Questions about Jews, Judaism and so on.

[civ2]

civ_king
Uh...
Didn't I provide links on this topic in my very SIG?
Who is Moshiach.

Berzerker
Genesis with Rashi's commentary.

Perforce, you must admit that Scripture did not teach us anything about the sequence of the earlier and the later [acts of creation].

Anyways, the problem is it IS a translation - so "earth" and "heavens" might meen different ideas than you think.

 

[civ2]

Kinda meaningfull BUMP.

I was looking through my original thread (linked in post #1) and saw an interesting post there:
THIS.
It's about free choice in mundane situations.
The whole idea of it is - that there's rarely a "mundane" (aka not connected to religion) situation, if ever.
We just usually seem to miss or misunderstand (or underestimate?) the "religiousness" of the "everyday life".
Torah demands from us (and gives guidelines) to see Godliness even in the "trivial" situations like buying apples.

Anyways, this was just a BUMP with some meaning.
So, waiting for your questions.

 

[_random_]

What's your general opinion of Jesus?

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Do you allow yourself to post on the Sabbath? What things do you not do on the Sabbath in general?

 

[ori]

whats your definition of Torah Law?

 

[Berzerker]

Berzerker
Genesis with Rashi's commentary.

Anyways, the problem is it IS a translation - so "earth" and "heavens" might meen different ideas than you think.

I'm using God's definitions, what are you using? God called the firmament "Heaven", and this firmament was placed amidst already existing waters. And "Earth" is the name God gave the "dry land" that appeared when the waters below the firmament were gathered together to form Seas. This water (that became Seas) was already here too, it was covering the formless (submerged) "Earth". Heaven is not the universe and the Earth is not this planet. So where did the water come from? Genesis does not say God created it... it was here before creation began.

 

[civ2]

Randomnerd10
I'd say it's OFF-TOPIC to this thread.

ParadigmShifter
Since I'm an observant Jew (and that includes Shabbat) - no, I don't use computers on Shabbat.
What COULD happen though (although the chance is very small due to other circumstances) - that while there's NO Shabbat in MY location, it could be starting or not yet be finished somewhere else.
Why? Because it's connected to DAYLIGHT and that differs all over the globe at any given moment.
Evening by me equals morning in USA, for example.
So while I'm not POSTING it on (my location's) Shabbat - it might APPEAR differently to a user from over-seas.
But it's a rare thing to happen since I'm rarely jumping to posting immediately after Shabbat ends - I have other stuff to do too.
Types of activities forbidden on Shabbat (in SHORT!)

ori
Could you please clarify your question a bit more?
Not sure if this is what you're asking, but anyways...
Judaism is NOT a "religion" in a common meaning - it's more of a "way of life / lifestyle".
This needs explanation.
"Religion" implies there are "holy" activities and "mundane" ones.
Judaism tells that there no "absolutely mundane" parts of one's life - EVERYTHING has to be lived through according to God's instructions (Torah) and with the intention to elevate the action / moment to become "holy" aka "for God".
The ultimate goal for an observant Jew is to see God in everyday life which means DIRECTING one's WHOLE life to God.
Judaism doesn't promote seclusion (or at least doesn't see it as the ultimate way of serving God) - one has to live a "full" life, and make it connected to Godliness.
There is no difference between praying (seemingly "holy") and eating (seemingly "mundane") in the aspect that it has to be done not just in accord with God's will, but actually completely for God's sake.
Truly holy people feel God constantly EXACTLY because they make their LIVES "full with God", directed towards Him constantly.
I know it might be hard to grasp - but that's how Torah and Judaism is.

Berzerker

1. In the beginning of God's creation of the heavens and the earth.

Torah does NOT clarify the creation process in details - except those RELEVANT TO US.
I just thought of a funny example.
Imagine you bought some LEGOs.
Your kids played with it and built a nice car.
Now, the parable is that Genesis tells you that the car is made of blocks.
For both you and your children - that's ALL what you need to know.
You DON'T need to know how those blocks were manufactured UNLESS you're involved in that business or processing.
But for a simple "block-manager" it's superfluos - and also UNNEEDED information.
Now back to Creation.
All we need to know - is how to interact with THIS (already finished and "working") world.
We don't NEED to know how exactly ("technically") it appeared to become the way it is now.
Why?
Because - even if you knew, it would give you NOTHING PRACTICAL - your life would NOT change.
Example from an RPG game - would you buy stuff that your character would NEVER be able to make use of?
Obviously NOT.
So why bother about things you would anyways be NOT able to make use of?
We know it took SIX DAYS to result in what we have now.
But we are NOT God - so we are NOT able to "emulate the creation".
Therefore, why bother teaching astro-physics to a toddler???

Pheeeewwww, that one was a long one.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

We know it took SIX DAYS to result in what we have now.

Why would God need rest on the 7th?

Does God get tired?

 

[civ2]

Ziggy
No, I'd rather say that He created the concept of REST by "resting" on the Shabbat.
Also, Shabbat is more "holy" than a week-day - and "holy" in Judaism actually means "separated".
So God had to somehow separate (make different) the seventh day.
Also, actually God is re-creating the entire world every single moment - those "days of creation" were meant for either making the world the way it should be (and than just "overwriting" it constantly) OR to set an example for us (the 7-day week as being a constant reminder of the act of creation for us) OR most probably BOTH.
More about the process of Creation and re-Creation:
#1
#2

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Ziggy
No, I'd rather say that He created the concept of REST by "resting" on the Shabbat.

Yes I realize you would rather say that, since that would make more sense.

Fact of the matter is, he rested on the 7th day.

Gen 2.2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
Gen 2.3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Repeat question. Why do you think God would need rest on the 7th day?

 

[Reiser]

A few simple questions I'm sure any Jew can answer. I haven't read through this thread so I don't know if this has been asked before.

1. Is the Jewish faith monotheistic, and believes in the same God that Christians believe?
2. Since Jesus was called "The King of the Jews", he was not just a good man in the Torah, correct?
3. If this is true, do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and resurrected three days later, saving us from condemnment? (Yeah, I don't know much about Judaism )
4. On another subject: Do you like people using "Jew", or is there a more formal name?

 

[civ2]

Ziggy
Eh???
I just told you...
There was no REST before that.
So He made a double-shot by "resting" on Shabbat and thus making it both the day of rest and the day of holiness.
God is NOT "resting" for REAL.
Just read my links - you'll see WHY.

If the letters of the Ten Utterances by which the earth was created during the Six Days of Creation were to depart from it but for an instant, G‑d forbid, it would revert to naught and absolute nothingness, exactly as before the Six Days of Creation.

Isn't this clear enough YET???

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I'm pretty sure Jesus isn't in the Old Testament

Have you ever been tempted to eat a bacon sandwich (I know vegetarians who say this is the most difficult thing for them)?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Ziggy
Eh???
I just told you...

No you said: "No, I'd rather say that He created the concept of REST by "resting" on the Shabbat."

But that's not what the Bible says.

There was no REST before that.

Bible doesn't say, and lo on the Seventh day God created rest. No it says quite clearly:

because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

He rested from all the work he had done. He was tired.

So He made a double-shot by "resting" on Shabbat and thus making it both the day of rest and the day of holiness.

So why does God need "rest".

God is NOT "resting" for REAL.

Explain when the Bible states he does.

Just read my links - you'll see WHY.

If there's anything relevant in the links, quote the relevant bits please.

I'm not searching through pages of irrelevancy to find your answer.

 

[civ2]

Reiser
Oi vei.
Didn't you see what I told Randomnerd10 just a couple posts above?
OFF-TOPIC!
OK, anyways.
There is only ONE God - not "Jewish" or "Muslim" or "Christian" etc.
That's the mistake I'm really getting angry at - because it defines God as if He's something like a mythology "deity", you know, "Roman" ones vs "Greek" ones etc.
God is ONE and ONLY!

Yeah, I don't know much about Judaism.

Yeah...
Also, "Jew" isn't any different from "American" etc - it's ALL in the context!

Paradigm

Speaking of bacon and co.
Unfortunatelly, I wasn't observant since birth - and I have Soviet Union to blame this for.
But many people make a mistake thinking that eating kosher is a (big) limitation.
Well, it limits you somewhat - but a GOOD chef wouldn't be stopped by that!
It's all in the attitude!
You wouldn't guess what GREAT kosher cuisine could and would exist - if more Jews kept kosher.
You know, there are SOY products nowadays!

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I wasn't saying kosher food is bad/limiting My favourite food is curry (and I like kebabs too) and lots of that is Halal round here. The smell of bacon cooking and the sizzling sound is pretty tempting though, it's often the thing veggies say they miss the most

 

[civ2]

Ziggy's going stubborn, Ziggy's going stubborn... (sing-song tune)
Dude, you're definitely missing the point here.
Resting is NOT equal to getting tired.
And I really think it's "ceasing" rather than plain "resting".
And you can cease while NOT being tired - it's just that the JOB was done already.
Look at the very bottom.

What was the world lacking? Rest. The Sabbath came, and so came rest. The work was completed and finished.

A VERY NICE ARTICLE on this.

Paradigm
Um, I really like chicken - so it's NOT a problem for me.

 

[Reiser]

Well, that was embarassing.
Thanks for the answers.

 

[ori]

R
ori
Could you please clarify your question a bit more?
Not sure if this is what you're asking, but anyways...
Judaism is NOT a "religion" in a common meaning - it's more of a "way of life / lifestyle".
This needs explanation.
"Religion" implies there are "holy" activities and "mundane" ones.
Judaism tells that there no "absolutely mundane" parts of one's life - EVERYTHING has to be lived through according to God's instructions (Torah) and with the intention to elevate the action / moment to become "holy" aka "for God".
The ultimate goal for an observant Jew is to see God in everyday life which means DIRECTING one's WHOLE life to God.
Judaism doesn't promote seclusion (or at least doesn't see it as the ultimate way of serving God) - one has to live a "full" life, and make it connected to Godliness.
There is no difference between praying (seemingly "holy") and eating (seemingly "mundane") in the aspect that it has to be done not just in accord with God's will, but actually completely for God's sake.
Truly holy people feel God constantly EXACTLY because they make their LIVES "full with God", directed towards Him constantly.
I know it might be hard to grasp - but that's how Torah and Judaism is.

The definition of being Jewish (according to Torah Law) is:

What is your definition of Torah Law in this context, also following your post in the context of God's instructions you point to with regards to "mundane" activities.

Not sure I buy your definition of religion by the way, religion in general does not neccessarily imply that there is a distinction between activities covered by religious rules and activities that are not covered by them, as such your claim of distinctiveness for the Jewish religion is on rather shaky grounds - or can you point to a mainstream religion that actually makes a distinction between behavior/activities in a religious setting and in a "mudane" setting?

 

[civ2]

Well, that was embarassing.
Thanks for the answers.

Sorry, didn't mean to be mean.
No prob - that's the reason I made this topic.
You're welcome to ask anything you want - it's just that I won't promise to ANSWER all questions.