There are two posts which I'll briefly deal with.
The first is this:
A JewishIsrael Statement of Concern Regarding Rav Melamed's Position in Support of Messianic Christian Volunteers
Snippets:
JewishIsrael has sought through various channels to meet with Rabbi Eliezer Melamed...pertaining to the deployment of Hayovel Ministry volunteers in the fields of Yehuda and Shomron (and now in the Golan Heights as well), a service Rabbi Melamed deems as a "fulfillment of prophecy". These volunteers...are missionary in nature. [At a recent meeting with the Rabbi's representative, he was informed that] we planned to go ahead in the near future with publication of the information presented, and that JewishIsrael hoped Rav Melamed would review the material shortly and respond with his opinion...Rav Melamed retained his position regarding Hayovel Ministries.
...other prominent rabbis viewed the very same presentation...JewishIsrael will soon begin publicizing the information we presented to Rav Melamed via Har Bracha’s community representative, Mr. Hermon. JewishIsrael believes it will show that Rav Melamed has chosen to ignore very serious evidence and an agenda which places Judaism's foundations in jeopardy, which will lead to spiritual confusion and worse for the Jewish people.
I heard from a Christian that he understands that some Rabbis are not only discussing this matter with Rabbi Melamed but are threatening him.
I do not know if this is true. But, in any case, JewishIsrael and some of these Rabbis, it may be, have already scored their first major victory - they have caused a major chillul hashem. This Christian told me, and I am paraphrasing, 'I can understand debate but if they are threatening him with verbal violence and perhaps seeking to undermine his status by causing financial injury to his institutions and his good name, I think that is horrible behavior'.
The second is this:
"Jumping the Geula Gun" - a Response by Rabbi Sholom Gold to Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
JewishIsrael’s Rabbinic Director, Rabbi Sholom Gold, responds to Rabbi Eliezer Melamed's article, "Christians Fulfilling the Prophecy of Isaiah".
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed and other community leaders in Israel and America attribute the current outpouring of fundamentalist Christian support for Israel to a prophetic era of change...regardless of their worldview, and Judaism's ultimate expectations and hopes for the future, we Jews are obligated to hold our spiritual and physical ground...it is not our role as Torah-true Jews to grapple with, to accommodate, or to incorporate the prophetic views and shifting theology of various Christian sects. There is no rationale for jeopardizing or compromising the Jewish faith by openly embracing and encouraging evangelical designs for Israel.
I dispute that. Torah-true Jews deal with everything, from what is written in Tanakh to the latest food fashion (to make sure it is kosher) and especially is what our Prophets wrote concerns our restored condition and what they are supposed to be doing in that redemptive process.
...One wonders if such spiritual leaders have lost their grounding or are perhaps suffering from a type of "messianic complex."...It's nothing less than tragic that at a time like this, when the Jewish community is confused and divided, that certain Torah observant leaders in Israel are unable to recognize and clearly respond to the viable spiritual threat presented by foreign Christian messianic sects whose adherents are here to "love" and "serve" Israel - which is precisely the classic definition of a "missionary"!
That is the definition? Really? I disagree, respectfully.
...The rabbis involved are accomplishing nothing less than contributing to, inspiring, and establishing a first century type Christian Restoration cult in Eretz Yisrael...Christian evangelicals who are mesmerized by end-of-days scenarios which run contrary to Judaism,...[are] ethically questionable, spiritually untenable and [they] jeopardize[s] the future of the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael.
I suspect there is another complex at work here. Rabbi Gold seems to be the contrarian one.
Too bad.
^
Posts
3 comments:
"foreigner who comes?"
Do you mean "ger?"
JewishIsrael is taking a very painstaking and careful approach to this problem. People in Yehuda and Shomron were up in arms about the Wallers and their missionary affiliations long before JewishIsrael started investigating or issuing reports.
We don't know what kind of hot heads are dwelling among you who see fit to issue provocative poster campaigns and threaten rabbis. That is not JewishIsrael’s style. However, we don't need people like you and David Rubin leveling false accusations at us over an issue that requires serious debate and consideration by the Jewish community.
The rabbis who have thus far viewed the same material we presented at Har Bracha are very soft spoken, mild-mannered and thoughtful in their approach. And yet they concur that the material presented is "of great concern, very serious in nature, and requires follow-up" and "they can't understand how Rav Melamed could possibly ignore such vital information."
I'm reminding you that it was you who originally suggested to me that there be a serious site set-up to inform the Jewish community of the various problematic evangelical groups and personalities active in Israel.
At the very least these leaders in Yehuda and Shomron should have the integrity to admit to their own communities that,
"Yes, for what we consider to be the good of the yishuv, we made a decision to partner with hundreds of Christian missionaries. But they have assured us that they will not proselytize or share their faith with you - at least not here in this community. But we don't have control over their larger agenda and what they do and what their plans are for the rest of Am Yisrael"
Perhaps it is the lack of honesty that is the real "Chilul Hashem".
To 10:
no.
Nochri.
To Ellen;
"false accusations"? you're the expert.
Rabbis - so are my Rabbis.
Thanks for the credit but also wanted rational thought to operate and not stam witch hunting.
and I'm also honest.
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