"spiritual piracy" and the seasonal turf war

Via Jeffrey Goldberg, we have Garrison Keeler (voice of this show) being a tad unkind:

Its a beauty-haunted world after all

Earlier this week in a fascinating piece on Slate, Ron Rosenbaum attempts to describe aspects which make this an "annoyingly mysterious world," also expressing why he takes exception to the "certainty" of both theists and atheists.

He critiques dodges of the 'new' atheism - faith in evolution as Blind Watchmaker, quantum-fluctuation cosmologies, and reductionary attitudes towards consciousness and qualia - rightly showing how they fail to provide any scientific solution, or take away the mystery (and Dawkins might still agree on that last point). 

Tattoo miscellany

A church is (hilariously? experimentally? emergingly?) giving tattoos in its services.

In 2007, Hillel covered the issues for Jewish life presented an mixed take on it.

But the burning question is: when will this movie finally be finished? Was it in vain that over the years I've mentioned it a handful of times in passing (even name-dropping it without shame to tattooed friends, both Jew and non-Jew alike), all the while assumming there was something finished we could perhaps ... see? This is not me being pushy. I am interested.

(Cross posted at סטודנטיםStudentim)

Meshichim on the move

Over at Yinonblog, Rabbi Joshua points out that Chabad Lubavitch Messianism toward the late Reb Shneerson is no passing fad.

(The video is indeed a curious find. though from Jan-Feb 2009, this doesn't detract from its relevance. The Rebbe passed June 12 1994.)

Rabbi Joshua:

Mashiach will definitely return. However, it seems there is certain disagreement within the Jewish world as to which one it will be.

Indeed, which one it will be, and also whether it will be, why it will be, how it will be, etc. etc. etc.

Craig/Singer

On the main site we address the Biblical truth of God's Unique Unity. Recently Dr. William Lane Craig, noted philosopher of time and evangelical apologist, debated Rabbi Tovia Singer on the topic of whether God is Triune. Though there is much talking past each other, Rabbi Singer's basic argument was: why would HaShem punish us for not believing what wasn't explicitly believed for thousands of years before Messiah? Dr. Craig points out that this is simply misdirection, and answers that faith requires responding to the revelation given. And we might also add, faith was always to be in the promises of God, which are realized in the Jewish Messiah.

In part-two they discuss the divinity of Messiah in the New Covenant, and Jews who believe in you-know-who come up at 5:11.

Dr. Craig is sharp as always, though one might wish he had time to explore how the Hebrew texts do in fact hint at the plurality in God.

(A completely unnecessary point: why did they name the show Faith Under Fire? Its not like they get persecuted on camera every week! ;)

News flash

Please visit JIJ's news page for great links including translations of recent Hebrew language articles regarding the Ministry of Interior and Yad LeAchim's activities against believers in Messiah.

Sukkot in the Year of our Lord (John 7:1-2)

After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. --John 7:1-2 (in the NASB translation)

After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. (same verses, in King Jimmy's English)

Interesting that Zechariah 14 prophesies of a time when all nations will come up to Jerusalem to celebrate this holiday (over the years we've considered this here, and also here and here and here and here). So naturally many are wanting to get started with the celebration early, in anticipation of King Messiah.

The New Covenant Scriptures don't subtract from but rather add to the significance of this day; so for Christians, Chag Sukkot should be a wonderful time to celebrate Yeshua (Rev. 7:9-17). Yet for some reason, most religious people aren't even aware of it; in some traditions, in fact, even the Feast of St. Therese gets more play. ;)

What's at the root of all this? Rather than rehearsing the sad history of the removal of all things Jewish from historic Yeshua-faith, I'll hone in on a tiny detail that perpetuates it. By translating the word ioudaioan as "of the Jews" in John 7:2 (shown above), one might be led to believe that Booths is a holiday somewhat obscure or even off-limits to being appreciated or appropriated by non-Jewish followers of Jesus. And because of the phrasing is repeated just before in John 7:1, one may think the holiday as something which is only appropriate to a bad group called "the Jews" who wanted to kill Yeshua. The implications of such a reading should make most people squirm indeed.

And none of that reading is true or even coherent. Its obvious from the story that Yeshua was not avoiding His own people as such. This would be rather difficult in Galilee as well, and it would be even more difficult since it includes Himself and His brothers. So we already know the author is talking about the religous leadership centered in Judea. But even from immediate context, we have reason to take ioudaioan as "Judean"; for example, as Stern notes, the region "Judea" (or as the KJV humourously calls it, "Jewry") is referenced three times in close range to the phrase. The festival involved pilgrimage to Jerusalem in Judea, and that was the point the author was making. And if "feast of the Jews" should be better understood as "Judean festival," then mutatis mutandis in 7:1, it was "the Judeans" - referring to the leadership in Jerusalem - seeking to kill Yeshua at that time. So, following Stern, Bruce, and others, something like the following makes more sense,

After these things Yeshua was walking in Galilee; for He was unwilling to walk in Judea, because the Judeans were seeking to kill Him. Now the Judean festival, the Feast of Booths, was near. Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea..."

As is discussed here, Yeshua then goes on in John's text to show how the Feast being celebrated in Judea points to Himself, the Living Waters!

Happy Sukkot!

Yet another look at Leviticus 17:11

Biblical Jewish faith takes teshuvah (repentance) along with blood sacrifice as both essential for atonement. This topic of blood can seem bizarre or primitive, but it is to teach us the real horror of sin: sin kills. Rather than explain away as unnecessary the principle of blood atonement found in the sacrificial system, we suggest that sacrifices in their function were like promissory notes paid off by Yeshua. All of the pieces were meant to point to something greater than the symbols themselves (and this is true both before and after Yeshua's Coming).

It is in this vein that I am putting up these notes by Sam (with son) in response to a Jews for Judaism article. It was sent by a Jewish friend who in the past has had some great questions about Messianic faith. Since she did not have a specific question this time - the upshot of the email was just "I don't know what to do with this ... Can you respond to it?" - we tried to oblige and just respond to what is said. Sadly, their article 1) misreads the context of Leviticus 17:11, 2) completely misunderstands the point of symbol of (sacrifical system --> Yeshua), 3) argues against a straw man of the Messianic point of view, failing to note, for example, that followers of Yeshua also assert the need for repentance, and 4) gets other non-trivial facts wrong, some of which are noted only briefly (below the jump).

Who is begging the question?

I see where Rabbi Brackman is coming from in his ynet op/ed. He is trying to make an argument against a multiple source theory, an approach which basically seeks to dismantle divine Torah. He knows his audience is ideologically mixed, including many of whom might be quick to pigeonhole his (my?) views as "fundie."

But, then, its also an audience with one broad ideological commonality: most of our people do not believe Jesus is the Messiah. Moreover, a broadly shared traditional assumption is that however "those Christians" might interpret the Hebrew Bible, they do so incorrectly.

Scientific Authority

Americans generally have an abysmal level of knowledge of the Bible. In this world of mass ignorance, to have headlines proclaim that this or that fact about [Yeshua] has been declared untrue by supposedly scientific inquiry has the effect of gospel. There is no basis on which most people can counter these authoritative-sounding statements. - LUKE TIMOTHY JOHNSON

As an American I agree: Things which are anti-Bible have the appearance of scientific authority in our culture, and pro-Bible statements by contrast tend to sound cute and pious. Or is that an overstatement?

Tragedy and Hope

Here are some recent thoughts on Tisha B'av by Sam Nadler for his congregants at Hope of Israel Congregation.

This coming Shabbat (Aug. 1) will be what is traditionally called Shabbat Nachamu ("Comfort") a reprive from the day mourning where Scriptures such as Isaiah 40 ("Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people") are read as part of the Haftarah portions. It is interesting to note that in some traditions Tisha b'Av was to be the day of the birth for the Messiah. Why? Because out of tragedy comes the greatest joy.

I (Matt) will be using the occasion this Shabbat to speak from Jer. 31:35-37. Sam and Miriam will be in Los Angeles ministering at ben David Congregation.

Sam's Q & A on Four-Fold Branching Out

Q: "Regarding the four Gospels, I don’t understand the reason for the repetition of the same story. Why would the Christian Bible have that?"

The four accounts of Messiah’s life, death, and resurrection each have a different perspective on the same history, perspectives which interweave with Biblical prophecy. For just one small example, each perspective alludes to a different inflection on a Messianic figure: "the Branch" (or Tzemakh). Matthew presents Yeshua the King, "a righteous Branch of David" (Jeremiah 33:15); Mark presents Yeshua as "My Servant the Branch" (Zechariah 3:8); Luke presents Yeshua as "a man whose name is Branch," (Zechariah 6:12); and in John, Yeshua is the Son of God, or "the Branch of the Lord," as prophesied in Isaiah 4:2:

In that day the Branch of the LORD (Tzemakh Adonai) will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel (Isaiah 4:2).

This Jewish phenomenon of repetition is similar to what we see in the Tenakh (OT), for example, between Kings and Chronicles, in sections of Kings and Isaiah, or between Isaiah 2 and Micah 4.

an active Negev

Some good writing on meshichim in Arad and Beersheva from the J-post coming out last week.

Messianic leader and plaintiff Howard Bass sheds light on the case in Beersheva.
Larry Derfner reporting on that same case.
Here is Larry with a longer piece on Arad: "Watch out, Missionaries!"

Trader Joe's to be targeted by anti-Israel boycott

The JFGC has the scoop.

The boycott is set for June 20!

What is in a Name?

As our note at the top of the print newsletter "The Shmooze Letter" states, "‘Shmooze’ is Yiddish for chatting with a friend." That’s the official take, but there's a little more detail to be given. For some people, this word emblazoned on our masthead may seem foreign, and the tiny note explaining the meaning may not really help. So what about this word "shmooze"?

Word of Messiah on Facebook

You can now become a fan of Word of Messiah on Facebook.

Let my People Facebook

A Facebook Haggadah

Tradition and Torah intermixed

The Mishnah tells us all about the four cups (Pesachim 99b). But how much farther back does the tradition go? We know that Yeshua’s seder meal used the red wine to refer to His blood (Luke 22:20 - Christians know this as the "eucharist"). We also know that the same was used centuries before the time of Yeshua (for example, see the Book of Jubilees and Philo). Yet, we also know it is not in the Torah. What does this tell us? Some may draw from this that authority be given to the notion of Torah Shebe Al Peh (Oral Torah). But for those of us who have come to know the Messiah, the Living Word, it shows that we have freedom to incorporate our traditions, even as Yeshua did. For us, Messiah the Passover Lamb is the center and illumination, not only of the Scriptures, but also of Jewish history.

From the "studio"

(that is, Miriam's office with blankets tacked up to absorb sound)

Recording and producing my mom's music has really given me an appreciation for the talent God has blessed her with. There will be an EP of five songs available shortly called Bo'u Nishtachaveh and this should anticipate a full length to come out later this Spring. Be on the lookout for tracks to preview here! - Matt

Ortiz Bombing Still Unsolved

Update via Jerusalem Institute of Justice:

Exactly almost one year ago, on March 20, 2008, 15-year-old Ami Ortiz stayed home from school. It was Purim – a Jewish festival in which holiday baskets are sent to friends and acquaintances to commemorate the Jews’ thwarting of Haman’s evil plot as recorded in the book of Esther in the Bible. To Ami’s delight, someone left a holiday package on the Ortiz family’s doorstep. When young Ami opened the package, it exploded in his face, filled his body with hundreds of pieces of shrapnel and left him in critical condition. Ami’s father, David, is a pastor of a Messianic community in the town of Ariel. Apparently, this was not an attempt to injure a fifteen year old boy, but rather an attempt to murder a minister of the gospel in Israel.

A police investigation was opened after the bombing. However, the Israeli police have been extremely indifferent and apparently negligent in conducting the inquiry. The surveillance cameras which had been installed by the Ortiz family actually managed to film the person who delivered the package. They handed this recording over to the authorities; but to their dismay, no arrests have been made and the police have refused to return the tape to the Ortiz family. A year after the tape was confiscated by the police and after repeated refusals by the police to release their property, the family brought the matter to court. With Ami and his parents present, the judge ruled to return the tape to the Ortiz family.

Last May, a day after a revealing expose on the issue was aired on Israeli television (Channel 1, "Yoman Shishi"), police contacted the Ortiz family asking them to resend many important documents pertaining to the investigation – the original copies had been lost. This proves that nothing had been done until the issue was brought to the media, two months after the actual event. Distinguished lawyers and representatives of pro-Israeli organizations have tried to bring this case before government officials. Promises have been made, but with no satisfactory results. It is suspected that a number of high-ranking officials and fundamentalist Rabbis in Israel are attempting to engage in a serious cover-up of the true situation.

We are concerned that if this type of violence against Messianic believers in Israel goes unchecked by the prosecuting authorities, it can create a slippery slope of violence towards the community. Fliers, showing pictures of Messianic leaders and congregational members have been have been circulated in every major city and many smaller settlements in Israel. These fliers contain a message to the public to be aware of these missionaries who are trying to steal the souls of Jews, and who masquerade as Jews but are not Jews. Names and addresses have been published under the pictures, which is against the law. In Ariel, the fliers were posted in every bus stop from Tel Aviv to Ariel, a distance of 45 kilometers. We do not know if the perpetrators of the bombing in the Ortiz home were the ones who published these fliers, but at the very least, the fliers incited and helped them to identify the family and their address.

It has been said that the test of a true democracy is the way it treats its smallest minority. We believe that legal status of the Messianic Jewish community is just a micro-cosmos of a much broader issue; namely, the treatment of non-orthodox Jewish citizens by the government of Israel. All citizens of Israel should be entitled to full and equal protection by law. When this is not the case, the very legitimacy of our state as the only democracy in the Middle East could be called into question. This would not be beneficial for the State of Israel, especially with the current winds of anti-Semitism blowing across the international arena.