More than 25
prominent rabbis from Israel and abroad recently issued a statement calling for
a renewed look at Jesus, Christians and the New Testament faith. Quoting from
their own sages, these outstanding Orthodox rabbis are not ashamed to
exalt the name of Jesus, welcoming the carpenter from Nazareth back into the
Jewish fold.
“Jesus brought a double goodness to the world,” declare the group of well-known rabbis. “On the one hand he strengthened the Torah
of Moses majestically… and not one of our Sages spoke out more
emphatically concerning the immutability of the Torah,” and on the other hand
“he removed idols from the nations.”
Saying that
Jesus, even more that any other Jewish Sage, honored, strengthened and
protected the “immutability of the Torah,” is an extraordinary acknowledgement.
These leading rabbis are turning the tides of history by removing one of the
main stumbling blocks in the path of a major Jewish reclamation of Jesus!
You will
recall, that religious Jews rejected Jesus from the beginning, with the
accusation that he did not obey the Torah, therefore he could not be the
awaited Messiah. In the New Testament, we find the Pharisees arguing with Jesus
over Sabbath rules, dietary laws, ritual cleanliness, marriage regulations and
more. They insisted that Jesus cannot be the Messiah because “he is teaching
everywhere not to obey Moses.” (Acts 6:14)
What we are
now witnessing is the undoing of 2,000 years of Jewish rejection and animosity
towards Jesus, a miracle by any estimation. For the out-and-out refusal by Jews
to accept Jesus is slowly, but surely, coming to an end, as growing numbers of
prestigious Orthodox rabbis welcome Jesus back.
And there is more. “After nearly two millennia of mutual hostility and
alienation, we Orthodox Rabbis who lead communities, institutions and
seminaries in Israel, the United States and Europe… seek to do the will of our
Father in Heaven by accepting the hand offered to us by our Christian brothers
and sisters,” the statement reads.
Two thousand
years of Christian Anti-Semitism, Crusades, Inquisitions and a Holocaust can
not keep the Star of Bethlehem from rising again in Israel. This call by these
distinguished rabbis to embrace Christians as “brothers and sisters” is no less
a miracle. For Jews to accept Christians with such endearment, after so much
misunderstanding and anti-Semitic ugliness, can only be understood as a divine
work of heavenly grace, the likes of which I find unfathomable.
For as this
group of Orthodox rabbis points out, it is their “Father in Heaven” who is
calling the Jewish people to lay down the past, put aside the enmity, and
willingly embrace Christians and their faith in Jesus. That, my friends, is the
deeper work of the Holy Spirit as spoken about throughout Scripture.
As Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn, Academic Director of the Center for
Jewish-Christian Understanding & Cooperation points out, “This proclamation’s breakthrough is that
influential Orthodox rabbis across all centers of Jewish life have finally
acknowledged that… Christianity and Judaism have much in common
spiritually and practically. Given our toxic history, this is unprecedented in
Orthodoxy.”
In their statement, the rabbis want to find a way to acknowledge the
differences between Christian and Jewish beliefs, without taking, or giving,
offense. “As did
Maimonides and Yehudah Halevi, we acknowledge that Christianity is neither an
accident nor an error, but the willed divine outcome and gift to the nations.
In separating Judaism and Christianity, G-d willed a separation between
partners with significant theological differences, not a separation between
enemies,” the statement concludes.
These so-called “significant theological differences” between Christianity and Judaism are really
about Jesus. He is the stumbling block. Jesus may be Messiah, Son of the Living
God for the Gentiles, but my Jewish people are still not quite sure just who he
is for them. So while these rabbis are making major and unprecedented strides
in bringing my people closer to Jesus, they are still far from the truth. For
if Jesus is the Messiah for the Gentiles, how much more must he be for the
Jews?
Perhaps Jesus
will not quite be at home this Christmas in Israel, or Jewish homes around the
world, but he is certainly knocking on the door.
To Do the Will
of Our Father in Heaven:
Toward a Partnership between Jews and Christians
After nearly two millennia of mutual hostility and
alienation, we Orthodox Rabbis who lead communities, institutions and
seminaries in Israel, the United States and Europe recognize the historic
opportunity now before us. We seek to do the will of our Father in Heaven by
accepting the hand offered to us by our Christian brothers and sisters. Jews
and Christians must work together as partners to address the moral challenges
of our era.
1.The Shoah ended
70 years ago. It was the warped climax to centuries of disrespect, oppression
and rejection of Jews and the consequent enmity that developed between Jews and
Christians. In retrospect it is clear that the failure to break through this
contempt and engage in constructive dialogue for the good of humankind weakened
resistance to evil forces of anti-Semitism that engulfed the world in murder
and genocide.
2.We recognize
that since the Second Vatican Council the official teachings of the Catholic
Church about Judaism have changed fundamentally and irrevocably. The
promulgation of Nostra Aetate fifty years ago started the process of
reconciliation between our two communities. Nostra Aetate and the later
official Church documents it inspired unequivocally reject any form of
anti-Semitism, affirm the eternal Covenant between G-d and the Jewish people,
reject deicide and stress the unique relationship between Christians and Jews,
who were called “our elder brothers” by Pope John Paul II and “our fathers in
faith” by Pope Benedict XVI. On this basis, Catholics and other Christian
officials started an honest dialogue with Jews that has grown during the last
five decades. We appreciate the Church’s affirmation of Israel’s unique place
in sacred history and the ultimate world redemption. Today Jews have
experienced sincere love and respect from many Christians that have been
expressed in many dialogue initiatives, meetings and conferences around the
world.
3.As did
Maimonides and Yehudah Halevi,[1] we acknowledge that Christianity is neither
an accident nor an error, but the willed divine outcome and gift to the
nations. In separating Judaism and Christianity, G-d willed a separation
between partners with significant theological differences, not a separation
between enemies. Rabbi Jacob Emden wrote that “Jesus brought a double goodness
to the world. On the one hand he strengthened the Torah of Moses majestically…
and not one of our Sages spoke out more emphatically concerning the
immutability of the Torah. On the other hand he removed idols from the nations
and obligated them in the seven commandments of Noah so that they would not
behave like animals of the field, and instilled them firmly with moral
traits…..Christians are congregations that work for the sake of heaven who are
destined to endure, whose intent is for the sake of heaven and whose reward
will not denied.”[2] Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch taught us that Christians
“have accepted the Jewish Bible of the Old Testament as a book of Divine
revelation. They profess their belief in the G-d of Heaven and Earth as
proclaimed in the Bible and they acknowledge the sovereignty of Divine
Providence.”[3] Now that the Catholic Church has acknowledged the eternal
Covenant between G-d and Israel, we Jews can acknowledge the ongoing constructive
validity of Christianity as our partner in world redemption, without any fear
that this will be exploited for missionary purposes. As stated by the Chief
Rabbinate of Israel’s Bilateral Commission with the Holy See under the
leadership of Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, “We are no longer enemies, but
unequivocal partners in articulating the essential moral values for the
survival and welfare of humanity”.[4] Neither of us can achieve G-d’s mission
in this world alone.
4.Both Jews and
Christians have a common covenantal mission to perfect the world under the
sovereignty of the Almighty, so that all humanity will call on His name and
abominations will be removed from the earth. We understand the hesitation of
both sides to affirm this truth and we call on our communities to overcome
these fears in order to establish a relationship of trust and respect. Rabbi
Hirsch also taught that the Talmud puts Christians “with regard to the duties
between man and man on exactly the same level as Jews. They have a claim to the
benefit of all the duties not only of justice but also of active human
brotherly love.” In the past relations between Christians and Jews were often
seen through the adversarial relationship of Esau and Jacob, yet Rabbi Naftali
Zvi Berliner (Netziv) already understood at the end of the 19th century that
Jews and Christians are destined by G-d to be loving partners: “In the future
when the children of Esau are moved by pure spirit to recognize the people of
Israel and their virtues, then we will also be moved to recognize that Esau is
our brother.”[5]
5.We Jews and
Christians have more in common than what divides us: the ethical monotheism of
Abraham; the relationship with the One Creator of Heaven and Earth, Who loves
and cares for all of us; Jewish Sacred Scriptures; a belief in a binding
tradition; and the values of life, family, compassionate righteousness,
justice, inalienable freedom, universal love and ultimate world peace. Rabbi
Moses Rivkis (Be’er Hagoleh) confirms this and wrote that “the Sages made
reference only to the idolator of their day who did not believe in the creation
of the world, the Exodus, G-d’s miraculous deeds and the divinely given law. In
contrast, the people among whom we are scattered believe in all these
essentials of religion.”[6]
6.Our partnership
in no way minimizes the ongoing differences between the two communities and two
religions. We believe that G-d employs many messengers to reveal His truth,
while we affirm the fundamental ethical obligations that all people have before
G-d that Judaism has always taught through the universal Noahide covenant.
7.In imitating
G-d, Jews and Christians must offer models of service, unconditional love and
holiness. We are all created in G-d’s Holy Image, and Jews and Christians will
remain dedicated to the Covenant by playing an active role together in
redeeming the world.
Initial signatories(in alphabetical order):
Rabbi Jehoshua Ahrens (Germany)
Rabbi Marc Angel (United States)
Rabbi Isak Asiel (Chief Rabbi of Serbia)
Rabbi David Bigman (Israel)
Rabbi David Bollag (Switzerland)
Rabbi David Brodman (Israel)
Rabbi Natan Lopez Cardozo (Israel)
Rav Yehudah Gilad (Israel)
Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein (Israel)
Rabbi Irving Greenberg (United States)
Rabbi Marc Raphael Guedj (Switzerland)
Rabbi Eugene Korn (Israel)
Rabbi Daniel Landes (Israel)
Rabbi Steven Langnas (Germany)
Rabbi Benjamin Lau (Israel)
Rabbi Simon Livson (Chief Rabbi of Finland)
Rabbi Asher Lopatin (United States)
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin (Israel)
Rabbi David Rosen (Israel)
Rabbi Naftali Rothenberg (Israel)
Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger (Israel)
Rabbi Shmuel Sirat (France)
Rabbi Daniel Sperber (Israel)
Rabbi Jeremiah Wohlberg (United States)
Rabbi Alan Yuter (Israel)
Subsequent signatories:
Rabbi David Bauman (USA )
Rabbi Abraham Benhamu (Peru)
Rabbi Todd Berman (Israel)
Rabbi Michael Beyo (USA)
Rabbi Michael Chernick (USA)
Rabbi David Ellis (Canada)
Rabbi Seth Farber (Israel)
Rabbi Ben Greenberg (USA)
Rabbi Yeshayahu Hollander (Israel)
Rabbi David be Meir Hasson (Chile)
Rabbi Herzl Hefter (Israel)
Rabbi Zvi Herberger (Norway/Estonia)
Rabbi David Jaffe (USA)
Rabbi David Kalb (USA)
Rabbi Shaya Kilimnick (USA)
Rabbi Yehoshua Looks (Israel)
Rabbi Ariel Mayse (USA)
Rabbi Bryan Opert (S. Africa)
Rabbi David Rose (UK)
Rabbi Zvi Solomons (UK)
Rabbi Yair Silverman (Israel)
Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein (USA)
Rabbi Mashada Vaivsaunu (Armenia)
Rabbi Shmuel Yanklowitz (USA)
Rabbi Lawrence Zierler (USA)
If you’re an orthodox rabbi wishing to add your
name to the signatory list, please fill out your information in the fields
below:
[2] Seder Olam Rabbah 35-37; Sefer ha-Shimush
15-17.
[3] Principles of Education, “Talmudic
Judaism and Society,” 225-227.
[4] Fourth meeting of the Bilateral Commission of
the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Holy See’s Commission for Religious
Relations with Jewry, Grottaferrata, Italy (19 October 2004).
[5] Commentary on Genesis 33:4.
[6] Gloss on Shulhan Arukh, Hoshen Mishpat, Section
425:5.
Nací en Madrid en el año 1.948. Estudié durante nueve años en los colegios de la Compañía de Jesús de Areneros y del Recuerdo de Madrid.
Licenciado en derecho por la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, estudié también los dos primeros cursos de Ingeniero de Minas del plan 1964 en la E.T.S.I. de Minas de Madrid.
Además de mi lengua materna, el castellano, leo fluentemente el portugués, francés, italiano, y latín. Tengo nociones de inglés, griego y hebreo bíblico.
Desde muy joven ingresé en la Familia de Almas fundada por el Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, habiendo sido fundador y presidente de la Sociedad Cultural Covadonga – TFP.
Como miembro de la Familia de Almas fundada por el Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, asumo totalmente el análisis filosófico-histórico de su obra cumbre: el libro Revolución y Contra-Revolución, síntesis de su pensamiento en esta área, y punto de partida para el apostolado lego del Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira y de toda la Familia de Almas por él fundada. Con sus propias palabras diremos: «Revolução e Contra-Revolução não é senão uma aplicação da Doutrina Católica a certas situações históricas». En la médula de su pensamiento están: El Magisterio Tradicional de la Iglesia y Santo Tomás: «Sou tomista convicto. O aspecto da Filosofia pelo qual mais me interesso é a Filosofia da História. Em função deste encontro o ponto de junção entre os dois gêneros de atividade em que me venho dividindo ao longo de minha vida: o estudo e a ação. O ensaio em que condenso o essencial de meu pensamento explica o sentido de minha atuação ideológica. Trata-se do livro Revolução e Contra-Revolução» (cfr. Auto-retrato filosófico de Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. Revista “Catolicismo” (http://www.catolicismo.com.br), outubro de 1996, N° 550. Editora Padre Belchior de Pontes Ltda. Sáo Paulo – Brasil. Cfr. También en el sitehttp://www.pliniocorreadeoliveira.info/).
Este Blog «Las Españas», que considero una forma de apostolado lego, copia las noticias de modo indicativo, no exhaustivo, que señalan en qué estado está España, por eso prácticamente el noticiario seleccionado se dedica a España, aunque a menudo reproducimos noticias que no son de España, pero que conforme el caso pueden afectar al rumbo histórico de España.
¿Por qué «Las Españas»? Fue el título de nuestros Reyes, Reyes de todas Las Españas, desde los Reyes Católicos hasta el Rey Carlos II último rey de la Casa de Austria. Representa el respeto a la diversidad regional.
Finalmente diremos que ese apostolado tiene como ideal el enunciado por San Luis María Grignion de Montfort en su «Tratado de la Verdadera Devoción a la Santíssima Virgen». «Ut adveniat regnum tuum, adveniat regnum Mariae» (op. cit., Vozes, Petrópolis, 1984, 13ª ed., no 217, pp. 210-211).
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