2007-01-26 22:19:04 · 13 answers · asked by cigaro19 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Originally the line of Jews was passed on through the father. But the were times in history when during persecution so many Jewish women were being raped that the leaders felt there was a danger that the Jewish nation wuould be lost. So it was changed to the women. The reasoning was that you never really now for sure who the father is but you always know for sure who the mother is.
2007-01-26 22:45:20 · answer #1 · answered by oldguy63 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Being a Jew means different things. First, it means to be a member of the Jewish nation. You will not be a part of the Jewish nation unless your mother is Jewish, or you have a proper conversion.
Second, it means one who practices the Jewish faith - which means follows the Laws of Moses - Halacha. From your father you inherit the tribal affilliation (in modern times, that means, Kohen, Levite, or Israelite), Of course, to practice the Jewish faith, one needs to be a Jew...so, in short, the answer was correct that you are a Jew only if your mum is also Jewish.
"The Torah explicitly forbids intermarriage. The source is in Deuteronomy 7:3-4,
You shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son, and you shall not take his daughter for your son, for he will cause your child to turn away from after Me and they will worship the gods of others then the L–rd’s wrath will burn against you, and He will destroy you quickly.
The direct implication is that children from such a union will be torn away from Judaism. Incidentally, this is also the Scriptural source for the law of matrilineal descent. Since the verse states “for he (ie a non-Jewish father) will cause your child to turn away ... ”, this implies that a child born to a Jewish mother is Jewish whereas, if a Jewish man marries a non-Jewish woman, the child is not Jewish.
Thus, in the case of a Jewish man marrying a non-Jewish woman the child is not Jewish and an unbroken Jewish line has henceforth been broken. If a non-Jewish man marries a Jewish woman the children are Jewish."
2007-01-27 23:13:12 · answer #2 · answered by mourning my dad 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will be a Jew on you Dad side
2007-01-27 06:29:10 · answer #3 · answered by birdsflies 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Here's looking at jew kid.
Cheers
Raptor Jesus bless
2007-01-27 06:30:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
yes but only if your mums a jew as well.
2007-01-27 07:31:48 · answer #5 · answered by taxi 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
not according to jewish law. however the reform (liberal) branch will accept a person with only a jewish father as a jew as long as the child was raised jewish.
2007-01-27 06:31:47 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
For Shaw
2007-01-27 06:46:46 · answer #7 · answered by alan s 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A person has to practice the Jewish faith in order to be Jewish. No one is born Jewish just like no one is born catholic or baptist or any other religion. If you choose not to follow in your fathers religious footsteps then don't.
2007-01-27 07:02:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
As far as I know Judaism is matriarchal.
2007-01-27 06:29:44 · answer #9 · answered by mini metro 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
from what little i know about the jewish faith, the mother is the where the lieage is determined. but that's not to say that your heritage is not jewish or that you cannot be jewish if your mother is not.
2007-01-27 06:31:14 · answer #10 · answered by angeldolly 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋