Saved in Childbearing

First Timothy chapter 2, verses 11-15 has always been a mystery and a struggle to many commentators. The interpretations have been many! But I have not seen a Jewish one yet, until now. Since my wife is pregnant with our 7th child, I wanted to dig into this scripture once again. What I found will surprise you!

First the text from the KJV:

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection, but I suffer not a woman to teach, nor usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding, she shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Now a literal translation:

Let the woman/wife learn/understand  in stillness (keeping one's seat) with all subordination/obedience, but I do not allow a woman/wife to teach, nor to act of oneself/dominate over the man (her husband), but to be in stillness. For Adam was first formed, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman/wife being deluded/cheated was in the violation. Notwithstanding, she shall be saved/delivered/protected in childbirth/maternity if they continue in faith and charity and purification with self-control.

It is the word "purification with self-control" that point us to the Jewish Laws of Family Purity (Taharat haMishpacha). Notice the words "she shall be saved...if they continue...in purification with self-control". This is a reference to the Laws of Family Purity which revolve around the woman's monthly cycle and the applicable Laws of Purification as found in Leviticus. The writer to the Hebrews also refers to these laws in passing in Hebrews 13:4:

Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Yes, God tells us what to eat, when to rest and when to come together with our spouses. These laws are not easy to follow in a self-indulgent generation such as ours, but God provides these laws to nurture non-physical intimacy between spouses, amplify our coming together, and to teach us about Messiah and the Church.

For more information of the Laws of Family Purity please read:

Total Immersion: A Mikvah Anthology by Rivkah Slonim

Waters of Eden by Rabbi Aryel Kaplan, of Blessed Memory

The Apostate

In the Artscroll Chumash commentary, in Parshah Bo, it says an "alienated person" may not partake of the Passover (Seder). An alienated person is then defined as someone who is not Jewish, or an "apostate".

An apostate is defined as someone who: worships idols, desecrates the Sabbath, or denies the validity of any of the Torah's commandments.

This reminded me of something Rabbi Paul said in his second letter to Thessalonica. In reassuring those of the Way that the Mashiach would not come until several things happened first, he wrote that there was to be a "falling away". The Greek word here transliterated is apostasy. With a Jewish filter, we see that the apostasy of the Last Days will include: the worshipping of idols, the desecration of the Sabbath, and the denial of the validity of Torah commandments!

Joseph: A Double Type

The parallels between Joseph and our Messiah Yeshua are many and obvious…

Joseph was closer to his father than his brothers.

Joseph served his father directly while his brothers did everything else.

Joseph spent his time with the concubines’ children who were looked down upon.

Joseph was sent to his brothers to serve them, but instead they planned to kill him.

Joseph was separated from his father.

Joseph was given over to the Gentiles.

Joseph was reigning over Gentiles long before his brothers knew it.

Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in a personal way to verify his identity.

After studying the Torah Portion this week, Vayigash, it became apparent that Joseph also foreshadowed another future figure, the Anti-Messiah/Christ!

Whoa Nelly! You might say, but hold your judgment until I’m through. Here are some comparisons between Joseph and the future world leader:

Joseph took advantage of the famine to profit his master, the Pharaoh.

Joseph had control over the food supply.

Joseph used this control to gain control over the people until they owned nothing. The people became government workers, and Pharaoh owned all the property and livestock.

Joseph set the tribe of Israel up and accused them of crimes they did not commit.

Joseph manipulated the tribe of Israel to get what he wanted.

Joseph saw himself (because of his dreams) as the rightful ruler over Israel, though this right belonged to Judah.

These comparisons imply further insights into prophetic fulfillment:

The Anti-Messiah will be Jewish, but will look like a Gentile

The Anti-Messiah will do whatever it takes to get all of Israel into his dominion.

The Messiah will look for Israel’s repentance (for rejecting him) to be complete

This repentance will be finally demonstrated by Israel’s intercession to offer themselves up for someone else, perhaps Christians

False Customs, Part Two

Here is some information that may cause many to reflect on how they practice the observation of this mitzvah. Rabbinical Judaism has some interesting insights on how to obey this mitzvah.

First, you are to wear the tzitzit on the corners of your garment. Tying them to clothing or belt loops is not obedience, but creating your own commandment. It would be better not to wear them at all.

Second, tzitzit are to be white with a thread of blue. While this may seem like rabbinic mumbo-jumbo, the teaching behind it testifies of our Messiah, Yeshua. (see Revelation 19:10) The blue dye, techelet, was made by crushing snails and using their blood to make the dye. This had to be done in caves because the dye was red and only turned blue when exposed to light. In other words this dye only became royal blue when it emerged from the cave. Our Messiah became Lord of all, King of kings when he emerged from the cave/tomb.

The dye was made in the city of Luz. Oddly enough, the Jews have named a bone in the body by the same name.

"Luz (Hebrew: 'לוז') is the name of a small bone in the human body, at the top of the spinal column (the seventh cervical vertebra) or at the base of the spinal column (the coccyx). Jews believe that this is the bone from which the body will be rebuilt at the time of resurrection, and share the belief that this bone does not decay." (Wikipedia) Again, we have the theme of resurrection.

Third, the manufacturing process of this dye was lost at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple. Jews believed this judgment was not just coincidental. It is also said that the Temple was destroyed because of the gross wickedness of that generation. (Which included the killing fo their Messiah) Jewish tradition teaches that the dyeing process will return with the coming of the Messiah. Though this process has not been officially recognized by Jewish authorities, many Jews are wearing blue in their white tzitzit in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah and the resurrection of the dead.

Finally, how this applies to believers in Yeshua: we are dead in him, we cannot obey the Torah, but the Torah-obedient Messiah lives in us and lives out the Torah through us. (Galatians 2:20) We look at our tzitzit and know that his resurrection life flows through us, (Romans 6:4) and we look forward to the final resurrection when we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:20)

A New Look at an Old Parable

Luke 10:25-37

And, behold, a certain teacher of the Torah stood up, and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

He said unto him, “What is written in the Torah? How do you read?”

And he answering said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

And he said unto him, “You have answered right: do this, and you shall live.”

But he, willing to show himself righteous, said unto Yeshua, “And who is my neighbor?”

And Yeshua answering said, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, “Take care of him; and whatsoever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.”

“ Which now of these three, do you think, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?”

And he said, “He that showed mercy on him.”

Then said Yeshua unto him, “You go, and do likewise.”

As I was reading a commentary from http://www.aish.com/ I came across this interesting fact and teaching:

The Hebrew word “Shechina” comes from the word : shachen” which means “neighbor”. It is through divine revelation provided by the Shechina that God becomes our neighbor. The Shechina and the Temple go hand in hand.

As we look at the Torah Teacher’s response in Luke, we see him quote the Shema from Deuteronomy    6:4-9. (This is the central prayer in Judaism.) Yeshua agrees with his answer. Not being satisfied and still trying to test Yeshua he asks him “Who is my neighbor?” Though Yeshua answers with a parable, it is interesting to note he does not directly answer the man’s question. In the end, he does not say, “Whoever needs mercy”. He turns it around with a question, “Which now, of these three, do you think, was neighbor unto him that fell among thieves?” The point is this, when you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you become like Him and are merciful to those needing mercy. “…for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God,… And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.”
Deuteronomy 5:9-10

What is the common denominator in what Yeshua tells the teacher? DO! Do love God! Do love your neighbor! What do these look like? Show mercy!

Now, what does my quote from Aish.com have to do with Yeshua’s conversation with the Torah Teacher? Let’s look at the bigger picture:

Was the Presence of God (the Shechina) in the second Temple? I don’t know, but Yeshua was. “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure [unto him]. John 3:34

The Shechina in the Messiah was present yet this teacher did not know it. When he came to his House, the Temple, they did not know it. God becomes our neighbor through the Shechina. God was present as a neighbor through the Messiah. The Messiah was present to bring people back to the knowledge of God. He did not reside in the Temple, because he was not welcome there.  “He came unto His own, and His own received him not.” John 1:11 He went out into the country, to the highways and byways and taught the people on the hills and by the seashores.

“Which now..was neighbor?” The Shechina was neighbor. The Shechina was in Messiah “reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them”. (2 Cor. 5:19) This is mercy. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

Now, you go, and do likewise!

False Customs, Part One

Having written the previous rant, I thought I should give some examples of where some have strayed, thinking themselves to be wise, they became fools!

Among “Messianics”, mainly Gentiles, there have arisen many customs contrary to rabbinical law (halakhah) and the Oral Torah. While they think they know better, they have showed their contempt towards Judaism and their lack of knowledge concerning the Torah.

I will start by examining three “customs” some Messianics practice which are contrary to Torah.

Part One: Tzitzit: Who should wear them?
Part Two: Tzitzit: How should they be worn?
Part Three: What is blotting out the Name?
Part Four: What is Kosher?

Among Messianics we see women wearing tzitzit, a practice that is sometimes found even among Reform Jewish women. To examine this custom, one does not even need to look at Halakhah to find the answer, a little knowledge of Hebrew grammar will suffice. (Scripture quotations are from the KJV )

Numbers 15

37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

Below are the literal definitions from the Hebrew:

v. 38 “children of Israel” : beni: sons (of Israel)

v. 38 “they make”: v’asu, where “u” is the vowel form of “vav” suffixed onto the end of “aseh”, “to make”, to show it is addressed to “males”, plural

v.38 “they put”: v’nataenu, where “u” is the vowel form of “vav suffixed onto the end of “naten”, “to give”, to show it is addressed to “males”, plural

39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

Again the definitions from the Hebrew:

“ye may look”:v’ritem: “tem” as the suffix showing male plural past tense, so literally it should be “You (males) have looked”

“remember”: v’zkartem: “you (males) have remembered”

“do”: v’asitem: “you (males) have done”

“ye seek”:taturu: “you seek”; male plural present because of the prefixed “tav” and the suffixed “vav”: “you (males) seek”

With the above definitions in mind, it is easy to see how women wearing tzit-tzit violates the Torah mitzvah below:

Deuteronomy 22:5

The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so [are] abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Again, in the second mention of this mitzvah, by looking at the verb prefixes and suffixes, it is easy to see what the Lord wants:

Deuteronomy 22:12

Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest [thyself].

“thou shall make” :ta-aseh: where “ta” is the tav prefixed onto “aseh”, “to make”, to show it is addressed a singular male

“thou coverest”: tekaseh: where “te” is the “tav” prefixed onto “kasah”, “to cover”, to show it also is addressed to a singular male

My heart is for those sincere believers who have been led astray by Messianic teachers. That is why it is important to follow the faith as practiced by those to whom it was given. Rather than provoking them to jealousy, we show contempt for the things of God we do not yet understand.

Reinventing the Wheel

It never ceases to amaze me how so many “Messianics” after finding out that the Torah is still relevant, that the Feasts and Sabbath Days are still memorials and holy convocations, etc. ..how they then think they have the right to re-invent Judaism!

Now these beloved Gentiles would not claim to be reinventing Judaism, they would avow that they are returning to a Biblical faith that Christianity and Judaism have missed, misinterpreted, or even strayed from.

They pick and choose from the Talmud like it was a buffet smorgasboard. They pick what they like and they leave what they don’t like, or don’t understand. The problem is they do not have a sophisticated pallet. It was trained in Christendom. Their approach to scriptures is superficial. They seldom get past the literal interpretation of scripture unless some Gematria tickles their fancy.

This is nothing more than residual anti-semitism! Having taken a Hebrew class they now intend to teach the Masters of the Hebrew Torah what it means. They heap to themselves teachers who are accountable to no one, experts at nothing yet critical of the rabbis of Judaism.

This problem is much easier to see when you consider what it would be like if a Westerner suddenly embraced Buddhism. Would they come into Buddhism and tell the Buddhists they knew more about achieving Nirvana than the Buddhists? Would they dare to tell the Buddhists how to interpret their scriptures? Or what traditions were correct and which were incorrect? Mind you, all this super-knowledge is done without knowing Chinese, Sanskrit or the Pali language! So using the English translations, they pretend they are the new sevants of Buddhism.  Hmmm… In this light such an approach to any religion is nonsense, yet this is what is being done every day by Messianics all over the world.

To see what infants we are in this arena, here are the requirements an Orthodox boy has to meet by the time of his Bar Mitzvah: (feel free to check off any you have accomplished!)

Be completely familiar with the prayer book (siddur)

Be able to participate in all religious services (in Hebrew)

Have studied and kept the basic laws concerning observance of the Sabbath

Have studied and kept the basic laws concerning the festivals

Have studied and performed the prayers and blessings for all occasions

Have studied and kept the laws pertain to charity

 and acts of loving-kindness towards others

Have completed the study of the Torah, being familiar with Rashi,

Rambam and other rabbinical commentaries

Have studied the books of the early prophets

Have studied selected chapters from the Mishnah

Have a good start on studying the Gemara

All of the above include a knowing how to speak, read and write Hebrew

These Messianics have enthusiasm! They have a committment to truth! But God will not bless ignorance. God blesses those who love His Torah! He will not bless contempt for the elders of His people.

I have been learning Hebrew Roots for over seven years and I cannot claim to be where this Bar Mitzvah preppie is! Admittedly, I have read some unusual stuff from the rabbinical minds and when I do, I put it on a shelf. Often, later, when I find out the “why” it all makes sense.

Why is this such a hot-button for me? Because I see God's people being robbed of a rich inheritance. An inheritance bought by the blood of Yeshua! The Torah is not "the letter of the law", yet many refuse to let go of those literal letters. The Torah is a living manifestation of the Life of God. It is a Tree of Life and the Oral Torah is its fruit. If you do not know the tree you will not taste and consequently not be able to enjoy its fruit. By knowing the tree and its Gardener you will recognize its fruit and enjoy its delights. If you know the tree but suspect the fruit, can it be said that you trust in the Gardener?

The study of Torah is the study of Yeshua! He is the Living Torah! And anything that is derived from Torah reflects him!