Chapter 1: The loss of a shared moral code
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path Ps 119:105
It was 30,000 feet up in the air, when I leaned closer to look at the little book (*1) the young man was reading. To my surprise I saw it was a book discussing faith but contained references to history, philosophy, and the arts All the fields that have been my favorites to study and in which to immerse myself. It intrigued me that this author referred to especially the visual arts in his discussion of religion and modern man. This fleeting moment turned out to be – when reviewing ones life’s path in retrospect- one of those stepping stones or the proverbial door that opened for one.
This was more than forty years ago. All the ‘loose strings’ fell into place. Professors never underpin their teaching in a world view perspective, and especially heaven forbid a religious context – that is taboo.
The decline of mankind and the loss of Biblical Hebrew roots is so clear and obvious. This refined perspective and the story of man and society’s disintegration always informed my professional output.
It is becoming increasingly fashionable to view a clear act forbidden by the Torah (*2) as completely permissible and even laudable …This is not a problem if one is an atheist. Or even a deist. It is not a problem if one is even generically religious without subscribing to any biblical doctrines. It is entirely libertarian. It is entirely humanistic…. (*3)
The above quote in a nutshell describes where we find ourselves today. Today we call white black, and black white. To quote Isaiah: Woe to those who speak of evil as good and of good as evil; who make darkness into light and light into darkness; they make bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and in their own view, understanding. [Is 5:20,21] In fact because of the philosophy of relativism prominent today, everything is a grey area.
How did we get here? I used to teach an overview of western man’s philosophies and world view from 500BCE till 2000CE illustrating it with images from the visual arts and architecture as well as references to literature and music. It so happens that what Western man throughout history has deemed important and the all-embracing mainspring of life, since ancient Greece till the 21st century, find expression in his creations. Therefore such an over view of 2500 years show clearly how the substantial influence of Greek Humanism led to where we are today. A self-centered materialistic G-dless society. [1.224]
For some time I have been feeling compelled to speak out about this and that to a wide as possible audience. This then has lead to this blog. And the message is urgent. Especially today when Europe has lost its compass, forgotten its roots and treat its culture with disdain. The US is threatened from within by the blind, arrogant and self-righteous leftists. And surprisingly the UK has opened its gates to strangers and vastly different cultures. Who would have thought ‘the superior, aloof and that ‘the sun-will-never-set on their freedom and culture’ Brits would be so short sighted. (*4)
The compelling purpose for writing this blog is to make the statement and send out the urgent message that all of mankind is supposed to live according to the directives and commandments of the Creator of this world, the G-d, יהוה of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now this presupposes that first of all a person believes there is a Higher Power; that G-d is the creator of this world, and that our purpose, for a contented and successful life, is to follow His Way and to worship Him alone.
Secondly the above statement and following discussions takes for granted the axiom that our world and the universe was createdby G-d, and nothing of the creation exists because of evolution. [For good scientific and religious discussion of this, see teachings on internet and books by Gerald Schroeder, Bruce Malone and Kent Hovin.]
I need to explain that I am not a Rabbi, Talmud scholar or Theologian. I have been brought up with a strong belief and faith in the G-d of Israel; the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. My foundation and anchor is the Tenach [Old Testament] which includes the Torah, i.e. the first 5 books of the Bible. I will though quote not only from the Tenach [Stone edition], but also reference the Talmud, various Jewish as well Christian books and the New Testament [hereafter NT]; and many articles on the Internet written by Jewish as well as Messianic authors.
The little book that I referred to above in the opening paragraph, is by Francis Shaeffer and the fact that he constantly referred to ‘judean-christian’ principles struck me. I had never come across that in religious writings of non-Jews [hereafter: gentiles]. In fact, I found it remarkable that a Christian writer would acknowledge the Jewish roots of Christianity. This then is one of the central arguments of my Blog.
Furthermore, another foundational principle is that we Jews are supposed to be a “light onto the world”
Thus said the God, יהוה, Who created the heavens and stretched them forth; Who firmed the earth and its produce, Who gave a soul to the people upon it, and a spirit to those who walk on it: I am יהוה; I have called you with righteousness; I will strengthen your hand; I will protect you; I will set you for a covenant to the people, for a light to the nations; [Is 42:5-6] [see also Is 49:6, Ps 37:6]
“I will set you for a covenant” infers that G-d is the causation of this covenant and therefore G-d as the author cannot and will not break the covenant. In other words it is important to realize that G-d is involved in this role of Israel. [cf Ps 89:34-37]
Lets analyze the use of “light to the nations”. A light dispels darkness; causes one to see clearly; enables one to see details; it lights up a way or to put it differently ‘shows one the way’. “By Your light may we see light” says the Psalmist [Ps36:10] . This can serve as an analogy for Israel, that by doing the commandments or decrees / directives / ordinances / statues (*5) of G-d as written in His word, we shine and reflect the light of Torah. [Torah means ‘teaching’ and not Law, as is the standard English translation of this Hebrew word!!]
Light is a given. We read in Genesis 1:3 that the first ‘thing’ G-d created is called ‘light’. (*6) Therefore man cannot create light ‘out of nothing’, he has to use or manipulate a given existing element, to bring forth light and that ‘element’ that Israel is to use and follow is Torah.
We have not always fulfilled this G-d ordained task. It is quite understandable when considering the past 2500 years and the exiles, persecution and pogroms the Jews suffered. The past few decades though, a phenomenal awakening in the hearts and souls of thousands of Christians has happened through, I believe G-d’s spirit is touching them and kindling a yearning in them to return to the Hebrew roots and Truth of their faith; especially when they come to know the false teachings of the Church the past 2000 years. [more about this later, see Chapter 5] All of a sudden all over the world there are thousands of Christians that are learning Torah and even Hebrew.
In the early 1980’s in the US, the Rebbe of Lubavitch, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) ‘put forth an urgent calling to the nations of the world to fulfill their seven commandments (*7) and to the Jewish people at all levels to inform and influence Gentiles concerning the importance of this observance. [7.21] ‘Therefore, for one who is a denier of Torah or an idol-worshipper from habit, and has never known the truth because he has not learned it, it is incumbent on one who does know the truth ….to teach him God’s truth and the commandments which apply for him as a Gentile, and to correct and improve his ways’ [7.54]
I need to refer to Anti-Semitism before I continue because the use of this term is again so prevalent today. Blatant, outrageous and heinous actions against Jews and Israel unfortunately is all too common lately. As Rabbi Johnathan Sacks said: ‘ Who would have thought that so soon after WWII and the Holocaust, I would again witness an upsurge of Anti-Semitism all over the world’. Therefore if your thinking and world view in any way is clouded and poisoned by this anti Jewish thinking, I seriously urge you to carry on reading, and consider what this Blog is about.
The Jews started it all – and by ‘it’ I mean so many of the things we care about, the underlying values that make all of us, Jew and gentile, believer and atheist, tick. Without the Jews, we would see the world through different eyes, hear with different ears, even feel with different feelings…the screen through which we receive the world, be different: we would think with a different mind, interpret all our experience differently, draw different conclusions from the things that befall us…. Our history is replete with examples of those who have refused to see what the Jews are really about, who – through intellectual blindness, racial chauvinism, xenophobia, or just plain evil – have been unable to give….the progenitors of the Western world, their due. [41.3]
I propose that those that hate Jews are those that don’t acknowledge and accept יהוה [G-d] because if they really know G-d and His word, they will have to accept and acknowledge Jews and Israel.
FOOTNOTES
*1 See books 6 SCHAEFFER and 9 ROOKMAKER in the Bibliography.
*2 The Torah is the first five books of the Scriptures; also referred to as the Pentateuch or the Books of Moses.
*3 H. Maryles, blog “Emes Ve-Emunah”, 2013.
*4 Listen to Dr Gerhard, a phonologist, interviewed on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW0nM5P6dVw&feature=em-uploademail
*5 Various Hebrew words are used for which the usual English translation is the incorrect word ‘law’. For example: mitzvah / mitzvoth, chukim, mishpatim and edot are various kinds of commands, directives and rulings spread throughout the Torah. The word ‘law’ in this context, does not exist in Biblical Hebrew.
*6 See the fascinating explanation of this, creation of light before the creation of the sun, by physicist Rabbi Professor dr. Gerald Schroeder [4.13, 49, 64-68].
*7 The so called Noahide Laws. More about this later – see Chapter 3.