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>> I hope you never find out!
I hope that if I find out I will be free in a year.
Being fully righteous is very difficult but avoiding the worst sins is a beginning.
>> And under normal circumstances the maximum punishment
>> one can get is 11 months in gehenem.
According to the recent Pew survey, 16% of American Jews and 7% of American gentiles are atheists. They and several other classes of sinners will be punished eternally. (Rosh Hashana 17a)
I hope I can avoid eternal punishment. One year is not a long time.
In many secular Jewish households, the younger generation is forced to study science excessively to become doctors/lawyers. Very often such such preoccupation is harmful even for the mental health.
>> I know it’s not their way to study “worldly” things,
>> but on the Outside, if you argue against the world’s
>> age, you are a total religious anomaly.
46% of Americans and 58% Republicans believe in Creation less then 6,000 years ago. Most Americans respect Torah which they call Old Testament.
>> I, too, am a mother of a son who chose a different
>> lifestyle from his upbringing. It was very painful
>> for us. We were always concerned about this child
>> and his health issues, and we turned over the world,
>> sparing no money or time from addressing his issues,
>> although my husband and I do not have much of either.
I am sorry it happened. My parents are professors as were most (all?) of my grandparents. I am unemployed, I do not like mathematics, and I am workophobic.
Probably it causes my family much grief, but what can I do?
For many secular families if their adult child does not follow the parents steps to become a scientist/doctor/lawyer is a disaster. I am an unemployed son of two professors. I do not like mathematics — I believe it is a waste of mind power.
The Mitzvot are our debt to G-d and are of eternal benefit. But expanding energy for a professor’s or lawyer’s or doctor’s career is useless unless one has an urge to do such job.
Fear of G-d is a great treasure and asset.
The vast majority of my generation has very little fear of G-d.
>> Her parents think that aspergers is a mental disorder
>> and she should be in an asylum or at best a special
>> needs school.
I do not give advices.
I am a 43 yo man. I have Asperger’s Syndrome combined with moderate depression. The worst reaction from people is when they place the same expectations on me as they would on someone who has no disability. Often people with mental disorders are called lazy or weird.
The Talmud seems to address the issue of the Old Earth — since Aristotle presented evidence for the eternal age of matter. Yerushalmi Hagigah 2.1 begins with a Misna mentioning a very strong prohibition against investigating the pre-Creation history.
Yerushalmi Hagigah 2.1 XII — XV further states that “It is the glory of G-d to conceal a thing” — pre-Creation history.
How could the rabbis know that the search for that history will give rise to Atheism in the 20th century CE?
>> will there be trains, cars and airplanes after
>> Mashiach comes? probably. Why should the
>> Internet be any different?
Definitely. I hope the technology at that time will be much more advanced then today. Having studied the development of technology, I hope that by that time the Solar System will be colonized and there will be resources for trillions of people.
Rabbi Asher Crispe has written many optimistic articles about technology.
>> You are correct in saying that a minuscule amount
>> of extremists are wrong for considering Baruch
>> Goldstein a hero.
I have studied US conduct in 1945, Korean War, and Vietnam War. In wars with Japan and North Korea, terror bombing which killed hundreds of thousands civilians was US policy.
During Soviet War in Afghanistan reprisal massacres of Afghan civilians were a part of the policy. The French used similar tactics in Algeria.
Even though I hate mathematics, and hated it all my life, I got a PhD in it. Now I can not get a job because any boss will see that I am not interested in the subject.
Thank G-d I had an experience which will help me not make an idol out of science.
>> If my spouse does anything, I will love her.
What will you do if she abuses your children?
When I lived in Russia I was horrified by the abuse my friends went through at home.
>> the mujhadeen who drove out the soviets were a
>> mishmash of many afghan tribes
I have read that many consider the Pashtuns to be the Lost Tribes of Israel. In many respects their fate in 1980s was similar to the fate of the Jews in 1940s.
>> lost- “That is very interesting — gentiles can get
>> a share in Olam Haba by keeping 7 mitzvot. Most
>> Protestants and Muslims do so.”
>> wrong. only if they keep it because moshe told them
>> to from Hashem.
I am sorry for my ignorance. What will happen to the majority of people?
>> I’ve read “outside books” and according to Rabbi Akiva,
>> one who reads such books has no Chelek.
I am sorry. Can someone please explain me which books are not permissible? Are the following books harmful/forbidden:
1) Ancient legends such as Epic of Gilgamesh or Greek legends.
2) Books not included in the Bible such as the Book of Enoch.
Even if they are not strictly forbidden, I should avoid further damaging my soul.
I do not know if I can be fully observant — I tried to increase my level of observance in 1991–’92, winter 1996-’97, 2003 and now.
At least I should try to integrate as much as I can into a real or virtual Jewish community. That will probably help me keep a better level of observance.
What will happen to the semi–observant Jews? Will they have any share in the World to come?
Having read a lot about the science debate on Orthodox Jewish sites, I have found a piece which truly astounds me:
“Let the lips that speak falsely be muted, those who speak of the hidden matters of the Righteous One, with arrogance and disrespect” (Psalms 31:19). This refers to those who speak about the matters that G-d hid from His creations; they are showing contempt for G-d’s honor. Anyone who gets himself honor through the embarrassment of his friend has no share in the World to Come, all the more so one who gets himself honor through disregarding G-d’s honor. That is why the next verse in Psalms speaks of the World to Come: “How great is Your goodness that You have hidden away for those who fear You” – and not for those who show contempt for Your fear. (Bereishis Rabbah 1:5)
Thus, even though scientists indeed discover many hidden things, they bring great evil.
That reminds me of the Tree of Knowledge. And of Aher? who found out the great mysteries through the Torah and became a heretic.
The gentile world has legends of Faust who agreed to suffer eternally in exchange for knowledge.
>> Lost1970
>> We are supposed to believe that he can come at any
>> moment if we are worthy. Our Rabbis have said for
>> many years now that Mashiach is close. Hopefully
>> this is the year.
Thank you. I am not an expert — I am a beginner.
>> Second, I would not be megayer. I could get to
>> Olam Haba relatively easy being a righteous goy.
>> Why become a Jew, with all the challenges and trials.
That is very interesting — gentiles can get a share in Olam Haba by keeping 7 mitzvot. Most Protestants and Muslims do so.
What I find very fascinating is the fact that Russian Orthodox Christians have a set of rules an order of magnitude stricter then Haredi. Thus militant Atheism was popular in Russia in 1917-1991.
Thus these extra rules caused more harm then good. The non-Jews were not given these challenges for a reason.
I believe he is coming in the year 2240 CE. That will be a time of absolute plenty and much better technology then today. On a scientific forum, I can list technological issues that still need to be perfected by that time for a world of unlimited resources.
The main question is the spiritual one — who will rise to eternal life? Who will rise to eternal suffering? Who will disappear?
What will be the fate of semi — observant Jews?
Unfortunately I have been involved in many “flame wars” and exchanges of insults on certain political forums. Thank G-d this forum is moderated, but I have exchanged insults with many people online.
Is this a severe transgression?
>> If you really, really had to make an analogy with
>> Xian sects, it would be something like this:
>> Reform — Unitarian
>> Conservative — very liberal Protestant
>> Modern Orthodox — Traditionalist Catholic
>> Charedi — More traditionalist Catholics, or maybe Mennonites
To my shame I have studied a lot about Christianity. Orthodox Christianity (Russian Orthodox) is much much stricter then any other religion. They have four 40-day fasts a year when they eat neither meat nor dairy.
Even though USSR was an atheist state, many Russian Orthodox traditions continued. Many of my peers (I left USSR at age 12) were very severely physically abused.
>> How about the 1.57 billion (23% of the world’s population)
>> who believe in Islam? Or 2.2 billion Christians?
These religions are based on Torah and include the Seven Noachite Mitzvot — all that is required from non–jews.
>> Look at how a bunch of anonymous posters care
>> about you. Wanna know how Hashem feels towards
>> you? Multiply this by a zillion!
Thank G-d I have access to many audio lectures in Russian. I know English as well, even though I did not fit into this country.
The loss of fear of G-d is my greatest loss — perhaps one of the worst losses since the time I was 1/3 my current age of 43.
I have also wasted many years working on Math, Physics, and Statistics which I do not like. I believe that a person reaches maturity at 13/12 and then he/she declines.
I am a Rasha — I do not think I can avoid Gehinnom. I hope that I can avoid eternal punishment.
I have many sins against G-d and people.
When I was one third my age I knew almost nothing about Judaism — I only started reading Tanach. But I had real fear of G-d. In 1985, I was in high school. I remember that seeing any fire or hot object reminded me of what may be in store for me. An experiment in Chemistry where magnesium was burned in a crucible was a sort of spiritual experience for me.
Having lost the Fear of G-d is a great loss — may be the worst loss since my lost youth.