Why do we call Moses a Jew? (legit Question)

[kyel]

When he was from the tribe of Levi? Also many other characters get called Jews even though they were not descended from Judah and before the idea of Judaism as a religion got started...(first reference of Jewish religion is in Esther)...Is this done out of convenience?

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Judaism comes from the Hebrew Yahadot.

http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_c/bl_judaism_word.htm

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Also I wanted to add (actually say) but it just left my mind on this point. I think the root is either to praise G-D or something else. Maybe I'll recollect it and get back.

[Sveta]

He was a "Hebrew", just like Avraham Avinu was. The Torah calls Avraham "Avraham the Hebrew". His children were part of the Hebrew nation, aka Israel. Not only that, even before the Torah was given at Mt. Sinai, there already were some commandments that were kept. For example, all men from the 12 tribes were circumcised. They knew they were different, they knew they were one nation. They knew they believed in the G-d of Avraham, Isaac and Yacov. They were part of one distinct nation, and at various times in history that nation was called nation of Hebews, Israel and then Jewish.
I am not sure when "Jewish" started to be used though.
But I would say based on this, we know Moshe was Jewish. Of course, I am not too well versed, I am sure others will provide a better explanation.

[edu]

Mordechai of the book of Esther was called a Yehudi (which in English as used today has become transformed into the word Jew). Mordechai was from the tribe of Benjamin.
Many of the commentaries point out that although Mordechai was not from the tribe of Yehuda (Judah) he was called a Yehudi because after the exile of ten of the tribes of Israel from Israel, the dominant remaining tribe was Yehuda (Judah) and therefore all survivors of the other tribes that remained in Israel and retained their attachment to the Torah, took on the name Yehudi (which means, of Yehuda).
This new name Yehudi, to describe all the descendants of Israel remained throughout the 2nd Temple period. So for example, when Targum Onkelos translates the Ivriot, which in English means, Hebrews in Shmot/Exodus chapters 1 and 2, he uses the term (in Aramaic) for Jews.
When does it become important for us to remember that Moshe (Moses) was in actual way from the tribe of Levi (a Levite)? There are several commandments of the Torah that apply specifically to male descendants of the tribe of Levi, which includes Moshe (Moses). When we are talking about those commandments we do bother to stress that Moshe was a Levite.

[Binyamin Yisrael]

When he was from the tribe of Levi? Also many other characters get called Jews even though they were not descended from Judah and before the idea of Judaism as a religion got started...(first reference of Jewish religion is in Esther)...Is this done out of convenience?

Judaism as a religion began on Mount Sinai. Before that we had the status of Bnei Noah.

[Joe Gutfeld]

Hey, Binaymin, why don't you say that the guy who started this post insulted Moses like you did with me?

[cjd]

Hey, Binaymin, why don't you say that the guy who started this post insulted Moses like you did with me?

The post at the start of this thread does not call Moses an idiot like you did in your post back then... I thought you wanted to move on from old issues.

[Joe Gutfeld]

I would like to move on.  But, Binaymin is still harping on what I posted about Moses 6 years ago.  That's why I asked the question.