[This was first posted May 2012. As you might have noticed, we are in “Revisit mode” since new year 2014; reason is there are so many good articles buried in our site contents, that are still relevant today that searchers are resurrecting as reflected in our ‘site stats’. So expect a lot more recycled articles for now, and thanks for your visits, revisits showing your interest in the Sinaite perspective.—Admin1.]
——————————————-
One of the websites we subscribe to is the Jewish World Review. It has excellent articles, well-written, informative, educational, with commentary on current world events. We highly recommend it to our website visitors. But just in case you miss this article by Rabbi Berel Wein, entitled THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK’S BOOK FOR (ALL OF) THE PEOPLE, we are quoting excerpts. But before we go there, here’s some background that is useful to our understanding, even if it comes from the New Testament Book of ‘Acts of the Apostles’.
In Acts 15:1-21, Paul and Barnabas meet with the apostles to discuss the influx of gentile converts in the Jewish synagogues outside of Israel, in gentile territories. This meeting is called the “Jerusalem Council” although our bible teacher would claim it is the first “messianic conference.”
The agenda included—
- first, a report by Paul and Barnabas on “the conversion of the Gentiles” which were “bringing great joy to all the brethren” and
- second and more important, Paul and Barnabas wanted the Council to decide what they would require gentile believers to observe from the Torah.
They decided that the requirements would initially be the absolute minimum—short of circumcision—which those pesky “Judaizers” who kept following Paul in his ministry, were insisting upon.
It turns out that the minimum listing is what is known as the Noachide Laws, i.e., what mankind would have known after the flood and before the giving of the Torah.
So they write a letter to be sent through Paul and Barnabas, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, and this would then be read to the brethren in Antioch, the so-called “first gentile Christian church” since NT scripture says Antioch is where the believers were first called “Christians.” Understand that “christian” is the English word for “messianic” which comes from the Hebrew “maschiach” meaning, “anointed one.”
James the elder, the head of the “Jerusalem Church” expressed his opinion:
Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.
Christian bible teachers interpret this to mean ‘gentiles are off the hook’ from observing Torah, failing to take note of the last sentence:
For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.
Why is that important?
This is where Messianic bible teachers come in handy. Their interpretation of the Jerusalem Council decision is —
in effect, let us be gentle on the gentiles and not shock them with everything the Torah requires; let us start out with the basic issue about gentiles that is offensive to Jews—the eating of blood!
If Jews and gentiles cannot even share a meal together because of food issues, then how are they to fellowship with each other, since the ancient near east custom of eating together symbolized acceptance of one another. So, if the Council simply requires this little adjustment on the part of gentile believers, it could and should and would eventually lead to the bigger and more important teachings, since gentiles are now going to the synagogues every Sabbath to hear the reading of THE BOOK, YHWH’s TORAH. If they keep hearing more and more of Torah, then they will themselves acquiesce gradually to the laws, commandments, instructions in Torah.
There is wisdom in this approach. Ever hear the joke about the frog? If you put a frog in lukewarm water in a pot, he will not notice that he’s gradually being cooked! But if you throw him in hot boiling water, he’ll instinctively jump out of the pot, so you’ve lost your frog legs appetizer!
So now, let’s read some excerpts from the JWR article of Rabbi Wein and remember, Jews write to a Jewish audience but even so, learn from their wisdom and their interpretation of Torah:
This Sabbath concludes the public reading of the book of Leviticus. There are a number of subjects that dominate the week’s double Torah (Bible) portion, but a common, central theme in the selection is the concern for human beings, for justice and fairness and for an equitable society.
The ideas and mitzvas (religious duties) of shmita (the sabbatical year), the canceling of debts, jubilee, the return of property to original owners, the freeing of servants, and the support of the stranger and the alien living in our midst, are all meant to point the way to a more just and caring society.
The Torah is about people — human beings and their obligations and relationship one to another. Without that perspective of humanity that the Torah is built upon, this holy book would shrivel away into a mere law book instead of being the living guide for Jewish life and thought. At the conclusion of the portion of B’Chukosai , the Torah discusses the “worth” of an individual. Even though this is seemingly only a complex and technical Jewish legal issue resting on the basis of a pledge of money to the Temple, it is symbolic of the far deeper issue of how we are to value the life and worth of another human being and of our own lives as well.
The Torah forbids us from sacrificing human life for a “cause.” The Bolsheviks destroyed tens of millions of people and justified their murderous brutality by stating that it was all-necessary for the cause of Marxism-Leninism to triumph. The Torah, in contrast, treats human life very gingerly and sparingly. Having just completed the bloodiest century in human history, our society could certainly stand a strong dose of Torah humanity and perspective.
The Torah does not demonize the “other” amongst us and it requires us to look inwards into ourselves for sources and answers to problems and not to foist all blame for our ills and difficulties on hapless and innocent scapegoats. If we adopt the Torah’s way of behavior and view of life then G-d promises us a much better life here on earth. If we persist in ignoring G-d’s path then we are doomed to sadness and tears. This is also made explicit to us in B’Chukosai.
The Torah reading concludes this week with the recitation of “chazak” — be strong — by the assembled congregation. Whenever we complete one of the books of Moses we recite “chazak.” Part of the reason for this is that the Torah sets very high standards for us. It does not compromise its demands in order to soothe us into smug complacency. Therefore there could arise a tendency to become discouraged when comparing our actual state of behavior and the bar that the Torah has erected for us.
To counter this feeling of falling short we recite “chazak” and pledge ourselves with renewed strength to attempt to do better and have our behavior and life fall more in line with the Torah standards placed before us. We renew our commitment to be strong and to strengthen others in the task of building this better society and more harmonious world. The Torah is a book of optimism and hope. We know that we can do better and we will therefore do better in the future.
NSB@S6K