1000 Verses – a project of Judaism Resources

Response to Line of Fire 14

In the July 25^th 2013 edition of Dr.Brown’s radio show he interviews Tzahi Shapira, author of “Return of the Kosher Pig”. At one point during the show Shapira makes an attempt to respond to a point that I raised in Contra Brown.

The point in question is one of the foundational arguments with which the Jewish Scriptures empower the Jew in his debate with any competing faith including the faith in Jesus/Yeshua. It is simply this. God Himself taught the Jews who it is that they are to worship. It follows that no one is authorized to teach differently than God (Deuteronomy 4:9,15,35). Shapira’s response is that Jesus was present at Sinai. The thrust of this argument is that the Jews were taught by God to worship a trinity. He bases this bizarre claim on his reading of the complex and mysterious kabbalistic work; the Zohar.

According to Shapira, the Zohar teaches that the voices that the text of Exodus 19:16 describes of are the three voices of a triune god.

Before we analyze Shapira’s understanding of the Zohar we will point out that his argument still does not answer this core Jewish Objection. In Deuteronomy 4:9 we are given to understand that God designated the living testimony of the Jewish people to transmit the message of Sinai to future generations. This concept is reinforced in the book of Isaiah were God points to Israel as the witnesses to the truth of His sovereignty (Isaiah 43:10). Since the living Jewish people saw Shapira’s claim as the very antithesis of what we were taught at Sinai then his claim is without foundation. Throughout history the Jewish people have understood their calling before God that they testify to the world that every iota of finite existence is completely subject to God. The very witnesses God appointed to preserve the message testify that Shapira has it wrong.

When we examine Shapira’s rendering of the Zohar (on page 64 of his book) it becomes obvious that the words of the Zohar have no connection at all to Shapira’s fantasies.

1. Shapira inserted the word “Messiah” into the text where no such word appears. In his book he claims that the word “water” is a secret code-word for “Messiah”. He provides no sources for this conjecture.
2. Shapira translates the word “ruach” as “spirit” while from the context of the passage it obviously means “wind”.
3. Shapira conflates two paragraphs in the Zohar without any textual justification.
4. Shapira leads in from the Zohar’s comments on the book of Exodus into the comments on the book of Genesis as if these two followed one another seamlessly. It goes without saying that they do not. The Zohar’s comment on Genesis is a missionary favorite and I have responded to that particular argument in a previous article: https://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/context-and-kabbalah/
5. Shapira translates the word “gevanin”, which means “colors” as “voices”. There is no philological basis for this translation.

The Zohar is describing the spiritual forces that were involved in the sounds that Israel heard during the Sinai experience. These sounds were what Israel heard before God actually spoke to them and these were not the voice or voices of God. This passage in the Zohar is not presenting a teaching on the nature of God.

In this same radio show Shapira insists that the basis of his belief is the simple contextual meaning of the Jewish Bible. If this were true he would respond to my challenge with a passage in Scripture. The fact that he needed to find his answer in a book that declares his worship to be idolatrous tells us that he was not able to find an answer elsewhere. And the fact that in this short quotation from the Zohar he managed to include five incredible errors tells us that his approach to the Zohar is not based on language or context; neither is it based on a respect for the intention of the author. It is based on the same foundation which had Matthew see the Virgin Mary in Isaiah 7:14.

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Yisroel C. Blumenthal

Response to Line of Fire 13 – Dispelling A Myth

On the July 18 2013 Line of Fire Radio show Dr. Brown explains to his listening audience why it is that he cannot respond to my arguments in written format. Amongst many other reasons Dr. Brown derides the entire method of written communication. He argues that when two people are communicating through e-mail and they realize that they are missing each other they pick up the phone to clarify the misunderstanding through direct verbal communication. Furthermore, Dr. Brown contends that written communication can go round and round for years while a face to face public debate can be settled in a matter of hours.

There are several flaws in Dr. Brown’s argument.

1. In a situation where two people are honestly and earnestly trying to understand each other perhaps it is easier for them to clarify misunderstandings with face to face verbal communication. But that is not the case here. Judaism and Christianity are mutually exclusive. Only one can be true. The one side is using logic and argumentation in order to bring sharper clarity to the issues while the other must be using logic and argumentation to obfuscate and to confuse. This process does not need to be a conscious process it could well be that both participants in the discussion sincerely believe that they are working for the truth. But one of them is not.

This being the case it takes careful and deliberate consideration to find the flaws in the arguments of the representative of falsehood and it takes even more deliberate consideration to weigh out the right words in order to articulate the findings with clarity and force. In order to find the truth in such a discussion it is necessary to use time and careful thought. Haste and impatience have no place in this discussion.

2. I have had several “written debates” and they do not go “round and round for years”. I have found that the arguments of the side that represents falsehood unravel rather quickly while the arguments of the side that represents truth only get stronger and sharper.

http://www.lineoffireradio.com/2011/11/03/dr-brown-answers-the-rabbis-including-a-recent-video-by-rabbi-asher-meza/#comments

https://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/seventh-response-to-dalton-lifsey/

https://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/eighth-response-to-gil-torres/

https://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/response-to-blesch/

3. The discussion here is not about a “misunderstanding” between two parties and it is not about a “debate”. We are talking about two world-religions and the differences between them. Proponents of either religion encourage the adherents of the other religion to reconsider their commitment to their belief system. In order to make an honest decision people on either side of the fence need to have all the relevant information in front of them. If Dr. Brown is satisfied that he has placed all of his arguments on the table that is his prerogative. For my part I have pointed out that in all of his written and oral teachings he has not addressed some of the basic age old arguments with which Judaism has challenged Christianity. I have pointed out that some of his central arguments contradict each other and I have pointed out how he has seriously misrepresented some of the main issues that stand between Judaism and Christianity.

https://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/contra-brown/

https://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/the-elephant-and-the-suit/

https://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/supplement-to-contra-brown/

I appeal to the seeker of truth: Please do not take me on my word. Please study these matters diligently and carefully. But please do yourself an eternal favor and don’t take Dr. Brown on his word either. Study his writings, listen to his teachings, and study the works of the representatives of Judaism.

I trust that you will find the truth as so many have done before you.

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Yisroel C. Blumenthal

You Can Talk – But You Can’t Hide

On the July 18 2013 edition of his Line of Fire radio show Dr. Brown explains to his listeners why it is that he is not responding to my critique of his work. At the same time he addresses my policy of refusing to debate him in a public setting with the question: “what do you have to hide?” In order to give Christianity a veneer of honesty and love for truth he holds up his willingness to debate any rabbi in a public setting. And in order to give Judaism an appearance of dishonesty and falsehood he speaks of our refusal to engage in the spectacle of a public debate. He makes the claim: “Let us recognize that it is not I that is running from dialogue”.

This whole discussion is really a smokescreen.

You have the arguments themselves and you have the people that are arguing. Dr. Brown himself introduces his five volume series with the words: “The real question is, What do the Hebrew scriptures teach? Which Jewish expression follows the Bible? That must be the rule of Jewish faith and practice.”

In this radio show instead of directing the attention of his audience towards the “real question” he tries to get his audience to focus on the image of Dr. Brown as a fearless defender of the “truth” who has “nothing to hide”.

Sadly, I have indeed interacted with many people who rely on their perception of Dr. Brown’s scholarship and integrity. When presented with challenges to belief in Jesus instead of seeking answers themselves they have told me that they are sure that Dr. Brown has already answered these questions.

On the other hand I have met real truth seekers who have decided to seek the truth for themselves. These people have made brave and courageous life-changing decisions when they chose to follow the truth with no one holding their hand but God Himself. These people have found that the Jewish community has provided clear and concise answers to every question that Dr. Brown has presented against the Jewish belief system. These people have also realized that 2000 years of the Christian effort to justify their own belief system has not provided answers to basic questions that a Jewish child can ask. And these people have abandoned their faith in Dr. Brown and have put their faith in the God of Israel.

I have found that people who are truly seeking for the truth generally do not expect to find it in the setting of a public debate. These people want to take the time to study and examine the issues without the distractions of the flash and noise of a public debate. Those who seek the truth down this path will find the answers of the Jewish community and will be confronted by the non-response of the Christian missionary that hides behind smokescreens like the one thrown up by Dr. Brown.

But there may be some people who are persuaded to believe that the truth can be found in the venue of a public debate. For the sake of these people I have offered to debate Dr. Brown in the following manner. He will speak on his radio show while I will respond in writing on my blog. In keeping with his pattern of failing to respond to me he has yet to take me up on this offer as well.

As things stand now, I am satisfied that the Jewish community has provided the truth seeker with the tools to be able to see through the missionary arguments. Should Dr. Brown or any other missionary come up with a substantial argument that has not yet been addressed by the Jewish community, it will be incumbent upon us to fill that gap. But as long as Dr. Brown is not adding any new substance to the argument but is instead busying himself with smokescreens we will continue to attempt to bring clarity to the world without his help.

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Yisroel C. Blumenthal