“The vital issue for the church is to decide whether to look for roots in Judaism and consider itself an extension of Judaism or to look for roots in pagan Hellenism and consider itself as an antithesis to Judaism” (Abraham Joshua Heschel in his Insecurity of Freedom, p. 169-170)
Via Darren Huckey’s Facebook Page, 9/13/10
I thought this was excellent and worth meditating on. I needed to remember it to look the book up, thus it is now blogged.
I wish I had more time to devote to blogging out my thoughts and citing quotes etc. from my studies. With that said, I regretfully announce that I made it into chapter 2 of the April JBoM selection, Visions of the Fathers. And now it is May, and the first few days are history and it’s time to crack open The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million by Daniel Mendehlson.
Dr. Twerski has impressed me and fascinated me with his insight within the context of Pirke Avot. I have been exposed to m.Avot in the last few years but never undertook to see the depth that lies therein. The main benefit I get when reading Pirke Avot is the way the teachings are applicable to everyday life experience. It may sound strange, but it’s a different kind of ethical teaching than when reading the Bible, for example. Of course the ultimate ethical and moral discourses and instruction on conduct is found in the Holy Scriptures, and because they are the Holy Scriptures, they almost invariably cannot be read without considering what type eternal ramification is being revealed or fussing about just how exactly do I “go the extra mile” or “take up my cross” in the way that Yeshua is talking about? I better stop and admit thought that there is nothing better than drinking in Yeshua’s prose and masterful illustrations and instruction.
So Pirke Avot is on a different level. I enjoy reading what these wise men of old have to say to their disciples and hearers. You can take it or leave it, it’s not sacred, though in a way it is since it contains instructions for living differently, living according to a higher standard. I.e., being holy. What’s not to appreciate, for example, from this little nugget? (taken from this link):
Shammai said: Make your study of the Torah a fixed habit. Say little and do much, and receive all men with a cheerful face. (Pirke Avot 1:15)
How difficult it can be to devote daily time to Bible study! I’m talking every single day of your life. Again, practical instruction that hits home. ”Say little and do much.” Enough said. 
Greeting people warmly and friendly, for me, requires a little action on my part. This is a great reminder.
Twerski takes it even further, translating the words of the great Rabbis and distilling them down into modern day examples and I enjoy how he interjects his personal opinions and thoughts based on his years of professional and personal experience. It is fun to read his commentary and he makes me consider things on an even more practical level. I look forward to pulling this off the shelf in months and years to come.
Well, time to keep rolling on the JBoM train.
All of the Bible’s holy days are unique, filled with meaning and fun in their own way. Passover is no exception, and honestly probably my favorite festival to prepare for and commemorate. The actual Seder is the icing on the cake of the preparations. And the evening is packed with reading and singing, two of my favorite things to do. The Yeshua-emphasis for a Messianic believer obviously adds enormous, gigantic meaning on top of the service and the meal. All in all it is a great lesson for families and individuals, it fulfills certain commandments of God, it allows one to invite guests and serve them a great meal and enjoy conversation. What a great holiday.
The JPS Commentary on the Haggadah has added even more significance to Passover this year already. The book is filled with plenty of history but in a size that is easily digestible. Some of the things the book talks about regarding the history of the Seder itself along with the food and the citations from the Mishnah, etc inspired reactions of “cool!” “wow!” and “this is so neat.” This book helps to explain why in the world the Seder is the way it is today. This is a result of years and decades and centuries and millenia of fitting the service with the times of society and the changes in cultures and location. Other people have explained that better so I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel. Just posting some reactions. Unfortunately I haven’t made it through the whole book yet, but there’s still some time left 
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On another note, I received my copies of the VOD Haggadah and Meal of Messiah, and I must say that this Passover looks to be perhaps the most memorable yet in my short history of biblical festivals.
Happy Passover!
That means, the “Jewish Book of the Month” (Club?). I will be participating starting in March 2010. At least in the reading part. I am hoping to also blog about it too. However, in this post I don’t have anything further to add, just making my presence known, so to speak.
Want more info? The idea comes from Derek Leman over at Messianic Jewish Musings. Read about the J-BOM here: http://derek4messiah.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/get-ready-j-bom-is-coming/
The first selection is seasonal with Passover approaching, the JPS Commentary on the Haggadah. It is quite fitting and I am looking for my copy to arrive any day. Check it out, read it, then read about it across the Messianic blogs that are participating. A discount is offered and discussed below. Enjoy!
http://derek4messiah.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/news-a-discount-promotion-from-jps-coming/
(from chapter on human responsibility)
The purpose of each commandment is either to allow man to earn and incorporate in himself a particular level of true excellence, or to remove an area of deficiency and darkness. This is accomplished through doing what the commandments require and avoiding what they forbid.
- page 67, Derech Hashem / The Way of G-d, by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto & translated by Aryeh Kaplan
I sure couldn’t have said it better.
I have been interested in learning about all different aspects of Judaism for a while now. I try to read whatever I can about Jewish life, history, practice, faith, etc. Why you ask? Simply put, for those who are not aware: our Messiah is Jewish. True, Judaism has changed with the times and today looks vastly different than when He walked the earth, but one cannot ignore the fact that Jesus worked and lived within a first-century Jewish world.
With that said, topics of my study range from complex laws and rulings of observance, understanding the Torah, to issues like the focus on Israel in the Bible, for example. Lately, however I have been fascinated with Jewish mystical thought. And to cut to the chase, how that mystical thought ties in with Christian theologies and the mystery around many New Testament passages. This is where Paul Philip Levertoff comes in to help.
Paul Levertoff lived in the late 19th and 20th century. Raised Jewish with a Yeshiva education, he later became a believer in Jesus (a story in itself). Upon studying the Gospels the Hebraic and Jewish context of the New Testament, to Levertoff, was inescapable. He wondered how Christianity could ever fully appreciate and apply these texts without a knowledge of Jewish concepts, specifically Chassidic teaching which delves into spiritual ideas about God (i.e. the invisible ways that God interacts with the world).
Levertoff distilled his thinking in different written works, one of which has just been republished by Vine of David, and is a short treatise on love, which snatches concepts of mystical Jewish teaching and applies them in a Christological or Messianic way. The result is a book that will stimulate the mind as he interweaves these two worlds in a way that would be impossible without his background and Jewish upbringing. The book Love and the Messianic Age opens with some brain-stretching ideas about the scientific versus the mystical approach to life in general as they relate to knowing God. He then continues and introduces deep concepts of mystical thought in a brief format. He takes the reader on a thought-provoking trek through major categories like knowledge, prayer, and joy and connects concepts of Jewish mysticism as they relate to love, specifically love in the Messianic age that is to come. The Epilogue is the summation of the previous chapters and digs into the mysterious nature of the Gospel of John.
The overall idea is that the spirituality of this life can be understood, and that we can begin to enter that future Messianic age to come in this present world. Levertoff sets out to explain how this is possible.
As far as my studies outside of the Bible are concerned, it doesn’t get much better than this. Vine of David has also produced a commentary which expounds on the abstract concepts in Levertoff’s work. Handsomely bound and highly recommended.
I have read about 30 pages of this book, and already I am sad that I did not read it years ago when I first learned of it. If you can’t see the title, it is called Meet the Rabbis: Rabbinic Thought and the Teachings of Jesus.
I would like to just start pasting in quotes from the book, but that might violate copyright rules. You need to understand Jesus’ words in light of what this book talks about. It will change your perspective and give you a more proper understanding of the Sermon on the Mount and the Jewish context of New Testament times.
Most importantly though, by reading the first couple of chapters, you will better understand “the Pharisees” in context. You and I may not agree with all of the conclusions presented, but it is sooo much fun to read when I am constantly presented with new perspectives that challenge long-held understandings.
I’m sure I will have more to say about the concepts in this book as I go. But do yourself a favor and read it if you get a chance.
6 AdarI 5769
I am pasting in my short review of First Fruits of Zion’s latest introductory book entitled Boundary Stones. While this book is an amazing tool for reaching out to friends, co-workers, or family as a non-threatening primer to the truth about the Torah (Law) in the scriptures; I personally found immense clarity of some of Paul’s confusing words in the first few chapters.
Boundary Stones Cover
I see this book as the “introduction” that we need to help plant the initial questions in the minds of believers in regards to the Law. It is an ice-breaker on the topic, providing a gentle nudge in the right direction.
At the same time, the first few chapters were so, so good. I got plenty out of Aaron’s discussion myself about being released from sin in order to walk in the freedom of obedience. I hope these first chapters will soften people’s hearts to the truths that the rest of the book lays out. These are answers to the foundational questions that many of us (Messianics) struggle to come up with when asked. I think the book meets and exceeds the purpose for which it was written. Very well done, and I do not say that lightly.
I hope that gives you enough of a look at this book to give you an idea of what it is about. Enjoy.
21 Shevat 5769
Torah PORTIONS
