Odd Answer

We sometimes read a passage in the Torah or the apostolic writings and the wording seems odd, just does not make plane sense at all.  I guess if we travel back in time and use words such as email, or tweeter me, we know because it was wickipedia, it would make absolute nonsense to the audience of yesteryears.  It is for this reason that I started looking at some these passages that at face value make and do not make any sense at all. 

Now let me warn you! as Jew I make a few statements "in judaism", the reason for this is that the Torah and the Apostolic writings were written, under the guidance of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit of HaShem), by Jews for Jews.  Therefore they need to understood under the cultural lens of a Hebrew mindset, otherwise it will be misrepresented or misunderstood. 

In Yohanan (John) 3:1-7 Yeshua is talking to a teacher of the Torah, and makes a profound statement, "unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God!".  We all know this story, we have heard it at Sunday school, from the pulpit on countless teaching.  Very well used in many teachings and preaching a as part of evangelism.  I have heard so many angles on this but most of these revolve around two typical concepts.

One- The concept that first you must have a physical birth, in other words you must be born.  No rocket science here, if you are not born, then you cannot be born again, that makes sense one logic follows the other.  A lot has been taught that we are dead because of sin. Therefore in order to look at this passage we need to define some things.  First lets start with Torah, it does not equal law, it means instruction, guidance from the root word Yarah a term used in archery, meaning to hit the mark.  Sin, Chatah in Hebrew, is the opposite to Torah, is missing the mark.  So now that we have a couple of definitions we can continue with this odd statement.  

So we are born in the flesh but are dead in the spirit, we need to be born again, but it says that we need to be born of water and of the spirit.  So the Nicodemus was right to be puzzled, how can one be born again in the flesh and be alive in the spirit?  It is a logical question that requires some thought. Two- What was Yeshua talking about, what does it mean being born of water?  In the physical and I have heard this many times in churches and sermon's, when we are in the womb we are suspended in water, hence before our birth the breaking of water.  In Judaism the mikvah (a body of water that one can be fully immersed) has to be in natural running water termed מים חיים   mayim chayim "living water" so in order to tevilah (Immerse ) the waters must be living waters. Judaism has the same concept that being in the water is like being in the womb and once we come out the third time out of the water, the sages say we are reborn to the world.  For the same token when one goes under the waters of in the act of tevilah, one must be as he came into the world no personal belongings and it is a very private occasion.  Ofcourese if you are making a public testament by your actions decorum and modesty must prevail. So the connection has always being made to the waters of immersion to the first part, being born of water, the association is made to tevilah or commonly known as baptism from the Greek language, that means immersion. On the surface this is a good analogy, but I believe that there is more to it.

Let me explain why, I believe there is a deeper meaning and Yeshua choses this terminology for a good reason.  In Judaism it is common to use word association to describe sacred objects or names or persons of repute. As you know the name of G-d is spelled by four Hebrew letters that to this day there is all kinds of disputes as to how it should be pronounced, no I am not going to tackle this now, but I will use it as an example. יהוה YHVH in Hebrew letters as it is written is never pronounced out loud for fear of taking His name in vane or profaning His name.  Therefore there are a number of ways of saying the name without saying it, examples are HaShem the Name, Adonai my Master, HaShamayim The Heavens etc, you get the drift. 

In Judaism the Torah is sometimes referred to as water, in other words come drink of the waters of life, implies come partake of the Torah, He plants me by the water, Psalms 1:3: He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper. Additionally he also uses the analogy of living water when he addresses the Samaritan woman, Yohanan 4:10: Yeshua answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”  In the same Book of Yohanan (John) it starts with the assertion: Yohanan 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Yohanan 1:2: The same was in the beginning with God. Yohanan 1:3: All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. Yohanan 1:4: In him was life, and the life was the light of men. Yohanan 1:5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it. 

Again the word here is Torah, same as living water. One more resource that speaks of Torah being synonymous with water, Thirsty For Torah It is the midrash that lifts the episode out of the ordinary. On the verse, "They travelled three days in the wilderness and found no water" (22), some mystically inclined Rabbis opined: "Water actually stands for Torah, as it is said (by Isaiah, 55:1), 'Ho, all who are thirsty, come for water.' Having gone for three days without Torah, the prophets among them stepped forth and legislated that the Torah should be read on the second and fifth days of the week as well as on Shabbat so that they would not let three days pass without Torah" (Babylonian Talmud, BavaKama 82a), (Source http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Weekly_Torah_Portion/bshalah_jts.shtml).

So if we now take Yeshua’s statement "unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God!" we can re write it as "unless one is born of the Torah and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God!".  Yeshua came to uphold the Torah and not do away with it, He Yeshua is the doorway to HaShem, the Father.  Through Teshuvah, that is repentance, turning away from our own ways and facing HaShem, we can only be born of the Torah, which then makes us be born of the spirit through his mercy and grace, as we were dead in the spirit but now we are alive in and through Yeshua.  The operative word here is teshuvah, repentance, with true repentance then we can be born of the living Torah, a new creature a member of the kingdom of HaShem. Remember repentance is not just a once off it is a constant check and balance of our life and our guide the Torah is the mirror by which we guide ourselves.

The sign of Yonah (Jonah)

The sign of Yonah, why mention it?

Well here we are 2014, and I was talking to my wife this morning as we usually do on Shabbat.  The conversation kind of started with the Torah, based on this weeks parasha, and some how it progressed towards the Apostolic writings and today's worldly current affair.  As we usually do on Shabbat mornings conversations, no rush, no need to be making lunches and running after the dogs trying to take them out as we leave in our daily routine.  But on Shabbats, we all chill, we talk, the dogs sleep, and we concentrate on talking Torah.  So what does this got to do with Jonah, you may think?  Well you see it started with the Sh’ma, it followed on with Deuteronomy 11:13 and we ended with Yeshua saying the sign of the son of man is the sign of Jonah.

Here it refers to the son of man what is really saying is the son of the most-high G-d the one which HaShem himself endowed with a special soul to be the one like unto Moses. This is not the aim of this article but rather the concept of the sign of Jonah.  Whilst reading it in context we see that it may refer to the fact that Yonah was in the belly of a sea animal for three days and three nights, right?  But what if there was another message other than the three days and three nights, for example what was the overall message of the Apostolic writings? 

Lets examine that, before we tackle Yonah, before Yeshua even taught anything we find that a close relative of Yeshua, Yohanan the immerser, was on the other side of the Yarden (Jordan) teaching repentance and crying in the wilderness, repent for the Kingdom of G-d is at hand.  There is so much information on this passage that we could have a nice all nigh conversation about this topic.  First of all where was Yohanan when he started his ministry, on which side of the Yarden are we talking about here?  The other side of the Yarden, is Moabite country, the wilderness, going back in time, just as the children of Israel were coming from the wilderness they camped in Moab and received a final address from Moshe, hence the topic of our discussion on Shabbat morning. Here they are recapping the Torah, often referred to as Mishnah Torah (repeating Torah), the topic of our conversation was the fact that in Deuteronomy 6:4 the Sh’ma addresses each individual but in Deuteronomy 11:13 the address is a corporate call to obey in unity.  The “you” in 11:13 in Hebrew is in plural,       (something the English language lacks), that all together in unity are we to obey the Torah. Yohanan, here is re-enacting that which happened in the physical, so many generations past, he now is doing and calling on the same instructions but with a spiritual implication that the Israelites that remained in the land, are called to return to HaShem, to restore the Kingdom because it is near so near. 

Here comes Yeshua he crosses over the Yarden into the wilderness, meets Yohanan and is immersed in living waters, and after the immersion returns to the land, he crosses over (Hebber) into the land, to His ministry of teaching that Kingdom of G-d is at hand, the very same message of Yohanan, same message, in unity with the Torah.  The core of the message is repentance, pure and simple, repent and turn to G-d.  His ministry continues and at a point some people demand a sign, almost to the point of either looking for confirmation of Deuteronomy 13:1-11 or on contradiction of such passage. If they were asking to follow Him for the signs and wonders then they would be in contradiction of the Torah, if they were looking for him to show a sign and wonder and then teach another god then they would have grounds for killing him.  The motive is the key to this passage.  No different than today we have people that are looking and following signs and wonders, instead of the signs and wonders following them.  Yeshua's response was a little puzzling for some of them then and even today it may be a little puzzling, if not looked in cultural context.  Our first reaction is to look retrospectively  and we see the most obvious thing Jonah was swallowed by a sea animal and was later vomited out after three days and three nights. Straightforward case closed, lets move on, this is what has been taught for centuries. Three days and three nights in the belly, three days and three nights in the tomb.

But lets stop for a minute and let us look at what Jonah's message was to Nineveh, current day Mosul in Iraq.  The instructions to Yonah were simple, go to the great city of Nineveh and preach that G-d will utterly destroy them, we know the story, he refused, the sea animal ate him, he survives, he then preaches and they repent. So the message of Jonah was repentance, same message of Yohanan the immerser, the same message of Yeshua.  The sign is repentance, and lo and behold, Yonah was on the news not so long ago.  ISIS has taken over the city of Mosul (Nineveh) and the first thing they did was to destroy the memory of Yonah, the memory that if we turn from our sins we are forgiven.  

The message today is the same repent, turn from our sins, face G-d and in the name of Yeshua the chosen one, the one sent to us for repentance, we are forgiven.  If in the time of Yohanan, the time of Yeshua, the kingdom of G-d was near, how much near is it now?  The footsteps of Messiah can be heard, its time to be found ready, like the wise virgins, with oil ready to enter into the wedding chamber.  There is still time, but do not let time go past for the time is very near.

What on earth is going on?

At the moment of writing this article, we are currently into another wave of antisemitism like it has not being seen in decades, actually since the holocaust and the Russian oppression of the Jews after WWII.  Additionally, the persecution of Christians in the Middle East is reaching a level of barbarism that we thought only hollywood could come up with it. Many people that are not aware of any type of faith practice always ask me why?  Why are the Jews persecuted?  Is there an easy answer to that?  My own neighbour one day started ranting on how this world is crazy and the government fines and tax rates, then an explosion of fury came out of his mouth it's those Jews In Europe!  He then realized that his thoughts have come out of his lips, in front of me, a Jew.  I make it no secret , I walk with my dogs kippah on my head Tzitzit flying in the air, ok for those that don't know about the Kippah is the pancake hat we wear on our heads usually pined down with girly bobby pins, the Tzitzit are the fringes or tassel if you pay attention you will see them.  So I ignored the comment and said words to the effect that not all puppeteers are Jews and even those that call themselves one may not be in reality, as their actions attest otherwise.
This brings me to a very poignant question, who is Jew and is Judaism a religion or a peoples group?  Well the reality is that they are both, so my last sentence in the opening paragraph kind of makes no sense if this is the case.  If a Jew is a race, a genetical traceable group of people, then their actions will not diminish their status as a Jew, that is pure logic, and genetics can prove that. 
Lets put an example, a black man that was raised by white parents, acts and behaves as white, has the same level of cultural assimilation as white folks etc, but his behavior if you were blind to color would be of a white caucasian person.  We are talking totally assimilated, in his cultural bias and preferences, food he eats and likes, music, probably country western and drives a red neck pickup truck.  However, his DNA would say otherwise, even his outer appearance says he is a black man, regardless of his behavior.  The same can be said about a Jew, born a Jew die a Jew correct?  Well not so fast that is not what the Torah instructs.  The following are a few passages that talk about the exclusion from being part of the congregation, being cut off, in other words, no longer o the people, Gen 17:14, Lev 3:, 7:25, 7:27 , Num 9:13 and the final one which I alluded to my neighbour Numbers 15:30.
Now comes the crunch, at this very moment when the whole world is thirsting for war, right now in the Middle East people are being beheaded, property destroyed and desecrated, women raped and then murdered as well as their children, planes shot out of the sky, the barbarism sees no end.  As I witness these acts via media, internet, etc, one thing comes to mind, we are not fulfilling HaShem's purpose, Kiddush HaShem Haim, Living Kiddush HaShem, in other word living a life sanctifying HaShem.  Time and time again we are called to be kadosh, holy, but is holy how do we define holy, there a several ways of translating the word kadosh, because the reality is there is a discrepancy between Hebrew a functional concrete language and English or Spanish languages that are abstract in nature.  Holy, you hear someone being described as a holy person and the first thought is a person walking with a halo around its head and soft liturgical catholic music playing, the reality is that kadosh means to set apart for a specific function reserved for special occasions.  The concept of holy in Hebrew is that is a functionality issue, and not a state of mind the opposite of holy is profane or mundane or common.  We have a unique situation here, HaShem has entrusted his identity to us, His followers and His chosen people to be His ambassadors here on earth, His holy nation.

So we establish that holy is nothing mystical, rather a state in which you become set apart for a specific purpose. The separation needs to be understood in terms of the functionality, what are we meant to do as set apart people?, the answer to that is sanctify His Name.  Ok time for more definitions is another word that is related to kadosh in other words our aim of being set apart to set apart His name.   The interesting thing about this process is that we are called by both Judaism and Christianity to set ourselves apart from the world and those that are not of the faith.  The Torah instructs the children of Israel to not marry women from the peoples of the land they were about to take over as an inheritance, as they (the women) will set your heart away from HaShem and towards idolatry, Deut 7:3 and similarly found in the Apostolic writings, 2 Cor 6:14, not to unequally yoke ourselves to unbelievers.
So we are to separate from the world, not to yoke ourselves unequally, and not follow after the world's idols. I am currently reading an excellent book by Rabbi Shraga Freedman, in it he gives an excellent illustration,"The relationship between the Jews (Believers) and other nations is similar to the relationship between fire and water.  Fire and water work together very effectively as long as they are separated; when the water is contained within a pot and the fire beneath it, the fire heats the water and enables to cook the food.  If the pot were to be removed, however,  the water would extinguish the fire, ruining it."  This alludes that if we remain separate from the world we would have an incredible impact on it, but when we assimilate into the world, we are being robbed of the potential to impact the world. 
What is happening right now is the result of the ease of assimilation, that we Jews and believers, followers of HaShem and Yeshua have committed.  We have allowed ourselves to be influenced by the world and not the other way around, to that effect when ever we assimilate persecution follows.  Balance needs to be restored, what we do matters, our conduct should reflect HaShems Kingdom, if we have allowed ourselves to be assimilated we no longer shine and reflect His Kingdom. 
We compromise on our attitudes, our kindness, our morals and even our faith.  We begin to question what is written in Torah is really inspired or just another book, and usually that is the case we view the bible as a book, and not for what it is. First of all it is the inspired word of HaShem, secondly it is a collections of writings across time by different scribes but the same author. We even question the validity of the commandments and what and when certain things applies, in the mean time we are not sanctifying His name, we are not being the light and salt to the earth, the words of our Master comes to mind "if you love me keep my commandments".  In the mean time the kingdom of darkness increases and the persecution begins.  The more we compromise the greater the hatred, make no mistake if we do not shine that means we do not have the light and we are not in Him.