What it means to be a Jew

Of course, two Jews three opinions! – there would be many viewpoints, perhaps all touching on a quintessential point they feel is poignant – but as everything, to understand what it is, you must get to its name.

For in Hebrew, the name is what is the inner essence, the significance, uniqueness and very truth of what something is.

As always, if there are a number of names, they each represent something.

Generally speaking, the Jewish people have two names:

The first is Yisroel (Israel) the second is Yehudi (Jew).

The name Yisroel was given by an angel to Jacob, in fact, we are called Bnie Yisroel (the children of Yisroel) “As you fought with man and God and achieved.” In other words, to be a Jew is to be a fighter – not God-forbid a person of hate; rather, the exact opposite is true; a Jew is one who fights with human apathy and injustice, in fact, he is so passionate about truth, he fights with God too – Abraham begins this process, telling God, “Shall the judge of the whole world, not do justice!” As I once heard the line, “For a Jew to believe, he must think God is good” – hence his soul being God, is never complacent, never satisfied, he is a natural born Messianic hoper – until each and every person, even animal, even plant, feels good, he cannot!

The second quality of the Jew is in his name Yehudi – this is a very profound name, for it perhaps identifies the sum total of the Jewish belief system; in simple words, it means to “be grateful,” but the Hebrew language made by God represents the quintessential essence, truth, core of everything, hence it also means to “admit” – for to be grateful, one must admit something most of us seem to wish to deny – We Did Not Make Ourselves, All That Is Ours, Is A Gift.