What do Jews believe?

Hi,

I am a Messianic Jew, that is to say, a Jew who believes in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah.

Below is a chart of errors of both Christianity and non-Messianic Judaism.

If you have any questions feel free to email me.

http://www.messianic.com/articles/errors.htm

(Errors)

http://www.messianic.com/articles/basics.htm

(Basic tenent of Messianic Judaism)

What Do Jews Believe

The difference between them is that Jewish people are still waiting for the Messiah, and Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah. If you want to see the difference, buy a Bible and read the Old Testament to see what the Jews believe, and the New Testament to see what Christians believe. (Christians obviously believe in the Old Testament as well though.)

And no, you can not convert to Judaism and still believe in Christ, although there are Jewish Christians, meaning that they are Jewish by birth, but don't believe in the same way.

I'm not Jewish so I don't know all the ins and outs, but I hope I helped!

This is a far more difficult question than you might expect. Judaism has no dogma, no formal set of beliefs that one must hold to be a Jew. In Judaism, actions are far more important than beliefs, although there is certainly a place for belief within Judaism.

The closest that anyone has ever come to creating a widely-accepted list of Jewish beliefs is Rambam's thirteen principles of faith. Rambam's thirteen principles of faith, which he thought were the minimum requirements of Jewish belief, are:

1. G-d exists

2. G-d is one and unique

3. G-d is incorporeal

4. G-d is eternal

5. Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and to no other

6. The words of the prophets are true

7. Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets

8. The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were given to Moses

9. There will be no other Torah

10. G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of men

11. G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked

12. The Messiah will come

13. The dead will be resurrected

As you can see, these are very basic and general principles. Yet as basic as these principles are, the necessity of believing each one of these has been disputed at one time or another, and the liberal movements of Judaism dispute many of these principles.

Unlike many other religions, Judaism does not focus much on abstract cosmological concepts. Although Jews have certainly considered the nature of G-d, man, the universe, life and the afterlife at great length (see Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism), there is no mandated, official, definitive belief on these subjects, outside of the very general concepts discussed above. There is substantial room for personal opinion on all of these matters, because as I said before, Judaism is more concerned about actions than beliefs.

Judaism focuses on relationships: the relationship between G-d and mankind, between G-d and the Jewish people, between the Jewish people and the land of Israel, and between human beings. Our scriptures tell the story of the development of these relationships, from the time of creation, through the creation of the relationship between G-d and Abraham, to the creation of the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people, and forward. The scriptures also specify the mutual obligations created by these relationships, although various movements of Judaism disagree about the nature of these obligations. Some say they are absolute, unchanging laws from G-d (Orthodox); some say they are laws from G-d that change and evolve over time (Conservative); some say that they are guidelines that you can choose whether or not to follow (Reform, Reconstructionist). For more on these distinctions, see Movements of Judaism: http://www.jewfaq.org/movement.htm

If you believe that Jesus is God, Prophet or a Messiah, you cannot convert to Judaism. Jesus just isn't a part of our beliefs in any way shape or form.

ps. It was fun reading answers from Christians trying to tell you what Jews believe. LOL One might think that Jews should be answering this question. It would be equally funny if I were to answer questions about Catholics or Pagans when I'm not one. haha.

You really don't want to know. There are many paths to God and Christianity is as good as any. However, Jews will never believe that the messiah will be God Himself. No Jew will ever worship the messiah. The belief that God would become human is the ultimate heresy.

It's not easy to be a Jew, and it's not necessary to be a Jew. If it's Christianity that calls you, stick with it!

.

The basic difference is that the Jews are still waiting for the Messiah....these are some of the objections, and most of them were used when they asked the Ebonites (Christians that still frequented Jewish temples and synagogues) to leave the Jewish faith about 90 AD/CE

Judaism teaches that the messiah will fulfill the following prophecies:

* The Sanhedrin will be re-established (Isaiah 1:26)

* Once he is King, leaders of other nations will look to him for guidance. (Isaiah 2:4)

* The whole world will worship the One God of Israel (Isaiah 2:17)

* He will be descended from King David (Isaiah 11:1) via King Solomon (1 Chron. 22:8-10)

* The Moshiach will be a man of this world, an observant Jew with "fear of God" (Isaiah 11:2)

* Evil and tyranny will not be able to stand before his leadership (Isaiah 11:4)

* Knowledge of God will fill the world (Isaiah 11:9)

* He will include and attract people from all cultures and nations (Isaiah 11:10)

* All Israelites will be returned to their homeland (Isaiah 11:12)

* Death will be swallowed up forever (Isaiah 25:8)

* There will be no more hunger or illness, and death will cease (Isaiah 25:8)

* All of the dead will rise again (Isaiah 26:19)

* The Jewish people will experience eternal joy and gladness (Isaiah 51:11)

* He will be a messenger of peace (Isaiah 52:7)

* Nations will end up recognizing the wrongs they did to Israel (Isaiah 52:13-53:5)

* The peoples of the world will turn to the Jews for spiritual guidance (Zechariah 8:23)

* The ruined cities of Israel will be restored (Ezekiel 16:55)

* Weapons of war will be destroyed (Ezekiel 39:9)

* The Temple will be rebuilt (Ezekiel 40) resuming many of the suspended mitzvot

* He will then perfect the entire world to serve God together (Zephaniah 3:9)

* Jews will know the Torah without Study (Jeremiah 31:33)

* He will give you all the desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4)

* He will take the barren land and make it abundant and fruitful (Isaiah 51:3, Amos 9:13-15, Ezekiel 36:29-30, Isaiah 11:6-9)

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The Messiah ben David must:

1. have the correct genealogy by being descended from King David and King Solomon,

2. be anointed King of Israel,

3. return the Jewish People to Israel,

4. rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem,

5. bring peace to the world and end all war,

6. bring knowledge of God to the world.

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"God is not a man, that He should be deceitful, nor a son of man that He should relent.(Numbers. 23:19)

"The Eternal One of Israel does not lie and does not relent, for He is not a human that He should relent." (1 Samuel 15:29)

"...I will not carry out My wrath; I will not recant and destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not a man..." (Hosea 11:9)

Sorry about the cut and paste, but you sound like you really are interested....

We believe in the 613 commandments written in the Torah. I recommend you check the Judaism 101 website. It's a great resource.

Messianic Judaism is a heavily debated group. The majority of Messianic Jews are not born Jews, but Christians who have accepted the 613 commandments in the Old Testament. The rule tells me that synagogues do not accept this form of Judaism, but see it as a branch of Christianity. You cannot believe that Jesus is the son of God/ Messiah if you wish to convert to Judaism. It contradicts two major commandments; God is One, and not to worship idols.

Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה, Yehudah, "Judah";[1] in Hebrew: יַהֲדוּת, Yahedut, the distinctive characteristics of the Judean eáqnov[2]) is the religion of the Jewish people. In 2007, the world Jewish population was estimated at 13.2 million people—41% of whom lived in Israel.[3]

Judaism is a monotheistic religion based on principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), as further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts. Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still being practiced today. Jewish history and the principles and ethics of Judaism have influenced other religions, such as Christianity, Islam and the Bahá'í Faith.

In modern Judaism, central authority is not vested in any single person or body, but in sacred texts, traditions, and learned Rabbis who interpret those texts and laws. According to Jewish tradition, Judaism begins with the Covenant between God and Abraham (ca. 2000 BCE), the patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish people. Throughout the ages, Judaism has adhered to a number of religious principles, the most important of which is the belief in a single, omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent, transcendent God, who created the universe and continues to govern it. According to Jewish tradition, the God who created the world established a covenant with the Israelites and their descendants, and revealed his laws and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of both the Written and Oral Torah. Judaism has traditionally valued Torah study and the observance of the commandments recorded in the Torah and as expounded in the Talmud.

....and now for the JEWISH answer.....

THE RAMBAM'S THIRTEEN PRINCIPLES

OF JEWISH FAITH

1. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is the Creator and Ruler of all things. He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.

2. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is One. There is no unity that is in any way like His. He alone is our G-d He was, He is, and He will be.

3. I believe with perfect faith that G-d does not have a body. physical concepts do not apply to Him. There is nothing whatsoever that resembles Him at all.

4. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is first and last.

5. I believe with perfect faith that it is only proper to pray to G-d. One may not pray to anyone or anything else.

6. I believe with perfect faith that all the words of the prophets are true.

7. I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses is absolutely true. He was the chief of all prophets, both before and after Him.

8. I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah that we now have is that which was given to Moses.

9. I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be changed, and that there will never be another given by G-d.

10. I believe with perfect faith that G-d knows all of man's deeds and thoughts. It is thus written (Psalm 33:15), "He has molded every heart together, He understands what each one does."

11. I believe with perfect faith tha G-d rewards those who keep His commandments, and punishes those who transgress Him.

12. I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah. How long it takes, I will await His coming every day.

13. I believe with perfect faith that the dead will be brought back to life when G-d wills it to happen.

First, there are two kinds of Jews, Orthodox and Messianic. Orthodox are still looking for the Messiah and Messianic have found Jesus and believe in Him. Really, it is a division in the Jewish religion. Like Protestant and Catholic, just a division with differences. In fact, many Orthodox Jews are burning New Testament Bibles. Both types of Jews observe the Old Testament Holidays. You could call yourself a Jew but I do not think you would be one though. That is why Christ died, so we could be adopted into God's family. Now as many may know Father Abraham (Had many sons, how many sons had Father Abraham...) was not Jewish. When a person died he or she was put into a "holding tank,” (I forget the references but it's in the Bible) when Jesus died they had a chance to accept or reject him. (As short as I can tell it.) However, know that does not need done because Jesus died for you, me and everybody. But, I do believe as a Christian on observing Jewish Holidays.

Judaism is the roots of Christianity. They are the same really, except like I said the Orthodox and the Messianic. However, I hate to say this but an Orthodox Jew will not go to Heaven. (How I hate to say that about one of God's children.) Because they did not give their life to Jesus. Another difference is that Jews are God's children, the Gentiles (Everybody who ain’t a Jew) are not, and they are adopted when they give their life to Jesus.

Hope that answers your question. Just ask if you want more info, I will check back.

To tell you the truth I love the Jews, mostly because they are God's children.

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Go to

http://www.michaelroodministries.com/

He has a lot more about this stuff.

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