If someone is born Jewish but are adopted into a non Jewish family are they guilty of breaking the laws?

Question

For example, if a Jewish baby was adopted by a family that ate pork everyday and never prayed? I know once you're Jewish you're in it forever?

What if the person didn't know though?

yeah but its passed through the mother's side of the family. If the mother is Jewish so is the baby.

Answer 1

Actually, there's a concept in Jewish law that addresses this very question. The term we use is "tinuk shenishba," meaning one who was kidnapped and raised by non-Jews. It happens more often than you would think. For example, take this excerpt from the Jewish Vitual Library's article on Russian Jewish History:

Czar Nicholas I (reign: 1825-1855) sought to destroy all Jewish life in Russia and his reign constitutes a painful part of European Jewish history. In 1825, he ordered the conscription of Jewish youth into the Russian military beginning at age 12. Many of the youngsters were kidnapped by “snatchers” (“khapers”) in order to get them to spend their formative years in the Russian military. This had a significant effect in lowering the morale of the Russian Jewish community. The Jews that were not forced to spend decades in the military were often expelled from their towns and villages.

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As you said, a Jew can never cease being Jewish. But in such a situation, forced to forget their Jewishness, such a person simply doesn't know any better. So, are they breaking the laws? Yes. Are they guilty? Well, they're not culpable in the same way that someone who knowingly and willfully transgresses is. In fact, the concept of "tinuk shenishba" can be applied more broadly, so as to include even Jews who were born and raised by Jewish parents, but those parents were themselves non-observant. They might grow up thinking that the dietary laws were nothing more than an ancient healthcode that no longer applies, or that it's okay to drive to synagogue on the Sabbath. Even if they know that there are rules that, to use your examples, a Jew shouldn't eat pork, and a Jew should pray thrice daily, they don't really *know* as in understand why the rules are important, what the spiritual ramifications are of keeping the laws or not keeping the laws - the majority of Jews in our generation are completely lost, conditioned by the prevalence of gentile ideologies, and "Jewish" denominations that are founded entire on the rejection of Torah.

Such people don't know any better, and wouldn't be judged by the Creator as true heretics. A real heretic, that is, someone who is very learned in Torah and rejects it anyway, is very hard to come by in our times, and I've even heard it argued by rabbis that, for all practical intents and purposes, they no longer exist.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Answer 2

No, he's not to blame.
The Jewish name for this situation is a "tinok she nishbah". Nowadays, it's even used for Jews who grew up in non observant homes. A person who hasnt' been taught that something is a transgression, then isn't really responsible for committing that transgression.
Of course, once the person learns of his jewish heritage and learns the laws, then he's completel yresponsible for his transgression. Because, unlike what other person said, Judaism IS NOT a religion, it is indeed an ethnicity. A person is BORN Jewish and is considered a Jew simply by having a Jewish mother. Whether that Jew practices the religion of his people that's a matter of education, but he's still a Jew.

Answer 3

There are many cases where this has happened. In WWII for instance, many jewish babies were taken in by Catholics and others at a very young age and didn't discover until much older that they were actually Jews.

Many of them returned to Judaism and became observant. Many of them did not, and remained in their non-Jewish lifestyles.

For those who know they are Jews, and do not return, and are ABLE to return, yes they are breaking the laws.

For those who do not know they are Jews and are therefore UNABLE to return, they are not held accountable.

According to Torah law, a person who is prevented by overpowering circumstances from fulfilling mitzvot (keeping the law) is called "anous", someone who is coerced.

This category includes people who did not do mitzvot because they were prevented -- as an anous -- from doing so.

Not knowing you're Jewish is certainly an overpowering circumstance that would keep a person from fulfilling mitzvot, therefore putting that person into the category of being an "anous".

Answer 4

ABSOLUTELY NOT.
If someone was born Jewish but not raised Jewish, (whether it is because they were adopted or because they parents did not know anything about Judaism), she or he is not guilty for breaking any law since they did not know about them.
There is a special category for people like these called "tinok shenishba" (literally: A baby taken hostage). It stands for people who are Jewish (born to a Jewish mother) but had or have no knowledge Judaism. They are not held accountable in any way, shape, or form!

Answer 5

Most people who find out become it and very much so.

In deed after wwii there are many people and multiple generations of lost Jews out there. I have read quite a few stories of people seeming to just awake to the fact. Like they felt these things and/or radiated toward Judaism naturally.

Answer 6

Being adopted does not unJew you. The Jews have a convenant with God that includes following a number of rules. Whether you follow those rules is your choice. It's about honoring a deal with God, not winning a way into heaven (which isn't what Jews believe in).

Answer 7

to hasse_john:

Does it bother you that you seem to be an limitless supply of bad information? Have you ever even gotten a single thumbs up?

You know nothing about Judaism or Jewish Law. Please stop answering questions pertaining to Judaism in this section. You're embarassing.

Answer 8

Judaism is NOT an ethnicity.
Judaism is NOT an ethnicity.
Judaism is NOT an ethnicity.
It is a religion.
We are all born atheists, we are taught religion, generally from birth.
We can choose a religious faith, or not, as we go along.

In the eyes of Judaism that person may be breaking their laws.

Answer 9

"Jewish" can refer to a nationality, a race, or a religion. You are in the race, but not the religion until you choose to take YHVH's name and follow His rules.