Auto-Transliteration Now With Bookmarklets!

I just updated the Automatic Hebrew-to-English Transliteration utility, creating “bookmarklets” (mini JavaScripts that run right in the address bar) that make transliterating even easier.

All you have to do is drag the link to your browser’s toolbar, and it will create a “Transliterate” button in the toolbar. Then when you come across some text that you would like to transliterate, just select the text and click the “Transliterate” button in your toolbar.

There is one more thing I would like to do with this, but I don’t have the skill set to just crank it out quickly. I would like to have a script that web site owners could add to their pages that would automatically add tooltips (perhaps AJAX powered) to any Hebrew text that would display the transliteration. You understand what I’m getting at? Something like this: שָׁלוֹם. If you are interested in helping me with this, let me know.

Automatic Hebrew-to-English Transliteration

I just put together a script that will take Hebrew text and transliterate it into English letters. So for example, if you put in this:

וַיְהִ֗י בְּשַׁלַּ֣ח פַּרְעֹה֘ אֶת־הָעָם֒ וְלֹא־נָחָ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים דֶּ֚רֶךְ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב ה֑וּא כִּ֣י׀ אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵ֥ם הָעָ֛ם בִּרְאֹתָ֥ם מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְשָׁ֥בוּ מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

You will get this:

vayhi, beshallach par‘oh ‘et-ha‘am velo-nacham ‘elohim, derech ‘eretz pelishtim, ki karov hu; ki ‘amar ‘elohim, pen-yinnachem ha‘am bir’otam milchamah veshavu mitzrayemah.

There are a few different options to choose from, and I could add more.

This nice utility could be used to help you practice up for a reading, or to provide a handout with songs or prayers. A lot of material that can be used for this can be found on my resource page.

Try it out for yourself here: Hebrew-to-English Transliteration.

Sound Familiar? Judgment and Forgiveness

Another edition of Sound Familiar. What did Rabbi Riskin mean when he said (albeit anachronistically) that the teachings of Jesus are “very strongly rooted in Talmudic teachings“? Here are a few well known parallels between the Sermon on the Mount and the Talmud.

Blessed are the merciful,
     for they shall receive mercy. (Mat 5:7 ESV, formatting added)

For if you forgive others their trespasses,
     your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
but if you do not forgive others their trespasses,
     neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(Mat 6:14-15 ESV, formatting added)

Judge not,
     that you be not judged.
For with the judgment you pronounce
     you will be judged,
and with the measure you use
     it will be measured to you.
(Mat 7:1-2 ESV, formatting added)

It was taught R. Gamaliel Beribbi said: And he shall give thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee: he Who is merciful to others, mercy is shown to him by Heaven, while he who is not merciful to others, mercy is not shown to him by Heaven. (b.Shabbat 151b)

Raba said: He who forgoes his right [to exact punishment] is forgiven all his iniquities, as it says, Forgiving iniquity and passing by transgression. Who is forgiven iniquity? One who passes by transgression [against himself].  (b.Rosh Hashanah 17a, Soncino)

Our Rabbis taught: He who judges his neighbour in the scale of merit is himself judged favourably. (b.Shabbat 127b, Soncino)

In the measure with which a man measures it is meted out to him. (m.Sotah 1:7, Soncino)

Many more parallels than this can be found in the Sermon on the Mount, not to mention throughout the Gospels. This should indicate to us that Yeshua fit into the stream of Jewish teaching; he was not an outsider to it.

One interesting and important note of difference, however. The last proverb, even though it is practically verbatim in both Matthew 7:2 and Sotah, has a different meaning. In the former, it is taken to mean “the standard of measurement that you use in judging others is the standard by which God will judge you.” In the latter, it seems to mean “the type of punishment that you receive from God will match the type of sin that you commit,” a kind of poetic justice that sort of matches the idea of “all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mat 26:52 ESV). Certainly both ideas can be true, but it seems to me that the saying seems to be a better fit with the principle related in Matthew than in the Mishnah.

Love the Shrimper, Hate the Shrimp?

A gay rights organization has a satirical campaign that they have entitled “God hates shrimp.” Their underlying argument is that if Christians want to quote Leviticus in order to protest homosexuality and gay marriage, then they should at least be consistent. Homosexual behavior might be an “abomination” according to the Bible, but so is eating non-kosher food. So they carry signs saying:

• EATING SHELLFISH IS A SIN — REPENT!
• SHELLFISH ARE AN ABOMINATION TO GOD
• LOVE THE SHRIMPER, HATE THE SHRIMP

Now this group does not seem to be terribly biblically literate, but they seem to have a point, don’t they?

On one point I think religious conservatives are frequently unclear and would benefit from some re-thinking. Homosexual activity is a sin prohibited by the Torah. Homosexual attraction is not a sin any more than liking the taste of pork or being attracted to another person’s spouse. It is a struggle that some people face and others do not. Someone who has been faced with temptation and yet overcome it has more merit than one who never had the temptation.

Jesus Tattoo Finally Gets it Right

Note: I have not revealed much of my blasphemous sacrilicious sense of humor on this blog before, so I hope I have not cultivated a humorless readership. Well, here goes nothing.

OK, maybe it’s not entirely accurate, but at least this Jesus depiction is based on a Jew, for once!

This tattoo is actually quite profound. As you can see, Spock Jesus is being “beamed up.” That obviously represents the ascension:

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. (Luk 24:50–51 ESV)

That is why he is doing the “Vulcan Salute,” which is actually the hand position for the Aaronic Priestly Blessing, as we well know. This priestly blessing is what Jesus was doing as he ascended. After all, the blessing is actually called nesi’as kappayim, which means the lifting of the hands. As it says in the book of Leviticus:

Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. (Leviticus 9:22 ESV)

I’m trying to figure out how the skull butterfly slippers fit into the equation, but I’m coming up empty. Anyone?

via FashionablyGeek

False Equivalents

I found this image on a stock photo site. I am not quite sure why a marginally kosher wine is posed awkwardly next to an empty green glass and a French roll, but whatever. It seems appropriate for the post.

When Gentile Christians get interested in Jewish roots or Torah, one of the biggest obstacles they face in trying to understand Judaism correctly is the phenomenon of “false equivalents.” (I just made that term up.)

For example, a Christian Church might have a spiritual leader such as a priest, a minister, or a pastor. It is well known that Judaism has rabbis. But although there can be similarities, a rabbi is not simply the Jewish version of a pastor.

Once I was with talking some friends in a public place, and a stranger sitting nearby heard that we were talking about Judaism. So he piped in: “Hey, I have a question. Have you ever heard of a company called Empire Kosher?” Yes, we said. “I saw something on TV that showed their poultry processing plant and it said they had [some number, I don't remember] rabbis working there full time.” We nodded, as this seemed to make sense. “So I was wondering—do all these rabbis have synagogues [in fact I think he actually said 'churches'] somewhere that they lead?”

Naturally, he thought, if they are rabbis, then they are synagogue leaders. It was a foreign concept to him that someone would spend years in a religious seminary, and upon graduating, would go into the meat processing business.

Another false equivalent I have seen trip people up on is Sunday and the Sabbath. Christians usually go to church on Sunday. Some even think of Sunday as the Sabbath. But the Jewish concept of Shabbos/Shabbat/Sabbath is actually quite different from the way most Christians view Sunday. So if a church simply decides to switch their switch their services to Saturday, that is all well and good, but it does not mean that they have adopted a Jewish mode of worship. In fact, any fully populated Orthodox synagogue will have services every Sunday morning (and afternoon), just like they do every day of the week. That means that being Sabbath observant means much more than having a religious service on Saturday, or even taking the day off from work.

This phenomenon of false equivalents is sort of like the occurrence in language known as “false friends,” where two words from different languages sound like they would share a meaning (and they might even be cognate), but they actually do not.

How to Avoid False Equivalents

When a person or congregation is looking for inspiration from Judaism, they are often misdirected because they have asked the wrong question. Here are some questions not to ask:

• What is the Jewish version of (Christian religious concept)?
  (For example, “a youth pastor.”)
• How do you say (Christian religious concept) in Hebrew?
  (For example, “communion.”)

Instead, it would be better to ask questions that do not begin with a presupposition. For example:

• What does (Jewish ritual, concept, or symbol) mean to Judaism?
  (For example, “ritual immersion.”)
• How does Judaism approach the problem/task of (common human spiritual or social problem)?
  (For example, “educating children.”)

Also, it is not uncommon to find similarity between symbols or practices in Christianity and Judaism. That could be for different reasons:

1. The two customs share a common origin and retain a common basic significance and form, although there might be subtle differences. (For example, giving to charity.)
2. The two customs share a common origin, but their significance and/or form has diverged. (For example, baptism and tevilah.)
3. The similarities are coincidental; common origins are non-existent, spurious, or indirect. (For example, the presence of bread and wine and both a Shabbat meal and a Eucharist ceremony.)

When you come across a Jewish custom or practice that seems familiar, honestly consider which of the above possibilities may be the cause. Research the custom or practice and seek to understand it on its own merit, not merely for what additional meaning you might be tempted to read into it. If you choose to read additional meaning into it, openly acknowledge that you have done so.

Bible Verses Inscribed on Military Weapons

ABC News

I don’t mind if you’re a patriotic Christian and happen to be a weapons manufacturer, but this is a bad idea.

Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military by a Michigan company, an ABC News investigation has found.

…

One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Other references include citations from the books of Revelation, Matthew and John dealing with Jesus as “the light of the world.” John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

I’m sure these are really good guys that mean well. According to the news article, their web site says:

“We believe that America is great when its people are good,” says the Web site. “This goodness has been based on Biblical standards throughout our history, and we will strive to follow those morals.”

That’s good, I couldn’t agree more. But what in the world does that have to do with putting Bible verses on guns? Opponents have a good point:

“It allows the Mujahedeen, the Taliban, al Qaeda and the insurrectionists and jihadists to claim they’re being shot by Jesus rifles,” he said.

This is exactly what’s wrong with the world. Some people apparently think that if Jesus was here on earth today, he would be an American soldier. Listen up, folks, he would not be an American soldier, we all know he’d probably be in the IDF a Republican a youth pastor a hippie a guerrillero a Chassidic rebbe or something.

Besides, if they were going to put Bible verses on the sight of a rifle, you’d think they would come up with better ones than that! Sheesh, why didn’t you pick these ones?

• GN6:11: Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight (heh, get it?) and was full of violence.
• MT5:39: But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
• 2COR10:4: The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not a pacifist, and I don’t think Jesus was either. The wars we have going now might be completely necessary. But let’s not blame them on Jesus.

They “Profane the Sabbath and are Blameless”

This past Shabbos, we forgot to turn the crock pot on, so we didn’t have any cholent. I left my instant coffee at a friend’s house and didn’t think of it until it was too late. My toddler son fiddled with the knobs on the stereo right before Shabbos so there was the hiss of white noise in the living room the whole day. But all in all, it was a pretty nice Shabbos. My kids are all alive and well, happy and beautiful. Thank God.

ZAKA is an Israeli relief organization composed of “ultra-Orthodox” (i.e., strictly observant) Jewish emergency rescue volunteers. Guess how they spent this past Shabbos?

Goldstein added that his team had continued to work throughout Shabbat. “We did everything to save lives, despite Shabbat. People asked, ‘Why are you here? There are no Jews here’, but we are here because the Torah orders us to save lives… We are desecrating Shabbat with pride,” he said.

• Yedioth Ahronoth – ZAKA mission to Haiti ‘proudly desecrating Shabbat’

Strictly religious Jews travel halfway across the world and desecrate the Sabbath in order to save the lives of Gentiles with no connection to Jews, Israel, or Judaism whatsoever. This may be chillul Shabbos, but it is kiddush HaShem.

Although they worked throughout Shabbos, they did find a few moments in the midst of the chaos to recite the prayers.

In a disturbing e-mail that Goldstein managed to send to ZAKA headquarters in Jerusalem, he writes of the “Shabbat from hell. Everywhere, the acrid smell of bodies hangs in the air. It’s just like the stories we are told of the Holocaust – thousands of bodies everywhere.”

Amid the stench and chaos, the ZAKA delegation took time out to recite Shabbat prayers – a surreal sight of haredi men wrapped in prayer shawls standing on the collapsed buildings. Many locals sat quietly in the rubble, staring at the men as they prayed facing Jerusalem.

• Jerusalem Post – Rescuers describe ‘Shabbat from hell’

Donate to ZAKA

Jewish Jesus and Anti-Semitism

One of the main reasons for anti-Semitism is that Christians have felt that Jesus himself was opposed to Jews and Judaism. If they are his follower, it stands to reason that they should do likewise.

But if the premise is false, and the truth is that Jesus was a Jewish teacher who taught from within Judaism, then that fact undercuts the basis for much of Christian anti-Semitism. So although portrayals of Jesus as a Jewish “rabbi” or “sage” are controversial from a religious Jewish perspective, they have the potential to reduce anti-Semitic views within Christianity. That is one of my main motivations.

Conservative rabbi Michael Leo Samuel writes,

Why is this subject so important? Largely because so much anti-Semitism has developed because Christians denied the essential “Jewishness” of Jesus, while Jews have historically viewed Jesus in negative terms because of the anti-Semitism of Jesus’ followers. In Chagall’s famous painting of Jesus, Chagall sees Jesus’ suffering as epitomizing Jewish suffering. Jesus lived as a pious Jew; he died as a pious Jew ….

Jesus did not intend to create a new religion or to bring an end to Judaism. He was a reformer, yes, but the way I see it, he did not come to reform Jewish infrastructure, but rather human hearts. When it comes to his practical message, it was not any more radical than that of Rav Yisroel Salanter, Rav Yisroel Meir Kagan (the Chofetz Chayim), who were, indeed reformers and revolutionaries.

Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

Jewish Chronicle Article Defends Rabbi Riskin

A recent feature published on Jewish Chronicle’s web site defends Rabbi Riskin, who was at the center of much controversy because of a video in which he called Jesus a “model rabbi.”

Author Dr. Ed Kessler writes:

Surely, at a minimum, Jewish education today should include learning that Jesus and his family would have been Torah observant, kept Shabbat, circumcised their males, attended synagogue, observed purity laws in relation to childbirth and menstruation, kept kosher, and so on. While the Gospels record disputes about Jesus’s interpretation of a few of these, the notion of a Christian Jesus, who did not live by Torah or only by its ethical values, does not fit historical reality.

• Read the entire article: The Jewish Chronicle – We shouldn’t be afraid of saying ‘Rabbi Jesus’