What is G-d? (Edited)

G-d is the reason the cosmos is here, but even more than that; G-d is the Compassionate Shepherd of the Universe that has no physical body, and beyond that; we claim G-d has taken special interest in His people.

From chabad.org, Psalm 23 tells us, “…The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want... He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Even when I walk in the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they comfort me.”  

Isaiah, a prophet, tells us of G-d’s love and personal interest in His people (Isaiah 60:21):  “And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever, a scion of My planting,the work of My hands in which I will glory.”   He desires for us to do His will; that we wrestle to understand His ways.  He longs for all of us to choose Him; that we to hearken to His Voice.  He desires for us to love Him; everyone of us, from the most pious king to the lowliest worm.

Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Through Rehab for Would Be Mothers

Any pregnant mother; especially one that has had a difficult time staying away from the booze bottle or drugs should be entitled to check into a rehab for an extended stay, no questions asked, in order to prevent her unborn child from developing lifelong ailments associable with drinking and drugging during pregnancy.  Not only do we need to prevent crack babies, but there is a huge cost from would be mothers who don’t act responsibly.  We need to be responsible as a society to raise children, and that means allowing a complete full term stay at a rehabilitation center, for any mother that suffers from addiction.

Is Humanity Innately Evil and In Need of the Forgiveness of Jesus?

It is bothersome when Christians focus on how bad they are, such that they proclaim how badly they need Jesus’ forgiveness. This is a mistake because when Hashem created us; He created us “Good.”

Genesis 1:31 (courtesy of www.chabad.org), “And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good, and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.”

That goodness did not fade away. The incident of Adam and Eve in Gan Eden does not mean that since then, humans have been hopelessly evil or wicked. Nowhere does Gd say something so disparaging as to say humanity, His creation, is evil. Quite the contrary as Isaiah teaches (60:21), “And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever, a scion of My planting, the work of My hands in which I will glory.”

Focusing on the evils that are possible because Hashem has given us freewill is not even half the story.

Psalm 139 says, “For You created my mind; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will thank You, for I was formed in an awesome and wondrous way.”

We should take pride in ourselves and be thankful that we are Hashem’s creation, and not blaspheme it through constant proclamation of our iniquities. Truly, Hashem made us good, and our goodness out of the womb is a reflection of the wisdom He used to create each of us with when we were formed. Rather than focusing on our iniquities, we should be thankful for all that Hashem has given us.

Philanthropy - Should We Give Money to Charity? – Yes! - Every One of Us!

Even a pauper should give to charity.  The eminent capitalist philosopher Adam Smith believed that monetary systems would somehow be guided by an “invisible hand.”  According to Adam Smith, free market existence would essentially provide the same goodness for us that Gd provides.  He might as well have said that money is like God because the invisible hand, god which is money, has done away with the basic principle of religion; that it is necessary to give to charity.  Thus, Adam Smith believed that just given laissez faire capitalism, then charity would not be necessary.

From - http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/invisiblehand.asp - quoting from Adam Smith’s book "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations"

"Every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it ... He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for society that it was no part of his intention. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good."

Adam Smith was wrong.  The monetary system of the world can be likened to the plumbing system of a vast building.  The belief that an invisible hand fixes all the plumbing isn’t true.  Real hands and active participation are required to fix both plumbing and monetary problems.  In order for the system to run, maintenance is often required.  The belief that laissez faire capitalism will take care of problems is akin to believing drains never clog.  We all know that in a given plumbing system, the drains can clog, so why would anyone conclude that the world’s monetary system isn’t similar?

Torah takes charity even further, suggesting that not only is His justice a part of this world, but that we are an extension of the hand of justice.  Ethics of Our Father's 3:13 (courtesy of www.chabad.org)

Rabbi Akiva would say: Jesting and frivolity accustom a person to promiscuity. Tradition is a safety fence to Torah, tithing a safety fence to wealth, vows a safety fence for abstinence; a safety fence for wisdom is silence.

To one whom has been given wealth, charity is paramount to keeping it!  Hashem commands us to participate in justice, such as charity because He likes it when we imitate His just and upright ways (Deuteronomy 28:9).  God sees to it that justice occurs, but we should hope for betterment greater than that through participation in religious activities, such as charity.  It is 

Hashem’s will that we give to charity, and this is what is promised in return (from Ethics of Our Fathers 4:9):

“Rabbi Jonathan would say: Whoever fulfills the Torah in poverty, will ultimately fulfill it in wealth; and whoever neglects the Torah in wealth, will ultimately neglect it in poverty.”

The Journey to Eden

Following our seemingly endless slavery in Egypt, on the way to a homeland I call Eden; we encountered a sea of hope, and faith.  The end was almost in sight, but we were unsure of ourselves.  We said, “What if Hashem abandons us?  What if this is all a fluke?”  We had seen miracles, but we had also experienced great horrors.  Indeed, we were scared.

We didn’t yet know if we could trust in Gd, and to this day some of us still question such things saying, “How can a loving and powerful Gd allow something such as the Holocaust?”

We need to dream or Gd can never part the sea for us.

We need Hashem, because nothing short of a miracle is what we should expect when we have the Author of the cosmos on our side.

Faith in Hashem's Providence

I am really liking Pandora. Today is my first day trying it because we now have internet. This stuff is so inspirational for me to practice while it is playing in the background. It has occurred to me that all this guitar practice may one day lead to a paying job. However, if I have one student who is successful, - even if it is learning only patterns that help with memory, not necessarily a gig - and has no money, I would take that over several students that were not serious, but padded my bank account. Gd is not money. Work with what you have, money or not, and I have a firm belief that anything is possible with faith.

In defense of the Torah: Rebellious Sons, and Their Punishment. Part 2

Atheists, and others, may object to capital punishment, saying that the Torah is, “cruel and immoral.”  However, we find loyal Jews commenting the same with respect to rebellious sons in Talmud.  Many people have a hard time wrapping their heads around the idea that such people can exist.  However, psychology does know of sociopaths; defined as - people born without a conscious that can never have one, and will do evil at every chance (evil rebellious children that only become evil adults), and such people, rebellious sons, should be considered as candidate for the punishment of death.  That is, psychologists believe that the premise of some religions - that everyone knows right from wrong - is not true.  This is the psychological diagnosis: “Antisocial personality disorder,” for which there is no cure.

It is not even a sociopath’s fault that he or she is a sociopath.  This disorder is simply something they are born with, and live all of their life with.

There is no diagnosis most psychologists believe is more despicable.  Even psychologists usually have less compassion for sociopaths.  Sociological disorders are the only diagnosis professionals commonly feel this way about. A psychologist would be more likely to say murder should be forgiven, than say that sociopath is not a waste of flesh.  Psychologists generally respond with compassion for every other psychological disease.

The Torah requires three eye witnesses to put someone to death, a trial, and several other measures, such as a warning and an acceptance of a warning (intent), and that the person does it anyway after the warning, to prevent a miscarriage of justice.  Assuming, Judaic law (a utopian ideal for me), I believe that if three licensed psychiatrists (read “elders” Deuteronomy 21:20) diagnose a child as a sociopath, then that son should be put to death because the world will be better off.

I do not believe in capital punishment by pelting anyone with stones.  Sociopaths should be put to death by lethal injection.  The Talmud says that, “When one sins it is as if their heart turns to stone.”  Thus, I believe death by lethal injection is humane and correct replacement to the old way of pelting criminals with stones, as lethal injection causes a person’s heart to turn to stone.

In defense of the Torah: Rebellious Sons, and Their Punishment. Part 1

~ “Put to death the rebellious son.” - Moses

Maimonides counted the command relative to this as 106 (Leviticus 19:26, Deuteronomy 21:20).

The definition of a rebellious son is who is, “Stubborn, gluttonous, and an alcoholic.”  In modern times, drunkard should be inclusive of a son who is a drug abuser.  To put to death a rebellious son is an obligation, meaning it is a good deed or mitzvah, yet this is something that courts of justice would have to support in order for it to be legal in the USA.  It is a command specifically for Jews and not gentiles.  However, I support gentiles adhering to this particular verse.  I am a Judaizer, which of course is forbidden according to Christians, but hopefully Christians will change for the better.

The following is text of the idea in question.  It is quoted from the 1917 JPS (Jewish Publication Society) Corrected Bible.  This Bible is free to download at www.sacred-texts.com

From Deuteronomy (JPS):

21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, that will not hearken to the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and though they chasten him, will not hearken unto them;

21:19 then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

21:20 and they shall say unto the elders of his city: 'This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he doth not hearken to our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.'

21:21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

“The Lord Laughs at the Wicked,” but Jesus does not because Jesus was not the Lord

The Psalms say, "The Lord laughs at the wicked..." But, why didn’t the “Gospels” record Jesus laughing at the wicked?

NIV Psalm 37:13 ”but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

From chabad.org Psalm 37:13. “The Lord will scoff at him because He saw that his day will come”

To be sure, laughing at wicked people is a good deed according to the Torah because the Torah commands people to emulate Hashem. www.jewfaq.org reports that it is a mitzvah to, “To imitate His good and upright ways (Deut. 28:9)”

This is not problem for me as a nonChristian. But, laughing at people is out of character for Jesus,o? Jesus got angry. For example, when Jesus threw a temper tantrum at the Temple, he was angry.

The Hebrew language differentiates between ethics with respect to an evil person versus the ethics with respect to a wicked person. This is important because the definition of a wicked person is, “One who says ‘’what is mine is mine, and what is yours is mine.” A wicked person is precisely the kind of person who would be gypping people at the Temple, and instead of laughing at them as scriptures tells us to do, Jesus went postal. Literature sacred to Christians might be more believable if Jesus laughed at the behavior of folks at the Temple. I don't believe laughter occurs even once in the New Testament.

“The Lord Laughs at the Wicked,” but Jesus does not because Jesus was not the Lord

The Psalms say, "The Lord laughs at the wicked..." But, why didn’t the “Gospels” record Jesus laughing at the wicked?

NIV Psalm 37:13 ”but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

From chabad.org Psalm 37:13. “The Lord will scoff at him because He saw that his day will come”

To be sure, laughing at wicked people is a good deed according to the Torah because the Torah commands people to emulate Hashem. www.jewfaq.org reports that it is a mitzvah to, “To imitate His good and upright ways (Deut. 28:9)”

This is not problem for me as a nonChristian. But, laughing at people is out of character for Jesus,o? Jesus got angry. For example, when Jesus threw a temper tantrum at the Temple, he was angry.

The Hebrew language differentiates between ethics with respect to an evil person versus the ethics with respect to a wicked person. This is important because the definition of a wicked person is, “One who says ‘’what is mine is mine, and what is yours is mine.” A wicked person is precisely the kind of person who would be gypping people at the Temple, and instead of laughing at them as scriptures tells us to do, Jesus went postal. Literature sacred to Christians might be more believable if Jesus laughed at the behavior of folks at the Temple. I don't believe laughter occurs even once in the New Testament.

I don’t know why the Rebbe never got to meet Moshiach.

The Rebbe was as Moses to the Jews.  Moses in his righteousness never made it to the Promised Land, and the Rebbe of righteous memory never got to meet Moshiach.  Somehow, these two leaders both beloved, and both whom changed the course of history forever, died in the exile of idealism.  Noah was different.  Noah pled for no person, and Noah got to see the promised clean world.  Had Noah pled for anyone, he would have probably been Moshiach.  Noah had no nation, while differently Moses is the focal point of all that is Jewish in Judaism.  Had Moses loved other nations as much as the Jews, he probably would have been Moshiach.  With that in mind, perhaps the people in the Messianic age will find a version of living that is nationalism lite.  I specifically like www.chabad.org because it teaches nationalism lite.

Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 25 that salvation is by deeds, while Galatians 2 contradicts. How can these be reconciled?

Matthew reports (The Sheep and the Goats verses 31-46):

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever deeds you did for the one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
For I was hungry and you did good deeds by giving me something to eat, I was thirsty and you did good deeds by giving me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,…Take your inheritance, the kingdom
‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the fire,…’  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat…


In Galations 2:21, Paul writes: “for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” And 2:16, “know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”

God’s People Are All Righteous, B.C.E. and C.E. – No Need for Jesus

According to the Jewish Bible, Gd’s people (not necessarily all Jewish) are all righteous, while there is no mention of the need for Jesus to accomplish that righteousness.

In Judaism, righteousness is definitely attainable, though it may take repentance.  Gd does not call His people to impossible tasks.  In fact, Deuteronomy 24:4 tells us that the Law of Gd, Torah, is easy to follow.  So why do Christians think that following the Torah is an impossibility?

What do Christians do with this verse (I haven’t a clue)?  “And your people, all of them righteous, Shall possess the land for all time; They are the shoot that I planted, My handiwork in which I take glory (Isaiah 60:21 JPS Study Bible).”

According to Judaism, the doctrine of original sin is completely wrong.  Dear friends, babies aren’t born sinful.  That is a terrible idea.

Cursed are the people who believe babies are sinners at birth, placed here by a horrible god only here to mess up and beg an idol called "Jesus," for forgiveness.  That Psalm refers to the world in which a baby is born into, not the baby!  The reality is that with every new human life there comes a mission to help repair the world that we belong to.

Disproportionate Body Count, but Israel Is Not Overreacting to Hamas

Israel is not overeating to Hamas rockets, or the cold blooded murder that started the current military campaign.  The hypocrisy of the nations really bothers me with respect to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.  In war, no sane nation ever hopes for equal body counts on either side, yet for many Jew haters they complain that the body count lopsided.  Any country that wants to survive would use disproportionate use of force to stop a conflict.  For example, if Cape Cod, where I live, was shooting rockets Boston, we could expect that Boston wouldn’t stop retaliating until the rockets were no longer being launched.

Some Thoughts on Having a New Gerim to Make Conversion Easier

Creating a new gerim to make it easier to have Jewish affiliation sounds exciting.  And, it is good to read that rabbis are proceeding carefully with this idea.  I would like to have it documented and recognized that I support Jewishness and Judaism.  I would like to see groups like “Messianic Jews,” and those that belong to the Unitarian Denomination excluded.  Perhaps, it would be good to establish belongingness to the new nation through reciting a monotheistic Abrahamic creed in front of witnesses.  Hopefully, Edomites and Ishmaelites may be included in this creed, should they desire it.

Connectedness

Many ideas people have occur at the same time or in close proximity.  Perhaps, this suggests a collective conscience.  For instance, Alexander Graham Bell is credited for patenting the telephone, but at the about same time he applied a German, Johann Philipp Reis, also applied for the same patent.  It was such a short period of time that perhaps the German may have received the patent if perhaps he spent less time warming his lunch, or his wife hadn’t nagged him to take out the garbage sooner rather than later.  Who was first?  And, more importantly; does it matter?  I understand that patents and ideas are very important to business, yet it seems absurd to give a financial monopoly to an inventor, when it was really two or more that had the idea at the same time.  These sorts of things end up in courts, but when it comes to who is first, I wonder if there is usually or even occasionally justice.

When Hashem Gave His First Breath to the Cosmos

The cosmos became important when Gd's imparted His first breath to it. In the same way, a baby's first breath is considered what makes that baby a soulful being. This implies that Gd in some way grew up, and that is correct. Gd doesn’t know everything, and as time passes He learns more about the creation He authored.  In our lives, Gd gets to know us, such that we may even seem predictable. Gd's breath to the universe is the beginning of the soulful journey of the cosmos. Before the event of breath, a baby is not to be judged. Likewise, before the breath of Hashem the universe was without distinction.

New Jews, Babies, and The Making of a Universe: Creations made via expansion, contraction, and essence.

Via expansions and contractions experienced as push and pull with Jewish study material, a potential convert gains Jewishness although the memories, former essence, remain of the time prior to the ceremonial mikveh bath, where upon becoming new Jew the past is seen with a different lens of Jewish essence.  Differently, those that are born Jewish are already born of the Jewish mindset.  Thus, those born already Jewish experience a natural push and pull because they experienced cosmic vibrations that cause Jewishness in the womb.


This pattern of expansions and contractions that yield essence is a common theme in Judaism.  Another example might be that, via expansions and contractions, we are born from our mother, yet the parental DNA, likeness to our parents, remains as traceable essence.  A third example is that via expansions and contractions, tzimtzumim, Gd created the universe forever leaving His Hebrew essence, the Holy language, among all of His creation.

DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) and Faith

In study of “Dialectical Behavioral Therapy,” I find that DBT is relevant to faithfulness.  DBT understands that our mind is a product of reason and emotions.  Where reason and emotions overlap, there is wisdom to be found.

Faith that comes from the gut, loving-kindness, causes our hearts to ache for those without faith, as victory comes to those with faith.

Faith may also be rational, connecting to the Mind.  Faith explains why some live blessed and why some don’t.  Undersized, malnourished children, with bellies full of worms, AIDS, and malaria; such persons are charged with having to respect their ancestors, even though their ancestors are to blame.  Torah explains this horror.

Yet, my reality is such that when I experience something good, I give thanks.  I thank Gd for not making me like the other man.  Time, reason, tells me my reality will unfold according to Hashem’s blessings, because as though I am puffed up, the righteous will live by my kind of faith (Habakkuk 2:4), both Jew and gentile.

We Are More than Rocks as Our Souls Give Us Animation

Though the universe is soulful; for example Aaron drew water from rock, what makes the human soul special is that it can operate at higher levels than rocks, and even still at higher levels than other species.  The soul is the part that animates.

For instance; there is the animal soul that makes it such that some of us experience hunger.  A rock will probably never feel hungry, and because of that, what we believe hunger is an inclination to evil.  That makes the souls of beasts higher than that of inanimate objects.

Another level of the soul that I believe even monkeys, and especially mother’s of other higher level species can do is empathy.  Although I can’t say every human is capable of empathy.  It is usually very apparent when a human lacks it.  Though it is difficult for family members, and close people to deal with a human lacks the level of the soul that is a conscience: I feel pity for someone who never experiences empathy.  That is the appropriate response for such a person.

Attention Gentiles: According to Maimonides, Non-Jewish Goyim Can Be Holy Non-Jewish Priests

“In the words of the Rambam:  Not only the tribe of Levi, but each and every individual human being, whose spirit moves him, whose knowledge gives him understanding to set himself apart in order to stand before the Lord to serve Him, to worship Him, and to know Him, who walks upright as God created him to do, and releases him from the yoke  of the many foolish considerations which trouble people – such an individual is as consecrated as the Holy of Holies, and his portion and his inheritance shall be in the Lord forever and ever.  The Lord will grant him adequate sustenance in the world just as He granted to the priests and to the Levites.  Thus did David, peace be upon him, say, “O, Lord, the portion of my inheritance and of my cup, You maintain my lot.”

The Rebbe Was a Rare Ethical Social Climber

I love that the Rebbe cared for every Jew.  He didn’t fall prey to the social diseases that describe so many leaders, like narcissism, the charismatic quacks, nor someone who is a leader suffering from megalomania.  When he shook someone’s hand or said l’chaim it came from his soul as blessing because he wasn’t doing for a press photo shoot or some other publicity stunt.  The Rebbe passes all the psychological tests that pathological leaders fall into.  The Rebbe was a normal man in many senses, but he was also brilliant.  He is that rare individual who became a leader because of his goodness.  I will also add that it is to the credit of his ancestors that he was born into a world of established Judaism that would pick such a wonderful man to be in charge.  That he is still loved today and not forgotten is testimony to his eternity that there are successful and noble leaders, whose lifetime presence on earth is as meaningful today, as it was when he walked among us.

Don’t Underestimate Hashem. He is more powerful than rocks.

I have seen enough miracles to believe that we should not limit the power of Gd to work though us.  Does He not animate the entire universe, juggling the planets, and beyond?  I have seen related miracles to believe.

Once while doing carpentry I saw a power sander turn on without being plugged in or having batteries.  It scampered across the floor for seemingly no reason at all and freaked out the guy I was working with.

The same thing happened to me with a light at my apartment.  The light was completely unplugged, with no batteries and it turned on for seemingly no reason at all.

Once during a science experiment, my beaker literally jumped up off the hot plate and smashed into pieces in front of the entire class and to my dismay.

Another friend of mine can witness that almost completely inexplicably a vile start to move without any known stimulation.

These things may be possible to explain, but they aren't unlikely, just as Gd probably won’t pick up a boulder though He may.

Because of Hashem, I Have Endless Hope

I love that I have hope through faith. I have faith that we can do things even so great that we can change the weather for better through good deeds, including faith. My Gd is an awesome G-d of which there is no feat that He can’t accomplish, and I am grateful He allows me access to some of His power. Life has taught me that faith and keeping Hashem’s commands is the pathway to paradise on earth. It is beyond me why anyone would doubt this, given what I have seen happen in my life.

Hashem has performed many miracles in my life, such that I believe that there is nothing I can’t accomplish through Him. Hashem has always answered my greatest prayers and I have no reason to believe that He will stop answering them, provided that I delight in the Lord. Being married with children is an awesome feat that I have accomplished through Hashem. I have the best wife and child on earth. Additionally, through Hashem I have experienced great healing, and this healing is one of the reasons why it may seem that being married with my wife, and having a son may have seemed like a modest goal, but to me it is a real one; huge that is. Back when I was suffering for years on end I used to pray to no avail, as I did not pray to Gd, that he would even grant me a gift so small, as it may seem to others, the gift of being able to hear two people in conversation. Thus, it is such that when I had faith in Hashem, I experienced great healing. Now it is easy for me to hear such a conversation, as Hashem worked through a doctor who was able to heal me.

Even still with all that I have accomplished, I believe even greater things will come into my life. As far as it concerns me the goals that I have already mentioned where so great that they were as far as the east is from the west. Who knows, I have seen such amazing things happen in my life to me, that maybe I will conquer another goal, to live forever, as Hashem has taught me that no dream is too big to dream.

Esau and Cain: Wheat Gluten as a Catalyst for Sin

I understand that wheat is a part of religious ceremony, which seems to negate this idea. However, that ceremony may have come about after the world became full of people capable of digesting wheat in what we would define now as normal.
 
I know I have written a few articles in favor of a young earth, saying that I can’t believe that humans remained so primitive for so long, but in this blog, I admit that it is possible. How so? If we go back to the Cain and Abel story, then we know that people have been farming for quite some time. Notice that Cain gave a grain offering to the Lord in the Text. This is very similar to what Esau does before he is going to kill Jacob, that is, he eats porridge.  Both dire stories are inclusive of wheat.

Science reports in journal articles that it understands that wheat has opium compounds, such as gliadorphin, an exorphin similar to both morphine and heroine exist in wheat protein, which is called gluten.  I probably don't have to write for us that most normal people are completely unaffected by gliadorphin, and that somehow in their gut, they are able to digest it such that it is rendered harmless.  My case, where I experience a high from eating gluten is rare, and I imagine most people die before they are able to reach a state of recovery like I am at now via eliminating wheat and taking an enzyme pill daily in order to get any gluten which may have slipped into my food.

So here it is; my theory. I, myself, am intolerant to wheat, and through that I have learned that if many other persons had my disease the world would look like it did to Noah before the time of the flood. It would not get built up, as everyone would be doing evil. When I eat wheat it becomes opiates in my body: For more on this go to Greatplainslaboratory.com and research gluten and casein. I associate wheat with aggression, child-likeness, hypersexuality, sleepiness, sin, and the inclination to evil. I also believe that this problem is something that some of the Edomites had, and that it is related to wickedness. Gluten is the protein in wheat, barley, and hops, while casein is the protein in cow, sheep, and goat milk. There may be other instances where these opiate peptides occur in the environment. Thus, the world could not be built up for millions of sin because the gene to digest wheat had not evolved yet, such that a society high on opium, suffering, and not knowing even the source of their suffering; they did not know to cut the gluten out in order regain their health.

Therefore, the existence of Edom, as wicked, may in part be due to a malfunctioning of the gene that evolved in others, but de-evolved in Edom. Yet, in this instance it is likely that Esau knew what he was doing when he consumed wheat.

Craigism and Being a Craigist

One of the best gifts I hope my son will learn from me is to be a freethinker. I hope that he sees this in that I am a Craigist, and my religion is Craigism, and that legitimately I am not a Jew. That faith didn't confer what religion one belongs to puzzled Alex, because he has learned that religion depends on faith. That is why I had to explain to him that I am a Craigist. And, what is a Craigist, but someone who is their own disciple. The goal is for him to have a Higher Power, and gradually strip away the ideas that are incoherent or incorrect, according to Judaism, but still allow Alex the freedom to disagree with me, and for me not to judge him for it.

Marriage Is Not About Two Halves Making A Whole

There must be some sort of error when translating that two halves make a whole is how marriage comes about, as is described in Cabala.  How about two wholes come together in a way that is mystically higher than if they were separate?  As, what about people that are adults whom have decided to go to rehab in order to put their life back together?  Many good counselors implore to their patients that before they find a romantic relationship, first they must improve their condition.  They are not yet half even, if marital partners may be considered halves!  Are these people in recovery mere quarters or fifths?  Certainly, we don’t call this person a quarter, or a fifth!  Also, Leah, Jacob’s wife was a wife in full to Jacob, assisting him, perhaps more than his loved wife in casting his seed to fruition.  As far as I know, the idea of rehab is somewhat new in history, and that its newness is probably reason for the translational error.

Bible Ghost Stories - When Cain Slew Abel

Who believes in ghosts? And, I am not just talking demons here. I mean ghosts of people that haunt certain areas. Yes, I am talking about the ghosts that are in popular television shows like Ghost Hunters. Who believes in Torah, The Bible?

Up until now, I would guess that very few people believe in both, but in reality the Bible believer should believe in ghosts based upon what is written in the Bible.

In fact, I used to be unsure, but now I am certain in believing that Torah supports the idea that ghosts of humans are real and do exist. Believing in ghosts is supported by the Bible. Surprisingly, I was never sure about it until I found that many ghost stories talk about the haunting of a certain place where someone was murdered. This is where the Biblical story of Cain and Abel comes in.

Many people know of the story of Cain and Abel in the Bible. It is probably the most popular biblical story besides the creation story in the opening of Genesis, and the story of how sin entered the world through Adam and Eve - sometime called "The fall of man".

In the story of Cain and Abel, both are brothers, and Cain slays Abel. Then, God says to Cain, "Hark! Your brother's blood calls to me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10)" I believe that ghosts are people who have been slain such that their blood calls from the ground.  Their spirits hover close to their bodies, and they end up haunting their near surroundings.  It is that calling from the ground or the earth that experts in the paranormal are able to study.

So, there we have it, just like a traditional, verifiable ghost story, Abel's blood cried out for justice beyond the grave as he haunts the world.  God rest his soul!

I believe in the Exodus while science currently does not.

What if something came to light that said that in fact that the Exodus is true? Wouldn’t you feel terrible for having missed out on the Hashem’s truth? Perhaps, science is making a mistake with the dating methods, as we know them. Reason mandates that we can’t really know from dating things for a few years, that things have held stable over millions of years. Sure that is what scientists think now, but the final chapter in science is yet to be written. We have only been using carbon dating for about 60 years! To base our entire cosmogony of millions and billions of years of formation on 60yrs worth of data, as many scientists tell us to do is too audacious. Who knows? maybe given another hundred years of carbon dating on earth, we may have to come up with some sort of correctional constant, and what is to say that 200yrs from now we won’t come up with yet another correction, and so on.  Perhaps, we should give this radioactive dating thing a million years or more of testing before we bet that the Torah is a lie.

Joining The Minority Among Science Researchers: Thinking Outside The Box

It is too early for science to be so bold in its claims with respect to carbon and radioactive dating, which the Rebbe explains in his letter, “The Age of The Universe.”  As I once wrote, we don’t have a working Theory of Everything in science.  We don’t know how oxidative stresses such as corrosion may interact with many of the current various means for dating the universe.  When I read the about the Exodus, I think that it is a sign of maturity to not just discard the story in favor of science.  Remember Proverbs, “Fools rush in.”  It is better to try to be creative, and to ponder ways science and the Bible might both be true.  Perhaps, due to corrosion the Exodus was recorded in the fossil record, in a way that has baffled scientists.  Outside of radioactive and carbon dating, the fossil record show two mass exoduses from Africa, but as you know the dates don’t match given our present understanding of science.  Yet, it is too far of a leap to say that the dates do not match at all.