Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Jewish
History and Religion
Can Jews Deny Our Faith? Berlin Warns Jews To Hide Their Faith

Can Jews Deny Our Faith? Berlin Warns Jews To Hide Their Faith

Last updated on: October 16, 2023 at 3:27 pm by Rebecca Wallace Keene

0 Comments

Can Jews Deny Our Faith? Berlin Warns Jews To Hide Their Faith 2023-10-16T15:27:30-04:00 Rebecca Wallace Keene

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Can Jews Deny Our Faith? Created By Rebecca Keene with Bing Image Creator

Can Jews Deny Our Faith?

Berlin has warned Jewish people to not let their faith be seen publicly. Yet, Judaism teaches us to never deny our G-d. Does this time, when our lives are endangered, allow for an exception? Can Jews Deny Our Faith? Oddly, I found myself doing research on this question just after Rosh Hashanah. This seems to be a point of contingency among Rabbis.

The Torah On Can Jews Deny Their Faith

While Rabbis may debate this, The Torah itself is clear. You should risk your life to defend the faith, according to The Torah. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to be thrown into a furnace rather than worship idols. Esther went before the king, risking death, to save her people. Hannah and her sons chose death, over eating pig meat. King Saul committed suicide rather than be captured by the enemies. Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. There are multiple accounts in The Torah of people willing to lay down their lives for their faith. Of these, the closest to the situation we find ourselves in today would be King Saul choosing death rather than being captured by the enemy. Can Jews Deny Our Faith? According to The Torah, the answer would be no. However, Jews also must consider what Oral Torah has to say.

What The Talmud Says

The Talmud has a similar view. The Talmud states that one should give up their life rather than commit one of Judaism’s cardinal sins. That is rather than commit idolatry, sexual immorality, or murder, one should die. However, The Talmud while stating this about idolatry does not say anything about simply not being open and forthcoming about one’s faith. Is hiding the faith the same as committing idolatry and worshipping another G-d? I would think not. Thus to answer the question, “Can Jews deny the faith,” we need more information.

Epistle on Martyrdom on Can Jews Deny Their Faith

Epistle on Martyrdom, written in the Middle Ages stated that a person should choose to convert rather than give up their life. It further stated that anyone who commits one of the cardinal sins in order to save their own life should not be considered a sinner or cast out of the community. In this instance, the answer to, “Can a Jew deny the faith,” would be yes. This comes closer to the modern idea of Pikuach Nefesh.

Pikuach Nefesh: To Life

Pikuach Nefesh is the idea that one may break Torah law to preserve life. Preservation of life is above all else in Judaism, especially since the Holocaust. We cannot afford to lose more Jewish lives. For this reason, one should take any measures necessary to preserve their own life and that of their fellow Jews. If one is alive they can always convert back or repent later. Can a Jew deny the faith? According to Pikuach Nefesh, yes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this subject has been long debated by our people, with supporters on both sides of the argument. Therefore, I think this must be a decision made individually by each Jew. I advise you to carefully consider all sources and make a well-informed decision, with which your soul can live. Luckily, we are not yet in a situation where one must choose to convert or die. However, that time may come again soon. Therefore I would advise, in the current situation, to choose life.

However, I may be a bit of a hypocrite in saying that, because I plan to continue to wear my star of David in public, write my Jewish column, and proclaim my faith. Again, that is a personal and private decision. Whatever you choose, may we all hold our family and Israel close to our hearts and pray for peace, as advised in my previous article.

More Voices

Religion News

About Rebecca Keene

The author, Rebecca Keene, has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Religion. She graduated from the University of Pikeville as Religion Honor Student in 2014. Currently, she is studying for a MA in Women, Gender, Spirituality, and Social Justice at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Also, Rebecca is the author of FAITH UNDER THE RAINBOW: RECLAIMING THE TRUTH ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BIBLE. In addition, she founded and independently runs the social media community, Reclaiming the Truth. Therefore, you should visit Rebecca's author page and purchase her books at: Amazon Author Page or: Publication Page Rebecca is currently in her 3rd year of Kabbalah study. She is ordained to perform LGBT weddings and is certified in Hypnotherapy. Rebecca lives in Kentucky with her two adult children. She practices Non-Denominational Judaism. She is passionate about social justice and fiercely advocates for the marginalized in society and religion. When not with her children or writing, Rebecca enjoys spending time in nature, with G-d, or in a good book. She also enjoys making and selling art which you can find at Art by Rebecca. Author, Rebecca Keene, is always happy to hear from readers. You may contact her through the Reclaiming the Truth page on Facebook, or you can email [email protected] Rebecca will try to answer all correspondence, but please be patient, as life is busy for us all. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

October 11, 2023

Holocaust and Genocide: Never Again Is Now

Next Post

October 23, 2023 Is There a Lost Tribe of Jews in Appalachia?

What did the devil tempt Jesus to turn into bread?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Wood Sand Stones Fish