The Dangers of Talmudic Thinking For Messianic and Other Certain Jews

A conversation that I had with a friend illustrates how dangerous P'rushiyin groups like Hillel Campus Communities, Outreach Judaism, and MERCAZ are. Since he did comment on a public status and even asked if he could share what I am posting, I'm going to assume that linking to the conversation is okay. By the way, go after me if you want to go after anybody. Actually, go after Yehovah--" 'Why strive ye with me? wherefore do ye try the LORD?' " And see how well going after Yehovah goes--I guarantee that it won't go well. "Hear ye now what the LORD saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. 2 Hear, O ye mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and ye enduring rocks, the foundations of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel. 3 O My people, what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against Me. "

The Dangers of Hillel Campus Communities For Messianic and Certain Other Jews

Obviously, UMBC JSU and Hillel taught me to avoid Hillel Camous Communities at all costs. I've heard horror stories about other branches as well. e.g., A kohen was rejected by Princeton Hillel.  "As a college student, my community has caused me an enormous amount of harm. Well-meaning friends advise me to "just convert," with no comprehension of the feeling of having your Jewish roots pulled out from under you. The treatment by my somewhat-learned peers has practical ramifications as well. For the past year, I have ceased attending Friday night dinners at my Hillel to avoid the embarrassment of declining to lead kiddush and motzi and having to explain why. "

This was originally cited as "2. Student at Princeton Hillel Rejected by Other Students after Discovery Mother was a Convert — This story has a better ending than many such stories. The Half-Jewish Network contacted the rabbi, and it is probable that many other people and groups did as well.

"The rabbi reached out to the student involved, set up an open community meeting on the subject, and created a committee to devise new policies for the future that will cut down on this type of incident. Rabbi Julie Roth’s response was impressive, as most Jewish institutions ignore complaints from half-Jewish members."

Of course, their policy on Messianics is "As a result, Outreach Judaism offers lectures on college campuses and in Jewish communities with multilevel informational resources, campus outreach, counseling, discussion groups, and networking with other Jewish organizations that deal with the dangers of the Messianic movement and cults." 

So, get out of any Hillel Campus Community that you are in if you are a Messianic or certain other (e.g., Karaite, Non-Messianic Patrilineal Jew and Talmudi) type of Jew. "For Israel is not widowed, nor Judah, of his God, of the LORD of hosts; for their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel. 6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and save every man his life, be not cut off in her iniquity; for it is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; He will render unto her a recompense. 7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken; the nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations are mad."

What Is Working On Shabbat? Does Driving Count?

Working on Shabbat is not any of the following, which needs to be addressed in order to understand what working on Shabbat is:

1. Playing on the computer or any other device.
2. Driving or walking to Shabbat services at your local synagogue or church (To the brats--and I address you later as well--, you ought to get some fresh air and realize that there are Jews and Israelophilic gentiles who observe Shabbat services in churches.).
3. Preparing your food (which is specifically in Tanakh).
4. Kindling fire for non-work purposes (which is implied in Tanakh).
5. Bathing (unless you're bathing after you've engaged in certain activities; which, under the Old Covenant, you're arguably not supposed to be doing on Shabbat).
6. Anything else that isn't intended as work (e.g., flushing a toilet).

Firstly, "[I]t is not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." If it is not intended as work, it is not work. Secondly, "no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you." The first day of Pesach is like Shabbat--you cannot work except for what you need to eat. Some will ask, "Well, what about as gathering the manna was or the Jubilee Year is? Shouldn't you prepare your food the day [or year] before, and double what you would prepare on every other day?" That may not work for everybody. For example, the composition of a food can change even in an hour depending on that which the food is exposed to; and that may not work for someone whose system is intolerant of even the slightest--v.g.--fermentation or temperature change in food, and they may need to eat only fresh foods. So, leaving out that challah for an hour or refrigerating that wine may be breaking piku'ach nefesh--saving a life (e.g., choosing life in the first place)--anyway, and piku'ach nefesh comes first. 

Besides (though this is another discussion), making Shabbat the Queen, the challah, the candle lighting, and the wine were all practices to Sikkut and Kiy'un (like the Star of David was a pagan symbol)--and Messianics can redeem those practices; Non Messianics (arguably) can not. That's part of why at least some Karaites don't follow those practices, and they look for "Rabbi"nical ways to be cleansed from Israel. 

As for the man who was gathering wood on Shabbat--since he needs to be addressed and was going to be brought up, anyway--was intending to work. Again, God looks at intent. As one woman stated (with my emphasis put on her words), "But what constitutes "for real" [Shabbatnikery]? Not using electricity? Not using money? Not watering the crops? Going to synagogue? I think it's clear that one can choose to observe a sabbath in many ways - from spending time with friends and family to not doing job-related work to having people over for a Friday night meal - any statistics will be self-reported and most likely not well-defined here." (Also, to be fair and for example, watering your gluten-free crops for your gluten-intolerant family member or your beloved flowers in your gadren is not work.).

Also, if you can't figure out why I'm linking to certain books in the JPS Tanakh, then you go look up the specific verses on BibleGateway yourself--I don't want to use the New King James Version and get accused of proselytizing by certain brats (and you know who you are; and that's the nicest way that I can describe you, since you are--and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt by stating that you are--acting like petulant children). 

Staying Silent Is Yielding To the Apostates and Legalists, So...

Since Paul openly rebuked Peter for giving up on something "pagan", I am not afraid to do the same to some others regarding Christmas (cf. Galatians 2:5). I know that if Christmas were pagan, it would not be attacked as such. Because Christmas was deliberately designed to celebrate the birth of Yeshua (Jesus), and as a redemption of and counter to the Winter Solstice, it is attacked as pagan (cf. Galatians 1:6-2:4, 5:7-12 Romans 14, Acts 15, Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 6:4-6). If I have to name names of those who are attacking Christmas as pagan, I will start naming names. 

If I have to lose friends and "friends", so be it. If I make enemies, good: that means that I stood up for something, sometime in my life. I'll stand up for this:

In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia. Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.

And:

hy do we have a decorated Christmas Tree? In the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the Word of God. He did many good works there, and spent much time in Thuringia, an area which was to become the cradle of the Christmas Decoration Industry.

Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The converted people began to revere the Fir tree as God's Tree, as they had previously revered the Oak. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity.

The first decorated tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. In the early 16th century, Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas Tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.

Don't you ever to my face again twist the meaning of this parsha, which is not a reference to Christmas trees:

 To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal 
      And compare Me, that we should be alike? 
       ⁶ They lavish gold out of the bag, 
      And weigh silver on the scales; 
      They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; 
      They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship. 
       ⁷ They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it 
      And set it in its place, and it stands; 
      From its place it shall not move. 
      Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer 
      Nor save him out of his trouble. 

And do not twist this, either. It is a reference to ba'alim, not Christmas trees:

 ¹ Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.
² Thus says the LORD: 


      “ Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; 
      Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, 
      For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. 
       ³ For the customs of the peoples are futile; 
      For one cuts a tree from the forest, 
      The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 
       ⁴ They decorate it with silver and gold; 
      They fasten it with nails and hammers 
      So that it will not topple. 
       ⁵ They are upright, like a palm tree, 
      And they cannot speak; 
      They must be carried, 
      Because they cannot go by themselves.
      Do not be afraid of them, 
      For they cannot do evil, 
      Nor can they do any good.” 

That Damned, Proselytizing Mormon, Frank....

He thinks that hating all of my YouTube videos, proselytizing and verbally abusing me in every singlew one of his comments, Anti Semitism, and any other intimidation and disingenuousness is going to get me to convert into Joseph Smith's Pseudo-Christian cult. He couldn't be more wrong. I am a Jewish Christian who is quite content in knowing Tanakh-Emet-- Torah, Nevi'im (none of whom were ever Mormon, by the way), Ketuvim (none of which ever included HaSefer Mormoni), and Hadashah.

By the way, I recommend John Kraukauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven". The Christian, Jewish or gentile, should not be afraid to read it-- even though Krakauer lumps in Christianity with Mormonism and vice versa. I had to read it once for a class, and I'm glad that I did.