Press Release: "It has become a common refrain among
the anti-Semites that the Talmud is the 'smoking gun' that
confirms their belief about Jews being stingy, malevolent and
intent on world domination," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National
Director. "They create this myth about Jewish practices and
tradition, which helps to further justify and promote their
anti-Semitism." (ADL Press Release, ADL Says Extremists Use the Talmud to
Promote Anti-Semitism)
Abstract from The Talmud in Anti-Semitic Polemics
: "Recently there has been a renewal of attacks on Judaism
and Jews through recycling of old accusations and distortions
about the Talmud. Anti-Talmud tracts were originally developed in
the Middle Ages as Christian polemics against Judaism, but today
they emanate from a variety of Christian, Moslem and secular
sources. Sometimes 'studies' have blatantly anti-Semitic tones;
sometimes they are more subtle. Yet all of them remain as false
and pernicious today as they did in the Middle Ages. Because of
their unfortunate frequent reappearance, there is a need to
formally rebut these accusations and canards. The Anti-Defamation
League developed the following essay that explains in an honest
and scholarly way the Talmudic teachings as understood by Jewish
religious authorities."
Abstract: "Halakhah is rabbinic law and legal rulings.
Their present making is a bear-garden. Hundreds of rabbis issue
rulings — each on his own judgement, each to his own
flock --- which state laws to flout, what commands soldiers are
to disobey. This bear-garden made it possible for a
religiously-observant student to righteously murder the Prime
Minister of Israel."
The Kol Nidre
A Traditional Prayer and Ceremony in Judaism
Abstract: This solemn ceremony in Judaic religious
practice has been an issue of controversy between the Jews and
Christian nations for more than a thousand years. Text and
explanation by The Jewish Encyclopedia, and commentary by
Elizabeth Dilling. To hear the melody of the Kol Nidre, see the
movie The Jazz Singer (1927), starring Al Jolson.
Source: Aish HaTorah
http://www.aish.com/holidays/Shavuot/The_613_Commandments.asp
This is linked from the Orthodox Union page, "Jewish
Philosophy and Belief" http://www.ou.org/torah/belief.html
Abstract: "The following is a brief listing of the 613
commandments, as recorded and classified by Maimonides in the
12th century. This listing is taken from his classic compendium
of Jewish law, the Mishneh Torah, which contains 14
primary 'books' or sections. This list should not be used as a
source for any practical Halachic ruling. There are differences
of opinion over the applicability today of some commandments in
this list. Similarly, distinctions must often be made between
rabbinically-decreed commandments and those that still have
binding force as Torah-law today. In all cases of doubt, a
competent rabbinical authority should be consulted. This list is
reprinted from the book, Bible Basics, a user-friendly,
illustrated reference guide to the Five Books of Moses.
(Published by International Traditions Corporation, Jerome S.
Hahn, General Editor.)"
Abstract: "The Oral Torah is not an interpretation
of the Written Torah. In fact, the Oral Torah preceded the
Written Torah. When the Jewish people stood at Mount Sinai
3,300 years ago, God communicated the 613 commandments, along
with a detailed, practical explanation of how to fulfill them.
At that point in time, the teachings were entirely oral."
Aish HaTorah is a Jewish outreach and educational
organization. According to the Aish HaTorah page, Who is
Aish HaTorah? "Aish HaTorah has become one of the world's
largest organizations dedicated to answering the vital
question, 'Why be Jewish?' … Aish HaTorah operates 26
full-time branches and offers programs in 80 cities,
representing 17 countries on 5 continents."
According to Israel National Radio, "Rav David Bar Chayim
[is] one of Israel's Leading Torah Scholars [and] the head of
the Makhon Ben Yishai Institute for Torah Research." A few
years ago, Rabbi Bar-Chayim was a scholar at the Jewish
religious school, Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav Kook, in Israel. While
at the school, he published his study entitled The Jews Are
Called Man. Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav Kook was founded in 1924
by Rabbi Abraham Yitchak Kook (1865-1935), and today is one of
the largest Talmud colleges in Israel.
"Foreword" and summary
written by Daat Emet, who published Rabbi Chayim's study on
the Internet.
Talmud translator Dr. H. Freedman describes the Sephir
Yezirah in a footnote as follows: "The Book of Creation,
Heb. Sefer Yeziroh, is the title of two esoteric books.
The older, referred to here, was a thaumaturgical work popular
in the Talmudic period. It was also known as Hilkoth Yezirah
(Laws of Creation), and is so called in the same story
quoted on
[Sanhedrin] 67b. Rashi there states that the creation was
performed by means of mystic combinations of the Divine Name,
which does not come under the ban of witchcraft. Its basic idea
is that the Creation was accomplished by means of the power
inherent in those letters (Cf. Rab's saying: 'Bezalel knew how
to combine the letters by which heaven and earth were created'.
Ber. 55a. Cf. also
Enoch LXI, 3 et seq.; Prayer of Manasseh: Ecc. R. III, 11
on the magic power of the letters of the Divine Name), and that
this same power could be utilised in further creation. The work
was ascribed to Abraham, which fact indicates an old tradition,
and the possible antiquity of the book itself. It has affinities
with Babylonian, Egyptian, and Hellenic mysticism and its origin
has been placed in the second century B.C.E., when such a
combination of influences might be expected. It is noteworthy
that Raba's statement above, though not mentioning the Sefer
Yezirah, insists on freedom from sin as a prerequisite of
creation by man, v. J.E., XII, 602." (Tractate Sanhedrin 65b
page 446, footnote 8.)
In Judaism, the Zohar is a work of great importance.
It is attributed to Rabbi Simeon b. Yohai (sometimes called R.
Simeon in the Talmud). The Zohar is the classical
repository of the mystical traditions called the Kabbalah
(sometimes "Cabala."). Rab Judah, the prominent Talmud Sage,
declared that LORD God created the Universe with the techniques
of Kabbalah (Berakoth 55a
).
"Simeon b. Yohai, who is the reputed author of the Zohar,
spent thirteen years in a cave with his son, hiding from the
Romans, and suffering great privation." (Tractate Sukkah, page
209, footnote 12, by Talmud translator Reverend Dr. Israel W.
Slotki)
"One of the foremost disciples of R. Akiba. Whilst his
father appears to have been persona grata with the Roman
authorities, R. Simeon himself was their bitter enemy, on
account of the selfish mercenary and immoral motives that
prompted even their apparently good actions. Eventually he had
to flee them and, together with his son R. Eleazar, hide in a
cave for thirteen years. (Shab. 33b.) During that
time his knowledge of both legal and mystical lore increased
phenomenally. In the Mishnah the name R. Simeon (without further
description) denotes R. Simeon b. Yohai." (Tractate Aboth, page
87, footnote 8, by Talmud translator J. Israelstam)
The entry "Gentile" in The Jewish Encyclopedia
(1901-1906) tells us that "Simon ben Yohai is preeminently the
anti-Gentile teacher. In a collection of three sayings of his,
beginning with the keyword [H] (Yer. Kid. 66c; Massek. Soferim
xv. 10; Mek., Beshal-lah, 27a; Tan., Wayera, ed. Buber, 20), is
found the expression, often quoted by anti-Semites, 'Tob
shebe-goyyim harog' (='The best among the Gentiles
deserves to be killed'). This utterance has been felt by
Jews to be due to an exaggerated antipathy on the part of a
fanatic whose life experiences may furnish an explanation for
his animosity; hence in the various versions the reading has
been altered, 'The best among the Egyptians' being generally
substituted. In the connection in which it stands, the import of
this observation is similar to that of the two others: 'The most
pious woman is addicted to sorcery'; 'The best of snakes ought
to have its head crushed' (comp. the saying, 'Scratch a Russian
and you will find a Tartar')." (emphasis added) The cite given
for "Tob shebe goyyim harog" is: Yerushalmi (Jerusalem
Talmud) Kiddushim 66c. (See Gentile,
below.)
Source: Extracts from New Kabbalah
http://www.newkabbalah.com/
Abstract: "'Kabbalah' means 'given by the tradition,'
and the term refers to the mystical and esoteric traditions of
the Jewish people … the theosophical Kabbalah, embodied
in the Zohar and the followers of Isaac Luria, seeks to
understand and describe the divine realm …"
The Judaic mystic, Rabbi Isaac Luria, lived between 1534 and
1572. Dr. Drob, our authority on Lurianic Kabbalism, is Senior
Forensic Psychologist at Bellevue Hospital in New York, and
grandson of Rabbi Max Drob, who was a disciple of Solomon
Schechter and one of the early leaders of the Conservative
movement. We are fortunate that Dr. Drob has taken the time to
bring his specialized knowledge to the common man.
Rabbi Dr. Finkelstein wrote The Pharisees (1938)
while he was Teacher of the Talmud at the Jewish Theological
Seminary of America (JTSA), a center for Conservative Judaism.
"His The Pharisees is a study of the sociological
background of the faith and achievement of this greatly
misunderstood and misinterpreted party in Jewish history and
religion," says The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia (Vol.
4, page 307).
Rabbi Dr. Finkelstein, the son of a rabbi, was educated at the
College of the City of New York and Columbia University. He
received is ordination as rabbi from JTSA 1919. He was
appointed as professor of theology at JTSA in 1931 and was
elected provost in 1937. In 1940 he was elected the fourth
president of JTSA and held that post until his retirement in 1972.
Rabbi Rodkinson (1843-1904) first published his ten volume
English language New Edition of the Babylonian Talmud
between 1896 and 1903 under the editorship of the Rabbi Dr.
Isaac M. Wise, the renowned pioneer of Reform Judaism. A second
edition was published in 1918 by the New Talmud Publishing
Company. Rabbi Rodkinson's The History of the Talmud,
which appears as Volume X of the 1918 edition, is currently on
line at Sacred Texts
(http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/talmud.htm). The History of
the Talmud includes a thumbnail biography of each of the
Talmud Sages and a history of attempts made to destroy or censor
the Talmud over the centuries. Sadly, despite the efforts they
made to bring the Talmud to the people, Rabbis Rodkinson and
Wise abridged sections of the text. Rabbi Rodkinson explains
his reasons for doing so in footnotes and in History,
apparently without realizing that his New Edition was a
part of the phenomenon he deplored.
The Jewish Religion: Its Influence Today: Table of Exhibits collected by Elizabeth Dilling
A direct link to a table of the exhibits Elizabeth Dilling
included in her book. Many are of significant interest,
especially those from The Jewish Encyclopedia.
This frank and authoritative discussion of the place of
non-Jews under the Talmud is a useful reference for Jews and
non-Jews alike. For example, the attention of a careful reader
is immediately drawn to this phrase: "… but the
shedding of the blood of non-Israelites, while not cognizable by
human courts, will be punished by the heavenly tribunal (Mek.,
Mishpatim, 80b)." There is much to learn in this article.
The background and qualifications of the authors of this
article are described by the Encyclopedia as follows:
Emil G. Hirsch, Ph.D., LL.D., Rabbi, Sinai Congregation;
Professor of Rabbinical Literature and Philosophy,
University of Chicago; Chicago, Ill.; also on the Editorial
Board of the Encyclopedia
Judah David Eisenstein, Author, New York City
Executive Committee of the Editorial Board, presumed to
be
Isidore Singer, Ph.D. Managing Editor. (Department
of Modern Biography from 1750 to 1906.)
I. K. Funk, D.D., LL.D. (Chairman of the Board.)
Editor-in-Chief of the Standard Dictionary of the English
Language, etc.
Frank H. Vizetelly, F.S.A. (Secretary of the Board.)
Associate Editor of the Standard Dictionary; Author of "The
Preparation of Manuscripts for the Printer," etc.
as given at http://jewishencyclopedia.com/litdir.jsp and Dilling Exhibit 263
Source: The Thomas Project, (Library of Congress),
various URLs as specified
The US Congress honored Rabbi Schneerson with a series of
resolutions coinciding with his lunar calendar birthday. The
first such resolution found by Come and Hear™ was January
21, 1975, and we have included those through April 12, 1993.
The Talmud's Noahide Laws create interest in Noah's Flood,
and by extension, in the Gilgamesh Flood of ancient
Sumeria. The Gilgamesh tale dates back to the Third
Millennium, B.C. Scholars generally agree that the Gilgamesh
story predates the Noah's Flood story.
There are remarkable parallels between the two stories:
An Ark was built and loaded with animals, rain fell creating a
great flood, birds were released to find land, and the ark came
to rest on a mountain. In the Gilgamesh Flood, rain fell
for six days, and on the seventh day there was rest —
reminiscent of the six days of Creation in Genesis, and the
seventh day of rest.
"A popular theory, proposed by liberal 'scholars,' is that the
Hebrews 'borrowed' from the Babylonians, but no conclusive proof
has ever been offered," writes the Institute for Creation
Research. Indeed, from our vantage point thousands of years
later, what could constitute conclusive proof that the
Hebrews had borrowed Babylonian myths and altered them to suit?
Comparison between the two stories
, graciously prepared by The Institution for Creation
Research, can be found at
http://www.icr.org/pubs/imp/imp-285.htm. As the ICR states, "A
study of these parallels to Genesis 6-9, as well as the many
others, demonstrate the non-coincidental nature of these
similarities."
According to Bible scholars, Moses climbed Mt. Sinai to
receive Mosaic law approximately 1275 B.C. Five hundred years
earlier, however, the Babylonian king Hammurabi had already
erected a stone obelisk in his kingdom on which were written an
entire body of laws. There are remarkable parallels
between the Code of Hammurabi and Mosaic Law. For example,
Hammurabi wrote "an eye for an eye, bone for bone, a tooth for a
tooth" (#197, #198, and #200) and Moses wrote "thou shalt give
life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot
for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for
stripe" (Exodus 21:23-25). There are many other parallels as well.
The stone with Hammurabi's code now rests in the Louvre.
In His Own Image by Carol A. Valentine (based partly on the work of
others)
A new look at the Old Testament and LORD God's justice.
This collection of Biblical passages raises at least two
questions: Was Man created in God's image, or was God created in
Man's? In what way can it be said that Christianity is an
offshoot of Judaism?
Abstract: "Through the [Israelite] prophet Samuel,
[King] Saul was given a divine command to utterly destroy [the
Amaleks] — man, woman, child, cattle, and goods …
According to modern ethical standards, this act of total
extermination was a barbarous thing (though it was scarcely less
refined than modern warfare!) But instead of making a value
judgment from our standpoint, let us try to understand the act
within the religious perspective of ancient Israel."
Source: Slade Farney's Forbidden and Dangerous
Thinking http://mywebpage.netscape.com/sfarney2/pelley1.html
William Pelley was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison
for speaking out against America's involvement in the Second
World War. He was a successful Hollywood screenwriter, and
published a number of political books before he was imprisoned.
(See The Life of William
Dudley Pelley by A.V. Schaeffenberg at
http://www2.stormfront.org/pelley.htm cached at
http://www.come-and-hear.com/supplement/life-of-pelley
In this essay, Pelley summarizes his view of the role of
Jews in history. One point in particular that draws our interest
is his assertion that Jesus was not a Jew, and was not an
adherent of Judaism. It is Pelley's opinion that the Old
Testament and the New Testament were artificially sewn together
by scrounging prophesies from the Old Testament to show that
Jesus fulfilled them, and by inserting quotes in the mouth of
Jesus to show He was faithful to Judaism.
Traditional Christianity links Jesus of Nazareth with the
Old Testament through verses such as Mark 5:17-18: "Think not
that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." But a more careful
reading combined with an intimate knowledge of Judaism suggests
that Jesus was not an adherent of the Judaism of his day. He
evaded Mosaic law, flouted Pharisaic law, and attacked the
Temple rites head-on.
Thomas Jefferson was another who considered the Old
Testament of the Bible was incompatible with the New. Of the
Jewish tradition and religion, Jefferson wrote: "Their system
was Deism; that is, the belief in one only God. But their ideas
of him and of his attributes were degrading and injurious
… Their Ethics were not only imperfect, but often
irreconcilable with the sound dictates of reason and morality,
as they respect intercourse with those around us; and repulsive
and anti-social, as respecting other nations. They needed
reformation, therefore, in an eminent degree." (Letter To Dr.
Benjamin Rush, Washington, April 21, 1803, "Syllabus of an
Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of Jesus, Compared with
Those of Others."
http://www.angelfire.com/co/JeffersonBible/jeffbsyl.html, cached.)