Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site mhuxi.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!mhuxm!mhuxi!dsg From: dsg@mhuxi.UUCP (GREEN) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: What is a Jew? Message-ID: <211@mhuxi.UUCP> Date: Fri, 21-Sep-84 09:10:47 EDT Article-I.D.: mhuxi.211 Posted: Fri Sep 21 09:10:47 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 20:47:50 EDT Distribution: net Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 52 [Hi Mr. Golem, its me again.] There seems to be much discussion about "Who is a Jew". If your mother was/is a Jew, you are Jewish, like it or not. Of course you may convert, deny your heritage or whatever. What does a Jew believe? Very simply: (From "Ethics of the Fathers") Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the Elders; the Elders to the Prophets; and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgement; develop many disciples; and make a fence for the Torah. Now, what does that mean? The term Torah includes the Written Law ( i. e., the Five Books of Moses), *AND* the accompanying Oral Law ( Talmud ) which is the interpretation of the Text as divinely handed down to Moses in its entirety and expounded by successive generations of Sages. Moses received the Torah from G-d at Sinai in full view of all the people. Moses expounded the Torah during the forty years of the wanderings through the desert, and before he died he 'transferred' the tradition to Joshua to ensure its perpetuation. The Great Assembly and their successors at around the time of the Second Temple laid the foundation for the liturgy, edited several of the Scriptual books, provided for the intensified study of the Oral Law, and enacted many ordinances designed to prevent laxity in observance of the commandments. FENCES are provisions and cautionary rules enacted to safeguard against transgressions of the laws of the Torah. What does this mean to you? Unless you are aware of the Written and Oral Laws and the "fences" you are engaging in intellectual masturbation. Some on the net are well versed in the laws. I do not always agree with the resultant philosophical implications. The various "laws" tell the Jewish community how to act between man and G-d, man and man, and Jew and non-Jew. Try to place yourself in this Matrix: Persuasion Observant Non-observant Knowledge of the Law Orthodox Conservative Reform Non-Jewish Other As you can see, there are many "boxes" or permutations where you may fit into. Note that because of the different profiles, conversations between person "x" and person "y" can get a little heated. Lets try, for the new year, to be a little more tolerant of different personalities, and try to learn!!! Shalom, David S. Green mhuxi!dsg 201-564-4468