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Tanakh and Talmud
The Tanakh is the set of books that constitute the Hebrew Bible. The Talmud, which comprises the Mishnah (Jewish Oral Law) and the Gemara (commentary on the Mishnah) is the written deliberation of Jewish principles and laws.
5,774 Questions
Why do Jewish male infants get circumcised?
Answer 1
As commanded by God, in order to enter into the covenant of Abraham (Genesis ch.17).
God told Abraham "every male among you shall be circumcised" (Gen. 17) as part of the covenant between God and the Jewish people.
Since that time, virtually all Jews have observed the command of circumcision (Genesis ch.17) for close to four millennia, even in times of religious persecution under the Greeks, Romans, Spaniards, Soviets and others.
Answer 2 The real reason however is always to set a society or a part of a society apart from others.
Answer 3
The religious origin of Jewish circumcision is in the Torah. It says that God told Abraham "every male among you shall be circumcised" (Gen. 17) as part of a covenant between God and the Jewish people. Circumcision was introduced to replace the sacrifice of children to their god. However, most Jews are unaware of this origin, and in a survey of American Jews, the large majority (87%) do not believe that the Torah is the actual word of God.
In actual practice, many Jews circumcise because of cultural conformity, not religious reasons. Based on a national survey of American Jews, "90 percent define being Jewish as being a member of a cultural or ethnic group." Most circumcisions of male infants of American Jewish parents are done in hospitals without any religious ritual.
"Circumcision is commanded in Genesis 17:10-14 as an outward sign of a man's participation in Israel's covenant with God, as well as a sign that the Jewish people will perpetuate through him" (Circumcision in Judaism, n.d., para. 2)
Reference:Circumcision in Judaism. (n.d.). What does Judaism teach about circumcision?
(see the link)
Why is it important to circumcise Jewish babies?
Circumcision is a religious tradition for Jews that goes back thousands of years. No one knows for sure how it started, but it is believed it may be related to difficulties with hygiene in the desert environment of the Middle East. Jewish theologians generally discount the practical explanation in favor of the religious one.
The Jewish bris is a sign of Abraham's covenant with G-d. It is practiced by all branches of Judaism. The reason male circumcision is important to Judaism is because the Torah specifies that uncircumcised Jewish males are cut of from Judaism and cannot participate in a large percentage of Jewish life and ritual.
In terms of when the circumcision occurs, aside from the Torah specifying it must be done at 8 days, modern research has shown that blood clotting performance peaks at 8 days. Additionally, when circumcision is done at 8 days, it is a minor process that heals within 36-48 hours on average. Adult male circumcision is a serious surgery that requires stitches and a fairly long and painful healing process.
What does it mean to be circumcised according to the bible?
Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin of the penis. The foreskin is a flap of skin that normally covers the glans (head) of the penis.
Christians don't have any obligation to their religion to mutilate their genitalia through circumcision. It was decided that accepting Christ as their savior and that the sacrifice of Christ added up to circumcision of the heart.
Why did Moses's wife circumcise their son?
Not all of the children in the Bible were circumcised. Only the boys were.
Circumcision was (and is) a visible sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish people.
I read this in the old testament in the bible. That boys should be circumcised.
How much does a woman bleed during menstruation?
The average blood loss during menstruation is 35ml, with anything over 80ml being considered heavy. Everyone is different, some women lose significantly more blood than this, unless you use a menstrual cup it's very difficult to accurately determine how much blood you're losing on your period.
What are some of Jewish ceremonies?
Jewish life is governed by 613 categories of commandments - a list of which can be found at http://www.answers.com/topic/613-mitzvot-1. These are binding on all Jews. E.g. Jews may not cook - nor eat - meat and milk together. Over the centuries various customs have developed, a discussion of which can be found at http://www.answers.com/topic/minhag. Different families have different customs - and these may change over time. E.g. Some Jews wait 6 hours between eating meat and milk, some only 3 hours and some only 1 hour.
Why do Jewish people get circumcised?
The origin of Jewish circumcision is in the Torah, which is the foundation of Judaism. God told Abraham "every male among you shall be circumcised" as part of the covenant between God and the Jewish people (Genesis ch.17).
Since that time, virtually all Jews have observed the command of circumcision for close to four millennia, even in times of religious persecution under the Greeks, Romans, Spaniards, and Soviets. Circumcision is the indelible sign of God's covenant and is just as important as Yom Kippur in terms of the stringency which the Torah places upon it. And similar to Yom Kippur, it is one of the observances which are common to Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews alike.
It may be noted that while we do not keep God's commands because of physical benefits, it is still interesting that circumcision has been known to offer virtually complete protection from penile cancer. According to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, none of the more than 1,600 persons studied with this cancer had been circumcised in infancy. In the words of researchers Cochen and McCurdy, the incidence of penile cancer in the U.S. is "essentially zero" among circumcised men.
Also, research at Johns Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore have shown that circumcised men are six to eight times less likely to become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Researchers believe that protection is due to the removal of the foreskin, which contains cells that have HIV receptors which scientists suspect are the primary entry point for the HIV virus (Reuters, March 25, 2004).
Several studies reported that circumcised boys were between 10 to 39 times less likely to develop urinary tract infections during infancy than uncircumcised boys. In addition, circumcision protects against bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections and a variety of other conditions related to hygiene.
The extremely low rate of cervical cancer in Jewish women (9 to 22 times less than among non-Jewish women) is thought to be related to the practice of circumcision. As a result of studies like these, a number of prestigious medical organizations such as the California Medical Association have recognized the benefits of circumcision.
As an operation, circumcision has an extremely small complication rate. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (1990) reported a complication rate of 0.19 percent when circumcision is performed by a physician. When performed by a trained mohel, the rate falls to 0.13 percent or about 1 in 800. When a complication occurs, it is usually due to the bleeding, which is easily correctable. No other surgical procedure can boast such figures for complication-free operations.
One reason why there are so few complications involving bleeding may be that the major clotting agents, prothrombin and vitamin K, do not reach peak levels in the blood until the eighth day of life. Prothrombin levels are normal at birth, drop to a lower level in the next few days, and return to normal at the end of the first week. One study showed that by the eighth day, prothrombin levels reach 110 percent of normal. In the words of Dr. Armand J. Quick, author of several works on the control of bleeding, "It hardly seems accidental that the rite of circumcision was postponed until the eighth day by the Mosaic law."See also:
When do Jewish boys get circumcised?
In the Jewish religious tradition it is done at eight days of age. Muslims can do it anytime before puberty, and the elective non religious circumcisions which are still popular in the US are performed within the first two days of being born. However regardless of the reason there are no medical reasons for this procedure, other than the prevention of cancer, the prevention of urinary tract infection, and the hindrance of AIDS.
- Professors Cochen and McCurdy state that the incidence of penile cancer in the U.S. is "essentially zero" among circumcised men.
- Studies at Johns Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore have concluded that circumcised men are six to eight times less likely to become infected with HIV (Reuters, March 25, 2004).
- Circumcised boys are also 10 to 39 times less likely to develop urinary tract infections during infancy than uncircumcised boys. As a result of studies like these, a number of prestigious medical organizations such as the California Medical Association have recognized the benefits of circumcision.
How old are Jewish boys when circumcised?
This is a tradition that goes back thousands of years. It is a requirement of Torah-law (Genesis 17:9-14) and is a part of the covenant with God. All major denominations of Judaism keep the practice circumcision, including even Reform Judaism.
There is a small fringe group of non-religious Jews who are opting out of circumcision.
- Answer 2
It may be noted that while we do not keep God's commands because of physical benefits, it is still interesting that circumcision has been known to offer virtually complete protection from penile cancer. According to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, none of the more than 1,600 persons studied with this cancer had been circumcised in infancy. In the words of researchers Cochen and McCurdy, the incidence of penile cancer in the U.S. is "essentially zero" among circumcised men. Also, research at Johns Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore have shown that circumcised men are six to eight times less likely to become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Researchers believe that protection is due to the removal of the foreskin, which contains cells that have HIV receptors which scientists suspect are the primary entry point for the HIV virus (Reuters, March 25, 2004).
Several studies reported that circumcised boys were between 10 to 39 times less likely to develop urinary tract infections during infancy than uncircumcised boys. In addition, circumcision protects against bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections and a variety of other conditions related to hygiene.
The extremely low rate of cervical cancer in Jewish women (9 to 22 times less than among non-Jewish women) is thought to be related to their husbands' being circumcised. As a result of studies like these, a number of prestigious medical organizations such as the California Medical Association have recognized the benefits of circumcision.
As an operation, circumcision has an extremely small complication rate. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (1990) reported a complication rate of 0.19 percent when circumcision is performed by a physician. When performed by a trained mohel, the rate falls to 0.13 percent or about 1 in 800. When a complication occurs, it is usually due to the bleeding, which is easily correctable. No other surgical procedure can boast such figures for complication-free operations.
One reason why there are so few complications involving bleeding may be that the major clotting agents, prothrombin and vitamin K, do not reach peak levels in the blood until the eighth day after a baby is born. Prothrombin levels are normal at birth, drop to a lower level in the next few days, and return to normal at the end of the first week. One study showed that by the eighth day, prothrombin levels reach 110 percent of normal. In the words of Dr. Armand J. Quick, author of several works on the control of bleeding, "It hardly seems accidental that the rite of circumcision was postponed until the eighth day by the Mosaic law."
Why do Jews feel the land of Canaan belongs to them?
Answer 1
Because God gave it to us.
Answer 2
In addition to the religious belief (discussed more in (2)), Jews believe that there are historical, legal, and political grounds that Israel belongs to them. It is also worth noting that all Israeli minorities other than ethnic Palestinians, such as Bedouins, Druze, Circassians, and non-Arab Churches (such as the Armenians and the Orthodox) support the Jewish claim to power over the Palestinians' claim to power.
1) Historically: The Jews have an undeniable presence in the land from at least 700 BCE until 70 CE and this is proven not only by the Biblical account, but from Assyrian Ruins, Babylonian documents, Hellenistic inscriptions, and Roman volumes. Jews had a continuous presence in the land from 70 CE until the present day (even though they were nowhere near the majority) even though they were forcibly deported from the territory. The fact that they survived, as opposed to the Arameans or Hittites who were similarly exiled does not illegitimate their claims.
In addition to the population-part of the historical claim, Jews have physical ruins and cities that are very sacred to them in the territory of the British Mandate of Palestine. The city of Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Jewish Bible. The city of Nablus used to be the Northern Metropolis of Shechem. Hebron was the first capital of Ancient Israel whence Saul ruled and David ruled until he conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites. Even more recent sites like Masada document the Jewish presence and struggle to persevere.
2) Religiously: The Jewish claim to have a connection to the land of the British Mandate of Palestine is firmly grounded in their religion. Jews as early as the Babylonian exiles wrote about returning to the land because God had promised it to them. According to the Pentateuch, God promised Abraham that piece of land. (This promise is even acknowledged in the Qur'an 5:20-21, 17:104, and 26:59.) Many Jewish Holy Sites are in Israel such as the Kotel Hama'aravi (Western Wall).
3) Legally: By international law, the Ottoman Empire took the territory from the Seljuks and Abbassids by internationally recognized conquest. The territory was ceded to the British as a Mandate by the Ottomans as a term of surrender in World War I. (Even though the British had promised the territory to both the Arabs and Jews during the War, neither promise is legally binding.) According to the terms of the Mandate, even though the British were in control, the League of Nations had official jurisdiction. In 1947, the British gave direct authority to the League of Nations' successor, the United Nations, in accordance with the terms of their Mandate. The UN passed the 1947 Partition Plan that gave both a Jewish State and an Arab State the Right to Declare Statehood. The fact that the Arabs decided not to immediately declare such a state does not make the Israeli declaration any less valid. (It is important to note that Palestine did declare statehood on these grounds in 1988, which further cements the legality of this view.)
4) Politically: Jews invested a lot in building the political and physical infrastructure of the land even before they had control. Jews built farms, trained military brigades, created political parties, studied government, and defended themselves. This created a system that was able to repel the Arab Attacks in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9, secure expanded borders in the Six Day War of 1967, and hold those borders in the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. Israelis were actually able to exert control over this territory.
Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but should capture the sentiment of the question.
Who built the temple and transformed the city of Jerusalem?
King Solomon, the son of King David (of David and Goliath fame). It was rebuilt again much later by Herod (of the baby Jesus/Magi fame).
Were the israelites monotheistic?
they should be, as they are in covenant with Jehovah God. but as history shows, they always search for a new god/belief that is why they break the covenant that they have with their only God, Jehovah.
How many Jews are there living in Japan today?
The majority of estimates of the Muslim population have been put at around 100,000 in estimates. (Note: Japan 2010 population is around 127million)
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183000 Muslims (around 0.1% of Japan poulation); per Pew Forum study dated October 2009. See the reference link below.
In what year did the twelve tribes of Israel separate into two nations?
According to biblical chronology, the two states separated approximately 921 BCE. This is confirmed in 1 Kings and 2 Kings by the king list for the northern kingdom of Israel, which was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BCE, a date that has been fixed by historians.
However, there is a growing consensus among scholars that there never was a united monarchy of Israel. Lester L Grabbe (Ancient Israel) expresses the emphatic view is that if indeed there was a United Monarchy, it was not as the Bible pictures it.
How old was Moses Austin when he died?
Moses Austin lived from October 4, 1761 to June 10, 1821, which would make him just shy of 60 years old on his deathbed.
Are the European Jews descended from the biblical Jews?
Israelis are a Middle Eastern people. This is the proper consideration, especially when you take into account that even the majority of Israeli Jews (ignoring the 20% of Israelis who are ethnic Arabs) are from the Middle East and North Africa. Israel has an ethnic European minority, but that is it, a minority and most of those ethnic Europeans were born in Israel anyway.
Some people consider Israelis to be European, but this consideration comes primarily from the patronizing view that Israel's embrace of human rights and democratic norms is a "European" mindset as opposed to a "Middle Eastern" mindset (which is implicitly a theocratic and authoritarian behavior). It is because of Israel's embrace of many of these norms that Israel functions and operates much more like a European country than its Middle Eastern neighbors. However, if this is the definition of European, then Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore are also "European" countries since these countries embrace many of these norms and behave more like European countries than autocratic neighbors like China and North Korea.
Has Jerusalem's temple been rebuilt?
apparently so! :-) I believe that they pray at the wall for the temple to be rebuilt everyday, so that they do not have to stay outside the wall, and will have somewhere to pray. The Jews as far as I'm aware do not believe Jesus fullfilled all the attributes in the bible for him to be the one. Besides they have already made most of the religious artifacts to go into the temple, and are just diliberating over its exact position,,,, other things must come to pass before this
Who led the migration to Canaan after Moses died?
Joshua became the political and military leader of the nation (Numbers ch.27, Deuteronomy ch.31).
The peaceful transfer of leadership-responsibility took place shortly before Moses' death.
Who were Sarah and Abraham's sons?
actually Abraham is recorded to have much more than 3 sons ,but the most well known are Ishmael and Isaac.
Or maybe I've misunderstood and you're referring to Lincoln ,whose sons are:
Robert Todd Lincoln
Edward Lincoln
Willie Lincoln
Tad Lincoln
How could the parting of the red sea be true?
To set the record straight, the Israelites did not cross the Red Sea but the Reed Sea, a marsh-like piece of land in which some portion became passable when the water recedes.
See link Passage of the Red Sea below
Who is the father of the Jewish nation?
Jacob, who was renamed Israel by God (Genesis ch.35). He raised his twelve sons, who later became the ancestors of the twelve Israelite Tribes.
Jacob, son of Isaac, was the last of the Patriarchs (Talmud, Berakhot 16b). He spent a lot of time in the tents (Genesis 25:27) studying his ancestors' teachings (Rashi commentary, ibid.); and eventually, like Abraham and Isaac before him, attained prophecy, in which God confirmed His covenant and promised His protection (Genesis 28:10-15).
When the opportunity presented itself, Jacob asked his elder twin brother Esau to sell him his birthright (Genesis 25:29:34), since he sensed that Esau wasn't pious enough to fully deserve it. Thus began the fulfillment of the prophecy which Rebecca had heard, that Jacob would become the dominant of her two sons (Genesis 25:22-23).
Jacob's life was replete with tribulations (Rashi commentary, Genesis 43:14). He managed to come out ahead despite the wiles of the deceitful Laban (Genesis 29:25 and 31:41) and the danger presented by the angry Esau (Genesis 27:41 and 32:12).
There were painful events with his daughter Dinah (Genesis 34:1-7) and with his being separated for two decades from his beloved son, Joseph (Genesis ch.37); and his wife Rachel died at a young age in childbirth (Genesis 35:16-19).
These troubles were a portent for the tribulations of the Jews in their times of exile. But Jacob received God's affirmation of His covenant and blessing (Genesis 28:13-14; 35:9-12; 46:2-4), signifying that the exile would eventually end. God gave Jacob the honor-title of Israel, indicating his eventual ascendancy (Genesis ch.35).
