Basics of Judaism
- Basic Values and Morality
- Chosen People
- G-d and Torah
- Heaven and Hell
- Other Denominations
- Reward and Punishment
- Science and Torah
- Sin and Repentance
- The Messiah
- Who is a Jew?
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Fallen Angels and Satan
Who were the fallen angels? Was Satan one of them? In the Jewish tradition, Satan isn’t a “fallen” angel; he’s an angel whose occupation is tempting men to sin, as illustrated in Ch.1 of Job. “Satan” means something like “adversary”;…
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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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The Requirement of Forgiveness
What is the source for the requirement to forgive those who have wronged us? Answer: In Gen.Ch.20, Abraham prays that Avimelech be forgiven for taking Sarah; this shows that we must forgive those who wrong us. Joseph forgave his brothers…
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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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Y-H-V-H and SH-A-D-AI
What is the meaning of Ex. 6:3, "I revealed Myself to Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob as E-L SH-A-D-AI, and didn’t make Myself knownto them by My Name Y-H-V-H"? The commentators explain that the Name Y-H-V-H implies that G-d keeps His promises,…
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The 72-Letter Name of G-d
What is the 72-letter Name of G-d? A Divine Name that has the numerical value 72 is obtained by spelling out the four letters of the Tetragrammaton: Yud (=20), He (=15), Vav (=22), He (=15) (G. Scholem, Kabbalah, p.172), where…
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The Translation of the Torah into Greek
What is the story about the translation of the Torah into Greek? Ptolemy Philadelphus II (285-244 B.C.E.), one of a dynasty of Ptolemies who ruled Egypt (including Eretz Yisroel), asked the High Priest to send him 72 elders of Israel,…
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The Number of Words in the Torah
How many words are there in the Torah? Various numbers are given in various sources, ranging from 79,856 to 79,980. These numbers all date from before the availability of a computerized text; a computer count should settle the issue.
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Diversity
Does Judaism value diversity? A blessing is recited on seeing a large group of people, because "their faces aren't alike and their minds aren't alike" (Talmud, Berachos 58a).