Jun 16, 2025
Оfftopic Community
Оfftopic Community
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
Featured content
New posts
New media
New media comments
New resources
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Resources
Latest reviews
Search resources
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Discussions
Religion
What is the concept of Messiah in Judaism?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="MarkSaJPAA" data-source="post: 1984214" data-attributes="member: 684663"><p>Are Messianic Jews Jewish?</p><p></p><p>No. A Jew who accepts Christianity might call himself a “Jewish Christian,”</p><p>but he is no longer a Jew[1]. He can no longer even be counted as part of a</p><p>Jewish congregation[2].</p><p>Conversion to another faith is an act of religious treason in Judaism. It is one of</p><p>the worst possible sins that a Jew can ever commit. Along with murder and</p><p>incest, it is one of the three cardinal sins which may not be violated even</p><p>under pain of death. [3] It’s a big deal.</p><p>Rabbi Moses Isserles demanded a formal conversion back to Judaism for those who converted out of Judaism but who then wanted to return to Judaism. (One who practices idolatry denies the whole of the Torah.)[4]</p><p>He demanded ritual immersion (mikveh) and repentance before a court of three (beit din). You will see this also in other Responsa literature: Radbaz, Responsa III, 415; Moses Isserles to Yoreh Deah 268.12; and Hoffman, Melamed Leho-il II, 84.</p><p>Maimonides himself wrote that if a Jew converted to Christianity, he or she was no longer a Jew (Yad, loc. cit. 2:5.). Also see Maimonides, Hilchot Mamrim Perek 3, Halacha 1-3, as well as in Maimonides's Mishnah Torah, Avodat Kochavim 2:5.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Note the following Biblical Passage:</p><p>I Kings 18:21. Elijah the prophet asked Jews who were beginning to slip into the worship of the idol, Baal, "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the God of the Jews is God, follow Him! but if Baal is God, then follow him!" Elijah told the Jews, one or the other, not both! You cannot believe in two opposite, mutually exclusive ideas simultaneously. Judaism and Christianity believe in opposite, mutually exclusive ideas, and you cannot be a Jew and a believer that Jesus was the Christ at the same time. We are supposed to prefer death over the practice of Christianity [5].</p><p>This is not to say apostate ex-Jews are not welcome back! </p><p>Rabbi Moses Isserles demanded a formal conversion back to Judaism for those who converted out of Judaism but who then wanted to return to Judaism. He demanded ritual immersion (mikveh) and repentance before a court of three (beit din). You will see this also in other Responsa literature: Radbaz, Responsa III, 415; Moses Isserles to Yoreh Deah 268.12; and Hoffman, Melamed Leho-il II, 84.</p><p>Indeed, the Tanakh says…</p><p>“As I live, says G-d, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but</p><p>that they turn from their way and live.” (Ezek. 33:11).</p><p>“When the wicked turns from his sin, and does what is lawful and</p><p>right, he shall live thereby.” (Ibid. 33:19).</p><p>“That every man shall return from his way, and I will forgive him.”</p><p>(Jer. 36:3)</p><p>“If they return to You, and confess Your Name, and pray ... then You</p><p>will hear in Heaven, and forgive their sin.” (1 Kings 8:33, 34)</p><p></p><p>Even a Jew who has embraced another faith is given another chance. He can still return to Judaism and be reaccepted by G-d. However, he must sever all ties with the faith he converted to (in this case, the Christian or “Messianic” faith).</p><p></p><p>Sources:</p><p>1) Yad, loc. cit. 2:5.</p><p>2) Pri Megadim, Eshel Avraham 55:4.</p><p>3) Sanhedrin 74a.</p><p>4) Sifri on Num. 15:22 and Deut. 11:28; Yad, Avodas Kochavim 2:4. Cf. Horios 8a.</p><p>5) Tshuvos Rivash 4, 11, Tshuvos Rabbi Yosef ben Lev 1:15.</p><p>• Harries, Richard (August 2003). "Should Christians Try to Convert Jews?". After the evil: Christianity and Judaism in the shadow of the Holocaust. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. g. 119. LCCN 2003-273342. ISBN 0199263132. "Thirdly, there is Jews for Jesus or, more generally, Messianic Judaism. This is a movement of people often of Jewish background who have come to believe Jesus is the expected Jewish messiah.…They often have congregations independent of other churches and specifically target Jews for conversion to their form of Christianity." </p><p>• Kessler, Edward (2005). "Messianic Jews". in Edward Kessler and Neil Wenborn (eds.) (GoogleBooks). A dictionary of Jewish-Christian relations. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 292–293. LCCN 2005-012923. ISBN 9780521826921. OCLC 60340826. "From a mainstream Christian perspective Messianic Judaisms can also provoke hostility for misrepresenting Christianity." </p><p>• Harris-Shapiro, Carol (1999). "Studying the Messianic Jews" (GoogleBooks). Messianic Judaism: a rabbi’s journey through religious change in America. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. pp. g. 3. LCCN 98-54864. ISBN 0807010405. OCLC 45729039. "And while many evangelical Churches are openly supportive of Messianic Judaism, they treat it as an ethnic church squarely within evangelical Christianity, rather than as a separate entity."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MarkSaJPAA, post: 1984214, member: 684663"] Are Messianic Jews Jewish? No. A Jew who accepts Christianity might call himself a “Jewish Christian,” but he is no longer a Jew[1]. He can no longer even be counted as part of a Jewish congregation[2]. Conversion to another faith is an act of religious treason in Judaism. It is one of the worst possible sins that a Jew can ever commit. Along with murder and incest, it is one of the three cardinal sins which may not be violated even under pain of death. [3] It’s a big deal. Rabbi Moses Isserles demanded a formal conversion back to Judaism for those who converted out of Judaism but who then wanted to return to Judaism. (One who practices idolatry denies the whole of the Torah.)[4] He demanded ritual immersion (mikveh) and repentance before a court of three (beit din). You will see this also in other Responsa literature: Radbaz, Responsa III, 415; Moses Isserles to Yoreh Deah 268.12; and Hoffman, Melamed Leho-il II, 84. Maimonides himself wrote that if a Jew converted to Christianity, he or she was no longer a Jew (Yad, loc. cit. 2:5.). Also see Maimonides, Hilchot Mamrim Perek 3, Halacha 1-3, as well as in Maimonides's Mishnah Torah, Avodat Kochavim 2:5. Note the following Biblical Passage: I Kings 18:21. Elijah the prophet asked Jews who were beginning to slip into the worship of the idol, Baal, "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the God of the Jews is God, follow Him! but if Baal is God, then follow him!" Elijah told the Jews, one or the other, not both! You cannot believe in two opposite, mutually exclusive ideas simultaneously. Judaism and Christianity believe in opposite, mutually exclusive ideas, and you cannot be a Jew and a believer that Jesus was the Christ at the same time. We are supposed to prefer death over the practice of Christianity [5]. This is not to say apostate ex-Jews are not welcome back! Rabbi Moses Isserles demanded a formal conversion back to Judaism for those who converted out of Judaism but who then wanted to return to Judaism. He demanded ritual immersion (mikveh) and repentance before a court of three (beit din). You will see this also in other Responsa literature: Radbaz, Responsa III, 415; Moses Isserles to Yoreh Deah 268.12; and Hoffman, Melamed Leho-il II, 84. Indeed, the Tanakh says… “As I live, says G-d, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that they turn from their way and live.” (Ezek. 33:11). “When the wicked turns from his sin, and does what is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.” (Ibid. 33:19). “That every man shall return from his way, and I will forgive him.” (Jer. 36:3) “If they return to You, and confess Your Name, and pray ... then You will hear in Heaven, and forgive their sin.” (1 Kings 8:33, 34) Even a Jew who has embraced another faith is given another chance. He can still return to Judaism and be reaccepted by G-d. However, he must sever all ties with the faith he converted to (in this case, the Christian or “Messianic” faith). Sources: 1) Yad, loc. cit. 2:5. 2) Pri Megadim, Eshel Avraham 55:4. 3) Sanhedrin 74a. 4) Sifri on Num. 15:22 and Deut. 11:28; Yad, Avodas Kochavim 2:4. Cf. Horios 8a. 5) Tshuvos Rivash 4, 11, Tshuvos Rabbi Yosef ben Lev 1:15. • Harries, Richard (August 2003). "Should Christians Try to Convert Jews?". After the evil: Christianity and Judaism in the shadow of the Holocaust. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. g. 119. LCCN 2003-273342. ISBN 0199263132. "Thirdly, there is Jews for Jesus or, more generally, Messianic Judaism. This is a movement of people often of Jewish background who have come to believe Jesus is the expected Jewish messiah.…They often have congregations independent of other churches and specifically target Jews for conversion to their form of Christianity." • Kessler, Edward (2005). "Messianic Jews". in Edward Kessler and Neil Wenborn (eds.) (GoogleBooks). A dictionary of Jewish-Christian relations. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 292–293. LCCN 2005-012923. ISBN 9780521826921. OCLC 60340826. "From a mainstream Christian perspective Messianic Judaisms can also provoke hostility for misrepresenting Christianity." • Harris-Shapiro, Carol (1999). "Studying the Messianic Jews" (GoogleBooks). Messianic Judaism: a rabbi’s journey through religious change in America. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. pp. g. 3. LCCN 98-54864. ISBN 0807010405. OCLC 45729039. "And while many evangelical Churches are openly supportive of Messianic Judaism, they treat it as an ethnic church squarely within evangelical Christianity, rather than as a separate entity." [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Name
Verification
Please enable JavaScript to continue.
Loading…
Post reply
Top