The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2) The coming of the Messiah was associated with renewal and redemption. Though this was to be understood primarily in spiritual terms, it would also be manifested in the […]
Rabbinic views . . . on the coming of the Messiah
October 4, 2012 by
Dies auch in Deutsch erhaeltlich In his work, Mishneh Torah, Maimonides (1135-1204) set forth what he believed to be the primary objectives of the coming of the Messiah, whom he believed was yet to appear for the first time: “The King Messiah will in some future time come and: I. Restore the kingdom of David to […]
Rabbinic views on Psalm 22 – They pierced my hands and feet
October 4, 2012 by
Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz, of Jews for Judaism, suggests that Christians have deliberately mistranslated Psalm 22:17. He writes, “When read out of context and mistranslated as ‘They pierced my hands and feet,’ as appears in Christian versions, the passage intentionally conjures up thoughts of Jesus.” However, he fails to mention two important facts: Firstly, the Jewish […]
Passover a celebration for Jews and Christians
October 4, 2012 by
The story of Passover is a timeless story that resonates in the hopes and dreams of people of all ages in their struggle for liberation from cruel oppressors. But Passover represents much more than just a story of national liberation. The Lord instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh: “Let my people go, so that they may […]
One New Man
October 4, 2012 by
From one man God made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far […]
Rabbinic views … on what it means to be Jewish
October 4, 2012 by
There has been a widely held view within Judaism that there is an innate, intrinsic difference between the souls of Jews and non-Jews. It was widely believed that for a non-Jew to convert to Judaism requires more than a change of faith or conviction — it would be a transmutation of essence. Rabbi Mordecai Jaffe […]
The origins of Rabbinic Judaism
October 4, 2012 by
The Establishment of Rabbinic Authority Power struggles are nothing new. Men have always vied for positions of power and authority and will go to great lengths to entrench their power base once established. While the temple stood it remained the focal point of Jewish worship and thereby assured the priests of a central place of […]
Rabbinic views . . . On the oneness of God
October 4, 2012 by
In a “counter-missionary handbook” entitled, “The Jewish Response to Missionaries”, Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz writes the following: “While Judaism believes that G-d manifests Himself to His creation (humanity) in many ways, (i.e. as a judge or a protector,) G-d’s essence itself is indivisible and therefore without any possibility of distinction. Something that transcends both time and […]
Rabbinic views . . .Concerning the need for Sacrifice
October 4, 2012 by
The LORD said to Moses, “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the Lord by fire.” (Leviticus 23:26-28). He (the high priest) shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its […]
Rabbinic views . . . on Faith vs. Law
October 4, 2012 by
Rabbi Simlai said, “Moses gave Israel 613 commandments. David reduced them to 10, Isaiah to 2, but Habakkuk to one: the righteous shall live by his faith” (Makkot 23b). What does it mean that the righteous shall live by his faith? If we were to suppose that to live by faith is to live in […]
