Who wants to know the truth about Judaism?

Okay, so you may have heard many things about Jews, both true and not true. I’ll give you a basic overview of being Jewish and if you have any specific questions like why we keep kosher and so on I’ll answer those. I know, I’m just thirteen and I’m no scholar, but I’ve had 8 years of Jewish day school education and am continuing. I speak hebrew fluently, pray everyday, and have 10 hours of Judaic Studies a week, so you can trust me to answer most questions.

TWO TORAHS So, the Old Testament is what the Jews call the Torah. The torah is the greatest gift given to us by G-d. In the torah there are stories. Lots of stories. Whether the stories are true or they never even happened, each of them is there to teach us a lesson. In the written Torah there are 5 books. The Jews go through a cycle and each sabbath read through the five books one part at a time in order. Then, every year we start again.

There is also the oral Torah. The oral Torah is commentary of the written torah, basically what the rabbis thought. Parts of the oral Torah is written down. In the oral torah it is all debates about what the Jewish law, halacha, should be.

THE LANGUAGE Hebrew עברית is the oldest official language. It is the language of the written and oral Torahs.

ISRAEL Israel was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I’ll write more later.

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Answer #1

How is a Jewish person saved? –By saved what do you mean? I don’t understand this question…Jews are “saved” by firemen and ambulences in the event of a physical emergency.

How or when did the Jewish become Jewish? –We didn’t start out referring to ourselves as “Jewish” until much later. We were originally the “Hebrews”. This dates back to the time of Abraham, our forefather, when G-d instructs him to go to kana’an which is modern day Israel, and G-d then starts the covenent of the forefathers.

I know that they decended from the 12 tribes of Israel, but, when did the Jewish part enter in? –Do you mean when did the whole House of Holiness, Beit HaMikdash, happen? Well, the first one was destroyed in 586 B.C.E. and the second was destroyed 70 C.E. I believe we made the transition from being Israelites and Hebrews to being Jewish during the time that the oral torah was compiled into the Mishna by Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi in 200 C.E. Then again remember I’m only thirteen there’s a lot of different opinions and a lot I haven’t learned.

Are you required to keep all 613 commandments? –Expectations and reality don’t quite match up, and G-d understands that. Now, we’re not sure if there are really 613 because some believe there are more and that there are less, 613 is a number that the rabbis from a long time ago came up with. The commandments are more guidelines than stiff rules. They are part of a covenant. Covenants are two sided. If we observe the commandments then there are rewards.

What happens if you break one? –Great question. G-d threatened in the past to do some pretty unrealistic things in today’s world. Some of them he actually did. Like, all of us gossip, whether or not we realize it. Even if it’s something good you’re saying about a person behind their back it’s still gossip. G-d gave Miriam leperacy when she gossiped about Moses her brother, to her other brother Aaron. So we can’t be sure what the consequences are in today’s world because they are a lot less visible, but they do happen. Eventually the consequences come and you realize that bad things happen for a reason. Everything happens for a reason.

You observe the Sabbath, is that correct?–Yes I observe shabbat, which means I don’t “create” or “work” or shabbat. “Work” and “Creation” is flicking a light switch. So, some of it makes more sense, but I have no choice now, I live under my parents’ roof.

I believe that you only believe in the Old Testament, and not the new, is that right?–True.

And you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God?–Jesus is not the song of G-d in my religion.

Nor do you believe that salvation is a gift of God, because of what Jesus did on the cross?–Uh…can you rephrase the question?

Does all Jewish people say G-d? And that is because of his holiness, is that right?–Excellent question! G-d is actually not G-d’s real name–his real name is in hebrew and we don’t know how it is pronounced anymore. His real name is a contraction of “was” “is” and “will be” so pretty much eternal. G-d I can write God. That’s fine. I could even throw it away because it’s not holy. God is a contraction of the word good. I only write G-d as a habit, because I only learned this about G-d’s name this year.

REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS!!! I was glad I could help. Judaism is based a lot about opinion, and I’m not a rabbi or anything of the sort, I’m just 13 and have only 8 years of real Jewish education, I’m trying to give you my best answer.

Answer #2

The exact definition of a Jewish person is one who’s mother was Jewish, OR one who converted. But there’s a big difference between just being born Jewish and practicing Judaism. So it depends on what your question is. Is it what’s technically Jewish, or what’s spiritually Jewish?

Answer #3

No problem. There are 613 commandments, many opinions, customs, beliefs, dreams, israel, history. Where should I start? What are you most interested in?

Answer #4

what similar beliefs do you share with christianity?

Answer #5

Glad to hear! Anyone else?

Answer #6

So either way, they’re Jewish. Good enough for me.

Answer #7

Hey Bamba,

I admire your studious approach greatly! Please keep it up! Would you agree with the following: consonants in hebrew language form the visible body of what is spoken. The vowels are the invisible soul of what is spoken. The key to understanding that can be found in the tetragrammaton: God’s name. One must know that it forms not ONLY God’s name, the four letters ARE themselves considered God’s being as the creator of the universe (refer to the Sefer Jetsirah). The ‘missing-vowel-question’ is not simply linguistic, but fundamentally theological. For Jews and biblically inspired Christians alike, the hebrew ‘alphabet’ IS the creating force of life. In that light, it is not completely plausible to compare the hebrew ‘alphabet’ with any other

Answer #8

Jehovah or Jehoba is a very poor attempt, considering that there is no letter j in the hebrew alphabet to start with. The only one who pronounced G-d’s name was the Kohen HaGadol, the Great Kohen, or Kahuna, however you say it in english. And of course today there is no Kohen Gadol, because the Beit HaMikdash, The temple of holiness, is long destroyed. I agree zonemaster.

ANY QUeSTIONS? -Bamba-

Answer #9

Who would you consider “Jewish” exactly? That’s been bugging me for a while now.

Answer #10

Fascinating information! Thanks!

Answer #11

Thank you Bamba, for educating us on your religion, I for one, am very interested in learning what every you have to share. I have high regard for the Jewish people, as Gods chosen people, and would like to learn more about your customs, etc. Welcome to this board, if you are new, I have not been here very long, so, I too am pretty new.

Answer #12

How is a Jewish person saved?

How or when did the Jewish become Jewish?

I know that they decended from the 12 tribes of Israel, but, when did the Jewish part enter in?

Are you required to keep all 613 commandments?

What happens if you break one?

You observe the Sabbath, is that correct?

I believe that you only believe in the Old Testament, and not the new, is that right?

And you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God?

Nor do you believe that salvation is a gift of God, because of what Jesus did on the cross?

Does all Jewish people say G-d? And that is because of his holiness, is that right?

Thank you for helping us to understand your religion.

God Bless…

Answer #13

We share several beliefs with Christianity since Christianity is built off of Judaism. If Judaism is the thema (theme) then Christianity is a variation. It’s like a different version. Our primary similarities is our roots our heritage which is the old testament, the torah. Jesus was Jewish, remember that, so Christianity has evolved over time, but it didn’t start out too much different than Judaism.

Hope I could help! If you still have any questions FunMail me! bamba

Answer #14

In the Book of Exodus, God calls Moses to go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses asked God what happens if he goes to the Israelites, they ask me who sent me, what is His Name, then what shall I tell them.

God said to Moses, (translated to English) “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “

The name for God is translated in English to mean “He Is”, or “He Who Is”.

Also in the Book of Exodus, God gives to Moses the Ten Commandments, written on stone by the very finger of God. One of these states, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”

A very long time ago, it became the practice to subsitute (again, and English translation from Hebrew) the name “The LORD” for the true name of God, so as not to misuse the name of God. Almost all Christian Bibles use The LORD werever the name of God appears. Since the Name of God was never spoken, the pronunciation became forgotten. So, bamba is right, when she says that we don’t even know how to pronounce the Name of God anymore.

In Hebrew, vowels are not explicitely stated, but implied through context bt tick marks where the vowels would be. Several thousand years later, there is not complete consensus as to exactly which vowels belong in the Name of God. The name “Jehovah” is a poor attempt in English, and is not very accurate.

In Arabic, they use “Allah” for God. Again, this is not the name of God, but translates in English as “The God.”

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