphemers simply for believing that God doesn't exist?
Would an atheist be commiting blashemy for thinking that God is a delusion or a silly idea?

 

[Duhaa]

Lavikor, you know that picture in your sig, it's the Wailing Wall, right? What's the significance for it for Jews?

I remember when I went there, we had a guide to take us around and of course we stopped at the Wailing Wall. I know just this much that when children come of age they put a folded piece of something in one of the cracks in the wall. Now I know I've probably got something wrong there but I do know that you pray at the wall. How come?

The significance of the wall for Muslims as far as I know, correct me if I'm wrong, is that when our Prophet Muhammad S.A.W travelled from Makkah to Masjidul Aqsa and then went up to the Heavens on the winged horse, he went up that wall to the Heavens or something to that effect.

Another thing I want to know is if Jews hold the place Bethlehem sacred as Christians do.
We tried to go there but the guards stopped us and said we weren't allowed.

Hope you can answer the questions. Thanks.

 

[lavikor201]

This applies to humans, however G-d can add to His word whenever it pleases Him.

Your opinion on it. G-d told the prophets through prophecy that he would never subtract from the laws or add them either, and commanded humans not do it either.

A question popped into my mind: other than Muslims, which other religious /ideological groups do Jews believe will be rewarded with heaven? Atheists (or most Buddhists) who deny God? Christians who worship the 'son' of God? Zoroastrians who believe in a god of good and a god of evil? Hindus who worship numerous deities? Satanists?? I'm having difficulty thinking of any groups that comply with all seven of the noahide laws.

Not sure who exactly. It may be only Muslims and people who believe in G-d and happen to follow the laws by chance or on purpose believing in the Torahs validity, but not wanting to accept the responsibility of obeying all 613 laws.

On a semi-related note, I had a discussion about a year ago with another Jew on this forum who believed pantheism was acceptable in Judaism. Your thoughts on this matter?

No, that is complelty incorrect. Judaism does not accept the notion of G-d being 'nature'. G-d has a personality, and is the supreme being according to Judaism.

Are atheists blasphemers simply for believing that God doesn't exist?

By denial of existance yes. Amother form of blasphemy is by swearing falsely on G-d's name, and manyn other types of ways to blasphemy his name. ect...

Would an atheist be commiting blashemy for thinking that God is a delusion or a silly idea?

Yes.

Lavikor, you know that picture in your sig, it's the Wailing Wall, right? What's the significance for it for Jews?

I remember when I went there, we had a guide to take us around and of course we stopped at the Wailing Wall. I know just this much that when children come of age they put a folded piece of something in one of the cracks in the wall. Now I know I've probably got something wrong there but I do know that you pray at the wall. How come?

You can find all the information I have posted on the Western Wall right here:

A. The Western Wall, a.k.a. the Kotel (wall) or Wailing Wall, is the last remaining section of the Temple which sat atop Jerusalem's Mt. Moriah. It is the holiest active site in Judaism today, and has no connection, archaeological, spiritual or otherwise, to any other religion.

B. After the destruction of the Second Temple, G-d guaranteed the presence of the Shechinah in the Western Wall. The Wall is thus a gateway to Heaven, a place where history springs to life, a place where avowed atheists shed unexplainable tears, a place where the totality of Jewish identity finds expression, and a place where prayers are answered. Ultimately, it is a symbol of G-d, and of the Jewish People: both are eternal, and the Western Wall is the eternity of G-d and of the Jewish People written in stone.

C. Contrary to public opinion, the Western Wall is not an actual part of the Temple itself--it is a segment of a retaining wall that ran along the Temple's westernmost perimeter. Still, since this retaining wall was an integral part of the Temple compound, the ethereal sanctity of the Temple remains eternally embedded in its stones.


What do I do at the Western Wall?

1. Pray
An notoriously anti-religious official of the Israeli government expended much personal energy to retard the efforts of Rabbi Getz, the official rabbi of the Kotel, dismissing the Wall's holiness as bothersome, backwards fanaticism. When his daughter suddenly fell critically ill, though, his protestations dissipated like auto exhaust and he placed a frantic call for prayer to the good rabbi. Hopefully, you'll never need to pray for a critically ill loved one at the Wall, but you get the idea...

2. Celebrate
Hundreds if not thousands of Bar/Bat Mitzvahs are celebrated at the Wall each year. For the Wall--and the Temple Mount--belongs to all Jews and to no one else, and the joy of one is the joy of all.

3. Get Inspired
They destroyed the Temple. They tried to destroy The Wall. But they could not.

They destroyed our land. They tried to destroy us. But they could not.

The Wall survived.

We survived.

We were banished. Exiled. Raped. Murdered. Plundered. Massacred. In every country. In every time. But we lived on.

It was covered. Ignored. Disgraced. Attacked. Buried. By many civilizations.

Many times. But The Wall lived on.

Finally, we came home.

We had not forgotten The Wall.

The Wall was waiting.

And The Wall had not forgotten us.

___________

In ritual customs you may write a prayer on a note and slip it into a crack of the wall.

To see a live video feed from the kotel click here: http://english.thekotel.org/cameras.asp

There are three different cameras to click. 5AM Israeli time, around 10 or 11 new york time morning prayers begin at the kotel.

Click Here: Notes in the Kotel cracks

Morning Sukkot Prayers.

The Pope even visited, and it means nothing to his religion.

Another thing I want to know is if Jews hold the place Bethlehem sacred as Christians do.
We tried to go there but the guards stopped us and said we weren't allowed.

No. Jesus was just another false prophet one of many. His birthplace holds no signifigance to us. The reason Israel gaurds it is bevause it holds signifigance to others. Israel allows all to pray freely. Why would a Jewish state let Muslims continue to worship on our holiest ground? We have high morals and refuse to destroy a structure of yours. The same cannot be said for Jews in some Arab countries. That is why Jews are not permitted by jewish soldiers to go on the temple mount. The only time soldiers have gone up there is when recently Muslims actually threw rocks at worshipers from the Kotel from the Temple mount, and tear gas was used to stop it because an old man died.

 

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Hi Lavikor,

Not sure who exactly. It may be only Muslims and people who believe in G-d and happen to follow the laws by chance or on purpose believing in the Torahs validity, but not wanting to accept the responsibility of obeying all 613 laws.

I see.

No, that is complelty incorrect. Judaism does not accept the notion of G-d being 'nature'. G-d has a personality, and is the supreme being according to Judaism.

Thats reassuring to know; we're together on this issue

Peace!

 

[Fishman]

I need some info on the position of Israel in Judaism for my RE homework. No political stuff please.