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Questions tagged [am-yisrael-jewish-nation]

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

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11 votes
2 answers
668 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
357 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
338 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
  • 457
6 votes
1 answer
121 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
77 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
83 views

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
333 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
78 views

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
0 answers
100 views

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
330 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
49 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 vote
0 answers
112 views

Are self described Reform and Conservative Jews assumed to be halachically Jewish according to Orthodox Judaism?

I’m curious about what the Orthodox understanding of Halacha says about whether Reform and Conservative people are still assumed to be halachically Jewish. Obviously the overwhelming majority of them ...
Man of faith's user avatar
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27 views

Five types of Grain and Five Nations source

As we know from mishna Challah 1:1 Five species [of grains] are subject to [the law of] challah: wheat (חִטִּים), barley (שְּׂעוֹרִים), spelt (כֻּסְּמִין), oats (שִׁבֹּלֶת שׁוּעָל) and rye (שִׁיפוֹן)....
Y DJ's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
71 views

Are מתיהדים (geirim) required to give precedence to Yisra'Elim today?

Are מתיהדים also known as geirim or proselytes, the descendants of converts to the Israelite religion, required to give precedence to Yisra'Elim today? https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/...
הראל's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
211 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
  • 41
-1 votes
1 answer
135 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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