Any questions about Jewish religion, culture, or history?

[patrick457]

I have a question. When is the end of the Jews? Since you are responsible for the crucification of our Lord, YOu have got that curse. How will you remove the curse from you? When all jews convert to Christianity?

Let me answer that with a question. Since YOU (AND me, AND the other posters, regardless of ethnicity or faith) are responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion, how will you stop from crucifying Him again?

 

[Eucharisted]

Please forgive the banned user’s question about the crucifixion of Jesus. And please ask God to forgive the user.

I have another question: With a Jewish holy day coming up in December, what would be the best way to give a happy greeting to our Jewish brethern if we should meet them while walking down the street?

 

[Verus_Israel]

I have another question: With a Jewish holy day coming up in December, what would be the best way to give a happy greeting to our Jewish brethern if we should meet them while walking down the street?

“Happy Hannuka!” will work just fine; or - if you want to get fancy - “Hannuka Sameah” (pronounced “sah - may - aH”), which means the same.

 

[Sam_777]

Hi Verus Israel ,

What does “Ribeboth-kodesh” mean in “Deuteronomy 33:2”:
“The LORD came from Sinai; He shone upon them from Seir; He appeared from Mount Paran, And approached from Ribeboth-kodesh, Lightning flashing at them from His right.”

 

[Valke2]

Hi Verus Israel ,

What does “Ribeboth-kodesh” mean in “Deuteronomy 33:2”:
“The LORD came from Sinai; He shone upon them from Seir; He appeared from Mount Paran, And approached from Ribeboth-kodesh, Lightning flashing at them from His right.”

I think it can be interpreted as “slopes at His right.” But no one really knows what this means. It may refer to the slopes of Pisgah, east of the Dead Sea. “In this verse, Hashem shines like the sun coming from the east over Seir and Paran, in which case the slopes of Pisgah would in fact be at His right.”

-R.E. Friedman, Commentary on the Torah

 

[scapularkid8]

Why do men need to cover their heads in the Presence of God?

 

[Valke2]

Why do men need to cover their heads in the Presence of God?

In eastern cultures, it is a sign of respect to cover the head (in western cultrues, it is a sign of respect to remove the hat).

Another explanation. In ancient Rome, covering your head indicated you were a servent. So Jews covered their heads to show they were servants of God.

Personally, I go with the explanation that Christians removed their head coverings in church so Jews put them on in order to further differentiate themeselves from christians.

 

[BJRumph]

Hello Versus Israel;

I have a simple (perhaps childishly so) question regarding the restoration of a Jewish nation and the Temple;

Does the Temple HAVE to be built on temple mount in Jerusalem? Or, were some other location given to the Israelites for the full reconstitution of their Law, would it be possible to rebuild the Temple in this new place?

On the one hand, I can intellectually wrap myself around the idea that, since Israel was the literal ‘promised land’ allotted for the Jews, so it must be exactly there in that geographical spot; but OTOH, my theological background is such that I don’t fully realize why it will always have to be that singular location due to its tendancy to generalize such things to be beyond such ‘limited’ interpretations. Isn’t there some teaching to the effect that wherever there is an observant Jew, G*d is too?

Were there a nation formed that followed the Law, as mentioned in earlier posts, moreso than Jerusalem ever could, is it not possible to see that place to be a ‘new’ promised land, and the “true Jerusalem” (as seen in Christian thought) be created in this new place, and still be seen as legitimate?

Thank you.

 

[BJRumph]

Oops. My bad…

Hello Versus Israel;

should have been

Hello Verus Israel;

Despite haveing actually read this entire thread today, I failed to catch the distinction in your name, and so misspelled it by accident.

I apologize for that; and welcome to the forums. Your responses to various questions have certainly distinguished you here in a most positive manner (in my book at least, but apparently in others as well).

 

[Verus_Israel]

Hi Verus Israel ,
What does “Ribeboth-kodesh” mean in “Deuteronomy 33:2”:
“The LORD came from Sinai; He shone upon them from Seir; He appeared from Mount Paran, And approached from Ribeboth-kodesh, Lightning flashing at them from His right.”

Shalom shalom!

We generally translate “Rivevoth Qodhesh” as “holy myriads” or, alternatively, “myriads of the Sanctuary.”

Hope that helps!

 

[requiemaeturnum]

Hello, this might be offensive, but…

Why do Jews not believe that Jesus was the Messiah? I heard about a military leader who was Jewish who started a rebellion (albeit it failed) against the Romans. He was hailed as the Messiah (until he got executed)- this was on History Channel in case you want references. This seems to back up the theory that the Jews back then were looking for a military Messiah that would deliver them from Rome.

And second, what do you do in your worship services? I hear that the Tridentine Mass was supposed to be the fulfillment of the old practices of the Temple.

Sorry if someone already asked this question.

 

[Verus_Israel]

Why do men need to cover their heads in the Presence of God?

A great question! Please allow me to provide some background before I answer.

Generally speaking, it is common in modern times for Jewish men to cover their heads at all times during the day with either a hat or a more parochial covering called a “kipa” (“yarmulke” in Yiddish). Among non-European Jews, men are generally accustomed to only cover their heads during prayer and when eating.

According to Jewish law, one is required to cover one’s head only when praying. According to our laws, when one is praying, the Divine Beauty (Shekhina) rests upon him or her, and therefore one covers one’s head out of deference to God. Unbound or uncovered hair indicates a certain amount of casualness that is out of place in the prayer experience.

I hope that helps to shed some light on the matter for you.

 

[Verus_Israel]

Hello Versus Israel;
I have a simple (perhaps childishly so) question regarding the restoration of a Jewish nation and the Temple;
Does the Temple HAVE to be built on temple mount in Jerusalem? Or, were some other location given to the Israelites for the full reconstitution of their Law, would it be possible to rebuild the Temple in this new place?
On the one hand, I can intellectually wrap myself around the idea that, since Israel was the literal ‘promised land’ allotted for the Jews, so it must be exactly there in that geographical spot; but OTOH, my theological background is such that I don’t fully realize why it will always have to be that singular location due to its tendancy to generalize such things to be beyond such ‘limited’ interpretations. Isn’t there some teaching to the effect that therever there is an observant Jew, G*d is too?
Were there a nation formed that followed the Law, as mentioned in earlier posts, moreso than Jerusalem ever could, is it not possible to see that place to be a ‘new’ promised land, and the “true Jerusalem” (as seen in Christian thought) be created in this new place, and still be seen as legitimate?
Thank you.

A wonderful question. The short answer is, No - the Temple may not be built anywhere but upon the Temple Mount in our eternal capitol, Jerusalem.

A nation’s capitol represents the progress that has been achieved by that nation over the course of its parochial history. It is a focal point for national identity and a symbol of the best of what that nation has to offer the world. To illustrate, compare a nation’s capitol city with a grain silo on a farm. Without a silo, the grain may be harvested every year and enjoyed by the farmer and his family; with a silo, however, the harvest may be enjoyed that year and the remaining grain may be stored for the future. For thousands of years, we have invested our spiritual energy into Jerusalem, the capitol of our collective dream - Zion (Tsiyon). For thousands of years, we have prayed, three times a day, to see Jerusalem restored to its full glory.

The Temple is meant to be a house of prayer for all nations, a place of sanctuary and a symbol of peace for all of humanity. It was, and will be, our crowning achievement - our national treasure returned to our nation’s capitol. It cannot be built anywhere else in the world, for its very construction is predicated on history - giving us continuity with the past as we progress into the future. Generally speaking, within the Jewish people, we never make clear breaks with the past. Time, within our traditions, is like a river that may wind this way and that but is never dammed.

Thanks for the great question! Hope that helps.

 

[Verus_Israel]

Hello, this might be offensive, but…
Why do Jews not believe that Jesus was the Messiah? I heard about a military leader who was Jewish who started a rebellion (albeit it failed) against the Romans. He was hailed as the Messiah (until he got executed)- this was on History Channel in case you want references. This seems to back up the theory that the Jews back then were looking for a military Messiah that would deliver them from Rome.
And second, what do you do in your worship services? I hear that the Tridentine Mass was supposed to be the fulfillment of the old practices of the Temple.
Sorry if someone already asked this question.

No worries.

Most Jews do not believe that Jesus was the messiah (from the dynasty of David) because he did not accomplish what we expect from such a leader; that is to say, he did not restore our full civil polity and he did not bring wayward groups back to observance of our Law.

During our worship services, we read selections from the psalms that elicit thoughts of God’s power, majesty, and compassion; we recite passages from the Tora which orient us towards the matrix of our identity as Jews; and we meditate on our needs as creations of God, as human beings, and as members of the Jewish people. On some days, we also read (from) the weekly portion in the Tora (biblical literacy has always been a requirement for each and every Jew since time immemorial).

I hope that helps answer your questions.

 

[Verus_Israel]

Oops. My bad…
should have been
Despite haveing actually read this entire thread today, I failed to catch the distinction in your name, and so misspelled it by accident.
I apologize for that; and welcome to the forums. Your responses to various questions have certainly distinguished you here in a most positive manner (in my book at least, but apparently in others as well).

Thank you for the warm welcome! …and no worries. It’s an easy mistake to make.

 

[hannah_miriam]

Please forgive the banned user’s question about the crucifixion of Jesus. And please ask God to forgive the user.

I have another question: With a Jewish holy day coming up in December, what would be the best way to give a happy greeting to our Jewish brethern if we should meet them while walking down the street?

Try Happy Channukah!! How do you plan to recognize them as Jews?

 

[andrewdodd]

Well, first you must know that there are 5 recognized branches of Judaism:

Orthodox Judaism–including the Haredi (which includes the smaller group of Hasidim) and the Modern Orthodox. Orthodox Jews observe all 613 mitzvot and tend to use the Shulchan Aruch from the 16th century for practical application. Haredi seek to segregate themselves from the wider culture, while Modern Orthodox do not, other than the practice of their religion requires.

Conservative Judaism– no, not politically conservative, but:

* A dedication to Halakha (collection of Jewish religious Law)
* A deliberately non-fundamentalist teaching of Jewish principles of faith;
* A positive attitude toward modern culture; and,
* An acceptance of both traditional rabbinic modes of study and modern scholarship and critical text study when considering Jewish religious texts.

Reform Judaism–the biggest group of adherents in the US:

This is a marriage of Judaism and Enlightenment philosophy. The practices have changed over time as it is a progressive movement that believes in the constant integration of Jewish tradition and modern life. Personal and community autonomy is highly valued and so practices will vary widely even from one Temple to another.

Reconstructionist Judaism– a newer branch that developed from the teachings of Rabbi Kaplan in the 1920’s. His ideas include:

“Judaism could do well by incorporating the American ideals of equality and democracy. Theological perspectives that flourished in traditional hierarchical societies needed to be reconstructed to speak in a society where authority derived from the people and where one’s religious or ethnic identity was not, in principle, a barrier to full economic and political participation.”

He did promote observance of the Law, but the rituals and rules were made holy by the unity and community of the people performing them, not because they were from the Divine.

He also saw Judaism as a civilization, not just a religion so he wanted the Temple to include programs not just on religion and Torah, but dance, sports …

Reconstructionist Judaism also believes that all religions are man-made, their own no more than any other and that there is no one true way to the Divine.

Humanist Judaism–started in 1963 by Rabbi Wine. It is a non-theistic Judaism. Humanistic Judaism embraces a human-centered philosophy that combines the celebration of Jewish culture and identity with adherence to humanistic values

Now, so why are there “cafeteria” Jews? Consider that the largest group of Jews in the US are Reform Jews. This branch believes in personal autonomy. This is a big difference between the Catholic view that all Christians are in a communion of Saints so you have an obligation to help each other on the way. Reform Jews, on the other hand believe that each Jew’s observance of the Law is his business and we are not to judge or expect to be judged for our observance.

What about the Karaite Jews? I know that the rabbinical authority sees them as heretics.