Ask a question

[AngelRoseDarke]

If I'm not allowed to do this, I apologize. I have done this before on another site, and it had great results.

Here's how this works: You state your religion and ask a question related to another religion. Someone answers the questions that pertain to their faith and ask another question about any religion.

This is strictly Q&A. No one is allowed to bash someone's beliefs or argue about answers. In the past this has worked, and people learned a lot about other faiths. Some even found that they have had things in common that they never knew about!

I'll go first. I'm an eclectic Pagan (following more than one path).

My question is for the Jewish folks. I have a friend who is Jewish. I've avoided inviting her to dinner because I don't know what to serve (I'm ashamed to ask her). I understand that beef is okay, but I've heard that only certain cuts of meat are to be used. What cuts of beef should I purchase, or should I serve something else altogether?

[Higgins]

If I'm not allowed to do this, I apologize. I have done this before on another site, and it had great results.

Here's how this works: You state your religion and ask a question related to another religion. Someone answers the questions that pertain to their faith and ask another question about any religion.

This is strictly Q&A. No one is allowed to bash someone's beliefs or argue about answers. In the past this has worked, and people learned a lot about other faiths. Some even found that they have had things in common that they never knew about!

I'll go first. I'm an eclectic Pagan (following more than one path).

My question is for the Jewish folks. I have a friend who is Jewish. I've avoided inviting her to dinner because I don't know what to serve (I'm ashamed to ask her). I understand that beef is okay, but I've heard that only certain cuts of meat are to be used. What cuts of beef should I purchase, or should I serve something else altogether?

I'm a bad cook and I'm having an "expert in mind control" over for dinner and accupuncture. I'm not sure what question I should ask.

[AngelRoseDarke]

I'm not sure what question I should ask.

You can ask any question you've ever wanted answered about a religion different from your own. You can ask multiple questions if you like. It can be anything, as long as it's not worded offensively. You can ask about rumors you've heard, for example or stuff you just want to know more about.

[Medievalist]

My question is for the Jewish folks. I have a friend who is Jewish. I've avoided inviting her to dinner because I don't know what to serve (I'm ashamed to ask her). I understand that beef is okay, but I've heard that only certain cuts of meat are to be used. What cuts of beef should I purchase, or should I serve something else altogether?

Just ask her if she "keeps kosher." Chances are she doesn't. When you invite her, you can say "I was planning on serving X and Y; would that be OK?"You might ask the same question of any guest.

Don't serve ham, pork, bacon, shrimp, or lobster.

Don't mix meat and dairy. No cheeseburgers. No dairy used in preparation of other dishes you serve at the meal.

And honestly, an awful lot of Jews these days don't even avoid pork, but it's better to check your menu; that way, if she's vegetarian, or something, you'll know that too.

[AngelRoseDarke]

Just ask her if she "keeps kosher." Chances are she doesn't. When you invite her, you can say "I was planning on serving X and Y; would that be OK?"You might ask the same question of any guest.

Don't serve ham, pork, bacon, shrimp, or lobster.

Don't mix meat and dairy. No cheeseburgers. No dairy used in preparation of other dishes you serve at the meal.

And honestly, an awful lot of Jews these days don't even avoid pork, but it's better to check your menu; that way, if she's vegetarian, or something, you'll know that too.

Thanks a bunch. I didn't know there were rules about dairy. I had no idea about the seafood either.

I know that she doesn't eat pork, and she has made comments about her household being strict with their practices. I'll ask if she keeps kosher. I'm fairly sure she does. There's a store in town that specializes in kosher foods. Maybe I should see if they have the stuff I'll need to fix the meal.

We've been friends for over a year, and I feel terrible that I've never invited her to dinner. She's never invited us, and I often get the feeling that it's for the same reason. I'm hoping to break the ice. My family doesn't care what we eat, so it won't be a big deal for us.

[semilargeintestine]

Actually, if she keeps kosher it won't matter what you serve as your kitchen is not kosher. Sorry that sounds kind of derogatory, but it's true. Food cooked in a non-kosher kitchen is automatically not kosher. Your best bet would be to take her out to a kosher place. You could also buy food that is kosher that doesn't need to be cooked and "kosherise" your silverware. It can be done, but it will be difficult to actually have a kosher meal.

ETA: On a side note, if she is okay eating in a non-kosher kitchen but wants to eat only kosher animals, make sure to not get any non-kosher foods or mix meat and dairy (ANY meat, including fowl/poultry). It's pretty easy to find a list (http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm#Animals). That link also has the other rules regarding Kashrut.

[AngelRoseDarke]

Thanks for the link.

I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and ask her. If my kitchen won't work (I'm not offended, BTW that was useful info) I'll have to invite her out of town to a kosher restaurant. We don't have any local, just a store.

I'm learning all kinds of things! Anybody else want to join in with questions?

[semilargeintestine]

All my questions about other religions would be viewed as offensive (even though they aren't meant to be) and probably get me banned.

[Ruv Draba]

I'm a bad cook and I'm having an "expert in mind control" over for dinner and accupuncture. I'm not sure what question I should ask.I'm not a bad cook myself, but some of my best friends are. I really love you guys. I'm not an expert in mind control either, but my wife is, and for the last 25 or so years we've lived together as happily as she has allowed.

If you're going to invite an expert in mind control over for dinner then the main thing you need to know is that they like to be surprised. Pot luck works well if you disconnect your phones a week in advance and use aluminium baking trays (hint: reserve an extra one for your head).

Acupuncture can be a relaxing way to end a dinner-party, unless your expert in mind control is of the vodoun faith, in which case pin-sticking may be viewed as an act of mortal aggression. Be sure to enquire first.

(Releasing: thread hijack. :))

[Medievalist]

Thanks a bunch. I didn't know there were rules about dairy. I had no idea about the seafood either.

I know that she doesn't eat pork, and she has made comments about her household being strict with their practices.

If she keeps kosher, you're out of luck; your kitchen and such won't meet the basic standards.

Jews who keep kosher are often aware of local places where there are things that they can eat; that might be an alternative.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

All my questions about other religions would be viewed as offensive (even though they aren't meant to be) and probably get me banned.


PM a mod about whether or not the questions will be offensive. I'm sure if you don't mean them to be, you could word them in such a way as to "Soften the blow a bit," as it were. :)

[semilargeintestine]

The problem is, most of my questions have to do with fundamental beliefs that don't make sense to me, mostly in Christianity. I have a feeling at least one person would be offended by me "questioning the validity of his beliefs" or something to that effect.

I am really confused about how the Ten Commandments were changed and why the Sabbath was randomly changed to Sunday. Are those too heavy for the thread?

[Cyia]

Semi, if you have any questions like those and are uncomfortable with posting them I can try and answer them by PM. Questions asked in earnest are rarely truly offensive.

As far as the Sabbath, it's not really random - or observed as Sunday by all Christians. There are 2 versions I can give you as to why the day was changed for Christianity.

1. Whereas the day established in Genesis is "the Evening and the Morning", for practical purposes, some started to observe days as "morning and evening" so it's off by a half day.

and the other one:

2. The tithe. Sunday is the standard for the 1st day of the work week. Where God rested on the Sabbath at the end of creation, some take the mentions of tithe to mean that "first fruits of your labors" should include the first hours of the work week.

[semilargeintestine]

The first explanation would make perfect sense to me if they just did Saturday. The "day" as we know it was created evening, morning, afternoon (Evening and morning, day one). Obviously most calendars see days starting at midnight, so this would push it back half a day like you said. Wouldn't that just make it start Saturday at 12:00am?

The reason it is Friday night-Saturday night is because of how the days are named in Hebrew and the calendar (and both were around earlier than just about every other language or calendar). The days are named:

Yom Rishon - First Day - Saturday night/Sunday
Yom Shnee - Second Day - Sunday night/Monday
etc....
Yom Shabbat - Sabbath Day - Friday night/Saturday

So wouldn't the shift make it Saturday all day and night until midnight?

[Cyia]

That goes back to accommodating a work day as opposed to Biblical days (I think). Whereas the Hebrew calendar stayed set as it was, Christianity's changed to accommodate the peoples that it incorporated. Most of them were raised on Roman (or Greek, etc.) ideas of what day was what, and it was difficult to mesh the two. Some things got lost in translation.

Just like the years are different on the Hebrew calendar as opposed to the Gregorian one.

[semilargeintestine]

Gotcha. That's what I figured. I just don't see how doing it Saturday instead of Sunday would change anything. The weekend is Friday night to Saturday night for us. :)

[AngelRoseDarke]

I have a question for Christians. I have heard of girls becoming "born again virgins" or "second virgins". It has become wildly popular in my area. The concept seems odd to me, as I never heard of it growing up in a Christian home. Does anyone know where this idea came from?

I pass no judgment on this. I'm just curious about the history and reasons behind the practice.

[Medievalist]

The problem is, most of my questions have to do with fundamental beliefs that don't make sense to me, mostly in Christianity. I have a feeling at least one person would be offended by me "questioning the validity of his beliefs" or something to that effect.

I am really confused about how the Ten Commandments were changed and why the Sabbath was randomly changed to Sunday. Are those too heavy for the thread?

The sabbath was changed to Sunday by early Papal decree as a way of distinguishing the "new" religion (Catholocism, the only Christian church around then) from the "old" one of the Jews. Gregory sort of finalized it, and the Irish had some noticeable difficulty complying.

The ten commandments, that's trickier, because it's a long involved textual argument that's increasingly confusing--and didn't happen universally in terms of the various Christian sects/denominations. If you can find a parallel language Bible, with the Hebrew, it's awfully interesting to look at the key passages in various translations, through history.

[Medievalist]

I have a question for Christians. I have heard of girls becoming "born again virgins" or "second virgins". It has become wildly popular in my area. The concept seems odd to me, as I never heard of it growing up in a Christian home. Does anyone know where this idea came from?

That is socio-cultural, rather than theological in that it's not tied directly to Scripture. In a way, it's a metaphor around the "rebirth" conferred by baptism.

[AngelRoseDarke]

That is socio-cultural, rather than theological in that it's not tied directly to Scripture. In a way, it's a metaphor around the "rebirth" conferred by baptism.

Thank you very much! I had dragged out my old bibles and couldn't find a reference to it. Now I know why. I understand the metaphor part. That makes sense.

[Cyia]

I have a question for Christians. I have heard of girls becoming "born again virgins" or "second virgins". It has become wildly popular in my area. The concept seems odd to me, as I never heard of it growing up in a Christian home. Does anyone know where this idea came from?

I pass no judgment on this. I'm just curious about the history and reasons behind the practice.

It's mainly a purity pledge, and it's not just for girls. re-establishing virginity actually goes back hundreds of years (I'm not Catholic, so I can't help more on that front). The modern version was popularized by "purity rings" and the like and is meant as a way to say "I may have made bad choices, but I promise not to any more" - it can be about promiscuous sex, drugs, or anything the teen in question wants to put behind them. In return, the people in their lives are supposed to also put it behind them for a clean start.

It's also not a strictly Christian concept. There are some areas of Africa with ritual "virginity" restoration. Some of the tribal areas that are notorious for child soldiers and child brides have a problem if these children are recovered, many of them are shunned for the lives they lived. The purification rites (involving being led out of the area by an elder and performing certain tasks before being allowed back in) sort of resets the clock and gives them a chance at a normal life as part of their culture.

[semilargeintestine]

The sabbath was changed to Sunday by early Papal decree as a way of distinguishing the "new" religion (Catholocism, the only Christian church around then) from the "old" one of the Jews. Gregory sort of finalized it, and the Irish had some noticeable difficulty complying.

The ten commandments, that's trickier, because it's a long involved textual argument that's increasingly confusing--and didn't happen universally in terms of the various Christian sects/denominations. If you can find a parallel language Bible, with the Hebrew, it's awfully interesting to look at the key passages in various translations, through history.

Very interesting. So they disregarded God's commandment simply to distinguish between old and new?

As far as the ten commandments, I have noticed that some sects have them exactly as in the Torah, and others have them drastically different, even leaving some out.

[Maiden]

Being bron-again virgin I think is more a mentality thing. They are rededicating themselves to respecting their bodies and selves, etc. But ya it isn't really a scripture related thing. I know non christians who rededicate themselves. But honestly.. you can't just can't undo anything lol So the whole wording of it is flawed.

And nope I am pagan not a christian. But I have always loved spirituality and religions. What people believe and why says a lot about who they are and how they associate with the world around them.

I guess my question would be... what do you really thinks seperates us all? The core of most spiritual beliefs is the same. Don't do harm to others, live a good life, etc. It jsut comes down to the details. You don't have to agree with everyone all the time but that doesn't mean one way of thinking is better then another.

I do have a very general question. IF you have friends with different beliefs do you find that you change how you word things in order to speak to them? For example, I have a friend who is christian and I often find myself wording things differently so she can identify with it (oddly I have read the bible more then her, and know more about it.. which is just funny to me lol.)

Okay so my questions aren't religion specific...

[semilargeintestine]

I'm assuming you mean when discussing religion. I don't see why it would be necessary to re-word things that had nothing to do with religion. I don't phrase anything differently. Most of my older friends are either atheist or agnostic (and a few Christian-by-birth friends), so they don't really care one way or another. For the people I know who are Christian and practising, I don't rephrase anything. I am a Modern Orthodox Jew, and I believe that the Torah is the word of God given to us. I follow it as closely as possible and believe in it with my heart, my soul, and my might. But, I also realise that the Torah is God's special covenant with the Jewish people, and that not everyone is required to follow it or even believe in it. So I don't treat my religious friends who aren't Jewish like idiots or anything. They are only bound to the Noahide Rules given to (duh) Noah after the flood:

1. Prohibition of Idolatry: You shall not have any idols before God.
2. Prohibition of Murder: You shall not murder.
3. Prohibition of Theft: You shall not steal.
4. Prohibition of Sexual Promiscuity: You shall not commit any of a series of sexual prohibitions, which include adultery, incest, bestiality and male homosexual intercourse (notice no ban on homosexuality or female homosexual intercourse, but that's a different thread entirely).
5. Prohibition of Blasphemy: You shall not blaspheme God's name.
6. Dietary Law: Do not eat flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive.
7. Requirement to have just Laws: You shall set up an effective judiciary to enforce the preceding six laws fairly.

Nothing in there prevents them from believing in whatever they choose really. I take that as a cue from God to let them believe what they want and just try to get along. If someone gets offended by the things I say, it's usually because she's insecure with her own beliefs.

[Medievalist]

Very interesting. So they disregarded God's commandment simply to distinguish between old and new?

Keep in mind that Christians have the NT which draws very sharp distinctions between Old Law (before Christ) and New Law; they stopped circumcising, sacrificing turtle doves, prohibitions against mixed fiber clothing, Kosher practices . . .

As far as the ten commandments, I have noticed that some sects have them exactly as in the Torah, and others have them drastically different, even leaving some out.

Yeah.

[Cyia]

You shouldn't have to reword things to speak to people of other religions (unless you're blessing food to a deity they don't worship or something, then individual blessings would probably be a better idea.)


One of the cornerstones of Christianity is that people are given a divine free will and freedom of choice.

And as far as discrepancies/ omissions, remember at the time that the King James Bible was translated into English, the very act of doing so was illegal (or at least could get you killed). A group of men in exile worked with textbooks for a dead language to try and make a complete text that the common man could understand. They didn't know how to speak Hebrew or Greek or Aramaic as a conversational language. They had to deal with languages that were devoid of punctuation, and figure out what to break where. They literally didn't have words in English that could encompass some of the original text. There are numerous Names of God in the Bible, but in English, they're all God. (Case in point, a lot of Jewish scholars WONT write out God like I just did, instead they write something like G-d, there's no way to translate that kind of reverence. "I am" is a simple state of being in English, not so in other texts.

Some words got dropped (and later found in newer translations) others got changed "Murder" to "kill", for example, or "Elohim" being sporadically translated as "angel" rather than "God"

[semilargeintestine]

Keep in mind that Christians have the NT which draws very sharp distinctions between Old Law (before Christ) and New Law; they stopped circumcising, sacrificing turtle doves, prohibitions against mixed fiber clothing, Kosher practices . . .


Yeah I won't get into that.


Yeah.

[semilargeintestine]

You shouldn't have to reword things to speak to people of other religions (unless you're blessing food to a deity they don't worship or something, then individual blessings would probably be a better idea.)


One of the cornerstones of Christianity is that people are given a divine free will and freedom of choice.

And as far as discrepancies/ omissions, remember at the time that the King James Bible was translated into English, the very act of doing so was illegal (or at least could get you killed). A group of men in exile worked with textbooks for a dead language to try and make a complete text that the common man could understand. They didn't know how to speak Hebrew or Greek or Aramaic as a conversational language. They had to deal with languages that were devoid of punctuation, and figure out what to break where. They literally didn't have words in English that could encompass some of the original text. There are numerous Names of God in the Bible, but in English, they're all God. (Case in point, all of Jewish scholars WONT write out God like I just did, instead they write something like G-d, there's no way to translate that kind of reverence. "I am" is a simple state of being in English, not so in other texts.

Some words got dropped (and later found in newer translations) others got changed "Murder" to "kill", for example, or "Elohim" being sporadically translated as "angel" rather than "God"

Re the bold: Not entirely true. The reason lots of Jews (not just scholars) write "G-d" instead of "God" is so they do not accidentally use the name of God carelessly. However, it is also a commandment to not erase any of the names of God, and so just as many Jews believe writing "G-d" is erasing part of the name.

There is yet another belief that it only applies to his actual names--that is the Hebrew names for God, as Hebrew was created before the universe and is the Divine language. As such, it doesn't matter what you write in English because "God" is just an English translation. That's the belief I subscribe to, but I still try not to throw it around carelessly.

[AngelRoseDarke]

Being bron-again virgin I think is more a mentality thing. They are rededicating themselves to respecting their bodies and selves, etc. But ya it isn't really a scripture related thing. I know non christians who rededicate themselves. But honestly.. you can't just can't undo anything lol So the whole wording of it is flawed.

And nope I am pagan not a christian. But I have always loved spirituality and religions. What people believe and why says a lot about who they are and how they associate with the world around them.

I guess my question would be... what do you really thinks seperates us all? The core of most spiritual beliefs is the same. Don't do harm to others, live a good life, etc. It jsut comes down to the details. You don't have to agree with everyone all the time but that doesn't mean one way of thinking is better then another.

I do have a very general question. IF you have friends with different beliefs do you find that you change how you word things in order to speak to them? For example, I have a friend who is christian and I often find myself wording things differently so she can identify with it (oddly I have read the bible more then her, and know more about it.. which is just funny to me lol.)

Okay so my questions aren't religion specific...

I am Pagan as well. No, I don't word things differently for people unless they ask me to explain something.

Thanks to everyone who replied on the virginity question. It makes sense now. I just had never heard it worded that way before. I have heard of re-purification rites though. For some reason I thought this fell under a different category.

[Cyia]

Frick, I'm the queen of typos today. That should have said "a lot of ", not all of.

[Cyia]

And, btw, Semi --

FWIW, your questions aren't offensive. They are probably a bit more detailed than this thread is designed for, but they're not offensive.

[Maiden]

Don't worry about typos.. I rule the typo world lol

My reference into rewording I should give an example. My friend is a christian and I am not. But I often refer to her christian/God beliefs so that she will be able to understand the spirit of the meaning behind my words. Now she knows I do not believe what she does, and am stronger in my spirituality then she is, but if I talked to her form my point of view and not hers she would only focus on the differences in us then in what I was actually saying.

Past that I in general avoid talking about religion and spirituality because it seems to me that people can not live with people different then they are (no not pointing fingers or anything lol.)

But then again this friend I speak of is very high maintenance person so that might be what sets the situation apart.

[Melisande]

Here's how this works: You state your religion and ask a question related to another religion. Someone answers the questions that pertain to their faith and ask another question about any religion.


I am a true atheist and therefore I sometimes have problems understanding devotion. This does not mean that I in any way criticize people who are believers of any kind.

One of the questions that often pop up, both in my mind, and in discussions with friends who are spiritually enlightened (in lack of other wording), is what it feels like to believe.

I sometimes feel absolutely handicapped in spiritual debates, simply beacuse I can not relate emotionally to what obviously are true and profound feelings about something that is way beyond my perception. In an abstract kind of way I sometimes think that I come almost close to comprehending, but then I realize that there is an emotion there that I am excluded from.

So my question is simply; What does it feel like to believe? I ask this question in general, and would be greatly helped if people of various religions and beliefs would reply.

[Cyia]

It's a hard thing to explain, actually. It's like having a certainty you have no logical reason to have, yet it's there. If you go opposite to it, you feel it - not guilt, like you've done something wrong, but like a pull reminding you that you know better.

There's a particular belief that I have, that I can pair science and faith up on perfectly, but I'd sound crazy if I tried to explain it. Yet, I absolutely know it's right - as much as I know equations work in math or physics works by set laws.

Does that make any sense at all?

[Sean D. Schaffer]

I am a true atheist and therefore I sometimes have problems understanding devotion. This does not mean that I in any way criticize people who are believers of any kind.

One of the questions that often pop up, both in my mind, and in discussions with friends who are spiritually enlightened (in lack of other wording), is what it feels like to believe.

I sometimes feel absolutely handicapped in spiritual debates, simply beacuse I can not relate emotionally to what obviously are true and profound feelings about something that is way beyond my perception. In an abstract kind of way I sometimes think that I come almost close to comprehending, but then I realize that there is an emotion there that I am excluded from.

So my question is simply; What does it feel like to believe? I ask this question in general, and would be greatly helped if people of various religions and beliefs would reply.

It's a hard thing to explain, actually. ....Snipped.


Not necessarily, Cyia. Perhaps the answer lies in what each person considers "Normal" belief. For Melisande, it would be normal to be atheistic, while for me, it would be normal to believe in a higher power. It doesn't feel any different, I don't think; it's just the way we are as individuals.

In other words, what it's like to believe is similar to what it's like not to believe. It's all a matter of who we are. :)

I hope this helps out a bit.

[AngelRoseDarke]

I sometimes feel absolutely handicapped in spiritual debates, simply beacuse I can not relate emotionally to what obviously are true and profound feelings about something that is way beyond my perception. In an abstract kind of way I sometimes think that I come almost close to comprehending, but then I realize that there is an emotion there that I am excluded from.

So my question is simply; What does it feel like to believe? I ask this question in general, and would be greatly helped if people of various religions and beliefs would reply.

This is a hard one to explain for me. As you may have noticed, I am Pagan. For me it's a feeling of comfort in believing that there is more to this life than just living, that there is something else out there. Does that make sense? I hope so.

I have some friends who are atheists and they tell me that they take comfort in believing that there is nothing more. We share the same feeling, just not the same ideas.

[Cyia]

Not necessarily, Cyia. Perhaps the answer lies in what each person considers "Normal" belief. For Melisande, it would be normal to be atheistic, while for me, it would be normal to believe in a higher power. It doesn't feel any different, I don't think; it's just the way we are as individuals.

In other words, what it's like to believe is similar to what it's like not to believe. It's all a matter of who we are. :)

I hope this helps out a bit.

You're being too metaphorical, I meant it's literally hard for me to explain myself. I'm lousy at explanations. It has nothing to do with the state of normalcy... though that is normal for me...

[semilargeintestine]

I am a true atheist and therefore I sometimes have problems understanding devotion. This does not mean that I in any way criticize people who are believers of any kind.

One of the questions that often pop up, both in my mind, and in discussions with friends who are spiritually enlightened (in lack of other wording), is what it feels like to believe.

I sometimes feel absolutely handicapped in spiritual debates, simply beacuse I can not relate emotionally to what obviously are true and profound feelings about something that is way beyond my perception. In an abstract kind of way I sometimes think that I come almost close to comprehending, but then I realize that there is an emotion there that I am excluded from.

So my question is simply; What does it feel like to believe? I ask this question in general, and would be greatly helped if people of various religions and beliefs would reply.

I am Jewish (in case you haven't picked up on that :D ). I hear many people from different religions describe the difficulty in explaining what it feels like to believe. No one in my community (my Jewish community) has that problem. I am not saying this to invalidate other religions, but simply to point out that we spend probably a lot more time talking about how it makes us feel. We get used to describing it, and so are more readily able to.

For my part, there are different feelings. I'll first describe the feeling you referenced: when you are talking about religion or just walking around in life. For me, and I dare say for most Jews, it is a feeling of protection. Jews have a special place in God's heart (1. Not BETTER place, just special in that it is reserved for Jews. 2. God does not have a body, so the "heart" is a metaphor so we can understand). We have a special covenant with Him through the Torah. We know that no matter what happens, we will always be guided through by Him. This is evident if you look at our history. So many civilizations, nations, and empires have tried to destroy us:

Ancient Egypt
Philistines
Assyrian Empire
Babylonian Empire
Persian Empire
Greek Empire
Roman Empire
Byzantine Empire
Crusaders
Spanish Empire
Nazi Germany
Soviet Union

And where are they all now? Gone. But the Jews are still around. Our history is the history of the world and mankind. We have all that in our minds all the time, and we know that God watches over us. Does this mean that he doesn't watch over anyone else? No. It just means that God made a deal with the Jews, and we take pride in that deal.

What does this feel like? It feels like confidence. It's just that little thing in the back of my mind that tells me that I am being looked after. Eliyahu (Elijah in English) tells us that God can make mountains crumble, wind blow, and the earth quake, but his words come to us as a mumbling. That little voice telling me not to worry is God.

The other feeling I get is when I witness or experience something directly related to God or my religion. The best examples are the three times I pray each day or when I wrap tefillin each morning; however, this feeling can also come from something as simple as a bird or a sunset (though it is not quite as strong usually). In the Torah, it tells us to wrap tefillin each day around our hand (and arm) and head. When I say the blessing and wrap the leather straps around my left arm, counting seven times around, I get a special feeling. I know that I am doing what God commanded me to do--that I am fulfilling my part of the deal and bringing myself closer to God; however, I also know that I am doing something that millions of Jews do every morning, and that thousands are doing at that exact moment--that I am doing something Jews have done for thousands of years, all the way back to Abraham. Knowing that not only connects me to God, but to my people.

So what does that feel like? It feels like I've been away from home for years and finally returned. It feels like I'm just seeing someone I love for the first time after a long separation. It's a feeling that wells up in my chest letting me know that I could have everything taken from me, but as long as I could perform even a single mitzvah, I'd be okay.

Sorry that's so long, but that's really the only way I know to explain it. Brevity is not my strong point.