Progressive Jewish Spirituality

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Title #5: Pelegash Begiva - The Battle for Freedom, The Need for Family, The Practical Kabballa, Truth and the Seal of Truth, No Easy Way to Happiness, The Myth of the Messiah, The Messiah of the Oral Torah, The Failure of Christianity, Hinduism Christianity and Judaism

Pelegash Begiva - The Battle for Freedom

"Behold here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine, and brought her out to them, and they had their desire of her, and abused her all the night until the morning. (Judges 19)

In the Book of Judges, there is a story of the torture of a concubine by the people of the tribe of Benjamin before the period of kings when the Kingship of Israel was established. All of the tribes of Israel went to war against the tribe of Benjamin in revenge. Later on in Jewish history after the kingship of David was established was banned pre-marital sex. It was even forbidden for a man to be alone with a single woman.

Pre-marital sex with a concubine was permitted in the written Torah as long as the couple kept the statutes of Nidah to go to the mikva for ritual bath after counting seven clean days after the menstrual cycle. The Oral Torah gave permission for the Sanhedrin to make decrees to strengthen Jewish law. They decreed to prohibit concubine relationships which means marriage out of wedlock. They wanted every child to know his father. They watched strictly over lineage. Transgression of concubine was punishable by lashes.

Almost all of the twelve tribes of Israel considered prohibiting concubine relationships evasion of their right to privacy. Before this decree if a man would meet a woman and sleep with her she would then be his concubine. If she would live with him, she would become his wife. People were considered married when they loved each other and had between them intimacy.

In Jewish law a woman is not allowed to live with a man without a marriage contract called a Ketuba. The relationship between a man and woman must be sanctified by seven blessings made under a canopy. The man places a ring over her finger and recite "behold you are sanctified to me." Love is not an issue. The Jewish law dictates married or not.

A Ketuba is a marriage contract. The man has his obligations to the woman and the woman to the man which are written in the marriage contract. Marriage is acceptance of obligation not only for sex. This protects the children which are born from the relationship between man and woman. There are legal responsibilities which people take when they have sexual relations which can bring children into the world.

After marriage when a couple wants to separate permanently Jewish law obligates divorce done in a Jewish court which frees the woman to marry again. Children born from a woman or man without a Jewish divorce are considered to be Bastards and can no longer marry Jewish men and woman of Israel. These laws protect Jewish lineage.

Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people the nation of Israel. Judaism separates Jews from the other nations of the world. It separates Jews from the children of Adam who are not part of the Jewish lineage. There is the family of Adam who are part of the Jewish people and the family of Adam who are not Jews. The world is divided.

Lineage is essential in Judaism. Jews must be kept separate from the other nations through Jewish law. Jews believe in one God but consider themselves the chosen people. The laws which separate Jews from the rest of the world are part of the Oral Torah. The time of Judges when concubine relationship was still permitted was before the decree of Sanhedrin. People took the law in their own hands. They killed this concubine.

Today after the destruction of the temple when the nation of Israel was conquered by the Romans, the Jewish Orthodox religious leaders continue to consider that the Oral law and the decrees of the Sanhedrin are still in effect. Concubine relations are still prohibited by them. They do not accept that today is a new law or that the law has returned to the law during the period of Judges before was established the Kingship.

Jesus was born from a concubine relationship. His father is unknown. His mother when she was questioned by the authorities to identify the father of Jesus refused to give this information which would obligate him to receive lashes. Instead she testified to them that her child was born through Immaculate Conception. This was the custom of rebellious Jews in the time of the second temple when there was a conflict between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. The Pharisees wanted strict observance of Jewish law according to the Oral Torah.

The nation of Israel, the Jewish people survives through protecting their lineage. The Oral law protects the lineage of the Jewish people and their nation. Jews according to the Oral Torah are not only servants to God but also to the Jewish nation. The sanctity of the Jewish mother is protected by the Oral law because she is the determining factor of being a Jew. Therefore in Judaism God and the Jewish people are one. God is called the Lord of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Judaism is a National religion with strict laws of lineage.

Judaism did not officially become a religion until was established the Nation of Israel in the times of King David. The land of Israel officially became their homeland after the conquest which was completed by King David. The temple was built by Solomon and the Sanhedrin became the congress of the nation of Israel. Their decrees were considered to be the law of God which was the law of the land. Today this law is a tradition since there is no longer the power to enforce these laws. If the Nation will be re-established then it will again become law. Orthodox Rabbis claim that it is still the law of the Jewish people even though they still have not returned to their homeland and the Messiah has not come. The Sanhedrin instituted prayers three times a day for the coming of the Messiah to establish the Kingship of Israel like in the days of the past.

The story of the Pelgash BeGiva - the torture of the concubine in Jewish history shows that not all the people of the nation wanted the Kingship which was a dictatorship. They preferred to live according to the Written Torah which gave them freedom like it says in the end of the Book of Judges, "each person did what was just in his eyes." The Oral law protects Jewish lineage which is essential for the survival of the nation; but the written law gives the Jew freedom to be religious or not. To return to the dictatorship of the days of old, will only bring back the problems of the past primarily hatred amongst Jews which eventually lead to the destruction of the holy temple.

Traditionally Jews pray to return to the days of old, but in truth to return to the days of old would require the world to start again from the beginning. Freedom has its negative aspects where people are permitted to be promiscuous, immodest, even homosexuals. However it also gives the right for people to be religious even ultra-orthodox but not to kill in the name of religion like in the past. Freedom was not born overnight; it took the world and civilization close to six thousand years to reach to the level where there can be freedom and law together without anarchy.

Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. They had a personal relationship with God. Freedom gives each person the right to have a personal relationship with God and be creative; not only to follow strictly religious precepts like in Orthodox religion. There are the teachings of the prophets which have given mankind the way of life. The Zohar calls the Torah "instruction" instead of law. The Torah today has instructed the Jew the way of life instead of the way the Torah was given in the past as a commandment. The holiness of the Torah, the oral and written Torah are revered today but are instruction to mankind to give and recommend the way of life. There are obligations which are punishable by law in a free society; the other obligations are left to conscience. Judaism is stricter than most religions about obligations but in a free society these obligations become subject to free choice.

Remember Pelegash BeGiva before deciding to go back to the past how Jews fought between each other over freedom of concubine relationship. Remember how Jews fought in the times of the second temple over the written and oral law between Pharisees and Sadducees where they killed each other in the battle of control over the nation. Remember that the holy temple was destroyed because of hatred between Jews and the importance of Love of your Fellow Jew. Remember why Jews became Christians in the time of the second temple. The world has changed. There are two religions in the world when before there was only Judaism and the whole world were pagan worshippers. The world has gone ahead; so why go back. The way today is to work peacefully together with other religions to bring into the world righteousness to become part of freedom through free choice in the language of the Zohar "Torah is the language of to give instruction and guidance."

The Zohar relates that there are two Messiahs which complement each other. The Messiah the son of Joseph comes into the world for the sake of bringing to the world mercy and spiritual freedom. The Messiah the son of David has come into the world to bring to the world justice with mercy. After the Jewish nation brought into the world monotheism the religion of the nation of Israel; then came the Messiah the son of Joseph to add to the world the attribute of mercy and pure faith. The final coming then is when the Messiah the son of David is revealed through the Zohar and Chassidism, the Messiah the son of David, the king of Israel who lives forever.

In the same way a person should marry and make a family. After he raises his children, he should separate from his first wife and seek out spiritual freedom. They can remain married but live separately. The woman gives her Kesuba the marriage contract to her husband to release him from all material obligations to her. Their relationship becomes similar to concubine without having to divorce. They do not have to get divorced like many couples divorce when they get older when they are looking for spiritual freedom.

Concubine relationship is considered today in Judaism as immodest. However, there is a place for concubine relationship for older people after they have made a family. An older man should devote his life for the study of the Kabballa. If his wife will give him the freedom to leave his home to seek out truth which means to release him from his obligations of the marriage contract, there is no reason to divorce. If they do get divorced because they both need their spiritual freedom, Rabbi Yaacov Emden a great Rabbi and halachic authority who lived 300 years ago gave permission for Pelegash relationship. The ideal situation is if the wife of a man will give her husband permission to have a Pelegash or a second wife if permitted according to civil law. This will release her from her obligations to him and they can still be husband and wife. Marriage is an obligation which can interfere with spiritual freedom.

Marriage is primarily for the purpose of having children. Every man needs a woman. Pelegash may be the answer if done in modesty.

In the times of Judges there were spiritual people that lived with Pelegash relationships. These relationships became prohibited when the nation of Israel was established. Having children out of wedlock is not a good idea. Children need family life. Older people may find Pelegash an answer. Pelegash gives the man and woman freedom unlike marriage. Pelegash is not the way of the Oral Torah; but is allowed in the written Torah.

The Need for Family

It is a weakness of a human being that he needs family. He needs a wife. He needs children and he needs a nation.

In this way the world becomes divided between families. We are all part of one family which are the children of Adam and Eve. The children of Adam distance themselves one from the other for many reasons. Each one has their own family and their own favorites. Eventually there are family wars, wars between nations, wars between religions.

As a result of the dispersion of humanity on the face of the earth, there are today seventy nations or more in the world covering the whole globe. There are thousands and thousands of families spreading out within these nations without end. It all started with Adam and Eve. They needed each other. They knew each other as it says in the Bible in Genesis, "And Adam knew Eve."

In this world the mother is the center of the family. The essential job of the father is to support the family with all its physical needs which are food, clothing and shelter. The family grows as they fulfill the commandment of God to be fruitful and multiply. God put this commandment in nature. The nature of man is to seek his spouse. It is not good for a man to be alone. A man needs a woman and a woman needs a man. When they unite, they are fruitful and multiply. The world becomes populated. The earth wants to be full. The heavens want to bring forth rain. The heavens and the earth including the stars contribute to the growth of humanity on the face of the earth. Like the mother is the center of the family, the earth is the center of the universe. Like the heavens surround the earth, the husband and his children go out to bring to the home sustenance. The family is the microcosm; the universe is the macrocosm.

The Jewish people are one family on the earth called in the Bible the chosen people. They were chosen to receive the law of God and to represent this law on earth for all of mankind. The law is the commandments of not to kill, not to steal, not to commit adultery etc. Mankind has received this law and developed this law that it should be fair and just. This law has become the universal law of mankind which should be protected and enforced by all the nations.

The nations of the world should give respect for this law which includes making courts of justice in each country to enforce the law. Conflict of interests between families and nations is difficult to control. Each nation and each family has first its own interest. Therefore it is important that there be cooperation between nations to attempt to satisfy the needs of each nation and to support the poor on a national level and international level.

Very important needs of the individual are suppressed for the sake of the majority. The minority is also important. The nation of Israel is a small nation in a big world. It is an example of the importance of the minority and the way the minority plays a role in the macrocosm which is the world. The individual is always a minority but the world is made of individuals which become nations. It was once possible to discriminate but today the right of discrimination has been overthrown. A family can discriminate for the sake of its children but only in a limited way for the sake of peace. Peace Shalom which is the name of God is the most important part of life. This means peace of mind which is mental health applicable to the individual and peace of the body of all nations. Within each nation should be secured peace for the individual which is his right to live peacefully and peace within their nation governing the nation according to the law of God and humanity.

Religion was once an excuse to separate people and nations. Judaism separates Jews from the rest of the world. Christianity and Protestant separates Catholics. Islamic make their constituents part of a separate nation. Only through considering the rights of the individual can be brought together these religious blocs to unite in peace. This means Religious Freedom without neglecting the laws of God which is not to steal, to kill or commit adultery.

Each religion began with its own prophet to build the kingship of God on earth. Today the prophets are united for the sake of World Unity and Peace.

The Practical Kabballa

There are two approaches to mysticism in Torah called Kabbala. These two approaches are represented by the two greatest Kabballists in Jewish history, Rabbi Yitzchok Luria and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai the author of the Zohar. The Zohar is the most idealistic. The Zohar calls for World Unity and Peace as well as Jewish Unity represented by the recital of Shma Yisrael: Hear Israel, the Lord is your God the Lord is One. Blessed be the name of your glorious kingdom forever. These two passages are called the upper and the lower unity. According to the philosophy of the Zohar, there can and will be peace and the Messiah will be revealed. The Zohar teaches two Messiahs for World Unity and Jewish Unity. According to the Zohar, it is in God's plan to reveal his divine unity on earth.

After was revealed the Zohar about eight hundred years ago, a famous Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchok Luria produced his own version of the Kabballa based on the Zohar but with several changes and additions. Rabbi Luria called the Arizal revealed in his Kabballa an imperfection in the creation called the breaking of the vessels. The breaking of the vessels occurred in the process of the creation of the world described by the Arizal in depth. Because of the breaking of the vessels of creation the world is imperfect, man is imperfect. Therefore, even though God wants there to be perfection in his creation like described in the Zohar, the imperfection within nature interferes with fulfillment of these ideals of World Unity and Peace. The Arizal refutes the coming of the Messiah for World Unity and Peace. He gives the Jewish people the reason to fight for their own unity and survival in an imperfect world.

God wanted to give to the world the first tablets in which were inscribed the Ten Commandments. Because of the imperfection of the world, and the building of the Golden Calf Moses was forced to break these tablets written by the hand of God. The first tablets were given for the higher purpose of creation which is World Unity and Peace. When Moses saw that this goal was unreachable he substituted a second set of Tablets which he wrote by hand. The second set of tablets were for the unity of the Jewish people and for their survival. They lacked the idealism of the first tablets and its law. Instead Moses taught another law according to the second tablets which became the Jewish religion when they entered Israel. When the Jews entered Israel and established their government there was no democracy or freedom. The Nation was a dictatorship with a King and Congress of sages. The holy temple was built by Solomon in Jerusalem.

Moses was practical. He saw that the higher idealism wouldn't work. Instead he gave the people another law which was stricter with more severe punishments. He couldn't give to them Freedom. Freedom was from the higher ideal. The Arizal in his Kabballa explains the justification of the government of Israel during the Biblical times which was a dictatorship. This type of government according to the Arizal was more practical in a world which was created imperfect due to the breaking of the vessels during its creation. The Kabballa of the Arizal is the practical Kabballa in contrast with the Zohar which is more idealistic. In the same way, Jewish law goes according to the Oral Law given to the Jewish people by Moses and not according to the written law. In the written law there is a place for World Unity and Peace together with Jewish Unity. In the written law there are two Messiahs. The Messiah the son of Joseph for World Unity and the Messiah the son of David for Jewish Unity. In the Oral law and according to the Practical Kabballa of the Arizal, there is only one Messiah who will fight the wars for the sake of Jewish Unity and survival. The Arizal gave the Jewish Nation with his Practical Kabballa the right to fight for its survival. He didn't encourage war but at the same time could not guarantee for the Jewish people peace.

According to the Zohar the Messiah will come to bring peace to the world. Jerusalem will be rebuilt as the capital of God on earth without any wars. The holy temple will come down from heaven. As is the prophecy of Zechariah, In this day God will be one and his name will be one. As the prophecy of Isaiah, the whole world will be filled with the knowledge of God like the water cover the sea." The practical Kabbala of the Arizal did not aim at these goals like it says in the Ethics of the Fathers, Who is the wise man? That sees what will be. History repeats itself. You don't need to be a prophets to see into the future in the Practical Kabballa.

There are two schools of Kabballa in Israel which are strictly according to the Practical Kabballa of the Arizal and according high idealism of the Zohar. There are the Ultra-Orthodox those that pray to return to the dictatorship of the past, the Biblical nation. There are those that enjoy Freedom like exists today in the land and pray for the welfare of the state of Israel today which is part of the world. Israel is an important part of the world. Jerusalem is the place of the holy temple of God.

Truth and the Seal of Truth

In the Talmud Mesechta Shabbat it says that truth is the stamp of God after he created the world. The last letters of the first three words of the Torah spell Emet or truth. Just like a Rabbi writes a letter and at the end of the letter places his stamp which contains in it his name like is the custom of the world, so God created the world and placed a stamp of approval on his creation which is the stamp of truth. The stamp contains within it God's name.

Every person has a name. God has a name. The name of God is hidden from mankind. To some people it is revealed; to others it is hidden. When we relate to a person as Rabbi Wexelman for example, we think of Rabbi Wexelman who we know. Rabbi Wexelman is 170 centimeters tall. Rabbi Wexelman has brown eyes. He has also other features. He went to Brooklyn College and Stuyvesant High School. He is a Chassid. He usually dresses with a black hat and black jacket like is the custom of Chassidim. He wrote two books on Kabballa which were published. He has two websites which are WorldUnitypeace.org and ProgressiveJewishSpirituality.net. He collects charity every Friday in the city of Sefat where he lives. These are all descriptions of Rabbi Wexelman which are known. If we will read the texts or books written by Rabbi Wexelman it will give more knowledge of Rabbi Wexelman. Rabbi Wexelman has a family of seven children. Five of his children are married. These are all facts about Rabbi Wexelman. When he writes a letter or a check he signs his name Rabbi Wexelman. He has a particular signature. He also has a Social Security number. We identify Rabbi Wexelman by his signature or maybe by his fingerprints. He passes a border, he shows his passport. Rabbi Wexelman is identified mostly by his name, his passport, and his signature. He is Rabbi Wexelman born May 14, 1949.

Rabbi Wexelman is known to the world in many ways like it says in Proverbs, her husband is known in the gates. Every man has a woman who is called in Proverbs his woman of valour. His woman of valour is the man's deepest secret. In modesty, he does not show her off. Her beauty is hidden and known only to him.

There are two aspects to God which are his revealed presence in the world, and his hidden presence. Rabbi Wexelman is known to the world, but many things about him are hidden including his wife. When God created the world, he revealed himself to the world through his Torah, the five books of Moses. The Torah begins, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." God is revealed to the world by the Jewish people who received the Torah. They live all over the world. Today they have a nation in the land of Israel like in the days of old. It's not the same nation which existed in the past, but it is a representative of the remainder of the Jewish people. God is also revealed in the world through his prophets of truth which have made other religions in the world.

God is known to the world today through his prophets. Moses was the first of these prophets to establish a religion in the world. Before Moses there was development of religion which is told in the book of Genesis. Adam proceeded Moses. Noah proceeded Moses. Abraham became the father of two great nations. Isaac the son of Abraham had two children Jacob and Esau. Esau became the father of the Ashkenaz who lived in Europe. There was no established religion until came Judaism. Through the development of religion, God slowly placed his seal on creation. God was revealed on Mount Sinai when he addressed the world in one frightening moment. Moses received the tablets of God upon were written the Ten Commandments.

The moment of revelation of God on Mount Sinai was the closest to truth in the history of the world. After that moment, truth was slowly revealed in the course of four thousand years of history. The recorded history of the world and religion is six thousand years. The first two thousand years was a period of chaos. There was no permanent establishment of civilization. There was no nation to represent God in the world. The Jewish people were the first nation to represent God in the world. A nation of God needs a constitution and a religion to be a representative of God on the earth. Moses gave to the Jewish people the Torah which was the constitution and the law of the nation of Israel. God gave the Jewish people as a gift to the world to bring to the world Truth which is the seal of God on his creation.

The nation of Israel where was built the house of God in Jerusalem lasted a period of close to nine hundred years. The temple was destroyed and the Jewish people were dispersed throughout the world. The Jewish people were the beginning of the revelation of God on earth. The Jewish people continue to keep their religion living outside the land of the Israel as well as within its borders. Judaism is one part of the revelation of God on earth which is his Seal of Truth.

The nation of Israel brought the law of God into the world. The law of God is an important part of truth; but is not the whole truth. The laws of God is the body of truth. Just like a seal which is stamped on a document has a form which maybe a circle or even a Jewish Star, there is also writing within this body of the seal which contains the name of the organization or person. The inner part of the seal of God is his attribute of peace or Shalom which is his name. The law is the external aspect of the seal of truth of God. The inner aspect of the seal of truth of God is where is inscribed his name. The name of God which is written with four letters is inscribed in the written Torah. God is called by many names. The principal name of God is the name of four letters. God identified himself to Moses at the burning bush by this name. It was later inscribed throughout the Torah as the giver of the Torah and its commandments. God's name is truth. It is revealed within the law which is the external aspect of his seal of truth.

There are teachers of the Torah which make the law the most important part of the Seal of Truth which is the Torah. The law is only the external aspect of this seal. The essence of God is his name which is Shalom or peace. Progressive Jewish Spirituality emphasizes the essence of the Torah which is Shalom or peace. Some say that the law can never be changed and continue to practice Judaism strictly according to the law given by Moses on Mount Sinai which is the Oral law connected to the second tablets which Moses wrote upon them the Ten Commandments. The first tablets Moses broke when he saw that the people were building a Golden Calf. The first tablets contained the essence of truth, the name within the seal of truth of God.

After the breaking of the first tablets, God continued to reveal his name to the world. The first step in this revelation was to reveal the law which the external aspect of his name or his seal. The external aspect of God's seal of truth is also called the house of God. The Jewish People built the house of God in Jerusalem. The divine presence dwelt within this house in the holy of holies where the arc of the covenant was placed. Only the High Priest was allowed to enter the holy of holies on the holy day of Yom Kippur. The people could only gaze upon the house of God from the outside. This revelation was not sufficient and was only the beginning of the revelation of God on earth. The holy temple today is only a memory as later it had been destroyed by the Romans. There were two temples. The first was destroyed by the Babylonians. The Jews mourn the destruction of the holy temple. The outside wall of this temple remains called the Kotel the wailing wall is used as a center of prayer for Jews throughout the world. Jews face Jerusalem when they pray.

The inner aspect of the seal of God had still not been revealed even at the time of the First temple. The inner aspect of the seal of truth was known in those times by a select few. King David and King Solomon had this knowledge and wrote about it in Psalms. It was not enough that the inner aspect of the seal of truth should be revealed only to the king and the men his court. This revelation needed to be known and felt by all of the people or the world. This revelation is still written within the external aspect of the seal of truth which is the law of God. About this it says in Psalms, "the secret of God is for those that fear him."

The love of God and the mercy of God are the principal attributes of God written within his seal of Truth. The external aspect of his seal is the fear of God and the justice of God which is his law. Moses revealed this aspect of the truth. Moses began to reveal the inner aspect of truth but was stopped in the middle when he broke the first tablets. First had to be revealed the external aspect of truth through the giving of the second tablets.

The love and mercy of God which is in his name which is Shalom was later revealed to those that merited to this revelation. It could not be revealed to a whole nation like was revealed the law of God. Those that have merited to this revelation now can say that they know God from the external aspect of his seal and the internal aspect of his seal. The essence of God still remains unknown but this is the closest revelation to this essence that was possible for God to reveal through his prophets. The inner aspect of the revelation of the seal of truth is revealed by the two Messiahs, the Messiah the son of Joseph and the Messiah the son of David. For Jews the Torah and its precepts continue to be important and represent the external aspect of the seal of truth which is the house of God built with the fear and reverence for his law. The fear of God precedes the love of God and the revelation of his mercy.

God is slowly placing his seal of truth on his creation. On Mount Sinai and through the Jewish people was revealed the external aspect of his seal which is his law. Through the Messiah the son of Joseph was revealed the attribute of mercy within the seal. Through the Messiah the son of David has been revealed the attribute of justice which includes in it mercy. These are the two Messiahs which are the revelation of the inner aspect of the seal of God which is truth. The Messiah the son of David which has recently been revealed is called the end of the seal of truth; its final seal. The whole revelation of the seal of truth has taken close to six thousand years like it says in the Torah, "in six days you should work, the seventh day is rest." Rest represents peace which comes through receiving the two Messiah of truth and building the kingship of God on earth through living righteously and doing works of kindness and charity.

No Easy Way to Happiness

True happiness comes through spiritual searching. There is no easy way to happiness like the sages teach, "if he says that you found it, but didn't search for it don't believe him." This applies to many things in life including material success but so much more so to spiritual success the true happiness.

Jews came to America from Europe and lived in poverty. They supported themselves as peddlers and later on became millionaires. They did not succeed in one day. When they began to work, they knew that there was the possibility to become millionaires in a new nation America. Some of these people were once religious Jews from Europe and gave up being Orthodox Jews in search of material happiness and independence. Some people succeeded and some didn't. However you don't have to be a genius to understand the importance of livelihood. Even the Torah teaches, where there is no bread there is no Torah." Material life is also important; not only spiritual life. Almost every person needs to get married and build a family. The Torah says about Adam the first man, "it is not good for him to be alone, let us make for him a soulmate." A man marries a woman, the woman has also her demands and needs which the man is obligated to provide for her. Woman are generally more materialistic than men. The man that wants to remain spiritual has to be strong to protect his spiritual searching and not to give in to all the requests of his wife. The Torah teaches to be careful not to allow your wife to rule over her husband. Eve in the Garden of Eden wanted children. She gave Adam from the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge to eat. The world became populated. Woman and material desires have great power in this world. They make spiritual searching more difficult; but not impossible.

To make a good marriage is also not easy. It is usually better to stay married than get divorced especially when you have children. However there are many divorces; there are many broken hearts. Nothing in life is easy. People look for easy money by going to Casinos. Gambling is prohibited in the Torah; easy money is prohibited and does not lead to happiness. The general rule of life is that success which comes from hard work is more appreciated by people than success which comes without hard work. Easy money which may come from inheritance is very often a cause of people's destruction. The Torah teaches, "The more material worth, the more worries." Money does not always bring with it happiness. It is a way to an end but not an end to itself.

Marriage and love are necessary to a human being. People feel lonely and look for a solution to solve their loneliness. They find a suitable spouse which is a blessing but at the same time not the complete answer to all their emotional needs in life to make them happy. A good job and work is very important but helps keep a person busy and puts bread on their table but there is still something missing in their lives. The total happiness is to unite spiritual and material happiness. Spiritual happiness is hard to find since religion usually has in its faults. Religions separate people. Following the precepts of a religion can sometimes be boring if not impossible. Religion tries to make an easy way to happiness or to avoid the need to happy which is not possible. Everyone needs to be happy and there is no easy way.

To find spiritual happiness and material happiness together is the goal of the Torah and most religions. Most religions encourage having a family. Finding spiritual happiness is a long path which begins with religion but religion is only the beginning. Usually it is necessary to find a teacher who is knowledgeable in all the aspects of Torah including the laws of the Torah and the secret meanings of these laws. These special people bring to life the true enrichment which combines material and spiritual happiness and meaning. Not every Rabbi or priest has found the way to true happiness. They can teach people to be a good Christian or Jew or Hindu but they themselves are still on the path to the ultimate goal of spiritual happiness.

No one can make the way toward complete happiness easy. It took God six days to create the world until came the Shabbat the holy Sabbath. This is the way the world was created; and the way of life. Many great teachers of truth never wrote a word. They knew that all their writings would not make the work of finding spiritual happiness easier. Most of their writings were not only for others but also for themselves; even more for themselves then for others. The work of finding spiritual happiness is a group effort. One person alone may not be able to lift up a stone but together the work is easier. It is difficult to fine the right partners in accomplishing this type of delicate work. A bad marriage, a bad business partnership can delay success. Problems of health may hinder success; health is very important for everyone. The Torah teaches, that a person that wants to succeed to find spiritual happiness and purity, God will help them." Without God's help this work is impossible.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov a great saint of truth in Jewish history taught never to give up hope. The world is a narrow bridge which has to be crossed over, the important thing if never to fear and give up. It is a great achievement to be happy. It is also taught, "All the time that the candle is lit, it is possible to correct and succeed." Judaism has been a long path for Jews from the time of the destruction of the temple until today. The journey has been very long and difficult. Jews have been persecuted along the way even to convert to other religions which claimed to be the new way. Only a remnant of the Jewish people remain today. Many Jews have assimilated throughout the generations. Finally the Jews have returned to their homeland and have the opportunity to live in Israel. The Lubavitcher Rebbe has given every Jew today the chance to receive the Messiah not only to keep the laws and commandments of the Torah written in the Shulcan Aruch the Code of Jewish law. In the past it was not possible for a Jew to reach the goal of material and spiritual happiness without the Messiah. It is difficult for a Jew to believe that the Messiah has arrived when the holy temple is still not built.

The difficulties still exist and the way is not easy. However these goals are more possible today than ever. It the past it may have even been impossible. The Zohar the Book of Splendor was discovered about eight hundred years ago in Spain which opened up new paths toward spiritual and material happiness for Jews and all mankind. Today there is freedom of religion in the world which gives people the chance to reach these goals. When there was a dictatorship people were restricted where to search and how to search. The road is open today but it is still not easy and sometimes dangerous. Only with Gods help is it possible to succeed. If it was not possible to succeed in the past, those that tried to succeed received the reward from God for trying. Today where it is possible for Jew since the Messiah has been revealed, the evil inclination works just as hard to deny that things have changed. It is still not easy and will never be easy.

The Myth of the Messiah

The coming of the Messiah is no myth. All the prophets told about his coming. The Messiah is called the man of peace. The Messiah will bring the whole world to faith in the One God. The Christians claim that Jesus is the Messiah which the prophets spoke about his coming. The Jewish people are still waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Christianity tried to change the world but did not succeed. They only succeeded partially. Mohammed brought the other half of the world to Monotheism without spirituality. The Zohar came into the world about eight hundred years ago to begin again the work of bringing the Messiah. There has been progress in the direction of bringing the Messiah after the destruction of the temple. The Zohar teaches that the time of the destruction of the temple until the end of six thousand years is for the sake of the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of the prophecies about World Unity and Peace, the acceptance of One God in the whole world and the King Messiah.

The coming of the Jewish Messiah described by Rambam in his Book of Kings appears to be even farther away one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven years into the days of the Messiah than from day one when the temple was destroyed. The coming of the Messiah is no myth. Our prophets are not false prophets, Isaiah, Jerimiah, Zechariah etc. Their prophecies will be fulfilled and are already on the way to be fulfilled. The Messiah the son of Joseph has already arrived. All that is lacking is the revelation of the Messiah the son of David. Rambam is following the description of the coming of the Messiah handed down by the Sanhedrin and not according to the prophets. The Sanhedrin made prayers three times a day for the coming of the Messiah. He will gather forth the scattered of Israel. He will reestablish courts of justice like existed in the times of the Beit Hamikdash, a congress of sages called the Sanhedrin. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with the holy temple. The son of King David will arrive the servant of God to bring back to Israel the kingship of David. The divine presence will return to Zion. Rambam is waiting for the Messiah to return Israel back to the glory of the days of old. The Messiah of the Rambam and the Sanhedrin is for the Jewish redemption and sovereignty of the Torah nation. The Sanhedrin representing the nation wanted to protect the Nation of Israel from false Messiahs. The concept of the Messiah can be very dangerous to the survival of the nation. Therefore they made a model of the Messiah which could not harm the nation. Jews have been waiting for the coming of the Messiah described by the Sanhedrin and he still has not come. The Sanhedrin were successful to protect the nation from false Messiahs while living in the diaspora. The nation has survived until today when has been established a Jewish State with six million Jews living in the land.

The Sanhedrin were successful to gather forth the Jews from all the corners of the earth to live in Israel today. It all occurred without the coming of the Messiah which is described by the Sanhedrin. The State of Israel today is for sure not the nation approved by the Sanhedrin. The nation approved by the Sanhedrin was a dictatorship like it was in the past. Israel today is a democracy a free nation. The motives of the Sanhedrin for prayers for the coming of the Messiah were not pure motives. Judaism is a monotheist religion and not messianic. They had to institute prayers for the Messiah since the people were aware of the prophecies for his coming. They made the structure of these prayers against a Messiah that might change the law of the nation. They protected the nation from other prophets with new ideologies. Jerimiah and Isaiah spoke about a new covenant and a new Torah which was dangerous and against the Oral law which was the constitution of Israel represented by the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin fought reformed movements throughout the period of the second temple. They instituted an additional prayer in the Amidah to destroy these rebellious philosophies. They sentenced to death a leader of one of these movements whose followers claimed that he was the Messiah. This movement was later adopted by the Romans as their national religion who had executed him.

In the direction of the Messiah described by Rambam and the Sanhedrin there has been no progress. Every generation the nation sinks lower in its observance of the Torah especially in the observance of the laws of modesty. Chassidism and the study of the Kabballa has infiltrated Judaism with new philosophy which is against the Torah adding to Judaism Christian values. According to Rambam, all that remains with Israel to protect the nation until comes the Messiah is the Halacha called the four Amots of Halacha. The Messiah still has not come, and we wait for his coming each day. It seems like the Sanhedrin were against the coming of the Messiah because of their national interests. Their strategy was to create another Messiah not described by the prophets who was a myth to prolong the diaspora to allow Israel to exist on the four Amots of Halacha alone.

From one side the intentions of the Sanhedrin were correct, to keep the nation alive in the diaspora. The Jews have had to suffer for the survival of the nation with the four Amots of Halacha without spirituality. Spirituality is Christian which is the greatest enemy of the nation. Christians call the world One World under God the Messiah the children of Adam. Judaism claims one world under God with the Sanhedrin and King of Israel the Jewish nation at the head of the world. In the nation of Christianity all people are equal. In Judaism, the Jews are superior. The Sanhedrin in its prayer for the coming of the Messiah does not even mention the world only the Jewish nation of Israel. There is a conflict between the Torah nation and Christianity even today as long as the sages of Israel claim that the Torah cannot be changed. The modern nation of Israel today can accept Christianity since it is a free nation with religious freedom. The Old nation of Israel does not accept any other religion other than Judaism especially Christianity which builds idols of the Messiah.

Judaism according to the Oral Torah cannot unite with the world without being the law of the land and the whole earth. Zionism has one God and one Messiah who is Jewish. The law will not let the nation bend or bow to the other nations of the world or accept other prophets of other religions. Until the religious nation of Israel has complete sovereignty it is at war with the rest of the world. The rest of the world is always a threat to its survival. The Sanhedrin made sure to protect the Torah, the law of the biblical nation from the threat of the false Messiahs which were prophesied to arrive shortly. In the choice of the Messiah, the Sanhedrin refused to compromise Torah values. Many Talmudic Scholars have made statements to the effect that the Jews have waited for the Messiah over a thousand years; they can wait for the Messiah another thousand years.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe objected to these statements delaying the coming of the Messiah. He called for the coming of the Messiah immediately Now. The Messiah to the Lubavitcher Rebbe was no myth. He was in the process of being revealed for the whole two thousand years of the diaspora. With the Zohar, Kabballa, and Chassidut the Messiah was speedily coming. He rejected the concept of status quo in issues of the redemption. He was not alone in his opinion. Other great saints before him also cried out for his coming including King David in psalms who screams out When How Long Do We have to Wait. With the Zohar, the knowledge of the coming of the Messiah was revealed in a way different from that which was described by the Sanhedrin. The holy temple would come down from heaven without any wars. The Zohar spoke about two Messiahs which was open minded as compared to the concept of one Messiah with completely Jewish interests. To the followers of the Oral Torah, the Modern nation of Israel is a curse. Open minded people can accept the State even if it is not the Torah State of biblical times. Religion and politics needs to be separate today. With weapons of destruction, there is no place for religious extremism. These weapons must be kept in the hand of those that believe in freedom. They should not be used as a tool to punish non-believers in the Koran or the Torah.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe was perhaps the first open minded Rabbi in Jewish history. He was a completely righteous man. He recognized that the world has changed. He did not consider the Torah scripture to be worshipped like an idol which is an eternal God. The Torah was given for the sake of peace and the welfare of the Jewish people and mankind. God's name is Shalom. God's name is truth. Through the learning of the inner teachings of the Torah described in the Zohar and the works of the Arizal expounded upon in teachings of Chassidism can be understood more clearly the will and wisdom of God than through blind faith alone. Kabballa enlightens the Jew to understand that there are two worlds of spirituality. The Jews accepted to follow one world of spirituality called the light of the mother. There is a higher level of spirituality called the light of the father. Both of these lights are important to reveal the essence of God which man cannot know.

The written Torah has in it two Messiahs corresponding to heaven and earth like it says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." These two Messiahs reveal the unity of heaven and earth. They are both separate worlds of spirituality. Zionism began with the claim that there is only one way of spirituality which is Judaism. Rambam confirms this philosophy in his works on Jewish law. Christianity later came to also claim that Jesus is the only way to reach God. The Muslims refuted their claims when Mohammed made a religion based on the monotheism of Judaism. However they also claimed that Mohammed being the last prophet nullified all prophecies before him. There are still prophets coming into the world in Asia and other parts of the world. The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that his teachers were also prophets. He kept as close to Judaism as was possible but in some matters like prophecy he differed from Rambam. Rambam said that until the time of the Messiah there will be no prophecy. The Rebbe said this time has already arrived. Rambam lived shortly before the discovery of the Zohar. Some say that if he saw the Zohar his opinions would have changed. The philosophy of the Rambam was attacked by other scholars of his age. They did not consider that his viewpoints on spiritual topics were accurate. They even tried to burn his texts. Rambam represented the Talmud. He wrote only about the way of Judaism according to the Oral Torah. He did not consider the written Torah as a source of knowledge when it disagreed or gave another light on spiritual topics. The Zohar separated the Oral Torah and the Written Torah as two realms of spirituality. This argument was already fought out in the times of the second temple when there were two factions the Sadducees following the written Torah exclusively and the Pharisees protecting the Oral Torah from reform. The Rambam considered the Saduccees as heretics like they are considered throughout the Talmud. Amongst the Sadducees there were also holy men learned in Torah.

Secular Zionism is being attacked today by the Ultra-Orthodox on the basis of Rambam and the Oral Torah. They are against a Jewish secular government which is also military. They are praying for the coming of the Messiah who will bring a religious government which is military and a dictatorship. They accept the Zohar as authentic but refuse to accept there are two Messiahs. They are afraid of war like any human being in our times but refuse to accept to live in a free world which is against war. They accept the concept of the holy temple coming down from heaven like written in the Zohar but need also that it should be built by the Messiah to correspond with Rambam. They cannot accept the Zohar as a new Torah if it contradicts practical Halacha and the faith in the Messiah as described by the Sanhedrin. In this way they are half in the Zohar and half out of the Zohar. They refuse to publically announce their inner feelings that the Zohar has in it Christian influence. Judaism today is faced with a conflict about the Messiah. The Sanhedrin created a myth of the Messiah that every Jew is commanded to believe in or be considered a heretic. The true Messiah is the Messiah described by the Zohar who is already being revealed even before the holy temple has been rebuilt. Judaism will not change. Truth will be revealed.

The Messiah of the Oral Torah

On Mount Sinai the Jewish people were given both the written Torah the five books of Moses and the Oral Torah which is part of the written Torah containing 613 commandments which are part of the Jewish religion. The Oral Torah is derived from the written Torah and taught orally by Moses to Joshua and the elders of Israel. The written Torah the Jewish people agreed to accept to do and to know and understand. The Oral Torah the Jewish people accepted to do with blind faith as servants.

The acceptance of the Oral Torah with blind faith made the Jewish people servants to God their master the king of the universe. Until today Jews are forever servants to God when they follow the precepts of the Torah including the keeping of the Sabbath. There are 248 positive commandments in the Torah, commandments to do righteously. There are 365 negative commandments not to do what is described to be evil. These commandments are followed with blind acceptance.

The written law not only contains the laws and commandments of God to the world and the Jewish people but has in it deep secrets of faith and divine unity. Through knowing these secrets is acquired love for God in addition to the fear of God which is acquired through practicing the commandments of the Oral Torah. Through divine knowledge which is part of the written Torah, a Jew is not only a servant of God but also connects to God as his son like it says, children you are to the Lord your God. A servant of God obeys the commands of his master with fear. The son does his commands with love and fear.

Before you can reach the connection with God as "son" requires first to be to him as "servant". The fear of God precedes the love of God. The Oral Law which was given exclusively to the Jewish people made them servants of God. When they learn to love God they become not only servants but son to God. When they entered the land of Israel under the leadership of Joshua, they entered the service of God in the holy land. Part of the service of God was the establishment of the Nation of Israel which eventually became the Kingship of King David and Solomon when was built the holy temple in Jerusalem. The nation of a religious state governed by the laws and commandments given to Joshua by Moses which was the Oral Law. Joshua handed over the teachings of Moses to the elders. The elders handed it over to the prophets and to the men of the great assembly. In this way it has been handed down from generation to generation until today. The Oral law was latter written down first as Mishna by Judah the prince and later on to be combined with Talmud. Today it has even been codified in the form of the Code of Jewish law in a way which is much simpler to follow.

Education of Jewish children begins with learning the laws and commandments compiled in the form of Mishna. At five years old, the children learn the simple texts of the written Torah. At six they begin to learn Mishna. They are initiated into the fear of God and the service of God. Principle to a Jew is the fear and service of God. Through the learning of the esoteric texts of the Torah which are the Zohar and the Kabballa including the works of Chassidic master they can also come to love God and serve him with love.

Other religions in the world emphasize less the fear of God and service of God like the Jews. The Jews were given the Oral law while the nations of the world acquired through other prophets the written law which they changed in a way to bring religion to the world. The Oral law is the inheritance of the Jewish people like it says in Psalms 147 "He has not dealt so with any other nation, these statutes they have not known." The work and service of God connected to the Oral law belongs exclusively to the Jewish people.

Most people of the world think of the Messiah as the son of God. They worship the Messiah the son of God. It all began in Israel at the time shortly before the destruction of the second temple. The Jews practiced their faith as servants of God following Jewish law. The concept of the son of God the Messiah was a new concept which became another religion. The Jews were commanded to be servants of God and even after the coming of the son of God the Messiah, they continued their God given way of worship and service according to the Law of Moses. The Messiah the son of God has been in the world for two thousand years. Almost everyone in the world has heard about the birth and death of the son of God. Monuments have been erected in places of worship of the son of God throughout the world. He has his messengers' men and woman who go out to spread the word of God in the Bible including the New Testament. Jews and Muslims both are critical of their style of worship. They are against the concept of Immaculate Conception and Trinity. Jews and Muslims cannot accept that a man is God.

The Jews and Muslims believe in resurrection but only at the end of time. Christians believe in the resurrection of the Messiah the son of God. They believe that he is alive today and lives in a hidden place. Belief in the resurrection of the Messiah the son of God, does have a positive effect on people that believe in him that he is alive. It is good to believe in eternal life especially for people that are suffering. Mankind has suffered traumatically throughout history from wars and dictators especially World War II where more than forty million people were killed. Plaques and disease have whipped out populations in the course of history. Resurrection whether at the end of time or as a specific event in history helps mankind through trials and tribulations. Resurrection is part of spiritual healing.

The Jews have suffered more than any other people in history beginning from the time of the destruction of the second temple. Despite their suffering, they have continued their faith in the coming of the Messiah. They continue to practice their religion which makes them servants of God on earth. They know that in the end of time and after death God will reward them for their hard work and devotion to his Torah. Accepting the Messiah the son of God, could have been for them an easy way of escaping the difficulties of being a Jew. Nevertheless they rejected acceptance of the Messiah the son of God and changing their religion.

The Zohar brought to Judaism spirituality which was missing through the period of the diaspora which began after the destruction of the second temple. About eight hundred years ago when the Zohar was revealed in Spain, the Jewish sages examined the Zohar and it was accepted as an authentic text rich in spirituality which was before unknown. They accepted the spirituality of the Zohar even though it had many similarities to Christian Messianic ideology. The Zohar was also Messianic but included in it the Oral Torah with the written Torah. The Christians took out from the written Torah the Oral Torah to make it acceptable to the world. The Oral Torah was only given for Jews.

Christianity became the religion of the Messiah the son of God after resurrection. With Christianity was added a New Testament to the Old Testament, the Jewish bible. There is no question about the holiness of the written Torah, the five books of Moses. Jews also revere the holiness of the Oral Torah which gives makes them forever servants of God. The other nations of the world which do not have the Oral Torah are not servants of God like the Jews. It is much more pleasant to be Son of God than to be servant. Nevertheless, the Jewish people continue to be servants following the Oral Torah.

The Zohar speaks about both aspects of worship of God which is to be servants and son. The reward for being servant is even greater than the reward of being son. In the Zohar there are two Messiahs, corresponding to the two Torah, the Oral and written Torah and son and servant. The Messiah of the Oral Torah the faithful servant is the Messiah the son of David. The Messiah the son of David lives forever but as a servant who never dies like Elijah the prophet who went up to heaven on a cloud. At the end of his life the Lubavitcher Rebbe revealed this aspect of the Messiah to give spiritual healing to the Jewish people who are servants of God. In this way they can have spiritual healing, without having to change their religion. Everyone needs spiritual healing. Spiritual healing is even closer to the Jew than the gentile because he has already belief in God the giver of the Torah. A Jew today can share spiritual healing with the rest of the world and still remain a Jew. The Lubavitcher Rebbe has made the final correction not only for Jews but also for non-Jews by adding to the world the Messiah the son of David which could only be added by the righteous saint the servant of God like King David his father. King David and his Psalms are revered by all people of all religions. The Messiah the son of David is the product of the Psalms and the heritage of the Jewish people. Jews now should be proud to be Jews rather than being jealous of the rest of the world that has already the Messiah two thousand years.

Long Live the Rebbe the King the Messiah forever and ever.

The Failure of Christianity

Today can be recognized that the churches which were once full with people are empty. The attendance of people at church services has drastically declined. There are many people that claim to be Christians but they are not active in the religion.

A born Catholic left Christianity to believe in poetry. He could not accept that the church could give so easily forgiveness to those that were willing to pay for it. Another born Catholic converted to Judaism. He wanted a religion which would give him a family life. In Italy where is the Vatican the average birth rate is between 1-2 children per family. Catholics today do not usually have large families like religious Jews and Muslims. There are still many priests and nuns but even these numbers have decreased over the last years. The Pope has today instituted changes in the church to try to revive interest in Catholicism including acceptance of Gays, divorce, birth control etc. There is a question whether he can bring back the interest in the religion. He has become a very interesting figure in world spirituality but people today are not interested in religion like before.

Christ gave a new direction to faith in God centered upon a man instead of God the unknown. Christianity brought God down from the heavens to the earth even to become identified by a statue of Christ on the cross. Christianity which began as a reformed movement in Judaism seeking spiritual freedom and pleasure added to Judaism the identity of God in the form and image of the holy man the Messiah. Jews were commanded not to make any graven images and to pray to them. God is represented to Jews in the Torah through his holy name of four letters and other names of God written in scripture. The positive commandments like Shabbat, Tefillin, Lulav and Esrog reveal God without making any graven image even the image of a holy man. The people could have made after the giving of the Torah a Golden Statue of Moses instead of building a Golden Calf. Aharon the brother of Moses guided them in this direction to build the Golden Calf. After Judaism had worshipped God without any graven images for one thousand years the way given to them by Moses at Mount Sinai, Christianity added the worship of God in the image of the holy man the Messiah. People received this approach and it grew more popular until finally in became the largest religion in the world.

Christians under the guidance of the church went on crusades to convert the world to Christianity. They met opposition from Islam who were also spreading their faith to build the nation of Islam. Today Christianity is on the down and Islam is on the up. Islam encouraged their followers to make large families. Christians tried to make their followers first Priests and Nuns, and afterwards to make families. As a result their people who were not pressured to be fruitful and multiply gave less of their heart toward making families and became more interested in themselves their personal interests and goals like money and fame. The people also became promiscuous seeking relations with the opposite sex out of wedlock. Slowly the number of faithful Christians has diminished. People call themselves Christians but it is only because they have come from Christians but they themselves have become reformed.

Christianity is for people who are willing to devote their whole lives to Christ to live on monasteries and live a life of celibacy if possible. To be both a family religion and a religion for esthetics is working in two different directions which conflict. The image of Christ on the cross is the image of a celibate man. He himself the church says was born without a known father. Christ is the model for all Christians. In this way Christianity and its followers became divided between the holy and the profane. The holy are the priests and nuns who have given up all life's pleasures for God, the profane are the people because there is no middle way which is paved clearly for religious family life like in Judaism. You can be a monk or a sinner but nothing in between. There is the model of a good Christian but he is not considered to be holy like the priest or nun. Therefore people object today how the church allows these wicked people to buy from them their forgiveness.

According to the Christian Bible Adam and Eve sinned when they ate from the tree of knowledge. All people are born in sin. Only Jesus and Adam were born without sin. Therefore Christians are encouraged to be priests and nuns the primary aim of the religion. Sex is considered to be a sin and children are born from sexual pleasure. Priests and Nuns sacrifice sexual pleasure for the pleasure of being a servant to God. Out of a population of millions only a small percentage become priests and nuns. The remainder of the Christians live in sin.

In Judaism there is argument about the eating from the tree of knowledge by Adam and Eve. Some sages say that it was a sin and that all people are born in sin so that every person has to die for the sake of this sin. The other opinion is that Adam and Eve were allowed to eat from the tree of knowledge by God with his intention that through leaving the Garden of Eden and populating the world would be in the end a higher revelation of God than what existed in the Garden of Eden before the sin. God created the world not only for the sake of one man Adam but to reveal himself to billions of people who are part of the kingship of God on earth. There was a descension of spirituality after the sin which through the Torah given on Mount Sinai elevated mankind to a higher level of spirituality then before the sin. This level of spirituality is achieved through making families that live righteously according to the laws of the Torah. Even before the sin, man and woman are commanded to be fruitful and multiply. All of the animals, birds and fish are fruitful and multiply. Man and woman also have this commandment. These are two opinions about the sin of eating from the tree.

In Christianity there is no argument. The highest level of spirituality is acquired through celibacy. Celibacy is encouraged even at a young age. In Judaism a person that wants to be celibate because of his love for God and the Torah like Ben Azai the scholar is permitted. In Jewish history there have been celibates that did not get married. However the majority opinion is to marry and make a family. After having a family when older is the time for closer connection to God without sex for the most righteous and spiritual. Even amongst older people there is a need for a woman as a companion as well as for love but the desire has usually already diminished. Another opinion is that a man should always seek to have children until his death even though the obligation of be fruitful and multiply is fulfilled by having two children. Abraham and Sarah had children in their old age.

The Zohar accepts both opinions. Redemption according to the Zohar comes when a person finds the connection with God like Adam had before the sin. Adam connected to God through the Tree of Life. The other opinion about the redemption in the Zohar is that through the revelation of the two Messiahs which will be initiated by the resurrection of Moses will be revealed a higher level of spirituality than the revelation of God before the sin. This revelation of spirituality will combine the seed of the animal with the seed of the man which refers to the worship of God like in Judaism and Muslim faith without an intermediate and the worship of God through the holy man of truth who is the Messiah.

When Elijah the prophet went up to heaven on the cloud without death, it was proof that a human being can escape death even if it said that he was born from the sin of the tree of knowledge. Christianity accepts that each person must die because of this sin and his hope is in resurrection at the end of time and believing in the resurrection of Christ. Elijah did not need resurrection. Besides the share in the afterlife through the resurrection of the dead at the end of time, there is also reward to the souls which come into the earth to serve God and do acts of kindness. One of these acts of kindness is to bring children into the world. Man works to build the kingship of God on earth through kindness to his fellow man and through building for God houses of worship. God is revealed on earth through the acts of kindness. The ascension of Elijah into the heavens represented the ascension of all souls into the heavens after death to receive their rewards for their works of kindness. These rewards come not only through resurrection but through receiving the light of God in the Garden of Eden the world of souls.

The Zohar teaches about the two Messiahs which are the Messiah the son of Joseph and the Messiah the son of David. Resurrection gives forgiveness for the sin of eating from the tree of knowledge which begins with the resurrection of the Messiah the son of Joseph. The Messiah the son of David who continues to live without death like Elijah the prophet is the king of all souls which live in the afterlife in the Garden of Eden of souls each soul receiving his reward in heaven for his works of kindness. The Messiah the son of David makes all the struggles of life worthwhile including the work of raising a family in the Jewish way with all the rewards for those acts of kindness which are the Shabbat and mitzvos. A Jew needs resurrection but he has also the rewards of the soul in the Garden of Eden like it says, according to the suffering comes the reward. The coming of the Messiah the son of David is also to give hope and faith to all the gentiles that their works of kindness are not in vain.

The failure of Christianity is partially due to not giving credit to Judaism and accepting Judaism even if Judaism had not accepted Christianity. Christianity really did not come to make a new religion. It came to add faith in the resurrection of the dead. Judaism is still the true religion of God given to the world by Moses. Christianity came to add spirituality to Judaism. The Messiah the son of Joseph is the Messiah for all mankind that have been born from trickery of the snake in the Garden of Eden. His mercy is the beginning of their forgiveness. The work and service of God belongs to the Jewish people and the Messiah the son of David. There is not only mercy but there is also justice. Each person receives reward and punishment for his actions in the afterlife. Each person must face the Messiah the son of David the chief judge in heaven and receive their rewards and punishments before the resurrection. There are three judges in the heavenly court. The Messiah of mercy sits between two judges who are the two Messiahs of justice. Mercy forgives but there is also justice.

Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism

Hinduism and Christianity are similar in that they worship a Godhead. Hindus worship a Guru or RamaKrishna and Christians worship Jesus on the cross. A Guru is a God enlightened human being who has searched for truth and reached God realization and self-realization. Some say that Jesus learned in the east before beginning to teach in Israel. Jesus reached to God realization and self-realization. Jesus was Jewish born from a Jewish mother which made him to be called the Messiah. His followers who were mostly Jewish considered him to be the anointed soul the Messiah. After his cructification, they planned to claim that he is forever the Messiah through resurrection. Whether he really resurrected or not was not important. Those that believe in his resurrection become part of the Messiah of resurrection which gives them spiritual freedom. Jesus became a symbol of spiritual freedom and later was made into a religion devoted to his memory. Resurrection connects to Adam before the sin where Adam lived in spiritual freedom and bliss connected primarily to the tree of life.

Moses gave to the Jewish people both the Oral and written laws. The Oral law was exclusively for Jews; the written law contained in it a connection also to Judaism and also to Christianity which connects to Adam. These are two sides of the truth of the Torah. Jesus became the Messiah of spiritual freedom through his life and his resurrection to the world the children of Adam who learn the bible. To be a Christian is not required to learn the Kabballa. A Christian follows the law as interpreted by Priests and believes in Jesus with simple faith.

Hinduism especially Hinduism which is interwoven with Bhuddism through connecting to the God enlightened man the Guru or teacher of truth, a person can reach self-realization and God realization. The teacher is truth and his word is the law. The Guru becomes the leader of his students and their families. Each Guru is another religion with his own specific law which is generally connected to the Bagava Gita the teaching of Rama Krishna. First is reached enlightenment before comes from the Guru his law and religion. The Guru teaches the way to attainment of truth. The simple Hindu like in all religions believes with blind faith in the Gita and follows the instruction of Rama-Krishna.

Christians connect to Jesus especially those that have taken upon themselves celibacy priests and nuns. Amongst Hindus and Bhuddists there are also monks. There are also family men which may later on in their life after having children retire to live on an Ashram to devote themselves to the teachings of their master. In Bhuddism and Hinduism is stressed meditation as a way toward attainment of their spiritual goals. They can never reach to the spiritual level of Christianity which was achieved by Jesus including in it resurrection and the teachings of the bible. Christianity includes in it the two great prophets which are Moses and Jesus.

Judaism came from many holy prophets beginning with Abraham. Judaism also has a connection to Adam and Noah who were also prophets especially Adam who was born through the divine word without any sin. Moses reached the highest levels of God realization and self-realization. He lived with Jethro his father in law who was a priest. He may have also been a teacher to Moses which inspired him to go beyond the boundaries of the knowledge of his father-in-law to reach God realization. His father in law studied the practices of spirituality similar to those known in the East which are still practiced by Gurus and Bhuddists. Judaism includes in it spirituality but it is of secondary importance. Most important in Judiasm is the study of the law and living righteously. Jews for thousands of years have been able to live righteously without spirituality. The difference between spirituality and Judaism is that spirituality connects to God through an intermediate while Judaism is pure monotheism which connects to God without an intermediate. Hinduism and Christianity connect to God through the intermediate of the God enlightened saint the man of truth. Muslim religion is also pure monotheistic. The two approaches toward worship are called by Jerimiah Chapter 31, The seed of man and the seed of the beast.

The climax of the searching for God through meditation which is the way of the seed of man was reached through Christianity with the symbol of Jesus on the Cross. There is a higher level which was left to be revealed in the end of times when will be revealed with Jesus and Mohammed the resurrection of Moses. This level is called by the prophet double salvation because it includes in it both the prophets of the seed of the animal pure monotheism with the seed on man Christianity. Moses unites both levels together. Resurrection of Christ is the climax of the inner path to truth reaching the infinite one within the heart of man. The resurrection of Moses gives additional strength to this revelation of God. Chassidism through the coming of the Messiah the son of David is the highest level.

The commandment of God to build a temple is worded to build a temple within you. This has two meanings which are a temple within each person and a temple of God in the world like the Beit Hamikdash the holy temple built by Solomon. The Torah includes in it the revelation of God called the seed of man the temple within under closed eyes, and the revelation of God in the external world through the temple of God where people pray together prostrate themselves on the earth.

These are three levels which are the seed of the animal pure monotheism. The second level is the seed of man revealed through Christianity and Eastern mysticism. The third level is the unity of these two levels. Judaism contains both of these levels. After the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, the Jews remained in the wilderness for forty years living in spiritual bliss. They ate food from heaven called Manna, and drank from the well of Miriam. This generation was called the generation of the wilderness which included in it Moses and Aharon his brother and the Jews that left Egypt through miracles and wonders that stood on Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. At Mount Sinai they experienced resurrection which is the highest spiritual elevation called the seed of man. Adam and Eve were born from the dust of the earth through resurrection and not through natural childbirth like all men.

The Bible tells the story of the building of the Golden Calf. The people built and worshipped a Golden Calf. Moses when he came down from the mountain after fasting forty days and forty nights saw them and broke the tablets containing the Ten Commandments which were written by God. God forgave the people and his gave them a second set of tablets which was Judaism worshipping God in the way of the seed of the animal. In this way they would offer animals as sacrifices in the tabernacle and later in the holy temple which King Solomon would build in Jerusalem. The generation of the wilderness called the generation of the supernal knowledge living in spiritual bliss remained in the wilderness and their children entered Israel with Joshua. The way of worship when they entered Israel according to the Law of Moses written in the second tablets and taught by him orally to Joshua was in the way called the seed of the animal pure monotheism without an intermediate. Spirituality the worship of God in the way called the seed of man with an intermediate was prohibited.

The secrets of spirituality which were known to the people in the wilderness were not all forgotten immediately before entering the land. There was a period of about four hundred years before was established the Kingship when the nation was ruled by Judges. There was still in this time a tradition of spirituality. King David and Solomon in Psalms and other writings reveals both levels of spirituality the seed of the animal and the seed of man including divine secrets hidden in the name of God. There were prophets during the time of the first temple. Slowly the nation became exclusively in the way of worship of the seed of the animal. The laws were strict with severe punishments to those that practiced these ways. Judaism came into the world to reveal the spirituality of the seed of the animal which was pure monotheism.

The people were not happy with this strict and very dry form of spirituality where all worship was done conventionally and only in the way allowed by the Oral law. In the written law is revealed also the spirituality of the seed of man. In the second temple the people wanted to go back to the way of spirituality of the seed of man using primarily the written Torah as its law. The two sides battled for power over the nation. The way of worship according the Oral law continues to be the way of Judaism without spirituality, or on the lower level of spirituality called the seed of the animal. Christianity took the way of spirituality called the seed of man through the worship of Christ the Messiah. Even today Christianity is called in Jewish law books idolatry.

The climax of the perfection of devotion to God in the way of the Oral law and the seed of the animal was achieved by the prophet Elijah who went up to heaven on cloud and escaped death. Elijah in Judaism is considered to be still alive. He visits Jewish homes and synagogues at the time of circumcise. On Motzei Shabbat after the Sabbath Jews sing praises of Elijah the prophet that he should come back to bring the Messiah. Many parts of the Zohar are taught in the name of Elijah the prophet. The Arizal in his works on Kabballa relates that Elijah the prophet today teaches special people in each generation the secrets of the Torah. Many people say that the Arizal received his Kabballa tradition from Elijah.

Judaism after the destruction of the second temple has always been traditionally pure monotheism without an intermediate in the way of the seed of the animal. There are no statues allowed in Jewish places of worship. In the way of the seed of the animal is stressed the learning of the law which is the Talmud and Shulcan Aruch. In this way Judaism has been able to survive in the diaspora on Halacha alone Jewish law. Jews through the ages have faced pressures from two sides which are Muslims which claim to have inherited the way of pure monotheism through Mohammed; and through Christianity which claims to be the path to God through Jesus the Messiah. Jewish law which is strict Monotheism can accept the Muslim faith since they pray without an intermediate. The problem in accepting Muslim faith is that they claim to have a new law and scripture to replace the Torah. The way of Christianity was already prohibited in Jewish law when the Jews entered Israel. The Jews pray for the coming of the Messiah to bring the nation back to Israel to establish the nation according to the Oral Torah. The Oral Torah was against prayer with an intermediate like Christianity and Jews refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah.

The Zohar was discovered in Spain about eight hundred years ago after was established Jewish law by the Rishonim who included Rashi, Rambam, Yitchok Alfasi etc. The Rishonim did not have the Zohar. Jewish law remains traditionally strictly according to the way of worship called the seed of the animal which was the way of the Oral Torah in the times of the Beit Hamikdash. The Zohar brought a conflict into Judaism when it taught a new way to combine both the way of the seed of the animal and the seed of man. Zohar combined Jewish law with spirituality. As a result developed a conflict in Judaism when began Chassidism by the master Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov about three hundred years ago in Ukraine. The Baal Shem felt that the way of the Zohar is the way to bring the Messiah. He began to teach the Zohar and also the teachings of the Kabbalists primarily the Arizal. Judaism today is divided into three factions which are Chassidism decended from the students of Baal Shem, Litvish Yeshiva who opposed the Baal Shem Tov and refused to accept his teachings, and Sephardim who lived in the middle east that had a closer connection to the Kabballa than Ashkenazi but remain split between the old and new ways.

The world has become a small place with technology radio, television, internet. People today can travel the world by airplane from east to west in one day. In this way cultures come together. It is hard today to be closed minded. Judaism has always encouraged Jews to be closed minded. In this way they have been able to survive as a minority. Jewish law prohibits reading worldly philosophy. These books are prohibited in a Jewish home. Internet becomes a problem for Jewish religious leaders because it connects Jews to the world. There is no way of avoiding truth. The last letters of the first three words of the Torah spell truth Aleph Mem Tav. The first letter is Beit the number two. The Zohar is truth which combines the seed of the animal with the seed of man which is truth. It explains that the letter Aleph is also a connection to truth because it is a line which connects above and below.

God planned the creation of the world and used the Torah as his blueprint. All the stages in the development of the world were planned in advance all for the purpose of revealing truth which is God's name. Shalom peace is God's name. Judaism is a part of truth but truth includes in it other prophets, not only Moses. Moses who is called an angel in the Torah could only bring into the world one way of worship which was the way of the servant. Moses is called servant at the end of the Torah. The aspect of son had to be revealed through another angel, another prophet. The Zohar combines the two Messiahs, the Messiah the son of Joseph and the Messiah the son of David. The Messiah the son of David represents the way of the seed of the animal whose climax came when Elijah went up into heaven on a cloud. The Messiah the son of Joseph is revealed through resurrection. Moses is truth and his Torah is truth. The written Torah was given for all of mankind, the book of truth.

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