G-d and Torah
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Before the World Was Created
What things existed before the world was created? The Talmud (Pesachim 54a; Nedarim 39b) says that seven things were created before the world was created: The Torah; repentance; paradise; hell; G-d’s throne; the Temple; and the name of the Messiah.…
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The Purpose of Humans in the World
What is the purpose of human beings in this world? The purpose of human beings in this world is to serve G-d. This is clearly specified in the very first paragraph of the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 1:1). It is…
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Kabbalah
What is Kabbalah? In general, “Kabbalah” means “tradition”. More specifically, it refers to Jewish mysticism and esoteric teachings.
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The Trinity
Do Jews believe in the trinity? G-d has many attributes, but they aren’t separate personalities. In Christianity, Jesus was transformed from a Davidic messiah into a savior who was an incarnation of G-d. The incarnation obviously couldn’t be identical to…
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How Moses was given the Torah
How did Moses receive the written Torah? There is a difference of opinion in the Talmud (Gitin 60a) as to whether Moses was given the whole Torah at Sinai (but revealed it a little at a time as the events…
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When was the Bible Canonized?
When did the Jewish Bible become canonical? The canonization of the Jewish Bible was not finalized until around 100 CE; but only a few of the books, such as the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes, had doubtful status as late…
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Permanence of the Torah
Why do we no longer observe some parts of the Torah? We are certainly not allowed to do away with any part of the Law; the Torah tells us “you shall not add to it or subtract from it” (Deut.13:1).…
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The Apocrypha
What are the apocrypha? They are books, written in Second Temple times, that the Catholic churches (both Roman and Eastern) accepted as part of the Bible, but the Protestants rejected. The best known book of the apocrypha, which is quoted…
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The Authorship of the Talmud
Who wrote the Talmud? The two Talmuds (Palestinian and Babylonian) both contain discussions of the Mishnah, by Rabbis who lived after 200 C.E. (when the Mishnah was compiled). The material in the Babylonian Talmud covers about a 300-year period, but…