Judaism and Non-Jews
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Islam
Are Muslims idolators? Muslims believe in G-d, and don’t worship anything else, so they aren’t idolators; but they believe that Mohammed was the last and greatest prophet.
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Infant Damnation
Do the Jews believe in infant damnation? The Jewish view is that children are without sin, so they go to heaven when they die. The Christian belief in infant damnation isn’t of Jewish origin.
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Magic and Witchcraft
What is the Jewish attitude toward witchcraft? Witchcraft and magic are forbidden by the Torah, and in some cases they carry the death penalty; see Ex.22:18 and Lev.20:27.
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Treating Non-Jews as Idolators
Must we treat non-Jews the way the Talmud tells us to treat idolators? According to Tosafos (Avodah Zarah 2a, s.v. Asur), the non-Jews whom we live among (i.e., the Christians) are not idol worshippers. The Muslims are definitely not idolators.
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The Seven Noahide Laws
What are the seven Noahide laws? The seven laws that were given to Adam and Noah are discussed in the Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin). In brief, these laws are: establishing a legal system; refraining from idolatry, blasphemy, murder, robbery, adultery and…
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Cross-Dressing
Why is cross-dressing forbidden? Maimonides, in his law code Mishneh Torah, lists the cross-dressing prohibition of Deut. 22:5 (which forbids women wearing clothes that are ordinarily worn only by men and vice versa) under the category of laws relating to…
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Belittling Non-Jews
Is it proper to belittle non-Jews? It’s wrong to belittle non-Jews who observe the Noahide laws. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 102b; Tosefta 13:2) says that the righteous of the nations have a share in the World to Come, and this is…
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Noahides and the Sabbath
Are Noahides required to observe the Sabbath? The Sabbath is a sign given specifically to the Jews (Ex.31:13,16-17).
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Jewish Sources on Jesus
What do the Jewish sources tell us about Jesus? A person named Yeshu ha-Notzri (Jesus the Nazarene?) is mentioned several times in the Talmud, but the content of these references is not consistent with the story of Jesus as told…