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Post by Questor on Jun 5, 2019 10:23:25 GMT -8
I've been having a lot of fun re-reading this thread...so much arguing with you under the bridge and all over the past 5 years!
But in Adam was Eve...DNA switches are all that is necessary to make a change from Y to X, and they are implanted in the egg at conception...and if you look at those letters, it seems that ABBA added something to the sperm at creation...an either/or situation...to make future Eves so very different little Adams when any Eve is merely a reflection of any Adam caused by the hormone differences triggered in that extra leg to the Y Chromosome.
Granted, Eve was made from Adam, and adult at that so that Rib (Marrow stem cells) was very useful for just one little change to be made for Eve...stems cells are mutable to anything. Adam always carried the opportunity within him, as men carry X or Y, and women only X.
I'd get into specifics medically, but it makes people sick to think of just how the inside parts of a woman are merely the outside parts of a man...turned inside out, so to speak, but all due to that extra leg on the Y. It gets even more confusing:
Bereshis 2:21 (OJB) And Hashem Elohim caused a tardemah (deep sleep) to fall upon the adam, and he slept; and He took from one of his tzalelot (sides, sing tsela), and closed up the basar in the place thereof; English translations usually read something like “The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up flesh in its place. And the rib that the Lord God took from the man he built into a woman.”
צלע (tsela) does not just mean “ rib,” it means “ side.” H6763 צֵלָע tsêlâʻ; a rib (as curved), literally (of the body) or figuratively (of a door, i.e. leaf); hence, a side, literally (of a person) or figuratively (of an object or the sky, i.e. quarter); architecturally, a (especially floor or ceiling) timber or plank (single or collective, i.e. a flooring):—beam, board, chamber, corner, leaf, plank, rib, side (chamber).
Biblical usage usually renders this word "side," as in Exod. 25:12 speaking of the sides of the Ark of the Covenant, and numerous times for sides of man-made and natural structures, sides of people and armies, and literally pages of other references where the term means a whole side. Despite Strong's pronounced leaning towards the catholic interpretation, it is more likely Chava was taken from an entire side of Adam, not just a rib. This fits with what we know of DNA as it could equate to one side of the chromosome pair. And just to confuse things further, the word "sleep" is translated from תַּרְדֵּמָה tardêmâh, which typically means a trance, such as when a prophet receives a vision. H8639 תַּרְדֵּמָה tardêmâh; a lethargy or (by implication) trance:—deep sleep.
The Septuagint translates it as ἔκστασις ekstasis, literally “outside oneself.” The translator, a Greek speaking Jew, understood this as Adam "stepping outside himself" as in a trance. He would have had a vision of his body divided into two equal parts. It is from this difference in understanding the creation account we get the divergent views of women in Christianity and Judaism. Christianity tends to see women as something less, inferior to men. Judaism sees women as different but equal. So what did God actually do to Adam to get Chava? If I understood that I'd probably understand women and all the other mysteries of the universe! But I don't believe He just yanked out a rib. Since Adam was in a trance, it could have been anything from taking a single DNA strand from his body to cleaving him in half and reforming both into an אִישׁ ish/man and אִשָּׁה isha/woman. And of course this confuses us further, because although those two terms sound similar, they are actually from different roots. אִישׁ (ish) comes from the root אִוֵּשׁ eish, connoting strength. w אִשָּׁה isha comes from the root אֲנָשׁ anash, fragile. How they got that is a puzzlement to anyone who knows a type A Jewish woman (my wife). They may be the "weaker vessel," but they have strengths we men do not posses. Different, but equal. Aren't you glad you brough up the subject? Dan  C
I never mind the complication the details within the scriptures give us...they merely widen the view of what we can look at...and then I try to imagine what is being described as having been done to Adam to get Eve.
The cleaving of Adam, like taking his entire side makes me think of how Plato must have gotten his idea of 'split-aparts'...a single being divided into two that are forever seeking to be reunited.
Obviously, the ideas in the Scriptures were much discussed as a source of wisdom wherever there were Jews, even though Plato would have had to have talked to Philosophers that read Hebrew to get the idea from the scriptures...as opposed to simply trying to explain how different men are from women, and how that difference seems to draw them to seek their opposite.
I simply take the simplest route to understand this subject...a rib has marrow, which has undifferentiated stem cells, which allows simple DNA switches to be made. But taking anything from Adam can give ample sources for genetic manipulation. But Eve certainly had to be built up a great deal from whatever was taken as she was a mature female when the process was complete.
Still, I don't put that as beyond G-d's abilities, or even what is described...but surely Adam would have noticed he was missing half himself when he found Eve? Or in finding her, he found his 'other half'?
However, the idea that the 'side' was similar to the side of an ark gives an idea of man and woman being two sides of an ark, which then holds the Shikinah...much as in the joining of man to woman is the idea that G-d is also present. |
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Post by alon on Aug 26, 2019 20:22:39 GMT -8
Oh, I thought this one was about to die ... silly me.  pseudepigrapha pseud·e·pig·ra·pha (so͞o′dĭ-pĭg′rə-fə) pl.n.1. Spurious writings, especially writings falsely attributed to biblical characters or times.
2. A body of texts written between 200 bc and ad 200 and spuriously ascribed to various prophets and kings of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Talking (online) with someone who has a doctorate and who studies ancient Hebrew texts. I always thought that pseudepigraphic works were lies from the start, the names of older writers/prophets/kings/etc. given to their works because the author wanted to give it gravity, respect, and make it look older. He said not necessarily. It was a common practice to name these people as authors as a sign of respect during the centuries just before and after Yeshua. He said we cannot know the reasons for each work being named as a different author, so the best thing is to just take each work on its own merits.
Dan C
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Post by alon on Dec 12, 2019 12:26:22 GMT -8
I've been doing a lot of reassessment, and have come to some changes in my idea of what it means for a Gentile to be a Messianic. Still One  , and really still the same. But I've "softened" on some things:
- I'm even more sure to say I am a believer in Messianic Judaism, and making sure people don't think I am "Jewish." Not ashamed of the title, but it gives them a false idea of who and what I am. Yes, we are grafted into Israel as per Rav Shaul. And yes, mine is a (1st cen) Jewish form of faith. But I do not have the shared history, culture, or other things that shape someone born and raised Jewish; not to mention the genetics.
- I wear a tallit katan because we're commanded to wear tzitzyot on a 4 cornered garment. However I do not wear kippot nor a tallit gadol except on very special occasions. Nothing against those who do, I just don't see the point in copying traditional/Rabbinical Judaism. And some of their prayers and other traditions are beautiful expressions of their faith, and well worth understanding; some even adopting. But only if I thoroughly understand what I am saying and doing. And only where I find value in doing it.
Not a big change, but an adjustment. If I were to join another synagogue, I'd follow their halacha on these matters. But for now, this is where I'm at.
Dan C
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Post by alon on Dec 16, 2019 9:58:32 GMT -8
Jeremiah 31:31-33 (ESV) The New Covenant “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Joel 2:28, (3:1) (ESV) “And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
I always thought of this as an end times prophecy dealing only with Israel.
Acts 2:1-12 (NASB) When the day of Pentecost had come [was being fulfilled], they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [languages], as the Spirit was giving them ability to speak.
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the sojourning Romans, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 10:44-11:1 (NASB) While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the believers from among the circumcision who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
In my linear western thinking, if the passages in Jerimayah and Joel were for the end times, the acts passages could not have been fulfillment of these prophecies. However, as we Meshiachim learn, we adjust. In Hebrew thought, time is not linear, but more accurately drafted as a spiral. Historical events repeat periodically on that spiral:
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 (ESV)
What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already
in the ages before us.
So I now have to say, those events were at least (and most likely) a partial fulfillment of the prophecies above. I now believe they will be better fulfilled in the end times and the Olam Haba. But what about their only being for Israel? Well, if you are saved then you are grafted into the house of Israel, and made heirs to the promises!
We learn as we go. Never get caught in the trap of being so narrow minded you cannot accept that you were wrong. And the corollary to that- never leave your mind so open your brains spill out! Test everything; but in my new understanding of Hebrew thought, this fits.
Drat! Now I have to go and apologize to some Christians ...
Dan (humbled yet again) C
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Post by alon on Dec 17, 2019 6:26:58 GMT -8
The term נָתַן nâthan in Jer 3:31 from the above post is interesting, "I will נָתַן nâthan write/place/put my law on their hearts." According to Dr. Eli of the Israel Bible Center, נָתַן nâthan means "put":
Strongs H5414 נָתַן nâthan, naw-than'; a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.):—add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, × avenge, × be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, × doubtless, × without fail, fasten, frame, × get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), × have, × indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), lie, lift up, make, O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, × pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), sing, slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, × surely, × take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, weep, willingly, withdraw, would (to) God, yield.
However author and Classical Hebrew scholar Dr. Chaim Bentorah translates נָתַן nâthan as "to give." As we can see in the Strong's reference above, there are many English meanings which could accurately apply in this context. Taking them all together I get a different sense of the term than just memorization or rote knowledge. And while we now "see as through a mirror dimly" (1 Cor 13:12), I can easily see the outpouring of the Ruach in Acts as being a partial fulfillment of the prophecy in Jerimayah. 1st cen. mirrors were typically polished metal and so were far inferior to ours today. Looking at them you'd get a dim image. But in the Olam Ha'ba I think we'll get a more complete fulfillment, a clearer image if you will of the of Yeshua.
Looking at נָתַן nâthan pictographically we have תַ tov, the sighn of the covenant surrounded by נָ nun, which implies life, energy, liveliness. But the last letter is a sofit, or final form; ן nun sofit. Notice the sofit form goes below the line, which looks to me like there is more, something yet hidden. So we have (the covenant) surrounded by life, but in the end there is more. I may be stretching things here, but in light of what I am studying this just made an interesting word picture.
Baruch HaShem!
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Post by alon on Dec 26, 2019 12:38:57 GMT -8
Since I am reexamining many of the things I believe, this thread is getting a bit more use. This is some notes from my studies with the Israel Bible Center (which I often disagree with, but not here), class by Dr Eli Lizorken-Eisenberg:וְאֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ יְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֹֽתְךָ֔ וְיַפְרְךָ֖ וְיַרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְהָיִ֖יתָ לִקְהַ֥ל עַמִּֽים׃ Genesis 28:3 (ESV) God Almighty [El Shaddai] bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
וְאֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ va’el shadai. El is a famous name for God, but there is a lack of consensus on how to translate Shadai. In most translations it will be “God Almighty.” Scholars that hold to this think it comes from the root שדד, shoded, unbridled force, destruction. This would make the basic translation “God is a destroyer.” However there is at least one other interesting translation; שַׁדַּ shad, which is a female breast. In the ancient world this was a symbol of sustenance and provision. This would make the translation “God the Provider.” It’s God’s provision that makes Jacob increase. God’s force is part of the blessing Jacob stole that he cannot use. The blessing that Isaac is giving him is that of the gracious covenantal provision of God.
The שַׁ shin would then be understood as a prefix that means “then.” דַּ dalet can be taken to mean “sufficiency,” or perhaps more literally “enough.” And we can now see how שַׁדַּ shad, or breast is the more likely image for the translation. This makes שַׁדַּי֙ shadai more aptly “God the Provider.”I'm keeping both in my notes, as this could be one of those Hebraisms with a double meaning. I'll use whichever is more apropriate. But if you read the verse above in context the phrase “God the Provider” would seem much more apropriate.
Dan C
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Post by alon on Feb 29, 2020 11:47:19 GMT -8
Well, I'm back again with this thread. It never goes away but that's ok, it means I am learning!
Joel 2:28-32 (ESV)
The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
This is part of a famous end times prophecy.
Acts 2:17-21 (ESV)
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
This was part of Peter's speech at Pentecost, obviously quoting Joel. Christians say that, based on this speech we have been in the last days for the last 2000 yrs. I always said as an end times prophecy this applied only to the very end. But I have been studying, and we are both wrong. To most Gentiles, time is a straight line on which events are plotted. In Hebraic thought, time is a spiral along which events occur and reoccur at intervals. For example, "The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes." This has happened many times. When fires rage, due to war or disasters, the sun is blackened and the moon looks blood red. I have also seen severe dust storms do the same. This soon occurred in the diaspora due to both wars and a series of bad earthquakes in the region we now know of as Turkey. And they happen around the globe many times over. What made Pentecost uniquely relevant was the miracles being witnessed. And there is ample evidence those early believers did think they were in the last days:
Acts 2:42-45 (ESV) And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
These people put everything in the communal trust because they thought the end times were upon them. There was no commandment to do this, but they did have the example (and maybe even the help) of the Essenes. The point is, those hearing Peter interpreted what he said to mean they were in the end times, so they devoted everything to preparing for this event.
What was occurring was actually a partial fulfillment of Joels prophecy. Viewed Hebraically, this is very possible, as events occur and reoccur along the spiral of time. Only the death and resurrection of Moshiach Yeshua occurred only once. It was prophesied, and looking back retold many times. But it happened only once. His earthly advent however had just happened and will happen again. That first advent was as Moshiach ben Yoseph, the suffering servant. His next coming will be as Moshiach ben Dovid, the conquering king who will bring judgement. But in the leadup to that the wars, the earthquakes, and the fires will be more terrible than anything seen before. We also have he specter of nuclear war, putting tons of smoke and dust in the air at each detonation. We have the technology to surveil and control people on a scale never before imagined. So it will be bad. We can only trust HaSHem to either see us through, or to take us to Himself if martyred. I digress, but the point here is it will happen again.
That Joel's prophecy is connected to Pentecost is no longer a problem for me. Things can happen more than once:
Ecclesiastes 1:9(ESV) What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
Acts 2 is a partial fulfillment of Joel 2. And the end draws ever closer, to its complete fulfillment.
Dan C
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Post by alon on Aug 13, 2020 22:17:08 GMT -8
O-o-oh, it's been a while since I had to revisit this thread. However in reading the commandments and parsing out their meanings this week, I find I was, once again, in error. I had thought that Sukkot was the only feast we were supposed to invite Gentiles to. However:
Deuteronomy 16:9-11 (ESV) “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there."
This is a time of rejoicing and sharing for everyone; and from the sounds of it for Gentile friends as well. So if you should read where I said we only invite people to Sukkot, I am officially amending that statement here.
Dan (and the saga of errors grows) C
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Post by alon on Nov 15, 2020 9:51:16 GMT -8
And it grows ... and grows ...I used to believe the Hebrews in the Exodus crossed the Gulf of Aqabar at Nuweibi, about the middle of the Gulf of Aqabar. But given terrain considerations and descriptions of landmarks (which can apply to either crossing), I believe they crossed at the Straights of Tiran at the southernmost part of the gulf, its entrance from the Red Sea. And I could be wrong again, as there really is no definitive answer. If anyone is interested, my reasoning is given here: theloveofgod.proboards.com/thread/4970/maps?page=1&scrollTo=26321
Dan C
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Post by alon on May 3, 2021 11:03:40 GMT -8
alon said: That is a debated issue. Fasting from water would certainly be "afflicting oneself" more severely. On the other hand, it is not food and for some may cause health concerns. Since I cannot make halacha I cannot give you a definitive answer. … drinking anything other than water … would . be a violation. I do not fast from water myself, …
alon said: Moshe would have been sustained by Adonai.
Yeshua was 100% God, and for this reason we tend to spiritualize Him. But remember He was also 100% human, with all our human frailties. The biblical account doesn't show Him being ministered to by malachim until after He'd resisted ha'shitan. That doesn't mean He wasn't sustained by His Abba. It can be dangerous to read too much into it. There is however a living witness to this: the land.
The place the Bible refers to as the wilderness is the western wall of the Rift from below Yerushalayim to the Dead Sea region. It is in what geographically is known as a "rain shadow." It's a meteorological phenomenon where water laden clouds from the Mediterranean release rain on the western slopes of the mountains as the air rises and cools, then stops just after it tops the rise and doesn't resume raining until it again rises on the eastern side of the Rift. There is not a lot of water in the Wilderness region. So unless He found one of the rare sources of water and stayed there He would have been pretty thirsty most of the time at least. Also what water was there was likely to have been from cisterns. This water could be foul, as it was runoff collected in the rainy season when even the Wilderness goets some rain. But it contains anything in the path of the runoff water, from feces to dead animals to plant debris to, well, let your imagination run amok and short of something ridiculous like nuclear waste you are probably correct.
So to answer your question, I really do not know if Yeshua fasted from water. But in any event, He probably did not have a lot of good water to drink during this time. Also, the possibility of its being tainted by death at a time when He was trying to remain ritually pure might suggest He did at least fast from water until and if He could find a source of fresh water. "Living water" from a spring would have been best, but my understanding is that is rare in the Israeli "Wilderness."
alon said:
Acts 9:5-6,8-9 (NASB) And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.” ... Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
It would have been unthinkable for the people hosting Rav Shaul not to have offered him hospitality, including food. So it is safe to assume he was fasting by choice as he waited for the promised instructions. But notice how his fast is described, he "neither ate nor drank."
Interesting. I may have to rethink how I fast. …
Well, after that thread I have rethought how I will fast for spiritual purposes, and I ill be fasting from water.
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Post by alon on Jan 2, 2022 11:58:45 GMT -8
This is going to put some noses out of joint, however most I think will welcome the information as it answers the quandary many of us face: "what do I do if I can't find a mikvah?" Most (myself included) have been trained to think and answer this question rabbinically. But the truth is (according to this artical) before the 2nd cen BCE the practice of ritual immersion in a mikvah did not exist! Torah mostly uses the term “rachatz” רחץ, which simply means "to wash." Could be all at once, or one body part at a time. It does not specify. And indeed there is no archaeological or documented reference to the practice of full body ritual immersion prior to sometime about mid 2nd cen BCE. I did a search and found nothing prior to that time either. Here's the artical:www.thetorah.com/article/on-the-origins-of-tevilah-ritual-immersionMakes an interesting read.
To be clear, I am not saying tevilah is a bad thing, or that we should not do it. On the contrary, Yeshua did it when about to start His ministry (Mark 1:9-11). There is nothing wrong with tradition as long as it doesn't go against scripture. And if it was wrong, you can bet Yeshua never would have done it. Also we should, whenever possible follow His example. But mikvaot being scarce as they are, we should not stress over not splashing ourselves in frigid waters somewhere this time of year!
So to all those I told your bath was not a suitable substitute, I apologize. Apparently it is.
(Drat, now I have to update my "I Found Out I Was Wrong" thread ...) [DONE]
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Post by mystic on Jan 8, 2022 6:18:35 GMT -8
I am, since the retreat, becoming more convinced against breaking Shabbath for expediencies sake. Things like conducting business, purchasing items or doing some (small) work on Shabbath. I am going to move my son the last weekend this month, and will have to work (load his household), as well as possibly eat out on Shabbath. There are extenuating circumstances, and it is a huge mitzvah. Still now I am looking for ways to minimize the things that would break Shabbath. Like convincing my sons we need to bring sandwiches to eat on Saturday - to minimize the financial load because we are going to be eating out while traveling on Sunday. I will also tell them I am prohibited from buying meals on Shabbath, but somehow I doubt this will be as convincing an argument to them. We'll see. I can always eat alone if they want to go out.
I did talk with the Rabbi about the mitzvah and breaking Shabbath to move my son, and he said I was doing the right thing, just not to "overdo" it.
Dan C Ain't that something, I have been told by all Orthodox Jews I have ever spoken to that I NEED to break at least one Sabbath law, being a gentile.  Seriously, each and every Sabbath when I light the candle, I ask God for wisdom, discernment and guidance on how to observe the Sabbath given my circumstances and to forgive me for anything I may do wrong. I leave it at that because in my household here with 2 Atheists, one Hindu and one Catholic, how much of a spiritual life can I live? So I accept things as they are since I can expect to have to purposely break some rule or the other in any given Sabbath. |
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Post by alon on Nov 29, 2022 10:38:25 GMT -8
...
What I just learned from reading Joseph Shulam, a Messianic Jewish Rabbi, is that it was the Pharisees who introduced the concept that anyone could interpret scripture for themselves. They still wouldn't have had access to it outside the synagogue, but they could hear it read and make up their own minds what it meant, and how they were to aply it to their lives. Of course, both the descendants of the Pharisees (rabbis of the Common Era) and the catholic church were to turn this on its head again and exercise absolute control on people thoughts and actions. It wasn't until the Protestant Revolution that this idea resurfaced as a major concept.
...
This translates to Messianics today. Too often we have to set halacha for ourselves. And always, most having grown up with heavy Christian influence we will interpret scripture for ourselves. This is a good thing we take from Christianity, in my opinion. But it can be taken too far. We need the insights, perspectives, and input of others. Not just other Messianic believers (which is very important), but if possible of an authority we trust which is invested in learning and applying godly, scriptural principles. None of us knows it all or even is able to appy all we know unfailingly! We may walk a solo path, but we need plenty of company on our journey.
OK, that's my attempt at deep thought for today, lol. But I think it is true. If possible we should not do this alone. |
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C
- there are 70 faces to 
