New JTF Member!

[xy.anglosaxon]

Hello everyone at the JTF Forums, I am going to start off by saying I am very grateful to be here and hope to have some intelligent entertaining conversations with you all.

About myself.
o  I am 26 years old, I am a non-Jew /Heathen, male. I come here to JFT with the goal to learn and socialize.
o  I hope to both answer any questions that I can answer, maybe even get a few of mine answered.
o  I am always willing to answer a question, if I ever come across on a "wrong" manner, first ask then judge please. *Smiles*
I mean no harm to anyone, and I only nibble those I love.

The Thread Is Not a Lie! *smiles*
Well my first question to the masses is recently I [had] in my possession a copy of the Torah(English), I read as much as I could of it in the short time I had it in my possession. Well after having read it I was left blank with confusion, some of the things that confused me was
a) Is it true the Torah is the first ~5 books of the "Christian" Bible?

b) Almost if not all of the name were different and even some of the actual books themselves were almost 100% different then the Bible, why?

Why Can't I Have My Thread and Write It Too? *wink*
a) I have recently come across the term "Goyem / Goy". In fact I came to know it by being called it, I have done some Yiddish studies, what I found was "Hebrew: Nation" "Yiddish: Non-Jew" I am wondering 'why' would I be called that and if I should be offended?

b) About a month or so ago I was pushed by a friend to visit a Synagogue to get a 'real in depth' idea of how Jews commune, now I am interested in doing that, but I do not want to go about offending anyone by doing/saying anything that should not be done/said. Any suggestions would be amazing?
(now to explain this one I have been studying as many world cultures as I can, it is I suppose a personal project of mine. I do it to further my knowledge of the world I live in and those that I share it with)

c) I recently tried eating Kosher, avoiding "all Traif food" that I could even think of, I seemed to feel not only healthier, but all around just better. So I studied a bit about (My sources were limited) it and it seemed to me that Kosher was less spiritual and more just a method of "Better living and eating healthier" The things deemed Traif seemed to be well, not really all that good for you. So my question is, "Is Kosher a dietary practice, a spiritual method, both of them, or something I have not mentioned?
(I ate Kosher to understand the level of devotion it takes to being Jewish, you can't understand ones ways if you don't experience them on a personal level.)

Well that is it for now, I do hope to hear some answers and maybe get a juicy and enlightening forum thread going. Well I shall go now and await your posts.

PS: I'll be taking some of that Manischewitz, a Knishes or two and maybe a bowl of that Tzimmes!

[Lisa]

Welcome to JTF.  I'll answer your questions in more detail later.  But goy is not a bad word.  It just means non Jew, or a member of other nations.  Don't feel offended. 

Kosher laws are mainly for spiritual purposes.  I'll write you more about this later. 

[cjd]

You sound like a real piece of work!!

[Moshe92]

Welcome. "Goy" usually means a gentile in Yiddish, but it just means "nation" in Hebrew.

[Xoce]

 

[xy.anglosaxon]

Well already a good start I must say. This seems like the beginning of a good thing.

@xoce;  Back at'chya!

@ Moshe92; Thank you greatly for the translation and also the speedy timing.

@ cjd; You have no idea! Well thank you for the post.

@ Lisa; I eagerly await your further detailed post and thank you for welcoming me to JTF Forums.

Well seeing as so many people already answered my questions and some are soon to do more so. I am wondering maybe if you all have some questions for me?

Well I am back out for some time, I hope to hear from you all sooner then later.

[mord]

The Jews are called Goy when G-D say i will make you a Goy Gadol in English it means a big nation .Welcome

[Lisa]

Just to get back to you about your questions. 

The Torah, consists of the first five books of the Bible -- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, along with the books of the Kings and the prophets, for example King Saul, King David, Jeremiah, Ezra, Daniel, etc.  The Torah constitutes Jewish written law.  We also have our Talmud, which is our Jewish Oral Law.  It goes into more detail on how the written law is to be observed. 

Kosher dietary laws are mainly for spiritual purposes, along with causing the animals as little pain as possible.  As I'm sure you know, Jews are not allowed to eat shellfish and pork.  But for the animals we are allowed to eat, they must be slaughtered as humanely as possible.  Once the animal is dead, the meat must be cleaned and salted, to remove any remaining traces of blood, which we believe carries the soul of the animal. 

Furthermore, we don't mix dairy and meat.  This comes from a command in Exodus that we should seethe the kid in its mothers milk.  We are not allowed to slaughter an animal in front of its mother, or vice versa.  We separate milk from meat, because milk represents life.  It's what newborn animals drink from their mothers to grow big and healthy.  On  the other hand, blood represents death, because if you lose enough of it, you die. 

Regarding your question about attending a Synagogue, men and women sit separately in Orthodox Synagogues.  That is so they stay focused on G-d, rather than the opposite sex, or their spouses. 

If you have any more questions, just ask. 

[xy.anglosaxon]

Well I am truly grateful for all the posts and replies, I am enjoying this I hope as much as you all are.

@ Mord; I didn't know that actually, thank you for sharing that with me.

@ Lisa; Okay, so the Torah is as I though it was and then more. It was an wonderful read, I knew about most of the Kosher laws you mentioned actually. I am surprised I knew so much, then again I assume there is still yet more I can learn. The Talmud, I have heard a great deal about it ad even been lucky enough to have a few rules references from it. As for the Synagogues, is that really the only thing I should be aware of? Also for the sake of all parties I was looking into a Unorthodox Synagogues to avoid not knowing Hebrew, seeing as I am already well into learning German and soon as well French.

@ Everyone; Thank you all for all the amazing answers and posts. I am going to start venturing off into the different forums,
so my next question is if you all have any you would recommend, if so post them and I will see you there.