Comments for Rabbi Paul Saal's Blog http://shuvah.org/blog Congregation Shuvah Yisrael Mon, 02 May 2011 04:08:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Comment on Emor – Kiddush Hashem by Rabbi Paul http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=405#comment-506 Rabbi Paul Mon, 02 May 2011 04:08:12 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=405#comment-506 A good word, thank you Elanor. A good word, thank you Elanor.

]]> Comment on Emor – Kiddush Hashem by Eleanor Howell http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=405#comment-505 Eleanor Howell Mon, 02 May 2011 03:28:59 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=405#comment-505 To me the following are our example and charge: “He will not strive or wrangle or cry out loudly; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets; A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench, till He brings justice and a just cause to victory.” Matthew 12:19-20 “To make it your ambition and definitely endeavor to live quietly and peacefully, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you, So that you may bear yourselves becomingly and be correct and honorable and command the respect of the outside world, being dependent on nobody [self-supporting] and having need of nothing.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Amplified Bible To me the following are our example and charge:
“He will not strive or wrangle or cry out loudly; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets; A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench, till He brings justice and a just cause to victory.” Matthew 12:19-20

“To make it your ambition and definitely endeavor to live quietly and peacefully, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you, So that you may bear yourselves becomingly and be correct and honorable and command the respect of the outside world, being dependent on nobody [self-supporting] and having need of nothing.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Amplified Bible

]]> Comment on Acharei Mot – Real Food for Real Men by Eleanor Howell http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=382#comment-496 Eleanor Howell Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:26:05 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=382#comment-496 Well said. Well said.

]]> Comment on Metzora – Concerning Lips and Lepers by Rabbi Paul http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=373#comment-491 Rabbi Paul Thu, 14 Apr 2011 02:08:34 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=373#comment-491 Thanks Andrew. That is a great story! Thanks Andrew. That is a great story!

]]> Comment on Metzora – Concerning Lips and Lepers by Andrew Sparks http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=373#comment-490 Andrew Sparks Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:07:10 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=373#comment-490 Great blog. I love the mussar oriented approach and a great challenge to seek to tame the tongue. I enjoyed reading the classic book Chofetz Chaim last year. One related story that I found online about the Chofetz Chaim: He was traveling, and he caught a ride with a cart full of horse traders who spent the several hours of the trip "talking shop" about horses. The Chofetz Chaim was quiet during the entire ride. At the end, they finally realized who he was and began to apologize profusely for not realizing they had such a highly-esteemed rabbi riding with them! Then they began to apologize for talking about horses instead of "holier" subjects. The Chofetz Chaim responded, "I was just glad you weren't discussing people." Great blog. I love the mussar oriented approach and a great challenge to seek to tame the tongue.

I enjoyed reading the classic book Chofetz Chaim last year.

One related story that I found online about the Chofetz Chaim:
He was traveling, and he caught a ride with a cart full of horse traders who spent the several hours of the trip “talking shop” about horses. The Chofetz Chaim was quiet during the entire ride. At the end, they finally realized who he was and began to apologize profusely for not realizing they had such a highly-esteemed rabbi riding with them! Then they began to apologize for talking about horses instead of “holier” subjects. The Chofetz Chaim responded, “I was just glad you weren’t discussing people.”

]]> Comment on Tazria/Metsora – Doctors of the Soul by Rabbi Paul http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=367#comment-485 Rabbi Paul Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:23:08 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=367#comment-485 Thank you Vladislav. Thank you Vladislav.

]]> Comment on Tazria/Metsora – Doctors of the Soul by Vladislav Nagirner http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=367#comment-484 Vladislav Nagirner Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:57:22 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=367#comment-484 "Oddly many people would rather languish in pain and isolation than risk the failure of trying and trusting. This is why Yeshua’s simple remedy was to ask the man to pick up his mat and walk. We are often crippled by our own fear of trying." - Yes. Toda raba. “Oddly many people would rather languish in pain and isolation than risk the failure of trying and trusting. This is why Yeshua’s simple remedy was to ask the man to pick up his mat and walk. We are often crippled by our own fear of trying.” – Yes. Toda raba.

]]> Comment on Vayikra – A Tough Place for Man or Beast by Derek Davis http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=355#comment-474 Derek Davis Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:33:17 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=355#comment-474 This was very insightful and helpful, Rabbi Paul. The quotation from Wyschogrod was particularly helpful. Vayikra is a tough section to teach in a Gentile Christian context. I very much appreciated your interpretation. Derek This was very insightful and helpful, Rabbi Paul. The quotation from Wyschogrod was particularly helpful. Vayikra is a tough section to teach in a Gentile Christian context. I very much appreciated your interpretation.

Derek

]]> Comment on Vayikra – A Tough Place for Man or Beast by Vladislav Nagirner http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=355#comment-473 Vladislav Nagirner Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:17:02 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=355#comment-473 Thank you very much, dear rabbi Paul. Thank you very much, dear rabbi Paul.

]]> Comment on Vayikra – A Tough Place for Man or Beast by Rabbi Paul http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=355#comment-455 Rabbi Paul Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:38:26 +0000 http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=355#comment-455 Thank you for your thoughtful comment Michael. With equal respect my statement is not "part and parcel" with anything else. In fact "part and parcel" is the mindset that precipitates and supports the antinomian thought of church patristics. That is if animal sacrifices are now unnecessary then so must the remainder of the commandments. This was the mindset of Augustine who commended the reading of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews in that order. But read one back into the other in reverse order. Augustine's reading was that Hebrews makes obsolete the animal sacrifices, understood in the context of Galatians whereby circumcision of gentiles is not required, then one can assume that Romans is speaking of a complete abolition of Torah. The narrative reading is circuitous, myopic and flawed due to the narrow presupposition that God is done with the Jews. Scholarly works from theologians such as Mark Nanos, and Mark Kinzer help to refute this thinking. It is perfectly plausible, and I believe most probable that Hebrews is stating an end to the sacrificial system. I think there is little refutation to the idea of animal sacrifice as coming to an end. If the Temple is rebuilt I think the New Covenant is clear that only the minchot sacrifices will be reinstated. I am not as certain as you are that it is Hashem's plan for a rebuilding of the temple. I think you are currect to say "hinted". I would say we might infer. There are other viable, and by my reckoning more plausible readings of the prophetic material as a whole. I remain flexible though and await how history will intersect with the prophetic. This is why I use terms Like "it seems." In the interim I think you and I can agree that Yeshua's sacrifice is best understood through the animal sacrifices, and we are beckoned to follow him living lives of self-sacrifice and love. All of the rest in my opinion is conjecture. Thank you for your thoughtful comment Michael. With equal respect my statement is not “part and parcel” with anything else. In fact “part and parcel” is the mindset that precipitates and supports the antinomian thought of church patristics. That is if animal sacrifices are now unnecessary then so must the remainder of the commandments. This was the mindset of Augustine who commended the reading of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews in that order. But read one back into the other in reverse order. Augustine’s reading was that Hebrews makes obsolete the animal sacrifices, understood in the context of Galatians whereby circumcision of gentiles is not required, then one can assume that Romans is speaking of a complete abolition of Torah. The narrative reading is circuitous, myopic and flawed due to the narrow presupposition that God is done with the Jews.
Scholarly works from theologians such as Mark Nanos, and Mark Kinzer help to refute this thinking.

It is perfectly plausible, and I believe most probable that Hebrews is stating an end to the sacrificial system. I think there is little refutation to the idea of animal sacrifice as coming to an end. If the Temple is rebuilt I think the New Covenant is clear that only the minchot sacrifices will be reinstated. I am not as certain as you are that it is Hashem’s plan for a rebuilding of the temple. I think you are currect to say “hinted”. I would say we might infer. There are other viable, and by my reckoning more plausible readings of the prophetic material as a whole. I remain flexible though and await how history will intersect with the prophetic. This is why I use terms Like “it seems.” In the interim I think you and I can agree that Yeshua’s sacrifice is best understood through the animal sacrifices, and we are beckoned to follow him living lives of self-sacrifice and love. All of the rest in my opinion is conjecture.

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