( courtesy from Google images )
What is an Ideal jew indeed? Should she/he be regularly tolerant towards constant attacks from so-called minorities like in the picture above? or firmly stand your ground knowing G-d is behind you, as in the picture below
Although I readily admit there is a gazillion more things I need to learn from Judaism, but years before. I'm talking about in a Galaxy far, far away... Yup, I am a Star wars fan too haha :-) . Anyways back on track, years before I indulged on exploring the Torah & many other facets of Judaism. Admittedly with a motive to know more on the Hebrew roots of my faith.
Well, I found out over the last few years a lot of people were perplexed with my views. So, I decided to write this blog for both my Jewish and Non-Jewish friends who probably gave a thought about this subject, & for people who are truly mystified about my faith.
To cut to the chase, I believe I can call myself a hebrew on so many levels regardless of the approval & validation given by Rabbinical clergymen or not. I will present my case below.
Firstly, notice I did not say Jew, but a Hebrew. It is documented and factual that modern-day Judaism evolved and grew to what it is today, starting from the infamous Babylonian exile, with the deportation of Y’hudah ( Judah ) well over 500 years BCE. This was decades before Israel divided itself by civil-war, with the reign of King Shlomo ( Solomon ) concluding. The belief back then was based on abiding & solely trusting in Hashem, keeping the torah, the ongoing atonement & other sacrifices held constantly at Jerusalem.
Well, I found out over the last few years a lot of people were perplexed with my views. So, I decided to write this blog for both my Jewish and Non-Jewish friends who probably gave a thought about this subject, & for people who are truly mystified about my faith.
To cut to the chase, I believe I can call myself a hebrew on so many levels regardless of the approval & validation given by Rabbinical clergymen or not. I will present my case below.
Firstly, notice I did not say Jew, but a Hebrew. It is documented and factual that modern-day Judaism evolved and grew to what it is today, starting from the infamous Babylonian exile, with the deportation of Y’hudah ( Judah ) well over 500 years BCE. This was decades before Israel divided itself by civil-war, with the reign of King Shlomo ( Solomon ) concluding. The belief back then was based on abiding & solely trusting in Hashem, keeping the torah, the ongoing atonement & other sacrifices held constantly at Jerusalem.
Infamous scene's with the Roman's stealing the temple treasures
The catch was he or she should be willing to take a leap of faith and
cross over to another side of the spiritual realm, far away from the realms of
ordinary people which required an abundance of faith in Hashem, just like
Avraham the first Hebrew demonstrated all through his life.
The word ‘Jew’ represents the two tribes of Benyamin and Yehudah. 10 of the other remaining tribes of Israel had been missing for centuries. Until recently everyone thought these tribes were lost to history, but thanks to G-d and technology, DNA analysis reveals a lot of lost tribes in India and other parts of the Globe like the tribe of Ephraim for instance. Thereby, fulfilling a lot of prophecies in the Tanach coming to fruition.
The general point in this detailed explanation, is a hebrew represents anyone who follows the Torah , the rest of the Tanach with unyielding faith in Hashem .
However, a Jew is someone who follows the Tanakh, the Talmud , Mishna & a lot of Oral Torah which subjugates the Jew to a lot of man-made traditions mostly unwittingly; just like modern-day christianity has unfortunately evolved into, for it’s followers.
Don’t get me wrong, I am an ardent supporter
of Israel and my views are far to pro-Israel then you can possibly fathom. I
dare say even more than a lot of Israeli jew’s that I have spoken too
eye-to-eye who seemed surprised a Goy ( gentile ) can love Israel so much... lol.
The perennial reason behind this passion for Israel is because of my faith, I am and will always support the state of Israel & be ready to defend it at all costs regardless of the criticism I receive from Jews or Christians!
Unfortunately the simple idea of what must be done to be considered Jewish was shredded apart & further complicated during a 9 month visit to Israel, where I stayed at a lovely kibbutz.
At the expense of sounding naive, I did expect modern day judaism to have evolved & sound enlightened to an extent, but to see it almost-mirroring man-made traditions indulged in christianity like Christmas or the Sunday Sabbath was very surprising to say the least.
The perennial reason behind this passion for Israel is because of my faith, I am and will always support the state of Israel & be ready to defend it at all costs regardless of the criticism I receive from Jews or Christians!
Unfortunately the simple idea of what must be done to be considered Jewish was shredded apart & further complicated during a 9 month visit to Israel, where I stayed at a lovely kibbutz.
At the expense of sounding naive, I did expect modern day judaism to have evolved & sound enlightened to an extent, but to see it almost-mirroring man-made traditions indulged in christianity like Christmas or the Sunday Sabbath was very surprising to say the least.
Let me quote directly from my faith, to show how much Jesus valued his Jewish heritage.
Matthew 5 :17 These are words from
Yeshua’s own lips,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fill it up!
18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away,not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened.
19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fill it up!
18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away,not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened.
19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
I do not want to brand a name with my faith. However, it perhaps closely resembles the early church movement known as 'The way' of the ekklesia ( loosely translated as church, ekklesia can also mean crowd/gathering ) . Nowadays it is called the Messianic movement.
My faith sadly, can never be reconciled with respect from both mainstream christianity & judaism. The latter faith dismissing it as a cult or another variation of christianity, while christians usually tag it as too legalistic. Sadly, most christians don’t realize Yeshua ( Jesus ) always loved Israel & countless verses including the one above supports his leniency towards his people ( The Jewish people )
If gentiles joined the covenants meant for Israel through Yeshua they were & are considered very fortunate!
A majority of the church is anti-semitic mainly because of doctrinal-agendas, jealousy towards jews & misunderstanding Rabbi Sha'ul’s ( St. Paul’s ) letters to the early-churches throughout the Roman empire, thereby causing the sad distancing between Jews & Christians to this very day and the eventual persecutions that later followed.
However even St. Paul makes it clear a Jew will be
valued more highly in Hashem’s eyes then an ordinary gentile,
I quote Paul from these verses, Please read from the Christian bible. I am referring to the Complete Jewish Bible from Romans 11, V11 to V28 .
Click here to read : Romans 11
I quote Paul from these verses, Please read from the Christian bible. I am referring to the Complete Jewish Bible from Romans 11, V11 to V28 .
Click here to read : Romans 11
( Please
refer to www.torahclass.com for
most of the information is from the teachings of Mr. Tom Bradford’s works who
has immensely helped re-educating former mainstream Christians like myself
to love Israel. )
To summarize what Paul is saying here is, a Gentile who accepts Jesus Christ does not have any rights to brag , mock or torture the Jewish people. Infact, a gentile must consider himself very blessed that G-d allowed him/her that honor and grace to know about Yeshua and the covenants promised to Israel which is meant for Israel only. He/She must consider themselves greatful that someone not chosen has got this priceless gift from Yeshua which should have rightfully belonged to a Jew.
And as Paul in this passage points out, a Jew who acknowledges Yeshua as Messiah is far more powerful then a common gentile, who does not advocate a torah-based lifestyle but accepts Yeshua for salvation. This is what he means when he says in verse 15, "What will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead".
Paul, Peter (Kefa) and all the early apostles were Jewish, continued keeping all the Biblical feasts, the Shabbat and every other essential Jewish custom, they confounded audiences by doing countless miracles in Jesus Christ’s holy name. And they never renounced their Jewish identities.
I genuinely empathize with a Jew for disrespecting my faith & still love a Jew with no ulterior motives of 'conversion'. Because of Hashem's directive to bless Israel always & the penchant behind the church for persecuting Jews throughout the centuries like the Spanish inquisition, the holocaust & much more stories all across Europe & Asia.
I even understand, it is hard to believe the Mashiach ( Messiah ) as Jesus Christ because Israel was still not delivered from Roman oppression back then, most Jews are quick to point out this to banish the validity of Yeshua through the many prophecies foretold by Yeshiyahu (Isaiah).
We can have a debate on Yeshua fulfilling a lot of the prophecies as Messiah ben Yosef for another day, quoting those very same prophets :)
Spanish Inquisition courtesy google images
But what confounds me, puzzles me & much more is a Jew is considered jewish simply because his/her Mother is Jewish. He/she can refrain from keeping mandatory regulations like the Shabbat, or Kosher even & call themselves Jewish. Even though they behave more like Goyim in every way.
Now, I can understand survival means were contrived to ensure Jewish blood-lines, to retain Jewish women from converting to other growing-faiths like Zoroastrianism, the religions in Ancient Rome, Christianity, Islam etc. because society in ancient times was very male dominated. Rabbi's had to emphasize on the vitality of a mother/a girl in Jewish family since the father's religion had more leverage and prominence in a family.
However, that is a very weak argument in a society based in modern day Europe, America or even modern day Israel. All because emphasis is placed on equality of both sexes these days, thereby giving both Parents equal leverage of religion.
To add insult to injury, It is clear in most places in the Tanakh the Father’s
blood-line is given first preference & then the Mother's to be considered
a Hebrew.
( Not talking about Rabbinical interpretations of the Torah here )
Having said all this, I would be open to healthy debates with the Orthodox sect or any sect of Judaism/Christianity who fervently keeps the Torah & constructively criticizes people. Anyone who proudly follow their father's and mother's faith because of their passion for Hashem are always welcome in my circle for these discussions.
I have sacrificed many job opportunities and much more to honor Hashem by observing as much as I could faithfully deliver all the mitzvot contained in scriptures. I am not asking for a medal for all this, or a certification from a Rabbi acknowledging I'm Jewish.
'The way' being persecuted google images courtesy
But to be insulted because of my belief in Jesus Christ by a Jew who does not even keep the basic requirements prescribed in the torah. All because I choose to stand firm in honoring a man who observed all the mitzvot and taught others it is mandatory to observe the torah, is ludicrous to say the least.
The passion of the Christ courtesy
This man (Yeshua) is a descendant of the Royal line of King David. The documents pertaining to his genealogy showcase this. When the Romans destroyed the second-temple, Important documents with Jewish lineages were also destroyed during the 'Siege of Jerusalem' roughly around 70 A.D which makes it really hard to validate anyone claiming to be the Messiah these days!
Reputable bible scholars will attest to the fact he was considered a blameless man. The only great sin a Jew can argue about in a debate is that he accepted he is the Son of Man prophesied and foretold by the Prophet Daniel seated on the right hand of Hashem, for events future to us.
The sin being is if he is a fraud and not the Messiah, it is truly a blasphemous sin!
Now, for argument’s sake let’s just say this man Yeshua is despicably evil, an Idol and all the other demeaning things a jew entitles himself/ herself to say about Yeshua.
With that line of thinking & applying Kal-v-homer, what makes a Secular jew so much more better then a messianic? that is if a jew break's some, maybe most of the 613 mitzvot contained in the torah & can still call themselves proudly jewish.
Then why can't a messianic believing in Jesus as the messiah who follows the rest of the torah enthusiastically be considered hebrew enough? Why?
Add to that he/she is considered dangerous to both christianity & judaism. Even though they strive to follow the best of both faiths!
courtesy Messianicpublications.com
An important point to remember, Yeshua never once said he is G-d. He did acknowledge he is the Son of man, and he advocated others to always love Hashem.
A video on Rabbi Yitzak Kaduri revealing the name of the Messiah as Yeshua, after his son confirmed he had been having visions of meeting the Messiah in person, major Israeli networks did not cover this to avoid controversy. Click on this : Rabbi Yitzak Kaduri's mysterious confession the Messiah or the video below to view.
Christians & Jews who have been quick to hurl insults at my beliefs in Messianic Christianity/Judaism without doing their honest due-diligence from a bird's eye view of their respective faiths, are more then entitled to.
However, I am sure a Jew will agree a fundamental trait to be considered a good Jew is to follow all the commands in the Torah because of his love for G-d, regardless of what their father or mother did before them.
If he/she decides to refrain from Shabbat, Kashrut and other important mitzvot to save themselves from danger is an understandable reason to break a mitzvah. But besides that circumstance, that particular individual should be automatically considered as Non-jewish as the Messianics they insult.
Firstly, because it is in no way biblically correct. Secondly, by choosing to live life similar to a Non-jew to avoid conflict with Goyim. What makes you so set-apart for Hashem, in other words truly Jewish?
Make no mistake, these people are not practicing Kal-v-homer to save their lives or families like in the holocaust, but to simply try to blend-in, to sing Kumbaya, be at one with the world, ignoring the Godly ordained way of life described in the Tanach meant for his people.
( Not talking about Rabbinical interpretations of the Torah here )
Having said all this, I would be open to healthy debates with the Orthodox sect or any sect of Judaism/Christianity who fervently keeps the Torah & constructively criticizes people. Anyone who proudly follow their father's and mother's faith because of their passion for Hashem are always welcome in my circle for these discussions.
I have sacrificed many job opportunities and much more to honor Hashem by observing as much as I could faithfully deliver all the mitzvot contained in scriptures. I am not asking for a medal for all this, or a certification from a Rabbi acknowledging I'm Jewish.
But to be insulted because of my belief in Jesus Christ by a Jew who does not even keep the basic requirements prescribed in the torah. All because I choose to stand firm in honoring a man who observed all the mitzvot and taught others it is mandatory to observe the torah, is ludicrous to say the least.
This man (Yeshua) is a descendant of the Royal line of King David. The documents pertaining to his genealogy showcase this. When the Romans destroyed the second-temple, Important documents with Jewish lineages were also destroyed during the 'Siege of Jerusalem' roughly around 70 A.D which makes it really hard to validate anyone claiming to be the Messiah these days!
Reputable bible scholars will attest to the fact he was considered a blameless man. The only great sin a Jew can argue about in a debate is that he accepted he is the Son of Man prophesied and foretold by the Prophet Daniel seated on the right hand of Hashem, for events future to us.
The sin being is if he is a fraud and not the Messiah, it is truly a blasphemous sin!
Now, for argument’s sake let’s just say this man Yeshua is despicably evil, an Idol and all the other demeaning things a jew entitles himself/ herself to say about Yeshua.
With that line of thinking & applying Kal-v-homer, what makes a Secular jew so much more better then a messianic? that is if a jew break's some, maybe most of the 613 mitzvot contained in the torah & can still call themselves proudly jewish.
Then why can't a messianic believing in Jesus as the messiah who follows the rest of the torah enthusiastically be considered hebrew enough? Why?
Add to that he/she is considered dangerous to both christianity & judaism. Even though they strive to follow the best of both faiths!
An important point to remember, Yeshua never once said he is G-d. He did acknowledge he is the Son of man, and he advocated others to always love Hashem.
Christians & Jews who have been quick to hurl insults at my beliefs in Messianic Christianity/Judaism without doing their honest due-diligence from a bird's eye view of their respective faiths, are more then entitled to.
However, I am sure a Jew will agree a fundamental trait to be considered a good Jew is to follow all the commands in the Torah because of his love for G-d, regardless of what their father or mother did before them.
If he/she decides to refrain from Shabbat, Kashrut and other important mitzvot to save themselves from danger is an understandable reason to break a mitzvah. But besides that circumstance, that particular individual should be automatically considered as Non-jewish as the Messianics they insult.
Firstly, because it is in no way biblically correct. Secondly, by choosing to live life similar to a Non-jew to avoid conflict with Goyim. What makes you so set-apart for Hashem, in other words truly Jewish?
Make no mistake, these people are not practicing Kal-v-homer to save their lives or families like in the holocaust, but to simply try to blend-in, to sing Kumbaya, be at one with the world, ignoring the Godly ordained way of life described in the Tanach meant for his people.
Yeshua credited all his miracles to Hashem & he kept the
Torah. To this day, even after 2000 years and during all those years many miracles are still
being done to people for their deafness, their blindness & countless other ailments in Jesus Christ's name.
It baffles even reputable Doctor’s who believed the miracle the patient wished for, was not completely possible at an earlier time!
One such example of a Doctor who is baffled by a Miracle believing in Jesus Christ is Dr. Shields : Click here : Desperate Parents pleading for Baby's life
Read their testimony : here
Click here for more "Miracles of Yeshua daily"
Shrugging off these miracles as hoaxes is expected, we live in such a cynical era in history. A few of you people perhaps glanced at some of these miracles on TV or on Youtube, maybe even called it evil or take cheap shots at these men doing the miracles in Jesus name.
However, if you know a friend or a family member who has been truly healed in Jesus Christ's name like I do . My mother healed from Asthma in a meeting & a few other people I have had the privilege of knowing, it completely changes your perception on reality all together.
Either Yeshua is truly evil/ a fraud deceiving the masses or he is the Mashiach are some of the few logical conclusions you can come up with.
Despite all the good points I brought up about Yeshua, I am open-minded to the theory that Jesus is evil & seduced people to deceitful ways, but then Yeshua advocating to keep all the mitzvot must also be speculated with extreme caution. And who he credits as his source of strength too, that is the Great Hashem must also be viewed as a dangerous deity.
Or if you are like me there is something genuinely amazing about this man who has for more then 2000 years got 2/3’rds and more of the world today to succumb to the belief of One-God, while fulfilling a lot of the ancient prophecies of Messiah ben Yosef talked about by Yeshiyahu ( Isaiah ) including spreading the word of G-d to the lost tribes of Israel, and still more prophecies yet to be fulfilled by him, if you believe in him like I do!
After all, Moshe helped change the history of Israel forever. Yeshua changed the history of not just Israel, but the whole world!
“Risen” . Why this movement called 'The way' gained so much traction at it's conception with a Roman leading the way in finding the missing body of Jesus Christ. Click here to watch the trailer: Risen movie trailer or the video below
courtesy the movie Risen
The followers who spend time learning about him love Israel genuinely & will never side with Israel's enemies. This is with no ambition to 'convert' Jews, But because of the love they have for Yeshua, for how he preached on following Hashem's directives with all your heart.
Having observed a lot of Jews practice their faith with an overwhelming sense of guilt, driven hard into their loving souls by the sad-tales of the holocaust & other incidents passed on by their grandparents & elders.
Well, I can imagine doing the exact same thing! That is if I had tons of relatives wiped out overnight in a tragic-event of epic-proportions, subconsciously I would want to keep my ancestral spirit alive, a necessary gesture when you ponder about it.
Holocaust images courtesy of Google
However, if you take a step-back and notice a lot of their observances from a neutral angle. The Biblical feasts, such as Pesach, Shavuot and the High Holy days are done almost monotonously, It is as if you sense very little spiritual element involved ( maybe to an extent with Yom Kippur ).
Perhaps, the miracle of the Yerushaliyim temple to arise to power with the Messiah in his rightful place and with Israel being the dominant-power in the world today is probably a few positive motivational hopes in their prayers.
I am not saying all Jews observe the holidays casually and I will admit first hand I have encountered some lovely orthodox jewish men who seemed very spiritual & amazing human beings to talk to about G-d, but in general I could sense from an outsider's perspective in Israel a very laid-back approach to God, with more emphasis on peace and the defense of the Jewish state.
A night & day difference to the immense faith & character displayed by their first ancestor Avraham who followed Hashem with almost blind-faith in most instances, as when he almost sacrificed his beloved soon Yitzhak. Comparing that to the average modern-day jew who seems more inclined to be part of their faith to procreate bloodlines out of guilt, or many other factors.
In many cases genuinely noble reasons to keep the faith going and of course a few bad apples with ulterior motives, but in all very little to do with undenying faith in Hashem. Truly sad how eventually logic has completely triumphed over trust in the Ultimate Creator.
I do not consider myself a Great-man. Infact, I would honestly consider myself a nobody who has seen so much good & bad & still survived. I have disgraced myself on countless occasions and only G-d has picked me-up still, blessed me and shown kindness towards me through every step of my life.
From the knowledge I have gained after I almost gave up on gaining my Business degree to saving me from kidnappings as a child, to roller coaster journeys in many aspects of my life, and to landing on Israel on Shavuot in 2014, without even planning the date and so much more, and more to come!
Everything in my life has been a beautiful miracle & I just had to write a blog to glorify Hashem and Yeshua! To people who also want to know what I believe in :)
I conclude by considering myself more or less a Hebrew based on the Bible, because I love following the Torah to the maximum capability that I can afford. With full credit to Hashem, acknowledging my love for Yeshua prevalent in all things.
If Christians or jews have a problem with my views, look at yourself in the mirror before judging me.
Christians / Jews who try to follow Hashem's word diligently are more then welcome to discuss and criticize my views in a healthy constructive manner. I am all ears ladies and gents.
'What is a true jew?' will be constantly subjected to open-ended questioning, jibes & more till Hashem rids the evil on this planet.
But, till then i firmly advocate Yeshua of Nazareth as the Ideal Jew to follow. Those who seek the truth, will always find him, Rabbi Yitzak Kaduri was one...
Matthew 5:44 from Yeshua's mouth,
43 "You have heard that our fathers were told, `Love your neighbors -- and hate your enemy.'
44 But I tell you, love your enemies ! Pray for those who persecute you!
( enemies here does not imply G-d's enemies, otherwise we can love Satan, love Palestinians/Arabs/Christians who hate Israel, of course not!
It means letting go of your personal animosities towards brothers who love Hashem, G-d's enemies are Israel's enemies,since 'Israel' is always the apple of his eye! )
45 Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike.
46 What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that!
Shalom Everyone!
