-----Original Message-----
From: Shomeir ben Magen
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2003 8:40 AM
To:  House of Israel Newsgroup 
Subject: Paul and rabbinical Judaism

Shalom friends,

I had many people recently drop off my list because I mentioned that Paul's teachings "conformed with rabbinical Judaism.  I suspect that many more will probably drop off after reading this explanation. 

We were sitting on a bench in a park in the Ultra-Orthodox area of Jerusalem.  It was ten o'clock at night.  An Orthodox friend had brought the three of us (my brother, my sister-in-law, and myself) to meet with the rabbi.  "But what about people who feel drawn to keep the Torah....?" my brother said.  "Why would you want to observe Torah? You have no obligation to observe Torah.  If you go down this path you cannot turn back -- you will be obligated to keep the whole Torah.  You're not a Jew -- you don't have to do this." replied the rabbi.  "But if non-Jews are being drawn to keep the Torah ..." said my brother.  "There is no 'if.'  We know this is happening." said the rabbi.  "Well don't you think that this could be the return of the House of Israel?" asked my brother.  "Maybe yes, maybe no, we will have to wait and see." said the rabbi.

When we left the rabbi we were suddenly struck with a great insight into what Paul had said to the Galatians and the Corinthians.  Paul actually discouraged the gentiles from converting.  What he taught them was something equivalent to the "Noachide Code." 

Judaism teaches that gentiles who live decent lives will have a place in the "olam haba" (the world to come); but they are not obligated to keep "the whole law."  Judaism also teaches that non-Jews should be discouraged from converting.  If you try to discourage him three times and he still persists, then you allow him to convert.

In one of his Parsha commentaries (April 4, 2003), Orthodox Rabbi Yaakov Fogelman said:

With the rise of Christianity, it became a sign of the difference between the 2 religions (cf. The tale of Shchem). Paul declared that justification by faith was sufficient for converts to Christianity (Romans 3:4). In Justinian's Codex, surgeons were prohibited from performing the operation on Roman citizens, who had converted to Judaism (YF: Their circumcision wouldn't be kosher anyway!) Rav Yaakov Emden, unlike Rambam, concludes that Jesus and Paul were good guys, not out to take Jews away from their religion (see Matt. 5, Luke 16), but to bring non-Jews to theirs-- the Noachide Code; all should remain in their own faith, both Jews and Noachides; later errant Christians distorted their message, tried to convert Jews, and deified Jesus, which would probably have horrified him.

True, Paul spoke to his followers against circumcision, an act of conversion, which would oblige them to fully observe halacha (Jewish law--Gal. 5, I Cor. 7), way beyond them; but he indeed ordered his disciple Timothy (Acts 16), son of a Jewish mother, to become circumcised, tho his father was not Jewish (from Emden's letter to the Polish Council of the 4 Lands, appended to "Seder Olam Rabbah V'zuta", 1757, and "Sefer Hashimush"; a translation and commentary by truly traditional or Orthodox Rabbi Harvey Falk, aided and abetted by Dr. Michael Wyschograd is in the "Journal of Ecumenical Studies", 19:1). Falk claims that the 1st century Pharisees, who were disparaged by Jesus, were those Pharisees whose views were also disavowed by traditional Judaism.

Jesus (Joshua ben Joseph) taught his Jewish followers that they should keep even "the least of the commandments."  Paul taught the Gentiles that they were not obligated to keep the "whole law."  These teachings are consistant with the teachings of rabbinical Judaism.

Paul's writings need to be read very carefully.  To understand Paul, one must understand the context of his statements.  Paul writes about three different groups of people: he writes about Gentiles; he writes about Jews; and he writes about Israel.  When Paul says "Israel," he is not referring to "Jews."  He is referring to the lost House of Israel.

The result of Paul's ministry was the emergence of Christianity -- which would carry the word of G-d (the Torah) to the ends of the earth.  The confusion caused by Paul's writings kept Israel (the lost ten tribes) in the dark until it was time for them to be gathered back to G-d.  That darkness is now being lifted as more and more of the "lost sheep" find their way home again.

Your comments and criticisms are appreciated.

Kol tov,

Shomeir