Jerusalem Post Editorial– 'Stop calling it the Old Testament, it's the Torah'

ed note–an extremely important piece to read for all those who fashion themselves ‘truthers’ and especially those who have devoted a considerable amount of their time and energy to opposing the wars in the Middle East and especially what has been done to the Palestinians.

Please read/consider carefully what our very-Judaic writer here says in his essay. First and foremost when he says the following–

1. ‘…it is all the more essential that steps be taken to defend the integrity of Judaism and its sacred texts…’ followed by ‘…A good place to start would be to encourage the media and public figures to give the God of Israel and His Torah the respect that is their due…’

2. ‘…For Jews, what many refer to as the Old Testament is in fact the Only Testament. It is the basis of Judaism, the foundational document that defines our faith as well as our relationship with God and our fellow man….’

So much for the over-used/over-repeated baseless assertion constantly proposed and parroted by certain self-proclaimed ‘experts’ that the Torah is not the book which the Jews follow, but rather the Talmud. Indeed, the Torah is the beating heart of Judaism, just as our very Judaic author proudly states and anyone who tells you differently, from the ‘Torah True Jews’ of Neturei Karta to certain left-wing pro-Palestinian activists/groups who state with dogmatic rigidity that Judaism and Zionism are ‘distinct, different and irreconcilable’ with each other are either fools for believing fantasy over fact or outright liars who do know the difference but for reasons related to ‘keeping the peace’ deliberately state things which in fact are not true.

Next, the the manner by which our very Judaic writer describes as a ‘stale, anti-Jewish canard’ the notion that the deity of the Old Testament is an angry, vengeful, violent, jealous, individual standing at the ready to ‘smite’–using a term that appears in the Torah/Old Testament constantly–anyone who gets sideways with him and with his ‘chosen’ people.

Absolutely 666% accurate and a fact attested to in the various Judaic religious holidays celebrated for thousands of years where the violent, vengeful proclivities of this deity named Yahweh are recounted and celebrated in feasts such as Passover, Purim, and Hanukuh. The fact that our very Judaic writer would enter into as ‘evidence’ the fact that the word ‘hell’ does not appear in the Torah as ‘exhibit A’ in castigating the aforementioned adjectives rightly-associated with the god of the Jews goes to show just how duplicitous, deceptive, and devious the ways of Judaism are. He–better than the Gentiles reading this circular and deliberately deceptive piece–knows intimately just how violent the god of the Torah is and how this paradigm forms the basis and justification for all the violence that has been/is used regularly by the Jewish state against the Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis, Syrians, et al.

And, finally, our Judaic author’s statement that ‘This may sound like little more than an issue of semantics, but labels have power and they affect how people perceive things and the extent to which they value them’–

Allow me to translate, if I may, ladies and Gentile-men–

‘If the stupid Goyim ever figure out that all the problems in the Middle East and their own countries can be traced directly back to the insane teachings of our Jewish religion which is the logical and inevitable expression of the teachings written down in the Torah–they’re going to do what their Greek and Roman ancestors did thousands of years ago when they declared the Torah to be a subversive document, outlawed its possession/practice under penalty of death, rounded up every scroll they could find and burned them.’

Nevertheless, despite what is for all intents and purposes a slam-dunk conviction of Judaism as the inevitable and inescapable outcome of the teachings contained within the Torah, all can rest assured that this website will be inundated with angry commentary from all sorts of Torah-believing Christians, most prominently those of the Christian Identity variety, that the ed notes preceding this very eye-opening piece are the result of an anti-white conspiracy on the part of yours truly and this website.

By Michael Freund, Jerusalem Post

At a time of rising antisemitism across Europe and even North America, it is all the more essential that steps be taken to defend the integrity of Judaism and its sacred texts.

Recently, in an episode of the popular American television program Dateline NBC, veteran journalist Dennis Murphy repeated a stale anti-Jewish canard, one that despite its popularity is nonetheless as offensive as it is inappropriate.

“The rhetorical language you used in your email to your ex had a kind of biblical Old Testament ferocity to it,” Murphy said to an interviewee, referring to messages she had allegedly sent which included phrases such as, “I hope to God you are ready for the pain I will show you.” “Burn in the fiery pits of hell tonight as by God’s law,” read another.

Putting aside the fact that the word “hell” does not appear even once in the Hebrew Bible, Murphy’s impolite and ill-informed characterization of the Book of Books is something that should raise the ire of everyone who takes pride in our people’s heritage.

After all, it was the Tanach which bequeathed to the world values such as charity, brotherhood and forgiveness. And it was the Tanach which challenged man to live by the highest standards of morality and ethics, and which continues to inspire countless Jews and others to this very day.

Depicting the Hebrew Bible as “ferocious” or cruel is not only an act of iniquity toward the text itself, but a hurtful affront to those who cherish its teachings and seek to abide by its commands, and to do so in the context of a prime-time television show watched by millions of viewers is to besmirch the Jewish people’s faith and legacy in a public and humiliating way.

Unfortunately, Murphy is not alone in his prejudice. Examples abound from entertainment to the political arena.

Just last month, an Irish member of the European Parliament named Luke Flanagan criticized Ireland’s Health Minister Simon Harris for his policy on medical marijuana by asserting that, “Our Minister for Health is like the God of the Old Testament – mean.”

What kind of trash talk is that? How dare Flanagan or Murphy or anyone else for that matter slander the God of Israel in such terms.

Would they speak of other faiths, ranging from Islam to Buddhism, in such a disparaging manner? An even deeper problem is the use of the term “Old Testament,” which suggests that the Hebrew Bible is outdated and archaic, like an old shoe or outmoded car that should be discarded.

Indeed, it is difficult to reconcile the obvious contradiction at work here: Western civilization often proudly invokes its “Judeo-Christian heritage,” and yet the very basis of that patrimony – the Hebrew Bible – is implicitly vilified and demeaned as if it were a relic of a bygone era, rather than the living text that it is.

This may sound like little more than an issue of semantics, but labels have power and they affect how people perceive things and the extent to which they value them.

For Jews, what many refer to as the Old Testament is in fact the Only Testament. It is the basis of Judaism, the foundational document that defines our faith as well as our relationship with God and our fellow man.

As former British chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks once pointed out, “One of the most tragic moments in Western civilization came when Christians began distinguishing between what they called ‘the Old Testament God of vengeance’ as opposed to the ‘New Testament God of love.’ This is not a small error. One trembles to think how many Jews lost their lives because of it.”

Obviously, Christians have the right to believe what they wish about the relevance or applicability of what they refer to as the Old Testament, but using that phrase in public discourse, or even in the course of casual conversation, is something that is hurtful to Jews, our beliefs and our tradition.

There are plenty of other terms, such as Hebrew Bible or Tanach, that can be utilized instead which don’t carry the same derogatory weight, and the use of which could help to improve mutual understanding and respect.

At a time of rising antisemitism across Europe and even North America, it is all the more essential that steps be taken to defend the integrity of Judaism and its sacred texts. A good place to start would be to encourage the media and public figures to give the God of Israel and His Torah the respect that is their due.