When Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12 says the deaths (not human sacrifices -- but the loss of life of those considered evil and killed -- such as Holocaust victims, those killed in the Crusades, Inquisitions, Pogroms and so on) died BECAUSE of (not "for") the sins of the gentile nations. This theme was previously explored in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53. Now G-d says he recognizes that the deaths of these innocents will be reversed in the messianic age -- and the servant (the Jewish people) will be exalted and rewarded with the spoils of those who formerly wronged him. Not a word about sacrifices. Missionaries, indeed the Christian bible itself, claims that Jesus' death "atoned" for the sins of mankind. But making a claim is one thing: proving it is another. Where is the proof that there was any change at all in the human condition after Jesus' supposed death than before it? How do we know that he lived, let alone died -- or that his death accomplished anything at all? Let's review verse 12. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12:: "Therefore, I will assign him a portion from the multitudes and he will divide the mighty as spoils -- in return for having poured out his soul (not immortal soul -- but the life force) for death and being counted among the wicked, for he bore the sin of the multitudes, and prayed for the wicked." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12
The word for "spoils" is שָׁלָל֒ / shalal -- and it means spoils or booty as in spoils of war. See B'reshit / Genesis 49:27 and Sh'mot / Exodus 15:9 for examples. Jesus had no spoils of war -- and he never had power over the "mighty" -- they had control over him and eventually killed him. He quite simply does not fulfill this portion of Isaiah's prophecy. While the first part of Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12 does not "fit" Jesus -- it does fit the Jewish people. "Behold! A day of the L-rd is coming, and your plunder shall be shared within you. And I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to wage war; and the city shall be captured, and the houses shall be plundered. . . And the wealth of all the nations round about-gold and silver and apparel-will be gathered in very great abundance." Zechariah 14:1 - 2, 14. and "the inhabitants of the cities of Israel will go forth and make fires and heat up with the weapons. . . Thus will they spoil those who spoiled them and plunder those who plundered them, says the L-rd G-d." Y'echezkel / Ezekiel 39:9 - 10. The spoils of war spoken of in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12 does not "fit" Jesus and so is ignored by the missionaries. Those missionaries claim that the servant's death is a sacrifice. Remember: Isaiah has already told us that the servant dies multiple deaths / executions -- which again does not "fit" Jesus. This missionary claim ignores the fact that human sacrifice is forbidden. Vayikra / Leviticus 18:21; "you shall not give any of your offspring to pass through for Molech. And you shall not profane the Name of your G-d. I am the L-rd." (Molech was a false god, but the point is that human sacrifices profane the name of G-d and are forbidden). Vayikra / Leviticus 24; "if a man strikes down any human being he shall be put to death.. . . one who strikes a person shall be put to death. . . One law shall be exacted for you, convert and resident alike, for I am the L-rd, your G-d. See also D'varim / Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Jeremiah 7:31, 19: 5; Ezekiel 23:37, 39). These all speak of how G-d hates human sacrifice. Bamidbar / Numbers 35:33; "you shall not corrupt the land in which you live, for the blood corrupts the land, and the blood which is shed in the land cannot be atoned for except through the blood of the one who shed it." D'varim / Deuteronomy 24:16; "Fathers shall not be put to death because of sons, nor shall sons be put to death because of fathers; each man shall be put to death for his own transgression. Melachim II / II Kings 14:6; "it is written in the book of the Torah of Moses, which the L-rd commanded saying: "Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor shall sons be put to death for fathers, but each man shall be put to death for his own sin." See also Sh'mot / Exodus 32:31-33; Yirmiyahu / Jeremiah 31:29 [30 in a Christian Bible]; Yechezkel /Ezekiel 18:4,20; and T'hillim / Psalms 49:7. Aside from the fact that human sacrifice is forbidden, Torah tells us that a proper sacrifice must be of a kosher, domestic animal (the animal is often identified as a bull, a seh (goat or lamb), etc (see Sh'mot / Exodus 13:13; Vayikra / Leviticus 22). Jesus, being a human (or even a demi-god) was obviously not a kosher animal and thus was unacceptable as a sacrifice. The sacrificial ritual must be administered by a Jewish Priest (see Vayikra / Leviticus Chapters 1-7). According to the accounts in the Greek Testament (Christian Bible), Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33; John 19:18, 23). Some Christians may say that Jesus was a priest "like Melchitzedek" -- but Jewish sacrifices had to be brought by Jewish priests who were of the tribe of Levi and descended from Aaron (Moses' brother) -- which would exclude Jesus (see Sh'mot / Exodus 29:9 and Bamidbar / Numbers 25:13 for two of many references). Many missionaries state that Jesus was a "sin sacrifice." This is where they make the leap (as does the list maker saying that Jesus was "exalted because of his sacrifice." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12 says: "Therefore, I will assign him a portion from the multitudes and he will divide the mighty as spoils -- in return for having poured out his soul (not immortal soul -- but the life force) for death and being counted among the wicked, for he bore the sin / חֵטְא־ of the multitudes, and prayed for the wicked." But here is the "thing." To the average Christian “sin” means “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.” It doesn’t matter if that immoral act was an accident or “on purpose.” Yet for Jews the Hebrew word חֵטְא / cheit / sin is an unintentional sin through carelessness — a “missing of the mark.” In Hebrew a sin is a mistake -- you tried to do the right thing and you "missed." It is important to note that only accidental mistakes by individuals and a few, fairly minor, wrongdoings by individuals could be atoned for with the few types of sacrifices that atoned for "sin" and "guilt." I doubt that the missionary thinks Jesus died for their boo-boos. Their mistakes. The חַטָּאת cḥattat (accidental sins) and אָשָׁם asham sacrifices were PRIVATE offerings brought by INDIVIDUALS, not “atonement” offerings on behalf of the entire nation. As mentioned the חַטָּאת chatat was for a missing of the mark (a חֵטְא / cheit -- you tried to do good but missed). Making mistakes (trying to do the right thing and missing aka sin) is all about learning from your mistakes and making up for them via apology, repayment, etc. G-d tells Cain way back in B'reshit / Genesis 4 that he can over come sin (this is "after" Adam and Chava (Eve) sinned, so OOPS there goes the idea of "original sin"). "Is it not so that if you improve, it will be forgiven you? If you do not improve, however, at the entrance, sin is lying, and to you is its longing, but you can rule over it." B'reshit / Genesis 4:7. G-d clearly tells Cain that he can rise above sin! Neither definition is the Torah definition of sin. Let me give you an example from the T'nach. Shoftim / Judges 20:16 says that archers are so good with shooting arrows that they can "aim at a hair and not חֵטְא / cheit (miss)." Matthew 28:18, the claimed "proof" for the claim has Jesus saying: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Anyone can make a claim -- this statement is meaningless and in no way "proves" that Jesus died for anyone's mistakes. Here is a translation along with the Artscroll Stone Edition footnotes at the bottom of each response to aid in your understanding of the passage. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My servant will succeed; he will be exalted and become high and exceedingly lofty. 14 Just as multitudes were astonished over you (saying) "His appearance is too marred to be a man's, and his visage to be human, 15 so will the many nations exclaim about him, and kings will shut their mouths (in amazement) for they will see that which had never been told to them, and will perceive things they had never heard. 53:1 Who would believe what we have heard! For whom has the arm of HaShem been revealed? 2 In the past he grew like a sapling or like the root from dry ground; he had neither form nor beauty. We saw him, but without a desirable appearance. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of pains and accustomed to being sick. As one from whom we would hide our faces; he was despised and we had no regard for him. 4 But in truth it was our ills and he carried our pains -- but we had regarded him diseased, stricken by G-d and afflicted! 5 He was wounded as a result (because of) our rebellious transgressions, and oppressed as a result our iniquities. The chastisement upon him was for our benefit, and through his wounds we were healed. 6 We have all strayed like sheep each of us turning his own way and HaShem inflicted upon him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was persecuted and afflicted but did not open his mouth; like a sheep being led to the slaughter or a ewe that is silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 he was removed far away from the land where they lived and a plague came upon them (לָֽמוֹ / lamo) through the transgression of my people (the gentile nations). He submitted to the grave with the wicked and joined with the wealthy in his executions (בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav) 9 He submitted himself to his grave like evil men; and the wealthy (submitted) to his executions for committing no crime and with no deceit in his mouth. 10 HaShem desired to oppress him and He afflicted him; if his physical being would acknowledge guilt he would see offspring and live long days and the desire or HaShem would succeed in his hand. 11. He (he servant) would see (the purpose) and be satisfied with his life's (not immortal soul) distress. With his knowledge My servant will cause the multitudes to be righteous; it is their וַעֲוֹנתָם / iniquities (for impulsive, lustful wrongdoings) that he will carry. 12. Therefore, I will assign him a portion in public and he will divide the mighty as spoils -- in return for having poured out his life for death and being counted among the wicked, for he bore the sin of the many, and prayed for the wicked. Footnotes from Artscroll Stone Edition: Isaiah 52:13 i.e. G-d's servant the people of Israel (Rashi) 52:15 Just as Israel had once been astonishingly degraded, so it will astonish the nations by its exaltedness when the time of redemption arrives. 53:1-3 this is the prophecy foretelling what the nations and their kings will exclaim when they witness Israel's rejuvenation. The nations will contrast their former scornful attitude toward the Jews (vv. 1-3) with their new realization of Israel's grandeur (vv 4-7). 53:5 we brought suffering upon Israel for our own selfish purposes; it was not, as we had claimed, that G-d was punishing Israel for its own evil behavior. 53:6 We sinned by inflicting punishment upon Israel. Such oppression is often described as "Hashem's punishment" (see 10:5, Habakkuk 1:12), for He decreed that it should happen (Abarbanel). 53:8 When Israel's exile is finally ended the nations will marvel that such a generation could have survived the expulsion from "the land of the living, i.e. Israel, that the nations had sinfully inflicted upon it. 53:9 Ordinary Jews chose to die like common criminals, rather than renounce their faith; and wealthy Jews were killed for no reason other than to enable their wicked conquerors to confiscate their riches (Radak). 53:10 That is, Israel. G-d replies to the nations that Israel's suffering was a punishment for its own sins; and when the people realize this and repent, they will be redeemed and rewarded. 53:11 Israel will teach the nations of G-d's righteousness.
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