How to keep up discipline and maintain priorities in place without becoming hard or even rough towards people?
How to keep beggars and intruders from stealing my time and attention?
Abba - I need Your strength and Your love!
Kindness is not a question of good manners, but a fruit of the Spirit.
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
hebrew fonts package
Here is a nice collection of different Hebrew fonts, including script, paleo hebrew, dead sea scroll fonts, all free for download, and easy to install.
http://brianwdavidson.com/2012/07/26/free-unicode-hebrew-fonts/
and in case you need to know how to insert the dots for the vowels, press caps lock and then shift and the numbers.
http://brianwdavidson.com/2012/07/26/free-unicode-hebrew-fonts/
and in case you need to know how to insert the dots for the vowels, press caps lock and then shift and the numbers.
"How are you?" - when to ask, when not to ask?
When to ask "How are you?":
when meeting someone I care about or are concerned about, when I am ready to listen, pray, help, invest more into that person, especially when meeting people, who have shared with me challenges of their life, and which I accompany in their walk through it.
When not to ask "How are you?":
When I have no time to listen or no strength to care, when I have no help and no solution to offer, when I see that the person is hurting or depressed.
when meeting someone I care about or are concerned about, when I am ready to listen, pray, help, invest more into that person, especially when meeting people, who have shared with me challenges of their life, and which I accompany in their walk through it.
When not to ask "How are you?":
When I have no time to listen or no strength to care, when I have no help and no solution to offer, when I see that the person is hurting or depressed.
False Gospel and false prophecies
harvest time to separate the wheat from the tares and for the latter to be burned.
dealing with harmful responses
When fear creeps in, when the body starts to feel uncomfortable - this feeling upon opening the response to a bold email, expecting to get attacked, accused, belittled, humbled, degrated and criticized, blamed and rejected - all of these harmful and ungodly responses should deserve a standard answer informing the sender about acceptable ways to express disagreement, question the content and offer constructive criticism.
new exercise
walking with the cross towards the cruxifiction hill, in full faith and trust and anticipation of life.
Not overcome by grief, not giving up on the way, not complaining nor bitter, not depressed and dismayed, but in the full knowledge of the reason of hope.
The Father's love resurrected Yeshua. Yeshua knew the Father's heart.
Not overcome by grief, not giving up on the way, not complaining nor bitter, not depressed and dismayed, but in the full knowledge of the reason of hope.
The Father's love resurrected Yeshua. Yeshua knew the Father's heart.
Father - Son - Spirit
An ancient way of describing the relation:
"A cup of milk was offered to me, and I drank it in the sweetness of the Lord's kindness."
"The Son is the cup, and the Father is He who was milked; and the Holy Spirit is She who milked Him."
(Odes of Salomon 19.1-2)
"A cup of milk was offered to me, and I drank it in the sweetness of the Lord's kindness."
"The Son is the cup, and the Father is He who was milked; and the Holy Spirit is She who milked Him."
(Odes of Salomon 19.1-2)
The reality of Yeshua
Getting to know Yeshua by the lifes of His disciples: What if the self-acclaimed disciples fail to display His character and do His deeds? When salt looses its saltiness?
Even though we might not have an example of Yeshua's life in our time and our surroundings to look up to, I think we can still try to just live according to His commandments preserved in the scriptures and by that provide some kind of example of Yeshua's character to others. I also see that we understand what is told about Him and preserved of Him better while trying to do His commandments, because this very doing leads on His path and we recognize some of His footsteps.
Even though we might not have an example of Yeshua's life in our time and our surroundings to look up to, I think we can still try to just live according to His commandments preserved in the scriptures and by that provide some kind of example of Yeshua's character to others. I also see that we understand what is told about Him and preserved of Him better while trying to do His commandments, because this very doing leads on His path and we recognize some of His footsteps.
Thanks for letting me hit the bottom!
Hitting the bottom of experiential horror is a good experience. After having faced the fears new hope and insights can arise.
What difference it makes when getting a glimpse of the possible result and new tool at hand after having overcome!
Having hit the bottom doesn't mean having overcome yet, but it releases the focus from the bottom to strategies for overcoming and frees strength to take the first steps towards it.
Thank G-d for His provision and protection at the very difficult day of yesterday!
What difference it makes when getting a glimpse of the possible result and new tool at hand after having overcome!
Having hit the bottom doesn't mean having overcome yet, but it releases the focus from the bottom to strategies for overcoming and frees strength to take the first steps towards it.
Thank G-d for His provision and protection at the very difficult day of yesterday!
Jewish Identity in Messianic Context
For the Messianic Jewish community, as well as for the broader Jewish world, I think it is time to come to a definition of the Jewish identity and what it means to be Jewish.
Obviously we can't use the historical definition of being a descendant of the Jewish people - or adopted into it - and not believing in Yeshua.
Is there a distiction to be made between Jewish believers and followers of Yeshua and non-Jewish ones?
One of the definitions of messianic Judaism being offered at Youtube holds that Messianic Jews are Jews and Gentiles united by the Messiah Yeshua, which refrain from certain "Christian" traditions, and keep certain other Jewish ordinances. This sounds like an attempt to reform and correct the Church, creating a new, more biblical-correct movement within the Church.
The common-use definition of Messianic Jews here is Israel means believers and followers of Yeshua within an Israeli Jewish context, whereas non-Jewish (mainly according to their own self-definition) members of the community just call themselfs messianics.
The original realization standing at the birth of the messianic Jewish movement is G-d's faithfulness regarding the promises given to the Jewish people and the irrevocability of the calling. Replacement theology is found faulty. Being a Jew is not a curse that needs to be washed off at baptism together with all the sins, but it is a responsability, which remains, just as a parent retains the responsabilities of a parent after baptism, - surely not without relying on G-d's help, guidance and direction in order to fulfill these responsabilities.
I would want to try to state these special responsabilities of the Jewish people, which are incumbant upon all Jews born as such and upon those that join the Jewish people and are adopted into it.
One might think of the "obvious" answer to the responsabilities: the 613 Mitzvoth. But this is not a very applicable answer to the question. They might supply a theoretical framework of action, but the reliability of the rabbinical translation into halacha is a matter of dispute for messianics. The reasons are manyfold:
-disagreement about the adaptation to the new reality: on one side to the absence of the temple and living in exile, on the other side to the time after the coming of Yeshua and the multitude of gentile believers in Him.
-mistrust towards the rabbinic judgements, their intentions and the spirit guiding them.
-the dichotomy of the Letter and the Spirit might require rather an understanding of the heart of the Mitzvah, its intention and normal practical application, leaving the specific details for each instance up to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, instead of arguing about specific applications based on the Letter in a kind of legal debate.
With this last point in mind, one might also in regard of the responsabilities rather look to describe them in terms that touch the heart of the calling of the Jewish people. The framework of the 613 Mitzvoth are just the instructions given by divine wisdom in order to live out this calling to G-d's honor. They reflect G-d's love and character and are a way which He chose to bless.
... to be continued. Comments welcome!
Obviously we can't use the historical definition of being a descendant of the Jewish people - or adopted into it - and not believing in Yeshua.
Is there a distiction to be made between Jewish believers and followers of Yeshua and non-Jewish ones?
One of the definitions of messianic Judaism being offered at Youtube holds that Messianic Jews are Jews and Gentiles united by the Messiah Yeshua, which refrain from certain "Christian" traditions, and keep certain other Jewish ordinances. This sounds like an attempt to reform and correct the Church, creating a new, more biblical-correct movement within the Church.
The common-use definition of Messianic Jews here is Israel means believers and followers of Yeshua within an Israeli Jewish context, whereas non-Jewish (mainly according to their own self-definition) members of the community just call themselfs messianics.
The original realization standing at the birth of the messianic Jewish movement is G-d's faithfulness regarding the promises given to the Jewish people and the irrevocability of the calling. Replacement theology is found faulty. Being a Jew is not a curse that needs to be washed off at baptism together with all the sins, but it is a responsability, which remains, just as a parent retains the responsabilities of a parent after baptism, - surely not without relying on G-d's help, guidance and direction in order to fulfill these responsabilities.
I would want to try to state these special responsabilities of the Jewish people, which are incumbant upon all Jews born as such and upon those that join the Jewish people and are adopted into it.
One might think of the "obvious" answer to the responsabilities: the 613 Mitzvoth. But this is not a very applicable answer to the question. They might supply a theoretical framework of action, but the reliability of the rabbinical translation into halacha is a matter of dispute for messianics. The reasons are manyfold:
-disagreement about the adaptation to the new reality: on one side to the absence of the temple and living in exile, on the other side to the time after the coming of Yeshua and the multitude of gentile believers in Him.
-mistrust towards the rabbinic judgements, their intentions and the spirit guiding them.
-the dichotomy of the Letter and the Spirit might require rather an understanding of the heart of the Mitzvah, its intention and normal practical application, leaving the specific details for each instance up to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, instead of arguing about specific applications based on the Letter in a kind of legal debate.
With this last point in mind, one might also in regard of the responsabilities rather look to describe them in terms that touch the heart of the calling of the Jewish people. The framework of the 613 Mitzvoth are just the instructions given by divine wisdom in order to live out this calling to G-d's honor. They reflect G-d's love and character and are a way which He chose to bless.
... to be continued. Comments welcome!
Testimonies of Hindus finding Yeshua
Shekhar, Testimony of Ex-Hindu Brahmin, Journey to Christ !
Hindu Brahmin Accepts Christ, From Hinduism to Christ -P1
Hindu Brahmin Accepts Christ, From Hinduism to Christ -P2
Former Hindu Brahmin's Journey from Hinduism to Christ !
HanumanGuru, A Hindu's Journey from Hinduism to Christ-(1/2)
HanumanGuru, A Hindu's Journey from Hinduism to Christ-(2/2)
Hindu Brahmin Accepts Christ, From Hinduism to Christ -P1
Hindu Brahmin Accepts Christ, From Hinduism to Christ -P2
Former Hindu Brahmin's Journey from Hinduism to Christ !
HanumanGuru, A Hindu's Journey from Hinduism to Christ-(1/2)
HanumanGuru, A Hindu's Journey from Hinduism to Christ-(2/2)
links to precious articles
http://www.conservapedia.com/Eucharist
http://www.conservapedia.com/Aramaic_Church
http://www.conservapedia.com/Midrash
http://www.conservapedia.com/Targum
http://www.conservapedia.com/Aramaic
http://www.conservapedia.com/Hebrew
http://www.conservapedia.com/Christianity => the meaning of the resurrection for Christians
http://www.conservapedia.com/Aramaic_Church
http://www.conservapedia.com/Midrash
http://www.conservapedia.com/Targum
http://www.conservapedia.com/Aramaic
http://www.conservapedia.com/Hebrew
http://www.conservapedia.com/Christianity => the meaning of the resurrection for Christians
on tolerance and support of religious plurality
Religious tolerance of other gods and supported plurality of objects of worship became King Salomons doom. Does this mean that we also need to be very careful not to tolerate non-orthodox thoughts and beliefs?
The latter are not always a product of rebellion. Rather, they reflect the individual's ability or inability to understand and make sense of experience, revelation and transmitted history. Philosophical and theological skills are needed to understand and apply properly the religious language.
What would have been the correct attitude of King Salomo to the worship of other G-d's of the peoples around? He used the political tool of marriage to make peace with the other nations around; and he got swayed away by his wifes.
Post to be continued, question in process ... Comments welcome!
The latter are not always a product of rebellion. Rather, they reflect the individual's ability or inability to understand and make sense of experience, revelation and transmitted history. Philosophical and theological skills are needed to understand and apply properly the religious language.
What would have been the correct attitude of King Salomo to the worship of other G-d's of the peoples around? He used the political tool of marriage to make peace with the other nations around; and he got swayed away by his wifes.
Post to be continued, question in process ... Comments welcome!
sketch of well-balanced scripture reading diet
Basic nutricional groups:
weekday morning study:
- Law codes (Torah, Prophets, Gospels)
- Historical records (through the whole bible according to time line)
- Stories (Tanach, Gospels, Acts)
- Wisdom (Proverbs, Kohelet, Job, Psalms, Letters)
- Prayers (Psalms, other prayers in Tanach, in Gospels and Letters)
- Prophecies (all over, Prophets, Gospels, Revelation)
weekday morning study:
- Prayers
- Stories
- Law codes
- Wisdom
- Historical records
- Stories
- Prophecies
- Prayers
- Prophecies
- Song of Songs
- Torah portion
- Shabbat laws & Shabbat stories
- Gospels & Revelation
- free study according to what G-d puts on the heart
- Prayers
- Historical records
- Prayers
- Torah portion
- Prophecies
- Stories
- Law codes
- Wisdom
Recources to Early Christianity and the World of Late Antiquity
Computer and Internet Resources (compiled by Dr. David Satran , Autumn 2007-2008 )
HU Library-Based Resources
Mt. Scopus Library for Humanities and Social Science –http://www.mslib.huji.ac.il/main/siteNew/?langId=1
MALMAD: Israel Center for Digital Information Services – http://libnet.ac.il/~libnet/malmad.htm
ULI - The Israel Union Catalog
ULS - The Israel Union List of Serials – e.g., Journal of Theological Studies; Journal of Early Christian Studies
ULE - Central List of Electronic Journals
Mt. Scopus Library Database Table – http://www.mslib.huji.ac.il/main/siteNew/?page=26
L'Annee Philologique
ATLA Religion Database
l’Ecole Biblique de Jerusalem – Catalogue de la Bibliotheque (AI 100 Z4 E25) / CD-rom Station 10
Index of Christian Art
International Medieval Bibliography
RAMBI: Index of Articles on Jewish Studies – Before 1985, 5th Floor (Y5: AI 100 J8 R4).
TLG (Thesaurus Linguae Graecae)
Library of Latin Texts (Brepols) – http://www.brepolis.net/login/overview.cfm
Other Library-Based Resources
Library of Congress Online Catalog – http://catalog.loc.gov/
Harvard University (Hollis) Catalog – http://lms01.harvard.edu/F?func=file&file_name=find-b&local_base=pub
Oxford Libraries Information System (OLIS) – http://www.lib.ox.ac.uk/olis/
Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries – http://library1.ptsem.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First
Reference
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – http://plato.stanford.edu/
Bibliographies for Theology – http://camellia.shc.edu/theology/
Biographisch-Bibliographischen Kirchenlexikon (BBK) – http://www.bautz.de/bbkl/
The Catholic Encyclopedia – http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/
Ancient and Classical Sources
Stoa Consortium -- http://www.stoa.org/
Perseus Digital Library – http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/
De Imperatoribus Romanis: Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors – http://www.roman-emperors.org/
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook – http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html
New Testament and Christian Origins
New Testament Gateway – http://ntgateway.com/
Resource Pages for Bibical Studies – http://www.torreys.org/bible/
New Testament Basic Bibliography – http://www.biblico.it/doc-vari/bibl_nt.html
The Sepotuagint Online (Joel Kalvesmaki) – http://www.kalvesmaki.com/LXX/index.htm
Philo – http://www.torreys.org/bible/philopag.html
Josephus [Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement ( PACE)] – http://pace.cns.yorku.ca/York/york/index.htm
Papyri from the Rise of Christianity in Egypt – http://www.anchist.mq.edu.au/doccentre/PCEhomepage.html
Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins -- http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/psco/
Early Christianity and Patristics
North American Patristic Society Internet Resources –http://moses.creighton.edu/NAPS/napslinks/index.htm
Bibliographical Information Database in Patristics – http://www.bibl.ulaval.ca/bd/bibp/english.html
The Development of the Canon of the New Testament – http://www.ntcanon.org/
Guide to Early Church Documents – http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/christian-history.html
Fathers of the Church (New Advent) – http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/
Early Church Fathers (Christian Classics Ethereal Library) – http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/
Early Church Fathers - Additional Texts – http://www.ccel.org/p/pearse/morefathers/home.html
Augustine of Hippo (J.J. O’Donnell’s pioneering site) – http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/jod/augustine/
The Tertullian Project – http://www.tertullian.org/
Gregory of Nyssa Home Page – http://www.sage.edu/faculty/salomd/nyssa/home.html
Evagrius Ponticus Website (Joel Kalvesmaki) – http://www.kalvesmaki.com/EvagPont/index.htm
Monastic Spirituality Self-Study (Fr. Luke Dysinger, O.S.B.) – http://www.ldysinger.com/
Byzantine, Medieval and Reformation Christianity
Byzantium: Byzantine Studies on the Internet – http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium/
Internet Medieval Sourcebook – http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html
Labyrinth (WWW Server for Medieval Studies) – http://labyrinth.georgetown.edu/
ORB (Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies) – http://www.the-orb.net/
NetSERF (The Internet Connection for Medieval Resources) – http://www.netserf.org/
Visual Resources:
AICT (image resource for the educational community) – http://arthist.cla.umn.edu/aict/html/index.html
EIKON Image Database for Biblical Studies – http://research.yale.edu:8084/divdl/eikon/index.jsp
HolyLandPhotos – http://www.holylandphotos.org/index.asp
Madaba Mosaic Map – http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/mad/index.html
Pilgrim of Bordeaux – http://servus.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/pilgr/bord/10Bord01MapEur.html
Good Course Syllabi on Internet:
Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion – Internet Guide
http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/resources/guide_headings.aspx
Early Church – http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/resources/result_browse.aspx?topic=664&pid=650
AAR Syllabus Project
http://www.aarweb.org/syllabus/
Christian Origins // Robert Kraft
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/courses/135/syllabus.html
Varieties of Early Christianity // Robert Kraft
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/courses/535/syllabus.html
The History of Christianity: Ancient Christianities // Stephen Shoemaker
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sshoemak/321/rel321.htm
Early Christianity (to A.D. 600) // Alan L. Hayes
http://individual.utoronto.ca/hayes/earlychurch/
Conflict of Pagans and Christians in the Roman Empire // Kenneth Harl
http://www.tulane.edu/~august/H401/syllabus/Schedule.htm
Homepage of Annette Yoshiko Reed
http://annettereed.com/index.html
HU Library-Based Resources
Mt. Scopus Library for Humanities and Social Science –http://www.mslib.huji.ac.il/main/siteNew/?langId=1
MALMAD: Israel Center for Digital Information Services – http://libnet.ac.il/~libnet/malmad.htm
ULI - The Israel Union Catalog
ULS - The Israel Union List of Serials – e.g., Journal of Theological Studies; Journal of Early Christian Studies
ULE - Central List of Electronic Journals
Mt. Scopus Library Database Table – http://www.mslib.huji.ac.il/main/siteNew/?page=26
L'Annee Philologique
ATLA Religion Database
l’Ecole Biblique de Jerusalem – Catalogue de la Bibliotheque (AI 100 Z4 E25) / CD-rom Station 10
Index of Christian Art
International Medieval Bibliography
RAMBI: Index of Articles on Jewish Studies – Before 1985, 5th Floor (Y5: AI 100 J8 R4).
TLG (Thesaurus Linguae Graecae)
Library of Latin Texts (Brepols) – http://www.brepolis.net/login/overview.cfm
Other Library-Based Resources
Library of Congress Online Catalog – http://catalog.loc.gov/
Harvard University (Hollis) Catalog – http://lms01.harvard.edu/F?func=file&file_name=find-b&local_base=pub
Oxford Libraries Information System (OLIS) – http://www.lib.ox.ac.uk/olis/
Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries – http://library1.ptsem.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First
Reference
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – http://plato.stanford.edu/
Bibliographies for Theology – http://camellia.shc.edu/theology/
Biographisch-Bibliographischen Kirchenlexikon (BBK) – http://www.bautz.de/bbkl/
The Catholic Encyclopedia – http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/
Ancient and Classical Sources
Stoa Consortium -- http://www.stoa.org/
Perseus Digital Library – http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/
De Imperatoribus Romanis: Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors – http://www.roman-emperors.org/
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook – http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html
New Testament and Christian Origins
New Testament Gateway – http://ntgateway.com/
Resource Pages for Bibical Studies – http://www.torreys.org/bible/
New Testament Basic Bibliography – http://www.biblico.it/doc-vari/bibl_nt.html
The Sepotuagint Online (Joel Kalvesmaki) – http://www.kalvesmaki.com/LXX/index.htm
Philo – http://www.torreys.org/bible/philopag.html
Josephus [Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement ( PACE)] – http://pace.cns.yorku.ca/York/york/index.htm
Papyri from the Rise of Christianity in Egypt – http://www.anchist.mq.edu.au/doccentre/PCEhomepage.html
Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins -- http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/psco/
Early Christianity and Patristics
North American Patristic Society Internet Resources –http://moses.creighton.edu/NAPS/napslinks/index.htm
Bibliographical Information Database in Patristics – http://www.bibl.ulaval.ca/bd/bibp/english.html
The Development of the Canon of the New Testament – http://www.ntcanon.org/
Guide to Early Church Documents – http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/christian-history.html
Fathers of the Church (New Advent) – http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/
Early Church Fathers (Christian Classics Ethereal Library) – http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/
Early Church Fathers - Additional Texts – http://www.ccel.org/p/pearse/morefathers/home.html
Augustine of Hippo (J.J. O’Donnell’s pioneering site) – http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/jod/augustine/
The Tertullian Project – http://www.tertullian.org/
Gregory of Nyssa Home Page – http://www.sage.edu/faculty/salomd/nyssa/home.html
Evagrius Ponticus Website (Joel Kalvesmaki) – http://www.kalvesmaki.com/EvagPont/index.htm
Monastic Spirituality Self-Study (Fr. Luke Dysinger, O.S.B.) – http://www.ldysinger.com/
Byzantine, Medieval and Reformation Christianity
Byzantium: Byzantine Studies on the Internet – http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium/
Internet Medieval Sourcebook – http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html
Labyrinth (WWW Server for Medieval Studies) – http://labyrinth.georgetown.edu/
ORB (Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies) – http://www.the-orb.net/
NetSERF (The Internet Connection for Medieval Resources) – http://www.netserf.org/
Visual Resources:
AICT (image resource for the educational community) – http://arthist.cla.umn.edu/aict/html/index.html
EIKON Image Database for Biblical Studies – http://research.yale.edu:8084/divdl/eikon/index.jsp
HolyLandPhotos – http://www.holylandphotos.org/index.asp
Madaba Mosaic Map – http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/mad/index.html
Pilgrim of Bordeaux – http://servus.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/pilgr/bord/10Bord01MapEur.html
Good Course Syllabi on Internet:
Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion – Internet Guide
http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/resources/guide_headings.aspx
Early Church – http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/resources/result_browse.aspx?topic=664&pid=650
AAR Syllabus Project
http://www.aarweb.org/syllabus/
Christian Origins // Robert Kraft
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/courses/135/syllabus.html
Varieties of Early Christianity // Robert Kraft
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/courses/535/syllabus.html
The History of Christianity: Ancient Christianities // Stephen Shoemaker
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sshoemak/321/rel321.htm
Early Christianity (to A.D. 600) // Alan L. Hayes
http://individual.utoronto.ca/hayes/earlychurch/
Conflict of Pagans and Christians in the Roman Empire // Kenneth Harl
http://www.tulane.edu/~august/H401/syllabus/Schedule.htm
Homepage of Annette Yoshiko Reed
http://annettereed.com/index.html
עדות
An עדות is usually a testimony to remember something. To testify/ be a witness is the calling of the Jewish people.
עדות: commandments that result in the performing people giving and being themselves a testimony of G-d.
עדות: commandments that result in the performing people giving and being themselves a testimony of G-d.
Messianic claims- Breslav
http://www.rickross.com/reference/ultra-orthodox/ultra61.html
Messiah in all but name
"Megilat starim: hazono hamishikhi hasodi shel reb nachman mibratslav" ("Scroll of Secrets: The Hidden Messianic Vision of R. Nachman of Bratslav") by Zvi Mark, Bar-Ilan University, 253 pages, NIS 99 Haaretz, Israel/May 2, 2007 By Immanuel Etkes
The tension between the urge to reveal and publicize secrets, and the necessity of keeping them secret and concealed from the public eye is one of the dominant features of mysticism in general and Jewish mysticism in particular. In early Hasidism, there is nothing that embodied this tension more than the character and spiritual legacy of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810).
As Zvi Mark, author of "Scroll of Secrets: The Hidden Messianic Vision of R. Nachman of Bratslav," writes: "Secrecy plays a central role in the world of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav ... We know of one manuscript that Rabbi Nachman hid away, another that he burned, and tales that he forbade his disciples to reveal to outsiders." But it was the secret of redemption that he worked hardest to keep from the world, including most of his followers.
In the summer of 1806, as Rabbi Nachman sat in a carriage on one of his journeys in the Ukraine, he revealed to his closest disciples, Rabbi Nathan of Nemirov and Rabbi Naftali, "the whole order of the coming of the Righteous Redeemer." Rabbi Nathan wrote down his words, and the text became known among the Bratslaver Hasidim as "Megilat Starim," the "Scroll of Secrets."
While the prolific literature of the Bratslavers was influenced by the very existence of this scroll and allusions to what it says, the scroll itself has been a closely guarded secret for 200 years. Mark's impressive achievement starts with convincing the Bratslavers to show him the secret text and to allow him to publish it. No less impressive is his ability to recruit knowledgeable individuals to help him decode the scroll, which is written in enigmatic abbreviations and acronyms. The text is now presented in Mark's book, along with a detailed analysis of the messianic era as envisioned by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav.
Mark begins by tracing what became of the scroll from the time it was written until today, and surveying the various manuscripts that have survived. This discussion leads to the conclusion that the version of the scroll being published here for the first time is a faithful rendition of the text recorded by Rabbi Nathan. After presenting the decoded scroll, which is accompanied by a facsimile of the original, Mark launches into a meticulous analysis of the text, basing himself, in part, on the numerous references to the messianic era that crop up in Nachman's writings. The importance of Mark's book thus grows clearer as it is reviewed in the broad context of Bratslav literature. His interpretive strategy is grounded on a keen knowledge of this complex body of literature, and a careful, sensitive and creative reading of it.
'I can do it all'
Mark's first important conclusion is that the Messiah referred to in the scroll is a tzaddik (pious scholar) in Rabbi Nachman's own image. The messianic times portrayed here are "a perfect fulfillment of the Bratslav code of values." Indeed, Rabbi Nachman's personal messianic pretensions emerge loud and clear from various remarks attributed to him in his lifetime, particularly the statement that "everything the Messiah does for the benefit of the Jewish people, I can do, too. The difference is that the Messiah can carry out his mission ... whereas I do not yet have that capability."
Rabbi Nachman regarded himself as having all the necessary qualifications to be the Messiah. What kept him from fulfilling his messianic potential was a lack of recognition. The tremendous gap between his self-image and the public's failure to recognize his eminence was something that haunted Rabbi Nachman all his life. In his own eyes, he was not only the greatest tzaddik of his day, but the greatest tzaddik of all times. Even when his health deteriorated and he knew the end was near, he did not despair: He might not fulfill his messianic mission in his lifetime, but his teachings would continue to have influence after his death. "My fire will burn until the coming of the Messiah," he poetically put it.
As Mark points out, this statement was interpreted by his followers as more than a prophecy. It was a will and testament that they were obligated to fulfill. Another Rabbi Nachman saying that fueled the messianic mindset of his followers was "the whole world will be Bratslav one day." Recognition of Rabbi Nachman's supremacy and the importance of his message and messianic redemption are thus two sides of the same coin.
What will the world be like in the days of the Messiah, according to Rabbi Nachman? What kind of man will the Messiah be? What are the missions imposed on him, and how will he carry them out? One of the foundation texts for the messianic outlook in Jewish history is Maimonides' "Hilchot Melachim," chapters 11-12. In an attempt to establish criteria by which someone purporting to be the Messiah is measured, Maimonides writes that one qualification is "winning God's wars" - that is, wars waged to free the people of Israel and the Land of Israel from the yoke of the non-Jews.
'Without war or mayhem'
Rabbi Nachman's vision of redemption omits this category of war. His messiah has no need of wars, because "all will submit to him without war or mayhem." His charm and charisma will suffice. This is because "the Messiah's primary weapon is prayer." Prayer, which played a starring role in Rabbi Nachman's inner world and his legacy to his followers, is also the Messiah's foremost tool for winning hearts in the non-Jewish world.
In this respect, there is a resemblance between Rabbi Nachman's messiah and Shabtai Zvi, who also spurned military activism in favor of prayer (unlike Jacob Frank, for instance, whose messianic vision was suffused with militarism). But while Rabbi Nachman leaves out the military component, he retains the universalist approach that underpins it. Maimonides writes that the Messiah will "repair the world and bring all people to worship God together." This vision of global redemption is anchored in the writings of the prophets. In the Middle Ages, however, Sephardi and Ashkenazi scholars differed on this issue. While the Sephardi thinkers continued to cultivate a view of the messianic era that was universal in character, the Ashkenazim adopted a particularist approach, one of whose components was divine revenge on the nations of the world for the suffering they inflicted on the Jewish people. Rabbi Nachman rejected the Ashkenazi approach in favor of Sephardi-style messianism.
For Rabbi Nachman, the Messiah's mission in the non-Jewish world is one of compassion and outreach. Once the Messiah is accepted as king by the Jewish people, he will turn to the leaders of the non-Jewish world and promote a code of behavior that is similar to the Jewish ethic. Furthermore, he will "repair their prayer," thereby fulfilling the vision of the prophets: "For then I will make the peoples pure of speech/so that they all invoke the Lord by name" (Zephaniah 3:9).
As we have said, Mark claims that the messianic figure described in "Scroll of Secrets" is a kind of reflection of Nachman himself. To be more exact, not only does Rabbi Nachman have a messianic mission, but the Messiah is an embodiment of all his qualities and abilities. It comes as no surprise, then, that the niggun, or Hasidic melody, that figures so highly in Rabbi Nachman's world, is slated to play a pivotal role in the messianic era.
One of the properties that Rabbi Nachman attributes to the niggun is the ability to bring back souls who have "fallen into apostasy." But the real role of the niggun, it seems, is to draw listeners into a dance so pleasurable and uplifting that they forget all else. The power of the niggun induces a state of mystical ecstasy. And here we find that the mission of the future Messiah will also be achieved through the niggun: "He will produce new musical instruments and melodies because he will be a great master of the niggun." These musical innovations will so charm and delight people that they will accept his authority.
Cure for every disease
Another special talent of Rabbi Nachman's, which he also ascribes to the future Messiah, is healing. According to his student Rabbi Nathan, Nachman had a book with cures for every illness in the world, but he chose not to use it. In the end, he had it burned. Rabbi Nachman's messiah, on the other hand, will plant a garden of plants and herbs for medicinal purposes, and supply each and every sick person with medicines providing a cure.
What will the world be like after the coming of the Messiah? Some have speculated that the natural order will change. Others have said that the only difference will be "shiabud malkhuyot" - political change (Brakhot 34b). Rabbi Nachman followed Maimonides, who claimed that the world would go on as before. Not only will the laws of nature remain the same, but also human nature and society. The quality of life will improve, and the world will be a nicer place, but the evil urge will not disappear. It will still be necessary to have courts and law-enforcement authorities. Differences in spiritual level will also remain, with each individual advancing on the spiritual scale at his own pace.
If the miraculous components of messianic faith are gone, there is a question of how the Messiah will bring about the redemption of the Land of Israel and rescue it from the hands of the non-Jews. Mark describes Rabbi Nachman's answer to this question as "political Zionism." In no Jewish source prior to Nachman had anyone ever suggested such a thing. The Messiah will restore the Land of Israel to the Jewish people "not by might, nor by power," but via a series of territorial exchanges based on financial transactions, thereby gaining possession of the land by right. Only then will the incoming of the exiles commence. At that time, all Jews will head for the Land of Israel and "a King of Israel will arise."
Perhaps the greatest surprise for readers of Megilat Starim lies in what is missing from it: the Temple. Rebuilding the Temple and reviving the custom of sacrifices have always been perceived as essential to messianic redemption. But the Temple is totally absent from the messianic vision of Rabbi Nachman. To explain the significance of this omission, Mark emphasizes what the scroll does contain: The Messiah as a key figure in the messianic era. The role that the Temple was meant to play is taken over by "melekh hamashiah" - the Messiah king.
What motivated leading figures in the Bratslav community to disclose the whereabouts of this hidden scroll and allow it to be brought into the public eye? Presumably, they felt that publicizing Rabbi Nachman's messianic vision would make it happen sooner, although it seems doubtful that all members of the community were comfortable with that decision. One way or another, many readers will be happy to hear about the pacifist, humanist and universalist nature of the Messiah as envisioned by Rabbi Nachman. It is a refreshing break from the militaristic messianism spouted by extremist groups today, from the territorial-nationalist messianism of Gush Emunim to the personal messianism promoted by certain messianic streams in Chabad.
Prof. Immanuel Etkes teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Department of the History of the Jewish People. His book "The Besht: Magician, Mystic and Leader" was published by Brandeis University Press in 2005.
Messiah in all but name
"Megilat starim: hazono hamishikhi hasodi shel reb nachman mibratslav" ("Scroll of Secrets: The Hidden Messianic Vision of R. Nachman of Bratslav") by Zvi Mark, Bar-Ilan University, 253 pages, NIS 99 Haaretz, Israel/May 2, 2007 By Immanuel Etkes
The tension between the urge to reveal and publicize secrets, and the necessity of keeping them secret and concealed from the public eye is one of the dominant features of mysticism in general and Jewish mysticism in particular. In early Hasidism, there is nothing that embodied this tension more than the character and spiritual legacy of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810).
As Zvi Mark, author of "Scroll of Secrets: The Hidden Messianic Vision of R. Nachman of Bratslav," writes: "Secrecy plays a central role in the world of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav ... We know of one manuscript that Rabbi Nachman hid away, another that he burned, and tales that he forbade his disciples to reveal to outsiders." But it was the secret of redemption that he worked hardest to keep from the world, including most of his followers.
In the summer of 1806, as Rabbi Nachman sat in a carriage on one of his journeys in the Ukraine, he revealed to his closest disciples, Rabbi Nathan of Nemirov and Rabbi Naftali, "the whole order of the coming of the Righteous Redeemer." Rabbi Nathan wrote down his words, and the text became known among the Bratslaver Hasidim as "Megilat Starim," the "Scroll of Secrets."
While the prolific literature of the Bratslavers was influenced by the very existence of this scroll and allusions to what it says, the scroll itself has been a closely guarded secret for 200 years. Mark's impressive achievement starts with convincing the Bratslavers to show him the secret text and to allow him to publish it. No less impressive is his ability to recruit knowledgeable individuals to help him decode the scroll, which is written in enigmatic abbreviations and acronyms. The text is now presented in Mark's book, along with a detailed analysis of the messianic era as envisioned by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav.
Mark begins by tracing what became of the scroll from the time it was written until today, and surveying the various manuscripts that have survived. This discussion leads to the conclusion that the version of the scroll being published here for the first time is a faithful rendition of the text recorded by Rabbi Nathan. After presenting the decoded scroll, which is accompanied by a facsimile of the original, Mark launches into a meticulous analysis of the text, basing himself, in part, on the numerous references to the messianic era that crop up in Nachman's writings. The importance of Mark's book thus grows clearer as it is reviewed in the broad context of Bratslav literature. His interpretive strategy is grounded on a keen knowledge of this complex body of literature, and a careful, sensitive and creative reading of it.
'I can do it all'
Mark's first important conclusion is that the Messiah referred to in the scroll is a tzaddik (pious scholar) in Rabbi Nachman's own image. The messianic times portrayed here are "a perfect fulfillment of the Bratslav code of values." Indeed, Rabbi Nachman's personal messianic pretensions emerge loud and clear from various remarks attributed to him in his lifetime, particularly the statement that "everything the Messiah does for the benefit of the Jewish people, I can do, too. The difference is that the Messiah can carry out his mission ... whereas I do not yet have that capability."
Rabbi Nachman regarded himself as having all the necessary qualifications to be the Messiah. What kept him from fulfilling his messianic potential was a lack of recognition. The tremendous gap between his self-image and the public's failure to recognize his eminence was something that haunted Rabbi Nachman all his life. In his own eyes, he was not only the greatest tzaddik of his day, but the greatest tzaddik of all times. Even when his health deteriorated and he knew the end was near, he did not despair: He might not fulfill his messianic mission in his lifetime, but his teachings would continue to have influence after his death. "My fire will burn until the coming of the Messiah," he poetically put it.
As Mark points out, this statement was interpreted by his followers as more than a prophecy. It was a will and testament that they were obligated to fulfill. Another Rabbi Nachman saying that fueled the messianic mindset of his followers was "the whole world will be Bratslav one day." Recognition of Rabbi Nachman's supremacy and the importance of his message and messianic redemption are thus two sides of the same coin.
What will the world be like in the days of the Messiah, according to Rabbi Nachman? What kind of man will the Messiah be? What are the missions imposed on him, and how will he carry them out? One of the foundation texts for the messianic outlook in Jewish history is Maimonides' "Hilchot Melachim," chapters 11-12. In an attempt to establish criteria by which someone purporting to be the Messiah is measured, Maimonides writes that one qualification is "winning God's wars" - that is, wars waged to free the people of Israel and the Land of Israel from the yoke of the non-Jews.
'Without war or mayhem'
Rabbi Nachman's vision of redemption omits this category of war. His messiah has no need of wars, because "all will submit to him without war or mayhem." His charm and charisma will suffice. This is because "the Messiah's primary weapon is prayer." Prayer, which played a starring role in Rabbi Nachman's inner world and his legacy to his followers, is also the Messiah's foremost tool for winning hearts in the non-Jewish world.
In this respect, there is a resemblance between Rabbi Nachman's messiah and Shabtai Zvi, who also spurned military activism in favor of prayer (unlike Jacob Frank, for instance, whose messianic vision was suffused with militarism). But while Rabbi Nachman leaves out the military component, he retains the universalist approach that underpins it. Maimonides writes that the Messiah will "repair the world and bring all people to worship God together." This vision of global redemption is anchored in the writings of the prophets. In the Middle Ages, however, Sephardi and Ashkenazi scholars differed on this issue. While the Sephardi thinkers continued to cultivate a view of the messianic era that was universal in character, the Ashkenazim adopted a particularist approach, one of whose components was divine revenge on the nations of the world for the suffering they inflicted on the Jewish people. Rabbi Nachman rejected the Ashkenazi approach in favor of Sephardi-style messianism.
For Rabbi Nachman, the Messiah's mission in the non-Jewish world is one of compassion and outreach. Once the Messiah is accepted as king by the Jewish people, he will turn to the leaders of the non-Jewish world and promote a code of behavior that is similar to the Jewish ethic. Furthermore, he will "repair their prayer," thereby fulfilling the vision of the prophets: "For then I will make the peoples pure of speech/so that they all invoke the Lord by name" (Zephaniah 3:9).
As we have said, Mark claims that the messianic figure described in "Scroll of Secrets" is a kind of reflection of Nachman himself. To be more exact, not only does Rabbi Nachman have a messianic mission, but the Messiah is an embodiment of all his qualities and abilities. It comes as no surprise, then, that the niggun, or Hasidic melody, that figures so highly in Rabbi Nachman's world, is slated to play a pivotal role in the messianic era.
One of the properties that Rabbi Nachman attributes to the niggun is the ability to bring back souls who have "fallen into apostasy." But the real role of the niggun, it seems, is to draw listeners into a dance so pleasurable and uplifting that they forget all else. The power of the niggun induces a state of mystical ecstasy. And here we find that the mission of the future Messiah will also be achieved through the niggun: "He will produce new musical instruments and melodies because he will be a great master of the niggun." These musical innovations will so charm and delight people that they will accept his authority.
Cure for every disease
Another special talent of Rabbi Nachman's, which he also ascribes to the future Messiah, is healing. According to his student Rabbi Nathan, Nachman had a book with cures for every illness in the world, but he chose not to use it. In the end, he had it burned. Rabbi Nachman's messiah, on the other hand, will plant a garden of plants and herbs for medicinal purposes, and supply each and every sick person with medicines providing a cure.
What will the world be like after the coming of the Messiah? Some have speculated that the natural order will change. Others have said that the only difference will be "shiabud malkhuyot" - political change (Brakhot 34b). Rabbi Nachman followed Maimonides, who claimed that the world would go on as before. Not only will the laws of nature remain the same, but also human nature and society. The quality of life will improve, and the world will be a nicer place, but the evil urge will not disappear. It will still be necessary to have courts and law-enforcement authorities. Differences in spiritual level will also remain, with each individual advancing on the spiritual scale at his own pace.
If the miraculous components of messianic faith are gone, there is a question of how the Messiah will bring about the redemption of the Land of Israel and rescue it from the hands of the non-Jews. Mark describes Rabbi Nachman's answer to this question as "political Zionism." In no Jewish source prior to Nachman had anyone ever suggested such a thing. The Messiah will restore the Land of Israel to the Jewish people "not by might, nor by power," but via a series of territorial exchanges based on financial transactions, thereby gaining possession of the land by right. Only then will the incoming of the exiles commence. At that time, all Jews will head for the Land of Israel and "a King of Israel will arise."
Perhaps the greatest surprise for readers of Megilat Starim lies in what is missing from it: the Temple. Rebuilding the Temple and reviving the custom of sacrifices have always been perceived as essential to messianic redemption. But the Temple is totally absent from the messianic vision of Rabbi Nachman. To explain the significance of this omission, Mark emphasizes what the scroll does contain: The Messiah as a key figure in the messianic era. The role that the Temple was meant to play is taken over by "melekh hamashiah" - the Messiah king.
What motivated leading figures in the Bratslav community to disclose the whereabouts of this hidden scroll and allow it to be brought into the public eye? Presumably, they felt that publicizing Rabbi Nachman's messianic vision would make it happen sooner, although it seems doubtful that all members of the community were comfortable with that decision. One way or another, many readers will be happy to hear about the pacifist, humanist and universalist nature of the Messiah as envisioned by Rabbi Nachman. It is a refreshing break from the militaristic messianism spouted by extremist groups today, from the territorial-nationalist messianism of Gush Emunim to the personal messianism promoted by certain messianic streams in Chabad.
Prof. Immanuel Etkes teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Department of the History of the Jewish People. His book "The Besht: Magician, Mystic and Leader" was published by Brandeis University Press in 2005.
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