Saturday, January 15, 2011

Who Has a Jewish Soul?

The Zohar opens with the image of the Jewish soul likened to a beloved rose among the thorns of materialism. The thorns wither the soul's sensitivity to G-dliness. Prune away the thorns, and the soul flourishes in G-d's shining light.

From Pictures with a Purpose
Chabad.org

In Judaism, "Jewish souls" awakening from among the gentiles is something that happens. All converts are such people. Perhaps, now that we're nearing toward the geula, HaShem is harvesting some lost souls throughout the world. I don't agree that their current state is where they are going to stay, if they're actually going to become truly part of Israel. But I'm sure that anyone who seeks out the urge and desire that they have for Israel and Tora, they will eventually end up in the right place. And may HaShem help them.

Aaron ("Jewzilla") in a comment on
Kineti L' Tziyon

I suppose I'll have to publish a little more of the transaction between Aaron and me for this to make sense:
James: Funny, that's more or less what my wife said to me once. Of all the Jews I can discuss matters of faith with, she's the only one who doesn't seem to be offended by who I am and what I believe. Of course, she loves me, which probably makes a difference.

Aaron ("Jewzilla"): James,

Follow up the passion with the fullest extent of action. ^_^
I'm not sure if Aaron was encouraging me to convert to Judaism (and if he was, I'll take that as a compliment) but what he said and the way he said it made me stop and think.

The various different manifestations of "Messianic Judaism" have been struggling especially hard recently to try and make sense of the non-Jewish presence in a "Jewish movement". Of course, Christianity is not thought of as a "Jewish movement" but the related worship of the same Messiah and the same God must be seen as some sort of connection between the Church and Messianic Jews. In the demilitarized zone between the two groups, you have populations of people characterized by the labels "One Law" and "Two House" who seem to be, at the same time, related and unrelated to both religious entities.

But who are we?

That's the Sixty-four thousand dollar question since "identity" is at the very core of the conflict between Jews and non-Jews in the Messianic and Christian communities (I use the plural since any real connection between Messianic Jews and the Christian church is largely theoretical at this point).

We are all here in the same "virtual" room, though we are using pieces of chalk to mark our various territories in that room and putting up signs at these chalk-drawn borders saying "No such-and-thus is allowed beyond this point".

I hope I'm exaggerating, but I fear I'm not...at least not by much.

I've got so much I could say about the conversations that have taken place in the "Messianic blogosphere" during the past week, I hardly know where to begin. I've tried to inject a little reason into what I see as an unreasonable set of situations in my blog posts What I Won't Miss and Imagining Ourselves, but reason seems to be the last thing that most people want at the moment.

I recently read a blog article called Torah and Non-Jews at Christian for Moses, which appears to be an extension of the previous blog post Orthodox Rabbi's View of Torah and the Gentiles (and I highly recommend reading both, along with related article Prayer and Non-Jews).

I'm beginning to see a building amount of evidence for allowing non-Jews to access areas of Jewish life that heretofore were considered "forbidden" or "exclusively owned by Jews". Lines of distinction have become blurred and we are all stumbling about, bumping into each other, saying "beg your pardon", and trying to regain our balance.

But who are we?

According to Aaron's comments, it is possible for a non-Jewish person to have a "Jewish soul" (and I'm very uneducated about how this would work) and it is believed that all Gentiles who convert to Judaism are such Jewish souls.

But isn't that a form of supersessionism (the hot topic of last week)? Isn't that a form of diluting the body of "real" Jews?

I suppose it depends on how you look at it. I've read Lydia Kukoff's Choosing Judaism, Anita Diamant's Choosing a Jewish Life and am in the process of reading Rabbi Kerry M Olitzky's and Joan Peterson Littman's book Making a Successful Jewish Interfaith Marriage. They all address this issue in one way or the other and confirm the general belief in Judaism that Gentile converts to Judaism are seen as having "Jewish Souls".

The authors of these books are rather liberal and take a stance that accepting converts and intermarried couples (more after the fact than before) actually strengthens Judaism rather than watering it down.

Interestingly enough, I see a sort of parallel between Gentiles being attributed to having "Jewish Souls" and the Two-House movement, which says that any non-Jew who is attracted to the Torah and Judaism must be a member of the lost ten tribes (as if no non-Jew in his or her own right could possibly be attracted to the beauty of the Torah for its own sake or for God's).

Of course it is Judaism's view that it is possible for some Gentiles to have "Jewish Souls" but it's a Gentile viewpoint that some non-Jews can really be "lost Jews" (and thereby hangs the difference). In both cases, the "belief" is the explanation for why a non-Jew could be attracted to Judaism enough to want to enter into some sort of "joining process". The former joining process (conversion or intermarriage) has always been seen with suspicion in Judaism and only accepted with difficulty (hence the necessity for books to educate potential converts, intermarrieds, their families, their Rabbis, and Jews and Christians in general). On the other hand, Messianic Judaism views Two-House as a rather odd form of "supersessionism" which is the act or attempt to replace or dilute Jews with non-Jews, and thus reducing or destroying Jewish identity.

What a mess.

This coming week, we will be reading and studying the Torah Portion Yitro, which features the remarkable act of millions of Jews and non-Jews standing at the foot of Mount Sinai and "as one man" accepting the Torah of God. The leader of this vast body of humanity is himself, an "intermarried" Jewish man who takes advice from his Gentile father-in-law.

Even at the level of the Mount Sinai event, there was a "mixing" of different people groups in relation to God and the Torah. Thousands of years later, Yeshua (Jesus) commits the ultimately confusing act of requiring his Jewish disciples to also make disciples of the peoples of the nations (Matthew 28:18-20) and Peter, the Messiah's "right hand man", actually witnesses Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit of God before his very eyes and says that the Gentiles should not be restricted from baptism (Acts 10:44-48).

Yet, in the modern era, non-Jews who are attracted, not only to the Jewish Messiah but to the Jewishness of the Jewish Messiah, are having the most difficult time being allowed to make the actual social and religious connection to Messianic Judaism.

Are One Law and Two House members an abberation which damages Messianic Judaism and are their beliefs inexorably supersessionist? I'll try to address that in my next blog. The answer might not be what you think.

No matter how I answer the question, I'm sure to invoke yet another blood bath among the body parts of the Messiah who are all commanded to love each other (John 13:34).
We were so close, there was no room
We bled inside each other's wounds
We all had caught the same disease
And we all sang the songs of peace
Some came to sing, some came to pray
Some came to keep, the dark away


So raise the candles high, 'cause if you don't
We could stay black against the night
Oh raise them higher again and if you do
We could stay dry against the rain


From Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)
Melanie Safka (1970)
The road is long and often, we travel in the dark, ignoring the light of the world. Look for the lamp who lights your path or you may become lost in the dark forever.

"A Jew never gives up. We're here to bring Mashiach, we will settle for nothing less." -Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh

19 comments:

Gene Shlomovich said...

"Yet, in the modern era, non-Jews who are attracted, not only to the Jewish Messiah but to the Jewishness of the Jewish Messiah, are having the most difficult time being allowed to make the actual social and religious connection to Messianic Judaism. "

James, I submit to you that One Law/Two House movements, being as they are, superessionist at their cores, are not truly looking for a connection to Jewish people, but as many other Christian replacementist movements they are assembling their own "true religion". What's more, their attitude to Israel is confrontational on many levels, seeking to redefine the Jewish identity itself. One could feel the seething anger, jealousy resentment toward Messianic Jews.

About who is a Jew. From reading of the Gospels I think that Yeshua himself had and has a pretty strong definition of children Israel - heck, something as important as the order of receiving message of salvation itself depends on it, and even the eventual judgment of nations in the end of day in relation to how they treated Israel.

Rick Spurlock said...

What's more, their attitude to Israel is confrontational on many levels, seeking to redefine the Jewish identity itself. One could feel the seething anger, jealousy resentment toward Messianic Jews.

@Gene, doubling down are we? You do not know hardly any of the people of whom you speak so poorly.

I do not see you take on Boaz or Derek. They personally redefined what being Jewish is: supposed "converts" who are not recognized by Judaism as anything resembling a Jew, yet call themselves "Jews." Isn't that being "Israel" on their own terms?

B"H

Rick Spurlock said...

Yet, in the modern era, non-Jews who are attracted, not only to the Jewish Messiah but to the Jewishness of the Jewish Messiah

Well said James. You do have a way with words. It is precisely the Jewishness of Messiah that draws so many into the movement. Of course, Gene et al are doing their best to feel welcome. < grin >

B"H

James said...

James, I submit to you that One Law/Two House movements, being as they are, superessionist at their cores, are not truly looking for a connection to Jewish people, but as many other Christian replacementist movements they are assembling their own "true religion".

I haven't gotten to that part yet. That will be my next blog. To comment about it here would be to anticipate myself.

About who is a Jew. From reading of the Gospels I think that Yeshua himself had and has a pretty strong definition of children Israel

My question wasn't "Who is a Jew" but "Who has a Jewish Soul", taken directly from Aaron's comments, which I quoted, and he has no reason to suggest that anyone but a born Jew is Jewish at all. It was a metaphor and a "believe it or not" comparision between two different perspectives (mistaken or not) about why non-Jews are attracted to "Jewishness".

That said, each of us can only see the world through our own eyes. You see your through the eyes of a Jew and I see mine otherwise. I also see something through those eyes that you may not understand. I see something I cannot look away from and I grasp something of which I cannot let go. That something is a desire to connect to God but also his chosen people, but not to actually become them. That doesn't make me a threat, that makes me someone drawn to the light of a world, like a moth drawn to the flame of the burning bush of Moses. It's like being one of the mixed multitude standing the foot of Mount Sinai, listening to the awesome and impossible voice of God. How can anyone be the same after an experience like that?

Even if I'm thrown out of the camp and into the desert, I saw what I saw and heard what I heard from God. The descendents of the Gentiles at Sinai eventually assimilated into the Children of Israel a few generations later. Yeshua came to show us that we didn't have to assimilate into Israel to have the same access to God's grace and salvation. We don't have to become you and you don't have to become us, but we are together, different branches on the vine of Messiah, different branches on the Romans 11 root.

Like I said in the comments of your blog, we are different people, but there is only One God and while you were chosen, I was called.

Gene Shlomovich said...

"I do not see you take on Boaz or Derek."

I have made no "takes" on either of them and frankly I do not want to discuss them without them being present, and besides all that - I don't know what you are talking about, Rick. One thing that separates those two - at least they are not trying to get into through the window, but have been nothing but respectful of the Jewish leadership, the Jewish people and Judaism. After all, one can't become a Jewish convert to ANY Judaism by converting himself/herself, not without a blessing and supervision of a Jewish authority and certainly not while being in opposition to it!

"Of course, Gene et al are doing their best to feel welcome. < grin >

I go out of my way to welcome those who come through the front door, and Derek (among other folks) is a perfect example of that.

Dan Benzvi said...

Hey, guys, check my blog.

Gene Shlomovich said...

"Hey, guys, check my blog."

If Benzvi's come back to blogging is not lashon hara at its most, utter, unmitigatingly scummiest, I do not know what qualifies as "lashon hara" anymore. I felt dirty just reading it - I wish I could unread it somehow. And to think that before he resurrected his "blog" he signed off with the following words "This is my farewell, my brothers sisters and friends, I will remember all of you fondly, but now it is time to start living the life God wants me to live. I love you all, and to all who I have offended in any way, please forgive a silly old man..."

'Nough said... (and sad)

James said...

Gene, I take it that reading Dan's blog has derailed any further thoughts you might have had about this one. ;-)

Gene Shlomovich said...

I think the following words showcase how Benzvi really feels about Gentiles:

"The Goy wants to tell us Jews how it is done, how do you likw them apples?"

Dan Benzvi said...

Hello....Our lovable Gene is at it again....I guess calling a fellow Jew a super sessionist is the hight of wisdom, and a tongue of honey...Oh, well...

How about dealing with the plain truth, Gene?

Judah Gabriel Himango said...

When leaders like Derek Leman trash other leaders like Tim Hegg, we have a right to respond.

When leaders like Boaz Michael and Gene Shlomovich trash our communities, we have a right to respond.

If Bi-ecclesiologists do not like our responses, let them refrain from their slander. As long as they tear down our leaders and our communities, we will respond and set the record straight. We will be longsuffering in enduring their hatred towards us, and we will be stubborn in resisting their isolation and demonization of our communities.

----------

As to the "Jewish soul" question, I ascribe little legitimacy to it. Where is the Scripture for this? And can a Jew have a gentile soul?

Jewishness is a question of descent from Jacob - souls, spirits are not of flesh and blood. How can we say a soul is Jewish?

It would be helpful to see when the idea of Jewish souls came up in history. Looking at one Chabad take, they related attributes of this idea back to medieval Kabbalah, which is less than compelling.

Does anyone know where this idea originated?

James said...

As far as the "Jewish soul" issue is concerned, talk to Aaron about it. I was quoting him and using the concept as an interesting comparision to the Two-House point of view.

As far as everything else you have said, I've tried to respond as best I can on my latest blog. It won't be a "crowd pleaser".

Dan Benzvi said...

"When leaders like Derek Leman trash other leaders like Tim Hegg, we have a right to respond.

When leaders like Boaz Michael and Gene Shlomovich trash our communities, we have a right to respond.

If Bi-ecclesiologists do not like our responses, let them refrain from their slander. As long as they tear down our leaders and our communities, we will respond and set the record straight. We will be longsuffering in enduring their hatred towards us, and we will be stubborn in resisting their isolation and demonization of our communities."

Amen and Amen.

When you live in a glass house, don't throw stones.

Rick Spurlock said...

I don't know what you are talking about, Rick

@Gene, come on. You are a smart guy. The big deal with OL and TH is that you define them as supercessionist because they attempt to define what "Israel" means in a way that is at odds with the rest of Judaism. Our friends Boaz and Gene have done that themselves. Neither of them have that all-important "DNA" that Boaz speaks of... and yet they claim to be "Jews." Does a piece of paper from a non-Orthodox rabbi make you "Jewish" - 99% of Judaism says "no."

Come to think of it Gene, by the rest of Judaism's definition, you aren't "Jewish" either. You can be a Buddist, and athiest, but you cannot believe Yeshua is Messiah.

Wow. I think you, Boaz, and Derek have just defined yourselves as supercessionist! Now that is funny.

Gene Shlomovich said...

"Come to think of it Gene, by the rest of Judaism's definition, you aren't "Jewish" either. "

Which tells me you don't know much about Judaism, Rick. Besides, I am part of Judaism that DOES uphold Yeshua as Messiah.

Rick Spurlock said...

I'm beginning to see a building amount of evidence for allowing non-Jews to access areas of Jewish life that heretofore were considered "forbidden" or "exclusively owned by Jews". Lines of distinction have become blurred and we are all stumbling about, bumping into each other, saying "beg your pardon", and trying to regain our balance.

Our community had an series of interesting encounters last year with a well-known Rabbi who visited us from Jerusalem.

In frank conversations, we learned early on that he was somewhat puzzled by what he observed in our community: mostly Gentiles, not claiming any right, but yet endeavoring to live a Torah life. We ate the same food. We prayed the same prayers. We quoted the same Sages. We studied the same Scriptures. He originally chalked it this up to "Jewish souls" (with him describing something not unlike Two House theology).

In the past year, some deep friendships developed between our communities, as various members of our community spent time with his community in Jerusalem. I was struck most recently by one of his comments to me: “You are family.”

I am not really bothered by folks in BE who don’t consider some of the people I know and love part of the “family” of Israel (borrowing Gene’s talking point) - however I was deeply moved that a well-known Torah Jew, knowing that we are followers of Yeshua, does not see our Torah lifestyle as a threat. Not in spite of, but because of it, he considers us family.

“Jewish soul”? I don’t think so. I think it is something else. Borrowing from your most recent blog; I think it is string.

James said...

In frank conversations, we learned early on that he was somewhat puzzled by what he observed in our community: mostly Gentiles, not claiming any right, but yet endeavoring to live a Torah life. We ate the same food. We prayed the same prayers. We quoted the same Sages. We studied the same Scriptures. He originally chalked it this up to "Jewish souls" (with him describing something not unlike Two House theology).


Well-known Orthodox Rabbi Shmuley Boteach supports at least some voluntary observance of Torah, principly Shabbat observance, among Gentiles. Links to rabbinic sources from the "Christian for Moses" blog I posted above tend to support the idea that it is permissable, though not mandatory, for non-Jews to observe Torah commandments beyond the seven Judaism sees as obligated for non-Jews, not out of an additional obligation, but voluntarily, as acknowledgment of God.

Your statement reminded me a lot of this. If I choose to eat more "kosher-style" and if I choose to rest on the Shabbat, am I harming anyone?

Gene Shlomovich said...

"I was deeply moved that a well-known Torah Jew, knowing that we are followers of Yeshua, does not see our Torah lifestyle as a threat. Not in spite of, but because of it, he considers us family. "

Rick, provided your story is "true", why would your "well-known Torah Jew" in Israel even care if a bunch of Christians in North Carolina play Jews? As you said, he was "puzzled" - I think he was amused even. It new to him (not to us). It would only have sunk had he been in your neck of the woods trying to lead a Jewish community and if 90% of his Christians showed up all of a sudden and started claiming that they are "Israel".

Here in Florida, we had a well known One-Law congregation go belly up when its leader and many members of the congregation decided to convert (naturally, Yeshua was now a distant memory). They all meandered to their local friendly Chabad (I still see some of them there) and overwhelmed it with their numbers. That Chabad (and I know the rabbi quite well) quickly began to lose their Jewish members, so much so that the Jewish leadership became quite alarmed. The rabbi converted some of the former One-Lawyers, but shortly thereafter was forbidden by the local head shaliach to do any further conversions on ANYONE.

Rick Spurlock said...

Rick, provided your story is "true"

Yeah, but what do you really think Gene? Simply amazing.