Judaism
I could spend the rest of my natural life writing about the
history, traditions and culture of Judaism but that is outside of my
scope. I have instead chosen to write this article in a Q & A format
to address common questions I am asked.
If you have additional questions that have not been addressed
here, please feel free to email me
and I will answer them to the best of my ability or point you to a source that
can.
Religion
What is the Jewish Bible?
What
do Jews do for forgiveness now that they don't have a temple to conduct
sacrifices?
Are there denominations in Judaism?
Who is Hashem?
Why do Jews write G-d and L-rd?
Is a Rabbi like a minister?
Catholics claim that their
observance of purgatory is based on Judaism - is this true?
Laws
How many commandments are there?
And the laws?
What is kosher?
What does keeping kosher mean?
Do all Jews keep kosher?
Why don't Jews eat meat products and
dairy products together?
What does Jewish law say about
abortion?
What does Jewish law say about
homosexuality?
The Messiah
What do Jews think of Jesus?
Are Jews still waiting for the
Messiah?
For those who are looking for a Messiah, what traits do they
expect him to have?
When is he expected to come?
What will he do?
How does Jewish
thought interpret:
Isaiah 9:6-7
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22
Daniel 9:24-27
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Hebrew
Why are there so many variations on
the English spelling of Hebrew words?
What are those dots and dashes
sometimes seen in Hebrew words?
Religion
What is the Jewish Bible?
The Jewish Bible is the same collection of books that make up
the Christian Old Testament. It is called the TaNaKH for Torah, Nevi'im
and Kethuvim and breaks down as follows:
Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
Nevi'im (the prophets): Joshua, Judges, I &II Samuel, I
& II Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the 12 minor prophets, Hosea, Joel,
Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah and Malach
Kethuvim (the writings): Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs,
Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra,
Nehemiah and Chronicles)
What
do Jews do for forgiveness now that they don't have a temple to conduct
sacrifices?
The
concept of sacrifice isn't "killing for sin" as generally thought. The
Hebrew word is qorbanot which means 'sacrifice' or 'offering' but not in
the sense of loss, it is in the sense of 'drawing one closer to God'.
One of the elements of qorbanot is the giving of something you have.
Sacrifices (the giving of an animal) were replaced with good deeds (mainly
charity), the giving of ones time or possessions.
Today, the animal sacrificial system is seen as largely symbolic and with the
exception of Orthodox Jews (which make up less than 10% of world Jewry), Jews as
a whole are not clamoring to bring the practice back.
Sins could never be forgiven on the basis of the sacrifice alone - that would be
"buying forgiveness". Repentance is the key element to atonement. For
example, sacrifice (or charity) is considered "useless" (for lack of a
better word) if there is no prior repentance and no offer of restitution is made
to the person wronged.
(In other words, you can't rob someone and then think that a simple offering on
its own will be enough to 'clear' you).
You may have heard of the annual Holy days, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur? They
are 10 days apart and usually occur in Sept/Oct on the western calendar. The
days in between are called the "Days of Awe". You may also hear this
period referred to as the High Holy days.
Rosh Hashana (RH) is known as the Jewish New Year and it begins the period of
introspection where people look back to the mistakes of the past year and plan
for the new year (not unlike "new years resolutions" in a way). It is
held that your fate for the coming year is written on RH. This is a time to
repent and atone for any misdeeds in the past year that you haven't already
accounted for.
The Days of Awe (introspection) that follow RH give a chance to appeal to the
mercy of God to change your fate for the year, written on RH but not sealed
until Yom Kippur. This is done by repentance, prayer and charity (or other good
deeds).
Yom Kippur is the annual day of judgment where the Lord seals the fate on the
sins from the previous year. This day is the last appeal to affect the judgment,
to show repentance and to make amends before your fate for the past year is
sealed.
Are there denominations in Judaism?
There are five main denominations in practicing Judaism.
Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and Kaballistic. The
most notable split in these denominations is acceptance of Torah and the Oral
Law and religious observance.
The Orthodox (including Chasidic and Modern) are Torah observant
and follow the letter of the law to the best of their ability. They
believe that both the Torah and the Oral Laws are of divine revelation.
Conservatives are less strict than the Orthodox. While
they believe the Torah to be of divine inspiration, they hold that the Oral Laws
are of man. They believe in adapting the laws and traditions to reflect
the times but not at the rapid rate that the Reform movement does.
Reform Jews do not believe that the Torah was divinely inspired,
they hold that it was written by man and therefore changes to it can and should
be made whenever necessary. They do not hold to the Oral Law.
Reconstructionists are at the most liberal end of the scale
of
normative Judaism. They hold that if there is something in the Torah that
you do not agree with, then you are right and Torah is wrong.
Finally, many may argue that Kaballism is not mainstream Judaism
and I agree. Kaballism is new age Judiaistic mysticism.
They believe that each man can become his own Messiah via spiritual
perfection.
Who is
Hashem?
HaShem means "The Name" in Hebrew. It is
commonly used by Orthodoxy to refer to God.
Why do Jews write G-d and L-rd?
As a means of respect and to
preclude any hint of violating the
commandment not to use the name of the Lord in vain.
Is a Rabbi like a minister?
Yes and no. Rabbi means "teacher" and they are
responsible for instructing people in the laws of the Torah. With no more
priests, Rabbis have also taken on the responsibility of interpreting the law.
A Rabbi is a role in much the same way anyone's role is viewed. For a
question on secular law, you see a lawyer. For a question on halacha
(religious law), you see a Rabbi. No one role is esteemed any higher than
another - it is merely one's job.
Catholics claim that their
observance of purgatory is based on Judaism - is this true?
No, it is not. The Catholic interpretation of purgatory is
the place that a soul goes after death to atone for their sins. They hold
that only those who are 'saved' get this opportunity and that purgatory is
merely the place for this atonement to be made, not to obtain salvation that wasn't
already obtained in life. It is held that through indulgences, the living
can affect the time spent in purgatory. These indulgences include prayers,
mass, and cash donations to the church.
This couldn't be further from Jewish thought.
In Jewish tradition, there are elements to the soul. Upon death,
the naranchi (Acronym for ruach, neshomoh, chayah, and yechidah) goes to
the Realm of Souls for continued spiritual growth. The soul stays in the Realm
of Souls, studying Torah until Torah is understood. The naranchai
is not affected by the person's physical life like the RCC interpretation. It is
affected by the person's focus. It is the sincere attempt to attain and do the
spiritual that makes a person spiritual.
Additionally, nothing done by the living can effect this time. Not prayers, not
cash donations, nothing - as it is a spiritual time, not one of paying for sins
and refining into a sinless state.
Where this gets confused is the tradition of the Kaddish
prayer. Kaddish is recited for 11 months by the bereaved. According to
Jewish tradition, the soul must spend some time purifying itself before it can
enter the world to come. The maximum time required for purification is 12
months, for the most evil person. To recite Kaddish for 12 months would imply
that the deceased was the type who needed 12 months of purification! To avoid
this implication, the Sages decreed that the bereaved should recite Kaddish for
only eleven months.
Unlike the Catholic definition of indulgences, Kaddish is not
recited to ask the Lord to forgive someone and allow them into heaven (or in
quicker). The purpose is that one would expect a person to lose faith in God, or
to cry out against God's injustice. Instead, Judaism requires a mourner to stand
up every day, in a minyan and reaffirm their faith in God despite this loss.
Here is the translation of the
Kaddish prayer:
Glorified and sanctified be God's great Name throughout the world, which He
has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom in your
lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire house of
Israel, speedily and soon and say Amen.
May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity. Blessed and
praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the
Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all blessings and hymns, praises
and consolations that are ever spoken in the world and say Amen.
May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life, for us and for all Israel,
and say Amen.
He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and
for all Israel and say Amen.
This is not praying for an "outcome", it is affirming:
[1] God is the Creator;
[2] Everything—this world, this new set of circumstances, as well as the old,
familiar one—is an expression of His will.
[3] “A person’s will is his glory”, Therefore, saying Kaddish, declaring
and accepting God’s will, glorifies God.
“v’yamlikh malkhutei” (and may reign be given to His kingship)
Why is this done? The mourner is distressed by his relative’s absence. It is
an attempt to console by gently reminding him of God’s presence: "Your
beloved is in a new place with God; you, too, are in a new place, with
God".
Laws
How many commandments are there?
There are 613 commandments - 248 positive and 365
negative. The full listing can be found here.
And the laws?
Jewish tradition holds to the oral laws as mentioned
above. In order to keep people from getting too close to breaking the
laws, the priests and later the rabbis added to these laws, the additional laws
referred to as the fence laws. The logic is that if you don't break the
fence law, you are not in danger of breaking the commandment.
What
is kosher?
"Kosher" refers not only to what can and cannot be
eaten, but how it must be prepared in many cases. Koosher is not a style
of cooking and there is no such thing as "kosher-style" food.
Chinese food can be kosher if it is prepared in accordance with Jewish law.
Traditional Jewish foods like knishes, bagels, and matzah ball soup are all
non-kosher if not prepared in accordance with Jewish law. When a restaurant
calls itself "kosher-style," it usually means that the restaurant
serves traditional Jewish foods, but the food is not actually kosher.
The kosher laws are extremely
extensive. Judiasm101
compiled a "master list" that is very descriptive:
- 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. Salting can also used to remove
blood.
- 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.
- Grape products made by non-Jews may not be
eaten.
Many people know that pork is not considered
kosher. What may not be known is that any product that contains pork is
considered non-kosher as well. For example, pig parts are used in the
making of gelatin. Therefore, jello, soft candies, and anything that may
contain gelatin is not considered kosher, just as bacon is.
What does keeping kosher mean?
"Keeping
kosher" means adhering to kosher standards. To be considered Orthodox kosher, one needs to have three sets
of everything. One for meat foods, one for dairy, and one for
Passover. This includes dishes, utensils, pots, pans, hotmitts and many people even
have two dishwashers.
Do all Jews keep kosher?
You would have to ask them individually. The more
stringent the observance, the more people adhere to the laws governing food and
cooking. Some view a pork-free hotdog
as kosher, others would not accept this unless the hotdog was prepared with
approved meat from an animal that was killed in an approved way.
Why don't Jews eat meat products and
dairy products together?
This is part of the kosher fence laws or kashrut. In
Exodus 34:26 is the admonission to not boil a goat in it's mothers milk.
The original meaning of this verse is believed to refer to the Lord prohibiting
the Jews from participating in the pagan fertility ritual associated with this
practice. Over time, the fence laws were extended to
interpret this passage to mean that you shouldn't mix meat with dairy as a means
of insuring that you do not combine a child's meat with a mother's dairy.
The prohibition on mixing meat and dairy is one of the most well known traits of
kashrut. Rabinnical interpretation will differ on the timing, but it is
generally accepted that 6 hours in between eating meat and dairy is sufficient
to clear the body and not violate the law.
What does Jewish law say about
abortion?
Judaism permits abortion in certain circumstances and in some
cases (such as the life of the Mother being in danger), it requires it. An
unborn child holds the status of "potential human life" until the
majority of its body is outside of the Mother. Once the child is in the
process of birth, this is no longer allowable because at that point, it becomes
a choice between two lives and that is forbidden.
What does Jewish law say about
homosexuality?
The practice of homosexuality is expressly forbidden.
The
Messiah
What do Jews think of Jesus?
This will vary depending on who you talk to. Some Jews
hold that He was a great Rabbi that the gentile nations mistook for being the
Messiah. Others hold that He was the gentile Messiah, but not the Jewish
one.
Are Jews still waiting for the
Messiah?
Yes and no. Typically, you will see a split along
denominational lines on this. For example, the Orthodox are indeed looking
to a future fulfillment of a physical Messiah where the Reform movement is
not. They are looking for the Lord to usher in a Messianic Age without a
particular person at the helm.
For those who are looking for a Messiah, what traits do they
expect him to have?
He is said to be a great political leader descended from King
David, a charismatic leader, inspiring others to follow his example, a
great military leader, who will win battles for Israel, a great judge, who makes
righteous decisions. He will be well-versed in Jewish law, and Torah
observant. He will teach the world how to revere truth, and they will all
return to God (though not necessarily to Judaism). It is believed
that above all, "he will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other
supernatural being". The messiah is held to be a mortal man, born of a
normal man and woman. He could be
divorced and have failed math in college for example, as he is not expected to be perfect, just a
normal man
leading a normal life that is chosen by the Lord to lead Israel.
When is he expected to come?
Although some scholars believed that God has set aside a specific date for
the coming of the messiah, most authority suggests that the conduct of mankind
will determine the time of the messiah's coming. In general, it is believed that
the messiah will come in a time when he is most needed (because the world is so
sinful), or in a time when he is most deserved (because the world is so good).
For example, each of the following has been suggested as the time when the
messiah will come:
- if Israel repented a single day;
- if Israel observed two Shabbats (Sabbaths) in a row properly;
- in a generation that is totally innocent or totally guilty;
- in a generation that loses hope;
- in a generation where children are totally disrespectful towards their
parents and elders;
What will he do?
"The messiah will bring about the political and spiritual
redemption of the Jewish people by bringing the Jews back to Israel and restoring
Jerusalem (Isaiah 11:11-12; Jeremiah 23:8; 30:3; Hosea 3:4-5). He will establish
a government in Israel that will be the center of all world government, both for
Jews and gentiles (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:10; 42:1). He will rebuild the Temple and
re-establish its worship (Jeremiah 33:18). He will restore the religious court
system of Israel and establish Jewish law as the law of the land (Jeremiah
33:15)".
How does
Jewish thought interpret:
Isaiah 9:6-7
They attribute this passage to King Hezekiah, calling him
"the mighty God" because this name is a sign that foretells God's
defense of Jerusalem through the miraculous sudden mass death of Sennacherib's
army.
Isaiah 7:14
Judaism holds that although the Hebrew word alma used in
this passage can mean 'virgin', that the correct usage should be 'young woman'.
Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22
These are the "Suffering Servant" passages.
Judaism attributes the Suffering Servant to the nation of Israel in some cases
and the Jewish people in others.
Daniel 9:24-27
Tradition holds that this passage is not to be interpreted
because it tells of the timing of the coming of the Messiah. In
researching however, I did find one explanation attributing the anointed one in
v.25 to be Cyrus (516bc), who is given credit by God for the rebuilding of
Jerusalem, and in v.26 to be Alexander Yannai (76bc), who was known for his
animosity against the Pharisees and his rejection of the Oral Law.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
This passage is believed to be yet future, its fulfillment to be
in the Messianic Age.
Hebrew
Why are there so many variations on
the English spelling of Hebrew words?
That is because of transliteration - the practice of spelling
something how it sounds. The Hebrew aleph-bet does not directly mirror the
English one which is why you may, for example, see Q and K interchanged.
Neither spelling is wrong.
What are those dots and dashes
sometimes seen in Hebrew words?
There are no vowels in the Hebrew aleph-bet. The dots and
dashes under the letters denote the vowel sound that is used following the
letter.
