STUDIES IN FEBRUARY 06!
Shabbat Shul 25th of February, Location Waldron from 1:00PM-4:00PM Parsha 18 Mishpatim 21:1-24:18 Haftarah Yirmeyahu 34:8-22, 31:31-34 Brit Chadasha Ivrim 9:15-22 This Parsha was a detailed account of the laws that regulated property and other things like relations between people in several given scenarios with judgments from Yah. The elders and the top officials also saw the Shekinah tifereth of Yah and agreed to keep the Brit that Yah proposed to them.. Some discussions of weekly event. Great meal! (special thanks to akhi Yac'ob)
Shabbat Shul 18nth of February. Location outside Nashville Olson's 1:00-5:00PM. Excellent Shul with plenty of discussion and topics. Torah Parsha 17 Yitro 18:1-20:23 Haftarah Yeshayahu 6:1-7:14 Brit Chadasha Timtheous Alef 3:1-14 read and discussed, having to do with the administration advice that Jethro gives to Moses. The group sang two songs, titled "Open my eyes that I may see," and "The Ten Commandments" arranged by the assembly of Yahweh. Challa bread was broken and passed around, and the blessing recited. After the reading, Hebrew memory drills with the children. Great dinner (special thanks to everyone who provided and prepared the food!) One discussion in particular dealt with the Passover whether or not Yahshua broke leavened bread or unleavened bread, whether he initiated the Passover on the day before general Judaism initiated it, or whether the custom of applying two days to the beginning of Passover was in force during that time. All of these questions would pertain to the bread being broken. All in all, a great Shul!
Wednesday, February 15nth, Location Toledo University Alumni Hall, Chief anti-missionary Tovia Singer Tovia Singer was welcomed to the stage by a young Jewish student. The audience was a mixed bag of unbelieving Jewish, Christian, Messianic, and Nazarene Israelite as well as perhaps some who were of no particular affiliation. Singer started his talk giving some details about his childhood and background, that he was raised orthodox , in New York, went to a prestigious Yeshiva and had his first brush with "missionaries" when he met a "Jews for Jesus" evangelist handing out tracts on the street corner. He said that after this brush with the missionaries, he did not take the advice of an old man who told him to ignore them. Rather he spent a great deal of time learning how to combat them and reverse their missionizing among his "nation.": Singer told about his radio program, his book and how he spends most of his time counseling Jews who have "converted to Christianity." The method of his learning was to use a king James bible handed to him when he was younger and read it. He relies on the Greek text to punch holes in Christianity, we inferred from his discourse. Some point made by Singer included the notion that he was not concerned with the mainstream denominations, such as the Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Anglicans, or many of the other denominations, because they were not involved in evangelism to the Jewish populations. Instead, the real missionaries were the "fundamentalist, evangelical, born again Christians," who were the most dangerous to the Jewish people because they were converting so many Jews and "bringing them to the cross of Jesus." Singer outlined what he called two simple truths that he has run into during his time acting as an anti-missionary. The first is that it is not the really educated people who are successful at converting Jewish people to the faith. Rather, it is almost always people who have no Jewish background and who are the nominal fundamentalist Christian. The second truth, as Singer sees it, is that it almost never is a professional missionary that converts people of his "nation." The irony and conundrum that unbelieving Judah finds itself in is that it is the most "dangerous" missionaries that are converting the Jewish people, that support the nation of Israel, and in particular the building of the third temple. The mainstream churches that Tovia commends for their non-interest in converting the Jewish people, are also the ones that are not sympathetic to a Jewish state, in the Kadosh land. They have gone so far as to officially boycott the state of Israel. Hence, Singer realizes that he is in a particularly hard place due to these circumstances (no doubt providentially orchestrated! - editors note) In his disdain for what he calls fundamentalist, bible believing, born again Christians, Tovia goes so far as to say that even Islam is not as much as a threat than them! (a peculiar hypocrisy! - editors note) As the talk went on, it shifted to Tovia trying to prove that Yahshua is not the Messiah and the so called Messianic leaders are shams. His rhetorical proof for this was in the question "If Yahshua is the promised Messiah, why are not the messianic Leaders in the Messianic assemblies coming out of the Jewish Yeshivas?? (inherent within this statement is the Jealousy of Judah shining through as many even in the crowd were more torah observant than Tovia, I reference the Nazarene Israelites who attended - editors note) Tovia interestingly enough acts as sort of an apologetic for Judaism and Christianity discoursing on the problem that Christianity has a bit of a "PR" problem to the Jewish people, and successful dialogue with these missionaries is almost always difficult given the differences in fundamental understanding of Elohim. The Churches also have an imagery problem , with their various icons, of which Jews take for idolatry, so Tovia says. Tovia does admit that he believes that many Christians do truly love Jews, however. Singer then said that he spends allot of time dealing exclusively with churchdom at large (he glossed over the Messianic and Nazarene Israelite movements, perhaps intentionally). Usually a good way to get an issue off the table is to marginalize, and Tovia was expert at this. He did mention rather scornfully so, regarding Messianics briefly, stating that they took all the "Jewish" holidays and gave them a Christilogical meaning. These statements were not doubt designed to inoculate the unbelieving Jews there against the Messianic understanding of the Torah. Singer's advice to a Jewish woman there, who asked how she could get her kids more involved with their faith, entailed teaching them the mitzvoth and the Torah in a family oriented setting. After the presentation, the floor was opened to discussion, with the warning that Singer would not engage in debate, but would answer all sincere questions. (Keeping in mind that Tovia's position is to suggest that if a Jew converts to faith in Yahshua, he CEASES to become a Jew, and becomes a Christian, we should consider these questions carefully - editors note) The first question, which started the question and answer period off with a bang no doubt, came from a tall gentleman in the back, who identified himself as a Jew, and a believer in Yahshua. His question, which we all thought was iron-clad, and well thought out, went like this - "Rabbi, if a Jew can believe that Bar Kochba was the Messiah, and still not lose his identity as a Jew, how come a Jew cannot believe in Yahshua as the Messiah, and still keep his identity as a Jew?" There was a light pause, -(no doubt an experienced debater like Tovia realized this would show the truth of his hypocrisy) and then Singer threw his infamous red herring into the mix, by immediately asking the questioner if he had any proof that Yahshua even existed historically as a person. This sly maneuver, took the attention off the really important question, and raised a question that was spurious and without connection to the initial question. The poor gentleman fell right into the trap and began to argue with Singer about the very existence historically of Yahshua! This red herring then was used as a springboard, by Tovia to launch several attacks at the Messianic position, of which I must say this Zealous chap did struggle to answer and defend. Singer, in the eyes of the room however, came out on top simply because of his slick maneuvering, of which, sadly, people lost the hypocrisy of his position inherent and proved in the initial question itself. From this point, Singer answered the rest of the questions, quite benign, and without any real pertinence to this age old debate. All in all, the talk was informative. I did not ask any questions, and neither did the other brothers. I usually wish to evaluate someone before engaging in a debate, of which this did give us some additional knowledge on how to address anti-missionaries such as Singer. Curiously, I wonder if Singer realizes that he is in the same seat as the counter-reformational Catholics, who realized, albeit too late, that the truth the protestant fathers were teaching was taking their parishioners away, and thus their money also. History does repeat itself. But Emet/Truth prevails, yes? Another thought I had is that Singer spends his life trying to disprove and spew venom against the very same people who are the strongest supporters of Israel as a nation! Surely these efforts will fail as well within greater Judaism, as their very existence as Israel the state totters even more precariously every day. Will Singer wake up to the truth of Yahshua? We certainly hope and pray so!.
Shabbat Shul on the 11nth of Feruary, Location Jackson 1:00-5:00PM Torah Parsha 16 B’shallach 13:17-17:16 Haftarah Shophtim 4:4-5:31 Brit Chadasha Gilyahna 15:1-8 A very active and spirited Shul , enjoyed by all with several discussions and topics of interest explored by the group. One of the topics was the Red Sea crossing and escape of Bnai Israel, that YHWH wrought through Moshe his servant. A question of whether Pharaoh actually died in the deluge, was brought up. Someone quoted "Ps:136:15: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever," as a text proving that Pharaoh actually did die with all of his army. The Michael Rood video on the red Sea crossing was mentioned where the gold wheel presumed to be Pharaohs chariot wheel was filmed. Chariots were discussed as pertains their use by Israelite kings. and the question of their legitimacy discussed. After Pharaoh died, a great power vacuum must have been realized, and discussions revolved around who might have filled that Vacuum , perhaps the Hyksos albeit some suggested these came after the good Pharaoh that Joseph sat under died, or whether they came in after the bad Pharaoh died in the Red Sea. The burial of Josephs bones was intertwined in conversation , and Jasher accounts came up. Parsha discussions of Shemoth 15:27 "And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters." The apparent symbolism here might be summarized as the 70 nations all feeding off of the living waters taught by the 12 tribes of Israel, a nation of priests. Some talk of the Manna, that fell from Heaven, and how they were to gather it six days, and on the seventh they ate the double gathering they got on the sixth. A parallel was drawn on the seven years of agricultural labors, being six days to till and reap, and the seventh is considered a land Shabbat. The sixth year before the Shabbat is said to be so fruitful that there will be enough for 2 years beyond. An Excellent dinner of BBQ beef and many different tasty fixings was served (special thanks to sister Colleen for her excellent food preps!) and fellowship ensued.
Shabbat Shul on the 4rth of February, Location Waldron 1:00-5:00PM Torah Parsha 15 Bo 10:1-13:16 Haftarah Yirmeyahu 46:13-28 Brit Chadasha Gilyahna 19:1-16 The discussions at this Shul were not relegated to the Portion itself but varied widely. Gog and Magog came up in the beginning and there was some question on the timing of this great prophesied battle to occur in the earth. Some felt that the battle was to occur after the battle of Armageddon, which was a different viewpoint on what some of the rest of us had assumed. The very question of who Gog and Magog is also came into question, as some felt that it was the United States possibly, which the cabbalists feel it is, or the more traditional ideas that Russia or China will be the ones who fulfill the prophecy of Gog and Magog. Other discussions revolved around the timing of Messiah's decent into the center of the earth, and just when he arose. Another discussion developed over the question of community, and how we might go about arranging such a community someday. The Portion yielded a question on the Passover, whether or not the first Passover was preceded by a circumcision or not. It also appears that the Passover was not done all throughout the wilderness wanderings as previously supposed by some of us. The act of DOING was the first step to binding on our hands, and putting before our minds, as frontlets, and teaching the truth to others as we master it. Some anecdotal stories were related about a Mezuzah experience. A final note on the possibility that the writing on the Messiah's thigh, in revelations 19:16 could possibly be translated as Banner and that the dripped in blood could refer to Techellet, in a royal purple color. Excellent Shul in all, with a great dinner (special thanks to akhi Yac'ob)