Tehillim (Psalms) 9:5

Tehillim (Psalms) 9:5



ADONAI is a stronghold for the oppressed,

a tower of strength in times of trouble.

Those who know your name put their trust in you,

for you have not abandoned those who seek you, ADONAI.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Anti-Semitism

My sister gifted me with a book when she came to visit from New York City a month ago, and I've been reading Michael Brown's, Our Hands Are Stained With Blood,  in between my reading of Our Father Abraham, Torah portions and study.

The books copyright date is 1990.  That was 21 years ago.  And I ask myself, where have I been that so much of the information in this book is new to me.  The books subtitle is, The Tragic Story of the "Church" and the Jewish People.  What a tragic story this is.

I was reading last night on page 90, about the town of Slobodka,in Lithuania, 1941:

"On the evening of June 25, 1941, the Lithuanian fascists began

     going from house to house, from apartment to apartment
     murdering people by the most horrible deaths--men,
     women, and children--old and young.  They hacked off
     heads, sawed people through like lumber, prolonging the
     agony of their victims as long as possible.

     Finding the Rabbi of Slobodka studying Talmud in his
 home, they 'bound him to a chair, put his head on his open
[Talmud volume] and sawed his head off '--before
slaughtering the rest of the family."

Michael Brown gives so many examples of the violence perpetrated against the Jewish people.  History is rich with them.  It grieved me so much to read that many times it was those who called themselves "Christians" that committed the murderous acts. And there are so many horrific acts. The Inquisition, Pograms, Holocaust, and more. 

As I shared a portion of the book with my daughter today, I broke into tears,  In one town, during the Holocaust, babies were tossed out of windows. While below, young boys were waiting to catch them with bayonet rifles. I thought of my own precious granddaughter, barely 18 months old, and cringed.

I think about the young people today, and how desensitized they are to violence.  It breaks my heart.

What this book is bringing home is my own indifference to the suffering around me.  It is there, but what am I doing to stop it.  We get so caught up in living our own lives that we forget about our neighbor.  I know that isn't you.  Just me.

There are elements in our culture today that seek to destroy the Jewish people.  We should not be ignorant of these.  When anti-semitism rears its ugly head I need to be counted among those injured.  What about you?


Friday, March 23, 2012

My First Messianic Passover and Hametz/Leaven/Yeast

This year Passover starts on April 6th and I am focused on leaven (yeast).  I feel there is more then 1 battle to be fought over the leaven removal in my house.  After all my family loves bread and this year, for the first time, we will be without leaven bread for 7 days.  I see the sad faces and hear the heavy sighs as I write.  This will be a big test for all of us in my house.

Leaven or yeast is symbolic of the sin in our lives.  In the book of Semot (Exodus) 12:15-20, it is written:

"For seven days you are to eat matzah - on the first day remove the leaven from your houses. For whoever eats hametz [leavened bread] from the first to the seventh day is to be cut off from Isra'el. 16 On the first and seventh days, you are to have an assembly set aside for God. On these days no work is to be done, except what each must do to prepare his food; you may do only that. 17 You are to observe the festival of matzah, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you are to observe this day from generation to generation by a perpetual regulation. 18 From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day, you are to eat matzah. 19 During those seven days, no leaven is to be found in your houses. Whoever eats food with hametz in it is to be cut off from the community of Isra'el - it doesn't matter whether he is a foreigner or a citizen of the land. 20 Eat nothing with hametz in it. Wherever you live, eat matzah." Complete Jewish Bible.  

HaShem has commanded us to remove the hametz from our homes.  Now this commandment, I once took to be a totally spiritual act, and I believed the actual removal of the hametz did not apply for today.  I took mental notice or better yet, did a written account of my transgressions, prayed and repented of them, and that was that. 
 Had I taken the time to read the command-ment carefully, I would have noted that in verse 19 it states, "During those seven days, no leaven is to be found in your houses."  So HaShem has commanded us to physically remove the leaven/yeast from our houses.  Yes, that jar of fast rise yeast you purchased 2 weeks ago or those envelopes of active dry yeast you've been saving to make donuts have to go.  Yes, that loaf of bread you froze 3 weeks ago has to go. 


I can see how going through the whole house searching for bread crumbs can seem burdensome to more than a few.  (Hello, that was me last year.) But when I consider my own sinful nature, I understand how necessary the act of obedience is.  For as we search and find the bread crumbs that seem so out of place in the home office or clothes closet or under the cushion in the living room, we have an opportunity to repent of those sins that are hidden in our heart that we had almost forgotten about.  Was it pride?  Was it selfishness?  Was it anger?  Was it shame?  Was it lust?  Was it hopelessness?  Sometimes, the shelves in our kitchens are not the only places that show vestiges of leaven.  In what other rooms of my (spiritual) house, are the vestiges of sin. 

So, I have to ask myself, why if it wasn't for my own good, why would the Master of the Universe give me this perpetual commandment?  And this commandment is not only to the Jew, but to the foreigner (gentile) living in the land, as well.  Could it be that HaShem is saying (just suppose), yes that "crumb" was the one you forgot to repent of last fall, and I wanted to hear you acknowledge that "crumb" as sin.  And somehow, you just know that if you had not looked in that coat pocket, you would not have remembered that sin, and would have never repented.  Physical acts have spiritual components.  Am I not right MH.

I have not forgotten what the Word of G-d teaches in 1 John 1:9, "If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing." Complete Jewish Bible.  Thank G-d for mercy, that He doesn't cut us off for disobedience, but is long-suffering.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Questions / Answers / Questions

My sisters, since returning to New York City, have started on a quest to find a Messianic Congregation.  They have several on their list that they intend to visit in the greater New York area.  It is amazing to see how the list of Messianic Jewish Congregations has grown over the past several years.  It proves to me how the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) is moving to bring His people to a deeper understanding of who He is. 

My sisters visited a Sephardic Messianic Congregation on Shabbat.   They were overwhelmed with the teaching.  The Rabbi is originally from Venezuela.  Among many of the things he taught them was the error we make in using the name "Jesus" to refer to our Messiah.  Can you feel the shake-up they experienced.  One of them wrote, "I'm in limbo" about her beliefs after learning from him that the scriptures have been changed.  Mary is really Miriam.  James is really Jacob...Even the use of the word "Lord" is in question. 

As "good" researchers will do, we started searching at once.  What we found keeps us bewildered.  Oh my, can all this be true?  Is some of it true?  If so, what do we do?

One web site had all the etymology for how the word Jesus in Latin means "earth pig," Another site gave even more information on the Sacred Name or True Name, and at the end of the post, there is a call to those who want to receive "Jesus as Lord." That was a little confusing to me.  Another site has the word Adonai having its roots in the Phoenician/Caananite cult of Adonis.  Who knew? 

The questions persist.  Can all this be true?  Is some of it true?  What do we do?  When you are trying to live a life honoring the King of the Universe, the Savior, how we address Him matters.

For now, I have decided to play it safe.  I will continue to refer to my Messiah, as Yeshua (salvation).  I have asked HaShem to forgive me if the use of the other words for him are wrong.  I have asked that He guide me to the truth and change my ways to His ways.  And of course,  I will speak with my Rabbi and get his perspective on this.

Here are links to some of the sites I visited.

http://www.sabbathcovenant.com/doctrine/sus_is_latin_for_pig.htm
http://seekgod.ca/htwhatsinaname.htm
http://www.sacrednamemovement.com/InvitationEssayC.html
http://jesusisajew.org/YESHUA.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Judaism
http://www.myredeemerlives.com/namesofgod/adonai-elohim.html
http://phoenicia.org/adonis.html


UPDATE

After speaking with Rabbi I was reassured that the use of the name Jesus is not wrong.  In English, Jesus does not mean "earth pig."  A member of our congregation, who is Jewish, made a good point by using the word "gift."  In Germany, gift means poison.  In English, gift means present. 

In other words, languages are complex. 

The following is part of an article by Dr. Daniel Botkin on the name Yeshua versus Yahshua.  In it he discusses the English form of Jesus:

The English form Jesus is derived from the New Testament Greek name Ihsouß, pronounced "Yesous." According to Strong’s, Yesous (Strong’s #2424) is "of Hebrew origin" and can be traced back to Joshua’s Hebrew name, Yehoshua (#3091, [wvwhy). But how do we get the Greek Yesous from the Hebrew Yehoshua? Someone armed with nothing more than a Strong’s Concordance may have difficulty answering that question. Someone who reads the Bible in Hebrew, though, knows that the name Joshua sometimes appears in its shortened form, Yeshua ([wvy) in Neh. 8:17 it is apparent even in English: "Jeshua the son of Nun." (The letter J was pronounced like a Y in Old English.) Strong does not tell the reader that the Greek Yesous is actually transliterated from this shortened Hebrew form, Yeshua, and not directly from the longer form Yehoshua. The process from "Yehoshua" to "Jesus" looks like this:

Hebrew Yehoshua à Hebrew Yeshua

Hebrew Yeshua à Greek Yesous

Greek Yesous à English Jesus

There is no "sh" sound in Greek, which accounts for the middle "s" sound in Yesous. The "s" at the end of the Greek name is a grammatical necessity, to make the word declinable.

In Neh. 8:17, Joshua’s name is 100% identical to the name which today’s Messianic Jews use for the Messiah, Yeshua ([wvy). Strong’s confirms this pronunciation, and tells us that there were ten Israelites in the Bible who bore this name (#3442). Therefore the shortening of Yehoshua to Yeshua predates the Christian era by at least 500 years, and cannot be the result of a Jewish conspiracy to hide the Savior’s true name.[4] To claim that the shortened form Yeshua is the result of a Jewish conspiracy is to ignore the facts of history and the facts of the Hebrew Scriptures. The form Yeshua existed for several hundred years before the Messiah was even born. Even in the pre-Christian Septuagint, we see the Greek form IHSOUS (Yesous) in the title of the Book of Joshua. (This is also proof that Yesous has no connection to the pagan god Zeus.)
http://www.yashanet.com/library/Yeshua_or_Yahshua.htm

Bottom line, better we should use our Messiah's given name, Yeshua. Technically, calling him Jesus is not an insult.

Friday, March 9, 2012

My First Purim

I wanted to get this brief post up before the start of Shabbat.  Last night we celebrated Purim at Sar Shalom.  Jimmy Black was invited and my spirit was soaring as he sang.   (I plan to go to his web site and purchase his new CD when it becomes available.)   Rabbi Mark spoke about Haman and how HaSatan (cursed be he) did not succeed in his evil scheme.  He brought to our minds the many plots and schemes designed to hurt us that the L-rd has thwarted. HaShem has turned evil to good. 

I had visual flashbacks of the automobile accidents I have had, the many fractures, the poor choice of friends during adolescence, the bad choices in so many areas of my life, and how HaShem saw fit to allow me to survive it all. Thank you L-rd.  Your mercies are new every morning.  You protect your people.

The Purim celebration included games for the kids, food, beverages and of course lots of fun.  My first Purim was certainly and truly a celebration.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Baking Challah / A Spiritual Act

I have been baking bread for many years.  I love the smell (ah, the aroma) that fills the house when the bread is baking.  I like the knowing that I can say all the ingredients in the bread (flour, water, eggs, yeast, oil, sugar, salt).  And yes, I like the "no artificial anything," that comes with making bread, or any food from scratch. 

The best part for me, maybe you, is biting into a piece of warm, still steaming, just out of the oven, bread.  And, as you may already know, I like it with a big slab of butter that melts and drips off the sides.  Yummy.

I like kitchen gadgets.  And I like kitchen gadgets that make my job in the kitchen easier.  So, I've made (and still make) bread using a bread maker from start to finish.  (I've also made it completely by hand.)  I've used a food processor, a stand mixer, and even a hand mixer to knead dough.  Hand mixer, not so good.

To make Challah,  I have found, I like using my stand mixer first and then finishing the kneading by hand.  The stand mixer works twice as fast as my hands, and the final minutes of kneading by hand take the dough from sticky to tacky, and then to just right.

Challah is a moist, sweet dough, bread that is served on Shabbat.  Jewish women have been baking Challah for centuries.  At least two loaves are baked.  Two loaves symbolize the double portion of Manna that the Jewish people gathered in the wilderness on Friday, before the start of the Sabbath. 

Making Challah is a wonderful, spiritual act.  As I handle the dough, I pray for my family and friends.  Those on my prayer list can need healing, restoration, more faith, direction, and so on. In my mind as I knead and handle the dough, I imagine HaShem touching those areas in the lives of my family and friends that need healing, restoration, peace, faith and strength.  It is not a "chore" to bake Challah.  It is a blessing.

Centuries ago, in Israel during Temple times, Jewish women reserved a portion of the Challah dough for the priest.  Today, because there is no Temple in Israel (yet), Jewish women separate a small piece of Challah dough and burn it in the bottom of their ovens.  Jewish women say a prayer blessing G-d before separating the dough. 

For Messianic Jews the Challah symbolizes G-d's provision, as well as, the living bread -- Yeshua, the bread of life.



Saturday, March 3, 2012

A "Bat Mitzvah" To Be Planned

Yep, here I am at sixty something and about to start planning for my very own "Bat Mitzvah."  Can you believe it?  Wasn't I writing about conversion or "Messianic Jewish Simka," a few posts ago.

After Hebrew class last Thursday, Rabbi asked me when my next birthday was.  Trying to be funny, I said I stopped celebrating birthdays.  But I corrected myself.  My family will not let me forget my birthday.  Cards, cake, you know -- celebration.  So, I told him when my birthday was, and he said we would have my Jewish Simka then.  I can't quote him exactly but that's what he meant.  I was overjoyed, over the moon, jumping up and down happy.

If you know about Bar/Bat Mitzvah, then you know I am too old to be coming of age in the traditional Jewish sense. What it will be is time of celebration marking my love of Yeshua and my becoming one with His people.  My full understanding of the responsibility of following His commandments and my desire to do so.  

There are many things to consider for this day. (Hmm, hold that thought.  That merits its own page.)

The most important thing for me is knowing that I have come full circle in my walk with Yeshua.  I will be walking in the steps of my Master, following Torah.  The Simka (celebration) will make it official.