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I really wish there was a way to get people to appreciate Judaism and Torah deeply even if they didn't believe in it literally. But strong enough a connection to realize intermarriage should be avoided at almost all costs (I don't do absolutes; there could somehow be an acceptable exception to the rule). And, strong enough to keep Judaism in their everyday -lives not just some cultural stuff on the sidelines. Is this really impossible? I guess so.
I think birthright Israel is one of the main culprits is the dissolution of Judaism in the Reform and Conservative world. The thought was a love for the land of Israel would keep Jews connected to Judaism. But when their god, Hussein Obama, began a public US policy of harming the Jews, the non Orthodox Jewish world decided to follow their god, instead of following G-d.
There's only 1 single path to ensuring one does not baptize their grandchildren, and that's Torah.
This thread has 358 pages, so honestly, I'm just not going to read all 358 pages to find out if this has been questioned and answered. And I mean NO disrespect when I ask this question, I am actually curious as I don't know a whole lot about what Jews believe. The extent of any knowledge comes from ordering special meals for Jewish people when they booked a cruise, and when I did catering for events for Jewish people when I lived in Miami. I don't know what kind of Jews they were, but they wore the black hat, the white scarf looking thing under their clothes that had the tassels (I really don't know how else to explain it because I don't even know what to call it to look it up), hanging out underneath, and they had those pieces of long hair on either side of their face...again, don't even know what to call it to look it up.
We had to do a lot of things during those catering events because the Jews were not allowed to do them. Such as we had to touch anything dealing with electricity, such as turn lights off and on, etc. We were told never to put cooking utensils in the sink when certain dishes of food were gone and we brought the empty pot or dish back to the kitchen. A rabbi...pretty sure it was a rabbi, told us why they only stirred one way and not the other on that particular day...which I have now forgotten why...
Anyway, so that's the knowledge that I have...which, as you can see, isn't much at all. Oh, and I also know why I see "G-d" written because I learned that when I had a blog, and out of respect for any reader that might be Jewish, I typed it like that when discussing certain things on my blog.
So...again, no disrespect intended...I actually do not know and really want to know:
Why is it that I hear "Jews are the chosen people"? What does that mean? And if you're not a Jew, does that mean you are "not chosen", and what does that mean?
I always interpreted that to mean that Jews thought only they would have some kind of reward after this life and everyone else...oh well, too bad for you...but I want to hear it from a Jew who actually knows what that means for them and for everyone else. And if it IS what I interpreted, why?
Why is it that I hear "Jews are the chosen people"? What does that mean? And if you're not a Jew, does that mean you are "not chosen", and what does that mean?
I always interpreted that to mean that Jews thought only they would have some kind of reward after this life and everyone else...oh well, too bad for you...but I want to hear it from a Jew who actually knows what that means for them and for everyone else. And if it IS what I interpreted, why?
here is my simple understanding
Jews are chosen to serve G*d by fulfilling 613 commandments.
That is the obligation and responsibility of every Jewish person, to live a life following a specific set of instructions given in the Torah.
Every person Jew and non-Jew has equal access to G*d and heaven.
There are no special clubs. Judaism is not exclusionary.
"According to Judaism (Talmud - Sanhedrin 58b), any person can achieve a place in the World to Come by faithfully observing the seven basic laws of humanity. These seven laws are named the "Laws of Noah," since all humans are descended from Noah:
1) Do not murder.
2) Do not steal.
3) Do not worship false gods.
4) Do not be sexually immoral.
5) Do not eat the limb of an animal before it is killed.
6) Do not curse God.
7) Set up courts and bring offenders to justice."
Why is it that I hear "Jews are the chosen people"? What does that mean? And if you're not a Jew, does that mean you are "not chosen", and what does that mean?
I always interpreted that to mean that Jews thought only they would have some kind of reward after this life and everyone else...oh well, too bad for you...but I want to hear it from a Jew who actually knows what that means for them and for everyone else. And if it IS what I interpreted, why?
as my daughter is on a cruise right now, I'll start by saying (to you and people you worked with and for), "Thank you!"
Chosenness refers to the responsibility of keeping all of the Mosaic laws. A Jew is bound to the 613 commandments (and then some). A non-Jew is bound to the 7 universal (some call them Noachide) laws. Every person, if he fulfills what is demanded of him (be it 7 or 613) merits a reward in the next world.
This thread has 358 pages, so honestly, I'm just not going to read all 358 pages to find out if this has been questioned and answered. And I mean NO disrespect when I ask this question, I am actually curious as I don't know a whole lot about what Jews believe. The extent of any knowledge comes from ordering special meals for Jewish people when they booked a cruise, and when I did catering for events for Jewish people when I lived in Miami. I don't know what kind of Jews they were, but they wore the black hat, the white scarf looking thing under their clothes that had the tassels (I really don't know how else to explain it because I don't even know what to call it to look it up), hanging out underneath, and they had those pieces of long hair on either side of their face...again, don't even know what to call it to look it up.
We had to do a lot of things during those catering events because the Jews were not allowed to do them. Such as we had to touch anything dealing with electricity, such as turn lights off and on, etc. We were told never to put cooking utensils in the sink when certain dishes of food were gone and we brought the empty pot or dish back to the kitchen. A rabbi...pretty sure it was a rabbi, told us why they only stirred one way and not the other on that particular day...which I have now forgotten why...
Anyway, so that's the knowledge that I have...which, as you can see, isn't much at all. Oh, and I also know why I see "G-d" written because I learned that when I had a blog, and out of respect for any reader that might be Jewish, I typed it like that when discussing certain things on my blog.
So...again, no disrespect intended...I actually do not know and really want to know:
Why is it that I hear "Jews are the chosen people"? What does that mean? And if you're not a Jew, does that mean you are "not chosen", and what does that mean?
I always interpreted that to mean that Jews thought only they would have some kind of reward after this life and everyone else...oh well, too bad for you...but I want to hear it from a Jew who actually knows what that means for them and for everyone else. And if it IS what I interpreted, why?
It has nothing to o with being better than anybody else. "Chosen" refers to having special obligations that everybody else does not have meaning fulfilling the 613 commandments. That's all.
And, unlike in mainstream Chrstianity and Islam, everybody can go to "heaven" by fulfilling some very basic requirements. Oh, and there isn't even a hell like in Islam and Christianity either. How neat is that?
So, no, it is NOT how you interpreted, so it is good that you asked instead of just assuming.
It has nothing to o with being better than anybody else. "Chosen" refers to having special obligations that everybody else does not have meaning fulfilling the 613 commandments. That's all.
And, unlike in mainstream Chrstianity and Islam, everybody can go to "heaven" by fulfilling some very basic requirements. Oh, and there isn't even a hell like in Islam and Christianity either. How neat is that?
So, no, it is NOT how you interpreted, so it is good that you asked instead of just assuming.
Ok...so if there is no hell, and say someone did not abide by the 7 or 600+ laws/rules...what happens? They are just dead, or they linger around in purgatory, or they have to atone for what they did in this other world...what do Jews think happens to those who did not fulfill the expectations? And that includes both Jews and non Jews.
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