Back Again

After a couple of years of sickness and other troubles, I am prepared again to begin teaching practical Chassidus if there is still anyone that wants to learn.  I will give everyone a couple of days to respond before I either move ahead or close this blog down.

Kol Tov!

Computer Problems

Unfortunatly, my computer has died so there was no post last week and I will be out of town this week.

Hopefully, we will have the blog back up within 2 weeks.

Kol Tov!

Why Kashrus?

I am sure that, like me, you have heard some of the supposed reasons for the laws of Kashrus.  Some say these laws were instituted to prevent the spread of diseases such as Trichinosis which is, G-d forbid, caused by under-cooked pork products.  Or, perhaps, that most of the forbidden animals are scavengers and thus inherently unclean.  Or even that many of the forbidden animals are predators and thus we do not want to partake in their nature.

None of these really explains the complex laws of Kashrus, they don't even explain the laws of clean and unclean animals since there are far too many exceptions to these general "explanations."

What is important to understand is that there are two different kinds of mitzvos, those that a reason are given for and those for which G-d gives us no reason. 

Chazal (our sages) tell us that we just heard a clue in Parshas Re'eh.  In chapter 14, there is an exposition of part of the laws of Kashrus and both before and after this section Moshe Rabenu wrote "For you are a holy people to Hashem, your G-d..."  Chazal tell us that this demonstrates a connection between the laws of Kashrus and our standing as a "holy people."  Surely, this is important enough to catch our attention.

If you are already shomer kashrus, reach out to your fellows and help them observe this important mitzva.  If you are not yet keeping a kosher home why not start?  It is not easy, at first, and it requires some effort to learn the laws and how to implement them in your kitchen and dining room, but it is a real and tangible way to express your love of Hashem and his mitvos, it is also a way of constantly reminding yourself of your status and obligations as a Jew.

While a complete discussion of the laws of Kashrus is beyond the scope of this blog, we are always willing to assist people who want to become more observant either by practical counseling or providing information and referrals to books and organizations that do provide in-depth information on this subject.

I can promise you that the rewards of keeping a kosher household are far more than the efforts of kashering and keeping kosher.

From Parshas Re'eh

"See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse..."

Ramban explains that if we choose to accept the Torah and to obey it then, it will be a blessing.  If, however, we choose to discard the Torah and disobey the will of G-d, then Torah will be a curse for us.

I have heard from time to time that Yeshua has freed us from the "curse of the Law" and that we no longer need to embrace and obey the commandments of Hashem found in the "Old Testament."

The response to these claims appear later in Re'eh.  Chapter 13 begins "the entire word that I command you, that shall you observe to do; you shall not add to it and you shall not subtract from it."  It goes on to tell us that even if a prophet shall perform wonders, if he attempts to lead us away from G-d and His laws, we "do not hearken to the words of that prophet..."

Hashem has given us the ultimate in free will, we can choose Him and His Torah as our blessing or we can reject Him and the Torah to our ultimate cursing.  The Zohar calls the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah "advice" something we can accept or reject.

What will be your choice?  If, as I hope, you choose G-d and his Torah and its blessings, begin today... at this very moment and claim your blessing.

"See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse..."

Torah Lifestyle - Why and How

One of the most common questions heard when talking about living as an observant messianic Jew is, why?  Why should we continue to observe the Torah?  The simple answer, of course, is simply because G-d told us to live this way and when our ancestors were standing at the foot of Mt. Sinai, they agreed to keep these laws.  It is the most elementary definition of a covenant.  G-d has agreed to be our G-d and we have agreed to be His people.  Our part of the covenant is to obey the law.  Not, G-d forbid, that He needs anything from us but because the Torah contains within itself an experience (as much as humanly possible to receive) of the world to come.

We must also remember that again and again Hashem has told us that His law is eternal, that it is for all the generations of Israel.  Do we dare to discard so precious a gift?  Do we presume to minimize or, in any way, to dilute the revealed will of G-d to his people?   Here is the why.  We must live the Torah because G-d has given it to us and commanded us to observe it.

How we observe the Torah is, likewise, very simple.  As with any journey, you begin my deciding to take the first step and, thereafter, taking one step at a time.  And, just an no journey can be made in a single step, we cannot become shomer mitzvot in a day.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (the Rebbe Gadol), instructed us to choose a single law and observe it in all of its complexity and to the fullest extent possible and to fulfill the other laws as well as we can in the position we find ourselves in.  This should not be understood as an excuse to neglect the Torah or any part of it, but as acknowledgement of our own ignorance and weakness.

One of the foundations of Yoshker Chassidus is daily study of the codes of law.  Each of us should have a copy of the Shulchan Aruch, or some similar work which explains the laws and how to observe them.  We should faithfully study one law each day and find ways to incorporate them into our daily life.  In this way, eventually, the entirety of the Torah will become a part of our life.

One of the primary reasons for beginning this blog, is to provide resources for those who wish to be obedient to G-d but who lack the background and education on Yiddishkeit to do so.  In the next weeks, we will concentrate on practical Yiddishkeit.  Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have and we will either answer them directly or through the pages of this blog.

Kol tov!

Kol Tov!
This site is being established to present the teachings  of Yoshker Chassidus, a traditional chasidic form of Messianic Judaism.  Please feel free to contact us with your comments, questions and suggestions for making this blog useful to you.