According to the teachings of Judaism, anyone who takes upon themselves the yoke of the Torah is a Jew, regardless of what part of the world they come from. The 'Current Jews' are not all the same but there are some who truly love and seek to obey the Torah while some do not.
There has been a dispute about certain groups among the Jews that have no real claim, it is only the secular Jews who do not seek to observe the Torah have no claim to be Jews.
There are many Jews in Israel who are very much devoted to the Torah from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and all parts of the world. Those are the true Israel.
Not all 'European Jews' are Ashkenazi. There are Sephardic European Jews also in places like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Italy, etc. Sephardic comes from the word Sepharad, the Hebrew word for the land called Spain, but the term 'Sephardic' is also used to refer to Jews in the Middle East and North Africa.
In fact, the Middle Eastern Jews of Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Syria, etc. used to be called 'Mizrahi', but are now called Sephardi. Besides, a convert to Judaism according to the Torah is considered equal to a non-convert. They have land rights in Israel and citizenship. There is no difference between a convert and a native-born regarding the land in Judaic law as long as they honour the Torah. So, only those who do not honour the Torah have no claim.
It is not possible for people to change their ethnic groups or for one person of another group to leave their original ethnic group and become another ethnic group. Yet, in the Bible, one who is not a Jew can become a Jew.
(Est 8:17) And in every province and in every city, the place wherever the word of the king and his law touched, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. AND MANY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND BECAME JEWS, for the fear of the Jews fell on them.
Jews must not be an ethnic group, because according to Est 8:17, many of the people of the lands of the exile of the Jews joined the Jews by becoming Jews themselves. In other words, they converted to Judaism and became full-fledged Jews.
Being a Jew has nothing to do with what one's skin colour is either. Anyone of any skin colour can be a Jew. Some people have mistaken that the real Jew is black, it is untrue!
For example, if I am born to be black - Negro, yet being black does not make me a Jew. Nor does being a Jew make me black. Only keeping the commandments of the Torah allows me the right to live in the land of Israel. Hashem only cares for those who choose to keep his law. He never once states that they must have a certain complexion
(Isa 56:6) ==> And the sons of the foreigner, who join themselves to YAHWEH to serve Him, <== and to love the name of YAHWEH, to be His servants, ==> everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and takes hold of My covenant: <==
(Isa 56:7) even them I will bring to My holy mount and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on My altar, for ==> My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the peoples, <==
(Isa 56:8) states Adonai YAHWEH, who gathers the outcasts of Israel; ==> I will yet gather others beside him to his gathered ones. <==
The verses above clearly show that there will be converts from among the gentile nations from all peoples gathered to the land along with the native-born Israelites who were outcasts.
What these will all have in common is that they will all be Torah-observant Jews.
The converts (gerim) will be given land as an inheritance in Israel perpetually and will be citizens, the same as native-born.
(Eze 47:22) And it will be, you shall divide by lot for an inheritance to yourselves, and to the 'Gerim' who reside among you, who shall father sons among you. And ==> they shall be to you as native-born among the sons of Israel. They shall have an inheritance fall among the tribes of Israel. <==
(Eze 47:23) And it shall be, in the tribe in which the 'Ger' resides, there you shall give his inheritance, declares Adonai YAHWEH.
As I have mentioned earlier, those who do not keep the Torah are the secular Jews who have no claim to the land.
Isaiah 56:8 is about sons of the foreigners who join Israel and become fellow Jews. The "others" who will be gathered along with the outcasts of Israel refers to the converts who keep Torah. They will be brought to live in the land.
The native born according to Judaism refers to those who are born to Jewish parents and do not require conversion. This means that their parents must be Torah observant and not cut off from Israel.
The land of Israel will eventually be divided up into various districts according to the 12 tribes and the gerim will be given land in each district just as native-born Jews.
The son of the foreigner is Ben Nechari, meaning one who is not among the people of Israel, in other words, a goy (a member of another nation). But according to Halacha which all religious Jews adhere to, once he enters the covenant he is no longer a Ben nechari but becomes a ger tzedek, which is a righteous convert, having the same status as a native-born jew.
- Esther 8:17
- וּבְכָל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וּבְכָל־עִיר וָעִיר מְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ מַגִּיעַ שִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂוֹן לַיְּהוּדִים מִשְׁתֶּה וְיוֹם טוֹב וְרַבִּים מֵֽעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ מִֽתְיַֽהֲדִים כִּֽי־נָפַל פַּֽחַד־הַיְּהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.
A Jew is not merely a member of the tribe of Judah as some claim, because Esther 2:5 calls Mordechai the Benjamite a Jew too.
אִישׁ יְהוּדִי הָיָה בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה וּשְׁמוֹ מָרְדֳּכַי בֶּן יָאִיר בֶּן־שִׁמְעִי בֶּן־קִישׁ אִישׁ יְמִינִֽי׃
There was a Jewish man in Shushan the capital, and his name was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite;
A Jew is also not necessarily an Israelite either, because Esther 8:17 says that many of the Gentiles in the Medo-Persian Empire became Jews...
וּבְכָל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וּבְכָל־עִיר וָעִיר מְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ מַגִּיעַ שִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂוֹן לַיְּהוּדִים מִשְׁתֶּה וְיוֹם טוֹב וְרַבִּים מֵֽעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ מִֽתְיַֽהֲדִים כִּֽי־נָפַל פַּֽחַד־הַיְּהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.
The Jewish commentary on Est 8:17 understands the verse to mean that these were proselytes or converts to Judaism...
מתיהדים. מתיהדים, became proselytes.
So, in the opinion of the Bible which was written by the hand of Jews with the inspiration of YHWH, a Jew is something that one can become by entering into the covenant of Israel. It is also something that one can be born into if one's parents are converts or if one's parents are Jews by birth and did not forsake Torah.
The Torah says:
Exodus 31:14
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּת כִּי קֹדֶשׁ הִוא לָכֶם מְחַֽלְלֶיהָ מוֹת יוּמָת כִּי כָּל־הָֽעֹשֶׂה בָהּ מְלָאכָה וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מִקֶּרֶב עַמֶּֽיהָ׃
You shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy to you; everyone who defiles it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work in it, ==> that soul shall be cut off from among his people. <==
Therefore, a person can only be a born Jew if his parents were not cut off from the people of Israel as a result of not keeping the commandments. Otherwise, they are born gentiles, not Jews. They must convert to Judaism.
The Bible does not make a distinction between a Jew in general and some other kind of Jew. Jewish law prohibits Jews from making that distinction by pointing out that one is a convert and not a born Jew.
The covenant is not based on blood but by an agreement. This is why when the Torah was given to Moses, he read it to the people and then they had to agree to keep the covenant. Once they had agreed to the covenant, only then did they become the people of YHWH.
Exodus 19:5
וְעַתָּה אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־בְּרִיתִי וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים כִּי־לִי כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Now therefore, ==> if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, <== THEN you shall be my own treasure among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;
It had no relationship with being the Children of Israel/Jacob because the covenant was new and all of the children of Israel were converting from being Noachides to Jews by entering into this new covenant which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had not yet entered.
Also, the ability to inherit this covenant or to pass it down depended upon the parents' keeping of the covenant. If the parents broke the covenant and never repented, then they and later generations were cut off from Israel. Later generations cannot look back several generations to righteous Jews and claim that they are Jews because the chain was broken. They must re-join as converts.
In Judaism, there is a word called 'Ger/Gerim'. There are two types of 'Gerim':
Ger Toshav: This is equivalent to a resident alien. He has not converted to Judaism and has no citizenship in Israel, nor land rights. He is not required to observe all of the laws of the Torah. He is required to uphold other laws though.
Ger Tzedek: This is the word for a righteous convert to Judaism. When this person converts he becomes a full Jew. He has citizenship and land rights. He can marry a native-born Jewish woman.
The Ger Tzedek is the one the Torah speaks of when it says the following:
Exodus 12:48-49
וְכִֽי־יָגוּר אִתְּךָ גֵּר וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח לַֽיהֹוָה הִמּוֹל לוֹ כָל־זָכָר וְאָז יִקְרַב לַֽעֲשֹׂתוֹ וְהָיָה כְּאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ וְכָל־עָרֵל לֹא־יֹאכַל בּֽוֹ׃
And when a stranger (Ger) shall sojourn with you and will keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it, and he shall be as one who is born in the land; for no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
תּוֹרָה אַחַת יִֽהְיֶה לָֽאֶזְרָח וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתֽוֹכְכֶֽם׃
One law shall be for him who is native born, and for the stranger who sojourns among you.
This is regarding the Ger Tzedek (convert), not the Ger Toshav (resident alien that does not convert). The Ger Tzedek is equal to the Native-Born Jew under the law. The children of the Ger Tzedek are native-born Jews.
Commentary on Exodus 12:49
תורה אחת וגומר. [This verse comes] to liken a proselyte to a native also regarding other commandments in the Torah. — [from Mechilta]
In Exodus 12:45, the Ger Toshav cannot eat the Passover, because he is not a convert...
תּוֹשָׁב וְשָׂכִיר לֹא־יֹאכַל בּֽוֹ׃
A foreigner (Toshav) and a hired servant shall not eat of it.
Ezek 47:21-22 states that the Ger Tzedek will have land among the tribes of Israel. This shows that he does not need to be of a tribe of Israel to have permanent land as an inheritance among Israel.
47:21
וְחִלַּקְתֶּם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לָכֶם לְשִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And you shall divide this land for yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.
47:22
וְהָיָה תַּפִּלוּ אוֹתָהּ בְּנַֽחֲלָה לָכֶם וּלְהַגֵּרִים הַגָּרִים בְּתֽוֹכְכֶם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹלִדוּ בָנִים בְּתֽוֹכְכֶם וְהָיוּ לָכֶם כְּאֶזְרָח בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּכֶם יִפְּלוּ בְנַֽחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And it shall come to pass, that you shall divide it by lot FOR AN ==> INHERITANCE <== TO YOU, AND TO THE GERIM who sojourn among you, who shall father children among you; and ==> they shall be to you as those born in the country among the people of Israel; <== THEY SHALL HAVE INHERITANCE WITH YOU among the tribes of Israel.
The people mentioned in Est 8:17 who became Jews are referred to as Jews. The very fact that they were not originally Jews or Israelites by blood, but had become Jews and are referred to as Jews proves that converts are Jews. These were people who were not related to the Israelites but were 'the people of the land' in the Medo-Persian empire.
It clearly states "and many of the people of the land became Jews." To this day, there is a Jewish community and one of the oldest. These Jews are no different from other Iranians.
The Torah states that Israel consists of two groups: The Native Born and the Ger (proselyte). They are under the same exact Torah Law and there is no benefit afforded to the Native Born that is restricted to the Ger. For example, both the native-born and the Ger receive land as a perpetual inheritance. The only difference is how the land is carved up. It is carved up according to the tribes, and then the land is assigned by lot to the native-born and the Ger.
It should also be noted that the word 'Ger' only refers to the one who converts to Judaism, but the children who are born to the Ger into Judaism after the conversion are considered Native Born (Eze 47:22). So when the Torah mentions Native Born, it does not mean a bloodline Israelite. It refers to one who was born to Jewish parents, regardless of whether or not his parents converted or were themselves born Jews. Children of parents who broke the covenant generations ago are treated as converts (Gerim), which is why members of the tribes of Ephraim, Menashe and Simeon who defected from the Northern Kingdom and repented had to rejoin through the Jews by taking the oath all over again. You can read about that in 2 Chronicle 15.
In that chapter, it refers to members of these three Israelite tribes as Gerim, and that they defected from the Kingdom of Israel to the Jewish Kingdom and converted by taking an oath to keep the commandments. This is because forefathers had broken the covenant.
2 Chronicles 15:3-4
וְיָמִים רַבִּים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי אֱמֶת וּלְלֹא כֹּהֵן מוֹרֶה וּלְלֹא תוֹרָֽה׃
Now for a LONG TIME Israel has been WITHOUT THE TRUE GOD, and without a teaching priest, and WITHOUT TORAH.
The verse above is referring to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, not Israel as a whole. Notice it says that they were WITHOUT TORAH AND THE TRUE GOD for a long time.
וַיָּשָׁב בַּצַּר־לוֹ עַל־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְבַקְשֻׁהוּ וַיִּמָּצֵא לָהֶֽם׃
But when they in their trouble turned to the Lord God of Israel and sought him, he was found by them.
The above verse said that some of these decided to turn back to YHWH. These are referred to in Judaism as B'aley T'shuva (Those who turn back). They are still treated as Gerim and converts when they turn back as you will see.
The next two verses show how King Asa gathered these STRANGERS/CONVERTS (GERIM) from among the Nothern tribes who came to him along with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but only the members of the Nothern tribes who turned back are called Gerim.
2 Chronicles 15:8-9
15:8
וְכִשְׁמֹעַ אָסָא הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהַנְּבוּאָה עֹדֵד הַנָּבִיא הִתְחַזַּק וַיַּֽעֲבֵר הַשִּׁקּוּצִים מִכָּל־אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן וּמִן־הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לָכַד מֵהַר אֶפְרָיִם וַיְחַדֵּשׁ אֶת־מִזְבַּח יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי אוּלָם יְהֹוָֽה׃
And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities which he had taken from Mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the vestibule of the Lord.
15:9
וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן וְהַגָּרִים עִמָּהֶם מֵֽאֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה וּמִשִּׁמְעוֹן כִּי־נָֽפְלוּ עָלָיו מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל לָרֹב בִּרְאֹתָם כִּֽי־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו עִמּֽוֹ׃
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the STRANGERS/CONVERTS (GERIM) with them from EPHRAIM and MANASSEH, and from SIMEON; ==> for they DESERTED TO HIM FROM ISRAEL in great numbers, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
Then these Gerim from the Northern tribes converted to Judaism...
15:12
וַיָּבֹאוּ בַבְּרִית לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֽוֹתֵיהֶם בְּכָל־לְבָבָם וּבְכָל־נַפְשָֽׁם׃
And ==> THEY ENTERED INTO A COVENANT to seek the Lord God of their fathers <== with all their heart and with all their soul;
15:13
וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יִדְרֹשׁ לַֽיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל יוּמָת לְמִן־קָטֹן וְעַד־גָּדוֹל לְמֵאִישׁ וְעַד־אִשָּֽׁה׃
That whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
15:14
וַיִּשָּֽׁבְעוּ לַיהֹוָה בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל וּבִתְרוּעָה וּבַֽחֲצֹֽצְרוֹת וּבְשֽׁוֹפָרֽוֹת׃
And THEY SWORE TO THE LORD WITH A LOUD VOICE, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with shofarot.
15:15
וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כָל־יְהוּדָה עַל־הַשְּׁבוּעָה כִּי בְכָל־לְבָבָם נִשְׁבָּעוּ וּבְכָל־רְצוֹנָם בִּקְשֻׁהוּ וַיִּמָּצֵא לָהֶם וַיָּנַח יְהֹוָה לָהֶם מִסָּבִֽיב׃
And ==> ALL OF JUDAH REJOICED AT THE OATH; <== for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found by them; and the Lord gave them rest around.
Why would these Gerim from Ephraim, Simeon, and Menasseh need to re-enter into the same covenant to seek the God of their fathers all over again? Their forefathers forsook Torah and the True God, so they had no more covenant. These Israelites became Gentiles, then Gerim (converts) to Judaism.
Although Israelites were GIVEN the land as the result of a promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the promise of STAYING in the land would be contingent upon the willingness of the Israelites to obey the Torah.
The promise of STAYING in the land and the promise of becoming numerous while STAYING in the land was offered to Israel on the condition that they would follow the Torah and was not because of the covenant given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The covenant of YHWH with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ONLY covered the GIVING of the land. His agreement with the Children of Israel which would determine the conditions of STAYING in the land would be conditional based on their willingness to obey the Torah. Again, the difference between the two is like the difference between paying a deposit on an apartment and paying the rent for it, along with abiding by the rules associated with being allowed to stay in the apartment. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob only paid the deposit for Israel to move into the apartment, but the requirements to live and remain in it are contingent upon the willingness to obey the Torah.
(Lev 26:14) And if you will not listen to Me, and do not do all these commands;
(Lev 26:15) and if you reject My statutes, and if your soul hates My judgments, so as not to do all My commands, to the breaking of My covenant;
...
(Lev 26:33) And I will scatter you among nations, and shall draw out the sword after you and your land shall become a waste, and your cities shall be a desolation.
In other words, you will be evicted from the land.
(Lev 20:22) And you shall keep all My statutes, and all My judgments, and shall do them, and the land where I am bringing you to live in it shall not VOMIT YOU OUT.
The covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was only enough to allow the Israelites to enter into the land. In other words, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob paid the deposit through their good works for the Israelites.
However, for the Israelites to stay in the land they would have to abide by the Torah. If they failed to do this, they would be evicted from the land. The staying in the land was not guaranteed to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for their descendants. It was only the giving of the land.
Genesis 26:4
" I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and WILL GIVE THEM all these lands, and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed,"
But to stay in it, it would require them to observe the Torah.
The part of Gen 26:4 which refers to the nations of the earth being blessed through his seed is an obvious reference to the converts (Gerim) who joined the nation of Israel by taking upon themselves the yoke of the covenant and becoming naturalized citizens of Israel. These 'Gerim' would come from various nations around the world, which is why the Torah says:
(Gen 17:4) As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a FATHER OF MANY NATIONS.
(Genesis 17:5) And your name no longer shall be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham. For I have made you a FATHER OF MANY NATIONS.
According to the Jewish commentary and tradition, these many nations refer to the converts. The Jews also have a tradition of referring to a convert(Ger Tzedek) as a Ben Avraham to this day.
According to Jewish Law, the 'Ger Toshav' only adheres to the Seven Noachide Laws, but has no rights to land in Israel and cannot marry a Jew. The 'Ger Tzedek' observes the entire Torah and is a Jew of the first generation. He/She can marry a Jew and his/her children who are born into Judaism are not counted as 'Gerim'. They are considered Native Born Jews. Hence, a 'Ger Tzedek' can actually give birth to Native-Born Jews. This is consistent with Ezekiel 47:22...
(Eze 47:22) And it will be, you shall divide by lot for an inheritance to yourselves, and to the 'Gerim' who reside among you, WHO SHALL FATHER SONS AMONG YOU. AND THEY SHALL BE TO YOU AS NATIVE BORN AMONG THE SONS OF ISRAEL. They shall have an inheritance fall among the tribes of Israel.
In other words, the children of the 'Ger Tzedek' are counted as Native Born in Israel.
The Bible is understood very differently when in the hands of a Jew than it is when in the hands of a non-Jew.
It is clear that the Torah and Tanach do not stipulate a requirement for Jews or Israelites to be of a specific skin tone, nor does it reject one based on skin tone.
Anyone from any nation can adopt the Torah and take an oath to keep the commandments in the presence of Jews and become a Jew.
It is also clear that not even the bloodline Israelites are guaranteed anything based upon their lineage, except being given the land, not a guarantee to remain in it. All of the promises promised to them beyond the giving of the land depend upon their obedience to the Torah. An Israelite can lose out on this as a result of being cut off from Israel, which is the result of not keeping the Torah.
Any non-Jew can become a member and a citizen of Israelite/Jewish society having full rights on the condition that he obeys the Torah. The children born to a 'Ger' (convert) are not considered converts, but as Native Born in Israel had, but were not limited to rights to the land.
It seems that Israel is about much more than race (which is an illusion) and skin tone, but is a people based upon faith in YHWH and in the determination to obey his commandments in the Torah, anyone who does not have faith in YHWH and is not determined to live a Torah lifestyle is not truly Israel, regardless of colour or who his parents/grandparents/great grandparents are or what they may have done.
The non-Jews currently living in Israel (Muslims, Christians, etc) are considered Ger Toshav (not Ger Tzedek) and are not required to be Jews to remain there. Although, they cannot actually own land or lead the country, even if they come to outnumber the Jews.
