When Divine Invitation “Does Not” Promote Divine Punishment

Clarification:  It turns out that FFOZ does not promote divine punishment for full-rabbinic Gentile Torah observance after all.  Today (12/12/11) the representative who posted this statement on a Torah Club forum post two weeks ago, corrected his initial reply which was missing the word “not”.  For the past couple of weeks, comments have been coming in challenging the idea that Gentiles will be punished for “full” Torah observance, which I’m sure caused the FFOZ rep to scratch his head.  Today, someone pointed out the statement he made about FFOZ promoting Gentile punishment for full Torah observance.  Quickly this statement was corrected to say;  ”FFOZ does NOT promote the idea that Gentiles will be punished by HaShem if they keep a full rabbinic Sabbath”.

My previous post “When Divine Invitation Promotes Divine Punishment; the Implications” has been removed, because it was based on the (previous) erroneous premise.   I have also removed comments associated with this post.

I guess DI is not self-cannabalizing after all.  Lesson learned regarding creating a post from a comment on a forum.

The Church Group and Torah Study; Update

This past Sunday, 11/27/11 was to be week 4 of the Acts study with the church group.  Due to illness among the participants and an unexpected family committment for the pastor, the group was cancelled, as only one person was able to attend.  With “all the busyness of the holidays upcoming” the group members suggested that we break for five weeks and start up again after the New Year.

The group will meet again on Sunday 1/8/12 to consider Acts 6-7.  I’ll continue chronicling the week by week happenings and discussions after this time, under the page link “The Church Group and Torah Study” found at the top of the blog.

Nothing less than Perfection

The topic of perfection is one that surrounds Abraham’s circumcision in the rabbinic literature.  In Genesis 17:1 HaShem commands Abraham to walk before Him and “be perfect” in the context of the Covenant of Circumcision.  From this it is understood that the act of circumcision perfected Abraham.  Parashah Vayeira begins with Abraham recuperating from his circumcision.  Traditionally understood as three days after the procedure itself, three angels come to visit him at his tent.  The angels are offered hospitality and announce to Sarah that within a year she will have a son. 

Yet, the purpose of the angels visit can be questioned.  Why is it that they came to Abraham and Sarah that day?  Why did they have to announce the impending birth of Isaac to Sarah at all?  Just three days earlier, HaShem had revealed to Abraham that at the same time next year, Sarah would have a son (cf. Genesis 17:21).  Had Abraham forgotten to mention this to his wife?  Had he kept this a secret from her?  How can we reconcile Abraham’s perfection in obeying the mitzvah of circumcision with the fact that his wife seems not to have been informed by him regarding the upcoming birth of their son, so that angelic messengers had to be sent to announce this to her?

Why and how circumcision achieved perfection for Abraham has various opinions among the sages.  One view is to define circumcision as a form of “din” or G-d’s strict justice.  Abraham’s character is traditionally understood to have been that of “chesed” or lovingkindness and goodness.  Abraham was a master of chesed, showing kindness to all, offering hospitality, and turning no one away.  Yet, to be perfect in the Biblical sense, is to emulate HaShem, who in His interactions with the universe and with mankind displays both chesed and din, both lovingkindness and justice.  [1]

By being circumcised Abraham had to obey G-d in a strict sense of justice.  Abraham’s first mitzvah was one of din.  Circumcision logically would seem irrational and unkind, causing some bloodshed and much pain.  Yet, Abraham could not be perfect, he could not emulate HaShem through chesed alone, there also needed to be some experience of din or justice.  In this way Biblical “perfection” is defined by both kindness and justice; for kindness without justice is chaos, and justice without kindness is cruelty. [2]

Although Abraham is known for his perfect kindness and goodness (chesed), Sarah is traditionally understood to have been a woman of justice or judgment.  This is illustrated by her ability to put individuals out of her household, to apply justice when a wrong was done (such as with Hagar when she was pregnant and with Ishmael when he mocked young Isaac).  Abraham did not want to put Hagar and/or Ishmael out or to turn them away, but G-d tempered and balanced Abraham’s natural tendency for chesed with his wife Sarah’s natural tendency toward din. [3]

Therefore G-d sent the three angels in Genesis 18 because Sarah needed chesed, she needed to display kindness and goodness in order to be perfect and balanced.  The division of responsibility in serving the three guests can be seen symbolically in this account.  Abraham prepares the meat.  Meat, being bloody and requiring the death of an animal represents din or judgment.  Sarah however, is instructed to bake bread.  She also prepares the dairy products, the milk, and the butter for the guests.  Bread, milk and butter, being sustenance that does not involve death and blood symbolize kindness and goodness.  Sarah had to have chesed in the task of preparing the bread, milk, and butter for the angelic guests.  This gave opportunity for her to be perfect, to balance her natural character of justice with kindness, in her walk before G-d as the mother of the promised son. [4]

In Jewish mysticism, chesed (kindness) is symbolized by the right hand and din (justice) by the left hand.  Although both are necessary in order to be perfect (i.e. complete), kindness must be stronger than justice, just as in most people the right hand is stronger than the left.  Water is chesed and fire is din.  Bread is chesed and meat is din.  This symbolism finds many examples in the ministry of Yeshua. 

He came to baptize with both the Holy Spirit and with fire.  The Holy Spirit is likened to “rivers of living water” in John’s gospel. Yeshua also taught that he came not to bring peace, but a sword.  He will administer judgment at the end of days.  The sheep and the goats will be separated.  The goats on his left will experience strict justice, the sheep on his right will be given mercy and kindness. Those who believe in him are baptized in his name, his character.  This symbolizes going down into the depths of death and coming up into a new, resurrected life.  The strict justice of death is tempered by G-d’s kindness in providing resurrection and eternal life through His son.  All of this takes place in water, which symbolizes chesed. 

Yeshua is the “bread” of life.  We partake of bread and wine in remembrance of him.  Wine is the “blood of grapes”, red like blood, symbolizing judgment/justice.  Bread is therefore taken first, it is the first taste in our mouths, because it is chesed, but wine follows because Yeshua’s sacrifice, although strong with kindness and goodness, also involves strict justice (blood/wine), the price of redemption which he paid on the cross.  Perhaps this also reflects why Yeshua did not drink of the cup at the Last Supper, indicating that he would not drink again until he did so “anew” in the Kingdom of Heaven.  The time of strict justice had not yet arrived but is yet to come regarding Yeshua as King and judge.  When we take the cup we reflect on this fact. The bread comes first but the wine is also there, a time of justice is yet to come. 

This also helps clarify Yeshua’s words in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:48; “you shall therefore be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect”.  In the previous verses of the Sermon, Yeshua is expounding on various aspects of righteousness involving strict justice related to attitudes, thoughts, divorce, and oaths.  But then in vv. 43-47 he speaks of loving and doing good to one’s enemies.  The focus now is on chesed rather than din.  This is necessary in order to be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect, in imitation of Him who sends rain upon the evil and the good, who acts out of both justice and mercy. 

In the subsequent chapters 6 and 7  of the Sermon, Yeshua expounds on chesed, on living out such kindnesses toward others which begins by not seeking public praise for charitable acts.  Next are humble prayer and fasting and avoidance of materialism and preoccupation with the needs of this life.  To not judge others before recognizing one’s own “log in the eye” and to ask for good gifts from HaShem; all of which enables one to do unto others as one would have others do unto them.

Yet, in westernized Christian theology, being perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect is widely understood in terms of perfect love.  I once heard a sermon that criticized Pentecostalism as reducing the body of Christ and its spiritual gifts into one gigantic “tongue”.  In the same way the modern Christian view of spiritual perfection might be symbolized as one gigantic right hand of chesed.  The left hand of din has undergone an above the elbow amputation and is little more than a theological concept, or archaic ”stump”, void of practical application. In the Messianic movement the opposite is often evident.  There seems to be an abundance of ”southpaws” in the camp, who are strong about the left hand of justice and strict keeping of the Law, especially those who view it as an obligation upon both Jew and Gentile alike.  Yet, neither perfect chesed (lovingkindness) nor perfect din (justice or law keeping), is true emulation of HaShem or of Yeshua.  For nothing less than perfection, in a Biblical sense, involves strong loving kindness that is yet tempered and directed by justice or judgment.

. . . . . . . . .

[1],[2],[3],[4];  Based on the teachings of Shem MiShmuel as presented by Rabbi Hershel Reichman; Parshat Vayeira, Two Paths of Serving G-d, available here.

New Blog Page: The Church Group and Torah Study

A chronicle of the twelve week home Bible study I am facilitating for individuals from the traditional Protestant church I am attending.  See what it’s like when a Messianic/Torah Observant (non-obligation focused) Gentile has opportunity to introduce church folk, including the pastor, to a Hebraic-Historic look at Acts through the eyes of classical Judaism.  

(Disclaimer:  Church name/denomination will remain undisclosed.  Church members and/or pastor are unaware of this author’s blog or its contents)

See link at top of blog.  Or click here.