December 4, 2012

December 3, 2012

  • We Stand With Israel! Screw the UN!

    We Stand With Israel! Screw the UN!

    Israel says will stick with settlement plan despite European pressure

    By Jeffrey Heller | Reuters

    with comments by John of AllFaith

    JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel rejected concerted criticism from Europe on Monday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to expand settlement building after the United Nations' de facto recognition of Palestinian statehood.

    Britain, France, Spain, Sweden and Denmark summoned the Israeli ambassadors in their capitals to hear appeals for Netanyahu to reverse course and deep disapproval of the plan to erect 3,000 more homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

    [JoA: The West Bank is NOT "Occupied!" It is part of Israel! On the other hand, Gaza is occupied by al Ikwan and Israel should retake it! Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    An official in Netanyahu's office said Israel would not bend. "Israel will continue to stand by its vital interests, even in the face of international pressure, and there will be no change in the decision that was made," the official said.

    Angered by the U.N. General Assembly's upgrading on Thursday of the Palestinians' status in the world body from "observer entity" to "non-member state", Israel said the next day it would build the new dwellings for settlers.

    [JoA: Excellent! may HaShem protect and strengthen all who live and serve there! Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    Such projects, on land Israel captured in a 1967 war, have routinely drawn world condemnation. Approximately 500,000 Israelis and 2.5 million Palestinians live in the two areas.

    In a shift that raised the alarm among Palestinians and in world capitals, Netanyahu's pro-settler government also ordered "preliminary zoning and planning work" for thousands of housing units in areas including the "E1" zone east of Jerusalem.

    Such construction in the barren hills of E1 has never been put into motion in the face of opposition from Israel's main ally, the United States. Building in the area could bisect the West Bank, cut off Palestinians from Jerusalem and further dim their hopes for a contiguous state.

    [JoA: Excellent! may HaShem protect and strengthen all who live and serve there! Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    The settlement plan, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, would deal "an almost fatal blow" to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    [JoA: May it be so! ALL OF ERETZ ISRAEL BELONGS TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE! NO MUSLIM STATE ON ISRAELI LAND NOW NOR EVER AGAIN!!! Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    "We don't want to shift into sanctions mode," French President Francois Hollande told a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti. "We are more focused on persuading."

    [JoA: Persuade THIS you Al Ikwan collaborator! Give France to the Muslims if you want! Not Israel! Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    Britain made clear it would not back such Israeli retaliation over the U.N. vote, which Palestinians sought after peace talks collapsed in 2010 over settlement building.

    "We deplore the recent Israeli decision to build 3,000 new housing units and unfreeze development in the E1 block," a Foreign Office spokesman said. "We have called on the Israeli government to reverse the decision."

    But a spokesman for British Prime Minister David Cameron played down what diplomatic sources said was the possibility of recalling Britain's ambassador in Tel Aviv, saying: "We are not proposing to do anything further at this stage".

    [JoA: Let a spine develop in you Britain! Churchill stood up to the Nazis now its your time to show some backbone and say NO! to this growing evil! Screw the UN and Screw France!

    France expressed "serious concerns" to the Israeli ambassador, reminding him that settlement building in occupied territories was illegal and an "obstacle" to reviving peace talks with the Palestinians.

    [JoA: Israel has bent over backwards to appease these terrorists! Enough! Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    A French Foreign Ministry official, responding to reports Paris might bring its Tel Aviv envoy home, said: "There are other ways in which we can express our disapproval."

    Ahead of a Netanyahu visit this week, Germany, considered Israel's closest ally in Europe, urged it to refrain from expanding settlements, and Russia said it viewed the Israeli moves with serious concern.

    [JoA: GERMANY is Israel's closest European ally... You read that right? Screw the UN and Screw France!]

     

    RETALIATION

    Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said Israel could not have remained indifferent to the Palestinians' unilateral move at the United Nations.

    [JoA: Sure, like they remained indifferent as the Nazis enter Paris! Screw the UN and Screw France]!

    "I want to tell you that those same Europeans and Americans who are now telling us 'naughty, naughty' over our response, understand full-well that we have to respond, and they themselves warned the Palestinian Authority," he said.

    Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said building in E1 "destroys the two-state solution, (establishing) East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and practically ends the peace process and any opportunity to talk about negotiations in the future".

    [Baruch HaShem!!!!! Then BUILD! Build Build! And Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    The United States, one of the eight countries to vote alongside Israel against the Palestinian resolution at the General Assembly, has said the settlement plan was counterproductive to the resumption of direct peace talks.

    [JoA: PEACE NOW, cool -- But at what cost? Jerusalem UNITED belongs to the Jews! Jerusalem must be kept OFF THE TABLE!  Screw the UN and Screw France!

    Baruch HaShem that even with Obama as POTUS the USA stood with Israel in this case, despite their despicable added comment. The so-called two state solution as envisioned by Jimmy Carter and the other enemies of Israel was NEVER a potential solution!]

    Washington used the same argument in opposing the Palestinian initiative at the United Nations.

    In Europe, only the Czech Republic voted against the status upgrade while many countries, including France, backed it. Netanyahu plans to visit Prague this week to express his thanks.

    [JoA: May HaShem bless the Czech Republic and illustrate through them that standing with Israel earns the tangible blessings of GOD the Eternal Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    In the Gaza Strip, Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for the governing Hamas Islamist movement, called Israeli settlement "an insult to the international community, which should bear responsibility for Israeli violations and attacks on Palestinians".

    In another blow to the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, Israel announced on Sunday it was withholding Palestinian tax revenues this month worth about $100 million, arguing the Palestinians owed $200 million to Israeli companies.

    "These are not steps towards peace, these are steps towards the extension of the conflict," Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said.

    [JoA: Yes they are you Sharia sympathizer! Islam only respects strength! For years the government of Israel has kowtowed before Islam hoping that through appeasement peace might be attained. FINALLY it appears they are going to act like a nation dedicated to its survival and fight back! Baruch HaShem!  Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    Only three weeks ago, Netanyahu won strong European and U.S. support for a Gaza offensive that Israel said was aimed at curbing persistent cross-border rocket fire.

    Favored by opinion polls to win a January 22 national election, he brushed off the condemnation and complaints at home that he is deepening Israel's diplomatic isolation.

    Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that his government "will carry on building in Jerusalem and in all the places on the map of Israel's strategic interests".

    [JoA: Amen! Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    But while his housing minister has said the government would soon invite bids from contractors to build 1,000 homes for Israelis in East Jerusalem and more than 1,000 in West Bank settlement blocs, the E1 plan is still in its planning stages.

    "No one will build until it is clear what will be done there," the minister, Ariel Attias, said on Sunday.

    Israel froze much of its activities in E1 under pressure from former U.S. President George W. Bush, and the area has been under the scrutiny of his successor, Barack Obama.

    [JoA: Israel is a free and independent nation! They MUST do what they determine is in their best interests! The choice the US must make is whether to stand with GOD or against Him! Screw the UN and Screw France!]

    Most world powers consider Israel's settlements to be illegal. Israel cites historical and Biblical links to the West Bank and Jerusalem and regards all of the holy city as its capital, a claim that is not recognized internationally.

    (Additional reporting by Crispian Balmer, Dan Williams, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza, Jihan Abdalla in Ramallah, Steve Gutterman in Moscow, Gareth Jones in Berlin, John Irish and Elizabeth Pineau in Paris and Tim Castle in London; writing by Jeffrey Heller; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

    Genesis 12:1 Now ADONAI said to Avram, "Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you.
    2 I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing.
    3 I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

    Joshua 24:15 If it seems bad to you to serve ADONAI, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living? As for me and my household, we will serve ADONAI!" Who will YOU serve?

     

November 28, 2012

  • Understanding Matthew 21:43

     

    שמע ישראל ה 'הוא האלוהים שלנו הוא אחד
    Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohaynu Adonai Echad
    Hear, Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One.
    The Jewish Teachings of Rebbe Y'shua:

     

    Understanding Matthew 21:43
    By John of AllFaith © 11.28.12
    Also posted at AllFaith.com

    B"H Our text: Matthew 21:43 Therefore I say to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing out its fruits.These verses are often misinterpreted by Christians to teach a false doctrine: that HaShem has abandoned His people and selected the Gentiles. This heresy needs to be understood and quickly rejected. Scripture is clear:

    "For I am Adonai, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed -- Malachi 3:6

    And Rebbe Y'shua affirmed:

    John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

    Rebbe Y'shua clearly is not contradicting himself nor HaShem with this teaching (may G-d forbid) so we must try and understand what he meant. We must always "rightly divide the Word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15) in order to discover the correct understandings. Some texts are clear, some require deeper consideration.

    The Greek uses the term "ethnos" or people here. This can mean an entire people group or nation as most translations have it, however its root is etho, a primary verb; to be used (by habit or conventionality); neuter perfect participle usage: - be custom (manner, wont).

    This is significant here. The Rebbe is addressing the leaders of the people who have chosen to reject him and thereby his anointed mission to lead the nation into the Kingdom. Matthew 21:43 in context is not referring to the "70 nations" of people groups but to the leaders of Israel he was speaking with.

    Rebbe Y'shua frequently references the prophecies of Daniel, sometimes by name, sometimes not. Here is the prophecy he is referring to as those rabbis clearly understood in context:

    Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other peoples, but it shall crush and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
    2:45 Because you saw that the stone
    [i.e. the coming Messiah] was cut out of the mountain [i.e. Mount Zion] without hands [i.e. by the Will of HaShem not human plans], and that it crushes the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, [i.e. the Gentile nations/powers he had previously foretold would rule the earth] the great God has made known to the king what shall occur after this. And the dream is certain, and its meaning is sure.

    This is the "stone" in this verse. It represents the authority given by HaShem to lead His people. That stone or authority comes from Zion. The rabbis (the leaders of the people) were granted this authority to rule under the Roman occupation forces, but they had fallen short by not recognizing the anointing of John the Immerser and Rebbe Y'shua. Our text directly affirms this when read in context as we'll see in a moment. So, our present text says:

    Matthew 21:43 Therefore I say to you, The kingdom of God [i.e. the one spoken of by Navi Daniel] shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing out its fruits.
    21:44 And he who falls on this Stone
    [i.e. haMoshiach, through whom the Kingdom will be established, whom they rejected] shall be broken, but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

    This was done in 70 CE when, as Rebbe Y'shua prophesied, the Temple was destroyed and not a stone was left upon a stone (Matthew 24:1-3). The Temple on Mount Zion is the outward sign that HaShem is with the Nation. That sign was removed by another another nation: the Roman Empire, as the Rebbe foretold 30 years or so before. In the future the Global Union of the Little Horn (as Navi Daniel refers to the Rex Mundi or Antichrist) will be utterly crushed by haMoshiach and the Kingdom will be established by the Will of HaShem, May He be praised!

    Affirming this understanding, we keep reading:

    21:45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that he spoke of them.

    The rabbinim present understood that by this comment Rebbe Y'shua was saying that their abuses of power was leading to the destruction of the Temple. As the orthodox rabbinim officially rejected Rebbe Y'shua as haMoshiach the physical nation of Israel was destroyed, the Temple was destroyed as foretold at Matthew 23 and 24, and People Israel were exiled throughout the world according to HaShem's desire. As the prophets foretold, they would not be allowed to return to the Land until the End of Days. They returned in 1948/1967.

    Today significant numbers of religious Jews are awaiting the coming of haMoshiach. Some, especially the Nanachs, are even publicly dancing in the streets in celebration of their faith in his soon coming. Of course they do not believe haMoshiach will be the returning Rebbe Y'shua, but as the prophecies are fulfilled haMoshiach will come and through him HaShem will establish the Kingdom.

    "For I am Adonai, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed -- Malachi 3:6

    John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

    With blessings of Shalom
    John of AllFaith
    Yochanan


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November 27, 2012

November 26, 2012

  • Iran NOW Has the Bomb (JTA)

    As Iran achieves nuclear weapons capability, a red line is passed

    By Ron Kampeas · November 21, 2012

    Source: JTA

     

    WASHINGTON (JTA) – The debate about red lines on Iran appears to be over.

    With its massive increase of operative centrifuges at a secured uranium enrichment site, Iran appears to have moved beyond the question of whether capability to build a nuclear weapon or actual acquisition of a nuclear weapon is the appropriate red line.

    Iran already has achieved nuclear weapons capability, according to Michael Adler, an Iran expert at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

    Adler studied the latest report of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran, which was leaked last week. It said that Iran soon could double the number of operating centrifuges at its underground Fordo nuclear site from 700 to 1,400. In all, the site has nearly 2,800 centrifuges in place, according to the report.

    Fordo, near the holy city of Qom, is built into a mountainside. Israeli and Western officials say the site has been fortified against attack.

    “As always with Iran, as time goes on they increase the facts on the ground,” Adler said. “Let's see what they do with the facts on the ground. What they do with their capability will determine whether they intend to be more threatening or reassuring.

    “They’ve built up capacity -- let's see whether they use it or not,” Adler said.

    The notion of  what constitutes capability to produce a nuclear weapon long has been controversial. Groups that oppose military engagement with Iran charge that the term itself is unclear and the aim of those promoting it as a red line was to encourage a military strike. Others argued that with evidence of uranium enriched to "medium" levels -- just a step or two short of weapons grade -- Iran already had capability.

    A Gallup poll published Monday found that Americans cited keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon as among the top three priorities of President Obama's second term, with 79 percent of respondents ranking the issue as "extremely" or "very" important.

    For years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government had led calls to set nuclear capability as the red line. Both parties in Congress backed that language, inserting it into a number of laws. The Obama administration resisted, instead seeking through diplomatic and economic pressures to persuade Iran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons program.

    Netanyahu appeared to back down in September following months of pressure from Obama administration officials seeking to head off an Israeli strike on Iran. In a U.N. speech, Netanyahu set the Israeli red line at the point where Iran has made the decision to manufacture a bomb – essentially the position Obama had staked out.

    In that speech at the U.N. General Assembly, Netanyahu said that point might come as soon as spring, and Obama appears to agree. Last week, Obama said the window for diplomacy is several months.

    “I will try to make a push in the coming months to see if we can open up a dialogue between Iran, and not just us but the international community, to see if we can get this thing resolved,” the U.S. leader said. “I can't promise that Iran will walk through the door that they need to walk through, but that would be very much the preferable option.”

    Western diplomats have told JTA that such a dynamic likely would culminate in one-on-one talks between the United States and Iran. The New York Times last week reported that the Obama administration was seeking such talks, though the White House denied it.

    Heather Hurlburt, a speechwriter during the Clinton administration who now directs the National Security Network, a liberal/realist foreign policy think tank, noted that administration officials did not reject outright the prospect of one-on-one talks.

    “There’s this interesting dance about one-on-one talks,” she said. “It's clear both sides are looking forward to having one on one.”

    Obama, after his decisive election victory this month, has the mandate for such talks, Hurlburt said, partly because his challenger, Mitt Romney, toward the end of the campaign aligned his Iran policy with Obama’s, emphasizing diplomacy as the best way forward.

    “There are a number of areas where Romney adopted the president’s foreign policy, and Iran was one,” she said, adding that polling shows the public prefers a diplomatic option.

    Polling also shows that the public sees Iran as a priority, which could spur forward Obama administration urgency toward securing a deal.

    Stephen Rademaker, a nuclear arms negotiator for the George W. Bush administration, said Obama deserves breathing space to explore such a deal – but that negotiations should be subject to close scrutiny.

    “I would never fault the U.S. government for exploring whether Iran is prepared to reach a diplomatic settlement to suspend the enrichment program. Now is a good a time as any to test them on that,” said Rademaker, now a principal at a lobbying outfit, the Podesta Group. “My larger concern about negotiations with Iran is that the Iranians may say yes to what we see is a good deal, but the reverse is also true.”

    One positive outcome, Rademaker said, would be a verifiable reduction in readily available enriched uranium, either through export or dedicated use in non-weapon capacities.

    Michael Makovksy, a Bush administration Pentagon official who focused on Iraq and now directs the Bipartisan Policy Center’s foreign policy projects, said pressure should increase at least until a deal is achieved.

    “You could increase those chances” of a deal “if you have much tougher sanctions, a much tougher embargo on Iran, but it's unclear whether other countries will go along with that,” Makovsky said.

    Another option is to ratchet up pressure by sharing with Israel advanced weapons, including the latest generation of bunker-busting bombs, and increasing the U.S. profile in the Persian Gulf, he said.

    “The element we need to be focusing on is boosting the credibility of the U.S. military option and of Israel's,” Makovsky said.

    Like JTA on Facebook for updates on Jewish news, photos and more.

  • Revelation Chapter 14: Thus Say The Prophets

    Shalom friends,

    The next installment of Thus Say The Prophets is now up. Here's the video and tad more. To read, watch or hear (audio pod) this one go to: http://allfaith.com/prophecy/revelation/rev14.html. For the entire series go to: http://allfaith.com/prophecy/revelation/

    Also post to my:

    http://johnofallfaith.xanga.com

    http://www.ipernity.com/blog/johnofallfaith

    http://johnofallfaith.blogspot.com

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    Join my E-groups:

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/allfaith

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    Lets discuss these things while there is still time.

     

     

    Welcome to Thus Say the Prophets!
    The Revelation of Navi Y'shua
    By John of AllFaith © 10.05.09 (last update: 11.23.2012)
    Revelation 14
    From Microchip to Armageddon

    Go to the index page for: The Revelation of Navi Y'shua

    Audio Version:

    We pray to HaShem, the Holy One of Israel, to fill our hearts with wisdom and understanding as we continue this study into the Revelation of Navi Y'shua. Armed with this understanding we pledge ourselves to refusing the Mark of the Beast once it is implemented and to standing firmly with HaShem and His Elect. Give us strength we pray!

    The False Prophet and the Mark of the Beast

    Once again please remember that the chapters and verses contained in our Bibles were added later to assist in referencing the texts and so on. They are not intended to direct the flow of the texts. Chapter thirteen ended with the introduction of the False Prophet and the issuance of the Mark of the Beast. That topic continues with the opposition to them..

    Relevant terms

    • 666: khee xee stig'-ma:
      600 + 60 + 6 = 666
    • Mark: (of the Beast): charagma (khar'-ag-mah):
      A scratch or etching: a stamp (as a badge of servitude), also used for a sculptured figure (statue): - graven, mark (hence in part the direct connection between the implant and the image/idol).
    • Image: (of the Beast): eikon: (i-kone)
      A likeness, that is, (literally) statue, profile, or (figuratively) representation, resemblance: - image.
    • Seal: (of G-d): sphragis (sfrag-ece):
      Strengthened; a signet (as fencing in or protecting from misappropriation); by implication the stamp impressed (as a mark of privacy, or genuineness), literally or figuratively: - a seal.

    Thus far (as of this writing) the Mark of the Beast has not yet been introduced. However there is very strong reason to believe its shadow is now upon us. This shadow has been deepening for a long time. On November 16, 1936 the first Social Security (SS) Numbers (SSN) were issued in the United States. There was spoken concern at the time that the SS System might one day be used as a national ID but the government put all such concerns to rest. They promised the American people that would never happen.
       The government lied...
          As usual...
             So, why believe them now?

November 24, 2012

  • Pre-Mark of the Beast Comes to Texas!

    US school tag tracker project prompts court row

    Source: BBC

    A court challenge has delayed plans to expel a Texan student for refusing to wear a radio tag that tracked her movements.

    Religious reasons led Andrea Hernandez to stop wearing the tag that revealed where she was on her school campus.

    The tags were introduced to track students and help tighten control of school funding.

    A Texan court has granted a restraining order filed by a civil rights group pending a hearing on use of the tags.

    ID badges containing radio tags started to be introduced at the start of the 2012 school year to schools run by San Antonio's Northside Independent School District (NISD). The tracking tags gave NISD a better idea of the numbers of students attending classes each day - the daily average of which dictates how much cash it gets from state coffers.

    'Mark of the beast'

    Introducing the tags led to protests by some school students at John Jay High School - one of two schools out of 112 in the NISD catchment area piloting the tags.

    Ms Hernandez refused to wear the tag because it conflicted with her religious beliefs, according to court papers. Wearing such a barcoded tag can be seen as a mark of the beast as described in Revelation 13 in the Bible, Ms Hernandez's father told Wired magazine in an interview.

    NISD suspended Ms Hernandez and said she would no longer be able to attend the John Jay High School unless she wore the ID badge bearing the radio tag. Alternatively it said Ms Hernandez could attend other schools in the district that had not yet joined the radio tagging project.

    The Rutherford Institute, a liberties campaign group, joined the protests and went to court to get a restraining order to stop NISD suspending Ms Hernandez.

    RFID chip Ms Hernandez refused to wear a name tag containing an RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip

    A district court judge has granted the restraining order so Ms Hernandez can go back to school and ordered a hearing next week on the NISD radio tag project.

    The Rutherford Institute said the NISD's suspension violated Texan laws on religious freedom as well as free speech amendments to the US constitution.

    "The court's willingness to grant a temporary restraining order is a good first step, but there is still a long way to go - not just in this case, but dealing with the mindset, in general, that everyone needs to be monitored and controlled," said John Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute in a statement.

    Mr Whitehead said student tagging and locating projects were the first step in producing a "compliant citizenry".

    "These 'student locator' programmes are ultimately aimed at getting students used to living in a total surveillance state where there will be no privacy, and wherever you go and whatever you text or email will be watched by the government," he said.

     

    Revelation 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
    13:17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

    Learn more about the Mark of the Beast in my verse by verse Revelation Study:

    http://allfaith.com/prophecy/revelation/rev13e.html

    Or read, hear or watch the entire series at: http://allfaith.com/prophecy/revelation


    Thus Say the Prophets

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November 23, 2012

  • Seeker Lesson 7 C: The Grafting In: The Adoption

    Shalom friends,

    I have just updated Seeker Lesson 7 C: The Grafting In: The Adoption to clarify a couple of important points. A few other minor changes were made but the following is the main one.

    If you have any questions etc. I'm here to discus them as always.

    Shalom

    .....

    The other critical thing to understand is that Conversion is a misnomer.

    According to Torah and our sages every Jew, past, present and future, including all authentic converts, were personally present at the giving of Torah and personally accepted it. This means that if you are being called to conversion by HaShem you must already be Jewish! You must already be "a Jewish soul. Here is a piece that helps clarifies this important truth:

    Orthodox Rabbi Shraga Simmons writes:

    According to the Talmud, the souls of all converts were actually present at Mount Sinai when the torah was given (Talmud - Shavuot 39a). This is derived from an interesting verse in the Torah, as I will discuss.

    On the last day of Moses' life, he gathered all the Jewish people together who had wandered with him in the desert. There, God spoke to the entire nation of Israel, and said, "Not with you alone do I seal this covenant, but with whoever is here, standing with us today before the Almighty our God, and with whoever is not here with us today." (Deuteronomy 29:13)

    This verse is rather perplexing. We can understand God saying, "I seal this covenant... with whoever is here," because we can see that the people who are there are those who were wandering in the desert with Moses. But who is the group that God refers to as "whoever is not here with us today?!" According to the Talmud, this refers to converts who would convert in the future. It is from this, that we derive that the soul of all coverts were also at Sinai (Talmud - Shavuot 39a).

    A close look at that verse in the original Hebrew will also show something startling. If you look at the first part of the phrase, "but with whomever is here" you will see that the last letters of the first four words (in Hebrew) actually spell out the word "Yitro" which was the name of Moses' father-in-law. Yitro was a righteous convert, and the archetypal covert of the Five Books of Moses. The fact that his name can be found in the verse "with whomever IS here" also indicates that converts of future generations were also there that day.

    The Talmud, continuing this idea that converts already have a Jewish soul inside of them, uses a very interesting phrase when discussing Jewish laws of potential converts. It is written, "a convert who comes to convert..." The phrase begs the question - why does it say "a CONVERT who comes to convert..."? Rather, it should say, "a GENTILE who comes to convert..."! The reason is because they already have a Jewish spark inside of them.

    Rabbi Yoel Schwartz writes in "Jewish Conversion" (www.feldheim.com): One of the most well-known converts was the Polish nobleman, Abraham ben Abraham. He converted to Judaism in the 18th century, and was sentenced by the church to death. He died sanctifying God's Name. It is said that even before his conversion, unidentifiable feelings, which testified to the greatness of his spirit, would overwhelm him every Sabbath.... Abraham ben Abraham traced the roots of converts to the giving of the Torah. "Although the nations rejected the Torah," Abraham ben Abraham is quoted as saying, "Individual members of those nations sought to accept it. Only the refusals of their peers prevented them from realizing their aspirations. The souls of these individuals appear in every generation as converts." With blessings from Jerusalem, Rabbi Shraga Simmons Aish.com

    So as you are considering whether to serve HaShem as a Noahide or through gerus (conversion) consider this as well. Do you have the inward sense, yearning, that through the gerus process you will be reuniting with your people. If not, the Path of the Righteous Gentile might be preferable.

    Requirements for the "Grafting In" or Gerus Process

    Each Jewish movement has its own requirements for conversion. Once you understand the biblical, Jewish teachings of Rebbe Y'shua and have a basic understanding of Judaism, those wishing to continue toward conversion should speak with a rabbi in a local synogogue. Many offer conversion classes. We recommend visiting as many synogogues as possible and getting to know the differences between them and prayerfully deterime HaShem's guidence.

    Those who are interested in Orthodox gerus might want to join the Orthodox Conversion To Judaism Yahoo group and or read Rabbi Aryeh Moshen's The Gerus Guide.

    Those who are interested in Progresive (i.e. Conservative, Reform or Reconstructionist) gerus may wish to purchase Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends by Anita Diamant.

    Requirements for living as a Noahide

    Observe the Sheva Mitzvot B'nei Noach

    As a descendent of Noach you have a G-d ordained right to embrace the Seven Laws and to serve HaShem through them. Even as Jews have nothing to convert into so too Gentiles require no conversion to embrace the Noahide Path. Simply choose to do so and begin.

    Many rabbis will be glad to assist you in this as we are here. This includes the Orthodox. There are also many good online resources for this Path. These groups vary in their requirements and teachings. If you would like more information on the Noahide Way you are invited to contact us.

November 22, 2012