Dec 21, 2007
Posted on Dec 21, 2007 in Judaism, Yeshua | 0 comments
“The ultimate prayer is the prayer of the small child.
You pray to some lofty concept of The Infinite Light or The Essence of Being or… But the child doesn’t have any concept. Just G‑d.
When you open your eyes in the morning, you are a newborn child. Then and there you meet G‑d face to face. As you awaken and your brain becomes engaged, keep the child with you…”
Insight from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson; words and condensation by Tzvi Freeman (his book Bringing Heaven Down to Earth).
“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Yeshua (Matthew 18:3)
Nov 16, 2007
Posted on Nov 16, 2007 in Miscellaneous, Yeshua | 2 comments
Here are the notes from part 2 of my discussion on discipleship. The primary focus in this discussion was that in order to disciple others effectively, we must first become a good disciple ourselves. We can only transfer what we already possess.
Right-click (pc) or Control-click (mac!) to download:
Discipleship Notes – Part 2 »
Nov 8, 2007
Posted on Nov 8, 2007 in Miscellaneous, Yeshua | 1 comment
Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah.
—Avot 1:1
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
—Matthew 28:19-20
Yosi ben Yoezer of Tzeredah said: Let your house be a meetinghouse for the sages and sit amid the dust of their feet and drink in their words with thirst.
—Avot 1:4
Bind up the testimony, seal the Torah among my disciples.
—Isaiah 8:16
And Abram took his wife Sarai and Lot, his brother’s son, and all their wealth that they had amassed, and the souls they had made in Haran, and they left to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan.
—Genesis 12:5
“‘And the people that they made in Haran.’ Rabbi Elazar ben Zimra said [the text should read]… ”these are the converts that they converted.” And if it is that they converted them, why does it say “make”? Only to teach you that all those who bring a worshipper of stars [i.e. a pagan] close [to God] and converts him, it is as if [the one who converts the other] created [the one who converts]”
(Genesis Rabbah 39:14).
This past Shabbat I taught a little on discipleship. This is a subject with which I have wrestled for several years. I have desired for a long time to be taken under the wing of someone to be discipled, so that I could truly disciple others, rather than floundering around and merely being a half a step ahead in trying to figure things out.
I’ve had several men come to me lately wanting at least my input, and some mentoring, and I have not had a method or plan. Since I currently do not have a mentor personally, I am currently having to reinvent the wheel (so to speak) and study out the Scriptures for methods of discipleship. I not only want to be a good teacher and able to disciple others, but I truly want to be a good disciple of the Master. I want to be what a real disciple should be. I want to emulate my Master, and product other disciples who will, in turn, be true disciples of the Master who will then disciple others.
I will probably have more to say on this in the future, but for now this will suffice. I have uploaded my (very sparse) notes from my teaching in the hopes that someone may find them of value.
Blessings,
-Darren
Right-click (pc) or Control-click (mac!) to download:
Nov 1, 2007
Posted on Nov 1, 2007 in Mishnah, Torah, Yeshua | 3 comments
Toby Janicki of FFOZ, recently posted some thoughts in regard to the Oral Torah and Yeshua’s statement, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.” It was a very insightful post that confirmed some ideas I’ve been developing over the last several months. I think his quote from Schimmel’s book, The Oral Torah, is a key to help us understand a basic principle regarding the work of Yeshua. Here is the quote from the book:
Before instituting a decree of enacting an ordinance or inducing a custom which is deemed necessary, Beit Din [House of Judges] must calmly deliberate and make sure that the majority of the community can live up to it. At no time is a decree to be imposed upon the public, which the majority cannot endure. (The Oral Torah, H. Chaim Schimmel, pg. 112)
I posted my thoughts as a comment on the FFOZ blog, but I thought I would include them here for easy reference…
In regard to the spiritual leadership of Israel during the first century, Yeshua did not come to negate the Oral Torah (as many of us already know, but we would do well to emphasize this point here). He came to 1) expose, rebuke & correct hypocrisy and 2) make the Torah accessible to the “am ha’aretz,” the common person – the “average Joe” (so to speak).
At this point in history, Torah study and mitzvot had almost completely been relegated to the aristocracy. There was a great chasm between the “learned” and the am ha’aretz. Yeshua’s rebuke is often quoted ending with the first portion, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders.” However, the heart of the matter is found in the latter part in which he said, “but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.”
This is huge! Yeshua’s rebuke worked! The word of Hashem that he spoke did not return void. They did not fall on deaf ears. The difference between the “burdens” the common man faced during the time of Yeshua and the Oral Torah of today is this very principle. We cannot equate the Oral Torah with the “burdens” that the hypocrites, during the time of Yeshua, had placed on the general populous.
Although I do not believe we should follow the Oral Torah blindly, nor in its entirety (for various reasons associated with our Master), we have to recognize that these are two different animals, and speak out against the slanderous accusations from those who are ignorant (not “dumb,” merely uneducated in this particular area) of the differences.
Oct 31, 2007
Posted on Oct 31, 2007 in Yeshua | 0 comments
Dear friend, there’s a story goin’ round
says you’re gonna be married soon
But you’ve been sayin’ that for years,
and there can be no wedding without a groom
You said he’s gone away to make a place for you and Him
Oh you know He’s gonna come back,
but you just don’t know when
Dear friends He is not slow in keeping His promises
As some understand slowness to be
Keep a watch out, don’t lose faith,
He said He would come for you
He’s gonna come for you, you wait and see
Dear friend, people joke, they laugh and they make fun
When you tell ‘em all about the groom who’s gonna come
He’s been gone a long long time, are there any doubts to confess
Do you wonder if you’re ever gonna wear that wedding dress
(Dear Friend by Charlie Peacock)
Last night at our Torah Club study we were discussing how it is easy to get lulled into complacency regarding the return of our righteous Mashiach. Daniel (Lancaster) reminds us, via the words of the Chofetz Chaim, that we cannot afford to be nonchalant in expressing our belief in the return of Yeshua in the way we live each day of our lives. If we truly believe his pending, immanent return, we will live lives that reflect this belief. We will live with enthusiasm, excitement, joy, hope, graciousness and anticipation.
In our congregation, in the reading following the Haftarah, we have changed one word to remind us of the down-payment on the promise of Hashem that he has given us in relationship to Mashiach. It reads:
Gladden us, Adonai, our God, with Elijah the prophet, Your servant, and with the kingdom of the House of David, Your anointed, may he return speedily and cause our heart to exalt. On his throne let no stranger sit nor let others continue to inherit his honor, for by Your holy Name You swore to him that his lamp will not be extinguished forever and ever. Blessed are You, Adonai, Shield of David.
Let us continually hold on to Rambam’s expression of hope, found in the Ani Ma’amin, which says:
I believe with complete faith
In the coming of the Messiah, I believe
And even though he may tarry
Nonetheless I will wait for him
I will wait every day for him to come
