Vol. 61- SPECIAL

Ultra-Orthodox Jews versus Messianic Jews

The men you see in the videos above, in their black coats and hats, spend their entire day in the Yeshiva (rabbinical school of Torah) studying Torah and the countless commentaries of rabbis and Israel’s sages. The ultimate goal? To become ‘heavenly minded,’ and ‘great scholars.’ However, almost none of them work for a living to support their families.

It is their women who support them in their pursuit of ‘eternal merit’ by burying their heads in their books. Indeed, the ‘virtuous wife’ in Proverbs 31 applies well to the haredi woman who is often an astute business woman, attends well to her household, and whose hands are never idle. It is she who puts food on the table, pays the bills and provides for all the family needs from clothing to school supplies. She meticulously prepares the home and food for Shabbat and holidays, while the husband ‘sits idly in the gates’, aka studies Torah in the Yeshiva.

Yet despite their ‘holy occupation’ of countless hours of study to ‘merit’ a reward in the life to come, the women consider their ultra-orthodox men too ‘weak’ to resist their carnal urge before a beautiful woman. Hence, to ensure the men won’t fall into the sinful trap of lust, haredi women shave off their hair and wear a wig instead, or cover a beautiful crown of hair so that it can’t be seen¹⁰. They dress ultra-modestly lest their figure or shapely legs be seen.

It is the same religious spirit – NOT our G-d – that has Moslem women covered completely in a burqa¹¹, her face almost entirely hid behind a niqab¹², while not long ago Rom. Cath. nuns were cloaked in long, flowing black robes and black veil.

Haredi Jews (divided into many different sects, each following after their rabbi and frequently antagonistic toward each other) have done and are doing nothing for their nation (except for those who study in the hesder yeshivot, combining Talmudic studies with serving in the IDF ; however, only for half of the normally required time) many of them not even recognizing Israel as the sovereign, Jewish State.

It is they who belligerently harass and attack Messianic Jews who believe in Yeshua, who spread the most abominable lies about Messianics, such as abducting Jewish children to forcefully baptize them. Furthermore, when Messianics help the poor, the needy, and feed the hungry they are accused of coercing, bribing and exploiting the condition of the needy to “convert” them into the Christian religion. Being called a ‘Nazi,’ however, by a fellow Jew (as has happened in Arad) is the ultimate of insult for one who was robbed of everything by the Nazis, including family in the shoah.

These malicious lies are on par with the ludicrous lies spread about the Jews from anti-Semites in general and Palestinians in particular. Is the wickedness of the anti-Semites and Palestinians suddenly proper and just when perpetrated by ultra-orthodox Jews? Absolutely not! There is not an iota of difference. It is of such Jews that the Lord says in Rev. 3:9: “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie – behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you.”

But we Messianics still esteem our ultra-orthodox brethren, many of whom love G-d, zealous for Him and for Torah, ardent in prayer and strong in faith, but persisting in their mistaken understanding of messianic prophecies and about Messiah himself. Failing to recognize Messiah’s¹³two missions as son of Yoseph, the SUFFERING Servant; and as son of David, the Messiah King, they will mourn one day over Him as for an only son¹⁴, inconsolable about having rejected our very own Messiah as prophesied in Zechariah 12. Thus they believe the lies about Yeshua handed down from generation to generation, and the outrageous slander about Messianics.

In spite of this we continue to extend our hand of brotherhood and friendship to them, and pray to our and their G-d that He will have mercy on them and show them His Salvation / Yeshuah- = Yeshua-, as He did with Shaul (Paul) of Tarsus.

Shaul (Paul) of Tarsus was like them, persecuting the early disciples, even standing by as a witness when they stoned Steven (Stephanus), a disciple from among the Hellenistic Jews. Shaul believed that he was serving G-d. However, as he was on his way to arrest and throw into prison disciples living in Damascus, the Lord Yeshua appeared to him on the road and called him. As a result this ultra-orthodox Jew, a Pharisee of Pharisees, became the most devoted and zealous servant of the Lord Yeshua known as the apostle Paul, whom the Lord commissioned to bring the Good News of G-d’s Kingdom to the Gentiles.

We are praying for the Lord to raise up many such Pauls from among our ultra-orthodox brethren to turn the world upside down for the Gospel and His Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the ultra-orthodox Sephardic party, Shas¹⁵, is in charge of the Ministry of the Interior. And thanks to Shas, my friends are denied their right of Return because of their faith in Yeshua. Yet Halacha¹⁶ (the law) clearly states that one is a Jew if one’s mother is Jewish. And the Law of Return¹⁷, passed by the Knesset on July 4, 1950, used to clearly state that if one has even but one Jewish grandparent, one has the right to the Law of Return. It said nothing about “religion” at that time (neither did the Nazis care what the Jews they murdered, believed), only about descent.

But ultra-orthodox Knesset members introduced an amendment to the Law of Return, which was passed by the Knesset on March 10, 1979, that a person who has been a Jew and has voluntarily changed his religion is not eligible for Aliyah.

Undoubtedly, this amendment was aimed (by Aryeh Deri¹⁸) at Messianics who, however, have not “changed their religion!” They have not forsaken the Jewish faith, on the contrary: they believe, and have received, the Promise of G-d most Jews are still waiting for¹⁹. Rather than embracing and following after Rabbi Schneerson, they believe in and follow after Rabbi Yeshua. They, like the Chabadnikim, have not changed their religion!

The Jewish Homeland is for Jews – ALL Jews

All are Arabs, looking for our demise,^M most of them Muslims and increasing numbers of Beduin²⁰ flooding into Israel from Egypt and Jordan since Israel’s peace agreements with these nations. They are claiming the right to Israeli citizenship – and having it granted – on the basis of having relatives living already here. Israel is the Jewish homeland, yet Muslim Arabs are granted the right of Israeli citizenship while my Jewish friends, because of their faith in Yeshua, have this same right denied.

Messianic Jews are not Muslims, are not members of a “cult,” nor do they adhere to an alien faith; their faith is in the One G-d of the Shemah²¹, and in the Hope of Israel²², promised in our Holy Scriptures.

As a Jerusalem Post blog “Boker” (June 25th) in response to this trial so rightly says: “My neighbors are [ultra-orhtodox] Chabbadnicks. They are loud on Shabbat and believe in a false messiah. Their members are on hundreds of street corners in Israel, there is a Chabbad missionary house down the street, and I have NEVER heard anyone speak out against them.”

And a Donna Dorio on June 22nd wrote, “…Religious convictions aside – this case is about Democracy and whether or not Israel is willing to uphold the law for all its citizens INCLUDING Jews who exercise their freedom of religious choice to follow Yeshua. If the ultra-orthodox Chabadnikim are free to consider Rabbi Schneerson the MESSIAH, and the rest of Israel are free not to believe that, why would the Messianic Jews not be free to consider Yeshua – born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth – to be the Messiah. Modern Israel has to make a choice to let religious zealots rule, or be a nation that upholds the rule of law.”

Indeed, what has become of our nation? Are we already so far removed from the awful reality²³ of the Nazi Holocaust ²⁴ that it is no more than a – horrific²⁵ – memory²⁶ laid aside until Holocaust memorial day?²⁷ Must the Shas Party not only run our Ministry of Interior but also decide who, in THEIR estimation, is Jewish enough to be granted the right of Return?

I, personaly, lost almost my entire family, and for 11 years suffered every kind of degradation, slander, theft, injustices and even beatings from my peers for no other reason than being Jewish. Yet, I did come to believe in G-d and love Jesus of Nazareth because of a kind Lutheran Pastor, who was not merely a Christian by name but with all his heart, practiced the love Yeshua had command His disciples, toward this Jewish girl, neither coercing nor forcing faith in Yeshua on anyone.

However, while I learned all the tenets of the Christian religion, I did NOT understand the Lord to be Jewish as I am, nor did I at all understand the workings of G-d’s salvation by way of His Son. When I came to realize why I had no family like others did I eventually blamed G-d for it, and turned away from Him. I became an atheist who wanted to have nothing to do with G-d nor with Jesus, in my mind considering them now Jew-haters who were terribly vindictive, merciless and cruel. That He had saved my life time and again from certain death I did not realize then.

Messiah Yeshua is Seen in Yoseph and his Brothers

In all probability there would be no Jewish people today, recognized as such, and no nation of Israel, had not so many of our people resisted – for the sanctification of the Name – this hellish plot to wipe us out as G-d’s covenant people. Crusaders, papal edicts against us, vicious, malicious lies and slander, the Spanish Inquisition, Russian pogroms and the frequent slaughter of Jewish communities polluted the name of Jesus Christ with the stench of death. ^Y

The Crusaders	The Spanish Inquisition	The Russian Pogroms

In view of this history most Jews, especially the religious ones, can’t even begin to consider that perhaps Yeshua of Nazareth is indeed the Promised Anointed One. They have even shortened His Name to “Yeshu” – an insult – because they know very well what “Yeshua” means.

Unfortunately, these religious have failed to acknowledge – either wantonly or ignorantly – the change that has occurred among evangelical Christianity that is no longer attempting to force-convert us or “lure” us into their religion. On the contrary, there are now many millions of Christians who want to bless Israel, support and stand with our nation – without ulterior motives or underhanded “missionizing” – ever since Genesis 12:3 has been preached among them, Romans 11, Ephesians 2:11-22, John 10:1-18 and many other Scriptures.

Of course, it is this ultimate obstacle – Yeshua being believed of equal nature with G-d, that keeps a Jew from accepting Him. In his understanding this is blasphemy, unable to see how the One and only G-d could also be a Son²⁸.

Our orthodox brethren are just like Joseph’s brothers, unable to recognize in this “Gentile Lord” their own Messiah.

Just as Joseph’s brothers out of jealousy and envy wanted to kill him, and sold and delivered him into the power of Gentiles, so did the religious leaders of Yeshua’s days: Jealous and envious of Him because the people loved the gentle Nazarene Who spoke on the Word of G-d unlike any of their rabbis and priests ever had done, and Who healed them of all their sicknesses and diseases, set them free from demonic oppression and even raised their dead, they looked for and found a covetous and resentful disciple of Yeshua, willing to sell Him to them. They delivered Him – on the basis of a lie and false accusations – into the power of the Romans to have them put Him to death. When His tomb was found to be empty after 3 (Jewish) days, the heavy stone rolled away, they bribed the soldiers who had guarded the tomb, to lie and tell the people that Yeshua’s disciples had stolen His body away. And this is believed until this day.

BUT HE LIVES – and to this we testify!

He appeared to others as well, showing Himself alive. There are probably by now about 10,000 Jewish disciples of Yeshua in Israel (give or take; nobody knows the exact number), many of them “sabras” – native born -, and a far greater number abroad, mainly in the United States and Canada.

All these Jews have come to realize that Yeshua of Nazareth is indeed the Promised One, that Servant of G-d called  “The Branch” in Zechariah 6:12-13, Who shall build the third Temple, Who was cut off from among the living as foretold in Daniel 9:24-26, yet lives forever more as King and Priest after the order of Melchizedek³⁰, in the Kingdom of His Father, His and our G-d.

Yeshua is Ben Adam, Ben Avraham, Ben Yitzhak, and Ben Yaacov, Ben David and Ben Elohim. He is our Sair l’Azazel, our scapegoat of Yom Kippur, upon whom were laid all of our transgressions and infirmities; He is the One whose blood was sprinkled upon the heavenly Mercy Seat for our atonement, and Who was made to hang from a tree to bear the curse of the Law in our [the Jews’] stead, so that we may keep Torah from the heart, her yoke having been made light by Him.

But – we are still in a state of transition. It takes more than just a few decades to bridge over so many centuries of Christianity’s dominion, doctrines and teachings not in accordance with the One True Faith, to reconnect with the early Jewish disciples, whose Jewishness no one disputed. We Messianics do not think of ourselves as being “Christians,” but as Jews who believe, from conviction, that Yeshua of Nazareth is the One G-d promised to us long ago. Many among us who had not been observant before rediscovered Torah, and those who had been observant did not turn away from Torah, as Yeshua never abrogated Torah, not even so much as one single dot or tittle from all of the Law, the Writings and the Prophets³¹.

In fact, it was He Who commanded me, “Return to your people and heritage.” For G-d did not reject His covenant people³², nor did Yeshua introduce a new faith. He became the Messenger of a new covenant, superior to the first, to fulfill the divine promises which are the hope of this very faith, proclaiming the Kingdom of G-d to be at hand.

Most Jews understand the workings of the Mikve: when, for example, a Gentile who converts to Judaism immerses himself three times in the “living” waters of the Mikve, he dies and is buried there as a Gentile, and is “resurrected”, “born again” as a Jew when he rises out of the waters.

Likewise, when a sinner who has come to faith in Yeshua immerses himself in the Name above all names – which is the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Sprit – three times in living waters, whether that be a Mikve, a river, or pool with an in and outlet, he dies and is buried there as a sinner, and rises out of the water as a “born again” child of G-d. For just as the Gentile was engrafted into the cultivated tree of Israel, into her fold, so is the sinner engrafted into Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection.

It follows that this is only attained when done by faith; apart from faith it is not realized. Hence, forced conversions and baptisms are invalid, for only what was done by faith is approved and acceptable before G-d. Yom Kippur’s Kol Nidre service renders null and void any imposed conversions, mainly for the concience of the convert, since G-d does not require of a man any vow forced upon him.

Apart from faith no one shall enter G-d’s Kingdom, for it is impossible to please G-d without it. For whoever would draw near to G-d must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek Him.³³

In truth, we have not forsaken our own fold, we have not forsaken Torah, we do not believe in three separate gods but in the One and Only Living G-d Who manifests in three distinct aspects of His One Person – Father, Son and Holy Spirit³⁴. Nobody coerced or bribed us into believing in Yeshua, nobody force baptized us, nor do we Messianics perform such acts of wickedness.

For centuries, anti-Semites have told the most horrific lies about Jews, slandered and maligned them since the days of the Exodus from Egypt, propagated further through the days of Greek Hellenism, then the Romans, and finally Gentile Christianity. Today it is neither of them but rather a rogue people who call themselves Palestinians, who perpetrate the worst of lies and slanders about Israel, Israelis and Jews everywhere.

And now we have fellow Jews among us doing the very same thing – but against their own Jewish brethren. The ultra-orthodox lie, slander and falsely accuse Messianic Jews who believe in Yeshua of Nazareth as our Messiah. In G-d’s eyes lies are lies, slander is slander, false accusations are false accusations, regardless by whom they are made. However, when it is done by Jews against Jews, G-d’s judgment will be more severe than on non-Jews.

It is therefore imperative that we pray for G-d’s intervention both on their behalf as well as on behalf of the trial in Beer-Sheva,³⁵ for the good and blessing of all – for the persecutors and the Messianics, and for the glory of our G-d and Messiah Yeshua. Amen and Amen.”

Yours in Him,

We have a political party in Israel called “United Torah Judaism, ” first formed in 1992[²], which in alliance with two small Israeli Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) political parties, “Degel HaTorah” and “Agudat Israel,” forms a powerful haredi block in the Knesset.

In addition to these parties representing the ultra-orthodox community, we have the Sephardic[³] haredi party, “Shas,” of which Eli Yishai became the leader after former leader Aryeh Deri was convicted of fraud and sentenced to imprisonment. Yehuda Deri, the Chief Rabbi of Beer-Sheva and one of the defendants in the trial, is Aryeh’s brother.

These men and their parties view themselves as the guardians of Torah and Judaism. Yet they broke some chief commandments, such as:

• “You shall not bear false witness;”[⁴]
• “You shall not utter a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man, to be a malicious witness. You shall not follow a multitude to do evil; nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, turning aside after a multitude (my insert: of ultra-orthodox rabbis and ministers), so as to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his suit.”[⁵]
• ”You shall not defraud your neighbor, neither oppress nor rob him;”[⁶]
• “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. And you shall not swear by My Name falsely, and so profane the Name of your G-d: I am the LORD.”[⁷]
• “You shall NOT DO INJUSTICE IN JUDGMENT; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL YOU JUDGE your neighbor.”[⁸]
• “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbor, lest you bear sin because of him.”
• “You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.”[⁹]
• “You shall NOT DO WRONG IN JUDGMENT…”[¹⁰]

Moses taught the people and exhorted them, in particular the judges:

• “You shall not respect persons in judgment; but you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is G-d’s.”[¹¹]
• The judges appointed by the people “shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall NOT PERVERT JUSTICE; you shall NOT SHOW PARTIALITY; and you shall NOT TAKE A BRIBE, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and ONLY JUSTICE, you shall follow…”[¹²]
• “If there be a controversy/dispute between men, and they come into court, that the judge[s] may decide between them and judge them: then they shall acquit/justify the righteous/innocent and condemn the guilty/wicked.”[¹³]

However, the Judge who presided over the trial between the followers of Yeshua of Kehilat Nachalat Yeshua, and Beer-Sheva Chief Rabbi Yehuda Deri and the extremist anti-missionary organization, Yad L‘achim, showed partiality toward the ultra-orthodox defendants by penalizing the victims and rewarding the offenders, adding injustice to injury, making a mockery of justice and righteousness.

This is what Howard Bass, who pastors Kehilat Nachalat Yeshua, wrote in his two letters of May 31, 2010, and June 7th:

“Shalom Brothers and Sisters,A verdict has been handed down by the Judge[¹⁴] in our lawsuit filed against the Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yehuda Deri, and against the anti-Messianic organization, Yad L’Achim. The Judge did exactly what we have been praying and hoping . . . that he would not do! The Judge has determined that the two defendants are innocent of any wrong-doing concerning the events before, during, and after 24 Dec 2005, and that we did not produce sufficient evidence to prove any personal liability on their part in our civil suit against them.

The Judge has ordered that we pay 1000 ILS to each of the defendants, and that we pay the legal fees of each of their advocates, which will come to tens of thousands of shekels. (We have not yet been notified of this amount.)
We express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you for your encouragements, prayers, praises to God, and financial contributions throughout this lawsuit to date. We believe, with many of you, that we were led by the Lord to enter into this lawsuit, and we have sought to honor the name of Yeshua. We believe that, at least in this latter regard, we were successful: even the Judge in his decision referred to the Lord as “Yeshua”, and not by the acronym commonly used by many in this land. We understood from the outset that there was a risk involved in taking these particular defendants to court for what we still know they are liable.

We would greatly appreciate you prayerfully considering assisting us with further donations to help us with the large financial burden we are now obligated to pay. If we decide to file an appeal of this decision, we will do so only after consultation with other Messianic leaders from around Israel, just as we did before going to trial.

We always believed, and still believe and accept, that the verdict is the Lord’s, and it is for us to discern what He is saying to us through it.

Glory to the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel”

************2nd letter:

“Shalom All,

We have received notice of what we must pay the two defendants and their lawyers for the miscarriage of justice in our lawsuit against Beer Sheva’s Chief Sephardic Rabbi, Yehuda Deri, and against the anti-Messianic/Christian organization, Yad L’Achim. The Judge has rewarded them for their illegal and untruthful assault against Nachalat Yeshua Messianic Congregation on Dec 24, 2005 (seven years after an earlier larger illegal protest on Nov 28, 1998, organized by the same two defendants).

The total fees to be paid out to them based on the Judge’s ruling is approximately 155,000 ILS ($40,200 or GBP 27,800), one-half to each of the defendants and their attorneys. This must be paid by this Friday (June 11) to avoid any other penalties. The costs include payment to each of the defendants, gradated percentages of our claims against them for violations of Israeli law, attorneys’ wages for their clients’ defense, and the five appearances in court for the trial.

We will do our best to pay what we can by this Friday, and recover by whatever the Lord brings in through those who have it on their heart from God to contribute towards lifting the financial burden for this lawsuit. We also continue to ask all of you, in any case, to pray that we would clearly know our Lord’s will whether we should, or should not, appeal this verdict of the Magistrate’s Court.”[A]

Howard and Randi have returned on June 24th from a ministry tour in parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland where they left many spiritual blessings among the saints. Hopefully, in return, the saints have liberally shared of their material blessings with Howard and Randi.

G-d also gave clear instructions what the persons convicted by the judge should do:

• “… And you shall be careful to do according to all that [the judge] directs you; according to the instructions which he gives you, and according to the decision which he pronounces to you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the verdict which he declares to you, either to the right hand or to the left..”[¹⁵]

In other words, even though the Judge pronounces an unjust and unrighteous judgment, deferring to the guilty party because of their position and importance; the unjustly convicted party is still obligated to fulfill the decision rendered by the Judge.

• “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles…”
• “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate YOUR [my insert: NOT G-d’s] enemy.’ But I say to you, Love YOUR enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust…”[¹⁶]

The Judge has done himself a great disservice, bringing guilt down upon his head. The Jewish people are still G-d’s Covenant people both under the Old and New Covenant, and a Judge is most definitely accountable to G-d. Hence, any serious transgression of G-d’s commandments will bring upon the Judge G-d’s retribution for “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the LORD…, for the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants…”[¹⁷]

Likewise Yehuda Deri and Yad L’achim, who claim to be guardians of Torah, of the Jewish faith and Judaism will be held accountable by the Lord for their transgressions of the very Law they contend to be safeguarding.

G-d will not be mocked.

Just as Ariyeh Deri’s prison sentence and political demise followed on the heel of his introduction of the law that renders null and void the right of return for Jewish disciples of Yeshua, so will G-d’s justice catch up with the Judge, Chief Rabbi Yehuda Deri and Yad L’achim.

While our brethren from Kehilat Nachalat Yeshua must comply fully with the judge’s verdict both according to G-d’s commandment in the law (the Torah)[¹⁸] and our Lord’s teachings, our Heavenly Father will vindicate our brethren, for such is His promise:

“No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper, and you shall REFUTE EVERY TONGUE THAT RISES AGAINST YOU IN JUDGEMENT. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and THEIR VINDICATION FROM ME, says the LORD.”[¹⁹]

And may all of you reading this letter who have been engrafted into the Messiah of Israel by faith and baptism and therefore been engrafted into the commonwealth of Israel as well as fellow-citizens and co-heirs, be willing instruments for the LORD to make provision for our brethren who have been victimized by injustice.

For this is the admonition to all called out from among the Gentiles who have become partakers of the Jews’spiritual blessings:

“… because indeed you are in debt to your Jewish brethren in Yeshua, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS, they OUGHT ALSO to be of service to them in MATERIAL BLESSINGS.”[²⁰]

Kehilat Nachalat Yeshua did not take Rabbi Yehuda Deri and Yad L’achim to court out of vengeance but to establish that all Israeli citizens must abide by the law of the land without exception, regardless of religious convictions. For the violence done to them on the grounds of their faith in Yeshua, this congregation sought justice based on judicial rather than religious law.

Unhappily, religious fanaticism, lies, slander and false accusations were rewarded while truth, justice and righteousness were trampled under foot.

Nevertheless, Messiah Yeshua promised:

“Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie – behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you.”[²¹]

Of course, this promise applies only to those who keep His Word of patient endurance and do not deny His Name – whether by word or deed – and obey His commandment to love one another as HE LOVED US!

Let us pray then for the Judge, for Chief Rabbi Yehuda Deri and Yad L’achim according to our Lord’s teachings. And may you, engrafted brethren and partakers of our spiritual blessings, be pleased to bless Kehilat Nachalat Yeshua financially for this need according to your ability.

May your hearts overflow with generosity toward your brethren whose sanctuary is one of plastic sidings and plastic chairs and that needs the comfort of air conditioning. Rich in faith, they lack material benefits.

May our G-d and Father and our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach provide through you exceedingly abundantly beyond all that they could ask, think or imagine, and pour blessings into their bosom pressed down, shaken together and running over. For this would be a pleasing sacrifice in our Father’s eyes and a sweet aroma in His nostrils, an abundant gift of profound thanksgiving unto Him.

Yours in Him,

Rabbi Deri explained to Arutz-7, “We note of late the terrible phenomenon of Messianic Jews wreaking havoc and destruction in Israel by trying to bring Jesus as Messiah into Israel.”

And Rabbi HaLevi is most upset by the “Jewish disguise” in which Messianic Jews parade, thereby posing a greater missionary danger than ever before: “The modern missionaries who have inherited the crusaders’ sword and the inquisitors’ cauldrons disguise their true identity with such false names as ‘Messianic Jews,’ ‘Jews for Jesus,’ and so forth, and thereby, by ways of pleasantness and peace, they draw adults closer to them and they especially draw misled, confused, and outcast youth.”

How dare these “spiritual leaders” of our nation slander those who believe in Yeshua in this terribly malicious way? Did Rabbi Yehuda Deri lose almost his entire family to the Nazis, all of the family’s possessions, and suffer 11 years of being treated as a sub-human, for no other reason than being Jewish? Would Deri dare say into my face that I “wreak havoc and destruction in Israel,” just by being a believer in Yeshua? Would HaLevi dare say to my face that I am “disguising” myself and merely “parading” as being Jewish, and that I have “inherited the crusaders’ sword and the inquisitors’ cauldrons?” I, who is a descendant of Jews who fled Spain during the Inquisition, should be accused and slandered like that?

If the rabbis know, love and obey Torah at all – such as they ALL claim – then they should know that they have brought a curse upon themselves by lying so outrageously and slandering their fellow Jews* so maliciously. Slander, in G-d’s eyes, is the same as murder, because it destroys a person’s good name and reputation. ^{face=”Wingdings”>L}

Should I lie and deny what I have seen and heard in order to escape their vicious tongue, their false accusations and their persecution of Jews who are not Gentile Christians posing as Jews, but ARE Jews? Are we” wreaking havoc” if we insist on being recognized as such and having the right to express our faith in G-d’s promise? None of us have any interest or intention to turn our fellow Jews away from Judaism, drawing them away from the flock. NOOO!!! On the contrary, I strongly oppose all Gentilizers who try to turn a Jew who comes to believe in Yeshua into a Gentile Christian. But just as the Chabadnics have the right to express their faith and put up Chabad houses all over the world without being charged that they have left the faith and the fold, don’t we have the same right who believe Yeshua of Nazareth to be our promised Messiah?

Have I, a German Jewess, native from Breslau, a second generation Holocaust survivor who has suffered the loss of all except for my life, having endured many evils for being Jewish, no longer the right to call myself Jewish because of my faith in Yeshua of Nazareth?

If I should deny Him Whom I have seen and heard, Who revealed Himself alive and made Himself known to me^J as Yoseph did to his brethren, then He will deny me and say that He never knew me and call me an evil doer..

Chief Rabbi Metzger protests against Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” saying: “It is regrettable that a tendentious, malicious film should undermine the progress (at reconciliation) that we have worked for with such great care…”? ^{face=”Wingdings”>Y}

I more than understand the rabbi’s concern. Yet, for the first time a movie was created about Yeshua’s suffering that was not “politically correct” but came awfully close to the truth. For this is what Messiah, Son of Yoseph the Suffering Servant, was made to endure – for OUR sake! It always have been the ignorant and Jew-haters who have persecuted us for having “killed G-d,” for being “Jesus murderers.” But it were neither Jews, Greeks, Romans or barbarians who killed Yeshua – it were our sins. For, and unto sin, Yeshua bore the false accusations, mockings, beatings, the crucifixion, and death – so that we may live with Him forevermore, no longer under the dominion of sin and death.

* http://www.appleofhiseye.org/Newsletters/NewsfromIsrael/tabid/884/Default.aspx
^L Therefore G-d says in Ps 101:5, that He will destroy the one who [secretly] slanders his neighbor (and we are all neighbors of each other according to the commandment). And in Ps 50:16-21 G-d speaks to the wicked, saying, “What right have you to recite My statutes, or take My covenant on your lips? …You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother [like Deri on Arutz 7]; you slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you…”
May the Lord our G-d accomplish this very thing by means of the trial in Beer-Sheva, and may our persecutors be cut to the heart and repent, and G-d, by His infinite mercy and grace, reveal Messiah Yeshua to them.
^J See A TRUE STORY
^Y http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11451-2004Feb27.html

Support For Nachalat Yeshua Messianic Congregation
Beer Sheva

A Banking: Nachalat Yeshua Messianic Congregation – Beer Sheva

Shalom,

For those wanting to contribute financially to the local Messianic Congregation, Nachalat Yeshua, by either check or bank transfer, please make it out to Nichalim BaNegev:

Pay To The Order Of: Nichalim BaNegev
P.O.Box 810
Beer Sheva 84107

Bank: HaPoalim (Bank #12, Branch #770 – HaEshel)
31 Avraham Avinu St.
84108 Beer Sheva
Israel

Account Name: Nichalim BaNegev (or, Streams in the Negev)
Account No.: 12-770-581749
Swift Code: POALILIT
IBAN: IL50-0127-7000-0000-0581-749

Please designate on the check or transfer form to whom or for what to give the donations.

PLEASE NOTIFY US BY E-MAIL WHEN YOU TRANSFER FUNDS TO ASSIST US IN CONFIRMING THEIR ENTRY INTO THE PROPER ACCOUNT. THANK-YOU.

**Nichalim BaNegev (Streams in The Negev) is a registered non-profit organization in Israel, number 58-036-183-0.

Note: Nachalat Yeshua means Yeshua’s Inheritance.