What is the Holy Spirit in Judaism?  Is there one?
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the closest thing is the Shechinah, which is the feminine aspect of G-d and refers to the presence of G-d. its not a separate part of G-d however. similar to christianity its often connected with inspiration, they probably derived the idea of the holy spirit from the Shechinah. \n\n"The Talmud reports that the Shekhinah is what caused prophets to prophesy and King David to compose his Psalms The Shechinah manifests itself as a form of joy, connected with prophecy and creativity: Talmud Pesachim 117a) The Talmud also reports that "The Shechinah does not rest amidst laziness, nor amidst laughter, nor amidst lightheadedness, nor amidst idle conversation. Rather, it is amidst the joy associated with a mitzvah that the Shechinah comes to rest upon people, as it is said: 'And now, bring me for a musician, and it happened that when the music played, God's hand rested upon him' [Elisha] [2 Kings 3:15]"
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Judaism is a religion based on a belief in One G-d.  Judaism's sacred texts are the Five Books of Moses, or the Pentateuch, which are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Christians call that the Old Testament.)\nJews and Muslims worship the same One G-d (ari - see the Rambam on this.)\nAbout 80% of the people of Israel are Jewish.  The Land of Israel is the Jewish People's holy land, and Jerusalem is the holiest city.\nJews may eat meat, but only certain animals.  The animals must be killed according to the laws of Shechita, very quickly and with a very sharp knife, so that the death is as quick and painless as possible.  Personally, I'm vegetarian.\nJews never say the name of G-d, but instead we talk about Hashem, which means "the name" - so that we don't use The Name, which is too holy.\nHope this helps :)
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There is no single response to your question.  The only belief all Jews share is that God is One -- not three.\n\nGenerally speaking, there is no emphasis on the afterlife.  There is nothing written about it and no one has been there and returned to tell us about it.  Our total focus is on our obligations to God and how we live our lives today.  Our God is just and we all expect to receive just punishments for our sins -- there is no eternal punishment in Judaism.\n\nYes, many Jews believe in reincarnation.  Yes, many Jews believe in resurrection.  "Belief" is a very personal thing in Judaism, but we are judged on our actions, not our beliefs.\n\nYes we worship God in much the same way Christians worship, but many of our prayers are taken directly from the Bible and recited in Hebrew.  When we pray together, nearly all prayers are in praise of God.  We seldom ask Him to do something for us other than to heal the sick.  We seldom point out the evils of others in our services -- we are there simply to praise our God and to reaffirm that we must strive to do what He wants of us.\n\nYou can learn much more at these web sites:\nhttp://beliefnet.com/index/index_10005.html\nhttp://www.jewfaq.org/toc.htm\nhttp://www.jewsforjudaism.org/\nhttp://whatjewsbelieve.org/\nhttp://becomingajew.org/\nhttp://www.asknoah.org/\nhttp://judaism.about.com/\nhttp://www.aish.com/\n\n.
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what is the afterlife going to be like? judaism doesn't have a whole lot to say about the afterlife but if you want to read our strongest speculations about it try here: http://www.jewfaq.org/olamhaba.htm . we don't believe that a person must be a member of the jewish faith in order to get to "heaven". the focus is on being a good person not on your faith\n\nIs there heaven or hell? not really, at least not the cristian idea of either of the terms. read the article above, specifically the parts on Gan Eden and Gehinnom\n\nHow is God viewed? G-d is an absolute unity - a jewish person cannot believe in a trinity G-d, because the oneness of G-d is the most absolute and basic part of the jewish faith. the most recited jewish prayer is "shema yisra'el, adonai elokeinu, adonai echad" - "hear O israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One". this is supposed to be the first words a baby hears and the last words of a dying person. G-d in judaism has absolutely no physical manifestation or qualities and never will - this means belief in a human man (jesus) as G-d is completely out. jews believe G-d is merciful, loving, and available to everybody, no matter what their religion.\n\nDo I have to believe in God to be jewish? no. but you have to believe in G-d to CONVERT to judaism. once you are a jew, you're jewish forever, even if you stop believing in G-d\n\nCan I still believe in evolution and be jewish? lots of jews do (i do too). depending on which branch you want to convert into, you will get different views. an orthodox conversion would probably still accept you though, if you could show that your belief in evolution does not contradict your strong belief in the torah as having been literally given by G-d. if you do not believe that the torah was given by G-d, you cannot convert to orthodox. conservative and reform would not care if you believe in evolution. however, most conservatives don't recognize reform converts, and most orthodox don't recognize reform OR conservative converts.\n\nDo I have to take the bible as literal truth? once again, it depends your branch. reform - nope. conservative - nope. orthodox - yes, for the most part. judaism (even orthodox) tends to view many parts of the bible as being highly allegorical and not always saying what it actually means. we believe that the true meaning of the bible is found in the oral torah (G-d's explanation of the torah to moses). you can read about the written torah and the oral torah here: http://www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm\n\nHow do you get into heaven if you are jewish? by being a good person, and if you are a jew, by following the mosaic laws\n\nand Are convert Jews welcome and accepted in synagogs/Jewish community's? \nyes
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God is one God whose name is Jehovah, Jesus is His Son whom He created in the beginning, and the Holy spirit is God's active force or power He uses to accomplish His will.
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Yahshua is Hebrew for what we term "Joshua" which means Jehovah is Salvation.\n\nYahweh is the closest we can come to what God called Himself since the Jewish scholars refused to spell out His Name fully. The closest we have is the consonants YHWH, or YaHWeH.\n\nEl is the word for God. Elohim is the plural--not "gods" but God in the mystic threefold unity. The Echad. See my study below, "Is God One or Three?"\n\nYHWH did not command for His names or titles to be changed. However, He also did not punish the Hebrews or the new Gentile church for it either. He knows who He is. He is the God of Abraham, Ysaak and Yakob, and His Name is to be worshipped and praised. Baruch HaShem Adonai. :)
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I am not sure what you are referring to, by "the Jewish Holy Figure"?\n\nGd forbids the Jews from having any figure, sculpture, or artwork that is worshipped, as that would make it idolatry, if that helps.\n\n          Exodus 20:3-3 3 Thou shalt have no other \n          gods before me. 4  Thou shalt not make \n          unto thee any graven image, or any \n          likeness of any thing that is in heaven \n          above, or that is in the earth beneath, \n          or that is in the water under the earth:
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The 5 Books of the Torah are central to the Jewish religion.  These are the words that are believed to have been given to the people by God on Mt. Sinai.  It is very holy, and contains God's specific instruction for the Jewish people on how to live their lives as servants of God.\n\nBut there are more holy books than just the Torah.  The Torah remains first and foremost in the Jewish religion, but within the Torah itself, it says that God will send prophets, and that after a series of tests to determine that the prophet is legitimate and really from God, the people are to follow that prophet.  So when the great prophets came along, people like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, and Ezekiel, the people determined that they were true prophets from God, and they therefore follow them.  By doing so, they are actually following the Torah itself, because of its command to follow true prophets from God.  So the books of the Prophets (Nevi'im) are also included in the canon of Jewish Scripture.  Also included are other works important to the Jewish faith, such as the Psalms, which were used in Temple services, and are seen to be inspired by God.  Also the book of Daniel, which is an apocalypse, and Esther, which tells the story of Purim, and so on.\nThese latter works are called Ketuvim, or "writings."\n\nTherefore the Jewish Bible is called the Tanakh, which is an acronym (TNK) made up of the first Hebrew letters of the words, Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim.\n\nIn the time of Jesus, we know that at least the Torah and the Prophets were accepted by most as Scripture.  You will find mention in the New Testament of the "Law and the Prophets."  That means the Torah (Law) and the Nevi'im (Prophets).  \n\nJesus followed the Jewish religion loyally so far as we know.  He differed from the Pharisees in his interpretation of it but he held it in the highest of esteem.  He felt the Torah should be interpreted with a heart, and should be followed with true sincerity.  In other words, it was not enough to just outwardly fulfill the laws, but you have to really have your heart in the right place, and your motives had to be pure and fixed upon God.\n\nIt is true that the earliest Christians were mostly Jews.  Before the books of the New Testament were written, they still used the Torah and the Prophets as their Scripture.  As the religion spread to Gentiles, it became debated what place the Torah should have in the new religion among Gentiles.  Because it was obviously important for the Jews, but Gentiles did not have that as their tradition.  Paul taught them that they need not convert to Judaism and follow all the Torah laws.  \n\nEventually, Paul's letters themselves were highly regarded, because of his theology.  And the various communities produced Gospels, and these were probably used for sermons and the like in various communities.  There were debates among Christians about whether the Old Testament was of any value.  But of course, ultimately, it was ruled that it DID have value.  Afterall, it was the Scripture of Jesus himself.  \n\nThe thing about Romans identifying Christians as a sect of the Jewish religion is interesting.  At first, of course Christians were regarded as a sect of Judaism, because most of them were Jews.  But later, the Gentiles had a lot of problem being accepted as a legitimate religion by the Roman government.  Jews had some amount of protection simply because they were an ancient religion with a long tradition.  So if they did not bow to the emperor, that was usually overlooked.  They had the backing of their long tradition.  Gentile Christians however, did not have this long-standing tradition to back them up.  They were former pagans who just suddenly stopped honoring the state gods and would no longer bow to the Emperor.  They were not circumcised or did not appear to be Jewish in any other way.  So they could not appeal to the ancient Jewish religion, because it appeared to the Roman
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So Many events that the spirit of GOD existed in Old Testament. The 1 example is Daniel, in the mids of lion & in the fire inside the oven. Also in the time of Moises, Elijah, David, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, & so manyyyyyyyyyyyy ......!
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Some of these questions would take a while to answer but I will try to keep this as simple and short as I can,\n\nWho are Judaism's religious leaders?  Most religious Jews study the writtings of their Sages and Rabbis that have lived throughout the ages.  A Rabbi is basically someone who  teaches Jews about Judaism.  Anciently, there was a court called the Sanhedrin that interpreted the laws and how to live by them.\n\nWhat does Judaism think about the worship or use of idols and images?  Strictly forbidden to worship or have images of God.\n\nWhat would their house of worship be?  Anciently it was the Beit Hamikdash (Temple) in Jerusalem.  Today its mostly done in a Synagogue.\n\nWhat are their beliefs about the "Good Life" and life after death.  \nThis one would take a lifetime to answer and there really are no clear answers.  I believe that the majority opinion is that you are simply dead and know nothing until the resurrection.
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To me the Holy Spirit is everywhere and in everything. Like any spirit it is free, but pure and can influence us in many different positive and loving ways to better ourselves and others, but only if we want it too. The Holy Spirit is an advanced soul with more understanding to life and love than you will ever have in your life on this earth. Just remember, it is all around us, in every bit of detail, and it is there to help you through your journey, but only if you believe...
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Not true.   The Jewish religion believes that Jesus Christ was a great prophet, but not the Son of God.  The Bible says otherwise.
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There are a few holy books of the Jews.\nThere's the Torah, or the first five books of the Old Testament.\nThere's the Talmud, which is a series of rabinnical commentaries on the Torah.\nThere's the Zohar, which is the mystical book used by practicioners of Kabbalah.
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"God"  He is the Father, Son(Jesus), And Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples he would return to them through the Holy spirit God is the Holy Spirit. They are all the same One God.  God Bless!!
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The New Encyclopedia Britannica says:"Neither the word Trinity,nor the explicit doctrine as such,appears in the New Testament,dor did Jesus and his followers,intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament:'Hear, O Israel:The Lord our God is one Lord'(Deut.6:4)......The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and throught many controversies....By the end of the 4th century......the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since."-(1976),Micropaedia,Vol.X,p.126.\nThe New Catholic Encyclopedia states:"The formulation 'one God in three Persons'was not solidly established,certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith,prior to the end of the 4th century.But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title,the Trinitarian dogma.Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective".-(1967),Vol.XIV,p.299.\n\nDoes the Bible teach that the "Holy Spirit" is a person?\nSome individual texts that refer to the holy spirit("Holy Ghost,"KJ)might seem to indicate personality.For example,the holy spirit is referred to as a helper(Greek, Parakletos;"Comforter,"KJ;"Advocate,"JB,NE)that 'teaches','bears witness','speaks'and 'hears'(John 14:16,17,26;15:26;16:13)\nBut other texts say that people were "filled"with holy spirit,that some were 'baptized'with it or "annointed"with it(Luke 1:41;Matt.3:11;Acts 10:38)\nThese latter references to holy spirit definitely do not fit a person.To understand what the Bible as a whole teaches,all theses texts must be considered.What is the reasonable conclusion?That the first texts cited here employ a figre of speech personifying God's holy spirit,his active force,as the Bible aslo personifies wisdom,sin,death,water, and blood.\n\nThe Holy Scriptures tell us the personal name of the Father-Jehovah.They inform us that the Son is Jesus Christ.But nowhere in the Scriptures is a personal name applied to the holy spirit.\nActs 7:55,56 reports that Stephen was given a vision of heaven in which he saw "Jesus standing at God's right hand".But he made no mention of seeing the holy spirit.\nAre the Father and Son one?\nMatt.26:39,RS:"Going a little farther he(Jesus Christ) fell on his face and prayed,'My Father,if it be possible,let this cup pass from me;nevertheless,not as I will,but as Thou wilt"(If the Father and the Son were not distinct individuals,such a prayer would have been meaningless.Jesus would have been praying to himself,and his will would of necessity have been the Father's will).\nJohn8:17,18,RS:"(Jesus answered the Jewish Pharisees)In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true;I bear witness to myself,and the Father who sent me bears witness to me."(So, Jesus definitely spoke of himself as being an individual separate and distinct from the Father.)\n\nThere are so many more scriptures to disprove the Trinity that it would take me hours to go through them all.\nI USED to be a Catholic myself but a person who is really seeking to know the truth about God is not going to search the Bible hoping to find a text that he can construe as fitting what he already believes.\nHe wants to know what God's Word itself says.He many find some texts that he feels can be rad in more than one way,but when these are compared with other Biblical statements on the same subject their meaning will become clear.\nSo instead of just believing what the Priest or Pastor is telling you - look for yourself,reason on the scriptures,compare translations.....you will be surprised to learn all the untruths about God,His Son,His purpose for mankind etc that you are being taught.\n\nSo I must say it is a definite BIG THUMBS DOWN
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Judaism:  The Religion of the Hebrews\n\nThe Jewish religion was unique in the ancient world because it was monotheistic.\n \nAlmost 2,000 years ago, many Jews were forced to leave their homeland in Palestine. This diaspora, or scattering of people, sent Jews to different parts of the world. Wherever they settled, Jews maintained their identity as a people by living in close-knit communities and obeying their religious laws and traditions. These traditions set Jews apart from other people. Yet they also helped them survive centuries of persecution. \n\nJudaism is numbered among the world's major religions for its unique contribution to religious thought as well as its influence on two later religions, Christianity and Islam. Both these faiths, which also emerged in the Middle East, were monotheistic. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all honor Abraham, Moses, and the prophets, and they teach the ethical world view developed by the Hebrews.
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Holy spirit is an active force that God uses to accomplish his will\n\nA comparison of Bible texts that refer to the holy spirit shows that it is spoken of as ‘filling’ people; they can be ‘baptized’ with it; and they can be “anointed” with it. (Luke 1:41; Matthew. 3:11; Acts 10:38) None of these expressions would be appropriate if the holy spirit were a person.\n\nJesus also referred to the holy spirit as a “helper” (Greek, pa·ra′kle·tos), and he said that this helper would “teach,” “bear witness,” “speak,” and ‘hear.’ (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:13) It is not unusual in the Scriptures for something to be personified. For example, wisdom is said to have “children.” (Luke 7:35) Sin and death are spoken of as being kings. (Romans. 5:14, 21) While some texts say that the spirit “spoke,” other passages make clear that this was done through angels or humans. (Acts 4:24, 25; 28:25; Matthew. 10:19, 20; compare Acts 20:23 with 21:10, 11.) At 1 John 5:6-8, not only the spirit but also “the water and the blood” are said to ‘bear witness.’ So, none of the expressions found in these texts in themselves prove that the holy spirit is a person.\n\nThe correct identification of the holy spirit must fit all the scriptures that refer to that spirit. With this viewpoint, it is logical to conclude that the holy spirit is the active force of God. It is not a person but is a powerful force that God causes to emanate from himself to accomplish his holy will.—Psalm. 104:30; 2 Peter. 1:21; Acts 4:31.