Boyarin: The Gospels are Jewish

Today we are interviewing Daniel Boyarin, whose new book, The Jewish Gospels: The Story of the Jewish Christ, was published by New Press this April. In The Jewish Gospels, Daniel presents an astonishing argument that the concept of the Trinity was not original to Christianity at all but came out ideas that were commonplace in the Jewish tradition long before the birth of Jesus. Daniel is one of the world’s most renowned, original, and admired scholars of ancient Judaism. He is the Taubman Professor of Talmudic Culture in the departments of Rhetoric and of Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley. Daniel is not shy of taking provocative and controversial positions. His work was recently alluded to in the Oscar-nominated Israeli film, Footnote, where it was the subject of an argument. He has described himself as a Trotskyist, anti-Zionist Orthodox Jew, a set of positions and commitments that has excited both exaggerated interest in his work as well as scurrilous public attacks (mostly by pro-Zionist Jewish professors). Let’s hope today’s interview will engender both.

Andy: Daniel, everybody knows that Jesus was a Jew. But in The Jewish Gospels you are saying something quite different and original, even revolutionary. Can you explain your argument?

Boyarin: When people say that Jesus was a Jew, they usually mean that he came out of a Jewish milieu. Some think he completely revolutionized that environment, while others think it was the Gospels that produced that overturn, making a Jewish teacher into a god. I am arguing that the portrait of Jesus we find in the Gospels (especially in Mark) is one that could completely fit into the context of Second-Temple Judaism in which a Messiah who would be divine and human at the same time is not a foreign notion. I argue, moreover, that there is nothing in Mark or Matthew (or probably in Luke as well –  but this is a harder argument to make) that suggests that Jesus was setting aside or abrogating the law of the Torah. So it’s not only Jesus who was a Jew but the Christ (and Christ is not Jesus’ last name but his title!)

Andy: So let me get this straight. In the early years of Christianity there was no real distinction between Jews and Christians. There just happened to be some Jews who thought that a particular guy, Jesus, was the messiah. And these Jesus Jews weren’t really all that distinctive within the world of Jews at the time. Is that correct?

Boyarin: Yes. Fairly frequently I’m asked by Christian folk why the Jews “rejected” Jesus. I answer this (as Jews stereotypically are wont to) with another question: Who do you think accepted Jesus, the Zulus; the Goths? Jews were expecting a Messiah—this is one of the central arguments of the book—and many of them, moreover, had come to expect him to be a divine being in human form or even embodied in a human. Some Jews who came to know Jesus were so impressed with him that they accepted the claim (if he made it) or made the claim themselves that this Jew from Nazareth was the one that they and all of the Jews were expecting. Not altogether surprisingly a fair number, probably most, of the Jews around at the time were more skeptical. Today we call the first group of Jews Christians, the second Jews, but then and for a long time, they were all Jews.

Andy: When I studied The New Testament, I was always taught that St. Paul was the person who really made Christianity distinct from Judaism. And that happened early on. Apparently you see it differently. When did Christianity have its irrevocable break with Judaism? And why?

Boyarin: In some ways it was Paul who effected the revolution with respect to the Torah that we don’t find in the Gospels. But it needs to be remembered that Paul was an embattled figure, marginalized and considered a heretic by most followers of Jesus for decades if not  longer. I would tentatively suggest that it was the entry of myriads of Gentiles into the Jesus movement, folks who had no interest in or attraction toward the traditional ways of the Jews that ultimately precipitated a gradual and finally total separation of the communities. One of the important arguments of the book is that the Gospels are misread as portraying Jesus as rejecting the Torah and Jewish religious practice; it was Paul who did that, and even with Paul, a plausible argument could be made that he intended this rejection only for the “believers” from the Nations (the so-called Gentiles) and not the Jewish followers of Christ. Jesus, I argue, defended the Torah against the reforms and traditions of the Pharisees whom he saw as substituting their own traditions for what was clearly written by Moses!

Andy: A lot of your book is a close look at the language of the Gospels, particularly The Gospel of Mark. I always thought that the Gospels tried to distinguish Jesus’ ideas from the Jewish thinkers of his time, particularly the Pharisees.

Boyarin: Yes, but precisely the argument is that the Pharisees were not “the Jewish thinkers of the time;” they were some Jewish thinkers of the time. Jesus, I argue, was much more conservative in his approach to Torah than the Pharisees who were descended from Jews who had returned from the Babylonian Exile with some quite new ideas about the way the Torah ought to be practiced, especially their notion of a “Tradition of the Fathers”—later on called Oral Torah—that dictated some practices that certainly seemed different from the literal meaning of the Torah itself. So Jesus was portrayed as being in conflict with those Pharisees but that hardly marked him off as in any way not Jewish in his religious thought, any more than the attacks on the Pharisees in the Dead Sea Scrolls make those texts not Jewish or less Jewish than the Talmud!

Andy: When you think about this, it seems pretty provocative. How do you think Jewish and Christian theologians are going to respond to it?

No Evidence.

Renowned Talmudic scholar, Daniel Boyarin, in his latest book, The Jewish Gospels (speaking of Isaiah 53, on pg.152) states:

"I cannot overstate the extent to which the interpretation of this passage has anchored the conventional view of Judaism's relationship to Messianism. It has been generally assumed by modern folks that Jews have always given the passage a metaphorical reading, understanding the suffering servant to refer to the People of Israel, and that it was the Christians who changed and distorted its meaning to make it refer to Jesus. Quite to the contrary, we now know that many Jewish authorities, maybe even most, until nearly the modern period have read Isaiah 53 as being about the Messiah; until the last few centuries, the allegorical reading was a minority position." He continues, "Aside from one very important - but absolutely unique - notice in Origen's Contra Celsum, there is no evidence at all that any late ancient Jews read Isaiah 52-53 as referring to anyone but the Messiah."

Purchase Daniel Boyarin's The Jewish Gospels here.
Read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah here.
Watch The Mysterious Prophecy of Isaiah 53 video here.

Vehi Sheamda

Good Mourning!

Talmud - Mas. Sukkah 52a (excerpt) & [emphasis mine]

And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart. 1 Is it not, they said, an a fortiori argument? If in the future 2 when they will be engaged in mourning and the Evil Inclination will have no power over them, 3 the Torah 4 nevertheless says, men separately and women separately, how much more so now 5 when they are engaged in rejoicing and the Evil Inclination has sway over them. 6

What is the cause of the mourning [mentioned in the last cited verse]? 1 — R. Dosa and the Rabbis differ on the point. One explained, The cause is the slaying of Messiah the son of Joseph, 7 and the other explained, The cause is the slaying of the Evil Inclination.

It is well according to him who explains that the cause is the slaying of Messiah the son of Joseph, since that well agrees with the Scriptural verse, And they shall look upon me because they have thrust him through, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son; 8 but according to him who explains the cause to be the slaying of the Evil Inclination, is this [it may be objected] an occasion for mourning? Is it not rather an occasion for rejoicing? Why then should they weep? — [The explanation is] as R. Judah expounded: In the time to come 9 the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring the Evil Inclination and slay it in the presence of the righteous and the wicked. To the righteous it will have the appearance of a towering hill, and to the wicked it will have the appearance of a hair thread. Both the former and the latter will weep; the righteous will weep saying, ‘How were we able to overcome such a towering hill!’ The wicked also will weep saying, ‘How is it that we were unable to conquer this hair thread!’ And the Holy One, blessed be He, will also marvel together with them, as it is said, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, it shall 10 also be marvellous in My eyes.11

Remain

“For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they will come and shall see My glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard My fame or seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the L-RD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to My Holy Mountain, Yerushalayim, says the L-RD, just as Israel brings its grain offerings in clean vessels to the house of the L-RD. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the L-RD."

“For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before Me, says the L-RD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. " 

~ Yeshayahu 66:18-22

Do you fit in?

A Christian asked, "Where exactly do Messianic Jews fit in as far as the End Times are concerned?" and "Do they count as Israel or as the Church?" I'm tempted to point out that those mentioned in Revelation 12:17 don't exactly sound like the average church group to me, but instead, I ask, "Do Messianic Jews “fit in” at all? Must they “fit in”, necessarily? And why? Who chooses the container in which we must fit? Do the plans of G-d always (or ever) fit into our neat, tidy, eschatological theories, compartments and such? Will many, just like those in the first century, be too wrapped up in their own misunderstandings to discern the things that unfold in the days to come? Then, I try to relax a bit.

While we’re asking; where, actually, does the “church” fit in? I mean, even Rav Shaul referred to these things as a “mystery”, did he not? Perhaps it's the other groups that need to “fit in”. It might sound crazy, but let's not lose sight of the facts. Messiah Yeshua came solely to Israel. His disciples later carried the message of salvation to the surrounding nations and outsiders. Maybe they are the ones who are unable to accurately find their place. Just a thought, but that would explain why we were given Romans 11, no?

People have always been quite fond of pointing out what words aren't in scripture - and in this instance, you'll find I'm no different. If you consider the fact that the word “church” is found nowhere in the original scriptures, but is used as a translation of the word ἐκκλησία – the ekklesia, or the “called out assembly”, it begs the question; is it possible that even our nomenclature has contributed to massive distortions in understanding? Let me present it this way; the word “church” is from the old English word “cirice”, which is from the ancient Germanic word “kirika”, which, strangely, is from the Greek word κυριακὴ, which means “of the L-rd”, but is not even the word used to refer to this assembly in the Greek text originally. So, why the change? It's not as though English speakers wouldn't have understood the word "assembly". Why substitute it with a tri-translated distortion? Does taking what was once referred to as the “called out assembly”, and re-naming it the “church”, cause it to appear that those who are not the “church” are not “of the L-rd”?

6 Questions

How many believers, marginal or otherwise, will raise their children in the midst of some sort of quasi-religious environment, complete with all manner of traditional trappings and myth, only to have them later, as adults, either lose their faith entirely, or search endlessly for a way just to make sense of things? How many parents, who clearly only want the best for their children, will emphasize adherence to some semblance of moral ethic, and endeavor to instill a sense of right and wrong in the young minds of their progeny, but completely neglect kindling a fire within their young hearts for the holiness of HaShem, His Word, and a life lived on the narrow path of Messiah Yeshua?

How righteous would our nation be if those within Christianity would tenaciously fight against the overwhelmingly powerful force of nostalgia and tradition, dethroning the falsehood and atrocious error of Supersessionism once and for all, and, starting with how they raise their children, seek to move ever-so-gently towards researching and adopting the beliefs and practices of the first followers of Messiah Yeshua - and the L-RD Himself - the One that they consider their Master? How greatly would the the collective heart of the Jewish People be impacted by witnessing the "one nation under God" humbling itself, fervently returning to HaShem, and celebrating the immutable position of Israel in G-d's plan for the restoration of the entire earth?

Truly, that's all that the disparity in Christianity amounts to - nothing but spiritual blindness brought on by the elevation of tradition, nostalgia, and groupthink over the very Word of G-d - certainly nothing scriptural! What would happen if the Church embraced the entirety of scripture and calibrated itself accordingly - rather than calibrating scripture according to the various creeds, edicts and initiatives of the Church? World changing stuff, I imagine -- and wasn't that the goal all along?

Tikkun

KOEOY Media - Tikkun Poster

UPDATE: Tikkun prints are now available in 16x20 format.
They're full color on matte paper and turned out beautifully.
Mail me (koeoy.blog[at]gmail[dt]com) for details if you'd like to purchase one.

Will vs. Way

I’ve had a few discussions recently with a Christian friend that have really caused me to boil things down a bit - bringing those ethereal and spiritual ideas we accept without hesitation into the lens of someone who is unable to accept them, or perhaps, has never heard such things. It seems that there are a great many out there who desire to know G-d, His "will for their life", and to walk in what He has planned for them - some even hoping to find a believing spouse, but they reject the concept of the Word of G-d being directly applicable to their lives in any real, tangible way. To them, it's like the U.S. Constitution. They know it's out there, and they're vaguely familiar with what it says, but they're certain it doesn't say anything that directly pertains to their life today. This perspective troubles me greatly. If you don't feel that becoming one with HaShem, subsequently purging the influence of this darkened world from your heart and mind is G-d's "will for your life" and that He has provided us with instructions on how to do just that, I don't know what else there is to say.

I've found, in these recent conversations, that it's beneficial to completely re-approach the idea of who Yeshua is, what He has shown us, what He accomplished, what He has enabled us to accomplish through Him. While, depending on your audience, this can be painstaking, it is completely necessary. Because so many Christians have been programmed to shut down at the mention of anything they perceive to be "legalistic", I have to explain that I'm not advocating adding “works” or any similar notions to the salvation that has been freely provided us through Yeshua - but then ask, what has He saved us to do? Equally, I’m not a proponent of putting on a show to persuade someone into adopting my belief system – as some try to suggest Shaul was doing - but then ask, how do we do our "works before men so that they might glorify our Father in heaven", as we are instructed by our Master?

Hold fast.

Thus says the L-RD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon My salvation will come, and My deliverance be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the L-RD say, "The L-RD will surely separate me from His people"; and let not the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree." For thus says the L-RD: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, who choose the things that please Me and hold fast My covenant, I will give in My house and within My walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. "And the foreigners who join themselves to the L-RD, to minister to Him, to love the Name of the L-RD, and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast My covenant, these I will bring to My Holy Mountain, and make them joyful in My House of Prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a House of Prayer for All Peoples." The L-rd G-D, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, "I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered." ~ Yeshayahu 56:1-8

Sorrow & Simplicity

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” ~ Albert Einstein

There really are so many things in life about which to be concerned. Our personal lives and walks with G-d, the ever-growing complexities of current events and global turmoil, the pain and suffering we see every day and the limitless depravity of mankind - all these things, and so many more, constantly compete for our concern. Even the believer that has built their house on the truth of G-d's Word can sometimes encounter seemingly insurmountable obstacles or experience paralyzing despair in the face of life's many challenges.

When we allow encroaching shadows to envelop the light, we can forget where we are and eventually lose our way. In life's darkest times, it helps tremendously to focus our cares on the simple truths that HaShem has placed in our hearts. Our various aspirations and goals, while often rooted in healthy ambition, can overwhelm us in seasons of adversity. Meditating on the simplicity of G-d's love for us has the power to restore hope and peace to our beleaguered souls. When we seek the calibration only G-d provides, His priorities become our own. His peace becomes our strength. In this spiritual winnowing, the Ruach HaKodesh breathes a calm focus into our now quieted and attentive hearts.

If there is one thing we know about Rav Shaul, it's that he had a great many things to deal with in life. Harsh persecution nearly everywhere he went, feelings of alienation from many leaders in the Jewish establishment, and the burden of being responsible to grow Messianic Judaism and shepherd congregations throughout the known world, surely weighed heavily on his shoulders. In Romans 9, he spoke of a wish he had. The word "wish" seems somewhat lighthearted to us today, though. It was more of a incredibly deep, heartfelt plea - one borne out of terrific stress, unyielding anguish, and an indescribable love. He appears to have felt somewhat powerless to change this situation - and his mind began to entertain the unthinkable. Somehow, in Shaul's despair, he actually wished that he could be cut off from Yeshua in order to bestow salvation to Israel. He wished that he could, literally, be damned so that they might be saved.

"I am speaking the truth in Mashiach. I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Ruach HaKodesh - that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Mashiach for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of Torah, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is Mashiach Yeshua who is G-d over all, blessed forever. Amen." ~ Romans  9:1-5

The Walk

Romans 8 is one of the most beautifully informative and tragically misunderstood passages in the writings of Rav Shaul. Too often, it seems, many believers tend to equate its idiom of “walking after the Spirit” to be living a self-determined, boundary-less adventure. They're comfortable handling the things of G-d however they like – nestled in some nebulous state of "freedom" – while they often view those “walking after the flesh” as living according to regulations, legalism, and the commandments of G-d. In this errant rendering, Yeshua died to end the standard, rather than lived to provide us one. This misunderstanding can largely be traced to the text of Romans 8, where many have mistaken an exposition on how we cannot, in our flesh, measure up to the holiness of G-d's instruction - or obtain salvation based on our own merit - to mean that we are not to, in the Spirit, pursue the holiness of G-d's instruction - walking righteously before HaShem.

The spiritual life of "make it up as you go along" and "do what (spiritually) feels right" is somehow made superior to the legalistic life of simply adhering to the commandments of G-d – even though, our Master, Maran Yeshua, lived in complete obedience to the instruction of G-d, and further, instructed us numerous times to do the same (Matt 5:19, 19:17 & 23:3, John 14:15, 21 & 15:10). This "no rules" misreading, I believe, is nothing more that a vestigial perspective from the era when gentiles usurped the fledgling Messianic faith, and eventually, seeking to distance it from Judaism, severed theological ties with its basic tenets and Torah appearances. Bolstering the distorted framework that enables this chasm between what we clearly read in the text and what many have been taught, is a time-honored tradition - and one that has been so tenaciously maintained, and for so long, that many are completely unable to perceive its existence, much less, error.

Having come to understand Romans 8 differently, it is apparent to me that the “walking”, the halacha, is non-negotiable. You either walk after the flesh or after the Spirit, but still, you must walk. You must adhere to the commandments of HaShem. The question is, how do we “walk”? How do we keep G-d’s teaching? Do we keep it according to His will, through His Spirit – allowing Him to live out His holy life through us? Or do we tend to walk things out in our own flesh – picking and choosing what we will obey, deem necessary, important, “outdated”, “legalistic” or “done away with”, in direct contrast and disobedience to His Spirit? Further, do we keep Torah to somehow obtain our own salvation or standing before G-d - or do we keep it because our Master did and commanded us to be a light to this darkened world? Yes, everyone walks - some with HaShem, some in the wrong direction, and some in the right direction, but without ever reaching the destination that their loving Father has prepared and intended for them.

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love." ~ John 15:10

The Secret Jews

While Jews being forced into hiding during the reign of totalitarian regimes is nothing new, who would've imagined that many Arabs today are concealing their Jewish ancestry - practicing the faith of their fathers in secret - away from the watchful eyes of Islamic leadership and PA factions? Still more fascinating is that this has been going on for quite some time, apparently.

The Forest Lion

"But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y'hudah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Isra'el, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times.  Therefore he will give up Isra'el only until she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his kinsmen will return to the people of Isra'el.  He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of ADONAI, in the majesty of the name of ADONAI his G-d; and they will stay put, as he grows great to the very ends of the earth; ... Then the remnant of Ya'akov, surrounded by many peoples, will be like dew from ADONAI, like showers on the grass, which doesn't wait for a man or expect anything from mortals.  The remnant of Ya'akov among the nations, surrounded by many peoples, will be like a lion among forest animals, like a young lion among flocks of sheep - if it passes through, tramples and tears to pieces, there is no one to rescue them.  Your hand will be raised over your enemies; all your adversaries will be destroyed."

Many refer to this passage from Micah 5 for it's indication of the birthplace of Mashiach, Bethlehem, and rightly so, but there is so much more contained within it. 

Now!

"Yonah the Prophet had to suffer a tempest at sea and three subsequent days in the belly of a whale before he woke up and returned to Hashem with all his heart. Must we also, Heaven forbid?

As I'm writing this article, flood waters are rising in New York City despite the fact that Hurricane Irene has been degraded to a tropical storm. And, on the other side of the Atlantic, rockets fired from Gaza are still falling in the South of Israel, despite the fact that there's supposed to be a ceasefire.

Despite the fact... Are we starting to understand that we don't run the show? Is anyone foolish enough to see that our fate is not in our own hands?"

Raise Your Hand.

This is what the L-RD G-D said, "Look, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and raise my sign to all the people. They will bring your sons, carrying them close and they will lift up your daughters upon their shoulders and carry them. Kings will be your caring fathers and queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down their faces at the sight of you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will all know that I AM the L-RD. Those who wait for Me will not be ashamed." ~ Isaiah 49:22-23

Yeshayahu 49:22,23 graphically illustrates how the nations will, because of a miracle (nes) that is raised before them by the hand of G-d, carry Israel back to her land – and humbly nurture the People of G-d in that place. Then, and this is important, "you will all know that I Am the L-RD”. Who is “you”? “You” refers to Israel, of course. When will Israel know who the L-rd is? We can see from the sequence - only after this event takes place is His identity revealed. After G-d raises a miracle in the sight of the nations, they will be motivated to care for the Jewish People, carrying them back to their land. After which, they, Israel, will know who the L-rd truly is. Since the nations have, in effect, been carrying Israel back to her land for decades, are we to believe that the sign raised by the hand of G-d to the nations is Messiah Yeshua? I certainly believe so. But is there more to this prophecy? The humility described here on the part of the nations is rarely seen today. Is there yet another miracle G-d will work before gentile eyes? One that will humble them even more? One that will make the truth of G-d's plan for world redemption an inescapable reality for all? Or have the nations simply missed what was already shown to them? I believe that there may be more shown to the nations. With the current state of world markets and global turmoil, it would be absolutely nothing for G-d to raise His hand and unleash a series of eye-opening events. Perhaps this "hand raising" is a multi-faceted revelation spanning an unknown number of years. At any rate, there are already gentiles who would love nothing more than to humble themselves and assist Am Yisrael any way that they could. Many have been for decades.

Porcelain Unicorn

..and their lies.

Darkness now descends on your internet experience, intrepid reader. The following are a few excerpts from Martin Luther's "The Jews and Their Lies", which I prefer to think of as "The Jews" and "their Lies", as in the Jewish People and the lies that rush forth so effortlessly from the mouths of their many enemies. What you will read is the script directly from ha satan, but it must be beheld, and its many historical effects comprehended, in order to even begin to understand Jewish/Christian relations today. Church, behold the words of one of your most beloved "fathers".

The Irrelevant Drunkard

In speaking with James, of Morning Meditations, I said, "James, you’ve asked an excellent question: “If Jesus was/is Jewish and he lived and taught in a manner completely consistent with the Judaism of his day (which would include Rabbinic rulings and halachah), how can you be a disciple of “the ultimate Rebbe”, and yet disdain people who are Jews?” And it should be a rhetorical one, but sadly, there are many out there who would try to answer it. From my experience, it seems that many Christians, and even some Messianic Gentiles, so to speak, “love” Israel because “Jesus” was born there. It’s like they’re sticking up for His “hometown”, in a sense. They really don’t (and probably can’t) have a handle on how Mashiach relates to and fits into Rabbinic Judaism – and aren’t even conscious that anything is missing in their perspective. For the average Christian, if I may say, Israel is precious to the extent that it serves as a harbinger of the return of “Jesus”. Its existence and people are a timepiece pointing to heaven, rapture, etc and little more. They “love” the concept Israel much like they “love” the concept “Jesus” – which, while it surely sounds harsh, is probably more about a “what’s in it for me?” attitude than a grasp of the “big picture” purpose of Israel in the earth – understood as G-d’s magnificent plan for redeeming humanity through the Jewish People, their faith, and ultimate blessing, the Mashiach Nagid."

Of minim and men

I understand this video is somewhat older as far as internet videos go, but it's so eye-opening and I haven't seen it featured in too many places. I'm sure there are still quite a few people that haven't yet seen it. It saddens me greatly to think of how Israelis who accept the Messiah of Israel are treated in the Land of Israel. I don't post a video like this one to add fuel, but simply to make those aware that may not be. If it isn't something you pray about regularly already, it's helpful to be reminded of this very important issue.