Questions tagged [christianity]
Questions related to how Judaism regards or relates to the Christian religion or its followers. NOTE: Questions that require independent expertise in Christianity to answer are off-topic.
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Are there also strong admonitions against the wealthy in the Jewish Bible?
In Christianity, there are several passages containing warnings or even threats directed at wealthy individuals, cautioning them about the state of their souls. For instance:
Mark 10:24:
But Jesus ...
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Star of David with cross inside [duplicate]
I will be attending a funeral of my sister in law (Christian) and brother in law (Jewish). I would like to wear a necklace with Star of David with a cross inside to the service.
Am I risking ...
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What does Shalom mean in Judaism (e.g. as compared to Christianity and Islam)?
Shalom has many meaning in different religions.
How I understand it: Shalom is the world as God intended it - everything that should be possible is possible and everything that should be impossible is ...
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If I don't think that someone would leave Christianity, is it recommended to guide them to more monotheistic/non-Trinitarian Christianity? [closed]
Let's say as a hypothetical: I'm in an argument with a typical trinitarian Christian and they are absolutely stubborn. I can show them all the proofs of the incoherence of the topic of trinity and ...
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Why did the 4 miracles of the Temple stop 40 years before the destruction of the Temple?
According to the Sefaria translation of Yoma 39b:
The Sages taught: During the tenure of Shimon HaTzaddik, the lot for God always arose in the High Priest’s right hand; after his death, it occurred ...
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Can you shop at a church-owned thrift store? [closed]
Can you shop at a second-hand shop owned by a church, such as a Salvation Army thrift store?
Please cite sources.
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Reconiciling Statements Rav Kook made about other Religions
The introduction to the book "Abraham Isaac Kook - The Lights of Penitence, Lights of Holiness, The Moral Principles, Essays, Letters, and Poems", states that Rav Kook was positive toward ...
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Is it Mutar to Listen to Music Recorded in a Church?
I read somewhere that listening to music recorded in a church is asur, because it essentially brings the church into one's home. This is common practice for classical music. Has anyone heard of or not ...
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Is encouraging Islam amongst the gentiles considered a positive act or a negative act? [closed]
Islam is considered a pure monotheism according to Judaism. It's famously the only religion a Jew can convert to in the name of their survival because it doesn't require idolatry to do so. Contrast ...
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Sources Allowing Listening to Christian Music?
I read Igros Moshe forbids listening to music with idolatrous intent. What are some sources, if any, that allow listening to, or playing/performing Christian classical music, such as Bach's or Handel'...
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Can a Jew visit the main attractions in Rome
Can a Jew visit the main attractions in Rome? Including the Vatican, the Vatican museums, the Pantheon, St Peter's Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. It's a two-part question, first of all, are these ...
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Does Judaism believe that observant Christians follow the 7 mitzvot? [duplicate]
My understanding is that Judaism considers the Noahide Laws to be binding on all humans. While Christians believe themselves to be observant of the Noahide Laws, I'm curious whether there are ...
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Is it permitted to read non-Jewish religious texts?
I have an interest in the New Testament simply to understand Christianity. I would therefore like to read it, but not at all in an idolatrous way (assuming reading it itself wouldn’t be idolatrous).
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Is there any halachic issue with watching the coronation of King Charles III?
I don't know if any of these are valid concerns or not, but here are some things that came to mind:
Watching a ceremony in a church
Hearing the church hymns
Watching the kissing of the cross
Besides ...
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Does the Tanakh teach some will suffer eternal conscious torment?
Many identifying as Christians teach that sinners will suffer eternal conscious torment, but I'm wondering what the Jewish view is. Is there an argument from the Tanakh that some will undergo eternal ...
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Does the Talmud say that Jesus writhes in excrement and Mary was a prostitute?
There is a widespread belief among many Christian denominations that Jesus and Mary are referred to in overly disrespectful, even scatological, language in the Talmud. Examples often given are that ...
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Proper definition for an idol/idol worshiping? [closed]
What is the proper definition for an idol/idol worshiping?
I'm asking this because in Christianity, an idol can be any person or thing that consumes your thoughts, words, time, energy, or money other ...
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Does Jews for Judaism have disputed ideas or could it be distributed to christians to enrich their knowledge? [closed]
Does Jews for Judaism have disputed ideas or could it be distributed to christians to increase their knowledge?
https://jewsforjudaism.org/
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What is the Jewish attitude towards heretics and other religions?
In Christianity, the general atmosphere is "Heretics and members of other religions are all completely wrong, and they are all going to Hell unless they repent and accept the Truth as we define it". ...
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Reading fictional works during week, or on Shabbos? [closed]
I'm fascinated in reading the christian bible as a work of 1st century Jewish fiction. When is a more appropriate time to read it, or is reading it utterly forbidden?
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Is it okay for Jewish people to read Narnia or Lord of the Rings?
The Narnia series was written by a Christian named C.S. Lewis who also wrote books that argued for Christianity. The Narnia series is supposed to contain Christian themes, which might be there for ...
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Why can it not be possible that God could see the power it would have over the world, that sending part of himself to save the ones who strayed away? [closed]
My problem is I want to be Jewish, I dont understand why Jesus, cant be real. If hes able to make the majority even slightly better than luke warm, will God still spit them out? Doesnt God reward the ...
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Donating to A Christian Charity
This question discusses both the obligation to give charity and certain requirements of the receiving institution, but the "best answer" does not address one particular type of charity. It mentions ...
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How would you define this list of breakaways from Judaism?
I don’t know so much about history and theology, but I saw the following list and I was hoping that someone could help me understand it;
I saw R Dovid Gottlieb in "Reason to Believe" ...
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Is Christianity Avodah Zara?
It is commonly accepted that Islam is not Avodah Zarah (idolatry) since Islam has a clear monotheistic theology with a belief in Allah that parallels our view of "kail" or Hashem. It is even ...
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Was the concept of Godhead (one God in multiple persons) known to Judaism? [closed]
Was the concept of Godhead (one God, but multiple persons) known to Judaism? Were there Jews that held a Binitarian, Trinitarian or similar "Godhead" theology as a result of studying and ...
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Edom/House of Esav
I have a question:
Why does G‑d hate Edom (Esaw)? Why do you always read negative things about Edom? What if I'm descended from Esau, does G‑d hate me? Wouldn't that be unfair? I am referring to this ...
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Is there a Jewish source for the saying: "only the father knows when the wedding would take place"?
The website below describes what is apparently an ancient Jewish wedding custom, in which it was apparently said that "only the Father" of the groom "knows" when the wedding would ...
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The acronym יש״ו ימח שמו וזכרו
Is there any connection between the acronym יש״ו ימח שמו וזכרו and ישו the person? Is this just a coincidence, or does the acronym actually originate with the historical ישו?
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The history of Rabbi Samuel the Israelite
I found a book that is archived at BYU (a famously Mormon university). It is called The Epistle of Rabbi Samuel the Israelite to Rabbi Isaac, and was originally written in Arabic in the eleventh ...
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What attitudes toward Jesus are acceptable for a Jew?
What attitudes toward Jesus are acceptable for a Jew? I understand that idolatry, or embracing the mainstream Christian perception of Jesus as divine, is absolutely out of the question. Furthermore, ...
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May one study medieval Christian philosophers such as Augustine or Aquinas? [duplicate]
Many colleges and graduate schools require their students to read Christian philosophers such as Augustine or Aquinas. Does this pose a halachic problem?
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Halacha Regarding Entering a Church
It would be very much appreciated if someone can provide some sources that permit a Jew to enter a church premises (not the actual sanctuary). I've signed up for a classical guitar festival that's in ...
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According to Ibn Ezra, does Ovadiah predict drastic population changes of other religions?
I recently learned that Edom today means the Christians. See for example Ibn Ezra
This prophecy contains the decree made against Edom, that is, against the empire of Rome and Constantinople, who are ...
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Is reading Toldos Yesh"u on Nittle-Nacht minhag? Who keeps it?
Toldos Yesh"u is a medevil polemical Hebrew text or related texts that describe a story of Yesh"u ha Notsri. It is not cerain when first written but scholars guess anywhere from 500 to 1000 CE. I want ...
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Does belief in the abrogation of the Torah by the NT disqualify a Ben Noah?
The Rambam in Hilchos Melachim 8:10-11 (see also Likkutei Sichos vol. 26 p. 132) rules it is a prerequisite of the 7 Noahide Laws that Gentiles bide by them because it says so in “the Torah of Moses&...
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Is trinitarian Christianity really Shituf? [duplicate]
Recently I have gotten involved in anti-missionary work after I came across a couple Jews tragically entrenched in Christianity. I was forced to study about Christian theology to help them return to ...
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Jewish Mysticism/Kabbalah - Separation of souls from Hashem good, bad, or neither? [closed]
This is an except from G.K. Chesterton's "Romance of Orthodoxy". Chesterton was a English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and argues that Buddhism and the Theosophical concept of one ...
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Where is the source of Yeshu (ימח שמו) hearing the Shem Hashem from the Kohen Gadol?
There is a Sefer "תם ומועד" which reportedly says that Yeshu (ימח שמו) was able to perform miracles because he was in the Beis Hamikdash when the Kohen Gadol said the Shem HaMeforash, wrote ...
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Church fathers and the Rabbis
I’m wondering if there is any evidence in Jewish writings of correspondence/the mentioning of church fathers. I would assume that the interactions would have happened in the time of the late tanaaim/...
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Are you Jewish if adopted immediately after birth by a Jewish mother raised and having lived Catholic? [duplicate]
This is a hypothetical with a fact pattern that has not been answered by any previous questions.
Generally, a non-Jew adoptee in a Jewish family will be Jewish by halachic upbringing.
If a child of a ...
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Is a trinitarian-like view of God found in the Tanakh and held in Judaism? [closed]
Is a triune quality to God's nature, like the Trinity as espoused in Christianity, a foreign teaching as far as Judaism is concerned? Or is such a belief held (or have been historically held) by Jews?
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Is one allowed to sleep in a room/house where there are images of JC and other avodah zarah?
Is a Jew permitted to sleep in a room/house where there are idolatrous images on the walls, such as JC, etc.? What about non-Jews?
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Rav ha Meiri's interpretation of the term "notzrim" in Talmud Bavli-Avodah Zarah 6a and 7b
According to the legal determination established in Talmud Bavli -Avodah Zarah 6a and 7b, the halachic status of christians (“notzrim”) appears to be that of idolaters:
Avodah Zara 6a
Avodah Zarah 7b
...
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Rabbi who killed children?
I recall of a story where a Rabbi during the time of the Tosafists who personally killed many Jewish children in order to save them being raised in the Christian faith.
Anyone know source?
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The "New Covenant" in Jeremiah's Prophesy
I am certain there must be a great answer to this question. Please inform me, as my learning is not so great and I have only started on the study of the Scriptures.
Many Christians use the text of ...
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Attending a Christian Funeral in a church
Is it permissible for a Jew to attend a Christian funeral service? Specifically, in a church?
If so, is it a serious breach of Jewish law? How serious? How can one perform redemption for such a breach?...
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Why isn't the Kabbalistic doctrine of Sefirot considered Shittuf if the Christian Trinity is?
From the answers to this question it seems that most if not all Jewish sources treat Trinitarian Christianity (in particular, their doctrine of the Trinity) as either Shittuf or outright Avoda Zara, ...
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Why is the Trinity considered polytheistic in traditional Jewish thought? [closed]
I've read a couple questions on this site and other Jewish sources stating the traditional Jewish view is the Christian concept of the Trinity is polytheistic. However, I haven't found any questions ...
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Is it true that Arizal said even Jesus’s neshama will receive a tikkun but that it will take 50,000 yovels for that to happen?
I’ve heard this claim from Rav Moshe Weinberger but I wonder whether or not it’s true (that the Arizal said this). Please provide sources.
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