what is the Shema?

[Debbi]

What is the Shema? Something in the Old Testament or Law, wasn't it?

 

[koilias]

What is the Shema? Something in the Old Testament or Law, wasn't it?

What is the Sh'ma is like asking what is Judaism. No answer will suffice.

The most intriguing thing about the Sh'ma to me is that it is literally a prayer to us from HaShem, which we repeat back to Him! I would like to find out what MJs have to say about this!

 

[Debbi]

Well I thought it had something to do with the scripture something like, "Hear O Israel the Lord is God... " someting like that. It is quoted on t.v. in Jewish ceremonies, I think. Deuteronomy 6:4?

 

[Debbi]

But what is it in Hebrew translated in English? Do you read Hebrew or Aramic or Arabic?I also was told that in John 3:16 in Arabic, God is Abba, what is He in Hebrew called in John3:16?

 

[koilias]

But what is it in Hebrew translated in English? Do you read Hebrew or Aramic or Arabic?I also was told that in John 3:16 in Arabic, God is Abba, what is He in Hebrew called in John3:16?

The Sh'ma is only recited in Hebrew. Here's the Hebrew text and translation:
ד שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד. 4 Hear, O Israel: Adonai our God, Adonai is one. ה וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ. 5 And thou shalt love Adonai thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. ו וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--עַל-לְבָבֶךָ. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; ז וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently (repeatfully teach) unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. ח וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת, עַל-יָדֶךָ; וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת, בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. ט וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ. {ס} 9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates. {S}


ואהבת לרעך כמוך And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.


אמן

 

[yod]

Here is an important aspect of the Schma that has not yet been brought up;

Mark 12
28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?"
29 Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;


Is it "Old" Testament?

Not hardly. Jesus says it is the FOREMOST commandment!

 

[Debbi]

It is too, Old Testament, it is Deuteronomy 6:4. I also asked, for anyone who knows Hebrew about if the Hebrew word for God in John 3:16 is Abba?

 

[yod]

Duh!

I was making the point that it isn't confined to "old" testament since so many christians think that the "old" testament is no longer in effect.

 

[Debbi]

But you didn't say that that was the point you were trying to make in your original post.

 

[yod]

In a messianic jewish forum that seemed obvious.

 

[SonWorshipper]

Why so harsh? She may not understand our beliefs.

Debbi the word Abba is an Aramaic word that has been incorporated into the ancient Hebrew. It is an affectionate term meaning, Father, Dad, Daddy. The word translated as G-d in Jn 3:16 is theos.

 

[Debbi]

I'm christian but Jew but I'm interested still. I'm aware that to Jews, they probably learn Deut. 6:4 like christian kids learn John 3:16. Why do you spell God "G_d" or G-d? or his other names. I used to live in a city with alot of Jewish people and they closed their stores on Jewish holidays. That was where the interest started. What is the difference in an orthodox Jew and a messianic Jew? I have a Gideons Bible that has John 3:16 in 30 languages and it also has John 3:16 in Hebrew. I thought Theos was Greek not Hebrew. I just wondered what word you use for God in Hebrew in that verse. I know in the original it was written in Greek. I also know that Hebrew use the word "Abba" for Father, I just didn't know if they used it in John 3:16, does this make any more sense?

 

[gpburbell]

The Bible Society in Israel uses "elohim" to translate "theos" in Jn 3:16 in their modern Hebrew translation of the NT.

George

 

[YatzivPatgam]

BS'D

What is the difference in an orthodox Jew and a messianic Jew?

"Orthodox Jews" A term coined by the Rabbis of the Jewish Reform movement to reffer to Jews who rigriously followed the Written and Oral Torah (Torah, meaning G-d's teachings). 300 years ago, all observant Jews were not "Orthodox" but simply, Jews. Torah based Judaism isn't a evolving, changeing movement, you either are or are not and there are hundreads of diffrent kinds of "flavors" of Torah based Judaism, but basicly are one in the same.


" Messianc Jews " is more of a movement. You either have your Gentile wanna-be's that like Jewish culture and want to mesh it to their Christian theology, or you have Jews who want to keep their culture and mesh it with christian theology. The movement has a wide spectrum, some Mezzies simply are protestant services in a Kippa and others mimic Orthodox services as best they can, inserting their own theological beliefs in as they see fit. They don't fall into one big easily defined category as Torah Judaism, becuase of the conflicting Theolgical truths arrvied from the Torah, then the Christian Gospels and then the Epistles, so they kinda have to do patchwork here and there to try and seemwork it all togther.

No two mezzies places are the same, thats for sure.

 

[yod]

" Messianc Jews " is more of a movement. You either have your Gentile wanna-be's that like Jewish culture and want to mesh it to their Christian theology, or you have Jews who want to keep their culture and mesh it with christian theology. The movement has a wide spectrum, some Mezzies simply are protestant services in a Kippa and others mimic Orthodox services as best they can, inserting their own theological beliefs in as they see fit.

On the surface I would say this is a fair description. And since Yatziv is outside of the faith I can understand why he would have this perspective

But he is missing the main point because he can't see the forest for the trees.

Being messianic really has very little to do with outward observances. These are things which are added to identify us with Israel and the ORIGINAL church. The jews!

The true definition of messianic is that we have accepted the grace of G-d by faith in HIS anointed One, Yeshua.

Behold, He has made all things new! He has removed my sin and His Holy Spirit is doing the work of also removing my iniquity (sin nature). Through faith in Yeshua I am no longer who I was. The gospel is very simply summed up in this statement;

"The Kingdom of G-d is made available to those who will recieve it by faith"

Ancient Catholic councils made all things jewish to be "anathema" or "cursed". This was the most ignorant thing in the history of the church!

It forced the jewish "church" to live rejected and hidden underground for centuries. The modern messianic movement was a small and disorganized body until a spiritual explosion occured in the year 1967. Is it a coincedence that this was the year that Jerusalem fell into Jewish hands for the first time since the Maccabean Revolt of 150 BCE?

I think not.

Yeshua said that Jerusalem would be trodden underfoot of the gentiles until the "time of the gentiles" be fulfilled. I believe that day has come...I think we have entered the "time of the One New Man" of Ephesians chapters 2 & 3.

Slowly, there has been an awakening in the true "church" to what was lost by ancient Catholic counsels who were prejudiced in their rulings against jews. This has caused many in the "church" (both jew and gentile) to seek the truth of what it means to be a follower of The Way. So, Yatziv might think we are "wanna be" jews but the truth is we are "wanna be" christians in the original sense of the word. Unfortunately the word "christian" has been re-defined to be something it was never intened to be by centuries of persecution of jews by the church.

As a way of rejecting that....I call myself messianic. I am of the true "church" and I am NOT ashamed of the gospel of Yeshua for it is the very power of G-d unto salvation for ALL who believe....to the jew primarily yet equally to the gentile

Bless His Name....Amen.

They don't fall into one big easily defined category as Torah Judaism, becuase of the conflicting Theolgical truths arrvied from the Torah, then the Christian Gospels and then the Epistles, so they kinda have to do patchwork here and there to try and seemwork it all togther.

Kind of like the various sects within modern rabbinic Judaism? They also had major problems with "conflicts" of interpreting Torah when the Temple was destroyed so they came up with a "new" religion at Yavneh.

No two mezzies places are the same, thats for sure.

And all jews are monolithic in opinion? Gimme a major break!

I like you Yatziv...some day you are going to be born again!!!!

 

[SonWorshipper]

No two mezzies places are the same, thats for sure.

Yatziv, how many have you been to and where?

 

[yod]

Why so harsh? She may not understand our beliefs.

Debbi, I apologize if that was harsh.

I forgot the first rule of email communcation...


"Without some kind of relationship our words & motives will be misinterpreted"


Honestly, it was never my intent to be rude...I just get to the point quicker than most. I thought that everyone in this forum was messianic except for Yatziv. Please forgive me, ok?

 

[YatzivPatgam]

BS'D

Yod,
An opinion almost as lofty as mine! The beuty of this question is, the answer has to be tainted with so much of the writer's perspective that it's nearly impossible to be objective, hence forth, we can agree to disagree!

 

[YatzivPatgam]

Yatziv, how many have you been to and where?

The current total is 27. The break down is as follows

I have observed 2 services here in Israel in Tel Aviv

I have visted 13 services across Western Europe, mostly in England/Germany

5 I observed in the Old Soviet Union, Ukraine, etc,etc

and that leaves 7 I had watched here.

 

[yod]

BS'D

Yod,
An opinion almost as lofty as mine!

What can I say but THANKS!

The current total is 27. The break down is as follows
I have observed 2 services here in Israel in Tel Aviv
I have visted 13 services across Western Europe, mostly in England/Germany
5 I observed in the Old Soviet Union, Ukraine, etc,etc
and that leaves 7 I had watched here.

wow...you get around!

Where did you go in Tel Aviv?