And you shall rejoice before the lord your god seven days lev 23. The five books of moses, the new translation of the holy scriptures according to the traditional hebrew text. Welcoming the stranger rosh hashanah 5777 central synagogue. In a personable, accessible manner, olitzky, author and d. The primary holy book of the jewish faith is known as the torah, which comprises the books of genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy. It is the central and most important document of judaism and has been used by jews through the ages. The torah, contains the old testament and the talmud. Many times in jewish texts, we are commanded to love and welcome the. Whatever the precise number, the repetition throughout the mosaic books is remarkable. The torah helps israel gather the holy sparks scattered among the nations. It was approved by the full body of bishops at their november 2000 general meeting as a statement of the national conference of catholic bishops and is authorized for publication by the. These virtues have to come alive in specific behaviors. In fact, the commandment to care for the stranger is mentioned more times than any other commandment in the torah more even than the command to love god vahavta.
Daniel seatvet, christianity in culture examiner, march 20, 2009. He shall repay the injured party and add a fifth to it. We are not the first or only muslims to ponder our strangeness. Within the new testament, which christians read in continuity with the hebrew bible or the old testament, the most often cited passage dealing with welcoming the stranger is. Jun 01, 20 you can turn this list of bible verses on welcoming the stranger into a simple email to your greeter volunteers as a reminder of how they are called to extend an awesome welcome to your visitors and regular attenders. In the torah, the children of israel are told thirtysix times to welcome the strangers in their midst, as they are reminded that they themselves were strangers in the land of egypt during centuries of slavery. When a man or woman commits any wrong toward a fellow, breaking faith with the lord, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess. The author clearly knows her stuff no surprise i suppose given her well researched fiction. It is one of the most ancient and first recorded faiths in history that has the oldest religious traditions and practices that are carried out to this date.
But what about welcoming the stranger into our hearts. Israels responsibilities toward converts begin with equal protection, but ultimately require the full integration of the convert into the family of israel. When muslims go to mecca to touch the black stone, what place must they visit. And so too with us, modern jews in a global world, who may take up the fight. Theyll doubt themselves, doubt their intentions, doubt religion, doubt their choices. The biblical book of numbers sets out this principle of civil law. Here some powerful quotes from the gita that will give you a different perspective on life, and maybe even change the way you look at hinduism.
As society changed, the jews found that the torah needed to be updated from its original agricultural emphasis. Welcoming the stranger rosh hashanah morning 20075768 rabbi david kaufman today, we read the story of the binding of isaac, but i would like to talk about another aspect of the story of abrahams life without which there would have been no binding of isaac. Welcoming the stranger in times of xenophobia uscj. Ahavat ger, welcoming the stranger, is among the most important tenets of reform judaism. Which is not one of the five pillars, or 5 basic duties, of islam. There was the person who literally came from afar, there were converts to judaism, and there was the ger toshav. In the hebrew bible what was the idea of the stranger. As jews, welcoming is and always has been an integral part of who we are. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of egypt. Holy book synonyms, holy book pronunciation, holy book translation, english dictionary definition of holy book. I find that i refer to this book as a handy reference.
Mirabai starrs new book, god of love a guide to the heart of judaism, christianity and islam, will be disconcerting to many in an arena that seems sometimes to have been written to death the complexities of the abrahamic faiths. Jan 29, 2017 within the new testament, which christians read in continuity with the hebrew bible or the old testament, the most often cited passage dealing with welcoming the stranger is from matthew 25. As an interfaith chaplain and rabbi in residence at the miriam hospital in providence, rhode island, i have been fortunate to have the opportunity to care for the spiritu. They spoke about it extensively, and from it they derived one of judaisms most time honored and practiced virtues. I shall treat him or her as i would like to be treated.
Jul 03, 2018 judaism is a religious culture formed and followed by the jewish people. Judaism is a religious culture formed and followed by the jewish people. Aug, 2009 it is the central and most important document of judaism and has been used by jews through the ages. Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion, with the torah as its foundational text part of the larger text known as the tanakh or hebrew bible, and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the midrash and the talmud. We should seek out the tales of the oppressed stranger, read her literature, ferret out her testimony. Jun 20, 2018 welcoming the stranger is a core principle of judaism the torah instructs us 36 times to care for the stranger far more than it commands us to observe the sabbath or any other law. Nov 07, 2017 welcoming ourselves, or, the stranger within vayyera 5778 this is a parashah that is chock full of good material, but i must concede that the episode to which i always return is the story in the beginning of vayyera where avraham welcomes a trio of traveling strangers into his tent. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. You might even consider separating them out one at a time for your reminder emails. According to the talmud, rabbi eliezer the great noted that the torah warns 36 times, and some say 46 times, not to oppress the stranger babylonian talmud, bava mtzia 59b. The following list of bible verses comes from the new revised standard version. Welcoming ourselves, or, the stranger within the modern rabbi. The holy intimacy of strangers, then, is an experience of the spirits promise and power, breathed into human interaction and calling us into personal and spiritual. The second golden rule while we are all familiar with the general golden rule, it can be easy to overlook the second golden rule.
The holy intimacy of strangers by sarah york book excerpt. Welcoming ourselves, or, the stranger within vayyera. There is something very strange about the festival of succot, of which our parsha is the primary source on the one hand, it is the festival supremely associated with joy it is the only festival in our parsha that mentions rejoicing. Holy book definition of holy book by the free dictionary. Welcoming the stranger is an educational nonprofit that offers free classes in english as a second language esl, computer skills, and united states citizenship exam preparation to adult immigrants and refugees in the philadelphia metro region. Welcoming the stranger is a timely and important book at a point in americas history where the immigrant population is considerably growing and many americans seek to do something about it. Judaism this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book. She asked me if i might be willing to read a selection from the book. The other holy book for the jewish religion is the talmud which includes the mishnah, which means repetition or study and the gemara, which means addition or completion. How the five books of moses are divided up into weekly portions. No book better models what it means to love the stranger and what it means to demonstrate hesed in a way that not only repairs a ruptured family history but also creates a community into which one wants. Feller learn with flashcards, games, and more for free.
No story in the bible demonstrates more fully than the book of ruth the extraordinary power of love, channeled as hesed kindness or generosity that goes beyond the expected obligation. The word spirit comes from the latin word meaning breath. The interconnections starr explores seem novel but obvious at first. Dec 15, 2008 what is jewish scripturewith asher meza,, consider judaism or the 7 laws for more videos please go to. The written torah, which at its core consists of the five books of moses. The jewish scribes who construct torah scrolls take great care to. What is jewish scripturewith asher meza,, consider judaism or the 7 laws for more videos please go to. Welcoming the convert into the family of israel my jewish. Many of our most active members are nonjewish spouses. Welcoming the convert into the family of israel my. In taking the torah upon themselves at sinai, the jewish people all became proselytes. Founded in 1999, welcoming the stranger has taught over 4,000. The premise of this welcome wagon for christians with jewish partners or relatives derives from the jewish value of welcoming the stranger. Genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy.
While many people have been deceived into believing this, it is completely false. A prolific writer, he is the author of several books, the most recent of which is. Welcoming the stranger is one of judaism s most time honored virtues. Appendix and resources relational judaism handbook.
Our members have a voice in shaping this community, and demonstrate their commitment to its future, to the future of reform judaism, and to progressive jewish values in the world. This evenings discussion will take up the theme of welcoming the stranger. Welcoming ourselves, or, the stranger within vayyera 5778 this is a parashah that is chock full of good material, but i must concede that the episode to which i always return is the story in the beginning of vayyera where avraham welcomes a trio of traveling strangers into his tent. Passover pesach teaches jews to welcome strangers into their homes. The book of jubilees actually traces the custom of having guests eat in our sukkah. The jewish way of life includes both a virtuous mindset and an active engagement with physical reality. According to rabbi eliezer, the torah warns against the wronging of a ger in thirtysix places. The rabbis of the talmud and the midrash saw this story as being a very important one when it comes to jewish life. Even more importantly, i have found an authentic way to fulfill one of judaisms central tenets of faith. The book of leviticus contains one of the most prominent tenets of the jewish faith.
The story of ruth, believed to have been written around the fifth century b. The fine art of genuine welcoming is alive and well. A guide to the heart of judaism, christianity and islam mirabai starr. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Apr 16, 2012 welcoming the stranger, by rabbi janie hodgetts there is no better ritual to educate and engage people unfamiliar with the richness of jewish traditions than the seder. Oct 28, 2010 the rabbis of the talmud and the midrash saw this story as being a very important one when it comes to jewish life.
Jewish tradition places great importance on just treatment of immigrants. This becomes possible when we conduct ourselves with justice and kindness, and walk in spiritual union with god. These books are referred to as the pentateuch in judaism. The holy books of judaism are the written and oral torah. Practical and easy to use book with good explanations of the basics of living a jewish life. The second reason, as we have already noted, is the psychological vulnerability of the stranger we recall moses own words at the birth of his first son, while he was living among the midianites. Our tradition supports in fact, commands us to be welcoming, warm, open, inclusive people. In the torah, the children of israel are told thirtysix times to welcome the strangers in their midst, as they are reminded that they themselves were strangers in the land of egypt. I will challenge others, even leaders in my faith community, to do the same. Torah refers to the five books of moses which are known in hebrew as chameesha choomshey torah. It contains a lot of brief, yet informative articles about different aspects of islam. Unity in diversity was developed by the national conference of catholic bishops committee on migration.
I enjoyed reading her own story about how judaism has come to be a part of her life. When a man or woman commits any wrong toward a fellow, breaking faith with the lord, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess the wrong that he has done. We feel we are enriched by welcoming people of all backgrounds. Temple emanuel of tempe is an inclusive and welcoming community. Welcoming the stranger is a core principle of judaism. The hebrew word ger stranger could mean one of three things. How a jointcommunal disruptive endeavor can successfully engage millennial jews were more traditional organizations have fallen short. Welcoming the stranger is a core principle of judaism jewish. Jewish texts on immigration religious action center.
Putting mike urams next generation judaism to the test. Radical uncertainty emor 5780 download the accompanying family edition here. Judaism this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a. In the hebrew bible what was the idea of the stranger answers. The pastoral statement welcoming the stranger among us. Temple emanuel of tempe is a membershipbased community. The jewish scribes who construct torah scrolls take great care to keep the exact text of the ancient torah intact. Join us in our efforts to raise awareness of the jfs refugee resettlement program and learn how you can help in welcoming the stranger. The hebrew bible the christian old testament has a number of passages that talk about caring for foreigners, strangers and resident aliens dwelling in the land cf. Welcoming the stranger is one of judaisms most time honored virtues.
Welcoming the stranger jewish theological seminary. Our torah doesnt allow us to pretend they are not our problem. We respect that not everyone is ready to close the door on the religion of their parents, no one will ever be pressured to convert. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens. The stranger who dwells with you shall be like a native among you, and.
Welcoming the stranger, by rabbi janie hodgetts there is no better ritual to educate and engage people unfamiliar with the richness of jewish traditions than the seder. In the christian tradition, we call this welcoming the stranger. Affirmations for faith leaders a core value of my faith is to welcome the stranger, the refugee, the internally displaced, the other. The hebrew word ger may be translated in a variety of ways. An ancient indian book dense with wisdom, the bhagavad gita is the most important and beloved spiritual text to billions of hindus. Posted on april, 2017 april, 2017 categories cultural critique, holy week, jesus, lent, lent2017, practical theology, praxis, spiritual practices tags breaking down walls, christianity, gospel, hospitality, judaism, judas, radical hospitality, welcome, welcoming the strangers leave a comment on x is for xenophilia an alphabet for penitents. The torah makes thirtysix references to honoring the stranger. Including 1 the ethiopian book of enoch, 2 the slavonic secrets and 3 the hebrew book of enoch paul c. The statement is commonly made, even by those who should know better, that we christians owe a debt to the jews, for we got our bible and our religion from them. This website is for people of various faiths who seek to understand islam and muslims. Welcoming the stranger, by rabbi janie hodgetts jewishboston. Welcoming the stranger is a core principle of judaism the torah instructs us 36 times to care for the stranger far more than it commands us to observe the sabbath or any other law. Hinduism beliefslaw of karmadharma, strive for harmonious and ternal truth within. Abraham actively sought strangers to whom he could be hospitable.
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