Scripture

Scripture by Tabitha

Let’s start by making a basic point:

Jews don’t read the ‘old testament’.

The OT is a Christian text. It was produced by the Church and it’s a reorganised, mistranslated, altered version of the Jewish Tanakh.  The Tanakh represents the original Hebrew, Jewish texts. Jews follow the Tanakh and only the Tanakh.

Think about it this way: why would we, as Jews, describe our own texts as ‘old’…? There is no ‘new’ scripture for us. There is only the Tanakh.

Right, now we’ve got that out the way….!

This is a brief guide for both Jews and Gentiles, and hopefully it answers basic queries on the Jewish texts. Please feel very welcome to submit any questions.

The Torah

The Jewish holy text is the Torah. This comprises the five books of Moses:

Bereshit (Genesis)

Shemot (Exodus)

Vayikra (Leviticus)

Bamidbar (Numbers)

Devarim (Deuteronomy)

In every Synagogue across the world, the Torah appears in scroll form. For Jews, it is the direct word of G-d. Traditional Jewish belief is that G-d spoke to a huge gathering of Jews at Mount Sinai, and all present heard his voice. G-d dictated the Torah to Moses, who wrote it down.

This is the view of Orthodox Jews. Less religious Jews, members of Conservative and Reform Judaism, may not agree that the Torah comes from G-d, literally. Rather, they may argue that the Torah was compiled over a long period of time, with several authors. Some support for this idea comes from the different writing styles apparent throughout the five books.

Either way, all Jews recognise the Torah as their holy text, and all Jewish boys, and many Jewish girls, learn a portion of the Torah, in Hebrew, for their bar/bat mitzvahs.

The Torah is not something which can be taken literally, nor understood at face value. Jews believe that every single letter is full of meaning. In short, we view the Torah as a message written by G-d to us as Jews. The word ‘Torah’ means ‘instruction’. Thus the Torah is G-d’s instructions to us, for Within the Torah are the commandments and teachings of Judaism.

But the Torah is also a history book. It contains within it the earliest history of the Jews. So although we might not always take it literally, we hold that much of the Torah is essentially true.

The Oral Torah or Talmud

The actual word ‘Torah’ refers also to the Oral Torah, which was given along with the written Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai.

The Oral Torah comprises  explanations of the written Torah, as well as extra bits of advice and wisdom offered by Moses.

Originally, Jews did not commit the Oral Torah to written form. Instead, it was taught by fathers to their sons, generation after generation. But eventually, the Jewish leaders realised that there was a risk of all the knowledge being lost, because Jews were being attacked and killed with increasing frequency.

So in the second century CE, the Jewish leader at that time, Judah HaNasi, wrote down a basic outline of the fundamental aspects of Oral Torah. This was then divided into six parts – known as the Mishnah (‘repetition’). This ratified the Oral tradition.

After this, over several generations, Rabbis and sages met to discuss and debate the Mishnah, to clarify its principles and to add other oral teachings that had been part of Judaism since Mount Sinai. These additions are known as the Gemara (‘completion’).

Together, the Mishnah and Gemara make up the TALMUD.

The Talmud, then, illuminates and clarifies the written Torah, the five books of Moses. The Talmud comprises a series of volumes, full of discussions and debates, rulings and proverbs, with some folklore and humour in addition. Almost every topic under the sun is covered, for the Talmud shows us how to apply Torah to life.

As one Jewish author puts it:

‘The Torah is G-d speaking to us. The Talmud is us answering!’

Frequently asked questions about Jewish texts:

Q: Is it true that there are insultings things written about Gentiles in the Talmud?

A: Sadly, this rumour appears to be a popular one. There is no truth whatsoever to it. The Talmud is primarily concerned with Jewish religious law and how to apply it. Where non Jews are mentioned, it is certainly not in a negative light at all. Judaism holds all humans as being equal. It makes no difference which faith a person follows. ‘Love thy neighbour’ is a Jewish teaching, found in the Torah thousands of years before Christianity also began using it.

Q: Is the ‘old testament’ the same thing as the Tanakh?

A: No. The ‘old testament’ is a purely Christian text.  It was produced by the Church, thousands of years after the Tanakh.  Some versions of the OT are very accurate and reliable. But some are not, and in these we find significant mistranslations and misinterpretations of the original Hebrew. In addition, the OT is organised differently to the Tanakh, with ‘chapter breaks’ inserted that do not appear in the original Jewish text.

Jews don’t study the OT at all. In fact, the very name ‘old’ testament illustrates it is a Christian document. Why would Judaism label its own scriptures as ‘old’?!

It is rather frustrating for Jews; our scriptures have been taken on by another faith, changed, and then, historically, used by Christianity to ‘prove’ that Jews are ‘wrong’ and that Jesus is ‘foreshadowed’ in the Jewish scriptures!

*Some* Christians argue that they understand the Jewish texts better than Jews themselves.  Yet Jews study the Tanakh, for the most part, in the original Hebrew. Most (not all) Christians  study the OT, which is a translation OF a translation OF the Tanakh.

But what about the Septuagint?

The Septuagint refers to the Greek version of the Tanakh. But what many people don’t realise is that only the Torah part (five books of Moses) was actually translated by Jews.

All the rest was translated by non Jews. And if we compare, for example, Isaiah in the Tanakh, with Isaiah in the Septuagint, it is clear that the Septuagint does not reflect the original Hebrew at all.

Ultimately, the entire Septuagint was revised by the Church, and ceased to have any link to Judaism.

Here is a particularly interesting comment on the Septuagint, by Rabbi Tovia Singer, from the excellent website Outreach Judaism.

“… the Septuagint in our hands is not a Jewish document, but rather a Christian one. The original Septuagint, created 2,200 years ago by 72 Jewish translators, was a Greek translation of the Five Books of Moses alone.

It therefore did not contain prophetic Books of the Bible such as Isaiah. The Septuagint as we have it today, which includes the Prophets and Writings as well, is a product of the Church, not the Jewish people. In fact, the Septuagint remains the official Old Testament of the Greek Orthodox Church, and the manuscripts that consist of our Septuagint today date to the third century C.E. The fact that additional books known as the Apocrypha, which are uniquely sacred to the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Church, are found in the Septuagint should raise a red flag to those inquiring into the Jewishness of the Septuagint.

Christians such as Origin and Lucian (third and fourth century C.E.) had an enormous impact on creating and shaping the Septuagint that missionaries use to advance their untenable arguments against Judaism. In essence, the present Septuagint is largely a post-second century Christian translation of the Bible, used zealously by the Church throughout the centuries as an indispensable apologetic instrument to defend and sustain Christological alterations of the Jewish scriptures.

The fact that the original Septuagint translated by rabbis more than 22 centuries ago was only of the Pentateuch and not of prophetic books of the Bible such as Isaiah is confirmed by countless sources including the ancient Letter of Aristeas, which is the earliest attestation to the existence of the Septuagint. The Talmud also states this explicitly in Tractate Megillah (9a), and Josephus as well affirms that the Septuagint was a translation only of the Law of Moses in his preface to Antiquities of the Jews.1 Moreover, Jerome, a church father and Bible translator who could hardly be construed as friendly to Judaism, affirms Josephus’ statement regarding the authorship of the Septuagint in his preface to The Book of Hebrew Questions.2 Likewise, the Anchor Bible Dictionary reports precisely this point in the opening sentence of its article on the Septuagint which states, “The word ‘Septuagint,’ (from Lat septuaginta = 70; hence the abbreviation LXX) derives from a story that 72 elders translated the Pentateuch into Greek; the term therefore applied originally only to those five books.”

In fact, Dr. F.F. Bruce, the preeminent professor of Biblical exegesis, keenly points out that, strictly speaking, the Septuagint deals only with the Pentateuch and not the whole Old Testament. Bruce writes:

“The Jews might have gone on at a later time to authorize a standard text of the rest of the Septuagint, but . . . lost interest in the Septuagint altogether. With but few exceptions, every manuscript of the Septuagint which has come down to our day was copied and preserved in Christian, not Jewish, circles.”

Q: What are some of the specific differences between the Christian  Old Testament, and the Jewish Tanakh?

A: Below I provide a partial list. I’d like to first reiterate: some versions of the OT have been revised and are pretty accurate and reliable. Others are not. Below are some of the discrepancies which appear in some versions of the OT:

1. Zechariah 12:10 − The Hebrew Tanakh: “and they shall look upon me whom they have stabbed/ thrust through [with swords”)

The King James Version of Zechariah changes one word [stabbed] to “pierced.”

BUT John 19:37 (New Testament) misquotes Zechariah to change the entire meaning by saying, “They shall look on him (instead of ME) whom they pierced.”

2. Isaiah 7:14 − The Hebrew Tanakh says “Therefore, the Lord, of His own, shall give you a sign; behold, the young woman (alma) is with child, and she will bear a son and she shall call his name Immanuel.”

**Take note, this was written in the present tense.

But the Greek Septuagint changed “alma,” saying “Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (Matthew 1:22-23). The church changed the entire verse from present to FUTURE tense and then went further to change the Hebrew alma, meaning a young woman to virgin.

3. Isaiah 53:10 − The Hebrew Tanakh says “And the Lord wished to crush him, He made him ill; if his soul makes itself restitution (acknowledge guilt) he shall see children, he shall prolong his days and God’s purpose shall prosper in his hand.”

But the KJV says:: “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he had put him to grief: when thou shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand”..

4. Psalm 16:9-10 − (KJV) “Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. (10) For thou will not leave my soul in hell, neither will you suffer thine Holy One to see corruption”. Why not continue to the next verse? Christians can not because David wasn’t talking about Jesus; David was talking about himself. (Psalm 16:11) “You will show me the path of life, in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Psalm 16:9-10 in the Hebrew Tanakh says “Therefore, my heart rejoiced and my soul was glad; even my flesh shall dwell in safety. (10) For You shall not forsake my soul to the grave; You shall not allow Your pious one to see the pit.”

Where is ‘Hell’, and ‘Corruption’ as the New Testament stated? It did not exist! .

The Hebrew translation of Psalm 16:10 tells of David again talking to God, rejoicing that God will not forsake his soul to the grave. While David is alive he will dwell in safety because God will protect his flesh from injury, and G-d will show him the way. Does verse 11 relate to Jesus? If Jesus is part of the godhead, as Christians say, how can G-d show him the way?

5. Isaiah 9:5 − The Hebrew Tanakh reads: “For a child has been born to us, a son has been given us and authority has settled on his shoulders. He has been named “The Mighty G-d” Isaiah was referring to King Hezekiah, son of Ahaz.

Again, in an attempt to insert a Jesus prophecy, the KJV changed the tense from the present to the future, making it, “A child is born, a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty G-d”. [In Hebrew Hezekiah means “the mighty G-d.”]

6. In John, the New Testament author tries to make Jesus as the perfect sacrificial lamb of God (who then supposedly takes away the sins of the world) and relate this to the Jewish Passover. [John’s writings have Jesus die on Passover, while the other Gospel authors say he died the day after.] John 19:32-36 tells of soldiers breaking the legs of the crucifixion victims to hasten their deaths, yet sparing Jesus because he was already dead. To this end the author of John supposedly quotes Hebrew Scripture saying, “For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken.” The New Testament “fulfilled prophecy” supposedly refers to Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12 and to Psalms 34:20.

Notice how conveniently John changed the entire meaning by simply changing of Exodus 12:46 by changing one word: “it” to “him.” Exodus 12:46 refers to the PASSOVER-offering, “…and you shall not break a bone in it (the animal).”

Numbers 9:12 again refer to the PASSOVER-offering, “…nor shall they break a bone of it”. Again, by changing one word, the original message is lost.

Psalms 34:20 refers to David saying no one becomes truly righteous and great without his share of mishaps,

CONTINUATION: He guards all his bones, even one of them was not broken.” Nothing ever shows that this Psalm was intended as prophetic, certainly not applying to the future fictitious character of Jesus.

(NOTE: Jesus would have been disqualified as a Passover ‘sacrifice’ because the female lamb had to be “without blemish.” Jesus was wounded, whipped and mutilated.)

7. Psalm 2: 11-12. By simply leaving off one Aramaic word, Christians altered the entire verse. The KJV reads, “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish from the way”

The original Hebrew Tanakh records the verses as “Do homage in purity (nash-ku bar) lest He be angry and you perish”. The meaning of the Hebrew word “bar” is pure or clear. Yes, in Aramaic, the word “bar” does mean son, but it is used only as a combination of two words – SON OF. If in Aramaic, the author wanted to mean just the son, he would have used the phrase “ber’a with the letter alef at the end. (Psalm 2:11-12).

8. Matthew 2:23 − “And he (Jesus) came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets”

Which prophets said that?

According to scholars, rabbis and historians, the city of Nazareth did not exist during the writings of Hebrew Scriptures.

The word “Nazareth” does not appear anywhere in Hebrew Scriptures. This is even verified by the New Testament Concordance!

Therefore, Nazareth and Nazarene are Christian words, not Hebrew words. Nazareth is not mentioned in non-Christian sources until the third or fourth century.

Nazarites are not a sect. but rather it is an individual oath taken by a person to be in effect for a time period. During this time the person is not allowed to cut their hair, go near a corpse, eat grapes or drink wine. Afterward he must bring special offerings to the Beith Hamikdash and shave his hair.

9. Psalm 22:16 from the Hebrew Tanakh when correctly translated reads “They surrounded my hands and feet like a lion” (the word “ka’ari clearly means like a lion, as evident from its use in Isaiah 38:13 and other writings, even in the KJV).

David was pursued by his enemies and often referred to them as “lions” (see Psalms 7 & 17).

Yet, when read out of context the KJV mistranslates: “They pierced my hands and feet.” The passage was altered to indicate Jesus.

10. Using Isaiah 59:20, Christians again misquote Hebrew Scripture. The New Testament in Romans 11:26, has Paul supposedly saying, “And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written. There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”

The Tanakh recorded a different event. Isaiah:“A redeemer will come to Zion, and to those of Jacob who repent from willful sin. Is it in or out of Jerusalem? Just change “to Zion” to “out of Zion.”

11. Hosea 6:2 − The Christian Bible has the authoress of Luke (24:46-47) telling that Jesus rose on the Third Day: “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” This could have only been designed to satisfy a prophecy in Hosea 6:2. The New Testament has Paul writing in I Corinthians, “and Jesus was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” Further 1 Corinthians 15:4.says “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight.” Which Hebrew Scriptures are these authors talking about?

As usual, the source documents, The Hebrew Scriptures, say something entirely different:

Hosea 6:1-2 “They will say, Come let us return to God for He (God) has mangled us and He (God) will heal us; He (God) has smitten and He (God) will bandage us. He (God) will heal us after two days; on the third day He (God) will raise us up and we will live before Him. ‘We’ refers to the nation of Israel.

The last verse in Chapter 5 sets the scene and explains the situation very clearly: “I (God) will go, I will return to My place until they will acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their distress they will seek Me (Hosea 5:15). Hosea explains in verse 5 that God sent a clear-cut message to Israel through My prophets; you heard and refused to repent, so My offer resulted in your death sentence. How could I vindicate you after such defiance? Then Hosea explains: “Come let us return to God”!

Does this refer to Jesus?

Answer: No.

And a few more…

Psalm 2:11-12. This passage is cited often by Christians seeking to prove the Trinity. In the King James Bible, it reads:

“Serve the L-rd with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

But the verse is mistranslated. The word rendered “the Son” is “bar”. In Hebrew, the word means “pure” and is correctly translated in Psalm 24 (“clean hands and a pure heart”). The Hebrew word for “son” is “ben”.

Confusion results from the fact that the word does mean “son” in Aramaic; but there is no Aramaic in any of the Psalms. In fact, verse 2:7, just a few verses before this passage, reads, “I will declare the decree: the L-rd hath said unto me, Thou art my Son [beni]; this day have I begotten thee”, proving that the word “ben” was known and used by the composer of Psalm 2. Verses 11 and 12 should read, “Serve the L-rd with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Desire what is pure, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

This rendering makes it clear that the pronouns in verse 12 all refer to the L-rd, with no hint of a Trinity.

Even if we assume that “bar” means “son” here, that still doesn’t give us a Trinity. G-d has many sons. Israel is G-d’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22; see also Hosea 11:1). The sons of G-d took wives from among the daughters of men (Genesis 6:1-2). The sons of G-d appeared before His throne, and Satan was among them (Job 1:6; 2:1).

Even Jesus says, “Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of G-d” (Matthew 5:9). There is nothing in Psalm 2 which makes the “bar” any more G-d’s son than the sons mentioned above.

Isaiah 53:8 in the Christian bible reads “…for the transgression of my people he was stricken.”

Is this the correct translation from the Hebrew bible?

No. The correct translation of Isaiah 53:8 (from the Hebrew bible) is: “as a result of the transgression of my people, they were afflicted.”

The correct translation is THEY, not He! This Hebrew word for “they” appears over 40 times in the Hebrew bible – always translated as “they”!

ISAIAH 53

As all of my fellow Jews will no doubt agree, if there is one part of the Tanakh that many Christians use to ‘prove’ to us that Jesus is mentioned/referenced, it is this!

The problem is, they are not only mistranslating but also misinterpreting it.

Isaiah 53 actually starts with Chapter 52:13. In Hebrew, the scripture portions are divided by “stumas.” A space of several letters can be found at the closing of a passage before the next passage begins.

This can ***only*** be found in a Hebrew Bible. A Torah scribe has to strictly follow these rules. By reading the passage in its entirety, you learn that God is speaking to his servant and that the servant shall prosper and be exalted and be very high (Isaiah 52:13).

And who is the ‘suffering servant’?

Christianity claims it is Jesus.

But in fact, it is Israel, as clearly shown in Isaiah 41:8 & 44:1-2 & 45:4. These verses continue to describe the amazement of the world when they see the Jewish people redeemed. In particular, they are written in an exclamatory fashion to describe how the nations “despised” the Jewish people and gave “no regard” for them. The reason it is written in the singular is because the Jews are regarded as one body, called “Israel.” There are many instances of the Jewish people being referred to with a singular pronoun throughout the Torah.

————————————–…

It’s also interesting to compare what is said in the Christian bible, *about* the Tanakh, to what is actually written in the Tanakh.

We find things that contradict the Tanakh:

Matthew 1:2-15 – His list of generations does not agree with Torah l Chronicles Ch. 1-3

Matthew 1:16 – he forgot Jewish law. The Jewish Scriptures state that a person’s genealogy and tribal membership is transmitted exclusively through the **biological** father (Numbers 1:18 Jeremiah 33:17)

Matthew 5:43 – Jesus says: “thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy which You have heard that it hath been said”.

But in the Tanakh, Leviticus 19:18 does not mention any ‘enemy’.

Matthew 1511 – ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ Contradicted by all the dietary laws in the Tanakh.

Matthew on Isaiah:

Matt 1:23 – Mistakenly uses the Septuagint word for virgin instead of Hebrew “Almah” (young woman)

Matthew 1:23 – Misquotes Isaiah 7:14, “they” will call Jesus Immanuel, whereas Isaiah wrote “his mother” would call him Immanuel – not “they”.

Matthew 3:3 – Misinterprets and alters Isaiah 40:3 – “Prepare the way of the Lord”. Not so.

Matt 4:15 – Added “Galilee of the Gentiles” to Isaiah 9:1-2. Not in the Hebrew Tanakh.

Matt 8:17 – Took Isaiah 53:4 out of context – Isaiah was relating to a leper (nagua).

Matt 12:17-21 – Taking Isaiah 42:1-4 out of context – the Servant was Israel 4 times

Matt. 13.14-15 – Took out of context Isaiah 6:9-10 of people being “blind”

Matthew also misinterprets the Jewish Prophets:

Matthew 2:5-6 – Misinterprets Micah 5:2 – the Messiah coming from Bethlehem. It was David a Bethlemite, born in Bethlehem and from his seed would come the messiah.

Matthew 2:15 –Taking Hosea 11:1 out of context, Jesus being called out of Egypt

Matthew 2:17-18 – Distorts meaning of Jeremiah 31:1-17 of Rachel weeping.

Matthew 11.10: By changing the pronoun in Malachi 3.1 “before me” or “before you”?

Matthew 13:35 – The Christ will speak in parables – distorting Psalm 78:2

Matthew 21:1-7 – Jesus riding on two donkeys at the same time – ???????? – (Zechariah 9:9)

Matthew 22:43-44 – Capitalizes the second lord – altering the meaning of Psalm 110:1

Matthew 23:35 Mistakenly gave Zechariah’ father the wrong son. Zechariah was the son of Jehoiada, not Barachiah. II Chronicles 24:20–21

Matthew 27:9 – Quoted the wrong prophet – was not Jeremiah but Zechariah

Matthew 27:9 – Book of Zechariah was never about any “potter’s field”

Are the ‘covenant’ and the ‘testament’ synonymous? Remember that Jeremiah wrote in Hebrew. So when Greeks–not fully understanding the correct Hebrew definition of the word “Bereeth–interpreted the Hebrew word “Bereeth”, they interpreted it as Covenant and also Testament,” They failed to realize that “Bereeth” also means a “promise.”

The Hebrew word “BEREETH” or covenant signifies a promise between God and the Jewish people. It may be made official by any number of symbolic acts such as circumcision (bris), offerings (sacrifice), etc. Bereeth binds living persons to certain behaviour. In the case of the ‘new’ Contract (Covenant), the parties involved were God, Israel, and Judah. The New Covenant is to be made with both Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 31:31).

‘Bereeth’ is a promise from God that he will never abandon the Jews as is revealed over and over again in His Torah and Tanakh.

Christianity statesJeremiah says that God replaced the old covenant with a new one. “Behold the days are coming says the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the House of Judah”.(Jer 31:30-31 quoted in Heb 8:8-12, 10:16).

Christians claim this clearly proves that the old covenant will be abolished for the new one of Jesus. Well, maybe, if you stop right there with verse 32. But continue: The very next verse 33 says,

“I will put my Torah within them.”

It does not say new Torah – instead, it is the same Torah which will become a permanent part and will not be forgotten as in the past. Verse 32 in the Jewish Bible says;

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My Torah in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

Source: Originally posted on A Jew With A View:

Long Beard, Short Emuna

By: Rabbi Lazer Brody

Avremel is a very pleasant individual, but he suffers. His most difficult challenge on Shabbat is refraining from  biting his fingernails, even though they’re already bitten down to the skin. He has a tell-tale twitch in his left eye and he picks at his beard all the time. He’s an upright person who won’t touch a morsel of food that’s does not display the BaDatz hechsher that his Chassidic group eats and he won’t walk out of his front door without wearing a hat and a long reckyl (suit coat). Avremel knows that it’s wrong to get angry so he doesn’t shout at people. He also bites the bullet when his wife complains that he’s not making enough money. The truth is that he works three jobs; together, they consume fourteen hours of his time a day, so you can’t say that Avremel is lazy. The problem is that in his circle, you have to keep up with the Goldbergs, and the average Mrs. Goldberg won’t be seen at a social function without a Euro-Kastem natural-hair wig with a natural-looking part that costs well over $1000. So, Avremel bites the bullet, continues biting his fingernails, and shells out the money for the sheitel-macher (wig maker), money that he more than often does not have.

Hashem has blessed Avremel with fantastic son-in-laws. They learn all day long. They’re considered sharfers, “sharp ones”, the best boys and strong Chassidim. They walk 50 meters ahead of their wives and they won’t talk to fremders (strangers) – anyone, even with beard and payot, that doesn’t belong to their Chassidic group. The problem is that with three married daughters, Avremel shoulders half of three monthly mortgages. If he would stand erect, he’d be 6’2”, but with such a load on his shoulders, I can look him straight in the eyes and I’m only 5’9”.

The other day, Avremel and I met each other in a neighborhood bomb shelter after taking cover from one of the recent GRAD missiles that was fired at Ashdod from Gaza. Avremel looked especially forlorn, even more than his usual jittery self. I put an arm on his shoulder and asked him if the missiles were frightening him, especially one had already landed a few hours earlier only three streets away. “No, Reb Lazer, the missiles don’t bother me. I’m glad you asked, though, because I need someone to talk to.” In Avremel’s Chassidic group, you don’t tell others your problems because that either destroys your façade or messes up shidduchim (so they believe, nebich). As such, Avremel has to chew quite a bit of anti-acid tablets. I pray that he doesn’t get a bleeding ulcer or something worse, G-d forbid.

I thought that from the look on his face, maybe one of his children were ill; fortunately, that wasn’t the case, Avremel told me solemnly that he just finalized ashidduch (marital match)for daughter number four. “Mazal Tov,” I smiled, somewhat perplexed at his lack of joy and enthusiasm on such an occasion. But, many of his peers react the same way – a shidduch means more keeping up with the Goldbergs, more financial commitments (whether he can afford them or not), and more worries. “So what’s the problem?” I asked, pitying these poor Chassidim who live their lives without Rebbe Nachman’s books (“it’s not our custom,” they say) and without the Garden of Emuna, the Garden of Riches, and the other life-saving teachings of my beloved rabbi and teacher Rav Shalom Arush, may Hashem bless him always.

“My inlaws are willing to foot the bill for half an apartment in Ashdod, as long as we don’t buy a flat that costs more than 600,000 Shekels.” For that money, they can find a 65 square meter flat in one of the mitchardim, the less expensive neighborhoods adjacent to the Chassidic neighborhood.

“That’s terrific,” I commented. “They’re willing to give 300,000 NIS toward the flat above and beyond paying for half the wedding expenses – what’s wrong with that?”

“But, Reb Lazer – I don’t have the other 300,000; if I don’t give my half, they won’t give their half. And, the wedding is only 7 months away. I can’t go overseas toschnorr (beg), because I can’t take off of work. I can barely make a living, so how will I afford to make another wedding?”

“Avremel, you don’t make weddings, Hashem does!”

“Reb Lazer, that’s either Baal Teshuva talk or Breslever talk. We don’t think like that. We have to raise the money ourselves!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Here’s a man of 48, born into a Chassidic family; he learned in cheder, in lower yeshiva, in upper yeshiva, and then for another seven years in rabbinical kollel before he had to go to work to pay his bills. It was pitiful to see such a person with beard, long sidecurls, a long coat and Chassidic knickers with black socks living a life completely without Hashem and devoid of emuna.

Avremel had tears in his eyes and his upper lip was quivering. “Where in the world am I going to get 300,000 shekels in 7 months? It’s impossible!”

“Li hakesef ve’li hazahav, ne’um Hashem!” I quoted the Prophet who tells us that Hashem has all the gold and silver. If we need money, we go to Him. “Why not try talking to Hashem?”

He shrugged his shoulders and made a face, as if I asked him to eat a lemon. “What, do you think I’m weird or something?”

Astonished at the things he was saying, I finally understood what Rav Shalom always tells me – Moshiach will bring the whole world to teshuva, but he’ll save the religious for the last, for they’re the toughest nuts to crack. According to Avremel and his skewed notions, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and King David were all weird, for they all spent hours daily talking to Hashem.

I tried a different strategy. I opened my wallet and took out a 200-Shekel note. “Avremel, I’m an agronomist by profession. I know how to plant seeds and make them grow. Consider this a seed…”

He didn’t want to accept the money but I insisted.

“You can water the seed by talking to Hashem for 20 minutes a day, asking him to help you buy an apartment for your daughter.”

“Twenty minutes!” he gasped. “How’m I going to do that?”

“I already gave you a big discount – Rebbe Nachman says that 60 minutes a day is an absolute obligation.”

Funny, but people are prepared to spend thousands of dollars on plane tickets, spend weeks and months away from their families traipsing around the world looking for handouts, but they won’t try speaking to Hashem for an hour a day. Why? The other Chassidim might accuse him of Breslever tendencies, heaven forbid…

After haggling with me, Avremel finally agreed to try speaking to Hashem for three minutes a day. Rebbe Nachman said that a little bit is good, too…

If people only knew what a beautiful life they could live with emuna; if they only knew that you can’t be an upright believing person without daily personal prayer; if they only knew and internalized the Thirteen Principles of our faith…

Since my talk with Avremel, I’ve added an extra prayer to my daily personal prayers: “Please, Hashem – open up the hearts of the Avremels of the world. Let them learn emuna! Let them taste true happiness and a truly sweet life.”

And I terminate my daily personal prayers with a song and dance: “Ashrenu – how fortunate we are! Thank You, Hashem, for bringing me to Rebbe Nachman! Thank You, Hashem, for giving me Rav Shalom! Thank You, Hashem, for emuna and for hitbodedut!”

There should be a law: long beards and long sidecurls must be accompanied by long emuna. 

I wonder what all the rebbes and the Chassidim will do if it turns out that Moshiach is a Moroccan-born Baal Teshuva. May we all strengthen our emuna, amen!

Source: http://www.breslev.co.il

How could veneration of Jesus be considered idolatry?

“So do you think that those who reject Jesus are supernaturally blinded – how about those who accept him? How did their eyes “get opened”? And how about people who accept Jesus – but then come to the recognition that they were hoodwinked – and leave him – what “blinded” them?”

Isaiah 2:22

Many Christians have a difficult time understanding why it is that Jews view their faith in Jesus as idolatrous. Christians assert that Jesus is “one and the same” as the God of Israel. How could veneration of Jesus be considered idolatry?

It may come as a surprise to some Christians if they were to realize that many Jews have a difficult time understanding Christians. After everything is said and done, Christianity is pointing to a man, and calling him “god”. What else is there to discuss?

This article is written in an effort to help Christians see things from a Jewish perspective.

Imagine the following scenario.

The Messianic era is here. God is revealed to all mankind. Every human being clearly sees that the One Creator of heaven and earth is the only true power. Everyone understands that every facet of existence is just an expression of His will and His love. All the nations recognize that every bit of adoration that the human heart can generate belongs only to the Almighty God who called the universe into existence.

And Jesus is not there. The man from Nazareth is nowhere to be seen.

What will the Christian then feel about the relationship he shared with this man? How will they view all the adoration that they were persuaded to pour out towards that individual?

The fact that you could imagine this scenario, should tell you that Jesus is NOT one and the same with the Creator of heaven and earth. The fact that this scenario is hypothetically possible should help you separate between Jesus on the one hand and the God of Israel on the other.

This scenario is not just a hypothetical possibility. If you believe those God fearing Jews whose words are immortalized in the Jewish Scriptures, you will realize that this scenario was at the heart of their vision for the future.

I will provide a list of Scriptural references for you to study. Please bear in mind that when these words were originally written, no one had heard of Jesus. When the Jewish prophets penned their words, the concept: “trinity” – was not yet invented. Please realize that for a Jew who would have read these words before the advent of Christianity, the words “God”, “Lord”, and “Almighty” would mean one thing and one thing only – The One Creator of heaven and earth.

Deuteronomy 32:39, Ezekiel 37:28, 38:1-48:35, Isaiah 2:17, 24:23, 40:9, 52:7,10, 60:19,  Joel 4:16-17, Micah 7:15-18, Zephaniah 3:9, Zechariah 14:9, Psalm 47:3, 83:19, 86:10, 97:6-9, 102:16, 148:13,

View original

http://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/isaiah-222/

"Has it occured to you that:

A) Nowhere in the Tanach does it say to believe in mashiach “or else”

B) Nowhere in the Tanach does it say that mashiach will be a hybrid god-man.

C) Nowhere in the Tanach does it say that mashiach will fulfill the law and replace it with a law of messiah.

D) Nowhere in Tanach does it say the mashiach will sacrifice himself for the sins of the world for all time.

E) Nowhere in Tanach does it say that a human sacrifice is permitted.

F) Nowhere in Tanach does it say that human vicarious atonement is permitted.

G) Nowhere in Tanach does it say that it is permissable to crown king mashiach prior to his fulfillment of ALL the messianic duties.

H) Nowhere in Tanach does it ever say that G-d has three personages or “Triune”

Had G-d chose to teach such things, He would have EXPLICTLY and plainly said so. Just as He explictly gave us details on what is a kosher animal, how to sacrifice an animal, matters of family purity etc…When Hashem gave the law at Sinai, he was silent on all matters that Christians claim, such as G-d’s nature, form and the personage of messiah.

Hashem isnt going to then, 1500 years into the future say, I told you could do the law (Deut 30) but you CANT! I told you I was alone….but I’m NOT! I actually have a son….and he is Me! and even though I told you NOT to sacrifice your sons and daughters, like the baal worhsipers….I am going to sacrifice my human son….who is really me.

I will kill him (myself) on a wooden stick by suffocation. He will not be required to be slaughtered per the Torah, his blood not sprinkled on the altar, his fat not burned and in fact, he will be placed in a tomb, alone and I will raise him (myself)…even though I never taught you any of this…you must accept it or be thrown into the pits of hell.

These are obviously BIG, HUGE concepts that had they been part of Hashems revelation to mankind, would have been given at Sinai. Otherwise, as Christians have done, they have made G-d a liar (G-d forbid) who decieves His people and who changes the paradigm midstream.

This is not the G-d of the Tanach. The Christian paradigm in the god of Rome….everyone of the new aspects of the Gospel can be found in Grecco-Roman paganism but NOT in Jewish doctrine.

Eating a god-man’s flesh and drinking his blood…pagan.

A hybrid god-man….pagan.

A virgin birth….pagan.

A resurrected savior…pagan.

Miracles by the god-man…pagan.

Only through eisegesis can you shoe-horn this paganism into the Tanach." ~

yitro

Cult Leader Jesus

Cult Leader Jesus

---

One of the things that fundamentalist Christians find disturbing about the world is the existence of cults.
Cult leaders are said to be self-centered and egotistical because they require complete obedience and conformity to whatever agenda the leader has in mind. On top of this, cult leaders tend to divide people into two groups, those who are members of the cult and those who aren't. Those who don't accept the agenda and views of the cult leader are often vilified and declared enemies of the group.
Cult leaders also try to separate children from their parents and create a division between them which often results in total isolation and rejection of the parental influence. Cult leaders will also promise great rewards to their followers for their sacrifice to the cult service.

Christians can often be found issuing warnings about the evils of cult environments and the destructive influence they can have on the minds of emotionally and economically stressed people. Cults are said to create an atmosphere of extremely negative attitudes because the cult leader replaces God, parents, and the very mind of an individual with the personal agenda and views of the cult leader.
The cult mentality with all its ramifications is said to spawn horrible fanatical movements and produces petty, self-serving, egotistical, and often power-hungry leaders who wish to manipulate and control others.

All these points and observations about cults ring true in the minds of objective people.
However, what is ignored by Christians is that their Lord and Savior, Jesus, exhibited exactly the same traits that zealous cult leaders do. Christians will close their eyes to the same things they find so disturbing in other cult leaders.
This is understandable to some extent because Christianity is above all else, a religion that promotes itself through aggressive advertising and the unquestioning submission to a superficial God, a God of shine and little substance.
Believers are told to do the "will of God" and serve him totally.
After all, Jesus himself gave Christians their marching orders in the Gospel of Matthew.

Matt 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power(authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

It should be noted that Jesus makes quite a claim here. Jesus claims, like all cult leaders do, that special "all power" has been given to him exclusively.
In other words, whatever the cult leader commands, the follower should do because the highest level of authority resides in the cult leader.
And of course, the follower wants to please his Master and will go out and attempt to coerce others to also obey the commands of their Master. As the cult evolves, Jesus the man becomes Jesus the God and his followers can go out and conquer the world for him knowing that they are doing their duty as good and faithful servants of their Master.
The world is full of sheep and if one falls into a ditch, the rest start jumping in.
In other words, there isn't any need to question these rules because they're found in the Holy Bible and whatever the Bible says must be true.

The disturbing cult leader characteristics of Jesus don't stop with this one example. The New Testament has many other examples which are always ignored by Christians because it spoils the fluffy image of Jesus that they so love to portray to the world. They will only quote the "nice" sayings of Jesus while ignoring the many ugly and self-absorbed things he said.

Let's have a look at some of the other cult leader traits exhibited by Jesus, the alleged "Prince of Peace".
Jesus was a cult leader who wanted to bring division and disharmony.
It was all part of his ego-based new world order.

Luke 12:49-53
I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

And like most cult leaders, Jesus wanted people to leave their families and make him the centerpiece of their existence.

Matt 10:37
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And like most cult leaders, Jesus promised potential recruits to his new cult a great big reward for leaving their current responsibilities behind to serve him alone.

Matt 19:29
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

And like many self-absorbed cult leaders, Jesus deemed anyone who didn't jump on his theological bandwagon to be an enemy.

Matt 12:30He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

And like many cult leaders, Jesus won't tolerate anyone who doesn't want him to rule their lives.

Luke 19:27
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

As other cult leaders proclaim, simple unbelief will merit punishment.

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

And like many cult leaders, Jesus in his glorified Final Solution, will send out his army of drones to cleanse the world of anything that Jesus deems or defines as "wicked".
Naturally, unbelievers will be exterminated along with all the other unworthy human "weeds".

Matt 13:40-42
As therefore the tares(weeds) are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The whole teaching foundation of Christianity is that anyone who doesn't declare and "confess" that Jesus is their Lord and Savior is doomed to eternal damnation.
The context is quite clear. It's an ultimatum designed to coerce and manipulate others into compliance with a religious agenda that seeks to dominate others to enhance its power and influence.

Oddly enough, the Hebrew scriptures, which Christians label as the "Old Testament", doesn't support Jesus and his attempt to usurp authority from Yahweh.
Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, said quite clearly that he is not a man(Num 23:19) and will not
give his glory to another(Isa 42:8).
There is nothing in the Old Testament which states that people should worship a man, a Son of Man, or a Messiah as God and such a thing is abomination in the eyes of Yahweh.
All of these Old Testament scriptural facts are ignored by Christians however. Christians are far too entranced with their worship of a "God" who appeals to their need to feel "chosen" and "elect" by a God.

Christians will only recognize as the "Word of God", those parts of the Bible that they like the sound of and any parts which don't appeal to them they'll ignore or rationalize away as not pertaining to them.
Jesus demonstrated exactly the same traits that other cult leaders exhibit. Of course, since it was Jesus the disturbing similarities are deemed "holy" and the"will of God".
But let there be no mistake, the character called Jesus, as defined by the New Testament has the same egotistical, power hungry message that any other zealous cult leader or dictator has.
That message is…Obey me in all things or you will be punished.
Addendum:
Over the centuries and continuing today, Christianity has conducted a very successful advertising campaign that promotes "Jesus" as a paragon of love, higher wisdom, and selfless service to others. This version of Jesus can be found everywhere, from Christian enclaves to mainstream media programs, and is also commonly found in "new age" teachings.
The Bible itself undermines the fantasy image of Jesus that Christianity has worked so hard to create.
However, a popular cotton candy version of Jesus has been so systematically entrenched in the minds of people, that they will do just about anything to prop up and perpetuate this fantasy.

Christian position:
In Luke 19:27, where Jesus is telling a story in the form of a parable, he speaks of a ruler that demands the death of those that don't want to recognize him as king.

Luke 19:27
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

This is only a story, it doesn't mean that Jesus would ever approve of such actions.

Commentary:
Jesus showed signs of not only approving of such actions, he had plans to carry them out.
It's remarkable that Christians, who often tell unbelievers that the Hebrew scriptures foreshadowed, or indirectly pointed to Jesus, will deny an example of it when it's right in front of their face, from their own New Testament.
The story Jesus told in Luke 19:27 was just prior to his entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey and portraying himself as king, even though he planned on being an absent king, one who planned on ruling when he returned in his glorious second coming.
The story conveys the message that those people that work for the interests of the ruler, even in his absence, are given great rewards and find favor with the king when he returns. Those who offend the king, such as those that have no interest in having him rule over them, were to be brought before the king and killed.

Jesus told his disciples that any city that did not accept the gospel, in which Jesus becomes the their Lord, would be punished to an even greater extent than Sodom and Gomorrha were punished.
That implies a great deal of killing would take place(Gen 19:24-25).
Matt 10:14-15
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Jesus stated that simple unbelief was enough to offend him. Unbelievers are damned by Jesus.
Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Jesus stated quite clearly that he would conduct a great scourge of the earth when he returned to set up his kingdom.
Included in the list of people to be killed are those that offend him.
Matt 13:41-42
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The theme of burning or killing off those that don't comply with what Jesus wants is repeated here:
John 15:6
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

The killing spree that Jesus will conduct is also spelled out clearly in the Book of Revelation, where Jesus gives his
testimony of things that where to occur in the near future.
There's going to be a lot of killing going on when the aspiring king returns.
Rev 19:15
And out of his(Jesus) mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Note that Jesus will treat the nations of the earth this way, he shall "rule them with a rod of iron".
That certainly doesn't bode well for any that don't want Jesus to be king over them.

Paul, who claimed that he was directly instructed by Jesus in Gal 1:12, echoed the message of mass killing that would take place when the wrathful Lord Jesus comes to rule the world.
Those that fail to obey Jesus will be punished with "everlasting destruction".
2 Thess 1:7-9
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Attempting to dismiss Luke 19:27 as only a story that Jesus told, but would not approve of or actually do himself, is
a faith based adventure in self-delusion.
The doctrine is ugly, intolerant, and displays the leadership style of petty dictators or violent minded cult leaders, but there it is, right in the Holy Bible.
If that's too much reality for a believer to digest, then that's their problem.

Christian position:
Jesus is not a cult leader of a small cult because Jesus is God and because Christianity is a doctrine, not a cult.
Christianity is a world religion with millions of followers.
It is an ancient religion and will be around long after you and I are gone.
Christianity is a DOCTRINE. Not a cult.

Commentary:
According to the New Testament, around the time Jesus left earth, just prior to the Pentecost, the cult numbered about 120 believers. Jesus was the leader of a small cult, despite what this believer wants to think.
Acts 1:15
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples,and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

The fact that it's now a long-running popular cult, with millions of followers, is immaterial to the discussion.

Some definitions of the word CULT:

• a system of religious beliefs and ritual
• great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work

A cult leader is one that has commanding authority or influence, which is the very definition of Jesus.

Christianity has many doctrines just as cults do, and is centered around one figure, just as many cults are.
In this case the figure is a god-man that claimed all power and authority had been given to him.
Many egotistical cult figures share the same claim, along with claiming that they have superior "truth".
Jesus claimed to not only have superior truth, he claimed to be the only conduit to God.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus, like many cult leaders, wasn't shy about proclaiming that he had been given ultimate authority, and in this case Jesus boasted to have power over the entire universe.
Matt 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Christian assertion:
You used these words to describe what Jesus said:
"Obey me in all things or you will be punished."
Jesus never said that nor did any of his phrases indicate that.

Commentary:
The evidence supporting an intolerant, demanding, and wrathful Jesus is rather clear, but it's often so unpleasant for some believers to digest that they deny it exists. The myth of an ever humble Jesus is heavily promoted in Christianity.
However, the Prince of Peace is only peaceful once he has killed off anything that offends his self proclaimed majesty.
Jesus indicated that there is very little middle ground with him, you're either for him or against him.
Matt 12:30
He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

The New Testament exhibits the same dogmatic attitude in the following:
John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Jesus told his disciples to teach the world that they were to obey all the commands of Jesus.
Matt 28:19-20
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Simple unbelief is offensive to Lord Jesus, as pointed out in Mark 16:16 and Matt 13:41-42.

The penalty for disobedience is punishment. It doesn't get much clearer than this.
2 Thess 1:8-9
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Since this believer thinks Jesus is God, Jesus said that he should be feared because he had the power to not only kill people but to cast them into hell after they were dead.
Luke 12:5
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Some people that received a mark on themselves will be cruelly tortured in the presence of Jesus, the King of Kings.
This is the message from Jesus in that regard:
Rev 14:10-11
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

This belief system, which this apologist can't bring themselves to recognize as a form of cult, asserts that its followers are special because they're covered by the blood of a human sacrifice.
This cult leader also urged his followers to eat his flesh and drink his blood so they could live forever(John 6:53-55).
Then, according to cult teachings, these followers, who consider themselves to be vice-regents of God, will reign with the cult leader Jesus when he flies back to earth from his current perch in heaven.
These believers often say that they want to spend eternity in a place called "heaven" where they'll constantly be singing praises and giving glory to the cult leader.

Concerning the earlier claim that Jesus is God:
This must be real news to Jesus, who said that he has a God. Jesus said it no less than four times in one verse.
Rev 3:12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

The Jesus that said this wasn't the one that was speaking on earth, it was the glorified Jesus that was resurrected and had ascended to heaven.
Jesus clearly stated four times in one verse that he has a God, but that doesn't impede believers from peddling the "Jesus is God" myth as if it was some sort of universal fact.
An absurd Jesus fetish permeates society, where people are sold a bill of goods rooted in delusion and propaganda.

Source: http://agnosticreview.com/cultleader.htm

What would Moses do?

Art by Spiritualbabies

Visit: http://spiritualbabies.net/

Talmudic Parallels to New Testament Teachings

Talmudic Parallels to New Testament Teachings

TALMUDIC literature may be said to have commenced with Ezra's redaction of the Pentateuch, about five hundred years before the common era. Its main object was the interpretation and codification of The Law. It covers a vast field, embraces almost the whole range of religion and law of some eight hundred years, and engages almost every prominent Babylonian and Palestinian Jewish teacher of that entire period.
Its greatest creative activity was during the life-time of Jesus, and during a century or so after. Its subject-matter for the most part deals with the religious, ceremonial, civil, and criminal law, but it abounds also in ethical teachings, of which quite a number have found their way into the New Testament—somewhat altered in their expression by reason of the latter's use of the Greek tongue. Many an aphorism and parable of Jesus is in
p. 183
the very form and spirit of Talmud writings. The well known Golden Rule is a paraphrase of that of the famous President of the Sanhedrin, and head of the most celebrated academy of all Palestine, Rabbi Hillel, a forerunner of Jesus. The Lord's Prayer has the phrasing as well as the spirit of the prayers of the Talmudic Rabbis. The justly celebrated Sermon on the Mount of the New Testament contains many a parallel to the teachings of the Talmud. The following selections may serve as illustrations

NEW TESTAMENT.	TALMUD.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit.	1. More acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice is the humble spirit.
2. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.	2. Whoso maketh peace among his fellow-men enjoyeth the fruit thereof here, and shall reap his reward also in the world to come.
3. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.	3. Whoso is merciful toward his fellow creatures will be mercifully dealt with by his Father in Heaven.
4. Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.	4. Be rather of the persecuted than of the persecutors. Whoso is persecuted and reviled and does not persecute and revile in return will meet with his reward.
5. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, not one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.	5. Even heaven and earth shall pass away, but the word of the Lord shall endure forever.
6. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least	6. The least of the commandments demands as much

p. 184

NEW TESTAMENT.	TALMUD.
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.	of thy observance as the greatest.
7. Whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the Judgment.	7. Whoso lifts his hand against his neighbor, even though he strike him not, is guilty of an offense, and is adjudged a sinner.
8. Leave thy guilt before the altar and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.	8. Sins of man against God the Atonement Day expiates, but sins of man against man the Atonement Day does not expiate till he has become reconciled with his neighbor.
9. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.	9. Even if all the people of the earth were to try to make the wing of a raven white, they would try in vain.
10. Let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay.	10. Let your Yea be yea, and your Nay nay. Say not one thing with thy mouth and mean another thing with thine heart.
11. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away.	11. Let thy house be open to the needy, and let the poor be inmates of thy house. More righteous than he who gives what is asked is he who gives twice the amount asked. It is more praiseworthy to lend to the poor than to give alms.
12. If any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.	12. If any one take thy ass give him the saddle also.
13. Bless them that curse you.	13. Be rather of the accursed than of those that curse.
14. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, for he maketh	14. The day on which it rains is preferable even to the day of resurrection, for this

p. 185

NEW TESTAMENT.	TALMUD.
his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.	latter is profitable for the godly only; the rainy day, however, is profitable to the ungodly as well as to the godly.
15. Take heed that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them.	15. Whoso gives alms in public had rather not give alms at all than shame his fellowman.
16. But thou, when thou grayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.	16. "Whoso studies the Law in the secrecy of his home," saith the Lord, "I shall cause his goodly deeds to be known in public."
17. But when ye pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.	17. Let thy words be few when thou offerest them in prayer to God.
18. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.	18. Let this be thy short form of prayer: Thy will be done in heaven, and may peace of heart be the reward of them that reverence Thee on earth.
19. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.	19. Lead me not into sin, even from its temptations. deliver Thou me.
20. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.	20. My fathers had their treasures below, and I lay them up above. My fathers had their treasures where the hands of men may lay hold of them, I where no hand can reach them. My fathers’ treasures yield no fruit, but I gather what bears harvest. My fathers gathered for others, I for myself. My fathers gathered them for tins life; I for the world to come.
21. Behold the fowls of the air,	21. Neither beast nor bird follow

p. 186

NEW TESTAMENT.	TALMUD.
for they sow not neither do they reap.	a trade, and yet they are fed without toil.
22. Therefore, take no thought, saying: What shall we eat? or what shall we drink?	22. Whoso has bread in his basket, and yet asks: What shall I eat to-morrow? belongs to those of little faith.
23. Take therefore no thought of the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.	23. Sufficient unto the hour is the sorrow thereof. Thou shalt find it heavy enough even then.
24. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.	24. Whoso judges his neighbor charitably, shall himself be charitably judged.
25. With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again.	25. With what measure man metes, it shall be measured to him in heaven.
26. How wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold a beam is in thine own eye.	26. Do they say: Take the splinter out of thine eye? He will answer: Remove the beam out of thine own eye.
27. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.	27. Whoso would reprove others must himself be spotless.
28. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do you even so to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.	28. What is hateful unto thee, that do not unto another. This is the whole Law, all the rest is commentary.
29. Whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell and great was the fall of it.	29. He whose knowledge exceeds his good deeds may be likened to a tree with many branches and a scanty root—every wind shakes and uproots it. But he whose good deeds excel his knowledge may be likened to a tree with few branches and a strong root; even if all the hurricanes

p. 187

NEW TESTAMENT.	TALMUD.
	of the world were to come and rage against it, they would be powerless to move it from its place. Whoso studies the Law and acts in accordance with its commandments is likened unto a man who builds a house, the foundation of which is made of stone and the superstructure of bricks. Neither storm nor flood can injure it. But whoso studies the Law, and yet is wanting in good deeds, is likened unto the man who builds the foundation of his house of brick and the superstructure of stone. The flood comes, and undermines and destroys the house.
30. The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.	30. The day is short and the task is great, and the workmen are sluggish, and the reward is great, and the Master of the house is urgent.
31. Freely ye have received, freely give.	31. As freely as God has taught you s o freely shall ye teach.
32. Whoso shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.	32. Whoso humbles himself in this world shall be exalted in the next. Whoso makes himself like unto a slave, for the Law, in this world, shall be made free in the world to come.
33. For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance, but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.	33. To him that hath shall be given; from him that hath not shall be taken away.
34. Then shall the kingdom of	34. A king invited his servants

p. 188

NEW TESTAMENT.	TALMUD.
heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five werefoolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.	to a banquet, but did not appoint the time. The wise among them adorned themselves, and waited at the entrance of the king's palace, saying: Can there be anything wanting at a king' s house to delay a banquet? But the foolish among them continued at their labor, saying: Can there be a banquet without preparation? Suddenly the king's summons came. The wise, being ready and adorned, entered. But the foolish, hurrying from their work, entered with the soil of their labor upon them. The king welcomed the wise, a n d bade them to partake of the feast. But he was angry at the foolish, and bade them to stand and look on.
35. The Sabbath was made for	35. The Sabbath has been delivered

p. 189

NEW TESTAMENT.	TALMUD.
man, not man for the Sabbath.	into your power, not you into the power of the Sabbath.
36. When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him.	36. When thou art bidden as a guest seat thyself in a place lower than that of which thou art deserving. Let others assign to thee the higher place, not thyself. Never strive after the highest place lest they say unto thee: "Descend!" Better that they say unto thee: "Ascend to the higher place," than that thou shouldst be obliged to descend to the lower.
37. But when thou makest a feast call the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind.	37. So build thy house that its entrance be toward the street and that the poor have free admission, and let them be welcome guests within.
38. And the Lord saith unto the servant, go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.	38. Three things there are that bear fruit in this world and yield reward in the world to come: First, honor of parents and fellowmen; second, hospitality to strangers and wayfarers; third, the making of peace between contending parties.
39. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master.	39. It is enough for the servant that he be as his master.
40. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.	40. Unless God wills it, not even a bird falls from the sky. Unless God wills it, no evil can fall upon man.
41. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.	41. "Do I not number the very hairs of your head?" saith the Lord.
42. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of	42. With the destruction of the Temple the power of prophecy departed from the

p. 190

NEW TESTAMENT.	TALMUD.
heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.	prophets and entered the hearts of babes and simpletons.
43. Whoso, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.	43. Whoso humbles himself in this life in love for the Law of God shall he counted among the exalted in the world to come.
44. For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. And said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour they received every man a penny. And when they had received it they murmured against the good man of the house. Saying, these last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.	44. A king hired a number of laborers to work in his garden. Among them there was one whose labor was greatly pleasing in the eyes of the king. After observing him a while, he called him to his side, walked up and down with him, engaged in pleasant converse. In the evening the laborers came for their pay, and the king gave to each his day's wage. To him, whom he had called from his labor early in the day, he gave as much as to them who had toiled all the day. These were displeased, and complained of unfair treatment, inasmuch as they had labored all day long, and had received no more than he who had toiled but little. When the king learned of their displeasure, he said, This laborer has labored in but a few hours as much as ye have accomplished in all the day.

p. 191

NEW TESTAMENT.	TALMUD.
But he answered one of them and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong, didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is and go thy way, I will give unto this last even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because I am good? So the last shall be first and the first shall be last.
45. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.	45. In the life to come there will be neither eating nor drinking, neither marrying nor following a trade, neither envy nor hatred. The heads of the pious will be adorned with crowns, and the godly will rejoice in the presence of the Lord.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/rio/rio10.htm

Because the Jews are blind to Christ?

The prevailing Christian mindset of the Jews being blind to the gospel and therefore unable to understand their own blindness is perhaps one of the greatest ironies of all time.

One of the most illogical and unjust concepts is the killing and torture of an innocent man (in this case Jesus) to pay for the crimes someone else committed. In light of the instructions of G-D (Torah) the killing of another to pay my debt is unbiblical and completely ridiculous to the point where even a small child would agree, it is unjust. G-D is a Just G-D and a merciful G-D, the whole idea is barbaric...it's insane, to take joy in the fact that an innocent man was executed for my sins. I'm responsible for my actions! I have to answer for my choices. Yet, it is the Jew who is blind according to the New Testament Christian, who never takes into consideration what G-D says about the subject in the Old Testament, the Tanach.

The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to death for his own sin. Deu 24:16

The further I get away from Christian brainwashing the clearer it becomes about the abuse this so called religion is to children. I watched a video my grandchildren made a few years ago singing about 'the precious blood of the lamb”, never mind the fact, a lamb has nothing to do with atonement during the festival of passover, you'll not be taught this in Sunday school.

WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO

Video of a man in an Islamic country tortured and beaten to death on the streets was made public. Parents are leading their children by the scene, school bags on their backs, obviously on the way to school. No one seemed upset over the cruelty of such a scene... only to find Christian children acting out the torture and execution of Jesus as a Special Sunday Children's Program by the local church? There could not be a better example of Child abuse than to brainwash a child into believing this is what our creator wanted, and of all people, his own Son? There's nothing loving or merciful about this act or a god who would demand such a thing take place to pay for my crimes, only I can answer for my own sin, no one else. And they call the Jews “blind”.  

"I'm going to create man and woman with original sin. Then I'm going to impregnate a woman with myself so I can be born. Once alive I will kill myself as a sacrifice to myself, to save you from the sin I originally condemned you to."

Source: Why the Jews Are Against Jesus