Is a conversion appropriate in this circumstance?

[rafeli18]

Thank you Rafeli18... I appreciate it.

We are currently working towards the rebuilding of the Temple. Us (I'm sorry if I'm talking for everyone) religious Zionists believe that the current state of Israel is a step toward the final redemption as prophesied by our Prophets of the Tanach. Even though there seem to be a lot of problems with the modern state of Israel, we see them as the travails which the Talmud spoke about in the period before the coming of the Moshiach (annointed king of Israel).

This is why I believe it is important to remember these calamities which befell us because of the various things which broke the close bonds we had with our 'father in heaven'. Judaism is a faith which believes that everything was created by the ONE G-d, creator of Heaven and Earth, and there is no force which he is not the master of. Thus we can see that even the so-called bad which has occured, there is a greater story which we will finally see when we reach the world to come. We will navigate these 'bad times' in the knowledge that ultimately we will witness the 'good times' of the redemption and we are responsible for being a part of that redemptive process.

You're very eloquent in the way you write. You're right tragedies are not entirely bad. As you say it acts as a binding factor which strengthens communities as well as being indicative of a greater good to come.
I sound this may sound naive but how do you rebuild the temple whilst the dome of the rock is on top of the original structures?

[kyel]

Do you recommend any good online translations?

http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/63255/jewish/The-Bible-with-Rashi.htm


I think this is a good translation and it also has Hebrew text on the left side that you will be able to understand more well you learn Hebrew. There is also commentary from Rashi which you can read if something seems confusing. Honestly, I have never read this translation and am not sure if it is plagued with errors but it can't be as bad as the KJV (which I think some people may actually beleive is the original Bible). Also keep in mind that if you were to just buy a regular bible the order of the Jewish Bible and Christian Bible differ. Here is an interesting site which has several interpretations and comments on the Torah that I would recommend reading.


http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Written_Law.html

[Israel Chai]

You're very eloquent in the way you write. You're right tragedies are not entirely bad. As you say it acts as a binding factor which strengthens communities as well as being indicative of a greater good to come.
I sound this may sound naive but how do you rebuild the temple whilst the dome of the rock is on top of the original structures?

That abomination is on a ticker. The temple dedicated to idolatrous worship of a rock and hating non-muslims, whose golden roof was placed during the holocaust by a mudrat Nazi who wanted Nazis in Israel, is on a ticker. May the holy temple be rebuilt speedily in our days.

[rafeli18]

http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/63255/jewish/The-Bible-with-Rashi.htm


I think this is a good translation and it also has Hebrew text on the left side that you will be able to understand more well you learn Hebrew. There is also commentary from Rashi which you can read if something seems confusing. Honestly, I have never read this translation and am not sure if it is plagued with errors but it can't be as bad as the KJV (which I think some people may actually beleive is the original Bible). Also keep in mind that if you were to just buy a regular bible the order of the Jewish Bible and Christian Bible differ. Here is an interesting site which has several interpretations and comments on the Torah that I would recommend reading.


http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Written_Law.html

Thanks,the KJV is indeed a corrupted version made to suit the monarch at the time so I take it with a pinch of salt but the translation on the website you listed seems good as well as jewish virtual library which I go on regularly.In your opinion what pace should I be going?

[rafeli18]

That abomination is on a ticker. The temple dedicated to idolatrous worship of a rock and hating non-muslims, whose golden roof was placed during the holocaust by a mudrat Nazi who wanted Nazis in Israel, is on a ticker. May the holy temple be rebuilt speedily in our days.

Yasser Arafat's uncle I believe. The trouble is that most muslims are too stupid to see that in the koran Israel is cited as the land of the jewish people

[muman613]

Chabads on-line Torah resources are translated very well according to everyone I speak with. I myself use an Artscroll Chumash to study with although when I daven with Chabad I use their siddur and their Chumash.

http://www.artscroll.com/Books/stoh.html



Yes, this is a hard-copy version... But you are not permitted to use an electronic version when studying/davening on Shabbat. So you should get a hard-copy of the Chumash (which includes the haftarah portions also and very good commentary).

[muman613]

KJV is not recommended for Jews, it is mistranslated to make it seem like it is talking about the false messiah.

[rafeli18]

KJV is not recommended for Jews, it is mistranslated to make it seem like it is talking about the false messiah.

I still don't get how people think Jesus was the messiah given the forgery of the gospels to make to prophecies fit

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

I use this one, and it's not that expensive.


http://www.jewishpub.org/product/9780827602526/tanakh-the-holy-scriptures-cloth-edition

[muman613]

I still don't get how people think Jesus was the messiah given the forgery of the gospels to make to prophecies fit

JTF respects the beliefs of non-Jews even those who believe in Christianity. So we should not spend too much time discussing this aspect of your conversion. So long as you disassociate yourself from those beliefs and are sure that Hashem is the ONE G-d and there is nothing beside him, you are on the right path toward Jewish faith.

[muman613]

I use this one, and it's not that expensive.


http://www.jewishpub.org/product/9780827602526/tanakh-the-holy-scriptures-cloth-edition

My only question is why have 'non-Jewish' interpretations in the Torah? Doesn't that cause some problems?

In executing this monumental task, the translators made use of the entire range of biblical interpretation, ancient and modern, Jewish and non-Jewish. They drew upon the latest findings in linguistics and archaeology, as well as the work of early rabbinic and medieval commentators, grammarians, and philologians. The resulting text is a triumph of literary style and biblical scholarship, unsurpassed in accuracy and clarity.

[rafeli18]

JTF respects the beliefs of non-Jews even those who believe in Christianity. So we should not spend too much time discussing this aspect of your conversion. So long as you disassociate yourself from those beliefs and are sure that Hashem is the ONE G-d and there is nothing beside him, you are on the right path toward Jewish faith.

Indeed, tolerance is one of the many characteristics of the Jewish faith so I meant no offence. I disassociated myself with my catholicism years ago

[muman613]

Not that I want to knock your Tanach Ephraim, but from what I can tell about JPS it appears they are compromised. They work with Reform and Conservative and all kinds of progressive branches (maybe even messianic) and thus I would not use their books (I insist on actual Orthodox sources, of which Artscroll is)...

[muman613]

Two of my favorite publishers of Orthodox books:

http://www.artscroll.com

http://www.feldheim.com/

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

Not that I want to knock your Tanach Ephraim, but from what I can tell about JPS it appears they are compromised. They work with Reform and Conservative and all kinds of progressive branches (maybe even messianic) and thus I would not use their books (I insist on actual Orthodox sources, of which Artscroll is)...

Oh, I didn't know. That's probably why I can buy it here, because there is only a Reform Synagogue. Do you think the Hebrew to English translations are incorrect?

[rafeli18]

At what pace would you recommend I read the torah given also the commentaries?

[muman613]

At what pace would you recommend I read the torah given also the commentaries?

I would recommend you get in tune with the weekly cycle of Torah readings. We have a Calendar where we read a portion starting at the Beginning of the Year at Beresheit (Genesis) and end at the end of the year at the end of Devarim (Dueteronomy).

I post a weekly Torah portion thread in this forum which reviews the portion of the week. I have been studying Chumash like this for almost 10 years now. Every year you learn a little more of the deep secrets of the Torah...

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

At what pace would you recommend I read the torah given also the commentaries?

Read as much as you want, but especially the weekly Torah portion. ?? ?

[muman613]

http://www.chabad.org/library/howto/wizard_cdo/aid/365942/jewish/Torah-Reading.htm

The Five Books of Moses are divided into 54 portions. One portion (called a Parsha) is read every week so that the entire Torah is completed in a year. On certain weeks two portions are combined and read as one. For this week's Torah Portion click here

The Torah reading service begins when a member of the congregation is given the honor of opening the Ark and taking out the Torah, with much respect and ceremony. The Torah is then taken to the podium (Bimah), which is situated in the center of the sanctuary. On the occasion when it is necessary to read two or three different portions, two or three scrolls may be taken from the Ark. One or two additional members of the congregation are then honored with carrying the additional Torah Scrolls to the podium.

As the Torah Scroll passes by, members of the congregation kiss it as a sign of love and respect.

Said Rabbi Shimon [bar Yochai]:

"When the Congregation takes out the Scroll of the Torah to read in it, the Heavenly Gates of Mercy are opened, and G-d's love is aroused." -- Zohar

Thus, the opening of the Ark and taking out the Torah to read is a very special time, a time of Heavenly mercy and love, when our prayers are especially acceptable.

[muman613]

This week we read Portion Vaetchanan :

http://www.chabad.org/parshah/default_cdo/jewish/Torah-Portion.htm

[rafeli18]

This week we read Portion Vaetchanan :

http://www.chabad.org/parshah/default_cdo/jewish/Torah-Portion.htm

Thanks. Is there a clear cut difference between the azkhenazi customs and the sephardim? Most shuls in the Uk are azkhenazi so I was just curious? I am aware of differences in the mourning prayers, the kaddish. Sephardim mourners will stand whilst azkhenazis will all stand/  Btw, my grandmother was azkhenazi but on my grandfathers side there was some sephardim(converso)

[muman613]

Thanks. Is there a clear cut difference between the azkhenazi customs and the sephardim? Most shuls in the Uk are azkhenazi so I was just curious? I am aware of differences in the mourning prayers, the kaddish. Sephardim mourners will stand whilst azkhenazis will all stand/  Btw, my grandmother was azkhenazi but on my grandfathers side there was some sephardim(converso)

There are slight differences in Minhagim (Customs) between Ashkenazi and Sephardi. I daven with a mixed minyan (mostly Ashkenazi) so some of my friends daven using a different Siddur (prayer book) and they have slightly different customs (as you point out when to stand, etc.).

I am fully Ashkenazi, my great grand-parents came from Ukraine (Uman) and Poland...

[rafeli18]

There are slight differences in Minhagim (Customs) between Ashkenazi and Sephardi. I daven with a mixed minyan (mostly Ashkenazi) so some of my friends daven using a different Siddur (prayer book) and they have slightly different customs (as you point out when to stand, etc.).

I am fully Ashkenazi, my great grand-parents came from Ukraine (Uman) and Poland...

Oh ok so whilst there are minor differences the customs are essentially very similar.
Oh, have you ever visited Rabbi Nachmann's grave?

[muman613]

Oh ok so whilst there are minor differences the customs are essentially very similar.
Oh, have you ever visited Rabbi Nachmann's grave?

I would love to some day. I try to learn Breslov Chassidus because of my roots to Uman.

[rafeli18]

I would love to some day. I try to learn Breslov Chassidus because of my roots to Uman.

Interesting. I gather a lot of mizrahim take pilgrimage as well. The process of pilgrimage seems so intense and spiritually satisfying as shown on a british documentary a few years back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLSlbXk7IsE