The Jewish Attitude to Christianity
As the Christian world gears up for one of their most important holidays, it is worthwhile contemplating the Jewish attitude towards Christianity.
With a background of the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Chmielnicki genocide and numerous other pogroms and edicts of expulsion, let alone the Holocaust, it is not hard to understand why Jews would have a very ambivalent attitude towards Christianity.
And yet, while Maimonides acknowledges this in his magnum opus, Mishneh Torah, where he writes:
He continues:
The Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement, instructed his followers to disembark from a wagon if they noticed the wagon-driver pass by a church and not cross himself. In Christian Europe, if a wagon-driver did not show respect for his own religion, how could he be trusted to do the right thing for Jews? He also told them that it was better to do business with a non-Jew who believed than with a Jew who did not believe. A person who believed in a Higher Being – although his religion may not be true in the fullest sense – was far more likely to be act with integrity than a person who did not believe.
So while Christianity has brought us much suffering, it has also raised the world to a higher moral level and is playing an important role in perfecting the world in preparation for Moshiach’s arrival.
We also need to be very cognizant and appreciative of the very welcome moral and political support that Israel receives from our Christian friends who believe that the Bible is the Word of G-d, and that Israel belongs to G-d’s Chosen People.
All this goes to show that nothing in this world is all good or all bad. G-d, Who is infinitely wiser than any of us, often chooses to accomplish His goals through means that appear more than a little strange to us mere mortals.
With a background of the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Chmielnicki genocide and numerous other pogroms and edicts of expulsion, let alone the Holocaust, it is not hard to understand why Jews would have a very ambivalent attitude towards Christianity.
And yet, while Maimonides acknowledges this in his magnum opus, Mishneh Torah, where he writes:
"All the prophets spoke of Mashiach as the redeemer of Israel and their savior, who would gather their dispersed ones and strengthen their [observance of the] Commandments. In contrast, [Yeshu] caused the Jews to be slain by the sword, their remnants to be scattered and humiliated, the Torah to be altered, and the majority of the world to serve a god other than the L-rd."
He continues:
"Nevertheless, the intent of the Creator of the world is not within the power of man to comprehend, for [to paraphrase Isaiah 55:8] His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts, our thoughts. [Ultimately,] all the deeds of [Yeshu] and that Ishmaelite [Mohammed] who rose after him will only serve to pave the way for the coming of Mashiach and for the improvement of the entire world, [motivating the nations] to serve G-d together, as it is written [Zephaniah 3:9], 'I will make the peoples pure of speech so that they will all call upon the Name of G-d and serve Him with one purpose.'What Maimonides is saying is that while Yeshu distorted the concept of Moshiach, and Christianity caused indescribable suffering to the Jewish People – Christianity (and Islam) should still be viewed as positive phenomena. While not true religions in the absolute sense – he even goes so far as to call them a "false heritage" – they are a most definite improvement on what came before them. They have caused the Jewish concepts, albeit in an adulterated form, to be "spread among the furthermost islands and among many spiritually insensitive nations". As a result, Moshiach, Torah (Bible), etc., are now part of the common language and "will pave the way for the coming of Mashiach and for the improvement of the entire world, [motivating the nations] to serve G-d together". As to the fact that these Jewish notions have been falsified and adulterated – once the basic concepts have been absorbed, it will be a small matter for Moshiach to correct the errors that have distorted them.
"How will this come about? The entire world has already become filled with talk of [the supposed] Messiah, as well as of the Torah and the Commandments. These matters have been spread among the furthermost islands and among many spiritually insensitive nations, who discuss these matters as well as the Commandments of the Torah. Some of them say: 'These commandments were true, but are not in force in the present age; they are not applicable for all time.' Others say: 'Implied in the commandments are hidden concepts that cannot be understood simply; the Messiah has already come and revealed them.'
"When the true Messianic king will arise and prove successful, his [position becoming] exalted and uplifted, they will all return and realize that their ancestors endowed them with a false heritage; their prophets and ancestors caused them to err."
The Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement, instructed his followers to disembark from a wagon if they noticed the wagon-driver pass by a church and not cross himself. In Christian Europe, if a wagon-driver did not show respect for his own religion, how could he be trusted to do the right thing for Jews? He also told them that it was better to do business with a non-Jew who believed than with a Jew who did not believe. A person who believed in a Higher Being – although his religion may not be true in the fullest sense – was far more likely to be act with integrity than a person who did not believe.
So while Christianity has brought us much suffering, it has also raised the world to a higher moral level and is playing an important role in perfecting the world in preparation for Moshiach’s arrival.
We also need to be very cognizant and appreciative of the very welcome moral and political support that Israel receives from our Christian friends who believe that the Bible is the Word of G-d, and that Israel belongs to G-d’s Chosen People.
All this goes to show that nothing in this world is all good or all bad. G-d, Who is infinitely wiser than any of us, often chooses to accomplish His goals through means that appear more than a little strange to us mere mortals.
5 Comments:
I am a Christian who believes that the Jews are G_d's chosen people, and that He condemns those who persecute the Jews. I point to the current popular bashing of Catholics and Christians, which ironically comes at a time when a Christian President is more supportive of Israel than any other since Reagan. We Christians have much to answer for, but we as a group are no longer the major oppressors of the Jews. In fact, the war on terror is the banding of Christians and Jews against a radical faction called Islamofacism. This is not a religion, but it takes cover behind Islam. One day the sons of the G_d of Abraham will all live together in peace. There will be much upheaval before that day, even this goy can predict!
Thanks for that Christopher. Indeed I was referring to President Bush, among others, in the penultimate paragraph of my article. On a previous occasion I wrote that never since Cyrus the Great has the leader of the world's greatest power been so supportive of Israel.
If one tracks the development of Christianity from its Jewish heritage the most important events are Exodus, the Revelation after exodus, the establishment and destruction of the first temple, the second temple, the birth of Christ and the rise of Christianity. These events demonstrate the movement of Israel from Egypt through Jerusalem and into the diaspora at first as a result of the Babylonians and then the Greeks and Romans, but the rise of Christianity some 300 years after the birth of Christ demonstrates Rome's desire to politically forge a religion, other than Judaism into its culture such that it could develop as a nation in the spiritual image of Jerusalem which the Romans had discovered some 400 years earlier. This leads me to believe that Jesus, the Rabbi, was converted to Christianity well after the time of his crusification. His Rabbinincal teachings may have been interpreted later by his fellow Rabbis and may have sat alongside other great Rabbis of that time, but for Rabbi Saul who moved to Rome, befriended the Roman authorities and assumed the Roman doctrine to form the seeds of Christianity under Roman stewardship. Jews understand these issues inherintly with them comes an appreciation that the core values of Christianity are founded on Jewish principles. Its not that this could have been different afterall the Roman leaders required that they command the events of their time so it was as they decreed, but the prominance of Christ in Christianity and in particular his messianic status should be reconsidered by Christians so that the Talmudic source and the basis of their belief in God can return to dominate their thoughts and their agenda's.
In summary, I suspect Jews think that Christianity is a diversion from a path to which people must progressively return in order that the Messianic era prophesized in Jewish teachings can begin and through this the human race can harmonize and elevate themselves to the higher planes of consciousness which are revealed in the ancient books of the Kabbalah.
I think it is imprtant to remember that both strains of the one Judeo-Christianic tradition have far more in common than they do in disagreement. For example we share a common set of core beliefs and sensibilities. Both strains should be regarded as equal traditions which are applicable to different audiences. Both strains bring their respective adherents closer to the Almighty. I believe that Jews should be encouraged to be better Jews and Christians better Christians. There is an old Christian doctrine which thankfully is falling into disfavour ..ie Replacement theory..the idea that Christianity replaces Judaism or that it somehow renders null and void the unique Covenant between the Jewish people and G-d. Equally, Jews should refrain from disparaging Christianity or suggesting that it is somehow an inferior product. It is not for Jews or Christians to second guess G-d!
Stuart,
Probably unbeknown to you and most of our readers, the Baptist Church of America (and others) have poured millions of dollars into missionary programs around the world. The church continues to be obsessed with converting all of us (chas ve shalom) and the average xtian has at best cursory understanding of who we really are.
Before everyone starts yelling "righteous gentiles" .. I am the first to admit that our history is full of many many noachides .. in my own family there are several stories. But overwhelmingly the xtian world believes that we jews are wrong in what we believe and that we are all going to hell.
There are millions of these missionaries who actually believe they love us and want to save us .. and they will try to do it no matter how much we resist.
But resist we do and we must.
The Jewish world has woken up to the modern amalek and we are responding.
Am Yisroel Chai
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