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.