by Bill White
[Transcript]
In case you’re wondering, I’m Jewish. Being Jewish and living among the Diaspora, or outside Israel, has a limited number of benefits and a great many challenges. For starters, depending on where you are there may not be a Synagogue nearby.
And in truth, there needs to be at least two synagogues: the one you go to and the one you couldn’t ever possibly go to… In my case, that’s not an issue.
But then, there is a scarcity of Kosher food and that means there’s an added cost for shipping food that is suitable to eat. And then, there’s the constant in-your-face idolatry. I’m afraid to say that now, this even extends into Israel. It’s everywhere.
In fact, the Talmud tells us that idolatry was chief among the reasons that Solomon’s Temple, or the First Temple was destroyed in 422 BCE, before the Common Era. The others being immorality and bloodshed.
At a fundamental level, Idolatry is focusing on anything that diverts our attention from HaShem. Whether that’s the self, personal gratification; for example, seeking the attention or accolades of others for the good we might do, or the unhealthy quest for money or material gain, belief in false gods or the practicing of rituals or faith systems that are antithetical to the Torah.
But not only the practicing, studying or thinking about these other ‘faiths’ or ‘religions’ in a way that either leads to or could lead one to a loss of trust in HaShem. These are all forms of idolatry. But there are many others.
With the blatant commercialisation of these other ‘faith systems’, it’s often very difficult to avoid their message, which of course, is the intent. We have recently experienced an event practiced by the billion or so followers of HeyZeus, that began last Friday and ended yesterday with nearly every shop or business decreeing support for the myth.
I say nearly every shop because even some Jewish-owned businesses have begun the practice of ‘celebrating’ this myth in hopes of attracting more business or out of a misguided sense of inclusion or perhaps simply because they have forgotten what it is to be Jewish. Even the Israel Defense Forces or IDF mark every non-Jewish event with online greetings in what is obviously a PR stunt or worse, appeasement… you decide.
And I say myth because there is no evidence to support the claim by the supporters of this event. It’s a myth founded on a tale that is supported by the suggestion the absence of evidence is the evidence.
But on closer inspection, the written basis of this ‘faith system’, warned against the very concept of what followed. In brief I’ll offer just three places in the Tanakh, the Five Books of Moses, or some might call it the Old Testament, where these warnings are given.
Of course, you’ll find them in any Siddur word for word without variation whatsoever, but I’ll add the links into the description below so you can check my source. I would also suggest that you can use any of the 21,000 versions of the complete ‘revealed’ message of HeyZeus where you’ll find them.
Devarim 4:2, or you may call it the Book of Deuteronomy, says: “You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the Commandments of your G-D that I enjoin upon you.”
Moving down a bit in Devarim to 13:1 it says, “Be careful to observe only that which I enjoin upon you: neither add to it nor take away from it.”
And then there’s Yehoshua, or Joshua 1:7, which says “But you must be very strong and resolute to observe faithfully all the Teaching that My servant Moses enjoined upon you. Do not deviate from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”
Imagine the complete lack of self-awareness one must have to record these three passages, among others, in your foundational text and then to produce a new book? And to retain the original text within the teaching…
At least the followers of the so-called ‘Religion of Peace’ plagiarised from the Torah and then had the sense to remove the bits that conflicted with their fable.
I don’t want to end on too much of a sour note, but as we inch closer to what must surely be the destruction of our society, it’s worth recalling the reason for the First Temple’s destruction. Idolatry in all its forms.
In Judaism we anxiously await the arrival of Mashiach, or some say the Messiah, and we believe he will arrive one of two ways; either earlier than expected because more than half of the world’s population merit his arrival or at a fixed date in about 218 years with the inevitable destruction of our world.
As things appear to be headed, I believe we’re running out of time.
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