Questions about Judaism answered by a Jew!

[ManchesterFolk]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

Explain exactly what a Rabbi is... Is he like a preist?

 

[lavikor201]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

Explain exactly what a Rabbi is... Is he like a preist?

This should explain what a Rabbi is:

A rabbi is not a priest, neither in the Jewish sense of the term nor in the Christian sense of the term. In the Christian sense of the term, a priest is a person with special authority to perform certain sacred rituals. A rabbi, on the other hand, has no more authority to perform rituals than any other adult male member of the Jewish community. In the Jewish sense of the term, a priest (kohein) is a descendant of Aaron, charged with performing various rites in the Temple in connection with religious rituals. Although a kohein can be a rabbi, a rabbi is not required to be a kohein.

A rabbi is simply a teacher, a person sufficiently educated in halakhah (Jewish law) and tradition to instruct the community and to answer questions and resolve disputes regarding halakhah. When a person has completed the necessary course of study, he is given a written document known as a semikhah, which confirms his authority to make such decisions.


However, it is important to note that the rabbi's status as rabbi does not give him any special authority to conduct religious services. Any Jew sufficiently educated to know what he is doing can lead a religious service, and a service led by such a Jew is every bit as valid as a service led by a rabbi. It is not unusual for a community to be without a rabbi, or for Jewish services to be conducted without a rabbi, or for members of the community to lead all or part of religious services even when a rabbi is available.

You never pray to a Rabbi, and a Rabbi is never "more holy" than any other Jew.

 

[Kidman]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

Here's some things the Quran says, you can see yourself that he was a prophet. We believe that the Torah was given to both Moses and Aaron.

[37:114] We also blessed Moses and Aaron.
[37:115] We delivered them and their people from the great disaster.
[37:116] We supported them, until they became the winners.
[37:117] We gave both of them the profound scripture.
[37:118] We guided them in the right path.
[37:119] We preserved their history for subsequent generations.
[37:120] Peace be upon Moses and Aaron.
[37:121] We thus reward the righteous.
[37:122] Both of them were among our righteous servants.

another that says that Aaron is Moses are bothers:

[5:25] Prayed [Moses]: "O my Sustainer! Of none am I master but of myself and my brother [Aaron]: draw Thou, then, a dividing-line between us and these iniquitous folk!"

then this is where Moses kinda appoints Aaron as the next prophet:

[7:142] AND [then] We appointed for Moses thirty nights [on Mount Sinai ]; and We added to them ten, whereby the term of forty nights set bye, his Sustainer was fulfilled. And Moses said unto his brother Aaron: "Take thou my place among my people; and act righteously, and follow not the path of the spreaders of corruption."

just a lil more:
[10:75] And after those [earlier prophets] We sent Moses and Aaron with Our messages unto Pharaoh and his great ones: but they gloried in their arrogance, for they were people lost in sin.

[21:48] AND, INDEED, We vouchsafed unto Moses and Aaron [Our revelation as] the standard by which to discern the true from the false, and as a [guiding] light and a reminder for the God-conscious

[25:35] AND, INDEED, [long before Muhammad] We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses, and appointed his brother Aaron to help him to bear his burden;

And there was much more about both of them in our books...but by looking at that, is it kinda similar??

 

[lavikor201]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

Here is basically what Jews believe about Aaron. I will let you decide.

Aaron was Moses's older brother. He was born in 2365, three years before Moses, before the Pharaoh's edict requiring the death of male Hebrew children. He was the ancestor of all koheins, the founder of the priesthood, and the first Kohein Gadol (High Priest). Aaron and his descendants tended the altar and offered sacrifices. Aaron's role, unlike Moses's, was inherited; his sons continued the priesthood after him (Num. 20:26).

Aaron served as Moses's spokesman. As discussed above, Moses was not eloquent and had a speech impediment, so Aaron spoke for him (Ex. 4:10-16). Contrary to popular belief, it was Aaron, not Moses, who cast down the staff that became a snake before Pharaoh (Ex. 7:10-12). It was Aaron, not Moses, who held out his staff to trigger the first three plagues against Egypt (Ex. 7:19-20; Ex. 8:1-2 or 8:5-6; Ex. 8:12-13 or 8:16-17). According to Jewish tradition, it was also Aaron who performed the signs for the elders before they went to Pharaoh (Ex. 4:30).

Aaron's most notable personal quality is that he was a peacemaker. His love of peace is proverbial; Rabbi Hillel said, "Be disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and drawing them near the Torah." According to tradition, when Aaron heard that two people were arguing, he would go to each of them and tell them how much the other regretted his actions, until the two people agreed to face each other as friends.

In fact, Aaron loved peace so much that he participated in the incident of the Golden Calf (Ex. 32), constructing the idol in order to prevent dissension among the people. Aaron intended to buy time until Moses returned from Mount Sinai (he was late, and the people were worried), to discourage the people by asking them to give up their precious jewelry in order to make the idol, and to teach them the error of their ways in time (Ex. 32:22).

Aaron, like Moses, died in the desert shortly before the people entered Israel(Num. 20).

 

[Kidman]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

Wow, a lot of similarities, like him being inherited the prophethood, being Moses' older brother... speaking for Moses...

I have no idea about where we believed he died or about the part where the priesthood went on to Aaron's son.

Anyways... keep going, teach us something else bout Jewdaism that we haven't gone over yet.

thanks,
Kidman

 

[Vishnu]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

What is the most famous or most reconizable prayer within Judaism?

 

[lavikor201]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

What is the most famous or most reconizable prayer within Judaism?

Most Jews will tell you it is the "Shema"

Sh'ma Yisrael Ado-nai Elohaynu Ado-nai Echad!
(Hear O' Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One!)

Barukh Shem k'vod malkhuto l'olam va-ed!

V-ahavta et Ado-nai Elohecha b-chol l'vavcha u-v-chol naf'sh'cha u-v-chol m'odecha. V-hayu ha-d'varim ha-ayleh asher anochi m'tzav'cha ha-yom al l'vavecha. V-shinantam l-vanecha, v-dibarta bam b-shivt'cha b-vaytecha, u v-lecht'cha ba-derech, u-v-shachb'cha u-v-kumecha. U-k'shartam l'ot al yadecha, v-hayu l-totafot bayn aynecha. U-chtavtam al m'zuzot baytecha u-vi-sharecha.

 

[lavikor201]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

Morning prayers are going on at the Western Wall in about 30 minutes.... you can check it out here.

Just click the camera view of "Prayer Plaza"

http://english.thekotel.org/cameras.asp

and click the button right of the square to zoom in....

 

[gbrl]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

What is kabbalah?

 

[gbrl]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

What's so important about the Ark of the Covenant and the menorah (the candlebra) and do Jews believe that something is beneath the ruins of the Aqsa mosque or Solomon's temple?

 

[lavikor201]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

What is kabbalah?

Kabbalah (pronounced Kah-BAH-lah) is a Hebrew word meaning “reception.” Kabbalah is Jewish mysticism, as received by Moses from G-d, by his students from him, and by their students from them, down through the ages. Kabbalah is a spiritual interpretation of all Torah. Kabbalah is the understanding of the inner workings of things, of the world, of G-d, of the soul, of Torah, and the vast collection of printed and oral wisdom that comprises and records that understanding.

There is no “Book of Kabbalah”--but there are Jewish books of Kabbalah and on Kabbalah. The most well-known is the Zohar, written by Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai of Israel in the 2nd Century CE. It is a compilation of Kabbalistic understandings of the Five Books of Moses. Over the ensuing centuries, dozens more books were written by Rabbi Shimon’s students, grand-students, great-grand-students and so on, until today. A true student of Kabbalah is called a mekubal (pronounced meh-koo-BAHL), meaning "recipient"—someone who has received the teachings of Kabbalah from his mekubal master, going all the way back up to Rabbi Shimon and beyond.

True Kabbalah has been much muddled by confusion-causing entities such as 1) the proliferation of books on the subject, 2) courses and "Centres" claiming to teach "Kabbalah," and, 3) the growing number of celebrities who study what they mistake for Jewish mysticism (often at the same "Centres"). Avoid them all. How does one separate fact from fiction? For starters, watch out for those books. A Barnes and Noble selection on "Kabbalah" is like the fictional Bypass Surgery Made Easy: written by a non-doctor about non-medicine. Courses and "Centres" are the same: since Kabbalah is based on the Torah, you can neither study nor appreciate Kabbalah without basic Torah observance, just like you can’t walk off the street into a "bypass surgery center" if you haven’t studied and practiced basic medicine for several years first. True Jewish mysticism is based wholly on the Torah, the practical guidebook of Judaism, and the lifestyle that it mandates, and not on "drawing down lights." Contrary to public opinion, Kabbalah is not magic: it does not involve any strange rituals or supernatural events. Neither does it have anything to do with pop psychology. And it certainly won't give you psychic powers. So, if you want to get Kabbalistic, ask yourself, "Why?" Is it because you like that mystical, magical ring? If so, remember that real Kabbalah is not about special effects, and just stick to the tried-and-true Torah. But if you still really want to study Kabbalah, pay an e-visit to Inner.org or KabbalaOnline.org, or, for a real live human being, contact your local Chabad center.

What's so important about the Ark of the Covenant and do Jews believe that something is beneath the ruins of the Aqsa mosque or Solomon's temple?

The Ark of the Covenant is the Ark which Moses built to hold the tablets.

and the menorah (the candlebra)

It is part of beis hamikdash.

and do Jews believe that something is beneath the ruins of the Aqsa mosque or Solomon's temple?

Underneath the Al-Asqa mosque is the temple mount which is the holiest site for Jews... We pray at the western wall and covet it so much just because it was a wall there at the time the Holy Temple was around. Now the mosque is built on our temple mount, and the Torah predicited the destruction of the Temples, (It was built and destroyed, and built and destroyed by enemies of Judaism and now there is a mosque on the mount) and we must wait for the Messiah to come to rebuild it for the third time. I hope none of my awnsers offends you.

 

[glo]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

The Torah predicited the destruction of the Temples, (It was built and destroyed, and built and destroyed by enemies of Judaism and now there is a mosque on the mount) and we must wait for the Messiah to come to rebuild it for the third time. I hope none of my awnsers offends you.

Do Jews believe that the Messiah will come specifically to rebuild the Temple? Is this seen to be literal or sybolical?

Thanks,

 

[lavikor201]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

Do Jews believe that the Messiah will come specifically to rebuild the Temple? Is this seen to be literal or sybolical?

Thanks,

The Messianic Era is described in the Prophets as being a time of universal peace. There will be no more human suffering as all diseases will be eradicated, as well as hunger and all other problems. The Jewish people will return to the Promised Land en masse, and rebuild the Third and final Holy Temple in Jerusalem. (The Dome of the Rock mosque was built on this site where our two pervious temples were built. I am not going to say if it was on purpose or not...) The purpose of all these magical events is to allow mankind to focus without distraction on complete spirituality. For this reason, the Prophet writes regarding the Era of Moshiach that "The world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea bed."

If you think all that's too overwhelming for you to handle, think again: Moshiach comes as a result of our collective good deeds. That means me and you. So, can we actually bring Moshiach? Can we realize world peace? With the Torah and Mitzvot, G-d gave us the tools to do just that.

Moshiach is the phrase “Messiah” comes from—it’s a Hebrew word meaning “the anointed one.” Moshiach is the number-one belief in Judaism, next to Torah and G-d Himself. It is Belief #12 of Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith.

Moshiach is not the relocation of Jews from many places to one place; Moshiach is not the eternal domination of one people and the eternal damnation of all others: Moshiach is the concept to end all concepts. Moshiach is Utopia. Moshiach is the answer to “Why are we here?” Moshiach will not just redeem the Jewish people from exile—he will redeem mankind from meaninglessness, and teach the purpose of life to the universe. No more school shootings, no more pain, no more war, no more rat race.

The concept of the Moshiach is a beautiful thing. I pray that I will be here on earth when he comes.

 

[Goku]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

Salam

The 7 laws of Noah are similar if not almost exactly what Islam requires of us. Islam and Judaism have a lot of similarites, and why wouldnt they? The same God revealed Torah, Gospel and Qur'an.

My question is, what is the Jewish view of Jesus? (PBUH)

I have heard conflicting claims, some Jews think he is a fake and insult him and accuse his mother of a very bad deed, some think he was out to reform the Jewish faith, some dont believe he existed etc so lavikor, what is the Jewish view of Jesus from your perspective?

And also provide the Jewish view of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) I heard Jews believe he was sent by G-d to guide race of people who were mostly idolators.

Thanks.

 

[cihad]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

wow!
I think you are going to have to close your cafe down with all of us pestering you.
But i realy want to thank you for the information you have provided, it really claered up a lot of misconceptions that i had.
thanks

 

[lavikor201]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

wow!
I think you are going to have to close your cafe down with all of us pestering you.
But i realy want to thank you for the information you have provided, it really claered up a lot of misconceptions that i had.

My sons are working at my cafe' over the summer, and I have employees... I get to hang out here and surf the web in the back.

And also provide the Jewish view of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) I heard Jews believe he was sent by G-d to guide race of people who were mostly idolators.

Judaism does not have an official view of Muhammad. We do not believe he was a prophet at all. As long as Islam does not worship idols in anyway, and you follow the rest of the 7 Laws of Noah, you will be granted a place in heaven.

Maimonides states that the popularity of Islam is part of G-d's plan to spread the ideals of Torah throughout the world (since most Muslims were worshiping idols before).

The fact that Christianity, and Islam have billions of followers and Judaism has around 14 million is a good thing. This means that the Torah, and our Holy scriptures are right. We do not mass convert people to Judaism because we are not concerend about being "strong in numbers"

We were given the Torah with Hashems 613 Miztvot (or Laws) and not everyone is cut out to even be Jewish. Traditional Rabbi's generally turn away converts 3 times and see if they will come back to see if they really want to be Jewish.

My question is, what is the Jewish view of Jesus? (PBUH)

I have heard conflicting claims, some Jews think he is a fake and insult him and accuse his mother of a very bad deed, some think he was out to reform the Jewish faith, some dont believe he existed etc so lavikor, what is the Jewish view of Jesus from your perspective?

There are many views on him. The united view on Jesus was that he was NOT a prophet, definitly not the Messiah, and to claim him to be one of 3 gods his viewed by Jews as idol worship and heretic. Jews are commanded to chose death over worshiping an idol, which is why so many jews chose death instead of converting to Christianity in Spain when Christians sought to convert every Jew during the Inquisition.

Some Jews believe that he never claimed he was the Messiah or a Prophet... and that blind followers later claimed that he was "holy" and "a god"...and that he was born a Jew and died a Jew.

Some Jews believe he never existed (i think he did)

Some Jews believe that he did claim to be the Messiah or Prophet... Which he wasn't.

In the Torah, the Messiah brings world peace (the world is not in peace)

In the Torah, the Messiah is not "a god" but just human. (Christians believe in the Trinity)

In the Torah, the Messiah rebuilds the third temple...(In Jesus's life, the second Temple was destroyed...)

In the Torah, the Messiah encourages more observance ad study of Torah. (Jesus taught that Torah was not nesssesary to observe anymore.)

In the Torah, the Messiah has a biological father who is from the line of King David and tribe of Judah I believe.... (Jesus was not either.)

In the Torah, the Messiah is supose to bring understanding of the world and why G-d created it... (Jesus did not bring this... and we have no understanding of the world and G-d's reason to create it right now)

In the Torah, the Messiah is not executed and is not resurected.

In the Torah, there is no second coming...

The "Messiah" a term created by the Torah and Jews has not come yet... Jesus did not fufil a single prophecy according to the Torah.... You need to fufil all of them to be the Messiah.

Read this to get a better understanding andknowledge of all the points that I made.... I posted it earlier but I don't know exactly what page so I will copy and paste it again. This proves that under Jewish law, Jesus was not only not the Messiah, but he does not even qualify as a Prophet. Yet Christians believe that he "was our messiah" and have been trying to convert jews since the begining of there religion.

_____________________________________________

First off this is my belief, and I hope you take no offense to this at all if you believe other wise. Again, I hope this offends no one.

Any questions about where you can find any of the proof I have stated can be Private Messaged to me. I will provide the proof of anything on here. All of thid info can be found out with a Hebrew Dictionary and a Bible pretty much.

I have no problem with anyone who claims Jesus is there Messiah. it is there right and they may think that. But to claim he is my religions Messiah is just untrue.

Missionaries claim that Jesus fuffiled a prophecy that the Messiah would be born of a virgin.

They attempt to prove this from a verse, which even many contemporary Christian editions of the bible translate to read (Isaiah 7:14) "Therefore the L-rd himself shall give you a sign: Behold a young women shall concieve and beat a son, and shall call his name Immanuel"

The idea of gods and demigods being born from virgins occurs in many places in pagan mythology.

When Matthew (1:23) wuotes this passage and translated it into the Greek of the New Testement, his anxiety to prove a point led him to actually mistranslate this passage.

He translate the Hebrew world ALMA (go look it up) which means "young women" as "Virgin"... Then we have the instant prediction of the virgin birth of the Messiah.


But the word for virgin in Hebrew is BESULAH (go look it up) and ALMA is never translated to mean "Virgin"

More honest recent Christian Bible translations such as the Revised Standard Edition, The Jerusalem Bible, and the New English Bible have corrected this original error. Furthermore, there is absolutley no evidence that this speaks of the Messiah at all. It was directed at King Ahaz and according to most Biblical commentators, speaks of the birth of King Hezekia rather than the Messiah.

It is important to understand why Jews don't believe in Jesus. The purpose is not to disparage other religions, but rather to clarify the Jewish position. The more data that's available, the better-informed choices people can make about their spiritual path.

Jews do not accept Jesus as the messiah because:

• 1) Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies.
  
• 2) Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah.
  
• 3) Biblical verses "referring" to Jesus are mistranslations.
  
• 4) Jewish belief is based on national revelation.
  
• At the end of this article, we will examine these additional topics:
  
• 5) Christianity contradicts Jewish theology
  
• 6) Jews and Non-Jews
  
• 7) Bringing the Messiah

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1) JESUS DID NOT FULFILL THE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES

What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? The Bible says that he will:

A. Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).

B. Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).

C. Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)

D. Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: "God will be King over all the world -- on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One" (Zechariah 14:9).

The historical fact is that Jesus fulfilled none of these messianic prophecies.

Christians counter that Jesus will fulfill these in the Second Coming, but Jewish sources show that the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies outright, and no concept of a second coming exists.

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2) JESUS DID NOT EMBODY THE PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF MESSIAH



A. DESCENDENT OF DAVID

The Messiah must be descended on his father's side from King David (see Genesis 49:10 and Isaiah 11:1). According to the Christian claim that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father -- and thus could not have possibly fulfilled the messianic requirement of being descended on his father's side from King David!

B. TORAH OBSERVANCE

The Messiah will lead the Jewish people to full Torah observance. The Torah states that all mitzvot remain binding forever, and anyone coming to change the Torah is immediately identified as a false prophet. (Deut. 13:1-4)

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus contradicts the Torah and states that its commandments are no longer applicable. For example, John 9:14 records that Jesus made a paste in violation of Shabbat, which caused the Pharisees to say (verse 16), "He does not observe Shabbat!"

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3) MISTRANSLATED VERSES "REFERRING" TO JESUS

Biblical verses can only be understood by studying the original Hebrew text -- which reveals many discrepancies in the Christian translation. (Look it up in any Hebrew Dictionary)

A. VIRGIN BIRTH

The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14 describing an "alma" as giving birth. The word "alma" has always meant a young woman(llok it up), but Christian theologians came centuries later and translated it as "virgin." It was very common in tales of Pagan gods for them to be born of a virgin mother.

B. CRUCIFIXION

The verse in Psalms 22:17 reads: "Like a lion, they are at my hands and feet." The Hebrew word ki-ari (like a lion) is grammatically similar to the word "gouged." Thus Christianity reads the verse as a reference to crucifixion: "They pierced my hands and feet." (Look it up in a hebrew dictionary)

C. SUFFERING SERVANT

Christianity claims that Isaiah chapter 53 refers to Jesus, as the "suffering servant."

In actuality, Isaiah 53 directly follows the theme of chapter 52, describing the exile and redemption of the Jewish people. The prophecies are written in the singular form because the Jews ("Israel") are regarded as one unit. The Torah is filled with examples of the Jewish nation referred to with a singular pronoun.

Ironically, Isaiah's prophecies of persecution refer in part to the 11th century when Jews were tortured and killed by Crusaders who acted in the name of Jesus.

From where did these mistranslations stem? St. Gregory, 4th century Bishop of Nanianzus, wrote: "A little jargon is all that is necessary to impose on the people. The less they comprehend, the more they admire."

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4) JEWISH BELIEF IS BASED SOLELY ON NATIONAL REVELATION

Of the 15,000 religions in human history, only Judaism bases its belief on national revelation -- i.e. G-d speaking to the entire nation. If G-d is going to start a religion, it makes sense He'll tell everyone, not just one person.

Judaism, unique among all of the world's major religions, does not rely on "claims of miracles" as the basis for its religion. In fact, the Bible says that G-d sometimes grants the power of "miracles" to charlatans, in order to test Jewish loyalty to the Torah (Deut. 13:4).

Maimonides states (Foundations of Torah, ch. 8):


The Jews did not believe in Moses, our teacher, because of the miracles he performed. Whenever anyone's belief is based on seeing miracles, he has lingering doubts, because it is possible the miracles were performed through magic or sorcery. All of the miracles performed by Moses in the desert were because they were necessary, and not as proof of his prophecy.

What then was the basis of [Jewish] belief? The Revelation at Mount Sinai, which we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, not dependent on the testimony of others... as it says, "Face to face, God spoke with you..." The Torah also states: "G-d did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us -- who are all here alive today." (Deut. 5:3)


Judaism is not miracles. It is the personal eyewitness experience of every man, woman and child, standing at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago.


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5) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS JEWISH THEOLOGY

The following theological points apply primarily to the Roman Catholic Church, the largest Christian denomination.

A. G-D AS THREE?

The Catholic idea of Trinity breaks G-d into three separate beings: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).

Contrast this to the Shema, the basis of Jewish belief: "Hear O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is ONE" (Deut. 6:4). Jews declare the Shema every day, while writing it on doorposts (Mezuzah), and binding it to the hand and head (Tefillin). This statement of God's One-ness is the first words a Jewish child is taught to say, and the last words uttered before a Jew dies.

In Jewish law, worship of a three-part god is considered idolatry -- one of the three cardinal sins that a Jew should rather give up his life than transgress. This explains why during the Inquisitions and throughout history, Jews gave up their lives rather than convert.

B. MAN AS G-D?

Roman Catholics believe that G-d came down to earth in human form, as Jesus said: "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).

Maimonides devotes most of the "Guide for the Perplexed" to the fundamental idea that G-d is incorporeal, meaning that He assumes no physical form. God is Eternal, above time. He is Infinite, beyond space. He cannot be born, and cannot die. Saying that G-d assumes human form makes God small, diminishing both His unity and His divinity. As the Torah says: "God is not a mortal" (Numbers 23:19).

Judaism says that the Messiah will be born of human parents, and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, and will not possess supernatural qualities. In fact, an individual is alive in every generation with the capacity to step into the role of the Messiah. (see Maimonides - Laws of Kings 11:3)

C. INTERMEDIARY FOR PRAYER?

The Catholic belief is that prayer must be directed through an intermediary -- i.e. confessing one's sins to a priest. Jesus himself is an intermediary, as Jesus said: "No man cometh unto the Father but by me."

In Judaism, prayer is a totally private matter, between each individual and G-d. As the Bible says: "G-d is near to all who call unto Him" (Psalms 145:18). Further, the Ten Commandments state: "You shall have no other gods BEFORE ME," meaning that it is forbidden to set up a mediator between G-d and man. (see Maimonides - Laws of Idolatry ch. 1)

D. INVOLVEMENT IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD

Catholic doctrine often treats the physical world as an evil to be avoided. Mary, the holiest woman, is portrayed as a virgin. Priests and nuns are celibate. And monasteries are in remote, secluded locations.

By contrast, Judaism believes that G-d created the physical world not to frustrate us, but for our pleasure. Jewish spirituality comes through grappling with the mundane world in a way that uplifts and elevates. Sex in the proper context is one of the holiest acts we can perform.

The Talmud says if a person has the opportunity to taste a new fruit and refuses to do so, he will have to account for that in the World to Come. Jewish rabbinical schools teach how to live amidst the bustle of commercial activity. Jews don't retreat from life, we elevate it.

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6) JEWS AND Non-Jews

Judaism does not demand that everyone convert to the religion. The Torah of Moses is a truth for all humanity, whether Jewish or not. King Solomon asked G-d to heed the prayers of non-Jews who come to the Holy Temple (Kings I 8:41-43). The prophet Isaiah refers to the Temple as a "House for all nations."

The Temple service during Sukkot featured 70 bull offerings, corresponding to the 70 nations of the world. The Talmud says that if the Romans would have realized how much benefit they were getting from the Temple, they'd never have destroyed it.

Jews have never actively sought converts to Judaism because the Torah prescribes a righteous path for gentiles to follow, known as the "Seven Laws of Noah." Maimonides explains that any human being who faithfully observes these basic moral laws earns a proper place in heaven.

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7) BRINGING THE MESSIAH

Maimonides states that the popularity of Christianity (and Islam) is part of G-d's plan to spread the ideals of Torah throughout the world. This moves society closer to a perfected state of morality and toward a greater understanding of G-d. All this is in preparation for the Messianic age. (the Jewish view on it... we all have our own views, and again I hope I offend no one when explaining mine)

Indeed, the world is in desperate need of Messianic redemption. War and pollution threaten our planet; ego and confusion erode family life. To the extent we are aware of the problems of society, is the extent we will yearn for redemption. As the Talmud says, one of the first questions a Jew is asked on Judgment Day is: "Did you yearn for the arrival of the Messiah?"

How can we hasten the coming of the Messiah? The best way is to love all humanity generously, to keep the mitzvot of the Torah (as best we can), and to encourage others to do so as well.

The Messiah can come at any moment, and it all depends on our actions. G-d is ready when we are. For as King David says: "Redemption will come today -- if you hearken to His voice."


Again, I hope I did not offend anyone with my belifs. Make your own descion. We can debate it in another thread, but this is for questions about Judaism.

Christians can believe in Jesus as the Messiah, it is there right... Just don't proclaim him as mine. For the last time,I hope I offended no one.

 

[glo]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

The Messianic Era is described in the Prophets as being a time of universal peace. There will be no more human suffering as all diseases will be eradicated, as well as hunger and all other problems. The Jewish people will return to the Promised Land en masse, and rebuild the Third and final Holy Temple in Jerusalem. (The Dome of the Rock mosque was built on this site where our two pervious temples were built. I am not going to say if it was on purpose or not...) The purpose of all these magical events is to allow mankind to focus without distraction on complete spirituality. For this reason, the Prophet writes regarding the Era of Moshiach that "The world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea bed."

If you think all that's too overwhelming for you to handle, think again: Moshiach comes as a result of our collective good deeds. That means me and you. So, can we actually bring Moshiach? Can we realize world peace? With the Torah and Mitzvot, G-d gave us the tools to do just that.

Moshiach is the phrase “Messiah” comes from—it’s a Hebrew word meaning “the anointed one.” Moshiach is the number-one belief in Judaism, next to Torah and G-d Himself. It is Belief #12 of Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith.

Moshiach is not the relocation of Jews from many places to one place; Moshiach is not the eternal domination of one people and the eternal damnation of all others: Moshiach is the concept to end all concepts. Moshiach is Utopia. Moshiach is the answer to “Why are we here?” Moshiach will not just redeem the Jewish people from exile—he will redeem mankind from meaninglessness, and teach the purpose of life to the universe. No more school shootings, no more pain, no more war, no more rat race.

The concept of the Moshiach is a beautiful thing. I pray that I will be here on earth when he comes.

That's not too overwhelming to handle ... that sounds lovely!

Peace.

 

[Vishnu]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

What exactly are the diatary laws of Judaism?

 

[lavikor201]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

What exactly are the diatary laws of Judaism?

This should explain everything:

Kosher


Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods we can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared and eaten. "Kashrut" comes from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-Resh, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is the same root as the more commonly known word "kosher," which describes food that meets these standards. The word "kosher" can also be used, and often is used, to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance with Jewish law and are fit for ritual use.

There is no such thing as "kosher-style" food. Kosher is not a style of cooking. Chinese food can be kosher if it is prepared in accordance with Jewish law, and there are many fine kosher Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia and New York. Traditional Ashkenazic Jewish foods like knishes, bagels, blintzes, and matzah ball soup can all be non-kosher if not prepared in accordance with Jewish law. When a restaurant calls itself "kosher-style," it usually means that the restaurant serves these traditional Jewish foods, and it almost invariably means that the food is not actually kosher.

Food that is not kosher is commonly referred to as treyf (lit. torn, from the commandment not to eat animals that have been torn by other animals).

Why Do We Observe the Laws of Kashrut?
Many modern Jews think that the laws of kashrut are simply primitive health regulations that have become obsolete with modern methods of food preparation. There is no question that some of the dietary laws have some beneficial health effects. For example, the laws regarding kosher slaughter are so sanitary that kosher butchers and slaughterhouses have been exempted from many USDA regulations.

However, health is not the only reason for Jewish dietary laws. Many of the laws of kashrut have no known connection with health. To the best of our modern scientific knowledge, there is no reason why camel or rabbit meat (both treyf) is any less healthy than cow or goat meat. In addition, some of the health benefits to be derived from kashrut were not made obsolete by the refrigerator. For example, there is some evidence that eating meat and dairy together interferes with digestion, and no modern food preparation technique reproduces the health benefit of the kosher law of eating them separately.

The short answer to why we observe these laws is: because the Torah says so. The Torah does not specify any reason for these laws, and for a Torah-observant, traditional Jew, there is no need for any other reason. Some have suggested that the laws of kashrut fall into the category of "chukkim," laws for which there is no reason. We show our obedience to G-d by following these laws even though we do not know the reason. Others, however, have tried to ascertain G-d's reason for imposing these laws.

In his book To Be a Jew (an excellent resource on traditional Judaism), Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin suggests that the dietary laws are designed as a call to holiness. The ability to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, pure and defiled, the sacred and the profane, is very important in Judaism. Imposing rules on what you can and cannot eat ingrains that kind of self control. In addition, it elevates the simple act of eating into a religious ritual. The Jewish dinner table is often compared to the Temple altar in rabbinic literature.

How Difficult is it to Keep Kosher?
People who do not keep kosher often tell me how difficult it is. Actually, keeping kosher is not particularly difficult in and of itself; what makes it difficult to keep kosher is the fact that the rest of the world does not do so.

As we shall see below, the basic underlying rules are fairly simple. If you buy your meat at a kosher butcher and buy only kosher certified products at the market, the only thing you need to think about is the separation of meat and dairy.

Keeping kosher only becomes difficult when you try to eat in a non-kosher restaurant, or at the home of a person who does not keep kosher. In those situations, your lack of knowledge about your host's ingredients and the food preparation techniques make it very difficult to keep kosher. Some commentators have pointed out, however, that this may well have been part of what G-d had in mind: to make it more difficult for us to socialize with those who do not share our religion.

The Fundamental Rules
Although the details of kashrut are extensive, the laws all derive from a few fairly simple, straightforward rules:

• Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.
• Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.
• All blood must be drained from the meat or broiled out of it before it is eaten.
• Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.
• Meat (the flesh of birds and mammals) cannot be eaten with dairy. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy. (According to some views, fish may not be eaten with meat).
• Utensils that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa. Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher food may not be used with kosher food. This applies only where the contact occurred while the food was hot.

The Details
Animals that may not be eaten
Of the "beasts of the earth" (which basically refers to land mammals with the exception of swarming rodents), you may eat any animal that has cloven hooves and chews its cud. Lev. 11:3; Deut. 14:6. Any land mammal that does not have both of these qualities is forbidden. The Torah specifies that the camel, the rock badger, the hare and the pig are not kosher because each lacks one of these two qualifications. Sheep, cattle, goats and deer are kosher.

Of the things that are in the waters, you may eat anything that has fins and scales. Lev. 11:9; Deut. 14:9. Thus, shellfish such as lobsters, oysters, shrimp, clams and crabs are all forbidden. Fish like tuna, carp, salmon and herring are all permitted.

For birds, the criteria is less clear. The Torah lists forbidden birds (Lev. 11:13-19; Deut. 14:11-18), but does not specify why these particular birds are forbidden. All of the birds on the list are birds of prey or scavengers, thus the rabbis inferred that this was the basis for the distinction. Other birds are permitted, such as chicken, geese, ducks and turkeys.

Of the "winged swarming things" (winged insects), a few are specifically permitted (Lev. 11:22), but the Sages are no longer certain which ones they are, so all have been forbidden.

Rodents, reptiles, amphibians, and insects (except as mentioned above) are all forbidden. Lev. 11:29-30, 42-43.

As mentioned above, any product derived from these forbidden animals, such as their milk, eggs, fat, or organs, also cannot be eaten. Rennet, an enzyme used to harden cheese, is often obtained from non-kosher animals, thus kosher hard cheese can be difficult to find.

Kosher slaughtering
The mammals and birds that may be eaten must be slaughtered in accordance with Jewish law. (Deut. 12:21). We may not eat animals that died of natural causes (Deut. 14:21) or that were killed by other animals. In addition, the animal must have no disease or flaws in the organs at the time of slaughter. These restrictions do not apply to fish; only to the flocks and herds (Num. 11:22).

Ritual slaughter is known as shechitah, and the person who performs the slaughter is called a shochet, both from the Hebrew root Shin-Chet-Tav, meaning to destroy or kill. The method of slaughter is a quick, deep stroke across the throat with a perfectly sharp blade with no nicks or unevenness. This method is painless, causes unconsciousness within two seconds, and is widely recognized as the most humane method of slaughter possible.

Another advantage of shechitah is that ensures rapid, complete draining of the blood, which is also necessary to render the meat kosher.

The shochet is not simply a butcher; he must be a pious man, well-trained in Jewish law, particularly as it relates to kashrut. In smaller, more remote communities, the rabbi and the shochet were often the same person.

Draining of Blood
The Torah prohibits consumption of blood. Lev. 7:26-27; Lev. 17:10-14. This is the only dietary law that has a reason specified in Torah: we do not eat blood because the life of the animal is contained in the blood. This applies only to the blood of birds and mammals, not to fish blood. Thus, it is necessary to remove all blood from the flesh of kosher animals.

The first step in this process occurs at the time of slaughter. As discussed above, shechitah allows for rapid draining of most of the blood.

The remaining blood must be removed, either by broiling or soaking and salting. Liver may only be kashered by the broiling method, because it has so much blood in it and such complex blood vessels. This final process must be completed within 72 hours after slaughter, and before the meat is frozen or ground. Most butchers and all frozen food vendors take care of the soaking and salting for you, but you should always check this when you are buying someplace you are unfamiliar with.

An egg that contains a blood spot may not be eaten. This isn't very common, but I find them once in a while. It is a good idea to break an egg into a container and check it before you put it into a heated pan, because if you put a blood-stained egg into a heated pan, the pan becomes non-kosher.

Forbidden Fats and Nerves
The sciatic nerve and its adjoining blood vessels may not be eaten. The process of removing this nerve is time consuming and not cost-effective, so most American slaughterers simply sell the hind quarters to non-kosher butchers.

A certain kind of fat, known as chelev, which surrounds the vital organs and the liver, may not be eaten. Kosher butchers remove this. Modern scientists have found biochemical differences between this type of fat and the permissible fat around the muscles and under the skin.

Separation of Meat and Dairy
On three separate occasions, the Torah tells us not to "boil a kid in its mother's milk." (Ex. 23:19; Ex. 34:26; Deut. 14:21). The Oral Torah explains that this passage prohibits eating meat and dairy together. The rabbis extended this prohibition to include not eating milk and poultry together. It is, however, permissible to eat fish and dairy together, and it is quite common. It is also permissible to eat dairy and eggs together. According to some views, it is not permissible to eat meat and fish together, but I am not certain of the reason for that restriction.

This separation includes not only the foods themselves, but the utensils, pots and pans with which they are cooked, the plates and flatware from which they are eaten, the dishwashers or dishpans in which they are cleaned, and the towels on which they are dried. A kosher household will have at least two sets of pots, pans and dishes: one for meat and one for dairy. See Utensils below for more details.

One must wait a significant amount of time between eating meat and dairy. Opinions differ, and vary from three to six hours. This is because fatty residues and meat particles tend to cling to the mouth. From dairy to meat, however, one need only rinse one's mouth and eat a neutral solid like bread, unless the dairy product in question is also of a type that tends to stick in the mouth.

The Yiddish words fleishig (meat), milchig (dairy) and pareve (neutral) are commonly used to describe food or utensils that fall into one of those categories.

Note that even the smallest quantity of dairy (or meat) in something renders it entirely dairy (or meat) for purposes of kashrut. For example, most margarines are dairy for kosher purposes, because they contain a small quantity of whey or other dairy products to give it a dairy-like taste. Animal fat is considered meat for purposes of kashrut. You should read the ingredients very carefully, even if the product is kosher-certified.

Utensils
Utensils (pots, pans, plates, flatware, etc., etc.) must also be kosher. A utensil picks up the kosher "status" (meat, dairy, pareve, or treyf) of the food that is cooked in it or eaten off of it, and transmits that status back to the next food that is cooked in it or eaten off of it. Thus, if you cook chicken soup in a saucepan, the pan becomes meat. If you thereafter use the same saucepan to heat up some warm milk, the fleishig status of the pan is transmitted to the milk, and the milchig status of the milk is transmitted to the pan, making both the pan and the milk a forbidden mixture.

Kosher status can be transmitted from the food to the utensil or from the utensil to the food only in the presence of heat, thus if you are eating cold food in a non-kosher establishment, the condition of the plates is not an issue. Likewise, you could use the same knife to slice cold cuts and cheese, as long as you clean it in between, but this is not really a recommended procedure, because it increases the likelihood of mistakes.

Stovetops and sinks routinely become non-kosher utensils, because they routinely come in contact with both meat and dairy in the presence of heat. It is necessary, therefore, to use dishpans when cleaning dishes (don't soak them directly in the sink) and to use separate spoonrests and trivets when putting things down on the stovetop.

Dishwashers are a kashrut problem. If you are going to use a dishwasher in a kosher home, you either need to have separate dish racks or you need to run the dishwasher in between meat and dairy loads.

You should use separate towels and pot holders for meat and dairy. Routine laundering kashers such items, so you can simply launder them between using them for meat and dairy.

Certain kinds of utensils can be "kashered" if you make a mistake and use it with both meat and dairy. Consult a rabbi for guidance if this situation occurs.

Grape Products
The restrictions on grape products derive from the laws against using products of idolatry. Wine was commonly used in the rituals of all ancient religions, and wine was routinely sanctified for pagan purposes while it was being processed. For this reason, use of wines and other grape products made by non-Jews was prohibited. (Whole grapes are not a problem, nor are whole grapes in fruit cocktail).

For the most part, this rule only affects wine and grape juice. This becomes a concern with many fruit drinks or fruit-flavored drinks, which are often sweetened with grape juice. You may also notice that it is virtually impossible to find kosher baking powder, because baking powder is made with cream of tartar, a by-product of wine making.

Kashrut Certification
The task of keeping kosher is greatly simplified by widespread kashrut certification. Approximately 3/4 of all prepackaged foods have some kind of kosher certification, and most major brands have reliable Orthodox certification.

The symbols at right are all widely-accepted kashrut certifications commonly found on products throughout the United States. With a little practice, it is very easy to spot these marks on food labels, usually near the product name, occasionally near the list of ingredients. There are many other certifications available, of varying degrees of strictness.

The most controversial certification is the K, a plain letter K found on products asserted to be kosher. All other kosher certification marks are trademarked and cannot be used without the permission of the certifying organization. The certifying organization stands behind the kashrut of the product. But you cannot trademark a letter of the alphabet, so any manufacturer can put a K on a product. For example, Jell-O brand gelatin puts a K on its product, even though every reliable Orthodox authority agrees that Jell-O is not kosher.

It is becoming increasingly common for kosher certifying organizations to indicate whether the product is fleishig, milchig or pareve. If the product is dairy, it will frequently have a D or the word Dairy next to the kashrut symbol. If it is meat, the word Meat or an M may appear near the symbol. If it is pareve, the word Pareve (or Parev) may appear near the symbol (Not a P! That means kosher for Passover!). If no such clarification appears, you should read the ingredient list carefully to determine whether the product is meat, dairy or pareve.

Kosher and Halal

Many Muslims in areas where there are not many Muslims, but there are many Jews eat Kosher foods. Kashruit is stricter than Halal standards I believe in all aspects except we can drink wine. (how do you guys not drink wine, you all are strong) LOL.

It is very common for Muslims to shop at Kosher stores in Christian dominated countries because the diatary laws are so similar. Some Muslims do not eat Kosher unless it is a last resort because Jews are not permitted to eat Halal meat because our diatary laws are stricter, but that is more political, and 99% of Muslims find it very conveniant to live near a Jewish community if there aren't many Muslims in the area because of our diatary laws.

What Jews and Muslims have to watch out for is that there are some (not that many) organizations in Judaism which do not adhere to every law of Kashruit and there for most likley will be haram from Muslims. Most Kosher certification people certify completley Halal food for you guys.

Products with these symbols are definitly Kosher...

This site also provides all the symbols that are genuinly Kosher.
http://www.hanefesh.com/edu/kosher_Food_Symbols.htm

 

[lavikor201]

Re: Questions about Judaism awnsered by a Jew!

Morning prayers are here once again. You can watch shacharit live at the Kotel (Western Wall) by just clicking this link.

http://english.thekotel.org/cameras.asp

Just click "Prayer Plaza" and then click the button right of the "stop" button to zoom in.