Do You have Questions about Judaism as Praticed in the USA?

[Menolly]

First we would have to define 'modern' Judaism.

If you mean Judaism in current society, those who are orthodox, or ultra-orthodox, and try to hold to all 613 commandments as written, still see it as a sin. Much like my fascination with Jewitchery would be totally disapproved by Jews of the same level of observance.

There's a very informative movie about some gay Orthodox Jews that was released a few years ago called Trembling Before G-d. It can answer the Orthodox viewpoint much better than I can.

I think the Conservative and Reform movements have made platforms that are supportive of alternative lifestyles, but I would have to do some searches to find the official statements by the various movements. I know in my community, it appears to be a 'don't ask, don't tell' atmosphere, but I may be way off base there. To me, it just doesn't appear to be an issue. But, I do live in a fairly liberal university town.

[birdandbear]

Wow, Menolly, this is a fascinating thread! Thank you so much for the opportunity to ask questions, and your gracious willingness to answer them.


I find the interpretations and commentary given for the 10 Commandments extremely interesting. Especially the paralells in placement between the two tablets, and the placement of the 5th Commandment on the first tablet......I had never heard any of that before! And I gotta say, when attempting to boil down to the Top 10 Rules To Abide For All Time, "Thou shalt not sell thy neighbor into slavery" makes a heck of a lot more sense than "Thou shalt not steal thy neighbor's goat." Or Toyota. Whatever. Thank you!


Now for my dreadfully unenlightened questions....


Why is the "o" omitted from "L-rd", and "G-d"?

How is HaShem pronounced? I have a vague suspicion that it became "I Am" in the Bibles that I grew up with. I'm pretty sure I've read several translations that go " I am I AM......" And doesn't it mean something like "Insert God's sacred, and therefore unspeakable name here"?

[Menolly]

Wow, Menolly, this is a fascinating thread! Thank you so much for the opportunity to ask questions, and your gracious willingness to answer them.

I find the interpretations and commentary given for the 10 Commandments extremely interesting. Especially the paralells in placement between the two tablets, and the placement of the 5th Commandment on the first tablet......I had never heard any of that before! And I gotta say, when attempting to boil down to the Top 10 Rules To Abide For All Time, "Thou shalt not sell thy neighbor into slavery" makes a heck of a lot more sense than "Thou shalt not steal thy neighbor's goat." Or Toyota. Whatever. Thank you!

Thank the Jewish sages. I only typed up what is written in my TANACH.

If commentary truly interests you consider looking at The Five Books of Miriam: A Women's Commentary on the Torah. While not traditional commentary, the author is well learned and offers good insight. You may find it as fascinating as I do, although I don't accept egalitarianism in worship.

Why is the "o" omitted from "L-rd", and "G-d"?

It has to do with the possibility of defacing G-d's name. This site, Judaism 101: The Name of G-d explains it better than I can.

How is HaShem pronounced? I have a vague suspicion that it became "I Am" in the Bibles that I grew up with. I'm pretty sure I've read several translations that go " I am I AM......" And doesn't it mean something like "Insert G-d's sacred, and therefore unspeakable name here"?

It is pronounced Ha as in a laugh and Shem, as in hem with 'sh' instead of 'h.' The above site also explains the use of HaShem in place of other names for G-d.

[Nathan]

Some people render the four-letter Name as "Jehovah," but this pronunciation is particularly unlikely. The word "Jehovah" comes from the fact that ancient Jewish texts used to put the vowels of the Name "Adonai" (the usual substitute for YHVH) under the consonants of YHVH to remind people not to pronounce YHVH as written. A sixteenth century German Christian scribe, while transliterating the Bible into Latin for the Pope, wrote the Name out as it appeared in his texts, with the consonants of YHVH and the vowels of Adonai, and came up with the word JeHoVaH, and the name stuck.

Having read this I think I'll ask my dad what the Jehovah's witnesses' justification is for this pronunciation.

[[Syl]]

Little known fact:

The vulcan symbol for "live long and prosper" is actually the symbol for the Hebrew letter shin, which is the first letter of Shadai. The symbol is used by Rabbis often (Nemoy's father was one), and from what I'm told, is how they place their hands on the prayer shawl.

[Menolly]

I don't know about the prayer shawl (tallis) bit, I've never seen a Kohan or rabbi hold their tallis in that position. The hand symbol is actually part of the 'Aharonic Blessing', done with both hands held up in the same position so it mimics the letter shin. The Hebrew letter shin sort of looks like a W, only with three branches.

This blessing is only done by males of the Kohan tribe (descendents of Aaron), and is done facing the entire congregation.

[[Syl]]

<---Speaks Hebrew, is not Jewish.

[Menolly]

Better than I on the Hebrew then! I can barely read Hebrew, but don't understand what I'm reading or saying.

[[Syl]]

If you ever get the chance, you should go to Israel. A few weeks at an ulpan and a few more on a kibbutz, and you'll be better off than I am. I believe that's the route MsMary took... the kibbutz, at least. And her Hebrew is much better than mine. Of course, I haven't used more than bits and pieces in almost six years, so I'm beyond rusty. I always have my R. Alcalay dictionaries and 501 Hebrew verbs to help me out, though.

heh. And I can't read a lick of Biblical Hebrew.

[Menolly]

heh. And I can't read a lick of Biblical Hebrew.

Do you mean Torah and Haftorah trope? Beorn is learning that now for his Bar Mitzvah. It is still basically the same alef-bet, but the chanted version has the trope markings added (and they're different for the Torah and the Haftorah). Also, when read from the scrolls themselves, both the trope markings and the vowels are removed. So the reader has to practice with the troped versions until he practiclly has it memorized, and then reads from the scroll depending on his memorization for the proper cadence.

There are also two people (other than the person saying the blessing over the Torah, known as having an aliyah) on either side of the reader during the chanting of the Torah portion. They do have copies of the trope versions in front of them, and they are there to guarantee the reader chants the portion correctly. They will correct a mispronounced word or wrong cadence used. Having the portions chanted to the congregation correctly is considered that important.

If you ever get the chance, you should go to Israel. A few weeks at an ulpan and a few more on a kibbutz, and you'll be better off than I am.

I went to Israel as a Bas Mitzvah present from my parents (without ever studying for or having a ceremony. What were they thinking? Not that I don't appreciate the memory of the trip, but still...) in the summer of 1973, right before the YK War. I am sure the country has changed drastically since then.

I went on a three week teen tour of Israel and a week tour of Italy with Jewish youth actively involved in various Jewish youth groups from my local county as I was awarded a half price scholarship to go for being active in my own youth group. I guess that's why my parents sent me. But, while we spent a week on a moshav, we were so busy touring that we weren't offered Ulpan. Every Israeli and Arab we met spoke English that was so good, and they all relished the opportunity to practice their English, that we had no need to converse in Hebrew.

:::opportunity lost:::

I do hope to go again some day. I have an online frum friend in another forum whom I have never met IRL who lives outside of Jerusalem with her husband and 10 (!) children. She has offered her home and her time to make arrangements for Beorn to have his Bar Mitzvah at the kotel next year. I would love for the three of us to take advantage of this, but financially it just will not be feasible. And I do have some family who want to be at Beorn's simcha, who will not make the trip to Israel in these times...

However, I am trying to plan Beorn's simcha, as I hope by doing things in advance I can cut back on costs. If anyone wants to help advise me with cost cutting ideas, please come join the discussion on my forum at Planning a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. I guess this type of celebration for this life cycle event is another uniquely American Jewish thing.

[[Syl]]

heh. And I can't read a lick of Biblical Hebrew.

Do you mean Torah and Haftorah trope?

I just mean that other than the first line of Genesis and a few pieces here and there, Biblical Hebrew is a whole different language to me. I might as well be reading Italian and translating it with the Spanish I know. All those vowels throw me off. I mean, I can pick out a lot of the roots (shoresh), but the conjugation... Plus my reading skills were at best maybe a 5th grade level, and I might as well be illiterate as far as writing goes (might as well flip a coin when it comes to using tet or tav, kuf or het, sometimes even shin or samech). I've been seriously contemplating taking Hebrew at ODU.

[Menolly]

Heh, not to mention bet/vet, pay/fay, shin/sin.

:::to dot or not to dot:::

As far as I know, there are no additional vowels in Torah/Haftorah Hebrew. If you're reading directly out of a scroll, there are no vowels at all. If you're reading it somewhere else, it will have the trope markings added, which are equivalent to musical notation for the verbal reading/chanting. Since I don't fully understand them, even with trying to learn along with Beorn while he practices, I ignore them and I find the Hebrew reads the same.

If you are interested, and have the time, check out Ellie's Torah Trope Tutor. It has both Torah and Haftorah trope, sound files, and even the differences on the trope used at certain holidays.

[Dromond]

Hello again, Menolly.

I've a question that's just come to mind, and I'm surprised I hadn't considered it before.

Ancient Jews were (in their minds) in need of a messiah, someone to protect and uplift them.
Now Christians believe Jews missed it when they rejected Jesus, but that aside, just what are modern Jews, particularly American ones, expecting?
Not to stereotype,but American jews tend to be prosperous and free. And so are the Middle Eastern ones, other than some enemies they have for neighbors.

What is it that modern American Jews expect a messiah to do for them?

Thanks.

[[Syl]]

Some info from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

And this on the Jewish Messiah.

[Plissken]

The second article is fairly straightforward, but the first one reads like they're trying to prove that the "new" info in the DSS confirms Jesus as the Messiah.

(Which'd be okay, except that it makes the whole page more of an OpEd than useful information.)

[Menolly]

I hold to the Orthodox views of the second article myself, and also believe that in every generation, there is one currently living who can be the Messiah when HaShem calls upon him to be so. It is possible that all of the so called false Messiahs of the past met all of the lineage requirements, but because they did not fulfill everything prophosized about the Messiah, they could not have been him.

But, as the second article takes pains to point out, many modern day Jews in the United States have different views on what will bring the Messiah, or the Messianic age.

[Dromond]

Hmmmm.... interesting.

Thanks for the links, Syl.

I agree with Plissken about both.

And thanks, Menolly, for the insight.

[Menolly]

With so many relief organizations popping up to help vicitms of Katrina (I can't bring myself to call them refugees, they're surviviors), I would like to list the organizations that I have chosen to help. I understand many well known and established organizations will help everyone, but observant Jews have needs to be met that these organizations most likely won't take into consideration.

Yes, in desperate straits, and to save theor own lives, observant Jews will break halacha and eat whatever food there is. But there are organizations trying to get them shelf stable foods with a hechsher so it is one less worry for them to deal with.

Hurricane Relief | CHABAD-Lubavitch of Louisisana
Orthodox Union: Hurricane Katrina - How You Can Help
USJC: Hurricane Relief - You can help
B'nai B'rith International Disaster Relief
UJC Establishes Hurricane Relief Fund

I also am encouraging people to consider supporting the relief effort being put for by the Autism Society of America. It's hard enough for a normal family, I can't imagine going through this trauma with children and family members on the autism spectrum.

Autism Society of America's Katrina Relief Fund