Ask the Jews

[HiddenDjinn]

In response to a request on http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/judaism-dir/111132-i-am-jewish-2-a.html . I've opened this thread, think of it as a mini Askmoses.com - Torah, Judaism and Jewish Info - Ask the Rabbi but asking forum Jews about various bits of Jewish religion, culture, tradition...what the hey, ALL of them!

 

[.lava]

thank you, Yosi i've become curious about head cover. Muslims have it too. i've been wondering why it is used. it is an interesting issue to me because i believe there are energy centers in human body, there are 7 majors and one of them is on the head. i think there could be some relation between head covering and that energy center

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[Biblestudent_007]

What's the main reason(s) Jews don't accept what Christians call the New Testament? . .

 

[xkatz]

thank you, Yosi i've become curious about head cover. Muslims have it too. i've been wondering why it is used. it is an interesting issue to me because i believe there are energy centers in human body, there are 7 majors and one of them is on the head. i think there could be some relation between head covering and that energy center.

I have never heard of the energy theory you purpose as a reason why Jews wear head coverings. The primary reason is to remember that G-d is always watching over you. Also to some extent, it is seen as traditional and a way of (partially) giving Jewish people a unique identity.

 

[xkatz]

What's the main reason(s) Jews don't accept what Christians call the New Testament? . .

That's a really complex question

Probably the biggest reason is that the majority of Jews (ie 99%) reject Jesus as a Messiah. Also, some doctrines in the NT are considered heretical in Judaism.

This is really simplified answer though since my knowledge of the NT isn't impressive. I'll leave the rest to a more knowledgeable member.

 

[HiddenDjinn]

What's the main reason(s) Jews don't accept what Christians call the New Testament? . .

Here's the issue. The "New Testament" contradicts with Torah. Our Torah is the highest document(set of documents) in our faith. It is held as the golden standard. If anything contradicts with it, in any way, it is thrown out as false.

ADD: I sincerely hope you aren't using this opening to attempt to proselytize, considering it would be a violation both of the letter and the spirit of the rules of this forum as it concerns specific religion DIR's. You are a guest here, and act as such, instead of attempting to conquer.

 

[Biblestudent_007]

In what ways does the New Testament "contradict" the Torah? . .

 

[HiddenDjinn]

In what ways does the New Testament contradict the Torah? . .

Many. First, in my opinion, would be when the central figure was depicted as a corporeal manifestation of HaShem. Second, would be when others worshipped that corporeal manifestation, in clear violation of the 10 words. Third, in my memory, would be the "Trinity verse", which would contradict D'varim 6.

Only one contradiction is necessary to show it to be false, and I've given you three, but there are many more.

Further, if you think you will debate this point, keep in mind which DIR you're in. This isn't a debate area, and proselytizing is not allowed.

 

[Biblestudent_007]

I'm here to learn not proselytize or break forum rules.
..

What do Jews mean by the name HaShem? . . Or what does the name 'HaShem' mean?

 

[HiddenDjinn]

I'm here to learn not proselytize or break forum rules.
..

What do Jews mean by the name HaShem? . . Or what does the name 'HaShem' mean?

HaShem is Hebrew for "The Name". It is a reference to any of several Divine names.

As for the warning: Don't take it personal, but we've seen quite a few people on forums and in life that weren't "here to learn", so my kneejerk reaction is to take that stance. I have made no direct assessment as to whether you're "here to learn" or here "to save our souls".

 

[Levite]

thank you, Yosi. i've become curious about head cover. Muslims have it too. i've been wondering why it is used. it is an interesting issue to me because i believe there are energy centers in human body, there are 7 majors and one of them is on the head. i think there could be some relation between head covering and that energy center

It's funny, I've had several people ask me in the past if the kippah (that is what we call the head covering) has to do with the crown chakra, and focusing certain kinds of energy.

I don't know of any analogous tradition in Judaism about the kippah and energy centers, although I like the idea very much.

Traditionally, the answers have been related to expressing respect for God. Though we often tell children it is a reminder that God is "above us," obviously that's just a slender metaphor, since we believe that God is omnipresent. My guess is that it had to do with customs in certain parts of the ancient world (such as Babylonia), which dictated that the height of decorum for men was to have the head covered, and one would not appear before powerful dignitaries without such a head covering.

 

[Levite]

What's the main reason(s) Jews don't accept what Christians call the New Testament? . .

As others have mentioned, that is a very complex question, which involves many reasons.

But the nickel version of the answer is that, first of all, we don't believe that Jesus was the messiah (to be the messiah in Judaism means something very different than in Christianity), nor do we believe he was any kind of prophet.

Second of all, we believe that the One God is entirely, completely, and without exception, One. Indivisible. We also believe that He is entirely without any kind of physical form, nor is any physical form capable of containing HIm. Which means that we cannot believe that He could appear in the form of a man, with a physical body.

Third of all, we do not believe in the concept of Original Sin. Therefore, there is nothing for which humanity requires a savior such a Jesus is held to be by Christians.

Fourth, it is entirely incompatible with Jewish belief to suppose that anyone could institute a new covenant to supplant the covenant of Sinai. The only way such a thing could happen would be if God appeared again to all the Jewish People at once (not in the form of a human being, remember, because we don't believe such a thing is possible), just as at Sinai, proposed a new covenant, and the entirety of the Jewish People simultaneously agreed to it and accepted it.

Fifth, the Torah and the rest of Jewish Law make clear that if a person comes around and claims to be a prophet who speaks for God, and then goes on to tell us that God wants us to stop observing the commandments and cease obeying the precepts of Jewish Law, that is itself a sign that the individual is a false prophet who does not speak for God; because God would never, ever tell us that.

Sixth, Jewish tradition and sacred text (such as the Tanakh, or "Old Testament") is not intended for non-Jews. It was written by Jews, for Jews, in the Jewish language, for use with Jewish methods of interpretation and understanding. We do not recognize that anything in it pertains to Jesus, or has anything to do with Christianity.

That's the very short version, but I'm sure you can see some of the fundamental issues.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I have a kind of complex one- Where did the idea come from not to mix milk and meat when the Bible only says not to seethe a calf in it's mother's milk?

 

[HiddenDjinn]

I have a kind of complex one- Where did the idea come from not to mix milk and meat when the Bible only says not to seethe a calf in it's mother's milk?

Heh, that's not so complex. The Tanach doesn't contain all of the Torah. There is an explicit explanation elsewhere that forbids any mixing of meat an milk.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Would you kindly tell me where it is?

 

[Levite]

Would you kindly tell me where it is?

Yeah, it's in the Talmud. It's actually in several places around the Talmud. Tractate Chullin has much of it, but there are important aspects that pop up in Tractate Sanhedrin, Tractate Pesachim, Tractate Shabbat, and maybe one or two other places-- can't recall off the top of my head. Maybe Tractate Beitzah.

I'm afraid that if you're interested in studying that, you may need to find some help. There have been so far only two translations of the Talmud, and even if you use the one that's not well-nigh incomprehensible (the Soncino translation was done in the mid-20th Century by a bunch of English lawyers, and is just dreadful to try and make sense of), there is a complex art to following the reasoning and the arguments in the Talmud that requires training, or at least guidance. If you're really interested, I recommend asking one of your local rabbis to help you find a study partner/teacher.

Separation between meat and dairy is an excellent example of something that appears to be extremely narrow and obvious in the Written Torah, but study of the Oral Torah finds that the Rabbis have extrapolated from that one verse several distinct laws, each of which spawned a vast multitude of subsidiary laws, regulations, and dictates.

 

[Caladan]

What's the main reason(s) Jews don't accept what Christians call the New Testament? . .

One basic reason is that it is a high abomination in Jewish tradition to elevate anyone to God-status. what the early Christians did to Jesus was what the Jews have experienced and observed other nations around them do. the Pharaohs of Egypt have been elevated to divine status (Horus incarnate on earth), some of the most fascinating Roman propaganda was elevating Emperors to God-status such as in the celebrated case of Augustus, even in modern times civilizations practiced this tradition (Apotheosis or deification), during the times of WWII, Emperor Hirohito of Imperial Japan was a living god among mortal men, the Japaense public worshipped him and went as canon fodder into the jungles of the pacific, he was cast down from god status under American pressure after the Japanese defeat.

By tradition, Jewish men are to reject that any political or religious leader is to be considered above the men around him. he should lead by capabilities alone and not by 'divinity' or lineage as the New Testament so desperately and poorly tried to demonstrate in the case of the House of David and a connection to Jesus.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Does Judaism say that god is unable to become a human or other life form then? Meaning this is not within god's power?

 

[Caladan]

Does Judaism say that god is unable to become a human or other life form then? Meaning this is not within god's power?

Last time this has happened, our Patriarch Jacob physically beat God and after physically defeating him in hand to hand combat demanded the Lord to bless him, the Lord's blessing was that Jacob would from now on be called Israel.

Hebrew bible, Book of Genesis.

 

[HiddenDjinn]

Last time this has happened, our Patriarch Jacob physically beat God and after physically defeating him in hand to hand combat demanded the Lord to bless him, the Lord's blessing was that Jacob would from now on would be called Israel.

Hebrew bible, Book of Genesis.

Technically, that wasn't HaShem. That was an angel.