Marlena's Musings

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2011-09-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

An Israeli algorithm sheds light on the Bible

2011-07-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

    JERUSALEM (AP) — Software developed by an Israeli team is giving intriguing new hints about what researchers believe to be the multiple hands that wrote the Bible.

The new software analyzes style and word choices to distinguish parts of a single text written by different authors, and when applied to the Bible its algorithm teased out distinct writerly voices in the holy book.

The program, part of a sub-field of artificial intelligence studies known as authorship attribution, has a range of potential applications — from helping law enforcement to developing new computer programs for writers. But the Bible provided a tempting test case for the algorithm's creators.
For millions of Jews and Christians, it's a tenet of their faith that God is the author of the core text of the Hebrew Bible — the Torah, also known as the Pentateuch or the Five Books of Moses. But since the advent of modern biblical scholarship, academic researchers have believed the text was written by a number of different authors whose work could be identified by seemingly different ideological agendas and linguistic styles and the different names they used for God.

Today, scholars generally split the text into two main strands. One is believed to have been written by a figure or group known as the "priestly" author, because of apparent connections to the temple priests in Jerusalem. The rest is "non-priestly." Scholars have meticulously gone over the text to ascertain which parts belong to which strand.

When the new software was run on the Pentateuch, it found the same division, separating the "priestly" and "non-priestly." It matched up with the traditional academic division at a rate of 90 percent — effectively recreating years of work by multiple scholars in minutes, said Moshe Koppel of Bar Ilan University near Tel Aviv, the computer science professor who headed the research team.
"We have thus been able to largely recapitulate several centuries of painstaking manual labor with our automated method," the Israeli team announced in a paper presented last week in Portland, Oregon, at the annual conference of the Association for Computational Linguistics. The team includes a computer science doctoral student, Navot Akiva, and a father-son duo: Nachum Dershowitz, a Tel Aviv University computer scientist, and his son, Idan Dershowitz, a Bible scholar at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

The places in which the program disagreed with accepted scholarship might prove interesting leads for scholars. The first chapter of Genesis, for example, is usually thought to have been written by the "priestly" author, but the software indicated it was not.

Similarly, the book of Isaiah is largely thought to have been written by two distinct authors, with the second author taking over after Chapter 39. The software's results agreed that the book might have two authors, but suggested the second author's section actually began six chapters earlier, in Chapter 33.

The differences "have the potential to generate fruitful discussion among scholars," said Michael Segal of Hebrew University's Bible Department, who was not involved in the project. Over the past decade, computer programs have increasingly been assisting Bible scholars in searching and comparing texts, but the novelty of the new software seems to be in its ability to take criteria developed by scholars and apply them through a technological tool more powerful in many respects than the human mind, Segal said.

   Before applying the software to the Pentateuch and other books of the Bible, the researchers first needed a more objective test to prove the algorithm could correctly distinguish one author from another.So they randomly jumbled the Hebrew Bible's books of Ezekiel and Jeremiah into one text and ran the software. It sorted the mixed-up text into its component parts "almost perfectly," the researchers announced.

The program recognizes repeated word selections, like uses of the Hebrew equivalents of "if," ''and" and "but," and notices synonyms: In some places, for example, the Bible gives the word for "staff" as "makel," while in others it uses "mateh" for the same object. The program then separates the text into strands it believes to be the work of different people. Other researchers have looked at linguistic fingerprints in less sacred texts as a way of identifying unknown writers. In the 1990s, the Vassar English professor Donald Foster famously identified the journalist Joe Klein as the anonymous author of the book "Primary Colors" by looking at minor details like punctuation.

In 2003, Koppel was part of a research team that developed software that could successfully tell, four times out of five, if the author of a text was male or female. Women, the researchers found, are far more likely to use personal pronouns like "she" and "he," while men prefer determiners like "that" and "this" — women, in other words, talk about people, while men prefer to talk about things. That success sparked debate about how gender shapes the way we think and communicate.

Research of this kind has potential applications for law enforcement, allowing authorities to catch imposters or to match anonymous texts with possible authors by identifying linguistic tics. Because the analysis can also help identify gender and age, it might also allow advertisers to better target customers.The new software might be used to investigate Shakespeare's plays and settle lingering questions of authorship or co-authorship, mused Graeme Hirst, a professor of computational linguistics at the University of Toronto. Or it could be applied to modern texts: "It would be interesting to see if in more cases we can tease apart who wrote what," Hirst said.The algorithm might also lead to the creation of a style checker for documents prepared by multiple authors or committees, helping iron out awkward style variations and creating a uniform text, Hirst suggested.

What the algorithm won't answer, say the researchers who created it, is the question of whether the Bible is human or divine. Three of the four scholars, including Koppel, are religious Jews who subscribe in some form to the belief that the Torah was dictated to Moses in its entirety by a single author: God.

For academic scholars, the existence of different stylistic threads in the Bible indicates human authorship.But the research team says in their paper they aren't addressing "how or why such distinct threads exist."

Those for whom it is a matter of faith that the Pentateuch is not a composition of multiple writers can view the distinction investigated here as that of multiple styles," they said. In other words, there's no reason why God could not write a book in different voices.
No amount of research is going to resolve that issue," said Koppel.
by Matti Friedman for AP

The Hamas - Oops, Gaza - Flotilla

2011-06-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Marlena's note:

A very dangerous event will be taking place this year. Jewish security is at stake. I urge my readers to actively pray for Israel and her safety. Numerous Middle East rulers are united in their desire to destroy the country of Israel, our only ally in that part of the world. If she is invaded and/or is forced to change her pre-1967 borders, our Western way of life will be changed forever, for the worse. There are forces at work in this world to destroy America as well. As an American, a Jew and a Mormon, I ask with passionate sincerity that my readers stand up for Israel and for American whenever and wherever possible.

"We're on the verge of another "flotilla" to Gaza.Estimates of the number of ships and participants vary from day to day, tending downward, but the erstwhile organizers insist that the maritime operation will take place.

Their spokesmen have been hyperactive in drawing attention to the event. After all, without coverage, they'd be denied their oxygen. And the kind of coverage they seek - idealistic humanists and peace activists determined to aid the poor, beleaguered residents of Gaza versus stone-hearted oppressors in military uniforms determined to block them at all costs - would, needless to say, portray Israel in the worst possible light.

The International Solidarity Movement, Free Gaza Movement, U.S. Boat to Gaza, and kindred spirits want the world to believe there is a strip of land called Gaza that, left to its own devices, would create the Shangri-La of the Middle East.

All its residents want are peace, harmony, coexistence, and tranquility. Some spokesmen acknowledge that Gaza has a governing authority. A very few even mention its name, Hamas, but hasten to add that it was elected democratically, so end of story. The rest don't give it a name, as it might muddy the waters.

The Gaza flotilla spokesmen are inverting the truth and rewriting history at will to serve their interests. And what are those interests? To prop up the Hamas regime in Gaza and delegitimize Israel. While they are entitled to their own opinions, however misguided, they are not entitled to their own facts. They cannot separate Hamas from the equation. Much as they might try, the central fact is that Hamas is key to understanding Gaza today.

Hamas is a terrorist organization. Don't take my word for it. Check with the United States and European Union, both of which have designated Hamas as a terrorist entity.

Hamas celebrates violence. It joyously speaks of jihad, martyrdom, conflict, and the ultimate destruction of Israel. It has matched its fiery rhetoric with a sustained effort to import weapons, courtesy of Iran, smugglers in the Sinai, and tunnels from the Egyptian side of the border. In recent years, literally thousands of rockets and missiles have been fired from Gaza at Israel. Why?

Israel has no claim on Gaza. To the contrary, Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Soldiers and settlers alike were pulled out by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, giving local residents the first chance ever in their history to govern themselves.

Indeed, with Israel's encouragement, a number of Jewish donors purchased Israeli greenhouses in Gaza and left them behind to help jump-start the local economy. The first reaction was to ransack them, when they could have been sources of flowers and vegetables for the local economy. Israel has an interest in a stable, peaceful, and prospering Gaza, not a gun-toting, missile-firing, jihad-preaching entity. After all, you can change a lot of things in life, but not neighbors. Israel and Gaza are destined to be neighbors for a long time to come."

by David Harris, The Jerusalem Post, June 21, 2011

How To Build a Bridge

2011-06-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

Approach Jews from the hallmarks of their belief and cultural system. If you can gain their confidence, ask them about their heritage, their customs, their holidays. Invite them to ask you questions. When referring to Jesus Christ, use Yeshua. They must hear that Yeshua is the god of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob. You will have to pray mightily that the Holy Ghost will touch your contacts to effect change, because they will discern eventually that they're being faced with a change of identity. This is a Herculean, frightening task for a Jew, but of course one that must eventually be accomplished, for we know that "every knee must bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ".

Here are some dos and don’ts and other ideas to use.

Tips for Opening Dialogues

.. Greet with a Hebrew greeting: “Shalom aleichem”. (Repeat it when you leave.) Ask for their help if you don’t know the correct pronunciation.

.. The Jewish people have been proselytized by Christians for centuries. Many are reviled by it, and they hurriedly dismiss visitors whose message, book or badge mentions Jesus Christ.

.. You might also say that you represent Yeshua, the God of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob. If they show confusion, be aware that many will think a “Church” has sent you, not the Lord (the God of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob).

.. Take a few moments to get to know your Jewish neighbor. Kibbitz (talk) with them a while; find something to compliment or comment on.

.. A Jewish person might be less intimidated if you say you are Mormon. Many Jewish people know and like LDS people.

.. If you see a mezuzah (See Glossary) on the doorpost of a Jewish family’s home, you may touch it (even say a prayer!). After all, men with the priesthood of God are truly rabbis.

.. Be guided by the Spirit. Be aware that if you give a testimony of “Jesus Christ” at the door, you may have it closed in your face. If you testify of Yeshua, your prospect will be more apt to listen.

The Value of the Doctrine and Covenants

The Doctrine and Covenants is a holy book. It has been the prime mover for many Jewish converts, including the author. It is direct revelation to a prophet of God; not a translation from some dubious source. It contains questions and answers, problems and solutions and inspired information about matters of mortal and eternal life.

Talmud is a collection of commentaries upon and insights into the Torah, or Pentateuch. Jews read Talmud for wisdom and instruction, but these commentaries are only the wisdom of sages and rabbis, and though core virtues of Mosaic Law are expressed at length, the work in general is filled with suppositions and false conclusions. Jewish converts have realized that the Doctrine and Covenants is superior to the Talmud in every way, and it has been an important element of conversion to the Church. One reason for this is that the Lord speaks to us in the first person much of the time; therefore, the book is a like a personal message from our Savior!

It is important to let your Jewish investigator know of this book so he may discover that the Doctrine and Covenants contain revelations to mankind from the only Begotten Son of God and contains only perfect doctrine. The Talmud, written by men through the centuries who at times have been inspired, cannot be compared with the proclamation that the Doctrine and Covenants is a divine and inspired collection. Jewish contacts need to be exposed to the scope of subject matter in the doctrinal “essays”. Read the revelatory and testamentary material contained therein, and realize the timeliness of these proclamations of instruction is a factor in knowing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is their true home.

Let your Jewish contact read the introductory paragraphs to the work itself, especially those relating the list of topics, as well as the testimonies of the twelve apostles.

Relevant Ideas for Sharing

If you are able to make good contact, teach to the similarities. You might begin with the 10th Article of Faith. Be aware that in many ways there is little breach between Judaism and Christianity as it was originally taught. Remember that the Savior was a Jew. In the Second Temple he read from Torah scrolls. Latter-day Saints have been given in good part the restoration of ancient Hebrew beliefs. Mention similarities in faith, reading scriptures, morality, fasting, honoring life and mitzvots (commandments, also charity), repentance, Sabbath practices, the ending of blood sacrifice with an infinite atonement. Mention that the “mercy seat” in the ancient tabernacle in the desert during the Exodus, as well as in Solomon’s and Herod’s temples, represented the atoning sacrifice that was to be given when Yeshua ministered. If you use the terms Yeshua and Jehovah instead of Jesus Christ; your contact will be more comfortable with those words.

From: A Mormon's Guide to Judaism
Marlena Tanya Muchnick with Daniel C. Baker

Story of Shavu'ot or ('os) - June 6th - June 9th, 2011

2011-05-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

Shavuot, the Feast of the Weeks, is the Jewish holiday celebrating the harvest season in Israel. Shavuot, which means "weeks", refers to the timing of the festival which is held exactly 7 weeks (50 days) after Passover. Shavuot is known also as Yom Habikkurim, or "the Day of the First Fruits", because it is the time the farmers of Israel would bring their first harvest to Jerusalem as a token of thanksgiving.Shavuot also commemorates the anniversary of the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. The book of Ruth is read on Shavuot.

Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. It is one of the three biblical pilgrimage festivals known as the shalosh regalim in Jewish tradition.

The date of Shavuot is directly linked to that of Passover. On Passover, the Jewish people were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot they were given the Law and became a nation committed to serving God. Shavuot is celebrated in Israel for one day and in the Diaspora (outside of Israel) for two days. Reform Jews celebrate only one day, even in the Diaspora. Karaite Jews and Christians believe that Shavuot always falls on a Sunday, while mainstream Jews follow the teaching of the Talmud, which holds that the holiday commences immediately after the "counting of the omer," or 50 days after Passover.
Celebrating the Day of the First Fruits

Receiving of the Torah The farmers of Israel would begin their spring harvests with the barley crop at Passover. The harvest continued for seven weeks as the other crops and fruits began to ripen. As each fruit ripened, the first of each type would not be eaten but instead the farmer would tie a ribbon around the the branch. This ribbon signified that these fruits were Bikkurim, or the first fruits.
At Shavuot the farmers would gather the Bikkurim into baskets and bring them to the city of Jerusalem where they would be eaten in the holy city. The farmers living close to Jerusalem would bring fresh fruits, while those who had to travel a long distance carried dried raisins and figs. This joyful occasion was celebrated with the music of fifes, timbres, and drums. As the pilgrims approached the city walls they were greeted by the inhabitants of the city. Sometimes the King himself would join the procession to the Temple Mount.The Bikkurim ritual is no longer practiced in present day Israel.
Chanting the Ten Commandments and reading Megilat Rut, known as the Book of Ruth in English. This biblical book tells the story of two women: a Jewish woman named Naomi and her non-Jewish daughter-in-law Ruth. Their relationship was so strong that when Ruth’s husband died she decided to join the Jewish people by converting to Judaism. The Book of Ruth is read during Shavuot because it takes place during the harvest season and because Ruth’s conversion is thought to reflect our acceptance of the Torah on Shavuot. Also, Jewish tradition teaches that King David (Ruth’s great-great-grandson) was born and died on Shavuot.

Decorating our synagogues and homes with roses or aromatic spices. This custom is based on midrashim that connect the events at Sinai to spices and roses.

The Foods of Shavuot

Jewish holidays often have some food-related component and Shavuot is no different. According to tradition we should eat dairy foods such as cheese, cheesecake and milk on Shavuot. No one knows where this custom comes from but some think it is related to Shir HaShirim (The Song of Songs). One line of this poem reads "Honey and milk are under your tongue." Many believe that this line is comparing the Torah to the sweetness of milk and honey. In some European cities children are introduced to Torah study on Shavuot and are given honey cakes with passages from the Torah written on them.

Netanyahu's Speech in Congress and the Politics of Clapping

2011-05-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Link to Binyamin Netanyahu speech to Congress, May 24th, 2011:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-05-24-netanyahu-israel-iran_n.htm

Uri Friedman Uri Friedman – Tue May 24, 3:28 pm ET

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined his vision for peace with the Palestinians this afternoon in a rare address to a joint session of Congress, days after President Obama floated a peace proposal in which the borders of Israel and Palestine would be based on a modified version of the boundaries that existed before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Netanyahu claimed he was willing to make "painful compromises" and "give up parts of the ancestral Jewish homeland" to broker a two-state solution but once again said he considers the pre-1967 lines "indefensible" for Israel.

For the people who measure these things this way, the affection for Netanyahu in the chamber was clear: the Israeli prime minister received 29 standing ovations from Congress during his address; at President Obama's last State of the Union he got 25. (In fact, Al Jazeera initially tweeted the speech with the hashtag #AIPAC"--the pro-Israel lobby Netanyahu addressed last night--before changing it to #US Congress. The mistake, we imagine, was inadvertent, but analysts could still have a field day with that one). Al Jazeera's Dima Khatib, for example, writes that Netanyahu would never receive 20 standing ovations in the Israeli parliament, adding that "US congressmen are so excited about Netanyahu's speech that they clap at almost every paragraph, like Arab parliaments do to Arab leaders!"

But aside from the politics of clapping, what exactly is in Netanyahu's proposal? The Israeli prime minister called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to accept a Jewish state and "tear up" the reconciliation deal Abbas's Fatah faction recently signed with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, since, as Netanyahu put it, Hamas is bent on Israel destruction. Netanyahu demanded that any Palestinian state be demilitarized, that Israel retain areas in the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv suburbs and maintain a military presence along the Jordan river, that Jerusalem remain the undivided "capital of Israel," and that Palestinian refugees not be permitted to return to Israel. Analysis of Netanyahu's address is going in several different directions.
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WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, broadly laying out the Israeli response to President Obama’s peace proposals, called on the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, on Tuesday to accept what Mr. Netanyahu framed as a tenet: that Palestinians will not get a right of return to Israel. In so doing, he made clear that he was giving no ground on the major stumbling blocks to a peace agreement.

“I stood before my people and said that I will accept a Palestinian state; it’s time for President Abbas to stand up before his people and say, ‘I will accept a Jewish state,’ ” Mr. Netanyahu said to cheers from a hugely friendly crowd of Democratic and Republican lawmakers gathered in the House chamber of the Capitol.

“Those six words will change history,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “With those six words, the Israeli people will be prepared to make a far-reaching compromise. I will be prepared to make a far-reaching compromise.”
New York Times online
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Israel-Palestinian Conflict and History

2011-05-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

There is a fundamental argument that must be dealt with. At the bottom of all the Arab rhetoric demanding that Israel withdraw from Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Jerusalem, lies one basic claim: "You are intruders. This is our land. We had been living here for centuries and then you decided to take it from us."

To learn more, check out www.mideastweb.org/nutshell.htm, www.markhumprys.com/israel.conflict.html

The Six-Day War - 1967
A brief summary of the campaign: Following the short Suez War of 1956 between Israel and Egypt resolved nothing, and only set the stage for a future war between the Jewish nation and its Arab neighbors. In the 1956 war, Israeli forces fairly easily defeated the Egypian military and occupied the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip, only to give it back to Egyptian control in the ceace-fire agreement. In the years after 1956, Egypt and the other Arab powers, Syria and Iraq, more closely became aligned with the Soviet Union, which supplied them with large amounts of modern military weaponry and Soviet advisors and trainers. Likewise, Israel moved closer to the United States in those years, to the point where the Arab- Israeli Conflict became a part of the larger and very dangerous Cold War between the U.S. and its allies on one side, and the Soviets and their allies and satellites on the other side.

As the underlying tensions between the Arab nations and Israel remained unchanged since the First Arab-Israeli War of 1948-1949, the outbreak of a third major war was expected. The introduction of the American-Soviet competition and arms sales in the region only accelerated the likelihood of a Middle Eastern war evolving into a Cold War confrontation. the immediate cause of war in 1967 came out of Egypt's decision to expel United Nations (UN) troops from the Sinai peninsula and blockade Israel's port of Eilat. The UN forces were intended to form a buffer between the border separating Israel and Egypt, and their expulsion led the Israeli government to fear an imminent attack by Egypt.

It should be pointed out that ever since the start of the first war in 1948, Israel had existed in a continued legal state of war with all of its Arab neighbors, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The first two wars were ended with cease-fires, but with no lasting peace, not unlike the concusion of the 1950-1953 Korean War, in which an armistice ended the fighting, but did not bring a legal end to war. Thus, when the military forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, as well as Iraq, began to mobilize and make obvious preparations for war, Israel felt forced to act in self-defence.

In May 1967, Egypt and Syria took a number of steps which led Israel to believe that an Arab attack was imminent. On May 16, Nasser ordered a withdrawal of the United Nations Emergency Forces (UNEF) stationed on the Egyptian-Israeli border, thus removing the international buffer between Egypt and Israel which had existed since 1957. On May 22, Egypt announced a blockade of all goods bound to and from Israel through the Straits of Tiran. Israel had held since 1957 that another Egyptian blockade of the Tiran Straits would justify Israeli military action to maintain free access to the port of Eilat. Syria increased border clashes with Israel along the Golan Heights and mobilized its troops.

The U.S. feared a major Arab-Israeli and superpower confrontation and asked Israel to delay military action pending a diplomatic resolution of the crisis. On May 23, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson publicly reaffirmed that the Gulf of Aqaba was an international waterway and declared that a blockade of Israeli shipping was illegal. In accordance with U.S. wishes, the Israeli cabinet voted five days later to withhold military action.

The U.S., however, gained little support in the international community for its idea of a maritime force that would compel Egypt to open the waterway and it abandoned its diplomatic efforts in this regard. On May 30, President Nasser and King Hussein signed a mutual defense pact, followed on June 4 by a defense pact between Cairo and Baghdad. Also that week, Arab states began mobilizing their troops. Against this backdrop, Nasser and other Egyptian leaders intensified their anti-Israel rhetoric and repeatedly called for a war of total destruction against Israel.

Arab mobilization compelled Israel to mobilize its troops, 80 percent of which were reserve civilians. Israel feared slow economic strangulation because long-term mobilization of such a majority of the society meant that the Israeli economy and polity would be brought to a virtual standstill. Militarily, Israeli leaders feared the consequences of absorbing an Arab first strike against its civilian population, many of whom lived only miles from Arab-controlled territory. Incendiary Arab rhetoric threatening Israel's annihilation terrified Israeli society and contributed to the pressures to go to war.

Against this background, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against Egypt on June 5, 1967 and captured the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip. along with coordinated air strikes that effectively destroyed the air forces of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq on the ground.Despite an Israeli appeal to Jordan to stay out of the conflict, Jordan attacked Israel and lost control of the West Bank and the eastern sector of Jerusalem. Israel went on to capture the Golan Heights from Syria. The war ended on June 10.

To ask Israel to return to the 1967 border designations with the Palestinians - to return the 12 mile waste area of the West Bank, as President Obama has today demanded in his speech to the nation, is a dangerous idea. One can assume the realigned borders would remain secure, but that is the dream - not the reality. To assume the Palestinians will drop their arms, love Israel and stop wanting to overtake it, is folly. They hate the Jews. They will cross their borders, bomb their Jewish neighbors and murder will become a daily occurrence. With modern warfare, Israel would not stand a chance of survival.

With a border change such as Obama calls for, Old Jerusalem would become off limits to Jews - and to all visitors - the Temple Mount and Wailing Wall, the Garden Tomb of Jesus, the Dome of the Rock, and much more, all will pass into Palestinian hands if Israel has to realign its borders as they were in 1967, after the Six Day war. This is a bad idea that will affect the Western way of life, and impair seriously the relationship between Israel and America. Let us pray that Heavenly Father will protect the land of Israel that it does not perish. Marlena

East Jerusalem showing Jerusalem's Old City and some of the holiest sites of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, such as the Temple Mount, Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Our Right to the Land of Israel

There is a fundamental argument that must be dealt with. At the bottom of all the Arab rhetoric lies one basic claim: "You are intruders. This is our land. We had been living here for centuries and then you decided to take it from us."
Once it is established that the Jews have a valid right to the Land of Israel, then the violence, hatred, and disregard for life that has characterized the Arab position can be judged for what it is. Unless that right is established, the Arabs will always claim that they have a valid goal: reclaiming a land that is rightfully theirs. And once validity is granted to their goal, the debate whether all means are acceptable to attain it or not is one of philosophy.
What is our claim to the land? -Gd's promise in the Torah. God told Abraham: "I have given this land to your descendants." For one-and-a- half thousand years the Land of Israel was our home, and ever since then, Jews everywhere have longed to come home to their eternal heritage - to Jerusalem, the site of the Holy Temple; to Hebron, the burial place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and to Bethlehem, where Rachel weeps for her dispersed children and awaits their return. Even throughout the two thousand years during which our people wandered from country to country, Israel has remained the national home of every Jew. From the beginning of the exile until this day, no matter how farflung his current host country might be, every Jew has turned to face the Holy Land in his thrice-daily prayers

The Holy Land, whose boundaries were prescribed by the Holy One, blessed be He, in His holy Torah, was granted to the nation of Israel, the eternal people. Any sacrifice of the Holy Land that was granted to us by God is of absolutely no validity.This explanation is, moreover, the only rationale that cannot be refuted by the Arabs or the Americans. They also accept the Bible and believe in the truth of its prophecies. The Koran does not dispute the Jews' right to the Land of Israel. And can you conceive of an American president telling his people that Gd's promise to Abraham is not relevant? Indeed, the connection between the land and our people is so well established that everywhere it is referred to as "the Land of Israel."
For this reason, it is important to emphasize that this connection is rooted in the Bible's prophecies. It would not be desirable to base our claim to the Land of Israel on the Balfour Declaration or international agreements of the present century, for these agreements could be countermanded by other ones. After all, how favorable is the United Nations to Israel today?
Nor is the fact that our people once lived in the land sufficient in and of itself to establish our claim to it today. If the American Indians would lodge a claim to all of America, would it be granted them?
When the Bible's prophecies serve as the basis for our claim, then many other arguments are effective in reinforcing the position. But when that foundation is lacking, we have difficulty refuting the gentiles' claim: "You are robbers, because you took by force the lands of the... nations."
After thousands of years of exile, our people have returned to our land. Every portion of the land over which Jewish authority is exercised was won in defensive wars in which Gd showed overt miracles. Now when Gd grants His people land in such ways, should it be returned? Is it proper to spurn a Divine gift?
www.truepeace.org

"Aftermath" of Obama Speech re Israel and 1967 Boundaries

2011-05-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

In response to President Obama's speech today demanding that Israel give up the West Bank, we publish former Massachusetts' Governor Mitt Romney's reply. See the accompanying article explaining the issue.

Romney: Obama 'threw Israel under the bus'

Republicans looking to unseat President Barack Obama charged Thursday that he undermined the sensitive and delicate negotiations for Middle East peace with his outline for resumed talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said Obama, whom he served as U.S. ambassador to China until last month, undercut an opportunity for Israelis and Palestinians to build trust. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Obama "threw Israel under the bus" and handed the Palestinians a victory even before negotiations between the parties could resume. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called it "the most dangerous speech ever made by an American president for the survival of Israel."

Foreign policy has hardly been the center of the debate among the still-forming GOP presidential field. Instead, the candidates and potential candidates have kept their focus — like the country's — on domestic issues that are weighing on voters and their pocketbooks. Obama's speech provided one of the first opportunities for Republicans to assert their foreign policy differences with Obama and his Democratic administration.

Obama endorsed Palestinians' demands for the borders of its future state based on 1967 borders — before the Six Day War in which Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. That was a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy.

Campaigning here in the state that hosts the first presidential nominating primary, Huntsman also said the United States should respect Israel and work to foster trust between Israelis and Palestinians.

"If we respect and recognize Israel as the ally that it is, we probably ought to listen to what they think is best," said Huntsman, who served in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush before surprising his party and serving Obama, a Democrat.

He acknowledged he didn't watch Obama's speech and was reacting to news coverage — or, as he called it, "the aftermath."
"It is disrespectful of Israel for America to dictate negotiating terms to our ally," Romney said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It is not appropriate for the president to dictate the terms."
Associated Press - May 19

Review: Benite’s The Ten Lost Tribes

2011-05-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Nine tenths of those who come into this Church are the pure blood of Israel, the greater portion being purely of the blood of Ephraim. He was the first-born, and the first blessing of old Jacob was upon Ephraim. Joseph was a saviour to the house of his father, and will be to the whole house of Israel in the last days. We are Israel, we are already a portion of that venerable house. . . . You will never see a man called to preside in the Priesthood of God on the earth who is not purely of the blood of Abraham. –Brigham Young.

Mormon Israelism is peculiar, both in regards to the indigenous population of the American continents as well as to persistent beliefs, readily observed in the patriarchal blessings of each member, that most members are descendants of and heirs to the ten lost tribes of Israel. It is consequently no surprise that Mormonism figures prominently in Zvi Ben-Dor Benite’s recent world history of the ten tribes. However, Benite fundamentally miscomprehends Mormonism in relation to his subject.

Benite’s stated task is a world history, tracing the ten tribes across time and place, from the kernels of historicity to the most developed modern myths and beliefs. Overall, he succeeds in communicating that history. The story of the tribes is vast, spanning millennia of cultural evolution and exchange. After introducing his volume, Benite begins with the foundational narrative of the Bible, which describes the political division of Israel and Judah, followed by Assyria’s subsequent defeat and depopulation of Northern Israel. Importantly, Benite uses extant Assyrian records and up-to-date scholarship to contextualize not only the actual events but the consumption of their interpretation within the self-reinforcing framework of contemporary Assyrian propaganda. This framework then expands as the known world expands from the Persian and Islamic spheres of influence and then to the New World.

The significance of the ten tribes to various religions and their spiritualization is also a key theme throughout the work. Perhaps due to the popularity of authors such as Margaret Barker, the idea of Josiah’s reformation with its crafty Deuteronomists may not be as unpalatable to Mormons as it might have been just a few years ago. Benite shows just how such reformations transformed the lost ten tribes into a spiritual (and political) force. The lost tribes as a contiguous people, however, do not really exist until after the Jewish Bible. “The rudiments of a tale about the loss of an Israelite group were encoded in the biblical era,” writes Benite, “but the emergence of a distinct entity known as ‘the lost tribes’ or the ‘ten tribes’ is a legacy of the postbiblical period, and it is only then that the ten tribes come into being as a distinct collective category within ‘the people of Israel’ and are assigned a distinct place within world geography and a role in world history” (58). Perhaps the most significant development in the history of the tribes was the creation of the book of 2 Esdras, a pseudepigraphal work, which, building upon other apocrypha, elucidated the theology and geography of the tribes.

Through reinterpretation, rabbinic and other, the tribes chose exile for purity’s sake and became a powerful people. Midrashic sources describe their return, from across a sabbatic river and from deep within the earth. The history is punctuated with pivotal appearances by characters, frauds–pious or not–that expanded the myth and for some, gave it concrete reality. The current state of Israel naturalizes the Falasha (Jewish Ethopians) based on the association of Ethopia with the tribe of Dan by Eldad ha-Dani, one such ninth-century trickster.

Christian interest in the ten tribes is of rather late vintage. It was not until the second millennium C.E. that Christians engaged the tribes, exchanging knowledge with Jews, with each crafting narratives favorable to their own perspectives. Christians associated the tribe with the myth of Prester John. Benite shows how, with the expanding world, both Protestants and Catholics sought for the ten tribes, first on the borders of the Old World, then in the Canary Islands, and then in the New World. The belief that native peoples in the American continents were the lost tribes was common well into the nineteenth century. Benite also addresses the origins of British Israelism, another important context for Mormonism (see here).

Benite’s unfamiliarity with Mormonism, however, is betrayed by casual mistakes: referring to the Church as “the Mormon Church of the Latter-day Saints” (187) and dating the Kirtland Temple theophany to 1831 (186). He relied heavily on R. Clayton Brough’s The Lost Tribes for the bulk of his Mormon sources. This volume, while somewhat useful, is dated and historiographical flawed. Benite frames the tribes in a theology of loss (14–22) which the author rightly recognizes as being reflected in Mormonism (185 & 198). The garden of Eden, Zion (both ancient and modern), and Israel were all just beyond the reach of early Mormons and served as archetypes for the Restoration. However, Benite does not see this broader resonance and is not clear in his explication of the Book of Mormon, framing it as an attempt to save the history of the ten lost tribes and their American landing from science, which was beginning to dismantle such theories:

As revelations, Mormon claims are immune to any scientific challenge—not the case with the Jewish Indian theory, which relied on ethnographic findings. Nevertheless, scientific challenges to Mormonism have been an integral part of its history since its inception. And for its part, Mormon science is interested in proving the correlation between the various nations mentioned in the Book of Mormon and, for instance, the mound builders. (187)

Though many nineteenth-century authors such as Ethan Smith asserted an American geography for the ten tribes, the Book of Mormon does not. The bulk of its narrative revolves around Hebrews which traveled to America before the Babylonian captivity. True, the Book of Mormon incorporates the history of similar refugees led by God from before the Assyrian deportation and after the tower of Babel, but all the characters of the Book are outside of the lost tribes.
Furthermore, as evidenced in the opening quotation of this review, Mormons not only saw Hebrews in Native Americans, but also in themselves. Benite acknowledged early Mormon discourse regarding Zion and Israel, but he failed to see the prominent and intense belief that Mormons are literally descendants of the lost tribes. Related to British Israelism, early Mormons generally viewed the tribes as assimilated in the cultures of the world. Their descendants were indistinguishable from the unmixed populations except by their reaction to the gospel. Two years after the organization of the Church, the Evening and Morning Star printed “The Ten Tribes,” an article, which delineated the early Mormon view, based on tradition but also heavily influenced by the Book of Mormon’s allegory of the olive tree (Jacob 5), that God scattered the tribes all over the world.

Joseph Smith and other early Mormons did appear to believe in the traditional eschatological return of the remnant tribes from “the northern countries,” but it is not until the early and middle twentieth century that Mormon leaders invested more heavily in the myth, with many believing in supernaturally obscured intact tribes. By J. Stapley
Search this interesting blogsite: www.bycommonconsent.com A 2010 article

Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) May 1-2, 2011

2011-05-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

It has been over 60 years since the Holocaust. To survivors, the Holocaust remains real and ever-present, but for some others, sixty years makes the Holocaust seem part of ancient history. Year-round we try to teach and inform others about the horrors of the Holocaust. We confront the questions of what happened? How did it happen? How could it happen? Could it happen again? We attempt to fight against ignorance with education and against disbelief with proof.

But there is one day in the year when we make a special effort to remember (Zachor). Upon this one day, we remember those that suffered, those that fought, and those that died. Six million Jews were murdered. Many families were completely decimated.

Jewish history is long and filled with many stories of slavery and freedom, sorrow and joy, persecution and redemption. For Jews, their history, their family, and their relationship with God have shaped their religion and their identity. The Hebrew calendar is filled with varied holidays that incorporate and reiterate the history and tradition of the Jewish people.
After the horrors of the Holocaust, Jews wanted a day to memorialize this tragedy. But what day? The Holocaust spanned years with suffering and death spread throughout these years of terror. No one day stood out as representative of this destruction.
So various days were suggested.

The tenth of Tevet was proffered. This day is Asarah B'Tevet and marks the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem. But this day holds no direct relation or tie to the Holocaust.
The Zionists in Israel, many of whom had fought in the ghettos or as partisans, wanted to commemorate the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising - April 19, 1943. But this date on the Hebrew calendar is the 14th of Nissan - the day before Passover, a very important and happy holiday. Orthodox Jews objected to this date.

For two years, the date was debated. Finally, in 1950, compromises and bargaining began. The 27th of Nissan was chosen, which falls beyond Passover but within the time span of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Orthodox Jews still did not like this date because it was a day of mourning within the traditionally happy month of Nissan. As a final effort to compromise, it was decided that if the 27th of Nissan would affect Shabbat (fall on Friday or Saturday), then it would be moved. If the 27th of Nissan falls on a Friday, Holocaust Remembrance Day is moved to the preceding Thursday. If the 27th of Nissan falls on a Sunday, then Holocaust Remembrance Day is moved to the following Monday.

On April 12, 1951, the Knesset (Israel's parliament) proclaimed Yom Hashoah U'Mered HaGetaot (Holocaust and Ghetto Revolt Remembrance Day) to be the 27th of Nissan. The name later became known as Yom Hashoah Ve Hagevurah (Devastation and Heroism Day) and even later simplified to Yom Hashoah.

Since Yom Hashoah is a relatively new holiday, there are no set rules or rituals. What kind of ritual could represent the Holocaust?

There are various beliefs about what is and is not appropriate on this day - and many of them are conflicting. In general, Yom Hashoah has been observed with candlelighting, speakers, poems, prayers, and singing. Often, six candles are lighted to represent the six million. Holocaust survivors speak about their experiences or share in the readings. Some ceremonies have people read from the Book of Names for certain lengths of time in an effort to remember those that died and to give an understanding of the huge number of victims. Sometimes these ceremonies are held in a cemetery or near a Holocaust memorial.

In Israel, the Knesset made Yom Hashoah a national public holiday in 1959 and in 1961 a law was passed that closed all public entertainment on Yom Hashoah. At ten in the morning, a siren is sounded where everyone stops what they are doing, pull over in their cars, and stand in remembrance.

In whatever form you observe Yom Hashoah, the memory of the Jewish victims will live on.

Israel Independence Day - Yom Ha'atzmaut - May 15, 2011

2011-05-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

Thoughts for Israel's Independence Day

Rabbi Marc D. Angel, New York:…

Yes, Israel. This tiny country--surrounded by enemies, threatened constantly by terrorism and war, subject to an Arab economic boycott, frequently maligned by the media, torn within by ethnic and religious strife--is [tied for 8th place] among the world's happiest countries [according to a Gallup World

Given its many problems, why is Israel so happy? Why is it among the happiest, most thriving, most creative countries of the world?

I believe the answer is: the grand human spirit of the people of Israel. Israelis--in spite of many differences among themselves--recognize that they are part of an incredible, dynamic adventure. Israel is the only example in the history of humanity of an ancient nation exiled from its land, forced to live (often under horrific conditions) as a minority group scattered throughout the world--who after nearly 2000 years returned to its ancestral land, revived its ancient language, and re-established its historic culture. Israelis--and all members of the Jewish people--understand that we are living in a unique period of history. Israelis are happy not only because they are thriving intellectually, culturally, scientifically, militarily; but because they understand that their lives mean something, that they are pioneers in restoring the honor and strength of the Jewish people after centuries of powerlessness and disgrace…

Rabbi Avraham Yisrael Sylvetsky, Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav Kook:

…But we are still in the midst of the process. He "Who gathers Israel from the four corners of the world" has not yet restored our "judges as of yore", and the [resulting] "sadness and sorrow" have not yet been removed [quotes based on the 11th and 12th blessings of the Amidah prayer - ed.]. The legal establishment, our shame, is still a patchwork of British law and Turkish law, while the true justice of Torah law is abandoned by the wayside… Corruption, too, has spread in various parts of the government, where there is no Torah and the heart is not directed heavenward.

It appears that precisely this low point that we have reached is leading the Nation of Israel to recognize the need to build a new foundation of government and justice according to Torah, ‘whose ways are pleasant and whose paths are wholly peace.’ …

The State has already been established – the Jewish body is recovering from its sickness, the wounds of the Exile are healing, the limbs are getting stronger – and it is well on its way, with G-d’s help, to reaching complete health.

America and Jewish Values

2011-04-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

The United States was the first country to be created, from its inception, as a democracy. And the Bible played a major role in the process.The creation of the United States of America represented a unique event in world history. Unlike other countries where democracy evolved over a period of hundreds of years, the United States was the first country to be created, from its inception, as a democracy. And the Bible -- and Jewish values -- played a major role in this process.

Many of the earliest "pilgrims" who settled the "New England" of America in early 17th century were Puritan refugees escaping religious persecutions in Europe.Over the next century, America continued to be not only the land of opportunity for many people seeking a better life but also the land of religious tolerance. By the middle 1700's, the east coast of America was settled by a virtual "Who's Who" of Christian splinter sects from all over Europe.

Among them were:

the Puritans, whom we already know so well
the Quakers, an extremist Puritan sect who did not believe in ministers and for whom a Society of Friends meeting together was good enough to bring down the Holy Spirit
Calvinists, who early on had challenged the Catholic belief that the bread and wine became the body and blood of Jesus in the celebration of the mass
the Huguenots, or French Calvinists
the Moravians, followers of John Hus, the protestant martyr from Bohemia
the Mennonites, a Swiss sect of Anabaptists who rejected infant baptism
the Amish, the most stringent of the Mennonites

These were just some of the numerous groups who arrived in America in search of religious freedom.

Thanksgiving was initially conceived as day parallel to the Jewish Day of Atonement.The majority of the earliest settlers were, of course, Puritans. Beginning with the Mayflower, over the next twenty years, 16,000 Puritans migrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and many more settled in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Like their cousins back in England, these American Puritans strongly identified with both the historical traditions and customs of the ancient Hebrews of the Old Testament. They viewed their emigration from England as a virtual re-enactment of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. To them, England was Egypt, the king was Pharaoh, the Atlantic Ocean was the Red Sea, America was the Land of Israel, and the Indians were the ancient Canaanites. They were the new Israelites, entering into a new covenant with God in a new Promised Land. Thanksgiving -- first celebrated in 1621, a year after the Mayflower landed -- was initially conceived as day parallel to the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur; it was to be a day of fasting, introspection and prayer.

Gabriel Sivan, in The Bible and Civilization, (p. 236) observes:

No Christian community in history identified more with the People of the Book than did the early settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who believed their own lives to be a literal reenactment of the Biblical drama of the Hebrew nation. They themselves were the children of Israel; America was their Promised Land; the Atlantic Ocean their Red Sea; the Kings of England were the Egyptian pharaohs; the American Indians the Canaanites (or the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel); the pact of the Plymouth Rock was God's holy Covenant; and the ordinances by which they lived were the Divine Law. Like the Huguenots and other Protestant victims of Old World oppression, these émigré Puritans dramatized their own situation as the righteous remnant of the Church corrupted by the "Babylonian woe," and saw themselves as instruments of Divine Providence, a people chosen to build their new commonwealth on the Covenant entered into at Mount Sinai.

In England, the Puritan identification with the Bible was so strong that some Puritan extremists sought to replace English common law with Biblical laws of the Old Testament, but were prevented from doing so. In America, however, there was far more freedom to experiment with the use of Biblical law in the legal codes of the colonies, and this was exactly what these early colonist set out to do.

The earliest legislation of the colonies of New England was all determined by Scripture. At the first assembly of New Haven in 1639, John Davenport clearly stated the primacy of the Bible as the legal and moral foundation of the colony:Scriptures do hold forth a perfect rule for the direction and government of all men in all duties which they are to perform to God and men as well as in the government of families and commonwealth as in matters of the Church … the Word of God shall be the only rule to be attended unto in organizing the affairs of government in this plantation. (See Abraham I Katsch, The Biblical Heritage of American Democracy, p. 97)

Subsequently, the New Haven legislators adopted a legal code -- the Code of 1655 -- which contained some 79 statutes, half of which contained Biblical references, virtually all from the Hebrew Bible. The Plymouth Colony had a similar law code as did the Massachusetts assembly, which, in 1641 -- after an exhortation by Reverend John Cotton who presented the legislators with a copy of Moses, His Judicials -- adopted the so-called "Capitall Lawes of New England" based almost entirely on Mosaic law. A very significant political evolution was taking place in the New World. Unlike the Puritans in England who, of necessity, lived under English common law and were ruled by a King and Parliament, the Puritans of America had no central authority or national governing body. Yet, they did not lapse into anarchy. Instead, they created communities governed by elected councils of elders similar to the "presbyters" of England. Their communities were both stable and prosperous, with mandatory school systems modeled after the Jewish ones.

This unique political evolution goes a long way toward explaining the strong sense of independence shared by the colonies and the early success of democracy in America. The Puritans felt that God was watching them, and fear of heaven was a thousand times stronger than fear of the crown.It almost seems as if these early settlers had recreated the Biblical period of the "Judges," when, following the conquest of Jericho and settlement of Canaan, Israel had no king or central authority and "every man did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25)

What was right in Puritan eyes, of course, was what the Bible said. But what did it say exactly? So much of it could be subject to interpretation of the reader.Without the Jewish Oral Law, which helped the Jews understand the Bible, the Puritans were left to their own devices and tended toward a literal interpretation. This sometimes led to a stricter, more fundamentalist observance than Judaism had ever seen. For example, the Jewish Sabbath is a day of refraining from work as the Bible mandates. However, "work" -- in Hebrew melacha -- is defined by Jewish Oral Law as cessation of all creative activity that was in progress when the Tabernacle was being built and which, the Bible states, ceased on the Sabbath. But the Puritans took the commandment to cease work as unconditional. And their prohibitions were actually more restrictive than what the Jews had themselves practiced. Even household chores such as sweeping floors, making beds, or feeding animals were not allowed for the twenty-four hours of the day of rest. Adherence was enforced by fines and public floggings...

by Rabbi Ken Spiro

http://www.aish.com/

Jewish Culture and the Yiddish Language

2011-04-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

For over a thousand years, the Yiddish language has been a central part of the identity of Jewish people throughout the world. Though this fascinating language has sometimes been derided by would-be oppressors as a “mongrel” tongue, in truth it is an amazing synthesis reflecting the rich cultural history and diversity of the Jewish people and has an especially deep connection to literature and theater. This article discusses the history of the Yiddish language, its use today, and its literary and theatrical works – there are even some sayings with common Yiddish words you can use yourself!
History of the Yiddish Language

Yiddish is a language traditionally spoken by the community of Ashkenazi Jews. Today, this generally refers to Jewish people in eastern European countries. However, both the Ashkenazi Jewish community and the Yiddish language have a common origin along the banks of the Rhine River in Germany. Yiddish first developed among Jewish immigrants from France and Italy who settled on the Rhine. Their common language had Germanic, Latin, Hebrew, and other elements. In the 1200s, Jewish families began to migrate eastward and the Yiddish language was exposed to Slavic influence. With time, the eastern forms of Yiddish spoken in Poland rose in importance and overtook the Yiddish of western Europe. Sadly, the horrific purges of Jews in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia led to a decline in the use of Yiddish, claiming the lives of many millions of its speakers.

What is Yiddish?: Brief overview of Yiddish along with a great number of further Internet resources related to the Yiddish language.
Facts about Yiddish

Yiddish is still spoken in Jewish communities. It has remained important in providing common identity for Jewish people as it is considered appropriate for conversational and artistic use – in contrast to Hebrew, which was traditionally used mainly for religious and scholarly purposes. Today there are few who speak Yiddish as their main or only language, but it is still found in its ancestral homes in eastern Europe, such as Poland, Lithuania, and the former Soviet Union.

Though the official language of modern Israel is Hebrew, the Yiddish language is also spoken there and greatly influences the theater. Yiddish is commonly heard in orthodox Jewish communities and among orthodox Jewish students of religion. In the U.S., the “capital” of Yiddish is New York City. Throughout the world, two to four million people speak Yiddish, including about 250,000 in the United States. The language is quickly gaining popularity as a topic of study for linguists who wish to investigate its ties to German and by cultural historians who consider it important to the arts, literature, and modern history.

Some of the nicer Yiddish expressions. Do your best to pronounce:

A bisel - A little

A biseleh - A very little

A farshlepteh krenk - A chronic ailment

A gezunt ahf dein kop! - Good health to you (lit., Good health on your head)

A klog iz mir! - Woe is me!

A shtik naches - A great joy

Farklempt - Too emotional to talk. Ready to cry. (See "Verklempt)

Gelt gait tzu gelt. - Money goes to money

In a noveneh - For a change; once in a blue moon

Goy - Any person who is not Jewish

Goyeh - Gentile woman

Got tsu danken - Thank G-d

Gantseh Macher - "Big shot."

Ess gezunterhait - Eat in good health

Es tut mir bahng. - I'm sorry. (Lit., It sorrows me)

Es tut mir vai - It hurts me.

Es vert mir finster in di oygen. - This is a response to receiving extremely upsetting information or news. (Lit., It's getting dark in my eyes.)

Abi gezunt! - As long as you're healthy!

Er hot nit zorg. - He hasn't got a worry.

A leben ahf dir! - You should live! And be well!

A mentsh tracht und Gott lacht - A person plans and God laughs.

Vai! -Woe, pain; usually appears as "oy vai!"

Vos vet zein, vet zein! - What will be, will be!

Defense Department

2011-04-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hannah Rosenthal, the State Department’s anti-Semitism envoy, must defend Israel from delegitimization while confronting a growing wave of anti-Jewish rhetoric among European elites

By Marc Tracy

Anti-Semitism is alive and well in Europe, in some countries, particularly among elites, U.S. State Department official Hannah Rosenthal told Tablet Magazine on Monday. Rosenthal, the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, said that Holocaust denial is a growing phenomenon around the world and that anti-Semitism “is increasing on every continent.” She reserved particularly harsh criticism for the rise of neo-Nazi and anti-immigrant parties throughout Europe and the delegitimizing criticism of Israel in Western countries like Spain.
Rosenthal also condemned state-sponsored anti-Semitism in the Muslim world, citing by name Sheikh Yussuf al-Qaradawi, a popular television personality and spiritual adviser to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. She accused Qaradawi of whipping up genocidal fervor against the Jews in the Middle East, pointing to his appearances on Al Jazeera in which, she said, he “calls for a new Holocaust, Allah willing, let us be the perpetrators to finish the job.”

Rosenthal spoke to Tablet Magazine at the State Department in Washington following a lecture on the Eichmann trial by the Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt, whose The Eichmann Trial was released by Nextbook Press March 15. The event was attended by nearly 200 State staffers, guests, and diplomats, including representatives from Turkey, Morocco, Lithuania, and Israel.

Rosenthal had much to say on the Middle East, from Saudi textbooks (“They’re still teaching children that Jews and Christians are children of apes and pigs”) to Iranian human rights abuses. She also accused the United Nations of a “complete obsession with Israel.” However—as in November 2009, when she first took the State Department job—Rosenthal seemed most passionate about anti-Semitism in its historic breeding ground and the site of its greatest crime: Europe. “I have been amazed—almost paralyzed—by the degree to which I hear anti-Semitic statements like blood libel in Spain, or blood libel morphing—instead of Jews killing Christian children to use their blood for baking matzoh, Jews kidnapping children to steal their organs—in Ukraine, or Sweden,” she said.

Read rest of article:

http://www.tabletmag.com/news-and-politics/64960/defense-department/

The Alphabetic Verses (of the Old Testament)

2011-04-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

The Alphabetic Verses are passages of the Old Testament that were designed explicitly upon the pattern of the Hebrew alphabet. They include several Psalms, most of Lamentations, and the last twenty-two verses of Proverbs. The complete set is listed in the table below. Each verse begins with an Alphabetic KeyWord that starts with the corresponding Hebrew letter. These KeyWords are essential to the study of the Bible Wheel because they establish the meanings of the letters which are profoundly correlated with the content of the books on the corresponding Spokes. Particularly stunning examples are found in the Alphabatic KeyLinks in which the content of an Alphabetic Verse is found only on its corresponding Spoke and nowhere else (see the Table of Alphabetic Links).

Psalm 119 is the most prominent and well-known of the alphabetically structured passages. It consists of twenty-two stanzas, each having eight verses that begin with the same Hebrew letter for a total of 176 (= 8 x 22) verses. The first eight verses each begin with an Aleph KeyWord, the next eight with a Bet KeyWord, the next eight with a Gimel KeyWord, and so forth. Its alphabetic structure is transparent in many Bibles such as the King James Version which prints the name and form of the corresponding Hebrew letter above each eightfold stanza. The digital photograph shows the first nine verses of Psalm 119 as found in my personal copy of the King James Bible. See Chapter 7 of the Bible Wheel book for a further explanation of the Hebrew alphabet, the meaning of the letters, and how they are connected with the Bible Wheel.

LAMENTATIONS

Chapter 1: 22 verses, one for each letter in the standard alphabetic order from Aleph to Tav.
Chapter 2: 22 verses, one for each letter. This chapter introduces the curious variation that the order of Ayin and Pey is reversed. This same interchange appears also in Chapters 3 and 4.
Chapter 3: 66 verses, three consecutive verses for each letter from Aleph to Tav
Chapter 4: 22 verses, one for each letter from Aleph to Tav.
Chapter 5: 22 verses, but they are not written alphabetically.

PROVERBS 31:10-31:

22 Verses, one for each letter in the standard alphabetic order from Aleph to Tav.

ALPHABETIC PSALMS:

Psalms 9 & 10: 39 verses: These two Psalms were composed together. The first runs from Aleph to Kaph, the second from Lamed to Tav. It follows a skip pattern with a KeyWord in every other verse. There are a few variations from the expected pattern, such as the missing Dalet and Quph verses.
Psalm 25: 22 verses. The KJV versification gets out of line with the Alphabet at verse 5, which includes the Hey and Vav verses in one. Tav therefore appears in verse 21. Also, there are two consecutive verses corresponding to Resh, one of which fills the space usually occupied by Quph. This Psalm ends in verse 22 with an appended verse beginning with the Pey KeyWord hdeP] (p'dey, redeem) which is used in one of the Pey verses of Psalm 119. It also is appended to Psalm 34.
Psalm 34: 22 verses. This Psalm follows the standard order with the exception that the verse corresponding to Vav is missing, so correlation between the verse numbers and the letters is off by one after verse 5. For example, the Tav verse is AV Ps 34:21 rather than the expected 22. This Psalm ends in verse 22 with an appended Pey KeyWord hdeP] (p'dey, redeem) which is also appended to Psalm 25.
Psalm 37: 40 verses. Most of this Psalm follows a skip pattern with every other verse corresponding to a Hebrew Letter. The first verse starts with Aleph, the third with Bet, the fifth with Gimel and the seventh with Dalet. If this pattern were followed throughout, there would be 44 (= 2 x 22) verses. But the pattern breaks down in a few places where there is no verse separating the sequential Letters. This first happens with Hey appearing in verse 8 immediately after Dalet in verse 7. But then the original plan begins again, with Vav in verse 10, Zayin in verse 12, Chet in verse 14, and so forth until we come to Kaph in verse 20. These variations are easy to follow and the corresponding KeyWords are clearly discerned.
Psalm 111: 10 verses. The whole Alphabet is represented in standard order from Aleph to Tav. The first 8 verses each have two clauses beginning with consecutive Letters and the last 2 verses have three clauses, so the 10 (= 8 + 2) verses represent all 22 (= 8 x 2 + 2 x 3) letters. The clauses will be indicated by letters such as AV Ps 111:1a for the Aleph clause and AV Ps 111:10c for the Tav clause.
Psalm 112: 10 verses. The whole alphabet is represented in standard order from Aleph to Tav. Each verse divided into two or three clauses in exactly the same way as Psalm 111.
Psalm 119: 176 verses. This is the greatest alphabetically structured chapter in the Bible. It is also the longest. It consists of 22 sections, each containing 8 consecutive verses that begin with the same Hebrew letter, for a total of 176 (= 8 x 22) verses. The first eight begin with Aleph, the next eight with Bet, the next eight with Gimel, until the alphabet is exhausted. There are no variations from the standard order. Its alphabetic structure is transparent in many Bibles, such as the New International and King James Versions, which present the name of the letter at the beginning of each section of 8 verses.
Psalm 145: 21 verses. This follows the standard order from Aleph to Tav, with the exception that the Nun verse is missing in some manuscripts. This is why it has 21 rather than the expected 22 verses.

From http://www.biblewheel.com/wheel/alphabetic_verses.asp

ABC's of Passover

2011-03-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Passover is brimming with symbols of slavery and freedom.
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is known as the "holiday of freedom," commemorating the Jewish Exodus from Egypt following 210 years of slavery. Passover is regarded as the "birth" of the Jewish nation, and its lessons of struggle and identity continue to form the basis of Jewish consciousness 3,300 years after the event.

Passover is an 8-day holiday (in Israel, seven days). The name derives from the fact that during the final plague -- the slaying of the first born -- God “passed over" the Jewish homes.

SEDER NIGHT - The holiday is marked by the celebration of an elaborate Seder on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night only). The Seder is designed to give each Jew the experience of "going from slavery unto freedom." As recorded in the Haggadah, we tell the Exodus storyand recount the Ten Plagues. We eat symbols of slavery and freedom, and the festive meal includes many delicious recipes for foods that people look forward to all year (think matzah balls!). We recite the Hallel prayer of praise, and end the Seder with the hope of “Next year in Jerusalem!”

The Seder is a special tie of family bonding and children are a particular focus of the night. They enjoy a variety of Passover songs like the Four Questions (Ma Nishatana), tell of the Four Sons, sing the “Dayenu” song, try to "steal" the Afikoman, and open the door for Elijah the Prophet.

MATZAH - At the Seder, it is a special mitzvah to eat matzah, the Seder’s main symbol. Everyone should try to eat 2/3 of a square matzah (or 1/2 of a round matzah) within 4 minutes, while leaning to the left. The most common reason for eating matzah is that on the morning of the Exodus, the Jews were so rushed in getting out of Egypt that the bread didn’t have time to rise. At the end of the festive meal, the special “dessert” is another piece of matzah, called the Afikoman.

FOUR CUPS - At the Seder, we drink four cups of wine -- corresponding to the four expressions of freedom mentioned in the Torah (Exodus 6:6-7). Everyone should have their own cup, which holds minimally 98cc (3.3 oz). Try to drink the entire cup for each of the Four Cups (or at least drink a majority) within 4 minutes. And as an expression of freedom, we lean to the left and back while drinking the Four Cups.
KARPAS - Toward the beginning of the Seder, we eat karpas -- a vegetable (e.g. celery, parsley, potato) dipped in saltwater, to commemorate the tears of hard labor.

BITTER HERBS - Later in the Seder, we eat Marror, the bitter herbs. Though many have the custom of using horseradish, Romaine lettuce is also used. (“Red horseradish” in jars bought from the stores should not be used, since it’s a mixture of mostly beets with some horseradish.) The Marror is dipped into Charoset, a bricks-and-mortar mixture of dates, wine, nuts and apples.
www.aish.com

Baptism for the Dead in Early Christianity

2011-03-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

Baptismal Theology of the New Testament and Patristic Literature
Proxy baptisms are based on the conviction that the sacrament of baptism is necessary for salvation. Accordingly, we will look at the teachings of New Testament and patristic writers regarding the necessity of this sacred ordinance. These writers taught that baptism was essential for forgiveness of sins and for entrance into the church and into heaven. Indeed, according to Everett Ferguson in his highly respected study of early Christian liturgy, Christians through the first five centuries believed that baptism "effects salvation, forgiveness of sins, freedom from the rule of sin and death, purification, and washing." ⁹

Three main arguments from the New Testament support the essential nature of baptism. First, Christ himself is baptized, signifying the necessity for Christians to receive the same. Second, there are pivotal verses of scripture, such as John 3:5, Mark 16:14–16, and Matthew 28:19, which, according to some scholars, affirm the necessity of baptism for salvation. Third, throughout the book of Acts, baptism is without question the rite of initiation that all converts must undergo. According to Acts, this rite assures the convert a remission of sins and links them to Christ.

The synoptic Gospels all attest to the fact that Christ was baptized by John in order to "fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:13–17; cf. Mark 1:9; Luke 3:21). W. F. Albright and C. S. Mann explain Christ's baptism in relation to Matthew's goal of showing Christ's fulfillment of ancient scriptural prophecies. These scholars explain the term fulfill all righteousness as a reference to the "fulfillment of those Scriptures in which those demands are set out—law, prophets, writings. In any event, the baptism administered by John was a direct response to the will of God, and so the Messiah must submit to it." ¹⁰ Thus Christ's baptism, for Matthew, fulfilled both divine commands and ancient scripture (notably Isaiah 43:2 and Psalm 2:7). The Oxford Bible Commentary suggests that Matthew's account demonstrates this fulfillment of both commands and scripture by focusing on the apocalyptic vision that Christ receives upon baptism, in which God affirms Jesus as his Son and the Holy Ghost descends as a dove.¹¹ A few Christian authors such as Hilary, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Chromatius, and Cyril of Alexandria declare Christ's baptism as the example for Christians to follow, that they may receive salvation and remission of sins.¹² Although no New Testament text explicitly confirms the point, Jesus's baptism likely became the foundation for later Christian baptism.¹³

Brock M. Mason, and David L. PaulsenJournal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture: Volume - 19, Issue - 2, Pages: 22-49Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2010
Continue reading at: http://http://www.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/

Marlena: Introduction and Personal History

2011-03-27T21:56:00.001-07:00

I'm Marlena Tanya Muchnick, a Jewish convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am an Ashkenazic Jew. My family is from Berdichev, Ukraine and Hradisha, Czechoslovakia. When I reached middle age I found the Gospel of Jesus Christ and became LDS. It took time to understand that there is more to life and to our eternal lives than I had been taught. I found and do find joy as an LDS member.

After baptism on April 6, 1988 at age 47, I served a short mission in the Texas Houston area. I've held numerous callings in the Church and I work in the Family File office in the Seattle temple where I am also an ordinance worker.

I owe my life to our Savior, Jesus Christ. I obey the personal revelation I receive, which is to be a facilitator of understanding between the Jewish and the Mormon people. As part of this direction, I speak to Latter-day Saint audiences to help them understand Jewish customs, religion, essentially the interconnections between Joseph and Judah, the reigning families of the 12 tribes of Israel.

The more we understand about Judaism, the more we will appreciate Torah and Talmud, and even more so the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and partake of the Restoration of the full Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Master.

Torah Covers of 12 Tribes

2011-03-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Blessings of Judah and Joseph

2011-03-27T20:54:00.001-07:00

Judah’s blessing:

Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up; he stooped down; he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washing his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.Genesis 49:9-12

Joseph’s Blessing

Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: the archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him, and hated him: but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breast, and of the womb; the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. Genesis 49:22-26

We Know Of Christ

2011-03-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

OK, dear Readers, here is the way it is. When we read the words of truth we must stand up with courage and allegiance to them. All over the world there are untruths cast at us. But as members of the only true church of Jesus Christ on the earth, we know THESE truths are given us of God and our Savior, Jesus the Christ through the Holy Ghost when we pray to KNOW the truth:

From Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in his inspired book, Christ and The New Covenant, the Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon, pp. 113-116, my selected quotation as he wrote it. These are the lessons that missionaries Alma and Amulek taught the people of their time. (Each of Holland's quotations are from the Book of Mormon):

The Savior will come in his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, in "not many days" (this prophecy was given in approximately 82 BC)." He would redeem those who would be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name.
Christ cannot save people "in their sins," although he can save them "from their sins," for no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven."

Christ can rightfully be called "the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are." He is "the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

He would come into the world to redeem his people, the only ones for whom the Atonement can have full effect being those "who believe on his name." At the time of judgment, we will have a "bright recollection of all our guilt."

The wicked will experience a "second death," a spiritual death pertaining unto things of righteousness, and will be under the power and captivity of Satan, tormented as if in a lake of fire and brimstone."

God calls on his children yet, "in the name of his Son," to repent and claim the promises available only through his "Only Begotten Son." Angels are employed to spread these glad tidings, including the declaration of Christ's coming."

I add my testimony that these things are true and that the Book of Mormon is a divine instrument that changes lives and dispels the darkness of human error and sin. Isn't that great?!

Marlena

This post is in answer to the question: Are parts of Mosaic Law dead?

2011-03-27T20:48:00.001-07:00

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-19 that he came to fulfill the Law. Many think he said Mosaic Law is dead but only many parts are obsolete. The parts that are “dead” refer to the doing away with sacrifices, etc. as explained below:

The collective body of Jewish religious law is the Halakah and it includes the 613 commandments (mitzvot) and lots more. The commandments are to guide action and thought in daily life as well as religious observances. They are statements and principles which the Jews were commanded to follow in and out of Diaspora.

There are positive and negative commandments – those to follow and those to be abstained from. There are some that can only be followed in Israel and some that cannot be followed because of the destruction of the ancient Temple. Some apply only to men and others only to women.

The link to the entire list can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/613_mitzvot . All of these mitzvots can be found in Torah (first 5 books of Moses).

Specifically, the mitzvots that involve the sacrificing of animals, sin, guilt and peace offerings, laws concerning the Kohainen (Melchizedeks) and some others are no longer valid because Jesus has fulfilled them with his sacrifice and with the Restoration of the true and full Gospel.

Also, the rules of non-deviation from the Sanhedrin rulings and not adding to Torah are no longer valid because of the spiritual laws that Jesus taught: faith, repentance, baptism by the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and so on. Christians are not obligated to keep the law of Moses.

So as you read the list it is easy to understand that many of the 613 mitzvot are no longer necessary as religious law.

The old covenant is obsolete, and the New Covenant has been established. When Paul discussed "the law," he was often concerned with the entire law of Moses, and he wrote that Christians were not under the authority of that law. Our obligation to obey God is defined by a different law, a spiritual law, which in some cases overlaps Old Testament laws but in other cases supersedes them.
By Marlena

Non-Jews Visiting a Synagogue

2011-03-27T20:47:00.001-07:00

Non-Jews are always welcome to attend services in a synagogue, so long as they behave as proper guests. Proselytizing and "witnessing" to the congregation are not proper guest behavior. Would you walk into a stranger's house and criticize the decor? But we always welcome non-Jews who come to synagogue out of genuine curiosity, interest in the service or simply to join a friend in celebration of a Jewish event.

When going to a synagogue, you should dress as you would for church: nicely, formally, and modestly. A man should wear a yarmulke (skullcap) if Jewish men in the congregation do so; yarmulkes are available at the entrance for those who do not have one. In some synagogues, married women should also wear a head covering. A piece of lace sometimes called a "chapel hat" is generally provided for this purpose in synagogues where this is required. Non-Jews should not, however, wear a tallit (prayer shawl) or tefillin, because these items are signs of our obligation to observe Jewish law.

If you are in an Orthodox synagogue, be careful to sit in the right section: men and women are seated separately in an Orthodox synagogue. See The Role of Women in the Synagogue for details.

During services, non-Jews can follow along with the English, which is normally printed side-by-side with the Hebrew in the prayerbook. You may join in with as much or as little of the prayer service as you feel comfortable participating in. You may wish to review Jewish Liturgy before attending the service, to gain a better understanding of what is going on.

Non-Jews should stand whenever the Ark is open and when the Torah is carried to or from the Ark, as a sign of respect for the Torah and for G-d. At any other time where worshippers stand, non-Jews may stand or sit.

The Temple

When we speak of The Temple, we speak of the place in Jerusalem that was the center of Jewish worship from the time of Solomon to its destruction by the Romans in 70 C.E. This was the one and only place where sacrifices and certain other religious rituals were performed. It was partially destroyed at the time of the Babylonian Exile and rebuilt. The rebuilt temple was known as the Second Temple. The famous "Wailing Wall" (known to Jews as the Western Wall or in Hebrew, the Kotel) is the remains of the western retaining wall of the hill that the Temple was built on. It is as close to the site of the original Sanctuary as Jews can go today. You can see a live picture of the Kotel and learn about it at KotelCam. The Temple was located on a platform above and behind this wall.

Today, the site of The Temple is occupied by the Dome of the Rock (a Muslim shrine for pilgrims) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque (a Muslim house of prayer). The Dome of the Rock is the gold-domed building that figures prominently in most pictures of Jerusalem.

Traditional Jews believe that The Temple will be rebuilt when the Mashiach (Messiah) comes. They eagerly await that day and pray for it continually.

Modern Jews, on the other hand, reject the idea of rebuilding the Temple and resuming sacrifices. They call their houses of prayer "temples," believing that such houses of worship are the only temples we need, the only temples we will ever have, and are equivalent to the Temple in Jerusalem. This idea is very offensive to some traditional Jews, which is why you should be very careful when using the word Temple to describe a Jewish place of worship.

From www.jewfaq.org

Would You Give Up Your Life To Save It?

2011-03-27T20:46:00.001-07:00

Here is a riddle that is revealed in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanach. What will a person give to save their life? Let’s ponder that. Would you give up your life to save it? Is it a trick statement or a very insightful observation? What do we mean by the purposeful giving and saving of a life?

The Jewish commentaries philosophers of the Middle Ages put forth differing ideas regarding the concepts of individual suffering, redemption and reward. Remember the Book of Job, the story of a man blameless and upright, a rich, successful landowner, one who feared God and shunned evil. It is a book written with a Hebrew mindset and it asks two questions: Why are the righteous sometimes made to suffer? Is there a connection between our actions, rewards and punishment?

Remember Satan, who bargains with God for the opportunity to afflict him and is granted it. Within a day, all of Job’s possessions are destroyed. His children are killed. He is left with nothing. Deep in shock and sorrow, Job endures his lot as he sits in ashes and mourns for his pain and sorrows. Yet he does not curse God. His three friends try to reassure him, then keep at him to confess his sins. Job maintains his innocence. They hold theological discussions on the origin of evil and nature of suffering .His wife tells him to “curse God and die”, to give up his life, but Job asks:

“Shall we receive good from god and shall not receive evil?” He seeks an explanation from God or an account of his wrongdoing, but he does so in humility. He accepts that God is in charge of all realms of existence but makes his suffering known:

“What strength do I have, that I should still hope, Job cries. Do I have the strength of stone? God: teach me and I will be quiet, show me where I have been wrong. How painful are honest words. “.

His friend Elihu, whose name means :My god is He, argues in favor of God’s power, his redemptive salvation and the absolute rightness of his conduct. “Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any. He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous… He gives food in abundance. Take heed, do not turn to iniquity… Behold, God is exalted in his power. “ Job acknowledges but still wonders about his part in receiving afflictions.

Finally, God speaks: He emphasizes that He is king over the world and that he has absolute freedom over His creation and that He knows best. His discretion may be a mystery, but it is always justified. Eventually, Job comes to understand mankind's struggle with the problems of sin and divine justice and acknowledges his utter dependence upon God’s final deliverance by divine intervention. Job is commended for his righteous words. He prays to be saved and praises God:

He, God, shakes the earth from its place... he speaks to the sun and it does not shine... he alone stretches out the heavens. Hearken to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.Finally overcome but still faithful, Job is reconciled with God. “The Lord gave”, Job reasons, “and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” I know that you can do all things, he says. No plan of yours can be thwarted.

In doing this, Job understands that his misfortune is not a punishment. He prays for the ignorance and lack of understanding of his friends and prepares burnt offerings for them after God chastises them, then humbles himself and repents in dust and ashes, for he knows of his imperfections and observed his covenantal relationship with Deity to sacrifice all his possessions to the Lord. The Lord then accepts Job's prayer in behalf of his friends, then heals him and greatly multiplies all that he has.

Now, the statement I posed to you a while ago. Would you give up your life to save it? What is required? What are we saved from and to? I think you know the answer. To save our life we have to give it up. We must give up our individual will to follow the counsel of Christ, who is our Savior, in order that he will claim us as his. Our personal agency is the one gift he and Heavenly Father gave us that we have total power over. Let us regift it to the giver. Let us accept with joy, humility and total surrender the Godhead as your first leadership and counsel, grow in faith, repent daily, be baptized weekly, invite the Holy Ghost to work with and within us, be worthy, attend the temple, serve others, work like our life depends on it, discover our talents and use them.

We know the drill. Gift your life to Christ. We will find happiness and more. He will save us from this world that we may have eternal life with him that we may walk again with him on our long journey toward godhood. Joseph Smith said: In the beginning, God didn’t rest until he created mankind in his own image. In the end He won’t rest until mankind creates in itself the likeness of God. He will save us to our eternal family and bestow upon us eternal increase. There is no other way.

By Marlena

The Biblical Covenants

2011-03-27T20:45:00.001-07:00

To understand the Word of God accurately one must become familiar with the eight BIBLICAL covenants. They fall into two classes:

(A) CONDITIONAL: A covenant which guarantees that God will do His part when the human requirements stipulated in that covenant are met.

(B) UNCONDITIONAL: Distinguished from a conditional covenant by the fact that its ultimate fulfillment is promised by God and depends upon God's power and sovereignty for its fulfillment.

Here is a cursory outline of them:
1. The EDENIC covenant (conditional), Gen. 1:26-31;2:16-17
Made with Adam in which life and blessing or death and cursing depended on the faithfulness of Adam. Adam and Eve failed, died spiritually and physically and their sin plunged the whole human race into its pattern of sin and death.

2. The ADAMIC covenant (unconditional), Gen. 3:16-19

Here God declares to man, after the fall, what his lot in life will be because of his sin. It includes the promise of the Redeemer.

3. The NOAHIC covenant (unconditional), Gen 9:1-18

Made with Noah and his sons after the flood, introducing human government to curb sin, the normal order of nature reaffirmed (Gen. 8:22; 9:2) and the permission for man to eat the flesh of animals. Also His promise never to destroy all flesh again by water.

4. The ABRAHAMIC covenant (unconditional), Gen. 12:1-4;13:14-17; 15:1-7; 17:1-8

This covenant is one of the great revelations of God concerning future history. Abraham would have numerous posterity, personal blessing, his name would be great, and he, personally, would be a blessing. Through Abraham would come a great nation (Israel) and through him (via that nation) all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Messiah). Through Abraham's descendents (the Jews) came the prophets of God, the writers of God's written Word (the Bible) and Christ/Messiah according to the flesh.

5. The MOSAIC covenant (conditional), Ex. 20:1 - 31:18

It is contained in Exodus but amplified in many other portions of Scripture. It was given through Moses as its mediator for the purpose of governing Israel's (national) relationship with God. It was mainly made up of (a) the commandments, the express will of God, (b) the judgments, the social and civic life of Israel, (c) and the ordinances. It was temporary and would terminate at the cross of Christ. Though it had gracious elements it was basically a covenant of works. It could not impart life to the sinner in Adam (Gal. 3:21) but it served as a tutor which would lead those who were under its jurisdiction to the only One who could impart LIFE (Christ Jesus, Gal. 3:24).

6. The LAND covenant (unconditional), Deut. 30:1-10

It is erroneously called by theologians the "Palestinian Covenant." However, the Bible does not recognize the land by that name. It is the land of Israel because it was divinely covenanted to Abraham's descendents through Jacob (Israel). It is an unconditional promise regarding Israel's final possession of their ancient land.

7. The DAVIDIC covenant (unconditional), 2Sam. 7:4-16; 1Chron. 17:3-15

God promised David an unending, royal lineage, throne, and kingdom. Though God reserved the right to interrupt the actual reign of David's sons for chastisement, the perpetuity of the covenant cannot be broken. The Abrahamic covenant guaranteed the nation and the land. The Davidic covenant guarantees an everlasting Throne, King and Kingdom connected to that people (the Jews) and the land. Jesus Christ, the Son of David, is the rightful heir of this promised Throne (Matt. 2:2; Lk. 1:32-33) and on it He will reign over this literal, promised, earthly, future Messianic Kingdom from Jerusalem at His second advent.

8. The NEW COVENANT (unconditional), Jer. 31:31-40

It is a new covenant with Israel in contrast with the old (Mosaic, "which they broke," Jer. 31:32). Christ Jesus is the Mediator (in His blood) of this new covenant which was inaugurated at the cross and is described in Scripture as, "enacted on better promises" (Heb. 8:6). The Mediator of this covenant has become, for all mankind, "the source of eternal salvation" (Heb. 5:9) to all who obey Him; as well as the cornerstone and Head of the Church (Eph. 2:20-22; Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:23) which is being built during this dispensation; individuals called out from both Jews and Gentiles alike. Ultimately and literally, this new covenant with its unconditional and eternal blessings will be established with NATIONAL Israel at Christ's second advent to earth.
Written by: Gary Nystrom

Israel's Psalms are the Beatitudes' cornerstone

2011-03-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

PROVO — Israel's ancient hymn book — Psalms in the Old Testament — is the pattern the Savior used to teach in the New Testament, said Andrew C. Skinner, during the 39th annual Sperry Symposium at Brigham Young University on Oct. 30.

During the Savior's three year public ministry, he quoted from Psalms more than any other single source, Skinner said. Especially in the beatitudes."I don't think anybody would be surprised that Jesus relied on Israel's songs a great deal when presenting the beatitude's because that really is the pattern of his entire teaching ministry," he said.

Skinner, who is a professor of ancient scriptures at Brigham Young University, focused on specific similarities found in the Sermon on the Mount and Psalms. Both, he said, lead people to Christ and to the temple.

"Among other things, the Psalms prophesied of the Messiah and described certain specific events of his mortal life," he said. "The Psalms spoke and still speak to us, exalting truths, and like the Sermon on the Mount itself, the Psalms reflect a celestial mind-set that ultimately ... was a major purpose of the Sermon on the Mount to teach the disciplines and characteristics they needed to possess."

In order to enjoy the environment of the celestial kingdom also to describe how they should act and think as committed disciples in the fallen world and others to come to salvation."

The Psalms were highly valued among the early Christians, with more than 100 references to the Psalms in the New Testament, Skinner said, with a significant number of the references located in the four gospels.

Using Psalm 22 as an example of the story of the crucifixion, Skinner referenced parallel language and themes throughout the Sermon on the Mount and Psalms.

"The use of psalms in the gospel narratives depict events of the last week of the Savior's life, especially that period of the atoning sacrifice," Skinner said. "Psalm 22 is of the most moving foreshadowings ever penned of the physical sufferings associated with the Messiah's redemptive acts."

LDS Church News

Birkat Kohanim - The Priestly Blessing

2011-03-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

The priestly blessing is found in Numbers 6:23-27. Traditionally, the priests blessed the people every morning after the sacrifice at the Temple. Today, many synagogues end their service with this blessing as a benediction.

When recited, the kohen (priest) raises his hands with the palms facing outward and the thumbs of his outspread hands touching. The four fingers on each hand are split into two sets of two fingers each (thus forming the letter Shin, an emblem for Shaddai=God Almighty).

Note that the Lord does not command the kohanim (priests) to bless the people using their own words, but rather provides the exact formulation for the blessing, prefacing the instruction with the words: "Thus shall you bless." This reveals that the blessing comees from the Lord himself, and the priests are but the means for transmitting his gracious will. This is further indicated by the verse that immediately follows the birkat kohanim: "So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them" (Num 6:27).

In the blessing that follows, the text is said (in an undertone) in response to the priest's recitation:

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May it be his will.
May the Lord shine his face upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord turn his countenance to you and give you peace.

Orthodox Jews do not look at the Kohanim while they are saying the blessing. They should look at the ground and concentrate on the blessing and because the Divine Presence will be shining upon the fingers making the sign and out of respect for God, no human should look upon the hands.

Prophet Joseph Smith's Hebrew School

2011-03-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

On January 4th of 1836 in Kirtland, Ohio the Prophet Joseph Smith established a class for the study of the Hebrew language. Class was usually held in westernmost of five rooms in third, or attic, story of House of the Lord in Kirtland. Room also used by JS as ecclesiastical office space and intended as translating room. Their teacher was a competent Hebrew scholar, Professor Joshua – Jeshua Seixas was their teacher. He was sure of his doctrine and his powers and his destiny and what an observant Jew would call a “navi” – a revered teacher.

Why did he choose Hebrew? However, if he altered the reading in numerous places and, in the Bible as well as in the new Mormon Scriptures, restored, as Joseph himself said, "many important points touching the salvation of man which had been taken from the Bible or lost before it was compiled," this was partial translation certainly. In doing this, and in supplying missing ancient books supplementary to the Bible, Joseph seems to have kept a paramount object before him, namely, to provide the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times with a Word of God complete and harmoniously one...

Iin November, 1835, the Mormon high Elders were determined to study Hebrew in the coming months. Why was it Hebrew and not Greek? No revelation had chosen Hebrew, and a knowledge of Greek was required to translate the New Testament correctly by learned means. Is not Mormonism, above all, a Christ-centered religion?

Was it the lucky chance that, on November 2, 1835 — just as he was reorganizing the School — Joseph, with Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon and others drove over to the infant Willoughby University, four miles from Kirtland, to hear "Dr. Piexotto" lecture at the medical college and that, in talking with the Jewish physician, they learned that he could and would teach them Hebrew in Kirtland?

Apparently, when OliverCowdery left for New York, within days of that encounter, he was charged to purchase the best textbooks he could find for the coming winter's study of Hebrew. When he returned to Kirtland on November 20, he brought home, Joseph Smith tells in his Journal, "a quantity of Hebrew books, for the benefitof the school," which included a Hebrew Bible, Lexicon and Grammar — and, 44/DIALOGUE: A Journal of Mormon Thought...

Read the whole story:

http://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V03N02_43.pdf

Out of Egypt

2011-03-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

For Egyptian-born Jews, the current crisis elicits a mix of emotions—from nostalgia for an idyllic existence under the monarchy to the terror of being chased out to calls of ‘kill the Jews’.

On a Saturday night in late January 1952, Sidney Miraz and his family gathered in his uncle’s apartment in Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo. Then, as now, angry crowds swarmed the streets demanding the removal of Egypt’s leaders. Though his parents tried to keep him away from the window, Miraz, a young boy, could see a large blaze glowing in the sunset. The commercial district of Cairo was engulfed in flames. An uncle who lived in the city called every 15 minutes, updating the terrified family.

Miraz, now 68 and living in San Diego, is one of the many Jews watching the current crisis in Egypt with a sense of déjà vu. Before the creation of Israel in 1948, the Jewish community in Egypt boasted 80,000 members. In three waves of immigration—after the 1948 war, after the Suez Crisis in 1956, and after the Six-Day War in 1967—the community has dwindled to its current population of fewer than 40.
Fragments of Jewish manuscripts in the Cairo Geniza, a depository for religious books found in the Ben Ezra synagogue in Old Cairo, date Egypt’s Jewish community back at least 2000 years. In the 12th century, Maimonides and his family fled Spain and settled in Egypt. Centuries later, Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition found a haven along the Nile. In the late 19th century, the opening of the Suez Canal provided Jews with irresistible economic opportunity as they flocked to Cairo and Alexandria from Europe and the Ottoman Empire...

After the founding of modern Israel, demonstrations of anti-Semitism abounded, and Jews left Egypt in droves. About half went to the new Jewish state. Others relocated to Brooklyn, settling in the Jewish Syrian community in Midwood. Many still express anger about their own suffering in the aftermath of the last revolution. “We were never treated as real Egyptians,” wrote Yosef Marzouk in an email from Israel. “We were treated as strangers.” At the time of the 1952 revolution, Marzouk, then 23 years old, had just completed a degree in pharmacology at Cairo University. After graduation, he and some classmates went to Alexandria to celebrate. As they sat in a coffee shop along Alexandria’s Mediterranean corniche, they saw tanks drive toward the king’s summer palace nearby; Marzouk fled his homeland for Israel the following year. His brother, a doctor, decided to stay behind, and in 1955, Dr. Moshe Marzouk was executed after being convicted of spying for Israel.
Read rest of article: http://www.tabletmag.com/life-and-religion/58487/out-of-egypt/

The Gifts Of The Spirit

2011-03-27T20:38:00.001-07:00

The Gift of Tongues (D&C 46:24)

Sometimes it is necessary to communicate the gospel in a language we have not learned. When this happens, the Lord can bless us with the ability to speak that language. Many missionaries have received the gift of tongues when there was a great need for it. For example, Elder Alonzo A. Hinckley was a missionary in Holland who understood and spoke very little Dutch even though he had prayed and studied hard. When he returned to a home he had visited before, a lady opened the door and spoke to him very angrily in Dutch. To his amazement he could understand every word. He felt a strong desire to bear his testimony to her in Dutch. He began to speak, and the words came out very clearly in Dutch. But when he returned to show his mission president that he could speak Dutch, the ability had left him. Many faithful members have been blessed with the gift of tongues.

The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues (D&C 46:25)

This gift is sometimes given to us when we do not understand a language and we need to receive an important message from God. For example, President David O. McKay had a great desire to speak to the Saints in New Zealand without an interpreter. He told them that he hoped that the Lord would bless them that they could understand him. He spoke in English. His message lasted about forty minutes. As he spoke, he could tell by the expression on many of their faces and the tears in their eyes that they were receiving his message.

The Gift of Translation (D&C 5:4) If we have been called by the leaders of the Church to translate the word of the Lord, we can receive a gift to translate beyond our natural ability. As with all gifts, we must live righteously, study hard, and pray to receive it. When we do these things, the Lord causes us to feel a burning inside concerning the correctness of the translation (see D&C 9:8–9). Joseph Smith had the gift of translation when he translated the Book of Mormon. This gift came to him only when he was in tune with the Spirit.

The Gift of Wisdom (D&C 46:17)

Some of us have been blessed with the ability to understand people and the principles of the gospel as they apply in our lives. We are told:

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

The Lord said, “Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you” (D&C 6:7).

The Gift of Knowledge (D&C 46:18)

Everyone who becomes like Heavenly Father eventually knows all things. The knowledge of God and his laws is revealed by the Holy Ghost (see D&C 121:26). We cannot be saved if we are ignorant of these laws (see D&C 131:6).

The Lord revealed, “If a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come” (D&C 130:19). The Lord has commanded us to learn as much as we can about his work. When we receive knowledge by revelation from the Holy Ghost, his Spirit speaks to our minds and our hearts and we feel the truth burn within us (see D&C 8:2).

The Gift of Teaching Wisdom and Knowledge (Moroni 10:9–10) Some people are given a special ability to explain and testify of the truths of the gospel. This gift can be used when we teach a class. It can be used by parents to teach their children. This gift also helps us instruct others so they can understand the gospel.

The Gift of Knowing That Jesus Christ Is the Son of God (D&C 46:13) This has been the gift of prophets and apostles who have been called as special witnesses of Jesus Christ. However, others are also given this gift. Every person can have a testimony. It usually comes through the whispering of the Holy Spirit but may come in a dream or vision. Elder Orson F. Whitney saw a vision of the Savior in Gethsemane. He saw the great suffering of the Savior, and it caused him to weep. Then the Savior took him into his arms and blessed him.

The Gift of Believing the Testimony of Others (D&C 46:14) By the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things. If we want to know whether someone else is speaking the truth, we must ask God in faith. If the thing we are praying about is true, the Lord will speak peace to our minds (see D&C 6:22–23). In this way we can know when someone else, even the prophet, has received revelation. Nephi asked the Lord to let him see, feel, and know that his father’s dream was true (see 1 Nephi 10:17–19).

The Gift of Prophecy (D&C 46:22) Those who receive true revelations about the past, present, or future have the gift of prophecy. Prophets have this gift, but we too can have it to help us govern our own lives. It is contrary to the order of heaven for a person to receive revelation for someone higher in authority. If we truly have the gift of prophecy, we will not receive any revelation that does not agree with what the Lord has said in the scriptures The Gift of Healing (D&C 46:19–20)Some have the faith to heal, and others have the faith to be healed. We can all exercise the faith to be healed when we are ill (see D&C 42:48). Many who hold the priesthood have the gift of healing the sick. Others may be given a knowledge of how to cure illness.

The Gift of Working Miracles (D&C 46:21) The Lord has blessed his people many times in miraculous ways. When the Utah pioneers planted their first crops, a plague of locusts nearly destroyed them. The pioneers prayed that the Lord would save their crops, and he sent sea gulls to devour the locusts. When we need help and ask in faith, if it is for our good the Lord will work miracles for us. The Gift of Faith (Moroni 10:11)

The brother of Jared had great faith. Because of his faith, he received other gifts. His faith was so great that the Savior appeared to him (see Ether 3:9–15). Without faith, no other gift can be given. Moroni promises, “Whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him” (Mormon 9:21).

YAHWEH / YAHVEH – God’s Personal Name

2011-03-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

The name of God is YAHVEH. Also written and pronounced as YAHWEH. According to the Bible, that is his personal name. All other references to God refer to his titles.

The word Adonai means master or lord. This is one of his titles, not his personal name. He is called Elohenu, meaning God. That is, again, another title, not his personal name. It does not fully describe his true nature. Some of the other names for Heavenly Father: El Shaddai (God Almighty, supplier of our needs), YahVeh Sholom ( God of peace), and God, our provider (Jahveh Jireh), among many others.

Heavenly Father tells us in the Hebrew bible about himself. YahVeh is the transliteration of the Tetragrammaton, the Hebrew characters that make up his personal, sacred name. He wants us to know who he is as a person – and that will lead us to the realization of what we must become to be like him. We need to know and understand his personal name: YAHVEH (a breathy sound). Originally there waas a W in Hebrew but it has morphed into a V. Heavenly Fahter gives us the information in many scriptural accounts, in the Hebrew Bible and the translated scriptures, including these attributes:

YAHVEH is (savlanoo) patient, (leesbol) suffering, slow to anger (Nahum 1:3, Neh 9:17)

YAHVEH (ma kodosh),our sanctifier. He sets us apart,makes us clean(Lev20:7,8)

YAHVEH is (rahoom) compassionate, full of (rakham) mercy, (emet) truth, (tsedek), righteousness (Psalms 85:10, 92:2-3)

YAHVEH is (khesed) or (chanun) full of graciousness (John 1:14)

YAHVEH is the (gefen) wine of (khai) life. (John 15:1)

YAHVEH is (neetskhee) one eternal god, unlimited in power, (ahavot) love

( Alma 11:44)

Yeshua is YAHVEH incarnate in the flesh. (D&C 93:11)

When you refer to your Heavenly Father you may call him YAHVEH also, and be reminded of His great goodness and love.

How the media is destroying our self image and what we can do about it

2011-03-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Ever since Adam and Eve forfeited depth for superficiality, society has been obsessed with physicality. This obsession surrounds us – on billboards, in commercials, Internet ads, and popular magazines; and apparently even at kindergarten parties. It's the air we breathe. And we're suffering – especially females. Much more than males, females "self-objectify," evaluating themselves by outward attractiveness rather than inner qualities. And younger and younger girls are requesting not only cosmetics but cosmetic surgery.

Women are likewise displaying more and more to feel good about themselves. As the body dominates our self-image, perfecting it has mushroomed from feminine preoccupation to many young women's mission in life.

The religious Jewish world is not immune. Observant Jewish girls and women may show less skin than others, but bodies are occupying more and more of their consciousness – and tzniut (modesty) less and less. Many are caught in a tug-of-war between the Jewish value of downplaying the body and the secular ideal of flaunting it. The media is largely to blame. By Gila Manolson at Aish.com
Read on: http://www.aish.com/ci/w/beauty_industry_vs_modesty_105241523.html

Words Of The Prophets - The Three Rs of Choice

2011-03-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

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Each of us has come to this earth with all the tools necessary to make correct choices. beloved brethren of the priesthood, my earnest prayer tonight is that I might enjoy the help of our Heavenly Father in giving utterance to those things which I feel impressed to share with you.

I have been thinking recently about choices and their consequences. Scarcely an hour of the day goes by but what we are called upon to make choices of one sort or another. Some are trivial, some more far-reaching. Some will make no difference in the eternal scheme of things, and others will make all the difference.

As I’ve contemplated the various aspects of choice, I’ve put them into three categories: first, the right of choice; second, the responsibility of choice; and third, the results of choice. I call these the three Rs of choice.

I mention first the right of choice. I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for His gift of agency, or the right to choose. President David O. McKay, ninth President of the Church, said, “Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God’s greatest gift to man.”¹

We know that we had our agency before this world was and that Lucifer attempted to take it from us. He had no confidence in the principle of agency or in us and argued for imposed salvation. He insisted that with his plan none would be lost, but he seemed not to recognize—or perhaps not to care—that in addition, none would be any wiser, any stronger, any more compassionate, or any more grateful if his plan were followed.

We who chose the Savior’s plan knew that we would be embarking on a precarious, difficult journey, for we walk the ways of the world and sin and stumble, cutting us off from our Father. But the Firstborn in the Spirit offered Himself as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of all. Through unspeakable suffering He became the great Redeemer, the Savior of all mankind, thus making possible our successful return to our Father.

The prophet Lehi tells us: “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”²

^{Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}

^{October 2010 Session}

Newsroom Items

2011-03-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

PLEASE PRAY FOR ISRAEL! SHE IS SOON TO BE BESEIGED BY THE COUNTRIES AROUND HER... REMEMBER...

Marlena gives free lessons on Judaica history, culture and religon and especially loves to give firesides on her conversion and share learning in workshop presentation. Available in Seattle and around the country. Subject: The Symbolic Connections between Mormon and Jewish worship.

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Do you know the secret hidden in the sacred 4-letter word for God that Jews never say and how it is connected to the laying on of hands?

What do the 238 body parts of mankind have to do with the phrase in Moroni 10: come unto Christ and be perfected in him?

How is the Parable of the Dry Bones in Ezek 37 a specific call to action for Mormons?

What four famous LDS events happened on Jewish holidays and what is the spiritual symbolism?

Do you know the personal name of God? Not his titles, but his name?

Why is the Book of Mormon a Hebraic book?

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Contact Marlena: comeuntochrist@att.net

Upcoming:

April 9th - workshop - Fairwood ward, Renton stake

April 22nd-23rd in Van Nuys, CA

Maple Valley Stake - Spring 2011

http://judaicaworld.wordpress.com/ My overflow blogsite: Now there are 90-plus articles on this site. In-depth articles on Judaism, timelines, OT supplements, biblical equivalent tables, pictures, videos, songs and more... List and texts of older posts and articles.This site is where former blog articles spend eternity!

Click on: http://mormonsandjews.net/66/ to read Marlena's March column: Joseph-Sceptre and Birthright: The Series: Core Values of Judaism. What is The Jewish Attitude Toward Messianism? http://mormonsandjews.net/90/

Are Jews responsible for Jesus’ death?

2011-03-27T20:17:00.001-07:00

No. Jesus Christ was crucified. Crucifixion was a Roman punishment, not a Jewish punishment. Additionally, it should not be forgotten that Jesus Christ was a Jew. His mother and disciples were all Jews. They, of course, were not responsible for Jesus’ death. Large numbers of Jews living beyond Galilee and Judea never met or heard of Jesus Christ. They obviously were not responsible for Jesus’ execution, which they did not have any say or knowledge about during their lifetime.

Most first century Jews were totally unaware of his life and ministry and, therefore, had nothing to do with his death and were, therefore, not responsible for the actions of a few individuals (Judas—who handed him over to the arresting officers; the officers who handed him over to the Jewish High priest; Caiaphas—who handed him over to the Roman governor; and Pilate, who handed him over to the Roman execution squad). Of course, Jews living before the first century and those living after the first century had nothing to do with the tragic events on that fateful Friday so long ago in Jerusalem.
In Galilee and Judea, many Jews were sympathetic to his message to “the least, last and the lost.” His enemies were afraid of the Jewish crowds who heard him and followed him (Mark 14:1-2). Many Jews who met him thought he was a righteous teacher, a healer, even a prophet (Matthew 16:13-14). Others believed he was the long-expected anointed servant—the Messiah. Even among the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem, there were those who believed Jesus Christ was sent from God (see John 19:39; cf. John 3:1).

Following his death, many Jews continued to accept Jesus’ message and became ardent disciples (see Acts 2:41; 4:4). Eventually, the completely Jewish-Christian Church opened its doors to Gentiles (see Acts 10) who joined in such large numbers that they became the majority by the end of the first century.
Only much later, did Gentile-Christians begin to assign blame to the Jews as a nation, forgetting that all of the heroes and heroines of the Gospels they so admired (Simeon, Anna, Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist, Martha, and Lazarus) were observant Jews who believed that Jesus Christ was the Jewish Messiah. Additionally, these people also forgot that Jesus himself prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

The New Testament does not assign corporate responsibility to Romans, Gentiles, or Jews. It provides the story of a cruel Roman governor and a rather small collaborating Jewish leadership who conspired to get rid of Jesus because he was so popular among the Jews living in Galilee and Judea in the first century.
From: http://jesus.christ.org/137/are-jews-responsible-for-jesus%e2%80%99-death

Purposes of a Messiah

2011-03-27T20:16:00.001-07:00

As Isaiah so profoundly described: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows . . . he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. . . . He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter . . . and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken” (Isa. 53:4-8).

Taken from an article by D. Kelly Ogden, Professor of Ancient Scripture, BYU. Titled: Latter-Day Saint Concept of Messiah

What is the mission or purpose of a Messiah? Of all the Hebrew prophets, Isaiah has probably given us the most definitive explanations of the role of the Messiah. He would “swallow up death in victory” (Isa. 25:8). He would be “wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5). He would be anointed “to preach good tidings [Heb. besora = gospel] unto the meek . . . to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isa. 61:1).

n other words, as Christians believe, he would conquer death by providing resurrection to immortality and the possibility of ransom or redemption from sin and justification to stand before God and be saved. Inherent in the Christian understanding of the purpose of the Messiah is the need for a Redeemer. We must believe that we are in a fallen condition, that Adam and Eve played a noble and honorable role in initiating this earthly existence so we could come here to obtain a physical body and learn to control it, and to learn the difference between good and evil, and — because we sin — to come to know the joy of our redemption, to believe that He, the Messiah, would come to ransom us or redeem us by taking away our sins — thus providing opportunity not only for immortality, but also eternal life, His kind of life.

Do Jews and Christians believe in the need for a Redeemer? If they read and believe the scriptures, they do. Job said, “I know that my redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25). Isaiah wrote, “ye men of Israel ; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 41:14; also 43:14). “Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens” (44:24; also 48:17). From these passages it is clear that the Lord, the Creator, and the Redeemer are all the same person.

Isaiah also wrote, “As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel” (47:4). “The Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth” (54:5). “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion , and unto them that turn from transgression” (59:20). “And all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (49:26). The word “Savior” in this verse is a form of the same name Jesus was given upon his birth in Bethlehem , Yeshua, which means “savior” or “salvation.” Again, the purpose of a Savior or Redeemer was to save us or redeem us, but from what? From our fallen condition, from the oppression and bondage of sin.

Patriarchal Blessings

2011-03-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

“An Evangelist is a Patriarch, even the oldest man of the blood of Joseph or of the seed of Abraham. Wherever the Church of Christ is established in the earth, there should be a Patriarch for the benefit of the posterity of the Saints, as it was with Jacob in giving his patriarchal blessing unto his sons” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938], p. 151).

A Patriarchal Blessing is a special blessing "given to worthy Church members by ordained patriarchs. A patriarchal blessing contains the Lord’s counsel for the person receiving the blessing and declares that person’s lineage in the house of Israel. Fathers may give special blessings as the patriarchs of their families, but such blessings are not recorded or retained by the Church."
Every Mormon can receive a patriarchal blessing once in his lifetime. This usually is done when the person is a teenager. A patriarch is set apart within each stake of the Mormon Church to give these blessings. The practice arises out of the blessings given by the Old Testament Patriarchs, such as Jacob, to their children (See Genesis 48-49). Before receiving this blessing, the individual must be interviewed by a bishop to determine that the person is worthy and that he or she understands the nature of patriarchal blessings. The blessing is considered highly personal, and Mormons are counseled not share their blessings with people outside of family members. The actual reception of the blessing is generally preceded by a period of prayer and fasting by both the patriarch and the individual.

The blessing is given through the laying on of hands, and is recorded. A written transcription is sent to the member from the Church, and a copy is kept by the Church. A patriarchal blessing's primary purpose is to declare the recipient's lineage within the House of Israel and what blessings and responsibilities are his in this life. It can also reveal talents and strengths which the person should develop during his life. Often, individuals receive guidance about weaknesses or temptations they may face. Sometimes, but not always, prophecies may be made regarding the person's life. Other blessings are promised which are contingent upon the faith and obedience of the recipient.

Elder Richard D. Allred stated, “I can testify to you that these blessings are inspired and are personal revelations to the recipient. Patriarchal blessings are a guideline or similar to a road map that indicates the paths that may be traveled and destinations that may be reached if we stay within those paths. They may bring comfort and joy and encouragement when we have need to look, to listen, and to feel of the contents of these blessings so that we may go forward on life’s journey, not alone, but with the accompanying Spirit of our Father in Heaven" (Ensign, Nov. 1997, 27).

Mormon Wiki

Six Reasons Why Mormons Need Jews

2011-03-27T20:09:00.001-07:00

1. The Savior read the Hebrew bible and preached his wisdom from it. His Hebrew name is Jeshua, meaning “he who makes free”. Though not an ordained rabbi, Jeshua taught from Hebrew oral and written texts that explain the meaning of life and the way to salvation. I suggest you might familiarize yourselves somewhat with the idioms, the religious practices of the First and Second Temple periods in Israel. Most Christians are unaware that both Testaments were communicated in Hebrew originally because the writers, the religion, the traditions and concepts are Hebraic.

2. We are indebted to the Jews for the Mosaic Law and the Dead Sea Scrolls which built the practice of monotheism and sacramental ceremonies that were practiced through a rabbinical order through the laying on of hands. We know that the Levitical priesthood and the essential line of authority of the priesthood are the underpinnings of today’s church, without which it could not be established.

The world is indebted to the Jews for giving it a testimony of the existence of God, the record of the beginnings of mankind as a divine race placed on the earth for eternal, divine purposes, the history and purposes of the establishment of an elect lineage through which the priesthood would be restored.

3. You need us because you can learn a deeper, more intense method of study. Learn the Hebrew holidays, read the Hebrew prayerbook the Siddur, attend a Friday night Shabbat service in a synagogue, avail yourselves of Jewish literature, Jewish websites, books on Jewish holidays and Hebrew blessings. These will help you to better understand the words of the Savior in a Jewish context. He used rabbinic phraseology and idioms common to his day that are not well interpreted in the KJV or other English interpretations.

When Jesus was on the earth, his name was Joshua, pronounced Jeshua, meaning Yahweh who saves. He was proclaiming himself the Savior. Yahweh is his personal sacred name, not one of his titles, as Lord or Christ. Baruch haba. Blessed is the name. We Saints know his name as Jehovah, a name first published by William Tyndale in his translation of Torah. Have you ever pondered that Yahveh is given in the present tense? It is therefore not a noun, not a person, place or thing, but it is a verb, an action word, continuous and unfinished.

4. You need to learn Jewish study techniques to better know your scriptures. Their basic method is a question and answer technique that includes in-depth inquiries for a full understanding of words and concepts. Studying rabbinic texts in a group setting, asking questions of the text and seeking deeper understanding of what is read is a valuable tool in searching scripture. I hope you will develop a desire to know more about the way Jews lived in Jesus’ time. Often we tend to view the scriptures in a historical vacuum with the result that we transpose our 21^st century Western values and concerns upon what we read.

5. You need to know the Jewish people because through their ways of worship and though us you will find greater appreciation for the truth of the Gospel Judaism today is somewhat of an open religion, though it is based on secularism and age old tradition. Modern Jewry is growing away from their roots. They don’t understand evil in a world ruled by a just God. They don’t understand the role of their Savior or that he was with them in Egypt, in Sinai, in Canaan, in Israel even today. They believe they are a chosen people but have no central authority or temple and most Jews in America have never seen their homeland of Israel. They have become bohemian and worldly and they seem to have lost their vision of a personal spirituality they can treasure and devote their lives to. =

6. Without the birthright of Ephraim, Judah is a sword of undirected testimony. You need the Jewish men and woman who will live our Gospel with passion. You need to appreciate the full tapestry of history. Heavenly Father wants and waits to see the restoration of the birthright and the sceptre coming together, so the whole earth will be blessed by that union.

Marlena

Miep Gies, Protector of Anne Frank

2011-03-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

2010: Miep Gies, the office secretary who defied the Nazi occupiers to hide Anne Frank and her family for two years and saved the teenager's diary, passed away today at the age of 100. Gies' Web site reported that she died Monday after a brief illness. The report was confirmed by museum spokeswoman Maatje Mostar, but she gave no details.

The British Broadcasting Corp. said she died in a nursing home after suffering a fall last month. Gies was the last of the few non-Jews who supplied food, books and good cheer to the secret annex behind the canal warehouse where Anne, her parents, sister and four other Jews hid for 25 months during World War II. After the apartment was raided by the German police, Gies gathered up Anne's scattered notebooks and papers and locked them in a drawer for her return after the war. The diary, which Anne Frank was given on her 13th birthday, chronicles her life in hiding from June 12, 1942 until August 1, 1944. Gies refused to read the papers, saying even a teenager's privacy was sacred...

Anne Frank died of typhus at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in March 1945, just two weeks before the camp was liberated. Gies gave the diary to Anne's father Otto, the only survivor, who published it in 1947. After the diary was published, Gies tirelessly promoted causes of tolerance. She brushed aside the accolades for helping hide the Frank family as more than she deserved - as if, she said, she had tried to save all the Jews of occupied Holland. "This is very unfair. So many others have done the same or even far more dangerous work," she wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press days before her 100th birthday last February.

"The Diary of Anne Frank" was the first popular book about the Holocaust, and has been read by millions of children and adults around the world in some 65 languages. For her courage, Gies was bestowed with the "Righteous Gentile" title by the Yad Vashem. She has also been honored by the German Government, Dutch monarchy and educational institutions...

More at:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/world/europe/12gies.html

Purim – The book of Esther

2011-03-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Purim – The book of Esther – Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar.
In leap years, when there are two months of Adar, Purim is celebrated in the second month of Adar, so it is always one month before Passover. The 14th day of the first Adar in a leap year is celebrated as a minor holiday called Purim Katan, which means “little Purim.” There are no specific observances for Purim Katan; however, a person should celebrate the holiday and should not mourn or fast. Some communities also observe a “Purim Katan” on the anniversary of any day when their community was saved from a catastrophe, destruction, evil or oppression.

The word “Purim” means “lots” and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre. The Purim holiday is preceded by a minor fast, the Fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther’s three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the king.

The primary commandment related to Purim is to hear the reading of the book of Esther. The book of Esther is commonly known as the Megillah, which means scroll. Although there are five books of Jewish scripture that are properly referred to as megillahs (Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations), this is the one people usually mean when they speak of The Megillah. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle gragers (noisemakers; see illustration) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the service. The purpose of this custom is to “blot out the name of Haman.”

We are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordecai,” though opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is. A person certainly should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or get seriously ill. In addition, recovering alcoholics or others who might suffer serious harm from alcohol are exempt from this obligation.

In addition, we are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos (lit. sending out portions). Among Ashkenazic Jews, a common treat at this time of year is hamentaschen (lit. Haman’s pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman’s three-cornered hat. It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty contests. I have heard that the usual prohibitions against cross-dressing are lifted during this holiday, but I am not certain about that. Americans sometimes refer to Purim as the Jewish Mardi Gras.

Purim is not subject to the sabbath-like restrictions on work that some other holidays are; however, some sources indicate that we should not go about our ordinary business on Purim out of respect for the holiday.

Adar, which is usually in March. The 13th of Adar is the day that Haman chose for the extermination of the Jews, and the day that the Jews battled their enemies for their lives. On the day afterwards, the 14th, they celebrated their survival. In cities that were walled in the time of Joshua, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month, because the book of Esther says that in Shushan (a walled city), deliverance from the massacre was not complete until the next day. The 15th is referred to as Shushan Purim.