From: Bill.Carlson@p0.f18.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Bill Carlson)
Newsgroups: alt.messianic
Subject: My Heritage
Date: 4 Sep 92 04:24:01 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:104/18.0 - Midrash, Denver CO


       -=> Quoting Rich.bellacera@amail.amdahl.com to All <=-
 Ri> From: rich.bellacera@amail.amdahl.com
 Ri> Message-ID: <m0mQ4g9-0000hzC@juts.ccc.amdahl.com>
 Ri> to once more be enslaved to the bonds of the Law.
    The Torah/Law is G-d's Word, and when one follows Y'shua Messiah/
    (Jesus Christ), one is not 'bound' by the Law, but we keep the
    Righteous requirements of Torah in love, though faith, by the
    Power of Ruach HaKodesh, (Holy Spirit).  So..., it is not the
    Torah that is off-base; {for Sha'ul/Paul says the Torah is just and
    pure and good}; rather, it is man's own self-perscriptive-use of
    Torah, - attempting their own-self-righteousness, -(which the Bible
    tells us is as filthy rags), -THAT is what is off-base.  So...,
    then we can conclude with Sha'ul: (paraphrased): Do we then make
    the Torah of no effect, nay - G-d forbid!  Rather we establish the
    Torah! -[in Romans].
 Ri> But as far as his knowledge on what it means to be "Jewish"
    It is of G-d, with the Bible, and in YOUR experience of: 'what it
    means to be Jewish' that is important; not another's :-)  Many
    folks on here are both Jewish and Believers in Y'shua as Messiah.
    About 12-14% or so of all ethnic Jews are Believers in Y'shua
    nowdays, for that matter :-)
 Ri> O.K., so now what should I do with this new found inheritance?  I
 Ri> realize I do not HAVE to do anything, but this is all so new and
 Ri> exciting.  I had never imagined this part of me.
    You could go to a Messianic Congregation; you could continue
    reading on this net <g>; you could read the Bible, next time you
    sit down to, from a Jewish perspective to see if you glean anthing
    new from that angle; you could. ... do as you feel led to do :-)
 Ri> In all of my past understanding I always believed that EVEN in
 Ri> Jewish belief it was the "father" or patriarchical parentage that
 Ri> determined your heritage, but according to you and several others
 Ri> it is the "maternal (matriarchical?) lineage that makes this
 Ri> distinction.  How is this so?
    At first Biblically it was both, with more importance placed on the
    father, though there are Biblical examples of through the mother
    too.  Later, (with the exception of Reform Judaism & Messianic
    Judaism -which still hold to either-or &/or both), it became
    through the mother only, - due to the fact that there were so many
    rapes of the Jewish people in post-Biblical times. -The reasoning
    being -you can tell who the mother is, but you can't always tell
    who the father is.  So..., even though only your mother's mother is
    Jewish, you are physically considered Jewish by the Jewish
    community.
 Ri> WHat is this Halachal?  Is it a book?  What does it say
 Ri> specifically concerning a displaced person such as me or my
 Ri> family?
    Halachah is the Rabbinic oral interpretations of the Torah/Tanakh,
    as they apply to daily living.  What would it say about you and
    your family?  -Specificly it would say that you are a Jew living
    as a Gentile apart from Judaic observance.  Of course, since you
    are a Believer, you have a form of Biblical Messianic
    Judaism, though it would be one approached from a Gentile
    perspective.
 Ri> One final thing.  I remember a long time ago hearing about Jews
 Ri> that become Christians using the name "Restored Jews" or something
 Ri> like that.  Is this the same as "Messianic Jews?"
    Jewish Believers have at times used the term: "Completed Jews",
    that means a Jewish person who has accepted Y'shua as their
    Messiah.  The term 'Messianic Jews' tends to also carry the idea
    that not only are they Believer in Y'shua Messiah, but walk in an
    Observant Biblical Torah Judaism, keeping the holy-days, etc....
    (Also a lot of fun, you should find out about it.)
... 012 Shalom Alechem ---> <--- Alechem Shalom 210      
--  
Bill Carlson - via ParaNet node 1:104/422
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