Who are the Jews?
The term “Jew” – Yehudi in Hebrew – can mean various things depending upon the context and the time period the term is used. Originally a Jew would have been a member of the Tribe of Judah. The original Jews were members of this tribe. Later the term Jew was used to refer to anyone residing in the Kingdom of Judah which would include members from not only the tribe of Judah but also of the tribes of Levi, Benjamin, and the other tribes. This is why we see Mordecai referred to as both a member of the tribe of Benjamin and a Jew.
Now in Shushan the capital there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordokhay, the son of Ya᾽ir, the son of Shim῾i, the son of Qish, a Binyaminite; (Esther 2:5)
After the Children of Israel were exiled by the Romans from the Land of Israel the term “Jew” began to refer to anyone who descended from Jacob or those who converted to Judaism. This is the modern-day usage of the term “Jew.”
Judah was born to Leah and Jacob and in the verse announcing Judah’s birth we see the meaning of his name.
And she conceived again, and bore a son and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Yehuda, and she left off bearing. (Genesis 29:35)
The name Yehuda (יהודה) means “she (Leah) praises יהוה [the Eternal One].”
יְהוּדָה = + ה + הוד + יהו
יהו – abbreviated form of יהוה
הוד – praise, worship
ה – feminine suffix
The term Yahadut (יהדות) means “you praise יהוה [the Eternal One].” This is the Hebrew word for what is commonly known as Judaism.
יהו – abbreviated form of יהוה
הוד – praise, worship
ת – second-person suffix
The term Yehudi (יהודי) means “I praise יהוה [the Eternal One].”
יהו – abbreviated form of יהוה
הוד – praise, worship
י – first-person suffix
So, why was Mordecai called a Jew and a member of the tribe of Benjamin? He was called a Jew because he praised the Eternal One.
We even see in I Chronicles that the daughter of Pharaoh is called a Jew.
And his wife Yehudiyya bore Yered the father of Gedor, and Ḥever the father of Sokho, and Yequti᾽el the father of Zanoaĥ. And these are the sons of Bitya the daughter of Par῾o whom Mered took. (I Chronicles 4:18)
In the simplest meaning, a “Jew” – a Yehudi – is anyone who praises the Eternal One. This is why the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – can be rightfully called Jews. Since the matriarchs – Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah – also praised the Eternal One they can also be called Jews.
According to Rabbinic Judaism a child is born a Jew if he or she is born to a mother who was a Jew at the time of his or her birth. We can see in Ezra that children born to “foreign women” were not considered Jews and according to Torah – they never were considered Jews.
And Shekhanya the son of Yeĥi᾽el, one of the sons of ῾Elam, answered and said to ῾Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken alien women of the peoples of the land: yet now there is hope in Yisra᾽el concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all such women, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the Tora. (Ezra 10:2-3)
We also learn that intermarriage is forbidden in Torah.
You shall not intermarry with them: do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your children away from Me to worship other gods, and [the Eternal One’s] anger will blaze forth against you, promptly wiping you out. (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)
This is reiterated in the Talmud.
Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: As the verse states with regard to the same issue: “Your daughter you shall not give to his son…for he will turn away your son from following Me” (Deuteronomy 7:3–4). Since the verse is concerned that after one’s daughter marries a gentile, the father will lead his children away from the service of God, this indicates that your son, i.e., your grandson, from a Jewish woman is called “your son” by the Torah, but your son from a gentile woman is not called your son, but her son. (Kiddushin 68b:3)
According to Ramban, the idea that Jewishness is matrilineal was held from the time of Abraham.
And the son of a Yisra᾽elite woman, whose father was a Miżrian man, went out among the children of Yisra᾽el: and this son of the Yisra᾽elite woman and a man of Yisra᾽el strove together in the camp; (Leviticus 24:10)
Ramban commented that “…if a non-Jew has sexual relations with a Jewish woman whether she is single or married, the child is a fully-qualified Jew, yet they have said, “the child is ‘rejected,’” meaning that it is disqualified for the priesthood; and certainly it is not considered a fully-qualified Israelite by name as far as genealogy is concerned, with respect to the standards [i.e., as to where he was to take his place under one of the four main standards that were set up], and inheriting of the Land, for it is written of them, according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.”
This is further elucidated in the Talmud.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: The lineage of the offspring is sullied, and if the child is a girl she is restricted in whom she may marry. The Gemara asks: To whom is she prohibited from marrying? If we say it is to the congregation of Israel, but didn’t Rabbi Yehoshua himself say that the lineage of the offspring is unflawed and he or she may marry into the congregation of Israel? Rather, the offspring is prohibited to marry into the priesthood, as all of the amora’im who render the offspring fit to enter the congregation of Israel agree that the offspring has flawed lineage and is forbidden to marry into the priesthood. (Yevamot 45a:7)
For the person who is not born of a Jewish mother, there is an open invitation to accept the Eternal One as their God and become a Jew. According to Rabbinic Judaism in order for one to convert there must be a period of study under a sponsoring rabbi (or someone appointed by the rabbi). After a period of time the person will go before a beit din – a court of rabbis – who will determine if the person is going to be accepted for conversion. If the person is male, he must be circumcised. The person must state that he or she gives up any other faith systems and will follow Torah and all the mitzvot as defined by the rabbis. Finally, the person must go and immerse in a mikvah before the beit din.
A Jew is someone who believes that the Eternal One is the One and only God, declares his or her intention to follow Tanakh, and declare that Israel is his or her people and formally joins the Nation. There is always an open invitation for those who wish to leave the non-Tanakh based faith systems of the world to become a Jew.
Israel entered the covenant [with God] with three acts: circumcision, immersion, and offering a sacrifice. Circumcision took place in Egypt, [before the Paschal sacrifice, of which Exodus 12:48] says: “No uncircumcised person shall partake of it.” Moses our teacher circumcised [the people]. For with the exception of the tribe of Levi, the entire [people] neglected the covenant of circumcision in Egypt. Regarding this, [Deuteronomy 33:9 praises the Levites,] saying: “They upheld Your covenant.”
Immersion was performed in the desert before the Giving of the Torah, as [Exodus 19:10] states: “Sanctify them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their garments.” Sacrifices [were also offered then], as [ibid. 24:5] states: “And he sent out the youth of the children of Israel and they brought burnt offerings.” They offered them as agents of the entire Jewish people.
Similarly, for [all] future generations, when a gentile desires to enter into the covenant, take shelter under the wings of the Divine presence, and accept the yoke of the Torah, he must undergo circumcision, immersion, and the offering of a sacrifice. A woman [who converts] must undergo immersion and bring a sacrifice, as [Numbers 15:15] states: “As it is for you, so shall it be for the convert.” Just as you [entered the covenant] with circumcision, immersion, and the offering of a sacrifice; so, too, for future generations, a convert must undergo circumcision, immersion, and must bring a sacrifice.
What is the sacrifice that a convert [is required to bring]? A burnt offering of an animal or two turtle-doves or two fledging doves. Both of [the doves] must be brought as burnt offerings. In the present age, when there are no sacrifices, [a convert] must undergo circumcision and immersion. When the Temple is rebuilt, he must bring a sacrifice. (MT Sefer Kedushah Issurei Biah 13:1-5)
This is the same ruling as that of the Talmudic Rabbis.
Just as Israel were initiated into the covenant by three precepts, so proselytes are initiated by circumcision, immersion and a sacrifice. [The omission of] the first two debars him [from becoming a proselyte], but [the omission of] the third does not debar him. R. Eliezer [b. Jacob] said: The omission of the sacrifice is also a bar. This was the ruling of R. Eliezer b. Jacob: A proselyte who becomes a convert is required to set aside a fourth part [of a dinar] for his sacrifice of birds; but R. Simeon says that he is not required to do so. (BT Tractate Gerim 2:5)
What is Judaism?
Judaism (Yahadut in Hebrew) in its simplest definition is the embodiment of the religion, culture, and legal structure of the Children of Israel.
[35] Rabbinic Judaism – Yahadut Rabanit (יהדות רבנית) – grew out of Pharisaic Judaism and has been considered the mainstream form of Judaism since the codification of the Babylonian Talmud. With the redaction of the “Oral Torah” and the Babylonian Talmud becoming the authoritative interpretation of the Tanakh, Rabbinic Judaism became the dominant form of Judaism in the Diaspora. Rabbinic Judaism encouraged the practice of Judaism when the sacrifices and other practices in the Land of Israel were no longer possible.
When the Romans were attempting to breach the walls of Jerusalem, Yohanan ben Zaccai abandoned Jerusalem even though the Temple still stood. He foresaw the fall of Jerusalem and had himself smuggled out of the city in a coffin in order to speak to the Romans. The main request given by Rabbi Zakkai was for Vespasian to give him the city of Yavneh where the Torah could continue to be preserved and taught.
Vespasian then said to Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai: I will be going to Rome to accept my new position, and I will send someone else in my place to continue besieging the city and waging war against it. But before I leave, ask something of me that I can give you. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said to him: Give me Yavne and its Sages and do not destroy it, and spare the dynasty of Rabban Gamliel and do not kill them as if they were rebels, and lastly give me doctors to heal Rabbi Tzadok. Rav Yosef read the following verse about him, and some say that it was Rabbi Akiva who applied the verse to Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai: “I am the Lord…Who turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish” (Isaiah 44:25), as he should have said to him to leave the Jews alone this time., (Gittin 56b:5)
There can be no historical proof of this tale but the narrative in the Talmud shows the shift in the religious and political life of the Jews following the destruction of the Second Temple. The narrative about the founding of Yavneh in fact represents the birth of Rabbinic Judaism. A way that focused on Torah and Jewish law rather than Temple worship (Salzberg).
Rabbinic Judaism is based upon the belief that the Prophet Moses received from God not only the Written Torah but also an Oral Torah. This Oral Torah was given as additional oral explanations of the revelation at Mount Sinai. According to Rabbinic Judaism, tradition has the binding force of law. The revelation to the Prophet Moses consisted of both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah along with the implied exposition by the sages of Israel.
And Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: God said to Moses, “Ascend to me on the mountain and be there, and I will give you the stone tablets and the Torah and the mitzva that I have written that you may teach them” (Exodus 24:12), meaning that God revealed to Moses not only the Written Torah, but all of Torah, as it would be transmitted through the generations.
The “tablets” are the ten commandments that were written on the tablets of the Covenant.
The “Torah” is the five books of Moses.
The “mitzva” is the Mishna, which includes explanations for the mitzvot and how they are to be performed.
“That I have written” refers to the Prophets and Writings, written with divine inspiration.
“That you may teach them” refers to the Talmud, which explains the Mishna.
These explanations are the foundation for the rulings of practical halakha. This verse teaches that all aspects of Torah were given to Moses from Sinai. (Berachot 5a:3)
The validity of the Oral Torah was challenged by the Sadducees. Josephus records that the Sadducees held that the only obligatory observances are those in the Written Torah. After the destruction of the Temple by the Romans, the Sadducees disappeared and the body of tradition continued to grow. New rites were introduced as replacement for rituals that had been performed in the Temple (Megilah 31b).
Rabbinic Judaism recognizes the Oral Torah as divine authority and follows the Rabbinic procedures used to interpret the Tanakh.
“Rabbinic Judaism, in its classical writings produced from the first through the seventh century of the Common Era, sets forth a theological system that is orderly and reliable. Responding to the generative dialectics of monotheism, Rabbinic Judaism systematically reveals the justice of the one and only God of all creation. Appealing to the truths of Scripture, the Rabbinic sages constructed a coherent theology, cogent structure, and logical system to reveal the justice of God. These writings identify what Judaism knows as the logos of God—the theology fully manifest in the Torah.” (Neusner)
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RESOURCES:
“Why is Jewishness matrilineal?” Tzvi Freemand and Yehuda Shurping [https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/601092/jewish/Why-Is-Jewishness-Matrilineal.htm]
“Judaism after the Temple: Coping with destruction and building for the future” Alieza Salzberg. [https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/judaism-after-the-temple/]
“Rabbinic Judaism: The Theological System” Jacob Neusner [https://brill.com/display/title/8187]
Sefaria [https://www.sefaria.org/texts]
MT Issurei Biah 13 [https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Forbidden_Intercourse.13?lang=bi]
Tractate Gerim [https://www.sefaria.org/Tractate_Gerim.2.6?lang=bi]
Tractate Gittin [https://www.sefaria.org/Gittin.56a.17?lang=bi]
Tractate Berakhot [https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.5a?lang=bi]
Tractate Megillah [https://www.sefaria.org/Megillah.31b.1?lang=bi]