Questions about Judaism answered by a Jew!

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Philosopher said:
Yes, I know what you're talking about altering the Talmud by anti-semites. In David Duke's website, he claims that the Talmud said that Jesus fornicated with his donkey. The actual name was not "Jesus" but if I remember correctly, "Balaam." Is Jesus and Balaam the same person in the Talmud?

Also, how long did it take u to study the Talmud?
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The most effective way to study Talmud is to take the Daf Yomi cycle. This is where you study one page of Talmud a day. One cycle takes about 7 years, 5 months.

Here is some info on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daf_Yomi
http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/dafyomi/
http://www.dafyomi.org/

These are refutations of the anti-semites claims on the Talmud:

http://talmud.faithweb.com/
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Cyprus/8815/

Also, how long did it take u to study the Talmud?
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I am still studying it, by no means is noone ever finished studying it except for our gedolim. What is complicated about the Talmud is that it refers to information like you know the whole Talmud and Torah already. They say it is written about this, and make claims about something else, so the average Jew, let alone not Jew may have a tough time understanding it. Studying without a study partner to question your conclusion and learn it with you is not aloud in religious schools (Yeshivas)
 
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rebelishaulman said:
The most effective way to study Talmud is to take the Daf Yomi cycle. This is where you study one page of Talmud a day. One cycle takes about 7 years, 5 months.

Here is some info on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daf_Yomi
http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/dafyomi/
http://www.dafyomi.org/

These are refutations of the anti-semites claims on the Talmud:

http://talmud.faithweb.com/
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Cyprus/8815/http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/van_hyning.html
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Is it possible to study the Talmud in 6 months?
 
Philosopher said:
Are Talmuds available in abridged form?
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Not really but they are sold in 72 seperate books. You can buy all together or each seperate where they send you the book in time for when Daf Yomi gets to that book so the payments are really spread out and you get each book when you need it.

Here is one of the 72:
http://www.artscroll.com/Books/tbr1.html
 
rebelishaulman said:
In Iggerot Moshe (Y.D. Vol. 1, no. 235) R. Moshe Feinstein ruled that a Jewish women who had converted to Christian Science has the status of a mumar and we don’t consider the possibility that maybe before her death she repented. Hence, according to R. Moshe, she should not be buried in a Jewish cemetery.

Nevertheless, he agreed as far as the preparation of her body for burial is concerned that it, as well as the actual burial, be carried out according to halacha. He concludes by noting that once she has already been buried her body may be removed and re-buried in a Jewish cemetery since her first burial was an atonement (kappara).

This should not be done until after a period of 12 months have elapsed from the time of the first burial. If however the family is humiliated, the body may be transferred immediately.

R. Aharon Walkin (Resp. Z’kan Aharon Vol. 2 (Y.D.) no. 80-82) also ruled that a Jew who converted may not be buried in a Jewish cemetery. In the particular case in question there were some indications that the individual regretted the conversion, but R. Walkin maintained that there was not sufficient evidence of repentance.

See also R. Herzog’s article in Noam Vol. 2, pp. 1-13; Resp. Divrei Malkiel Vol. 3, no. 87; Resp. Pri Hasadeh Vol. 4, no. 51.

The Chatam Sofer wrote that in the case of a mumar kaddish should be recited for 12 not 11 months. (Y.D. Tzitz Eliezer Vol. 5, no. 43).

R. Gedalya Felder in Yesodei Yeshurun (Vol. 1, p. 393) explains that although kaddish may be recited on behalf of a mumar, one does not mourn his death. The presence of kaddish and absence of mourning both help provide a kappara for the mumar.

In the Sefer Chasidim we find: “A Jew who converted and died is not mourned nor eulogized” (no. 1908; see Mekor Chesed; Resp. Lev Avraham no. 138.). However according to the Tur (O.C. 547) and others the customs of mourning (Kriyah, shiva, etc.) are observed unless the deceased was a mumar l’hachis. In most instances this is not the case.
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todah rabbah for this.
doesn't this indicate that a jew who becomes a christian is no longer considered jewish? am i missing something? if the person is still accepted as a jew, there would be no question about burial in a jewish cemetery. (which is why i asked about this specifically).
i just can't see how a jew who becomes a christian could possibly still be seen by jews as being a jew any more. what about the jews who chose martyrdom rather than conversion?
by the way, do you know if the orthodox publication "tradition" is still around?
i am really glad you're on this board and also appreciate the links you gave to philosopher. thanks again.
 
snakelegs said:
i taught myself hebrew more than 3 decades ago. i can't speak it very well because of lack of experience, but i can read it well enough to read newspapers and novels.
you will find that it is really quite an easy language. most words can be reduced to a root of 3 letters, and once you've learned the root, you can easily figure out the meaning from the context.
i am convinced that, in its simplicity, it is the most beautiful language in the world.
good luck to you.
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Wow, Kudos to you Snakelegs
I live in S. California and hear spanish everyday and still cant speak it.
 
doesn't this indicate that a jew who becomes a christian is no longer considered jewish? am i missing something?
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No, they are just an apostate jew.

just can't see how a jew who becomes a christian could possibly still be seen by jews as being a jew any more. what about the jews who chose martyrdom rather than conversion?
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You can be a Jew, and not follow Judaism. It may not seem logical to you, but that is the halacha on this.

by the way, do you know if the orthodox publication "tradition" is still around?
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http://www.ou.org/publications/tradition.htm
 
rebelishaulman said:
No, they are just an apostate jew.



You can be a Jew, and not follow Judaism. It may not seem logical to you, but that is the halacha on this.



http://www.ou.org/publications/tradition.htm
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i know you can still be a jew even though you do not practice, but this is quite different than actually converting to another religion.
ok. i will have to accept what you say on this subject. but if you have any proofs or sources about a jew remains a jew even if converting to christianity, i'd appreciate it.
thanks for your time and link.
 
Agnostic said:
Wow, Kudos to you Snakelegs
I live in S. California and hear spanish everyday and still cant speak it.
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thanks. but i also live in s. calif and still do not speak spanish.
one of the distinct advantages of this ignorance is that i can be in my yard and if my neighbours are having a conversation, i am not forced to listen in, like i would be if it was in english.
i am currently teaching myself urdu and having a really hard time with it.
if i live long enough, some day i would really like to learn arabic too.
 
Could you provide a link that simply lists the 7 laws that are expected of Gentiles and the 613 that apply to Jews?


And while I don't want to get in questions of "superiority" (because I think that term takes into the wrong way of thinking), how does Judaism view the righteousness of a Gentile who keeps the 7 Noahide laws vs. an apostate Jew who keeps none of the 613?
 
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Grace Seeker said:
Could you provide a link that simply lists the 7 laws that are expected of Gentiles and the 613 that apply to Jews?
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Sure. This is a list and also an in depth look into each of the seven laws:

http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/noahide.html

Here are links from Jewish sources:

http://www.aish.com/wallcam/7_Noachide_Laws.asp
http://www.noahide.org/

The 613 laws can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/613_mitzvot
http://www.askmoses.com/article.html?h=411&o=91&dns=1

Another good list:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/613_mitzvot.html


Grace Seeker said:
And while I don't want to get in questions of "superiority" (because I think that term takes into the wrong way of thinking), how does Judaism view the righteousness of a Gentile who keeps the 7 Noahide laws vs. an apostate Jew who keeps none of the 613?
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A righteous gentile who follows all seven laws, is following the Torah better than a Jew who follows no Torah. Jews do not have the choice to "Pick and Choose". The laws are binding on them if they can fufill them or are put in a position of fufilling them. A righteous gentile is certainly better than an apostate Jew, by a lot!
 
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