Eclectic Topics in no Particular Order
Various Topics Discussed
/>
One reason I love doing what I do is that whenever I run out of ideas of what to write someone asks a question! Today's question is "In a short conversation I had with a "messinanic." I told him that our version of hell is different than xianity in that we don't believe in fire and brimstone version of your hell. He pointed out, "as the Talmud' doesn't invent ideas without referencing the Torah, neither do we. We didn't invent the idea. See Chapter Heleq in Sanhedrin spells out Jewish beliefs." They don't make things up? Well -- there is nothing new under the sun! Things like virgin birth and their mythical hell come from the pagans --- and were interpolated into Christianity. They are NOT Jewish. As the Rambam said in his Introduction to Perek Helek: "I must speak now of the great fundamental principles of our faith. Know that the masters of Torah hold differing opinions concerning the good which will come to a person as a result of fulfilling the commandments which G-d commanded us through Moses our Teacher. As a consequence of their different understanding of the problem, they also hold widely different opinions concerning the evil which the transgressor suffers. "So much confusion has invaded their opinions that it is almost impossible to find anyone whose opinion is uncontaminated by error. "One group thinks that the expected good is the Garden of Eden, a place in which one eats and drinks without any physical work or effort. They also believe that there houses are made of precious stones, beds of silk, rivers flow with wine and fragrant oils, and many other things of that sort. "This group believes that the evil is Gehenna, a place of raging fire, in which bodies are burned and agonies of all sorts are inflicted upon men. Their descriptions of these afflictions are told at a great length. This group adduces proof for their opinions from the words of our sages and from passages in the Scripture whose literal meaning seems either wholly or largely compatible with what they say." Differing opinions. Not theology. Not fact. And this, says the Rambam, is just one group's opinion. He goes on to give a second view and a third, a fourth and a fifth! But, sure -- this comes straight from Judaism says the messianic! He continues: "However, concerning this strange world to come, you will rarely find anyone to whom it occurs to think about it seriously or to adopt it as a fundamental doctrine of our faith, or to inquire what it really means... "Gehenna is a name for the pain and the punishment which will come upon the wicked. No specific description of this punishment is contained in the Talmud. "One teacher says that the sun will come so close to the wicked that it will burn them. He finds proofs for this belief in the verse: “For lo, the sun comes, glowing like a furnace, and all the audacious sinners and all the perpetrators of wickedness will be stubble. And the sun that comes shall burn them up so that it will leave them neither root nor branch, says the L-rd of Hosts.” (Malachi 3:19). "Others say that a strange heat will be produced within their own bodies to incinerate them. They find support for this position in the Scriptural words: “You shall conceive chaff; you shall bear stubble. Your breath is fire; it shall consume you.” (Y'shayahu / Isaiah. 33:11). Isn't it interesting how messianics (like so many missionaries) are selective in what they "accept" from our sages? If they think they can find support for their mythical hell in the Talmud they will reference it -- but they ignore differing opinions on olam haba (the world to come) - not to mention ignoring the bit about not worshiping men, falling into idolatry, or doing your best to be a good person so you needn't worry about the punishment! In this introduction this quote struck me: "If consider these things carefully and fully, you will understand that it is as though He were saying to you, “If you do some of these commandments out of love and with genuine effort, I will help you to do all of them, and I will remove the oppressive obstacles that prevent you from doing them. But if you refuse to attempt to perform any of them out of disdain for the commandment, then I will bring upon you the very obstacles that prevent you from doing all of them, so that you cannot achieve perfect existence in the world to come. This is the meaning of the statement of the sages: “Run to pursue a minor mitzvah, and flee from a transgression. For a mitzvah brings another mitzvah, and a transgression brings another transgression. For the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, and the reward of transgression is transgression.” (Pirkei Avot / Ethics of the Fathers 4:2)." Here is a link to the Mishna, Sanhedrin chapter 10 (the Talmudic passage mentioned by the missionary).
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
|