Is Yeshua YHVH Himself?

[James and Terry Hamilton]

Yeshua:

One With The Father?

Let me deal quickly with a "biggy" for just a second. Is Yeshua YHVH Himself?

No. Yeshua said, "I and {my} Father are one (echad)" - John 10:30. This is frequently used as a proof text to demonstrate that YHVH and Yeshua are one in the same being - God in a meat suit, if you will.

Yet, there are verses which counter this theological assertion.


"And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own Name those whom Thou hast given me, that they may be one (echad), as we [are]" - John 17:11.

"And the glory which Thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one (echad), even as we are one (echad)" - John 17:22.



What the Gentile Church has misunderstood, and, indeed, what some of the religious authorities in Yeshua's day and age misunderstood, is that Yeshua is talking about the concept of yichud (union; unification; oneness) with the Divine in thought, word and deed. To be a shituf (co-working partner) with the Divine in the Creation one must achieve a state of yichud and do so through kavanah* (focused attention) and devequt (cleaving).


The Jewish mystics have expounded upon these concepts, but in Yeshua's time it was something very straight forward and easily understood by the plebeians who had been exposed to these concepts through the stories they'd heard about various sages and miracle workers from their Oral Traditions or had themselves seen in real life.

It is through one's focused attention on the Divine as revealed in His Torah and one's emunah (faith and faithful observance) that one demonstrates their ability to cleave to the Divine (devequt) and becomes his co-working partner (shituf) in the Creation. In this way, the Word literally becomes flesh, because the individual has become a walking, talking manifestation of YHVH's Torah.


In this way, the Word of YHVH became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of the historical man, Yeshua ben Yosef. You've heard the expression, "That guy's a walking encyclopedia!"...? Same idea. Yeshua was a walking, talking Torah - in thought, word and deed. The yichud and devequt he experienced, on a personal level with the Divine, is the same union and celaving that he prayed that his followers would likewise experience. Period.


Sadly, the proto-Gnostics got hold of these concepts and twisted them around and then infected the Gentile Church with their religious syncretism, which is why we have Paul writing so many corrective epistles in an attempt to set the record straight.

Unfortunately, the Council of Nicaea ended up with Paul's letters and twisted them to suit their theology.






All one needs to do is to put the man and his teachings back into their proper historical, linguistic and cultural context. It's so much easier when we view this man through the eyes of a plebeian, proto-rabbinic Separatist of the Common Era.

* = KAVANAH cannot really be defined with one word. Kavanah is the "attention", "focus", "intensity", and "directedness of the heart" with which prayer is ideally approached. A person who prays with kavanah fills his/her words with the full depth of concern and intention about their meaning. (The opposite extreme would be rote recitation of written prayers without thinking about what one is saying.)


In cases in which the pray-er is composing spontaneous, inspired prayers, kavanah is in rather ready supply; it is both the motivator and the essence of the prayer. For example a simple "thank God" uttered by a truly grateful person who escaped calamity is a bona fide prayer filled with kavanah. The anxious wish of a worried parent for the speedy recovery of a sick child is another example of a spontaneous (albeit oft-repeated) prayer that is naturally filled with kavanah. The joyful exclamations of a nature lover on a bright sunny morning can also be described as a prayer with kavanah.

The Rabbis observed that, "prayer without kavanah is like a body without a soul".

The 15th century Rabbi Yitzchak Arama points out:

"it is easy to stand in prayer at a certain time each day. But if you do not concentrate in your heart, how is your prayer any different than the mindless chirping of birds?" - Akedat Yitzhak 58 (3:17a).

Look, I know this is a touchy subject and I'm not trying to bash anyone's faith. I'm just saying that aside from viewing things from a Jewish perspective ... one can also brush up on Church history, which will likewise demonstrate that what many Christians believe today is not what many Chrisitians believed during the years leading up to the Council of Nicaea.

To that end, I highly recommned the following book: When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity during t... (Paperback) by Richard E. Rubenstein The book is well documented throughout and reads more like a novel, than a history lesson. Rubenstein has done a masterful job of bringing this episode in Church history and its main players to life. It's an easy read and will be most enjoyed by people with an interest in Church history and those who like historical romance (and melodramatic) novels. A little wiki reading on the two main characters might be in order before you start reading Rubenstein's book: Athanasius of Alexandria Arius - Arianism Trinitarianism - Historical view and usage

COMMENTARY:::>

The "Only Begottenness" of all the Children of Light

The only thing that really makes any sense to me - and the Jewish mind - is that Yeshua was seen as being the "only begotten Son" per the adoption language used in the Sacred Text for one who was chosen to be the Anointed One.

Yeshua was a man and, as Paul states, "was made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Romans 1:3).

Yeshua studied the Torah, internalized the Torah and actualized the Torah in thought, word and deed.

He worked miracles and healed the sick via the Holy Spirit that rested upon him and empowered him

. Those who accept his message of repentance and are faithful to his teachings - and even to those who understand that his very name means, "YHVH saves" - to them the authority and ability has been given to be the Sons/Duaghters of YHVH (cf. John 1:12).

Yeshua's message was one of empowerment to those who felt powerless.

He looked upon the disenfranchised and said, "Men have cast you out, but YHVH wants to embrace you. Listen to what I'm telling you, the Torah is not the burden the patricians of the School of Shammai have made it out to be via their religio-legal rulings. You too can experience yichud (oneness) with the Divine and be YHVH's co-working partner (shituf) in the creation. You have within you the ability and authority to usher in the Messianic Era."

How do I know this? Because that message is contained in the verses used to justify the doctrine that Jesus is God Himself.






"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form (morphe) of G-d, thought it not robbery to be equal (isos) with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form (morphe) of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" - Philippians 2:5-8.


The word in the above text that is translated as "equal" is the Greek word "isos" and the word translated as "form" is the Greek word "morphe".

What we have to remember is that Hebrew was a living language during the 1st century of the Common Era. Paul's teacher was Gamaliel, the grandson of Hillel. According to the rabbinic literature, Gamaliel had 500 disciples who studied the Greek language and Greek literature. Doubtless, Paul was one of these disciples. The Hebrew Scriptures had been translated into Greek between the 3rd and 1st century B.C.E., that translation being called the Septuagint. Therefore, many Hebrew words already had a fixed translation into the Greek. Further, by the 1st century C.E., many Hebrew words from the Sacred Text also had a proto-rabbinic concept attached to them.

The Greek word "isos" is most frequently used in the Septuagint to translated the Hebrew word "echad," which means "one".


The Greek word "morphe" is most frequently used in the Septuagint to translated the Hebrew word "zeyv," which means "splendor; brightness". From the time of Homer the word "morphe" was used of "the form by which a person or thing strikes the vision." Take for example the expression, "What a striking young lady!" This means there's something special about this young lady's appearance that gets your attention and causes you to take notice of her.

What we see in Phil. 2:5-8 is a theologically motivated translation wherein isos is given the meaning of "equal" instead of "echad" (one) and morphe is givien the meaning of "form" instead of "zeyv" (splendor; e.g., brightness of one's countenance), as Paul must have meant it.

What Paul is saying is that Yeshua didn't think it criminal to be "one" with YHVH, because it was his birthright and the birthright of evey child of YHVH to be "one" with the Divine and experience a state of yichud (oneness), because the splendor of man has its origins in the splendor of the Divine.

In Jewish Law, yichud refers to the seclusion between a man and a woman, who are not married to each other, in a closed room or a private area, which is forbidden. This prohibition is to prevent the two from coming to sin.

Nevertheless, when a Jewish couple marries - and enters a state of yichud (union) - they stand underneath a canopy called a "chuppah," which is usually a "prayer shawl" (tallit) held up by four cedar poles. On each corner of the tallit (prayer shawl) is a special fringe called a "tzitzit." The four strands that comprise the tzitzit are poked through a hole in the corner (kanaf = wing) of the tallit and are wrapped and knotted so that they equal 39, which is the numerological value for the verse, "The LORD is One" (Deut. 6:4) or they are wrapped and knotted to equal the numerological value for YHVH. They also have a symbolic numerological value for 613, which represent the 248 "positive commandments" (thou shalt's) and the 365 "negative commandments" (thou shalt not's) found in the Torah.


In short, the Jewish wedding canopy and the prayer shawl represent the Wings of YHVH, which overshadow and protect and brood over mankind. Just as a Jewish couple seeks yichud (union) under the wedding canopy, so too the devout seeks yichud (unification; oneness) with the Divine, while in his prayer closet (Matthew 6:6), being enswathed by the symbolic Wings of YHVH's Spirit.

Remember the woman with the issue of blood (Mat. 9:20ff) who grabbed the "hem" of Yeshua's garment and he felt "virtue" go from him? That woman was in a perpetual state of niddah (menses), which meant that she was isolated from contact with others because she was in a constant state of "ritual impurity". (Cf. My post on FAMILY PURITY). So, she grabbed onto the fringe of Yeshua's prayer shawl in order to be healed. Why? Because of the following passage:


"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], saith the LORD of hosts" - Malachi 4:2-3.

This womand reverenced YHVH and recognized that Yeshua was a man who was in a state of yichud (oneness) with the Divine and his countenance shone like the Sun because of the Shekinah of the Holy Spirit that rested upon him and she knew that he had healing in the fringed wings (corners) of his prayer shawl, which represented that YHVH and His Commandments are one (echad).


To sum it up, in Philipians 2:5-8, Paul is saying that Yeshua didn't belief it was a criminal act to be one (echad) with the Divine. Man's splendor has its origins in the splendor of the Divine. Yeshua having achieved a state of yichud (oneness) with the Divine, understood that he was suppose to be YHVH's servant (oved) and co-working partner (shituf); therefore, he made himself a conduit through which the Divine might work - AND WE SHOULD BE THINKING ALONG THE SAME LINES!

Like Mike and the Mechanics sing, "Don't believe the Church and State and everything they tell you." :doh:

In Jewish Law, yichud refers to the seclusion between a man and a woman, who are not married to each other, in a closed room or a private area, which is forbidden. This prohibition is to prevent the two from coming to sin.

Nevertheless, when a Jewish couple marries - and enters a state of yichud (union) - they stand underneath a canopy called a "chuppah," which is usually a "prayer shawl" (tallit) held up by four cedar poles. On each corner of the tallit (prayer shawl) is a special fringe called a "tzitzit." The four strands that comprise the tzitzit are poked through a hole in the corner (kanaf = wing) of the tallit and are wrapped and knotted so that they equal 39, which is the numerological value for the verse, "The LORD is One" (Deut. 6:4) or they are wrapped and knotted to equal the numerological value for YHVH. They also have a symbolic numerological value for 613, which represent the 248 "positive commandments" (thou shalt's) and the 365 "negative commandments" (thou shalt not's) found in the Torah.


In short, the Jewish wedding canopy and the prayer shawl represent the Wings of YHVH, which overshadow and protect and brood over mankind. Just as a Jewish couple seeks yichud (union) under the wedding canopy, so too the devout seeks yichud (unification; oneness) with the Divine, while in his prayer closet (Matthew 6:6), being enswathed by the symbolic Wings of YHVH's Spirit.

Remember the woman with the issue of blood (Mat. 9:20ff) who grabbed the "hem" of Yeshua's garment and he felt "virtue" go from him? That woman was in a perpetual state of niddah (menses), which meant that she was isolated from contact with others because she was in a constant state of "ritual impurity". (Cf. My post on FAMILY PURITY). So, she grabbed onto the fringe of Yeshua's prayer shawl in order to be healed. Why? Because of the following passage:


"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], saith the LORD of hosts" - Malachi 4:2-3.

This womand reverenced YHVH and recognized that Yeshua was a man who was in a state of yichud (oneness) with the Divine and his countenance shone like the Sun because of the Shekinah of the Holy Spirit that rested upon him and she knew that he had healing in the fringed wings (corners) of his prayer shawl, which represented that YHVH and His Commandments are one (echad).


To sum it up, in Philipians 2:5-8, Paul is saying that Yeshua didn't belief it was a criminal act to be one (echad) with the Divine. Man's splendor has its origins in the splendor of the Divine. Yeshua having achieved a state of yichud (oneness) with the Divine, understood that he was suppose to be YHVH's servant (oved) and co-working partner (shituf); therefore, he made himself a conduit through which the Divine might work - AND WE SHOULD BE THINKING ALONG THE SAME LINES!






Like Mike and the Mechanics sing, "Don't believe the Church and State and everything they tell you." :doh:

Listen to what the Rebbe has to say about being instructed in the Torah by a Celestial Angel before one's birth in the following video.  This speaks again to the concept of "how the Word becomes flesh" not merely in the case of one man, but for all the Elect of YHVH.

Also, note what the Rebbe says about one's Evil Inclination.

Modern Day Miracles

In the linked video above the Rebbe talks about his father-in-law's release by the Russian authorities and states:

QUOTE

"My father-in-law, the Rebbe, himself explained, 'G-d did not liberate me alone, but at the same time, in the same deliverance, every Jew without exception was freed as well.'  And this is a continuing liberation, as we clearly saw, at the time of the liberation on the 13th of Tammuz, it was unknown what the final outcome would be. But now we do know, with our own eyes, we see the results of his freedom.  First the Rebbe was allowed to leave the country - an open miracle, and he left with his entire family, all his manuscripts, all his holy books, all his possessions. A special government agent was dispatched to help expedite the passage and he was ordered by his superiors not to inspect anything and to sign all necessary permits, so that the Rebbe could leave without delay.  This was an open and miraculous event for all to see.  There are those who claim: 'Ten miracles occurred rmed for our forefathers in the time of the Holy Temple,' as the Mishnah states.  But today we don't see miracles and who knows if we ever will!?  But fom time to time G-d reveals His holy hand and he displays an open miracle.  The Alter Rebbe states in Tanya, that this occurs through the righteous - G-d reveals Himself by performing miracles through the righteous.  And this took place in our very generation with the miracle of the 13th of Tammuz and all the subsequent events, as recorded in detail and later published and publicized.  We saw what happens when a Jew decided with determination that he would not be detterred by anything oppossing Jewishness.  And his determination was not because of his stubbornness, but because of the true fact: Anything that opposes Judaism has no power over the Jew, for a Jew is essentially connected with G-d Himself."

How can every Jew partake in one man's liberation from the Russian authorities? This goes back to an exegetical principle called, kal v'khomer (light and heavy). An example of this would be, "If you have run with footmen and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses?" - Jeremiah 12:5.

This principle was used to argue that if a person murders one man, they are guilty of murdering all; if a person accomplishes one Commandment, they have fullfiled all the Commandments, etc., etc., etc.

So, in this way, one man's liberation can be seen as the liberation of all men. I mention this because this explains how Yeshua sought to personalize and at the same time universalize the Passover meal that he shared with his disciples when he said of the afikoman, "Take, eat; this is my body" and of the wine, "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" - (Matt. 26:26-28).

The Mythicists see this ceremony as dealing with the ancient mystery cults. The Catholics view this ceremony as Yeshua laying the foundation for transubstantiation. The Protestants have more than a few opinions about this ceremony and some see this ceremony as Yeshua advancing some "holy mystery."

For his Jewish disciples, Yeshua was simply addressing the theme of liberation and redemption present in the symbolic elements of the Passover meal, which all Jews should internalize, actualize and memorialize. As the Rebbe states in the video linked above, "... this is a continuing liberation" and "anything that opposes Judaism has no power over the Jew, for a Jew is essentially connected with G-d Himself" in life, in death and in the World to Come.

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