Ask Moshe

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
501

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:
That’s about a half-day to discuss. I’ll take them one or two at a time.[/quote]

Thanks Jewbacca! I understand its a lot, I just figured instead of piece-mealing you, I’d lay it on the table for consideration as you get the time.

I can understand its a lot. I try to always ask thought-provoking, deep questions when possible. If I lived somewhere near you I would happily buy you a dinner to sit and chat over it. I’m always interested in learning from a scholar/leader of any walk of faith.

502

What is the difference on the stance of infedility in the Orthadox and the Reform Jews in your opinion?

503

[quote]thehebrewhero wrote:
What is the difference on the stance of infedility in the Orthadox and the Reform Jews in your opinion?[/quote]

What’s infedility?

504

[quote]thehebrewhero wrote:
What is the difference on the stance of infedility in the Orthadox and the Reform Jews in your opinion?[/quote]

I would assume none, but I don’t know much about Reform.

It’s a sin. Perhaps more importantly, it’s a shitty thing to do to one’s spouse and children.

505

[quote]Brother Chris wrote:

[quote]thehebrewhero wrote:
What is the difference on the stance of infedility in the Orthadox and the Reform Jews in your opinion?[/quote]

What’s infedility? [/quote]

Being an infedil. It’s worse than being a heritec.

506

There is an old Greek saying that with God the impossible becomes possible. Yet, after visiting Rome and seeing its immense military and political power Josephus unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade the Jews from engaging in rebellion and war against them seeing it as futile and likely to lead to disaster. Having failed in this he reluctantly led the Jewish forces against Vespasian and his son Titus leading to the annihilation of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple. Was Josephus privy to some knowledge his kinsmen lacked? Is the Greek saying literally true? What do orthodox Jews today think of Josephus and in particular his extra-biblical history that covers the events related in the Septuagint(The History of the Jews)? Sorry for all the questions.

507

Not sure if anybody asked this already but what is your stance on Beards and do you have one?

508

[quote]SexMachine wrote:
There is an old Greek saying that with God the impossible becomes possible. Yet, after visiting Rome and seeing its immense military and political power Josephus unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade the Jews from engaging in rebellion and war against them seeing it as futile and likely to lead to disaster. Having failed in this he reluctantly led the Jewish forces against Vespasian and his son Titus leading to the annihilation of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple. Was Josephus privy to some knowledge his kinsmen lacked? Is the Greek saying literally true? What do orthodox Jews today think of Josephus and in particular his extra-biblical history that covers the events related in the Septuagint(The History of the Jews)? Sorry for all the questions.[/quote]

Josephus was a fairly good historian, but edited and had his biases like any person. He’s certainly one of the better records of the times.

No idea if he had any secret knoweldge. Doubtful.

The revolts against Rome were ill-timed, for many reasons. Man should not try to force the timetable of G-d. This is actually one of the major arguments against the re-creation of Israel as a modern state — answered by the fact that it does not pretend to be anything more than it is — just another Medeterranean state — at this time.

509

[quote]gangstpmp3 wrote:
Not sure if anybody asked this already but what is your stance on Beards and do you have one?
[/quote]

Beards with a capital “B” must be some serious ass beards.

And I guess the question is, “for whom”? For Jewish men? Required for two reasons:

  1. We are mandated to not “shave” the “corners of our head.” Note it says “shave,” not “cut.” It also does not tell you what the “corner” is which is why many Hasids have the peyot (curly side curls).

  2. A prohibition against cross-dressing.

Historically, the pagan Romans and homosexual prostitutes were the main “shavers” in and around Israel (others did, too, but they were the main ones). So a clean-shaven face has certain bad traditions surrounding it.

Note, that the saving of a life always take precedent over things like this. So, for example, if you were in the IDF and needed to wear a gas mask and get a positive seal, you’d be expected to shave.

A compromise position exists where you use an electric cutter to keep the beard length near stubble — essentially the modern style you see many people wearing now. I’d did this when in the military, as I could get a positive seal on my gas mask.

Regarding your questiona about myself: yes, I have a full beard. Somewhere between ZZ Top and Don Johnson.

510

Interesting. So the beard is more of following Tradition and culture for you? I thought there was a Spiritual basis/benefit for it,
Other than demonstrating a person is not a pagan or homosexual prostitute.

511

[quote]gangstpmp3 wrote:
Interesting. So the beard is more of following Tradition and culture for you? I thought there was a Spiritual basis/benefit for it,
Other than demonstrating a person is not a pagan or homosexual prostitute.
[/quote]

Not Jewish myself, but I will venture a guess that it is for the same reason that tattoos and body piercings are frowned upon. That’s not the way God made you, and it is an affront to God to alter yourself in this fashion. Similarly, men grow beards. God made it so, and he must have had good reason for doing it, so don’t second-guess God by erasing his work with a razor blade.

As to that, Jewbacca, are Jewish women required (or at least “strongly encouraged”) to shave their pubes and armpits, as Muslim women are?

512

[quote]gangstpmp3 wrote:
Interesting. So the beard is more of following Tradition and culture for you? I thought there was a Spiritual basis/benefit for it,
Other than demonstrating a person is not a pagan or homosexual prostitute.
[/quote]

No, sorry. It is based in the Torah. I was just giving the historical background, as well.

Apologies for the confusion.

Deuteronomy 22:5 is the prohibition against cross-dressing.
Leviticus 19:27 is shaving

513

[quote]Varqanir wrote:

[quote]gangstpmp3 wrote:
Interesting. So the beard is more of following Tradition and culture for you? I thought there was a Spiritual basis/benefit for it,
Other than demonstrating a person is not a pagan or homosexual prostitute.
[/quote]

Not Jewish myself, but I will venture a guess that it is for the same reason that tattoos and body piercings are frowned upon. That’s not the way God made you, and it is an affront to God to alter yourself in this fashion. Similarly, men grow beards. God made it so, and he must have had good reason for doing it, so don’t second-guess God by erasing his work with a razor blade.[/quote]

Mixing related concepts here, but the roots are similiar, indeed.

Tattoos are flatly forbidden, and there is no explanation why. Most think it is because, historically, tattoos were pagan (and many still are – look around). Some think it is, as you suggest, altering the canvas you do not own.

A final related concept is about male vanity — pretty strongly discouraged. For example, if a Jewish man goes gray, he should go gray, not dye his hair. (Talmud – Shabbat 94b)

Metrosexuality is not kosher.

Aggressive grooming is, however, not forbidden for women. They can do pretty much as they please.

It’s not mandated, however.

Well, except in Long Island.

514

[quote]Varqanir wrote:
.[/quote]

Well, I asked Mrs. Jewbacca. Apparently, in some Mizrahim communities, that is, in fact, the tradition. It’s cultural, and not religious — something they picked up while living in arab countries.

Not so in the Ashkenazi groups. (Again, excepting Long Island — ha.)

515

Have you ever taken a razor to your face? I know you said you took beard clippers to the beard in the military, but never a razor?

516

What I ask sometimes is: when did God ever tell anyone to COMPILE a Bible (as defined by a man made collection of Scripture into one volume) anyway? When did G-d put Himself into a 66 book box?
He didn’t, ‘‘Man’’ did under the rule of Constantine…But wasn’t Constantine about as Pagan as they came?
Is that correct?

517

[quote]Karado wrote:
What I ask sometimes is: when did God ever tell anyone to COMPILE a Bible (as defined by a man made collection of Scripture into one volume) anyway? When did G-d put Himself into a 66 book box?
[/quote]

If you’re gonna play the game, Mustard, you gotta know the playing field. You realize, don’t you, that you are asking a question about the history of a religion not practiced by the man to whom you are asking it?

Ask Brother Chris, or King Kai, if you want a Christian answer about a Christian issue.

I suppose you could ask Shoebolt, if he were still around, but his answer to your question would be “in about the year 610 by your calendar, and it was 114 books, not 66.”

518

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:

[quote]SexMachine wrote:
There is an old Greek saying that with God the impossible becomes possible. Yet, after visiting Rome and seeing its immense military and political power Josephus unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade the Jews from engaging in rebellion and war against them seeing it as futile and likely to lead to disaster. Having failed in this he reluctantly led the Jewish forces against Vespasian and his son Titus leading to the annihilation of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple. Was Josephus privy to some knowledge his kinsmen lacked? Is the Greek saying literally true? What do orthodox Jews today think of Josephus and in particular his extra-biblical history that covers the events related in the Septuagint(The History of the Jews)? Sorry for all the questions.[/quote]

Josephus was a fairly good historian, but edited and had his biases like any person. He’s certainly one of the better records of the times.

No idea if he had any secret knoweldge. Doubtful.

The revolts against Rome were ill-timed, for many reasons. Man should not try to force the timetable of G-d. This is actually one of the major arguments against the re-creation of Israel as a modern state — answered by the fact that it does not pretend to be anything more than it is — just another Medeterranean state — at this time.[/quote]

Thanks. I had some suspicion that Josephus may be considered some kind of heretic for basically rewriting the bible. Israel may be just another Mediterranean state right now, but its people and their history are an inspiration for me and I’m sure many others too.

519

[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
Have you ever taken a razor to your face? I know you said you took beard clippers to the beard in the military, but never a razor?[/quote]

I think I had a razor taken to my face after my first wife was killed – I had glass and all sorts crap in my face. They shaved me bare, anyway, looking for crap stuck in my face. I presume they used a razor. I was out of it, fortunately.

According to my daughers who have seen photos, clean shaven I look exactly like the arab guy with tattoos on his face from “The Mummy” movies, except with blue eyes.

520

[quote]Karado wrote:
What I ask sometimes is: when did God ever tell anyone to COMPILE a Bible (as defined by a man made collection of Scripture into one volume) anyway? When did G-d put Himself into a 66 book box?
He didn’t, ‘‘Man’’ did under the rule of Constantine…But wasn’t Constantine about as Pagan as they came?
Is that correct?
[/quote]

As noted, you are talking about the Christian Bible, which (according to Judaism) imperfectly adopts the Tanakh and adds what it adds.

In Judaism, the core documents consist of the Tanakh (the Torah – five books given to Moshe, Nevi’im (the prophets) and Ketuvim together with the oral law (Talmud) which was also given to Moshe and later written down, with admitted and known issues regarding omissions and mis-incusions.

There are existing copies of the Tanakh (or more accurately various books of the Tanakh from different and varied sources) that strongly suggest that what we have today is a letter-for-letter copy of the original writings.