Questions about Jews, Judaism and so on.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Have you seen God? What does he look like?
(I know you probably meant metaphorically, so take this question as: Have you experienced God? In what way?)

What has he done for you lately?

 

[nonconformist]

But if Judaism is such an exclusive religion, what's the point? (of making people "see" god, I mean)

 

[civ2]

nonconformist etc
Noahidism.
Seven Noahide Laws IN-DEPTH.
Moral without God is subject to easily fail.

 

[Frank Drebin]

well, i rather have a short and precise answer by you than read through walls of texts, but if you dont want to answer, fine.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

civ2, I'd much rather have your own personal take on these things then you simply linking to some site. After all, what use is this thread if a google search would yield the same result. I'm interested in your personal experiences.

You might as well go: Answers are here http://www.chabad.org/

Have a nice day

/thread.

 

[nonconformist]

Can I have your answer rather than random links please?

 

[civ2]

Frank
SHORT:
Non-Jews fulfil their mission by sticking to the "Seven Noahide Laws".
This does NOT make them Jewish - and Judaism in general does NOT encourage proselytizing.
Humanity has to become monotheistic - not JEWISH.

 

[Frank Drebin]

seems to basically amount to "convert all people to judaism light"?

 

[nonconformist]

But only the Jews will be saved?

 

[civ2]

to all
I'm trying to answer shortly - where possible or where my short answer would suffice.
Otherwise I'm giving you clear links where you can read it in-depth and in much nicer language than mine.

nonconformist
"Saved" is a Christian idea.
I'm talking about fulfilling the purpose of being created.
As in my example (here or in YEC, don't remember) about breeding rabbits in a jet.

Frank
Monotheistic is not limited to Jewish.
That's where Noahides step into the picture.
God is ONE, you know.

Ziggy
Sorry, I accidentally missed your question about personal experience...
The thing is - I'm not basing MY belief on personal miracles, it just became on itself.
But, yeah, I've seen many obviously miraculous events in mine and my friends' lives.
You know, like evading a car crash or not being hit by an icycle by an inch etc.
A couple stories though:
1. I've been on a bus and a couple of hooligans chained my knapsack to its inside.
I was really getting late for university and had to miss couple of stations.
Then suddenly a guy comes in, bring a key to me and unlocks it.
Maybe it doesn't sound like a miracle - but it definitely looked like one.
2. Once I was going home from an apotheca and a couple of seemingly "drug users" approached me.
I asked God for help - and they suddenly got scared and ran away.
And that was clearly without any obvious reasons.
Again, these stories might not sound too miraculous - but they definitely felt like ones, from MY perspective.

 

[useless]

Why is there so much segregation in Orthodox Jewish communities? Surely that would harm integration, not help it?

 

[civ2]

useless
What exactly are you talking about???

 

[useless]

What i mean is, why is there a reluctance to marry non-jews? Or so i've heard?

 

[civ2]

useless
I thought so...
You see, one is Jewish only if his/her mother is Jewish (or by conversion, but it's not the topic).
The reason is both simple and complex.
Simple part is that mother is the one that gives much more influence to the child - so it goes according to her.
Complex part is that being Jewish isn't the same as being, say, Muslim - it's not a CHOICE but rather a NATURE (spiritual, and again converts are a different topic).
Also, this leads to a simple thing that Jews and non-Jews are different by spiritual NATURE.
Not "good" and "bad" - unlike in Islam/Christianity "us=good vs them=bad" - just different.
Like comparing a mile and a pound.
So such "mixed" families actually bring unhappiness to both parties.
Yes, sometimes they don't feel it - but the same goes to any other type of spiritual "discomfort" - people tend to "not feel it" for external reasons, usually SELF-DECEIT...
Anyways, I don't want to start a page-size post to answer this...
To be short - intermarriage is bad for BOTH.

 

[civ_king]

So converts to Judaism can't marry Jews because that would be unJewish and they can't marry nonJews because that would be unJewish

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

Why do jews celebrate military victories as their religious holidays? I mean a concept like Hamantaschen is definetly uniqe to judaism. Wouldn't it be more reasonable to celebrate your religion?

 

[cardgame]

Why do jews celebrate military victories as their religious holidays? I mean a concept like Hamantaschen is definetly uniqe to judaism. Wouldn't it be more reasonable to celebrate your religion?

I think you answered your own question. In a way.

 

[civ2]

civ_king
Oh, my...
Proper converts are considered as Jewish as the born ones.
WHY did you get such an idea - I have no clue.

ADGreat
Because we see that there's NOTHING "secular-only" that happens in the world.
Purim, being the example you're referring to, is an example of a "hidden" miracle, where it SEEMS that everything went according to natural events.
Like, having a Queen to protect her people, a wise man getting honored "in time" etc.
But with DEEPER look, it gets revealed that it was much more complex than that - and it was an obvious miracle, though clothed in "natural" events.
Purim Wiki.
Hidden Miracles.

 

[civ_king]

Somehow I didn't see the "(or by conversion, but it's not the topic)" part


How will you know when the Moshiach has come?

 

[Berzerker]

Berzerker
OK, I don't understand your question then...
But you should remember we're talking about a translation anyways.
So we might refer to different entities...
Try formulating your question more clearly, please.
Anyways, what exactly bothers you in such "version"???

the text is...unusual. We're told God created Heaven and Earth, but when we're told about creation neither fits the definition of the universe or this planet. Heaven was something placed amidst the waters - pre-existing waters - and Earth is the word God gave to the dry land that appeared from below the waters - pre-existing waters. The Earth in G1:2 is submerged, ie not dry - but it was there nonetheless. This planet - tehom - was covered with water before creation began. So given the actual text, where does Genesis say God created the waters or the universe?