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Do you have questions about Traditional Judaism?

S

Saggio

Member
Hi all,

How authoritative is Rabbi Ben Abrahamson in Orthodox circles? i've read an article about him in Haaretz a while ago concerning his comparative religion initiatives.
 
Levite

Levite

Higher and Higher
Saggio said:
How authoritative is Rabbi Ben Abrahamson in Orthodox circles? i've read an article about him in Haaretz a while ago concerning his comparative religion initiatives.
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I had never heard of him until I was asked about him a few months ago. I did some research and talked to a bunch of my colleagues. Most had never heard of him. The ones that had heard of him thought he was a joke.

Whether he has any credibility in whatever part of the Haredi fringe he frequents, I could not tell you. But as far as I know, he has no positive reputation in Modern Orthodox or Conservative circles.
 
S

Saggio

Member
How reliable are DNA tests when it comes to tracing Jewish ancestry?, i am quite positive my grandmother from mother's side was Jewish. But it's quite difficult to proof it, especially since she was raised/adopted by Catholics and she also adopted their religion and surname to protect her identity.
 
Levite

Levite

Higher and Higher
Saggio said:
How reliable are DNA tests when it comes to tracing Jewish ancestry?, i am quite positive my grandmother from mother's side was Jewish. But it's quite difficult to proof it, especially since she was raised/adopted by Catholics and she also adopted their religion and surname to protect her identity.
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If your family were kohanim (priests), then the tests might be very reliable. But otherwise...no more reliable than for a lot of other ethnic groups, and less so than with some. It's probably more worth your money and time to do genealogical research rather than DNA testing.
 
illykitty

illykitty

RF's pet cat
What do you think of Jews who encourage others to become Jewish? Is it frowned upon, are you neutral or do you think it's a good think? I know usually someone considering conversion is discouraged to do so, so I was wondering about when the reverse happens.

One example that comes to mind is Rabbi Asher Meza on YouTube and the website BeJewish.org.
 
Jayhawker Soule

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
Two things:
  • to encourage people to convert
  • to encourage people who are considering conversion
I'm not a big fan of the first and believe that the second depends entirely on the relevant specifics - who, why, how, etc.
 
dantech

dantech

Well-Known Member
John, you may want to click on the QUOTE button on posts before replying. Otherwise, people will not know what or who you are talking about/to
 
james2ko

james2ko

Well-Known Member
Here's a question about the Hebrew language. Doing a word study and came across these two terms for stranger/foreigner that seem to imply the same meaning yet are spelled differently. Is there a difference between the two?

1 נָכְרִיֹּ֛ות
2 נָכְרִיָּֽה׃
 
Caladan

Caladan

Agnostic Pantheist
james2ko said:
Are there any differences in spelling in distinguishing unfamiliarity versus someone from a foreign country?
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Hmm here's the closest example I can think of in Biblical Hebrew from the Tanach, tell me if this is what you had in mind.

Here is the KJV version:

"And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them"

And in Hebrew:

וְהוֹלַכְתִּי עִוְרִים, בְּדֶרֶךְ לֹא יָדָעוּ--בִּנְתִיבוֹת לֹא-יָדְעוּ, אַדְרִיכֵם; אָשִׂים מַחְשָׁךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם לָאוֹר, וּמַעֲקַשִּׁים לְמִישׁוֹר--אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים, עֲשִׂיתִם וְלֹא עֲזַבְתִּים

לֹא יָדָעוּ= They have not known/They knew not
 
james2ko

james2ko

Well-Known Member
Caladan said:
Hmm here's the closest example I can think of in Biblical Hebrew from the Tanach, tell me if this is what you had in mind.

Here is the KJV version:

"And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them"

And in Hebrew:

וְהוֹלַכְתִּי עִוְרִים, בְּדֶרֶךְ לֹא יָדָעוּ--בִּנְתִיבוֹת לֹא-יָדְעוּ, אַדְרִיכֵם; אָשִׂים מַחְשָׁךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם לָאוֹר, וּמַעֲקַשִּׁים לְמִישׁוֹר--אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים, עֲשִׂיתִם וְלֹא עֲזַבְתִּים

לֹא יָדָעוּ= They have not known/They knew not
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In other words is it possible for נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ to refer to someone who is unknown. For instance, would it be possible to use this term in the phrase parents often preach to their children, "never talk to נָכְרִיָּֽה׃" [strangers]?
 
Levite

Levite

Higher and Higher
james2ko said:
In other words is it possible for נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ to refer to someone who is unknown. For instance, would it be possible to use this term in the phrase parents often preach to their children, "never talk to נָכְרִיָּֽה׃" [strangers]?
Click to expand...

No, נכרי/ה is "stranger" in the sense of "foreigner," not in the sense of peculiar or unknown. I think maybe the nuance you're looking for would be better expressed by זר/ה, which is also "strange/foreign" but with the sense of "Them (not Us)," something other and undesirable.
 
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