Zone1 What is a Jew?

[AsherN]

Who sets these beliefs? There isn’t a central Jewish church.
When was the last major piece of scripture written? Who was the last prophet recognized by Jews?

Can anyone in modern times be considered a profit that can add to the holy texts? If not, why not?

We can't add or subtract from Torah. Torah and Talmud form the basis. When new situations arise, we look at that, and issue judgement. Those are called Responsa, and evolve over time. But there are strict rules on how one can come up with acceptable Responsa.

 

[AsherN]

I am not Jewish but have been interested in and have written about and taught Jewish history. My definition which everybody probably won't agree with:

A person who says he/she is Jewish may be of any race or ethnicity but adheres to the Jewish faith.

A person who is a Jew believes he/she descended from the ancient Hebrews of the Bible. He/she may or may not adhere to the Jewish faith.

The usual definition is one born of a Jewish mother, or one who has converted in the proper manner under the auspices of a recognized authority.

 

[Woodznutz]

What's the difference with the Jews of Today and the Jews who practiced under the title of Biblical Israel until God allowed the Roman Empire to destroy (70 A.D.) their most holy place (Temple) and drive all the Jews from the promised land.....scattering them around the globe?

Let us make a documented list as exampled in the Holy Scriptures and History Actual.

1. (A.) Biblical Israel......the Jews from Christ's generation, were governed by a set of laws that came from God as translated and inforced by the Royal Priesthood of Levites. (B.) The Jews of today....claim that the Israel of the bible has returned.....but they are not governed by the literal Laws of God as was Biblical Israel. They obey the laws of man's government......they offer no burnt offerings to the Levites that is required to carry their sin from one year to the next......they obey the laws of men in place of the laws of Biblical Israel. The Israel of today was not established by the God of creation..........but by the United Nations. (Ex. 19:5-7, Deut. 30:1-10, Ezra 7:10, Nehemiah 8:1-18)

2. (A.) Biblical Israel.........possessed All the Land of promise, God fulfilled His promise of land.....a land the Jews would possess forever or until they disobeyed the Laws of God. (1 Kings 4:21.....Jer.31:31-34) (B.) Modern Israel/Jews......Possess but a small portion of the Land of Promise.......without the hope of a Temple ever being reconstructed.....and this land was not given to them by God, it was granted by a U.N. resolution....which has resulted in nothing but war after war, after war.

3. (A.) Biblical Israel......was ruled by a King appointed by God (1 Sam. 8:4-22) (B.) Modern Israel/Jews.......are not governed by a Monarchy.......they are governed by a Government controlled by Men.....Israel was destined to be forever CAST OUTS from their own land without a King because of a curse placed upon them by the God of creation (Jer.22-28-30).

Biblical Israel.......like a Broken potters Jar, would never be WHOLE/COMPLETE.....ever again (Jer. 19:7-13)

4. (A.) Biblical Israel.......possessed a Temple in Jerusalem. (1 Kings 8:1-10). (B.) Modern Israel has no Temple

5. (A.) Biblical Israel......governed by a Royal Priesthood. (Numbers 3:6-10) (B.) Modern Israel/Jews.......No Royal Priesthood.

6. (A.) Biblical Israel.......possessed Tribal ID's. (B.) Modern Israel/Jews........have no Tribal IDs.

Jeremiah 33 is interesting in this regard. There is but one legitimate throne for all of Israel. If God be true there is a descendant of David sitting on it now, 'ruling' over the house of Israel, not the Jews.

The religion of the "house of Israel" is Christianity, not Judaism.

 

[theHawk]

We can't add or subtract from Torah. Torah and Talmud form the basis. When new situations arise, we look at that, and issue judgement. Those are called Responsa, and evolve over time. But there are strict rules on how one can come up with acceptable Responsa.

Why can’t they be added to? At what point was it decided they cannot be added to? Who had the authority to make that decision?

 

[rosends]

Who sets these beliefs? There isn’t a central Jewish church.
When was the last major piece of scripture written? Who was the last prophet recognized by Jews?

Can anyone in modern times be considered a profit that can add to the holy texts? If not, why not?

Good questions all!
1. The beliefs were codified through the discussions and rules in the Oral law. There are various codes of Jewish law and recordings of the variant traditions. In general, the Shulchan Aruch (the set table) is the accepted code of Jewish law but some of the rulings there are accepted by Sephardic Jews while Ashkenazic Jews follow the rulings of the RaMo whose explanations and rulings are also included in the text. Later writers further refined the laws and recorded explanations and applications. Maimonides also wrote a code of law which is balanced in Sephardic communities with the Rulings of the S"A.

2. Prophecy ended with the death of Malachi. There are various "levels" of prophecy so we don't say that ALL of every level ceased to exist but what we think of as classical prophecy (which isn't about predicting the future) did cease. See here for an interesting discussion.

3. The last piece of scripture in the written text is probably Malachi also.

While we have sages now and have had people whose ideas seem to be inspired, we do not have prophecy now.

 

[theHawk]

A Jew is someone who practices Judaism. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!

Kind of like being a woman. Anyone who says they are a woman is one, no matter what.

 

[AsherN]

Why can’t they be added to? At what point was it decided they cannot be added to? Who had the authority to make that decision?

Torah is from G-d and cannot be added to or substracted from. It can be interpreted. It is ours.

 

[Woodznutz]

Actually, unlike Christian belief, Jews believe that everybody can be part of Olam Haba, not just Jews.

Christians believe this as well.

 

[Woodznutz]

Torah is from G-d and cannot be added to or substracted from. It can be interpreted. It is ours.

We non-Jews have the same five books, and we think they are ours as well.

 

[AsherN]

Christians believe this as well.

yes, that's why they insist everybody convert to Christianity and accept Jesus in order to be saved.

 

[AsherN]

We non-Jews have the same five books, and we think they are ours as well.

You believe somebody 2,000 years ago invalidated them.

 

[alang1216]

The Anglican church was the forerunner of Protestantism, and was/is just another 'state' religion.

Now I'm even more confused. Charlemagne was a devout Catholic who aided the Pope so I'm not sure what was his connection to any other religion.

 

[Dadoalex]

Yes, I know Jews like to play this game….it’s a combination of race and bloodlines, and a little religion. So basically they are the Master Race that God favors. So they really don’t need to obey any laws anymore, they can just comply with the laws they are comfortable with.

They really didn’t like the message Jesus was giving, the idea that all men and women, Jews and Gentiles, had an equal opportunity to be saved and earn a place in eternal heaven.

Ahhh the religious conundrum
Only one can be right
So we must hate and demean all the others.
Been going on for 2000 years.

 

[theHawk]

Ahhh the religious conundrum
Only one can be right
So we must hate and demean all the others.
Been going on for 2000 years.

Well of course only one can be right.

Either Jesus is the messiah, or he is not. Personally I look the texts and accounts with logic and reason in order to decide which is right.

It is not about hating and demeaning all the others. It’s about speaking the truth.

 

[theHawk]

yes, that's why they insist everybody convert to Christianity and accept Jesus in order to be saved.

So if people do not need to convert to Judaism, how can they be saved? Do Jews just not care about the eternal souls of others?

 

[Woodznutz]

You believe somebody 2,000 years ago invalidated them.

Fulfilled their ritual meanings. "It is finished."

 

[Woodznutz]

Now I'm even more confused. Charlemagne was a devout Catholic who aided the Pope so I'm not sure what was his connection to any other religion.

He hunted down and killed what he and the Pope considered to be heretics. True Christians were also killed. The Holy Roman church is thought to be the agent of Satan, and Charlemagne and other inquisitors the 'flood' of Revelation 12, cast out to destroy the young church. It is noteworthy that a flood destroys everything in its path. Therefore, not knowing who and where the true church actually was the Devil decided to just persecute or kill everyone not a Catholic.

 

[Toro]

I find myself asking this question a lot lately.

There are lots of so-called Jews around, people claiming to be Jewish, yet they seem to be pretty ignorant of passages from the Hebrew Bible. Many of them today also promote Satanic lies and values, such as transgenderism, homosexuality, and abortion. How can one support these things and still call themselves a person of God? To be fair there are plenty of Christians doing this, and I call them out on that.

So what really is a Jew? What do they believe in? The modern day Jews don’t seem to have the same beliefs and rituals as they had over two thousand years ago. What changed? What is their belief about the afterlife and what happens when we die?

Firstly, they worship “the God of Abraham“, God who made a covenant with Abraham. Before that was the covenant with Noah. Also of course was those with Moses and David.

But what has changed since then?

Obviously someone did come along that radically changed things. He said their temple would be destroyed, and it was. But the Jews labeled him a heretic and blasphemer. The Jews called the followers of the one that did this a “cult”. When it became obvious this “cult” wasn’t going to just fade away, they supposedly had a council to “re-edit” the Hebrew Bible. Also later on the Jews came up with the Talmud, another “revision” of the religion.


So if any Jew is interested in talking about these things, let me know. I’d like to hear from you.

Thanks for your anti-Semitic ruminations, theHawKKK

 

[theHawk]

Thanks for your anti-Semitic ruminations, theHawKKK

What is anti-Semitic?

Are all Jews “Semitic”?

 

[Foxfyre]

The usual definition is one born of a Jewish mother, or one who has converted in the proper manner under the auspices of a recognized authority.

Yes that too. According to halachah (traditional Jewish law) a real Jew by birth must have a Jewish mother. But I think it was early 1980s (?) the Reform Jewish Council ruled that either parent could be Jewish. And there are numerous Biblical Hebrews/Israelites/Jews who took non Jewish wives and the scriptures imply strong patriarchal lineage instead of Jewish lineage.

Jewish law has therefore been somewhat ambiguous but a couple of years or so ago, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that all Jews, conservative and reform or converts must be granted status as Jews with right of return to Israel.