I somewhat agree with Michael Nehora. As a Messianic Jew who's not writing this to proselytize or get into very-long discussions and debate (since I'm taking it and adapting it from my original comments, anyway), I believe that Jews are first and foremost an 'am, an ethnos, a people--which is part of why, as Torah commanded, one must be cut off (i.e., exiled or even put to death) for worshiping other gods--viz., cutting yourself off from G-d in some way was cutting off your very life, your very being.
Of course and along the same lines, under the New Covenant, we (that is, we Messianic Jews) believe that Jesus (Yeshua) is the Messiah and that either Yeshua died for you or you will ultimately die (viz. be eternally condemned to She'ol, Gehenna, etc.) for not believing in Him. Thus, cutting yourself off from G-d (in this case, Yeshua or Jesus) in some way is cutting off your very life, your very being.
Hence, as the Talmud (which I don't follow) rightly states (nonetheless), and as Michael alluded to, "A Jew, even if he sins, is still a Jew." Because of this and because of cutting yourself off from the Jewish G-d, you are a Jew who has cut his life off as opposed to a Jew who became a gentile. As Tanakh states, anyway, a Kushite can't change his skin and the leopard can't change his spots (cf. Jeremiah 13:23); thus a Jew, though he or she cuts his or her life off, remains a Jew.
Besides, as I didn't think about until I posted this blog entry:
"When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations,
When He separated the sons of Adam,He set the boundaries of the peoplesAccording to the number of the children of Israel.
9 For the Lord’s portion is His people;Jacob is the place of His inheritance."
Of course and along the same lines, under the New Covenant, we (that is, we Messianic Jews) believe that Jesus (Yeshua) is the Messiah and that either Yeshua died for you or you will ultimately die (viz. be eternally condemned to She'ol, Gehenna, etc.) for not believing in Him. Thus, cutting yourself off from G-d (in this case, Yeshua or Jesus) in some way is cutting off your very life, your very being.
Hence, as the Talmud (which I don't follow) rightly states (nonetheless), and as Michael alluded to, "A Jew, even if he sins, is still a Jew." Because of this and because of cutting yourself off from the Jewish G-d, you are a Jew who has cut his life off as opposed to a Jew who became a gentile. As Tanakh states, anyway, a Kushite can't change his skin and the leopard can't change his spots (cf. Jeremiah 13:23); thus a Jew, though he or she cuts his or her life off, remains a Jew.
Besides, as I didn't think about until I posted this blog entry:
"When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations,
When He separated the sons of Adam,He set the boundaries of the peoplesAccording to the number of the children of Israel.
9 For the Lord’s portion is His people;Jacob is the place of His inheritance."
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