Judaism AMA

[Noor]

The weapons and money we give them disagree with you.

We funded all sides of the current Mideast conflict, it doesn’t make them allies

 

[Typo Fu Master]

Some Jews believe the Torah was divinely inspired, but many of us just obey the law because it's what Jews have always done.

When Jews say we're the "Chosen People" we mean that we were chosen to receive the Torah. It's our book and its laws apply only to us. That doesn't mean than other traditions aren't equally valid. Who are we to judge? This is why Jews don't proselytize. We do our thing. The goyim should do their things and leave us alone.

That sounds biased. You are favored because of a specific quality that, according to the Torah, no one else has. These particular qualities only developed within the last few thousand years. How long have humans been capable of recognizing speech? If you can understand the concept of speech, and try to convey a thought, you're intelligent enough to receive a thought.

You are an atheist. So we suddenly evolved a little over 2000 years ago and only some of us got the memo. Why?

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

That sounds biased. You are favored because of a specific quality that, according to the Torah, no one else has. These particular qualities only developed within the last few thousand years. How long have humans been capable of recognizing speech? If you can understand the concept of speech, and try to convey a thought, you're intelligent enough to receive a thought.

You are an atheist. So we suddenly evolved a little over 2000 years ago and only some of us got the memo. Why?

Don't ask me to explain the mind of God. The Jews have our book with our rules. Other people have other traditions. We don't worry about them. Why do they care what we do?

As an atheist I'm totally comfortable with the idea that the Torah was written by human beings 6000 years ago. It doesn't matter if it came from Adonai or not. It's still a time-tested way of living life and a compendium of the stories and traditions of my people.

 

[Noor]

That sounds biased. You are favored because of a specific quality that, according to the Torah, no one else has. These particular qualities only developed within the last few thousand years. How long have humans been capable of recognizing speech? If you can understand the concept of speech, and try to convey a thought, you're intelligent enough to receive a thought.

You are an atheist. So we suddenly evolved a little over 2000 years ago and only some of us got the memo. Why?

Wow, sounding a bit like you feel
Left out. Being chosen means that G-d the Jewish people to fulfill his commandments in exchange for their protection and the land, nothing to do with anyone else. If fact G-d says there will be other lands for other people.
Nothing has suddenly changed, this is all from thousands of years ago. Who your ancestors were is the luck of the draw.
It’s not easy being a Jew, there always sone prejudice nut job out there and fundamentalist Islam that is out to eliminate them before moving on to eliminating Christians and then other Muslims not of their sect. I think they chose Jew first cause they’re less of them. They thought it would be easier. They were wrong and continue to be wrong.
In terms of intelligence yeah, there’s a higher percentage of choose with Nobel prizes than there are a percentage of Jews in the world. But part of being a Jew is being pushed for generations of relatives to be over educated, a doctor, a lawyer, a scientist, a rabbi, start businesses etc.. and also to heal the world.
Jews are strong, they survive, the Jewish people who are here now are a distillation of those who survived over the last 4000+ years.

 

[Alpine99]

The Nazis and Hitler did lots of bad things in addition to the Holocaust, so using them as a point of reference is not inherently antisemitic.

However what does get my back up is using words like "genocide" to refer to the war in Gaza. It's intentionally hurtful and inflammatory. Criticize Israel all you want, but don't call us Nazis.

The Nazis tried to commit genocide against the Jews.
Israel appears to have a similar agenda for the Palestinians.
Not all perpetrators of genocide are Nazis.

 

[JohnEngelman]

Some Jews believe the Torah was divinely inspired, but many of us just obey the law because it's what Jews have always done.

When Jews say we're the "Chosen People" we mean that we were chosen to receive the Torah. It's our book and its laws apply only to us. That doesn't mean than other traditions aren't equally valid. Who are we to judge? This is why Jews don't proselytize. We do our thing. The goyim should do their things and leave us alone.

Much of the Torah prohibits behavior likely to spread contagious diseases. Most detergents are kosher certified, because Judaism promotes cleanliness.

 

[Noor]

The Nazis tried to commit genocide against the Jews.
Israel appears to have a similar agenda for the Palestinians.
Not all perpetrators of genocide are Nazis.

Nonsense, they just wanna stop from being attacked. Even before Israel responded to October 7 l, missiles were flying from Gaza and Lebanon every day into Israel. If they wanted to get rid of Gaza, there wouldn’t be a person left alive. Israel is involved in a war. They have a one-to-one death rate instead of the best where we have which was like one to 20 with collateral damage.

 

[JohnEngelman]

The Nazis tried to commit genocide against the Jews.
Israel appears to have a similar agenda for the Palestinians.
Not all perpetrators of genocide are Nazis.

The Palestinians have had plenty of time to move elsewhere in the Arab world. I feel no concern for them at all.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

The Nazis tried to commit genocide against the Jews.
Israel appears to have a similar agenda for the Palestinians.
Not all perpetrators of genocide are Nazis.

There is no genocide in Gaza. Hamas is losing a war it started.

 

[Alpine99]

Northern Ireland had a freedom fighting terrorist group called the IRA.
They waged war against the English and many people were killed. England did not wage full scale war against the people of Northern Ireland. Many residents of NI knew who was in the IRA but they didn’t give them up either because they agreed with what they were doing or more commonly because they feared reprisals.
Israel is waging war against the Palestinian people because of Hamas. It isn’t surgical nor is it measured.

 

[Alpine99]

Nonsense, they just wanna stop from being attacked. Even before Israel responded to October 7 l, missiles were flying from Gaza and Lebanon every day into Israel. If they wanted to get rid of Gaza, there wouldn’t be a person left alive. Israel is involved in a war. They have a one-to-one death rate instead of the best where we have which was like one to 20 with collateral damage.

This is a typical trope - ‘missiles flying killing Israelis’, all you need to do is look at the relative death tolls to understand that this has never been in the best interests of the Palestinian people. Israel has always taken its revenge on the Palestinian people for the acts of Hamas.
The numbers are plain to see.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/12/isr...human-cost-of-conflict-through-the-years.html

 

[Alpine99]

There is no genocide in Gaza. Hamas is losing a war it started.

Hamas is losing but the Palestinian people are the real losers

 

[Alpine99]

The Palestinians have had plenty of time to move elsewhere in the Arab world. I feel no concern for them at all.

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By this logic, Christian’s should be able to live wherever they want in other Christian countries? This is not really how the world works is it?

 

[Noor]

This is a typical trope - ‘missiles flying killing Israelis’, all you need to do is look at the relative death tolls to understand that this has never been in the best interests of the Palestinian people. Israel has always taken its revenge on the Palestinian people for the acts of Hamas.
The numbers are plain to see.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/12/isr...human-cost-of-conflict-through-the-years.html

Most of the Palestinian numbers come Hamas sources, or “ medics” and even they have down graded their counts .
Israel has not always taken revenge on the Palestinians where do you get this crap? The UN?

 

[Noor]

By this logic, Christian’s should be able to live wherever they want in other Christian countries? This is not really how the world works is it?

Yes, because no one wants the Palestinians even temporarily. There are real Palestinians refugee camps in Lebanon that non of the “ free Palestinian “ club talks about, they only care about destroying Israel. Hamas intentionally used gaze citizens as human sheilds, not bomb shelters or tunnels for them, only for Hamas.

 

[Alpine99]

The Palestinians have had plenty of time to move elsewhere in the Arab world. I feel no concern for them at all.

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It’s also pretty sad that you have no compassion for the mostly innocent people losing their lives

 

[calmlikeabomb]

What's Judaism's view on polytheism? Has it evolved over centuries to account for, say Hinduism?

 

[Noor]

It’s also pretty sad that you have no compassion for the mostly innocent people losing their lives

If your elected government attacks another country and they go to war these things happen.
Any loss of life sits squarely in Hamas’ shoulders.

 

[Alpine99]

Yes, because no one wants the Palestinians even temporarily. There are real Palestinians refugee camps in Lebanon that non of the “ free Palestinian “ club talks about, they only care about destroying Israel. Hamas intentionally used gaze citizens as human sheilds, not bomb shelters or tunnels for them, only for Hamas.

But you do know the world doesn’t work like that right?
You’re also freely agreeing that Hamas has brought this situation on the greater Palestinian population and yet feel no sympathy for the Palestinians.

 

[Alpine99]

If your elected government attacks another country and they go to war these things happen.
Any loss of life sits squarely in Hamas’ shoulders.

Right, so a terrorist organization is to blame and not the military that’s shooting people? Makes sense.

 

[Noor]

What's Judaism's view on polytheism? Has it evolved over centuries to account for, say Hinduism?

For the Jews there is one G-d. Others groups may have other g-ds, idolize graven images, living gods, or whatever, but it’s not anything Jews are concerned about. No need to account for other people’s beliefs.

Btw Hindu’s many gods are all aspects of one g-d, Brahman.

 

[calmlikeabomb]

That's a pretty simplistic understanding of Brahman and the different schools of Hinduism, but thanks for the answer.

 

[Noor]

But you do know the world doesn’t work like that right?
You’re also freely agreeing that Hamas has brought this situation on the greater Palestinian population and yet feel no sympathy for the Palestinians.

You have no idea what I feel about the Palestinians and who sympathy for.
Granted, I only know Palestinians that were born and raised in the West Bank and I was told long before this war began that they would not go to Gaza for anything.
You may be unaware of this, but there are also Palestinians living in Israel with full rights and everything.
War has collateral damage of innocence people like the ones who get killed in Gaza, who get killed in Israel, in Lebanon, in Syria and Iran.
It’s the government of these countries to protect their civilians. Unfortunately, it seems that Israel is the only one who actually cares about their civilians.

 

[Noor]

That's a pretty simplistic understanding of Brahman and the different schools of Hinduism, but thanks for the answer.

I don’t think it’s a simplistic view at all. I think it’s a very complex view. I was growing up. I was told by Hindus that they were all a version of Krishna, but actually it goes a little deeper than that and that’s what I posted.
But the real issue is Jews don’t care. It’s not something they have to worry about you can believe whatever you want as long as you’re not killing Jews, Theybdon’t care what you’re doing.
I don’t know if you realize this, but there are a lot of different religious groups in Israel, who are citizens of Israel with full rights and everything and nobody cares.

 

[HumpDayHoratio]

I do find the “Are Jews white” question to be interesting. @BrightShinyGirl could you please respond to that?

Personally, when I was young my hair was blonde, not beach blonde but light blonde. As I have aged my hair has turned darker and more red has come in. My grandfather was 100% Jewish and had red hair.

Am I white? Yes, I identify as white. Am I the anomaly in my family? Yes, all of my Jewish side family is brunette, brown eyes except for one sibling who was a total redhead like our grandfather. Plus, all of my family has olive skin whereas I am a “medium” when putting on make up.

I have a friend from Spain, the Basque region. He’s Jewish and has bright red hair.