Messianic Judaism Quest

The growth of the Kabbalah was not received warmly by many pundits. Part of this opposition was based upon similarities between the doctrine of the Sefirot and the trinitarian formulation of Christian thought.

[Read more →]

Many congregations approach this subject with a great deal of apprehension because they fear that incorporating “rabbinic tradition” is theologically problematic. This trepidation is partially predicated upon the notion that the early rabbis developed a system, which explicitly eliminated God from an active role in the halakhic decision-making process.

[Read more →]

The following is part of a new series of posts that I will be making. They are edited versions of actual email dialogs that occurred between myself, and individuals inquiring about Messianic Judaism or hoping to visit the chaverah I am a part of. For the most part, they are edited only to protect the names of the guilty and the innocent (me)!

[Read more →]

According to Rabbi Hartman, the Torah provides the Jewish community with a historical memory of a living G-d who selected the Jewish people from among the nations through whom which He would be sanctified in history.

[Read more →]

Just came across an interesting resource for literature from the Second Temple Period.

[Read more →]

For classical Judaism, the Oral Torah consists of Oral Torah revealed simultaneously at Sinai as well as enactments or laws instituted by later rabbis (d’Rabbanan). The basis or authority for the laws classified as “d’Rabbanan” and for the implementation of the observance of the commandments is derived from Deuteronomy 17:8-11.

[Read more →]

That being said, Jews should not be so offended that evangelical Christians are intent on evangelizing them. Why? Because evangelicals are intent on evangelizing everyone including Christians from other non-evangelical denominations. Evangelicals try to evangelize Messianic Jews, in part because they believe (those who are observant) that they are in error. The concern that evangelicals might believe that Jews are destined to hell should be irrelevant to most Jews…since most reject this view.

[Read more →]

“Messianic” groups looking to the Karaites as a model should realize that at best, Karaism at best is surviving, not thriving. The ultimate reason behind this was the disconnect created with the greater Jewish community. While one might argue that a similar disconnect is at work in the normative Jewish community and Messianic Jews because of the Yeshua factor, a break with the classical tradition as the basis of identity as in the case of the Karaites would spell the death null for Messianic Jews.

[Read more →]

Israel believes because faith in G-d depends on the memory of an event. This is the great innovation of Israelite religion in the biblical period, put the emphasis on history while ancient near eastern religions put the emphasis on nature.

[Read more →]

Its important to note that the statements below are based upon the classical Jewish relationship between the Written Torah and Oral Torah, and in turn on rabbinic “legislation.” This is a point many Messianics fail to understand. Rabbinic legislation is designated as “d’Rabban” while those commandments derived from the Torah are referred to as D’Oraita.

[Read more →]