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there are a lot of christian obsessions with aspects of Judaism that are rooted in polemic, whether or not the person currently expressing them is even aware of it. The whole obsession with why and how sacrifices were ended is one those. Its not a real issue of interest to most modern jews (now whether the beit hamikdash hashlishi folks hanging out in Jer and preparing cohenim's garments are gantze meshuggah, thats a different question) Its mostly of interest to folks trying to prove something about an alternative to sacrifice other than prayer, repentance, and charity.
I think it's a valid question, since we consider Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah, and he was the sacrifice that was required in the Mosaic Law.
I think it's a valid question, since we consider Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah, and he was the sacrifice that was required in the Mosaic Law.
Its a valid question, since christianity holds that he was those things. But its a question rooted in polemic, that AFAIK has been answered a million times over the last 1800 years, and has usually been part of an attempt to convert the Jews, and whose jewish answer will never satisfy those for whom a jewish answer other than the christian position is a denial of their faith. That doesnt mean its not valid as a question, but I would suggest it will shed more heat than light.
Its a valid question, since christianity holds that he was those things. But its a question rooted in polemic, that AFAIK has been answered a million times over the last 1800 years, and has usually been part of an attempt to convert the Jews, and whose jewish answer will never satisfy those for whom a jewish answer other than the christian position is a denial of their faith. That doesnt mean its not valid as a question, but I would suggest it will shed more heat than light.
I personally haven't heard the answer, and look forward to reading what the OP has to say.
Is the Tanakh which you might read from daily (or do you) in Hebrew or are there English translations? Are Jewish people "required" (for lack of a better word) to learn Hebrew to at least a functional leve for religious purposes? Are there movements to get a conversational or daily use of Hebrew ouside of Israel?
I ask as this is a big topic among our different Indian Nations. In my Nation, for example, we have started many programs to ensure our Numu Tekwapu (Comanche Language) does not die out with our elders. We work even with some of the public schools in the Lawton, OK area (this is where the bulk of our people live) to offer our language as a course of study. Parents are encouraged to speak Comanche in the home. I did this, but too often my daughters would answer in English. Made me posa (crazy).
Last edited by Fullback32; 12-29-2011 at 04:05 PM..
I'll be easy Just want to Thank You for starting this thread. I know we have differences but I feel it is best to have the chance to ask a Jew about any questions pertaining to Judaism than to go by assumptions and misconceptions.
If we are to disagree may the disagreements be in the spirit of peace and without Malice. Based upon actual differences and not upon conjecture.
Hey folks. In the discussions I've been having here at this forum, I've had many times where an answer I gave to a question led the thread down an alternate pathway than what the OP intended (sorry Mods, I'm not being bad on purpose). Somebody suggested I start a new thread called "Ask a Jew."
Who am I? I'm an Orthodox Jew living in a major city in America. Any views I present will be the views of a Torah Observant Jew - one who attempts to follow all 613 mitzvahs given in the Torah. I'm not a rabbi, but I learn Torah and Talmud every day of the week and have immersed myself in a life of Torah. There's no such thing as a person who knows "All" of the Torah, but for the purposes of this forum, I can give it a shot.
One quick thing, is I will not be online during the Jewish Sabbath (sundown Friday to sundown Saturday night). So if you ask a question during that time, perhaps one of the fellow non observant Jews on this site can answer.
Speaking of non-observant Jews, their answers will sometimes differ from mine. It doesn't make mine right and theirs wrong - just different views.
My friends, ask away...
What do you think of reform Jews, particularly since so many don't take a lot of the Torah literally?
david had the tabernacle. Once the temple was built sacrifices could be brought no where else.
Instead the fast of yom kippur, and daily prayers that match the sacrifices in time and name, and recall the sacrifices, are accepted in lieu of the sacrifices. There are various prooftexts, which like any such prooftexts, will be disputed.
Is the Tanakh which you might read from daily (or do you) in Hebrew or are there English translations? Are Jewish people "required" (for lack of a better word) to learn Hebrew to at least a functional level? Are there movements to get a conversational or daily use of Hebrew ouside of Israel?
translations go back to the aramaic targum. All jews, even reform, when they do a ritual reading do so in hebrew. Any Jew who can will study it in hebrew (and those who do not will often study an english translation with the hebrew text right beside) since so much of the meaning is in the exact language, and the commentaries often focus on details that are lost in translation.
There is no formal movement for conversational use of hebrew outside of Israel, but teaching children conversational israeli hebrew is considered very imporant by most Conservative and modern O jews, and some Reform jews. It is not expected that this will become a living language for them in the diaspora - though for those who have spent a lot of time in Israel, it sometimes does. Most learning of modern hebrew is connected with travel or moving to the land where Hebrew is the national language.
Oh, and some ultraorthodox Jews avoid using modern Hebrew, because they think the language too holy for daily use - even some in Jerusalem live their daily lives in Yiddish, as much as they can.
and the language of the bible, the language of modern israel, and the language of traditional jewish study are not all quite the same. The latter (loshen kadosh) has large elements of Aramaic, the language of the talmud. The language of modern Israel has borrowings from other modern languages, modified meanings of old biblical words, and a grammar that is closer to that of the mishnah (an ancient jewish legal work) than to biblical grammar - as it happens the grammar of the mishnah is closer to indoeuropean grammars.
I ask as this is a big topic among our different Indian Nations. In my Nation, for example, we have started many programs to ensure our Numu Tekwapu (Comanche Language) does not die out with our elders. We work even with some of the public schools in the Lawton, OK area (this is where the bulk of our people live) to offer our language as a course of study. Parents are encouraged to speak Comanche in the home. I did this, but too often my daughters would answer in English. Made me posa (crazy).
good luck - BUT - look at the irish language revival - indifferent results, with a lot more native speakers (when they started it) than most native american languages, and the power of a sovereign state.
Mod hebrew, unlike Irish - started with hugely important literature - and with a population that spoke many different languages and with no obvious alternative (they were going to drop yiddish, few spoke english or french, german or russian would have turned the jews who spoke arabic or ladino or english or french, etc, etc) by contrast Irish was in competition with ONE language = english - and had a literature that if interesting, was less important to ordinary irish people than the bible was to Jews. most yiddish and arabic and ladino speaking jews knew some hebrew words from prayer, etc.
What do you think of reform Jews, particularly since so many don't take a lot of the Torah literally?
Many Jews don't take the Torah literally. Does that make the Torah not important? NO. The Torah is central for us.
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