Have God's People Failed?

Rabbi Yechezkel Gubner opened the rally, which was graced by the presence of the city's Rabbanim and Admorim, with a moving cry: "Gevalt! We are standing opposite a building in which they convert Jews from their faith every day! From a small congregation of 10 people some two years ago, it has grown through limitless funding to some150 Jews -- 150 pure souls, sons of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, some of whom were kippah-wearers, converted out of their religion!"

The Chief Rabbi of Ashdod, Harav Yosef Sheinin, who defied an order from the High Court and refused to grant a kashrus certificate to a missionary eatery in the city, compared the missionaries to Haman.

from the story Thousands Rally in Ashdod Against Missionaries
MahNishmah.com

Update: The "hate-fest" isn't over yet. Here's more from the Maoz Israel Blog for February 28th. The original article continues below.

A story similar in content and tone was published at the Vos Iz Neias (The Voice of the Orthodox Jewish Community) site and probably many other Jewish Israeli sites as well. Last night, I read a different version of this story at both the Yinon and Kineti L'Tziyon blogs, quoting their original source at Maoz Israel:

Growing up as a Jew, I never in my life would have thought that I would one day be compared to Hitler. But that's just what happened tonight.

I was informed that there would be a 'rally' against Messianic Jews (Jews who believe that Yeshua is the promised Jewish Messiah) in the town of Ashdod, Israel.

At first we thought our dear Pnina was to have her bakery targeted again. The poor woman just wants to make cookies and cakes, but because of her faith in Yeshua, she's been endlessly harassed for years.

But no, this time the rally was in another part of town outside a Messianic Jewish congregation.

I honestly didn't know what to expect. Maybe a few demonstrators? I was shocked by what was in place when I arrived.

The blog writer goes on to describe a "well-organized hate-fest" with hundreds of ultra-orthodox boys and men rallying against the "missionaries" who have converted Jews away from their faith and to "Christianity". Here's more:

Before I realized what was happening I had between 50-100 people surrounding me, calling me a missionary and asking me what I was doing in Israel. Boys as young as 6-7 years old were hissing at me, making hateful faces. The group closed in more and more trying to intimidate and I'll be honest it worked.

These were people who had been bred from the the womb, to hate Yeshua and anyone who identifies themselves with Him. They didn't even see me as a human being. They just saw me as a vessel of everything they loathe.

And yet, these were Jews who, as a people, have experienced a long, long history of being harassed, taunted, marginalized, assaulted, tortured, and even murdered by Christians seeking to forcibly convert Jews to Jesus in ancient and not so ancient times. If these Ultra-Orthodox protesters believed that the Messianic congregation in Ashdod had the same goals and could use the same or similar methods (today in Israel, torture wouldn't be expected but trickery might), then the passion the protesters displayed was seen as absolutely justified from their point of view.

And that's the problem. Any act of hatred or violence can be justified in the eyes of the people perpetrating such acts.

Lest you think I'm picking on just this one group of Ultra-Orthodox Jews, such emotions and behaviors aren't limited to just them. There are plenty of news articles, such as published by Haaretz.com and Guardian.co.uk, chronicling acts of violence from Haredi groups in Israel, even against Jewish women:

Mikhail, who is reluctant to give her full name, had scandalised members of her ultra-orthodox Jewish community by leaving her husband and embracing a secular lifestyle. The men, all members of the theologically conservative Haredi branch of Judaism, tackled her to the ground, slammed her head against the floor and tied a rag around her mouth. One assailant sat on her head as the others kicked her while demanding to know the names of the men she was seeing.

They also threatened to kill her if she did not leave the neighbourhood, which contains many secular as well as religious residents. 'A woman is only OK if she has a family, kids and a husband,' said Mikhail with a sigh.

The Ultra-Orthodox also protest with violence and vandalism in defense of the Shabbat in Jerusalem:

After ultra-Orthodox demonstrators protested opposite the Intel offices in Jerusalem on Saturday, Trade Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer on Sunday said that such violence and vandalism would not be tolerated by the government.

"Whoever thinks that violence will solve the problem, and whoever thinks that the government will accept violence and vandalism is wrong," said Ben-Eliezer at a ceremony marking the opening of a new Intel site in Jerusalem.

"I understand that there are populations who have certain customs and demands and I respect that, but everything can be straightened out in a pleasant way and with mutual respect," the minister continued.

I'm probably going to be accused of being antisemitic by posting these links and quotes, but Jewish people aren't immune to committing unjust acts simply because they're Jewish. Neither are Christians, according to this story from The Huffington Post:

Westboro Baptist Church, the Topeka church known for its inflammatory anti-gay protests, plans to picket the funerals of the six people gunned down in Arizona on Saturday.

In a flier posted on its web site, the controversial church writes, "THANK GOD FOR THE SHOOTER -- 6 DEAD!" The message continues:

God appointed this rod for your sins! God sent the shooter! This hateful nation unleashed violent veterans on the servants of God at WBC--hoping to silence our kind warning to obey God and flee the wrath to come.

The flier claims that the shooting of both a House member and a federal judge -- the latter of whom was killed -- is god's punishment for judicial and Congressional action against the WBC.

Am I citing extreme examples? Yes. So what's my point?

Maybe they're not all that extreme. For every church, synagogue, or group that acts out thoughts and emotions of violence and hate, how many out there preach them in their congregations? How many churches still teach their congregations that the "Jews killed Jesus" and deserve eternal damnation? Won't these same groups use the "incident" in Ashdod to support their beliefs? If a Jewish man or woman in Israel comes to faith in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah because they've associated with a Messianic congregation, won't that justify the belief that Messianic Jewish congregations exist solely as missionary groups designed to prey on and convert innocent Jews? Doesn't that justify any act to stop such an atrocity against Jews, especially in their own Land?

When I first read the news last night, I wrote a brief blog post registering my sadness and regret, but this morning things continued to pile up inside of me.

On a very small scale, I have an "interfaith" dilemma of my own to face. As I've mentioned before, my wife is Jewish and is associated with the local Chabad synagogue. While things are generally at peace in our home, I know there are certain issues we can't freely discuss if we want to keep that peace.

My son and daughter-in-law brought our two year old grandson to spend the night last night. My 22 year old daughter, who lives with us and self-identifies as Jewish, was reading a book to him before my grandson went to bed. At one point, she said something like "The book is religious" and told me that it was quoting something out of 1 Thessalonians (I don't recall the specific chapter and verse). It wasn't so much what my daughter said but the tone in her voice, which wasn't pleasant, when she noticed the quote from the Christian Bible. I looked at my wife in that instant and her facial expression was completely frozen. I asked if she objected to the specific quote in the book (I didn't buy the book and don't recall where it came from) and told her I would have no objection if we had more Jewish children's books. She barely made any sound in response and the entire event passed.

On several previous occasions, I've offered to leave my Messianic (One Law) congregation if my continued attendance offended or embarrassed my wife. Her repeated response was that she had no right to ask such a thing of me and that I had every right to worship where I chose.

But that wasn't really a response. I asked her if she wanted me to quit, not whether or not she had the right to ask me to leave.

As far as I can tell, the only Jews who read my blog are Messianic, so we have a worship of the Jewish Messiah in common. However, I'm sure other (non-Messianic) Jews (assuming they would read this blog) would disagree with my choice of faith and its expression. To the degree that what I do doesn't effect them or any other Jew, I guess they have no reason to chime in regarding how they feel about people like me. However, what I do and where I worship absolutely affects my Jewish family.

I can only guess a somewhat related dynamic is happening in Israel. The Ultra-Orthodox see Messianic Jews (who they no doubt view as "former-Jews" and "Christian missionaries") and feel threatened and angry. It would be bad enough if this were a group of Christian (Gentile) missionaries in Ashdod, but they aren't Gentiles...they're Jewish. From the perspective of many Israeli (and other) Jews, it must seem as if the Messianic congregation is composed of a bunch of "traitors". What doesn't seem obvious to many Christians witnessing these protests, amid the anger and (potential) violence, are the feelings of the protesting Jews of being threatened and hurt by Jews who seem to have turned against their own people. I can only imagine how bitter a thing this must be.

But is the only response anger and violence? Is this what it's come down to? Is this what the Master meant when he said, " However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? But he also said this:

‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’ -Matthew 23:37-39 (NRSV)

I realized this morning that I not only feel my heartache for the congregation in Ashdod, but I also feel it on a very personal level. How much of that feeling of mistrust and disdain of Christianity could be happening in my own home? As long as I keep quiet and don't overtly speak out of my faith, the matter stays dormant. But what would happen if I became more obvious?

I've told my family that this summer, I will be leaving the Messianic movement, but will I also be expected to surrender all faith in Jesus? I doubt my wife would come out and ask such a thing of me, but is the desire in her heart? Would she be happy if I threw away my Bible? Do I dare spend (waste?) money by purchasing other New Testament commentaries to continue the exploration of my faith and understanding of the Bible? Will I someday eat at the same table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or merely dine on ashes? What is the future of faith in Christ in the Holy Land? When the Messiah comes, will he find faith?

And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. -Friedrich Nietzsche

The road is long and we are surrounded by darkness.

Embracing Your Inner Shiksa

I am a recent convert to Judaism, but I still call myself a Shiksa. Why? Because I’ve spent the majority of my life as a Gentile. I’m exploring Jewish cuisine with an open mind and heart. I am happy that I was born a Shiksa; it made me who I am today. Judaism is my spiritual path, but I will never forget where I came from. Plus, “The Convert In The Kitchen” doesn’t sound quite as cute, does it? ;)

Tori Avey
from The Shiksa in the Kitchen

I came across Tori Avey on twitter and was intrigued. Actually, after my last few rather somber blog posts, I needed an emotional and spiritual pick-me-up and "the shiksa in the kitchen" seemed to fill the bill.

I've read a number of books on conversion to Judaism lately and, from what I understand, most converts want to keep a low profile, despite the fact that the Torah commands Israel not to oppress the convert and not to treat them any differently than "born-Jews". Human nature (Jewish or otherwise) tells me that there's plenty of "treating differently" that still goes on.

That's why it's a little surprising to me that Avey not only is so upfront and public about being a convert, but refers to herself as a "shiksa" (I always picture shiksas as blond for some reason, which certainly isn't Avey).

I authentically have to admire and congratulate Avey for openly blogging the Shiksa is Jewish! She must have a very supportive family and synagogue to feel so comfortable in sharing her world with the rest of us. Either that, or she possesses boundless amounts of courage and self-confidence. Ether way, I kind of envy her.

As many of you know, the word shiksa means a non-Jewish woman. Some of you may be wondering, “Is she still going to be called The Shiksa In The Kitchen?” I answer that question with an enthusiastic yes! Historically, the word Shiksa has been used in a derogatory way — meant to convey that the “Shiksa” is somehow “less than” somebody born into Judaism. Rather than shy away from the word, I choose to let my background empower me. I have no shame that I was born a Shiksa; I am exploring Judaism through the eyes of somebody newly reborn and thrilled to be part of the Tribe. I am happy that I was born a Shiksa; it made me who I am today. Judaism is now my spiritual path, but I will never forget where I came from. Plus, “The Convert In The Kitchen” doesn’t sound quite as cute, does it?

What's also amazing (at least compared to the Messianic blogosphere) is the comments section on her blog post which directly announces the completion of her conversion. Click the link and take a few moments to scroll down through the various congratulations and warm regards related by everyone who has chosen to express them, born-Jew and convert alike. It's quite refreshing.

Does what I'm writing have anything to do with similar blogs I've written about community lately? Absolutely!

Tori Avey found her community and a place where she is welcome to be who she is (Jewish, shiksa, and all). May God grant us all (yes, me too) the same grace...and a home.

Thanks for the blog, Tori (should, by some miracle, you ever find this post and read this).

The road is long and often, we travel in the dark...

What Did Jesus Teach About the Torah, Part 1?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

This is the ninth part of my series on what Yeshua (Jesus) directed his Jewish disciples to teach the newly minted Gentile Messianic disciples to obey. Today, we'll take a hard look at what Yeshua (Jesus) taught his Jewish disciples to teach about obeying the Law, otherwise known as the Torah. Before we get to that, let's review the previous lesson: What Did Jesus Teach About Response and Acceptance:

In a nutshell, we learn that when we hear the Good News of Messiah Yeshua that's being delivered to the entire world, we must respond by building the foundation of our lives on the Rock and then sharing the seed that was planted with as many as we can. Put the Word into practice so we can bear good fruit and yield large crops of disciples for the Master. It's not so much whether we say "yes" or "no" but whether we repent and then "do" that counts.

I hadn't planned to write another blog in this series today, but I was updating the information on my congregation's website about a class I plan to start teaching later in October, and I realized that the content completely folded into this series. In fact, this series is the basis for the reboot on my class on the Torah commandments and Gentiles.

For almost two years, the class examined each of the 613 Commandments that traditional Judaism states were given to the Children of Israel by God. I felt that, if we looked at the commandments using the traditional Jewish format, we could see how we Messianic disciples could better serve our Master and Lord. The result, though quite interesting and illuminating, seemed to be missing one important element: Yeshua. Specifically, we were missing this:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

Yes, I know I quote these words of the Master at the beginning of every blog post in this series, but now, we're zeroing in on some very important material. Yeshua commanded the Jewish Messianic disciples to make disciples of all of the Gentile nations teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. The key to what we should be learning of the commandments lies in what Yeshua actually taught as reflected in the Gospels. It's from there that we will discover the entrance to the Torah for Gentile disciples. In pursuit of this new line of study, there are a number of other scriptures we must consider:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5:17-20

From this, we know that the Torah of Moses was not done away with when Yeshua perished on the execution stake, but this scripture is also sometimes used to support the concept that Gentile disciples, as "grafted in" (Romans 11:11-24), are obligated to the full 613 commandments, just as are the Jewish disciples and as Jews have been since the days of Moses. However, this would make Gentile disciples and Jewish disciples virtually indistinguishable from one another and except for circumcision (and some Gentiles in the Messianic movement believe that even the Brit Milah is for Gentile Messianics), we would be identical in appearance, form, and substance, to our Jewish brothers and sisters. Was this God's intent? If so, why are we Gentiles not simply encouraged to convert to Judaism? Paul spoke harshly against Gentile conversion to Judaism:

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. -1 Corinthians 7:17-20

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. -Galatians 5:2-6

Clearly Gentile disciples were not meant to be turned into Jewish disciples. Doing so would completely devalue the sacrifice of the Messiah. Also, 1 Corinthians 7:17-20 states that being Jewish or Gentile isn't the important point but that keeping God's commands is what counts, yet Galatians 5:2-6 says that Gentiles should not seek conversion to Judaism for if we convert, we will be obligated to obey the whole law. Paul also states here that what's most important is faith expressing itself through love, not being a Jew or a Gentile.

The two verses seem confusing and almost contradictory as far as Gentile Torah observance is concerned. So what does this mean for Gentile observance of the Torah commandments relative to Jewish observance? I don't plan to give a definitive answer in this blog post, but I do plan to explore the issue more fully in the class I'll be teaching in October (and if you click this link, you'll see the class announcement displays a startling similarity to this blog post).

Just one thought before proceeding. In 1 Corinthians 7, when Paul says that people should remain as who they are (circumcised or uncircumcised) and that obeying the Torah is the most important thing, if you look at his words from a certain perspective, you could imagine he's saying that Torah obedience is different for each group. I can't prove this one way or the other right now, but keep it in mind.

There are a few other passages that are specifically relevant:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." -Matthew 22:36-40

This, of course, is the Master quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 and seemingly indicating that these two commandments are like two large containers, and within these containers, are the sum of all of the other commandments given by God. Since Yeshua is teaching this and since the Matthew 28 directive mandates that the Jewish disciples teach the Gentile disciples everything Yeshua taught, what does that mean for we Gentiles today? Also consider this:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. -Matthew 23:23-24

This is one of the "seven woes" Yeshua speaks to the corrupt Pharisees and Torah teachers as recorded in Matthew 23 and which I taught about in a previous blog post, but note an important point. He says "You should have practiced the latter (ceremonial laws), without neglecting the former (moral laws).

I'm sorry I'm dividing the Torah into "ceremonial" and "moral" laws. This is how the church typically views the Torah and how it justifies disregarding the Shabbat (ceremonial) while attending to commandments such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick (moral), yet in Matthew 23:23, Yeshua teaches obedience to both! If this is part of what Yeshua intended to be taught to the Gentile disciples, then it has tremendous impact on how we Gentile disciples today learn and obey the Torah of Moses.

One more thing. Yeshua says that justice, mercy, and faithfulness are more important matters than giving a tenth of our spices in the Temple. Adding to this, in Mark 12:33, the man speaking to Yeshua regarding the two greatest commandment replies, "to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." In other words, substance is more important than the mechanics.

Conclusion: What did Yeshua instruct the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples to obey about the Torah?

1. The Jewish disciples are responsible to teach the Gentile disciples of Yeshua everything Yeshua had taught them.
2. Yeshua didn't eliminate the Torah but rather, he came as the living embodiment of Torah, to show us that it is possible for a human being to obey God. The Torah is here to stay.
3. Anyone who breaks a single commandment of the Torah or teaches others to break the commandments will be called "least in the Kingdom of Heaven". Be careful if you tell someone that they don't have to obey a commandment.
4. If you came to faith in Yeshua as a Jew, stay a Jew. If you came to faith in Yeshua as a Gentile, stay a Gentile. Obeying the commandments is what counts.
5. If you, as a Gentile, convert to Judaism in order to seek justification by the Torah rather than by faith, the Messiah will be of no value to you at all. Faith expressed through love is what counts.
6. The two greatest commandments, loving God with everything you've got, and loving your neighbor as yourself, exist as two big buckets which contain the sum of the Torah and the Prophets.
7. Keep all of the law. Don't subdivide it into what you do in the Temple and what you do for human beings, disregarding one and clinging to the other. However, of the two sides of the coin, doing justice, mercy, and faithfulness is more important.

This is the first blog post in this series where I've quoted other "authorities" besides Yeshua, namely Paul in this case. Yet as a Messianic disciple and as the disciple who was charged to be an emissary to the Gentiles, Paul was uniquely positioned to obey the Matthew 28 directive, so I feel that I'm on solid ground by quoting him as well as the Master.

Paul said two things that are hard to put together. He said that obeying the Law was the most important thing and he said that faith expressing itself as love is the most important thing. On the surface, if you look at the two statements in their scriptural contexts, they seem to contradict each other, but if you take the two greatest commandments into consideration, then obeying the commandments of God is expressing faith as love, as long as we keep our priorities straight. You could also interpret this contradiction as there being two different ways of obeying the Torah, one for Jews and one for Gentiles. I have no conclusion on this point right now.

In a nutshell, for today's lesson, we learn that Gentiles are supposed to learn and obey everything Yeshua taught, including the fact that the Torah will be with us for a long time. We learned that God called each of us as the person He made us to be, so Jews don't have to turn into Gentiles, and Gentiles don't have to turn into Jews in order to be disciples of the Messiah and in fact, deliberately turning ourselves into something we're not just because we think it will justify us before God, makes Yeshua valueless to us. Loving God and loving others is the totality of the Torah and the Prophets and we should do both, not neglecting one for the other. In order to find out what comes next, we can't neglect what the Torah teaches, because that's what Yeshua teaches.

I made this blog post a "Part 1" because there's still a gaping hole in the middle of how and in what parts of the Torah Yeshua expects Gentile obedience. What I'm trying to say here, is that Gentile Torah obedience may be more than what "strict Messianic Judaism" wants to believe. That said, it may also be quite different than what One Law/One Torah adherents have traditionally understood.

To be continued.