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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The 13 Articles of the Jewish Faith
What are the 13 articles of the Jewish faith? In brief, they are: 1) G-d’s existence 2) His unity 3) His incorporeality 4) His timelessness 5) His rulership 6) Prophecy 7) Moses’ prophecy 8) The Divine origin of the Torah…
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The Soul and the Body
When does the soul enter the body? Where is it until then? According to the Talmud (Yevamos 62a), unborn souls are “stored” in a place called GUF (not to be confused with the usual translation of “GUF” as “body”). The…
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The Old Testament and the New Testament
What is the origin of the terms “Old Testament” and “New Testament”? The concept that the Christian Bible is the “New Testament”, in contrast to the Jewish “Old Testament”, goes back to the earliest days of Christianity; see 2 Corinthians…
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The Dead Sea Scrolls
What are the Dead Sea Scrolls? What language are they written in? The Dead Sea Scrolls are the remnants of the library of a Jewish sect. They include most of the books of the Bible and the Apocrypha, as well…
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The World as a Narrow Bridge
What is the origin of the statement that the world is like a narrow bridge? The comparison of the world to a bridge isn’t in the Bible; in fact, the word “gesher” isn’t Biblical Hebrew. An early comparison of the…
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The Tree of Knowledge
When Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, does this mean that they were forbidden to study and gain knowledge? “Knowledge of good and evil” isn’t synonymous with “knowledge”. Adam could…
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The Ancient Paths
What are the "ancient paths" mentioned in Jeremiah 6:16? The "ancient paths" are the paths of righteousness followed by our ancestors (commentary of RaDaK). The Midrash amplifies this: Consider in what path Abraham and Jacob went, and in what path…
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The Name HaShem
What does HaShem mean? The term HaShem literally means "The Name". This term is used by Jews to refer to God. Jews use a substitute for the actual Name of God because Jewish law forbids the pronunciation of God’s Name.…
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Isaiah Ch. 53
How do the Jewish commentators interpret Isaiah Ch. 53? They interpret it as describing the return of the Jewish people from exile after great suffering, and as saying that the merit of the Jewish people brings forgiveness to the world.…