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Rabbi Reads the Christian Book of Matthew
Rabbi Reads the Christian Book of Matthew episodes
- Matthew, Chapters 3b & 4
This lesson again attempts to distinguish the myth of the Jesus of Christianity from the actual Yeshu of history.The episodes in these chapters indicate the Yeshu was clandestinely building a relationship with certain Essenic organizations, who, as is known, had a reputation for separatism and violence.
John "baptizes" Yeshu. Yeshu is thus showing his affiliation with John's separatist movement. He then goes out into the desert practicing a vision quest meditative ritual, the likes of which are still practiced to this day in certain mystical circles. This was clearly his initiation into the Essenic order, most likely, the one associated with John. This group was known in Maccabean times as the Hasidim, and they were known as zealots. It was this same group that assisted Judah Macabee in the Hanuka war, and now Yeshu comes to align with them, hoping that they will align with him.
Yeshu then builds his following, and practices traditional Essenic medicinal cures.From our Torah point of view, we see this this segment of the Yeshu story the beginnings of a political party (the Kingdom of Heaven), that would soon vie for political power here on Earth.Yeshu was not trying to save man from their sins, but rather save Israel from the oppression of the Romans. This message comes through loud and clear when the text is read from a Torah point of view.
1 hr 3 min - Matthew, Chapters 2 & 3Yeshu born in Bethlehem? Why would this be necessary when the prophecy in Micah does not require the messiah to be born there?Who were the wise men from the east ? Persian astrologers? Does Matthew's reference to a star over Yeshu's birth indicate a belief in, and practice of, astrology? Some Christian scholars have said yes!Why would Joseph have to travel to Bethlehem for a census that would not occur for another ten years? Also, the census taker would have traveled to take the census, no one would have had to travel to him. Major discrepancies between Yeshu being born when Herod was king, and when this census is taken 10 years later. This indicates that not everything is literal or "gospel truth."Herod allegedly kills children in Bethlehem, however there is absolutely no record of this happening. All these stories seem to indicate a desire to build a mystique around Yeshu's birth, similar to stories we see today spun about the lives of famous rabbis.John the Baptist, a good Jew, an end-of-days preacher teaching teshuva and mikvah, Jewish concepts and practices still observed today by the Torah faithful.The baptism/mikvah connection. The ba'al teshuva/born again connection.The hypocrisy of the religious in those days, condemned equally by John, Yeshu, and the Talmud!1 hr 3 min
- Course Outline & Parameters. Matthew, Chapter 1Laying down the fundamental principles that serve as our parameters for this course. An introduction into Jewish methods of Torah study and religious writings, with emphasis on Midrash, a moralistic, metaphorical rendition of scripture, intentionally outside of its literal meanings. An overall understanding of what it means to be the messiah in Judaism. A discussion of the name Yeshu, Yeshua. Yeshu in history, the Jewish reasons behind the original schism. Yeshu was a political figure, not a religious one. Yeshu was a zealot, reference to the Midrash of Shimon Kipah from Sefer Otzar HaMidrashim, and the writings of Christian theologian, the Manchester University professor, S.G.F. Brandon. Matthew, Chapter 1. When Matthew calls his "rebbe" Yeshu the messiah, his intentions were obviously political. This is made even clearer by the remaining teachings in this chapter. Matthew uses over and over again midrashic methods to aggrandize the genealogy and birth stories of his "rebbe,"with the intent to solidify for him political authority, for the term "messiah," was in those days, political, and not religious. Discussion of the "virgin birth," and how it should properly be understood.1 hr 3 min
About Rabbi Reads the Christian Book of Matthew
From the publisher's feed
My purpose and intent in teaching this course is simple, I want to be able to explain, why Torah Judaism and Torah faithful Jews do not, and will not, accept, or embrace, the teachings of the Christian religion.
I have no intentions or desire in this course to attack the religion of Christianity. I am not here to challenge, or critique, those who embrace the Christian faith. I am not here to talk about Christianity at all, even though due to the nature of this material, I am sure that I will not be able to avoid the topic entirely. Nevertheless, I am here to look at the Christian Bible from an entirely Torah point of view.
I begin with certain premises. I do not deny the existence of an historical Yeshu, be he called Yeshua or what. For Torah faithful Jews, Yeshu was not, is not and can never be the Messiah of Israel. For Torah faithful Jews, Yeshu was not, is not and can never be God, or even a son of god, anymore than any other human being of flesh and blood. For the record, the historical Yeshu, was born, lived as, and died as a Jew. He, and his original followers, were all Jews, who like him, were born, lived as, and died as Jews. Absolutely none of them were Christians, in any sense of the word. We Torah faithful Jews follow the same religion that Yeshu himself practiced. We pray to the same Heavenly Father. We live by the same Torah, mitzvot and ma'asim tovim. Yeshu was not a Christian, and neither are we. Yeshu's original followers were all Torah observant Jews as was he. As Jews, educated in Torah, drenched in its teachings, and from what can be seen, knowing no other spiritual path, I must logically conclude that the original writings of Yeshu's original followers, were all Jewish writings, and therefore well within my domain as a Torah observant Rabbi to read them and understand them, as would one rabbi to another. I therefore begin with the position that anything found in the Christian Bible, attributed to any of its Jewish authors, that does not agree with Torah Judaism must not have been written by such an author, and is therefore subject to suspicious and must be critically analyzed. And that is what I am here to do.