Mitzvah Moments: everything you want to know about Jews including the two kitchen sinks.

[IndigoChild5559]

Do Jews believe Moses authored the Torah? Do or did Jews believe the Arch of the Covenant had special powers?

Some Jews believe that God literally dictated the Torah to Moses. Others accept textual criticism and believe that the Torah has many authors, and their writing were spliced together.

According to the stories in the Bible, the ark did indeed have powers. It was carried into battle to assure victory. There is an interesting story in 2 Samuel 6. King David was transporting the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The Ark was being carried on a new cart, and as they traveled, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, causing the Ark to slip. Uzzah, one of the men guiding the cart, instinctively reached out to steady the Ark. However, touching the Ark was forbidden, as it was considered holy. As a result, Uzzah was struck dead by God for his action, which was seen as irreverence.

Some Jews take that story quite literally. Other see it as legend and is there to instruct.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

What's the deal with that whole "chosen people" concept?

Nuances of "chosen people" vary among religious Jews. Here is my take.

You have to ask, "Chosen for what?" Being chosen doesn't always mean a good thing. I might get chosen for KP duty. In this case, Jews were chosen to be the priests of the world and carry monotheism to the entire globe. As priests, this means we have obligations that other people do not share. 613 obligations to be exact. You can mow your lawn on saturday; I can't. You can enjoy a lobster dinner; I can't.

I'm reminded of Tevye in Fiddler on the roof. He is talking to God and says, "I know, I know, we are the chosen people. But once in a while, couldn't you choose someone else?"

 

[Eddi]

Nuances of "chosen people" vary among religious Jews. Here is my take.

You have to ask, "Chosen for what?" Being chosen doesn't always mean a good thing. I might get chosen for KP duty. In this case, Jews were chosen to be the priests of the world and carry monotheism to the entire globe. As priests, this means we have obligations that other people do not share. 613 obligations to be exact. You can mow your lawn on saturday; I can't. You can enjoy a lobster dinner; I can't.

I'm reminded of Tevye in Fiddler on the roof. He is talking to God and says, "I know, I know, we are the chosen people. But once in a while, couldn't you choose someone else?"

Could you please expand on what "priests of the world" means?

Also, according to Judaism what is the relationship between God and the non-Jews, who have not been chosen? Why bother to make them, what's the point in them existing?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Some Jews believe ...

Some Jews take ...

What I appreciate is the use of "some." In my opinion, many, if not most, of your responses could have benefitted from its inclusion.

 

[Stonetree]

@IndigoChild5559 , Thank you

 

[Truthseeker]

Keep in mind that many Jews are NOT RELIGIOUS AT ALL. Some are even atheists.

I am an admirer of Einstein, though in his private life he had his faults, and he was not religious, and he didn't believe in a "personal God". He would say he believed in the God of Spinoza, who was considered back in those days beyond the pale among a number of Jews. Being not religious I understand among Jews is more widely accepted today than back in the past. It is easy to confuse Judaism with Jews as an ethnic group. Hitler hated them as an ethnic group it appears, not because of their religion per se like it was when Christians persecuted Jews in the Middle ages and before that.

 

[Truthseeker]

Nuances of "chosen people" vary among religious Jews. Here is my take.

You have to ask, "Chosen for what?" Being chosen doesn't always mean a good thing. I might get chosen for KP duty. In this case, Jews were chosen to be the priests of the world and carry monotheism to the entire globe. As priests, this means we have obligations that other people do not share. 613 obligations to be exact. You can mow your lawn on saturday; I can't. You can enjoy a lobster dinner; I can't.

I'm reminded of Tevye in Fiddler on the roof. He is talking to God and says, "I know, I know, we are the chosen people. But once in a while, couldn't you choose someone else?"

I appreciate your scrupulous dedication to accuracy on all that you reported.

 

[JustGeorge]

I'm reminded of Tevye in Fiddler on the roof. He is talking to God and says, "I know, I know, we are the chosen people. But once in a while, couldn't you choose someone else?"

Was that movie a good depiction of Jewish life in that time and place?

 

[Spice]

Most do, but not all. In fact, it is common to believe in a "Jewish soul." Some believe this Jewish soul will keep reincarnating until it has kept all 613 commandments. Although Jews with Jewish parents are born with a Jewish soul, converts also have a Jewish soul.

Is this reincarnation belief Kabbalah only, or also among some Orthodox, Conservative, and/or Reform?

 

[IndigoChild5559]

What I appreciate is the use of "some." In my opinion, many, if not most, of your responses could have benefitted from its inclusion.

No problem. Feel free to add what you think was important but which I left out.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Could you please expand on what "priests of the world" means?

Disclaimer: This post is my own interpretation. Remember, two Jews, three opinions.

That we are to take ethical monotheism to the world. It doesn't mean everyone has to become a Jew. But the idea that there is only One God, the creator, who cares about how we treat each other is an idea we think is worth sharing.

Also, according to Judaism what is the relationship between God and the non-Jews, who have not been chosen? Why bother to make them, what's the point in them existing?

Non-Jews are not second class citizens. They can be righteous and develop a similar relationship with God. We say that righteous non-Jews have a share in the world to come. We are fine with them worshiping God in their own way.

 

[JustGeorge]

That we are to take ethical monotheism to the world. It doesn't mean everyone has to become a Jew. But the idea that there is only One God, the creator, who cares about how we treat each other is an idea we think is worth sharing.

Non-Jews are not second class citizens. They can be righteous and develop a similar relationship with God. We say that righteous non-Jews have a share in the world to come. We are fine with them worshiping God in their own way.

What is the general consensus(I realize this is general indeed, as individuals differ) on folks like polytheists and atheists?

 

[IndigoChild5559]

I am an admirer of Einstein, though in his private life he had his faults, and he was not religious, and he didn't believe in a "personal God". He would say he believed in the God of Spinoza, who was considered back in those days beyond the pale among a number of Jews. Being not religious I understand among Jews is more widely accepted today than back in the past.

Einstein is a fascinating individual. My favorite story about him is that he got into a boat to travel to an island, but on the way became so lost in his thoughts that he was not aware of where he was or what he was doing. When the boat ran aground, he just kept sitting in the boat, completely unaware that he had arrived.

Spinoza is also very fascinating. I personally find his ideas worthy of deep thought. You know, back when Amsterdam issued the cherem (excommunication) of him, many of the Jews of that time would not recognize it. You are correct that as time has gone on, Jews have been increasingly more respectful of him. Today there is a wide range of opinions about Spinoza. There are those who call him a heretic, and those who say he was absolutely right.

It is easy to confuse Judaism with Jews as an ethnic group. Hitler hated them as an ethnic group it appears, not because of their religion per se like it was when Christians persecuted Jews in the Middle ages and before that.

Yes, you are very right. Christian antisemitism was religion based, and if a Jew were baptized a Christian, they welcomed him into their community. Hitler on the other hand had a mistaken idea that humans could be divided into distinct groups using superficial physical traits, aka races. For him, it mattered not at all if we became Christians. He considered everyone who had even just one Jewish grandparent who was a Jew, they needed to die. His concern was that we would marry non-Jews, and "pollute" the master race.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Was that movie a good depiction of Jewish life in that time and place?

Meh, it had its good points and things it missed. It successfully depicted the importance of Shabbat, traditional gender roles, and the importance of the matchmaker. On the flip side, it tended to oversimplify many rituals, such as the marriage. I personally don't think they got the Rabbi right. They made him kind of a passive guy who was only there for comic relief. And I don't really think they had a handle on what Orthodoxy is. For example, Tevye routinely broke the rules when it suited him. I think Orthodox Jews take Jewish law more seriously than that. Perhaps they will reply and give their view.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Is this reincarnation belief Kabbalah only, or also among some Orthodox, Conservative, and/or Reform?

Kabbalah is not a sect of Judaism. It is books of Jewish mysticism, the core one being the Zohar. There are some Jews in all the movements of Judaism who find the Kabbalah meaningful. I think it is more popular among the Orthodox, but I've also met Reform Jews who would quote from it.

I am not personally really into Kabbalah, but it has its moments of great wisdom. My favorite quote is "In each spark is a world, and each world contains a spark."

 

[Eddi]

That we are to take ethical monotheism to the world. It doesn't mean everyone has to become a Jew. But the idea that there is only One God, the creator, who cares about how we treat each other is an idea we think is worth sharing.

Non-Jews are not second class citizens. They can be righteous and develop a similar relationship with God. We say that righteous non-Jews have a share in the world to come. We are fine with them worshiping God in their own way.

Interesting

Thanks for your answers!

 

[IndigoChild5559]

What is the general consensus(I realize this is general indeed, as individuals differ) on folks like polytheists and atheists?

Since Judaism teaches that there is only One God, the Creator, who isn't a rock or river of person or anything else of this world, we believe that polytheists are greatly mistaken. Any Jew who converted to a form of polytheism would be considered apostate.

The thing about atheists, is that they are defined by what they are NOT. They lack any belief in God, and have no religion. Jewish perception of atheists vary, and it is definitely a far more nuanced thing than polytheism. This is because on one hand, they lack any belief in God, which is core in Judaism. But the bigger question is, are they keeping the commandments?

I have known Orthodox Jews who certainly do think that Atheists sin when they do not acknowledge God, but when I used to attend a Reform synagogue, there were actually quite a few atheists who attended regularly and were welcome there.

I have a good friend who is an Orthodox Jew and also an atheist. He will tell you that he is a Jew first, and an atheist second. He once told me the story of an atheist Jew, a tailor, who planned to attend the Yom Kippur service. His friend asked him why he would do that as an atheist. He replied, "Jews go there to be with God. I go there to be with the Jews."

It is worth noting that Jews also look more leniently on those who are not raised in Judaism, or are otherwise not familiar with Jewish teachings.

As for me personally, I have absolutely no problem with atheist Jews. I find that in general they are very moral people. I don't think they choose to be atheists. They simply don't experience anything that would indicate to them that there is a God.

I'd like to tell you a story that has greatly informed my own view.

Reb Zusha, seeking to learn and understand the world more deeply, decided to study with the apikorsim—men who were deeply studied in Torah but who had rejected it. His fellow Hasidim were shocked and concerned. How could such a righteous man associate with those who denied core aspects of Jewish faith? Reb Zusha explained that he wasn’t abandoning his beliefs or giving in to their ways. Rather, he saw value in understanding different perspectives, even those that opposed his own. He famously said, “I suck out the juice and spit out the pits.”

 

[IndigoChild5559]

@JustGeorge

When I began my posts on the Shabbat, I thought the disclaimer in my post about the variety of our theologies and practices among religious Jews was enough. But I think now that I should make it clear that my discussion was skewed towards Orthodoxy. I'm sure the reason I did this is because my fondest memories of Shabbat were those years. However, there were things the Orthodox do that were not mentioned. Conservative Jews are fairly observant, but less strict than the Orthodox. Reform Jews feel fulfilled to simply attend synagogue, although they might increase their observance voluntarily. I am not familiar with Construction Judaism, so I can't comment on that. Because the question was about Judaism, I answered from that context. However, remember that of course secular Jews have no reason to observe Shabbat at all.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

@Stonetree
When I wrote you the post on Kashrut, I figured my earlier post on how religious Jews have a variety of opinions regarding theology and observance would be enough to give context. But I now think that I need to emphasize that observance of Kashrut varies widely. I gave the Orthodox version, because in my mind (it was late at night, so my thinking was not at its best) I was thinking that it is better to give the fullest version, since other views tend to be parts of that. However, I now think I need to mention that observance is less strict for Conservative Jews, and most Reform Jews do not keep kosher, although they can if they wish. I am not at all familiar with Reconstruction Judaism, so I cannot comment for them. Also, since this was a question regarding Judaism, I did not mention that of course secular Jews have no need to be kosher.

 

[JustGeorge]

@JustGeorge

When I began my posts on the Shabbat, I thought the disclaimer in my post about the variety of our theologies and practices among religious Jews was enough. But I think now that I should make it clear that my discussion was skewed towards Orthodoxy. I'm sure the reason I did this is because my fondest memories of Shabbat were those years. However, there were things the Orthodox do that were not mentioned. Conservative Jews are fairly observant, but less strict than the Orthodox. Reform Jews feel fulfilled to simply attend synagogue, although they might increase their observance voluntarily. I am not familiar with Construction Judaism, so I can't comment on that. Because the question was about Judaism, I answered from that context. However, remember that of course secular Jews have no reason to observe Shabbat at all.

What sect do you belong to? (Just curious.)

I don't know how to word that properly, but I think you'll know what I mean.