Questions posed on Judaism

Hello all,

I have a few questions (which will invariably lead to still more questions) about Judaism.

I split these off into another thread because this thread should be more about simple question answer, whereas the other has a bit more of an debate context.


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I've heard different things from different Jews on these selected topics, but I wanted to get, 1) your opinions; and 2) if you could, a sense of where the 'mainstream' falls, even for different denominations, where/if they differ from your own (tradition's) views.



1) Afterlife?

2) How does one get there?

3) If the laws of the Torah could be roughly classified as Moral, Purity, Ceremonial, etc, then who/what dictated that certain ones have been jettisoned (or at least observed less) while other stayed on?

The afterlife is pretty simple: All people have a share in Olam Haba if the observe the 7 Mitzvos L'Noach. These 7 were given after the flood to all men, forever.

Jews however, have thier own share in Olam Haba, regardless of what mitzvos they keep. Their share is contingent on the mitzvos they kept and how they led their lives.

The Laws of the Torah are still in tact. Can you be more specific in your question?

1. I guess how can one have a 'share' of Olam Haba? Is this like real estate? Stock? Also, what are the 7 Mitzvos L'Noach? Help a goy out!

2. Would this be like preferred stock? What happens if there is a very, er, unrighteous Jew? Still have a share? Is the Jewish section separate, but equal, separate but better, or separate but different?

3. Well, presumably most people don't advocate Lex Taliones in a strict literal sense, nor stoning for various mortal sins, etc. So clearly there has been change. But why the change and who decides what gets dropped, what gets followed?

neoinarien wrote:1. I guess how can one have a 'share' of Olam Haba? Is this like real estate? Stock? Also, what are the 7 Mitzvos L'Noach? Help a goy out!

2. Would this be like preferred stock? What happens if there is a very, er, unrighteous Jew? Still have a share? Is the Jewish section separate, but equal, separate but better, or separate but different?

3. Well, presumably most people don't advocate Lex Taliones in a strict literal sense, nor stoning for various mortal sins, etc. So clearly there has been change. But why the change and who decides what gets dropped, what gets followed?

1. Everyone has a share in The World to Come. Everyone. It is up to each of us though to actualize our G-d given potential and create a greater spiritual share. The 7 Laws of Noah are what I'm referring to, btw.

2. Even the unrighteous has a share... the type/size/kind of share is up to Hashem. The only ones who don't have a share are the truly evil. I'd suspect hitler is still burning.. and will never see Shamayim.

3. The reason we don't stone, or punish like we did in the Temple days is because we have no Temple... or a Sanhedrin to judge our cases... We aren't allowed to bring korbanos anywhere other than the Temple as well... so we can't perform avodas l'Hashem as well.

The short of it is that because we don't have a Temple or Sanhedrin, we can't observe some of our laws. It doesn't take a halachic genius to figure out which ones we have to commute until Moshiach. The Rabbaim that decided were the ones who lived after the kurban (destruction). They were the Gedolim (Masters) of the era, and were given the authority to do so by virtue of Torah pasukim. These pasukim related to being commanded to listen to our Rabbaim.

3. So if the Temple were appropriately re-constituted, would stonings, etc, become common practice?

4. What needs to be done to reconstitute the Temple?

neoinarien wrote:3. So if the Temple were appropriately re-constituted, would stonings, etc, become common practice?

4. What needs to be done to reconstitute the Temple?

3. If the Temple were rebuilt it would be because Moshiach had come. When Moshiach comes, the world will then know G-d. Then there will be two kinds of people: Jews (who by definition, in this situation, who do not sin), and the enemies of G-d who will be destroyed.

4. Moshiach needs to come.

3. So G-d will smite all non-Jews, or just the unrighteous?

4. Ok, I thought as much.

G-d will smite all enemies of G-d and His people. Like GWB said, "You are either with us or against us".

[quote="Yehudah"]

neoinarien wrote:
1. Everyone has a share in The World to Come. Everyone. It is up to each of us though to actualize our G-d given potential and create a greater spiritual share. The 7 Laws of Noah are what I'm referring to, btw.

I am under the impression that not everyone does in fact have a share. at least not according to Rambam and the Talmud, in fact when studying Sanhedrin, there were many people listed who in fact have no share

Arik S wrote:

I am under the impression that not everyone does in fact have a share. at least not according to Rambam and the Talmud, in fact when studying Sanhedrin, there were many people listed who in fact have no share

If you remember, I listed hitler... there are others, many others who have no share. By and large though, everyone has a potential share that isn't Jewish.

Potential share. Should have qualified my statement. Sorry.

neoinarien wrote:3. So G-d will smite all non-Jews, or just the unrighteous?

4. Ok, I thought as much.

Read Jeremiah 12;14-17 Israel's gentile neighbors can also follow Hashem and return if they reject idolatry.