Messianic Jews in Israel say they want an inquiry into the burning of hundreds of copies of the New Testament by Orthodox Jews in Or Yehuda last week.
The books were given to the town's Ethiopian Jews by the Messianic Jews, who believe in Jesus as a saviour.
Or Yehuda's deputy mayor says he received complaints about the books, and arranged for them to be burnt.
He has now apologised after his actions have been compared to those of Nazis who burnt Jewish holy scriptures.
Proselytizing to Ethiopian Jews is sensitive because historically they were the target of missionaries who converted many to Christianity in Ethiopia - though they later argued the conversion was forced and they had never really abandoned their Jewish faith, the BBC's Frances Harrison says.
The dispute is revealing growing tension between Messianic Jews and their Orthodox opponents who do not recognise them as Jews, our correspondent adds.
Many of the details of exactly what happened in Or Yehuda are now disputed.
But the deputy mayor says Messianic Jewish missionaries had targeted an area of the town where many Ethiopian Jews live, distributing packages containing New Testaments and pamphlets.
He says he received complaints and then drove around the area with a loudspeaker urging people to hand over the material to Orthodox religious students who went door-to-door collecting it.
The books were then dumped in a pile and burned.
Messianic Jews complain of institutionalised discrimination and are demanding all those involved be put on trial.
Meanwhile, Orthodox Jews are applauding the destruction of texts they say urge Jews to convert.
me: Happy Lag B'Omer everyone!
This disgusting tee shirt is the latest in Urban Outfitters propaganda. It glorifies terrorism, martyrdom and child abuse and paints the "Palestinians" as victims rather than aggressors.
Little Green Footballs brought this to my attention. Check out their post and the reply that was received from Urban Outfitters.
Please pass this on to as many people as you can. My wife would like to organize a flier distribution outside the local store.
Don't you just love the stupidity of the reporter? A bit slanted? Comparing him to Hitler... Now we have openly treasonous Arab MKs who support terror and the destruction of Israel. Which would you rather have? Was Kahane a Navi? You tell me.
"13. And the prince of the kingdom of Persia has been standing against me for twenty-one days, and behold Michael, one of the first princes, has come to help, and I remained there beside the kings of Persia (Iran)."
14. And I have come to enable you to understand what will happen to your people at the end of the days, for there is yet a vision for those days."
"1. Now at that time (the end of days), Michael, the great prince, who stands over the children of your people, will be silent, and it will be a time of distress that never was since a nation existed until that time, and at that time, your people will escape, everyone who is found inscribed in the book.
2. And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken-these for eternal life, and those for disgrace, for eternal abhorrence.
3. And the wise will shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who bring the multitudes to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
4. And you, Daniel, close up the words and seal the book until the time of the end; many will run to and fro, and the knowledge will increase."
Two excellent posts from Dreaming of Moshaich.
The first one deals with the Tzadik Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess. My wife and I named our last child after him. May we all see miracles in the Zchus of the Tzadik Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess! She writes: "...a tradition has remained that when a Jew finds himself, in any sort of crisis, he gives charity, and dedicates the charity in memory of R' Meir Baal Haness. He then says, "God of Meir - answer me! God of Meir - answer me! God of Meir - answer me!" and in that merit will hopefully have salvation from his crisis." Please visit her site and please donate in the zchus of the Holy Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess.
The second article is about the end of Al-Qaida (yemach shemam). Interestingly enough, she quotes the Zohar about the descendants of Reuvain going against Israel. As many may not know, the prevailing Taliban rulers are from the Pashtun Tribes of Afghanistan and some of them trace their lineage back to Reuvain! In fact, they call themselves Bani Rabani (B'nei Reuvain).
The people who fight these wars are the sons of Reuven; descendants of Reuven. This does not mean that they are Jewish because these descendants lives in these areas for hundreds of years and during the long exile, lost their path and religion.
They will make 4 wars during certain periods of history but the last one will be excessively daring 'יתר עז' - and the last war will be during our period of time.
על עמממיא , ובני עלמא ידחלון קמייהו וירתתון מנייהו .
During the time that Moshiach will be revealed, they will go out and organize battles and wars thruout the world. Their wars will succeed and the nations of the worlds will fear them very much.
זמינין אינון לאגחא קרבא בארבע סטרי עלמא, ולמשלט בקרבייהו על כלא, וינצחון עממין סגיאין וישלטון עלייהו.
Their wars will not be in one or two positions like regular wars, rather it will be decisive and rough in all areas of the world. They will succeed in their wars and take control.
ולא ישתארון ביה, הדא הוא דכתיב פחז כמים אל תותר. מאי טעמא לא ישתארון ביה, ואפילו בסטרא חד דעלמא, בגין כי עלית משכבי אביך, דזמינין לאעלא ולאגחא קרבין בגו ארעא קדישא, משכבי אביך דייקא זו ירושלם.
In the end, their strength will dwindle and they will be extinguished from the world*, till not even one of them will live anywhere in the world."
"There is interesting evidence about the preservation among the tribes of family trees on their origin, and on their relationship to the fathers of the Israeli people. These family trees are well preserved. Some of them are penned in golden lettering on deerskin. The names of the tribes speak for themselves: the tribe of Harabni (in the Afghan tongue) is the tribe of Reuben, the shinwari is Shimeon, the Levani – Levi, Daftani – Naftali, Jaji – Gad, Ashuri – Asher, Yusuf Su, sons of Josef, Afridi – Ephraim, and so on."
"Even though the Pathans accepted Islam voluntarily and forcibly, they maintain Jewish customs preserved from the recesses of their past. The book contains considerable evidence taken from Jews of Afghanistan who lived in the neighbourhoods of the Pathans and had contact with them. The evidence doesn't relate to all the Pathans or to all the tribes and places. However, it does prove the existence of Jewish customs among the Pathans. The research on this subject still requires completion, both quantitative and qualitative. Let us note the customs in headline form only: sidelock, circumcision within eight days, a Talith (prayer shawl) and four fringes (Tsitsit), a Jewish wedding (Hupah and ring), women's customs (immersion in a river or spring), levirate marriage (Yibum), honouring the father, forbidden foods (horse and camel food), refraining from cooking meat and milk, a tradition of clean and unclean poultry, the Shabbat (preparation of 12 Hallah loaves, refraining from work), lighting a candle in honour of the Shabbat, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) prayer (some of them pray turned in the direction of Jerusalem), blood on the threshold and on the two Mezzuzot (in times of plague or trouble), a scapegoat, curing the ill with the help of the Book of Psalms (placing the Book under the patient's head), a Hebrew amulet (Kamia), Hebrew names (also. for neighbourhoods and villages), Holy Books (they especially honour 'the Law of Sharif' which is the Law of Moses), and rising when the name of Moshe is mentioned.
As for the Pathan law, they have laws similar to the Jewish law. The Magen David symbol is found in almost every Pathan house on an island in the Pehshauor district. The rich make it of expensive metals, the poor from simple wood. The Magen David can be seen on the towers of schools and on tools and ornaments."
I'll stop here. Fascinating stuff, though!
Thank you, Nava for continuously inspiring and educating!
Just stumbled upon this woman's blog. She is a self-described "Crunchy kosher parent..." from Beverly Hills.
She is also an Obama supporter.
The other day she found the pictured note on her windshield.
Really? Is this what some of us have become? This woman is exercising her first amendment rights by publicly stating her political opinion and someone who disagrees calls her names and leaves her a hate message?
To that coward who left the note: No, sir or madam, shame on YOU! YOU are not a Jew! Jews do not terrorize fellow members of Klal Yisroel when they disagree with them.
I am certainly no Obama(nation) fan. Regardless, this is a free country and this woman has the right to have a bumper sticker on her car without the fear of hate mongers leaving threatening messages.
Wonder how he or she will defend themselves when they stand in front of HaShem.
When my children reach the age to ask, "Ima, why do all these bad things happen?" I'll have this great teaching tool. I'll be able to show them this note and tell them that when we say these types of things to other people we are still in need of learning compassion. So Hashem lets horrible things happen to teach us to care for our fellow humans and share in their grief.
I don't mind if you disagree with my political opinions (like my husband does). However, using hate and fear-mongering is not right on any level. And to do so anonymously is just plain childish.
And, I find it slightly ironic that the bumper sticker under the Obama one is "Lo Loshon Hara." (Roughly, "No Evil Speech.")"
Incredible. It just keeps going.
Is anyone really going to say that thing aren't getting scary?
Please visit a great new site.
Bar Kochba has once again shown his love and devotion to Am Yisroel with his new site The Truth About Moshiach.
Thanks to Nava at Dreaming of Moshiach for pointing it out.
May we all be redeemed in Nissan and see the Geulah!
I have seen many miracles happen through prayer. Last Friday, erev Shabbos, I was cleaning for Shabbos ands Pesach when I slipped on something left on the floor. I fell forward and broke my right leg.
Though I am in pain and I cannot help my wife prepare for Pesach, I do see miracles. When I fell, I was convinced I had broken both my legs as I couldn't move either and I have a history of fractures. Secondly, when I do fall and break my legs, I usually need surgery.
Well, it turns out I only fractured my right leg and I do NOT need surgery (B'IH). There is light within darkness and I don't know why this had to happen to me, but I thank HaShem that it wasn't worse.
Please daven for me and paa my name on. It is Yehudah Tzvi Ben Elisheva.
I would greatly appreciate your tefillos and I humbly ask you to pass my name on to the refuah shelaima list in your shul.
Thanks you so much and may we see complete healing and Redemption before Pesach.
Just got my DNA results back.
Turns out I am "J1" which is the Kohain Modal Haplotype. Even cooler... I happen to share exact DNA with my neighbor and friend who is also a Kohain!
I am an "armchair" Kohen.
RP: Never heard of you. I checked your link above, read its pretensions, and wonder why this is the first time you have contacted me. I have served as a Levite on Duty for 25 years, researching and restoring ancient Israelite customs in preparation for rebuilding the Holy Temple; restoring Beged Ivri, Biblical weddings, broken the taboo against wearing Techelet, identified and made available the 11 original ingredients of the Ketoret and 4 ingredients of the Shemen HaMishchah, and restored the mitzvah of netinat machatzit hashekel, establishing the criteria for the machatzit hashekel for this and future generations. And this filth is what you initiate contact with me for?
JHK: Would you please comment on why you are appearing at a messianic convention in Chicago in August?
RP: I was invited to speak. They agreed to my conditions for speaking; namely that I am to be respected for who I am; I am not to be subjected to any attempts to change my religious beliefs; and I am to be protected by staff from any zealous participant who cannot control the urge to 'witness' to me, so I am not left to defend myself from assault. I do not speak about religion or politics, only about the work taking place in Jerusalem to restore ancient Israelite customs in preparation for rebuilding the Holy Temple.
JHK: Do you endorse "messianic" judaism?
RP: Chas V'chalilah. You are obviously an armchair Kohen otherwise you would know me, my work, and the inanity of asking me such a ridiculous question.
JHK: Are you yourself "messianic" in that you consider the Christian god (aka Jesus) the Jewish Messiah?
RP: Are you insane? No.
Well, there you go. Perhaps I was wrong to question him.
The Levite doth protest too much, methinks.
These were legitimate questions. People are known by the company they keep. "Al tifrosh min hatzibor." Speaking to and thereby legitimizing these people are clearly separating yourself from the Klal. Hashem forbids socializing with idol worshippers. Simple.
As to "this filth" (aka my honest inquiry), I am still perplexed why "messianics" would be his choice of audience. Wouldn't a "Levite on Duty" want to distance himself from idol worshipers and those who prey on Jewish souls? Why give their "movement" credence by speaking to them?
Personally, this "Kohain on Duty" would not have anything to do with these people as they harm Jews. THAT'S where we differ. Sorry if that's filth.
Nowhere does Mr. Prager denounce "messianics" on his site. That would be a great first step. I would also love to see a haskama from Rabbis proclaiming his work with them as kosher. Would they give it if they knew the bulk of his time was speaking to "messianics?" Would Ha-Rav Ha-Gadol Amnon Yitzchak Shlita say this was a positive endeavor for Klal Yisrael?
It is time that we choose sides.
I cannot say it any better.