Posted on 05/17/2011 8:06:47 AM PDT by Kaslin
I assume that the type of person who reads columns such as this one has wondered at one time or another why, for thousands of years, there has been so much attention paid to Jews and why, today, to Israel, the one Jewish state.
But how do most people explain this preoccupation? There is no fully rational explanation for the amount of attention paid to the Jews and the Jewish state. And there is no fully rational explanation for the amount of hatred directed at Jews and the Jewish state.
A lifetime of study of this issue, including writing (with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin) a book on anti-Semitism ("Why the Jews? The Reason for Antisemitism") has convinced me that, along with all the rational explanations, there is one explanation that transcends reason alone.
It is that the Jews are God's chosen people.
Now, believe me, dear reader, I am well aware of the hazards of making such a claim.
It sounds chauvinistic. It sounds racist. And it sounds irrational, if not bizarre.
But it is none of these.
As regards chauvinism, there is not a hint of inherent superiority in the claim of Jewish chosen-ness. In fact, the Jewish Bible, the book that states the Jews are chosen, constantly berates the Jews for their flawed moral behavior. No bible of any other religion is so critical of the religious group affiliated with that bible as the Hebrew Scriptures are of the Jews.
As for racism, Jewish chosen-ness cannot be racist by definition. Here is why: a) The Jews are not a race; there are Jews of every race. And b) any person of any race, ethnicity or nationality can become a member of the Jewish people and thereby be as chosen as Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah or the chief rabbi of Israel.
And with regard to chosen-ness being an irrational or even bizarre claim, it must be so only to atheists. They don't believe in a Chooser, so they cannot believe in a Chosen. But for most believing Jews and Christians (most particularly the Founders who saw America as a Second Israel, a second Chosen People), Jewish Chosen-ness has been a given. And even the atheist must look at the evidence and conclude that the Jews play a role in history that defies reason.
Can reason alone explain how a hodgepodge of ex-slaves was able to change history -- to introduce the moral God-Creator we know as God; to write the world's most influential book, the Bible; to devise ethical monotheism; to be the only civilization to deny the cyclical worldview and give humanity belief in a linear (i.e., purposeful) history; to provide morality-driven prophets and so much more -- without God playing the decisive role in this people's history?
Without the Jews, there would be no Christianity (a fact acknowledged by the great majority of Christians) and no Islam (a fact acknowledged by almost no Muslims). Read Thomas Cahill's "The Gifts of the Jews" or Paul Johnson's "A History of the Jews" to get an idea about how much this people changed history.
What further renders the claim for Jewish chosen-ness worthy of rational consideration is that virtually every other nation has perceived itself as chosen or otherwise divinely special. For example, China means "Middle Kingdom" in Chinese -- meaning that China is at the center of the world; and Japan considers itself the land where the sun originates ("Land of the Rising Sun"). The difference between Jewish chosen-ness and other nations' similar claims is that no one cares about any other group considering itself Chosen, while vast numbers of non-Jews have either believed the Jews' claim or have hated the Jews for it.
Perhaps the greatest evidence for the Jews' chosen-ness has been provided in modern times, during which time evil has consistently targeted the Jews:
-- Nazi Germany was more concerned with exterminating the Jews than with winning World War II.
-- Throughout its 70-year history, the Soviet Union persecuted its Jews and tried to extinguish Judaism. Hatred of Jews was one thing communists and Nazis shared.
-- The United Nations has spent more time discussing and condemning the Jewish state than any other country in the world. Yet, this state is smaller than every Central American country, including El Salvador, Panama and even Belize. Imagine if the amount of attention paid to Israel were paid to Belize -- who would not think there was something extraordinary about that country?
-- Much of the contemporary Muslim world -- and nearly all the Arab world -- is obsessed with annihilating the one Jewish state.
In the words of Catholic scholar Father Edward Flannery, the Jews carry the burden of God in history. Most Jews, being secular, do not believe this. And many Jews dislike talk of chosen-ness because they fear it will increase anti-Semitism; they may be right.
But it doesn't alter the fact that the obsession with one of the smallest countries and smallest peoples on earth, and the unique hatred of the Jews and the Jewish state by the world's most vicious ideologies, can be best explained only in transcendent terms. Namely that God, for whatever reason, chose the Jews.
Romans 9, 10 and 11...
Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
ABSOLUTELY INDEED.
However, the naysayers should be along any minute to shred every bit of you they can shred.
It’s a compulsive obsession with them.
Dennis Prager is a good conservative, and he’s good when that is what he is arguing for, however, he leaves me when he leaves off arguing for conservative issues, and starts pushing Judaism, and that to a largely Christian conservative audience. This lead article of his is prime example.
I’ve heard his program quite a few times, it seems lately more and more Judaism has become the purpose of his radio show. I’ve even heard him on quite a few occasions pushing the Jewish Kabbalah, which he apparently believes in quite devoutly. Which is a pagan-Gnostic mixture of mysticism, sorcery, witchcraft, and magic. I find that incredible. Does he not know that such things might be fine and dandy with him and his fellow Kabbalists, but is abominable to Bible believing Christianity?
Meanwhile, never have I heard him even mention Jesus Christ. Does he believe, like most Jews, Jesus Christ is a hoax? He pushes antichristian Judaism, never revealing to his mostly Christian conservative audience what he believes about Christ.
The dispensationalists and the John Hagee types eat it all up, of course, Prager like a pied piper leading them around by the nose. Never catching what Prager is doing. I mentioned John Hagee, he has gone so far with his dual covenant doctrine that he has written in one of his books that Jesus is not the Messiah. Hagee has Jews so special that they don’t need Jesus to be saved, they have their own covenant.
As to the dispensationalists, since what they believe is nothing but a form of Judaized Eschatology anyway, they are lock-step with anything Prager does. Kabbalist witchcraft and all.
Dispensationalist make the mistake of identifying modern Judaism with Old Testament Judaism. What they fail to realize is Old Testament Judaism and modern day Talmudic/Kabbalist Judaism are two very different things. Modern day Judaism is a syncretism of Torah and Pagan philosophy (Kabbalah). Similar to the syncretism of their forefathers, which caused them to be carried away to Babylon. The Talmud and Kabbalah are not the Bible, they are extrabiblical, similar to what the book of Mormon is to Mormonism.
Dispensationalists, of course, could care less, God’s chosen people have an unconditional relationship with God. Jeremiah wouldn’t agree with them.
The elect of Israel followed Christ and those who did not were, of course, not the elect.
Rom 11:8-10 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
This appears to be punishment for rejecting the Messiah.
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Indeed, it would be conceit and "that blindness in part is happened to Israel" for someone to think he is elect just for a being a Christian.
Hagee: "Jesus did not come as the Messiah"
There is something profound in the concept of One God, beyond the Sun, Moon and stars. Even time. How could Abraham and the Torah writers have seen this? Indeed how could they even have looked into existence through their primitiveness and seen its essence so deeply?
Choseness? Yes, I would say so.
I don´t think Prager ¨pushes¨ Judaism more than it frames his understanding of the world in general. Judaism professes great tolerance and insists that all peoples - Jew and non-Jew alike - will have a share in the world to come.
And I´ve also heard him say many times of Kabalah that it´s too mystical for his tastes, and that he´s not really into mysticism at all.
When he mentions Jesus it´s in the most reverential terms. He was feted a year or two ago by an Arvada CO church for a night in support of Israel just off a plane from Puerto Rico in which American Airlines had lost his luggage and was given a kippah by a Christian at the church. His talk at that event was about Judeo-Christian America and how unique that is in the world.
I´d listen just a little more closely.
Thanks, onedoug. I guess you and I must have heard different programs, the times I heard Prager he sounded like he was on the side of the Kabbalists. He was defending witchcraft and magic saying it isn’t all that bad, etc.
There is only a minority of Jews who are not Talmudic/Kabbalists nowadays - Karaite Jews, they are vehement against both Talmud and Kabbalah, holding the Torah only. For which their fellow Jews have persecuted them terribly throughout the centuries, almost to the point of extinction.
The Karaites are what Christians would identify with as Old Testament Judaism. Ask one of them, and they will tell you in no uncertain terms that it was for what you see in the Kabbalah that Jerusalem was overthrown in 600 BC.
I´m not Jewish by birth, but have been to synagogues of all modern trends in Judaism, particularly Orthodox. You can´t really link phrases like ¨Talmud/Kabbalists¨ since they are two separate things. With the exception of one elderly Conservative rabbi, I´ve never known religious Jews to make any big deal over Kaballah. It´s talked about to be sure, but seldom seems more than something best left for specialists, so-called. Obviously, I don´t fancy it either.
Talmud, on the other hand, is a sort of case law compendium of commenteries of and about Torah. It would seem difficult to conceive of modern rabbinic Judaism being handed down from antiquity without Talmud....
Why so difficult? Christians do all right with just the Old Testament scripture handed down to us. The Karaites would sharply disagree with you. They have only the Old Testament, yet they do all right.
The Apostles didn't teach replacementalism.
Regarding the rest of your list, anyone that ever taught that the "church" replaces Israel is incorrect, unbiblical and at least partially responsible for much of the damage done through history by Christians who believe they replace Israel in God's plan.
I am not Roman Catholic. I am opposed to forms of paganism in Christianity. For instance, I do not observe Christmas or Easter...
These forms of syncretism are widely known, the enemies of Christianity, such as yourself, never fail to remind us. It gets publicized all the time. I make no claim that Christianity is free from paganism.
Not so though about Judaism. Such things as I have pointed out are NOT widely known. It is Judaism that claims to be free from paganism, and uses their supposed pagan-free status as a weapon against Christianity, while their form of paganism is much worse. I asked a Karaite Jew one time his opinion of the Kabbalah, he minced no words, he said it was idolatry, witchcraft, and sorcery. The same sort of thing that caused Jerusalem to be destroyed in 600 BC, he said.
While both Judaism and Christianity has these things that are wrong and sinful, and no excuse should be made for them, unbelief of Jesus Messiah is the greater sin.
Hagee: "Jesus did not come as the Messiah"
Why is it you guys can't ever tell it the way you hear it...You always have to add something or leave something out to change the story...And then pretend your story is the real one...Hagee did not say Jesus in NOT the Messiah...Hagee said Jesus did not come (the first time) as the Messiah...
I paraphrased Hagee, mas cerveza por favor gave the more precise quote. But regardless, judging by your reaction, I got my point across.
Surely you are not agreeing with Hagee saying Jesus did not come as the Messiah?
Where do you get this stuff? Some people take Kabbalah too far to be sure but they are not mainstream Judaism.
On the other hand, Chritianity is the syncretic religion. It is the original mormonism. The New Testament is "not in the (Hebrew)bible".
Many other religions at the time of Jesus taught..a virgin birth...resurrected gods...a sacred meal (eucharist)...a god-man hybrid savior..etc.
None of these are even remotely Jewish teaching. They were grafted into the new testament by grecco-roman thought.
ROFLMAO
Well said! Christianity is the original mormonism when you think of it. They have dragged all sorts of pagan concepts out and tried to shoe-horn them into Judaism as “the new covenant”.
“Karaite Jews, they are vehement against both Talmud and Kabbalah, holding the Torah only.”
Actually, they consider the Talmud advisory, like a commentary, and not divinely inspired. They reach much of the same results.
“For which their fellow Jews have persecuted them terribly throughout the centuries, almost to the point of extinction.”
News to me. They appeared in 700 CE in Iraq, became quite numerous, and their persecutors were muslims.
There are probably 75,000 in Israel now, including one of my IDF roomates. We got along fine, except he would unplug the refridgerator on Shabbos because he did not want to pay for electricity that day, as that would be “going to the marketplace.” Turned off the A/C, too. Pissed me off.
Oh, the other major factor in limiting the number of Karaite Jews was the Spanish Inquisition, as they were forced to covert or die.
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