Recently I posted a quick book review by my friend Rabbi Eli Cohen. Eli works hard running Jews for Judaism in Australia, where Jews for Jesus also works hard trying to catch Jewish souls. Over the last ten years Eli and I have had many discussions about organizations such as Jews for Jesus, Messianic Jews, and the like.

Eli asked if I could post this review on TravelingRabbi.com, though first I’d like to share an experience I had in New Zealand regarding this “Kosher Jesus” matter.

On my first trip to New Zealand in 2001 I ran into some Israelis who were going to stay at a family’s home who were part of H.I.T., which stands for “Hosting Israeli Travelers.” After paying a $35 membership fee (at the time) you’d get a booklet with around 300+ families who open their homes to Israeli travelers. I called to find out if I could join, saying, “I’m not Israeli though I’m a young Jewish Rabbi.” I was granted membership and then spent a few nights with families from the Hosting Israeli Travelers program.

It became obvious to me that it was run by a Christian (probably Baptist) organization trying to convert Jews to programs like ‘Jews for Jesus,’ or ‘Messianic Jews.’ The families I stayed with were very nice, warm, and welcoming and I had a good time, but there was that undertone of ‘I want to convert you.’

Some of the Israelis I spoke with were fully aware of what the program was trying to achieve but they did not care. They were strong in their beliefs and said, “we’re just using H.I.T. for the free accommodation.” However, some Israelis (may G-d protect us), do get caught up in their organization.

I remember how in one home that was part of Hosting Israeli Travelers, I took note of the screen saver on the computer. It flashed pictures as follows: the Western Wall, a menorah, Jesus on a cross, and then an Israeli flag. There was also the general overtone of items around the house like Jewish books mixed with Jews for Jesus books. Menorahs and crucifixes and a map of Israel on the wall alongside a picture of Bethlehem.

How successful are they in convincing Jewish Israelis that Jesus could be kosher?

It’s hard to say, but unfortunately they do have some success as I know personally one Israeli boy who caught up in the whole thing.

I’ve written this post to create some awareness of the matter.

And now here is Rabbi Eli’s book review on Kosher Jesus:

“Kosher Jesus” – A Book Review
In his new, highly controversial book, Kosher Jesus, Shmuley Boteach sets the stage by describing the strong overtures of Christian love towards Israel and the Jewish people. Boteach views this development as a positive step in the Jewish – Christian relationship; however, Boteach points out, there is still a sticking point between Jews and Christians, and that is Jesus. [1]

Boteach’s book presents a solution [2] that he believes will allow both Jews and Christians to overcome the barrier that stands between them. [3] Boteach proposes that instead of Jesus being the issue that divides us[4], we should allow him to serve as a bridge that unites us in the common interest of promoting Judeo – Christian values.[5]

Setting the bar in his introduction, Boteach boldly claims to know the “authentic story” of Jesus of Nazareth[6]. Virtually all historians and scholars agree that when trying to reconstruct the life of the “Historical Jesus” one is crippled by the lack of surviving evidence outside of the Gospels (records which Boteach himself disqualifies.)[7] This leads the reader to wonder how Boteach is going to make his case convincing.

Basing himself on the works of Hyam Maccoby, Boteach insists that although the Gospels cannot be accepted as authentic or reliable, they have nevertheless retained traces of a Jewish Jesus who did not teach against the observance of the Torah[8] and who never claimed to be God. Boteach sees Jesus as a patriot who fought against the occupying Romans; a struggle which cost him his life.

Boteach recognizes that Maccoby’s works alone – which argue that the real Jewish Jesus was radically different than the “Christian” Jesus – have not convinced Jews (or Christians, for that matter) to re-evaluate their deeply ingrained vision of Jesus. Boteach is intent on presenting a more persuasive case with “historical underpinnings”.

In order to vindicate his view of Jesus, Boteach questions the reliability of the Jewish and Christian sources about Jesus, asserting that the truth has been obscured on both sides. In this book, he puts forth the fruit of his “twenty years of in-depth study of Christianity and the New Testament”.[9]

According to Boteach, Jesus is actually an impressive scholar and a visionary[10] who never claimed to be divine. He is someone with whom the rabbis “have no problem whatsoever”.[11] [12] Boteach’s Jesus rebels against the Romans and is crucified by the Romans. End of story. Boteach hopes that by presenting Jesus as a Jewish freedom-fighter and sage, Jews will now embrace the impressive scholar and visionary he sees in Jesus.[13]

Boteach urges his Christian readers to focus on the humanity of Jesus.[14] In Boteach’s view, Christians, who are staunch supporters of Israel and the Jewish people should be able to get past the Jewish rejection of the “Christian Jesus” and expand their view of Jesus to include a Jewish Jesus, who fought for his country and was killed by the Romans.

Boteach’s retelling of the Church’s infancy offers little new information except for his views about Peter[15] who he claims is the author of an anti-Semitic document.[16] The resurrection claims of Jesus’ early followers are conspicuously missing in “Kosher Jesus”[17], an omission that would raise the eyebrows of his Christian readers.[18]

When turning to Paul, Boteach emphasizes that Paul distorted what the real Jesus stood for.[19] In a chapter entitled “Paul the Convert”, Boteach asserts that Paul’s claim of being a Pharisee is highly suspect. “The belief that Paul was a convert to Judaism dates back to the time immediately following Jesus’ death. The Ebionites, the remnants of the Jerusalem Church under the leadership of James (whom the New Testament and Josephus say was Jesus’ own brother), insisted that Paul was a non-Jew who had converted to Judaism”.[20] In reality, however, this is a theory that Maccoby himself (Boteach’s only source for this) admits is not a historical fact but rather something based on a single questionable fourth-century document.[21]

Boteach is understandably upset with Paul for distorting the message of Jesus. But in his zeal to discredit Paul he shoots himself in the foot.[22] Boteach mistakenly combines two of Paul’s teachings[23] in order to accuse Paul of misquoting and giving fraudulent meaning to a verse from Deuteronomy 21:23. [24]

Boteach also exposes the Gospel writers for their ineptitude in stitching together the data.[25] For example, he calls out the Gospel of John for being inconsistent with the synoptic Gospels by placing Jesus’ crucifixion on the second day of Passover instead of the first. Boteach found this mistake ironic since in temple times there was only one day on which the Pesach sacrifice was offered and eaten.[26]

Unfortunately, Boteach will find himself guilty on the same charge he brings against the author of the Gospel of John. In John, Jesus is not crucified on the second day of Passover; he is reportedly crucified on the day before Passover, at the precise time that the Paschal Lamb would have been brought to the Temple in accordance with Jewish Law. [27]

In trying to help his readers understand why Jews must reject Christian doctrines such as: original sin, the virgin birth, the messiahship of Jesus and the deity of the messiah, Boteach refutes these doctrines, appealing to logic as well as the Jewish scriptures.[28] He apologizes to Christians for doing so[29] making it clear to his audience that he has no problem with Christians believing these things[30], but for Jews he says, these doctrines are not acceptable.[31]

Bible-believing Christians may view this as hypocrisy, since Boteach’s assurance is that “Jews want Christians to observe Christianity”.[32] But then in a fiery response to his Jewish critics, he writes that he is trying to spread the Noachide covenant as per the wishes of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. [33] Surely Boteach is aware that according to the view of Maimonides[34] and the Lubavitcher Rebbe[35], a Christianity that worships a man as God (a practice Boteach strongly rejects[36]), has no place in the Noachide covenant.

At the same time, Jews will also have problems with Boteach’s propositions.[37] Judaism will never view Jesus as a prophet[38] and a holy man.[39] Does Boteach honestly expect the Jewish community to re-examine and learn the teachings of Jesus? [40] This suggestion contravenes rabbinic enactments against the study of non-Jewish sacred texts including the Christian Scriptures.[41] [42] Jews have never been, nor will they ever be quick to buy into anything that is associated with Jesus or with the Christian Scriptures. Since Boteach acknowledges that the teachings of the Christian Scriptures in their current form are unacceptable, his proposal to Jews is all the more perplexing.

In summation, despite Boteach’s good intentions, this book is a poor stab at presenting a scholarly view on Jesus. Boteach’s recommendations are an affront to Jews and Christians and will only appeal to those who are uninformed in matters of religion and history.

This review was prepared by Rabbi Eli Cohen of Jews for Judaism Australia.

It's pretty safe to say that staying in this particular guesthouse would be a very big mistake!

We all make mistakes.  When our lives are routine and nothing new comes up, it’s much easier to color within the lines and avoid making them, although we still manage to stumble here and there.  In some ways, I actually think these mistakes that come up in daily life are the hardest ones to deal with.

You see, in travel we also make mistakes, but we make them much more frequently.  If you’re a serious traveler, you make mistakes pretty much all day long, every day.  You go the wrong direction, you get on the wrong bus, you buy some rotten fruit, you check into a bad guesthouse… the list goes on and on.  Everything in travel is an opportunity for mistakes.

I know some travelers who stress about every single one of these mistakes.  I’m sure I was once one of these, but that would have to have been a very long time ago.  Most of the time, the people who are bothered by all of these errors of judgment are people on vacation, or long-term travelers just setting out for the first time.  If you’ve been traveling for a while, you learn pretty quickly not to worry so much about all the mistakes.

You see, when you make mistakes so regularly, you simply don’t have the energy or mental resources to deal with them all.  And it is easier to be more forgiving of mistakes in others.  When Rabbi Ben chooses a guesthouse with no running water, I might not be happy and I might want to switch to another one, but I won’t get angry at him.  Chances are, shortly beforehand, I’d mistakenly led us onto the wrong bus or bought some food we couldn’t eat or paid too much for something.  In your normal life, you (and the people around you) probably make mistakes less frequently, so it’s easier to be upset about them.  When you travel, you’re kind of on “mistake overload.”

I think that mistakes ultimately come down to how you deal with them.  You can turn all of your (and others’) mistakes into a tragedy, where you end up in fights with friends and a lack of forgiveness… Or you can turn those mistakes into a veritable comedy of errors.  It’s all about how you approach them.

At my core, I am a perfectionist, so I have a hard time admitting mistakes or dealing with them.  I expect myself to be perfect and I generally expect others to be, too, so I’m not very good at dealing with mistakes.  Travel has been good for me.  I have had to learn better how to deal with them.

The first step to how to deal with mistakes is to admit that you’ve made one.  In last week’s parsha, Pharaoh did exactly that. “Hashem (G-d) is the tzaddik (righteous) and I and my nation are rashaim (evildoers)!” exclaimed Pharaoh after the plague of hail.  With mistakes you first have to accept responsibility.  Often that is enough to repair the wrong you have done, particularly when it involves another person.

Of course, we see that they plagues continue into this week’s parsha, so why didn’t G-d accept Pharaoh’s acceptance of responsibility? Why did He carry on throwing plagues at Pharaoh?  There are a number of answers our sages give us, but to me it seems most obvious that simply accepting responsibility for the mistake was just not enough.  Pharaoh couldn’t just say, “Ok, G-d, You are right and I am wrong! I made a mistake. I did an evil thing.”  Pharaoh accepted responsibility and saw clearly that he was wrong, but that wasn’t enough.  He still did not want to let the Jewish people go.  From this we see that it is not enough just to accept the responsibility when you make a mistake – the responsibility must be accompanied by a change.

But Pharaoh does not change.  Even when he really can take no more and sends the Jews out of Egypt, he quickly regrets his decision and chases after them.  Ultimately, he suffers the consequences of these continued actions.  He is no longer making a mistake: Now that he has accepted that he was wrong, he is continuing to do wrong deliberately.

Most of us try not to do that.  If we feel we have made a mistake, we apologize and with that apology and acceptance of responsibility for our wrongdoing, we change our actions.  That is, as Rabbi Ben likes to say, the power of accepting responsibility.  It is not the acceptance of our mistakes that makes the difference: it is the change that follows.  If we can accept responsibility for our mistakes, we can find a way to avoid making them in the future.  In this regard, Pharaoh had a fundamental disconnect.  Like a kleptomaniac, he knew what he was doing was wrong, but he just couldn’t stop grabbing at something he wanted so badly.

So we have a personal challenge for this week.  As we continue to make mistakes, let us concentrate on taking responsibility for them – and changing our actions as a result.  Let us work on being more forgiving of others who take responsibility and want to change, rather than continuing to punish them through our anger or actions.  Let us not be like King Pharaoh, who only went halfway.  When it comes to rectifying our errors, let’s go the whole mile.

Shabbat shalom!

North Shore Synagogue in Sydney, Australia

Shabbos at North Shore Synagogue, Dover Heights Shule, and South Head Synagogue
This Shabbos, Rabbi Ben was asked to be guest rabbi at North Shore Synagogue in Sydney, Australia.  North Shore Synagogue is a beautiful building and Rabbi Ben has a long history there – he worked there as chazzan for 3 years.  He’s very close to the current rabbi there, Rabbi Lewin, who asked Rabbi Ben to step in while he was on vacation.

On Friday night, Rabbi Ben led the services while the usual chazzan took a break.  The chazzan of the North Shore Synagogue just had a baby girl last week and I’m sure he needed the break – mazal tov!  Rabbi Ben also gave a sermon about how Moses teaches us to have respect for the earth and the water.  On Saturday, Rabbi Ben leined the Torah portion and again gave the drasha.  This time he spoke all about the plague of the frogs and how much we can learn from him. He didn’t tell any jokes, but he still managed to make people laugh!

The usual congregants of the North Shore Synagogue were really happy to have Rabbi Ben back and they were happy to meet me, since they all doubted that the Traveling Rabbi would ever find a woman crazy enough to go along with him!  There were also some very special guests in the crowd, including one of my cousins and some visitors from other area synagogues.  It was a really nice crowd in spite of the summer vacations and everyone was friendly, welcoming, and happy to have us.

Last Shabbos, we went to South Head Synagogue in Dover Heights in Sydney, Australia for Friday night services.  It was also quite a nice shul.  Unfortunately, the rabbi was out of town, as were many of the congregants.  So we didn’t get to meet and get to know as many people as we would have liked.

Then we went to Dover Heights Shule on Shabbos day.  They have a spacious new sanctuary and after services, there was a kiddush.  Rabbi Ben knows quite a few people there (where doesn’t he know people!) and he enjoyed seeing old friends and classmates.  They also got him to lead davening at the evening service later.

As I’ve said before, there are lots of things I like about Australia, and one of them is how welcoming and warm the communities are.

When the chaos of life and of billions of people surrounds you, it's hard to see how G-d can pay attention to it all... yet, somehow He does, down to the tiniest detail.

Travel is chaos.  No matter where you go, no matter what you’re doing, serious travel always involves serious chaos.

I’m not talking about a vacation. I’m not talking about flying to Club Med and having everything catered for you in your own private bubble.  I’m talking about travel.  Travel is when you do it all yourself. Travel is when you see how the locals live. When you figure out what buses and trains and metros they ride.  When you discover the real culture and the real life.

Travel is chaos.  There is always something happening, always something to notice, always something going on.  Sometimes it’s positively overwhelming.  Travel in India leaves you in shock, you don’t know which way to turn or what to look at; there is simply no way to take it all in.  Travel in South and Central America leaves you gaping at slums on the edges of modern cities, at the residents of those cities who dig in the trash cans for recyclables.  Travel in Switzerland is a shock, too, precisely because it is so clean and modern and fashionable.  Any sort of real travel involves real chaos, whether it is of the physical sort that surrounds you, or whether it is the kind that goes on in your mind.

Sometimes it’s pretty overwhelming and it’s easy to get lost in it.  How can your mind process everything that it’s seeing, when there are buses and cars and motorcycles and donkey carts on the same street?  It is so easy to forget that Hashem has a hand in everything – everything - right down to the tiniest detail.  But how can that even be?  When I see a rat in the restroom at an Indian bus stop scurry past me as I enter, how can I really believe that Hashem has a hand in that rat’s life?  Why would G-d even care about that rat? How do we know that G-d cares about that rat?

In this week’s parsha we learn about a very famous object: the staff of Moshe (Moses).  With this staff, he can turn rivers into blood and the staff into a snake and back again.  It may not impress Pharaoh much, but it sure would impress me!  On this staff were some kabbalistic engravings.  There were the names of the three forefathers, the four mothers, and the twelve tribes.  G-d also engraved something else on this staff, in kabbalistic writing: the ten plagues.

Now, it makes plenty of sense to have the family lineage engraved on the staff.  After all, it is important to the Jews (especially at this stage, when they are mired so deeply in spiritual impurity!) to remember where they came from and who their family is.  But why the ten plagues?

The plagues may have been a miracle in our eyes, sure, but let’s face it – they are really mundane things.  We’re talking about people being covered with boils, frogs jumping everywhere, swarms of locusts, infestations of lice.  These are all really lowly things, all things very much of this world.  But not only did G-d concern Himself with them, He thought them important enough that He Himself engraved them kabbalistically on Moshe’s staff.  G-d was not above dealing directly with issues involving the movements of lice.

G-d is involved with and cares about every little thing, even including rats that scurry by!

Some people today believe that G-d cares about the big things, but that the little ones are left to us.  Others believe that G-d has given us certain things (like plants and animals) that we’re in control of, that He has relinquished control over them and ceded it to us.  Neither of these things is true.  G-d may have entrusted certain things to our care, but at the end of the day, He is still in charge.  And He cares about and is involved with every little thing going on in the world.

The Ba’al Shem Tov teaches that everything we see in our lives is there to teach us a lesson. There is nothing that is too small or unimportant that it does not have a lesson to teach us.  G-d has a hand in all of this.  Every little action is important.  Whether it’s a flea sneezing or a butterfly flapping its wings, it’s all part of the bigger picture.  The sooner we recognize this, the more that we will learn and grow and appreciate.

Shabbat Shalom!

Lately, we have been discussing Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s new book, “Kosher Jesus.”  We also questioned whether Jesus really was kosher – meaning, did Jesus keep kosher?  I have always understood that although Jesus was something of a renegade rabbi, he still followed the laws.  That would mean that he did indeed keep kosher. I don’t know if that means you could call him a “kosher Jesus” – maybe he was more of a “Jesus kosher!”

Something I have always found interesting is the concept of the “Last Supper.”  From everything I have learned (and I did go to a Christian school before I became religious, so I learned something there!), Jesus did keep kosher.  I also learned that the Last Supper was really a Passover meal.  In fact, having done some research into it, it does appear that the Hebrew dates for when Jesus died indicate that his last meal would have been a Passover seder.

Because Jesus and his disciples kept kosher, he would have also followed all the laws of the Passover seder.  He would have eaten matzah and drunk wine. He would not have had any bread.  I know there are many paintings of the “Last Supper” out there and some seem to show him eating matzah while others show him eating bread.

Detail of the Last Supper painting in Peru, showing Jesus eating bread, guinea pig, and drinking chicha (corn liquor)

When Rabbi Ben and I were in Peru, we walked past the area there that houses the famous cathedral. Inside the cathedral is a famous painting of Jesus’s last supper.  This is a South American version and in it Jesus is definitely not kosher!  It shows Jesus eating a meal of bread and guinea pig, and drinking chicha (a kind of corn liquor).  All of these foods are very popular in Peru.  However, at the real “last supper,” “kosher Jesus” would certainly not have eaten any of these things! He would have had matzah instead of bread, lamb instead of guinea pig (which is not a kosher animal, ever!), and wine instead of corn liquor. (Just as an aside, it looks to me like he also has some local cheese on the table – and kosher Jesus would never have had cheese and meat on the same table at the same time and eaten them at the same meal!)

This just goes to show that how people interpret Jesus and his actions varies from culture to culture and place to place.  People want to feel “closer” to him, so they decide that he did the same kind of thing they would do.  It is very interesting to see that in Peru, people think Jesus would have been eating the same things as them, which guinea pig wasn’t even available in Israel at the time!

At any rate, Jesus probably did keep kosher, so this painting (and many other of the “Last Supper” paintings out there) are woefully inaccurate.