Amusing post over at Jewish Life & Learning: Is it discouraged or unacceptable for a gentile to keep the sabbath?
The accepted answer, with a boatload of up-votes from the Jewish community, states:
A non Jew is not allowed to keep Shabbos. Those that are in the process of converting make sure to do at least one thing on Shabbos that would normally not be allowed. For example they might carry something in their pocket.
משנה תורה לרמב"ם, ספר שופטים, הלכות מלכים ומלחמות, פרק י, יא - י"ב
Just to restate what's being said here, gentiles are not only forbidden to keep Shabbat, but even potential converts to Judaism must do some trivial thing, such as carrying something in their pocket, on Shabbat, in order to deliberately *break* Shabbat, so that he can successfully convert and become a Jew and observe Shabbat. (At which point, he would most certainly remove said item from his pocket!)
Oh boy.
For those who love Messiah, we know there’s a way that Judaism doesn’t yet see:
Messiah opened up to gentiles the covenants with the forefathers. He made gentiles sons of Abraham. He made gentiles first-class citizens in the commonwealth of Israel. He brought non-natural branches – the gentiles – and placed them alongside the natural branches – the Jewish people. Marvelous thing, really.
(Blessed are you, Lord, for bringing the millions of gentiles to yourself through Messiah’s sacrifice.)
This is a clear fork-in-the-road for those who wish our Messiah faith to be merely an emulation of Judaism. It’s not that the Messianic movement must discard Judaism. It’s that there are clear practical divergences here, divergences besides the deal-breaker that is Yeshua-as-divine-Messiah, Yeshua as Lord. The treatment of gentiles is such a divergence.
In the pre-Messiah days, barring a handful of proselytes and God-fearers, gentiles were without hope, without God, no relationship to Israel or the covenants. But after Messiah’s arrival, all that was turned on its head. (Thank you, Lord, for having mercy on the nations.)
Treatment of gentiles was to be different under Messiah’s reign. People with zero relation to Jacob are now family and first-class citizens and equal branches of the people of God, the commonwealth of Israel.
It shouldn’t surprise us, either. The prophets said as much.
- Isaiah parroted God’s command: gentiles will keep shabbat and be given a name better than even Jacob’s children.
- Zechariah speaks to a glorious time for Israel, when all the nations will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts.
- Isaiah even spoke of a seeming impossibility: first, God shows up and his glory is on plain display for all to see. Then, he’ll bring gentiles from all the nations to serve in the Temple alongside Israel as if they were cohanim, the Levitical priests.
Can you even imagine that? It’s going to be a sight to see, guys. The Temple is going to be rebuilt, Messiah’s going to return, God’s glory will be laid bare, all nations are going to see the King in plain sight. I can’t wait. Let’s persevere until then.
There's a bit of commentary on my Facebook page from all this. I'm duplicating the comments here.
ReplyDeleteThey mean keeping Shabbat according to Orthodox Jewish practice. I doubt many non-Jews (and frankly Jews) would be concerned that lifting a tea bag out of a cup is straining the tea bag thus violating Shabbat via the prohibition on straining, or not turning on light switches. That's what the think when they say "Keep Shabbat" Keeping it as a day of rest and connection to family is encouraged.
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds very complicated to me. I went to that link and saw a bunch of jokes that obviously required you to understand some complex rules in order to get the punchline.
ReplyDelete*Straining falls under the broader category of winnowing.
ReplyDeleteTough subject when thinking of all the different opinions within Judaism.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of Christians take it for granted that we have a lot of denominations, but assume that other religions are more monolithic in opinion, when they are clearly not.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen, most non-Jews who believe they are "keeping the Torah" are not actually shomer Shabbat. I've never seen one refrain from driving to where they worship on Saturday or keep from re-heating food for Oneg or a communal meal after the service. I don't think the Orthodox have much to worry about.
ReplyDeleteI've spent a lot of time talking to Seventh Day Adventists, and I've never heard them say that they are not allowed to drive on a Saturday, so I guess you guys take it to a whole new level
DeleteI think it all depend if you live in a believing 'Community' or not. At the Chabad that i attended for 2 yrs there were plenty of the Jewish congregants who drove to Shul too because they did not live in the community etc.
DeleteIf one lived in a community it would be much easier to be shomer Shabbos, it actually would be easier to keep the mitzvots. ;) what do you guys think?
Rey, at my local Chabad, anyone who wants to avoid driving to shul on Shabbos, arrives there shortly before Shabbat and spends the night. The Rabbi and his family do this as well, since the space they rent for services is a number of miles from where they live.
DeleteMost Jews are very understanding of the differences in how they choose to Observe Shabbat and even other things. There is much more unity among Jews because they are united ethnically and can "Agree to Disagree". Doing a Midrash and coming to a different opinion is accepted. Unity in Christianity is defined by doctrine not ethnicitiy, and each time there is a difference of opinioin, suddenly an new denomination or group is formed...
DeleteYea I've seen this done too ;). It's also done at our Chabad. But many don't do it. The Rabbi himself has a pretty long hike to get to Shul....
DeleteI guess it just becomes an inconvenience because of some of the congregants who have large families. Our Shul would not be big enough. A community family makes everything better ;)
That's what halacha is all about. What isn't specific in Torah needs midrash, because as time goes on not every detail is addressed.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see anyone remember The Prophet Isaiah 56
ReplyDeleteThe point remains: the Messianic movement should not merely imitate Judaism. This is a great example where, because of Messiah, gentiles have a different status than they do within Judaism. We can't simply look to Judaism and assume Judaism's rules apply to us in the Messianic movement.
ReplyDeleteMessiah changed things. Judaism doesn't acknowledge that. But we do. Therefore, our movement can't merely be Judaism-as-essential-point-of-reference. It has to be New Testament as overruling Judaism when necessary. (Blasphemous, I know!)
Again they are referring to keeping Shabbat according to Orthodox Jewish standards. Taking a day of from work, resting with your family, and going to fellowship is not keeping Shabbat according to Orthodox Standards. Keeping Shabbat according to Orthodox standards would be completely overwhelming for non-Jews. You really have nothing to worry about.
DeleteHeck it can be overwhelming at times for Jews who choose to live at an Orthodox standard.
DeleteJudah, with all do respect bro I don't think Moshiach changed anything. He gave correct interpretations on certain issues and when He returns He will settle all halachic issues. Shalom!
DeleteAh, well, clarity over agreement. Ephesians 2: Messiah brought gentiles into the covenants of the forefathers, made them first-class citizens in the commonwealth of Israel, no longer without God or without hope.
DeleteI believe that's Messiah changing things. You don't.
Clarity over agreement.
Thinking through Rey's idea that Messiah didn't change anything, except to give correct interpretations:
DeleteThis makes Messiah out to be nothing more than a good rabbi, and certainly not the Redeeming Son of God who shed his blood for the sins of the world. If Messiah didn't change anything, and only interpreted halacha, it effectively cancels His work on the cross.
Judah and James good points. But here is what I'm saying, Moshiach is not just a Rabbi, He is on a whole other level. The path that G-d had laid out for mankind always involved 'mankind' (Jew and Gentile) - the plan of redemption. I believe that somehow man has messed things up (Jew and Gentile) ;) , here is when the very unique and exalted person of Moshiach comes into play. He fixes all these issues and brings redemption (forgiveness of sins). If there was any other person or rabbi who could have done this, then why do we need a Moshiach (the Moshiach)? The redemption process requires a very exalted figure.
DeleteRey. Of course it G-D is one and the Father of us all. I was just sharing a perspective that I think we can learn from. Being married to an Israeli Jew, I can tell you that there is definitely an ethnic bond within the Jewish people, that many folks do not understand. It comes partly from being persecuted for your ethnicity and not just your faith.
DeleteChristine, oh I agree 100%, I know it's really tough. I agreed with your comments, I think that I didn't understand the meaning at first but i agree. Shalom U'bracha to you!
DeleteWell, Shabbos is for the Jews only - specifically it is a covenant between Hashem and the Jewish nation forever. It's laws are intricate for a reason. Since the Jewish people are the ones whom Hashem made this special covenant with, no other nation knows how to keep Shabbos in the way that Hashem told us. That being said, if you believe that the New Testament trumps the Torah...go start your own religion! Oh...wait, I think you already did. ;0)
Delete@Jeremiah:
ReplyDeleteI am not worried about being able to keep shabbat according to Orthodox standards, praise the Lord.
Rather, I'm convinced more that the Messianic movement cannot be merely emulators of Judaism, as many philosopher-theologian types in the MJ world espouse.
Judah said: "Rather, I'm convinced more that the Messianic movement cannot be merely emulators of Judaism, as many philosopher-theologian types in the MJ world espouse."
DeleteJudah, that would mean the Gentile/Christian-driven "Messianic" and "Hebrew Roots" congregations should move away from emulating traditional Jewish synagogue services and observances, but what about Jewish-driven Messianic congregations?
As far as my blog on this topic is concerned, I'll be glad to spam you with the link. ;-)
Messiah's arrival was of such great impact, such that the way we live our lives and the way our congregations are modeled must be in light of his coming. Lives and religious services modeled on the understanding that Messiah hasn't come would be to live as if he never arrived in the first place. The Messianic movement, including the Messianic Judaism subset, should not merely be emulators of Judaism.
DeleteAre they emulators or a related branch of Judaism? If the latter, their services should be substantially similar to other "Judaisms" with adaptations to recognize the living Messiah.
DeleteAnd how about the Psalms, where music and instruments are used to praise the Lord? Shouldn't those things be in services, both Jewish and Messianic?
DeleteI assume you mean 1 Corinthians 14 where it says in part:
Delete"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."
Does your congregation emulate this pattern exactly? Is this a command from Paul or merely guidelines for the newly minted Gentile Messianic congregation (certainly, the Jews would already know the proper method of worshiping their own God and honoring their own Messiah)? Is there no room for variance? I assume you're suggesting Jewish congregations that worship Jesus as Messiah should stop mirroring traditional modern synagogue services and follow the 1 Corinthians 14 pattern. Funny. I was just listening to a program on NPR about the Spanish Inquisition, which was a time when, among other things, it was illegal for Jews to worship as they desired, and they were forced to covert or be expelled from Spain by the church. Sorry, Judah. I don't think I'd be willing to treat Jewish believers so rigidly.
I know many One Law congregations do have music, including the one I used to worship with, and I know we read the Psalms on each Shabbat. However, more traditionally Jewish Messianic groups choose not to include music in their worship. Are you suggesting that they *must* have music? Really, Judah. How would you like it if someone were to come in and start telling you how your congregation should hold their services?
Interesting that the latest issue of FFOZ's Messiah Journal came in the mail today. It contains the first article in my four-part series on "Supersessionism in the Church." Are you suggesting that because there are Jews in the world who are devoted disciples of Jesus that they change themselves around and replace their current traditions with how you think their services should go?
I believe people -- Jews and gentiles -- should change their lives around to what Messiah commanded and what his disciples taught in the Scriptures.
DeleteIf our lives and our services look exactly like those before Messiah, it's as if his arrival never happened.
First of all, Jewish synagogue services probably don't look very much like they did in the Second Temple period, since a great deal of ritual and tradition has been changed since then. I also don't believe that Jewish synagogue services changed dramatically during the time of Paul. I do believe that the audience Paul was addressing wasn't a bunch of Jews who didn't know how to properly worship God as Messianics, but a group of newly minted Gentile disciples who had no idea how to shift from their former mode of pagan worship to worshiping the God of Abraham.
DeleteLast night, I read an article written by Tsvi Sadan called “Halachic Authority in the Life of the Messianic Community” that was published in the latest edition of Messiah Journal (an FFOZ publication) that almost directly addresses your suggestion that the Jews must change and in essence, stop being Jewish, because of how Christians perceive what the Messiah changed. It would take up too much space here to outline Sadan's points in any detail, but I'll be writing a review of his article either today or tomorrow. In the meantime, both my "morning meditation" on Shabbat and an excerpt from my "Supersession" article are both posted on my blog if you are anybody else happens to be interested: My Morning Meditations.
Judah, my review of Tsvi Sadan's article from Messiah Journal 109 called “Halachic Authority in the Life of the Messianic Community” probably addresses many of your concerns but I don't think there will be much agreement: Review of Halachic Authority in the Life of the Messianic Community
DeleteI agree with you Judah, that the Messiah changed things. We non-Jews were without hope of ever coming into relationship with God before he came. Because of him, and thanks to God's grace and mercy, we can enter into covenant relationship with our Creator and be called the sons and daughters of the Most High.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I have a much longer response to all this, which is why my "extra meditation" for tomorrow will be addressing Christians and the Shabbat.
This gentile thanks you for your post. :) And I thank God for grafting me in ... like Ruth and Rahab.
ReplyDelete"It’s not that the Messianic movement must discard Judaism. It’s that there are clear practical divergences here, divergences besides the deal-breaker that is Yeshua-as-divine-Messiah, Yeshua as Lord. The treatment of gentiles is such a divergence."
ReplyDeleteI think that Apostle Paul's repeated and vehement insistence that Gentiles not seek to Judaize themselves and his particularly harsh stance against those who advocated Gentile observance of such things like circumcision, Sabbath and Jewish holidays places the Pharisee squarely into the mainstream Jewish camp.
It also places those who advocate Gentile Torah observance into the camp of Apostle Paul's most bitter Judaizing opponents. A whole book in NT (Galatians) was penned just to thwart that specific teaching, which has been reborn today in the guise of "One Law".
Ah, you read into Paul's words your interpretation. Paul's says gentiles shouldn't Judaize themselves and seek circumcision; conversion to Judaism. Paul says if you convert to Judaism, it's as if Messiah's no use to you.
DeleteThe group Paul and James and Peter all spoke against were the Jewish Judaizers, the Pharisees who demanded gentile conversion to Judaism.
And yet we're left with gentiles folks, like those on your side of the camp, Gene my friend, who circumcise themselves and call themselves Jewish. I believe the apostles would come down harshly on that.
Those of us that encourage Jews and gentiles to keep the Torah, I think align with God's word just fine. I'm comfortable with Galatians - are you?
Just throwing it out there:
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can tell, Yeshua was/is primarily interested in changing US (not our Torah). Yeshua, in that process, opened up the gates for the nations of the world to draw near to the God of Israel...That was a big change. He made God accessable to all people (not the Torah to all people)
With that said I don't think the issue is how much our communities look like this or that. The issue is being faithful to who we are in him with the renewed hearts and minds he intends for us. Faithfulness, in community, is determined by unique callings, gifts, and responsibilities.
Bottom line is that faithfulness is defined differently for different groups of people. God has always intended it that way. Kohanim do (don't do) things leviim do not (can) do, same goes for regular Jews, Gentiles, etc. Women can give birth while men can't. Men can produce seed while womman cannot. An eye cannot be an ear, etc. Diversity and the dignity of difference were always a part of God's ultimate vision for unity. The miracle in Acts chapter two was not everyone speaking the same language but being able to understand one another with different languages.
All of that to say, a synagogue has a calling and gifting unique to itself (as an entity that is different from a church) and the newness Yeshua brings is to its members, not its structure. I seem to think he wants its members doing the former without neglecting the latter.
Just because you don't need Yeshua to practice Judaism doesn't mean you have to stop practicing Judaism once you believe in Yeshua. Your Judaism may look different in certain areas with a renewed heart and mind, but I think Yeshua cared more about renewing the heart than the externals-the externals were already good. I don't know why we need to start criticizing the externals. If a Jewish Yeshua believer wants to look scarcely different from an Orthodox Jew in practice, why bother him about it? Shouldn't it be the heart that counts? I guess I'm suggesting we pay attention to the heart and care with which people treat each other by being faithful in the positions they find themselves, respecting the differences of others and the uniquenesses (word?) they steward.
Winning reply, IMHO, goes to Shabbos Queen. =]
ReplyDeleteIt is truly a miracle and blessing that even though many of the verbally transmitted details of the Torah are written, they are usually STILL shielded from everyone but Israel. HaShem protects the covenant He made only between Himself and Israel, even though all of these people who claim to be God's new people, or on a greater level than the obedient of the Jewish people, could decide on their own to keep as it truly is to be - but do not.