Vendrá un Maestro de la Justicia

¿Nos unimos a otra secta?

¿Qué y a quién debemos seguir? ¿Seguir es incluso lo que debemos hacer en este momento?

¿Entenderemos alguna vez que los grupos pequeños a menudo se convierten en algo que nunca debieron ser?

Estamos en los últimos años que preceden al fin del tiempo asignado a la Tierra. La mayoría de los verdaderos eruditos bíblicos creen que nos acercamos a los 6000 años desde la creación de la humanidad, es decir, aquellos que no son evolucionistas. De mis cálculos, sean exactos o no, llego a aproximadamente 5995 desde que comenzó la cuenta con Adán. Pero me gustaría mucho abordar la postura bíblica que se supone que debemos adoptar en este momento en el que vivimos en circunstancias muy diferentes a las de los hijos de Israel que oraron en el Sinaí. 

Naturalmente surge la pregunta de que si la Torá escrita que dio casi innumerables instrucciones a Israel durante su estancia en el desierto, de alguna manera este conjunto de instrucciones no encaja en nuestro tiempo cuando se aplica literalmente, entonces, ¿cuáles son los principios detrás de lo que fue escrito? ? 

¿Necesitamos una nueva clase de sabios que nos digan lo que significa para nosotros? A menudo he afirmado que cada individuo tiene el deber de estudiar, orar y escuchar la voz de Elohim para decidir lo que es correcto. Por supuesto, buscamos respuestas profundamente en la Torá y los profetas. Pero ¿cómo se puede responder al problema de los hombres de hoy que quieren dos o tres esposas? ¿Cómo se puede lidiar con los diferentes sacrificios requeridos por diferentes ofensas y pecados, cuando no hay sacerdocio ni templo? 

Según tengo entendido, la formación de sinagogas en Babilonia estableció una nueva etapa para Israel, ya sea buena o mala. Cuando el pueblo salió de Babilonia, algunos querían regresar al antiguo servicio del Templo bajo los Cohanim autorizados por Moisés y otros (aquellos que más tarde se convirtieron en la clase gobernante a través del gobierno mayoritario y la conexión con Roma) dejaron de lado la Torá del Sinaí y crearon su propia Torá. y hoy tenemos a los rabinos que descendieron de los fariseos. 

Todos nosotros, como verdaderos estudiantes de la Biblia, sacudimos la cabeza y condenamos esto, pero ¿en qué nos diferenciamos si queremos establecer nuevas reglas de vida? ¿Cómo podemos encontrar lo que se aplica hoy? Y si creamos un grupo de sabios para que nos enseñen, ¿en qué nos diferenciamos? 

Éste es un dilema al que todos debemos responder. Ha habido muchas sectas y cultos a lo largo de los años. Vemos a los simples esenios de los que surgieron los primeros cristianos y, sin embargo, ¿qué pasó con eso? Vemos una jerarquía romana que se infiltró no sólo en el movimiento cristiano sino también en el movimiento rabínico que jugó directamente en sus manos por el poder y la riqueza. Esos fueron los que cambiaron Jerusalén por “Yavneh y los sabios”. El judaísmo durante los últimos 2500 años se ha convertido en una religión muy poco relacionada con la Torá y los profetas. Vea esta cita:

“El Talmud en Gittin (56a-b) y el midrash en Avot DeRabbi Natan (versión B, capítulo 4:5) nos dicen que el rabino Yochan ben Zakai se escapó de Jerusalén durante el asedio que condujo a la destrucción del Segundo Templo ( Bet HaMikdash) en un ataúd para hacer una paz separada con el futuro emperador romano que arrasaría Jerusalén. El rabino Yojanan ben Zakai pidió que a Yavneh y sus eruditos se les concediera la libertad religiosa para estudiar y continuar haciendo crecer la tradición rabínica, pero dejaría Jerusalén para que Roma la destruyera. Vespasiano aceptó el trato. Yavneh se salvó, Jerusalén fue destruida y el judaísmo rabínico sobrevivió. Sin el enfoque acomodaticio del rabino Yojanan ben Zakai, todo habría estado perdido”. Ver Corrientes cruzadas para más.

Muchos de nosotros hemos seguido a los caraítas. Muchos de nosotros seguimos siendo fieles a este grupo del caraísmo moderno. ¿Pero qué les impide convertirse en otra jerarquía, crear su propia Torá y establecer su propio credo y terminar traicionándonos? Y bueno, ¡allá vamos de nuevo! ¿Continuaremos este ciclo, o estableceremos algo nuevo e individual, donde cada persona sea responsable ante el Juez del Universo individualmente? 

Todos debemos orar diligentemente por esto, especialmente aquellos de nosotros que aún no estamos en la Tierra de Israel. ¿Los que están reunidos vendrán en grupos o vendrán uno por uno? ¿Entenderá el Mesías mediante alguna sabiduría divina quiénes son los verdaderos seguidores de la Torá? 

“Y acontecerá en aquel día, que YHWH batirá desde la corriente del río hasta el torrente de Egipto, y seréis reunidos uno por uno, hijos de Israel. Y sucederá en aquel día, que se tocará la gran trompeta; y vendrán los que estaban pereciendo en la tierra de Asiria, y los desterrados en la tierra de Egipto, y adorarán a Jehová en el monte santo de Jerusalén.” (Isaías 27:12-13)

“Y sucederá en aquel día, que el Señor volverá a extender su mano por segunda vez para adquirir el remanente de su pueblo que quedará, de Asiria, de Egipto, de Patros, de Cus y de Cus. de Elam, de Sinar, de Hamat y de las islas del mar. Y alzará bandera a las naciones, y reunirá a los desterrados de Israel, y reunirá a los dispersos de Judá de los cuatro confines. la tierra.” (Isaías 11:11-12). 

Si, repito, vamos a reunirnos uno por uno y no en grupos, entonces lo importante es que asumamos la responsabilidad individual de nuestras vidas. Y no, esto no significa que no podamos congregarnos, ¡no! Pero significa que debemos hacer lo mejor que podamos y dejar que el resto siga su propia conciencia. “Pero”, dirán algunos, “¿no es eso peligroso?” ¿Por qué sucedería si cada uno de nosotros permanece o cae según nuestra obediencia a YHWH y nuestra fe en Él? Si la reunión se realiza individualmente, entonces todos deberíamos poner nuestras vidas en orden, porque nadie es nuestro juez más que el Dios Supremo del Universo, quien se comunicará directamente con quien nos reúne. ¿Realmente creemos que el Mesías sacará una lista de traviesos y amables, como Santa Claus, Papá Noel o como lo llamen? ¿Y esa lista será los Fundamentos de la fe caraítas o los 13 principios del Rambam? 

Así que les pido que hagan un inventario de sus vidas, sus acciones y se preparen para ser reunidos en la tierra para ayudar a abrir el camino para la verdadera observancia de la Torá, y eso es algo que todos debemos estudiar con discernimiento a la luz de nuestros días. Hay espacio para que todos compartan sus estudios, pero quisiera advertirnos a todos que los dejemos en manos de quienes los leen y que no les impongamos reglas. Las listas de reglas se convierten en leyes y las leyes en otro credo, y ningún credo ha resistido la Torá original por mucho tiempo. 

Así que con tu acuerdo, comenzaremos a estudiar como nunca antes. Debemos orar por el maestro de justicia prometido en Joel 2:23.

“Y vosotros, hijos de Sion, alegraos y alegraos en YHWH vuestro Dios, porque os ha dado Maestro de justicia, y hace descender sobre vosotros lluvia que rocía y recoge, en el principio”. (Joe 2:23)

Nota: el versículo anterior habla dos veces en hebreo acerca de un maestro de justicia, pero la mayoría de las traducciones lo traducen erróneamente como lluvia temprana y tardía. Aquí está el hebreo para quienes lo entiendan:

וּבְנֵי צִיּוֹן גִּילוּ וְשִׂמְחוּ בַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כִּי־נָתַן לָכֶם אֶת־הַמּוֹרֶה לִצְדָקָה וַיּוֹרֶד לָכֶם גֶּשֶׁם מוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ בָּרִאשׁוֹן׃

Esta parte iluminada con mi hebreo limitado parece decir “que les daré un maestro de justicia y les haré llover abundantemente un maestro como en el principio”. 

La palabra MORE (iluminado arriba) significa maestro y Tzadeka es rectitud o justicia. 

Por ahora los dejo para que digieran esto y contemplen lo que debemos hacer como individuos. Oro para que muchos acepten el desafío de compartir la verdad unos con otros. 

¡Bendiciones y Shabat shalom!

Ariella

A Teacher of Righteousness

Shall we join another Cult?

What and who are we to follow? Is following even what we are to do at this time?

(Credit: Raland/Shutterstock)

Are we ever going to understand that small groups often turn into something that they were never meant to be?

We are in the last few years preceding the end of the earth’s allotted time. Most true Biblical scholars believe that we are nearing 6000 years since the creation of mankind, that is, those who are not evolutionists. From my calculations, whether they are accurate or not, I come to about, 5995 since the count started with Adam. But I would very much like to address the biblical stand we are supposed to take at this time when we live under very different circumstances than the sons of Israel who stood and prayed at Sinai. 

The question naturally arises, that if the written Torah that gave nearly countless instructions to Israel during their time in the desert–that this set of instructions somehow does not fit at our time when applied literally, then what are the principles behind what was written? 

Do we need a new class of sages to tell us what it means for us? I have often asserted that each individual has the duty to study and pray and listen to the voice of Elohim in order to decide what is right. Of course, we look deeply into the Torah and the prophets for answers. But how does one answer a problem of men today that want two or three wives? How does one deal with the many different sacrifices required for different offenses and sins, when there is no priesthood and no temple? 

As I understand it, the formation of synagogues in Babylon set up a new stage for Israel, whether good or bad. When the people left Babylon, some wanted to return to the old Temple service under the Mosaic authorized Cohanim and others (those who later became the ruling class through majority rule and connection with Rome) laid aside the Torah of Sinai and created their own Torah, and today we have the Rabbis who descended from the Pharisees. 

We all, as true Biblical students, shake our heads and condemn this, but how are we any different if we want to set up new rules for living? How can we find what applies today? And if we set up a group of sages to teach us, how are we any different? 

This is a quandary that must be answered by all of us. There have been many sects and cults over the years. We see the simple Essenes from which the early Christians arose and yet what happened to that? We see a Roman hierarchy that infiltrated not only the Christian movement but the Rabbinic movement that played directly into their hands for power and wealth. Those were the ones who exchanged Jerusalem for “Yavneh and the sages.” Judaism over the past 2500 years has become a religion very little related to Torah and the prophets. See this quote:

“The Talmud in Gittin (56a-b) and the midrash in Avot DeRabbi Natan (version B, chapter 4:5) tell us that Rabbi Yochan ben Zakai snuck out of Jerusalem during the siege that led to the destruction of the Second Temple (Bet HaMikdash) in a coffin to make a separate peace with the future Roman emperor who would level Jerusalem. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai asked for Yavneh and its scholars to be granted the religious freedom to study and continue growing the rabbinic tradition but would leave Jerusalem for Rome to destroy. Vespasian accepted the deal. Yavneh was saved, Jerusalem was destroyed, and rabbinic Judaism survived. But for Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, the accommodationist approach, all would have been lost.” See Cross-Currents for more.

Many of us have followed the Karaites. Many of us still remain faithful to this group of modern Karaism. But what is to keep them from becoming another hierarchy, create their own Torah and establish their own creed and end up betraying us? And well, here we go again! Shall we continue this cycle, or shall we establish something new and individual, where each person is responsible to the Judge of the Universe individually? 

We must all pray diligently for this, especially those of us who still are not in the Land of Israel. Will those who are gathered come as groups, or will they come one by one? Will the Messiah understand by some god-given wisdom who the true followers of Torah are? 

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that YHWH shall beat out from the flood of the river unto the torrent of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come that were perishing in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and they shall worship YHWH in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” (Isa 27:12-13)

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to acquire the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall lift up a banner to the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” (Isa 11:11-12). 

If, and I repeat, we are to be gathered one by one and not in groups, then the importance is that we take individual responsibility for our lives. And no, this does not mean we are not allowed to congregate, no! But it means we must do our best and leave the rest to follow their own consciences. “But,” some will say, “isn’t that dangerous?” Why would it be if every one of us stands or falls according to our obedience to YHWH and our faith in Him? If the gathering is based individually, then we all should get our lives in order, for none is our judge other than the Supreme God of the Universe who will communicate directly with the one gathering us. Do we really believe that the Messiah will pull out a list of naughty and nice, much like Santa Claus, Papa Noel, or however you call him? And will that list be a Karaite Fundamentals of Faith or Rambam’s 13 principles? 

So I appeal to you to take inventory of your lives, your actions and prepare to be gathered to the land to help open the way for true Torah observance, and that is something we all need to study with discernment in the light of our day. There is room for all to share their studies, but I would caution all of us to leave those studies in the hands of those who read them and not make rules for them. Lists of rules become laws and laws become another creed and no creed has ever stood up to the original Torah for long. 

So with your agreement, we will begin to study like never before. We must pray for the teacher of righteousness that is promised in Joel 2:23.

“And ye sons of Zion, joy and rejoice, In YHWH your God, For He hath given to you the Teacher for righteousness, And causes to come down to you a shower, Sprinkling and gathered — in the beginning.” (Joe 2:23)

Note: the above verse speaks twice in the Hebrew about a teacher of righteousness, but most translations wrongly translate it as the early and latter rain. Here is the Hebrew for those who understand it:

וּבְנֵי צִיּוֹן גִּילוּ וְשִׂמְחוּ בַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כִּי־נָתַן לָכֶם אֶת־הַמּוֹרֶה לִצְדָקָה וַיּוֹרֶד לָכֶם גֶּשֶׁם מוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ בָּרִאשׁוֹן׃

This underlined part with my limited Hebrew seems to say “that I will give them a teacher of righteousness and rain down abundantly a teacher as at the first.” 

The word MORE (underlined above) means Teacher and Tzedaka is righteousness or justice. 

For now, I leave you to digest this and contemplate what we must do as individuals. I pray that many will take up the challenge of sharing truth with each other. 

Blessings and Shabbat Shalom!

Ariella

One People–When?

One People in the Land of Israel

We sat with friends and shared conversation across our living room while we drank coffee late one morning. The friends had not visited our new house yet, so they brought a welcome cake, which is too rich to devour–Not yet! 

I think the major important topic we discussed, besides the war, was Jewish cliques. Sadly, it is a discussion that happens because of the reality of shul based prejudice which separates people. Of course, the four of us are not super observant as far as rabbinic standards go, and that may present some people with a problem. Simply put, we like to think for ourselves and make our own decisions on what our priorities in religion are. I refuse to do what I used to do, which was to pretend to be something just to impress people that I was in agreement with them. That was when Covid hit Israel, and we all locked down for a long year’s nap! And this meant some serious thinking time about who we are and what the purpose of being a Jew means in practical terms. Does it mean showing up at shul like clockwork for every function?–even if you don’t want to read prayers for two hours after walking to the shul on a 100 degree Shabbat morning? Could I pray at home even if no one knows about it? During Covid, we mostly did not go to shul anywhere. Sometimes the neighbors came over and sat on our balcony 6 feet apart to do evening prayers on Erev Shabbat, and yes that was meaningful, but now Covid is gone, and most people are back in the shul crowd. But the sad thing is the cliques. So your shul requires a head covering, and the other one doesn’t, so that makes one shul less acceptable than the other? Really? And where does that play into whether someone is a good person or not, especially when the women are separated from the men anyway? Why can’t we all just love each other and support the ongoing activities in the town, rather than narrow ourselves to one group of people? The divisions need to go away. And I pray that it can happen without more serious events in this country!

There are very kind people here, maybe they are secular Israelis, maybe they are immigrants from Russia or South America or somewhere else. Maybe they don’t understand the prayers, or maybe they are not inspired by them. Does that mean they are not acceptable citizens of this country? Does that mean we cannot be friends? Often when others are busy with their cultic devotion, a secular person will reach out to help a neighbor in need. Are these people doing it by the book? Or is their heart in the right place? Are they somehow more connected to Spirituality than others? I can’t judge that, but I can say that there is something very special about some of these people who were born and raised in Israel, who are not so shul-bound. And those who are refugees from another country, maybe they have suffered hardship and know what it means to need someone! Sometimes, you say to them, “Be safe and good luck!” And they raise their hands to Heaven as if to say, “all things come from God.” and we know they have a connection that maybe others have never felt. I love friends like that! They are real people. I want to somehow share that connection that they have. 

I pray that Hashem will open the eyes of Jews here and those coming to Israel, that they will see the problem of the cliques that separate us. I would challenge all of us to put aside our differences and look to the golden rule of loving God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves. Furthermore, I hope we don’t have to get into an even more serious war for this to happen!

Yours for unity among our people!
Ariella

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