Are-we-Jews-or-Israelites
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Re Tanakh
versions:
Throughout
this site I may use any of three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org” (SEF), three brilliant versions, However, the
JPS-1917 is my preferred version!
Colour coded
details of our beloved TaNaKh:
1. Torah =
History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.
*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical
books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot,
or Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of
Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history
of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.
Please Note: Some alterations
or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God), having been corrected like it once was pre
the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy
4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
There is a great deal of historical, scriptural, and textual evidence that strongly agrees with the perspective of us still being “Hebrews” (Exodus 3:18), as well as being “Israelites” (Genesis 32:28).
Many scholars, historians, and
traditional commentators fully echo that very point. “Israelites
is the more ‘authentic’, ‘comprehensive covenant name’
for us the Hebrew people, but “Jewish” or “Jew” is a narrower regional tag that
someone at a certain time decided to rename us with.
The transition from “Israelite” to “Jewish” was an
accident of geopolitical survival. The evidence supporting our view layout is
as follows:
1. The Survival of All 12 Tribes
(Textual Agreement):
The truth is that all 12 tribes are
still part of the collective people and that is factually backed by the Tanakh
itself.
When the northern Kingdom
of
Because the surviving sovereign
entity was named the
2. It still Agreed:
“
In traditional Jewish law (Halakha) and liturgy, the rabbis actually resisted
using the word “Jew” when dealing with sacred or legal identity.
The Legal Term: If a person converts, or if a legal contract (like a Ketubah) is drawn up, the text never uses the word
“Jewish”. It always reads: “According to the law of Moses and
The Liturgy: The central prayers never address the “Jewish nation”. For we still say; “Shema Yisrael” (Hear, O Israel) and pray for “Am Yisrael” (the People of Israel).
The Talmudic Dictum: However, the Talmudic ruling on
identity states: “A Jew who sins is still a Jew”. Except, the
actual Hebrew text of the Talmud (Sanhedrin 44a) does not say that. It
actually says: יִשְׂרָאֵל
אַף עַל פִּי
שֶׁחָטָא - יִשְׂרָאֵל
הוּא- “Yisrael af
al pi she-chata, Yisrael hu”, “An Israelite, even though he has
sinned, is still an Israelite”.
Long ago the word “Jewish” or “Jew”
was the colloquial name used by the world, but
3. Historical and Academic Agreement:
Renowned historians of antiquity, such as ‘Shaye J.D. Cohen’ in his work “The Beginnings of Jewishness”, points out that in the ancient world, Israelite was our true identity. When the people were in their own land, they were the “Children of Israel”. It was only in the Diaspora (exile) that the outsider’s label of ‘Yehudi’ (Judean/Jew) entered into foreign lands. Over centuries of exile, the external label stuck so firmly that it replaced our beloved original name in everyday speech. But sadly in due time were renamed as “Rabbinic Judaism”.
Why This Matters Today:
Our perspective aligns perfectly with
the early ‘Zionist thinkers’ of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Thinkers like ‘David
Ben-Gurion’ explicitly felt that the term “Jew” carried the ‘weight’ and
‘trauma of the exile’. However, when our ancient state of
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Let us now see the prophets of the Tanakh
address the tragedy of the split kingdom with an overwhelming, recurring
message of hope: the
division between the northern ten tribes (Israel/Ephraim) and the southern
tribes (Judah) is temporary, and a total, supernatural reunification of all
twelve tribes will occur in the future!
1. The Ultimate Prophecy: Ezekiel’s Two
Sticks:
The most famous and visually explicit prophecy of
reunification is found in Ezekiel 37:15-22. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim instructs the
prophet Ezekiel to perform a physical demonstration before the people:
Ezekiel demonstrates this by
joining two pieces of wood representing “Judah”
and “Ephraim” into one. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim explains that
He will gather the Israelites from the nations, unite them into a single nation
on the mountains of Israel under one king, and end their division permanently.
2. Overcoming Ancient Jealousy: Isaiah’s Vision.
Isaiah
predicts that future restoration will eliminate the historical civil rivalry
and deep-seated animosity between the two groups. He envisions a time when Ephraim's
jealousy and
3. Returning
Weeping Together: Jeremiah’s Promise.
Jeremiah
reiterates that both the children of
How Will Tribal Identities Be Restored?
While most Hebraic lineage beyond
‘Levi’ is currently untracked, scriptural prophecy and commentators indicate
this hidden identity will be recovered via prophetic
revelation.
The Visionary Map of
Ezekiel (Chapters 47-48):
Ezekiel details a future territorial blueprint
divided into twelve distinct parallel strips for each tribe, requiring accurate
knowledge of tribal belonging.
The
Role of the Prophet Elijah: Classical
traditions compiled by Maimonides (Mishneh Torah)
state that the King will utilize the Holy Spirit to sort and verify the
Israelite lineages, identifying each person’s specific tribal affiliation. An
intermediate exilic phase, while scriptural prophecy culminates in the
restoration of a fully unified, twelve-tribe mosaic!
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Remember
what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the
following through a number of our prophets...
“The More Torah, the
More Life”,
For Elohim is the One who gave us our ... “Life!”
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom =
Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD
of hosts, be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat,
as well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue
saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s - Prayers and
regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s - blessings before
food and drinks, etc!
שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
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