Monday, April 21, 2014

Dear Believer Why Do You Believe



This is not about believing in G-d but I think it is good to know that there are more beliefs than just your belief.
 I often get frustrated when someone tells me they would have been a Christian even if they were born in Iran.  Really you would have found Christianity when you will not even look into what any other religion is about but if you were Muslim you believe you would have dropped  it and became a Christian. When you would not even be able to find a christian bible anywhere in Iran. I know that as a white america my choices were be a Christian, a bad Christian or a non believer.  After trying until I was 22 years old then decided I thought there was a G-d but I was not a Christian.
Luckily when I was the happiest in my life that I had ever been I found religion.  I know why a Christian states how they found religion or Jesus they were at rock bottom or a huge amount of pain.  But I had not been healthier mentally or happier.  And I found Judaism.
 I hope everyone finds what speaks to their hearts and not settle with the religion they were born into  but search for the truth of their heart.  Or just learn about other religions so you can stop being a missionary to everyone because you know you are right.  Well, guess what everyone thinks their religion is right.  Everyone thinks they feel G-d, felt his work in their life, and seen miracles.  And they have all that while not having Jesus.  Respect that.  Next time someone says Jesus said he was the way, the light and the truth and the only way to the father is through him.  I will say yes well Krishna said that first 3000 yrs before Jesus did.  Also 67% of the world isn't Christians so stop acting like it is a Christian world.  It isn't it is a world for and of people.

How Jews live 2

Yetzer ra (the evil impulse)
Humanity was formed with two impulses: a good impulse (the yetzer tov) and an evil impulse (the yetzer ra).
The yetzer tov is the moral conscience, the inner voice that reminds you of G-d's law when you consider doing something that is forbidden. 
The yetzer ra is more difficult to define, because there are many different ideas about it. It is not a desire to do evil in the way we normally think of it in Western society: a desire to cause senseless harm. Rather, it is usually conceived as the selfish nature, the desire to satisfy personal needs (food, shelter, sex, etc.) without regard for the moral consequences of fulfilling those desires.

The yetzer ra is not a bad thing. It was created by G-d, and all things created by G-d are good. The Talmud notes that without the yetzer ra (the desire to satisfy personal needs), man would not build a house, marry a wife, beget children or conduct business affairs. But the yetzer ra can lead to wrongdoing when it is not controlled by the yetzer tov. 

The yetzer ra is generally seen as something internal to a person, not as an external force acting on a person. The idea that "the devil made me do it" is not in line with the majority of thought in Judaism. Although it has been said that Satan and the yetzer ra are one and the same, this is more often understood as meaning that Satan is merely a personification of our own selfish desires, rather than that our selfish desires are caused by some external force.

People have the ability to choose which impulse to follow: the yetzer tov or the yetzer ra. That is the heart of the Jewish understanding of free will. (Judaism 101)

Homosexuality
Sexual relations between men are clearly forbidden by the Torah.  Don't feel to bad about it because Jewish law clearly prohibits male masturbation and we know that isn't stopping anyone. Some modern Orthodox sources suggest that if homosexuality is truly something hardwired in the brain, as most gay activists suggest, then a man who acts upon that desire is not morally responsible for his actions.
Conservative rabbi and congregation can choose to hire homosexual rabbis or perform same-sex commitment ceremonies, but if they choose to or not they are expected to show respect and sensitivity to all people. All Jews, no matter what their sexual orientation, are welcome into Conservative congregations.

And we do know this: Torah law forbids bigotry; homophobia is prohibited.
When we become judges of another person, we behave contrary to Torah law. 
Consider what it means to have such burning passions for forbidden fruit. Consider the day to day fierce and relentless battle demanded to conquer such passions. And then ask yourself, "Do I ever fight such a battle on my own ground?" (Chabad.org)

Many progressive Jews also believe that calling homosexuality "unnatural" is incorrect. They site numerous studies which have found that homosexuality occurs in nature among every species of mammal and among most other species of animals. Sexually aroused animals will try to mate with the nearest partner. It has been concluded, therefore, that there is an innate drive toward the release of sexual tension, and this release can be accomplished through either homosexual or heterosexual relations. (Judaism.about.com)

More liberal Jews believe that the translation of the word "to'evah" to "abomination" is inaccurate. The other times that "to'evah" is used in the Bible, it is used to refer to forbidden idolatrous acts. Therefore, looking at the biblical context in which the word is used," the passages in Leviticus about homosexuality must be referring to cultic practices of homosexuality rather than loving homosexual relationships which exist today. 

Jewish Attitudes Towards Sexuality
In Jewish law, sex is not considered shameful, sinful or obscene. Sex is not thought of as a necessary evil for the sole purpose of procreation. Although sexual desire comes from the yetzer ra (the evil impulse), it is no more evil than hunger or thirst, which also come from the yetzer ra. Like hunger, thirst or other basic instincts, sexual desire must be controlled and channeled, satisfied at the proper time, place and manner. But when sexual desire is satisfied between a husband and wife at the proper time, out of mutual love and desire, sex is a mitzvah.
In the Torah, the word used for sex between husband and wife comes from the root Yod-Dalet-Ayin, meaning "to know," which vividly illustrates that proper Jewish sexuality involves both the heart and mind, not merely the body.
Sex is the woman's right, not the man's. A man has a duty to give his wife sex regularly and to ensure that sex is pleasurable for her. He is also obligated to watch for signs that his wife wants sex, and to offer it to her without her asking for it. The woman's right to sexual intercourse is referred to as onah, and it is one of a wife's three basic rights (the others are food and clothing), which a husband may not reduce.


Differences Conservative and Orthodox

Sunday, April 20, 2014

The real Prince of Peace

The Prince of Peace?

Isaiah 9:5
 For a child has been born to us, a son given to us, and the authority is upon his shoulder, and the wondrous adviser, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, called his name, "the prince of peace."
 This is saying a son is (already given) not one who will come 700 yrs from now but who is alive at that time.   Also the government was never upon Jesus shoulders.  The KJV changed the words around.  The last line is calling call  the wondrous adviser, the mighty G-d, the everlasting Father and that G-d called the child Prince of Peace because of the Isaiah 9:6 "That the government may be increased, and of peace there be no end, upon the throne of David..."
 Who is the prince?
King Hezekiah
If one reads Isaiah in context, that really is not difficult to see at all.
while a literal rendition into English may be hard to pinpoint, the contextual use and the Hebrew grammar fit that the phrase refers to praise for a king's title, a play on the king's name and his role to honor God.
Hezekiah's name itself means and refers to the might of or the mighty God.

The KJV renders this to be in the future tense, so as to make it seem like a future prophecy about Jesus
Hezekiah, was a messiah living at the time Isaiah spoke ( remember, in the Tanakh ALL anointed and righteous kings are called moshiach(messiah) anointed..he was the son of King Ahaz led the quick destruction of Assyria at a time when his own kingdom appeared to be lost. Through him the dynasty of David the messiah,was preserved, and whose descendant is prophesied to rule Israel in the "messianic age".

Enjoy the pleasures of Life

Saturday, April 19, 2014

What is true love in Jewish thought?

Kosher Sex: A Recipe For Passion and Intimacy

IMMANUEL-

I CRINGE WITH EMBARRASSMENT FOR CHRISTIANS WHEN THEY CALL JESUS IMMANUEL.   TO KNOW A PROPHET IS TRUE HIS PROPHECIES WILL COME TRUE IN HIS LIFETIME UNLESS IT IS ABOUT THE END OF DAYS.  So when in Isaiah 7:13 Why would they be talking about getting a sign right now has something to do with a messiah prophecy.  As we know messianic prophecies are about the end of days and we have been on this planet another 2000 yrs since Jesus so how is he the messiah if the end of days was here.
Isaiah 7:13
Hear ye now, O house of David; (Ahaz is of the house of David) Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you (Ahaz) a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
(the birth - or the name - was to be a sign to Ahaz. This couldn't possibly be the birth of Messiah, since it was hundreds of years later, long after Ahaz had died! A "sign" to a dead man is useless.)
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings. (those united against Judah) 17 The LORD shall bring upon thee (Ahaz), and upon thy people (Judah),

14. Therefore, the Lord, of His own, shall give you a sign; behold, the young woman is with child, and she shall bear a son, and she shall call his name Immanuel.

Also in Christian Bible they changed the hebrew word for young lady to virgin to make it look like
Jesus is the sign but in the hebrew which was written 2000 yrs before Jesus came around it said

The common sense context is clear.  The ONLY way Isaiah 7:14 can be a Messianic verse referring to Yeshua the Messiah is to completely rip it free of the clear context in which it resides.  The ONLY evidence that this is a Messianic prophecy is the evidence supplied by Constantinian Christian tradition and probable scribal manipulation of the Gospels.

WHO IS IMMANUEL - Well no one .   Immanuel means G-d is with us and the birth of Isaiah's son is the sign to the King that G-d is with them (Immanuel)


2.And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. 3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz. (THIS IS THE FULFILLMENT OF 7:14!
(The use of this term (Immanuel) in 7:14 was part of the sign which was "God with us" during the time to soon come when Judah feels threatened from Assyria. Here the name is applied to Judah to insure that divine protection will be extended to it, which of course, it was at that time.)
There are several unambiguous facts seen in the context of these verses.

 4.For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria. (repeat of 7:16, further proving the birth of Isaiah's son to be the fulfillment of Is. 7:14!) 5 The LORD spake also unto me again, saying, 6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son; 7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: 8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. 

First, Isaiah is talking to King Ahaz of Judah and tells HIM (Ahaz) that the sign of a birth will be for HIM. This fact alone makes application of Isaiah 7:14 to the birth of Yeshua impossible, since Ahaz was long dead by the time Yeshua was born; thus proving it is not a Messianic prophesy.

The ENTIRE context of these verses refer to the specific issue of the prophecy regarding what will happen to those that were plotting to destroy Judah, of which Ahaz was King.  Even the term Immanuel, "god with us", was to assure Judah, as shown in Is. 8:8, that God would be "with them" during the time of trial that was to come when Syria and Israel strove against Judah and Assyria invaded.

Compare "the young woman is with child" with "the virgin shall be with child" and "you (young woman) shall call his name" with "they shall call His name". These are two different concepts and timeframes.

In the first scenario (almost all Christian translations), the prophet speaks about how, at some point in the future, a girl – that is a virgin, is going to miraculously conceive and give birth to a son and that they (unspecified who exactly) will call his name Immanuel. Supposedly, this was literally fulfilled about 800 years later (from the moment the prophecy was given) through the birth of Jesus.
The second scenario (original Hebrew text), the prophet says that in the moment the prophecy was given, the girl present at the scene (not necessarily a virgin) is already pregnant (she conceived before the prophecy was given) and bears a son who she is to call Immanuel. God, through prophet, gives her the commandment: "You (girl, maiden, young woman) will call your son Immanuel".


Only a few verses after Isaiah 7:14, in verse 8:3, we probably see the birth he was speaking of in Is. 7:14.  It was a birth of a son to Isaiah and his young wife.  Furthermore, even the term "virgin" would apply to the prophetess if the information shown earlier regarding the use of almah to mean "a young woman" (i.e., "sexually mature female of marriageable age, which may of may not be sexually active")

I have often heard it said that if the virgin birth and resurrection as the proof that Jesus was G-d and without them he is a man.  Since a virgin birth is only important in Pagan religions and not at all looked for or accepted by Jews Jesus would have made a great Pagan G-d come to earth because everything about his life is already the story of Mithra, Horus, Krishna and Buddha.  But nothing about him matches the Jews text.

WHO IS THE SUFFERING SERVANT
ISAIAH 53:5
5.But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
ISAIAH 53:12
For he bore the sin of many,

 and made intercession for the transgressors.

BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT JESUS- IT IS ISRAEL
How do we know this, well it starts the chapter 53 by saying Awake, awake , Zion (Jew people)


Isaiah 53:10 
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,


This would mean Jesus must have a child or children.  That is what (offspring) means.  Did Jesus have kids?

Common Hebrew words

Chai - pronounced Hi -  Means Life

L'chaim - pronounced La hi um - Means to life.  It is said as Cheers when you drink.
Video Lechaim song from Fiddler on the roof
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBfEUTO4Uvs&list=PLQi3oNHwGUuLMOW0g5d7iadIb9qkCEgqi&index=10


Simcha- sim ha - means rejoice

Shabbat shalom - means Good sabbath

Shavua tov- pronounced shaw vo a tov  -  means good week-  say this after shabbat ends

Oneg- pronounced own eh - means the after shabbat snack at the Temple- Shul
cut song about Oneg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0W9swFLs4Y&list=PLQi3oNHwGUuLMOW0g5d7iadIb9qkCEgqi

Shul- means Temple or synagogue

Kiddush- pronounced kid ish - means holy or make verbal statement - kiddush is the blessing over the wine.

B'nei Yisrael- pronounced Ba nay Israel - means children of Israel

Parashat- pronounced parsha- means weekly Torah portion.


What does G-d want from us?

Friday, April 18, 2014

What the Messiah will do

What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? One of the central themes of biblical prophecy is the promise of a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God. (Isaiah 2:1-4, 32:15-18, 60:15-18; Zephaniah 3:9; Hosea 2:20-22; Amos 9:13-15; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 8:23, 14:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34)
Specifically, the Bible says he will:
Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).
Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)
Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: "God will be King over all the world ― on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One" (Zechariah 14:9).
If an individual fails to fulfill even one of these conditions, then he cannot be the Messiah.
Because no one has ever fulfilled the Bible's description of this future King, Jews still await the coming of the Messiah. All past Messianic claimants, including Jesus of Nazareth, Bar Cochba and Shabbtai Tzvi have been rejected.
Christians counter that Jesus will fulfill these in the Second Coming. Jewish sources show that the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies outright; in the Bible no concept of a second coming exists.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Naming G-d and being the Chosen people

The first step in speaking about anything is naming it. In the Bible and later Jewish sources God has numerous names. God’s proper name in the Bible is Yahweh, a name also referred to as the Tetragrammaton, because it is made up of four consonants: the Hebrew equivalents of YHVH. This name has also been variously transliterated outside of Jewish contexts as “Jehovah,” and in other renderings, but in Judaism it is traditionally not articulated. During prayer and communal Torah reading it is pronounced: Adonai, from the word Adon or Lord.
Traditional Jews refrain from using the actual scriptural names of God when not involved in religious activity; during casual conversation God is usually referred to as Hashem (literally, the Name).

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Theology/God/About_God.shtml

Why are Jews called the chosen ones.
G-d offered his covenant to all people on earth but the Hebrew which chose to say yes were then the chosen ones.  We chose G-d after hearing his conditions and plans at Mt Sinai. We chose G-d and to serve only him with no gain for us.
We win no salvation or ticket to heaven (since the world to come is offered to everyone)
We do not lower him to a magic genie to ask for better things in life. (I pray in Thanks and blessings)  G-d knows our heart and doesn't need us to keep asking things of him.
If every person took out the part of their prays that ask G-d for something how long would your prayer be.  Even if it is to ask him for help for someone else.
We chose him with no personal gain. To serve G-d for personal gain or salvation is to serve yourself not G-d.  Which is why we do mitzvot.  I get pleasure knowing that I am pleasing G-d and doing what he ask of me.  I get nothing more from it than that.  A lot of times I heard people who are upset with G-d because he let something happen and they prayed so hard for him to help them out.  But he isn't here for that.  We are here for him.  We have chosen to serve and he has chosen us to serve him. So we chose him based on these rules.  Also we are chosen to be a nation of scholars and priest.  Which is why we are to study daily.

Zechariah 8:23 
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'"

Why are we called Jews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxcwjYu_oH4


Kosher Up


Many religions other than Judaism have a restriction against eating pork and other things.

The big three things in being kosher is no pork and shellfish, as well as avoiding the mixing of milk and meat.
I don't kept a kosher kitchen with separate sets of dishes for milk and meat, different frig, dishwasher, to avoid the different dishes touching.  Nor do we ever buy (expensive) kosher meat.
Kosher seem hard but it is as hard as you make it.
People are vegan, gluten free, and lactose intolerant, which are all way harder than not eating pork or shellfish.

Why do it?
G-d can see all futures and if he knew at another time in life we would be able to make the kosher laws not valid he would have said so.  He knew the world was round and it is said "He who sits above the circle of earth."  This was write hundreds of years before anyone found out the earth was round.  So he knew how things would change.  Maybe at that time it was due to not having clean ways to eat pigs or shrimp.  But for us it is about the fact that he said so.  He said not to do it.  If someone came to America today and said it is fine to eat Monkeys and they were starting a farm to raise monkeys to be eaten would that mean we will all start eating monkeys.  No I think people would still feel that eating Monkeys wasn't right and some would not do it.  But the next few generations would grow up with Monkey restaurants and they would start to eat monkeys with no problems.  Well that is how it is to be a Jew.  One person said it was ok to eat these things and even if it is out dated and made clean now it doesn't matter because we know we are not suppose to eat it for no other reason than because we were told not to.  It is just like being a parent.  You don't have to tell you kids why they can't do something that they think is fine to do.  You know what it is best for them even if they think you are wrong.  G-d is our father and he knows what is best without us undermining him with why.  So no it is not out dated.  This falls under the rules of "because I said so and I am the parent."

If you want more information on being Kosher and all the rules
http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Different meaning to the same words



Yes we use the same words but they do not mean to us what the English dictionary states that they mean.

Heaven- we do say things like "for the sake of heaven " "for the love of heaven"
This is not a place or location or an afterlife location.
It is more like the presents of G-d.  "for the sake of G-d"
We do not have a heaven.   Heaven is not mentioned in our books.  Heaven is not our after life.  Our after life is Olam Habah (the world to come)  Which is when all soul will be back in their body and we will be in G-d present on earth to rejoice in him.

Angels- Angels are messengers who are sent to tell a message to someone, like Daniel or Abraham.
They are not guardians to human to stay on earth and look out for us or protect us.

In the Hebrew Bible, a messiah (or mashiach) is a king or High Priest traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil.  It is used for every high
priest and king.  So it is not a special word as the Greeks turned it into with their translations.
Messiah was an everyday term and did not mean savior.  But a king or a priest.
Which is why saying Jesus is a messiah would not be correct because he was not a king or a high priest.  Jews do not have a word for savior because we didn't need one.

 Ê¾ehyeh ʾaÅ¡er ʾehyeh
in most English Bibles, this phrase is rendered as I am that I am.
 Ehyeh asher ehyeh literally translates as "I Will Be What I Will Be",

Satan- not an ex angel who rebelled against G-d and is now a devil, who does evil on earth.
Satan is actually used many times in the Tanakh, and it means an adversary, obstacle or stumbling block. In Judaism Satan is an agent of G-d, created by G-d for a specific purpose, and something very good. Satan is simply an agent of G-d, just as all the other angels are simply agents of G-d

Sin- The Hebrew word for sin is "chet," which literally means "missing the mark."
It is not something that will send you to fire pit forever and ever.  So when others say something is a sin I always laugh.  "Your beliefs have no power over me and how I live my life"  Only my beliefs and the Jewish religion count when it comes to what I think is right or wrong.

Salvation- If you look at every time the word is used in the Hebrew scriptures you will see it always applies to a political or physical danger.  Salvation can be seen because it is not physical not spiritual

How do Jews try to live

We are not broken, We don’t need to be saved, 
and We have everything we need to create
 a paradise on earth .

"How do Jews try to live?’ Judaism is less a set of beliefs than a way of living in the world, of being mindful. Mindful that everything and everyone around us springs from the creative will of a single, divine Being.
Do not do to others what is hateful to you.  Lift up the poor. Welcome the stranger.  Savor each moment.  Count your blessings and be thankful for them.  Learn to understand what is holy and keep it holy.
Love your neighbor as yourself, seem to be the one sentence that is most often say in Judaism.
We do not write G-d's name in a place where it may be discarded or erased. Treating G-d's name with reverence is a way to give respect to G-d. So even though on a computer the name is not really being erased (and perhaps is not really there in the first place), and "G-d" is only an English term used to translate G-d's holy name, it is in keeping with this respect that I write "G-d".
We call G-d HaShem which in hebrew means "The Name".

PRAYERS
We pray different. We say the Shema 2 times a day.  Some pray 3 more times a day facing Israel.  But we have blessing to say over our food, drink, children.  However when it comes to prayers it is mostly a prayer of thanks for what G-d has done.  We do not pray vanity prays.  For example if your neighborhood has a house on fire and you are driving home you do not start to pray that it is not your house on fire (Vanity  Prayer).  If you are worried about what to do we are not told to pray on it.  We are to talk to the Rabbi, read the Torah for an answer or think on it.  I have found this works.  When I am worried about what to do I think on it for a few days and then I start to feel a peace about it.I figure out what to do with my religion and heart guiding me.  Then I know what to do.

So why pray if it isn't going to get you to heaven and it doesn't get you what you want here on Earth?  You pray and do good deeds to feel closer to G-d.  Feeling closer to G-d is the greatest reward and it is the secret to happiness.
"To define religion primarily as a quest for personal satisfaction or salvation is to make it a refine kind of magic." Abraham Joshua Heschel


Olam Ha-Ba: The World to Come
Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human existence. However, because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than on the afterlife, Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife, and leaves a great deal of room for personal opinion.

Judaism is focused on life and how to live it. Non-Jews frequently ask me, "do you really think you're going to go to Hell if you don't do such-and-such?" It always catches me a bit off balance, because the question of where I am going after death simply doesn't enter into the equation when I think about the mitzvot. We perform the mitzvot because it is our privilege and our sacred obligation to do so. We perform them out of a sense of love and duty, not out of a desire to get something in return.(Judaism 101 http://www.jewfaq.org/olamhaba.htm) The concept of "life after death," in the Jewish view, is not encouraged as the motivating factor in performance of Judaism. Indeed it is held that one can attain closeness to God even in this world through moral and spiritual perfection.

ACTION
 Judaism is an action religion.  We don't say put it in G-d's hands.  G-d put us here not so he could live our lives for us but so that we may live.  We make our decisions as any religious person would with the thought of our religious beliefs to guide us.  We can petition him for things.  However, we must still act.
In Jewish synagogues the opening page of the prayer book says: "Pray as if everything depended on God; act as if everything depended on you."

Forgiveness
 is also an action word.  We don't ask for forgiveness as other religions do.  We atone for our offenses.
Ask G-d to atone us for our offenses against him and show that we are truly sorry.  And ask for atonement for our offenses against the people we have offended.  Again it takes action. Atonement is an outward action that covers over the error.

Life- right here on earth right now is a gift.  Jews belief you make it great and fill it with meaning.  You are not here to get by until you get to go to heaven as christians say to do.  We live it now this life and this world is what matters right now.

"Tzedakah" is the Hebrew word for the acts that we call "charity" in English: giving aid, assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However, the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word "charity" suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and powerful for the benefit of the poor and needy. The word "tzedakah" is derived from the Hebrew root Tzadei-Dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due.

You are the owner of your own Judaism. It is not for any other Jew to tell you what is or isn't Jewishly acceptable. Your politics? Your level and style of observance? Your dress? What you put in your mouth? Your struggles with God? To wrestle with and wrestling with your path in this world is about as Jewish as it gets.

Being Jewish is not easy, but being a convert is difficult. We take no step on our Jewish paths lightly. We examine, and turn over, sit with,live, test, poke, prod, try, succeed, fail, hope, suffer, wonder, and reach out for G-d and the Jewish community. Every moment of our lives.

Judaism is based on the Jewish idea of absolute Monotheism, that G-d is One. However, Christians and Hindus are free to reject the Jewish claim, which is what makes them Christians or Hindus. Were they to accept the Jewish understanding of one G-d, would leading them to the Jewish understanding that G-d is One and Indivisible, it would be a first step to abandoning their own religions, just as if Jews were to accept the Christian belief of a trinity it would be a first step in abandoning their Judaism.

Getting ready to contact a Rabbi



First step to converting.  Most people would tell you to find a Rabbi.  However there is a bit of stuff you should do on your own before contacting a Rabbi.  You may have heard that a Rabbi will turn you away three times.  Well, they turn you away because this is a long and life changing process.  It wouldn't be a big deal if it didn't make you so different from other people around you.  Not to mention it will make you different from your family.  Most people find religion during difficult and troubling time but most find Judaism during a happy and fulfilled time in their lives.  When they want to finally come home.  Because the more you learn the more you will fill you are coming home.



My advice..
step one - check to make sure what Judaism believes you two can believe or already do.
If you want to be Orthodox then you should start by checking out Jew in the City.  You will learn the way to dress which is black and white for men and the ladies have wigs or full head coverings if you are married.  The ladies of all ages wear skirts to the knee, shirt sleeves to the elbow and no shirt cut past the collar bone.
Now if you want to be any other kind of Jew, a Reconstruction, Reform, conservative then look to websites like the following
http://www.reformjudaism.org/
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/

My Jewish Learning website is a great go to for all information and questions you may have.


You may want to know hard core stuff like why we don't believe in Jesus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49l-g_TtGhI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wiawe2Pyzws

I have more information about this on this page
http://wheelerthree.blogspot.com/2013/10/core-beliefs-check-list.html

For a quick run down
Do you Jews drink?  Yes, but you don't have to.  They do not look down on it like the christian world.
Do Jews curse? It is never good to do it in company where you may offend someone but it is not forbidden like in the christian world.
Do Jews celebrate Halloween?  Some do but Orthodox don't.  They don't want to celebrate any holiday out of Judaism.  But we have Purim...

Which is so fun. Check out my holiday page and you will see our Purim party.
But we do Halloween also.
Do Jews celebrate Easter or Christmas?  No not at all.  Some may go to their families home to have a meal and exchange gift but do not have a tree or decor in their home.  They do not give xmas gifts to their kids.  We have our family to our house for Hanukkah and they give the kids the gifts then.  We give the kids one gift every night of Hanukkah.  We have tons of lights and decor for Hanukkah so ours do not fill like xmas is better.  Hanukkah doesn't have to be a dry and flat 8 nights.  But more on that later.

Do Jews feel Gay people are going to hell?  Well, hell is not the same thing for Jews as it is for Christians and neither is sin.   Sin is not the wrong which convicts you to a burning fire pit.. Sin is missing the mark.  You are trying to come closer to G-d and when you sin you miss the mark of getting closer to him.  So most Jewish Synagogues and Temple will welcome Gays into their communities.

Judaism doesn't work by fear.  You will not fear G-d, Satan, evil or Hell.  Satan is an angel of G-d.  No one that rebelled against G-d.  Angel can not do that.  It is not one set angel but any angel G-d uses to do the job.  Satan means opposition.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ezl1_4QtGc 
Satan is actually used many times in the Tanakh, and it means an adversary, obstacle or stumbling block. In Judaism Satan is an agent of G-d, created by G-d for a specific purpose, and something very good. Satan is simply an agent of G-d, just as all the other angels are simply agents of G-d

For more detail about this also check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGNAOZTXkac

Now a few questions to ask yourself about this before looking for a Rabbi is this, 
Can I give up all I was taught before about things in the christian world.  Can I learn the new meaning of words like sin, hell, satan, and messiah?
Can I give up Christmas and Easter?
These are questions you will be ask before you convert.  
Now they say to start learning to live a Jewish life.  We started this and six months later we contacted a Rabbi.  We wanted to show how committed we were.  When you start saying We believe and We do instead of They believe and Their do (Jews) when talking about Jews then you know you are ready to convert.
This link tells you a lot of information about Jews believe.

First place to start is with this youtube video

Rational Approach To Divine Origin of Judaism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEg_Oys4NkA

TALMUD VIEWS ON CONVERTS
http://punktorah.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/ConversionAccordingtoWinkler.pdf

Monday, April 14, 2014

A GREAT READ

Websites


Questions & Answers - Hundreds of Q&A's on every area of Jewish Lifehttp://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/5724/jewish/Questions-Answers.htm




BOOKS
http://www.amazon.com/The-Torah-Dummies-Arthur-Kurzweil/dp/0470173459/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397500682&sr=8-1&keywords=TORAH+FOR+DUMMIES

This gives you an over view of the Torah chapter by chapter.  Also gives information on hoildays and Jewish or Torah beliefs on every stage of life.

For a starter on Talmud
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Idiots-Guide-Talmud/dp/1592572022/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397500682&sr=8-2&keywords=TORAH+FOR+DUMMIES

Website to help you
http://www.whatjewsbelieve.org/index.html







Hang the Mezuzah



On the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes, you will find a small case.  This case is commonly known as a mezuzah (doorpost),because it is placed upon the doorposts of the house. The mezuzah is not, as some suppose, a good-luck charm, nor does it have any connection with the lamb's blood placed on the doorposts in Egypt. Rather, it is a constant reminder of G-d's presence and G-d's mitzvot.

The mitzvah to place mezuzot on the doorposts of our houses is derived from Deut. 6:4-9, a passage commonly known as the Shema.  In that passage, G-d commands us to keep His words constantly in our minds and in our hearts by writing them on the doorposts of our house. The words of the Shema are written on a tiny scroll of parchment, along with the words of a companion passage, Deut. 11:13-21. On the back of the scroll, a name of G-d is written. The scroll is then rolled up and placed in the case, so that the first letter of the Name (the letter Shin) is visible (or, more commonly, the letter Shin is written on the outside of the case).

The case and scroll are then nailed or affixed at an angle to the right side doorpost as you enter the building or room.

How to hang a Mezuzah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LmLkFCkb3s



What is the proper placement of a Mezuzah?
The Mezuzah Scroll should be placed in a protective case. Be sure that the letters Shin-Daled-Yud on the outside of the scroll are facing upwards.
A. The Mezuzah Case is affixed on the right doorpost as one enters.
B. Its height should be just above the two thirds mark of the doorpost (about shoulder high).
C. Slant the mezuzah slightly with its' top pointed towards the inside of the room.
D. The Mezuzah should be within the outer 3.2 inches of the doorpost width.

For Mezuzahs of every kind and a great price
http://www.ajudaica.com/category/12/Mezuzah/

Here is our Mezuzah



Shema

THE SHEMA

Saying the Shema

Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.
Hear, Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One.

The Shema is an affirmation of Judaism and a declaration of faith in one G-d. The obligation to recite the Shema is separate from the obligation to pray and a Jew is obligated to say Shema in the morning and at night (Deut. 6:7).

"And you should speak about them when you... lie down and when you get up" (Deut. 6:7).


The first thing we learned how to do was to say the Shema
Learn to say with this video



Learn the meaning and how to say it.



Lovely Song-  Shema Song



Sunday, April 13, 2014

Love the Convert

Written in Pesachim 87b, Talmud.
Rav Elazar says: 
HaShem exiled Yisrael among the nations in order that converts will added onto them.

If you are reading this because you are looking for information on conversion then please read on.  The first thing you should know is a convert is loved by the Jewish people.  Some may say that if G-d wanted you to be Jewish he would have made you a jew.  But we must remember that the King David's great grandmother Ruth was also a convert.

Approximately ten years after the marriages, both of Naomi's sons die. Naomi is left with no blood relations, and she wishes to return to her former home in Bethlehem. Her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, request to accompany her to Judah. Naomi tries to dissuade them, telling them how hard life is for the Jewish people.

While Orpah is convinced to stay in Moab and remarry, Ruth refuses. She wishes to remain with Naomi and become Jewish. She says, "[…] wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, your God shall be my God" (1:16). With this statement, Ruth officially converts to Judaism.


You are wanted and welcomed.

We are converting.  My family that is.  I will post what we learn and where we learned it.  I will also post facts I have found from reading an amazing amount of blogs, websites, and watching youtube videos.

Jews do not look for converts because we do not believe that you have to be a Jew to be loved by G-d.  Everyone is loved by G-d so conversion is not needed.

I find that my thoughts about life are already similar to Jewish beliefs.  When I read about Judaism I find my soul is fed, as if I am reading a how to book on living a better life.


The story of the steps it took for us to look into Judaism is here
 http://wheelerthree.blogspot.com/2013/10/finding-our-way-to-judaism.html

The first video to watch to know more about converting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbXSRLv57Tg

This book is wonderful information from a Jew who didn't know anything about being a Jew until her soon to be husband converted and she learned along with him.



Get The Tanakh - A must have.



A few things I wanted to know in the beginning were:

How much Hebrew will I need to know?  I am bad with languages.   You don't have to do the blessing in Hebrew. All the traditions can be done in English.  We do them in English and master one in Hebrew then build onto that. We learned one blessing at a time.

MIKVAH- must be done to make conversion complete.   You have to say 3 blessings at the mikvah, each time you rise from the water.  There are cards with the blessing in transliteration for you, so you don't have to have it memorized.




MIKVAH INFO VIDEOS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AJ4Grm029Q 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LftxPnYxYM 

In this video you can hear the blessing said.  You don't have to sing.
This video is of a baby.  When it is an adult you are only with a mikvah lady who is turned away from you and the Rabbis are in the hallway listening for the blessings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alEr86j6mmI

Convert Stories
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SbisilWevE


Friday, April 11, 2014

Baby Shower Pink and Coral


The DIY project for a pink and coral baby showers


























  For the night light we took a $4 bird house and painted it pink.  I cut white paper and glued it to the inside of the house.  We cut open the back and attached the wire to the back with wire. 
The wire was purchased on Amazon
 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002YTP8C/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1








  The mobile I made with a wood embroidery hoop 14 inches.  Then I cut about 6 rolls of 30 yard each of ribbon in white, pink, coral, and yellow.  I order 3 orders of  10 foot bunting.  Then I cut them and tied them to the hoop.
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/178489366?ref=fb2_tnx_title







 Here are the items in the baby nursery 













Yes, you would have been a Nazi.

 People often say that if they lived in Nazi Germany that they would not have gone along with the Germans.  They would have known it was wro...