Questions about Judaism answered by a Jew!

[arabiyyah]

i still do not really get what the "oral torah"/'talmud' really is. how is it related to the regular torah?

 

[rebelishaulman]

i still do not really get what the "oral torah"/'talmud' really is. how is it related to the regular torah?

Shalom! What you are asking is a very important question that many people do not know, so do not worry. The answer is that without the Oral Torah, the Written Torah would be pointless. I would like to give you a quote from the Talmud which explains this. First I must mention is that the Mishna is what we believe the Oral Law to be, which was given on Mt. Sinai to Moses with the written law. The word for law in Hebrew is literally “Torah”. The Gemora is the Rabbi’s debating and contemplating the best way to follow the Mishna. The Mishna was written down and ceased to be oral when people were afraid it could be lost due to persecution. So here is the quote from the Talmud:

(Shabbat 31a) A certain man came before Shammai, and said to him, “How many Torahs do you have?” He said, “There are two, the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.” Said the man, “I believe in the Written Torah, but not in the Oral Torah. Convert me based on my determination to learn the Written Torah alone.” Shammai refused. He came before Hillel [and tried again]. Hillel accepted him. The first day, Hillel taught him the sounds of the letters, “Aleph Beis Gimmel Dalet”. The next day, he switched them around. The man complained, “That’s not what you taught me yesterday!” Retorted Hillel, “Are you not relying on what I tell you? Then rely on me for the Oral Torah as well.” The man later said, “The gentleness and patience of Hillel brought us under the wings of G-d’s presence.”
​

Now if we look at Hillel’s odd outreach technique, we can see it makes a lot of sense. The truth is that the Torah without its Oral part is not very usable. Many commandments are mentioned in a single verse or part of one, without any detail. Some refer to detail that is not to be found:

(Deuteronomy 12:21) “You shall slaughter your cattle and from your flock in the way that I have commanded you.”
​

Nowhere in the Torah does it give instruction on how to slaughter. For that one must learn the Oral Torah where it is explained in Tractate Chullin. How would anyone know how to observe our beautiful Sabbath from the very brief instructions in the Torah? Don’t do work, whatever that is; don’t light fires, do not walk outside?!? To observe the Sabbath properly, let’s find out instead how Moses understood G-d’s words – learn the Oral Torah, which explains how to observe the Sabbath in Tractate Shabbat.

In other words, the Oral Torah completes the Written Torah.

 

[eagleye]

Wait, what are you asking?

the word Sabbath meaning is it not means stop?

 

[rebelishaulman]

the word Sabbath meaning is it not means stop?

The word "Shabbat"

comes from the root Shin-Bet-Tav, meaning to cease, or to end.

 

[eagleye]

The word "Shabbat"

comes from the root Shin-Bet-Tav, meaning to cease, or to end.

thank you for confirmation

 

[snakelegs]

rebelishaulman,
i've asked this before but no one knew. do you know of a site where you can listen to the torah in hebrew, the way it's read in synagogue?

 

[rebelishaulman]

rebelishaulman,
i've asked this before but no one knew. do you know of a site where you can listen to the torah in hebrew, the way it's read in synagogue?

Here are a few sites, although I am not sure which tune you want, and the Ashkenaz tune we use in my Synagogue I have not found in a free online audio.

http://www.beverlyhillschabad.com/torah-reading/TORAH-MENU.HTM

For this one, just click on the parasha you wish to hear, and then in the upper left corner you can click on the audio.

This one is pretty good. A nice voice doing the chanting:

http://bible.ort.org/intro1.asp?lang=1

Click the link "Torah" and then on each line it has an audio button like this "

", and there is one on top to listen to the entire parasha.

 

[snakelegs]

actually - i should've said - i was hoping for the sephardi, as i'm more used to that pronunciation from modern hebrew.
they both use the same tunes tho, don't they - since the signs for the notes are written in the tanakh?
but thanks, i will check it out.

 

[Malaikah]

Hi,

What are sifardics and ashkanasis, and which one makes up the majority in Israel?

p.s. sorry about the spelling, I'm almost certain I got it wrong. :hiding:

 

[deen_2007]

wait wait wait guys........i am confused....(i have a little knowledge about this religion)......so.....(dnt kill me guys)

...my question(s):

1)do jews believe Moses (peace be upon him) is their God?

2)Who do they see Moses as?

3)& how would u describe God in ur religion?

 

[lavikor201]

What are sifardics and ashkanasis, and which one makes up the majority in Israel?

Ashkenasim are the more "white" European Jews who are believed to have gotten to Europe after the exile from the land of Israel by many different factors. They closed there lifes and refused to asimilate into the secular world in Europe throught history and it is proven that Ashkenasim have different DNA traits then there white european neighbors although they began to look like them because of converts entering the faith and jus adaptation to the envirement after hundreds upon hundreds of years.

The Ashkenasim are the huge majority of the 6-8 million Jews living in America and the UK.

The Sephardim are the more Arab looking Jews (I am Sephardim). These Jews either remained in the Holy Land or after the exile setteled in Africa, Arabia, or Spain. These Jews make up the majority of the 5.5 million Jews who live in Israel.

1)do jews believe Moses (peace be upon him) is their God?

No, the prophet Moshe is known as the greatest prophet to ever live. There is only one G-d and he is not human.

2)Who do they see Moses as?

A prophet, see above.

3)& how would u describe God in ur religion?

By the statement we say twice a day every day.

"shema yisrael, Hashem, elokenu, Hashem ekhad."

"Hear O' Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One!"

 

[Malaikah]

Thanks. So Ashkenasim aren't really descendents of Israel (the person)?

Also, how come you call out to Israel in that statement? :?

 

[deen_2007]

No, the prophet Moshe is known as the greatest prophet to ever live. There is only one G-d and he is not human.



By the statement we say twice a day every day.

"shema yisrael, Hashem, elokenu, Hashem ekhad."

"Hear O' Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One!"

thanks 4 dat.....i thought that too...but was kind-ov confused....

one more question: i heard that Isreal cannot exsist before the last massiah's re-entry.....is that true? (this isnt a political question....i purely want to understand the religious aspect of this)

 

[lavikor201]

i heard that Isreal cannot exsist before the last massiah's re-entry.....is that true? (this isnt a political question....i purely want to understand the religious aspect of this)

There are two different opinions on this. The first opinion is that is held by an overwelming majority of Jews is that a "Jewish State" which is a Torah run state cannot be set up, since modern "Israel" is not Jewish, but just a Jewish majoirty run, and is completly secular in its laws. The Second Opinion is that no Jewish state. However, about half of the very small minority that say "no Jewish state" believe that this ruling may not apply now because the specific passage says that the Jews should not have a state before the Messiah and as long as they are not "to heavily" persecuted. In many eyes, the Holocaust was this persecution and it is a prophecy that the state was established right after this persecution.

Thanks. So Ashkenasim aren't really descendents of Israel (the person)?

Also, how come you call out to Israel in that statement?

Yes they are. After the Jews wrere exiled from the Holy Land by foreign armies, they settled or were enslaved and sent into different regions. The ones in Europe of course had some converts marry in to Judaism which is why there white skin, but are still genetically different enough as Jews to be different from the average white european. They can still trace back to Biblical times.

"Hear O' Israel" is not calling out to the land.

The Jewish people are refered to as "Israel" or "Am Yisroel" (The Nation of Israel) Therefore, you are calling out to all of the nation of Israel declaring the L-rd as our G-d and the L-rd being one.

 

[Grace Seeker]

Not a question about Judaism, but about modern day Israel, may I ask that here as well?

Now, I admit that I may not even have my facts straight, so please correct me if what I understand to be true is not the facts as you recognize them. When the current-day nation of Israel was established by the UN in 1948, we all know that there were people living in the land before millions of Jews migrated there from around the world. Many of these people were Palestinians, both Muslim Palestinians and Christian Palestians (and maybe even Jewish Palestinians, I don't know) who, as I understand it, were dispossessed of the land they lived on and became refugees.

I understand the reasons for the creation of the state of Israel and the desire for a homeland for Jews that began in earnest in the late 1800s and reached its zenith in international support in the aftermath of WW2. But, what I don't understand is how that thought transfers to become the dispossessing of people from their homes and personal property. Can you explain that? It seems that Jews have different rights in Israel than non-Jews, is this true? I know not all Israelis are Jews, but why were not those who lived on the land before the creation of Israel permitted to remain?

 

[lavikor201]

But, what I don't understand is how that thought transfers to become the dispossessing of people from their homes and personal property. Can you explain that?

The 20% Arab minority in Israel today are inhabitants of the land before the modern state of Israel.

In 1923, the Arab Palestinians were given 75% of Palestine in which to form their first Arab- Palestinian state of Jordan. The Jewish Palestinians were supposed to be given the remainder. However, the Arabs wanted ALL. So 24 years later in1947 this remaining 25% that remained of the original "Palestine" was to be re-divided again into equal portions... the Arab Palestinians would be given their second nation while the Jewish Palestinians would be given their one and ONLY state.

The same situation can be found from India and pakistan. Do you know how many people had to leave there homes and go over to there nation?

We don't hear about any of the 800,000 Jewish refugees who were thrown out or feld because of riots in many Arab countries in 1948 for most of them were absorbed by their fellow Jews within Israel. The children and grandchildren of these Jewish refugees are now free and productive citizens. Yet, while the Arabs throughout the Middle East cry crocodile tears for their poor suffering "Palestinian" brothers and sisters, none of the 24 Arab countries has opened their arms to embrace them as new citizens. Instead, these refugees and their descendants were dumped into camps of poverty and degradation for the world to see, further fanning the flames of hatred. Ironically, the Arabs who did not flee and, instead, remained inside Israel became Israeli-Arab citizens have fared far better than those in Arab countries!

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (the same one who met with hitler) was said to have called on all Arab Palestinians to leave and double there property afterwards because it would be easier to drive "all the jews into the sea" this way.

Jews who lived in the 75% (Jordan) of the mandate given to the Arabs left for the other 25% (Israel).

It seems that Jews have different rights in Israel than non-Jews, is this true?

Israeli Arab with citizenship can vote, and have the same rights under Israeli law except for a few things because the goverment does not make them join the army. The "Druze" who do have to go to the Army for 2-3 years fater High School get the same rights as any other group that is not exempt.

The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish population that do not serve and instead study in religious schools do not have the same rights as Jews who serve because military service is a requirement and to be exempt is to declare yourself different from the population!

The Israeli Arab has far better rights than any Arab country offers its Jewish population.

Arabs take place in voting, hold knesset seats etc.

I know not all Israelis are Jews, but why were not those who lived on the land before the creation of Israel permitted to remain?

Yes, the 20% Arab population that remained still lives in Israel today. They listened to Ben-Gurions call to help us build a state in unity together, while the vast majority fled, or cleared out of the Arab armies advancing path. Some attacks by extremists groups did occur but this was not sanctioned by the Israeli goverment and many times they were retaliations to Arab attacks which then the guilty hid in these villages.

 

[Grace Seeker]

So, basically, you are saying that there was no dispossessing of Palestinians from within the borders of Israel. At least not after 1948. That all* who left did so of their own accord (*with exceptions made for a few left following attacks made by extremists groups not sanctioned by the Israeli government).

 

[lavikor201]

So, basically, you are saying that there was no dispossessing of Palestinians from within the borders of Israel. At least not after 1948. That all* who left did so of their own accord (*with exceptions made for a few left following attacks made by extremists groups not sanctioned by the Israeli government).

Basically. Have you ever heard of the "Arab Emergency Committee"?

 

[Grace Seeker]

Basically. Have you ever heard of the "Arab Emergency Committee"?

This Arab Emergency Committee:

As the Jews were attempting to keep the Arabs in Haifa, an ad-hoc body, the Arab Emergency Committee, under orders from the Arab Higher Committee, was doing its best to get them out.

Given the number of times that conflict has occurred, I can understand why those who had someplace to go, might have chosen to leave and temporarily go elsewhere if they anticipated an impending disturbance. And I can understand why they might also settle temporarily in refugee camps with the intention of returning to where they had lived before the conflict.

I understand that right of return is no longer an option for most Palestian refugees from Israel. Is this true? If so, what is the rational for such a policy?

 

[lavikor201]

I understand that right of return is no longer an option for most Palestian refugees from Israel. Is this true? If so, what is the rational for such a policy?

Israel will grant no such policy until the Arab world unanimously accepts it as nation to begin with. The Palestinian right to return should not be granted until Arabs actually recognize and the state of Israel and not swear to destroy her.

Since the leading political party in the territories and among Palestinians is a group which says they will never recognize Israel and swear to destroy the state, then why should Israel let them all in the country? When peace and acceptance of Modern Israel is unanimous in the Arab world, then Israel will certainly give concessions to the Palestinians. Until then, 800,000 Jewish Arabs refugees continue to be part of Israeli society, while the Arab world 1 billion times the size cannot seem to find a home for the Palestinian refugees.