Hot answers tagged gentiles
15
If a non-Jew slaughters an animal, it is not kosher. (Mishna Chullin 1:1 [English on p. 36 of this .PDF], Rambam Shechita 4:11 [English translation], Shuchan Aruch YD 2:1 In fact, I know of no authority who has ever argued on this point.)
13
There is an interesting Gemara in Avodah Zarah (31b) which provides a partial answer to your question:
אמר ליה שמואל לחייא בר רב בר אריא תא ואימא לך מילתא מעלייתא דהוה אמר
רב אבוך הכי אמר אבוך הני ארמאי זוקאני דהוו שתו גילויא ולא מתו איידי
דאכלי שקצים ורמשים חביל גופייהו
Said Samuel to Hiyya bar Rav: "O son of a scholar, come let me tell
you a ...
12
A non-Jew certainly may wear tefillin (in other words, there is no law against them doing so), but they will not be fulfilling a mitzvah. From that perspective, they might be viewed in the same way that one views a Jewish woman who lays tefillin: the Shulchan Arukh (Orach Chaim 38:3) exempts her but allows her to wear them if she wishes. Note, however, that ...
12
TL;DR
Judaism believes that non-Jews must follow the 7 Noahide Laws. This is irrelevant of which religion they follow. However, if they follow a religion that teaches ideas that are in conflict with the 7 Noahide Laws, then they are also in conflict with these laws.
If you mean "Does Judaism recognize that other religions exist?" then obviously the ...
11
Rabbi Chaim Clorfene writes in his popular (and heavily annotated) book, The Path of the Righteous Gentile (p. 42), that B'nei Noach should learn parts of the Torah relevant to their service of God, as well as to the Torah's view on God. He adds that this can be broadly applied, as many areas of Torah "can bring one to greater knowledge concerning the ...
11
The Talmud in Megila (10b) relates: When the Egyptians were drowning in the sea, the angels wanted to sing God's praises. God silenced them, saying "My handiwork is drowning in the sea, and you want to sing?" This strongly implies that God loves all of His creations.
10
I can't speak for the Jewish community generally, but I, for one, do support the use of "Jew" in non-anti-Semitic contexts, consistent with my experience that this is, in fact, a standard use of the term to which Jews do not take offense and my general aversion to unjustified taboos.
I have been an English-speaking observant Jew for over three decades now, ...
9
Yalkut Shimoni on Balak
Tanchuma on Balak
Midrash Rabah on Balak
The gemaras mentioned in Toldos Aharon on Balak
For a collection of all midrashim, you can look at R' Menachem Kasher's Torah Shleimah
9
Rav Moshe Feinstein, in a t'shuva about allowing children to say a generic prayer in public school (Orach Chayim II #24), refers to the Ramba"m's statement in Mishne Torah that Adam Harishon was given one commandment - belief in God. No'ach and his descendants later got 6 more, adding up to 7. They both conclude that not only the negative aspect of believing ...
9
The premise of your question seems to be that ostensibly religious people never sin, which is obviously absurd. These men are sinners, who are acting in violation of Jewish law, and if their behavior ever became public knowledge, it would scandalize their communities.
The simple reality is that sexual immorality is not, and never has been, exceptional or ...
8
Perhaps we need to start by defining what the word eved means in Judaism anyway. It doesn't necessarily mean slavery or servility; in the Bible it is frequently used of royal ministers (and even in one instance - see the answer I linked - King Rehoboam is advised to "be an eved to the people"). Great figures in Jewish history - Moses, Joshua, David - are ...
8
Rambam writes in Hilchos Melachim 8:10 that Moshe Rabeinu commanded us to force all humans to follow the 7 Mitzvos (and if they refuse, we must execute them).
It is quite clear that in our times we don't have the power to enforce the penalty, but that doesn't mean that we are less obligated in trying to convince all people to follow the 7 Mitzvos ...
8
We call them the "sheva mitzvos bnei Noach," but I think that the term is "lav davka" (imprecise).
See Rambam, Melachim 9:1. From his language, it seems that Og was obligated in all seven except ever min hachai. But see the Kesef Mishneh there ('ד"ה על ששה דברים כו); from his language it seems that Og was either not allowed to eat meat at all or was also ...
8
Hatred has many sources. And sometimes it seems to have none.
One could attribute it to a divine decree, or to biblical stories which pit people against people. Or you could look at historical or sociological trends. Here is a random selection of "reasons":
Jews are separate and distinct. When any group defies the will of the masses or the powerful, it is ...
8
Given the Rambam's statement:
Anyone who accepts upon himself the fulfillment of these seven mitzvot and is precise in their observance is considered one of 'the pious among the gentiles' and will merit a share in the world to come.
This applies only when he accepts them and fulfills them because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the ...
8
Regarding conversion to Judaism in general, the answers to this question (mentioned by DoubleAA in the comments here) provide ample coverage. I recommend that you read them all, but here are some main points:
Jewish Law provides a mechanism for people who are not members of the Jewish Nation to become members - conversion. It's not easy, and it's actually ...
8
As a convert, this has been a bone of controversy in my family. My Rav, Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer, zt"l, said it was forbidden to enter the sanctuary of a church. Rabbi Maurice Lamm, in his book Becoming A Jew, also does not allow any leniency.
When my father died, I brought up the issue because I was asked to speak at the memorial service. Another ...
7
There are certain foods likely to be taken from live animals and most others would not be. So for example, I'd trust that most chicken or beef available on the market is not eiver min hachai. But snow crab legs are apparently often taken from live snow crabs. So if the ben noach knows what foods are likely to be problematic, they can avoid those or devote ...
7
(This answer has been moved from the comment section and reworded a little bit.)
I would recommend going to a Saturday morning service over a Friday evening service for a first time experience. Friday evening is very sweet but short, and you won't really be able to get a good sense of what a service is all about. Plus, you get to see the Torah Reading ...
7
To answer your more specific question: no, a Gentile who studies Torah in a forbidden way is still not stoned. The Rambam rules (Milchamot 10:9 and English)
ואם עסק בתורה, או שבת, או חידש דבר--מכין אותו ועונשין אותו, ומודיעין אותו שהוא חייב מיתה על זה; אבל אינו נהרג.
If a gentile studies the Torah, makes a Sabbath, or creates a religious practice, ...
7
Here's Rabbi Michael Broyde's excellent treatment of the subject, in which he permits observance of Thanksgiving (according to many) but prohibits Halloween, out of our prohibition of imitating heathen-inspired rituals. This matches the practice I've seen observed (at both lay and rabbinic levels) in mainstream Orthodox communities wherever I've been in ...
7
No they are not Jewish.
Judaism is inherited from the mother. Having or not having a bris has no effect on if a person is Jewish.
I'm a little surprised the child had a brit - usually the mohel (person doing the circumcision) checks first if the child is actually Jewish to avoid situations like this. Perhaps it was a medical circumcision not a brit?
Also, ...
7
Much depends on the household of the friends. There are a variety of possible practices and traditions which you might encounter but not everyone has the exact same take on everything.
For example, if they have yet to light their Channukiah (the 9 branched candelabra) you might watch them do that and sing 3 blessings. They might say the blessings in ...
7
First of all: the behavior you describe is wrong. Let's make that entirely clear.
I can think of two-and-a-half justifications people may use, to better understand the phenomenon (if it truly is a phenomenon).
1a: Halachically speaking, the Biblical prohibition of "nida" per se only applies to Jewish women. (See Rambam Issurei Biah 4:4). (Rabbinically, all ...
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Chief Rabbi Sacks writes in his book "Dignity of Difference"
"The great faiths must now become an active force for peace and for the justice and compassion on which peace ultimately depends. That will require great courage and perhaps something more than courage: a candid admission that, more than at any time in the past, we need to search – each faith in ...
7
The issue here is essentially one of lowest common denominator. A conversion will only be accepted by Group X if they think that Group Y, who oversaw the conversion, did so appropriately and successfully, following all the relevant laws as understood by Group X. Otherwise, Group X will continue to view the potential convert as a gentile with all that ...
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This interesting research paper in the Encyclopedia of Jews in the Muslim world discusses the historical account of the debates and polmeics between muslims and Jews. I could find some debates which were based on Alī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā(d. 818) a prominent Muslim scholar, reportedly engaged in a
public disputation with a Christian patriarch and a Jewish ...
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It's important to highlight that Christianity StackExchange has a very different atmosphere to Mi Yodeya. Christianity SE is very much true to its mission of being a Q&A site about Christianity. It is not a Christian site. And that post on meta isn't just a claim. It's lived up to throughout the site. In fact, it was recently brought up again in ...
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Rabbi Reisman in The Laws of Ribbis Chapter 12:16 note 28
Interest which has accrued prior to the sale may be paid. This is true
even if provisions of the sale call for these payments to be made to
the Jewish purchaser of the debt. [This is subject of dispute between
Taz 168:12 and Shach in Nekudos HaKesef ibid. The opinion quoted here
is that of ...
6
Oholei Shem Siman 59 says that it is not proper to give a Mezuza to a non-Jew to place on his door, per the the Maharil, Kneses HaGedola, and Rishon L'Tziyon.
However the Sheyilas Yaavetz Chelek 2 Siman 121 seems to say that if the non-Jew will respect it properly then you may give it to him to put on his door.
The Igros Moshe Chelek 5 Yorah Deah 2 Siman ...
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