More blood! Missionaries certainly seem fixated on blood! Vayikra / Leviticus 17 is not a prophecy, let alone a messianic prophecy. So many of the references given by the list maker point to sentences lifted out of context that are in no way prophetic! Vayikra / Leviticus 17 is about how to properly slaughter kosher animals (and a human is not a kosher animal, and Jesus was not “properly slaughtered.” The Torah tells us time and again that blood is the life force in animals, and as such it is not right to eat it. Blood of slaughtered animals must either be thrown into the dirt (to be disposed of), or it may be put on the altar in the Temple (and ONLY in that place) as part of certain types of sacrifices. Human blood is not acceptable to make an atonement, and thus Jesus’ blood could in no way be atoning. In reality human sacrifices are forbidden. No one can die for sins period, and animal sacrifices could not atone for serious sins such as an avon / עוון (impulsive, lustful act) or a pĕsha' / פֶּֽשַׁע (willful disobedience of G-d). More serious wrongdoings could not be atoned for with blood sacrifices at all Animal sacrifices (the right kind of kosher animal, or flour if an animal could not be afforded) could be brought for a cheit / חטא (translated by Christians as sin) which means a “missing of the mark” -- a mistake -- a person tried to do the right thing and "missed." In Shoftim / Judges 20:16 a group of men are described as "All these could sling a stone at a hair-breadth and not miss.” A cheit / חטא could be atoned for with a sacrifice. It was only one of two types of individual wrong doings which could be atoned for with sacrifice. Most avon / עוון (translated by Christians as iniquity, an impulsive act done without thinking) for the most part could not be atoned for with sacrifices, but some very specific types of avon/ עוון could be atoned for with a proper sacrifice. For example, the אָשָׁם תָּלוּי / asham talui or or אָשָׁם גְּזֵל֣וֹת / asham g'zelot) cannot be rectified with a qorban (sacrifice). So what are these two sacrifices which can be brought for an avon/ עוון? They are discussed in Vayikra / Leviticus chapter 5.
Those were the only two types of avon / עוון (translated by Christians as iniquity) which a person could bring a sacrifice for (an asham / guilt sacrifice). Any other type of Avon / עוון must be atoned for with other actions including charity, prayer, and repentance – not with a sacrifice. The thought that many missionaries have that ONLY blood atoned for sins is wrong. Very wrong. It is as if the Torah said “pizza is a type of food” and the missionary interprets this to say “ONLY pizza is food.” Many things atone, and there are communal atonements (for the nation of Israel as a whole) and individual atonements for personal wrongdoings. Some must be atoned to the person who was wronged, and we must atone to G-d when we wrong Him. . . Yechezkel / Ezekiel 18:21-32 speaks of sin, iniquity and willful rebellion against G-d all being forgiven through repentance. chatat (18:21), pesha (18:22), cheit (18:24), pesha (18:28), pesha and avon (18:30) are all atoned through repentance. "By loving kindness and truth iniquity is atoned for..." (Mishlei / Proverbs 16:6). "If you return to G-d you will be restored; if you remove unrighteousness far from your tent...then you will delight in G-d..." (Iyov / Job 22:23-27). But, back to the point at hand – Vayikra / Leviticus 17 is simply stating that blood may (not must) atone for some types of sins “This is because the life-force of the flesh is in the blood; and I therefore gave it to you to be [placed] on the altar to atone for your lives. It is the blood that atones for a life.” As R’ Aryeh Kaplan (Z”L) wrote “This is because the blood brings life to all parts of the body. The blood is also responsible for man's animal nature, through the hormones, as opposed to man's human nature, which is transmitted through nerve impulses. Since it is man's animal nature which leads him to sin, the blood is an atonement.” Some missionaries will leap upon the words “it is the blood that atones for a life” and insist that while many things atone, only blood atones for a life (usually mistranslated as “soul” in many Christian bibles). However, Sh’mot / Exodus 30:12 tells us that a kopher (coin) given for a census also atones for a life "When you take the sum of the children of Israel according to their numbers, let each one give to the L-rd an atonement for his life when they are counted; then there will be no plague among them when they are counted." If you need blood, how do you explain away Sh’mot / Exodus 30:12 where a coin atones for a life? There is nothing magical in blood. There is nothing magical in incense or flour either. Human sacrifices are forbidden. I do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of G-d are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O G-d, you will not despise. [T'hillim / Psalm 51:16-17] To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Eternal than sacrifice. [Mishlei / Proverbs 21:3] Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. [T'hillim / Psalm 40:6] Bottom line -- blood is not magical and it does not atone for your soul. Likewise other things also atone -- not just blood. Perhaps most odd though is that the list maker’s “matching” Christian bible text says absolutely nothing about Jesus’ blood making atonement. 1 John 3:14-18 says “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus. . . laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of G-d be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." What does any of that have to do with atonement or blood atoning? Not one thing. It is, however, proof yet again that Jesus was not the messiah. Why? Because this text changes Torah commandments. We are told time and time again "do not add to or subtract from" the Torah" (D’varim / Deuteronomy 4:2). This means do not CHANGE any of the mitzvot. 1 John 3:15 says “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer.” Nowhere in the Torah are we told that anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer. The Torah tells us clearly “Do not hate your brother in your heart.” Vayikra / Leviticus 19:17, but it is nowhere equated to murder. 1 John 3:15 also says that no murderer has eternal life, and since the text just said someone hating a brother or sister is a murderer this seems to thus state that someone hating a sibling is doomed to the Christian mythical hell (and no eternal life in heaven). Again – changing what the Torah tells us. Murderers are punished, but nowhere does the Torah say that any sin is unforgivable by G-d. . . Yes, we are not to hate our brothers and sisters, but where does the Torah say that this is equal to murder? Where does it say that either murder or hating a sibling results in losing eternal life? Likewise, John continues to say that we should lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. This is also NOT found in the Torah. More changing of the mitzvot! The Torah does agree that actions are far more important that words or speech – and that צדקה / tzedakah (doing good for others, including charity) is considered a pillar of Judaism. The word צדקה / tzedakah is often translated as “charity” but it truly means justice and righteousness. Many Christian missionaries tend to think that belief in Jesus is far more important than action. "for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law," (Rom. 3:28), “G-d will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him.” (Rom 4:24) and “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of G-d, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Ergo the quote from 1 John 3 "let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth" (seems to be contradicted by other quotes in the Christian bible). At any rate, nothing in 1 John 3:14-18 speaks about blood atoning for anything, ergo the list maker has failed to “prove” that Jesus was a blood atonement, and it most certainly does not fit Vaykira / Leviticus 17:11 which is simply saying that blood of kosher animals, properly slaughtered, may have the blood used for some forms of atonement (not major sins) if the sacrifice is brought in the right place (Jesus’ death did not meet this requirement) and the blood put upon the Temple altar (again, not done by Jesus – but human blood would have made the Temple impure, it would not have atoned for anything).
2 Comments
Vivian Lapietro
9/21/2015 03:10:43 pm
Your quote for John 3:14-18 was taken from 1 John:14-18. Realized something was amiss, because your quotes above sounded so Pauline. Thank you for your articles.
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9/29/2015 07:50:48 pm
Vivian: The list references 1 John 3:14-18 not John 3:14-18. The quote is correct for 1 John 3:14-18. The quote you gave in your comment (above) for John 3:14-18 is covered in post 36. http://nojesus4jews.weebly.com/365-prophecies/36-numbers-219-the-serpent-on-a-pole-jesus-lifted-up-john-314-18
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