Shabbos/Religious Observances

lamazeteacher · Jul 1, 2008

don't shoot the messenger, blue.:icon_hug:
i don't know anything about any one religion.
and no offense taken whatsoever.
i was looking for information that is objective and easy to read.
this particular website is supposed to be reputable.
maybe you should email them so they can make any corrections?
leslie

Facetious reply: what's God's email address?

Point of clarification: This thread was started by a Nursing student who wanted Friday nights and Saturdays off, so she could observe the Jewish sabbath (Shabos) correctly - and she feared that it might not be possible.

Now we're into a whole liturgical "ball of wax" over "hell" (which was brought up by someone whose conversation with a 7 or 8 year old disturbed her, as it contained a prejudicial comment). Uh, let's rename the thread, which has been resurrected (there I go being sort of sarcastic, please forgive me) long after it started, and now challenges the validity and origin of different Christian beliefs, along with variations of the "Lord's Prayer".

As Nurses, we suffer the same contradictions of our faiths that our poatients have - but I think the wisest thing to do in our practises, is to listen to the patient without passing on our individual beliefs as it's confusing enough. In my training, we were taught to never discuss religion or politics with patients and after some discussions about religion with my co-workers over the almost 5 decades I've worked as a Registered Nurse, I see how wise that teaching was.

There's a saying that when 2 Jews are in a room talking, there are 2 different viewpoints upheld. :argue: Now it seems Christians have a lot in common with us. Since most of the Bibles (old and new Testaments) were written by humans, based on verbal accounts of the evolution of religious beliefs, plus their own "take" on issues, it seems there is much that has been changed, yet the older accounts remain in some religious groups.

Christians have different religious organizations within their Protestant beliefs, and then there's the Roman and Greek Orthodox Catholic observances. Rome needs to decree changes in what Roman Catholics believe and do religiously ..... Jews have a similar dispensation of their religious differences, having divided into Orthodox, where individual Rabbis decree which interpretation of Jewish Law is correct - think "Fiddler on the Roof", when the men went to the Rabbi to settle issues. Later a slightly less strict interpretation of Judaic laws resulted in the Conservative movement, which allows some English prayers to be said in Temple, driving the car to Temple, and use of electricity on Holy days, and has a somewhat looser take on dilemmae; and then in Germany at the turn of the 20th century, the Reform movement brought a form of worship with even less Hebrew in the services, allowed women to read from the Torah, and musical instruments to be played in Temples, and left the Kosher food practises behind. In Israel, Reform Rabbis are still not recognized as such, as their changes so angered the Orthodox believers there (think Barbara Streisand's flick, "Yentl".

Now we have a "Reconstructionist" group that returned to the basics of Judaic laws and has neutral referrals to the gender of God and the prophets in their prayer books (as have some newer Reform and Conservative prayer books).

Let's take on the French saying, "Vivre la difference" and accept that no one group has it exactly "right" for all, which may be why the most conservative groups of people in the USA are said to be "right". Liberals take whatever's left that seems gtood to them, plus some endorsement of newly recognized ways of life, hence the label "Left", for them, I guess. If only we could respect each other for our differences, and not reject "out of hand" those who are not of the same beliefs. :yeah:

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Jul 1, 2008

I think Israel is surprisingly secular. That is, there are certainly ultra Orthodox, Orthodox in Israel. However, there are many, many non-observant or marginally observant Jews in Israel, also.
And yes, I think caring for the sick is certainly permitted. Animals, too, other dependent/helpless living beings - the infirm, infants and children. And fasting requirements are, I believe, waived for the sick, pregnant, anyone else who cannot or should not fast for medical reasons on the fasting holy days.

This is a bit of a random question I realize, but would this lifting of the requirement to fast pertain to say someone who has diabeties, if their blood sugar got to low?

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jul 1, 2008

This is a bit of a random question I realize, but would this lifting of the requirement to fast pertain to say someone who has diabeties, if their blood sugar got to low?

Certainly.

You live by the commandments, not die because of them.

woody62, RN · Jul 1, 2008

I am glad that I have chosen to ignore the erroneous statements I hear every Sunday, on cable TV, concerning my religion and several other religions. I find most of them so funny. Even my SIL loves to repeat some, as gospel. Me, I just continue to pray that God will open the eyes and hearts of all those who continue to sit in judgment of my religion and others.

Woody:twocents:

lamazeteacher · Jul 1, 2008

This is a bit of a random question I realize, but would this lifting of the requirement to fast pertain to say someone who has diabeties, if their blood sugar got to low?

ABSOLUTELY! In fact any Rabbi would claim it to be forbidden for a person with diabetes (I or II) to fast, and possibly do harm to oneself in so doing! It would be inconscionable to let one's blood sugar dip, as balance is required for health. Therefore having oral or injected medicines, as well as water and food is permitted. However, the sabbath and Holy Days would not be a time for wanton dietary aberations. It's stubborn self flagelating, unstable sorts who would forego what must be taken in for wellness, or eat more than is wise. Not all of us abstain from extremes.

My father-in-law had Orthodox roots, and insisted upon walking to and from Temple, up and down steep hills on Saturdays and Holy days, (no matter how freezing cold or terribly hot the weather was), and fasting on Yom Kippur, rather than use his car or take his anti lipid and CAD medications. His ill temper due to his misery from doing that made it impossible to suggest that he do otherwise. Then the ___ would complain of angina........ That is an illustration of what a Jew should not do! :banghead:

BlueRidgeHomeRN · Jul 1, 2008

i am glad that i have chosen to ignore the erroneous statements i hear every sunday, on cable tv, concerning my religion and several other religions.

all we can do is bless them and send them on their way.

my personal favorite is blaming "catholics" for the crusades----no on seems to get that prior to king henry viii, there was no "catholic" religion..only the church. for 1500 years, christianity had only one unified expression..

woody62, RN · Jul 2, 2008

all we can do is bless them and send them on their way.
my personal favorite is blaming "catholics" for the crusades----no on seems to get that prior to king henry viii, there was no "catholic" religion..only the church. for 1500 years, christianity had only one unified expression..

:loveya:

one of the funniest things that ever happened to me, happened at an orthodox hospital, in nyc. an old family friend had gone to israel and bought back a piece of jewelry for me. it was a cameo of the star of david, surrounded by seed pearls. i wore it every day, in her honor. i also wore a cross said to be more then one hundred years old. it had been given to me by the family of a patient i had cared for until she died. they told me they had smuggled it out of cuba, in the 1960's and it had been in the family for years prior to that. i also wore it every day but it was inside my uniform. one morning i was late getting to the unit and had forgotten to slip it under my uniform.

my head nurse, who was married to the chief rabbi, looked and said (excuse my misspelling) yi vey, you're a goya!!!! she had thought i was just a non-observant jew. her husband, her and i had a good laugh. and continued our friendship for years after i left. i recently got a letter from her. her and her husband had retired to the other coast of my state.

woody:twocents:

BlueRidgeHomeRN · Jul 2, 2008

what a hoot.....:chuckle:p:chuckle

trust me, if i wasn't catholic i'd be a jew. it's the sense of order, history, and progression through time that speaks to me personally (an opinion, no flames, please!) :specs:

woody62, RN · Jul 2, 2008

what a hoot.....:chuckle:p:chuckle
trust me, if i wasn't catholic i'd be a jew. it's the sense of order, history, and progression through time that speaks to me personally (an opinion, no flames, please!)

that makes two of us. i really enjoyed helping the older ladies set up for shabbos prayers. and making sure we had enough milk for those who were not jewish and wanted it with their dinner i really enjoyed my years of working in new york city. a city of multiple religions and ethnic groups, which certainly taught one understanding and tolerance. or at least it did my case.

woody:twocents:

lamazeteacher · Jul 2, 2008

Woody:

It's phonetically spelled, "Oy Veh" - and depending upon the situation may be pronounced loudly, and mean something like "Oh for goodness sake!", or casually, as "Oy veh! I forgot my keys" (and Goya was a Spanish artist). "Goy" is an unpleasant (rude) way to point out that someone ( male) isn't Jewish; an equally unpleasant referral to a female non Jewis callked a "Shiksah". So someone Jewish might say, "Oy veh, she's dating a Goy!" (not happily, if that person is against inter-marriage). However, please don't use those terms, as they are not complementary. Occasionally a non Jewish friend proudly exclaims, "I'm a goy/shiksah!" Uh, no. 'Nuff said?

woody62, RN · Jul 2, 2008

Woody:
It's phonetically spelled, "Oy Veh" - and depending upon the situation may be pronounced loudly, and mean something like "Oh for goodness sake!", or casually, as "Oy veh! I forgot my keys" (and Goya was a Spanish artist). "Goy" is an unpleasant (rude) way to point out that someone ( male) isn't Jewish; an equally unpleasant referral to a female non Jewis callked a "Shiksah". So someone Jewish might say, "Oy veh, she's dating a Goy!" (not happily, if that person is against inter-marriage). However, please don't use those terms, as they are not complementary. Occasionally a non Jewish friend proudly exclaims, "I'm a goy/shiksah!" Uh, no. 'Nuff said?

Given I still have an on going relationship with Libby and her husband, I will be sure to share your take on the matter. I doubt that Libby meant to insult me or cast stones on the fact that she had suddenly learned I was a gentile. It is your attempt to cast rocks, on her motives, when you really do not know them, that is one of the reason's, I believe, hard feelings exist between people. I am a Micki. This was a term that was first used back in the 1840's to describe Irish immigrants. I could be highly insulted when ever I heard this term but I choose not to be. People can chose to be rude and others can take things as an insult. Or people can do what I did, laugh. I suggest more people try it, instead of getting highly insulted by words. And if words upset someone that much, walk away from the person saying them, you can avoid a great number of problems.

Woody:twocents:

lamazeteacher · Jul 2, 2008

Given I still have an on going relationship with Libby and her husband, I will be sure to share your take on the matter. I doubt that Libby meant to insult me or cast stones on the fact that she had suddenly learned I was a gentile. It is your attempt to cast rocks, on her motives, when you really do not know them, that is one of the reason's, I believe, hard feelings exist between people. I am a Micki. This was a term that was first used back in the 1840's to describe Irish immigrants. I could be highly insulted when ever I heard this term but I choose not to be. People can chose to be rude and others can take things as an insult. Or people can do what I did, laugh. I suggest more people try it, instead of getting highly insulted by words. And if words upset someone that much, walk away from the person saying them, you can avoid a great number of problems.
Woody:twocents:

Dear Woody:

I'm so sorry that my post made you think I was "throwing stones". I certainly felt no offense by your last post, and was interested in all those I read prior to it.

I can understand why the atmosphere was jovial when you heard the words that I wanted to correct. I meant nothing other than bringing clarity and avoiding future hurt feelings, if/when you found the word "goy" wasn't altogether a compliment. I've been in a situation when true friends used that word to simply indicate different religious affiliation, mirthfully. In my own family it's been difficult, on one hand to explain why my mother's sister is Presbyterian, to my Jewish friends. Times may have changed, but 50 years ago, it was unheard of that sisters born into a "Jewish" family, would have different faiths.

It became further confusing to me at a young age, when my mother whispered to me as we were driven to the home of her sister's son, that "we aren't allowed to go there". He lived in a "restricted" community ......Having just understood what happened during the gruesome holocaust, from a movie about that awful time, I became very frightened. I'd been called a "dirty" Jew by a playmate just before that, and since there had been no reference to our religion as I grew up, I'd asked my father what a "Jew" was. So they joined a Temple, and I went to "Religious" school there Sundays, instead of the Christian Science Church Sunday School to which my mother took me previously.

Now I'm equally comfortable singing Christian hymns amd saying the Lord's Prayer, as I am reciting Jewish prayers and greetings in Hebrew. My Jewish friends and relatives aren't very accepting of that, but I know that "turning the other cheek" works. I've thoroughly identified with being Jewish,and accept my heritage. So please know that I bear no ill feelings toward all Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. We are all children of God