Are a Jew and a Jew the same thing? Why are Jews called Jews?

Who is considered Jewish and who is not?

Here we need to consider for whom it is counted and for whom it is not counted. If we are talking about religious law, halakha, halakha (alakha) is traditional Jewish law. Regulates the religious, family and social life of Jewish believers, it is clearly written there that a Jew is considered to be someone who was either born of a Jewish mother or accepted the Jew to Judaism, that is, became a Jew. At the same time, there is the State of Israel with its Law of Return, which determines who has the right to obtain Israeli citizenship. The Law of Return arose from the Nuremberg Laws, laws passed in Nuremberg in 1935 by the Nazis. This is the definition of a Jew up to the third generation - through one's grandparents. These laws clearly stated who was considered a Jew, limited in rights and then destroyed. By the same principle - the third generation - if you have documents that say that, for example, your grandfather is Jewish (no matter on your father’s or mother’s side), you can obtain Israeli citizenship.

Of course, we can talk about this endlessly, that, for example, there is the case of Brother Daniel Brother Daniel (1922–1988) is a Catholic monk of Jewish origin, a Jew, he was born from a Jewish mother in a Jewish family and at some point during Holocaust, he was baptized, and then, after the war, he asked Israel for citizenship, and Israel refused him.
That is, Israel does not allow Jews who have converted to Christianity.

History of the development of Judaism

The history of the development of Judaism can be divided into four periods.

Biblical period

The religion of the Jews begins its history from the creation of the world by God to the exit from Egyptian slavery and resettlement to the Promised Land - Israel. During this period, Abraham entered into the first Covenant with God, in which he recognized God as One. Moses received the 10 Commandments from God during his 40-year wandering in the desert. On their basis the moral and practical life of the Jewish people was built.

Temple period

A period that lasted about 1500 years and ended around the 2nd century BC. e. It was during this period that the belief in one God received the name “Judaism.” The formation of the Jewish state with its center in the city of Jerusalem dates back to this period of time. During the reign of King Solomon, the Temple of God was erected, where the Ark of the Covenant was transferred and kept. The Jerusalem Temple was considered the main spiritual center for the Jews. During the temple period, the temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times. This time period ended with the destruction of the Temple and the enslavement of the Jews by the pagan Romans.

Talmudic (rabbinic) period

Historians disagree on whether these periods should be separated, and there are also no clear time boundaries. In the 2nd – 4th centuries, the Scriptures and the Oral Torah were ordered and the Talmud was compiled. As a result, the Jewish faith in the One God was transformed into a set of regulations, rituals, norms and foundations that must be strictly observed by representatives of Judaism. The creation of the modern form of Judaism occurred precisely during this time period. In the 6th – 8th centuries, temple services were replaced by general meetings in synagogues, during which prayers were read. Such meetings are led by teachers who have thoroughly studied the Torah and Talmud - rabbis.

Modern period

It originates from 1750 to the present. The modern Jewish religion practiced by modern Jews is not exactly the same as that which was given to the Israelites through Moses and the Prophets. It also differs from Judaism before the coming of the Messiah - Jesus Christ. Today they hold to beliefs that they themselves have invented by distorting the Holy Scriptures, deviating from the true spirit of Moses and the Prophets. The first faith is truly revealed by God and is a preparatory step to Christianity. But the New Jewish one is the fruit of human inventions. At the same time, the Jewish Diaspora remains as united as possible.

Why are there so many famous scientists and musicians who are Jewish?

This is a great question. In principle, a lot is determined by religion itself. Judaism is a religion of observance and a religion of knowledge and teaching. When you're a lifelong learner, you become pretty good at understanding things. The same Talmud The Talmud, or Oral Torah, is a set of legal and religious-ethical provisions of Judaism. teaches not only the law - it teaches how to think. The Talmud trains the brain in the same way as, for example, mathematics. This is why there are so many mathematicians and scientists in general among Jews, if we are talking about science. Not to mention persecution: we need to constantly prove that we are better. There is also an interesting point with musicians: the prayer is usually sung like a song. Weddings and funerals also take place with music - with folk music klezmer Klezmer is a genre of Jewish ethnic music...

But there are not only many scientists and musicians - there are many businessmen. For example, in the Pale of Settlement the Pale of Settlement is the territory within which the legislation of the Russian Empire allowed Jews to live from 1791 to 1917. Jews were forbidden to own land and buy land, but no one forbade usury - lending money, storing money, and this was a way to survive, to make some kind of gesheft Gesheft - a profitable deal, a commercial deal, to have a business. Of course, there are athletes among Jews, but fewer.

The essence of Judaism

Judaism is the oldest religion, which is based on the veneration of the One God as opposed to pagan polytheism. The peculiarity is in its strict ethnic character: it arose and developed within one nation. The religion of the Jews received the name “Judaism” from the tribe of Judah. In the 730s BC, the ten tribes of Israel were destroyed as a result of war. As a result, the tribe of Judah remained the only representative of the Jews. Accordingly, the concepts of “Judaism” and “Jews” became identical.

It is important to understand that Judaism is the oldest Abrahamic (common name for Christianity, Judaism and Islam) religion. It received the name “Abrahamic” in memory of God’s Covenant with Abraham. Because Abraham followed God's call and left his lands, he is promised land and numerous descendants. God reveals himself as the one Creator and proclaims His will to people. God gave Abraham ethical regulations, norms and rules of conduct. They formed the basis of three religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Orthodox Jews at the Western Wall (Jerusalem)

Is Hitler a Jew?

Hitler was not a Jew. This is a conspiracy theory: a Jew killed a bunch of Jews. Well guys, kamon. And they say about the name Hitler that it is supposedly derived from the Hebrew name Gitel. But then this surname would be written with a G, and not with an H - but it is also spelled Hitler, with an N. So no, Hitler is not a Jew.

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Unique Jewish traditions

Jewish funerals took place in compliance with rather complex rituals. All household utensils and furniture were removed from the deceased’s home, and relatives tore their clothes. Neighbors had to empty out all their water supplies. In modern Judaism, the ceremony has been simplified and prayers are read over the deceased. It is not customary to bring flowers to a grave; according to custom, a pebble is placed on it.

At the end of autumn or beginning of winter, the holiday of Hanukkah is celebrated in memory of the miracle that happened in the Temple. When the Greeks destroyed and desecrated it, the Jews were able to find only one vessel with pure oil for the lamp. Its contents would only last for one day of burning. But a miracle happened: the lamp burned for eight days. In memory of this event, lamps are lit on the windows of houses at dusk. Moreover, one light is added every day until the number reaches 8. At this time there is no fasting and they do not mourn the dead.

Appearance

Orthodox Jews believe that they must strictly follow not only the sacred scripture - the Torah, but also many of the rituals of their ancestors who lived during the heyday of Judaism in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 14th-17th centuries. That is why the appearance of these people is often very strange, according to the opinion of modern people.

Adherents of this particular movement in Judaism wear clothes exclusively in two colors - white and black (this also applies to underwear). In this case, you must have a hat on your head. On holidays, Orthodox Christians wear fur hats, which come in two types:

1. Spadaks. Made from beaver fur, tall. Definitely black.
2. Shtreimly. Flat hats made of sable fur.

Their caftans have different variations. They can be of different lengths. The color can be either simply black or white striped (such clothes are worn mainly on holidays along with a special white hat with a pompom).

What other clothes do Orthodox Jews wear? So, there is one very interesting secondary religious sign of such people - these are the tassels that stick out from under their clothes. They are the obligatory attribute of tales (special material that can either cover the entire human body during prayer or be part of underwear). The main purpose of these brushes is prescribed in the Torah. Looking out from under the clothes, they should remind us of God and the fact that we must serve him every minute.

State of the Jewish People

With the initial definition of Israel's borders, the functioning of the young Jewish state begins. Gradually, the country began to grow rich, expanding its borders and strengthening its position among neighboring nations.

The most important event was the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem. This happened during the reign of the famous King Solomon, during which the Kingdom of Israel reached the pinnacle of its development and prosperity.

Alas, after the death of Solomon, the situation in the country turned out to be very tense. Due to the weakening of the state and the division of power, a split occurs into two new entities - Northern Israel and Judea. I am sure that it was the collapse of the once powerful country that attracted the attention of its aggressive neighbors.

Northern Israel surrenders under the onslaught of the Assyrians. Assyria pursued a tough policy in the occupied territories. The local population was forced out of their ancestral lands, and in their place came representatives of other nations, whom the Assyrians brought specially.

James Tissot "Flight of Prisoners"

Traditions and rituals

What customs do Orthodox Jews observe? What interesting things do their beliefs entail?

• First of all, we need to talk about circumcision. Thus, this procedure involves circumcision of the foreskin of the male genital organ of an infant (on the eighth day from birth). It is believed that this is a kind of covenant between the people of Israel and God.
• Orthodox Jews must wear a kippah (cap) throughout the day. This is a special sign of respect for God.
• Before reading the morning prayer, representatives of the Orthodox movement must put on a tallit (veil).
• Kapparot is a tradition of atonement for one's sins. It is performed on the eve of Yom Kippur. A man or woman should take a live rooster in his hands and twirl it around his head, saying: “Let this be my atonement.”

Expert opinion

In 2003, the Nizhny Novgorod publishing house published a publication in the Russian Veche newspaper, the purpose of which was to clarify the new interpretation of this term. However, this article did not add anything new.

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It indicated that now the word “Jew” is used to contemptuously call Jews. In general, this has a negative connotation and can provoke a conflict based on anti-Semitism. Allegedly, the Jews themselves consider such treatment humiliating, insulting and derogatory to their national dignity.

Choosing names

With names, everything is much more complicated - they can be anything. Of course, there are purely Jewish ones. For example, Leo (derived from Levi), Anton (from Nathan), Boris (from Boruch), Jacob, Adam, Samson, Mark, Abram (from Abraham), Moses, Nahum, Ada (Adelaide), Dinah, Sarah, Esther ( from Esther), Faina and others.

But there is also a separate category of names that are of Israeli origin, but Russian people wear them even more often than the Jews themselves. The characteristic features of such names are the ending -il (Daniel, Michael, Samuel, Gabriel), as well as the biblical meaning (Mary, Joseph, Ilya (Elijah), Sophia).

Denial of Jews as a nation

If you dig deeper into the problem, you can see even more radical sentiments of some citizens. There are people who are convinced that Jews or Yids do not exist as a nation. They call these words “international rabble”, which is driven by a thirst for profit and very often penetrates into leadership positions in various management structures.

Thus, the opinion has taken root in the minds of our compatriots that the country has been governed predominantly by Jews for many years. In their opinion, these are cunning and unprincipled people. According to this theory, supporters of the existing regime are called Jews.

Origins of the ethnic group

Perhaps the main feature of the Jewish people is the lack of adherence to any principles and framework of the materialistic concept of the origin of ethnic groups. This is a truly unique feature, since most of the information about the early period of Jewish history is known only from biblical texts.

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According to ancient sources, the ancestor of the Jews was Noah. His eldest son had a great-grandson, Ever. He became the only person who refused to take part in the construction of the Tower of Babel. Many years later, one of his descendants became the father of Abraham, from whom, according to Jewish history, the Semitic tribes descended.

Abraham became the true spiritual leader of his community. In our usual understanding, he did not perform feats, but his deeds were truly great. No, Abraham did not lead troops into an attack, did not capture new lands. His only purpose in life was to spread the idea of ​​one God. For Abraham's good deeds, the Almighty gave the land, which was called Eretz Israel.

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How “Yehuda” turned into “Yid”

According to Rav Reuven Piatigorsky, representatives of the Jewish nation long ago self-proclaimed themselves “Yehudas.” This word wandered across languages ​​and was transformed depending on the pronunciation of the first sound. It is no secret that the iotated vowel is in some cases pronounced as “zh”. Thus, changing, “Yehuda” turned into “Jew” or “Jew,” which is completely identical in essence. This is not an insult and does not reflect a derogatory attitude towards persons of Jewish nationality.

Nose

So, what are the characteristic facial features of Jews? The first thing people always pay attention to is the nose. Moreover, many believe that this sign alone is enough to consider a person a Jew. The famous “Jewish shnobel” begins to bend from the very base. Thus, the Israeli anthropologist Jacobs described this phenomenon in detail: “the tip bends down, resembling a hook, and the wings are raised.” If you look from the side, the nose resembles the number 6 extended upward. People call this nose the “Jewish six.”

However, based on this feature alone, it is impossible to say with certainty that a person is a Jew. If you look at the portraits of Russian writers, it turns out that almost all of them had big noses: Nekrasov, Gogol, Karamzin, and even Turgenev. But it is known for certain that they were not Jews.

In fact, Israelis can have a wide variety of noses: fleshy “potato” noses, narrow ones with a hump, straight ones, long ones with high nostrils, and even snub noses. So, the nose alone is far from an indicator of “Jewishness.”

Some negative connotation

One way or another, according to ancient legends and chronicles, our Slavic ancestors were usually enemies of the Russian land. At least, if you remember the negative hero of Russian fairy tales, Miracle Yudo, you will be convinced of this. The particle "yudo" comes from the same root as the word "yehuda".

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Therefore, it is not surprising that the word “Jew” was used to describe the Tatars or Polovtsians. Over time, this negative imprint penetrated into Christianity. And now intelligent people do not allow themselves to use the word “Jew” in communication with other people. This is considered an unacceptable and even shameful habit.

Teachings of Moses

96:5.1 (1057.6) Moses was an unusual combination of the qualities of military leader, public leader, and religious teacher. He was the most important of all world teachers and leaders in the period between Machiventa and Jesus. Moses tried to carry out many reforms in Israel, about which there is no written evidence. In the course of one human lifetime he delivered the multilingual horde of the so-called Jews from slavery and uncivilized wanderings, while laying the foundation for the subsequent birth of a nation and the preservation of the race.

96:5.2 (1057.7) So little evidence has been preserved of the great work of Moses because the Jews had no written language at the time of the exodus. The narrative of the era and deeds of Moses was compiled on the basis of traditions that survived more than a thousand years after the death of the great leader.

96:5.3 (1058.1) Moreover, many of the improvements introduced by Moses into the religion of the Egyptians and surrounding Levantine tribes were due to Kenite traditions dating back to the age of Melchizedek. Without the teachings of Machiventa, transmitted to Abraham and his contemporaries, the Jews would have left Egypt without any hope. Moses and his father-in-law Jethro collected what little remained of Melchizedek's traditions; These teachings, coupled with the knowledge of the Egyptians, guided Moses in creating the improved religion and rituals of the Israelites. Moses was the organizer; he selected the best from the religion and customs of Egypt and Palestine and, connecting these customs with the traditions of the teachings of Melchizedek, created a system of religious rites of the ancient Jews.

96:5.4 (1058.2) Moses believed in Providence; he was fascinated by Egyptian teachings concerning the supernatural control of the Nile and other natural elements. He had a lofty view of God, but he was extremely sincere when he taught the Jews that if they obey God, “He will love and bless you, and make your people numerous. He will multiply the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land—bread, wine, oil, and your flocks. You will prosper above all people, and the Lord your God will take away all diseases from you and will not bring upon you any of the terrible diseases of Egypt.” He even said, “Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to acquire wealth.” “And you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.”

96:5.5 (1058.3) It was sad indeed to see how the great mind of Moses tried to adapt the sublime concept of El-Elyon, the Most High, to the understanding of the ignorant and illiterate Jews. To the assembly of his leaders he loudly proclaimed: “The Lord your God is the only Lord, and there is no God besides him,” while to a motley crowd he declared: “Who can compare with your God among all gods?” Moses courageously and somewhat successfully opposed fetishes and idolatry, declaring: “In the day when your God spoke to you on Mount Horeb out of the fire, you saw no image.” In addition, he prohibited the creation of any images.

96:5.6 (1058.4) Moses was afraid to proclaim Yahweh's mercy and preferred to awe God's justice by saying, “The Lord your God is the God of Gods, the Lord of Lords, the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who is impartial.” Trying to curb the violent clans, he declared that “your God kills when you disobey him; he heals and quickens when you obey him.” However, Moses taught these tribes that they would become God's chosen people only if they "keep all his commandments and keep all his laws."

96:5.7 (1058.5) In those ancient times the Jews were taught little about the mercy of God. They knew God as “Almighty; The Lord is a warrior, a God of battles, glorious in his might, crushing his enemies.” “The Lord your God is with you in your camp to save you.” The Israelites believed that their God loved them, but that he was also the one who "hardened Pharaoh's heart" and "cursed their enemies."

96:5.8 (1058.6) Although Moses gave the children of Israel some idea of ​​a universal and beneficent Deity, Yahweh was generally God in their common conception, yet he differed little from the tribal gods of the surrounding nations. Their concept of God was primitive, crude and anthropomorphic. After the death of Moses, these Bedouin tribes quickly returned to their semi-barbarian ideas - the old gods of Horeb and the desert. The expanded and higher vision of God that Moses periodically expounded to his leaders was soon forgotten, while most people turned to the worship of their fetishes, the golden calves that symbolized Yahweh in the eyes of the Palestinian shepherds.

96:5.9 (1059.1) By the time Moses gave Yeshua command of the Jews, he had already gathered thousands of the indirect descendants of Abraham, Nahor, Lot, and other related tribes into an independent and partly self-governing nation of shepherd-warriors.

Nutrition

The entire life of Orthodox Jews is guided by the scriptures of the Torah. The same applies to nutritional rules. What can such people eat and what can’t they eat?

• Kosher, i.e. The meat of ruminant artiodactyls, as well as mammals, is considered permitted. Orthodox Jews may consume meat from sheep, cows, bison, elk, etc.
• Such people should not eat the meat of rabbits, hares, pigs, and horses.
• Kosher bird species: chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, quail.
• The Torah prohibits the consumption of animal blood in any form. To get rid of it, there are two procedures: salting and frying.
• Also, Orthodox Jews have a strict ban on mixing dairy and meat foods. After eating meat, you must wait at least 6 hours, and only then eat dairy products.
• You can also eat fish, but not all fish, but those that have fins and scales.
• Eggs from kosher birds are kosher.

Grievances

However, sometimes it gets funny. Some Jews are offended by being called Jews or Yids. Probably, numerous stories about how representatives of the Negroid race in America are offended when white people call them “nigers” haunts them. However, African Americans may jokingly call each other that. And they get away with it.

The same applies to Jews, who allow statements like “old Jew” in conversations with representatives of their nation. But when it comes to communicating with people of a different nationality, this word is considered offensive. However, from time immemorial our society has lived by double standards. Therefore, there is nothing surprising here.

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A few words about women

What are they like, Orthodox Jewish women? Initially, it must be said that after marriage, such ladies cut their hair as short as possible or even shave their heads bald. This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when in this way women protected themselves from the encroachments of men. But even today it has not lost its relevance among the orthodox.

Married ladies should also be faithful to their husbands. After all, among the Orthodox, a child born not from a husband is a terrible sin, a stain on the family. Then he will not be able to live normally: study, get married or get married. If the baby is born to an unmarried girl, he will be an ordinary Jew.

Regarding the role of women, the orthodox adhere to old-fashioned rules. So, the wife’s area of ​​activity is family, home, children, comfort. Everything else is for men. However, a woman in this religion was never the property of her husband. She has a wide range of rights and freedoms. In a certain sense, a woman is even revered and worshiped. However, only within the walls of your home.

It should also be noted that Orthodox Jews are not around women in public places: buses, hairdressers, etc. In addition, they try not to walk on the same side of the street.

Common Mistakes

There is an opinion that there are certain signs that only Jews possess (characteristic facial features) - a huge nose, black eyes, thick lips. We've already dealt with the nose. As for dark eyes and full lips, these are the most common Negroid characteristics. And the Negroid admixture is characteristic not only of Jews, but also of people of other nationalities. For example, as a result of the union of a Mongoloid and a Negro, the same traits can be obtained. This admixture is often observed among Greeks, Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, Arabs, Armenians, and Georgians.

Another popular misconception is that Jews have dark, curly hair. Everything is the same here. The Negroid trait is obvious. On the other hand, the biblical Jew David was blond. This is already a Nordic admixture. And look at the Russian singer Agutin - a typical Jew, but by no means dark-haired.

Basic dogmatic principles of Judaism

What do Jews profess? Jews believe in one God, which they repeat daily when reading the Shema prayer: “Hear, O Israel. The Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” They also claim that man is created in the image and likeness of God.

The life of Jews is based not so much on doctrinal dogmas as on rules and norms of behavior. The essence of Judaism lies in strict observance of all external and ritual regulations.

A special place in Judaism is given to the assertion that the Jewish people are chosen by God and stand above other people in the world. The Talmud says: “just as man stands high above animals in the world, so Jews stand high above all peoples in the world.”

Jews, on principle, do not spread their creed, believing that Judaism is the national religion of the Jews and is the creed of the chosen people. The covenant was concluded only with the Jews, so there is no need to convert representatives of other nations and faiths.

Jews believe in the coming of the Messiah. At the same time, they do not recognize Jesus Christ as the anointed one of God for the reason that He did not have power and was persecuted. They marked the coming of the Messiah with the arrival of an earthly ruler who would occupy a special political place and conquer all nations for the Jews to rule over them.

Indirect signs

It is worth considering some more distinctive features of the Slavs and Jews. So, for example, facial cleanliness. Jews, unlike most Russians, often have a cluster of birthmarks in the area of ​​the nose, mouth and chin. Moles are a sign of aging and degradation of the body. The later they form on the human body, the stronger the body. Among Jews, birthmarks, as a rule, form in childhood.

We continue to name the characteristic features of Israelis - their gums are very exposed when they smile. This is very rarely observed among Slavic-Russians. Jews often have a fairly sparse and asymmetrical dentition, unlike the Slavs, who are characterized by dense lower and upper teeth.

Burr as a speech defect is often considered an indirect sign. In principle, it is characteristic of some Jews. But only to a minority. Most Israelis pronounce the letter "r" very clearly. And they even teach this to Russians. But still, burring is a rare sign, because many of the Jews who had such a defect worked hard with a speech therapist. And any Russian child can have this pronunciation from birth.

What commandments do Jews keep?

Just like Orthodox believers who keep the Ten Holy Commandments, Jews also have laws that they must follow. There are six hundred and thirteen , three hundred and sixty-five of which are prohibitive - for every day of the year, and two hundred and forty-eight - prescriptive.

For non-Jews, Judaism offers seven commandments, by observing which everyone can enter the Kingdom of Heaven along with the Jews:

1. Prohibition of blasphemy;
2. Prohibition of theft;
3. Prohibition of bloodshed;
4. Prohibition of idolatry;
5. Prohibition of incest;
6. Prohibition of eating meat cut from a living creature;
7. Demand for the establishment of a fair legal system.