Devarim / Deuteronomy 10:20. Moshe says, “You shall fear HaShem your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him…” What does it mean to “cling to Him?” It is actually the same Hebrew word which is used of Adam in the garden when it says, “a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Bereshit / Genesis 2:24)

But how is this cleaving done in practical terms? The Rabbis ask, “Is it possible for a man to cleave to the Divine Presence, seeing that it is written, “For HaShem your God is a devouring fire?”

They answer the question by suggesting that “clinging to God” can be accomplished by clinging to the servants of God, i.e. those who teach Torah. This is explained specifically as the act of discipleship to a man of Torah who is already connected with God and can teach you the way to God via his Torah teaching and his Torah living.

Judaism believes that through clinging to one’s rabbi (spiritual leader), one is brought into union with his God. Because the rabbi is in union with God, the disciple is also elevated into union with God by virtue of that connection. In the same way, our Rabbi, Yeshua, taught us that in order to cling to God we must cling to him (Yochanan  / John 15:1-7) and by clinging to him, we cling to God. “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” (Yochanan 14:20)

Therefore the commandment to “cling to God” can only be fulfilled by clinging to the Master, our Rabbi Yeshua! The mediator between God and man. the second Adam, King Messiah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlkryvBdTLI

Devekut, deveikuth or deveikus (Heb. דבקות , Mod. Heb. "dedication", traditionally "clinging on" to God) is a Jewish concept referring to closeness to God.

Algunos Judíos Sefarditas son herederos de una herencia cultural diferente a la mayoría de la población de Judíos Askenazí en los Estados Unidos, Israel, y otros lugares (especialmente del centro y del este de Europa). Los Judíos Sefardíes tradicional hablaban Ladino, un dialecto judeo-español no Yiddish. “Sefarad” es el nombre Hebreo de España, pero Sefardí se refiere a los descendientes de los Judíos españoles y portugueses que fueron dispersado por todo el mundo.

En 1492, cuando los Judíos fueron expulsados de España (luego, en 1496, de Portugal), la historia Sefardí se dividió en dos relatos distintos: el primero, la bien conocida historia de los Judíos Sefarditas que fueron al exilio y dispersos por todo el mundo; y el otro, la historia oculta de los que permanecieron bajo el dominio español y portugués, aparentando la conversión al catolicismo, mientras en secreto mantenían su identidad y practicas judías.

Los descendientes de éste último grupo: los B´nei Anusim (“los hijos de los que fueron forzados”, también conocidos como “conversos”, “cripto-judíos”, y “marranos”), en la actualidad son decenas de millones, a lo largo de la Península Ibérica y América Latina. Aunque muchos de los B´nei Anusim o bien no saben o no están interesados en su herencia judía, otros muchos están explorando su conexión ininterrumpida al Judaísmo y un gran número está buscando las vías para volver a la comunidad Judía.

El camino de regreso es variado en lugar de uno solo . Algunos B´nei Anusim que adoptan las prácticas y enseñanzas judías en sus casas; algunos participan en las actividades comunales judías; algunos se someten a ceremonias de retorno; y otros que deciden emprender una conversión formal, según la Reforma Ortodoxa. Para muchos, el acceder a los diferentes aspectos de la vida Judía los ayuda a decidir cual vía tomar para su retorno. Sin importar donde ellos perdieron su camino de regreso, existe la posibilidad de que cientos de miles, si no millones, de los B´nei Anusim retornen al pueblo Judío.

Los B´nei Anusim son un componente esencial de crecimiento potencial. Si las conversiones forzadas, las expulsiones, y la persecución inquisitorial no hubiera ocurrido, la población Sefardita en la actualidad sería de decenas de millones. La Congregación Judío Mesiánica Beth HaDerech (Bet HaDerej / Casa del Camino), obedeciendo el mandamiento de nuestro Rabino Maran Yeshua, quien nos dijo que buscáramos a las ovejas perdidas de la Casa de Israel, pretendemos restablecer el vínculo que se rompió y así fortalecer al futuro del pueblo judío, no manteniéndolos como Cristianos, sino trayéndolos de regreso al Judaísmo de Maran Yeshua.

Los Judíos que se han sentido inseguros a los largo de la historia han adoptado una de las dos respuestas generalizadas a las amenazas: o bien la separación del resto de la comunidad donde se desenvuelven para ser recluidos en los llamados “Ghettos” para así mantener a los extraños a distancia, o la desaparición y/o dispersión en otras comunidades.

Por más de 500 años, los B´nei Anusim han sobrevivido al seguir la segunda respuesta, manteniendo en secreto sus costumbres judías, tales como el encendido de las velas la noche del Viernes y revelar en el lecho de muerte sus identidades a los miembros más jóvenes de la familia o en similares contextos ocultos. Aunque la Inquisición ha terminado, muchos en la actualidad todavía viven en comunidades abiertamente antisemitas y tienen miedo de que los extraños conozcan sus identidades judías mantenidas en secreto. Esto plantea un desafío particular para poder localizar, identificar, y proveer servicios a los individuos quienes están atemorizados de ser descubiertos, y eso requiere un esfuerzo especial para hacer que la gente se sienta segura y a salvo de exteriorizar y reafirmar su Judaísmo.

Adicionalmente, en muchas comunidades en España, Portugal, y América Latina, pequeños grupos de Judíos (en su mayoría descendientes del centro y del este europeo) no viven abiertamente, a causa de su reciente historia – muchos son sobrevivientes o descendientes de sobrevivientes del Holocausto Judío – y la cultura antisemita que los rodea, desconfían de cualquier extraño, incluyendo a los B´nei Anusim, quienes algunas veces han intentado entrar a sus cerradas comunidades y han sido rechazados.

Como resultado, muchos B´nei Anusim, especialmente en América Latina, están temerosos de identificarse públicamente y mantienen a sus familiares seguros en los pequeños círculos establecidos en las comunidades judías de esos países. Sin la habilidad para asociarse con otros Judíos, es extremadamente difícil mantener y construir una identidad Judía, especialmente en aquellos países que tienen historia de persecución a los Judíos.

Sin embargo, cada vez más y más valientes salen al frente, y la necesidad de servicios para los B´nei Anusim alrededor del mundo está creciendo. Con una mayor disponibilidad de Internet, aumenta el número de B´nei Anusim que están explorando su herencia Judía por ellos mismos, impulsados por un sentimiento de no estar completos y el anhelo de regresar al pueblo Judío. Muchos han reportado que se sintieron separados durante toda su vida sin saber el por qué y ahora están lidiando con preguntas sobre sus identidades y pertenencia, su historia y su espiritualidad.

El retorno de los B´nei Anusim debe llevarse a cabo de una manera abierta y sin prejuicios, sin la presión de tener ni que elegir una vía en particular ni ningún compromiso a largo plazo. Una sensación de seguridad y fácil acceso a los recursos son necesarios para reparar los vínculos rotos.

Abrir las puertas y los brazos del pueblo Judío para recibir de regreso a tantos aliados potenciales y miembros de la comunidad es especialmente crítico en estos momentos, en momentos en que la población Judía está estancada o en retroceso, y el antisemitismo está en aumento en muchos lugares alrededor del mundo. Tanto en Europa como en América Latina, una comunidad judía más grande y más visible servirá de baluarte contra las fuerzas que amenazan a la supervivencia del pueblo Judío.

Aquí en Beth HaDerech (Bet HaDerej / Casa del Camino) son bienvenidos TODOS los B´nei Anusim, y sus familias. Vengan y aprendan lo que la Inquisición Católica trató de robarle a sus ancestros. Vengan a beber de las aguas (de la Torá) que son de ustedes y beban.

Traducido por: Víctor Marcano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLW1UYDDzIU

One of the most difficult sections of the Torah to understand is the discussion of "Tzarat," a skin disease commonly mistranslated as "leprosy." In truth, Tzarat is a physical manifestation of a spiritual deficiency. The Talmud (Arachin 16) says that Tzarat comes specifically as a consequence of "lashon hara" – negative speech about another person.

A Jewish tale illustrates this point: A man went about the community telling malicious lies about his Rabbi. Later, he realized the wrong he had done, and began to feel remorse. He went to the Rabbi and begged his forgiveness, saying he would do anything he could to make amends. The Rabbi told the man, "Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds." The man thought this was a strange request, but it was a simple enough task, and he did it gladly. When he returned to tell the Rabbi that he had done it, the Rabbi said, "Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers."

Evil speaking of another has been compared to an arrow that once released cannot be stopped or recalled. Likewise, the words spoken once released cannot be stopped from harming their intended target . . . the character and soul of another. The person who listens to gossip is sometimes viewed even worse than the person who tells the story, because no harm could be done by gossip if no one listened to it. It has been said that lashon hara (an evil tongue and speech) kills three people: the person who speaks it, the person who hears it, and the person about whom it is told.

The Hebrew term lashon hara (or loshon hora) (Hebrew לשון הרע; "evil tongue") is the halakhic term for derogatory speech about another person. Lashon hara differs from defamation in that its focus is on the use of true speech for a wrongful purpose, rather than falsehood and harm arising. By contrast, hotzaat shem ra ("spreading a bad name"), also called hotzaat diba, consists of untrue remarks, and is best translated as "slander" or "defamation". Hotzaat shem ra is worse, and consequentially a graver sin, than lashon hara.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRBjbQ8VjSY

Here is some of what I have found in my studies on the subject. “Don’t round your hair at the temples or mar the edges of your beard.” - Leviticus 19:27

Nowhere does HaShem say that cutting the beard is acceptable. One of the humiliations of a conqueror was to shave or take off the beards of the men. The reason for both prohibitions in Lev. 19:27 have to do with pagan practices. HaShem told His People Israel not to shave their hair around the temples by the ears and around the head. This was not only a perversion of the hair of the head but also a practice of idolatry.

HaShem commanded His People not to cut or to trim their beards because of grief toward the dead. This was another pagan practice. They were not to ‘mar’ or destroy their beards.  Yeshua therefore, like Fathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David and Isaiah, etc., would have had a full beard.

The way that HaShem has made Man is with a beard. When men shave it to “beautify” themselves, as the ancient Greeks and Romans did, they alter HaShem’s design for men. It is a profaning or defiling of what HaShem has made. 

Beards are one of HaShem’s ways to distinguish between a man and a woman. In this day when men have long hair and woman have shaved heads, it is hard to distinguish some men from some women. HaShem never intended this. HaShem wants men to have beards. It was considered a disgrace for an adult man not to have a beard (2 Samuel 10:4-5).

“How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them! … For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He has adorned man, like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest, a sign of strength and rule.” – Clement of Alexandria (vol. 2, p. 275)

“This, then, is the mark of the man, the beard. By this, he is seen to be a man. It is older than Eve. It is the token of the superior nature… It is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness.” – Clement of Alexandria (vol. 2, p. 276)

“The nature of the beard contributes in an incredible degree to distinguish the maturity of bodies, or to distinguish the sex, or to contribute to the beauty of manliness and strength.” – Lactantius (vol. 7, p. 288)

Because it was part of Israelite life for a man to have a beard, the Bible has only a few direct references to beards. However, those mentioned are significant and set precedence for a man having a beard. The Bible refers to the following people as having beards:

• Aaron the High Priest – Psalm 133
• King David – Samuel 21:13
• Ezra the scribe – Ezra 9:3
• Yeshua the Messiah – Isaiah 50:6

These are all significant people. The most notable of them is our Messiah, our Rabbi Yeshua. We can learn something important about beards by reviewing Isaiah 50:6 - I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. In this prophetic passage we learn that Yeshua not only had a beard, but that it was long enough to be ripped out by those who tortured him to death. Yeshua is our example (1 Peter 2:21). As such, we must follow his example.

Godly man grow your beard. As for me and the man of my house we want to be like my Rabbi Yeshua.

Warning, this video tries to pronounce the Name of HaShem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfT1Rt8BP0

The Jewish sages say: "In Nisan our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt, and in Nisan we will be redeemed." The name of the month, Nisan, is cognate to the Hebrew word for "miracles" (נסים). The two letters, nun, at the beginning and end of Nisan, allude, according to our sages, to "miracles of miracles" (נסי נסים).

In the Torah, the month of Nisan is referred to as "the month of spring." From the verse, "Guard the month of spring and make Pesach for HaShem your G-d," the sages learn of the mitzvah to make a leap year, i.e., to add an extra month (a second month of Adar) when necessary, to ensure that the holiday of Pesach always falls in the season of spring. Such a year that has 13 (lunar) months is called a "pregnant year" (שנה מעוברת), indicating a state of being from which a new reality, specifically, the next month–the month of Nisan–is born.

The greatest miracle of the month of Nisan–the month of redemption–is that in Nisan nature itself experiences true renewal. The prophet says: "Just as in the days of your going out of Egypt, I will show you wonders" (Micah 7:15). From this we learn that the miracles of the future redemption will be "wonders" even in comparison to the miracles of the exodus from Egypt. Nissan is known as "the Month of Redemption", because its main event is Pesach. Expect miracles!

Rosh Chodesh Nisan, also called Chodesh HaGeula (Month of Redemption),marks the Israelites exodus from Egyptian slavery. The Exodus occurred atmidnight on the 15th of Nisan.Rosh Chodesh Nisan, also called Chodesh haAviv (Month of Spring), symbolizesrenewal and restoration. It represents the beginning of the harvest season in theLand of Israel.

Chag kasher vesame’ach! May you have a kosher and an enjoyable Pesach!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B37mPtbTk4o

How Jewish is that? Do you think this saying is very Jewish? Does it have a Jewish connotation? Believe it or not, this passage has been misunderstood completely. This passage is all about taking the mantle of leadership, not about dying crucified, or expecting one day as a martir, or even wearing a cross.

We read in the Book of Uri / Luke 9 (23-25) says (quoting Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua): "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

Most believers believe and teach that this quote means that a person must be willing to give up their life (and indeed to die) for Yeshua. However, a close reading of this passage along with a sound understanding of Semitic idioms brings the true meaning to light.

First of all, we see the idiom “deny the self.” To the Semitic mind this is a simple enough idiom. It means “to set aside self interest.” This is precisely what is meant by the Semitic idiom “lose oneself.” A form of this idiom appears in this quote in the statement, “whoever loses his life for me…” Interestingly, in this passage, Yeshua uses this same phrase twice. Once to mean, "deny the self," and once to mean "forfeit the soul." While the various Greek versions of this passage lose this subtlety, the Aramaic maintains it.

The extant Greek versions all say, in verse 24: apolesê tên psuchên – "[whoever] might lose his soul." In verse 25, they all say: eauton de apolesas – "himself, yet, losing." This shift, from using the Greek word psuche for "self" to the pronoun eauton "himself" does two things. One, it undermines the wordplay here, and two it indicates that the intended meaning of psuche is indeed "self."

The Aramaic Peshitta, in verse 24, uses D’NaOB’eD N’PShH – "he is losing [his] self." In verse 25, it says: N’PShH DYN NaOB’eD "[his] soul, yet, he loses."

Alternatively, Yeshua believed and taught that the way to shalom – "harmony" is through service to others and to God, “denying” or “losing” the self. It is the idea of gnoti sauton that Yeshua is referring to here. He uses the word nephish to refer to both to the "self" of the Greek philosophers and the soul of the Hebrews-a clever wordplay.

Now, the word used for “cross” in Greek is Stauros – Greek – “a stake or post” from the Greek word, histemi “to stand.” Stauros does not mean “cross” per se. But, rather, it means “a standing beam.” The Aramaic word for “to stand” is z’kaf.

In the Aramaic Peshitta, the words used for “take up his cross” are oon’sh’qool z’kifa. Oon’sh’qool – “and he takes up (as with the hands)”Z’kifa – n. “cudgel” “club” “rod” from the Aramaic word Z’KAF “to stand.” The word came to mean “rod” because Z’KAF, in addition to meaning “to stand” means “to lift up” or “to take up (as in one’s hand).”

A cudgel or rod was one of the primary tools of the shepherd. The rod specifically was used as a weapon to defend the flock. Idiomatically, to “take up the rod” was to pursue the work of the shepherd and defend the flock.

Thus, to the Semitic mind, what Yeshua was saying was that one must “take up his rod.” Now what does that mean exactly?

The Jewish Scriptures say:

Exd 4:17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
Exd 4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
Exd 7:20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as God commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that [were] in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that [were] in the river were turned to blood.
Exd 17:5 And God said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
Num 17:9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
Num 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts [also].
Mar 6:8And commanded them that they should take nothing for [their] journey save a rod (rhabdos – “a rod”) only; no scrip, no bread, and no money in [their] purse:

To “take up the rod” means to prepare to do the work of God. This at once demonstrates willingness and action. In other words, in order to follow Yeshua, one need not be willing to die for him, but rather willing to live for him.

A better translation…

"If anyone would follow me, he must set aside his own self-interest and demonstrate willingness to work every day and accompany me. For whoever wants to be selfish will lose his soul, but whoever loses his self interest for me will preserve [his soul]. For, what good is it for a man to gain [even as much as] the entire universe, and yet lose his soul?"

PS: Stop looking the Jewish sense to the Cross, an instrument of cruelty, non Jewish.

What מרן רבינו ישוע מלך המשיח / Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua HaMashiach and HaShlichim / the Emissaries began in Jerusalem was not the church, it was not Christianity.  It was a realization that Melech HaMashiach (King Messiah) and Yemot HaMashiach (days of Messiah) had Arrived! 

After the fall of Jerusalem and after the Jewish Emissaries had died they were replaced mostly by non-Jews leaders and because of their shallow roots in the Torah were influenced by the increasing anti-Semitism of the times to cut of themselves from Israel and its people.  Soon the grafted in branch (non-Jews) were breaking away to form the Jewish believers to form a new institution called "ekklesia / church". (The word ekklesia was a political term, not a religious term).

The Jewish believers were known as "the Way" and because they were fully Torah observant they were ostracized by the non-Jews, this happened in places like: Especially of Rome, Alexandria, Carthage, and Antioch. The Council of Nicea and the many that followed took aim at destroying the doctrines of the Jewish Emissaries and creating or perverting them into a new religion called "Christianity". From then on "the Way" or Messianic Jews were persecuted and were known as the Pasagii or Pasagini by the Church of Rome.

The early Jewish followers of ישוע המשיח / Yeshua HaMashiach saw the perfect fulfillment of what Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) and the Prophets had foretold. The New Covenant had been promised, the Messiah would be the mediator of this Covenant… and our Rabbi Yeshua of Nazareth fit the description. It never occurred to them that they were not Jews anymore; indeed, they had come into the fullness of the Promised Covenant. They were "Messianic Jews" in the true sense of the word! This community of Messianic Jews continued to fit into the framework of Judaism at that time, with many Cohanim (Priests), Perushim (Pharisees), etc., becoming believers in our Rabbi Yeshua HaPerush. This was a Jewish revival movement that would survive beyond the destruction of the Temple and influence significantly the reconstruction of Judaism by the Pharisaic movement in the years to come. History records the vitality of this movement in various parts of the world until well into the fourth and fifth centuries and beyond.

Starting in the late 1960’s and continuing until today, there has been a dramatic move of God’s Spirit. As God was moving to restore His people physically back to the land of Israel, so too He was moving spiritually in the hearts of many Jewish people. Thousands upon thousands have been coming to believe in our Rabbi, Maran Yeshua HaMashiach and even forming their own congregations where they can worship the God of Israel through the merit of our Rabbi in the fulfillment of their Jewish identity. These "Messianic Congregations" are characterized by a number of distinctive elements: worship on the Shabbat and other Jewish biblical holidays, joyful Messianic prayers and songs, and other customs that are consistent with the Scripture. What a wonderful way this has been for Jewish believers in Melech HaMashiach to express their faith and heritage! We should also note that many non-Jews have found special fulfillment in Messianic Jewish congregations as well, since they are grafted into "the rich root of the olive tree" of this Jewish, biblical, faith. (Romim / Romans 11:17 ff.) Together, Jews and non-Jews are returning to their roots of faith through our Rabbi Yeshua the Messiah.

Many of our Jewish people have simply given up on any belief in a Messiah. Some have accepted many other substitutes in Eastern mysticism, New Age groups, Christian cults, etc. But יהודים משיחים Messianic Jews say that there is indeed a Messiah promised to Israel and that we can recognize Him. It is through the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures) that we have read the description of Messiah. It’s simply a matter of studying the Scriptures to see what they actually say. If our Rabbi Yeshua of Nazareth does not fit the description, then we should not follow Him. But if He does? Read the Tanach for yourself and decide!

PS: It is time for Messianic Judaism to come back to Judaism and let go Christianity. It is time for Messianic Judaism to stop looking for instructions of the Bible from the Christian pastors, but go back to our Rabbis, to our Jewish wisdom. Christianity has not future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPiMhZNvsR8

The question who is a Zionist is often a sterile (difficult) debate over semantics, rather than one of any substance. Contrary to popular concept, one does not have to be Jewish to be a Zionist. A Zionist is anyone who believes that God gave the land of Israel to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants forever. "Forever" includes today!  Zionist is a term often heard, but it’s not always understood. Many people assume that to be a Zionist, someone must also be Jewish, or conversely, that all Jews are Zionists. This is not the case.

The Zionist movement is not universally supported by Jews. Even today, there are a number of Orthodox Jewish groups that believe that Zionism violates the Torah. For instance, the Neturei Karta, founded and based in Jerusalem, refuses to acknowledge the state of Israel, and makes the false argument that that Torah requires that the land seized from the Palestians in the 20th century must be returned to them.

On the other hand, a number of fundamentalist and evangelical Christians do support ideals of Zionism (The term Zionist can refer to non-Jewish supporters of Israel as well). Their support is religious in nature, sopported by the holy Scriptures. Contrary to popular opinion, Zionism did not begin with the Jewish holocaust, but the (Tanach) Hebrew Scriptures.

Zion is the city of the great King: The references in Scripture to Zion and Jerusalem are to be taken literally as the context may indicate, though they may also be spiritualized since they are a type of His heavenly abode. Those, therefore, who speak against Zion, speak both against God’s earthly and heavenly city.  The Hebrew Scriptures say concerning Zion:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of HaShem’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (not to Palestine) Yeshayahu 2:2  "And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of HaShem, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of HaShem from Jerusalem. Yeshayahu 2:3

Coming world redemption through Mashiach, peace and prosperity from Zion, the Hebrew scriptures speak:

"For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth." Yeshayahu / Isaiah 62:1

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings [Mashiach's work] of good, that publishes salvation; that saith unto Zion, Your God reignet!” Yeshayahu 52:7

"HaShem will reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise HaShem! " (Tehillim / Psalm 146:10).

Biblical Jewish eschatology envisions the construction of The Third Temple in Jerusalem associated with the coming of the Jewish Messiah, and thus, adherents of Orthodox Judaism anticipate a Third Temple. The al-Aqsa Mosque (the golden Pimple) or the abomination that causes desolation will be removed soon, so that it can open the space for the holy Jewish temple. The prophet Daniel says:

He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27).

The sons of Yishmael (Ismael) say:

The deputy chief of the Islamist movement in Israel Kimal Al-Khatib told thousands of children in a Saturday Islamist protest on the Temple Mount that the Jewish Temple will never be rebuilt. His speech was published in the Jerusalem-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper Monday morning. “If the Jews think that their mourning will end and they will rejoice by destroying the Al-Aqsa mosque and building their Temple, we say to them that their dream will not be fulfilled and they will continue to mourn. Al-Aqsa is for Muslims only,” he said.

WorldNetDaily’s editor said:

"For the life of me, I don’t know how anyone can ignore what the Bible says about Israel and Jerusalem being the center of things. The very existence of Israel as a reborn Jewish state is a testament to God’s covenant with his chosen people. The United Nations may have been the worldly vehicle to proclaim the nation born in a day in 1948, but it was part of a heavenly plan. Has there ever been another nation that ceased to exist for nearly 2,000 years and was and reborn in a day, just as the prophet Isaiah predicted? I don’t know of any… If we don’t take the Bible seriously, … the Middle East conflict is reduced to a materialistic struggle over worthless real estate. There are forces at work in this conflict that cannot be seen or understood by man. It’s not only the focal point of the world, right now, it’s also the focal point of the spiritual universe."

The funny thing is that the Ismaelim / Edomim (Muslim) say that the Jewish temple never existed at Temple Mount, that its existence is "Zionist propaganda". Now they the say "never be REbuilt", so they admit they were lying before.

This abomination is the Dome of the Rock causes desolation for the worshippers of the true God. 

I think is time to stop thinking that all pictures of Jerusalem should include the GOLDEN PIMPLE. It is time to begin to hunger for the holy Temple of HaShem. The Golden Pimple (Dome of the Rock ) is not holy. It is time to ask HaShem to drop it. And to allow us to rebuild the holy Temple. Amen.

Just remember, it is not the end of the world. It may be just the beginning — or the birth pangs — of a new one." We must fight back, strengthen Israel, and influence.

This article is an attempt to express my thoughts on a “definition” of Messianic Judaism. As with many things, this “definition” requires that I explain what I believe Messianic Judaism is not before I tell you a little bit about what I think Messianic Judaism is.

It is necessary that I say a word here about the “Messianic Jewish Definition” that was approved by the UMJC at the 2002 National Conference. I am glad to see that the Union is headed in the right direction in many areas, not the least of which is our desire to bring some focus to the boundaries of Messianic Judaism. I do not agree with some of the language used in the definition, mostly in regard to the place of Gentiles within Messianic Judaism, but I also know that it is a work in progress. It is intended to give the Union some forward movement in this long-neglected area, and the more we talk these things through, the more solid we will become in our understanding of ourselves.

Now, on to my own thoughts on Messianic Judaism.

A Short History

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries a movement called Hebrew Christianity started growing. It was a movement of Jewish Christians who wanted to learn about their “Hebrew Roots,” and it was used primarily as a springboard to show other Jews the truth about Yeshua. This movement was an outgrowth of the long history of Jewish followers of Yeshua dating all the way back to the first century.

As a result of the Jesus Movement of the 1960’s, the number of Jews who became believers in Messiah greatly increased. Many of those Jewish believers were from traditional families, and many had become bar/bat mitzvahs. They saw that their belief in Yeshua did not require them to give up their Jewishness, but that it gave them just that much more reason to be Jewish. Thus Messianic Judaism was born out of Hebrew Christianity, bringing to the forefront a greater focus on Jewish life and community. This change was not a change of nomenclature; it was not a semantic gesture intent on deceiving the Jewish community. It was a legitimate change of focus—the beginning of a new movement that was founded on a desire for a truly Messianic expression of Judaism. There were many Hebrew Christians who did not appreciate this new movement, and many of their leaders spoke out harshly against it. However, the movement was solidly founded and it began to grow.

Fringe detriments

Due to the fact that Messianic Judaism was born out of both Christianity and Judaism, it seems to draw people from a variety of religious backgrounds and theological dogmas. While this draw is one of the reasons that Messianic Judaism has grown so much in such a short amount of time, to someone looking in from the outside it can, at times, seem to be schizophrenic in its diversity.

The relative newness of the movement also has something to do with this draw. It seems to me that people who are on the fringe of other religions are drawn to almost any new belief system, mostly with the hope that it will uphold their own dogmatic views and pet theological theories. This is especially true of those on the fringe of Protestant Christianity, which has a well-known propensity for spawning diverse dogmatic theologies. It is not uncommon to follow a person’s life from one fringe Christian group to the next, as they get pulled here and there by the waves of doctrine, looking for a group that matches their personal dogmatic views.

In Messianic Jewish circles, however, this semi-schizophrenic diversity is not so clearly relegated to fringe groups as it is in Christianity. It is seen both in what I consider to be “normative” Messianic Judaism and in what I will call “pseudo-Messianic” circles. For instance, in normative Messianic Judaism there are a wide variety of beliefs on the observance of the Torah, from those who hold to the Christian mentality of “I’m free from the Law”, to those who attempt to look like Hasidim—complete with peyot and a streimel but lacking true yiddishkeit—and everything in between. There are also a wide variety of opinions on “the gifts of the Spirit,” with some Messianic congregations looking more like charismatic churches than Jewish synagogues. With this diversity in belief and practice being so common in normative circles, it is no wonder that pseudo-Messianics are blending in so well and having such a large impact on the movement.

And that impact is no small matter. It is very common to speak with someone who calls himself “Messianic” only to find out that he is more interested in promoting his own pet theories on the “End Times”, or teaching you the “correct” way to say God’s name, or talking about how all Gentiles are really Jews, than he is in studying the Torah or learning more about Yeshua or Judaism. It is almost as if these people are attempting to convert the Messianic movement into their own religion based on their personal dogmas, which is usually some “Messianized” form of fringe Christian dogmatics. Sadly, some of these people have actually been somewhat successful in this endeavor, as we will see below.

As the examples above indicate, this diversity is mostly founded on the propensity in some Messianic and pseudo-Messianic circles toward Christian theologies and practices.

Now, before you start to think that I am bashing Christianity or saying that all Christian beliefs are wrong and that Christians are going to hell, let me explain my position in a nutshell. Messianic Judaism is a form of Judaism, not a form of Christianity, and, as such, it must approach life and theology with a Jewish mindset. Though I am not a Christian, and though I do not agree with a lot of Christian theology, I am not anti-Christian. I am just very pro-Messianic.

Pseudo-Messianics

So, these Pseudo-Messianic groups are having a huge impact on the way people see Messianic Judaism; however, they are not valid forms of it. Three of the most common pseudo-Messianic groups are “Jews for Jesus”, the “Ephraimites”, and the “Sacred Name” group.

Jews for Jesus

Jews for Jesus is a Hebrew Christian organization. It can be easily classified as an organization because there are no Jews for Jesus synagogues and because the goals of the group are expressed in “missions” work, not in community-building. It can be classified as Hebrew Christian because it has the outward patina of a Jewish group (including a few Jewish symbols and a dash of Jewish culture), but, the leadership of J-for-J very clearly separates it from Judaism, taking Christian holidays as their official holidays and sending the Jews that they lead to an understanding of Messiah into the Church to become Christians. I do appreciate the fact that the individuals who work with J-for-J are believers in Messiah. However, because of the group’s community-less, Christian approach to teaching people about Messiah I am neither associated with it, nor do I consider it to be Messianic. The organization’s actions give other Messianic believers a bad name in the Jewish community, and it is not willing to see that its radical approach to teaching Jewish people about Messiah is much more apt to push them away than to draw them. The question that invariably comes to my mind is, “How many Jewish people did you push away from Messiah in order to get one to profess faith?”

Ephraimites

A movement known as “Ephraimite,” “Restoration of Israel,” “Two-Covenant Israel,” or “Two House” has grown quickly in the last few years. Most of those who are part of this group are Gentiles who believe that they are descendants of the 10 “Lost Tribes” of Israel. I will not go into the specifics here of why they are not Messianic, but I suggest that you take a look at the position paper developed by the UMJC and the MJAA that details the specifics of this movement and why their theology is Scripturally unsound. Again, this group purports itself to be Messianic, even, in many cases, proclaiming that it is “Torah Observant.” However, the fact of the matter is that their theological foundation is not a genuine love for Israel, but a twisted form of Replacement Theology that is more insidious than the regular strain.

Sacred Name

The Sacred Name group’s main claim to fame is the fact that they use the tetragrammaton in everyday conversation, saying that it is proper to do so because “we know the way to say it now.” They also commonly change the spelling and pronunciation of Yeshua’s name to include the first part of the tetragrammaton. Many of these people also teach that you cannot “be saved” unless you pronounce the name of God in this way (based on an improper translation of Romans 10:9 and other passages). Many times these people are also Ephraimite, but there are forms of the sacred name belief to be found in Christianity, too. This is a serious theological issue that places this group very clearly outside of the realm of authentic Messianic Jewish expression, and even outside of the range of Christian expression.

I have very big problems with these three groups, not the least of which is the fact that they are all working within their own unique forms of Replacement Theology. I do not consider them to be normative, and, in my view, they are not representative of the Messianic community.

Definition? So, now that we have talked about some things that Messianic Judaism is not, here is a short description of what I believe Messianic Judaism is.

Messianic Judaism is, first of all, Messianic, founding all of its beliefs and practices on the fact that Yeshua of Natzeret is the Moshiach and the Son of God.

Messianic Judaism is a form of Judaism, not a form of Christianity.

Messianic Judaism is not only for Jews. It is also for Gentiles who choose to join themselves to the God of Israel. The hopeful end of this inclusion is the ability for all Gentiles to see that they have been given citizenship in the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2) and to understand the responsibilities that come with that citizenship.

Messianic Judaism is not defined by other forms of Judaism, but it should define itself based on halacha formed in a Jewish context—on halacha founded on the Torah she’biktav, the Torat HaShlichim, the Torah shebal peh, and Jewish tradition.

Messianic Judaism will be necessarily different from the other branches of Judaism, most notably because of our belief in Messiah, because of our acceptance of Gentiles without the necessity for conversion or Noachide teachings, and because of the other differences that are inherent in a Yeshua-founded, Torah-oriented lifestyle.

Messianic Judaism will develop its own minchagim that teach the centrality of Torah observance in life while still providing some amount of flexibility within that observance. This flexibility is, in my mind, somewhat akin to the flexibility found in Conservative Judaism.

As with everything else on this site (http://fourquestions.us/), the thoughts above are based on my own understanding of the movement and on my own interpretation of the Scriptures. We are not currently, as a movement, very close to the place that I hope to see us reach in my lifetime, and getting to that place will be a rough road. It will require making some hard choices and probably upsetting some people, especially people in the Christian community who will not understand our vision and our heart. It will definitely require a change in paradigm for many Messianic believers and a forced expulsion of cultic and fringe groups. It will require more maturity and the ability to not worry so much about what others think of us.

These goals are high, but I do not think that they too high for us to reach. I pray that we will all be unafraid to be transparent and flexible as we work to see Messianic Judaism become the movement that Hashem wants it to be.

Written by Joshua Talent of http://fourquestions.us/

History and the Bible show that our holy Rabbi, Maran Yeshua identified Himself as a Perush (Pharisee).

The Perushim were the "party of the people". There were different parties, the Saducees and the Essenes just to name a couple. 

Fisherman and carpenters were Perushim. How does this prove Yeshua was a Perushim? Well, Yeshua didn’t stand behind the Sadducee, Essene or Qumran party (although he may have agreed with some of their theology… i.e. the Essenes didn’t believe in slavery) but He did stand behind the Perushim party. First we have to understand that the Pharisaical party has been given a bad rap by the Christian Church.

Let’s first look at the Pharisaical party. The Pharisees were a holy party; their name means "set apart" (perushim in Hebrew). They were zealous for G-d and strove after righteousness. The book of Macabees speaks highly of them! By the time of the second temple period however, some… some corruption had crept in even into some rather high positions (those where the sadducees). Again this wasn’t all of them.

We see in Mark 12:28 that one of the Scribes (most, almost all, the scribes were Perushim) agreed with Yeshua and what He was saying.  12:28 “One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which mitzvah is the greatest of all?" 12:29 Yeshua answered, "The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is one: 12:30 you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first mitzvah. 12:31 The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’* There is no other mitzvah greater than these." 12:32 The scribe said to him, "Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he, 12:33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 12:34 When Yeshua saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of G-d."

Yeshua said to him that he wasn’t far from the Kingdom. Another Perush even stuck up for Yeshua in front of all the other Perushim.

Some Perushim even came to help Him and to warn Him that Herod was looking for Him. Some of the translations of this do not read correctly (Luke 13:31) but in Greek it says this…"depart from here, Herod wants to kill you"  13:31 On that same day, some Perushim came, saying to him, "Get out of here, and go away, for Herod wants to kill you."

And what about Nicodemus?  Yochanan 3:1 “Now there was a man of the Perushim named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Judeans. 3:2 The same came to him by night, and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from G-d, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless G-d is with him."

It says in Yochanan 3 that he was a leader in the party (that is who I was referencing earlier). Later on Nickodemus tells some other Perushim not to pass judgment on Yeshua. Nicodemus (that horrible Perushim) was there at the burial of Yeshua too in Yochanan 19:39.19:39 Nicodemus, who at first came to Yeshua by night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 19:40 So they took Yeshua’s body, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as the custom of the Judeans is to bury.

Why did He call them hypocrites? Because they were saying that they followed the Pharisaical teachings and theology and they weren’t. Was the Pharisaical teachings and theology correct? Absolutely! 
This is where we see Yeshua say something that He didn’t say about any other teaching or theology on the planet including the Sadducees and the Essenes and everyone else. He says this… and this is exact from Greek "Then Yeshua said to the crowds and His disciples, "the Scribes and the Perushim sit on the seat of Moses therefore, EVERYTHING and WHATEVER THEY TEACH YOU DO AND KEEP" He goes on to say just don’t do as they do. This is amazing if you think about it. Here Yeshua just gave absolute endorsement to the theology of the Perushim. Whatever and Everything!!! He didn’t say that about the  Essenes or the Sadducees but He made it a point about the Perushim. 

Yes Maran Yeshua was a Perush, so were most of the Talmidim and the vast majority of the first believers. A few were Essenes and Sadducees but most were of G-d’s Holy Party of the Perushim.

Later in Scripture we see in Ma’asei Hashilichim (Acts) that there were many believers Perushim in 15:5. 15:5 “But some of the sect of the Perushims who believed.” So here we have beliving Perushims after the death and resurrection of Maran Yeshua! I’ll tell you, we could sure use some Pharisaical (those set apart) believers today. 

Rabbi Shaul (Paul) was also a Perush, he was very proud to wear that badge and frankly, he’d roll over in his grave if he heard us all talking badly about the Perushim… Regarding Rabbi Shaul’s speech before the Sanhedrin, Luke depicts "believers in Yeshua and Pharisaism as natural allies, hence the direct continuity between the Pharisaic branch of Judaism and followers of the Way. The link is expressed directly in Rabbi Shaul’s own testimony: he is (now) a Perush, with a Pharisaic heritage (23:6).  26:5 “having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Perushim.”

His Pharisaic loyalty is a present commitment, not a recently jettisoned stage of his religious past (cf. Phil 3:5-9).  3:5 “… of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the Torah, a Perush; 3:6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the Torah, found blameless.”

His believing proclamation of a risen Messiah, and by implication, of a risen humanity (Ma’asei Hashilichim 23:6), represents a particular, but defensible, form of Pharisaic theology .  “23:6 But when Rabbi Shaul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Perushim, he cried out in the council, "Men and brothers, I am a Perush, a son of Perushim. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”

In Pilifim (Philippians) 3:5, Rabbi Shaul states that he was "concerning the law, a Perush." In verse 6, he goes on to say that he was "concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."  If you want to know more about the Perushim you can read what they wrote. Josephus has a wealth of information. Josephus was himself a Perush who lived during the time of Maran Yeshua and he even mentions Maran Yeshua and also Yochanan the immerser. Also of course there is the Mishna.

In fact, when the Perushim went out to question Yochanan HaMevaser about who he was, he said that one among THEM (the Perushim) was the Messiah to come (Yochanan 1:24-28). “1:24 the ones who had been sent were from the Perushim. 1:25 they asked him, "Why then do you immerse, if you are not the Messiah, nor Eliyahu (Elijah), nor the Prophet?" 1:26 Yochanan answered them; "I immerse in water, but among you stands one whom you don’t know. 1:27 He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to loosen." 1:28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where Yochanan was immersing.”

Our holy Rabbi, Maran Yeshua is a Jew, a rabbi and a Pharisee, who always upheld Torah, and was Orthodox in his practices. Is this the "Messiah" of your mind? Or do you have some one else? So, the next time you consider using the adjective Pharisaic as an insult, think about Yeshua. Think about Paul. And please, let’s get rid of the over-simplistic caricature. The Pharisees are the Jewish movement closest to God in Yeshua’s time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dzKlmOSCPk

(Pirkei Avot 1:11) “Avtalyon says: Scholars, be cautious with your words, for you may incur the penalty of exile and be banished to a place of evil waters [heresy]. The disciples who follow you there may drink and die, and consequently the Name of Heaven will be desecrated.” (Pirkei Avot 1:11 commentary, Complete Artscroll Siddur) “Scholars, be cautious. The Mishnah speaks allegorically of the dangerous results of unclear teachings that lend themselves to misinterpretation. Do not express yourself in a way that can be misunderstood by students other than your own. You may be forced into exile where unworthy students may sin, based on a misinterpretation of your teaching. If they die as a result of their sins, God’s Name will have been desecrated.”

Here in this portion of the Mishna Avot, we have a very clear teaching which gives clear advice to those of us who are in positions of leadership, and more specifically scholars or teachers. We all have the calling of teaching others, however, at different levels and degrees based upon the revelation of Torah and Messiah we have and our maturity in faith. Those of us who are at novice/beginner levels who are new believers or long time believers digging deeper into truth have a degree of revelation and are still being nurtured by the nurturing milk of the Torah. Then there are those who are long time scholars of the Torah or Bible as a whole for that matter and have a deep and intimate relationship with God who delights on the savoury meat and mystical fat of the Torah. Each of us has a responsibility based upon our level of faith to be a servant to our Master based upon the guidelines and regulations given to govern every step of our lives as believers in Maran Yeshua and the God of Israel. The following verse clearly states the fullness and true intention of the Torah given at Sinai to Moshe the servant of God.

(Mattityahu/Matthew 22:36-40) “Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?” He told him, “’You are to love HaShem your God with all heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’ This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. And the second is similar to it, ‘you are to love your neighbour as yourself.’ All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.”

As we see here by the words of our Rabbi Maran Yeshua, the most important element in our service to God which is to first love Him above all with everything we have, and the second is to love our neighbour as we do ourselves. In our duty teaching others about the God of Israel, His Torah and His Messiah Yeshua, the most important element is to spread a message of love, which we see in the writings of Rabbi Shaul (Paul).

(Romans 13:10) “Love does not do harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fullness of the Torah.”

We must be careful in our every thought, spoken word and action regarding Torah that it always embodies the fullness of love which our Messiah Rabbi Maran Yeshua taught as well as Rabbi Shaul. Anything else other than a teaching of the love of the God of Israel revealed through His Torah is heresy or evil waters as the Sages spoke of in their ancient writings. So what exactly is love? How do we fully understand this four letter word we take for granted? Well again in the writings of Rabbi Shaul, the true essence of love is revealed to us.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-9) “Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful, not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not gloat over other peoples sins but takes its delight in truth. Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures.

As a light to the nations and a representative or ambassador of the kingdom of Heaven and our soon coming king Maran Yeshua, we need to carefully analyze our words before teaching others and make sure that we are not desecrating the name of Heaven with our teachings. The sages teach that our words could cause our students or those we are teaching/instructing in righteousness to die as a result of drinking evil waters. In the commentary above, it is said that dangerous results of unclear teachings that result in misinterpretations. Fitting this together with the teachings of Rabbi Shaul, we see that any teaching of Torah which does not embody the fullness which is the love of God is unclear and will have dangerous consequences. We need to be very cautious with our teachings because we do not want to desecrate the name of God of Heaven. New believers are still babies and vulnerable to fall for the validity of unclear teachings, or spoiled milk. Using the understanding of Rabbi Shaul’s comparison of milk for the Torah for new believers as well as the wisdom of the Sages, we see that for new believers and the milk we provide for them, it needs to be warm, fresh and nurturing just like a mother would provide for her child. No mother would ever feed her child old, spoiled, rotten milk; so for Gods spiritual children receiving the milk of the Torah, we need to ensure that they are receiving only the best milk full of the warmth and love of God and His Messiah Yeshua. Any other teachings or milk of Torah which do not embody the elements of love as taught by Rabbi Shaul is spoiled milk (evil waters) and do not represent the one true God and Messiah of Israel.

(1 Corinthians 13:1-2) “I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging. I may have the gift of prophecy, I may fathom all mysteries, know all things, have all faith- enough to move mountains; but if I lack love, I am nothing”

We see here that without love we are nothing, we can memorize all of the books of the bible, the written Torah, even the oral Torah, but if we lack the very foundation which is love then we are just giving unclear teachings and desecrating Gods name because God is love and the fullness of His Torah is love. Arguing over scripture and proper pronunciations and languages are all a waste of time without the basic elements of love as outlined by Rabbi Shaul. By putting each other down over matters of opinion and points of view will do nothing but harm the body of Messiah as whole and desecrate God and Heaven because Messiah is the living Torah and the Torah is a revelation of Gods holiness. We need to be a light to the nations and representatives of the true God of Israel because when others see us quarrelling among each other over insignificant issues, they get turned off of the God of Israel whom they may thing teachings us to be unloving (God Forbid), and will be turned on to the new aged religions such as scientology for truth.

Therefore, the next time God sends a precious soul into our path to offer a teaching regarding His Torah which leads to His Messiah Maran Yeshua, we need to remember that we are to be digging wells for the living waters of Torah, and not evil waters which lead to sin and death.

(Pirkei Avot 1:17) “Shimon his son [the son of Rabban Gamliel of the previous Mishna] said: All my life I have been raised among the Sages, and I have not found anything better for oneself than silence. Study is not the primary thing but action. Whoever talks excessively brings about sin.”

As we see here in this Mishna, study is not the primary focus of our lives, but rather it is action and practice of Torah. There is a time to study and a time to practice and teach others. Carefully look into your walk in the ways of Torah as I have and will continue to do and let the fullness of the Torah (love) shine like a lamp on a hill top so the whole world will know that the God of Israel is real and that the Messiah is coming soon to rule the earth with this Torah of love from the hand of Moshe. Now is the time for action, hasten the coming of the Messiah with the fullness of the Torah, love your neighbour as yourself and go out and teach the nations, making disciples for our Rabbi Maran Yeshua.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp-tLThfPf4

After going through Shavuot, it would seem as though I had some sort of block keeping me from finishing this article but blessed the the Holy One I now have the clear mind to do so. Though I am not a particular fan of the movie rent a question was asked in it “525600 minutes how do you measure a year?” , well I measure my year by experiences and accomplishments. At the end of each year we all go through our relationship status, our finances,  or goals and dreams and match them to where we are. Often our disappointment spurs us into a longer list demanding even more from ourselves the following year. In desperation we burn ourselves out and by March most researchers say the new year resolutions are practically forgotten about as we get caught up again in the whirlwind of life. Is it any wonder why most gyms with a couple thousand members only have a few hundred showing up each week?

Now I know what your all thinking what does this have to do with “the decision”? Well I’ve done my year in Messianic Judaism, I have measured the cost, the accomplishment, and what I have gained and lost. It is only because Messianic Judaism that I have attained the knowledge I have today and yet by the weakness of my flesh I still have yet to reach certain goals. This isn’t to say I’m gonna rush to run harder and burn out, no sir, I’ve been in this race long enough to realize one day at a time is all it takes. There’s no need to fast forty days and nights, a day here and there will suffice, and rather than spending countless hours reading prayers one can find solace in a mere few minutes pouring their heart out to HaShem.

So where am I and where do I go from here? Well before I answer that a small story that will help the reader to understand me a bit. When I was young a babe if you would my father would come into bed with be some nights and sleep. Now some of you  may the thinking “my daddy did that” but it was a little different for me. You see my young mind could not understand but my parents if you would were taking some time apart. So you could only imagine the joy I felt every time he would walk up that hill to the house we rented and he’d carry me in his arms. Now because of the long journeys in Jamaica, most people wouldn’t travel by night so he would sleep in my bed. What is the significance of this? Well whenever he wasn’t there I would wake up in the night expecting to see him by me, I can’t explain it but it often brought me comfort at night when he was there. The reason I mentioned this story is  because we should have the same relationship with HaShem, longing to see Him, be with Him, knowing everything is going to be fine as long as He is with us. He comforts us by night and brings joys and blessings into our life. He encourages us to live better lives just to please him, as a matter of fact I remember being conscious at the age of 4 not to pee the bed just so that my dad would see in the morning that I didn’t. I could only imagine how much joy the Father takes in a little effort we put toward pleasing him.

Dearly beloved is it any wonder my decision is to be a true disciple or of  Marenu Y’hoshua? Even though my walk be different than yours, yet do we all have one goal which is to make it into the Kingdom. So let us strive to please the Father and to better ourselves, to know that darkness has no power over us as long as the light dwells within an around us. Taking this journey one day at a time until we are perfected in Him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnhqopDhEc4

There comes a time when every believer must decide if he will follow the ways of the Lord or the doctrines of men. It is hard for me to write this article it may even be my last, I’ve been attending a messianic place now for roughly a year. The only holy day I have yet to observe is Shavuot. The only thing left to do from here is ask myself “do I continue?”. I’m sure other believers have come to this standpoint, you have an understanding of what it means to be an Israelite and you must now decide if you wish to be obedient to the words of HaShem. Many rabbis agree it will take a full year of learning and observance for one to truly know if he wishes to convert and now I see why, you don’t just learn Judaism you live it.

I must tell you that when I was a christian I was a sinner of sinners I was religious but not moral, and full of doctrines and not truth. This is to say Christianity has a lower bar when it comes to following HaShems word if it wasn’t for this bar this great turning away from God we see today would have occurred 100 years ago. This is not to say Christians are not religious and truth seeking, as a matter of fact I find them to be on the two extremes, too religious or too non caring. The fact is I did not challenge myself and there was very little understanding of what it is I am suppose to do. I was baptized in middle school somewhat of a goodie too-shoe and was definitely different from my peers when it came to religious things. I mean how do I relate to their theft, sex, drug, and fight stories when I myself was trying to live a religious life. The people of the congregation often pointed to me when they wanted someone to point to their children as an example of a true believer. The truth is I often questioned if I was that spiritual still I did my best to remain humble. By the time I was 20 I was slacking in prayer, fasting and study I took a turn for the worse. If I didn’t seek HaShem for myself I have no idea where I would be today. In my church there were ministers but I hardly had anyone to look up to, with no spiritual father at my house no-one even (with the11 years I spent there) took me under his wings and tell me hows and what not. It would seem Christians don’t understand what it is to be a disciple of Yeshua nor do they understand they themselves must be disciples. I think being somewhat of a quiet kid no-one ever expected any evil of me and just assumed with my spiritual mom at home there was nothing to worry about.

The fact is my life as well as my spiritual growth was not going well for me, what a change is it a year later to be surrounded by spiritual men in Yeshua who love to pray and even encourage me to pray more. Let us never forget others are looking at us for an example of how to live in Ha Derech (the Way). I am told to study more and we go deep into the word, I feel free to ask my questions and the knowledge is great. We eat and break bread together and I feel as though I have the spiritual family I have longed for.

So where do I go from here? To be honest I don’t know if I am able to live this life. You might think being a christian for so many years would have prepared me but if I am to be a Jew I am to be changed in every aspect of my life and maintain a positive reflection on the Jewish community. As a christian the world doesn’t expect much from you, you can sleep around as much as you want and its not gonna shock the world or cause any damage to the Christian movement, this is not to say I want to be free to sleep around so I can’t consider Torah but that the truth is prior to now I’ve never committed to living a holy life, I was in the world and partially of the world as well.

Circumcision is actually the easy part, sanctification and  holy living is where the rubber meets the road. Furthermore am I able and willing to become a true disciple of Yeshua? I think I am, but to apply Torah living is tough. So where do I go from here? Back to the church? How can I return to mediocrity? I know I can’t stay where I am now, HaShem would rather hot or cold. Now that I understand that a true disciple of Yeshua is a torah observant follower I cannot go back and put the beam in my eye. I believe Shaul encourages me, when he called himself wretched for doing the things he aught not to, surely we will all continue to struggle. This is my struggle “obedience”, for I am a haughty man a lover of pleasures more than my love for the Word of HaSHem.

None the less thanks be to the blood, that saved us from the condemnation of sin, I know that I am not able to keep myself but HaShem will keep me with His right hand. I can’t live a life that is has no direction a decision must be made. What purpose is anything I do if I reject the WORD of HaShem and seek to do my own thing? As it is written:

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. 19Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. (Jeremiah chapter 6)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwmAzvWeRp0

When one studies rabbinic ideas of the Messiah one comes upon a very curious idea: Messiah is a Leper! Where does this idea come from? We’ll tell you below, but first consider some of the rabbinic references speaking from the Biblical text Yeshayahu / Isaiah 53.

Babylonian Talmud: "The Messiah –what is his name?…The Rabbis say, The Leper Scholar, as it is said, `surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God and afflicted…’" (Sanhedrin 98b)

The Talmud also "records" (which needs not to be taken literally, but rather seeks to convey a message) concerning the coming of the Mashiach. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a) relates that one day; Rabbi Yehoshuah Ben Levi was walking and ran into Eliahu HaNavi, (Eliahu the Prophet). After exchanging greetings, Rabbi Yehoshuah begs to ask Eliahu one question: "Eimatai Ka Ati Mar? "When will the Master (the Mashiach) come?" A logical question, to be sure, as the prophets tell that one day, Eliahu HaNavi will be the predecessor of the Mashiach, heralding his coming and ushering in a new age of redemption. The story continues that Eliahu responds by saying Ask him yourself! To which Rabbi Yehoshuah asks: "but where can I find him?" Eliahu explains If you will go to the entrance to the market-place, you will see that all the lepers sit at the entrance to the market, with their bandages removed so that the warmth of the sun can heal their wounds. However, says Eliahu HaNavi, pay attention and you will notice that there is one beggar who only allows himself to remove one bandage at a time, so as to be ready to move at a moment’s notice, in the event that he is called. This, says, Eliahu HaNavi, is the Mashiach. So Rabbi Yehoshuah goes to the market place, and indeed finds such a person sitting amongst the lepers. And of course, he asks him the question, "Eimatai KaAti Mar?" When will the Master (the Mashiach) come?  To which the leper responds with one simple, yet powerful word: "HaYom" (today). The next day, Rabbi Yehoshuah Ben Levi again ran into Eliahu the Prophet. And this time, Eliahu asks Rabbi Yehoshuah: "Nu, did you find him?" Rabbi Yehoshuah responds: "Ken, VeKah Shiker Li". Yes, I found him, but he lied to me. He told me he was coming today, but today came and went, and the Mashiach never came.  And one can almost see the sad smile on Eliahu Hanavi’s face, the tears in his eyes, as he explains No, he didn’t say "HaYom" “Today,” rather he was referring to the verse which says: "HaYom, Im Bekolo Tishma’u", Today, if you will but listen to His voice. (Tehillim / Psalm 95) (told by Rabbi Binny Freedman)

There is also a strange story about the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Hasidic movement. One day the rabbi was riding with a young student. He stopped his wagon at the hut of an old leper, horribly affected by the disease. The rabbi climbed down and spent a great deal of time with the poor man. When he returned to the wagon and recommenced his journey, the puzzled student asked the rabbi who it was that the rabbi had visited with. The rabbi replied that in every generation there is a Messiah who will reveal himself if the generation is worthy. The leper he had been meeting with was that Messiah, but the generation was not worthy, so the Messiah would depart. (Quoted in The Messiah Texts, by Raphael Patai, page 31.)

Where did this "Leper Messiah" idea come from? This odd concept has risen from the rabbis of old as they struggled with Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 53. They either saw the Messiah’s sufferings as leprosy or split the Messiah in two, one a sufferer and one a conqueror. The Hebrew words in Yeshayahu 53:4, stricken (nagua) and smitten (mukkay) are interpreted as referring to a leprous condition. Either word can refer to being stricken with a disease, yet they need not be understood in that way, much like our English work "stricken" can refer to stricken with disease or just simply stricken, as with a fist. As a leper, Mashiach was despised and rejected of men, so also was the Messiah despised and rejected.

Perhaps is time to pick your old Hebrew Bible and find out if this passage indeed speaks of Messiah Yeshua, and HaYom (Today) can became a reality to you!  Do you really want Mashiach Now?

Question: Why is the Jewish Messiah recognized by piercings? Why and how he got them? Who is he then?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEu-rmZkRFQ

We are a Torah observant Sephardic Jewish Congregation, located in the city of Toronto, Canada. Bet HaDerech is a place where Biblical Judaism is celebrated, where Jews non-Jews are developed and where they may find camaraderie and satisfaction in being Jewish.

We believe it’s important to preserve our beautiful ancient heritage while still living fully in the modern world. While we follow many traditional practices, we are open to innovation and change, and we welcome new ideas and new faces We would love to have you join us."