Ask the Rebbe Session #1 - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Ask the

Rebbe

Session #1

1.) What

is the origin of the Star of David?

2.) Is

there Biblical support for the rabbinical method of

Bible interpretation

known as

PaRDeS

?

3.) Can

a Jewish person determine their tribe based on the month of their birth

?

4.) I

have heard the name

Yahashua

used, what does it mean

?

Slide2

What is the origin of the Star of David?

Slide3

Magein

David

Slide4

Christian conspiracy theorists use this symbol to support their theory that Jews as a whole practice witchcraft and are the enemies of God.

Hitler was able to use this same underlying anti-Semitic bias to vilify and literally label the Jewish people with the so called Star of David during the Second World War.

Slide5

Those

who see the Star of David as being an occult symbol often attach power to it. Making it a type of occult talisman. This is the result of poor theology that attaches spiritual power to inanimate objects. In both Biblical Judaism and Christianity this is known as witchcraft

.

 

Each of these perspectives form a firm foundation for anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism (synonymous terms).

Slide6

While it is true that practitioners of

Kabbalah

used this symbol, this was not until the teaching of

Kabbalah

emerged in the 12

th

century CE, some seventeen hundred and fifty years after the earliest Jewish connection to the symbol. It is also true that the symbol was subsequently used by Christian sects and Freemasons. However, the misuse of a symbol does not determine its meaning.

Slide7

Examples of

misused

symbols:

Candles

are

misused

in a

séance

Should we stop using candles?

The cross

was

misused

for hundreds of years in

ancient

idolatrous worship practices

, long before the birth of

Messiah

Should we stop using the cross?

The Freemasons

misuse

the Holy Name

YHVH

in their pictograms and

symbolism

Should we stop writing the Holy Name in our Torah scrolls?

Slide8

When we think this way we are allowing ourselves to come under bondage. We become superstitious and ironically, practitioners of the same witchcraft we accuse others of.

Slide9

The misuse of a symbol does not define it’s meaning. It simply illuminates the motivation

of the user.

Slide10

We’ve seen some of the ways this symbol has been

misused

, but what is the

origin

of this symbol?

Slide11

The short answer is, “

Nobody

can be

certain

”. A number of ancient eastern cultures used this symbol, all for different reasons and all understanding it in different ways. There is no explicit evidence showing why, how or what this symbol was used for within ancient Judaism. There are in fact only positive and negative explanations based on legend and these are propagated by conjecture alone.

Slide12

Jewish use of the

Magein

David

(Shield of David)

6

th

Century BCE

Nabratein

Synagogue

in northern Israel

Slide13

The relief carved on the 6

th

Century BCE Synagogue in northern

Israel

pictures a victorious Babylonian king subduing an Israeli. The Jew in the picture has a

Magein

David

(Star of David) hovering above his head.

It is clear that this

Magein

David

has played no role in magically defending the Jewish people, or they wouldn't have been defeated.

What this relief does show is that the

Magein

David

symbolizes the Jewish people in some way. The most likely

explanation

is that it represents their relationship to their King HaShem.

Slide14

Rabbinical

explanations regarding the

Magen

David

I

t

was the symbol that adorned the shields of David’s

army

Slide15

I

t

represents God’s relationship to humanity

Humanity attempts to reach God and fails

God comes down to

humanity

In God humanity is

protected

Slide16

The twelve tribes of Israel are represented

(ref. Genesis 49)

in the lines that make up the border of the

Magein

David

Slide17

The

six points

represent

the six flames of the

Temple

menorah

with the centre space representing the seventh central flame.

Slide18

So what do we know for certain about the so called “Star of David”?

Slide19

We know that its

earliest connection to Judaism

, six hundred years before the birth of Messiah, appears to symbolize

God’s relationship to Israel

.

We know that Jews call this symbol “

Magein

David

” (Shield of David), and that just as God promises to be a shield to Abraham, we as Jews see the Shield of David as a symbol of God’s protection, connected to David from whom the King Messiah is descended.

We know that there is

no explicit

ancient historical or archaeological

evidence

linking the

Magein

David to

an ancient form of Jewish

occult practice

.

We

know that Jews understand

the

Magein

David

to represent

the relationship between God and man

.

Finally

, we know that

along with the

Magein

David

there

are many other symbols in Judaism and that each one is

meaningful. However

,

Jews today have one central symbol

that

defines

our ethnicity, faith and

practice

,

that

symbol is

the

Torah

(Word of God). Regardless of how we interpret other symbols, we all agree that the

Torah

is the central symbol of our faith and identity as a people.

Slide20

Slide21

Is there Biblical support for the rabbinical

method

of

Bible interpretation known as

PaRDeS

?

Slide22

Firstly,

P

a

RD

e

S

is an acronym that describes the traditional rabbinical method of interpretation.

P

=

P’shat

(Surface: Plain

meaning)

R

=

Remez

(

Hint)

D

=

Drash

(Inquire:

Comparative)

S

=

Sod

(Secret: Mystery

)

All

subsequent interpretations are subject to the plain meaning. The word

Pardes

means

Orchard

or

Garden

and is a reference

to

Gan

Eden

(Paradise

)

Slide23

Secondly, there is no explicit Biblical instruction that gives a schematic for Bible interpretation. Those who

suggest therefore,

that

the Christian

Greco-Roman Schematic

(which outlines a method for

exegesis, hermeneutics etc

.)

is divinely appointed but that the rabbinical schematic of

PaRDeS

is not, are being intellectually dishonest. It is equally foolish to claim that

the post enlightenment textual

criticism

method is

more trustworthy than the traditional rabbinical method. It is the

Torah

that critiques us and not the other way around.

Slide24

Is there any

implicit support for the rabbinical method within the texts of the Bible?

Slide25

The

P’shat

or plain meaning is self-explanatory. There is no need to explain to a reader that the book means what it says. Therefore, there is no need to show evidence from the Bible that God intends for us to take it at face value relative to context, figurative, poetic and metaphorical

language.

We are left with a need to explain

Remez,

Drash

and

Sod

within a Biblical context.

Slide26

The first mention of the practice of examining the Scriptures in an exegetical way is in the book of Ezra the scribe

.

 

“

For Ezra had set his heart to

l’

drosh

inquire of the Torah of 

Adonai

, to observe and to teach its statues and ordinances in Israel.” –Ezra 7:10

 

The root “

Darash

(

Drash

)

” is used specifically in relation to the

Torah

and therefore describes a practice of interpretation and an intention to walk according to that interpretation and teach it to others. This is the perfect example of what it means to make a

Drash

, or comparative teaching.

Slide27

As Jews who follow

Yeshua

, we should look to Him

and His disciples for

evidence of the use of rabbinical interpretive method. If He doesn’t teach using the

PaRDeS

method, then

why would we.

Let’s

take a look at just a few of the many

New Testament

examples of

PaRDeS

found in the book of Matthew.

Slide28

As

stated earlier, every part of Scripture has a plain meaning, therefore

P’shat

is the basis for the subsequent methods of interpretation.

 

Remez

(Hint)

Matthew 2:15 - 

"Out of Egypt I called my son."

 

This is a quote from Hosea 11:1

and is

being applied to

Yeshua

by Matthew. If we read it to refer to the

p’shat

(plain meaning) of Hosea 11:1, we must interpret it to refer to Israel. However, Matthew, the disciple of

Yeshua

, divinely inspired by God, interprets it as a

remez

(hint) which is alluding to the Messiah King as God’s Son. This is just one of many examples of Matthew’s use of

remez

.

Slide29

D'rash

(Inquire)

Matthew 18:18 - 

"... Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in

heaven."

 

This verse taken literally and out of context is often used by Christians to demand that spiritual powers submit to them. However, within the context of Matthew 18:14-18 the

p’shat

(plain meaning) refers to the practical application of principals concerning those who are sinning within the body of believers. Thus the plain meaning indicates a 

d'rash

 (comparative teaching) concerning the binding and loosing of our own actions according to

Halakhah

the way we walk (Yet another

method of rabbinical

teaching that

Yeshua

and His disciples applied to daily life).

Slide30

Sod

(Mystery)

Matthew 26:28 - 

"Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, Drink from it all of you, This is my blood ..."

 

If the figurative language here were taken literally it would not only violate the

Torah

commandment against consuming blood, but along with other verses concerning the eating of

Yeshua's

flesh (John 6:51-56), could be understood as teaching cannibalism

.

Yeshua

explains to His disciples that it is the Spirit that produces the deeper

understanding [

Sod

]

(John 6:63), and that His words are spirit and life. This is evidence of a

Sod

(mystery) that cannot be gleaned from the

p’shat

(plain meaning) of the text. A concept that is illuminated through spiritual revelation alone and by no other means. This

particular

Sod

(Mystery)

would

be fully revealed following His death and resurrection.

Slide31

So what can we conclude?

 

There is no explicit schematic for Bible interpretation within Scripture.

PaRDeS

is implicit in Scripture.

Both Messiah

and His disciples employ it.

It is arrogant and even misleading to use Greco-Roman techniques and post enlightenment textual criticism as tools for Scriptural interpretation while excluding the rabbinical interpretive

tradition.

Slide32

Can a Jewish person determine their tribe based on the month of their birth?

Slide33

Firstly, no human being can determine their ethnicity or blood lineage based on the date of their birth. This idea is in fact an occult concept attached to Astrology.

 

In order for this to be viable, every member of a certain tribe would have to be born in the same month. My brothers and I are born in March, July and August respectively and yet are all descended from the same tribe of Israel. Likewise our children are all born in different months and yet are descended from the same tribe within Israel.

Slide34

What can be determined by our birth date is the

Torah

portion read on the

Shabbat

closest to our birth. My

Torah

portion is

Pinchas

(Numbers 25:10-30:1). As is customary, I chanted this portion at my

bar-mitzvah

in honour of its relationship to my birth. This method of assigning

Torah

portions is related to the modern annual

Torah

cycle, however the

Torah

cycle of the first century CE was triannual and therefore divided differently and assigned accordingly. Thus there is no connection here to tribal affiliation.

Slide35

I have heard the name

Yahashua

used, what does it mean?

Slide36

Firstly, this name and names like it are prolifically used, by ill-informed Messianic

Gentile Bible teachers.

They are a vain attempt to unite the Holy Name with the Name of

Yeshua

. However, in doing so they are in fact desecrating both names.

Slide37

Linguistically speaking the combining of the names

YHVH

and

Y

e

SH

u

A

to make the non-name

YaHaSHuaH

, is

equivalent to the combining of the English names

JaCoB

and

JuLia

and concluding that the name for the unified

coupling

must be

Jaulcobia

.

Slide38

Yahshua

/

Yahashuah

:

A number of modern bible teachers and Christian/Messianic/Hebrew Roots leaders claim that the name

Yahshua

/

Yahashuah

is the correct pronunciation of the Holy Name and or the name of the Messiah and the Holy Name combined. This name is said to combine the names YHVH and

Yeshua

/

Yehoshua

(Jesus). I can only surmise that these individuals have no real understanding of the Hebrew language.

Slide39

Each of the Hebrew proper nouns in question has an entirely different 3 Character Hebrew root form:

YHH

(YHVH) and

YSA

(

YeSHuA

).

They are therefore incompatible linguistically speaking. Add to this that the

vav

in

Yeshua

is a vowel marker

whereas

the

vav

in YHVH is a consonant and we are even further from any possibility of a legitimate argument for combining the two names. The Hebrew language does not allow for the contraction of these names, it is linguistically incorrect to join them and it makes a mockery of both names to do so.

Slide40

In fact,

the real root of this teaching

regarding the so called divine name

Yahashua

is not the Holy Spirit but the

spirit of occult

. It is an attempt

by the enemy

Ha-Satan

to

defile the minds and mouths of followers of Messiah.

Slide41

Yahshuah

(

Yahashuah

):

The

blasphemous

name, “

Yahshuah

,” was originally found in the works of Athanasius Kirchner, Johann Baptist

Grossschedel

(1619), a Jesuit Christian Occultist. It is also found in subsequent esoteric/occult sources from the Renaissance period.

Slide42

Yahshua

:

The

blasphemous

name, “

Yahshua

,” is the progeny of the more recent

Sacred Name

movement. The English spelling

Yahshua

originates at least as early as 1950 from associated teachings dated as early as the 1930’s

.

The Sacred name cult teaches that the use of the name, “

Yahshua

,”—which is in fact a nonsense and not a name at all—will aid a person’s salvation. This is in direct contradiction to the teachings of Scripture and makes the use of this blasphemous name a form of witchcraft

.

Slide43

If you want to call on the Holy name of God, Call Him Adonai (Lord), or,

HaShem, or, if you must attempt to say the Holy name, use the best scholarship guess “

YaVeH

” or “

YaWeH

”.

If you want to use the name of Messiah

Yeshua

(

Yehoshua

)

, use His name in your language, “Joshua”, “

Yesu

”, “

Issa

”, “Jesus” etc.

Do not

use the nonsense names “

Yahshua

,

Yahashua

,

Yahashuah

” etc. They’re at best nonsense and at worst blasphemous.

Do not mix the names of the Father and the Son. Yes they are

echad

(a complex unity), however, HaShem is outside of all things, whereas

Yeshua

allowed Himself to be born into time and space as the person of God with us.

Yeshua

is unique in His role within the God head. Do not dishonour either name.

Honor

God,

honor

His Messiah, the Spirit of God testifies to this.