"Seven laws which were supposed by the rabbis to have been binding on all
mankind even before the revelation at Sinai. They are referred to as ‘Noachide’
because of their universality, since the whole human race was supposed to be
descended from the three sons of Noah, who alone survived the flood.
Exegetically derived from statements made by God to Adam and to Noah, six of
them are negative: Not To: 1) worship idols; 2) blaspheme
the name of God; 3) kill; 4) commit adultery; 5) rob; 6) eat flesh that had
been cut from a living animal. Must Do: 1) to establish
courts of justice. These seven laws are binding on all non-Jews even today.
Whoever observes them is considered to be among the ‘Righteous Gentiles’."
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Is the Messiah Just for the Jews? Jews consider the Messiah as coming to
redeem them. The Book of Mormon teaches that the Messiah is for ALL people.
"The Hebrew word for Messiah, mashi'ah, means ‘anointed’ and
indicates that the Messiah has been chosen by God. The coming of the Messiah
therefore has come to mean the redemption of the Jewish people and an end to
its suffering and tribulations." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
"And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the
very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is
the Christ, the Eternal God . . ." (2 Nephi 26:12)
The Messiah, an Era, a Man or a God? In Judaic thought, when the
Messianic period arrives, the divine aspect of the Messiah is discounted,
probably because the concept of God and the Godhead has deteriorated throughout
time in Judaism. "In traditional Judaism, the Messiah will be a human
being --- albeit it a perfect one --- who will come and bring harmony to the
world. He will not have a divine aspect other than having been chosen by God
for his task." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
The Bible – Just Old Testament? "Bible," as referred to in
the Book of Mormon, can be understood as a record of "The Jews"
including the era of Jesus and his disciples. In Ezekiel’s vision of the
"dry bones" (chapter 37), the term for the Bible is the
"stick" (or bones) of Judah and it is compared to the Book of Mormon,
the "stick" of Joseph. Judaic description of the Bible refers just to
the period of time preceding Jesus of Nazareth. "The commonly used Hebrew
name for the Bible . . . is Tanakh. This word is formed from the initial
letters of the Hebrew names of the three parts of the Bible: Torah (the
first five Books), Nevi'im (The Prophets) and Ketuvim (The
Writings, or Hagiographa). The English name, ‘Bible,’ is from the Greek
meaning ‘book,’ and the other accepted English name, ‘Scriptures’ (or
Holy Scriptures), is from the Latin and means ‘writings.’" (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
People of the Book: The Jews are very much involved in writing and
books. It is clear to see that both "Judah" and "Joseph"
are culturally and scripturally the "People of the Book." "Books
and learning are so much a part of Jewish tradition, that Jews are called ‘the
people of the Book.’ Indeed, many of the violent acts of anti-Semitism
throughout history were accompanied by the defacement and burning of books. The
persecutors, knowing how much anguish this would cause, identified the book
with the Jew. Today, all over the world, with books and paperback editions
readily accessible, Jewish book collectors are common. Israel ranks second in
the world in the number of books of all kinds bought per person."