Why the difficulty with messianic Jews and not secular Jews?

Greetings all,

A reader asked me the following questions:

"In respect of  Messianic Jews it seems that  that most (all?)  Jews see them as no longer Jews, is that correct? But why do religious Jews not say the same about  Secular Jews? I have always thought that  being a Jew is passed down through havinf a Jewish mother, so if you can inherit it (unlike Christianity), how do you lose it?"

My answer:

Firstly you are correct that a Jew is Jewish if your mother is Jewish, also if you convert to Judaism you are considered to be Jewish as anyone born Jewish. We follow this because it is part of the Oral Torah which Moses received at the same time as the written Torah of the Bible. I appreciate that Christianity rejects the notion of the Oral Torah, but Jesus (being a good Jew) did not c.f. Matthew 23:1-3 ,Mark 2: 23-27& Matthew 5: 17-20. Also we see that this law was already in practice in other parts of the Bible: in Ezra the Jewish men were told to send their wives and children back to Babylon because they were considered to be non jewish, not Jewish women being told to send back their husbands and children.

Secondly. I also understand secular Jewish atheists who are observant for cultural or family reasons. That's a distinctive feature of Judaism, a nation and a community, fused into a religion which permeates every aspect of oneself and life. We are more than a group of religious believers, but a global family. And to me family and community are key aspects of Judaism. We don't turn our back on family and therefore we shouldn't turn our backs or force them out, that those who struggle with God, with beliefs, but who wish to still be in the tent, however, it is quite clear that messianic Jews don't fit into this category.

Thirdly. A Jew who believes in Jesus as his/her “Lord and Saviour" has become a Christian. Even if not a formal member of a church group that person is a Christian theologically. The halacha (B.T. Sanhedrin 44a) recognizes the biologic link to the Jewish people as inviolate, but also recognizes that as long as one remains an apostate one is not considered to be part of the Jewish community. A willing convert to Christianity, whether formally or informally, forfeits his/her legal and social rights, which express a Jew’s belonging to the Jewish people. A Jew must meet, actively or inactively (e.g. a secular Jew), the fundamental biblical stipulation: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:7). God declares: “I am the first, and I am the last, and beside Me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6).

I've come to appreciate that one can never fully understand God, I believe a rabbi one said "if I knew him, I would be him"(Judah ha Levi) and as it is written:

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how life enters the body being formed in the mother's womb, so you cannot understand the works of God, the maker of all things"(Ecclesiastes 11:5).

But follow God and his commandments are nonetheless the thing for a Jew to do. A concluding thought to ponder. Does God prefer the most pious person, who observes the rituals and believes with dogmatic precision, but acts in a shameful fashion or the one who just tries with all of their heart? That to me is the difference between secular Jews and messianic Jews. But for all we are to bring them ALL back to the fold and help them become observant of the Torah. It is incumbent to hear the words of Ezekiel when he lamented "Those who went astray you did not return and the lost you did not seek "(Ezekiel 34:4).

Is it is over... it seems to be over.... for now

David here,

I am taking a quick dive back into blogging, for this article.

It looks like the current military conflict is Gaza is coming to an end or at least  a long pause, whilst some form of ceasefire is arranged between the 2 sides in Cairo. It has been a tough fight, one in which many Israelis & Palestinians died, not because of Israeli 'imperialism', but because of the sheer intransigence of Hamas. Millions of pounds of aid were misspent by terrorists building these tunnels and the resources of Gaza were all ploughed into projects, not for the welfare of the territories people, but for terrorists purposes. To be sure Israel has NOT overthrown the terrorist regime, which would have been my aim. I can appreciate why Israel did not do so, for various strategic and political reasons. My only fear is that in a couple of years, if not months, this whole thing will happen again, as the terror network is still there .But at least the tunnels are gone and Hamas have been dealt a severe blow.

In respect of the Palestinian threat to join the ICC : this is an utter joke. Not that Israel should recognise this kangaroo court, but  even if it did, I doubt the Pals will go for this, other than by way as a negotiating chip. Why? Well put simply the reason why so many in the west fall for Palestinian propaganda is because the media like 'real time' information and the Hamas give them that, or more accurately lies and utterly ridiculous lies at that. The IDF is often slow to rebut these charges, because they are a modern western PROFESSIONAL fighting force and therefore do thorough investigations when things apparently go wrong, have armies of lawyers, investigators etc  & most of the time when reports are issued, we often see half of what has been claimed by the UN/media/Hamas is a load of distorted and twisted untruths, but by that time the media circus has moved on, so the mud and propaganda victory sticks with one side . The problems for the Pals is that all of this is kept and documented by the IDF, so their lies would be exposed in the full glare of reality if it ever went to a court (not, note, that it should, as Israel has no case to answer anyway).

As for the impact on this for British politics, I won't comment as such on this, because that is my brother Sam's patch (read his blog here). All I will say is that this war has yet again exposed some ugly latent anti-semitism , which is sad because the bulk of the British population- the silent majority- are with Israel and against the terrorists. That we have idiots like the liberal democrats calling for an arms embargo and voter (Islamic) grubbing fools like the Labour party is unfortunate. And then there is Lady "principle" Warsi, to which one asks where was your principle on other occasions it was called for when it comes to 'morally indefensible' outrages ? 

Finally, as ever, we must thank the men and women of the IDF, the young flowers of Israel, who have had to do the fighting to protect the Jewish homeland. Our thoughts are with those who have not come back. May they not be forgotten. As we have said in Britain on Monday, "they gave their today, for our tomorrow". 

G-d bless you all.

Judaism into the C of E?

David here, 

It seems to that my sister Hannah  has been thinking (always an interesting sign) about the possible reunification of Judaism and using the Church of England as a model (don't worry, she did ask me to post a response to these ideas)  : 

' the problem of a national state religion depends upon the culture you are in. I'll give my country, England, as an example; England has a national Church with Bishops in the Parliament, but we are hardly a theocracy like Iran. When Henry VIII created the Church of England and broke away from Rome there resulted about 100 years of war, strife and persecution on and off, back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism . That was bad. But eventually the C of E became a giant moderated compromise of the different brands of Christianity (Catholic, Evangelical and Liberal) , because the English had had enough of extremist religion in the form of the Puritans of Cromwell. & of course, eventually, non Anglicans obtained tolerance and then political rights, Catholics got the vote and Jews re-entered the country after a decade of civil war in 1656. Today the Anglican or Episcopalian Church is seen as one of the most moderate brands of Christianity. Could not Judaism do the same? So, imagine if Sephardi, Orthodox, Conservative and Reform were all in one grouping .The problem with Israel is that Israel has surrendered the Rabbinicate to the worst excesses of Haredi Judaism- a distinct minority in Judaism. That is the problem, not religion per se.'

We can ignore the sweep of history here and also overlook the fact that the Anglican Church, precisely because it wields together numerous fractions into one body, often divisive fractions at that, it always seems somewhat incoherent & about to tear itself apart. 

But is she right or wrong? Should we put aside our various traditions for the sake of greater unity or just accept the current status quo of agree to disagree with our religious differences, but be united when it comes to defending the overall 'arch' of Judaism in respect to Israel, male circumcision, kosher slaughter and general Jewish welfare ?

I agree that SOME form of 'reformation' of the Israeli Rabbincate is required, but is this a step too far for Orthodoxy? Or is the idea of, say, restoring a Sanhedrin of  Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Sephardi Rabbis & Sages too much to happen before the coming of Messiah? And to add to this, do we not have to wait until Messiah comes for a new Sanhedrin and then a new Temple in Jerusalem? Or should we at least seek to be more co-operative between Jewish traditions and denominations, even as we acknowledge in maturity our glaring theological differences?  

Father Gabriel Nadaf on the current conflict

David here,

Much to my interest and delight, one of the leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church in Israel, Father Gabriel Nadaf, penned the following on Monday, whose sentiments and views I can thoroughly concur with : 

"Edmond Burke, the 18th century Irish philosopher and political theorist, said, ‘The only thing necessary for evil to win is for good men to do nothing.’ Therefore, we are all brothers in the face of evil, with no regard to religion, race, and faith. The outcry about the atrocities we are crying out together. As the spiritual father of the Israeli Christians Forum, who encourages the recruitment of Israel Christians to the IDF and  full integration of Christians into the Israeli society, I would like to turn to you with a plea to support and back Israel, our Holy land, and its defense forces. The country is under fire and our soldiers are fighting against terrorist organizations, whose sole purpose and goal is to destroy the State of Israel. 

In the name of the Israeli Christians, I am crying out to the whole world: Wake up! Terrorism acts don’t allow any chance for peace. If Hamas doesn’t safeguard its own people, Israel cannot be held responsible for their safety. Hamas is supposed to be protecting its own people but unfortunately, like all the terrorist organizations, it does the opposite, takes advantage of the Civilian Gazan population, and sacrifices its people (women and children). Therefore, the death of the Palestinian civilians in Gaza is the sole responsibility of Hamas. 

They are the only ones to blame.Israel complied with Egypt’s offer of a cease fire, but Hamas refused. Israel cannot sit idle while the barrages of rockets are being fired on its civilians and it cannot allow the infiltration of terrorists into its space through tunnels whose sole purpose is killing Israeli civilians. The one big difference between Hamas and Israel is that the lives of Israeli civilians are very precious to the State and it will do everything in its power to protect them, regardless of religion. 

Since the takeover of Hamas of Gaza, it has done everything to force the Christians to disappear and flee from Gaza. They hate the Christians no less than they hate the Jews. Hamas is part of the Al-Qaida ideology and resolutions cannot be reached with them. Their refusal of the cease fire is a clear testimony to that. 

Instead of reinforcing the State of Israel and the security it provides for the Christians and all of its citizens, it’s being boycotted and there are continued attempts to weaken it, which will lead to us becoming an easy prey like all the countries around us. The State of Israel is at the forefront of the battle against the terrorism that is trying to swallow the whole world. The flame of terrorism is going to reach every corner of the world and no country will be immune from the terrorist attacks. What is happening in Syria, Iraq, and Gaza will be happening in your country if you continue to do nothing. 

Therefore, we all have to come together in unity and uproot terrorism. We should not be complacent and accept terrorism as a fact of life. We have to stop being indifferent about terrorists, who are exploiting our freedom and good spirit. I am calling on you, on behalf of the Israeli Christians, to support the IDF and the State of Israel in Operation ‘Protective Edge’ and to fight terrorism with us, in order to protect the Holy Land. For, if God forbid, our country falls in the hand of terrorists, a catastrophe will befall the entire world. May God bless you and bring justice and peace to the world. Amen!"

No distinction between converts and Jews by birth

Question: David why do Jews by birth not see Jews who convert as being fully Jewish? 

Answer : Any Jew by birth who sees a Jew who has converted to our people's faith as not being a Jew is speaking utter crap. Once a person has converted to Judaism, i.e. has the approval of a Beth Din, been immersed in a mikveh and if male circumcised (which can be done prior to conversion under General anesthetic by a professional medical practitioner) & is willing to accept the Jewish lifestyle then he or she is fully Jewish. There is no distinction between a Jew from birth and a Jew who has converted. Contrary to popular belief Jews are not a race, but a nation in a perpetual and unbreakable covenant between the Jewish people and God . The Torah is our Constitution and that is the responsibility that a potential convert is taking on. Here is what one of the Rabbinical Midrash says about converts and how loved they are by God : 

"Dearer to God than all of the Israelites who stood at Mount Sinai is the convert. Had the Israelites not witnessed the lightning, thunder, and quaking mountain, and had they not heard the sounds of the shofar, they would not have accepted the Torah. But the convert, who did not see or hear any of these things, surrendered to God and accepted the yoke of heaven. Can anyone be dearer to God than such a person".

Lech Lecha 6:32

Speaking out against Global Anti-semitism

All, 

David here. Our Haredi brothers have got this one right : 

"As Israel applies itself to the task of rooting out terrorists in Gaza, and destroying their tunnels and rocket launchers, there have been, as always when Israel acts to defend herself, condemnations of her effort to protect her citizens from an enemy bent on murdering them. 

Seizing on the tragic consequences of even as just a war as the one Israel is conducting against Hamas, the condemners vehemently protest Israel’s actions – and, in the time-honored tradition of Jew-hatred, wax violent against Jews, wherever they may be. 

And so, we have come to witness over recent weeks hatred and violence directed toward Jewish communities in France and other countries. Such incidents are reminiscent of an earlier, darker time in our history when hatred of Jews was openly and unabashedly expressed both verbally and physically. Witnessing these attacks today is a stark and chilling reminder that the scourge of anti-Semitism remains a malignant reality in the modern world. 

Without questioning the sentiments or actions of the French government, or of the other governments involved, the fact that these incidents have primarily taken place in Europe, where just decades ago many “ordinary citizens” were complicit in the persecution and extermination of Jews, is not lost on us. Neither is the fact that these incidents come at a time of sharply rising anti-Semitism among the European populace, as indicated in various polls and studies. 

The pretense that these attacks are not anti-Semitic, but merely a reaction to current events in the Middle East, is cynical and decidedly false. When a Paris mob besieges and throws bricks at a synagogue with 200 congregants inside, it is anti-Semitism. When a synagogue north of Paris is firebombed on Friday night and sustains damage, it is anti-Semitism. When a 17-year-old girl — referred to as a “dirty Jewess” — is assaulted on a Paris street by having her face pepper-sprayed, it is anti-Semitism. When a kosher grocery is torched in the Parisian suburb of Sarcelles, it is anti-Semitism. When a Moroccan rabbi is pummeled into unconsciousness as he is walking to synagogue, it is anti-Semitism. When anti-Israel demonstrations in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Spain, Turkey and other countries are accompanied with calls to “slaughter the Jews,” with chants of “death to the Jews,” with slogans like “Hitler was right,” it is anti-Semitism. Pure and simple. 

We have raised these concerns with our State Department and have been assured that these developments, and their grave implications, are being taken by our government with the utmost seriousness. We have every faith and confidence that the United States will not stand by idly and that these blatant manifestations of animus against Jews will be responded to in a meaningful and effective manner."

Gaza thread

Readers, David here.  I've decided to add this thread which is a forum for people to add their thoughts, prayers and discuss the current conflict, especially it is now in a ground war phase, with all the heartache and worry that this causes those who have (the great majority of us) relatives one way or the other serving in the IDF. I believe that this blog is best served as a niche, as  we are not an adequate news service. There are many forums or blogs which will give you up to date information & be able to give post after post of this; we feel here we would be just echoing these blogs and there is no need to do that. We do not feel we can do these things with our limited resources here, so this shall be our ongoing discussion thread of this conflict. 

May Hashem bring back the men and women of the IDF safely, may they do their duty and may their mission be accomplished . Amen.

NOTE : When this disappears off the front page I am going to move it to the 'pages' column on the right, so people know where it is if they wish to come here to discuss these issues. 

This weeks Shabbos thread

Hi All,

As usual this is the thread where people can share their thoughts of the week, leave prayers or discuss whatever they want, including the week's Torah portion. 

I guess this weeks special prayers need to be particularly for the current situation in Gaza; to pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters in  Israel, be they in the IDF or the families of the IDF or the population generally, who are  hold up in bunkers to protect themselves from terrorist rocket attacks. May we pray for peace and no more loss of lives on both sides and may our prayers be received in mercy by Hakodosh Boroch Hu, and help usher in days of peace and security; may we look forward to the coming of the Messiah & the time in which war and suffering will be things of the past. 

Here in the UK,  we need to pray over the current debate in the House of Lords over the assisted dying bill; may their Lordships be guided by G-d to vote against this horrendous piece of legislation and may we continue to worship the G-d of life. 

Some Tehillim (Psalms)  which I hope will help people:

• Chapter 6
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 83
• Chapter 91 
• Chapter 130
• Chapter 142

I'll leave you with this thought :

No to Assisted Suicide

All,

In the UK an 'assisted suicide' law is coming before Parliament, introduced by Lord Falconer in the House of Lords. Without a doubt, I am firmly of the view  that this is against Jewish tradition , here are 3 good reasons- not the only ones of course- as to why I'm  against this proposal : 

1. Judaism places the preservation of life above practically very other Mitzovt; we are only to die, rather than transgress in 3 exceptional circumstances. We believe in life because all humanity is made in the image of our creator Gd and because of this we are not  free to dispose of our lives as we see it; it is up to the Almighty to decide when we leave this planet, indeed  as former Chief Rabbi  Lord Jakobovits once said, "The value of human life is infinite and beyond measure, so that any part of life - even if only an hour or a second - is of precisely the same worth as seventy years of it, just as any fraction of infinity, being indivisible, remains infinite".

2.  The Hebrew Bible seems to take a dim view of suicide. Note II Samuel  where the seriously injured King Saul orders a young soldier to kill him, rather than let him be captured alive. When King David heard what the young soldier had done, he had him executed, which to my mind shows that assisted suicide is equivalent to murder; even if the King himself (Saul) commanded him to do the deed. 

3. The slippery slope really is the slippery slope. This is a quote from Professor Theo Boer, who initially supported legalising assisted suicide in the Netherlands way back in 2002. Professor Boer admitted in a recently  that he was 'wrong- terribly wrong, in fact', going on to say : 

‘Whereas in the first years after 2002 hardly any patients with psychiatric illnesses or dementia appear in reports, these numbers are now sharply on the rise.‘Cases have been reported in which a large part of the suffering of those given euthanasia or assisted suicide consisted in being aged, lonely or bereaved.‘Some of these patients could have lived for years or decades. Pressure on doctors to conform to patients’ – or in some cases relatives’ – wishes can be intense.‘Pressure from relatives, in combination with a patient’s concern for their wellbeing, is in some cases an important factor behind a euthanasia request. Not even the review committees, despite hard and conscientious work, have been able to halt these developments.’

As this chart shows :



Now I've only covered this topic briefly and to provide a forum to discuss it in greater depth in the comments below. I appreciate that this is an emotive topic- the big ones always are- so please be respectful when in reply to others.

Discuss


UPDATE :

A coalition of Britain's faith leaders has issued and signed the following (signaturies below )

“As leaders of faith communities, we wish to state our joint response to Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill. We do so out of deep human concern that if enacted, this bill would have a serious detrimental effect on the wellbeing of individuals and on the nature and shape of our society. 

Every human life is of intrinsic value and ought to be affirmed and cherished. This is central to our laws and our social relationships; to undermine this in any way would be a grave error. The Assisted Dying Bill would allow individuals to participate actively in ending others’ lives, in effect colluding in the judgment that they are of no further value. This is not the way forward for a compassionate and caring society. 

Vulnerable individuals must be cared for and protected even if this calls for sacrifice on the part of others. Each year many thousands of elderly and vulnerable people suffer abuse; sadly, often at the hands of their families or carers. Being perceived as a burden or as a financial drain is a terrible affliction to bear, leading in many cases to passivity, depression and self-loathing. The desire to end one’s life may, at any stage of life, be prompted by depression or external pressure; any suggestion of a presumption that such a decision is ‘rational’ does not do justice to the facts. The Assisted Dying Bill can only add to the pressures that many vulnerable, terminally ill people will feel, placing them at increased risk of distress and coercion at a time when they most require love and support. 

A key consideration is whether the Assisted Dying Bill will place more vulnerable people at risk than it seeks to help. We have seen, in recent years that even rigorous regulation and careful monitoring have not prevented the most serious lapses of trust and care in some parts of the NHS and within a number of Care Homes. It is naïve to believe that, if assisted suicide were to be legalised, proposed safeguards would not similarly be breached with the most disastrous of consequences, by their nature irrevocable. 

The bill raises the issue of what sort of society we wish to become: one in which life is to be understood primarily in terms of its usefulness and individuals evaluated in terms of their utility or one in which every person is supported, protected and cherished even if, at times, they fail to cherish themselves. While we may have come to the position of opposing this bill from different religious perspectives, we are agreed that the Assisted Dying Bill invites the prospect of an erosion of carefully tuned values and practices that are essential for the future development of a society that respects and cares for all. Better access to high-quality palliative care, greater support for carers and enhanced end of life services will be among the hallmarks of a truly compassionate society and it is to those ends that our energies ought to be harnessed".

Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia, Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha

Mr Yousif Al-Khoei, Director Al-Khoei Foundation

Rev Dr Martyn Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church and Secretary of the Conference

Bishop Eric Brown, Administrative Bishop, New Testament Church of God

Mr Malcolm M Deboo, President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe

Rev Jonathan Edwards, Deputy Moderator Free Churches Group

Pastor John Glass, General Superintendent, Elim Pentecostal Churches

Revd David Grosch-Miller and Mr John Ellis, Moderators of the United Reformed Church General Assembly

Colonel David Hinton, Chief Secretary, The Salvation Army United Kingdom

Rev Stephen Keyworth, Faith and Society Team Leader, Baptist Union of Great Britain

Ayatollah Fazel Milani, Dean of the International Colleges of Islamic Studies

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth

Most Rev Dr Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales

His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster

Rev John Partington, National Leader, Assemblies of God

Mr Ramesh Pattni, Secretary General, Hindu Forum of Britain

Bishop Wilton Powell, National Overseer, Church of God of Prophecy

Maulana Shahid Raza OBE, Leicester Central Mosque, Leicester

Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, Chief Sangha Nayake of Great Britain, London Buddhist Vihara

Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain

Dr Natubhai Shah, Chairman/CEO Jain Network

Lord Indarjit Singh, Director Network of Sikh Organisations (UK)

Most Rev and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

Still here, still proud, still Jewish!!

Hi All,

After been spat upon yesterday & following the news that in France there was a near pogrom against  Jewish people,  when the terrorists ignore a ceasefire, all I have to post (thanks to housemate for finding this) :

Indeed as even our American Haredi brothers have said :

"Today’s news brought the report that Hamas has rejected an Egyptian-brokered cease fire, while Israel’s cabinet has expressed its willingness to abide by its terms. Once again, Hamas has shown what it truly is — a terrorist organization bent on wreaking death and destruction, not only upon Israel, but upon its very own people. Its aim is to reject peace and coexistence and its violence is intended to take Israelis and Palestinians further from the negotiating table. 

We express our deep appreciation to President Obama for his strong support of Israel during this difficult and desperate time.The U.S.-funded Iron Dome defense system has proven to be invaluable asset and has saved countless lives. The close military cooperation between the U.S. and Israel that has taken place over these past years has clearly played a critical role in assisting Israel in responding to the terrorist threat it faces now and on an ongoing basis. As both Americans and Jews, we are proud that our country remains a stalwart friend of Israel. 

In light of Hamas rejectionism, we urge President Obama to strengthen even further American resolve in dealing with the terrorist threat it poses. We should make clear to the world that the consequences of continued fighting for Gaza and its civilian population rest squarely on Hamas’ shoulders. We should make clear to President Abbas that a Palestinian Authority that includes Hamas is not a partner for peace. And we should make clear that Palestinian violence will have a detrimental affect on American support — both diplomatically and financially. 

Only through the strong and unequivocal support of the U.S. for Israel will Palestinians realize that peace, nonviolence and coexistence are their only options."

C of E has women Bishops: what about women Orthodox Rabbis?

Yesterday the official state religion of England - The Church of England- made a decision via a vote at its General Synod to allow women to become Bishops. I am not too sure what to make of this myself, in so much as whatever the tradition and theology, once they voted for women Vicars in 1992, the end logic was to also allow for those higher up the chain. I know that some will be unhappy about this decision, but it did get me thinking about women in Orthodoxy being Rabbis, Judges and the rest. 

I cannot see any reason in Jewish law for women NOT to be Rabbis, but even so I have mixed feelings on the issue myself. .On the one hand I can see from the Hebrew Bible that women had often played important leadership roles,e.g.  Miriam, Deborah, Esther; furthermore in my humble view women in Judaism are ALREADY leaders in so much as it our women who govern our homes, not us men and of course in the secular world women now have careers & jobs of their own. I fully support this and women's education to whatever level they wish to go to, be it religious or secular or preferably both. The wife of a Rabbi is often 'part of the team' when it comes to Rabbis work, so again another position of authority, even if it is partnership with her husband, rather than on their own.

On the other hand I just don't want to put a coach and horses through the tradition-which in Judaism has a very powerful influence in its own right-  that means we do not ordain as a general rule female Rabbis. Does there need to be a discussion about this in the Orthodox Jewish world or is it something which we do not need to discuss ? From my experience - and female readers please don't take offence- us Sephardi tend to be 'folksy' as in down to earth, ffriendly or neighbourly,sociable & small 'c' conservative, so I do ask myself is there any clamour for women to be Rabbis? If there is no great rush of women wanting to do this is that a reason to say 'no' to any discussion ?

True we now have  a situation where women have become "halachic advisers" (in the Orthodox world), but there is only ONE officially 'ordained' Orthodox Rabbi that I know of,Sarah Hurwitz, but in order not to rock the boat they didn't call her Rabbi to begin with, but recently she has taken on the title Rabba, which really upset the Ultra Orthodox Haredi, who are already furious over the 'women of the wall' campaigners. And do we necessarily need to upset the applecart among ourselves, when there are already other divisions within Jewry?

I don't see this as one of those make or break issues which defines you as Orthodox, so I am genuinely torn here. I am certainly all in favour of women being Cantors, on executive councils of Shuls, being Halachic advisers etc.  In respect of Cantors,yes, I know about kol isha, the spirit of which I am 100% in agreement with. Note that in in the Bible there numerous examples of women -Jews- singing in front of men (e.g. Exodus. 15:20-21,1 Samuel 18:6,1 Chronicles 25:5,Psalm 68:26). So my view is that Kol Isha is quite correct, but that this does not prevent women singing solo in front of men, but what it means is that women should not sing SEXUAL songs in front of men, because this is the whole spirit behind the law (modesty).

Of course us Sephardi could claim to have had the first female Orthodox Rabbi -again not officially as she was called Tanna'it- a scholar of the Talmud and ran a Jewish seminary whilst performing the occasional miracle- in the 17th Century Iraq, a lady called Asenath Barzani.

What do readers think?

Bein ha-Metzarim

"This is why I weep  and my eyes overflow with tears. No-one is here to comfort me , no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute  because the enemy has prevailed ". Lamentations, 1:  16

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Bein ha-Metzarim or the 3 weeks. This is a period of solemn reflection, where we do not eat poultry or red meat, listen to music or generally undertake pleasurable activities or joyous occasions such as marriages (although we are to still to celebrate Shabbat with joy) . This period  begins and ends with fasting; with the fast of 17th of Tammuz and ends with the fast of the 9th Av (in Judaism that means no food or water).  The purpose of this time one of commemorating the various catastrophies that have befallen the Jewish people during ourstory, including the breaking of the Tablets of the Law by Moses, when he saw the nation  worshipping the golden calf; the burning of a Sefer Torah by Apostomus during the Second Temple era; the destruction of both Temples; the expulsion of Sephardi  Jews from Spain in 1492, the outbreak of World War I  1914, which overturned many Jewish communities and last, but definitely not least, the Shoah.

My own reflections are twofold 

1) Does blogging constitute a pleasurable activity and should we therefore stop during these 3 weeks?

2) I  do not know why Jews have suffered so much, but I do know that it is important to remember and reflect on these dreadful times & to observe the fasts and this festival. I also know  that   G-d is great in his faithfulness. Our song is not yet done.. Our song continues . Our song is beautiful.

"Because of the L-rd's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail . They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness . I say to myself the L-rd is my portion; therefore I will wait for him"  

Lamentations 3 , 22 -24 

"Return, O Israel, to the L-rd your G-d,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
Take words with you
and return to the L-rd;
say to him,

“Take away all guilt;
accept that which is good

and we will offer
the fruit of our lips.
Assyria shall not save us;

we will not ride upon horses;
we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”

I will heal their disloyalty;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily,
he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon.

His shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be like the olive tree,
and his fragrance like that of Lebanon.
They shall again live beneath my shadow,
they shall flourish as a garden;
they shall blossom like the vine,
their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like an evergreen cypress;
your faithfulness comes from me.

Those who are wise understand these things;
those who are discerning know them.
For the ways of the L-rd are right,

and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them."
Hosea 14

"I remember my covenant with Jacob; I will remember also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land... Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, or abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them; for I am the L-rd their G-d; I will remember in their favour the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, to be their G-d: I am the L-rd".

Leviticus 26: 42-45 

Understanding Sephardi Judaism

Hi All,

A few non-Jews have asked me about the difference between Sephardi Judaism and Aszkenazi Judaism. By way of response, I want to share this excellent lecture at the University of Maryland,  by Rabbi Joshua Maroof; an American Sephardi Rabbi. He pretty much sums up my feelings on Judaism. I would highly recommend that people spend the full hour listening to this lecture, which gives a good intro into Sephardi Judaism . 

The key points are : 

• Sephardi Judaism is 'universal' & 'big picture' in its ethos, in so much as we are immersed in secular as well as religious studies, including science, poetry, literature and philosophy, to the extent that our historical Rabbis are well known outside of the Jewish world, pace the example that historically both Chrisitan and Arab scholars are familiar with and quote Moses Maimonides among others.

• Sephardi Judaism is 'Bible based', in so much as the root of our outlook is more Hebrew Bible than Talmud. 

• We therefore see the law as a means to an end, not an end in itself 

• We are often seen as being more 'liberal' or 'reform' by Aszkenazi Orthodox, because studying the Hebrew Bible , rather than the Talmud.  is the emphasis of Aszkenazi Reform  and because we seek to be conservative in not adding more and more to Jewish law, without a good reason

• This emphasis on the Hebrew Bible is reflected in our more 'lively' and 'joyful' liturgy 

• We are not rigid in our world view

• We seek to make Jewish law easier to understand and this is why so many famous Sephardi Rabbis provided 'codifications' of Jewish law.

Contemporary issues (toward the end) :

• Conversion- Sephardi see this as a willingness to join the Jewish nation, rather than being a set of dogmas that one must instantly follow or have your conversion revoked . There is an interesting discussion toward the end about this in Israel (he compares what Haredi are doing now as being like a Catholic conversion! Hi Happy Jack!).

• Women's issues- 

• The Rabbi argues if it were not for Sephardi Rabbis, women in Israel would NOT have the right to vote  & be in positions of leadership (ironic because we are small 'c' conservatives and traditional)

• Women singing in front of men, which caused issues in Israel. Sephardi note that in the Hebrew Bible women sung for King David and the interpretation of women singing in front of men is against 'sexual' songs (the Rabbi mentions Britney Spears as an example!)

• Sephardi have no problem in principle of women being Posek or Rabbis

Brilliant conclusions of Judaism toward the last 12- 15 minutes. 

Shabbat Shalom!

Shabbat thread for 13 Tammuz

Dudes,

As Hannah is away  with her girlfriend on holiday, it is has been left to your cool dude (ME!) to do this week's Shabbat thread. As usual, this is an open space for people to contribute their thoughts, ideas, prayers, Bible readings and whatever else pops into your head. Like a cyber Shabbat table. 

As a guide this week's Torah reading is :

• Torah portion :Pinchas, Numbers 25:10-30:1
• Haftarah:  I Kings 18:46-19:21.
• Tehillim [Psalms] for  our meal tonight : Chapters 8,  134, 121, 130 & 150
• Ketuvim-we are also continuing our study of Kohelet [Ecclesiastes] .

To finish this post with a old Sephardi song [Hebrew Transliteration & English below],

The Lecha Dodi :

We Have Hope... we have Hatikvah

On the Gaza situation ....

Alas this is a war that needs to be fought; no civilised country can allow terrorists to bomb civilians and their territory without reaction and therefore with regret Israel must strike back at the terrorists who control the Gaza strip. It is not a war of Israel's desire, but of the terrorists who control Gaza. Whilst we all look forward to peace, real peace; a Jewish homeland, a Jewish state, side by side with a homeland for Palestinians, but Israel cannot surrender at the point of a gun or due to barbarous terror & hate. If Hamas would lay down arms and the terrorists renounce violence, then there could be peace or at least the start of peace. What will happen now is uncertain. The best outcome is for Hamas to be overthrown by Israel and then a multinational peace (NATO/UN/RUSSIAN) keeping force sent to Gaza to rebuild and restore law and order & to govern whilst the future status of the territory is negotiated as part of the wider peace settlement. Long shot, but I believe in Hatikvah. I believe in Hope.

So long as still within the inmost heart a Jewish spirit sings,
so long as the eye looks eastward, gazing toward Zion,
our hope is not lost: that hope of two thousand years,
to be a free people in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem
Our hope is not yet lost,

The hope of two thousand years,

To be a free people in our land,

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

Our hope is not yet lost,

The ancient hope,

To return to the land of our fathers,

The city where David encamped.

As long as tears from our eyes

Flow like benevolent rain,

And throngs of our countrymen

Still pay homage at the graves of (our) fathers;

As long as our precious Wall

Appears before our eyes,

And over the destruction of G-d's Temple

An eye still wells up with tears;

As long as the waters of the Jordan

In fullness swell its banks,

And (down) to the Sea of Galilee

With tumultuous noise fall;

As long as on the barren highways

The humbled city gates mark,

And among the ruins of Jerusalem

A daughter of Zion still cries;

As long as pure tears

Flow from the eye of a daughter of my nation,

And to mourn for Zion at the watch of night

She still rises in the middle of the nights;

As long as drops of blood in our veins

Flow back and forth,

And upon the graves of our fathers

Dewdrops still fall;

Hear, O my brothers in the lands of exile,

The voice of our Prophets,

(Who declare) That only with the very last Jew —

Only there is the end of our hope!

Go, my people, return in peace to your land

The balm in Gilead, your healer in Jerusalem,

Your healer is G-d, the wisdom of His heart,

Go my people in peace, healing is imminent... "

Hashem may you establish abundant peace upon Your people Israel forever, for You are King, Master of all peace.He who makes peace in His high heavens, may He make peace for us and for all Israel, and let us all say Amen

"The L-rd will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one L-rd, and His Name the only Name." [Zechariah 14:9]

May Hashem allow us to see the arrival of Mashiach [Messiah] and the end of all wars & universal peace. Amen

Shabbat UK

Much to my delight the Chief Rabbi has launched a new initiative which is called 'ShabbatUK' :

"At its core, ShabbatUK is about harnessing all the goodness and uniqueness of a traditional, authentic Shabbat and inviting Jews around the country to celebrate it in a way they never have before. Shabbat is a central part of what it is to be Jewish. It plays a crucial role in Jewish identity with its powerfully uplifting and transformative qualities...Some will keep Shabbat, perhaps for the first time, others will participate in the numerous communal events taking place. Many will find ways to bring Shabbat into their homes, whether by lighting Friday night candles, blessing their children or by inviting others into their home to share the Shabbat experience. The possibilities are endless. Synagogues, Jewish schools and other Jewish organisations are planning a series of events to mark ShabbatUK. This is an incredible opportunity to join with fellow Jews around the world, inspired by the South African Shabbos Project, to experience life, for just one day, disconnected from the daily grind and engage with Shabbat in a meaningful way."

This is good because it finally recognises that whilst the Jewish faith is no a missionary one (although anyone who wishes to sincerely convert is and should be welcome to do so), for those of us who are observant, we should and do need to reach out to those fellow Jews who are less or not observant . I am a strong believer in outreach to all Jews who are not religious; I guess in Christian terms that makes me somewhat of an 'evangelist'.And Shabbat is the best place to start, for there is the old cliche that says 'Shabbat has keep the Jews, more than the Jews have kept Shabbat' .

I believe that a Jew should belong within a Jewish community, not being ostracised because of lack of dogma or observance. To be a Jew there are no application forms and no qualification requirements.He or she is born Jewish or converts to Judaism— that's where he or she belong, within our community. Period.  I will acknowledge that under Orthodoxy if your mother is not Jewish, then you are not,  however, I believe that we should still make people who identify as Jewish welcome and encourage them to take the full steps towards formal conversion. We all have our challenges, our shortcomings, our feelings...and our failures and with all that, but we are all still a community. We all should try and help each other become more observant, to reach out to our OTD [Off the derech] and secular brother and sister Jews & to be a light to our gentile friends.

Edited Humash?

I'm a blogging roll today !

It's come to my attention that a brand of Haredi Hasidic Judaism[1] has released a new Humash [2] for their girl's school. Which is great, except that it has come to light that this version has edited out various parts of the Torah [3], including the Genesis creation account and the 'sexual' parts of the Hebrew Bible. Which is great if that is what they want to do; personally I am not sure how you can study the Torah properly with bits missing and to be honest Haredi are very sniffy when it comes to adherence to one's religion and one's religion is based around the Torah. Orthodox Jews believe that "This, The Torah of Moses, shall not be abrogated, nor shall there be any other Torah from G-d save it". 

I and others of my family have often been criticised by Haredi  and those outside of our faith who seem to like their brand of Judaism, for seemingly saying 'to hell with Halakhah'. Except we never do, what we do is to work with The Torah, Tradition, Reason, a dipping into mysticism & Zohar and the Hebrew Bible, to understand it and apply it, not to work against it. We certainly do not edit parts we don't like out. We grapple, struggle, debate & learn to understand these passages. Precisely because we are not Reform Jews we simply can't dismiss them as being irrelevant or out of date, which to my mind at least is never a very satisfactory answer to a curious and intelligent mind. 

Not that I'm suggesting that this movement is now doing what Reform Jews do and not that I'm saying  what Reform Jews do is wrong, but that Haredi Orthodox always like to tell everyone else what the rest of us are doing wrong . Heaven forbid that I would do so. Just don't go around calling me a heretic when a Haredi sect goes around taking bits out of the Bible that they don't want to teach, deal with or cope with. At least I am my family try and deal with the text as it is without heavy edits. You know, the way it should be .

NOTES : 

[1] the Skverer dynasty (or school or sect), who reject material in favour of spiritual, a bit like monk in Christianity, see their history here

[2] Humash is the word for The Torah in printed form, rather than the scrolls we use in Shuls. It is where the word Pentateuch comes from.

[3] See here, here and here 

No Jews left in Iraq for ISIS to slaughter

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the new leader of the global Caliphate (OR ISIS as it used to be called) has, naturally, called for a new holocaust against Jews via a  graphic posted  on his twitter account : 

“The Real Zionist Holocaust is Predicted in the Hadiths! The Hour [resurrection] will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them, and the tree will say: “Oh, Muslim, servant of  Allah, there is a Jew behind me, kill him! THE PROMISED Holocaust"

This Anti-Semitic propaganda should come as no surprise as it has been playing an important role in the terrorist group’s recruitment efforts; indeed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, placed Jews on the side of evil in a speech posted last Tuesday on the Internet in which he called on Muslims to join him, “O ummah of Islam, the world today has been divided into two camps and two trenches … The camp of Islam and faith, and the camp of kufr (disbelief) and hypocrisy … all being led by America and Russia, and being mobilized by the Jews,” al-Baghdadi said.

I bet he is a bit pissed that he can do sod all about this because previous secular & heretical Iraqi governments of 1948 to 1972 already got rid of the Jews of Iraq,  part of The Sephardim or in Israel 'Mizrahi' , because just like the Jews of Syria there are practically no Jews left in either of these countries. In fact hardly any Jews are left in the middle east, outside of Israel. Clearly it is not that secular Arab government beat the fundamentalists to a bit of ethnic cleansing ? Surely not.....

Errr........

Israel is right to respond to terrorism

So Israel is finally reacting to the terror enclave's constant bombardment of Israel and Israeli civilians. Que the predictable twitter war, propaganda by the Islamisists and their bizarre allies the far lefties. Even the BBC has admitted that several photos put on twitter have been from conflicts dating over a decade ago and some not even anything to do with Israel. But what is know is that Israel has been under siege by Hamas and a response was justified, here is the tally of rockets launch into Israel over the past couple of weeks :

June 27: 6 rockets, 2 intercepted
June 28: 3 rockets, Sderot factory burned to ground
June 29: 4 rockets, 2 intercepted
June 30: 16 rockets
July 1: 5 rockets, several mortars, damage to vehicles and a major fire as a result, also mortars
July 2: 10 rockets, 9 mortars, 1 intercepted
July 3: 13 rockets, homes and a summer camp damaged
July 4: 25 rockets, several mortars, 3 intercepted
July 5: Over 20 rockets, including to Beersheva, several mortars, 3 intercepted, some damage and an injury
July 6: Over 25 rockets, some damage
July 7: Over 85 rockets, Hamas claimed to shoot 100 and Islamic Jihad claimed to shoot 60. 13 intercepted
July 8: At least 160 rockets, 7 intercepted, so far, some damage and injuries

I understand that 40,000 reservists have been mobilised and that Hamas has been targeting Tel Aviv. Israel's response should be swift and deadly toward the terrorists; Whilst it would be nice to have support from the US  (Hey Obama, Israel/UK/Canada etc are your ALLIES!),  the first duty of a state is the protect its citizens.  In these circumstances Israel has every duty, if not a right, to 'smoke out the terrorists', as President Bush used to put it.

Thought for the day : True Friendship

Someone once approached the Rebbe and asked simply: “What exactly do you do? And why are you admired by so many?” 

The Rebbe replied: “I try to be a good friend.” 

Incredulous, the man blurted out: “A friend? That’s all you do?!”

Unfazed, the Rebbe responded with a question of his own: “How many friends do you have?”

“I have many.” 

“Let me define a friend for you, and then tell me how many friends you have. A friend is someone in whose presence you can think aloud without worrying about being taken advantage of.A friend is someone who suffers with you when you are in pain and rejoices in your joy. A friend is someone who looks out for you, and always has your best interests in mind. In fact, a true friend is like an extension of yourself.” 

The Rebbe then asked with a smile: “Now tell me, how many friends like that do you have?”

Not everyone can become a Rebbe or Rabbi...But we can all strive to be better friends & this is the attitude and mindset we need to adopt to each other in our lives, in both the ordinary and spiritual, practical and day to day.