| Judaism's View Of Jesus |
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Information AboutJudaism's View Of Jesus |
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While very few texts in Judaism refer to, or even take note of Jesus , the defining elements underlying Judaism's view of Jesus are that
Some Jews doubt the Historical Existence Of Jesus . Based on a Talmud ic traditionSotah 47a, Sanhedrin 107b some Nahmanides in his dispute with Pablo Christiani in 1263 paragraph 22. ''Vikuach HaRamban'' found in ''Otzar Havikuchim'' by J. D. Eisenstein, Hebrew Publishing Society, 1915 and ''Kitvey HaRamban'' by Rabbi Charles D. Chavel, Mosad Horav Kook, 1963; See also "The Kuzari " by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi Section 3 paragraph 65 believed that Jesus lived 130 years prior to the date that Christian s believe he lived, contradicting the Gospel 's account in regards of the years. REFUTING CLAIMS ABOUT JESUS Not God or Son of God Most Jews believe Jesus never claimed to be the son of God. The phrase "my Father in Heaven" is a common poetic Jewish expression, that may have been misinterpreted literally. Nevertheless, Judaism teaches that it is heretical for any man to claim to be God, part of God, or the son of God. Judaism believes that God as the creator of time, space and matter is beyond them. God cannot be born or die, or have a son in this sense. The Jerusalem Talmud ( Ta'anit 2:1) states explictly: "if a man claims to be God, he is a liar". Not the Messiah ''Main articles: Messiah and Jewish Messiah '' (Note that the Jewish and Christian concepts of "Messiah" differ substantially; readers who have not understood the Jewish concept often assume it to signify meanings which were in fact not a part of nor present within the Jewish understanding) According to mainstream Jewish beliefs, Jesus did not fit the requirements of the Jewish Messiah., accessed March 14, 2006. The Jewish Messiah, according to the Prophets will be paternal descendent from King David () via King Solomon () but if Jesus was the son of God, he was not. The Jewish Messiah is expected to return the Jews to their homeland and rebuild the Temple, but Jesus lived while the Temple was standing and before the Jews went into exile. Jesus was crucified as a common criminal and never reigned as king. There was no era of peace brought by Jesus (). There was no period of great knowledge during or after to time of Jesus, where "the knowledge of God" filled the earth () nor did the nations "end up recognizing the wrongs they did Israel" (). The Jews were not redeemed () by Jesus, in fact they were exiled only a few years later. Furthermore, as Nahmanidies points out Nahmanides in his dispute with Pablo Christaini in 1263 paragraph 103., Jesus was rejected as the Messiah by the rabbis of his time who saw him, and there is no reason to doubt their assessment. Not a Prophet ''Main articles: Prophet and False Prophet '' According to rabbinical tradition Jesus was not accepted as prophet This can be seen by the statement in the , accessed March 14, 2006 Did not die for sins Jews do not believe anyone can "die" as a "repentance" for anyone else () but is instead focus on personal repentance (,, ). As a religion, Judaism is far more focused on the practicalities of understanding how one may live a sacred life in this world according to God's will, rather than hope of spiritual salvation in a future one. Jews view their Divine Purpose as being ideally a "role model to the nations" and a "holy people" (i.e., a people who live their lives fully in accordance with Divine will), rather than "the one path to God". JEWISH TEXTS THAT MENTION JESUS ''see Yeshu for a discussion of possible Talmudic references to Jesus'' Maimonides' Mishneh Torah Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) writes why Jews believe that Jesus was wrong to create Christianity (and why they believe that Muhammad was wrong to create Islam;) he laments the pains that Jews felt as a result of these new faiths that attempted to supplant Judaism. However, Maimonides then goes on to say that both faiths help God redeem the world: Even Jesus the Nazarene who imagined that he would be Messiah and was killed by the court, was already prophesied by Daniel . So that it was said, “And the members of the outlaws of your nation would be carried to make a (prophetic) vision stand. And they stumbled” (Daniel 11.14). Because, is there a greater stumbling-block than this one? So that all of the Prophet s spoke that the Messiah redeems Israel, and saves them, and gathers their banished ones, and strengthens their commandmends. And this one caused (nations) to destroy Israel by sword, and to scatter their remnant, and to humiliate them, and to exchange the Torah, and to make the majority of the world err to serve a divinity besides God. However, the thoughts of the Creator of the world – there is no force in a human to attain them because our ways are not God's ways, and our thoughts not God's thoughts. And all these things of Jesus the Nazarene, and of ( Muhammad ) the Ishmael ite who stood after him – there is no (purpose) but to straighten out the way for the King Messiah, and to restore all the world to serve God together. So that it is said, “Because then I will turn toward the nations (giving them) a clear lip, to call all of them in the name of God and to serve God (shoulder to shoulder as) one shoulder.” (Zephaniah 3.9). Look how all the world already becomes full of the things of the Messiah, and the things of the Torah , and the things of the commandments! And these things spread among the far islands and among the many nations uncircumcized of heart. (''Hilkhot Melakhim'' 11:10–12.) "Hilchot Malachim (laws concerning kings) (Hebrew)" , MechonMamre.org, accessed March 14, 2006. Maimonides' Epistle to Yemen Jesus is mentioned in Maimonides ' Epistle To Yemen , written about 1172 to Rabbi Jacob ben Netan'el al-Fayyumi, head of the Yemen Jewish community during a time when Jews of that country were passing through a crisis, namely a forced conversion to Islam, inaugurated about 1165 by 'Abd-al-Nabi ibn Mahdi, and a campaign conducted by a recent convert to win them to his new faith. The context of Maimonides' mention of Jesus is during a portion retelling the history of those who tried to destroy Judaism 1) by the sword, 2) by controversies, and 3) by both conquest and controversy. The latter category begins with Jesus, and goes on to mention Paul, and then "the Madman" ( Muhammad ). Ever since the time of Revelation, every despot or slave that has attained to power, be he violent or ignoble, has made it his first aim and his final purpose to destroy our law, and to vitiate our religion, by means of the sword, by violence, or by brute force, such as Amalek , Sisera , Sennacherib , Nebuchadnezzar , Titus , Hadrian , may their bones be ground to dust, and others like them. This is one of the two classes which attempt to foil the Divine will. Nahmanides disputation at Barcelona In 1263, Nahmanides , rabbi of Girona and later chief rabbi of Catalonia , was ordered by King James I Of Aragon to take part in a public disputation with the Apostate Pablo Christiani . Christiani had been trying to make the Jews of Provence abandon Judaism and convert to Christianity. Relying upon the reserve his adversary would be forced to maintain through fear of wounding the feelings of the Christian dignitaries, Pablo assured the King that he could prove the truth of Christianity from the Talmud and other rabbinical writings. Nahmanides complied with the order of the King, but stipulated that complete Freedom Of Speech should be granted, and for four days (July 20-24) debated with Pablo Christiani in the presence of the King, the court, and many ecclesiastical dignitaries. The subjects discussed were: # whether the Messiah had appeared; # whether the Messiah announced by the Prophets was to be considered as divine or as a man born of human parents; # whether the Jews or the Christians were in possession of the true faith. Christiani argued, based upon several Aggadic passages, that the Pharisee sages believed that the Messiah had lived during the Talmudic period, and that they ostensibly believed that the Messiah was therefore Jesus . Nahmanides countered that Christiani's interpretations were per-se distortions; the rabbis would not hint that Jesus was Messiah while, at the same time, explicitly opposing him as such. Nahmanides proceeded to provide context for the proof-texts cited by Christiani, showing that they were most clearly understood differently than as proposed by Christiani. Furthermore, Nahmanides demonstrated from numerous biblical and talmudic sources that traditional Jewish belief ran contrary to Christiani's postulates. Nahmanides went on to show that the Biblical prophets regarded the future messiah as a human, a person of flesh and blood, and not as a Divinity , in the way that Christians view Jesus. He noted that their promises of a reign of universal peace and justice had not yet been fulfilled. On the contrary, since the appearance of Jesus, the world had been filled with violence and injustice, and among all denominations the Christians were the most warlike. He noted that questions of the Messiah are of less dogmatic importance to Jews than most Christians imagine. The reason given by him for this bold statement is that it is more meritorious for the Jews to observe the precepts under a Christian ruler, while in exile and suffering humiliation and abuse, than under the rule of the Messiah, when every one would perforce act in accordance with the Law. REFERENCES SEE ALSO
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