god
CHapter 22U - Guilt-Offering
Continued from Chapter 22t 53:10: “If he would offer himself as a guilt-offering” The suffering servant as a guilt-offering Following the initial declaration that it was God’s will for the servant to suffer, the verse is written as a conditional statement. If condition A is satisfied, then the outcome B will occur. That is, the rewards of verse 10 are contingent on the servant’s willingness to offer himself as an asham, “guilt-offering.” In a literal sense the verse says, “If his soul place
Zalman Kravitz
Making a Spiritual Connection
Conventional Jewish thinking defines the "religious person” as the man who puts on tefillin (frontlets), keeps kosher, and fasts on all the fast days. But he doesn't meditate or reflect on his inner life, nor does he become involved in the community to do acts of chesed (kindness). Others will admire the "spiritual person” who is involved in deep thought, reads and goes to inspiring lectures, and studies mysticism, but doesn't keep many of the specific physical commandments. Still others think
Zalman Kravitz
Connection
Ever used an air pump to inflate a bicycle tire or a basketball? When you push down on the pump handle, you get the sensation that the pump is pushing back. Well, of course, it is. In the middle of the seventh century, the English scientist Robert Hooke developed an explanation for such behavior. He predicted that there were particles in nature that are in constant motion. The particles are the molecules of the air. Their motion causes them to bump into the walls of their container, such as a ba
Zalman Kravitz
Seeing God
Rabbi David Aaron*, in his most provocative book, Seeing God, relates the following dialogue with his son:"My three-year-old son was watching me pray one day, trying to imitate my movements, pretending he was also praying. Then out of the blue, he blurted out, "Daddy! I just saw God's feet." I didn't know what my immediate response should be to this, but quickly I decided that truth was my best option. "Yehuda," I said, "You couldn't have seen God's feet. God doesn't have feet." He seemed star
Zalman Kravitz
CHapter 22y - Poured his soul to death
Continued from Chapter 22x 53:12: “because he had poured out his soul to death” Many have poured out their soul to death “Because he has poured out (‘arah) his soul to death” is the reason the servant will be rewarded. This cannot refer to the Gospels’ Jesus if the phrase means to die willingly. Jesus “poured out his soul,” that is, died on the cross unwillingly, saying at the last moment: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). According to Matthew/Mark, hi
Zalman Kravitz
Chapter 24 - THE LORD IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Continued from Chapter 23 (Jeremiah 23:5-6) In their effort to substantiate the belief in a triune deity, Christians have alleged that a prophecy given by Jeremiah supports their contention. The prophet declares: Behold, the days are coming says the Lord, that I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he shall reign as king and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is his name by whic
Zalman Kravitz
Chapter 26 - A NEW COVENANT WITH ISRAEL
Continued from Chapter 25 (Jeremiah 31:31-34) Jeremiah declares: Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; forasmuch as they broke My covenant, although I was a lord over them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those da
Zalman Kravitz