Should I move to Israel? Am I even eligible?

[Lisa]

You guys, let's give Khazan the benefit of the doubt for now.  And that means educating him, and answering his questions. 

So Khazan, as the others have said the Talmud is not just commentary written by some rabbis hundreds of years after Moses received the Torah.  The Talmud is our Oral Law.  When Moses was receiving the Torah from G-d, he was also given the Oral Law.  The Oral Law tells us how to follow the written laws in our Torah.  For example, Jews must keep kosher, part of which includes slaughtering the animal in the most humane way possible.  But nowhere in the Torah does it say exactly how to slaughter animals.  However, the Talmud incudes the exact instructions on the type of knife, called a "shechita" and how it's to be shaped. 

Another example is wedding ceremonies.  The Torah does not give instructions on how to conduct a wedding ceremony.  The instructions are found in the Talmud.  The same holds true when it comes to instructions given to Jews to pray five times a day, and regarding the Sabbath candles. 

Now getting back to the Talmud history.  It was given to Moses orally.  However, during the Babylonian exile, the rabbis started to write it down for future generations, as they were in exile. 

Regarding your question about whether Judaism is determined through matrilinear or patrilinear descent, Chaim has addressed this on a past Ask JTF show.  And I think I understand where you're coming from.  Dr. Dan correctly brings up the fact that Jewish women were often raped in the past, and their children became Jews.  Consider this as well.  It was easier to prove who the mother was of a child, than a father.  Now we have DNA testing but that's a whole different issue. 

Chaim said in response to the person who asked the same question as you, that we have our customs, and we should not let Nazis dictate or change them. 

Mills, do you have the link to the speech Rabbi Tovia Singer gave about the Talmud, that you posted yesterday?  I think Khazan would benefit from listening to it. 

[Ambiorix]

You guys, let's give Khazan the benefit of the doubt for now.  And that means educating him, and answering his questions. 

So Khazan, as the others have said the Talmud is not just commentary written by some rabbis hundreds of years after Moses received the Torah.  The Talmud is our Oral Law.  When Moses was receiving the Torah from G-d, he was also given the Oral Law.  The Oral Law tells us how to follow the written laws in our Torah.  For example, Jews must keep kosher, part of which includes slaughtering the animal in the most humane way possible.  But nowhere in the Torah does it say exactly how to slaughter animals.  However, the Talmud incudes the exact instructions on the type of knife, called a "shechita" and how it's to be shaped. 

Another example is wedding ceremonies.  The Torah does not give instructions on how to conduct a wedding ceremony.  The instructions are found in the Talmud.  The same holds true when it comes to instructions given to Jews to pray five times a day, and regarding the Sabbath candles. 

Now getting back to the Talmud history.  It was given to Moses orally.  However, during the Babylonian exile, the rabbis started to write it down for future generations, as they were in exile. 

Regarding your question about whether Judaism is determined through matrilinear or patrilinear descent, Chaim has addressed this on a past Ask JTF show.  And I think I understand where you're coming from.  Dr. Dan correctly brings up the fact that Jewish women were often raped in the past, and their children became Jews.  Consider this as well.  It was easier to prove who the mother was of a child, than a father.  Now we have DNA testing but that's a whole different issue. 

Chaim said in response to the person who asked the same question as you, that we have our customs, and we should not let Nazis dictate or change them. 

Mills, do you have the link to the speech Rabbi Tovia Singer gave about the Talmud, that you posted yesterday?  I think Khazan would benefit from listening to it. 

Sorry for the unfriendly welcome , Khazan , I apologise.

[Nolandforshalom]

If you want to return to being a Jew, you will have to have a real conversion, meaning to be religiously observant according to Halacha.

Unless his moms bloodline is Jewish..you cant become "UnJewish"

[Khazan]

It's alright Ambiorix, I could have used better rhetoric with regards to my disagreement with . 

So, the maternal lineage stipulation could be traced to the Babylonian exile, when the Talmud was written, which of course is based on the oral law and goes back to Moses at Sinai...I see.  So in a way, this law is part of the Torah or at least is dated to then, and so the reason being is a Jewish mother, she knows he child is Jewish. 

Granted, Chaim has a point on customs and this in fact seems to date back to the times of Moses.  But do you see any advantage that the amendment to the Law of Return in the 70's could have? 

[Ambiorix]

It's alright Ambiorix, I could have used better rhetoric with regards to my disagreement with . 

So, the maternal lineage stipulation could be traced to the Babylonian exile, when the Talmud was written, which of course is based on the oral law and goes back to Moses at Sinai...I see.  So in a way, this law is part of the Torah or at least is dated to then, and so the reason being is a Jewish mother, she knows he child is Jewish. 

Granted, Chaim has a point on customs and this in fact seems to date back to the times of Moses.  But do you see any advantage that the amendment to the Law of Return in the 70's could have? 

Thank you

[JTFFan]

Thanks

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

The question of which parent is Jewish so the child is Jewish- was part of the Oral Law, but it wasn't really that much necessary back in the day when their was no assimilation. In some communities (ex- Syrian) even if the mother is Jewish and she had a child threw a non-Jew, they dont accept the child soo willingly (to school, and to other things, unless the mother makes realll regret and Tishuva).

[Khazan]

What about the beta-Israel?  They are descendants of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, yet they are admitted into Israel and considered Jews, albeit their Jewry being paternally traced through King Solomon. 

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

What about the beta-Israel?  They are descendants of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, yet they are admitted into Israel and considered Jews, albeit their Jewry being paternally traced through King Solomon. 

 I dont know much about them, but if it is true that they really descend from them, - then they are Jewish because every women that Solomon married, converted as well.

[ramen]

i wouldnt. i would stay put. 

[Khazan]

I'm planning on after graduating in the summer to take the fall off, travel Europe, smoke some good medicine in Amsterdam .  Then do winter Ulpan in Israel, maybe study Arabic too.  After that, I may consider applying for citizenship. 

Thing is though ramen, I went to Israel on birthright, and I loved it:  the land, the people, the food, the beautiful Israeli women. 

[ramen]

i gta give u that. Israeli women....nice. but u get them everywhere else.

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

I'm planning on after graduating in the summer to take the fall off, travel Europe, smoke some good medicine in Amsterdam .  Then do winter Ulpan in Israel, maybe study Arabic too.  After that, I may consider applying for citizenship. 

Thing is though ramen, I went to Israel on birthright, and I loved it:  the land, the people, the food, the beautiful Israeli women. 

Please stay in Europe or whereever else you are. We dont need more tzaddikim like you.

[Khazan]

LOL!     I"m a tzaddik?  Doesn't Israel need more tzaddik's?  And at that, hash smoking tzaddiks?

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

LOL!     I"m a tzaddik?  Doesn't Israel need more tzaddik's?  And at that, hash smoking tzaddiks?

keep laughing, you fool.

[ramen]

tzaddik - what is the meaning.

[Khazan]

I"m guessing Tzvi was being sarcastic, a Tzaddik is a righteous person, which is why I used the laugh icon. 

Of course Tzvi, there is a hasidic saying, that the most unholy of men, have the greatest of revelations. 

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

I"m guessing Tzvi was being sarcastic, a Tzaddik is a righteous person, which is why I used the laugh icon. 

Of course Tzvi, there is a hasidic saying, that the most unholy of men, have the greatest of revelations. 

 Yea, thats becuase prophecy after the destruction of the Second Beit Hamikdash went to small children and to crazy people (im not making it up, that's what's said by the Hachamim).

[Khazan]

well...I did have a dream a couple weeks ago I was standing atop the temple mount and 4 Chasidic Jews were carrying the ark of the covenant to the mount and were chasing the Muslims off.  And I won't lie, I am a little crazy. 

I'm sure you could construe many of the prophets crazy, namely Ezekiel, I think he walked around naked for a year or something. 

[Dr. Dan]

well...I did have a dream a couple weeks ago I was standing atop the temple mount and 4 Chasidic Jews were carrying the ark of the covenant to the mount and were chasing the Muslims off.  And I won't lie, I am a little crazy. 

I'm sure you could construe many of the prophets crazy, namely Ezekiel, I think he walked around naked for a year or something. 

nice dream...

actually, I had a dream many years ago that i was in synogogue and they were taking the Torah out of the Ark, but singing the Aitz Chaim song and doing everything backwards.  And then all of a sudden they fumbled with the Torah and as it was about to hit the ground and dove and caught it.

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

Dreams and prophecy is complete different things, and anyway the dreams both of you had could mean many different things, also according to when it happened, etc.

[jdl4ever]

Tzvi is right.  Did you wake up from the dream feeling very happy and unusually close to G-d?  If you did, the the dream may be of significance. 

[jdl4ever]

The reason why the prophets would sometimes be found naked and "out of it" is due to the nature of prophesy and the method of prophesy not because they were crazy. 

[Dr. Dan]

Tzvi is right.  Did you wake up from the dream feeling very happy and unusually close to G-d?  If you did, the the dream may be of significance. 

If you're talking to me...what was happening during that time was that i caught a couple students cheating on a quiz and I called them on it...

[Khazan]

The reason why the prophets would sometimes be found naked and "out of it" is due to the nature of prophesy and the method of prophesy not because they were crazy. 

I guess it's subjective.  Sure, the nakedness was supposed to be a metaphor for what I think was the poverty if Israel did not turn from its wicked ways, but those around the prophet, they probably had another opinion. 

Dreams and prophecy is complete different things, and anyway the dreams both of you had could mean many different things, also according to when it happened, etc.

Aren't they similar in some instances?  Jacob's dream of the ladder to heaven, Joseph's dreams surely could be construed a prophecy of Egypt's famines. 

Tzvi is right.  Did you wake up from the dream feeling very happy and unusually close to G-d?  If you did, the the dream may be of significance. 

It was a couple weeks before Hanukkah, and a couple weeks after I stopped eating kosher.  I made it my resolution to eat kosher after the birthright trip, but it's difficult given my situation.  I was rather thrilled I had such a dream, I often teeter between being a pure secularist (I'm very much in favor of evolutionary theory) and doing anything religious.  I think having this dream inspired me to attend the school's 1st menorah lighting.  So in a way, I feel this dream, at least for a time, rekindled my "religiosity." 

Granted, I did have a dream where I was circling the Kaaba in Mecca during the Hajj--however, I have never been to Mecca, as I am not a Muslim, but I have been to Jerusalem.