My quick replies from my vantage as an orthodox Jew.
I will avoid zionism, since it is a topic I am passionate about, and well I like to keep this very simple, on religeous point of view.
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Originally Posted by Trisk
was never Bat Mitzvah'd, and only brought to a temple (an Orthodox one...very strange to me at the time) as a young child.
I have been curious to get more involved in the spiritual side of Judaism for some years now, but it is scary to me, as someone so ignorant of the prayers, songs, traditions, and the Hebrew language. I once tried to attend a Conservative temple for a few months with a friend of mine but if anything, it actually made me feel more alienated.
How would you advise someone like me? What's a good place to start? I have several books on Judaism, know ABOUT many holidays, customs, history, belief...but going in, praying, being part of a congregation? Adding belief and traditional values to my own, thoroughly modern life? Gah. Do you know anyone who has done this?
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Since you are over 12 Mazel tov, happy bat Mitzvah, there is no special ceremony or anything that makes you an adult. It is a big misnomer that you need to be called up or something to turn Bar or Bat Mitzvah, if you hit 12 as a girl or 13 as a boy you made it, just forgot the party and did not get the gifts. As far as getting involved that is up to you, there are a ton of organizations and ways to get involved, and if you want send me a private message where you are located and I can help you find some local organizations.
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Originally Posted by fresnelly
I'm curious about (orthodox?) fashion. Why is it that all the men wear the same suits and wide brimmed hats?
I can guess that there are edicts about dressing modestly with certain fabrics and so on but how does this translate into such uniformity? Why do some men have the curls on the sides?
What are the tenets in play here?
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Jewish Law prohibits you from cutting your sideburns, there is slight difference depending from where in Europe they were from in how they have their sideburns. Chassidish world tend to have the curls on top of a beard, lot of other orthodox jews just do not cut their sideburn below the bone beside the ear. Which is always a thing to pay attention to when getting a haircut.
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Originally Posted by Grasshopper Green
What is the Jewish view of sex before marriage (dlish, I'm going to ask the same question to you if you're reading this)? My mother is what she calls a "non traditional" Christian - she fervently believes in God, Jesus, and the Bible but does not attend services of any kind, but she knows her Bible and is happy to give me passages when I ask her questions (I consider myself agnostic and am fairly ignorant as far as religion is concerned) I recently asked her about sex before marriage and she said that the Bible says if a man lays with a woman, she is his wife...meaning they technically don't have be married, but once they have sex they are. I don't know if this is a mainstream Christian belief...I know that some Christian churches believe sex before marriage is a sin. Anyway, I'm interested in hearing your answer
One more - how does the Jewish community in general view dating outside of your religion? If the couple decide to get married, is conversion mandatory? |
Sex before marraige, is a no no. Lot I can expound on the topic, but basically men have a sin not to waste their seed. No ding with no ring.
Jewish wedding is done in 3 ways. A Kassubah a contract. The ring, which is money. And the Yichud rooom.
Part of the Jewish wedding ceremony is a yichud room. After the Chupah where they have the ceremony the bride and groom are led (with singing and dancing) to a private room. Two witnesses are kept at the door so no one can go in and out. The room is a room where there is no entrances or exits. And they stand and watch the door for probably 7-10 minutes. Basically it is long enough for them to be able to have sex.
Those are the three ways to get married, contract, sex, and money. To put it simply having per-marital sex outside without marriage, can technically lead to that issue, but it does not cause marriage since there is no witnesses, etc... This is a very simplistic overview, of something I spend about 2 years learning in depth in the Talmud.
Sex also leads to technical problems for women, since they have issues marrying a person who is a Kohen (from the priest group), and again that marraige issue I mentioned. Since technically by Jewish law polygamy is allowed by the Torah (only rabbinical decree do we not allow it), it is not the same problem with the guy, he instead has the sin of not wasting the seed. But who are people to say one sin that G-d decreed is worse then an other, it is just a simpler sin, but not necessarily less important.
As far as marrying a non-Jew it is a no no. Can not get married to a non-Jew.
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Originally Posted by Strange Famous
Well, I am ethnically Jewish, and somewhat identify myself as Jewish, but I dont really follow Judaism in any sense.
I believe in the God of Judaism/Christianity/Islam in a broad sense, but I also believe that Jesus was probably (but not definitely) a true prophet. I have never been to church (any kind of church) in my life, I practise sex before marriage, in some occassions of my life I have committed crimes of violence and theft.
Do you think it is possible to reconcile a sense of Jewish identity when one is not religiously Jewish?
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Not my place to judge you, I think if you are interested in finding out more about Judaism, just send me a message and I will be glad to point in the right direction. Otherwise as far as Jewish belief is if your mom is Jewish you are part of the tribe.
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Originally Posted by dlish
how do jewish athletes reconcile their beliefs with the sabath since most sport is played on weekends?
Do jewish athletes that find it restrictive? how do they work around it?
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Ain't gonna work on Saturday, I Ain't gonna work on Saturday, double double triple pay won't make me work on Saturday. No get out of Shabbos clause for athletes.
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Originally Posted by dlish
how do eruvs work?
from what i understand, it allows you to do things on the sabbath that you usually cannot do. can anyone decide what an eruv is, or do you need a rabbi to declare the equivelant of a fatwa?
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Basic rule on Shabbos, I can not carry anything when I go out, that includes keys. Now if I am in an enclosed area, like a fenced in backyard, it is private and then I can carry. Simple fenced in backyards is an 'eruv'. But for instance in a town if they wanted to enclose an area using different methods, it gets very technical. The rules on Shabbos and eruv, are very intense and difficult, so I would always recommend consult your local Rabbi (and if you need more information please just message me)