Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Is it time for Messianic Judaism to define observance levels?

Shalom,

Is it time for Messianic Judaism to define observance levels similar to the Traditional Community?

Several levels are evident in Messianic Judaism:
  • Orthodox
  • Conservative
  • Reformed
  • Hebrew Roots
These parallel the tradition definitions seen in Main Stream Judaism.  How is each defined?  Here are the major differences:

Orthodox - follow both Torah & Oral Torah, Halacha as defined by the Shulkhan Aruch using traditional understandings of meanings.  Practice includes Mikvah.

Conservative - follow both Torah & Oral Torah, Halacha as defined by the Shulkhan Aruch using traditional understandings of meanings with changes allowed for modern circumstances such as driving.  Practice includes Mikvah.

Reformed - maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the surrounding culture. Many branches of Reform Judaism hold that Jewish law should be interpreted as a set of general guidelines rather than as a list of restrictions whose literal observance is required of all Jews.

Hebrew Roots - generally not part of Messianic Judaism, looks at Hebrew root of Christian Faith.

Is it time for our Synagogues to reflect belief and practices using widely understood definitions in the Jewish Community?  What minimum qualifications should be required for each?  Share your thoughts.

Toda

2 comments:

Unknown said...

A analysis (found here: www.netzarim.co.il (that is the only legitimate Netzarim)) of all extant source documents and archaeology using a rational and logical methodology proves that the historical Ribi Yehosuha ha-Mashiakh (the Messiah) from Nazareth and his talmidim (apprentice-students), called the Netzarim, taught and lived Torah all of their lives; and that Netzarim and Christianity were always antithetical.



The mitzwot (directives or military-style orders) in Torah (claimed in Tan’’kh (the Jewish Bible) to be the instructions of the Creator), the core of the Judaism, are an indivisible whole. Rejecting any one constitutes rejecting of the whole… and the Church rejected many mitzwot, for example rejecting to observe the Shabat on the seventh day in the Jewish week. Examples are endless. Devarim (“Deuteronomy”) 13.1-6 explicitly precludes the Christian “NT”. Devarim 13:1-6 forbids the addition of mitzwot and subtraction of mitzwot from Torah.



Ribi Yehoshuas talmidim Netzarim still observes Torah non-selectively to their utmost today and the research in the previous mentioned Netzarim-website implies that becoming one of Ribi Yehoshuas Netzarim-followers is the only way to follow him.



“The gospels” contains anti-Torah statements that the first century Ribi Yehoshua impossibly could have said. Since observers of “Messianic Judaism” don’t practise all of the mitzwot in Torah non-selectively, it is not proper to describe it as Judaism.



It is possible to be a Jew and believe that Ribi Yehoshua was the Mashiakh (the Netzarim Jews does that), but le-havdil to stick to Christian doctrines is not compatible with practising Judaism.



Anders Branderud

chaiyall said...

I whole-heartedly agree. There are so many variations on Messianic Judaism/Hebrew Roots that one doesn't know what one will encounter upon visiting a new congregation. I've attended worship services that ran the gamut, and been very disappointed. Having a movement/denominational label would be quite helpful.