Faith(based) Works

Torah and homosexuality

Jos — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:54:08 +0000

The best statement in the world on homosexuality offered by some good rabbis:

The Process Of Healing:
The only viable course of action that is consistent with the Torah is therapy and teshuvah. (repentance)

Why on earth is it rejected by our orthodox rabbies in the Netherlands? What powers are developing to destroy the whole world? O my, in what age am I born??

But there’s hope: It seems that besides the bad part a good part is developing too. Albeit very tiny, maybe it’s a part of the little stone from Nebucadnezzar’s dream which becomes the cornerstone of the world! Glory to God who works it out! It’s not all bad, some people go back to God and go to fight evil, or at least to make a fence.

For out of Zion shall go forth the law. (Is.2:3)

The homosexual agenda is one of the most evil powers to destroy the world. That’s for example why Michael Brown is fighting hard against it. Before you know, your tiny little children are affected with it.

If I could sign, I would do it instant! (What a shame for our Dutch rabbis…they temporarely removed Dutch chief rabbi Aryeh Ralbag.)

The Path of the Just – Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto

Jos — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:18:56 +0000

I was very pleased to hear about Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (1707-1746), RaMCHaL, from a teaching from rabbi Yosef Mizrachi. Since I live in the Netherlands it got my attention when I heard that he lived in Amsterdam for nine years. I didn’t know him! Such a great rabbi, now honored all around the Jewish world and I didn’t hear from him? His life and experiences were beyond normal, they were mystical. Undoubtedly that was the reason.

At the age of 18 an angel appeared to him to reveal the secrets of the Torah. This was not accepted and the rabbinical institution banned him at the age of 20. He was not allowed to teach.

He was born in Italy and came through many difficulties to Amsterdam in 1735 (what was called that time the Jerusalem of the West) and wrote his famous work: The Path of the Just (Mesillat Yesharim, 1740). He didn’t seek publicity and refused teaching. He studied Kabbalah unhindered with a small group in Amsterdam. He became one of the greatest Kabbalists.

When we value his work The Path of the Just on its content we are surprised. An extraordinary work but it pretends to be ordinary. This pictures directly the problem of man: We don’t understand the ordinary things. He began to say: “I did not write things that people do not know.” Who in the world does ever write a book with that idea, to write things that people already know? It’s quite the opposite, people tend to learn from the other, but here it is that people have to see the things they already know. And it’s not only that we don’t see, but we won’t see also. The problem is we don’t see the path of the Just, or the way to follow to be righteous. People also obvious don’t have interest in it. How close does it come to sayings like this: you have eyes but didn’t see. (Is.6:9)

The effect of the book does come to people only when they read it again and again and again, said Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi. But the ultimate purpose of man is not reachable by just following the rules of a book.

If you ask me, how in the world is it possible that such a human being, a sinner, who doesn’t saw (like me) is drawn to the very Creator, the Holy One, and his will is turned to seek righteousness and his goal is to get re-unified with the Holy One … ? Then I have no other answer then Yeshua. For me, as a gentile, as a sinner before, He was the Hand what leads me and the Path what guides me. And if I look at it I see that the mitswoth spoken of and pointed to, by Rabbi Luzzatto, are truly the manner to come to God. It not only comes from man however, but we need a Divine Power. And I believe Yeshua is that Divine Messiah who leads us toward the principle Beginning by Love, which is the Only One and Holy God. What other way is there? He says (in some sense) the same things as Luzzatto, only with giving actually the Power and Light to fulfill everything. Luzzatto gives the words but He does give the life too for me.

How does anyone come to that stage, that level of chassid, Luzzatto wrote of? Isn’t it that this prophecy must be fulfilled personally: I will put My law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it. (Jer.31:33)

All Israel will be saved

Jos — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:01:30 +0000

All Israel will be saved, this is what Paul said in Roman 11:26. He also said: as it is written. This got my attention. Because actually it isn’t written in the Tenach. It triggered me when I was studying the resurrection.

Sanhedrin 90b

I came along this statement in Sanhedrin 90b: All Israel have portion in the world to come, for it is written, Thy people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.’(Is.60:21) (To be clear: This is meant for the Jews and the land of Israel.)

And not only this statement of the Misnah says it, this saying is also found before every chapter of the Pirkei Avot. It seems to be very well known in the old times, inclusive the time of Paul. I don’t know where it is all to find, but it looks like that it is an old known saying from oral tradition. Hence it must be in the mind of Paul when he was about to wrote All Israel shall be saved. Otherwise how could he say this?

But why does he say: As it is written? For there is not that text in the written Tenach to find. That leaves us with a problem. If Paul had the written Torah in mind then it would be a derivative from Is.60:21.

Paul however gives us the following text: There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (Rom.11:26-27)

But this text isn’t found either in de Tenach, And you also can’t make up from these words that ALL Israel will be saved. So what is Paul doing here?

One solution is that Paul had in mind the Oral Torah when he said All Israel will be saved, and was paraphrasing it and backing it up with the text of the Written Torah, what would be, then, Ps.14:7 (Oh that the salvation of Israel [were come] out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, [and] Israel shall be glad.) and Is.27:9. (By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged…) This is not as clear as I would like, but it is satisfactory to some extend. I think that you have to know the Oral Torah to understand where he is referring to. I don’t know that.

But it let me stay with one question. Why doesn’t Paul refer to Is.60:21: Thy people are ALL righteous? Because there is referred to in the Talmud. Perhaps because at that time they were not as righteous as they had to be. Yet they had the state of unrighteousness, but they should become righteous in the future. In that sense quoting Is.60:21 wouldn’t benefit his case to state All Israel will be saved (in the future). But now, refering to the future, it makes sense to say that the Deliverer shall come out of Sion.

While I was thinking of it I came along Peter Tomson who dealt extensively with Law and Halakha issues used by Paul. He shows that Paul uses many halachic rules and sayings, only you have to know it to confirm. He said: “Once again this confirms the theological principle proposed earlier: halakha and Law polimic exists independently and are not mutual exclusive.” [1] The connection between the written Torah and the oral Torah was so obvious by the Jews he wrote to, that they easily could understand and proof it.

So we have something to do as Christians from the gentiles, learn the oral Torah. It’s too long neglected!

Does anyone know a (scholarly) article or book what deals with this topic?

____________

[1] Paul and he Jewish Law, Halakha in the Letters of the Apostle to the Gentiles, Peter J. Tomson, p.89.

David Flusser

Jos — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:50:43 +0000

I do not think that many Jews would object if the Messiah -when he came- was the Jew Jesus.
David Flusser

This is an oral statement of him. Brad H. Young (a student of him) wrote it in his book Meet the Rabbis, p.160

Jesus the Pharisee, Harvey Falk and the letter of Jacob Emden

Jos — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:07:19 +0000

This is a very exciting book. And I never read such a good explanation of Matthew 23. Harvey Falk, a rabbi who has written extensively on rabbinic Judaism, wrote his vision on the emerge of Christ and Christendom out of the Jewish tradition in his book Jesus the Pharisee, A new look at the Jewishness of Jesus, 1985.

He boldly leans upon the famous rabbi Jacob Emden’s work Seder Olam Rabbah Vezuta, 1757, which has an investigation of Christianity in it and a letter which “laid the groundwork of this book”, p.4. The thesis of rabbi Emden is that Jesus and Paul would establish a religion for the gentiles based on the 7 Noachide laws, strengthening the Torah of Moses (who commanded this) and removing idolatry from the gentiles.

This very important letter of Rabbi Jacob Emden came to existance because of some troubles in Poland regarding the false Messiah Shabbatai Zevi. A brief history was given on page 113. I’ll share it here:

The thesis I have proposed is based on the writings of the great Talmudist and anti-Shabbatean Rabbis Jacob Emden, a valiant champion of Orthodox Judaism during the eighteenth century. His adversaries at the time were the Shabbateans, or followers of the false seventeenth century messiah, Shabbatai Zevi. These Shabbateans – or Frankists as they were called in his day – desecreted Jewish law and openly practiced sexual immorality. When excummunicated by the polish rabbinate, they complained to certain Catolic bishops of being persecuted by the Jews because they believed in the Trinity. This eventually led to the burning of the Talmud in Poland and these Frankists even tried to revive the notorious blood-libel against the Jews. When the leading rabbis of Poland asked Rabbi Emden whether it would be permitted to explain the true nature of these immoral heretics to the Polish authorities, Rabbi Emden replied in the affirmative, and also advised them to ask the Christians for help against the Shabbateans. This led him into a thorough analysis ofthe origins of Christianity and the original intent of its founders. He concluded that Jesus and Paul had intended to create a religion for the Gentiles based upon the seven Noahide commandments. According to the Talmud and Toseita, those Gentiles who observe these Commandments are considered of the Hasidim (pious ones) of the Nations, and merit a share in the World to Come. (The basic seven Noahide Commandments consist of the prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy. stealing, murder, Sexual sins, eating the limb of a living animal [cruelty to
animals], and the imperative to establish courts ofjustice) He believed that Jesus of Nazareth acted entirely according to the Halakha, and “brought about a double kindness to the world.” R. Emden stressed that Jesus spoke out strongly on behalf of the Torah of Moses, which indeed grants salvation those Gentiles who practice the Noahide Commandments. R. Emden referred to Paul as “a scholar, an attendant of Rabban Gamaliel the Elder.”
[end qoute]

Rabbi Harvey’s book took 8 years of preparation and he read the (Hebrew) letter of rabbi Emden only some years before the completion of his book. (His book is only a pocketbook, about 160 pages, easy to read when you are a bit familiar with Judaism.)

What he is arguing in his book is what Jesus says against the Pharisees and Scribes is not as much as said to the pharisees in general, but more specific to the pharisees of the school of Shammai. Those who cooperates with the Zealots and were against salvation for the gentiles. The school of Hillel was much more kind to the gentiles, but they disappeared a bit and went to the Essenes.

“I have expressed my opinion many times in this book that Christianity as a religion for the Gentiles was founded by the Hasidim – the Essenes and disciples of Hillel from whose midst Jesus of Nazareth emerged. I have also demonstrated that the Pharisees criticized by Jesus were the school of Shammai, who dominated Jewish life and thought in Jesus’ time, and therefore were the Pharisees in control of Caiaphas’ Sanhedrin as wel. Bet Shammai would have been opposed to Christianity on two grounds. First, they held salvation for the Gentiles to be impossible.” (p.132)

Some more qoutes:

“We have previously expressed our belief – based especially on the many similarities between the Christian bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls – that the Essenes helped found Christianity as a religion for the Gentiles, in accordance with the Noachide Commandments.” p.60

“Paul of Tarsus didn’t bother the Jews, and instead devoted all his energies to bringing Christian teachings to the gentiles. It would appear to me that the rabbis where only too happy to see those outside Judaism learn of God and the Bible. Paul said, “Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called” (1Corinthians 7:17-20).” p.78

He ended his book with this saying: “It is my fervent hope that these writings will make a contribution toward bringing bringing all men and woman who seek God and the brotherhood of humanity into a closer bond of fellowship. If we achieve this, we may hope to merit being considered among the disciples of the prophet Elijah, who, according to the Mishnah (Eduyyot 8:7), will appear before the coming of the Messiah to bring peace to mankind. For as Rabbi Jacob Emden wrote (Seder Olam 34a): “In the name of Heaven, we are your brothers; one God has created us all.”

I just had prepared this review, but now, today, I heard an interesting lecture of an orthodox rabbi and I want to share with you someting. (He didn’t want to have his name mentioned.) I spoke to him personally and asked him if he knows the book of rabbi Harvey Falk. And he did because of Jacob Emden. I asked him because he began to say that he was so exciting about Jacob Emden. He said Jacob Emden gives a very good and interesting view of Christianity. So that triggers my ears boldly and I realised that we have much in common. I saw that there is so much to be revealed to both Christianity and Judaism. He said this could be a very good base for Jew and Christian to build on. He also pointed out that rabbi Emden published his book on his own. Unfortunately he also said that there’s a little change that any of the orthodox Jewish scholars know about the letter of Jacob Emden. He told me he would like to re-translate and to write a scholarly version of this letter without the opinion of rabbi Falk of the beth Hillel/ beth Shammai matters. I hope he does! He was very exciting and told that among the many Christian theologians he spoke to, I was the first who presented the book, which he found very encouraging.

So, the bottomline: This letter of Rabbi Jacob Emden might going to be very important.

I also want to share a review of this book from a fellow blogger (Paula) here.

Jewish Isaiah 53

Jos — Tue, 24 May 2011 21:41:00 +0000

The Jewish learning centre Aish HaTorah offered a brief explanation of the 53th chapter of the prophet Isaiah on their website. The Suffering Servant is painted in the Jewish way. Some interesting issues as mistranslations are dealt with. And I appreciate the honest way of outreaching they do: The intention is not to denigrate another religion, but rather to understand the true meaning of the Divine word. The Christian Church always applies the Suffering Servant to Jesus. This is opposed to the Jews who believe the people of Israel are meant by it. What is interesting is that this Christian view is not found in the early church and the apostles. Were they familiar with the Jewish view of our days in some sense? The Hebrew word Servant (of HaSjem) ( עבד ebed) means someone who does Gods will. This can be someone from a king to a slave. Tom Holland gives an interesting view on it in his book about Paul’s theology on page 81-82. He says about the early church opinion: The servant role was not limited to Jesus, but was shared by the whole people of God.I’m about to agree, we share many, from cross to crown.This is the reason why the early church didn’t apply it to Jesus because of the vicarious atonement according to Tom Holland. That should be limited to one person, the Messiah.I really wonder why the author of the article denies a vicarious atonement at all. Paul and the other apostles clearly shows us that this is the cornerstone of salvation. And this was certainly not something new and not limited to the NT writings. How then does Judaism teach vicarious atonement? In our days? What about sacrificing an animal? Or more specific, the goat on Yom Kippur which bears the sin and was to send away in the dessert?

____________________

UPDATE, more resources:
http://www.outreachjudaism.org/uploads/pdf/Rabbinic%20Interpretation%20Isaiah%2053_Suffering%20Servant.pdf
http://thejewishhome.org/counter/Isa53JP.pdf
http://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/some-thoughts-on-isaiah-53-by-thomas/

Is it a Mitsvah for Christians to fulfill the Torah?

Jos — Thu, 05 May 2011 06:24:19 +0000

Blogger Judah of Kineti L’Tziyon got a lot of comments on his question: Is it a sin for Christians to break the Torah.Another way to look at this matter is to ask whether it is regarded as a good deed to fulfill the Torah. Many would say yes of course, it is good. But there’s more to say about it.The most wonderful thing in the whole bible is done by Jesus: the fulfillment of the Torah. He is the Torah in its most beauty. He fulfilled and established and finished the Torah perfectly. In that perspective the Torah is made complete and perfect. It can not be broken again.

Look at the faithfull orthodox Jews. They consider the Chumas (5 books of Moses) which is the textual basis for the Torah, as a holy perfect book without any error and full of divine wisdom were every word and sign is perfect written in. This is confirmed by Jesus: No jot or title shall pass from the Torah. (Matth.5) If these letters are of such a great value, how valuable is the complete Torah of flesh and blood which is become “one of us”? (Hebrews2) One clear look at Him and you will never ever think you can do anything for the sake of the Torah.

When Yeshua said on the cross it is finished, then the main purpose of the Torah was finished namely “to be holy for your God”. Before no one could ever come to God without a sacrifice. But at that time, with the sign of the teared curtain of the temple, anyone could come “through the blood of the Messiah”. The practice of Torah was definitely changed, no “house of God” or temple was needed for the dwelling-place of God. He right on “dwelt among us”.

The Torah is He and us molded together in perfect harmony. That’s what is called peace. Peace from heaven to earth and from earth to heaven. Harmony between God and Man. The fulfillment of the Torah does not depend on mankind. We can’t make the Torah complete.

The main purpose of the Torah is completed in my opinion. Forgiveness of sin, grace, salvation etc. But it is not that everything is ended. The restoration of the chosen people of Israel isn’t ended yet for instance. Every human being with a true faith has a purpose under the law of the Torah, but it is walking the way after Yeshua the Messiah who has made the Torah complete.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph.2:10)

So the good works, the mitsvot, we earned it from Him. Who did it in advance. What is a sign of a true disciple? He who walks in His Torah. (as a result) Because then you belong to His mystic body. (Eph.1:23)

This are just a few words of me. Read the apostle Paul to learn more. And forget me ;-)
Shalom to all my fine readers!

The 7 noachides: fair enough

Jos — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:46:27 +0000

This is not only the meaning of contemporary rabbinical Judaism but also of the disciples of the Notsri Rabbi Yeshua ben Joseph, according to rabbi Jacob Emden(1697-1776) son of chacham Tzvi. The gentiles are not bound to the Torah.

Since I read this blogpost recently which shared an article of rabbi Jacob Emden, I more and more came to realize that this little saying of this rabbi can be a key for me to understand the distinction of the unique position of the Jews with respect to the Gentiles. Not all is clear for me, but that there is a difference between Jew and gentile is pretty clear. Not in terms of Grace, but in other terms.

When it comes to replacement theology many church-people would say that it has been an error, and now with just recognising Israel as something special, as “the chosen ones with the promise of conversion to Christianity”, we can go on and everything is fine. Just a reconciliation of their own faith and recent Jewish history.

But what the unique position of Israel implies to Christianity is much more than many church-people could think about. The fact is that we remain gentiles, not Jews. You can say that we are “grafted in”, and yes its true (I never can deny that because my heart agrees with it) but we are not become Jews. The apostle Paul recognized the Jewish people clearly as a different people in his letter to the Romans. The difference will end in a broad repentance of the Jewish people, the chosen ones with the benefits they have, and a great glory will begin when this beloved people will come to their God. In the Messianic era, times will change. Then we would not say Christianity or Judaism, we would say One God. (Zach.14:9) But until then Jews are separated and kept under their covenant.

Christians (a few amongst the broader common who are true and faithful) have a share in that covenant. There’s one covenant above everything and that is the so called covenant of grace. And those who have a share in it can only have it through the Messiah Jesus, as a part of the Jewish people. Becoming a part of that will mean a dying life. Dying because you are a part of Him, the despised Messiah, he who is rejected until now. You’ll share the same. Only through dead you’ll become righteous. The kingdom is not now, but after resurrection. Now we are all defiled, no man is perfect. Nice churches and great buildings have nothing to do with real Christians. No, Judgement begins at the house of God (1Pet.4:17) and Many are called but few chosen. (Matthew20:16 and 22:14) So in fact true Christians are hard to find, the majority of the Christians make not a good picture of it. It’s hard to understand but in the church are the most anti-christian powers active. That’s why it is so difficult for orthodox Jews to get the right picture of it.

A share in this grace and this new life and ultimately in the world to come, will be the same for the faithful Jew and Christian. However there’s a difference in the way they have to go and the purpose they have. The Jew has a unique covenant and halacha in which role they serve also as a keeper of the Torah, a shomer Torah. (Rom.3:2) And as gentiles: From the Jews we learn Torah, from them we have the Messiah, from them we have grace.

As we enter that share in Torah, grace and salvation, we have a share in their benefits as there are the adoption to be a child of God, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Torah, and the service of God, and the promises. (Rom.9:4) But it is never said (by Jesus and the apostles) that the gentiles are obligated to keep the 613 commandments and the authorised halacha of rabbinical Judaism. Even the 10 commandments are not obligated. The disciples only began to say to keep the 7 Noachide commandments. (Acts15)

But a very special result of entering the covenant of grace is that we have got a new will and a new desire to serve the God of Israel. Then it comes to happen that a person wants to keep the law fully. Through the law he sees that he violated His goodness which he regrets. In order to get saved from the wrath of God he is going to obey the laws with a great love in his heart to do this. He is convinced by his own heart whether something is good or not. (Rom.14) But the underlying law comes always from the bible, the very word of God, which speaks to the heart. This is the voice and commandment of the Messiah. Which the called and chosen gentile heartily will obey.

How far can we serve God? So far as we know Him and His commandments. If we want to serve God and we want to get His kingdom on earth, how recommendable is it to “assist the Jews in the observance of their Torah” as Jacob Emden said. If they really come to the Torah of God they’ll come to their Messiah too, or better to say the Messiah will come to them. And to us.

Facebook

Jos — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:27:18 +0000

Facebook and other social media are often used to get down mighty powers and authorities. As we seen in the Arabic world, people who didn’t have a voice now get attention.

Are we aware of this also happens to religion? Beyond the borders of the church is a same revolution in the make. Many young people are asking questions and find their way on facebook with fellows who understand each other.

In this way the Messianic movement is growing (with gentiles) because of a lack of goodwill of the church to restore the Hebrew roots. In stead of this they are building fences and strengthen their doctrines. Are they afraid? Why such behaviour?

I always remember a saying of the Dutch Willem Bilderdijk: “Every human might must disappear, and then the Messiah comes.” From that time on, the French Revolution, it happens.

Willem Bilderdijk, bookreview

Jos — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:11:12 +0000

I would like to share with you something of the newest book from Bert Engelfriet: De missie van een Genie, de spirituele wereld van orangist Willem Bilderdijk. (The mission of a genius, the spiritual world of Willem Bilderdijk) I wrote before about Willem Bilderdijk (1756-1831). It’s one of the worlds greatest spirits, at least from the last centuries. However, he is either slandered or honored. It’s like Israel, you are for or against. I like to see him as the last prophet of the Dutch Christian nation, as a remnant of the Protestants who encouraged people to go back to the roots.

And the roots are principles of God alone. He was quite against the French Revolution and its contemporary development of the human principles. He counterfeited the rational spirit which was the mainstream of the Enlightenment. To cut off the roots would be ending in Nihilism, he said. In stead of that he put the “spiritual, inner enlightenment and Godly inspiration.” (p.19) The motif of his works relies on a principle based on Godly inspiration.

Bilderdijk was original. He was aware of the principle of all things from God through which everything exists. An important thing for him to deal with is self-feeling (zelfgevoel). This, were it is from higher truth, is connected to the elders, the wise men, the root of the truth and to the Holy Spirit.

Bilderdijk had a great wish to join the best of the Jewish and Christian heritage together. So that the Messiah of the Jews and Christians will be recognized as the same. “We (Christians) abide Him with you (Jews), that so exalted Ruler; Your God is our God, your Saviour our Prince.” (p.97) He expected a oneness but in quite another way as many church-people do: The Jews must be reinforced in their elderly faith.

As a remnant of the Protestants he was very clear to say that the (protestant) church didn’t come out of the old Roman powers. He said that the early church soon after their flourishing state dismissed the spiritual principle of Christ and welcomed the Roman principles of power. (p.115) Also later reformations didn’t lead to a breakthrough of the “kingdom of God” because they sought too much support by worldly authority.

About trinity he won’t speak about numbers. “There’s an absolute oneness, not a number one and not a number three.” He supported trinity in a certain sense by consulting old rabbi’s. (p.195)

There’s a lot more to say about this beautiful book, but it costs me too much time for now.