Judaism

[danny]

So, why don't Jews sacrifice lambs anymore?

In modern day Israel you would get arrested for trying that.

[The Mikado]

Well, the Talmud does try some degree of interpretation that ends up tangential at best to the original rule, most famously by making Exodus' command not to boil a baby goat in iits mother's milk into a prohibition of mixing meat and dairy.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

If, hypothetically, God had said, "Dont wear the color green, "  the Talmud would have a set of 50 instructions on how you're to wear the color blue and wallow around in and glorify the 50 rules of wearing blue it had created and pat each other on the back for abiding by the 50 rules of the color blue, when all God said was,  "Dont wear the color green. " 

That is one of the most ridiculous distortions of the Talmud I have ever heard, including the anti-Semitic stuff that's been passed around.  There is nothing of that in the Talmud - it is a codification of decisions, not the rules for the sake of rules that you claim it to be.  If you're going to try and be subtly anti-Semitic, try to be more subtle.

You’re confusing rejection of the oral traditions of Judaism (not agreeing with all the clutter of the religion) with anti-Semitism (racism against Jews).  But it is possible to reject Judaism and still be a Zionist in support of the Jewish people

[The Mikado]

I get the impression that if jmfcst had been born Jewish, he'd be a rabid Karaite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaite

(They're pretty obscure nowadays)

[Senator Ben]

I get the impression that if jmfcst had been born Jewish, he'd be a rabid Karaite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaite

(They're pretty obscure nowadays)

I've never seen (or heard of) them in my life.

[Cincinnatus]

I get the impression that if jmfcst had been born Jewish, he'd be a rabid Karaite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaite

(They're pretty obscure nowadays)

Thanks for the information.  It was rather interesting and something I had no knowledge of. 

[The Mikado]

I get the impression that if jmfcst had been born Jewish, he'd be a rabid Karaite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaite

(They're pretty obscure nowadays)

I've never seen (or heard of) them in my life.

They were a big deal in the Medieval era.  Not so much since. 

[Senator Ben]

Rosh Hashanah begins tomorrow night!

[A cowboy always follows his beard]

Why are Jews so well represented in Congress, yet we've never had a Jewish president?

[dead0man]

Why are Jews so well represented as the heads of our various professional sports (3 of 4 are Jewish), yet rarely play them?

[A cowboy always follows his beard]

Yom Kipper or whatever that is is tomorrow. That's a Jewish holiday, right?

[Insula Dei]

I actually have a (probably quite stupid) question: what is the 'official' line of judaism on converts from other religions? And how do the various communities look on the issue?

[The Mikado]

I actually have a (probably quite stupid) question: what is the 'official' line of judaism on converts from other religions? And how do the various communities look on the issue?

They're to be discouraged.  If someone really, really wants to convert, he goes into discussion with a Rabbi and gets put on the path to join, with extensive discouragement along the way.  Really, most of the people that convert to Judaism are people that marry in to the faith.

[A cowboy always follows his beard]

What's the Jewish stance on the Apocrypha?

Why are so many comedians Jews?

[Senator Ben]

What's the Jewish stance on the Apocrypha?

It is utterly irrelevant to us.  We don't recognize it, use it, anything.  For that matter, there really isn't such a thing as Jewish Apocrypha.  Most of the Apocrypha was written well after the Jewish Canon was set; there wasn't as much of a discussion as there was in the Christian World.

[ottermax]

Yom Kipper or whatever that is is tomorrow. That's a Jewish holiday, right?

yeah, it's our most important holiday of the year. Day of Atonement.

[Senator Ben]

yeah, it's our most important holiday of the year. Day of Atonement.

I hope you had an easy fast; I sure did

[A cowboy always follows his beard]

What's the Jewish stance on the Apocrypha?

It is utterly irrelevant to us.  We don't recognize it, use it, anything.  For that matter, there really isn't such a thing as Jewish Apocrypha.  Most of the Apocrypha was written well after the Jewish Canon was set; there wasn't as much of a discussion as there was in the Christian World.

But it has the Hannukah story in it, so why do you celebrate it if you don't recgonize the book that contains its story?

[The Mikado]

Because the Maccabeean Revolt is an actual historical event and Hannukah's observance is extensively discussed in the Talmud?

[NY Jew]

What's the Jewish stance on the Apocrypha?

It is utterly irrelevant to us.  We don't recognize it, use it, anything.  For that matter, there really isn't such a thing as Jewish Apocrypha.  Most of the Apocrypha was written well after the Jewish Canon was set; there wasn't as much of a discussion as there was in the Christian World.

But it has the Hannukah story in it, so why do you celebrate it if you don't recgonize the book that contains its story?

there is a humongous difference between a prophetic book (that even books like Judges and and Kings are considered to be) and a book that is considered to be a historical book.

[Senator Ben]

Happy Passover!

[J. J.]

Happy Passover.

[Senator Ben]

Happy New Year!

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I have two questions: first, when does the Sabbath end for you?  I'm an Adventist and it always ended at sunset for us.  We had a Rabbi visit our church once and she said something about it ending when there are three stars visible in the sky.  Could you explain this discrepancy, please?

Second: With Rosh Hashanah going on right now, people keep referring to it as "the Jewish New Year."  I had always believed this until a man at my church said that the New Year began the week before Passover.  Which is it?  I know Rosh Hashanah is like the anniversary of Creation, but could you explain this also please?

PS: I am a proud Judeophile, so it might surprise you that I am asking these questions!

[hawkeye59]

I have two questions: first, when does the Sabbath end for you?  I'm an Adventist and it always ended at sunset for us.  We had a Rabbi visit our church once and she said something about it ending when there are three stars visible in the sky.  Could you explain this discrepancy, please?

Second: With Rosh Hashanah going on right now, people keep referring to it as "the Jewish New Year."  I had always believed this until a man at my church said that the New Year began the week before Passover.  Which is it?  I know Rosh Hashanah is like the anniversary of Creation, but could you explain this also please?

PS: I am a proud Judeophile, so it might surprise you that I am asking these questions!

Firstly, the Jewish day (and therefore the Sabbath) goes from sunset to sunset. I think the Rabbi may have been using metaphors, because I've never heard that. Secondly, it is the Jewish new year, as in the anniversary of creation, and it was the new year at Rosh Hashanah, not the week before passover.