Losing Sleep Over the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

 As the conflict with Hamas in Gaza, post-Oct. 7^th has continued to rage on now almost two years to the day, I have found it necessary to address the Messianic Jewish community of Greater Cleveland and N.E. Ohio, and Tikvat Yisrael regarding the shifting political narratives that I see forming that cause confusion and error. I was recently contacted by two believers loosely connected to Tikvat who expressed their emotions over the suffering of Gazan citizens, the lack of food and resources there as a result of the conflict, and their frustrations and criticisms of Israel, and asked me for my response. So, this post is a public response to them and any believer/Christian whose support for Israel has ceased due to their perceptions of how Israel has conducted itself/its policies during this most recent conflict or even prior to this conflict with Hamas and Gaza.

Facts over Emotions

The Middle-East conflict is more than an ancient struggle over ownership of the Holy Land between Jews and Arabs. It is even more than a violent physical battle between these two ethnic groups. It is a struggle and a battle over ideology and a religion-based “holy war.” It is a jihad of radical Islamists whose purpose is to wage war against Israel’s right to exist. The battle is fought with more than simply weapons of destruction. It is fought on the battleground of ideology and propaganda. It is a struggle to control the narrative, and often the strategy is a manipulation that preys upon the emotions of the audience. Allow me to explain and prove the point…  

When the attacks took place on Oct. 7^th and the days immediately following it, the world was in shock, and no one dared speak a word of criticism against the Jews or Israel. The world witnessed it correctly; the evidence was clear. It was a premeditated, organized, and calculated terror attack against Israeli civilians, not IDF or military targets, but rather innocent people who lived near the Gaza border many of whom were Israelis who employed their Arab neighbors and advocated for open borders with Gaza and who advocated for more peace concessions, including the additional land-for-peace initiatives. These same peace-seeking, liberal leaning advocates were some of the first to be slaughtered by the Hamas operatives who penetrated through and flew over the security wall on Oct. 7^th, shouting “allahu akbar.”  During the Hamas-led attack on Israel, 251 people were taken hostage and brought into Gaza. This group included Israeli civilians and soldiers, as well as foreign nationals from countries like Thailand, Nepal, the U.S., and others.

At that time in October 2023, no one was vocally criticizing the Jews. The world saw the videos and the images, and those who committed the crimes made sure they documented their own actions using their cell phones, and the world was able to see the bloodshed and the kidnapping taking place in virtual real time. During those days, one could scarcely hear a sound coming from Israel’s critics, and the world condemned the actions of these Hamas terrorists, and rightfully so. What I, and what those who traditionally support Israel and the Jewish community already knew was that the unified shock and horror, along with the unchallenged evidence of the crimes against humanity committed against Israeli civilian,s would all soon be “short-lived.” We all knew it would happen sooner rather than later, that the narrative would eventually turn against Israel and the Jewish people. The public and world opinion has a very short memory, and they are easily swayed by their emotions.

Today, even believers in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah have begun to turn away from supporting Israel because of the images and media they consume that have convinced them that Israel’s response has been “disproportionate.”

In order to overcome these inaccurate and erroneous perceptions we must first agree to focus on FACTS over EMOTIONS. In order to remain on the right side of history and be able to cut through the propaganda, we must stick to reality and facts. So, that is what I will do going further in my response… I will present the facts.

 

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

It is important to understand what led up to the October 7^th attacks, how did this happen?

In 2005, Israel conducted a political and social experiment. They decided to unilaterally withdraw all Israeli citizens and Jewish residents from the Gaza strip and totally hand over sovereign control to the Palestinian people to self-govern and have their “own state.” (NOTE: Gaza was an area that Israel captured when they were attacked in the 6-Day War in 1967, which was a DEFENSIVE war. So, understand, they didn’t go and “occupy it.” Had Israel not been maliciously attacked in 1967, they never would’ve been in Gaza to begin with.)  But we must not regress…back to the 2000’s.

Almost immediately after this occurred (Israel’s withdraw from Gaza), in January 2006, a globally recognized terrorist organization known as HAMAS, won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, defeating the long-dominant Fatah party. To be clear, the majority of Palestinians voted and supported Hamas to be their own government. The win shocked many observers, as Hamas ran on a platform of resistance to so-called Israeli occupation. The name “Hamas” is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, meaning “Islamic Resistance Movement.” In 2007, it violently ousted rival faction Fatah from Gaza, taking full control of the territory. Since then, it has governed Gaza independently from the Palestinian Authority, which controls Judea and Samaria (commonly called: the West Bank).

To be clear, since 2005, Gaza was no longer “occupied” by Israel and Palestinians had their own sovereign government and state that they ran as they saw fit. Israel (giving the Palestinians what they thought they wanted)…Israel thought by ceding Gaza completely over to the Palestinians that they would finally achieve peace, giving them what the world thought they wanted all along, their own state. This would prove to be fatally wrong. Israel never saw the peace they thought would transpire from this withdrawal, in fact the skirmishes and attacks continued to the point that Israel recognized a “security wall/fence” was needed to prevent even further terrorist attacks that continued to come from Gaza. Israel was condemned by the global community for erecting this security wall/fence. However, after the wall/fence was erected, Israeli deaths and attacks from Gaza dramatically decreased proving the construction actually saved lives. Then came the worst attack against Jews since the Holocaust, October 7, 2023 that killed 1,200 Israeli civilians. The security wall was breached with terrorists flooding into Israel.

As of now, 50 hostages remain in captivity, with 49 of them taken on October 7 and one captured earlier. Israeli intelligence estimates that at least 27 of those remaining hostages are dead, leaving approximately 23 presumed alive. Released hostages have described conditions of systematic starvation, isolation, and physical abuse in underground tunnels.

Since the attack, Israel’s response and strategy was made clear, Hamas must be destroyed.

These are simple facts of all that has transpired and led up to the terrorist attacks on October 7^th.

 

Facts of the Aftermath

Israel has two simple goals in this conflict with Hamas. #1. Recover all hostages taken, dead or alive. #2. Completely destroy Hamas. Considering the history that led up to this unprovoked war, these goals are reasonable for any sovereign nation that is defending itself. However, Israel is and has been accused of war crimes, “genocide” against Gazan civilians. Let’s examine the facts.

First, what is genocide? The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, defines genocide as an “intention to destroy, wholly or partially, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.” In order for Israel to be guilty of genocide, there must be proof. One must consider that during the British Mandate, there were 1.3 million Arabs in what is today Israel. According to CIA estimates, the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza today is roughly 4.6 million (The World Factbook, CIA). If indeed Israel has been conducting genocide against the Palestinians, how can one explain the growth in the population? Now, one must also consider the Israeli-Arab citizens, (these were Palestinians who did not flee Israel during the War of Independence and stayed and became citizens in Israel), their population of Israeli Arabs has grown from 156,000 in 1948 to more than two million today – one-fifth of the population. Again, sticking to the facts, if it is true that Israel is on a genocidal campaign against Palestinian Arabs, then one must explain how both populations have been growing. How could this be? Unless Israel is NOT committing genocide and the media is lying about it. Furthermore, if Israelis wanted to eradicate the Palestinians, why did they agree to coexist beside a Palestinian entity on at least nine different occasions from 1937 until 2020? Opportunities the Palestinians rejected.

You see, the facts prove that Israel has ALWAYS wanted and desired to live peacefully with their Palestinian/Arab neighbors, and have virtually done everything they could do short of exterminating themselves to give the Palestinians what they want. The problem is knowing for certain what it is they want. Most people think Palestinians want their own state. That too is not true, considering they’ve had that in Gaza since 2005 and that has proven to be a fatal dismal failure.

Now, my opponents may be saying: “But what about Israel’s campaign in Gaza? Thousands of Palestinians have been killed or are starving right now. Isn’t that evidence of “genocide?”

 

Starving Gaza?

The plight of civilians in any combat zone during any war often are the ones who suffer the most. The question here is whether or not Israel is purposely conducting war crimes against the Gazan civilians by preventing them from accessing humanitarian aid? Again, we must remove emotions and look at the facts. No Palestinians would be suffering today if Egypt opened the gates of Rafah to allow them to leave and if the Biden administration did not force them to remain in Gaza. They could receive all the required humanitarian aid if allowed into Sinai or if any government was willing to take them in. As a result of this, it is left to Israel (the victims of the terror attack of Oct. 7^th) to be the ones to bring aid to the civilians of Gaza…

“According to data provided by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Office, which is responsible for inspecting and transferring aid, the following assistance has been delivered between October 7, 2023, and February 16, 2025:

• 46,854 trucks transporting 1,011,575 tons of food.
• 7,699 trucks transporting 105,117 tons of shelter.
• 2,701 trucks transporting 30,120 tons of medical supplies.
• 2,648 trucks transporting 53,640 tons of water.
• 27,661 tons of fuel and 31,683 tons of cooking gas.
• 1,020 trucks transporting 66,993 tons of other aid (COGAT, February 16, 2025).

These statistics contradict the claim that Israel is impeding the supply of aid and causing a famine.  As aid arrives, Hamas stops convoys and steals the food, some to keep for themselves and some to sell on the black market. Gazans who can’t afford to buy food from Hamas may have to go without eating, though most are able to have at least one meal a day (Zvika Klein, “Editor’s Notes: ‘There is no famine in Gaza’ – comment,” Jerusalem Post, March 8, 2024).”

Here is a very informative short clip about the truth of humanitarian aid being left to rot by the UN and other NGO agencies who fail to deliver it to the civilians in Gaza.

 

 

Also, we must be careful who really are “innocent civilians.” Here is a video of “innocent civilians” celebrating and rejoicing in the streets on October 7, 2023 during the attacks on Israel that were taking place:

Let’s be clear about the facts, ladies and gentlemen. The citizens of Gaza voted for and supported and continued to support Hamas since 2006, and even after the October 7^th attacks, these same “innocent civilians” took to the streets to further their support of the terrorist massacre against Jewish people.

And now, we have Christians who want to criticize and condemn the Jews and Israel for starting all of this? Really? These same Christians say they lose sleep over starving civilians in Gaza, but at the same time, the international community has shown no interest in pressuring Hamas to give aid to the 58 remaining Israeli hostages. Hamas agreed as part of the last ceasefire deal to allow medical supplies to be delivered to them; however, not only is there no evidence any of it was given to the hostages, but Israel found unopened boxes of medical supplies with hostages’ names on them when it raided the Nasser Hospital (“Unopened medicine boxes bearing names of Israeli hostages found in hospital raid,” i24 News, February 18, 2024). Hostages released months ago revealed that they received little food, so it is more likely that the Israelis held captive for more than five months are the ones starving (Rachel Clarke, “Little food, a beating and lice: What freed Israeli hostages are saying about being held by Hamas,” CNN, December 20, 2023).

So, why are these civilians not getting the aid that the world expects them to receive?

Here are FACTS from sources that will help you understand what is happening and why there are concerns about humanitarian aid…

Between May 19 and July 29, 87% of its Gaza food convoys—2,010 trucks—were intercepted, either looted by armed groups or swarmed by crowds. That’s 85% of food aid by tonnage diverted before reaching its intended recipients, according to UNOPS monitoring data. This data reflects a systemic failure of traditional aid channels and confirms long-standing concerns about Hamas’s interference with humanitarian efforts. (@DavidMakovsky, July 30, 2025).

 

Furthermore, USAID’s Office of Inspector General is collecting evidence that Hamas systematically steals UN aid, from commandeering trucks and planting operatives inside UN facilities to directly siphoning supplies to its leadership. Whistleblowers and U.S. intelligence have confirmed that a large portion of “UN aid” in Gaza is either self-distributed by Hamas or stolen outright—sometimes with the cooperation of UN drivers seeking a cut (Adam Kredo, “Federal Investigators Compile Evidence of Systematic Hamas Aid Theft,” Washington Free Beacon, August 7, 2025).

 

On May 27, 2025, Israel and its allies launched the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a new aid mechanism designed to bypass the corrupt, slow-moving, and politically compromised international aid system—and to keep Hamas’s hands off desperately needed supplies. Within just two months, GHF overcame an initially chaotic start to establish four secure distribution sites that provided more than 105 million meals (Yonah Jeremy Bob, “GHF opens third Gaza aid center, hands out up to 1.8 million meals,” Jerusalem Post, May 29, 2025; @FoxNewsSunday, August 3, 2025).

 

The GHF has been vilified for Israel’s logistical role, the sidelining of ineffective and corrupt UN agencies, and the requirement for orderly food distribution, which undermines Hamas’s ability to weaponize hunger (Eitan Fischenberger, “Starvation by Feeding: The New ‘Genocide’ Narrative,” Fische Files, May 27, 2025). Its objective has been undermined by the UN’s refusal to participate—not because food was unavailable, but because it was reaching people through channels they did not create or control (“Department Press Briefing – May 27, 2025,” U.S. Dept. of State, May 27, 2025).

Even more disturbingly, Hamas has threatened civilians who accept the aid, erected roadblocks to block their access, and attacked distribution centers to maintain its stranglehold on food supplies. U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that Hamas’s efforts to block deliveries have failed—and the food is getting through. But the cost has been high: on June 11, at least eight Palestinian GHF aid workers were murdered in a Hamas ambush while en route to a site near Khan Younis (Joe Truzman, “Hamas kills at least 8 aid workers, GHF reports; source claims Hamas trying to disrupt aid distribution,” FDD).”

These are the sad and unfortunate facts my friends, and if you are one of these Christians who is losing sleep over the humanitarian crisis, perhaps you should be losing sleep over the actions of Hamas and the UN’s failures instead of always blaming Israel!

 

WHY CAN’T WE JUST ALL “GET ALONG?”

Now, I’m going to answer the ultimate question for those sleep-deprived Christians who want to constantly blame Israel for all of these conflicts. And I want to ask you a serious question…

Have you ever read Hamas’ charter document? It is called the Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement established: August 18, 1988. If you take the time to read the founding document and Hamas’ statements of beliefs and purposes and their vision statement, you can easily see why achieving peace with Hamas is impossible. It is simply because their founding documents do not permit themselves to come to any agreement with their perceived enemy, the Jews.

Again, let’s avoid emotion, and just look at the facts. Remember at the beginning of this response I said the conflict is more than just physical, it is about ideology. The Father of the Palestinian ideology during the British Mandate was the Grand Mufti, Haj Amin al-Husseini. He was a Nazi collaborator who famously met with Adolf Hitler in hopes of convincing the Führer to direct his extermination campaign toward the Jews in Palestine. The history of hatred of the Jews by Palestinians goes back to this one man. After him came, Imam Hassan al-Banna (1906–1949) who was a pivotal figure in modern Islamic history, best known as the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood (al-Ikhwān al-Muslimūn) in Egypt. His life and legacy shaped political Islam across the Middle East and beyond.

In 1988, when the Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement was created, it quoted Imam Hassan al-Banna, saying, “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it” (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al­Banna, of blessed memory).”[1]

These are the exact quotes of the Covenant of Hamas:

“Article One:

The Islamic Resistance Movement: The Movement's program is Islam. From it, it draws its ideas, ways of thinking and understanding of the universe, life and man. It resorts to it for judgement in all its conduct, and it is inspired by it for guidance of its steps.

The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the links in the chain of the struggle against the Zionist invaders. It goes back to 1939, to the emergence of the martyr Izz al-Din al Kissam and his brethren the fighters, members of Muslim Brotherhood. It goes on to reach out and become one with another chain that includes the struggle of the Palestinians and Muslim Brotherhood in the 1948 war and the Jihad operations of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1968 and after.”[2]

So here, right off the bat, in Article One, they admit their struggle is one of “ideology” it is their worldview of Islam. It is a form of “radical Islam.” That Islam demands “jihad,” which is a holy war, a religious war. So, just as I said at the beginning, it is a war of ideology and a war based on religious worldviews. Jews are the Zionist invaders and as such, there is no “making peace with the enemy.” The purpose is total destruction of Jews, and nothing less. More than any “state,” what Hamas wants is simply death to all Jews. Don’t believe me? Keep reading…

The Covenant continues,

“The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews. When the Jew will hide behind stones and trees, the stones and trees will say, “O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews.” (related by al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Now, let’s see what Hamas’ Covenant says about making peace, and invitations to negotiations with their “enemy.”

 

Peaceful Solutions, Initiatives and International Conferences:

Article Thirteen:

Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. Abusing any part of Palestine is abuse directed against part of religion. Nationalism of the Islamic Resistance Movement is part of its religion. Its members have been fed on that. For the sake of hoisting the banner of Allah over their homeland they fight. “Allah will be prominent, but most people do not know.”

Now and then the call goes out for the convening of an international conference to look for ways of solving the (Palestinian) question. Some accept, others reject the idea, for this or other reason, with one stipulation or more for consent to convening the conference and participating in it. Knowing the parties constituting the conference, their past and present attitudes towards Muslim problems, the Islamic Resistance Movement does not consider these conferences capable of realizing the demands, restoring the rights or doing justice to the oppressed. These conferences are only ways of setting the infidels in the land of the Muslims as arbitrators.

There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors. The Palestinian people know better than to consent to having their future, rights and fate toyed with.”[3]

The one nice thing about jihadis and Hamas, is when it comes to them and their Covenant, what you see is what you get. At least they are honest about it in their documents. You know who the real fools are? Those who don’t believe Hamas and what there are saying in their Covenant. Those who think that it is possible to make peace with these people who literally say in their own “Charter” that there is no way other than “jihad” to have any solution with the Jews. Any peace conference is just a charade for them. That is why Yassar Arafat rejected every single offer for peace and even an offer for Palestinian Statehood, because they really don’t want their own state. All they want is the Jews dead and gone. How do you expect Israel to make peace with such people?

Why is Israel demanded to concede to the demands of bloodthirsty death worshipers who constantly call for the destruction of the Jews? What other sovereign nation is pressured into such “peace deals” with an enemy who is as relentless and ruthless as Hamas?

Yet this is what some Christians are demanding today, all while labeling Israel as a rogue, arrogant, “apartheid state.” The truth is, Israel is the ONLY democratic nation in the entire Middle East. It is the ONLY nation where freedom of religion is protected as well as freedom of speech.

The Covenant now quotes Muhammad’s account of his “night journey.”

“Praise be unto him who transported his servant by night, from the sacred temple of Mecca to the farther temple of Jerusalem, the circuit of which we have blessed, that we might show him some of our signs; for Allah is he who heareth, and seeth.” (The Night Journey – verse 1).

Since this is the case, liberation of Palestine is then an individual duty for every Muslim wherever he may be. On this basis, the problem should be viewed. This should be realized by every Muslim.”[4]

Here, Hamas calls it the duty of each and every single individual Muslim, no matter where he/she lives to answer the call to jihad against the Jews. Here is the evidence from their charter…

“The Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine is an Individual Duty:

Article Fifteen:

The day that enemies usurp part of Muslim land, Jihad becomes the individual duty of every Muslim. In face of the Jews' usurpation of Palestine, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised. To do this requires the diffusion of Islamic consciousness among the masses, both on the regional, Arab and Islamic levels. It is necessary to instill the spirit of Jihad in the heart of the nation so that they would confront the enemies and join the ranks of the fighters.

It is necessary that scientists, educators and teachers, information and media people, as well as the educated masses, especially the youth and sheikhs of the Islamic movements, should take part in the operation of awakening (the masses). It is important that basic changes be made in the school curriculum, to cleanse it of the traces of ideological invasion that affected it as a result of the orientalists and missionaries who infiltrated the region following the defeat of the Crusaders at the hands of Salah el-Din (Saladin).”[5]

This is clear and sobering rhetoric. When I said at the beginning this is more than a physical struggle, it is a war of ideology, I was not kidding, and neither is Hamas. They are serious about their propaganda and that is exactly why their children are fed a steady diet of antisemitism at the earliest age. This is what their Covenant calls for on the part of each individual Muslim to confess…

“I swear by the holder of Mohammed's soul that I would like to invade and be killed for the sake of Allah, then invade and be killed, and then invade again and be killed.” (As related by al-Bukhari and Muslim).”[6]

It is the strategy of Hamas to indoctrinate the children to continue to feed the hate to the next generation and this is clearly spelled out in their Covenant…

 

“The Education of the Generations:

Article Sixteen:

It is necessary to follow Islamic orientation in educating the Islamic generations in our region by teaching the religious duties, comprehensive study of the Koran, the study of the Prophet's Sunna (his sayings and doings), and learning about Islamic history and heritage from their authentic sources. This should be done by specialized and learned people, using a curriculum that would healthily form the thoughts and faith of the Muslim student.

Article Twenty-Eight:

The Zionist invasion is a vicious invasion. It does not refrain from resorting to all methods, using all evil and contemptible ways to achieve its end. It relies greatly in its infiltration and espionage operations on the secret organizations it gave rise to, such as the Freemasons, The Rotary and Lions clubs, and other sabotage groups. All these organizations, whether secret or open, work in the interest of Zionism and according to its instructions. They aim at undermining societies, destroying values, corrupting consciences, deteriorating character and annihilating Islam. It is behind the drug trade and alcoholism in all its kinds so as to facilitate its control and expansion.” [7]

The Jews are blamed for every evil in the world, and the children are taught at the earliest age the same ideology of hatred of Jews.

This is precisely why it is virtually impossible to speak rationally with people who are indoctrinated to the point that they would rather die a thousand deaths themselves before they would agree to allow Jews to live in peace. Yet Israel is condemned for defending itself against such evil.

Hamas is and sustains a “culture of death.” Death is celebrated, martyrdom is a value and children are mobilized and taught to aspire to become a soldier of death and kill as many Jews as possible before they die themselves.

See for yourself…

“Article Thirty:

Writers, intellectuals, media people, orators, educators and teachers, and all the various sectors in the Arab and Islamic world ­ all of them are called upon to perform their role, and to fulfill their duty, because of the ferocity of the Zionist offensive and the Zionist influence in many countries exercised through financial and media control, as well as the consequences that all this lead to in the greater part of the world.

Jihad is not confined to the carrying of arms and the confrontation of the enemy. The effective word, the good article, the useful book, support and solidarity ­ together with the presence of sincere purpose for the hoisting of Allah's banner higher and higher ­ all these are elements of the Jihad for Allah's sake.

“Whosoever mobilizes a fighter for the sake of Allah is himself a fighter. Whosoever supports the relatives of a fighter, he himself is a fighter.” (related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu-Dawood and al-Tarmadhi).”[8]

From the above quote of the Hamas Covenant, we learn why the families of suicide bombers and terrorists are paid salaries by Hamas.

Those who call themselves Christians yet oppose Israel’s right to defend itself and recover its hostages ought to take a moment and reflect on reality. If you consume large amounts of American mainstream media or the likes of Al Jazeera, you’re likely to become a sympathizer with Hamas and its goals without ever taking the time to read what Hamas is truly all about. You may be willing to check your brain out and follow your emotions, and pictures of suffering, starving, so-called civilians, when some of these people are the very same people who rejoiced at the news of their comrades in arms slaughtering Jewish men, women, and children on October 7^th.

Neither Israel, nor Jews, nor Messianic Jews, nor Christians who support Israel asked for this war. If Hamas and its followers had not rehearsed and executed the terror attacks on October 7^th, we would not even be talking about this today.

No one can argue that Hamas instigated this horror against the Jewish people and against their own citizens in Gaza.

Now, you have to decide for yourself which position you are going to take. Are you going to support a terrorist organization and regime that calls for the destruction of all Jewish people worldwide, or are you going to support Israel’s right to defend herself and recognize the truth of Israel’s attempts to deliver humanitarian aid while at the same time recover her own hostages?

There are two kinds of people who are suffering right now. There are those who are suffering from the effects of this war because due to their affinity with Hamas and their support of Hamas’ actions which triggered this war and suffering. Is it sad and emotional to see them suffer? Of course it is. There is also another group of people who suffer, those who did not support this war, those who did not ask for this war, those who had their loved ones murdered and kidnapped and thousands more who were displaced from their homes due to the rocket attacks coming in from Gaza and Iran over the last 2 years.

Of those two groups of people suffering, one suffers at the hands of their own leaders who brought on this humanitarian emergency and the other who suffers for no reason other than being a Jew. Of these Yeshua the Jewish Messiah said…

“Then they too will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not care for You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Amen, I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ These shall go off to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.” (Matthew 25:44-46, TLV)

Hamas and those who support them are not Yeshua’s “brethren.” Yeshua’s brethren are the Jews. The Jewish people today are Israel. Israel has paid for her sins, and Yeshua has paid for her sins and the sins of the world and all those who put their trust and truly follow Him. Islam rejects Him as Lord, as God and as Savior. Hamas and its adherents and those who support Hamas and vote for Hamas and those who dance in the streets while Jews are murdered ARE NOT YESHUA’S BRETHREN.

Evil is evil. Period. Satan has tried to kill the Jews from the very beginning when God called our father Abraham. Nation after nation has tried to wipe out the Jews. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Nazis, and most recently, Islamic Jihad. Throughout history, any and every nation or imperial power that has opposed the Jewish people has eventually ceased to exist. Antisemites never learn from history. Yes, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but that does not mean God demands pacifism, prohibiting Israel from defending herself. Antisemitism is Satanic, and it has been around since the beginning. When Yeshua returns, he will deal with the wicked; he will put an end to His enemies.

Never again means never again. Never again will the Jews lie down and allow themselves to be exterminated. Hamas calls for Israel’s extermination. It is clear and uncontested.

Christians today have a choice to make. Take a stand with the people of God, the people God Himself has chosen to send His own Son to be a sacrifice and provide atonement for the world through the Jewish people, or side with those who call for the extermination of the Jews. It’s your choice. Choose wisely so you don’t end up on the wrong side of history and of judgment.

 

 

 

Source Cited

 

Bard, Mitchell. “Hamas Covenant [Full Text].” Yale Law School. 2025. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hamas-covenant-full-text#google_vignette.

 

 

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[1] Mitchell Bard, “Hamas Covenant [Full Text],” Yale Law School, 2025, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hamas-covenant-full-text#google_vignette.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

"How to Prepare for Passover": a short practical lesson

 

IS GOD FAIR?

This question was posed to me this week after a study of Parashat Mishpatim, (Ex. 21:1-24:18). I thought it to be an excellent topic for another post. So, here is my answer to this question. 

It depends on your definition of “fairness.” As we discussed in our study, what is “fair” to man is often not the same as God’s Justice. Here’s a thought. If we believe Yeshua is the Son of God, and we believe in his Divinity and sinless nature, while he was tempted, he sinned not… then is it “fair” that he took on all of the punishment of humanity’s guilt and paid for it with his life when He, himself was guiltless? Is it fair that God sent His own Son to die for the evil committed against his Father that He was not responsible for?

And what of evil? Is it fair that God gave free will to mankind and yet man chose to turn his back on God? Yet without that evil and sin that existed, Yeshua’s sacrifice would have been of no value. Without evil, we have no salvation. In other words, what Judas did by betraying Yeshua was evil. The Crucifixion was evil done to an innocent man, yet without that evil committed to Yeshua, you and I could not be saved, and we’d be eternally separated from God.

So, is God fair? What do you think?

It is very important to know "how” we look at this question from a biblical perspective. Many things like this are what we call a paradox. God commands mankind not to murder, but without Yeshua’s murder and bloodshed, we have no salvation. There’s a paradox.

Here’s a good article from a Bible Dictionary:

Justice of God—that perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first, God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law. His rectoral or distributive justice is his dealing with his accountable creatures according to the requirements of the law in rewarding or punishing them (Ps. 89:14). In remunerative justice he distributes rewards (James 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:8); in vindictive or punitive justice he inflicts punishment on account of transgression (2 Thess. 1:6). He cannot, as being infinitely righteous, do otherwise than regard and hate sin as intrinsically hateful and deserving of punishment. “He cannot deny himself” (2 Tim. 2:13). His essential and eternal righteousness immutably determines him to visit every sin as such with merited punishment.^[1]

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Eric

 

---

^[1] Easton, M. G. 1893. In Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature, 401. New York: Harper & Brothers.

Today is Tu B'shevat

 

A Tu B'shevat Seder!

Chag Sameach! What today? Feb. 13th 2025? It's not Valentine's Day...what is the holiday today? Today is Tu B'shevat, began last night at sundown. In the last blog post I explained what Tu B'shevat is. Today's post is how to celebrate it. 

Many Jews observe it with a seder. No, not a Passover Seder, rather a Tu B'shevat seder! In the picture above you can see the various foods and fruits and nuts and wine and juices that are native to Israel that are ritually eaten during a Tu B'shevat Seder. The picture was from a Tu B'shevat Seder we did together several years ago. Olives, grapes, wheat, barley, dates and honey, pomegrante seeds, figs and almonds are some of the foods eaten at the seder. 

The seder also calls for 4 cups, just like a Passover seder, however each of the cups is a different color of wine or grape juice. The first cup is white grape juice or wine, (the lightest you can find). It represents the winter time in Israel. The second cup is a rose colored juice or wine that represents the changing of the season, such as the season we are in now, Tu B'shevat is the beginning of Spring in Israel. The third cup is a mix of white and rose or a light reddish color, which symbolizes early summer. Then finally the fourth cup is a dark, deep red color, representing the late summer early fall harvest season. Of course before each cup we say the B'rucha. 

We eat the fruit of the tree, the fruit of the earth and the seeds of the trees and earth. The Shehechianu is also recited thanking God to again enabling us to reach yet another year another season. 

For a copy of the Tu B'shevat Haggadah you can Click Here. And do the seder at home today with your family. 

The beauty of this ritual is the connection it brings believers today to the Land of Israel. We, living in the Diaspora, have become so disconnected to the cycle of seasons and agriculture of the Bible. Many of the mitzvahs and commandments we cannot keep because there is no Temple, no altar, we cannot even tithe the fruits of the Land like we want to, and desire to. Heck, I'd love to make three vacations to Jerusalem each year for Shavuot, Pesach and Sukkot, but that too is impossible. But the Tu B'shevat seder is a way you and your family can make that connection to the Land and to the Bible itself. So, why not. Children love it too. 

Here is one more tradition you may enjoy...

So, Happy Tu B'shevat to you all, may we all, like the trees produce good fruit for Messiah Yeshua and the Malchut Hashamayim, fruit that will last forever.

And don't forget to donate a tree to be planted in Israel! You can do that here: https://mjaa.org/messianic-forest-relief/  

Amen,

R' Eric

Happy New Year for Trees!

 

Another New Year is about to arrive, no its not 2025, and its not even 5785, although we are already in those new years, and it is not Nissan 1, the month of Passover, rather this Wednesday, at sundown corresponding to Thu, 13 February 2025 = 15th of Sh’vat, 5785 aka: ט״ו בִּשְׁבָט תשפ״ה "Tu B'Shevat."

According to Eisenberg, "Tu b’Shevat, which occurs on the 15th day (full moon) of the month of Shevat (January–February), is known as the “New Year of the Trees,” the day on which God decides how bountiful the fruit of each tree will be in the coming year. The word “Tu” derives from the Hebrew alphabetical form for the number “15”—ט (9) plus ו (6). Although adding י (10) and ה (5) to get יה (15) would make more mathematical sense, this spelling is not used since it is one of the holy names of God.

In ancient times, produce needed to be tithed annually. As the New Year of the Trees, Tu b’Shevat was the beginning of a new tithing cycle (Talmud Rosh Hashanah 1:1). In the Land of Israel the rainy season precedes Tu b’Shevat, so fruits that began to form after this date were taxed in the following cycle. The determination of the age of a tree was also important because one was forbidden to eat or derive any benefit from the fruit that a tree bears during its first three years (Lev. 19:23). During the fourth year, all fruit had to be brought to Jerusalem and eaten there (Lev. 19:24); only in the fifth year were all restrictions removed (Lev. 19:25). Tu b’Shevat also corresponded to the time of the flowering of the almond tree, the first to bloom in Israel."*

When I think about it, this biblical appointed time has great significance for us today as Messianic believers. Back in January our IAMCS Rabbi's & Leader's Conference theme was John 15:16 "I selected you so that you would go and produce fruit, and your fruit would remain." So, this corresponds well with Tu B'shevat. Some points I think we need to remember:

I. WE NEED TO BEAR FRUIT...

We are like trees, Yeshua compared us to them. Luke 13:6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' 

 8" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "

If we don't bear fruit we can be in danger of being cut down! Oy! No thanks!

II. WE ARE LIKE THE FRUIT ITSELF THAT IS OFFERED IN THE TEMPLE, WE ARE THE FIRST FRUIT OFFERING!

1 Peter 2:5 You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house—a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua.

Romans 15:16 to be a servant of Messiah Yeshua to the Gentiles, in priestly service to the Good News of God—so that the offering up of the Gentiles might be pleasing, made holy by the Ruach ha-Kodesh.

Jewish and Gentile believers are both called to be an offering and are both incorporated into the holy priesthood and commonwealth of Israel.

This also means...

III. WE MUST WALK IN FAITH AND PRAY!

Matthew 21:18 Now early in the morning, as He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came up to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And He said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree shriveled up at once.

20 When the disciples saw it they were astonished. “How did the fig tree shrivel on the spot?” they asked.

21 Yeshua answered them, “Amen, I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, trusting, you shall receive.”

If we fail to walk in faith and produce fruit, like this fig tree, we have leaves only. Are we believers who have leaves only? We will shrivel up and die! Oy! No thanks!

We cannot afford to not walk in faith and produce fruit!

IV. GOING TO WAR!

What was Israel commanded to do with the trees of their enemies in the Land? The Torah says, 

Deuteronomy 20

Confidence in Battle

20 “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horse and chariot—a people more numerous than you—do not be afraid of them. For Adonai your God, the One who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. 2 When you draw near to the battle, the kohen will come forward and speak to the people. 3 He will say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are drawing near today to the battle against your enemies. Don’t be fainthearted! Don’t fear or panic or tremble because of them. 4 For Adonai your God is the One who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies to save you.’

5 “The officers are to speak to the troops saying, ‘What man has built a new house but has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house—otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it. 6 What man has planted a vineyard but has not put it to use? Let him go back to his house—otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use it. 7 What man has become engaged to a woman but has not married her? Let him go back to his house—otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.’ 8 The officers will speak further to the troops and say, ‘What man is afraid and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house—so he does not weaken his brothers’ heart like his own.’ 9 Then when the officers have finished speaking to the troops, they should appoint army commanders at the head of the troops.

10 “When you go near a city to fight against it, call out shalom to it. 11 Now if it answers you shalom and opens up to you, then all the people found in it will serve you as forced laborers. 12 If it does not make peace with you but makes war against you, then lay siege against that city. 13 When Adonai your God hands it over to you, you are to strike all its males with the sword. 14 Only the women, children, livestock and all that is in the city—all its spoil—may you take as plunder for yourself. So you may consume your enemies’ spoil, which Adonai your God has given you. 15 Thus you will do to all the cities that are very distant from you, which are not among the towns of these nations nearby. 16 However, only from the cities of these peoples, which Adonai your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not let anything that breathes live. 17 You must utterly destroy them—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—just as Adonai your God has commanded you. 18 You are to do this so they will not teach you to do all the abominations as they have done for their gods, and so you would sin against Adonai your God.

19 “When you lay siege to a city for a long time, making war against it to capture it, you are not to destroy its trees by swinging an axe at them. For from them you may eat, so you shall not chop them down. For is the tree of the field human, that it should enter the siege before you? 20 You may destroy and chop down only the trees that you know are not trees for food, so that you may build siege equipment against the city that is making war with you until its downfall.

Israel, the Jewish people are commanded to always offer peace to our enemies. But the Torah knows realistically that our enemies will not always choose life, they mostly choose death and destruction. The mercy and grace shown to our fellow man is additionally required for the Land and the fruit bearing trees. If man is like a tree and we can show this mercy and grace to the trees and find value in them, how much more a human being, even one's enemy!?!

  כי האדם הוא עץ השדה, what a beautiful Mitzvah the Torah giving us that we should not cut trees even of our enemy’s in a city under siege. May we all continue not to cut each other down and to grow to bare much fruit to further the kingdom of G-D as we all are like the trees. 

NOTE: I WILL BE POSTING MORE ABOUT HOW TO CELEBRATE TU B'SHEVAT SOON! STAY TUNED!

R' Eric

*Eisenberg, Ronald L. 2004. The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions. 1st ed. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

How do you prepare for High Holy Days?

This post is designed to give helpful advice directly to members and regular attenders, and those interested in observing God's Appointed Fall Feasts of Israel here at Tikvat Yisrael Messianic Synagogue. Anyone however may benefit from this post.

A Messianic synagogue is unique in the sense that it is made up of individuals from various backgrounds, Jewish and Gentile, and all from a variety of religious communities. Our Jewish members, some of whom were raised Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, or completely Secular. Our Gentile families also have derived from a complex history of Christian denominational backgrounds, more than can be listed here in this blog post!  Nevertheless, according to the Bible in Ephesians 2, we are taught that we all makeup Messiah's body and we are One New Man together, as One in Messiah Yeshua.  One body, one mikveh (immersion), and One Faith. 

Nevertheless, within the Body of Messiah, there are a variety of different expressions of this One Faith, and there are cultural and even doctrinal differences as we all know and can imagine. This reality can bring its challenges to a Messianic Jewish synagogue that is committed to Jewish identity and culture while at the same time, welcoming non-Jews who want to be with us in this community. Since 1 Cor. 7 prohibits converting Gentiles into Jews and Acts 15 & 21 give us the Apostolic decision not to require Gentiles to become "Jews"; we, therefore, are a bit of a "mish-mash" of peoples from among all nations coming under the banner of Messianic Judaism.  This is beautiful when it works smoothly. 

It has its challenges, and when the High Holy Days roll around each year, and over the years those challenges become more noticeable. That is what I would like to address for the remainder of this post.

The 23rd chapter of Leviticus is one that outlines the Hebrew calendar and all of God's Appointed Times, known as "moadim", (literally: 'appointed times'). 

"23 Adonai spoke to Moses saying: 24 “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a Shabbat rest, a memorial of blowing (shofarot), a holy convocation. 25 You are to do no regular work, and you are to present an offering made by fire to Adonai.” (Lev. 23:23-25).

Each year, many of our people, who are unfamiliar with the High Holy Days and appointed times of God, and have never observed these biblical holy days, are sometimes caught off guard when they roll around and how to prepare for them...

So, this should help many, hopefully.  First, notice what this particular holy day is... there are 7 things that are laid out to describe this holy day for us:

1. In the 7th month (Hebrew month), that would be Tishrei. It occurs usually around September-October - NOTE IT CAN FALL ANYWHERE AROUND THIS TWO MONTH PERIOD, AND NOTICE SOMETHING ELSE...

2. It is the FIRST DAY of the 7th month. That means it can fall just about ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. It is NOT always on a Saturday.  

3. What do we do on this day?  First, we are commanded to have a Shabbat rest, (i.e., remember it may fall any day of the week, a Shabbat "rest" doesn't mean it's always on "Saturday". 

4. Second, we are to blow and hear the Shofar that day.  The worship must include the traditional sounds of the Shofar. These blasts actually have names and syncopations: "Tikeeah", "Taruah", "Shevarim" and "Tikeeah Gedolah".  Each has its own sound. So it's not just "blowing" it once, there is a whole series of blasts and they all have meaning.

5. Third - we are to convene. That means God commands us to "Come Together" into a Holy Convocation.  In other words, this is a pretty serious appointment/gathering (it cannot properly be observed alone in isolation), or in a "prayer closet". 

6. Fourth - No work - that means literally no labor/earning money, buying or selling. This is where most people are caught off guard.  Since it can fall during the week....

7. Present an offering.  NOTE: The Torah calls this a "Korban Isheh" An offering made by fire.   וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם אִשֶּׁה, לַיהוָה.  V'hi'krabetem Isheh L'Adonai.  The root of this first word is: קרב Kof Resh Bet, and it means "to draw near".  Korban means to draw near but it has a dual meaning, to draw near with your offering. The vav and the hey before the root means "and you will"...the tav and final mem as the suffix indicates you meaning a group of people, "you all", in other words, the people God is addressing through Moses, namely Israel!  What is the point of this?

The Korban is NOT the Tithe, it is a separate special offering just for this occasion. It is not the regular daily Tamid offering or the regular Tithe offering, it is its own Rosh Hashanah offering...

Have you prepared your special Rosh Hashanah offering to Adonai, yet?  Have you thought and prayed about what you plan to bring before the King at this appointed time?  

Preparing for the High Holy Day is not the same as just showing up and thoughtlessly throwing in any extra change we find in our pockets along with the lint that comes with it. 

The fact it is called Isheh (fire) means that it is wholly given over, completely burned in smoke up to the Lord, nothing is held back or shared.  In other words, it is not a "fellowship offering" where everyone shares a piece of challah that someone brings.  No, it is completely 100% for Adonai.  

So this is what it means to prepare for Rosh Hashanah.  One last thing.  Since this year Rosh Hashanah and many of the rest of the High Holy Days fall on weeknights and weekday mornings... HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING YOUR RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION REQUEST TO YOUR EMPLOYER TO GET THESE DAYS OFF?  

Every year I provide letters on Tikvat letterhead explaining that you are a member of Tikvat and as a member, your religious obligation requires you to be excused from work on these holy days.  The State of Ohio as well as most all States in the Union have laws that protect and guarantee religious accommodation to be made on behalf of all employees.  In other words, it is the LAW that your employer must give you these days off upon your request.  A letter from your rabbi will assist in helping you request the High Holy Days off.  

Are employers required to accommodate the religious beliefs and practices of applicants and employees? Yes. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on religion. This includes refusing to accommodate an employee's sincerely held religious beliefs or practices unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship (more than a minimal burden on the operation of the business). A religious practice may be sincerely held by an individual even if newly adopted, not consistently observed, or different from the commonly followed tenets of the individual's religion. see more at: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/what-you-should-know-workplace-religious-accommodation 

So, there you have it, friends. There is nothing holding you back from being at this Holy Convocation.  It is time to be getting ready.  Get your days off now, put in your requests, if you need a letter, call the office and let me know, I'll even email it to you. 216-297-9929.  This is for those who are committed to regular attendance and membership at Tikvat Yisrael.  

Shalom,

R' Eric 

"To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate, That is the Question"

 

“To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate – That is the Question.”

            In his play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare made the line famous, “To be or not to be…”. The great question facing most Americans today is whether to vaccinate, or not, against the Covid-19 virus. Before giving a spiritual, pastoral answer to this dilemma, I first want to summarize the description of the landscape surrounding this conundrum within this brief article. Since the beginning of this global pandemic, the Covid virus has literally brought out the best and the worst of humanity. This issue, as with just about every other issue, has become highly dramatized and politicized in and by the media. Social media has not helped this situation either, it has only made it worse. It has gotten to the point, that no matter where one stands on the issue, you are damned if you do or damned if you don’t; and inevitably someone around you will take offense in disagreement over your choice either way on the matter. Gone are the days of civil disagreements. Today, if someone disagrees with you, you are villainized and hated by your opposition. We can go even farther back to the fall of 2016, after the Presidential elections, remember all the coverage of the inability of family celebrations of Thanksgiving? The effects of the political climate deteriorated to the level where most every family in the United States was impacted. For the subsequent four years virtually every holiday season saw families torn apart and unable to even sit at the table together. Remember reading all the advice columns on how to interact with aunts and uncles, parents and adult children who differed on politics? It is sad to see that the condition has not improved and now Covid has only contributed to the polarizing of American society.

            Now, we turn our attention to the issue at hand, the choice to vaccinate or not. I will answer this in context of a Messianic rabbi serving a Messianic Jewish community, within our relatively small Messianic movement worldwide. As Messianic Jews, we are all too familiar with being marginalized.  By nature, our very existence stirs up controversy. Many Messianic biblical commentators have paraphrased Rav Shaul’s words in 1 Cor. 4, to describe the survival of the Messianic Jew:

For it seems to me that God has put us, the emissaries, [Messianic Jews] on display last of all—like men sentenced to death. For we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. We are fools for Messiah’s sake, but you are wise in Messiah! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, but we are dishonored! To this very hour we are both hungry and thirsty, dressed in rags and mistreated and homeless. We toil, working with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless. When we are persecuted, we endure. When we are slandered, we speak kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the dregs of all things—even to this moment. (1 Cor. 4:9-13).[1]

 

We have chosen our lot, and most of us have counted the cost with our decision to follow Yeshua of Nazareth. As difficult as that naturally is, it not as unbearable as when your opponent comes from your own mishpocha. We all know what Yeshua warned, “…and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.” (Matt. 10:36). However, my hermeneutical understanding, and I would venture to say most of our understanding of this pesuk is referring to our literal family members who are not born-again believers in the Messiah. Unfortunately, we are coming to learn very quickly that we must reevaluate our own exegesis and expand our definition of “mishpocha”. It is now our spiritual family within our own Messianic congregations. With the onset of the global pandemic, we now see that another virus has infected the Body of Messiah, and it isn’t Covid. The Jewish element of the Body of Messiah is suffering from the same acute case of שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם “sinat chinam”[2], the same dysfunction we are witnessing in society in general.

            The Messianic Jewish movement has reflected the same behavior as the wider gentile world when it comes to the divisions over Covid-19. Opinions are broad on the topic of this pandemic, if it can even be described this way; some would take exception. To some in our movement it is a serious pandemic to others it is nothing but a conspiracy, a “plan-demic”; and for others it is anything in between. Regardless, of how one feels about it, many are frightened less of the virus itself, but more scared to even share their opinion about it! This condition has considerably affected the communal life within the Messianic synagogue as well. Speaking for myself, as a rabbi, I can say with certainty that while most laymen have tremendous opinions on the subject of Covid, little if any of them understand what it is like to be in the seat where the buck stops, and the leaders’ decisions can impact the health and well-being of every member of the kehillah, from the 90 year-old Holocaust survivor, to the infant who just had his bris, both those in perfect health, and those who suffer terrible conditions. Lots of people have lots of opinions, but it is usually based on their own personal perspective with little to no consideration of how their actions, opinions, denunciations of those they disagree with affect others. A critical spirit has infected the Messianic movement and this essay is a word of warning to all of us.

            It has been almost one year since the Governor of our State issued orders requiring all Ohioans to wear a mask in all public places. Only one week before that order was issued in the summer of 2020, I and my board had made our own decision that we would require the same policy at our synagogue. We made our decision, not out of fear, but in consideration for every one of our sheep, even those whom we knew were fighting major life-threatening conditions such as cancer, of whom several were already getting radiation, and chemo therapy. We had no idea at that time how this decision would have such a ripple effect. Within one week I had several letters on my desk from families who were offended by this decision and immediately withdrew their membership (without even a discussion), all at the same time! The angry tones of the letters and the amount of kvetching was tangible. One would think that we as a board had unilaterally decided to burn down our own synagogue by the way many in our community were behaving. However, others were grateful and expressed their appreciation and agreement with the Board’s decision. This reminded me that again, when it comes to this issue, you are “damned if you do or damned if you don’t.”  We cannot please everyone. The decision over the mask though was only the beginning.

            Now, we all face another decision, to vaccinate ourselves and our children or not. As soon as word came out that vaccines were coming, I braced myself for what I knew was about to come: additional controversies and rhetoric, especially on social media. What I now see happening among the flock are sometimes vicious responses to anyone who disagrees with a perspective on the vaccine. Some believe it is a “godsend”, while others believe it is the “mark of the beast”. May God help you if you choose to express your own opinion, especially on social media! Here we go again! So, rabbi where do you stand? Everyone asks the rabbi all kinds of things. Do you know what it is like to have your cell phone on and active on the Eve of Pesach when everyone is trying to remove chometz from their homes? All the halachic questions that come in…you either turn your phone off or you hire a hotline to field them all. Imagine now, what it is like, should I get the vaccine or not?  Let’s ask the rabbi…

            So here is what the rabbi is going to say. We all know that there is a disproportionate number of Jews in the medical field. With all the Jewish doctors, we also know come all the Jewish attorneys who are hired to sue the Jewish doctors for malpractice! Jews have always dominated the medical industry and have contributed arguably more than all others, just count the number of Jewish Nobel Prize winners for science and medicine! For a population that is less than 1% of the earth’s population that says something. It is simply not Jewish to oppose medicine. There are cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and others like Scientologists who refuse medical treatment based on religious observance; and that is their Constitutional right, in so far as the law limits that in some cases. Nevertheless, it is virtually the same as finding kosher pork in the meat section, as it would be to find a Jew who refuses medical attention due to “religious reasons”. Even Orthodox rabbis will give a “rabbinical dispensation” to any Frum Jew who requires medicine that contains non-kosher resin to sustain life! Yet, we now find many militant Messianics who believe they are the judge and the jury ready to condemn anyone who does choose to vaccinate; and humiliate them on social media. Yet, before Covid came around, would we find these same people consider expressing attacks against those who choose chemotherapy? Somehow, now that this issue is so political, many Messianics feel it is their duty to shame anyone who chooses to get vaccinated. This is the plain fact. In so far as Jehovah Witnesses and Scientologists have the God-given right to choose to refrain from medical attention on certain matters, so too does any American have the right to choose to refrain from any vaccine, in my opinion. (Yes, you finally heard the rabbi’s opinion). No one should be forced against their own conscience to be vaccinated. Likewise, those who do choose to exercise their own right to receive such a vaccination should also be free to do so expecting the same respect that others are given. There should be mutual love and respect given, ESPECIALLY TO A BROTHER/SISTER IN THE LORD, who chooses either way. The judgmental spirit that is being exercised in our movement is sickening and is worse than Covid-19 itself! There is more to the issue, however.

            It is not only un-Jewish to be anti-medicine, but also unbiblical. The Bible says many things about medicine:

 

2 Kings 20:7 Then Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” So, they took one and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

 

Revelation 22:2 down the middle of the city’s street. On either side of the river was a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

 

Jeremiah 51:8 Suddenly Babylon is fallen! Shattered! Howl over her! Bring balm for her wound. Perhaps she may be healed?

 

Isaiah 1:6 From the foot to the head there is no soundness. Wounds, bruises, and raw sores: not pressed, nor bandaged, nor softened with oil.

 

1 Timothy 5:23 (No longer drink only water but use a little wine for your stomach and for your frequent ailments.)

 

Luke 10:33 But a Samaritan who was traveling came upon him; and when he noticed the man, he felt compassion. 34 He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then setting him on his own animal, he brought him to a lodge for travelers and took care of him.

 

Let me be clear, however, I am NOT advocating that everyone go get vaccinated. What I am saying is that everyone needs to make their own decision based on their own relationship with God and be directed by their own conscience. Furthermore, Godly Leadership, AND GODLY GOVERNMENT – AND GODLY BROTHERS AND SISTERS SHOULD NEVER DO OR SAY ANYTHING TO VIOLATE SOMEONE’S CONSCIENCE! Everyone deserves the respect due to their own choice, and along with that choice, there are consequences. There are consequences on both sides of the issue, and all these consequences need to be weighed carefully and in prayer by each individual. If you choose to vaccinate, there are consequences such as the possibility you may be allergic to it. There is a small number of those who have even died from reactions to one. There could be other consequences not even foreseen, perhaps it may not work as well as we thought? On the other hand, those who choose not to vaccinate will no doubt experience consequences as well. Those without vaccinations could experience discrimination from some public services or access to certain services as well. Other consequences could include infection from exposure to the Covid virus even carried by others who enjoy a level of immunity due to their vaccination. These are just some preliminary possibilities off the cuff; more consequences could be discovered in the future. We must all realize that these decisions are not easy for anyone. There are also many variables for everyone, individually. Each person must consider their own individual health issues, their age, their employment status (some work in the medical field), whether they have dependents, etc. It is just completely out of order for ANY Messianic believer to shame, condemn, ridicule, slander, embarrass or call out anyone, let alone another believer for their personal choice that may differ from yours! I question the intentions of the heart of Messianic believers who behave this way, it is a שאַנדע “Shanda”![3] I cannot express the level of disappointment I feel when I witness believers acting and speaking this way in the judgment of others who make their own decisions they may not agree with. Therefore, I will give my final word on this matter, first to those who are being attacked, I remind you from the words of Rav Shaul, in paraphrase form: “Therefore, do not let anyone pass judgment on you in matters of food or drink, or in respect to a festival or new moon or Shabbat, [or Vaccine]. (Col. 2:16). And for those of you who are behaving foolishly, the words of our same Shaliach, even while originally speaking of food; his admonishment also applies: “For the one who is weak is destroyed by your knowledge—the brother for whom Messiah died. In this way, when you sin against the brothers and sisters and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Messiah.” (1 Cor. 8:11-12).

 

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[1] All Scripture is from the TLV, unless otherwise noted. This verse paraphrased for emphasis.

 

[2] Heb. “Baseless hatred”; an idea that Judaism offers as to the reason for the destruction of the 2^nd Temple. That Jews hated each other so much that God allowed the Romans to come and destroy Jerusalem.

[3] Yiddish, a word that expresses a shameful act of one Jew against another Jew that makes all Jews look bad in the eyes of the goyim (gentiles).