Judaism and Non-Jews
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Jewish Identity
My maternal grandfather was very insistent that the only way for Jews to survive was to assimilate completely. My mother married a Christian. Even though I feel very much a Jew, and always have, I wonder if I need to…
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“Judeo-Christian”
Should we use the term “Judeo-Christian” to refer to things that Jews and Christians have in common? We shouldn’t use the term. It may suggest a process of development from the former to the latter, since it makes “Judeo” a…
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Idolatry
What is idolatry? An idolator is someone who believes that some person or thing, other than G-d Himself, is divine or is an intermediary between G-d and us. Thinking very highly of oneself, or being arrogant, resembles idolatry in some…
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Mixtures of Wool and Linen
Why are mixtures of wool and linen forbidden? The laws of Kilayim are “arbitrary” laws (chukim) that have no “logical” rationales. In his Moreh Nevuchim, Maimonides suggests that mixtures of wool and linen may have once been used in garments…
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Baptism
Do the Jews practice baptism? Immersion in water is a traditional Jewish purification process; the Christian practice of baptism is probably based on this Jewish practice.
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Conversion
How is a person converted to Judaism? Conversions are performed by a Rabbinical court. The prospective convert must be immersed, and if he is a man, he must be circumcised. He (or she) must accept Judaism out of sincere conviction,…
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Renouncing Judaism
Can a Jew renounce Judaism? Nothing can change a Jew’s status – not even conversion to another religion. A Jew remains a Jew no matter what he does to repudiate Judaism. If a gentile becomes a sincere convert to Judaism,…
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Omens
Is a person allowed to make decisions based on “signs” or “omens”? It’s not necessary to ignore coincidences; they may be meant to attract our attention. But we should have good reasons for any decisions that we make as a…
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Leadership by Converts
Can a convert to Judaism be an official in a Jewish organization? The Talmud (Yevamos 45b, Kiddushin 76b), commenting on Deut. 17:15, says that any position of authority can be held only by a person of Jewish descent. But a…