The Ten Plagues Expose the Ten Highest Egyptian gods!

AND THE EGYPTIANS SHALL KNOW

by Rabbi J. Kirshblum

It is puzzling why the ten miraculous plagues were needed in order to free the Children of Israel. G-d could have caused Pharaoh to free them immediately without all these dramatic events.

Moshe and Aharon had a dual mission. Not only were they to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, they were to introduce the concept of a monotheistic G-d to the Egyptians. The Egyptians believed in a whole collection of gods, goddesses, major and minor gods, along with god consorts. The main temple of the Egyptians at the time of the Exodus was in the city of Heliopolis. There, the nine supreme gods were worshipped. In addition to the nine gods of Heliopolis, of course there was the pharaoh himself who believed that he too was a god. He was the tenth god.

When Moshe and Aharon informed Pharaoh, "So said YHVH, the G-d of the Israelites, 'Send forth My people…'" (5:1) Pharaoh responded, "Who is YHVH that I should hearken unto His voice and send forth the Israelites? I do not know of YHVH…" (5:2). Pharoah was telling Moshe and Aharon that the G-d of the Israelites was not a member of his group of gods and therefore he is not obliged to listen to Him.

Perhaps each of the ten plagues was presented to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of each of the Egyptian ten god's. Osiris was the Egyptian god of the Nile. The Egyptians believed that Osiris gave life and sustenance to the people because the Nile itself was the vital life-source of ancient Egypt. The first plague was Blood. The waters of the Nile turned to the symbol of death, blood. That was a sign of G-d's superiority over Osiris.

The second plague is called Frogs. The famous commentator of the Mishna, Rabbenu Ovadiah Bartenurah, tells us that the plague was not really frogs. It was Crocodiles! (Bartenurah's Memoirs of His Travels) That certainly adds a new dimension of terror to the plague. The crocodile god Sobek was the earthly representative of his mother, Nut, the goddess of virility. The Medrash (Shmos Rabah 10:3) tells us that the crocodiles bit the Egyptian males at the "normally covered parts of the body" and deprived them of their virility. This plague showed that G-d was superior to virility- goddess, Nut, and her crocodile son, Sobek.

The famous sun-god, Ra, was lord over the earth. The Egyptians thought he reigned supreme over the whole earth giving it life. Aharon hit the earth and then the dirt and dust turned into a massive swarm of lice. Ra was powerless to stop the plague.

The forth plague was an invasion of swarming creatures, scorpions and venomous snakes. (Rashi 8:17) The Egyptian god of destruction was the serpent-god Set. Yet he was helpless, unable to destroy the plague that afflicted his Egyptian people.

The fifth plague was a Pestilence that afflicted the cattle of the Egyptians. The horned-goddess, Isis, was the goddess of fertility, nurture, and protection especially over the cattle. Yet she had to stand by idly as her cattle died by the tens of thousands.

The sixth plague was Boils. The Medrash (Shmos Rabah 11:6) says that the Egyptians were afflicted with leprosy that causes the flesh to decay. This plague was to show the ineffectiveness of Nephythys, the mother-goddess of embalming, the preservation of the flesh.

The seventh plague was a destructive Hail-storm. The deity, Tefnut, was supposed to be the beneficent rain-goddess. The Egyptians prayed to her to stop the devastating hail. The Egyptians quickly learned that she had no power over the G-d of Israel.

The eighth plague was Locusts. The swarm of locust blocked out the sun and feverishly devoured the crops of Egypt. The god of vegetation, Geb, was rendered impotent.

The ninth plague was Darkness. Rashi (10:21-22) tells us that the air became thick and black. It was so thick that the Egyptians were trapped in the very position they had assumed when the plague struck. They were unable to move. This plague was to demonstrate that the Egyptian god of air, Shu, was no match for the G-d of Israel.

The tenth plague was the Death of the Firstborn. Pharaoh believed that he too was a god. Yet, he had to plead with Moshe to spare his own life. Some god!

G-d had told Moshe, "And the Egyptians shall know that I am G-d" (7:5). After the tenth plague, Pharaoh and all of Egypt knew this to be true. The baseless faith in the Egyptian pantheon had been duly demonstrated.

It is interesting to note that according to the ancient Egyptian historian, Manetho, and the Jewish historian, Josephus Flavius, the name of the Pharaoh at the time of the Exodus was Amenophis, more commonly called Amenhotep. His son and successor, Akenaten, did away with the Egyptian collection of gods and taught a monotheistic religion throughout the land. However, he also taught that he was godlike since he was god's conduit to earth. Some habits are hard to give up.

The Passover Lamb - An Egyptian Diety!

Background: Pesach means "Passover" in Hebrew and is the Jewish celebration of the Exodus from Egypt when God asked the Israelites to slaughter a lamb and place it's blood on the inside of the doorpost in order to save the lives of their firstborn children.

While there are obvious reasons why God chose the lamb to be the sacrificial animal for Pesach, there are other interesting reasons that are not as well known.

Did you know that during the time of the Israelite immigration, slavery and exodus from Egypt, the lamb was worshipped as the animal form of one of the highest of all Egyptian gods? So much so that the Egyptians would not eat sheep! They were treated similarly to the way cows are treated in India. This was an advantage and disadvantage to the Israelites. A disadvantage because the Egyptians automatically looked down on them in distaste. An advantage because the Egpytians would avoid the Israelites and leave them alone in their monotheistic beliefs.

As viceroy and second in command of Egypt, Joseph of course knew that the Egyptians worshipped sheep, which is why he asked Pharoah to let his family live in Goshen outside of the main area of Egypt - because Jacob and his sons were sheepherders! This was a degrading occupation to the sophisticated Egyptians as it was absolutely abhorred to slaughter and eat sheep. Joseph also chose the site of Goshen so his family could be sustained by the fruitfulness of the land, but not easily assimilated into the culture of Egypt. He wanted them located away from the pagan, hedonistic people of Egypt so their belief in the one true God would remain intact.

The lamb was not the only animal worshipped as diety - each of the 10 plagues were specifically chosen by God to come against the top 10 Egyptian gods! (See next blog for details on each diety each plague was created to expose) The Nile River that provided Egypt with water for their crops was another high diety worshipped by the Egyptians - and it was turned into blood and rendered useless! The God of heaven took on the highest false gods of Eygpt! He utterly exposed them in front of all of Egypt - and countless other nations when news spread of these miraculous events! It is VERY interesting that the next Pharoah in Egypt was a monotheistic Pharoah - WONDER WHY?!

Regarding the lamb, when people would come to inquire of the gods, the pagan Egyptian high priests would take a lamb and would write incantations in the ear of the lamb. They would then repeat the words to invoke demonic spirits to appear!

So how interesting is it that God would have the Israelites take a lamb by it's ear and tie it to the bedpost for 4 days and nights and then slaughter it?! What chutzpah and faith in God the Israelites had to of had to take a high Egyptian diety by the ear into their homes and then slaughter it when they at this point were simply slaves!

And why did God have them purchase their lamb on the Sabbath? Because the Egyptians had taken away their Sabbath day of rest and made them slaves every day of the week. So here they are saying to the Egyptians that they are re-taking and re-claiming their day of rest!

As you can see, there is ALWAYS more behind the surface meaning of Scripture! There is NO portion of Scripture that we read in the English that doesn't have a much deeper level to learn in the Hebrew language and culture of the day! As far as the Passover story, this simple blog only scratches the surface of this intensely deep portion of Scripture!

Queen Esther: Story of Redemption

Notes on Purim message Sunday, March 20, 2011:

Theme I - Redemption Comes through Repentance

Theme II - We Must Defeat the Spirit of Amalek - The Spirit of Doubt!

Mordechai was a Benjamite and a descendant/grandson of Shimei, the man who was of the same clan as Saul's family and who threw rocks at King David and cursed him (2 Samuel 16:5-13). The king's officials asked if they should cut this man down, and King David said "no, let him live"; for he foresaw that this man would have a descendant who would rescue Israel through Esther. Mordechai is this descendant and redeems his ancestor with his actions. Mordechai is also part of the Sanhedrin - the entire Sanhedrin were taken in to exile. Mordechai's name means "tried by fire".

Amalek was a descendant of Esau through one of Esau's concubines. He had very low self-esteem, and even worse, sought to make others have low self-esteem, doubt and cut others down with gossip. It is this spirit of doubt and low self-esteem Jacob himself fought before he faces Esau.

Haman was a descendant of Agag, the King of the Amalekites. The book of Esther calls Haman an Agagite. Haman exists because King Saul to his own great detriment as well as Israel's, spared the life of the Amalekite King, Agag. (1 Samuel 15) For this reason Saul loses the right to the kingship because God told the Israelites to not spare a single Amalekite so they would be blotted out completely from the face of the earth for the terrible action they took when the Israelites emerged from Egypt. What should have been a huge high point spiritually for the Israelites was taken away because the Amalekites attacked them from behind and stirred up the spirit of doubt. (Exodus 17:8-16). For this action against Israel, God says to Moses in Exodus 17:14 - "Write this in a book as a memorial, and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."

In 1 Samuel 15: 2-3, God tells King Saul through Samuel to go to war against Amalek and to not spare a single Amalekite. Not only does King Saul capture and spare Agag, the Amalek king, he lies to Samuel saying that he did destroy them all, and he does not immediately repent for his actions. 1 Samuel 15:11, God says "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned his back from following me, and has not carried out my commands." Because Saul did not completely destroy the Amalekites, Haman is born and strives as his ancestors did, to destroy the Jews. Could it be that Haman's Amalekite spirit of doubt and low self-esteem is stirred when Mordechai will not bow to him? So he "became full of wrath" and since he had been told Mordechai's nationality, Haman sought to destroy all Mordechai's people.

But this plot of Haman's will allow Mordechai and Esther to redeem Saul's actions!

Esther was a Benjamite, from the house of Saul, the daughter of Mordechai's uncle. Esther means "hidden", just as God is hidden in the book of Esther. Her real name is Hadassah, which is Aramaic and means "Myrtle". Although God's Name is not explicitly written anywhere in the book, His Name "Yud Hay Vav Hay" can be found in the Hebrew text in both Esther 5:4 and Esther 7:7.

Esther's first action is to call the Jewish people to teshuvah -repentance- through fasting and prayer. Ultimately is not Mordechai and Esther who redeemed Israel, it was the fact that Israel humbled herself before God and repented that moved God to rescue them. As Benjamites, it is through their actions that Esther and Mordechai redeem the actions of their Benjamite ancestors, Saul and Shimei!

Once again, God is all about redemption through repentance!!

King Darius II is Esther's son/descendant through King Ahasuerus. He clearly had to be influenced by Queen Esther as it is he who orders the building of the Second Temple 70 years after the First Temple is destroyed. He also allows the Jewish people to return from their exile to their land of Israel.

Sadly, the descendants of Amalek and the spirit of Amalek still exist today -though God will one day completely blot them out! The spirit of Amalek, of doubt and low self-esteem can be found everywhere. Anywhere there is gossip and cutting down of others self-esteem and causing doubt, you will find the spirit of Amalek.

We must fight against the Spirit of Amalek from amongst us!

The physical descendants of Amalek are living in Gaza today - just look at the news to see the war actions Gaza is taking against Israel - such as firing rockets!

When the ten sons of Haman are hanged, their names were written in the book of Esther in Hebrew and have a small "tov", "shin", and "zayin" that foreshadow another "Haman plot" against the Jews - the holocaust. Rabbis have concluded that the ten men who were hung at the Nuremburg trials on Oct 16, 1946 were the fulfillment of this prophecy found in the book of Esther. Interesting that even in a modern time as 1946, they were also hung just like Haman and his sons.

Your Taxes are Paying for Terrorist Education

Why is Israel calling for the West to stop funding the Palestinian educational system and media until there is satisfactory supervision of what is taught?

Palestinian education and media teach from the Islamic religious books, the Quran and Sharia law. Arab muslims in Palestine are infiltrated from childhood in their schools, mosques and local media to kill non-muslim infidels - especially Christians and Jews! There is no adequate censor on what is being taught - some schools are completely unsupervised!

Ibn Taymiyyah, considered the spiritual father of the Islamic revolution, preached that "Jihad should be waged against those who do not follow the teaching of Islam". Jihad is an important religious duty to combat against non-muslim believers. Muslims are taught "self-sacrifice" for Islam - suicide!

The Muslim Brotherhood teaches a strict interpretation of the Quran, which emphasizes glorified suicidal violence!

See this quote:

"Where does this extreme, brutal cruelty come from?

You don't have to look far. They are taught by the Quran. For those who still doubt whether Islam, it's Quran and Sharia law are really teaching the murder of Jews and other infidels (Christians, among others) here is a quote from it:

"The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdullah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."

The murderers were taught since their early childhood to do just that."

And yet, the US is funding Palestinian education and media!! And it's no wonder Israel is calling for a halt to funding until there is better supervision of what is taught.

Look at it another way....your US tax dollars are going to educate Palestinian Arab Muslims on how to kill us!

To be perfectly clear about it - your hard-earned money in part went to educate the suicidal terrorists who took over US planes and bombed the US Twin Towers!

And more recently, murdered an innocent Jewish family in Gaza for absolutely no reason!

America, we should be outraged to the point of action - in prayer and deed!!!!

Article on "Should I Convert to Judaism?"

For those Gentiles wondering if they should convert to Judaism, the following article is very insightful and should help in that decision. Shalom!

Should I Convert to Judaism? Is Judaism For Everybody? By Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

Question: I came across your site and wow--I really want to become Jewish. My mother was a fairly devout Italian Catholic and my father an Anglican skeptic who never went to church. I was always so confused. But now your site has really turned me on to Judaism, a real coming home for me. What's my next step? Response: Your next step is to become a better person. Develop greater faith in your soul, in your destiny, and in your Maker. Do more good, reach out to more people. Learn more wisdom, apply whatever you learn, and make life worth living. But you don't need to become Jewish to do any of that. Plenty of wonderful people doing beautiful things in the world are not Jewish, and G‑d is nonetheless pleased with them. You see, there's Judaism and there's Jewishness, and the two are not one and the same. Judaism is wisdom for every person on the planet and beyond. We call it the Torah, meaning "the teaching," and it's a divine message to all human beings containing the principles that much of humanity has already accepted as absolute truths. The idea that human life is beyond value is a teaching originating from Torah, as is the related concept that all human beings are created equal. So too, the right of every individual to literacy and education was brought to the world through Torah. And world peace as a value and goal was preached exclusively by the Torah and its prophets thousands of years before it became popular in the rest of the world. And of course, the idea that there is a single, incorporeal Being who creates and sustains all of reality, and is concerned over all that occurs with each individual, thereby giving each person, creature, event and object meaning, purpose and destiny--this is a core teaching upon which everything else rests, and the central teaching of the Torah. This teaching was not only preserved, but unfolded, explained, illuminated and applied in so many different ways by Jewish sages since it was given, over 3300 years ago. They've applied it to serious matters of medical ethics, business ethics, politics, personal enlightenment--every facet of human life. Today it is all readily available for all humanity to partake of and learn from, as a beacon of light and an inspiration to all. That's Judaism. Then there is Jewishness. To be Jewish means to belong to an ancient tribe, either by birth or by adoption. It's a strange and unique tribe, because it is the only one to have survived into modernity while retaining most of the characteristics of a Bronze Age tribe. Anthropologist Jared Diamond describes in his book, "Guns, Germs and Steel," how a New Guinea tribesman, when visiting a nearby village of the same tribe, will immediately start the conversation with an investigation of, "So, who are you related to? Do you know so-and-so?" to establish tribal relations. Well, that's exactly what Jewish people do today when they meet one another all over the world. Because, whether living in Manhattan or Joburg, Tel Aviv or Vladivostok, we are still all one tribe. And for good reason: To preserve the teachings of an ageless Torah for the world, the Jewish People themselves need to be ageless, remaining outside of time, as it were, even while traveling within it. Tribes have rituals. So do Jews. Males of the tribe wear particular items of clothing, such as tzitzit and kippot. Women keep a certain mode of modest dress and married women cover their hair. Men also wrap leather boxes containing parchment scrolls on the heads and arms every morning, while robed in woolen sheets with more of those tzitzit tassels. In our services, we chant ancient Hebrew and read from an ancient scroll. We have holidays that commemorate our tribal memories and establish our identity as a whole. Certain foods are taboo and other food is supervised and declared fit-for-the-tribe. Nope, you can't get much more ancient-tribal than any of that. The point is, none of that ritual stuff was ever meant as a universal teaching, except perhaps in a more generalized way. Modest dress--yes, a good idea for all. Why should the human being be reduced to a body icon? A chat with your Maker every morning? How can a human being do without it? And injecting some spirituality into your food consumption--what a great way to transcend the mundane. But as to the particular rituals in their Jewish form, as meaningful as they are to us, there's simply no meaning in someone outside the tribe taking them on. (If you don't believe me, take a look in the source-text, where G‑d tells Moses, "Speak to the Children of Israel and tell them to...") Now, what I'm saying is not very PC nowadays. We live in a world of hypermobility. Not just because we own our own cars and reserve our own tickets online to go anywhere, anytime--but because we imagine our very identities to be just as mobile as our powerbook. Pick me up and take me anywhere. Today I'm a capitalist entrepreneur, tomorrow an Inuit activist, and the next day a Californian bohemian. And we can mix and match--today, you can be Italian, Nigerian, Chinese and Bostonian all in the same meal. So who is this Freeman character to tell me which tribe I belong to and which not? To be frank, because this Freeman character considers the hyper-identity scheme to be a scam, a mass delusion and a social illness. You can switch your clothes, your eating habits, your friends, your social demeanor, your perspective on life and maybe you can even switch to a Mac. But G-d decides who you are, and the best you can do is discover it. Two friends of mine joined the Peace Corps back in the sixties and were posted in Southeast Asia. Together, they visited a little-known guru in the jungle to whom they announced, "We want to become Buddhists." "Well, what are you now?" he asked them. "Nothing," they replied. "Where did you come from? What were your parents?" "They were Jews." "So why are you coming to me?" he asked. "Go and be Jews." Now it's my turn to return the favor and tell the Southeast Asians, the Italians, the Nigerians, the Inuits and all the rest of humanity this little piece: I believe that what G-d wants from each person is that s/he examine the heritage of his ancestors, discover the truths hidden there and live in accordance with them, knowing that this is what his Creator wants from her/him. The truths are there because all of human society was originally founded upon the laws given to Adam and to Noah, along with those laws that all the children of Noah accepted upon themselves. These truths are found by examining one's heritage through the light of Torah. The Jewish Tribe are the bearers of that light. But you don't need to become Jewish to partake of it. Light shines for all who have eyes. Help spread the light.

A Simple Letter from a Holocaust Survivor

A Simple Letter from a Holocaust Survivor

by Shorashim Shop on Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 11:48pm

Along with the terrible news of the earth quake in Japan, and Kadaffi slaughtering his own people, last night we had our own slaughter. Two Palestinians terrorists penetrated a Jewish settlement and slaughtered a family of five: a 36 years old man, his wife, two young children and a nine month old baby.

A twelve year old daughter who came back home found her family murdered. What is specially heinous about the killings was the nine month old baby was found with her throat cut. The parents and the babies old brother and sister had multiple stabbing wounds.

I lived four years under the Nazis and I saw their brutalities; they even sent mothers and babies to the gas chambers, but I have never seen even an SS man who would take a baby and cut her throat. Where does this extreme, brutal cruelty come from?

You don't have to look far. They are taught by the Quran. For those who still doubt whether Islam, its Quran and Sharia law are really teaching the murder of Jews and other infidels (Christians, among others) here is a quote from it:

"The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdullah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."

The murderers were taught since their early childhood to do just that.

Solly

P.S. It seems there is a debate going on in the States concerning whether Islam is teaching extremism. Anyone who bothers to read this passage won't have any doubts. As if 9/11 didn't teach the Americans to what extent the extremist of Islam will go to kill Americans.

Discovery of Dead Sea Scrolls - Coincidence?

The most ancient manuscript discovery of modern time - the Dead Sea scrolls found in the caves of Qumran by a bedouin youth and first identified by archeologist Eleazar Sukenik of Hebrew University the same day, nay, even the same hour, that the United Nations voted to allow Israel to become a nation!

DIVINE SYMBOLISM?

The story of the Dead Sea Scrolls is far more fascinating than one might think at first! The scrolls were written by Essene scribes who were meticulous about writing down the exact letters of Scripture. The WORDS of Scripture were written on animal skin - the majority being lamb skin parchments. Then fearing the scrolls destruction later, the Essenes wrapped them in linen cloths, placed them in clay jars and hid them in caves in the Qumran. There they remained safe until the appointed time for their discovery to occur!

The WORD was written on lamb skin, wrapped in linen cloths and placed in a tomb-like clay jar!!

How incredibly symbolic! The WORD, Yeshua, became flesh and dwelt among us, the Lamb of God who was slain, then was wrapped in linen cloths, placed in a tomb, and resurrected at the appointed time!!

DIVINE TIMING?

Hundreds of years later, the first of these scrolls were discovered by bedouin during the winter-spring of 1947, who were pasturing their goats near the caves. They hung the scrolls on tent poles within their camp not knowing their worth or significance, and then it was suggested that they sell the scrolls to make money from them. The bedouins sold them in Bethlehem for a cheap price to two Arab antiquities dealers who did not know their significance either. One dealer sold 4 scrolls to Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Jerusalem who did not know what they were, but bought them for about $250. The other dealer contacted Hebrew University professor and archeologist Eleazar Sukenik who went to Bethlehem November 29th, 1947 and immediately recognized the significance of the scrolls the very same hour and day that the United Nations voted to allow Israel to become a nation. Could this be mere coincidence?

COULD GOD HAVE BEEN SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE ENTIRE WORLD?

What are the odds that the most ancient scrolls, 1000 years older than any other copies, would be found the day the UN allows Israel to become a nation?? Almost as if God was saying, "Take heed all nations, these are My people and this is their land and here are the manuscripts to prove it!" There is no other greater proof that shows how much of a right Israel has to that land than Scripture - it is the foundation of Judaism!

Almost as if, in a sense, the day the nation was founded, the founding papers were established as well!

Judaism During the Time of Yeshua

Why does Yeshua seemingly denounce the Jews so often in the Gospels? In order to understand this, one must look at the culture during which Yeshua lived.

Judaism from 30 B.C.E to 70 C.E. for the first time was divided into two religious schools: the School of Hillel and the School of Shammai. The schools debated, not on the law of Torah, but on the oral tradition passed down by Moses that had recently been put into writing for fear of losing it. The majority of the teachings of Bet Hillel (followers or "sons" of Hillel) were upheld by Yeshua throughout the Gospels; however, it is the teachings of Bet Shammai (followers or "sons" of Shammai) that Yeshua continually denounces and vehemently opposes.

Why does Yeshua rebuke them continually over and over in the Gospels (as does Paul in the epistles)?

For one, Bet Shammai Pharisees not only were adamant that gentiles had no place in the World to Come and could never merit salvation, but they also were involved with the murderous Zealots who refused to allow gentiles and especially the hated Romans, to bring offerings or tax to the Temple. This infuriated Yeshua! He came that gentiles may be grafted into the Abrahamic covenant, and it's no wonder Yeshua drove them out with a whip! Bet Hillel Pharisees on the other hand, taught that gentiles did have a place in the World to Come and even sought to bring gentiles "nigh to the Torah".

(This Temple refusal and numerous other actions by the Zealots incited the wrath of the Romans as well, and it is the Zealots hatred of gentiles and the Romans that is believed to be a great part of what ultimately resulted in the Temple destruction in 70 C.E. Interestingly, the school of Shammai died out at this time, and to this day the teachings of Hillel are followed by Jewry world-wide with very few teachings of Shammai still followed. It should also be noted that Hillel and Shammai, the teachers themselves, lived peacably with each other; and it was their followers in the coming decades between whom tensions greatly increased.)

Secondly, during Yeshua's time, it was Bet Shammai who were in control of the rabbinic community, so therefore Yeshua often targets the leaders and teacher's of the law accusing them of foresaking justice, mercy and faithfulness, over strict adherence to their own self-created laws. In addition, the Pharisees of Bet Shammai and the Zealots were frequently called by the 1st century rabbis as a "brood of vipers" and "children of the devil", so it was normal for Yeshua to call them such. When Yeshua speaks of the seven woes to the Pharisees in Matthew 23, it is to Bet Shammai Pharisees and the Zealots that Yeshua is referring to and calling hypocrites! At the beginning of this passage, Yeshua exhorts the people and tells them "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses', so you must obey them and do everything they tell you", but then continuing, He refers to Bet Shammai when He says, "But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."

So does Yeshua reject all Jewry, His own people? Absolutely not! In fact, to coin a phrase used by Bridges of Peace, Yeshua was a fully Torah observant, tallit wearing, synagogue attending, feast-keeping, kosher Jew! Why would he observe all these things if he wanted to do away with Torah?

Moreover, how ironic it is that Yeshua's words, ALWAYS used to uphold Torah law, are the very words gentiles use to say Yeshua did away with the law! How ironic it is, that the church fathers, and current theologians, not understanding the culture of Judaism during this time and that Yeshua was targeting a specific Jewish group, NOT the rest of the Jews, take those passages to mean that the church supplants Israel! Yeshua and Paul often speak of the gentiles being the wild olive branch grafted into the covenant, but never do either speak of the wild olive branch taking the place of the covenant with Israel.

Yeshua said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." All is not accomplished until after Yeshua's return as King!!

More examples of Yeshua observing Torah law, but rebuking followers of Shammai will be posted soon. Also answering: Why did Yeshua heal on the Sabbath? Why did Yeshua curse the fig tree? Why did He wait 3 days before raising Lazarus? Why did He tell the young man to leave the burial of his father and let the dead bury the dead?


For a more detailed look at Judaism and the differences between these two schools, read:

They Loved the Torah - What Yeshua's First Followers Really Thought About the Law by David Friedman, Ph.D.

Jesus the Pharisee - A New Look at the Jewishness of Jesus by Rabbi Harvey Falk

Jesus Through Jewish Eyes: A Rabbi Examines the Life and Teachings of Jesus by Rabbi John Fischer, Ph.D, Th.D.

Influence of the Church Fathers

Do you recognize these famous and revered names: John Calvin, Martin Luther, St. Augustine, Peter the Venerable, John Chrysostom, Justin Martyr, Ignatius Bishop of Antioch? Of course! The incredible influence these men have had on Protestantism and/or Christianity through the centuries has been profound and cannot possibly be measured.

Yet what did all these great men have in common? They all held strong anti-semitic beliefs. Many of them to the point of ridiculous and fanatical - see remarks on Luther below. But why did these great men of the faith hold such prejudice against the Jews? All these great men - and many current theologians - believed that God rejected Israel and that the church took the place of Israel. Where does anyone find in Scripture that God says His covenant with Abraham is no longer valid and that the church supplants Israel? Why does the church think that all the blessings for Israel written of by the Prophets are valid only for the church, but that the curses are meant only for Israel? What an unbalanced, bizarre teaching! Israel is a set apart and holy nation, because God decreed it and made it so. God by His very nature cannot violate a covenant He established. Abraham kept the covenant, and regardless of how Abraham's descendants treated the covenant, the covenant was with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and it is through their merit and righteousness that God promises to keep the covenant!

Considering the profound influence these great church fathers have had on the church down through the ages, how might this anti-semitic theme have influenced the way the church thinks and behaves towards Jews and the nation of Israel today?

Considering that some of the most horrific persecutions of Jews have been in the name of Christianity, is there any doubt why Jews distrust Christians and anything a Christian has to say?

For examples of anti-Jewish writings for each church father mentioned, find the link under "Educational Material" termed: "Anti-Semitism of the "Church Father's".


ON MARTIN LUTHER: LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE HOLOCAUST?

While Martin Luther is greatly revered for forever separating Protestantism from Catholicism with his 95 Theses and the ensuing reformation of the church; it is often overlooked that in his fanatical fervor to convert everyone, especially the non-conforming Jews into Christians, that he became extremely anti-semitic. He was so avid in his beliefs that he became greatly angered that those stubborn Jews would not bend to his evangelizing.

In fact, historians and theologians have posed the hypothesis that is was Luther's criminalizing book On Jews and Their Lies that played a role in the instigation and propagation of the holocaust. This book savagely attacks Jews, calling for a "burning of their synagogues", "that they be forbidden on pain of death to praise God, give thanks, to pray, and to teach publicly", and it gets much worse than this, calling them murderers, throwing sow dung on them if they say the name of God, and on and on. Luther greatly affected Protestant thought and of course especially the German mindset where he lived and exerted much influence through his emphatic writings and speeches.

Hitler was a member of the Lutheran church - which had become a state controlled church at that point - and 2,000 Lutheran pastors did withdraw from the Nazi-controlled state church in protest against Nazi actions and beliefs. The state controlled church did not denounce Hitler for his atrocities against primarily the Jews. In his book Mein Kampf, Hitler calls Luther one of the greatest reformers and indeed the Nazi plan was to create a state church based upon the "Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther". And just as Luther called for a burning of their synagogues, the first physical action taken against the Jews was the burning of hundreds of their synagogues on Luther's birthday, November 10th, 1938!!

What influence a man can have on the history of the world! God help us!

For a detailed report on this topic, find the link above: "Martin Luther's Dirty Little Book: On Jews and Their Lies".

Note: The purpose here was to identify anti-semitism in church fathers who have greatly influenced church history. Regarding Hitler, though Luther had an impact, Hitler had many influences and was highly influenced by Henry Ford who also was a noted anti-semite. See Ford's book The International Jew: The World's Foremost Problem. Hitler was also influenced by Darwin who taught that the Aryan race was the most evolutionary advanced race and therefore was superior to all others, while the Jewish race (and handicapped people) were the most inferior because they were the least evolutionary advanced race!

Yeshua's Mock Sanhedrin Trial

Who Killed Yeshua?

Many people have believed throughout centuries that Yeshua was tried and convicted by a Jewish Sanhedrin. This is true in name only; it was ironically Gentiles - Romans and Greeks - who comprised the majority of the Sanhedrin that night!

To start with, the government was very corrupt at this time and many "puppet" leaders were in place - including the Sanhedrin where many of the leaders weren't even truly Jewish! The Romans appointed whoever they wanted to be the high priest, and it was the Romans who instituted the wicked Annas as high priest as well as his wicked son-in-law successor Caiaphas!

To add to that, the night of Yeshua's trial was held during the week of Pesach (Passover)! Authentic Jewish leaders would never have held a trial during this time; work is not even permitted during the first two days of this festival and is limited during the rest of the festival! They would have been home with their families celebrating Pesach and eating the traditional kosher meal!

Finally, notice how Yeshua's trial was held at night - literally in secret! A true Jewish Sanhedrin would NEVER have held capital trials beyond daylight hours and certainly not during Pesach! It was against Jewish law - against Torah! The law also teaches that a sentence of death must be pronounced after 24 hours had elapsed since the trial - they waited only a few hours! The law also teaches that trials could not be held on the day before Sabbath NOR on any of the great festivals. (The council also consisted of 71 members, and it would have been impossible to convince 71 men to all agree to break the laws of Torah, miss Pesach dinner and tradition with family, AND it would have taken several hours to gather 71 men to be there for a trial in the first place!)

Clearly this was an illegal, hastily done, kangaroo court that violated multiple Jewish laws regarding capital offense trials!!

There are more reasons than those listed above, but the point is to show that Yeshua was NOT convicted by Jews alone. In fact, He was convicted mostly by Gentiles - the VERY people group He came to graft into the covenant established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the entire Jewish nation! What irony!

What an "ah-ha!" moment to have! That down through the centuries Jews have been repeatedly persecuted and called "Christ-killers" when in actuality, it was mostly us, the Gentiles, the Goyim, that sentenced Yeshua to death!

Yeshua's trial was fake...and they found no grounds by which to accuse Him!

But then of course, regardless of who on earth sentenced Yeshua to death, it was pre-determined in heaven by our merciful Heavenly Father who willed that Yeshua from the beginning of time would die at the appointed hour for the iniquity of all.

So ultimately it was our sin and the will of the Father that killed Yeshua.

And how grateful we are that the Father willed it and that Yeshua was perfectly obedient - for by the Father's will and by Yeshua's obedient sacrifice we are saved through repentance!

John 6:38 - "For I have not come to do my will, but the will of my Father who sent me."


COMPARISON: YESHUA'S TRIAL WITH PETER AND JOHN'S TRIAL

To take this a step further - Acts 5 describes the first arrest of Peter and John who were also arrested in the evening just like Yeshua! However, rather than assembling a hastily put together kangaroo Sanhedrin court that same evening like they did with Yeshua's trial, they put Peter and John in prison and WAITED UNTIL DAYBREAK to assemble the Sanhedrin. As stated previously, the entire 71 members of the Jewish Sanhedrin would never have agreed to hold a trial at night - it was against Torah! When the 71 members were finally assembled the next morning, even though such members as Annas and Caiaphas and their affiliates wanted Peter and John killed, there were still some righteous members of the Sanhedrin, such as Paul's teacher, Rabbi Gamaliel, who spoke up and essentially saved the lives of Peter and John by saying, Acts 5:38-39:

"Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

Peter and John's trial before the Sanhedrin was held much more according to the law and therefore their lives were spared to live and preach another day. How unjust was the trial of Yeshua our Messiah! Yet, how else could it have been? Had Yeshua been given a fair trial, the 71 members would probably never have been agreed to sentence Him to death. As unjust as it was, the Father allowed it so that even through the evil intentions of unrighteous men, ALL evil would be overcome by the death and resurrection of His Son Yeshua HaMashiach!!

Israel - We Must Stand By Her

On our recent trip to Israel, we learned the importance of standing by Israel. There is a clear divine blessing given to those who support this nation and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6 - "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper who love you, may there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels". We must pray that our nation decides to support the small nation of Israel. Consider that our current and past two presidents have called to separate the nation of Israel into an Israeli state and a Palestinian state, and is it no wonder that we have cursed ourselves in this and our economy has fallen? Now consider Canada, (who has not always supported Israel) and how their current Prime Minister has openly stated that they will stand by Israel, and as a result their economy and their currency is rising and becoming stronger than the US economy and US dollar, as well as other major nations' currencies. Could it be that a nation's economy is affected by whether that nation chooses to bless Israel or curse Israel? Note what God promises Abraham in Genesis 12:3 - "I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you." We must bless the nation of Israel!