Questions tagged [am-yisrael-jewish-nation]

Questions pertaining to the Jewish nation or 'Am Yisrael' - 'עם ישראל' in Hebrew

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Half Jew half Gentile

I always thought it was a misconception to be "half-Jewish". Usually the speaker means one of their parents are Jewish, making them either fully Jewish or fully Gentile. However, I saw today that the ...
robev's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
460 views

Does one have to be Jewish to be a rabbi

In terms of what we call semicha today, does one have to be Jewish to receive or hold it? Is it simply an indicator of learning (like an academic degree) which could be reached by anyone? Knowing ...
rosends's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
326 views

What if someone accidentally gave an Aliya to a non-Jew?

A gabbai called someone up for an Aliya. Yaamod, Reuven ben Shimon Shlishi. Then, it turns out that Reuven isn't Jewish (he thought he was, his mother had a reform conversion and he thought that was ...
ertert3terte's user avatar
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6 votes
0 answers
308 views

Jewish Status of the Patriarch's Wives?

Judaism is clear on the matrilineal descent. Yet it's not clear to me that the Matriarchs after Sarah were "Jewish" - they were Abraham's relatives, they were not Canaanites as requested by Abraham, ...
EEE's user avatar
  • 417
6 votes
1 answer
110 views

Was the fact that Moshe broke the Tablets Halachicly stealing from the Jewish people?

Famously when Moshe came down from Sinai the first time and saw the Jews sinning he cast down the tablets of the law given to him by God. My question works on the basic assumption that these tablets ...
postinganonymously's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
76 views

Is "וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר" ever fulfilled?

When Yaakov and Eisav are born we are told of their eternal battle. Bereishit (25:23): וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לָהּ, שְׁנֵי גֹיִים בְּבִטְנֵךְ, וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים, מִמֵּעַיִךְ יִפָּרֵדוּ; וּלְאֹם ...
bondonk's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
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Jewish Population (based on Biblical Definition)

There are a number of official statistics concerning the population of the Jewish Race and the Religion. But I have never seen one which tried to account for the definition used on this site. A ...
Jonathon's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
282 views

Ratio between gentile vs jewish persons for jews to consider

I am interested to know, according to written law, if there is something like a ratio or relativization to consider between people of the tribe and gentiles that a Jew is bound to. Is there's such a ...
Email's user avatar
  • 201
2 votes
0 answers
97 views

Proselytizing the covenant?

https://youtube.com/shorts/RuNO7R0885c?si=Fwc-02_yqnv-LfDi in this, rabbi Asher Meza of “Torah Judaism international” seems to claim that proselytization is not only allowed, but even a good thing to ...
Kirk's user avatar
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2 votes
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King David vs King Shaul - did King Shaul do anything wrong?

When Shaul would scold his enemies e.g. the Plishtim, he would shout at them for “defying Israel” (as his men did in Shmuel 1:17:25), but David would shout at them for "defying God" (ibid 26)...
Rabbi Kaii's user avatar
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2 votes
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Do we have a responsibility to find out whether a person is Jewish?

The Talmud says: כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה – All Jews are responsible for one another. [Shevuot 39a, Sanh. 27b] In order to help other Jews, we must first find out where they are. It is likely that the ...
Maurice Mizrahi's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
271 views

How to check if a Ketubah is genuine

Recently I was discussing with a friend the uses of one's parents' ketubah in everyday life. Obviously one of the main uses of a ketubah is proving one's Jewish status in order to join a Jewish ...
tainted's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
48 views

How do we give meaning to the phrase "all Israel"?

The Sources frequently tell us that if "all Israel" did this or that, wonderful things would happen. For example, if all Israel observed just one Shabbat properly, the Messiah would come. [Ta’anit Y 1:...
Maurice Mizrahi's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
209 views

Which chag also celebrates or renews a brit or similar?

What do our rabbis of blessed memory say about Shavuos, or any chag that celebrates the purposes of that chag as well as at the same time celebrates or renews a previous brit or similar? From shul I ...
ninamag's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
125 views

The development of conversion

On this site conversion history, an article states it's about: The evolution of Israel as a nation into Judaism as a religion was paralleled by a move from assimilation of strangers to a more ...
Levi's user avatar
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-2 votes
1 answer
178 views

Historical ID lost can it be reclaimed

Could it be possible that many Hispanics who moved from Spain and having their family line coming from Jewish blood (Sephardi Jews), be actually Jews and not know it? There is a test now to check ...
Bert Arroyo's user avatar
-3 votes
1 answer
115 views

Why do we use the term "Jew" or "Jewish" when referencing people in the Torah/Chumash passages?

Why do we use the term "Jew" or "Jewish" when referencing people in the Torah/Chumash passages? In the Torah (the Chumash), the "children of Israel" are called just that "בני ישראל" or Israelite. ...
ninamag's user avatar
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