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Definition of a Jew

שו”תCategory: generalDefinition of a Jew
asked 7 years ago

Rabbi Michael, peace be upon you…
With your permission, I would be happy if you could answer two questions:
1. Is it possible to define a Jew solely based on circumcision, and ignore the content of Judaism in history, which is religion? I would be happy to elaborate.
2. Can a Jew be defined based on circumcision and shared history with the Jewish people?
3. An unrelated question: Why, in your opinion, is it not possible to observe certain laws, but rather one must take the entire package of commandments and observe them in their entirety?


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0 Answers
מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago
Regarding Jewish identity, see here:
על זהות יהודית בזמננו ובכלל
Circumcision does not define anything. If he did it as a mitzvah and because of the mitzvah, that is something else. Ethnically, a Jew is defined by his mother. Essentially, by the observance of a mitzvah (see the next section). 3. Regarding some of the commandments, I didn’t say that Jewish identity cannot be defined in this way, but you cannot be seen as obligated to the commandments. Observing the commandments is because God commanded and He commanded everything. If you observe some, then you decide what to observe and are not obligated to the commandment itself. If you think there is some that He did not command, that is something else, of course.

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