Wednesday, 12 November 2008

  • TORAH 4 EVERYONE

    Why should you be Jewish? Why not X-ian or Muslim? How can we know who is right?


    The X-ians admit that the Jewish Torah is true, that G-od has given us His Law on mount Sinai – in full view of the entire Jewish nation.


    The Muslims say the same thing: we agree and admit that the Torah was given by G-od to the Jewish people.


    Both Muslims and X-ians AGREE that the Torah is indeed true, given word of one true

    G-od! So why do they continue to murder, harass and throw the Jews out for refusing to give up our Torah ways?


    The X-ians say that the Torah is a true word of G-od, His revealed word, which was given in order to inform us about the purpose of our lives and how to accomplish it. (while Judaism is true, they claim that their version is the 'new improved' version)


    The Muslims say the same thing: yes, the Jewish Torah is true, but the prophet Mohamed came and had revealed a 'new-updated' law of G-od.


    Now, we should try to understand two things:


    1- why isn't everyone Jewish if they all agree that the Torah is a true word of G-od? What is their excuse for rejecting the Torah?


    2- How exactly had THEIR new religion improved on Judaism?


    The answer they provide is that G-od had changed His mind. He 'saw' that the Jews weren't perfect in their fulfillment of the laws of the Torah and He decided to 'update' the covenant, this time around with the X-ians.


    Why don't the Jews 'buy' into that logic?


    First of all, if G-od had decided to change His covenant, He'd do it with at least the same amount of 'bang' as He had made when giving the Torah. It is an issue of simple numbers:


    Torah, as everyone religious agrees, Jewish or not, was given in view of millions of Jews witnessing that wonderful event. It was a very PUBLIC occasion. Everyone present was able to witness it.


    But Jesus' supposed re-awakening has happened in relative secret. There were some people who have claimed having seen him again after being murdered. But it was a small number, not nearly close to the revelation witnessed by the millions of Jews who had seen the event at mount Sinai.


    The Jews have the right to expect an equally Earth-shattering announcement in case of any major changes to our holy Torah, which after all has been our religious, cultural and a national identity from the very beginning!!! Wouldn't it be more logical to offer the 'New' testament with AT LEAST THE SAME FANFARE AS THE 'OLD' ONE?


    The same logic applies to the Muslims' claim of the miraculous appearance of the Koran.

    It was only Mohammad's claim that he had received the Koran from angel Gabriel. Not from G-od even, but from a 'lowly angel'.


    (Sorry, angel Gabriel, for being disrespectful; I'm being facetious here, but I'm not making fun of you, Mr. Gabriel, just trying to talk some sense to the nations who have been persecuting and killing and trying to convert the Jews away from the true revealed word of G-od Cre-ator of the Universe). How can the Muslims expect us to give up our Torah, given by G-od, in full view of millions, on the much weaker say-so of one single person, who claimed to have received his holy Koran from an angel???


    Both X-ians and Muslims have only the word of their founders as proof... No other time in history was there any such national, public REVELATION of G-od's will. If G-od wanted to 'change' any part of His covenant, wouldn't you think He'd do it just as publicly as the first time around? But it hasn't happened in such way, not with X-ians, not with Muslims.


    2- G-od is not stupid. He has CREATED US IMPERFECT. HE KNOWS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE HOW IMPERFECT AND WEAK AND FAULT-RIDDEN WE REALLY ARE. And that precisely is the reason He gave us the Torah!!! -'cuz we need it to improve ourselves!


    The Torah is the cure for the common sinfulness!!! We would not be needing the Torah if we'd have been created without any faults, no? No amount of opening our 'hearts to J.C.' will change that fact: we are here on Earth to work on ourselves, not to merely babble on and on how much J.C. loves us and feels our pain... We have our holy Torah, we have a goal in our lives. It is perfectly fine for the X-ians to focus their religion on Jeezes' love for them, but we still have our commandments/ mitzvahs to do! No matter how much G-od loves us, we still have to focus on the task at hand, okay? I am aware of G-od's love for us, I try my best to love Him back, and live with constant appreciation and awareness of it. I love G-od and am thankful to Him. Now what???


    The favorite preaching theme of the X-ians is how IMPOSSIBLE & FUTILE is to even try to change, to emerge from our quagmire of sin, or to fulfill the Torah. Such approach is wrong from the Jewish point of view. We are given a task, to grow in good deeds, to correct ourselves, to improve the world, to grow closer to G-od through the performance of the mitzvos.


    The X-ian point of view is that we cannot accomplish anything until we approach G-od

    through Jeezes. That is very confusing to the Jews. If you call G-od 'Jeezes', and if He had commanded us to come closer to Him through the performance of the mitzvos, why does it matter how we are going to refer to G-od???


    It is perfectly okay for the X-ians to make it a focal point of their religion the belief that Jeezes' birth and dieing was needed to express G-od's love and the forgiveness to His Creation.


    But the Jews, in our religious tradition, have a deep-set belief in a loving, forgiving G-od as well. We believe that we should emulate G-od's ways in every-day life in showing kindness, respect and love to each other, and in refraining from war and violence as much as possible.


    The X-ians were so insistent of the necessity of Jeezes' message of love, that for centuries they have killed, pillaged, raped, expelled, robbed and burned us Jews at stake, as well as the American Indians and other 'pagans' who were damned due to their lack of belief in Jeezes, therefore were not worthy of being left alive...


    Apparently Jeezes' message was not wholly successful in imbuing his followers with loving-kindness towards others.


    In addition, the X-ians believe that unless their love, devotions and prayers are directed SPECIFICALLY through Jeezes, it is all for naught!!! It isn't enough, according to the X-ian faith, to pray to G-od, to do good deeds, to yearn and pray to become closer to G-od. No! Unless it is done expressly with the belief in Jeezes as well, it is all in vain!!!


    In addition, the X-ians belief that we should give up even trying to uphold the laws of the Torah (even though, in theory they agree it was G-od-given). Why should we even try to fulfill the Torah, if we'll never be able to do it all!!! It is IMPOSSIBLE TO UPHOLD THE ENTIRE TORAAH SO WON'T EVEN TRY TO DO ANYTHING !!! IT IS ALL FUTILE !!! We might as well give up without even trying !!! Don't even begin doing your good deeds !!! You won't succeed becoming a perfect human being in any case, so just keep praying for grace!!! And you will get grace only if you have a perfect belief in Jeezes. That is the X-ian

    doctrine.


    Of course we Jews believe differently. We know that we weren't created as the angels or robots, and are not expected to be perfect in our fulfillment of the Law. We have our evil inclination; that's how we were created... Any good deeds, any steps we take towards G-od and towards living a G-odly life, is praiseworthy. Any mitzvah we do - is a step closer to G-od. Any act of kindness, any lessening of aggression or violence in the world is bringing the world closer to perfection. Even if our intentions aren't 100% pure. Even if the person who has done the mitzvah is still pretty much filled with sin – his or her deed still counts!!! Why wouldn't it?


    G-od loves us all as His children. He is happy to give us credit for every effort we make. If He wanted angels, He would have created us without any faults or desires or cravings.!


    “Oh, why should you ever bother taking a shower today, if you KNOW that you will get sweaty and dirty in a few hours again. Or: why do you even bother eating and drinking, if you very well know that you will be hungry tomorrow again??? There is NO POINT !!! Better make peace with the fact that we are MEANT to be dirty, thirsty and hungry !!! No point in trying to change anything !!! We might as well just curl up in a ball and die!!! What is the point of going on living, if our efforts don't matter a bit!!! As long as a person 'feels the love of Jeezes, s/he has it made...”


    Obviously, such reasoning isn't what the Torah is all about. Judaism is about a dynamic relationship with G-od. We try our best, we look for the way, we stumble, we regress, we progress, we go on trying. As long as G-od sees that we are honestly trying, He will understand! And, our holy tradition teaches us, G-od will meet us half-ways. If we make a move toward Him, He will move toward us even more!!! He will help us to improve, purify ourselves, to come close to Him, to become a better person...


    Any dirt we get on ourselves, we can, with G-od's help, get it off. It doesn't have to STAY on our skin or on our souls. We are not static. We have the ability to change, to work on ourselves, to improve. And that's where Torah comes in.


    And what if we cannot become totally pure from sin? We shouldn't even try? And what if we repent and then sin again a few days later? Shouldn't we even attempt to improve ourselves ever again? Should we give up living the Torah-way without even trying? And if we manage to cleanse ourselves from one sin, there are thousands of other sins we would still have, so whats the point, right???


    Wrong!!! Every person is beloved in G-od's eyes. Every person came here for a reason. We all have our tasks here on Earth, and G-od appreciates our efforts, as imperfect as they might be, cuz we are not angels or robots – we are human and that's the way we have been created by G-od Himself!


    G-od knows our nature and He gave us the Torah precisely as a tool to work on ourselves. Even though we are not able to become 100% perfect, our religion is FULL of individuals, who have elevated themselves to levels unheard in any other religion or a way of life. A person who honestly applies him/her-self to keeping and trying to understanding the Torah, with a sincere desire to do the will of our Creator – will always achieve progress!!! And even if you never reach a lofty level of a saintly Torah sage or a rabbi, it is worth it! Every bit counts, for every deed can bring the individual closer to G-od, and through that, the world closer to perfection.


    And no famous Rabbi had ever achieved total perfection. So what! G-od doesn't love His children any less for that. In a famous story, a rabbi had a dream that he will be chastened in Heaven not for failing to live up to the standards of Moses, but he WILL be chastened for failing to live up to HIS PERSONAL POTENTIAL!

    Any person who has dedicated him/her-self to a life of self-improvement through Torah – will become visibly holy. Not in some nebulous 'glow-in-the-dark' kind of way, but in a real, humane, natural and healthy way, by being kind to others, by eating pure food, observing our holidays, dealing justly and lovingly with others and by learning about the commandments – the soul will become closer to G-od, more attuned to His presence and to His holiness in the world.


    It is not achieved through some extreme asceticism. There are countless dedicated religious Jews around who are not anything special- not extra bright or not extra ascetic. No, they are merely trying to live NORMAL LIVES according to the ideas of the Torah, to the best of their abilities.


    And it shows. In the purity and refinement of their families, in the sweetness of their lives, as they try their best to abstain from the dumbing down of the superficial sound-bites of the secular culture, as they daily manage to live normal, well-adjusted lives, while imbuing it with Torah-directed Godliness!!!


    On the other hand, according to X-ians, it is IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE HUMAN BEING TO BETTER HIMSELF. Only through perfect faith in 'Jeezes' is anyone able to change our cursed nature. And what if your faith isn't perfect? Will you be cursed and damned to the netherworld by our loving G-od?


    Judaism believes that we came into this world to improve ourselves to the best of our abilities. Every effort we make to improve ourselves and to improve the world- makes a difference. X-ianity claims that unless we are able to be perfect, it is in vain. According to X-ianity, unless our faith in Jeezes is perfect or our deeds are perfect, we will remain cursed and crippled forever...


    Judaism believes in one G-od, a loving, forgiving, understanding Creator, who yearns to see us come close to Him.


    The X-ians believe that Jezes is supposed to be G-od Himself... and that we should all believe that, or else our souls are damned. How can they expect the Jews to believe that J.C. Is G-od and that he has decided to 'void' the entire Torah, to stop doing the good deeds/ mitzvos described in details in the Torah?


    Why hasn't he just TOLD the people in the first place that we shouldn't bother reading, learning and trying to incorporate the laws of the Torah into our everyday life. ('Attention, all people! Don't bother with the mitzvos anymore. We only have to believe in Jeezes, that's all.) To the Jews of course, such belief is ludicrous. G-od wouldn't bother giving all those laws, only to have them repelled later on... without bothering to announce it as clearly as at the time of the Revelation on mount Sinai.


    On one hand the X-ians claim to believe that the Torah was indeed given to the Israelites by G-od Himself... On the other hand they claim that G-od had changed His mind and re-drew His game plan for the humanity... - even though it says CLEARLY in the Torah that this Torah is forever, not to be exchanged or 'edited'. So... If you profess to believe in the 'old testament' you have painted yourself into a corner. You are saying that one day He woke up, slapped himself on the forehead and exclaimed: 'gosh, I gave them the Torah, but I forgot how weak and inept and easy to tempt they are. I better just give them some easier set of rules'


    If you don't care about the Torah, that's fine- that's your belief. But don't base your entire religion on the Torah (supposedly, sort of...) and then say that it was all changed.

    Either you take the Torah at its word, or you don't. The way the X-ians are dealing with it, basing the 'legitimacy' of their religion on the Torah, and then saying that it doesn't apply anymore is dishonest. If you claim that it has been changed, you don't really wanna believe that it is G-od's word, His way of life for us, His revealed teaching for our task in this world. You just want to usurp the Torah's credibility, and then just say -'well, not really'...


    But if the gentiles fully ADMIT THAT THE GIVING OF THE TORAH IS A TRUE FACT, how can they sanely claim that G-od has changed everything ??? Wasn't the whole point of the Torah to be a manual for living a godly life? Either you're in, or out!!! If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen!


    The same logic applies to Islam. If you claim that the Torah is true word of G-od, why is your holy book, Koran, full of hatred and admonitions to subjugate the Jews for Allah... If Allah is the same persona who gave us the Torah, aren't you really working AGAINS'T the will of G-od? Or Allah? Why aren't the Arabs supporting Israel rather than fighting it tooth and nail? If the Arabs agree that the Jews have received the Torah, why aren't they helping us to keep the Torah? Why are they using every opportunity to undermine the Jews and their lifestyles every chance they get?


    So, the bottom line is- if you are a believer in G-od, you should at least help others living up to their Torah standards, even if you yourself are not able to, or maybe not Jewish and therefore not obligated to keep the Jewish commandments.


    Every human being who believes that G-od has brought us into existence for a reason, must strive to make this world a better place. The Jews through the fulfillment of as many mitzvas/ commandments as they are able to, and the non-Jews as well, through the creation of a lawful society, fighting immorality, hunger, injustice etc. A Jew has an extra measure of commandments to bring G-od's visible role into our everyday presence- through the holiday ceremonies (Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Yom Kippur, etc) as well as through refraining from work on holidays and on Shabbat, through refraining from eating certain foods and through certain ritual practices (placing a mezuza on the door-posts, placing tefillin on our arms and foreheads, etc)


    We need to do certain actions to express our believes. It is not enough to tell your wife how much you love her if you never pay any attention to her, never help her and only keep company with other people. You must actively express your love in actual, physical way- through your help, support, conversation, loyalty and presence. Otherwise it would not be a marriage! Similarly, if you have a boss, it is not enough to tell him how much you love his company. It is not worth much if you don't do your share of the expected work. The same with BEING a Jew: you must BE a Jew- do things expected of you.


    The same applies to the Muslims and X-ians: If you claim to believe in G-od's will revealed on mount Sinai as written in the Torah ('Old' Testament, although I don't see any expiration date on it anywhere), you should consequently at least help others fulfill their task of living a godly life together here on Earth, instead of trying to bomb each other.


    As far as the X-ian missionaries, they should stop trying to get the Jews to pray to Jeezes. What is the point of that? If you hold that Jeezes is tantamount with G-od, so- the Jews have always been faithful to G-od's message of monotheism. Do the Jews dispute G-od's grace or G-od's love for His creation? Do the Jews dispute G-od's forgiveness? Why

    has the church throughout the centuries instigated the killings, expulsions or forced conversions of the Jews? The Jews are supposed to do G-od's will by obeying the Torah.


    The Jewish nation was asked to live in a certain way. Some things were commanded to the Jews, some to the non-Jews. Nothing changes by calling G-od some other name or by insisting that He has appeared in human form. For the Jews it is similar to idol-worship, like praying to a human being. If the X-ians have such belief, it shouldn't cause them to kill the Jews who are only trying to stay true to G-od's will.


    If the Arabs have a tradition of fulfilling G-od's will in a certain way, or to pray a certain way, why are they so intent on trying to prevent the Jews from fulfilling their obligations?


    The Arabs, with their vast land resources should not begrudge tiny Israel her little area where we could fulfill the Torah in full. They should help Israelites rebuild their holy Temple instead of trying to sabotage it.


    There is absolutely no reason not to live peacefully side-by side. There is just soooooooo much empty space in the beleaguered Middle East, that everyone will benefit from peaceful coexistence. But the militant Arabs insist that only their task of fulfilling the Koran is important.


    Even though they claim to agree that the Torah was give to the Jews by G-od to help them fulfill G-od's will on Earth, in practice the Arabs continue to fight against the Jewish nation every chance they get. It is obvious that the Arabs are not doing G-od's will in that!


    So, instead of arguing about details, we should focus on our common goals- safety for our children, good education, health, keeping the environment unpolluted, eradicating of diseases and progress in all areas of science for the good of everyone.


    What does G-od want more: that we should grow in goodness, knowledge, health and safety, in spite of some differing beliefs on religious history (whose prophet is greater, how exactly do we manifest our believe in G-od's love and forgiveness, how exactly has G-od manifested Himself to us etc)


    As long as we can agree on the main goals of living a moral, pure lives, each nation according to their religion, why should we kill or try to brain-wash each other to change?

    It will only create animosity, and detract from the most important goals and tasks of our respective religions.


    So, nations of the Earth, let's concentrate not on being right, but on doing right in our everyday lives, and let G-od or His scholars take care of the theological and philosophical differences... A warrior is the last person qualified to 'prove' or disprove the validity of one's religion. And a X-ian missionary should help the Jews maintain our Torah life-style rather than try to brain-wash some unlearned or unfortunate Jew into giving up a life of Torah...

  • Choose Identity

  • Give eProps (?)

  • New! You can now edit your comments for 15 minutes after submitting.