Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Anusim IV - Customs are proof of being Jewish?

Even Ezer Garcia's comment to "Anusim II - Demand recognition and acceptance":
Recipients and Publicity,

How many xtians bury the nail clippings? My mother told me that the proper way is to burn it, but burying the clippings will suffice. When I told an Orthodox Rabbi this, he asked me why we did not flush it down the toilet, he said that this will eventually will reach the sea and this is equivalent to burning it. I asked my mother about this and she said that we could not do that because we had a septic tank. Now, I do not know what do you do with you nail clippings, and what is your level of observance, but my family was able to keep this traditions as well as many others that no one can learn by reading the Tanach. Is this an islamic tradition? I know is not xtian. That is why all this claims need to be considered on a case by case basis. I know that this is difficult for you to understand and I do not have a scientific response for you to explain why we observed this traditions after so many years (The Inquisition officially ended in 1834). I had an Orthodox conversion many years ago, because I wanted to erase any doubt, but I will still claim Anusim descent. I do not expect you to believe me and much less to try to understand, but I thank you for your responses. I also want to express my gratitude to Daas Torah for allowing me to be part of this discussion. Adio keridos amigos.

4 comments :

  1. Nail clipping is one of five actions mentioned as part of Fitrah, and yes, Muslims consider nail clippings to be part of the body and therefore according to the teachings of the Hadith, Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/174),a person should bury them as throwing nail clippings away is haraam (forbidden). Modern Islamic scholars, like many Rabbis today, also permit putting nail clippings in the toilet as an acceptable means of disposal. In generations past, nail clippings were disposed of by burying.

    Islam and Judaism are very similar in both belief and practice as you can see. (I recently heard a fascinating lecture recorded in France by a Rabbi discussing the roots of Chassidic practices in Sufism.)

    I have been unable to find a reference for the practice of burning nail clippings in Judaism although this was a common practice in Ancient Greece. Judaism forbids the intentional burning of any part of the body (ie cremation).

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  2. Hi, descendent of Anussim
    I find your story very captivating. I have a similar story, although different.

    If you want to live an orthodox life, it makes no difference whether you do a "giur le chumra" or not: anyway you are prepared to keep torah and Mitzwot, so why not declare it and go to mikva.

    At the beginning, I was against it, now I think this was a mistake: Mikve is nice ceremony that tells you, for yourself and for people around you "from now on it really counts", so why not?

    I think I should have taken advantage of it instead of reluctandly agreeing to it after many years.

    un besito
    shoshi

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  3. Even,
    i just read that you already formally converted. you're still here though making comments about your past. i stand by you...sorta.

    unfortunately you won't find the compassion you are looking for but its because you need to look soley to HaShem. you could say "my great grandfather wrote a Torah scroll and mezzuot"...and the reality is...you'll most likely hear that he was a muslim who could have been selling forgeries. i've been through it all myself. its so amazing how people look at the glass half empty instead of saying "wow, HaShem kept/brought this soul here in this way, through all this disaster, this soul is here, this spark is rising".

    as jersey girl said, muslims bury nails....but guess what...so do jews. youre told prior to conversion "you are not a jew". fact is...prior to conversion, "halachically", you could not be recognized as a jew, otherwise we throw out the system of halacha and there goes all the order...G-d forbid.

    hard advice is, dont look for help, compassion, or understanding from anyone on this except for HaShem. use the pain to make you daven with exceptional kavanah.

    you ended up converting...there is no question now, your soul was at sinai....you were right all along.

    Good Moed

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  4. My Aunts used to tie red strings around their wrist to ward off the Evil Eye, my mother threw away any eggs with a red spot in them despite not being a wealthy family. Two DNA tests show Jewish ancestry and family surnames were found on Inquisition lists of Sicily. I think this is enough proof of Jewish ancestry but there are more items that are associated with the Jewish customs of long ago that I have not mentioned here. I believe my family has Jewish ancestry for sure.

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