I’m rambling. I hope that answers your question, and I hope you had a wonderful shabbos!

I’m afraid I do not understand your question with regard to the “first mishna”.

As for troublemakers, that’s your bechirah and that’s what a Jewish life is all about – making decisions.

I’m afraid I again do not understand your point about Shmah, Sotah, etc. However, better than argue with me, why not seriously confront someone who is qualified to debate this with you. I can give you lots of practical medical advice but if you really needed it, I assume you would be consulting a qualified doctor.

I am not a qualified Torah scholar and there’s only so far I can go in pointing out relatively basic concepts of Judaism. So, if you have complex halachic or philosphical questions, there are enough rabbis around who can answer them, if not on the fly, then with some quick research and getting back to you in due time.

In fact, why not contact Aish HaTorah or Ohr Sameach with you questions. You seem to think negatively of them. See if your contact with them confirms your reason for negativity. (NOTE: I have no affiliation with either of these organizations).

But that, of course, assumes you are seriously interested in hearing views contrary to what’s been spoonfed to you by Jews who created a deviant sect to conform to their personal conveniences slightly less than 2 centuries ago or much less.

So there – I’m put in my place. Really.

For our next debate, Shy Guy will explain the “truth” to me about the references in Mishna to the “First Mishna” that contains some different versions of the “Oral Torah”. No doubt, this was yet another clever test of faith laid into the Torah by haShem to smoke out trouble makers such as myself. Then, Shy Guy will explain the various examples of the halacha changing over time and how that’s exactly what haShem meant for them to do; we’ll start with the time of the evening Shma’, and then work our way to the waters of Sota, and then, we’ll then it will really get fun.

Gotta catch some sleep before the early minyan…

So how does it feel? To be Jewish as opposed to whatever you were before, I mean. Are you fulfilled, are you different, are you happy?

Lets here a yell out to my direct maternal Great Great Grandmother Anna Polkow who’s family was from Poland!

Based on Reform guidelines I am to be welcomed back to the covenant after growing up secular.

I guess I have double indemnity!

Must be FreirFox!

One more time, just in case.

(Darnit! Another Aish article!)

Thanks for that historical background from Aish HaTorah. Whenever I’m looking for historical background, I head straight to Aish! This was on the Aish page:

When the Jewish people stood at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago, God communicated the 613 commandments, along with a detailed, practical explanation of how to fulfill them.

Mmm, I love me some Aish “history”!

A tale of two religions

Yossi Beilin’s big new idea

Conversion is not the answer

And most recently:

A New Conversion Scandal

All articles by Jonathan Rosenblum, someone I am personally acquainted with.

Even Wikipedia, an often dubious source, documents this more accurately than Nathan’s “revised” explanation, devised by the very same Jews who needed to justify their rejection of Judaism as it was for 1000′s of years.

Sam, my friend and fellow ger, you may not be giving nearly enough credit to how important the process of the evolution of halacha is to Jews. We start with Torah/TaNaKh, but that’s not nearly enough by itself to run the show. With only Torah for halacha we couldn’t have warm food on Shabbat, we would literally punish people with measure-for-measure and eye-for-eye, and we would be pouring the deadly waters of Sota down the throats of Jewish women. We needed an oral tradition to fill in and adjust the details: this is the Mishna, gathered by R. Akiva and transmitted through R. Meire – A CONVERT – to R. Judah the Prince. We needed to be able to tweak the steering wheel along the way: this is the Talmud including its commentators and codifiers. It’s the slowing down / stopping of this process of halachic evolution after the expulsion from Spain and the debacle of the false messiah Shabbetai Tsvi that has laid the groundwork for an orthodoxy that has trouble adjusting to social and cultural changes in the surrounding world.

The Book of Ruth is a favorite of mine, but you might want to study it from a critical approach to understand its political importance in helping to setup David to be king. I would offer the thought that there may be plenty of literal truth in it, but it may be written with an agenda as well. I wouldn’t declare it to be the literal law regarding the requirements for conversion, even though I certain second the emotion you’re voicing.

See how easy that was?!

Of course it was easy: you started with an accurate paraphrase of the halacha and then added you own definition of the criteria for a kosher dayan.

You’ve cleverly framed this discussion as Orthodox vs. Conservative, and TheMiddle and others have gleefully followed you down the path to silliness. I commend you on your use of blogging aikido to divert the energy of your opponents toward the ground face-first.

But it won’t work with me, my Jerusalem friend. This discussion is about some Orthodox rabbis not accepting other conversions from, among others, American Orthodox rabbis. It’s about conversions performed by unaffiliated Orthodox and Traditional rabbis not being accepted by the RCA, and about where that approach to Judaism can lead. In this case, it’s lead to a slap upside the head for the RCA. They re now experiencing being on the receiving end of the same type of power play that they’ve cheerfully pulled in America.

A kosher dayan for a conversion beth din is a shomer mitsvot male rabbi that accepts all of the mitsvot as obligation, even if there are various reasons why some are not performed today. By that definition, many Conservative rabbis qualify.

There are no Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform conversions. There are only conversions that are performed in accordance with the halachot. Such conversions may be performed by any and every movement if they work within the rules.

I am Jewish, or I am the most foolish goy on the planet. I daven daily with Tefillin, I go to shul on shabbos, etc. I’m not perfect, I don’t have a community here in Berlin and I am no talmud scholar, but I am learning hebrew and as of yesterday have started my Fulbright application to study in Israel for 9 months. I’m all ’bout the am yisrael…as master P would say, I’m bout it bout it. Word.

Is that enough info? If not, as Michael knows, my blog is SO IMPORTANT and can be read anytime.

And TM about the last part of your comment, I don’t think I’ve met too many, if any jews, from reform to ultra-orthodox that haven’t liked me. The woman is sold, the father is hesitant

I was circumcised when I was a baby. But before I converted, I had to have a mohel give me a second, “symbolic” circumcision.

So I could become Jewish, I had to have a needle jammed into my member so blood could be drawn.

How’s that for devotion?

Fact check. Some Conservatives accept Reform conversions, and some do not. You’re painting with too broad of a brush.

I am a convert through the Reform movement. I am a Jew.

I spent nine years researching various religions to help me determine what I believed. But the moment that I attended my first Shabbat service, I knew — knew! — that I was home. Whenever people have met me for the first time throughout my life, they have always asked if I was Jewish (even long before I converted). I can’t explain it, and I don’t know why. Call me crazy, but I think I always had a Jewish soul that was first in a Gentile body. Perhaps I had Jewish ancestors and never knew it. But that’s immaterial now.

I spent the last two years of my life studying Judaism, and I will continue to do so until the day I die. I’m getting a master’s degree part-time in Jewish Studies even though I’ll probably never use it. I want to study Judaism for Judaism’s sake.

I don’t mean to brag, but I must make a point. I know more about Judaism than most Jews-by-Birth at my temple. They ask me about the meanings of certain things. I’m learning modern Hebrew. No one else can speak a word of it. Few even give a crap about Israel. But, no, I’m not good enough because I’m not really a Jew!

Most Jews that go to my temple are there for the food and to meet girls or guys. I go there to embrace Shabbat.

I keep kosher to a greater extent than most Jews I know. I observe Shabbat. I only date Jews because I want to marry a Jew. I want to ensure the continuity of the Jewish people. I love B’nei Yisrael.

I also love Eretz Yisrael. If Israel is ever attacked or invaded, I will be the first one on an El Al flight there to volunteer with the IDF. But I always pray for peace in Jerusalem.

I chose to enter the Covenant. That is more important than blood. I believe that, somehow, my soul was there on Sinai with all of you.

So I didn’t convert in accordance with the man-made rules of halacha. I don’t give a damn. The Torah and Tanakh are more important than the Talmud. Ruth converted simply by saying, “Your people shall be my people and your God my God.” She didn’t have to jump through bureaucratic hoops. Abraham circumcised himself, and that’s all he needed to do. The Written Law was created by men in the first couple centuries of the Modern Era. Well, what did converts have to do before then? Who knows, and who cares. If only Jews-by-Choice who follow that strict process are real Jews, what about Jews who converted before that process was created? It’s illogical. If you’re a non-thinking slave to a set of man-made laws, I’d call that idolatry.

I studied incessantly for two years and had my rabbi quiz and question me to make sure I was ready. I passed a beit din of three knowledgable, wise and loving clergy. I immersed in the mikveh and said the prayers. I learned how to cook some Jewish food (as a guy, this was no easy task). I debate Middle Eastern politics. I read Israeli newspapers.

I devoted myself to the Jewish people, and I’ll be damned if I let some rabbis who value bureaucracy and tradition much too highly to let them take this away from me. I would die to protect a fellow Jew (or even a Gentile). I would die to protect Israel. Whenever neo-Nazis come to Boston to rally at the city’s Holocaust Memorial, I’m there to defend it. Because they are attacking ME.

I just got back from a Birthright Israel trip. I went to the Holocaust Museum. For the first time, I knew that the pictures of Shoah victims were MY PEOPLE. As I looked at the pictures, I knew that I could have been them. They could have been me. It was heartbreaking. I almost had a nervous breakdown.

If you were an Orthodox rabbi, who would you rather have in your synagogue: a Jew-by-Birth who doesn’t give a crap, or a Jew-by-Liberal-Conversion who is passionate about Israel, Jews and Judaism?

I am a Jew. I chose to be a Jew. I live as a Jew. I will die a Jew. I love God. I love the Jewish people. I love Israel. I love the Torah. I study.

But you still think I’m not a Jew? Then fuck you. I don’t need anyone’s validation. Anyone who claims to speak for God is a lunatic or an egotist. We laugh at Pat Robertson when he claims to speak for God. Well, some Jews do it as well.

Your people are my people, and your God is my God. All the rest is commentary.