Adopting Jewish practices

[EphelDuath]

Is there anything forbidden about adopting Jewish practices?

For example, not saying the word “God” or any of His names, outside of specific prayers, in respect for the third commandment, or saying the Passover prayer before eating?

 

[Madaglan]

I am not aware of there being any “explicit” forbidding…

Of course, the Revelation of the Incarnate Word, Jesust Christ, who is God, to mankind, opens up the name to mankind.

Many Christian practices are rooted in Jewish practices. The early Christians still went to the Jewish synagogues, where they preached. However, Christians are not bound to follow the Jewish practices, nor are they to practice that which conflicts with the Christian faith.

 

[bpbasilphx]

Why would you want to Judaize? The letter to the Galatians deals with this very serious problem.

The Church has already taken what is useful and necessary from first century Judaism and dumped what was unhelpful.

What you’re talking about is adopting customs from post-exilic Judaism, which is not the religion of the Bible at all.

It’s only a fairly recent custom among Hassidim in this country to not say “God” or to write “G-d.” They say “El” and “Elhohim”–the Hebrew word for God–all the time. It basically has its roots in not saying the sacred name YHVH, which proper pronunciation was lost centuries ago. (It never was Jehovah.)

 

[Andruschak]

Is there anything forbidden about adopting Jewish practices?

For example, not saying the word “God” or any of His names, outside of specific prayers, in respect for the third commandment, or saying the Passover prayer before eating?

“Child abuse begins with circumcision.” But other then that, if it makes you happy, and you do not try to force your ideas on other Catholics, like me, well…go ahead. But why bother?

Don’t forget to put a whatever on your front door.

 

[scapularkid8]

I’ve often wondered the same thing as Andruschak.

For example, I like the idea that the Jews of Jesus’ time covered their heads during prayer. Can I, as a Christian, do that? I guess it wouldn’t matter because Christ didn’t every time He prayed, but it’s still a nice sign of respect.

 

[Rawb]

It would depend on the practice in my opinion.

For example, celebrating Passover and to remember what God has done in the past, and to realize it’s connections to Christ’s Crucifiction could be a good practice. The first Mass was at a Passover feast after all.

As for hanging a Mezuzah by your door, well, we have the practice of putting St. Benedict medals and Holy Water fonts by our doors and windows, but I suppose you could if you wanted. I don’t know if you should adopt the practice of not saying ‘God’ when you are speaking about Him, because A) It may come off as avoiding your faith to others and B) Jesus is God, and we are specifically told to pray in His name. If you want to say the Passover prayer before every meal go ahead, but I find our Catholic prayers just fine. We have scapulars instead of prayer shawls and light candles like crazy, not just during Hannukkah (sp? sorry).

Men are not supposed to cover their heads while they pray; 1 Corinthians 11:4.

Finally, I will say I’m the first up for a game of dreidel, first in line for a latke, and have been known to let out an “Oy vey!” or two. I’m so glad sometimes my best friend is Jewish…

 

[bpbasilphx]

<<For example, I like the idea that the Jews of Jesus’ time covered their heads during prayer. Can I, as a Christian, do that?>>

Not if you’re male and believe the Bible. 1 Corinthians 11:14

 

[Leopard]

…Don’t forget to put a whatever on your front door.

It’s called a mezuzah.

 

[puzzleannie]

certainly there is nothing wrong with adopting Jewish practices which honor the Name of God, the Word of God etc. in all aspects that do not deny the divinity of Christ. As for the legal prescriptions of the Deuteronomy and Levitical covenant, this article from the Catholic Exchange website today explains the reasoning for not adopting, for religious reasons, disciplines such as circumcision. (certainly nothing wrong with doing it for medical reasons, that issue has been hashed out on the family forum ad infinitum).

catholicexchange.com/node/64425

it goes on to discuss the whole notion of covenant, and the OT foreshadowing of the New Covenant established in Christ. It begins with Paul’s advice to the Galatians on this very topic, and goes on to develop the idea from there.

 

[thistle]

Is there anything forbidden about adopting Jewish practices?

For example, not saying the word “God” or any of His names, outside of specific prayers, in respect for the third commandment, or saying the Passover prayer before eating?

Why would you not want to use the word God. Jesus uses it many times. Are you implying he is disrespectful?

 

[EphelDuath]

Well, the idea is that Jesus was worthy of saying God’s name, seeing as how he WAS God, but I wouldn’t – since I’m just a beggar at God’s feet, it would be me saying “Lord, I sit here before you a sinner, not even worthy of saying your name.”

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I think this is an area to tread carefully in order to give full respect to the Jewish faith. I’m not sure it would be appropriate to pick and choose among Jewish laws and customs and make it up as you go along.

Catholicism has a rich store of its own laws and customs. Why not explore your own religion on a deeper level?

 

[bpbasilphx]

<<since I’m just a beggar at God’s feet, it would be me saying “Lord, I sit here before you a sinner, not even worthy of saying your name.” >>

OTOH, doing the “lowlier than thou” thing can be a kind of pride in itself.

 

[PastGrandKnight]

I’ve often wondered the same thing as Andruschak.

For example, I like the idea that the Jews of Jesus’ time covered their heads during prayer. Can I, as a Christian, do that? I guess it wouldn’t matter because Christ didn’t every time He prayed, but it’s still a nice sign of respect.

Please let me correct you on a few things.

You cited the “Shema”, or what is often referred to as “The Great Prayer”. Translated, it means “Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” (Some might use… “the Lord alone”. Both are acceptable.)

Just so you’ll know: I was Bar Mitzvah at age 13, in 1962. As you can tell from my screen name, I am also a Convert to the Church.

In the Hebrew language, there is no punctuation. Thus, it would be appropriate…and correct…to omit the exclamation points and the periods. For proof, just look at any Torah scroll. The letters do not touch one another (if they did, it would invalidate the entire scroll!) Yet, any learned Jew would know where each sentence stops and the next one begins.

L’Chaim!

 

[scapularkid8]

Please let me correct you on a few things.

You cited the “Shema”, or what is often referred to as “The Great Prayer”. Translated, it means “Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” (Some might use… “the Lord alone”. Both are acceptable.)

Just so you’ll know: I was Bar Mitzvah at age 13, in 1962. As you can tell from my screen name, I am also a Convert to the Church.

In the Hebrew language, there is no punctuation. Thus, it would be appropriate…and correct…to omit the exclamation points and the periods. For proof, just look at any Torah scroll. The letters do not touch one another (if they did, it would invalidate the entire scroll!) Yet, any learned Jew would know where each sentence stops and the next one begins.

L’Chaim!

Cool, thanks and peace be with you.

 

[PastGrandKnight]

Cool, thanks and peace be with you.

One other item. You wrote the following:
<<<<<Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai eloheleu Adonai echad>>>>>

The fourth word is (phonetically) “Elohanu”, with the “a” sounding the same as the “a” in “tame”! It would also be capitalized, in English.

Adonai translates “the Lord”, and it repeats, as you can see.

And…Peace be with you, too.

 

[scapularkid8]

I have a recording of the entire sounding of the shofar with the Shema on my iPod, so all I could do was base it off of how it sounded…after all, I’m not Jewish! Thanks.

 

[PastGrandKnight]

I have a recording of the entire sounding of the shofar with the Shema on my iPod, so all I could do was base it off of how it sounded…after all, I’m not Jewish! Thanks.

Actually, I am no longer Jew-ISH. I am a Jew…by birthright…having been born from a Jewish mother, and also having been Bar Mitzvah.

Funny thing, though: I can still remember the last line of my Haf-Torah. I don’t know how it translates, but I can remember it in Hebrew.

Strange!

 

[scapularkid8]

That’s cool…

Oh, we’re hijacking the thread. Sorry.

 

[Joab_Anias]

Is there anything forbidden about adopting Jewish practices?

There is a New Covenant in Jesus who is God that fulfills the Old Coventant in Moses.

Those laws no longer apply to those reborn in Christ.

Old Covenant that God entered into with the Jews has been superseded by the New Covenant of Christ (the Church calls this doctrine “supercessionism”. This happened the moment that God tore the curtain of the Jewish Temple in two (Matt. 27:51). When we speak of the “Old Covenant,” we are referring to the “Mosaic covenant,” that is, the law that God gave the Jews through Moses (see 2 Cor. 3:14). We are not referring to the Abrahamic covenant which, because it was based on grace through faith, was incorporated into the New Covenant of Christ. This is why Paul says that Abraham is the father of the children of the New Covenant (see Rom. 4:16; 9:7; Gal. 3:29; James 2:21; see also Gal. 3:9,14,16,18).

The only place where the phrase “Old Covenant” is used in the New Testament is in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, and Paul says that “through Christ it is taken away” (see 2 Cor. 3:14). Referring to the abrogation of the Old Covenant, Paul tells the Hebrews that “a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness” (Heb. 7:18). The phrase “set aside” (from the Greek aphetesis) means to annul. Again, referring to the Old Covenant, Paul says “He abolishes the first in order to establish the second” (Heb. 10:9). The word “abolish” (from the Greek anaireo) means to abrogate or destroy. Paul uses very specific language to teach that the Old Covenant has been rendered null and void by the New Covenant of Jesus Christ (see also Heb. 8:7).

This means that the Jews are no longer in a saving covenant with God until they renounce Judaism and are baptized into Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church has affirmed this fact throughout her history (e.g., the Council of Florence; the Council of Trent; Second Vatican Council, Pius XII’s Mystici Corporis). Thus, even though the Second Vatican Council affirmed a person’s civil (but not moral) right to religious liberty, it taught that the Church must preach the gospel to the Jews, as she does to everyone else (Nostra Aetate, 23).
scripturecatholic.com/zionism.html

I would say that yes it is prohibited to take up Jewish practices if your intent is to accept them as the norm for your faith. If their appeal is for their scirptural basis with the 600+ Mitzvoth such as for health reasons then that may be acceptable if it doesn’t cause you to doubt your church.

It would be anti-catholic and no different if you were to leave the church for some other false belief system such as buddism, hinduism, or the heresies of protestantism or schisms of the Greek Orthodox and the SSPX.

The 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia stated that the future Antichrist would be “of Jewish extraction, from the tribe of Dan,” and the 1936 edition stated that he would “rebuild Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple, in which he will set himself up as God.” Paul warned us of this very event when he said “the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” 2 Thess. 2:3-4.