Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Define Jewish

One is a kind of rabbinic Dr. Phil, taking the unorthodox step of asking those saying Kaddish to rise from the pews — as if in a grief support group — and to talk about their deceased mother or aunt or lifelong friend. The other, like a jazz player improvising a new ritual on the fly, will switch from Hebrew to English to chant particularly meaningful sections of the Torah and Haftorah — and then offer a “short overview” of the significance of that section. Both rabbis are employing outside-the-box techniques — for Conservative synagogues, that is — and they are leading unlikely revivals of two such synagogues on Long Island, one in the North Shore town of Glen Cove, the other in the South Shore community of Freeport.

From The Jewish Week
Unorthodox Rabbis Growing Two L.I. Synagogues

I'm not trying to be divisive in publishing this blog post, but from a non-Jewish person's point of view, we have a tendency to have a rather narrow understanding of who is Jewish and what is Judaism. I thought I'd take a break from my current series of blogs and post this little tidbit. Along with the article above (the link leads to the full story), I saw this:
Like so many newly religious American immigrants to Israel, 20-year-old Sarah Weil immersed herself in Torah studies and the intricacies of Jewish law, learning intently with the strictest chasidic rebbetzins in various Jerusalem seminaries. “I desperately wanted to keep Torah and mitzvot and be in the Orthodox world,” said Weil, who made aliyah in 2005. There was only one problem — no matter how many times she tried to talk herself out of it, Weil, now 26, knew that she was gay, and that homosexuality is considered an abomination in the eyes of many in the Orthodox community.
From The Jewish Weekly
For Orthodox Lesbians, A Home Online
While internally, these two groups of people may consider themselves Jewish and experience their faith and their observance as Jewish, as we can see, larger Judaism has a problem with them. I say this because larger, mainstream Judaism has a problem with another group as well:
Under the headline "Yeshua Superstar," Yoaz Hendel looked at the Messianic Jewish community in Israel as part of a series on "Who is a Jew?" "They circumcise their children, celebrate bar mitzvah, get married at the rabbinate, but they believe in Yeshua as their Messiah. 15,000 Messianic Jews currently live in Israel. If you met them in the street or the army, you probably wouldn't know who they are ... A Shabbat table loaded with food, the father of the family bends his head and blesses for the food and a good life, everyone holds hands and answers amen. If this scene had been in English, you might have thought that it was an episode of 'A Little House on the Prairie' - except that the prairie is the Yad HaShmonah moshav near Jerusalem and those praying are native Hebrew-speaking Israelis - Messianic Jews.
From the Maoz Israel Blog
Who is a Jew?
Internally, Messianic Jews also consider themselves Jewish and experience their faith and their observance as Jewish and at the same time, larger, mainstream Judaism (there may be exceptions, but generally speaking) definitely has a problem with MJ, considering them not to be Jewish at all but in fact, Christian.
Despite their belief in Jesus, Messianic Jews insist that they are Jewish. They call their religious leaders rabbis, they call their houses of worship synagogues, and their articles of faith emphasize what they call their Jewishness.

Jewish leaders think otherwise. "He’s not running a Jewish synagogue," says Rabbi Tovia Singer, founder of an organization dedicated to opposing Christian proselytizing, speaking of Messianic rabbis in general. "It’s a church designed to appear as if it were a synagogue and I’m there to expose him. What these irresponsible extremist Christians do is a form of consumer fraud." Religious leaders across the Jewish spectrum have all declared that Messianic Jews are not Jews.
From the Wikipedia entry:
Messianic Judaism
In fact, Jews for Judaism is an organization created to specifically counter the Missionary efforts of organizations like Jews for Jesus and other faith groups that actively attempt to convince Jewish people that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Jewish Messiah. Messianic Judaism isn't just disapproved of among mainstream Jews but specifically resisted.

Each group I've mentioned attempts to define itself within the confines and limits of its own boundaries and then export that definition the groups outside itself. This doesn't usually work out too well, at least for "minority groups", as experience has shown, and building bridges, either between a minority group and the majority, or between two or more minorities, is difficult at best and, in the worst case scenario, impossible this side of the Messiah's coming (or return, depending on your viewpoint). The result can often lead to each "minority" group (defining mainstream and particularly Orthodox Judaism as the "majority" in this context) becoming increasingly isolated from the larger group and circling the wagons into an ever tighter and more self-contained community.

This is one way that Messianic Judaism tends to view Gentile One Law groups, but I suspect that the behavior is more widespread in the larger, more general "Messianic" realm as well. What we aren't taking into account (at least I've never seen it expressed in the Messianic blogosphere) is God's point of view.

Messianic/One Law/Two-House conversations tend to focus on the physical manifestations of religious practice and the specific text of the Bible as applied to our various viewpoints, but rarely do we directly talk about what God sees and what God wants out of us. We also don't seem to talk about who God thinks is and isn't a Jew and how God sees both Jewish and non-Jewish people who have come to faith in the Jewish Messiah (and I say this from the point of view of a non-Jewish person who has come to faith in who I believe is the Jewish Messiah).

Yeshua talked about creating one flock out of two pens which is another way of saying "unity" between believing Jewish and Gentile people. I'm not sure how that unity is supposed to play out and I suspect that even those people who seem sure of how that unity (or disunity) is to manifest, when push comes to shove, can't be 100% sure that they are right on each and every point.

God is sure. He knows who is Jewish and who isn't. He knows how or if there is supposed to be a significant difference in religious identity between believing Jews and Gentiles and between Messianic and non-Messianic Jews. In our current existence, we fret and moan over who is Jewish and who isn't and what it all means. I suspect in the World to Come, Messiah will solve all that for us and straighten out all our quarrels and feuds.
In the last days
the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.

Many nations will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths."
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

Every man will sit under his own vine
and under his own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the LORD Almighty has spoken.

All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods;
we will walk in the name of the LORD
our God for ever and ever.

-Micah 4:1-5

25 comments:

Russ said...

James,

It would help immensely if there could be agreement on the simple meaning of the words we are using to explain our different positions.

Until there is an accepted consensus on what is meant by "Jew" and "Gentile", both in their actual, historic meanings and then being contrasted with the current meanings which have been assigned more by cultures and ambitions than what you have rightly called "YHVH's perspective", the disagreement and animosity will unfortunately continue.

But I fear that in trying to make that comparison scripturally, based on the present spiritual realities we have in Messiah, we might incur an even greater division of thought and allegiance to the already entrenched doctrines of individuals and groups who identify with the common meanings of words.

And you are quite right; if Messiah did not come to significantly change the operating dynamic between the two people groups, Jews and Gentiles, then what exactly was He hoping for?

I don't think that we can carry on with consigning each other to some form of disobedience without the negative effect of having nothing of any real value to show the world about the new life that awaits those who put their trust in the Messiah of Israel. Because it doesn't look like new life at all, but rather the old one with a plethora of religious terms and phrases being tossed back and forth in an effort to obtain some sort of advantage of the one group over the other.

He has made peace between the two groups, but it is a peace on His terms, not ours.

May we all come to agree on those terms in this generation.

Ef

Gene Shlomovich said...

Growing up, I had no problem knowing what "Jewish" was. To me, anyone born from TWO Jewish parents (which was, at that time, just about EVERY JEWISH person that I knew) and it was the standard that covered the great majority of Jewish people around me. It's probably is still the case for most of the Jewish people alive today.

However, the confusion stems from great increases in intermarriage and assimilation that we have seen only in the last two or three generations. This has produced a lot of confused people - and I don't think confusion is G-d's plan for the Jewish people. This is why I appreciate the fact that traditional rabbis are so uncompromising when it comes to established standards of Jewish identity.

In the end, I have to believe that G-d will sort out who is Isreal (Jewish) and who is not.

James said...

Gene, your last point is largely my point...God is the final arbiter of all the questions that drive some of us nuts, including who is a Jew and the relationship between Judaism and the world.

Anonymous said...

The Micah passage is a good ending to this article. G_d has a plan for all peoples to follow G_d's ways. Imagine a world where everyone does, because the sacred text points us in that direction.

Michael

Gene Shlomovich said...

"God is the final arbiter of all the questions that drive some of us nuts, including who is a Jew and the relationship between Judaism and the world."

Yes, God is indeed the final arbiter, but it doesn't mean that the Jewish leadership need to be paralyzed waiting for G-d's answer - answer that will only come at the end of the age. That's why in Judaism today there are established traditional standards that Jewish people go by. In Israel, where liberal Judaisms have no voice, the standard is that of the traditional Jewish halacha that has been practiced for thousands of years. Which is good enough for me.

James said...

Gene, you misunderstand me. I wasn't suggesting that Jewish leadership should not make such decisions. I was suggesting that, in the end, there are times when they can be wrong, such as in the case of the Orthodox leadership in Israel deciding Messianic Jews cannot make Aliyah because they consider those Jews to have converted to Christianity.

Gene Shlomovich said...

"I was suggesting that, in the end, there are times when they can be wrong, such as in the case of the Orthodox leadership in Israel deciding Messianic Jews cannot make Aliyah because they consider those Jews to have converted to Christianity."

Let's talk identity, and not about the separate issue - Jewish blindness to Yeshua as Messiah.

In cases of MJ's being denied entry "Jewishness" itself is not decided, James. What's decided instead is apostasy from Judaism (specifically). In fact, to be an apostate, one first HAS to BE (not HAD been) considered a halachic Jew. This has been shown to be true in a recent Israeli court case where children of Jewish fathers and Gentile mothers WERE NOT considered "Jewish", were believers in Yeshua, and yet were permitted to immigrate because not being born Jewish under the Jewish law they were not apostates from Judaism, but descendants of Jews (thus permitted to enter the country.)

http://www.hamishkandavid.org/id75.html

Dan Benzvi said...

Gene,

Apostacy from Judaism? Which Judaism you have in mind? The Conservative who are apostated from the Orthodox? The reform who are apostate from Orthodox, and from Conservative? Reconstructionist who are apostate from all of the above? Orthodox who are apostate from all all the others?

Sometime you really make me laugh...I guess it is the Russian-Jewish humor?

James said...

This is clearly a more complicated issue than I had imagined. It seems I can't put my fingers to the keyboard anymore without also putting my foot in my mouth. ;-)

Referencing the HaMishkan David article, does anyone know if, subsequent to the April 16th ruling of the Israeli Supreme Court, any Messianic Jews have successfully made Aliyah? Also, as I understand it, life isn't exactly easy for a Jew in Israel who "comes out" as Messianic.

Dan Benzvi said...

Gene, James,

I can only say from my own experience.

In 1982 my wife who is Jewish, therefore like you say an apostate, made Aliya to israel with my two children. She never hid her belief in Yeshua, and they never even asked her if she is Jewish. Maybe it was because I am an israeli citizen, but still.....

Now, this Micky-Mouse website, mishkan david, that is not only apostate, it is an abomination...

Zion/Jeruz said...

James,

No it is not as easy it seems... and yes, Messianics have a hard time in Israel. Why do you think Gene does not live there. I used to live in a boardline Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem, it was not good news for Messianics, had quite a few incidents. Gene prefers to be in America with the Gentiles, because there is much better treatment, the problem is he wants to live with Gentiles, he just doesn't want gentiles living with him! :P

Gene Shlomovich said...

"Gene prefers to be in America with the Gentiles, because there is much better treatment, the problem is he wants to live with Gentiles, he just doesn't want gentiles living with him!"

I love Gentiles!:) The ones in America have been wonderful so far!

James said...

Just thought I'd let folks know that I posted a somewhat related article on my congregation's blog: Healing which is, yet again, a call for unity among the body of believers. Tikkun Olam isn't just repairing the damage to the world, it's repairing the damage between each other.

Anonymous said...

"Messianic/One Law/Two-House conversations tend to focus on the physical manifestations of religious practice and the specific text of the Bible as applied to our various viewpoints, but rarely do we directly talk about what God sees and what God wants out of us."

This is an excellent point James. The reason we probably don't touch on it much is that, like most real truth, it demolishes our little ego games. God doesn't see our origins as defining our finish line. He's eagerly looking for all to come home to the fullness of relationship with Him. We are the ones who are busy trying to define ourselves like most mere humans do, by who is in and who is out. Yet Scripture clearly presents story after story of whoever responds to God gets all of who He is. Since God is willing to take people where they are at, and give them all of Himself, and trust the relationship to grow; why should we do less? Jesus' words, be like your Father in heaven, carry so much freight.

Halacha Judaism isn't the issue. An honest review of halacha Judaism shows it has changed down through time, and had an origin point long after Moses. There is a reason Jesus called Himself The Way (halacha), and was in opposition to the traditions of empty purity. If you are busy loving others and engaging God in the simplicities He expressed, you don't need to study 'how to....'as if it is the 24/7 job description of the religious. The written Word has enough. The 'lack of details' are for our personal enjoyment, to choose and develop our own personal walk in relationship with God. If God was interested in what the institutionalized version of Judaism misrepresents as His way, He had Moses' ear for 40 years and could have given a full and true record, instead of the mishmash of rabbinic word games used to create cradle to grave ad infinitum regulations.

Brettact2

Gene Shlomovich said...

"If God was interested in what the institutionalized version of Judaism misrepresents as His way, He had Moses' ear for 40 years and could have given a full and true record, instead of the mishmash of rabbinic word games used to create cradle to grave ad infinitum regulations."

I think that Brettact2 is the perfect candidate for those Gentiles who will become servants of the Jews:)

http://dailyminyan.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/will-gentiles-become-servants-of-the-jews-in-the-messianic-kingdom/

James said...

You might want to avoid being so quick to judge, Gene. You don't know what changes people will go through between now and the Messiah's return. It's one thing to disagree with a person's opinion and another thing entirely to personally decide their fate. That's God's job.

Gene Shlomovich said...

"You might want to avoid being so quick to judge, Gene. You don't know what changes people will go through between now and the Messiah's return."

James, that's why I referred to him as a "candidate."

1. A person who seeks or is nominated for an office, prize, or honor.
2. A student who has nearly completed the requirements for a degree.
3. One that seems likely to gain a certain position or come to a certain fate.

James said...

It would still help if you'd take a few moments before hitting the "Publish" buttons, to go over your comments and try to imagine how they appear from a different person's point of view instead of just your own.

Gene Shlomovich said...

"It would still help if you'd take a few moments before hitting the "Publish" buttons, to go over your comments and try to imagine how they appear from a different person's point of view instead of just your own."

James, I hate to over-analyze things and I am not very politically correct like some of my American-born and raised fellow bloggers and commenters. Our friend Brettact2 here didn't hesitate to cast Judaism and the heritage of my people in the worst possible light and he didn't give a second thought to consider my "feelings." Since it's apparent that Brettact2 is not into political correctness either, I think he's a man enough to able to take my honest assessment of him in strides without being offended.

Rick Spurlock said...

@James, I am reading Pamela Eisenbaum's Paul Was Not A Christian. She does a wonderful job documenting how the  formal conversion practices of the late Second Temple period were not universal by any means. More prevalent was the concept of "theological conversion" which was based upon the concept of politeia -the word that Paul uses in Ephesians 2:12 (commonwealth). Gene likes to anachronistically use this word. Here is what she says,

By the time of Josephus, Philo, and Paul a tradition had already been established of conceptualizing the Jewish people as bound by—and bounded by—a single ideal politeia. Politeia is a common Greek term often translated “constitution,” by which is meant “way of life.” It can also be translated “citizenship.” The books of Maccabees and the Letter of Aristeas provide evidence that sometime during the Hasmonean period Jewish identity was reconceptualized; it began to break away from dependence on geography and genealogy and instead became dependent on the notion of belonging to a common politeia. 

In other words, for most Jews of the late Second Temple period, to be a Jew meant that one regarded oneself as a citizen of the Jewish politeia, and that politeia was enshrined in the Torah.
 

Gene Shomovich said...

"Paul uses in Ephesians 2:12 (commonwealth). Gene likes to anachronistically use this word."

Au contraire. Besides "commonwealth" being the most common translation by the majority of biblical translators (of which, you Rick, is not one), the description of the Millennium Kingdom of the Messiah by the prophets (and NT as well) fits the commonwealth model (most recently represented by the British Empire) almost perfectly.

Here are some of the characteristics of the Commonwealth of Israel:

1. Single Monarch (Maschiach ben Dovid) ruling over subject nations from the head nation (Israel), as predicted even way back in Genesis 49:10.

2. All nations are preserved in their locations as were allocated to them by G-d (Deuteronomy 32:8) and even retain their respective historic national names (Isaiah 19:25).

3. Israel remains as distinct a nation for eternity (Jeremiah 31:36) and will be at the head of all the nations. To say that all nations will blend into one big nation called "Israel" is not only unbiblical, it's not better replacement theology than what classical Christianity teaches. Israel will receive a double portion, instead of shame and disgrace it suffered. (Isaiah 61 is a great chapter for that.)

4. Jews taken OUT of the nations and gathered back to their old Land (Ezekiel 37:21). Where will the nations from where the Jews are taken out go then - will everyone immigrate to Israel so they can be "citizens"? No, they will stay right where they are in their national homelands, but they will be part of Commonwealth of Israel since Messiah will rule them from Jerusalem. How do we now that - per Zechariah 14:17-18 all nations will be required to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem year after year.

James said...

National borders are national borders and the Land of Israel is unique among the nations (which is probably why every American President has failed to bring peace between Israel and the "Palenstinians" using traditional diplomatic means).

Assuming that not all Gentiles will become believers in the Jewish Messiah and with the understanding that something changes for those Gentiles who do accept the Jewish Messiah, in the end, are Gentile believers and Gentile non-believers put in the same bucket while the Jewish people are in a different bucket? Looking at this a different way, if Gentile believers have a new citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven as a result of faith in the Messiah, are we citizens in the same Kingdom as the Jewish believers?

Gene Shlomovich said...

"if Gentile believers have a new citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven as a result of faith in the Messiah, are we citizens in the same Kingdom as the Jewish believers?"

James, I am not sure how it could be implied from what I said that there will be two different kingdoms, one for Jews and another for Gentiles. Same Kingdom, but perhaps somewhat different roles, duties and blessings.

James said...

Gene, because I think citizenship in the physical nation of Israel and citizenship in the Kingdom of God get mixed up in some of these conversations. I realize that, as a Gentile, I'm not entitled to one square inch of the Land of Israel, but as a believer, the Word of God tells me that I have citizenship in the Kingdom of God as does every believer in Yeshua. How all that will work out in the Life in the World to Come, I'm not sure yet, but it sure beats the alternative. Just trying to clear up some ambiguity.

Gene Shlomovich said...

I think it will all work out to the blessing of all true followers of Messiah and I also think we'll all be more together than apart.

Matthew 8:11:

"I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven."