Gathering Sparks

REPRINT: Knowledge in Parsha Va'era

2012-01-19T03:53:00.000-08:00

If you don't already, subscribe to The Set Table at http://thesettable.org. Shabbat shalom, readers!

Our parasha opens with the famous four-fold expression of redemption that God vows to Moses:

I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments; and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God . . .
(Exodus 6:6–7a)

After these four promises from God comes a fifth:

. . . and I will bring you in unto the land concerning which I lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
(Exodus 6:8)

What is it that bridges God’s four-fold redemption of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to God’s bringing the Israelites into the land? The answer is given in the intervening verse:

…and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
(Exodus 6:7b, emphasis mine)

This emphasis on da‘at, knowledge of God, is characteristic of the first half of Exodus, in which Israel comes to know God through his miraculous deliverance. In particular, this verse highlights that Israel’s future entrance into the land must be preceded by their coming to know that the Lord is God.

What does it mean to know God? According to Abraham Joshua Heschel, the Hebrew word yada, from which the word da‘at is derived, “means more than the possession of abstract concepts. Knowledge . . . involves both an intellectual and an emotional act . . . it implies not only legal obligation, but also inner attitudes” (Heschel, The Prophets, 57–59). It also means attachment in the fullest sense, as conveyed by the Biblical use of the word yada to describe relations between a husband and wife. Thus, the antithesis of knowledge of God is idolatry, which is likened to adultery.

Tragically, when Moses proclaims the five-fold message of redemption to the Israelites, with its accompanying promise of knowledge, they are unable to hear him due to their “crushed spirits and cruel bondage” (6:9). The Midrash explains that “crushed spirits” is a veiled reference to their difficulty in abandoning idol worship (Exodus Rabba 6.5, citing Ezekiel 20:6–8). So God commands Moses to go to Pharaoh alone (6:10)—not accompanied by the elders of Israel, as originally promised (see Exodus 3:18).

The late Lubavitcher Rebbe taught:

These verses cite five expressions of redemption. The first four relate to the Egyptian exile and the three exiles following thereafter, including the present one. The fifth—“I shall bring you . . .”—relates to an additional level of ascent that will follow the initial redemption by Moshiach.
(Living With Moshiach, p. 51)

If the fifth message of redemption (“I shall bring you into the land . . .”) is a reference to the Messianic redemption, then it follows that entrance into the Messianic Age must be preceded by Israel coming to know God in the fullest sense. Of this Jeremiah writes, “no man shall teach his neighbor . . . for they all will know me” (Jeremiah 31:34).

What are people saying about "Kosher Jesus"?

2012-01-08T05:26:00.000-08:00

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's book Kosher Jesus comes out next month. Boteach is a highly recognizable author (last week an op-ed in L.A.'s Jewish Journal endorsed Rabbi Shmuley for Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth--a position currently held by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks). While this makes Kosher Jesus a particularly notable entry in the ever-growing Jewish project to recognize/reclaim Jesus as a first-century Jew, there's a good chance it won't be a "kosher" treatment by Messianic Jewish standards. I will compile reviews and links here as I come across them.

Rabbi Michael Samuel's "Thoughts on Shmuley Boteach's New Book Kosher Jesus"

Most of the ideas suggested in the “Kosher Jesus” reflect the ideas of the British Jewish scholar Hayam Maccoby’s works. According to Maccoby, Jesus was an observant Jew who followed Jewish law, much like a typical traditional Jew of his era. Jesus erred in thinking that God would supernaturally bring about the end of the Roman Empire; he hoped God would let him inaugurate the Messianic Age that was foretold by the prophets. Jesus failed in achieving these goals, ergo—he could not be the Messiah.

Shmuely is a fine ambassador to the general community, but do not expect him to be something he is not—a New Testament biblical scholar. . . . if you want to read something much more intriguing and exciting, buy yourself a copy of the “The Jewish Annotated New Testament,” which is now available. . . . Another great book is Geza Vermes’ outstanding book, “Jesus the Jew: A Historian’s Reading of the Gospels” (Oxford, 1973).

Ha'aretz - "New book by U.S. rabbi depicts Jesus as Jewish patriot":

"Christian ideas of Jesus as divine messiah emerged as a savvy adaptation following the destruction of the Second Temple," Boteach explained. Once Jews understand that, he writes that they "can take inspiration from Jesus' often beautiful ethical teachings and appreciate Jesus as a devoted Jewish son who became martyred while trying to lift the Roman yoke of oppression from his beloved people."

Interfaith Family Network Blog - Kosher Jesus?

Messianic Jews and some Chabadniks/Lubavitchers aside, the broad distinction remains; Jews and Christians view the role and level of importance of Jesus, as it pertains to their own theology, quite differently.

Huffington Post - Religious Incitement Over My 'Kosher Jesus' Book (Rabbi Shmuley responds to his critics in Chabad):

What missionaries seek to do in converting unsuspecting Jews is portray Judaism as a failed religion that was replaced by Christianity. Their intention is to show Jews that without a divine Jesus they cannot achieve salvation from sin. But contrary to these demeaning and false claims, Christian scripture is itself absolutely clear that Jesus kept the entire Torah and advocated that any Jew who did not do likewise would be cast out from heaven. It is this Jewish Jesus -- the one that "Kosher Jesus" uncovers from the pages of the New Testament itself which was edited so as to deny some much of Jesus' Jewishness and intentionally Romanize him -- that I am asking Jews to reclaim. The book seeks to inspire Jews who have embraced Christianity to come back to their people and keep every letter of Jewish law as Jesus himself both advocated in the New Testament and adhered to himself.

Gil Student at the Hirhurim blog writes, in "Three Easy Steps to a Kosher Jesus":

Conceiving a Jewishly acceptable Jesus requires three steps:

Rejecting the Gospels and subsequent literature as inaccurate but historically useful. By wiping away the authors’ biases, we can discover the historical truth underlying their writings.
Accepting that there was a historical Jesus, and not merely a useful fiction or amalgamation of people.
Reinterpreting Talmudic stories of Jesus as polemic or references to other people.
All of these steps have rabbinic precedent.

The radical literary deconstruction Maccoby uses does not sit well with me as a methodology. The deconstruction of texts in order to discover the historical Jesus seems to me overly speculative. However, I am happy to remain agnostic over whether Jesus ever existed and whether he remained a devout Jew or founded a new religion because he is simply irrelevant to my life. Kosher or non-kosher, Jesus is not someone important to me since the religion founded on his life, whether accurately or not, is not mine.

I find it hard to accept that [Rabbi Boteach's] book is somehow heretical if, as he states (link), he follows Maccoby’s approach. If his statements accurately represent his book, then he has conducted an attack on Christianity and, like the Disputants who preceded him, provided defense material for Jewish countermissionaries.

Dr. Michael L. Brown writes about his connection to Kosher Jesus in "The Huffington Post, Three Rabbis, and Me":

Here is where the plot thickens. Partly inspired by our debates, Shmuley wrote a book entitled Kosher Jesus, and it has caused a firestorm of controversy in the traditional Jewish community, as a number of prominent rabbis have expressed their concern that it will encourage Jews to read the New Testament and find out more about Jesus. For traditional Jews, that is not a happy proposition, especially given the 1,500 year history of the sometimes bloody, “Christian” persecution of Jews.

As expected, I am frequently targeted by Shmuley in his book, albeit in a friendly and respectful manner. At his request, I wrote an endorsement for Kosher Jesus while at the same time expressing my profound disagreements with it, finding the book far more offensive for traditional Christians than for traditional Jews. Interestingly, I have already read posts by other rabbis saying that if I’m endorsing the book, it must not be good for Jews!

What about Gentile identity?

2011-12-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

Adapted from a recent comment I made on Derek Leman's blog:

For a long time, Messianic Jews have been affirming that Jewish identity is not nullified in Messiah. Many Gentile believers have heartily affirmed this truth as well. However, when it comes to "Gentile identity," some are left with questions. After all, Jewish identity seems (at least to some) to be easily identified as a rich heritage that is documented in the Scriptures and interwoven and extended through history and tradition. "But what does 'Gentile identity' even refer to?" some ask.

I think that this is a very good question and would like to see more efforts to explore possible, Biblical answers. I do think that Paul explicitly affirms “paternity” (in a very Roman fashion, btw), when he writes in Ephesians 3.14-15:

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family (Greek patria literally “ancestry” or “family,” from the word pater, father) in heaven and on earth is named…”

Roman societies organized themselves around family structures which had the father at the head. Here Paul seems to be building on that understanding with his claim that every “ancestry”is derived from the Father by virtue of the fact that it is literally named after Him.*

There is a group of scholars within what is known as the Radical Perspective on Paul (i.e. Paul as a Torah-observant Jewish apostle to the Gentiles) who are asking similar questions specifically in the context of the Pauline corpus. William S. Campbell, Kathy Ehrensberger, and J. Brian Tucker are all exploring ways in which Gentile identity is both continued, transformed, and reinvented in Paul’s ministry as evidenced in his letters.

Campbell’s book Paul and the Creation of Christian Identity (pictured above) is a significant contribution to this effort and worth reading.** Also, J. Brian Tucker has a book on the continuation of social identities in 1 Corinthians called "Remain in Your Calling" (pictured at right).

There are also a number of papers by J. Brian Tucker available for free on mjstudies.com:

While both Campbell and Tucker perhaps raise as many questions as they answer, they show that there may be much more to learn about Gentile identity in Messiah from the first-century apostle to the Gentiles.

* Paul goes on to address the Ephesians using a form known as a household code (see Eph. 5.21-6.9), a Roman religio-cultural value system which is structured around the father. Some interpreters think Paul transforms the household code away from its normal patriarchalism in the way he gives specific instructions not only to wives, children, and slaves, but also to husbands, fathers, and masters. To the degree that household codes are a particularly Greco-Roman way of addressing issues of order in families and households, this is relevant to the discussion at hand.
** Don't trip up over Campbell's use of the term "Christian." He is part of a cadre of Pauline scholars who are well aware of the anachronism. Of course, you can if you want. I'm just saying I think it would be counter-productive.

Amy-Jill Levine's "The Misunderstood Jew"

2011-12-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

The following is a summary of The Misunderstood Jew by Amy-Jill Levine ---a self-described "Yankee Jewish feminist who teaches in a predominantly Protestant divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt"---which I wrote up for a friend recently. If you haven't read the book, it's definitely worth getting. (It makes a good holiday gift too!)

Introduction (available online via Google Books) - Levine introduces herself and her background and explains why the Jewish background of Jesus and the New Testament (NT) is important to everyone.

1) Jesus and Judaism - Discusses Jesus's positive relationship to Judaism and debunks a number of common misconceptions about Jesus's practice and about the Judaism of his time.

2) From Jewish Sect to Gentile Church - Discusses Jesus's followers and the development of the church

3) The New Testament and Anti-Judaism - Addresses (and for the most part refutes) the accusation that the New Testament is anti-Semitic or contains anti-Semitic passages.

4) Stereotyping Judaism - Addresses seven all-too-common misperceptions/stereotypes/slanders of first-century Judaism. These are things which are still taught from pulpits and in Bible studies! Here's the list:

The view that Jewish Law was impossible to follow, a burden no one could bear.
The thesis that all Jews wanted a warrior messiah who would defeat Rome.
The proclamation that Jesus was a feminist in a women-hating Jewish culture.
The conclusion that Jews were obsessed with keeping themselves pure from the contamination of outsiders, whereas Jesus, especially through his parable of the good Samaritan, broke through purity-based barriers.
The insistence that first-century Judaism was marked by a Temple domination system that oppressed the poor and women and that promoted social division between insiders and outsiders.
The assertion that Jews are narrow, clannish, particularistic, and xenophobic, whereas Jesus and the church are engaged in universal outreach.
The increasingly popular argument that the New Testament is not talking about Jews at all, but about "Judeans."

5) With Friends Like These . . . - Discusses anti-Jewish prejudices in the church and its educational systems; focuses specifically on Liberation Theology, the World Council of Churches, the phrase "The Rabbis," multiculturally-oriented biblical studies which uses first-century Judaism as foil by which to criticize practices of the dominant culture, references to "the God of Judaism," and claims about "Jesus the Palestinian."

6) Distinct Canons, Distinct Practices - Discusses the different canons of Judaism and Christianity, as well as key differing interpretations and practices; then criticizes certain types of Jewish/Christian interfaith ventures (Christian Passover seders) while commending others (interfaith dialogue?).

7) Quo Vadis? - 26 (letters A. through Z.) specific suggestions for ways for Christians and Jews to think, talk, and behave that can help bring correction to all that's been discussed prior in the book.

Epilogue - "If Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau, can learn to live together in peace, there is hope not only for the responsible and the prodigal; there is hope for church and synagogue as well. And if the church and synagogue both could recognize their connection to Jesus, a Jewish prophet who spoke to Jews, perhaps we'd be in a better place for understanding."

Chanukah: ENGAGE!

2011-11-30T07:16:00.000-08:00

"Engage"- Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

When Captain Picard gave that order (or it is 'will give' since it takes place in the future? But I digress...) he was communicating "go ahead" or "fulfill the command I just gave".

I'd like to unpack a few definitions of the word "engage":

To take part: PARTICIPATE
To give attention to something
To come together and interlock
(via Merriam Webster)

We are quickly approaching Chanukah. With the first night being December 20th, it's less than 3 weeks away! That makes this the perfect time to begin to engage (give attention to) the story of Chanukah and prepare ourselves to engage (take part) in recounting the Chanukah story, lighting the Menorah and playing dreidel etc... Allow me to also point out that lighting the Menorah is a wonderful way to engage (come together with) the Jewish people worldwide and remember Hashem's mighty deliverance of his people, Israel.

This year I was asked to to share some of my thoughts on Chanukah in an article for the Winter 2012 UMJC newsletter, and it made it on the front page!

I hope you enjoy!

The Jewish Annotated New Testament

2011-11-29T05:46:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't heard, the Jewish Annotated New Testament was just released. This volume is a study edition of the NSRV translation of the New Testament with commentary and essays by Jewish Biblical scholars (including Jewish New Testament scholars) such as Marc Zvi Brettler, Amy-Jill Levine, Daniel Boyarin, and Mark Nanos.

Being the first study Bible of its kind, it's getting some attention on the web; here are some of the articles I've come across so far:

The Rosh Pina Project blog posts a review by Mark Oppenheimer entitled "'The more I study New Testament,' Dr. Levine said, 'the better Jew I become.'"

An article by Reform Rabbi Larry Bach entitled "My New, New Testament," in which he writes, "the New Testament — this New Testament, in particular — is a book that belongs in every Jewish home."

Rebecca at the Mystical Politics blog, who herself contributed the JANT article on diving beings, points to a New York Times article on the JANT quoting Amy-Jill Levine and herself.

Said New York Times article.

John Hobbins from the Ancient Hebrew Poetry blog asks in "Jews Reading the New Testament": "Is that just another way of saying, 'Jews behaving badly'?"

And the most extensive review I've seen, by Messianic Jewish rabbi/author Derek Leman.

Feel free to post further reviews in the comments section as you come across them. (It looks like this volume might make a great holiday gift!)

Disclaimer: I have not received a free copy of the Jewish Annotated New Testament. However, I would welcome one!

Quote of the Day: Daniel S. Nevins on "Rebranding Tzedakah" (from Sh'ma Journal)

2011-11-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

From Sh'ma Journal:

Tzedakah today exists in a fallen state much more akin to "Charity" than to the obligatory actions of righteousness idealized in rabbinic sources. We have created a philanthropic culture that lavishes honor upon donors who have the "vision to invest" in chosen initiatives. Meanwhile, ordinary communal needs such as poverty relief, elder care, and subsidized Jewish education suffer from benign neglect.

Part of our failure is cultural. we have internalized Western concepts of individual agency and patronage, wherever they lead, and largely abandoned the Jewish ideal of obligation. But other aspects of the failure are our inability to develop a coherent sense of priorities in Jewish spending and our graduated expectations of giving based upon financial capacity. Even as they seek to accommodate the demands of "donor relations," Jewish professionals should define and project a countercultural ideal of tzedakah, not as charity, but as the responsible and righteous use of resources.

One way to do this is to reclaim ancient categories that align with a broad set of Jewish obligations. This is not a list of charities, but of sacred spending that is mandatory for a religious Jews.
Peah, shikhecha v'leket -- emergency food relief for the local, regional, and global poor. This is a mitzvah that the rabbis say has no limit, yet they advise that at least 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent of income from field crops be surrendered to the poor. So, too, should contemporary wage earners give a tangible amount to support the hungry and vulnerable in their community and around the world. From the behavior of Boaz toward the Moabite woman Ruth, we see that such gifts are not limited to the Jewish poor.
Teruma u'ma'aser -- a tithe (10 percent?) for religious services. In ancient times, this supported the landless priests and Levites who ran the Temple, taught Torah, and represented the community. Today, we could apply these funds to the religious organizations needed by the Jewish community: synagogues, day schools, seminaries, and summer camps, which sustain and deepen Jewish identity.
Ma'aser Sheni -- a second tithe amounting to 9 percent, most of which was reserved for a family pilgrimage fund, while the rest was distributed to the local poor. In our day, such money could be allocated to a family's own ritual expenses (sukkah, seder Israel travel, synagogue dues, etc) and to increase donations to ameliorate the poverty of elderly, ill, disabled, and isolated individuals.
Machazit Ha-Shekel -- a final flat poll tax whose purpose is truly communal in that it supports central welfare organizations that serve the entire Jewish people.

- Daniel S. Nevins, "Rebranding Tzedakah: From Charity to Sacred Spending"

A Jewish Thanksgiving?

2011-11-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

With so much hardship across the world, and even here in the USA we have so much to be thankful for. Here are just a few (from the 2001 AJC Thanksgiving Haggadah):

We are thankful for the freedom from hunger.
We are thankful for the freedom to worship.
We are thankful for the freedom to challenge our minds.
We are thankful for the freedom to change our minds.
We are thankful for the freedom to chart our lives.
We are thankful for the freedom to work for a better world.
We are thankful for the freedom to celebrate this day.

Did you catch that? Go back and read it again. Yep: A Thanksgiving Haggadah.

"Wait...isn't the haggadah for Pesach?"

Yes...traditionally...however:

“Thanksgiving is truly an American holiday. Whether your family came to this country 200 years ago, 20 years ago, or 2 years ago, it’s a celebration that’s easy to embrace. Sharing a meal and a feeling of gratitude transcends racial, ethnic and social boundaries. We may all eat different foods, we may speak a multitude of dialects and languages, but on this day, we share in the best that is America…For American Jews, it is another opportunity to share in a meal similar to the Passover Seder. And similar to that Seder, in which we tell the story of our people’s journey out of slavery in Egypt, on this night we tell the story of our own journeys to this country. Because of its lack of religious particularity, this is an excellent opportunity to share the feast with both Jewish and non-Jewish family and friends.” - Rabbi Phyllis A. Sommer (author of the 3 different Thanksgiving sederim provided in the first link below)

Jews have a very distinct way of living, of praying and even of celebrating. Here are few different resources to help make your American Thanksgiving a bit more Jewish:

The official Reform blog offers 3 different Thanksgiving sederim (based off of the Passover Haggadah).
Click here to download this year’s American Jewish Committee’s Thanksgiving reader (interfaith, interracial and inter-ethnic in design).
And lastly, here is a short Thanksgiving seder using siddur Sim Shalom.

May your time with loved ones be full of blessings and wonderful memories.

“Happy Thanksgiving” from us here at Gathering Sparks!!

Free Hanukkah Music Sampler from Craig Taubman

2011-11-22T06:23:00.000-08:00

Last summer, Jewish musician Craig Taubman released a free high holiday music sampler.

Well, Craig's done it again: you can download Lights, Vol 2. A Hanukkah Sampler for free from Amazon.

Check it out!

Gilad comes home

2011-10-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

.ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם מתיר אסורים

Blessed are you, Adonai our God,
Sovereign of universe,
who releases the captive.

Also worth reading: this moving article by Messianic Jewish blogger Abba Lazarus:

"Our children understand that ten thousand terrorists cannot take away our love for them."

Building a sukkah

2011-10-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day: Dwight Pryor on Sukkot

2011-10-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

A beautiful insight on Sukkot from the late Dwight Pryor. (This selection begins with a quote from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin):

“On Sukkot our desires [“to dwell in the House of the Lord” (Ps 27:4)] are answered. In effect, God is the bridegroom and we, the Jewish people, are the bride called upon to enter the bridegroom’s home. The seven days we sit inside the sukkah correspond to the seven days that a marriage is celebrated.”
At Mt. Sinai, Israel became a bride that accepted Adonai as her Sovereign Lord with the confession: “Na’asei v’nishma!” (“All that the LORD has spoken, we will do and we will obey.” [Ex 24:7]) Thereafter He faithfully fulfilled the duties incumbent upon any husband, to provide food, shelter and intimacy to his bride.
The Lord rained down manna and brought forth water for His beloved, and made Israel to dwell in booths (sukkot). During the journey, the covering Clouds of Glory protected His bride in the desert, and the portable Sanctuary (Mishkan) availed intimate access to His very Presence.
The Feast of Tabernacles commemorates those Clouds of Glory as well as the booths that Israel dwelled in securely on their way to the Land of Promise. It prompts us therefore to remember and rejoice over God’s goodness and passion toward His betrothed Israel.

Read the full article here.

(And get the lovely ketubah design by Miriam Karp above here.)

Days of Awe...

2011-10-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

...is the name of a beautiful piece by R. R. Reno at First Things' On the Square.

Reno writes (on Kol Nidrei):

...this odd petition, presented in the legal context of formally constituted court, comes by way of heart-rending chants. There is not the slightest legalism in the music, which is among the most cherished in the Jewish tradition. Instead, it rings with desperate pleas. The chants sigh and sob. Jews do not kneel to pray; they stand. But in haunting melody of the Kol Nidre, I’ve found my Christian soul driven to its knees.

Therein, perhaps, lies the resolution to the paradox. It is as if the cantor and congregation were saying, “O Lord, I am a precipitous, presumptuous, impetuous fool. Please see that my eager spiritual efforts in the year to come are as likely to be motivated by vanity as obedience, self-interest as devotion.” As far as this Gentile can tell, the spiritual meaning of the Kol Nidre petition accords with the petition I make before I approach the altar to receive communion: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”

And the conclusion:

I am Christian and not Jewish. I have no real grasp of Hebrew and I only vaguely follow the prayers in my wife’s synagogue. Yet, in the final moments of Yom Kippur I have felt a terrible anguish, yearning to move, and yet immobile, wanting to rush to God’s side and yet nailed to my worldly life. I have shuddered as cantor cries out: “The doors are closing; the doors are closing.” For in those haunting words I hear Jesus saying: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”

Read the full post here.

On making things right with God and our fellow human beings

2011-09-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

So if you are offering your gift at the Temple altar and you remember there that your brother has something against you, leave your gift where it is by the altar, and go, make peace with your brother. Then come back and offer your gift. If someone sues you, come to terms with him quickly, while you and he are on the way to court; or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer of the court, and you may be thrown in jail! Yes indeed! I tell you, you will certainly not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Matthew 5:23-26

The sin towards God, the Day of Atonement atones for; but sins toward man, the Day of Atonement cannot atone for till the neighbor has been appeased.
Mishnah Yoma 8

Then Kefa came up and said to him, "Rabbi, how often can my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? As many as seven times?"
"No, not seven times," answered Yeshua, "but seventy times seven! Because of this, the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared with a king who decided to settle accounts with his deputies. Right away they brought forward a man who owed him many millions; and since he couldn't pay, his master ordered that he, his wife, his children and all his possessions be sold to pay the debt. But the servant fell down before him.

`Be patient with me,' he begged, `and I will pay back everything.' So out of pity for him, the master let him go and forgave the debt.

"But as that servant was leaving, he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him some tiny sum. He grabbed him and began to choke him, crying, `Pay back what you owe me!' His fellow servant fell before him and begged, `Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused; instead, he had him thrown in jail until he should repay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed; and they went and told their master every thing that had taken place. Then the master summoned his servant and said, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt just because you begged me to do it. Shouldn't you have had pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And in anger his master turned him over to the jailers for punishment until he paid back everything he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat you, unless you each forgive your brother from your hearts."
Matthew 18:21-35

Shanah tovah, dear readers.

"Happy Shabbat, Everyone"

2011-09-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

A cool pic tweeted by my brother-in-law from our Shabbat table. (Yes, he got the irony later.)

HT: getthebikes.

October 2 - a day to disconnect

2011-09-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

HT: Netzer Chosid.

Messianic Jewish scholar launches new online resource

2011-09-11T23:56:00.000-07:00

Messianic Jewish New Testament scholar David Rudolph has launched a new online resource: MJStudies.com. The site is described as "a gateway to post-supersessionist New Testament scholarship."

What is post-supersessionist interpretation? A page on the site explains:

Messianic Jewish (MJ) post-supersessionist interpretation maintains that the New Testament writers affirmed (1) God’s covenant fidelity to the Jewish people, (2) that Jesus was Israel’s Messiah and participated in the unique identity of the God of Israel, (3) that Jesus-believing Gentiles were full members of God’s people without becoming Jews, and (4) that Jesus-believing Jews should continue to live as Jews in keeping with Israel’s calling to be a distinct and enduring nation.

Already the site is burgeoning with references to post-supersessionist books, essays, journal articles, conference papers, lectures and videos. I intend to use it as a go-to reference to scholarly works on various scriptural and theological issues.

The next time you find yourself looking for a commentary on a book or passage in the Apostolic Writings / Brit Hadasha, you can go to mjstudies.com and see what's been published from a post-supersessionist vantage point. And if you come across a resource which isn't on the site, you can suggest it via the site's contact form.

So check the site out by clicking below! Or better yet--follow the MJStudies blog to stay up-to-date on the latest resources!

On a related note, last month Tikvat Israel Messianic Synagogue of Richmond, Virginia welcomed Dr. Rudolph as their new rabbi. I, for one, am very glad to have Dr. Rudolph back on the east coast (and not too far from the D.C. area!). Given his history of providing helpful resources for the Messianic Jewish movement and beyond, I am excited to see what Dr. Rudolph will bring to Tikvat Israel, which is already a dynamic Messianic Jewish community. Mazel tov!

Update: Robin Parry of Theological Scribbles now has a blog post up highlighting the new site.

Quote(s) of the Day: "Lost Tribes," Codices, and the Jewish Jesus

2011-09-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

Some interesting recent links from BAR:

The Ten Tribes of Israel Aren’t Lost (and never were)

Archaeologist, award-winning auther, and department chair at George Washington University, Dr. Eric Cline gave a presentation summarized as follows:

Speculating on the whereabouts of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel has been popular for longer than the search for the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. Suggestions for where they ended up have ranged from America and Britain to India and Africa, and virtually every place in between. However, few proper investigations of this “mystery” have been conducted. Now, utilizing three separate and completely independent sources—the Biblical account, the contemporary Neo-Assyrian inscriptions, and the archaeological remains from both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah—it can be confidently shown that the Ten Tribes of Israel were never lost.

The Power of the Codex

Sometime in the first few centuries C.E., the first bound books—termed codices—revolutionized the way people read the words of prophets, kings, scribes and thinkers. . . In an article for the New York Times Sunday Book Review, author and book critic Lev Grossman reflects on the remarkable technological shift that occurred nearly 2,000 years ago and whether the growing popularity of e-readers will mark a similar shaft in how we read.

A great quote from Grossman's article:

Something very important and very weird is happening to the book right now: It’s shedding its papery corpus and transmigrating into a bodiless digital form, right before our eyes. We’re witnessing the bibliographical equivalent of the rapture.

Was Jesus a Jew?

The answer, of course, is yes. Anthony J. Saldarini writes quite powerfully:

To wrench Jesus out of his Jewish world destroys Jesus and destroys Christianity, the religion that grew out of his teachings. Even Jesus’ most familiar role as Christ is a Jewish role. If Christians leave the concrete realities of Jesus’ life and of the history of Israel in favor of a mythic, universal, spiritual Jesus and an otherworldly kingdom of God, they deny their origins in Israel, their history, and the God who has loved and protected Israel and the church. They cease to interpret the actual Jesus sent by God and remake him in their own image and likeness. The dangers are obvious. If Christians violently wrench Jesus out of his natural, ethnic and historical place within the people of Israel, they open the way to doing equal violence to Israel, the place and people of Jesus. This is a lesson of history that haunts us all at the end of the 20th century.

For the seasons they are a-changin’

2011-09-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

It’s a wonderful time of year. While I love the summer, I really enjoy the change from summer to autumn. Sure, I miss summer, but every season has it’s time and offers specific opportunities that we don’t get in the others. In autumn we get the slightly cooler weather (though you can still where shorts and flip flops), rain (a different kind of rain than summer rain) and of course, the leaves changing colors.

Summer is waning. It is practically over. Think for second about all that has transpired over the last few months: The great stuff and even the not so great stuff. Think about the opportunities taken and the ones missed. Have you ever considered that how we choose to remember our past can directly guide our future?

So summer wanes….And here we stand on the cusp of a new season; one full of brisk mornings that sharpen our senses making us more aware.

“Fantastic, Jon...That’s quite a revelation.”

I know, I know. What am I getting at?

We are one week into the month of Elul. This is the time for those cold mornings to sharpen our senses…to sharpen our memories as we probe the actions of our past and look for places us where we need to adjust; to consider our words and attitudes. It’s a time to proactively seek out forgiveness and be willing to grant it.

Earlier today Yahnatan forwarded me this article on electronic Lashon Hara (literally “evil tongue” though it issued as a term for gossip). I was immediately struck by how slow we can be to consider our behavioural shortcomings with those whom we interact with online. In the article Rabbi Marc D. Angel writes "Modern technology makes it easy to dehumanize others...." I've seen this to be true. It's easy and even convenient to forget (or to not know) the faces and people behind the words for the sake of "making a point" or "winning the argument". I've heard it said"if you can't beat them with logic then beat them with rhetoric". No thanks. Do we hold ourselves to the same level of relational standards as we do when we interact with our families and friends face to face, or do we give ourselves some kind of special dispensation to say what we want, how we want and when we want?

I can think of no better time to consider these things carefully and to awaken ourselves to the need for us to be reconciled to those whom we may have hurt through our hasty responses and/or harsh words here online.

Nu?

Free High Holiday Music Sampler from Craig Taubman

2011-08-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Jewish musician Craig Taubman has made Jewels, A High Holiday Music Sampler, available for free on Amazon.com as part of his JewelsOfElul program. Check it out!

UPDATE: in order to get the songs for free, you need to buy them each individually. (If you buy the entire album with one-click, it will cost you $7.99.)

Hebrew prepositions chart!

2011-08-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

From Chris Heard at the Higgaion blog:

Heard writes: "I posted a diagram of the chief Biblical Hebrew prepositions...as an aid to help students learn the prepositions without porting them through English."

If you've studied Hebrew before, you may find this diagram to be a helpful reminder. If you're scratching your head though: never fear, http://www.hebrewmadesimple.com/ is here to help you learn Hebrew. The founder is a good friend who is welcoming to all students.

What are you waiting for?

Random adventures in buying kosher

2011-08-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

One day a couple years ago, my wife and I were shopping in Giant, when in the meat section we unexpectedly came upon a few packages of kosher meat (Empire) on the shelf. We bought them, and the next time we came back (seemingly in response to our purchase), there was a small kosher section at one end of the meats shelf. (That's my Giant!)

Bringing us up to the present: my wife and I had to move houses this summer, and with God's help (and a lot of help from our friends and family too!), we were able to buy a home. Our nearest Giant doesn't seem to have much in the way of kosher selection yet. However, we're much closer to Trader Joe's, which, after KosherMart, seems to have the best selection in the way of kosher meats. (A leben ahf dein kep, Trader Yossi!)

Also, we were doing a lot of late night trips to Target to get things we needed for the house. One night we wandered over by the food section, where I stumbled on this:

An entire end cap of kosher items! And not just the typical sandwich meats and pickle jars (Batampte, anyone?), but a whole bunch of kosher cheeses as well. So kudos to Target.

For more tips on buying kosher, check out http://kosheronabudget.com/. Feel free to post other kosher tips and links in the comments section!

Quote of the day: "Genuine understanding" of Jewish tradition

2011-08-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

It will never do for messianic congregations to simply imitate “authentic” Judaism(s). To maintain integrity with Hashem’s commission, let alone gain legitimacy -or at least validity- in the eyes of other Jewish communities, genuine understanding of the reasons for decisions on practice and the ability to articulate that understanding need to be prevalent among the movement’s members. The school of Hillel could articulate Shammai’s position, and could explain why they went with a different ruling.

Erica, commenter on "What's the Point?" at Drschiffman's Blog.

WSJ on Kaifeng Jews (and a Messianic Jew!)

2011-08-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

A fascinating article by Bob Davis appeared in today's Wall Street Journal about the group known as the Kaifeng Jews and the challenges they face identifying with a community they've been estranged from and learning traditions long-forgotten. The subtitle says it all: "Divided and Diminished: In Eyes of Judaism as Well as Beijing, Tiny Kaifeng Community Isn't Quite Kosher." A few quotes:

The Kaifeng Jewish population is thought to have peaked at around 5,000, but by the early 1900s, none could read Hebrew and the community's Torah scrolls were sold to collectors. Jews were called "the Muslims with the blue caps," referring to the color of the yarmulkes some still wore.

"In our family, we didn't eat pork, that's for sure," says Nina Wang, a 24-year-old Kaifeng native who now lives in Israel and underwent orthodox Jewish conversion. The family had menorahs and Sabbath cups, she said, "but we didn't know what to do with those things."

I didn't expect to discover a reference to a Messianic Jew, but lo and behold:

These days, many in Kaifeng turn to Timothy Lerner, who calls himself a "messianic Jew"—meaning he was born Jewish but believes in Christ as the Messiah—to learn Hebrew and Jewish customs. Mr. Lerner acknowledges that his visa was revoked by the Chinese government in 2006 for evangelizing, but says he doesn't try to convince anyone to follow his religious beliefs. He says he set up the "Kaifeng Israel School" to help Kaifeng Jews "learn the Jewish lifestyle" and move to Israel, where about a dozen of them have taken up residence, thanks largely to funds from Shavei Israel, an Israeli group.

Devoted to Destruction?

2011-08-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 7:17, 26 ESV:

"And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction."

Romans 9:22-23 ESV

"What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory...?"

Anyone think there's a connection between these two verses?

Second Helsinki Conference on Jewish Continuity in the Church

2011-08-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see much noise in the Messianic blogosphere about the Second Helsinki Conference on Jewish Continuity in the Church. If you recall, I posted last year about the first such gathering, including a link to the statement released by the conference participants (see my post from last year, Helsinki Conference on Jewish Believers in Jesus). Well, thanks to Hebrew Catholic blogger Athol, I read about the second such conference in the conference press release, including quotes (underlined) from Dr. Mark Kinzer and Fr. Antoine Levy on the interconnectedness of the Jewish people and the Christian Church:

"PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 6 July 2011

Second Helsinki Conference on Jewish Continuity in the Church Affirms the Significance of Jewish Believers in Jesus

The second Helsinki Consultation on Jewish Continuity in the Body of Messiah met in Paris, France June 24-28, 2011. Building on the 2010 Helsinki Statement (see below) Jewish scholars from France, Germany, Israel, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, belonging to Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Messianic traditions, deepened their relationships and advanced in their discussion of crucial issues concerning the relationship of the Body of Christ to the people of Israel.

The conference was jointly organized by Messianic Jewish Theological Institute (MJTI), the Paris Istina Centre for Ecumenical Studies and the Helsinki Studium Catholicum. The participants issued a statement on “Am Israel – Our People” affirming the increasingly significant presence of Jewish believers in Jesus for both the Church and the Jewish people. The papers presented are due to be published in the journal ISTINA, the academic journal of the Dominican study centre in Paris where the conference took place. A similar event is planned for 2012.

Dr. Mark Kinzer, author of Postmissionary Messianic Judaism, Senior Scholar and President Emeritus of MJTI, said “The identity of the Christian Church is inseparable from that of the Jewish People, and the identity of the Jewish People is inseparable from the person of its crucified and risen Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth. It follows that the Jewish people and the Christian Church are so intimately bound together that it is impossible to adequately understand one without also understanding the other. We have met to deepen our own understandings of these realities, and to encourage our people and our churches to reflect further on their mutual interdependence.”

Father Antoine Lévy, OP, Director of the Helsinki Studium Catholicum, called forgreater recognition and encouragement for Jewish believers in Jesus at an ecumenical level. "Like the interaction between men and women, the interaction between Jews and Gentiles pertains to the spiritual dynamism of the whole Church. It embraces and pervades local congregations and Church organizations. Accordingly, I see no reason to prevent Jews from developing a distinct life of worship within the Universal Church. Wherever they are, whatever their Church affiliation may be, I believe that Messianic Jews should gather and build a home within Am-Israel, a home for themselves as well as for their fellow Jews who would be willing to join."

Here is the statement produced by this year's conference:

CONFERENCE STATEMENT

The theme of this year’s consultation was “Am Israel – our People”. As the many papers demonstrated, the identity of the Jewish People is complex, consisting of historical, familial, ethnic, cultural and spiritual components that are all essential and inseparable. The paradoxical nature of Jewish identity challenges us to avoid reductionist interpretation and to explore further the mystery of our people.

As Jewish believers in Jesus, we affirm our identity as part of both the people of Israel and of the Body of Christ. We recognise the pain this affirmation may cause to some of those of our people who do not believe in Yeshua. We are also aware of the misunderstanding that can occur in the Church when we state that we continue to be part of the Jewish people.

Nevertheless, we believe that we are a living witness to the mysterious and invisible bond which persists between the Church and Israel. Our dual membership brings us into a unique relationship with one another, and also entails weighty responsibilities and formidable challenges. Our two communities have been separated but belong together. We bear witness to the tragedy of their division and herald the hope of their future reconciliation.

We are exploring how this unique relationship to one another as Jewish believers in Jesus might take visible form as a wider fellowship dedicated to the service of the Jewish people and the body of Messiah.

Speakers from Europe, Russia, Israel and the United States included Father David Neuhaus, SJ, Patriarchal Vicar General for Hebrew speaking Catholics, and Boris Balter, Researcher in Physics at the Russian Academy of Sciences and member ofthe Judeo-Christian circle "Bridge of Friendship". Conference papers were given in English, FRENCH and Russian...

It seems to me that Messianic Jews were well represented at the conference: alongside Dr. Kinzer were Dr. Richard Harvey, Lisa Loden, Rabbi Vladimir Pikman, Rabbin Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Jennifer Rosner. It'd be great to be able to get a copy of the conference proceedings, as I'd love to read any and all of these papers.

Artist spotlight: Leonardo Gonçalves

2011-08-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

Just over six years ago (inspired either by the discovery of his own Jewish ancestry or perhaps that of a friend), Portuguese-speaking Brazilian gospel artist Leonardo Gonçalves embarked on a music project different from anything he had done before.

The result is Avinu Malkenu, a twelve-song album from Sony Music sung entirely in Hebrew. Some of these you will instantly recognize (Avinu Malkenu, Adon Olam, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, L'cha Dodi, V'haer Enenu), while others are settings of beloved texts like Jeremiah 33:10-11 ("a song shall be heard in the cities of Judah..."), "L'shana ha'ba'ah b'Yerushalayim," and Yeshua's prayer (Avinu Shebashamayim).

I would venture to say that the quality of musicianship on this album is equal to anything I've heard, and Gonçalves's voice soars exultantly on top of it all. His arrangement of "L'cha Dodi," in particular, is my favorite I've heard.

Here is a live rendition of Gonçalves singing "Avinu Shebashamayim":

If you read Portuguese, you can glean some more background knowledge on Gonçalves from this interview at GospelPrime. You can also follow him on Twitter or talk to him directly there.

As for me, I'm hoping Stuart Dauermann can somehow get Gonçalves on Shalom Talk so we can hear a more extended interview (in English!). I'm especially interested in what what motivated Leonardo to do this project (which obviously took a lot of time an effort). In the above interview Gonçalves also reveals his hopes that the album will go beyond simply being a curiosity for Evangelical Christians, but perhaps even open the door for a possible "artistic-musical" dialogue between Jews and Christians. Sounds like Shalom Talk kind of material to me!

Regardless of Gonçalves's success in furthering artistic collaboration among people of faith, I'm hoping he finds another unexpected result--a warm ambrace of his music in the Messianic Jewish community.

Limited copies of Avinu Malkenu are available from Amazon.com, so get yours now!

Remembering Manny Brotman

2011-07-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

~~Today (25 Tammuz)~~ Last Friday (20 Tammuz) marked the yahrtzeit of Manny Brotman, one of the founders of the modern Messianic Jewish movement. One of his many contributions to the movement was his instrumental role in founding the Young Messianic Jewish Alliance (YMJA--originally YHCA). Carol Harris-Shapiro writes:

Beginning in 1965, a youth branch of the HCAA begun by Manny Brotman, a young Spirit-filled Hebrew Christian, grew rapidly as more and more Jews who accepted Jesus through the youth movement entered into the organization. In 1967, Manny Brotman attracted third-generation Jewish federal employees and professionals to [Messianic Judaism] in the Washington, D.C., area. (Messianic Judaism, 26)

Here is one example of what was happening in the hearts of these young Jewish people. (This took place at the June 1969 HCAA conference in Asheville, North Carolina--yes, THAT Asheville):

A delightful though disturbing crisis occurred one day, when we were waiting in the cafeteria for lunch. Someone from our group said, 'Let's sing a song!' In response, we all began to sing, Havenu, shalom aleichem, an old Hebrew folk song, the older Hebrew Christians present would all surely remember from their childhood. And sing it we did, with energy, enthusiasm and joy. Abruptly, some of the old Hebrew Christians' Gentile wives accosted us. 'Why are you singing that? Don't you know you shouldn't sing Jewish songs!' Their sudden anger amazed us. What could be wrong with enjoying a simple, little song familiar to all Jewish people from ages past? After all, we were still Jews. But the older Hebrew Christians were embarrassed and rushed to suppress our singing. (Cohn-Sherbok, Messianic Judaism, 59. Story told by Yohanna Chernoff, another significant contributor to the movement.)

Cohn-Sherbok quotes Manny Brotman:

We were all discovering the abundant Jewish life at the same time. The joy of celebrating a Passover, Hanukkah, and other holidays was a new experience. There was a birth of a Messianic community. The revival that was born in the youth movement didn't come from the adult Alliance. It came from the youth who were filled with the Spirit. They had a zeal and vision for evangelism. This invigorated the whole Alliance. (Ibid, 58)

Of his own experience of Messiah, Manny wrote the following (from Sid Roth, They Thought for Themselves, pp. 227, 229):

Since that day in Philadelphia, over 40 years ago [when he believed the good news about Yeshua], the Messiah has not left me. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Everything that God has promised in His word has come true--love, peace, joy, forgiveness, happiness, guidance, purpose, and so much more!

. . .

Today, there are tens of thousands of Messianic Jews and hundreds of Messianic Jewish synagoguges and congregations where Jewish believers worship . . . What a joy to be involved in this end-time Messianic Jewish spiritual awakening that God promised our people in Hosea 3:5:
Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king [referring to the Messiah]; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.
There are so many more wonderful things that the Messiah has done in our lives--answers to prayer, miracles of provision, healings of illnesses, supernatural guidance, and much, much more. It would take volumes to write about it.

I cannot encourage you enough to invite Messiah Yeshua into your heart and life.
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him (Psalm 34:9, verse 8 in some versions). Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered [saved] (Joel 3:5; 2:32 in some versions).

May we all be blessed with a zeal for Messiah, like Manny.

"Sometimes silence is the best answer"

2011-07-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

There is an old proverb that says “Sometimes silence is the best answer.”
This is a hard one for me. I like to talk. Hang out with me for a few minutes and you learn this.
Ask my wife. She has a hard day at work…maybe something didn’t go as planned. What’s my first response? To ask questions and and tell her what she can do to try to correct it now or at least make sure it doesn’t happen again. Good intention? Sure…but is it always the right thing to do???

Our society is getting louder and louder. People are increasingly talking about everything and nothing all the time with little relief. You can’t turn on the TV without being inundated by talking heads talking over each other…politics, business, sports, celebrities, court cases…So instead you turn on the radio: politics, business, sports, celebrities, court cases…and maybe a little music thrown in there.

You don’t even have to turn on the tv or radio. Go online! You’ll find plenty of people sounding off on every subject imaginable.

Obviously, I am not suggesting that talking is wrong. Some situations require it, but there is a balance to be found…I’m talking about the wisdom of speaking carefully and thoughtfully and the discipline of silence. Knowing when to talk and when to be silent.

Even in our weekly service here we have a time of silence when we recite the Amidah.

“Sometimes silence is the best answer.”

Silence is generally something we try to avoid. We aren’t comfortable with it. Think about the awkward silences we’ve each encountered and how often our response is to say something. We have a need to break the silence and perhaps too often we ignore the actual need FOR silence.

It’s traditional when visiting people sitting shiva to wait for the mourners to say something…and if nothing is said to simply sit there in silence. My mom calls this “sitting in the mud together”. Sometimes words are not appropriate and harm more than they help.
In his blog Rabbi Dr. Michael Schiffman wrote this:

"When my grandmother passed away, we were sitting “Shiva” (traditional mourning period in Judaism) at my parent’s house. One of my grandparent’s neighbors came to “cheer up” my grandfather. She sat with him and told him he was very lucky to have had my grandmother for so long and that she was not in pain anymore and in a better place. My dad and I were in the kitchen listening in, and I was relating to my dad what our “visitor” was saying. I told him she was making my grandfather cry. My father asked what we should do. I suggested throwing her off the balcony, but my dad shook his head. I went in and said we had to get ready for something and told our visitor she needed to go. She left feeling like she did a mitzvah, and my grandfather pulled me aside and thanked me. It wasn’t that she said anything bad. They were things we all thought ourselves. The problem was that she was having the effect of pouring salt into an open wound."

You know, this past Tuesday was the 17th of Tammuz. We remembered the breach of the walls of Jerusalem. The next few weeks are a time of mourning and introspection for the Jewish people which culminate on Tisha B’av…a day where the Jewish world sits together mourning the destruction of the Temple and the exile of Israel.

In todays NT passage we witness Yeshua’s silence. In many other places the gospel writers recorded His words. He always had the right words for the situations, didn’t’ he? This time however, was different. He didn’t say anything. Or did He? Perhaps His silence said more than words could have.

In the latest issue of The Set Table Ben Ehrenfeld had this to say:

"Yeshua’s silence in this week’s portion is almost unbearable. How could he, with the authority to cast out demons, raise the dead, stop storms, change hearts, and renew minds stay silent while Roman guards made a mockery out of him and his people?
Furthermore, Yeshua endured the cross out of obedience to his Father’s will. Yeshua did not know all of what would ultimately transpire in this world. There is at least one thing he did know. He did know hard days were coming and he must have realized he was experiencing a manifestation of what Rome would ultimately do to the Jewish people. He was taking the hit for a people who, for the most part, were too scared, angry or indifferent to care.

Why doesn’t he open his mouth?! Every time I read this passage I want to hear something that reminds that he is a man, only to be left with that same deafening silence. This is no way for the manifestation of God to be treated. This is no way for a man to be treated. He’s treated like an object: five verses that show he was so robbed of his humanity that he couldn’t even carry his cross himself. The son of God, the Son of man, treated like a scapegoat for every misguided fear and hate that ever entered into the human mind."
He goes on to say:

"Abraham Joshua Heschel would sometimes speak of God in terms of the “meaning beyond absurdity.” Such a view can be very helpful when encountering passages like this week’s Besora portion.

Nevertheless, we only have five verses and all they speak of is absurdity.

Maybe it is worthwhile to sit with the absurdity for just a bit, lest we numb ourselves to think that injustice and malice are “normal.” Maybe we have to face the pain of knowing the terrible cost for the redemption of the world."
One last quote from Rabbi Schiffman:

"We are exhorted to let our deeds be many and our words few. Words can comfort and heal, but words can also be no more than noise. We need to be intentional about how we use words, and make sure we aren’t just creating noise. We are intended to have a healing effect on the world. Much of that healing is done in silence."
There is an old Jewish proverb that says “If a word is worth 1 coin, silence is worth 2.”

Certainly, we see that Yeshua’s silence here was worth much more than 2 coins. His silence initiated with authority the reconciliation of The Creator with His creation in a fullness not previously seen.

May the words of our mouths AND the meditations of our hearts…those times spent in silence, not be mere reflections of that proclamation, but tangible evidences of it.

Last of the Jewish cowboys

2011-07-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, my Jewish grandma discovered that we have Jewish relatives in Argentina--several distant cousins who headed from Europe to Argentina at the beginning of the 20th century. That means we may be related to Jewish cowboys.

Photo (c) Washington Post - all rights to them.

A recent article in the Washington post described this fading tradition:

On Argentina’s endless plains, only a few Jewish cowboys still ride. Synagogues once filled with pious congregants now stand forlorn on the edge of soybean fields.
Yet the collective memory of Jewish leaders here — of the stories their grandparents told of arriving in this remote land to build a vibrant Jewish enclave — remains fresh. And the ones who feel the links to the past deep in their bones, as Jaime Jruz, 65, passionately puts it, say they owe a debt to their ancestors to keep the old traditions alive.
“This is a story we have to treasure, that we have to keep alive for our grandchildren,” Jruz, one of the last of the Jewish gauchos, or cowboys, said on the same farm his grandfather first settled. “I cannot abandon this knowing the sacrifices they made.”
Today, the story of their arrival in Argentina’s outback is all but a footnote in the history of the Jewish diaspora. But in the 1890s, as whole towns of Eastern European and Russian Jews began packing, the offers of a new life in the New World seemed like providence.

Read the article here, and make sure to check out the fantastic photo gallery.

What is freedom?

2011-07-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”ⁱ

“…for the only person who is truly free (“ben horin”) is one who occupies himself with Torah study…”ⁱⁱ

i. Thomas Jefferson (primarily), “The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States
of America” (Philadelphia, 1776). Available at: http://www.ushistory.org.

ii. Avot 6:2, translated by Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks in The Koren Siddur (Jerusalem: Koren Publishers, 2009), pp. 676-677.

As we head into this weekend of U.S. Independence Day, I thought it would be worthwhile to share this essay by Cheshy Kopel from YU's Kol Hamevaser on similarities and differences between the American concept of liberty and the Jewish value of herut:

In Search of Liberty: An Important Interaction of Hazal's Values and Mankind's Unalienable Rights

Have a good weekend!

Lancaster on Galatians 2:15-18?

2011-06-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

I've always struggled to make sense of Paul's statements in Galatians 2:15-18, particularly the last statement: "For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor." What was being torn down and then rebuilt? The following quote from D. Thomas Lancaster's recent book The Holy Epistle to the Galatians (which I discovered via a post from James at Morning Meditations) immediately brought clarity to this long-time question for me:

“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that [whether Jewish nor Gentile] a person is not justified by the works of the law [i.e., conversion, circumcision, etc.] but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we [the Jewish believers] also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavour to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners [by eating and fellowshipping with Gentiles], is Christ then a servant of sin? [In other words, does becoming a believer mean we forsake Torah? Is eating and fellowshipping with Gentiles really a sin against Torah?] Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. -Galatians 2:15-18

That is to say to Peter, “If you of all people, Peter, rebuild a sharp division between Jew and Gentile by removing yourself from table fellowship with Gentiles, you are rebuilding the barrier that you originally tore down. If you refuse to eat and worship with them, you rebuild the barrier that you originally tore down. You yourself were the first of the apostles to tear that separation down. If now you are putting it back up, then you are admitting that you were wrong in the first place, and you are proving yourself to have been living in sin and transgression.”

Anybody else find this interpretation convincing? Has anyone else read it somewhere else before, or come to similar conclusions from reading the letter? If so, please comment--I'm curious.

Robert Alter on continuity in Genesis

2011-06-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

In response to scholarly descriptions of the story of Judah and Tamar as "a completely independent unit...[having] no connection with the drama of Joseph, which it interrupts...", Robert Alter employs literary analysis to craft a compelling argument for a strong connection between the two stories. Among numerous points made in the opening chapter to his The Art of Biblical Narrative, I found the following:

It is instructive that the two verbal cues indicating the connection between the story of the selling of Joseph and the story of Tamar and Judah were duly noted more than 1500 years ago in the Midrash: "The Holy One Praised be He said to Judah, 'You deceived your faith with a kid. By your life, Tamar will deceive you with a kid.' . . . The Holy One Praised be He said to Judah, 'You said to your father, haker-na. By your life, Tamar will say to you, haker-na' " (Bereshit Rabba 84:11,12).

Nice.

Paula Frederiksen on sacrifice and sin

2011-06-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

In a recent video shared at the Rosh Pina Project blog, N.T. Wright muses out loud about a need for more study of sacrifice actually meant.

I thought I'd also point out that Paula Frederiksen's 3-part lecture series on the concept of sin in the ancient world is really excellent--and quite relevant, I think, to Wright's point.

HT: Carl Kinbar of Midrash, Etc for telling me about these lectures last fall.

It's coming...

2011-05-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

My new favorite t-shirt:

Find out more here or here.

Dual Covenant theology?

2011-05-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend asked me about dual covenant theology. As I see it, dual covenant theology starts with two Scriptural premises:

1) That God's covenants with the Jewish people are enduring/eternal.
2) That God has acted to benefit the world through Yeshua of Nazareth and the new covenant he instituted.

The first premise is generally understood as the revelation preserved in the Jewish tradition, while the second premise has been preserved within the Christian tradition.

Dual covenant theology is an attempt to simultaneously affirm both of the above premises. Specifically, it does so by asserting that the "new covenant" established by Yeshua was and is specifically for the Gentile nations (who, until then, had been without a covenant relationship with God), while, for the Jews, the way of salvation is by remaining faithful to God's revelation in Judaism (i.e. the Torah, Moses, etc). In other words, Dual Covenant theology says that Jewish people have no need for the gospel of Yeshua since they already have a relationship with God.

While it seems to me that Dual Covenant theology has received most of its attention due to the Jewish-Christian dialogues of the past 50 years, many see its antecedent in the views of the medieval Jewish sage Maimonides, who affirmed the possibility that both Christianity and Islam were being used by God to bring the Gentile nations to monotheism.

However, dual covenant theology is hardly a unanimously affirmed position among participants in Jewish/Christian ecumenical relations. Other Jewish and Christian scholars recognize that the original message of Yeshua and his apostles was directed to both Jews and Gentiles and that to frame it as "God's message only to the Gentile nations" is to distort the original message of the New Testament authors.

That last sentence sums up my position--at least according to how I've defined Dual Covenant theology. However, this is one of those topics that can be confusing to talk about and requires a lot of defining of terms. (This is usually the case with discussions about "covenants".) I see Dual Covenant theology as a flawed attempt to harmonize the two Scriptural ideas above. Messianic Judaism encompasses an alternative approach.

Unfortunately, many Christians mistakenly see any affirmation of the Torah's enduring covenantal significance for the Jewish people as necessarily a form of Dual Covenant theology. This is, in my opinion, a miscategorization (probably stemming from the mistaken conviction that the only proper Christian perspective towards the Law is one of supercession/abrogation.)

However, if Yeshua of Nazareth lived as a Jew faithful to the Torah of God and taught his apostles to do the same (Matt 5:17-20), then it seems today's followers of Yeshua ought to also affirm the continued place of the Torah as "the inheritance of the assembly of Jacob." (Deut. 33:4) And if the apostle Paul was able to say, about unbelieving Israel, "to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever" (Rom 9:4-5), then today's adherents to Paul's gospel ought to also strive to affirm the enduring nature of God's covenants with the Jewish people.

A song for Sefirah

2011-05-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

I find this song by Ari Goldwag, based on a text from Eikha (Lamentations) particularly appropriate for this season of counting the omer.

From Ari Goldwag's website:

07/26/2009 Years ago I composed a song whose words come out of the kinnos of … moreTisha B'av. They are עד אנה בכיה בציון ומספד בירושלים תרחם ציון ותבנה חומות ירושלים - How long will there be crying in Tzion and eulogy in Jerusalem? Have mercy on Tzion and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. When I have had difficulty getting emotional on Tisha B'av, I will inevitably turn to these words and this song, and the tears come. I hope it will inspire you too. The song is A capella - there are no instruments, just voices.

A friendly question to anyone from Chosen People

2011-04-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Pesach with family, friends, and community. I was just reading an article emailed to me from Chosen People Ministries, "Frequently Asked Questions About Passover." Under the question "Is it appropriate for Gentile Christians to celebrate Passover?", I read:

"...after many Gentiles had come to faith in Jesus the Messiah (Acts 11:19-26), the issue of Gentile believers' obligation to the Jewish Old Testament law became a major concern (Acts 15:5). The disciples gathered at what became known as the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:6ff) and determined that the Gentiles should not feel obligated to observe the law (with a few requests, nonetheless). They further noted that the teachings of the law and its benefits would be available in the synagogues every Sabbath."

The article rightly observes that the issue at hand at the Council of Jerusalem was whether the Gentile Yeshua-believers were to become circumcised and keep the law. My question is this: does this passage [edit: i.e. Acts 15] assume continued observance of the Torah for Jewish believers in Yeshua?

Any takers?

Disclaimer: I'm going out on a limb by posting this question in hopes of having a friendly discussion...perhaps something different than the usual polemical tones from both sides. I'm not trying to trap anyone into debating me; I'm simply interested in learning how others read this passage and what they think about my question. I'd like to think that in that regard I might even learn something new. So share your answer to my question in your friendliest tone, but no fighting!

No lamb on Pesach: the real reason

2011-04-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

Recently I presented an argument for why Jews shouldn't eat lamb on Pesach. This morning I realized I forgot to highlight an essential gloss on the traditional argument...from my very own family. This one comes from my Grandma:

The wise [son], what does he say? "What are the testimonies, the statutes and the laws which the L-rd, our G-d, has commanded you?" You, in turn, shall instruct him in the laws of Pesach, [saying] `one is not to eat any dessert after the Pesach-lamb.'*

To this passage my Grandma always comments: "And that's why we don't eat lamb!"

Hag Pesach Sameach, friends.

(* My family always uses the Maxwell House haggadah; since I didn't have mine handy, the quote is from Sichos In English.)

The Jewish Roots of Passover

2011-04-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

A holiday classic (HT Aaron Eby).

New Shalom Sesame: Pesach edition

2011-04-13T04:16:00.000-07:00

Reminder: Donate your Chametz!

2011-04-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

"The Mitzva to destroy Chametz can be fulfilled with a bare minimum of Chametz; preferably with leftovers that nobody would be able to use. Usable Chametz can be donated to various charity organizations which will distribute it to the needy."

HT: Danny Schoemann, "Halocho a Day"

What's an eruv?

2011-04-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

Sitting around the Erev Shabbat table with some friends recently, my wife observed the connection between the mitzvah to observe the Sabbath and the deliverance from Egypt. Specifically, she noticed the following line in the Erev Shabbat kiddush:

כי הוא יום תחילה למקראי קודש, זכר ליציאת מצרים.
For this [Shabbat] is the foremost of the holy days,
a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt.
(Az Yashir Moshe: A Book of Songs and Blessings)

We started talking about the connection between deliverance from slavery and the institution of a day of rest. Then one friend raised a good question: when God first commanded Israel to observe the Shabbat, how did they know what the word Shabbat meant (and consequently how to keep it)?

Someone pointed out that the Torah actually does give details to the Israelites about what it means to observe the Shabbat: things like not doing any melakha (Exodus 31:12-17), not kindling fires (Exodus 35:3), and not leaving your place (Exodus 16:29). That last command ("Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.") might be less familiar in our Messianic circles. However, in Jewish tradition it became the foundation for the halakha of the eruv. Historian David Rotenstein has the background:

Blues guitarist Buddy Guy frequently tells interviewers that when you stretch a string, you are stretching a life. When Orthodox Jews stretch a string to build an eruv, they are creating a community. Eruv is a Hebrew word and in English it means “to mingle.” An eruv is symbolic space created by Orthodox Jews to enable them to carry and push things on the Sabbath as they move around their neighborhoods and travel to and from synagogue. (Mapping MoCo's Jewish Courtyards -- the Eruvim (Updated)).

Also notable to Messianic Jews is the mention of this commandment in the Acts 1:12 reference to "a Sabbath day's journey."

For a more humorous take on the eruv (and a contemporary controversy over erecting one in West Hampton, Long Island), here's the Daily Show's hard-hitting investigative reporter Wyatt Cenac:

The Daily Show
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

(HT: Rabbi Jason.)

While this video ends up being a commentary on the sad irony occurring when people from the same religion can't agree, it's even more ironic that the object of controversy is something which was originally intended to help promote community -- by creating a shared "place" where everyone can congregate. To me, this is the real value of the eruv: it helps us to think more deeply about what it means to be in community and challenges us to observe the Shabbat in more holistic ways.

(Finally, for more on the connection between Yetziat Mitzrayim and Shabbat, check out Rabbi Joshua Flug's article in YUTorah's Pesach-to-Go 5771.)

God's not the only one who wants Jews to keep kosher...

2011-04-03T11:54:00.002-07:00

HT Robin Parry.

Why not eat lamb on Passover?

2011-03-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

Passover is coming, the time for the eating of unleavened bread with bitter herbs and recounting the story of God's miraculous deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt.

But what about that other command? You know the one:

They shall eat the flesh [of the Passover lamb] that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. (Ex. 12:8-9)

So how about it--why don't [some] Jews today eat lamb on Passover? [See the note below!] Well, these verses only tell part of the story. If you continue reading on, you'll discover that the Torah has more to say on the matter.

First, keep in mind that what makes the pesach a pesach (and not just a lamb) is that it is a korban (Num 9:7), a word which is strongly connected to offerings made on the altar in the mishkan (Tabernacle/Tent) in the wilderness. (A good Biblical lexicon should confirm that the word pesach refers not just to the lamb, but to the sacrificed lamb. In other words, pesach is an abbreviation for korban pesach.)

Thus, when the children of Israel celebrated the first Passover in the desert (see Numbers 9), they would have offered the korban pesach on the altar in the mishkan. (In fact, Rashi inferred that the korban pesach was only offered the first year and wasn't offered again until the Israelites had entered the land of Israel.)

In the concluding book of the Torah, Deuteronomy, we find Moses instructing the children of Israel:

Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, but at the place that the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you. (Deut. 12:13-14)

Moses even specifically addresses the korban pesach in chapter 16:

You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, but at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell in it, there you shall offer the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at sunset, at the time you came out of Egypt. (Deut. 16:5-6)

This is confirmed in 2 Chronicles 30, which describes how the korban pesach was offered in the Temple.

It seems that Yeshua and his followers also participated in this commandment:

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us." And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. (Mark 14:12-16)

I'm specifically noting (a) that they were in the city to make their preparations and (b) that Mark specifically mentions the sacrifice of the Pesach lamb (although of course he's mentioning it for symbolic reasons as well). (However, if their meal was not an official Passover seder (as John 18:28 seems to suggest), then of course they would not yet have eaten the korban pesach.)

Generally the offering of sacrifices in places other than the Temple is presented negatively in Tanakh--probably because of the connection to idolatry. Examples include the "unauthorized" sanctuaries at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12), as well as the "high places" mentioned throughout the Deuteronomistic history. You also get echoes of this in the prophets--mentioning Gilgal, Bethel, Dan, Beersheva--in Amos 4:4, 5:5, 8:14, Is. 4:15, Ezekiel 7:24--who refer negatively to "high places" and "sanctuaries."

The mandate to sacrifice the korban pesach in the Temple was retained by the rabbis of the Talmud, whose general reaction to the destruction of the Temple was to accept it as a (painful) judgment from God their father, who had thus made it impossible to offer korbanot. They believed that the proper response to this judgment was to make teshuvah and pray for the Temple's restoration, rather than attempting to sidestep God's discipline by ignoring the clear requirement of a Temple (Deut 12:13-14, 16:5-6) for offering korbanot.

According to Wikipedia, "the ritual is no longer performed today [in Judaism] except by certain minority groups generally regarded as heretical." The Ashkenazic tradition is to place a shank bone, known as a zeroa--on the seder plate--as a reminder of the korban pesach which we are unable to bring.

"Our Seder Plate" by Sam Felder, on Flickr

[Correction: The traditional elements of the "seder plate" are typically drawn from Ashkenazic practice and culture. However, there is a diversity of Passover traditions--Sephardic, Moroccan, Yemenite--some of which may include the eating of lamb!]

Parasha Shemini: Fire on the Eighth Day

2011-03-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted from The Set Table.

Our parasha draws its name from the opening phrase—Vay’hi ba’yom ha’shemini—”On the eighth day.” (9:1) After seven days of preparations for the mishkan led by Moses, the dedication of Aaron and his sons as priests is completed on the eighth day. On the significance of the number eight, the late Lubavitcher Rebbe comments:

The number “seven” signifies the normative order of the world…[days of the week, years in the Sabbatical cycle]…Seven, therefore, is the symbol for the order of nature. The number “eight” is beyond “seven,” alluding to the supra-natural, an emanation of G-dliness which, like a miracle, transcends the normative order. (Living with Moshiach, p. 83)

In this case, the transcendent miracle which the people await is God’s visible acceptance of the offerings on the altar. The people know that the purpose of the mishkan is for God to dwell among the people. However, they also remember their sin with the golden calf. Thus, they are eager to see a manifestation of God’s presence which will assure them that atonement has been made.
In Leviticus 9:6 Moses foretells the appearance of the presence of the LORD as a response to their obedience. This becomes a sign of restoration and a cause for rejoicing for Israel:

…and the presence of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came forth from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fats on the altar. And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces.
(Leviticus 9:23b-24)

We noted that our parasha began with the word “Vay’hi“—which, the sages have observed, is a word indicating misfortune. This is revealed when Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu offer alien fire on the altar:

And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed them; thus they died before the LORD.
(Leviticus 10:2)

Praises turn to shock and grief. The entire community mourns, save Aaron and his surviving sons, who are forbidden to do so. Pesikta d’Rab Kahana provides an overview of numerous shortcomings of Nadav and Avihu proposed by rabbinic commentators: they ventured too near to God’s presence; they brought a superfluous offering; they offered strange fire; they stared at the Presence of God; they took no counsel with each other; they lacked the prescribed number of garments; they presumed to render a halakhic decision in the presence of Moses their master; they “treaded on the heels” of Moses and Aaron, saying “In no time these two old men will die, and in their place we shall assume authority over the community” (Piska 26.6-11).

Yet Moses statement of comfort to his brother Aaron suggests a further interpretation:

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said, “Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, and gain glory before all the people.” And Aaron was silent.
(Leviticus 10:3)

Thus R. Hiyya bar Abba asks: “Since Aaron’s sins, [Nadav and Avihu], died on the first of Nisan, why does Scripture mention their death in connection with the Day of Atonement? [c.f. Lev. 16:1] To teach that as the Day of Atonement atones for Israel’s sins, so the death of the righteous atones for Israel’s sins” (Piska 26.11). Despite Nadav and Avihu’s shortcomings, their death becomes a means of glorifying God, and points to the atonement made through the death of the righteous.

All of this transpired “on the eighth day.” The Talmud connects the number eight to the days of the Messiah (see Arachin 13b). If the miracle of God’s presence on the eighth day of the mishkan brings with it a burning judgment, how much more will the future revelation of God’s glory throughout the whole earth at the days of the Messianic era also bring a judgment like fire from God’s presence? This is a judgment of sanctification, as it says: “I will be sanctified by those near to me.”

As we seek to prepare ourselves and the world for the entrance of the Messianic era, let us live lives of holy fear before the God who is a consuming fire.

If you don't already, subscribe to The Set Table at http://thesettable.org. Shabbat shalom, readers!

Announcement: new blog co-author!

2011-03-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since I've posted to the Gathering Sparks blog...some of you might have wondered whether I'd hung up my blogging hat for good! Well, no worries, friends--I'm still here, and a busy schedule won't keep me from gathering various sparks wherever they may be found and posting them here for your edification.

I'm also pleased to announce that the Gathering Sparks blog has gathered another contributor. That's right, occasional guest-poster (and my lifelong friend) Jonathan R. is becoming an official co-contributor to Gathering Sparks.

Look for a new post from Jonathan later on in the week, and stay tuned for lots more good Sparks material to come!

Knowledge in Parsha Va'era

2010-12-31T07:32:00.000-08:00

Excerpts from a drash on parsha Va'era which I wrote for this week's edition of The Set Table.

Our parasha opens with the famous four-fold expression of redemption that God vows to Moses:

I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments; and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God . . .
(Exodus 6:6–7a)

After these four promises from God comes a fifth:

. . . and I will bring you in unto the land concerning which I lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
(Exodus 6:8)

What is it that bridges God’s four-fold redemption of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to God’s bringing the Israelites into the land? The answer is given in the intervening verse:

…and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
(Exodus 6:7b, emphasis mine)

These verses cite five expressions of redemption. The first four relate to the Egyptian exile and the three exiles following thereafter, including the present one. The fifth—“I shall bring you . . .”—relates to an additional level of ascent that will follow the initial redemption by Moshiach.
(Living With Moshiach, p. 51)

Check out Shalom Talk!

2010-12-26T23:07:00.000-08:00

Have you heard Shalom Talk?

It's a radio show / podcast of weekly "conversations for change" between Messianic Jewish rabbi, scholar, and thinker Stuart Dauermann and various fascinating guests.

So far Dr. Dauermann has interviewed Bible scholars (Mark Nanos--a must-hear if you like Pauline studies!), musician/composers (Yehuda Solomon of Moshav Band, composer Michael Silversher), anthropologists (Dr. Bruce Stokes), at least one president of a Messianic Jewish synagogue (Diane Cohen--if you're a fan of Moshav Band, you'll definitely want to hear her story), Christian leaders (Fumio Taku), and rabbis of both the Yeshua-believing (Russ Resnick, Vladimir Pikman) and non-Yeshua-believing (David Zaslow) kind.

If you like quality Messianic Jewish media, you're definitely going to want to have Shalom Talk close to the top of your list.

Listeners will also note that the program is sponsored by Forever 21--their support of the kind of programming I like made me want to go there when I'm getting clothes or gifts!

You can hear Shalom Talk via the web (Go to http://shalomtalk.com/ and click "Listen now" at 1PM PST / 4PM EST / you do the math if you're in between) or via podcast (my own preferred method, allowing me to listen to the program anytime I have a few spare minutes). Click here for a link to the podcast and happy listening!

Toronto Post article on Messianic Jews and Christmas

2010-12-21T19:39:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Post has a lengthy article on Messianic Jews featuring Emmanuel Messianic Jewish Congregation (founded in 1915! website: http://godwithus.org/). Here's an excerpt from author Alen Abel's conversation with Rabbi Barry Rubin:

In the rabbi’s study above the part-time prayer hall, we enjoy a lively conversation about the Nazarene and his disciples.

“Virgin birth?” he says. “That’s very Jewish. The first three matriarchs – Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel – were barren. God performed a miracle and ‘opened their wombs.’ One would expect the pattern to continue with the birth of a messiah, too.

“Christmas is a thoroughly Jewish holiday in essence. But like a lot of Christians, it has lost its Jewish roots. I honour the birth of the Messiah – that’s important. Isaiah predicted it. It’s foreshadowed in Genesis. It’s theologically essential, but Christmas isn’t.

“Look, I’m an American. The American Christmas is fun, it’s beautiful. The decorations are pretty but they’re not Jewish, plus they’re not Scriptural.”

Rabbi Rubin says that his research leads him to conclude that the Son of God was born at harvest time, not the winter solstice.

“Why won’t you say the name ‘Jesus’? “ I ask.

“We’re trying to overcome two thousand years of anti-Jewish actions by Jesus’s followers,” he replies. “We’re trying to make a point. When he was a child, his mother would have called him Yeshua. She wouldn’t have yelled ‘Jesus! Time to come in for dinner!’ “

Read the rest at http://life.nationalpost.com/2010/12/20/alen-abel-the-jews-who-believe-in-jesus/.

What is the mitzvah of Chanukah?

2010-11-29T05:09:00.000-08:00

Here's a quiz from Jewish Treats:

Art by Randi Waxman of http://www.randisart.com/.
If you think her work is as beautiful as I do,
please consider making a purchase!
(Prices very reasonable.)
What is the primary mitzvah of Chanukah?

a) Eating latkes (potato pancakes)
b) Giving Chanukah gifts or gelt (money)
c) Publicizing the miracle of the oil that lasted 8 days
d) Playing Dreidel

Get the answer here.

This Chanukah, remember the miracles God performed for our ancestors. And don't forget to say the shehekiyanu prayer on the first night thanking God for bringing you to this season!

May your Chanukah be a time of personal rededication, joy, and light.

Shalom Sesame is back!

2010-11-24T19:08:00.000-08:00

Announcing [drumroll]... the return of Shalom Sesame!

That's right (in case you hadn't heard): Shalom Sesame is back!

Folks in the blogosphere---including me---are pretty excited about this. I have the best memories of watching episodes of Shalom Sesame (in Hebrew, Rechov Sumsum) in grade school. Yitzhak Perlman, Jeremy Miller, Bert and Ernie (speaking Hebrew), Kermit haTzfardea. And who can forget Moishe Oofnik?

Here's a quote about the new DVD series (released this year, just in time for Chanukah!) from werepair.org:

The new series follows our familiar friend Grover to Israel, where he joins the cast of Rechov Sumsum, as well as Jewish celebrities like Jake & Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ben Stiller, Natalie Portman and Matisyahu, in learning about Jewish and Israeli culture.

Sounds like something you don't want to miss. Here's a teaser from the new series, as well as a few favorites from the original:

Messianic Judaism in this month's Sh'ma

2010-11-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of Sh'ma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility? It's a great monthly publication featuring a variety of Jewish voices on one unified theme.

The theme of this month's edition of Sh'ma is sound in Jewish life, and it contains a casual mention of Messianic Judaism on the front page. From "Funny, You Don't Sound Jewish: Three Stories about Sound":

A few years ago, I was interviewing a Christian songwriter who told me that he had been commissioned to write a song for a Messianic Jewish congregation. He expressed curiosity as to why the congregation’s rabbi seemed to prefer songs in a minor key. I laughed and tried to explain how the terms “lament” and “mourning” (which, for the record, I don’t even believe to be inherent to Jewish prayer) have been woven throughout Jewish liturgy. A preference for the minor keys still seems synonymous with “Jewish music,” despite the fact that Jews have written songs as varied as “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” “Bei Mir Bist Du Sheyn” and “I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night (and Party Every Day).”

The author goes on to say that what makes a song Jewish is not "a Jewish songwriter, [minor scales], a clarinet, or a fiddler. Nevertheless, there is something we can hear as Jewish music."

I think you readers who are involved in music in your communities will appreciate this article, as well as many others in this issue. I particularly liked the very first story in the article linked above, about speaking Hebrew in your own dialect rather than trying to sound like someone else. I have found Sh'ma to be a great read...and right now you can subscribe digitally for free. Have at it, spark gatherers!

Quote of the Day: R' Isaac Lichtenstein on the Talmud

2010-11-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

The latest issue of FFOZ's Messiah Journal contains a number of must-read articles, including biographies of Franz Delitzsch and Messianic luminary R' Isaac Lichtenstein. The following quote is from "The Talmud on Trial," Lichtenstein's response to an anti-Talmud book published in his day called Netivot Olam ("The Old Paths"). Here's a brief excerpt from Lichtenstein's response:

Allow me to take this opportunity to demosntrate that the Talmud often agrees with the Gospels. Just as in all the main points of ethics there is agreement, so also both the Talmud and Gospels condemn pride, arrogance, and presumption. Consider the following concluding argument from the Talmud in regards to the above-cited quotation:
Whoever humbles himself, he will be lifted up by the Holy One, blessed be he; but whoever lifts himself up arrogantly in pride, he will be abased by the Holy One, blessed be he. Whoever covets positions of honor, from him honor retreats. Whoever shuns a position of honor, a position of honor pursues that one. Whoever tries to go against the“spirit of the times” (Zeitgeist), the current of time will oppose him; he will be pulverized by the flywheel of time. But whoever takes into account present-day conditions will find that time actually, regularly assists him and proves to be to his advantage. (b.Eruvin 13b)

This is the first time that Lichtenstein's "The Talmud on Trial" has been published in English. Pick up a copy of the latest issue of Messiah Journal to read the whole thing!

Guest post: on Parashat Vayishlach

2010-11-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

This guest post was excerpted from a drash written by none other than my wife! Enjoy!

In last week's parsha, we read about how Ya'akov went out from his parent's house and settled in Haran to work for Lavan. As he set out on his journey, he encountered God at the place he called Beit-El (house of God). At that time, the Lord promised Ya'akov that He would give him the land in which he was lying and that his descendants would be "as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth." (Genesis 28:14) This encounter prepared Ya'akov for the challenges that lay in the journey ahead. While working for Lavan, Ya'akov's character is tested and shaped in order to prepare him to return to the land of promise. After twenty years of service, Ya'akov left the land of Haran to journey back to the land of his ancestors. God used this time outside of the land of promise to mold Ya'akov.

This is where this week's parsha begins. Ya'akov sends messengers ahead of him to meet Esav in order to offer gifts of peace. While he is preparing to meet his brother, Ya'akov cries out in distress to the God of his fathers and appeals to the Lord based on the promises that He gave Ya'akov at Beit-El.

Ya'akov and his family continue their journey and cross the Yabok River. While Ya'akov is alone, a Man wrestles with him until daybreak. This is a second encounter from the Lord. Determined once again to receive a blessing, Ya'akov says that he will not let the Man go until he blesses him. Then, the Man asks an interesting question: "What is your name?" (Genesis 32:28) "Heel grabber - The one who supplants," says Ya'akov. Whether this Man is God or an emissary of God, he makes an incredible pronouncement that changes Ya'akov and his descendants. "From now on, you will no longer be called Ya'akov, but Isra'el; because you have shown your strength to both God and men and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:29) "Striven with God", "Persevered with God", and "Wrestled with God" are different translations of this name. Ya'akov leaves this encounter changed in two ways: his hip is dislocated and his name is changed.

The challenging experiences in Haran and his encounters with God transform Ya'akov. The Ramban suggests that Ya'akov's new name means opposite of his old one: "Thus the name Ya’akov, an expression of guile or of deviousness, was changed to Isra'el [from the word sar (prince)] and they called him Yeshurun from the expression wholehearted ‘v’yashar’ (and upright)." Ya'akov moves from obtaining blessing through trickery to persevering with God to receive His blessing and promises.

If Isra'el means "He wrestles with God" then what does that mean for Israel's future? Ya'akov as a Patriarch foreshadows the life of Israel. He sets the pattern for the future experiences of his descendants. The children of Isra'el continue to have trials outside of the promised land. Starting with his son, Yosef experiences tribulations in Egypt when he is sold into slavery by his brothers. He serves as a slave and is thrown into prison, but the Lord is El Shaddai to Yosef and shows him favor. God uses these challenging experiences to transform Yosef as well.

Next, Moshe and the children of Israel are enslaved in the land of Egypt. They cry out to the Lord, and He brings them out of Egypt to journey into the land that He promised their forefathers. Due to their disobedience, they experience trials for forty years in the wilderness and are not allowed into the promised land. These challenges mold and shape them. Only then are they able to enter into the land that God promised.

Later, the northern and southern kingdoms are exiled under the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. Likewise, in the second exile period, the Israelites experience hardships and persecution outside of the land of Israel. History shows that the children of Israel must wrestle with God and be changed by His encounters in order to experience the fullness of His promises.

When Ya'akov's name is changed to Isra'el, it foreshadows that the children of Isra'el will persevere with God and be changed by Him in order to receive His promises and blessings. Let's review God's promise to Ya'akov:

"I am Hashem, the God of Avraham your father and the God of Yitz'chak. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth. You will expand to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. By you and your descendants all of the families of the earth will be blessed. Look, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land, because I won't leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (Genesis 28:13-15)

Throughout history, the children of Israel have exemplified the meaning of their name. They have striven with God and have faced challenges, but we know that God's role as Consummator shows that His promises to Avraham, Yitz'chak, and Isra'el continue to be fulfilled. Derek Leman writes that Isra'el has another meaning that speaks about God's role in the encounter with Ya'akov. He says that Isra'el can also mean "God perseveres." While the children of Israel wrestle with God and strive to be obedient to the Lord, God also perseveres with Israel and does not give up on them. Our haftorah portion reveals this about the Lord when He says, "But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt: I will yet again make you to dwell in tents, as in the days of he appointed season." (Hosea 12:10)

God still has a plan and a promise for His children Israel. He continues to bless Israel and through them bless all of the families of the earth.

What is Grassroots?

2010-11-09T04:47:00.000-08:00

"Grassroots is not a conference."

That's just one of the catchphrases I heard two weekends ago at Congregation Sha'arei Shalom in North Carolina, where over 80 100 (!) young Messianics gathered for a weekend of prayer, worship, fellowship, and discussion. It meant that Grassroots doesn't offer famous speakers, well-known musical artists, or an extensive schedule filled with breakout sessions or activities. But what Grassroots does offer is lots of space for relationship-building.

How did Grassroots start? Sometime in the early/mid-2000's, four young Messianic believers met each other for the first time in Israel. Two grew up in one large Messianic Jewish organization, and two in another. After introducing themselves and beginning to talk, they quickly became astonished by how much they had in common. "How do I not know you?" they started asking.

They realized that there was a whole parallel universe of fellow Messianic Jewish believers they didn't know, simply because they were part of a different organization. This realization helped plant the seed for Grassroots, a movement for unity among Messianic believers in the U.S. and abroad.

This year was the ~~sixth~~ fifth Grassroots (and the second one I've attended). Both years I heard the organizers tell everyone, "We honestly don't know what to expect"---while simultaneously encouraging everyone to be free and true to their identity in Messiah.

Each Grassroots takes on a distinctive flavor from the community which hosts it. This year one young leader likened it to honey: did you know that one way to lessen your allergies is to have some of the local honey? That's because the pollen residuals in the honey can soften the affects of the allergies. Similarly, this young leader said, by being together and sharing the best of what we have to offer, we can lessen our "allergic reactions" to each other. This was followed by another buzzword for the weekend, "cross-pollination"---which, as you can imagine, sent giggles through the mostly under-30 audience (especially as it was followed by an unintentional reference to "the future of the Messianic movement").

One thing that Grassroots does promote is honest dialogue. One year, a dozen or so people who grew up in the UMJC sat down with a dozen MJAA people and basically said, "Here's what we (learned to) think about you." The conversation led to a lot of repentance--changing minds and hearts about our fellow believers.

If you search for Grassroots online, you won't find a conference website or schedule. There's no invitation committee or outreach wing; information about it spreads through word of mouth. What makes Grassroots so disorganized ("We're not an organization!" was another catchphrase) is also what can make it spread. Grassroots is us. If you want to see unity happen among Messianics, then start making it happen. If there's another Messianic congregation in town, get together with them for Shabbat dinner and discussion or for prayer and worship. Invite each other to things. Think locally. As one of my favorite captains from childhood once said, "The power is yours!"

(Some "local honey" from the worship team at Sha'arei Shalom in NC.)

Quote of the Day: Parsha Toldot and Divine Election

2010-11-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

On this week's parsha, Toldot, Rabbi Russ Resnik writes the following thought on divine election:

The Messianic Jewish community is entrusted with a message to the rest of our Jewish people, and to the world beyond, that we describe as good news—the besorah, or gospel, of the life, death and resurrection of Yeshua. But, of course, this message is not often perceived as good news, no matter how well we express it. The besorah is hard for many
to receive, and one reason for this shows up in this week’s parasha, the scandalous idea of divine election. We proclaim a God who chooses according to his own purposes, not according to human priorities and values. That truth offends many, but also gives us hope that the besorah will in the end prevail among our people.

Read the full drash on the UMJC website.

Though Rabbi Russ doesn't mention recent events, you might consider this drash in light of the recent anti-Israel statements of by the Middle East Synod. (Be sure to click that link to get a Hebrew Catholic perspective on the synod.)

Did the church really try to change the Sabbath?

2010-10-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Over at Messianic Jewish Musings, Derek Leman writes in defense of Sunday worship and asks Christians with a consciousness of the Jewish roots of Christianity to eliminate "Sunday churches" as a derogatory term. (He suggests "Supersessionist churches" or perhaps "shallow churches," depending on what your gripe is.)

His post got me thinking. One comment I hear occasionally is that the Church changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Typically the person saying this means the Roman Catholic or Constantinian church. Their intent is to criticize the church for departing from its Jewish roots in (supposed) Sabbath-keeping. I think Derek presents a solid case for Sunday worship being an early tradition among the Yeshua-followers.

However, I wonder about the accuracy of that statement I hear: "the Catholic Church changed the Sabbath" or "the Constantinian Church tried to change the Sabbath." I think these statements are inaccurate or misleading. I'd like to know whether I'm right!

Consider the following:

As far as I know, "changing the date of the Sabbath" wasn't on the agenda at any of the historic church councils. "We worship on Sunday, not on Saturday" might have been, but not "We are changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday."
While in English we call the seventh day "Saturday," in Spanish it is called "Sabado"--suggesting that perhaps in Spanish-speaking cultures, the Sabbath was always understood to be on Saturday or "Sabado," even if the the primary Christian worship service was on Sunday.
I tried Googling for "When was Sunday first called the Sabbath?" The following quote seemed to pop up in several places across the 'net:

When was Sunday first called the "Sabbath"?

For many centuries, Christians were clear to distinguish between the Sabbath and Sunday (the Lord's Day), then ...
[Heinrich] Bullinger had a high view of the law, and differed from Calvin regarding the Sabbath. For Bullinger, Sunday was to be observed the same way in principle that the Sabbath was, with Sunday actually becoming the Sabbath for the Christian. Calvin, on the other hand, held that Sunday is not the Sabbath. The Puritans would follow Bullinger on this point.
Leonard Pine www.wrs.edu/Materials for Web Site/Journals/3-2 20Aug-1996/Pine - Heinrich Bullinger.pdf (broken link!)
This seems to have happened about 1540 A.D., and was the start of the widespread naming of Sunday as the "Sabbath" in Christianity.

Anyone have more facts? When did Christians begin referring to Sunday as "the Sabbath"?

Quote of the Day: One Amazing Woman

2010-10-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

A prominent character in last week's parsha Lekh L'kha is Hagar.

(No, not that one.)

(Wrong again.)

Of course I'm referring to the Egyptian woman named Hagar, who was the slave-woman of Abram and Sarai.

(That's better.)

When we read this parsha, we naturally focus on Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac their son of promise. But is it possible that we allow Hagar to get a bad rap? Blogger Yael thinks so. She highlights:

Hagar is the only woman other than Eve who is spoken of as having seed, otherwise seed is a uniquely male thing. I have also already mention about Hagar being the first woman in Torah to address God, but what I had not noticed is that she is the only person in Torah to name God! Can you imagine? A slave girl, not Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, nor Moses named God!

Read the whole article at Yael's Jewish World...then feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!

Guest Post: How should we be observant?

2010-10-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

Another guest post from Jonathan R. At first I was thinking to call it "How observant should we be?" but I think the title above is perhaps more reflective of what J is saying. Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Recently, Yahnatan came across this blog post which talks about how observant this particular family is willing to become and the reasons why.

Per our usual online habit he sent it to me with one word: "Thoughts?"

My first thought was another blog post that I read recently: A La Carte Observance.
Towards the end of the post (which you should read in its entirety), Rabbi Schiffman touches on the issue of Kashrut (keeping kosher):

"When I am home, I maintain one level of Kashrut, and when I am outside the home, I maintain a different level. On the surface this looks like what so many people I knew growing up did; having a kosher home but going out for roast pork at Chinese restaurants, or for shellfish if you live in Maryland. That’s not really what I do. I will avoid forbidden animals when out in public, but maintain a higher standard in my home, since my home reflects my most deeply held values. It means I can eat beef or chicken in restaurants or in people’s homes even if the meat was not from a kosher butcher. It means I place table fellowship with people more important than food.* Some people will find fault with this approach, but I’m not doing it to please them, impress them, or antagonize them. " (* emphasis mine)

This, to me, is the heart of our observance. The love of people should guide us not to separate ourselves from other peoples' journeys. To put it differently, our love for God and His law should guide us to interact and interface with people. Ultimately, I believe this puts us in a position to converse with and (perhaps, G-d willing) to instruct those who we would otherwise have shut out due to our practice.

Could I make the arguement that our following G-d's instruction to the best of our ability IS a sign of love for mankind and that to "compromise" would be to show disregard for mankind? Probably. Historically, I just don't see it working though. Those who shut themselves off to the many will only ever find a few.
Lest you read me wrong, I am not advocating that we throw Torah practice out the window so that we can embrace "the people of the world" and therefore repeat the mistake of Esau (Genesis 25: 29-34). G-d forbid! What I AM advocating is a deliberate, pragmatic engagement of our practice and how it can further or limit the Light we are here to represent.

Are we looking to make people come after us? Or are we about going and seeking after them? The parable of the good shepherd comes to mind.

To sum it up: Yeshua said that the Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27). Not the other way around. Doesn't this apply to the whole of Torah as well?

Got mussar?

2010-10-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

Several other bloggers have already mentioned Riverton Mussar (http://www.rivertonmussar.org), but I'll add my name to the list of people who are excited about participating.

Shimon the Rock wrote this exhortation to 1st-century Yeshua-followers:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy ha'satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

In our walk with God today, we find our experience to be the same. Many of our most common failures occur when we're caught unexpectedly by a temptation or a difficult situation, and we respond badly.

Part of our problem is that we simply don't expect to be tempted. Then when the trial comes, it catches us off guard, and we fall.

This is where mussar comes in. As a spiritual discipline, mussar helps believers cultivate both self-control and awareness--so when you find yourself facing one of the tests that will inevitably come each and every day, you're not caught off guard, but rather prepared.

What are you waiting for--check it out!

Guest post: On the Yamim Noraim

2010-09-16T19:34:00.001-07:00

The following is the first guest post for the days of awe by my best friend Jonathan Roush. I hope to feature guest posts from him more often in the future...if we're lucky!

Right now the Jewish world is observing Yamim Noraim, "The Days of Awe". This is a time of personal introspection about our behaviour in the last year. We are supposed to recount and remember our sins towards God, to each other and to the world around us.
I've been actively trying to do this and it weighs heavily on my heart. Not in a negative way. I think that feeling the weight of our shortcomings is important to our growth as people. It's not fun though.

How may times have I spoken negatively about people I know? People I don't know? How many have I judged in my heart? How many laughs have I had at others expense instead of reaching out a hand of kindness to them? I can't even begin to count...
The ultimate goal of this "remembrance of sin" is that we reconcile ourselves with God, each other and the world around us. We ask forgiveness and take steps towards altering our behaviour. I don't know if this works...but I do know that it sure is nice to deal with some of these things proactively and then to be able to look forward with a clean slate as it were. It's like putting down a heavy bag.

Not our sinfulness, but God's holiness

2010-09-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last spring, the UMJC website featured a drash on parashat Acharei Mot by Noel Rabinowitz which was all about Yom Kippur. Since it's that time of the year, I thought I'd repost some excerpts here on the Gathering Sparks blog:

I knew very little about Yom Kippur growing up. Of course, when I became a new believer in Yeshua people assumed I knew a lot about the subject. I began to receive invitations from my Christian friends to speak about the holiday. Never being one to allow ignorance of a topic to stand in my way, I was more than happy to take them up on the offer! After skimming through some Christian commentaries on the Leviticus, I was more than confidant that I understood the subject. The focus on my devotional was, more or less, always the same-I'm a dirty rotten sinner and I need a sacrifice to atone for our sins.

...

The purpose of this [Day of Atonement] ceremony-to state the obvious, was to make atonement for the people of Israel so that they could remain in fellowship with the Lord for another year. A holy God cannot remain in fellowship with an unclean and sinful people. When I taught about Yom Kippur my focus was just that - the sacrifice wiped away sin so God forgave the Israelites. And that's what we tend to focus on - I'm a sinner. Woe is me! Coming to terms with my own sinfulness, made me feel deeply spiritual. In the back of my mind, I was certain God was deeply impressed. Well, I was wrong. The focus of Yom Kippur is not my sinfulness, but rather God's holiness.

...

How was an unclean person restored to fellowship? Here is how it worked: When a person became unclean or had sinned, their uncleanness or sin polluted and contaminated God's dwelling place. In effect, human beings are like little factories whose smoke stacks pump out all kinds of pollution. That pollution drifts through the atmosphere until it reaches the Tabernacle and covers it. Sin and uncleanness symbolically pollute and contaminate God's dwelling place. If that situation is not remedied, God's wrath will break out against all those who have defiled his dwelling place.

...

The Day of Atonement should definitely remind us that we are a sinful people in desperate and constant need of God's forgiveness. That's a good thing. However, if all we do is focus on ourselves and our sins-we're still coming up a bit short. We still don't understand the full significance of this holiday. The focus of Yom Kipper is not our sinfulness, but rather God's holiness.

Repent, for the kingdom is at hand!

2010-09-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

אֶקְרָא וּבְשִׁמְךָ בְּאֱמֶת, אֶתְעוֺרֵר לְהַחֲזִיק בָּך

I will call upon thy name in truth; I will rouse myself to take hold of thee.

Selichot

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."
Yeshua turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
Matthew 9:20-22

In this high holy day season, may we all merit to see ourselves as this woman, humbly reaching out to take hold of the Lord. Ketiva v'chatima tovah--may you be written and inscribed for good in the book of life.

Shanah tovah!

Parsha Shoftim and Israel's King

2010-08-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Last year I heard an amazing drash on this week's parsha--Shoftim--from Pardes Institute's R' Meir Schweiger.

The monarch of Israel leads the people out to war and gathers them to build the Temple...but might there be something more to his role? And what does this have to do with Messiah?

Have a listen to find out...

"Orthodox Jews Are People Too"

2010-07-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

"I climbed up the steps and onto the second floor. What I thought was going to be a meet-and-greet of Jewish students was actually a circle of observant Jews who all seemed to know each other. "

What follows is one Reform Jewish student's story of feeling like the odd one out at Columbia University annual Hillel Hannukah party. If you've ever felt like an outsider in Jewish space, you may appreciate what Carly learned!

Shabbat shalom, readers!

Rahab's Reversal

2010-07-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Rabbi Russ Resnik's new book Divine Reversal in a study group at my congregation, so I'm particularly attuned to this theme of reversal in the Scriptures. Recently, Chaviva (from The Kvetching Editor) highlighted the theme of reversal in the story of Rahab in a shiur (lesson) she delivered on Shavuot:

As Phyllis Bird suggests, [Rahab's] story depends on a certain “reversal of expectations.” It is unlikely to expect a “shrewd and calculating operator” like a prostitute to save the spies and declare allegiance to G-d, but she does. The Rabbis, then, understood something profound about their choice as the ultimate righteous convert: “The harlot understands what the king of the city does not – that Israelite victory is imminent and inevitable.”

Long after Rahab, Yeshua spoke about the reversals that were happening in Israel in his day:

I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.

As Yeshua-followers, we need to be attuned to the reversals happening around us, because there is where we find the God of Israel at work. For an extended meditation on how the Messiah of Israel embodies this principle of divine reversal, I'd encourage you to pick up Divine Reversal.

Goy: memoir of a unique life

2010-07-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

My local Gazette has featured some great articles of Jewish interest lately. First it was Project Ezekiel, about a local who constructed images of lost Holocaust victims using their prisoner cards. Now from this week's paper:

Spend just a few minutes talking with Silver Spring's Ranjit Chatterjee, and you'll realize he has little interest in the mundane. Read just a few pages of his new memoir, "Goy," and you'll learn what does interest him – adventure, family, philosophy and Jewish studies with a dash of linguistics on top.

The article tells the genesis of Chatterjee's interest in Jews and Judaism:

One story the author writes about is when his mother told him a disturbing Holocaust story. Ranjit was only about 6 years old, but his mother decided to tell him a horrific story about Nazis who buried Jewish people up to their waists and then sent in vicious dogs to attack their upper bodies. That was really the beginning, he says, of his interest in the plight of Jewish people.

Goy may not make it to the J-BOM book list, but if you read it, I'd be happy to post a guest book review here at the Gathering Sparks blog!

David Rudolph on "Paul's Rule"

2010-07-20T05:09:00.000-07:00

A paper by Messianic Jewish scholar David J. Rudolph, "Paul's 'Rule in All the Churches' (1 Cor. 7:17-24) and Torah-Defined Ecclesiological Variegation," was featured in the online journal Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations. The article is available for free download at http://escholarship.bc.edu/scjr/ (along with a number of other articles of interest). Here's a teaser:

In preparation for this conference, I asked a number of church leaders if they were familiar with Paul’s “rule in all the churches.” Notably, not a single leader who responded to my ad hoc survey was aware of such a rule. Based on this response and my general familiarity with ecclesial theology, I think it is likely that Paul’s “rule in all the churches” has become a “rule in few of the churches” today. While many would probably be content to see this state of affairs continue, especially those who do not like church rules, there remains the nagging question, “Should a teaching that Paul considered important enough to be a universal rule be almost universally neglected by contemporary Christians?”

The aim of this paper is to introduce Paul’s rule to those who are unfamiliar with it, and to make the case that Paul’s rule is a lynchpin that sustains the church as a body of Jews and Gentiles . . .

Read the rest here...

J-BOM: let your yes be yes

2010-07-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

From this month's J-BOM selection:

" 'Verbal fraud is worse than monetary fraud.' " The words came out in a rapid Sephardic Hebrew. "Is that statement familiar to you?"
"Shimon ben Yochai in Baba Metzia," I said, giving the Talmudic source of the quote he had used.
"You are David Malter's son, no doubt of that. You experienced both kinds of fraud last Sunday night, I understand. We'll discuss it on Sunday. Michael enjoyed sailing with you. Shabbat shalom. What?" He spoke away from the phone. "Yes." He came back on the phone. "Michael says to tell you Shabbat shalom for him."
His voice echoed inside my head for quite a while after I hung up the phone.
The Promise, p. 60 (Knopf, 1969)

I thought the statement from Shimon ben Yochai correlated well to one of the sayings of Yeshua:

Let your yes be yes and your no be no; anything more than that is from the evil one.

Thoughts?

Noa at the Sixth and I

2010-07-09T05:55:00.000-07:00

In May, my wife and I got a chance to see internationally renowned Israeli singer Noa perform at the 6th and I historic synagogue in downtown DC. Noa is a consummate performer, and it was such a pleasure to watch her sing and (at various times) play guitar, piano, and percussion. She was accompanied, as always, by her long-time musical collaborator, Gil Dor. Also joining her on this tour was Palestinian-Israeli singer Mira Awad. If you enjoy beautiful music, Hebrew lyrics, or skillful voice and guitar work, you owe it to yourself to pick up one of Noa's albums. (I suggest starting with this one.)

A funny thing happened to us at the concert that I had to blog about. We had purchased VIP tickets: for a mere $10 more we got to meet Noa in person before the show and sit in the front VIP section! After meeting Noa (and listening to Gil Dor talk about the European castle where they recorded their 1998 album "Calling"), we rushed upstairs to try to grab a good seat. The VIP section was already filling up--but amazingly the center row at the very front was still empty!

We briskly made our way down the aisle. When we got to the row, we noticed two white paper signs on the pew: one side said "VIP ticketholders only," and the other side said, "For the Israeli ambassador."

We seated ourselves right on top of the "VIP ticketholders only" sign and thanked God for such awesome seats. Then we amused ourselves by taking pictures of ourselves and of the ceiling dome (see above).

About five minutes to the start of the concert, we were getting really excited when a man in a black suit who had been hovering by the "Israeli ambassador" side of the pew came over to us. He said, "I'm really sorry to do this, but the ambassador is going to need to use this whole row. I'm going to have to ask you to move."

Feeling slightly crushed, we removed ourselves to the second row in one of the side sections (where thankfully we discovered that we still had a fantastic view). Sure enough, in a few minutes, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, walked in, accompanied by several friends or family members.

In a moment, Noa came out and put on an amazing show. Mira Awad is also a very talented singer: I never heard Arabic lyrics sung in the style of Leonard Cohen before--it was quite bewitching. At the end Mira joined Noa on stage to perform the songs they've collaborated on together, including their recent Eurovision hit "There Must Be Another Way."

All in all we had a great time. And our experience changing seats before the show reminded me of what Yeshua said in Luke 14:8-9:

When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.

If we had to give up our seats, at least it was for the ambassador!

Here are some videos of Noa and Mira. Enjoy!

Quote of the Day

2010-07-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

A provocative quote from New Testament scholar Michael F. Bird:

The Jerusalem council achieved a via media by finding in Scripture a justification for the inclusion of Gentiles within the church without requiring circumcision and placing upon Gentiles only the obligation to avoid idol food and sexual immorality. Yet the Jerusalem council also permitted the existence of two parallel theologies: one theology where the Gentiles were uncircumcised equals in a renewed Israel with holiness constituted by the Spirit and another theology where uncircumcised Gentiles were guests in an Israelite remnant that still defined holiness through Torah observance. The Jerusalem council’s decisions seem optimized in a setting where Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians remain in parallel rather than integrated, especially in relation to shared meals. The council did not stipulate the standard of law observance to be upheld for Eucharistic fellowship to ensue.

J-BOM in July: Chaim Potok's The Promise

2010-07-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

July's J-BOM selection is Chaim Potok's The Promise.

Chaim Potok is one of my favorite authors. I actually read this book for the first time last summer. So if you're looking for a book that grabs you right from the start--one of those books where you pick it up, get engrossed, and look down and you're on page 60 already--this is a good one to read.

It's also a perfect summer read--at least for me. During the course of the story, the main character, Reuven Malter, spends his year studying for his degree in philosophy as well as for his smicha (rabbinical ordination). In the summers he goes with his dad to a rented cottage in New York resort area called Peekskill (thirty miles outside NYC). Swimming, boating, and relaxing...to me, it sounds like heaven. Even though I spent my summer at work in the office, each time I picked up the book I felt like I was on a little mini-vacation.

So what is "the promise" referred to in the story's title? I realized that even though I've read it, I'm not sure I know the answer. (I might.) This time through the book I'll be looking closely for the answer to that question: what is the promise? I'll report back on the answer...as well as any other interesting details I find along the way.

Enjoy your reading!

Rabbi Derek Leman announces new book

2010-06-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Over at Messianic Jewish Musings, Derek Leman announces his new book, "Yeshua in Context," which will be coming out next month (followed by several other high-quality Messianic resources on Yeshua in the fall). Here's the table of contents:

The Table of Contents for Yeshua in Context
Ch 1 The Real Yeshua, Mark 1:1-20
Ch 2 The Unexpected Yeshua, Luke 4:14-30
Ch 3 The Heralding Yeshua, Mark 1:16-45
Ch 4 Yeshua as Exorcist, Mark 1:23-28; Luke 11:19-20; 13:32
Ch 5 Yeshua as Healer, Mark 5:21-43; Luke 7:22; 10:18
Ch 6 The Messianic Secret, Mark 8:22-35
Ch 7 The Temple Cleansing, John 2:13-22
Ch 8 The Handwashing Dispute, Mark 7:1-23
Ch 9 The Prodigal Story, Luke 15:11-32
Ch 10 Beatitudes of Hope, Matthew 5:1-12
Ch 11 Seeds and Fruit, Mark 4:1-20
Ch 12 The Wicked Tenants, Mark 12:1-12
Ch 13 Born from Above, John 3:1-21
Ch 14 Messiah’s Trial, Mark 14:53-65
Ch 15 Yeshua in Death, Mark 15:21-39
Ch 16 The Living and Present Lord, Luke 24:36-53
Ch 17 The True Vine, John 15:1-27

To get on the pre-order list, email Derek at derek4messiah@gmail.com. (I already have!)

J-BOM: the Empire in fresh perspective

2010-06-29T01:15:00.000-07:00

In recent years, a number of New Testament scholars have highlighted the anti-imperial themes contained in the New Testament. Consider the following from a paper by N. T. Wright's entitled "Paul's Gospel and Caesar's Empire" (*Disclaimer: Though Wright places significant theological significance on the Jewish meanings inherent in the gospel message, nevertheless his supercessionist viewpoint comes through clearly in this paper. Be challenged by it, but don't take it as the only word on the matter.):

"Paul's declaration that the gospel of King Jesus reveals God's dikaiosyne [righteousness] must also be read, I suggest, as a deliberate laying down of a challenge to the imperial pretension. If it's justice you want, you will find it, not in the euangelion that announces Caesar as Lord, but in the euangelion of Jesus."

After being exposed to a little of this line of thing, it became relatively easy for me to picture Rome as the evil Empire!

Thus, I was particularly struck by the following passage from Milton Steinberg's As A Driven Leaf, in which the central character, Elisha ben Abuya, reflects on how the Roman Empire had changed his world...for the better!?!

Month after month for over a year he pored over records of the nations, Berossus on the Babylonians, Manetho on the Egyptians, Herodotus, Thucydides and numberless chroniclers of Greece and Rome. And the more he read, the more he was confirmed in that judgment of the role of the Empire at which he had first arrived in the chambers of Clarus. For until Rome had conquered the world the entire career of civilized man had been apparently nothing but a harrowing succession of wars. Armies had marched incessantly across all lands, murdering, burning, looting. Thousands of lives had been extinguished in each generation, millions had been subjected to bereavement, pain and misery, treasures on which hosts might have lived in luxury had been consumed--all to no point or purpose.
The motives of the Romans in subduing the peoples were by no means altruistic, and their treatment of the lands under their dominion had not always been beyond reproach, but the effects of the spread of their power could not be denied. Wherever they had gone they had brought back the Pax Romana. It was a precious boon which Italy had forced civilization, that of peace. And with it had come security for the individual and the opportunity to live out his life without hindrance in pursuit of the dreams of his heart. Of what account compared to this was the coerced surrender of their political independence by the nations, whether Gauls, Spaniards, Egyptians or Jews?
Reliving the unhappy past of humanity, Elisha reflected often that a rabbi-priest had once put it well, saying:
"Pray ye for the welfare of the Empire, for, had it not been for the awe of it, men would long since have swallowed one another alive."

Elisha is captivated by the human achievements seemingly made possible by the pax Romana.
But later on in the story, other characters remind Elisha of the signs of Rome's "justice"--people buying and selling other human beings as if they were stone carvings, and roads lined with the crosses of those who had been considered disloyal to Caesar. The Roman justice which so impressed Elisha with its impartiality later proves to be impotent to counteract the will and whim of Caesar himself, and ultimately it cruelly betrays Elisha and dashes his faith in "Roman justice."

In my opinion, it's easy to pick up this anti-Empire theme and run with it. In recent times, more than a few people have cast the Western World (or even the U.S.A.) as the Empire. (Scot McKnight explains here: "So what does 'empire mean'?")

Reflection and honest self-criticism are important. But I think the analogies of the U.S. to "Empire" are often made too lightly, emphasizing the injustices we're still struggling with yet ignoring the breakthroughs we've experienced. I think we ought to be suspicious of allowing our nation to be cast as the "evil empire" in our own thinking.

Back to Elisha: his wonderment at the contribution of Rome to human history deepens my understanding of what it meant to speak out against the Roman Empire in the time of Yeshua and his apostles. They weren't just daring to speak out against a clearly oppressive, evil power. They were also looking at what many saw as the most successful political venture yet and pointing out the ways that it still fell short of true peace and true justice, and that it required a level of allegiance that at times bordered on idolatry. Most importantly, they were preaching and living for the day when the God of Israel caused his kingdom to come fully on the earth, under the authority of his chosen regent, the Messiah, the Son of David.

Helsinki Conference on Jewish Believers in Jesus

2010-06-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

Just in case you haven't seen it already, from MJTI, Derek Leman, Yinon, and others:

Jewish believers in Yeshua (Jesus) from England, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Russia, and the United States met in Helsinki, Finland, on June 14-15, 2010. As scholars belonging to Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Messianic communities, they began a conversation on Jewish continuity in the Body of Jesus the Messiah. They issued the following statement...

After reading the statement: what do you think? Do these men and women speak for you as well--would you sign your name to this statement? How can you be involved in helping facilitate further unity among Jewish believers in the body of Messiah worldwide?

J-BOM: a Torah of lovingkindness

2010-06-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

Rabbi Elazar quoted this verse: "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the Torah of lovingkindness is on her tongue" (Proverbs 31:26). What is the intent of this verse? Is there a Torah of lovingkindness and a Torah which is not of lovingkindness? Torah which is studied on its own merit is a Torah of lovingkindness, whereas Torah which is studied for an ulterior motive is not a Torah of lovingkindness. And some say that Torah which is studied in order to teach is a Torah of lovingkindness, whereas Torah which is not studied in order to teach is a Torah which is not of lovingkindness.
Sukkah 49b (Siddur Sim Shalom)

I used to think I had this one in the bag--after all, one of the things I love about learning is sharing with others! But I came across a passage in this month's J-BOM selection As A Driven Leaf which made me think again. A renowned philosopher asks Elisha ben Abuya:

Can we withdraw into books and their abstrusities when men need insight into their souls, balms for their wounds, and healing of their sorrows? . . . if you and I were the gods, as Epicurus describes them, we might devote our lives to debating the question whether or not Platonic ideas exist eternally in realms beyond space and time. But we are flesh and blood. We dare not, for an intellectual luxury, forget our aches or those of our brothers.

Steinberg's words (through the mouth of this Greek philosopher) point to my own shortcomings: am I content to retreat to a book when I should be transforming what little knowledge I have into something helpful to someone else? Messianic Jewish blogger Benjamin E. frames the question in the form of a challenge in the latest post on his new blog Living Torah (which I highly recommend!):

It seems like higher education is not going to take care of this one for us. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for the higher education. In fact, It is vital that we be an educated community. I just want to suggest that it would behoove us to be about our Father's business and at some point that means stepping outside of our classrooms/meetings/conferences into the world...And we're not handing out those tracts again!

How does a Torah of lovingkindness translate into real life? What does rising to Benjamin's challenge look like?

A Father's Day Tribute

2010-06-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

From Jewish Treats' "The Importance of Dad":

Where does a child learn to be a mentsch (a good person)? From his/her parents! Indeed, in the Talmud (Sukkot 56b) it even notes that a child repeats in the streets what he/she hears at home.

According to the sages of the Talmud, after circumcision and Pidyon Haben (redemption of the first born son), a father’s primary responsibilities are to teach the child Torah, to find him/her a spouse, and to teach the child a trade (Kiddushin 29a). At the bare minimum, his fatherly obligations mean making certain that the basic necessities of child-rearing are attended to (by a third party if necessary). But, the best child-rearing includes dad sharing his time, knowledge and wisdom, and truly leaving a lasting and meaningful impression on his children.

Growing up in a Messianic Jewish synagogue and attending a Messianic Jewish day school gave me a love of Torah--which my dad nurtured through regular conversations about life, God, and Torah (a practice we continue to this day). I remember many times hearing my dad exhort me to be a mensch.

My dad was also definitely involved in welcoming my wife Kristen into our family and encouraging me to pursue the wonderful eshes hayil I've been blessed to find.

Finally, my dad always encouraged me to surpass him in the trade I choose to practice. When I chose to get an engineering degree, he was behind me all the way.

As far as the Talmud is concerned, my dad fulfilled his responsibilities to me...in spades! And with the sages I heartily agree. Thanks, Dad.

Quote of the Day: Project Ezekiel

2010-06-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

From the Montgomery County Gazette, 'Project Ezekiel' designed to recapture memories of lost souls:

"Dr. Nathan Moskowitz created images of his paternal uncle, Herman Moskovitc, a Holocaust victim who died at age 17, from his uncle's prisoner card after Moskowitz realized he had no photographs or images of him. Out of this experience came Project Ezekiel, which is designed to reconstruct the images of more than 200,000 Holocaust victims with prisoner cards."

"Moskowitz said the project name is based on the prophet Ezekiel, who had lived among Jewish exiles in Babylon after Babylon overtook Judah and Jerusalem, and had foreseen and witnessed the fall of Jerusalem and Israel. In one of his visions, God shows Ezekiel a valley of dry bones, representing all of Israel. God grows flesh and muscles on the bones and the bodies come to life, representing the resurrection of Israel."

"To me, this is a very fitting analogy," Moskowitz said. "That period of time with the prophecy and vision was very cataclysmic, as was the time of the Holocaust with a lot of dead bones and scattered ashes. Visually you take these dry bones, in this case the dry, decaying words [of the cards], paint skin and muscles onto the bones, and artistically breathe life into them."

J-BOM in June: As A Driven Leaf

2010-06-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

The first selection for the J-BOM summer of fiction is Milton Steinberg's As A Driven Leaf. I have been devouring this book. Within a few hours of first picking it up I found myself more than 50 pages in--and loving it!

What was it like to live in Israel after the Temple was destroyed but before the Bar Kochba revolt? This is when As A Driven Leaf takes place. I immediately loved the way Steinberg brings the rabbis of that generation to life. I've written before about Pirkei Avot and how impressed I am by the depth of wisdom contained in the sayings of those rabbis. This appreciation is only enhanced by Steinberg's ability to imaginatively reconstruct the world of those sages, bringing them to life as characters, in some cases speaking the same words we now remember them for.

Speaking of this: Derek Leman mentioned how he enjoyed seeing parables from rabbinic literature show up in a fictional context. I especially enjoyed the scenes in the Sanhedrin where sages like R. Joshua, R. Eliezer, and R. Gamaliel debate over the very decisions that have come down to us from nearly two thousand years ago. And even the way the boy's circumcision is narrated in the very beginning reveals the tensions among the different personalities: Abuyah, Elisha's father, who is ambivalent and even hostile towards his own tradition; Amram, the boy's dutiful uncle, who disapproves of Abuyah's interest in Greek philosophy; the aristocratic Rabbi Eliezer with his "haughty face."

In fact, it is Elisha's relationships--with Joshua his revered mentor, Deborah his wife, Akiva his brilliant colleague and the two Simeons who together with Elisha composed The Four, Meir his beloved disciple and Beruriah Meir's wife, Shraga the Levite, and the others who oppose Elisha because of his father--these are what propel the story forward, and identifying with the characters is what drew me in.

Now I'm nearing the end of the story. Suffice it to say that Steinberg creates in Elisha a character whose struggle between faith/tradition and reason/experience is not only emblematic of the modern struggle between religion and science but also empathetic to the post-modern challenge of navigating one's way through both worlds without completely rejecting one or the other. Even if Steinberg's portrayal is a bit anachronistic, it's somehow encouraging to think of this as a millenias-old problem.

I'll save my recommendations for after I read the end of Steinberg's incredible story. But if you've ever felt challenged in your faith, you may relate to the tale of Elisha ben Abuya. Hopefully none of us will follow the same fate--excommunicated from our community and remembered forever as a heretic. But maybe there is a little heretic in all of us? The challenge each one of us faces is to find the way to live with as much faith--and as much truth--as possible.

"I am the vine."

2010-06-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

From this week's edition of The Set Table, the Chayyei Yeshua piece I wrote on John 15:1-17:

In scripture, the vineyard represents Israel (Isaiah 5:17, Mark 12:1–12). But in John 15:1–17, Yeshua seems to employ the vine image differently. We glean more insight from a parable of Ezekiel:

A great eagle . . .came to . . . a cedar [of Lebanon], . . . broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away . . . He planted it like a willow by abundant water, and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. (Ezekiel 17:3-6, excerpted.)

The parable goes on to pronounce judgment on the vine–that is, the king of Judah–for breaking the covenant. Then the Lord declares:

I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. (17:22–23.)

Christopher M. Tuckett observes: “The context of Ezekiel 17 is itself all but explicitly ‘messianic’ in that it refers to the promised restoration of the Davidic monarchy in the form of king Jehoiachin” (“The Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Book of Ezekiel,” The Book of Ezekiel and Its Influence, p. 97). Thus, Yeshua’s claim “I am the true vine,” read together with Ezekiel 17, assumes messianic overtones, which are only heightened when we recognize that the vine of Ezekiel’s parable started out as a branch.

Yeshua goes on to invite each of his disciples into a personal, abiding relationship with him. In his book, The Hasidic Parable, Aryeh Wineman contrasts eighteenth-century Hasidism with “earlier stages of Jewish mysticism in which the mystic remained an isolated individual, not serving as a leader of center of any kind of human community”:

Gershom Scholem defines the innovation of eighteenth-century Hasidism whereby the mystic–who is turned inward and away from society–becomes at the same time the center of a community.

Likewise, Yeshua established himself as the center of his community and the source of its life and love. Paul Philip Levertoff calls this love “the realization of the highest ideal of Chasidism–i.e., achdut ‘unity,’ . . . a closeness of union approaching to identity (Acts 4:32).”

We naturally focus on the disciples’ need to abide in Yeshua. But this passage also reveals the amazing dependency of Yeshua on his followers: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you” (John 15:16). Just as Ezekiel prophesied that the vine “will produce branches and bear fruit,” so Yeshua reveals that he personally chose his disciples “to go and bear fruit—
fruit that will last.” How? “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7). Praying the way Yeshua teaches means (a) remaining in him by obeying his commands and (b) having his words in us.

As our prayers turn toward the restoration of Israel, we do well to adopt the words of Psalm 80:14–19, which employs the same vine image in a prayer for (Messianic) redemption:

Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the branch/son you have raised up for yourself. Your vine is cut down; it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

Why give tzedaka?

2010-06-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

"God loves a cheerful giver!"

If you grew up in the church or in the Messianic world, you've most likely heard those words from Paul as part of an exhortation to make a financial contribution to some cause.

A recent article from Cross Currents discussed the motivations behind giving tzedaka within the Orthodox Jewish community:

“Judaism isn’t so concerned with personal reaction; altruism is not about one’s ego. Even if people believe that they will be rewarded in the Next World for good deeds, the emphasis is on action in this world, and on doing what’s right.”
As [Stephen Linenberger] conducted interviews with children, he found that Jewish children didn’t quite know how to answer the question, “How do you feel about the person you’re helping?” It’s not that they don’t feel empathy; it’s that doing “what’s right” (aka a Mitzvah) is independent of their personal feelings. As he put it:
They are action oriented. They take themselves out of the picture. It’s not about some primitive response to the person in need, and ego centered evaluation about whether I feel like helping. It’s about responding to a need. It’s almost as if, contrary to what the research has always supported, the disregard for empathy heightens altruism rather than suppresses it.

Since graduating college and starting work full-time, my giving has become more planned, more deliberate. I still try to follow Yeshua's injunction to "give to him who asks of you," but I also have a number of regular causes that I support. I try to give in such a way that when I look back over the last twelve months, tzedaka and charity will be a regular part of my expenditures--not a tag-on which only happened randomly or if someone asked me.

What about you? Do you generally give because you feel it's the right thing? Because you empathize with the person in need? Do you think one is more important than the other, or are both important? What about planning? Do you think it's important to plan to give?

Guest post: Shabbat as "bride" and "queen"

2010-06-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I posted some thoughts from Judith Shulevitz on "light Sabbath" vs. "dark Sabbath." Messianic blogger Paula from Grasping Mashiach made a great comment illustrating how Shulevitz's "light/dark Sabbath" is really a recapitulation of the teachings of the sages about Shabbat as bride/queen, which is itself based on the Torah's command to remember/observe (zachor/sh'mor):

The idea of Sabbath as light and dark reminds me of the rabbinic concepts of Shabbat as bride (Shabbat HaKallah) and queen (Shabbat HaMalchah), framed in more palatable and modern language. Samuel Dresner in his book “The Sabbath” explains bride as feelings of love and desire toward the Sabbath and queen as laws of observance regarding the Sabbath.

Chazal (Shevu’oth 20b) relate that remembering Shabbat and keeping Shabbat were given by HaShem in a single utterance (based on Exodus 20:8 in relation to Deuteronomy 5:12). Remembering is the bride, the light part of Sabbath, the longing for the experience of freedom, peace, and rest. Keeping is the queen, or the dark part of Sabbath, the laws and statues. But both remembering and keeping, bride and queen, light and dark are part of the same entity. As Dresner puts it;

"One can never truly know the inward feeling (bride) of Sabbath without the outward form (queen)."

Like a queen the Sabbath is a reigning monarch who arrives on the seventh day despite the will or liking of man. When a queen is in the palace everything must be in order and certain protocol followed, yet it is the protocol or “rules” that enable the experience of inner peace.

With this in mind I wonder if just a “little” darkness is the answer regarding Shabbat? Certainly, people have to start somewhere in observance, but inevitably it would seem that “remembering” and “keeping” or emotional desire and specific observance/discipline must have equal balance and weight in order to celebrate Shabbat to its full and intended extent.

The Art of Shabbat

2010-05-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

For this week's pre-Shabbat meditation: I've been thinking of ways Shabbat is like art. Here's what I've come up with so far:

Art is not purely functional (i.e. a plain old door vs. a beautiful artistic door, a walk/don't walk sign on a street corner vs. the LOVE sculpture in the center of a courtyard).
Art elevates common things.
Art inspires and energizes (like a song that sticks in your head so that you can't stop singing it throughout the week).
Creating art takes practice and lots of learning.
Art points to an Artist.

Can you add any similarities between art and Shabbat to the list?

An interesting proposition...

2010-05-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

...from Orthodox Jewish theologian Michael Wyschogrod (someone all Messianic Jews owe it to themselves to be familiar with). He writes:

Israel...should declare itself a constitutional monarchy ruled by a successor to King David, represented by a “regent safeguarding the Throne of David until such time that divine intervention identifies the rightful heir to the Davidic kingdom.”

Thoughts?

I wish I was in New York to attend this lecture on "Jewish covenantal theology" at First Things from someone whom R' Meir Soloveitchik called "perhaps the most original Jewish theologian of the past half century."

For more on Wyschogrod, I highly recommend this essay by Christian theologian R. Kendall Soulen.

"Light Sabbath" and "Dark Sabbath"

2010-05-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

From an article on the Sabbath Manifesto website:

Judith Shulevitz, author of the new book “The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time,” wrote in the April 16 Washington Post’s “On Faith” column that people have largely rejected the Sabbath because “there’s a light Sabbath and a dark Sabbath.”:

“The light Sabbath features community and festivity and what a famous professor of psychology once called ‘freedom from all slavery to the clock.’ The dark Sabbath bristles with rules and regulations, and at the extreme, fanaticism…Americans may recall the light Sabbath with a certain fondness, at least if they hanker after a calmer way of life. But they are mostly thrilled that over the past 50 years we’ve done away with the dark, coercive one.”
“But what if I told you that we could have some of the light Sabbath back, if we’d accept just a little bit of the dark one? We could have something to which we’d probably say yes–namely, more time for self and family and neighborhood–and all we’d have to do is let ourselves be governed by a few nos, a few rules about not working at a pre-arranged time. Conversely, if we don’t accept a no or two, then the kind of time that used to be protected by the Sabbath–time during which everyone leaves the office or factory and turns to one another for entertainment and sustenance–is in danger of disappearing.

Do you regularly find yourself exhausted and in need of rest? Do you struggle with overcommitting yourself, or feeling unfulfilled by many of the activities you have to do? If so, perhaps 'freedom from all slavery to the clock' would be a needed reprieve.

What do you think: is Ms. Shulevitz correct? Do we need a little bit of the "dark Shabbat" in order to regain the "light Shabbat"? What would that look like for individuals--what kinds of habits, practices, or rules? For communities?

I've Got A Feeling

2010-05-14T04:39:00.001-07:00

Tonight I'm going to a cool Kabbalat Shabbat service in the city with my wife, my sister, and a friend. I'm really looking forward to it!

Here's a fun video in honor of Shabbat:

Shavuot and the book of Ruth

2010-05-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

On Shavuot, it is traditional to read Megillat Ruth. Last year I discovered a great reading of Ruth by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi online. Here's the first part:

This Shavuot (next Tuesday night / Wednesday), get together with a few of your friends or with some people in your community and read through Ruth together. (Or better yet, watch this video!) Then try to learn from the redemptive themes of the story. Don't forget to discuss Ruth's role in the geneology of Messiah!

UMJC National Conference in Seattle this summer

2010-05-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like being Messianic is a lonely calling?

Of course you love your home community, but do you ever wish that you knew more people like yourself?

If so, I hope you will seriously consider going to the UMJC national conference this July 28-31. Not only will you have a chance to meet, eat, pray, and learn with other Messianic Jewish young people, but you'll get to see some of the diversity within the Messianic Jewish movement, and hopefully come away with a better picture of the future of Messianic Judaism and your calling within that future. Plus you'll get to experience the Pacific Northwest, Seattle-style!

Click here to register!

"My kids"

2010-05-10T15:29:00.001-07:00

So a certain Gathering Sparks reader (who may or may not be related to me) called me out for referring to "my kids" in my comment on Scot McKnight's blog. "Is there something you're not telling me?" she wrote.

So in the interest of full disclosure, I decided to write a tell-all blog post revealing the real truth about my "kids." When I came across this video, I knew that Bret and Jermaine from Flight of the Conchords put it better than I ever could:

powered by Splicd.com

So that's right, I don't have kids (yet). I do have a real wife though. (Promise!) What follows is my attempt to justify having "hypothetical" kids...

Having kids may seem pretty far off. Right now you're probably thinking more about finishing school, or figuring out your major, or finding a job--not to mention finding someone you'd actually want to have kids with!

The Torah commands us to "teach [God's commandments] diligently to our children" (Deut. 6:7). In fact, this command follows immediately after the command which Yeshua called "the greatest commandment"--to love God with all our heart, soul, and might. That means it must be pretty important, right?

Is there anything we who don't have kids yet can do about this commandment right now? A few ideas come to mind:

Invest in your own spiritual growth. (This will one day benefit your kids, since you will be one of their main teachers.)
Invest in your community. (You may end up raising your kids there!) If you want your kids to have a strong Jewish identity and strong faith in Yeshua, then having a strong community to reinforce both of those things is essential.
Help out with childcare in your community. (Something of a combination of #1 and #2...)

Can you think of other things to add to this list?

What is your ideal Shabbat?

2010-05-07T05:56:00.001-07:00

This week I was talking with someone close to me who called me out for always posting quotations from other sources on my blog. Guilty as charged. :-D So in the days to come I'll be making more of an effort to share from my personal perspective.

In this morning's blog post "What about a Sabbath?", Scot McKnight asks his (primarily Christian) readers about the practice of Sabbath. He writes:

The secret to Sabbath, so it seems to me, or at least one of the secrets, is the habit of setting apart a designated period of time and keeping it no matter what else beckons. And over time how that designated time begins to deepen and grow and lengthen and create memory.

He closes by asking for feedback: "What is your ideal 'Sabbath'? What are your thoughts?" The following is my response:

Great question, Scot.! Three things come to mind.

First, Gen. 2:3 tells me that the reason God sanctified (i.e. set apart or made sacred) the seventh day was because on it he rested from all his (creative) work. When I look at myself, I see this proclivity towards and passion for creating, for forming, for building and shaping. Sometimes it seems like there is no end to the work that needs to be done. A Sabbath on which I cease from creative work means taking an entire day (plus an extra hour or two, in my Jewish tradition) to stop, to enjoy, to wonder, to be thankful to God for the creation that he already brought into existence.

Second, I notice in myself the tendency to use technology to try to extend my influence indefinitely. Communicating with friends around the country, interacting with people I've never even met--technology has made all of this possible. A Sabbath from this kind of technology forces me to concentrate on the people who are right in front of me, the most important people in my life: my wife, my kids, my local community. Since I'm not creating, I'm really focusing on them and on being with them, on learning, worshipping, and growing together.

Finally, Jewish tradition teaches that the Sabbath is a foretaste of the world to come. The New Testament author of Hebrews affirms the same thing when he writes (in Heb. 4:9) "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God." By practicing Sabbath, I begin to shape myself to the way of the world to come; if possible, I experience a foretaste of that ultimate rest, in the here and now.

And when, paradoxically, even resting from work seems like work sometimes, I again take encouragement from the Hebrews: "Let us make every effort to enter that rest." Regularly practicing Sabbath is exactly that: a regular "practice" run for, and a reminder of, the ultimate Sabbath rest of God--the World to Come.

What do you think--was this a good answer? How would you answer Scot's question? Do you feel like one day a week of resting from all work is a good idea? If so, in what ways to you try to put this into practice?

Uncertainty...or possibility?

2010-05-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Came across this here:

Jewish views of the afterlife

2010-05-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Do you think the New Testament's vision of the afterlife is compatible with traditional Jewish views? Monique from Yinon says yes:

the New Testament writers' vision for the afterlife is a deeply Jewish view ... lets call it a "renewed" Jewish view of HaShem's master plan for creation. Renewed by the knowledge that Mashiach has come and is in the process of returning ... and by the anticipation of partnering with HaShem in the world to come (AKA "the new heavens and the new Earth").

Examine the evidence for yourself by reading Monique's entire post. If you're still not convinced, post your questions in the comments section!

Summer reading ideas

2010-05-04T08:46:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things about the hot season is summer reading. I guess MCPL's summer reading club worked---thanks, Mom!

Anyways, if you're looking for some good Jewish fiction, check out Derek Leman's upcoming selections for JBOM:

The May selection will be The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million by Daniel Mendehlson.

The June selection will be As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg.

The July selection will be Chaim Potok’s The Promise.
The August selection will be The Last of the Just by Andre Schwarz-Bart.

I scored a sweet vintage hardback copy of Andre Schwarz-Bart's The Last of the Just on Amazon for only $4.99 plus shipping; it looks like this:

Sabbath Manifesto

2010-04-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the Sabbath Manifesto? It's a project based on the fact that our already hectic lives are becoming even more frenetic. From the Sabbath Manifesto web site:

The Sabbath Manifesto is a creative project designed to slow down lives in an increasingly hectic world.
We’ve created 10 core principles completely open for your unique interpretation. We welcome you to join us as we carve a weekly timeout into our lives.
1) Avoid technology
2) Connect with loved ones
3) Nurture your health
4) Get outside
5) Avoid commerce
6) Light candles
7) Drink wine
8) Eat bread
9) Find silence
10) Give back

Guest post: On Jewish culture

2010-04-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

The following guest post is by ronit. Enjoy!

there are two basic generalizations that can be made about messianic jews: first of all, no one seems to understand us; secondly, we don't seem to understand ourselves. the astounding number of theological differences and sub-sects found in a movement containing such a small number of people is evidence enough that each one of us has quite a handful of identity issues to grapple with. while we try to straddle what is commonly perceived as two related yet incompatible ideas or attempt to return to an ideal which has missed 2000 years of adaptation, we can sometimes feel as if we are wandering through the black cloud that would surely follow a tragic christmas tree / chanukah menorah accident. many of the confusions we face come from feeling a part of the judeo-christian spectrum, but not identifying completely with either accepted end of the scale, the opinions of those who do happen to reside on one side or the other not always being helpful.

recently, while listening to classical radio (i'm working on improving in the pretentious snob department) my ears happened to chance upon one lone recognizable piece in the usual smörgåsbord (see? i'm already improving!) of violin-this, cello-that, some kind of chic with a horned helmet and yellow braids singing, etcetera. the featured music was a version of mah oz tsur from the 18th century, and before i even realized what it was that i was listening to, my heart fluttered. somewhere buried in the depths of my psyche was a recording of that very song, originally heard on a chanukah compilation cassette tape which re-appeared in the car every winter of my childhood, and it seems that the peaceful, loving feelings that marked that period in my life travel along my synapses with it. "this is part of who i am, and a part of my heritage as a jew" i thought, awestruck at the power of peoples and cultures, of a song that can cause someone to feel a sense of belonging, and of the massive influence our early years possess.

as a young child, i felt perfectly secure in my identity as a jew and as a believer. i understood that there were people who believed in yeshua and people who did not, and then within that group there was the gentile majority and the jewish minority, each with their own customs. this basic idea still applies, but what i didn't realize was that there was yet another group of people: jews who are not believers in yeshua. i knew my family was jewish, and because of this fact we observed certain traditions and learned about certain things that my believing and non-believing gentile friends did not, but it only made sense to me that belief in yeshua was an intrinsic aspect to every jewish family's faith, and that all jewish households were like mine.

in some ways, many american jewish household were like mine, and those elements of culture carved into my brain at such a tender age have stood strong against every possible question of identity. horseradish is and will always be primarily a mental association with pesach, and only afterwards a condiment in the refrigerator. and while i can't recall a single present i opened during chanukah, images of struggling to contain myself as i anticipated the result of a spinning dreidel are rendered clear as day in my mind, and nothing fills me with the warm fuzzies like a lit chanukiah's flames against a dark, chilly night. memories of learning how to braid challah with my mother are far more easy to conjure up than that of helping her make chocolate chip cookies, especially gazing at the bread's golden sheen beneath the shabbat lights and feeling proud in having taken part in the ordeal. one of my favorite smells is that which an extinguished match emits, and every one triggers a scent memory of my mother lighting those two white candles right before she said what i thought to be a completely normal blessing, only later to find out it is seen as blasphemy.

while i enjoyed those honest years of sheltered religious innocence, i soon came to understand that in this world's reality, only with specific people were my beliefs, my family, and my very legitimacy as a jew seen as given facts, and with the rest i owed an explanation as to why it wasn't the case that i was brainwashed or that it's all an act to lure helpless secular jews into christianity's trap. for a while i felt like my critics were at least justified in their views of me, but since when is our identity reliant on others' acceptance of it? is the whole "messianic sham" what brings a tear to my eye at a recital of ha tikvah? or fills me with a sort of smug happiness when i observe the accomplishment of israel and the world's jewry, feeling pride in *my* people? or makes me feel entitled to tell a jewish joke? maybe that wasn't the best example, but the point is, i am a jew, and i will not sacrifice my heritage because some others that share it don't think i have a right to it, or because i more easily fit into the religion box without it. what exact items of religion or tradition should be practiced by us and instilled in our children is up for discussion; i have no interest in preaching to anyone about theology, but i will continue to step up onto my little soap-box and encourage any enactment of culture (with a healthy bending the rules and making our own new traditions, of course). if we make no effort at all, we will become ever less distinct, eventually blending in like every other displaced people (how many 100% irish friends of yours greatly identify with their ancestors?). what might be called the cultural aspect of my judaism is one of the most immovable elements of my makeup and it has certainly leaked into my soul, mostly because of the decisions my parents made for me before i could possibly fathom their significance. our culture is not only part of our history but an ever developing, living entity that will either thrive in careful hands which pass it intentionally to each generation, or wither away because of the neglect of our offspring's ignorance.

The day on which you just live

2010-04-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Last Friday's pre-Shabbat post was an excerpt about Shabbat being like a "practice death." In contrast (but not necessarily contradiction), Azadi from Beyond the Near suggests that Shabbat is the one day where you truly live:

I was walking to shul Friday evening. It was not yet Shabbat but I had davened Mincha already and lit my candles and consciously accepted shabbat early. I was walking down Derech Beit Lechem and all of Jerusalem smelled like honeysuckle. I love honeysuckle. I love the smell, and the flowers are beautiful, and they remind me of the happy parts of my childhood. As I passed a honeysuckle bush, I had an urge to pick one. But I couldn’t. Because it was Shabbat (for me) already and you don’t pick things on shabbat. And so I stepped back, and I looked. And it was so beautiful.
And suddenly everything was so beautiful. I stepped back and I saw a vision of the world on Shabbat… a world where you don’t touch the pictures. You don’t mess with it, you just live in it. That is what Shabbat is. It’s the day on which you just live, and you don’t touch the things that you don’t need to just live. Why touch them if they are just going to take you out of the space? Why carry your phone if it will just tempt you to try to control things? Why carry money if it will lead you to do business, or to even think about business, and worry about how much you can or cannot acquire? It is healthy, I would say even necessary, to have a day where you let go of the desire to control the world, to make marks and changes, to have an impact. Six days out of the week you have for that. One day, you can just let it go. One day you can reassess your place in the grand scheme and realize that the world won’t end if you don’t have your cellphone.

Shabbat is about acceptance. And that is rest in a very true sense.

Shavuot is coming!

2010-04-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

We're in the season of Sefirah, counting the seven weeks (i.e. 49 days) between Pesach and Shavuot. In Temple days, counting the omer would include setting aside the tithe offerings from the grain harvest. Nowadays, we mainly concentrate on prayer, giving tzedaka, and personal spiritual growth. (In some circles, people also temporarily become big fans of acapella music!)

Anyways, this may be a bit late in coming, but here are the top ten ways to remember to count the Omer. You can also sign up for the UMJC prayer campaign for daily reminders, or even download an app for your smartphone!

While you're passing the time, you might want to check out Tim Layne's recent posts at The Emergent Observer--some seasonal postings which are quite mystical:

One last note: you may be excited to know that Roman and Alaina just announced that they're working on a folk album with a projected release date of sometime this fall!

Shabbat as a 'practice death'

2010-04-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

From Dahlia Lithwick at Slate (to Judith Shulevitz, author of the recent book The Sabbath World):

Perhaps the hardest part of Sabbath is quite literally the unplugging. If we turn off the televisions and the BlackBerrys, something might happen, and we might be the only ones who didn't know about it. I wonder what you both think about the ways technology makes us feel connected to one another in ways that Sabbath once did. One of my favorite writers, Jon Kabat-Zinn, has described meditation as a sort of practice death. You get to drop out completely for a little while and discover that life tumbles by just fine without you. I have come to think of Sabbath the same way: as a practice death. Judith, you describe the seventh day as "God turning his back on us to occupy himself with something even more important to him than we are." I wonder if that is—forgive me the fanciful notion—a sort of practice death even for God?

JBOM: Open House, Jewish-style part 3

2010-04-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

Continuing from posts 1, 2, and 3:

R' Twerski also takes into account Deuteronomy 6:7a ("You shall teach [the commandments] diligently to your children"). He writes:

Rather than consider it an imposition, we should appreciate the mitzvah of tzedakah and perform it in the manner that will be educational for our children. For example, do not let the solicitor stand in the doorwar. Invite him to sit down, and offer him a cup of coffee, or a cold drink in the summer. When he leaves, escort him to the door, and wish him hatzlachah (success).

So, tip #3 (and this is our final thought on this perek--at least for now): model for your children how to be a gracious host.