People don't understand Judaism

[Fenris]

On the heels of another discussion to be found here, I decided to make a topic about what Judaism is in order to dispel some ignorance.

During the recent Yom Kippur holiday, some thoughts occurred to me during the services, and I'm expressing them here.

Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, passed a few weeks ago. What is it all about?

There's a prayer that is recited on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. It is sung, first by the congregation, and then by the individual leading the service. A few lines of it are the following:

"Be gracious to the nation who unifies your name, twice every day in the morning and the evening, when we recite the Shema prayer with love".

What is the Shema prayer? It's the text in Deuteronomy 6.

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one.
And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart. And you shall teach them to your children and speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for ornaments between your eyes. And you shall inscribe them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates."

So what's Yom Kippur really about?

God is saying that He's giving us a day when the gates of heaven are open to our prayers.

And we're using that day to entreat God. And we're saying, we are your people and you are our God. You made a covenant with us at Sinai. And our part of that covenant is to follow the laws and rules that you gave us. We do our best. But we are flawed human beings, riddled with weakness and tempted by all the things that are bad for our souls. And we're asking you to be gracious with us, and to forgive us when we fall short. Not because we deserve it, but because we're still here and we proclaim your Oneness with love, every single day.

I think that this idea should be very relatable to people here.

[Kingfisher]

Yes, very relatable. Appreciate you sharing!

[Fenris]

There is a prayer dating back to Talmudic times, which is recited on Fast days, (see Zechariah 8:19 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah.")which are meant to stir repentance, and between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. I think these are very relatable to Christians also. It's a series of lines, and I've pulled out the ones of particular interest.

Our Father, our King, we have sinned before You.
Our Father, our King, we have no King but You.
..

Our Father, our King, remove from us all harsh decrees.
Our Father, our King, annul the intentions of our enemies.
Our Father, our King, foil the plans of our foes.
..

Our Father, our King, pardon and forgive all our iniquities.
Our Father, our King, blot out and remove our transgressions from before Your eyes.

Our Father, our King, bring us back to You in wholehearted repentance.
..

Our Father, our King, inscribe us in the book of good life.
Our Father, our King, inscribe us in the book of redemption and deliverance.
Our Father, our King, inscribe us in the book of livelihood and sustenance.
Our Father, our King, inscribe us in the book of merits.
Our Father, our King, inscribe us in the book of pardon and forgiveness.

Our Father, our King, cause deliverance to flourish for us soon.
..

Our Father, our King, hear our voice, have pity and compassion upon us.
Our Father, our King, accept our prayer with mercy and with favor.
Our Father, our King, open the gates of heaven to our prayer.
Our Father, our King, let it be remembered that we are but dust.
Our Father, our King, we beseech You, do not turn us away from You empty-handed.
Our Father, our King, may this hour be an hour of mercy and a time of favor before You.
Our Father, our King, have compassion upon us, and upon our infants and children.
Our Father, our King, do it for the sake of those who were slain for Your holy Name.
Our Father, our King, do it for the sake of those who were slaughtered for Your Oneness.
Our Father, our King, do it for the sake of those who went through fire and water for the sanctification of Your Name.
Our Father, our King, avenge the spilled blood of Your servants.
Our Father, our King, do it for Your sake, if not for ours.
Our Father, our King, do it for Your sake, and deliver us.
Our Father, our King, do it for the sake of Your abounding mercies.
Our Father, our King, do it for the sake of Your great, mighty and awesome Name which is proclaimed over us.
Our Father, our King, be gracious to us and answer us, for we have no meritorious deeds; deal charitably and kindly with us and deliver us.

[Walter]

On the heels of another discussion to be found here, I decided to make a topic about what Judaism is in order to dispel some ignorance.

During the recent Yom Kippur holiday, some thoughts occurred to me during the services, and I'm expressing them here.

Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, passed a few weeks ago. What is it all about?

There's a prayer that is recited on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. It is sung, first by the congregation, and then by the individual leading the service. A few lines of it are the following:

"Be gracious to the nation who unifies your name, twice every day in the morning and the evening, when we recite the Shema prayer with love".

What is the Shema prayer? It's the text in Deuteronomy 6.

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one.
And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart. And you shall teach them to your children and speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for ornaments between your eyes. And you shall inscribe them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates."

So what's Yom Kippur really about?

God is saying that He's giving us a day when the gates of heaven are open to our prayers.

And we're using that day to entreat God. And we're saying, we are your people and you are our God. You made a covenant with us at Sinai. And our part of that covenant is to follow the laws and rules that you gave us. We do our best. But we are flawed human beings, riddled with weakness and tempted by all the things that are bad for our souls. And we're asking you to be gracious with us, and to forgive us when we fall short. Not because we deserve it, but because we're still here and we proclaim your Oneness with love, every single day.

I think that this idea should be very relatable to people here.

The only One who provides atonement for sin is Jesus Christ. Judaism does not teach this universal truth. So how can your religion mean anything to God? Why would He have a relationship with you if you rejected His only begotten Son ? The only way to the One true God is through Jesus Christ the Lord. Most Christians ( and non-jews ) have no idea what your talmud says about them and I suppose you would want to keep it that way.

[Athanasius]

Walter, though this may be the Controversial subforum, I still expect you to maintain decorum. If you have any thoughts that are relevant to the OP, feel free to share them. But if you're referring to a certain book from 1892, you'll find I'm very impatient.

[Fenris]

But if you're referring to a certain book from 1892, you'll find I'm very impatient.

I'm in the dark here. Which book?

[Fenris]

The only One who provides atonement for sin is Jesus Christ. Judaism does not teach this universal truth.

I do not expect you to believe as I do. I'm simply explaining what Jews believe. I have heard countless lectures on Christianity here, and while I do not believe what Christians do, I am grateful for the opportunity to understand Christian beliefs.

Most Christians ( and non-jews ) have no idea what your talmud says about them and I suppose you would want to keep it that way.

Let me guess, someone showed you a quote from the Talmud, completely out of context and poorly explained. Or perhaps fabricated in its entirely. Am I getting warm?

[Athanasius]

But if you're referring to a certain book from 1892, you'll find I'm very impatient.

I'm in the dark here. Which book?

The Talmud Unmasked. That one bit that goes "have no idea what your talmud says about them" brought it to mind. Mind you there's been plenty of opportunity for similar since.

[Fenris]

The Talmud Unmasked. That one bit that goes "have no idea what your talmud says about them" brought it to mind. Mind you there's been plenty of opportunity for similar since.

Ah. I have never even heard of this work. I learned something new today, thank you.

[Walter]

Walter, though this may be the Controversial subforum, I still expect you to maintain decorum. If you have any thoughts that are relevant to the OP, feel free to share them. But if you're referring to a certain book from 1892, you'll find I'm very impatient.

I understand and want to be respectful.Israel, Judaism and the jewish people are perhaps the most controversial things one can discuss without having serious backlash, probably like no other topic in question.
I want to take the correct, Biblical/ historical view as a Christian and share information extremely relevant to the time we live in.
Unfortunately this will offend some, as does the Cross of Christ.
My initial reaction to the post in question was, if you are giving an explanation/sermon  to the non- jewish world about how we can try to sympathize orbe more understanding to your cause, you should also be transparent as to why so many nations and people have had serious problems wihen they established control of those people, as instructed by their religion.

[Fenris]

My initial reaction to the post in question was, if you are giving an explanation/sermon  to the non- jewish world about how we can try to sympathize

I'm not looking for "sympathy". It's a purely intellectual discussion.

you should also be transparent as to why so many nations and people have had serious problems wihen they established control of those people, as instructed by their religion.

You are sadly misinformed. Judaism doesn't instruct Jews to "take control" of anyone. It's about following the bible's laws, and so leading by example in showing the world how to lead a moral and Godly life.

[Sojourner]

My initial reaction to the post in question was, if you are giving an explanation/sermon  to the non- jewish world about how we can try to sympathize

I'm not looking for "sympathy". It's a purely intellectual discussion.

you should also be transparent as to why so many nations and people have had serious problems wihen they established control of those people, as instructed by their religion.

You are sadly misinformed. Judaism doesn't instruct Jews to "take control" of anyone. It's about following the bible's laws, and so leading by example in showing the world how to lead a moral and Godly life.

Sounds like "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" may factor in here. No matter how often it's soundly debunked, it persists.

[Sojourner]

With regard to aforementioned "Protocols," author Jim Marrs cites in his book, Rule By Secrecy, how the protocols were contrived:

"A version of the protocols first appeared in 1864 in France in a book entitled "A Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu" or "The Politics of Machiavelli in the Nineteenth Century by a contemporary. It was written anonymously by a lawyer named Maurice Joly and taken as a political satire against the Machiavelli-inspired machinations of Napoleon III. Napoleon was reportedly a friend of Victor Hugo, and both were members of the order of the Rose Croix, or the Rosicrucians--a secret society that may have influenced his writings. Joly's identity was discovered and he served a 15 month prison sentence for his impertinence, and his book was almost forgotten.

In the mid-1890's, Joly's book was re-written and augmented with antiSemitic material on orders of the Russian Ochrana, the czar's secret police. It was added to the work of a religious writer named Sergei Nilus and published to coincide with the founding of the first Zionist movement (seeking a return to Palestine) at the 1897 World Congress of Jewry at Basel Switzerland. The Protocols were included as an appendix to Nilus' book, partially titled, "The Antichrist Is Near At Hand."

The objective was to relieve public pressure on the czar by portraying the Russian revolutionaries as pawns of an international Jewish conspiracy. The document purported that a clique of Jews and freemasons would join forces to create a one-world government by means of liberalism and socialism, a conspiratorial theory still alive in some quarters."

The truth is, a viable blueprint by which the world could, through stealth and intrigue, be fitted with the reigns of global government, was originally part of biting satire directed at Napoleon. When the Jewish Rothschild family lent its wealth and influence to the Zionist movement, the Czar's supporters saw an opportunity to deflect public attention on the Jews by implicating them in an international conspiracy.

Antisemites like Hitler and Henry Ford seized on the idea, publishing and promulgating the Protocols as a bona fide Jewish conspiracy to dominate and control the world. The Protocols are formulated in a manner that sounds like the sinister blueprint they are wrongly presented to be. To the extent that the idea of a Jewish conspiracy has taken on a life of its own. The Protocols represent a definitive example of how the Jews have frequently been made scapegoats in times of political and economic turmoil.

[Fenris]

Sounds like "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" may factor in here. No matter how often it's soundly debunked, it persists.

I'm still waiting for my turn on the weather machine. The blizzard was not my doing, honest.

[RabbiKnife]

Sounds like "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" may factor in here. No matter how often it's soundly debunked, it persists.

I'm still waiting for my turn on the weather machine. The blizzard was not my doing, honest.

I thought you were doing that weather manipulation thing with the space laser…