Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

A great primer . . .

While Arab Israelis are not generally required to serve in the IDF, many (especially from the Druze and Bedouin communities) have often volunteered to do so, and have served their country with great distinction.

Both the LA Times and Christian Science Monitor have recognized Arab service in the IDF on their own pages. As noted by Snapshots, the LA Times published a correction of a similar error in Feb. 2004, stating that “In fact, although they cannot be drafted and most choose not to serve, Israeli Palestinians can enlist in the service.” And the CSM published an in-depth article on Arab Israelis in 2002 that noted:

As Arab citizens of Israel, the villagers aren’t required to serve in the army. A visit to any of trhe Arab cemeteries reveals that almost every family in the village has a member in the local military cemetery.

Indeed, a recent study indicated that the number of Arab volunteers to the IDF ? including Muslim Arabs ? is growing. Given both media outlets’ prior recognition of this fact, the error can only be ascribed to sloppy editorial review, which should be acknowledged and corrected.

According to Honest Reporting, [ UPDATE 5/22: Both papers have issued corrections: LA Times correction , CSM correction]

2) STATUS OF ARAB ISRAELIS

It is amazing how American diplomats and seemingly educated people buy into the canard that Israel treats the Arab minority, much like the United States treated Afro-Americans in the South before the era of civil rights This, too, is an irresponsible distortion.

Though the government of Israel has officially recognized some policy shortcomings toward its Arab minority, it’s ludicrous to compare that to the discrimination suffered by African-Americans during that period in American history. Consider:

• As opposed to the U.S., the foundational document of the State of Israel upheld the principle of civil equality ? despite the fact it was drafted during a state of war with surrounding Arabs:

• [The State of Israel] will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex… We appeal, in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months – to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the building of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions. (Israeli Declaration of Independence, 1948)

• Eleven Israeli Arabs currently serve in Israel’s Knesset, including two in the dominant Likud party.

• Israeli Supreme Court — Justice Salim Joubran. As an Arab Justice, Salim Joubran, holds a seat on the Israeli Supreme Court.

• The Israeli government is currently implementing a 4-year, 4 billion shekel plan to develop infrastructures in the Arab sector.

• Israeli Arabs attend and lecture in every Israeli university. In fact, prominent Arab academics such as Sari Nusseibeh (possibly the greatest true intellectual of the Palestinian community) were outspoken against the recent boycott of Israeli universities by the UK’s Association of University Teachers.

•  Even diplomatic positions are open to Israeli Arabs, who have held key posts in Atlanta (Consul-General), South America, Finland (Ambassador) and elsewhere. Continue Reading

Paul the Apostle was a complex man, not to mention a brilliant salesman. Had he met Eskimos, he probably would have sold them some ice for their igloos. Paul’s concept of grafting the Gentile world to the Abrahamic blessing and the Jewish people was a stroke of marketing genius.

In the last article, we contrasted the views of Paul vs. James, the  brother of Jesus and the purported author of this important NT work. It stands to reason if the NT is to be believed, James, arguably follows his brother Jesus on the subject of works vs. faith. Who would have known Jesus better? James or Paul?—I have to confess, I think James wins handily.

Let me share with you an old but still memorable anecdote.

In the controversial 1988 film, “The Last Temptation of Jesus Christ,” producer Martin Scorsese (a Catholic), took quite a bit of heat from the Christian world when he portrayed Jesus as a sensuous man, who marries Mary Magdalene, raises a huge family and lives a full life. When the film first came out, I had little interest in it until I started working on my doctorate at the San Francisco Seminary a few years later. Our class, which was made up of scholars from all over the world, watched this film and we had some marvelous debates about its literary message. Where was the heresy in the film? Most of my friends thought that the sensuous Jesus certainly really “crossed” the line (pardon my pun).

True to my contrarian nature, I argued that the real heresy is when Jesus in a vision (produced by Satan himself), hears Paul the Apostle preaching about the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection., and how he was the son of the Virgin Marry, the literal “son of God.” Jesus confronts Paul, and asks him, “Did you ever see this ‘Jesus of Nazareth?’  Paul sheepishly admits, all he saw was the blinding white light on his way to Damascus. Jesus then reveals his identity to Paul. Bluntly, Jesus asks, “Why are you promoting this nonsense about me ‘rising from the dead’ ?  . . . I live a normal and happy life for the first time . . .” and he threatened to expose Paul for the fraud he was.  Paul basically admits that he made up the story because people need someone to believe in and that he was willing to make up just about anything so that people would believe in something that would give purpose to their lives.  Striking is Paul’s comment, “I will crucify you and resurrect you if I have to. . .  The Jesus Christ I believe in is greater than you . . .”

The most shocking implication of the film seems to suggest that “Christianity” is really a misnomer; it really ought to be called “Paulanity” since Paul transformed the human Jesus into a mythical creature of infinite proportion. Yet for all of Paul’s flaws (which he himself admitted were many), God works through weak people to achieve His purpose.

Despite its heretical content,  the film still finds a way to magically transform Jesus back into the familiar figure Christians all love. Judas–of all Jesus’ associates–brings the elderly Jesus to the realization that if he dies like an ordinary man, then Jesus’ story comes to an abrupt end. Satan then reappears not as the guardian angel that saved Jesus on the Cross, but as the demonic being he truly is–cajoling Jesus to accept his fate as an “ordinary man.” After coming to his senses, Jesus begs God to let his fate unfold the way God intended it to be. By the way, Judas definitely seems more likable than Paul in the film.

Personally, I must distinguish between the historical Jesus from the mythical Jesus advanced by Paul and the Early Church. Distinguishing between myth and a historical reality is always a daunting task. As Jews, we grapple with similar questions with respect to the historicity of the Exodus. Yet, even myth often has some basis in historical fact.

Although Jesus did not prove to be the Messiah, his existence personified the messianic yearnings that have existed throughout much of our history. As a man of messianic passion, the archetype of the messiah exists inside each of us–and it behooves us to redeem our world, one good deed at a time. If you read the famous “Parable about the Last Judgement” in Matthew 25:31-46, you will see that Jesus subscribed to an idea that later came to be known in Jewish mystical tradition as “Tikkun Olam” (“Bettering the world”).

“. . . for when I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did so to me.”

Far from being the great exception, the historical Jesus’ humanity makes him a wonderful model for people to emulate themselves after.

He lived as a pious Jew, he died as pious Jew and he will be remembered for his acts of kindness and wisdom–much like the other great teachers of 1st century Judaism, e.g., Hillel and Rabbi Yochann ben Zaccai. Continue Reading

Aristotle and the great Greek writers like Euripides, Sophocles, and Aristophanes regarded irony (from the ancient Greek noun  εἰρωνεία  [eirōneía] meaning hypocrisy, deception, or feigned ignorance) as a situation where an observer sees an incongruous circumstance that evokes paradox and laughter. Irony suggests that there is a profound polar difference between appearance and reality, between expectation and fulfillment. The Bible also has many stories about irony; perhaps its most famous story about irony is the birth of Isaac–a tale that evokes laughter and paradox.

Quite typically, truth invariably triumphs over the players who are involved within its web of intrigue. With theatrical performances, the  irony is always obvious to the audience, but never to the characters in the play. In terms of my own personal theology, I believe that God speaks to us through the ironic. What man proposes, God disposes–it is God, Who has the last “laugh.” God is the ultimate comic. Our following story is an excellent example as to how the ironic sometimes functions in our spiritual lives.

Who needs Hollywood, when you have Skype and Youtube?

(Rav Batzri trying to converse with Mr. Dybbuk via Skype connection in Brazil)

See our previous post on Kabbalist David Batzri, Exorcist Extraordinaire

Welcome back to the world of 14th century Judaism.

Well, Rav Batzri may require the help of the Ghostbusters or a Catholic priest, or even Jack Bauer to get rid of this troublesome spirit. By all accounts, the dybbuk [1] proved to be too much of a match for the famous Israeli Kabbalist, who built a reputation on defeating the evil spirits that threaten Israel and the world. At the ceremony, Rav Batrzi urged the demented spirit to leave the body via the mouth, but evidently such an extraction was considered to be too dangerous and dangerous it was. Reports say that the dybbuk started coming up through the throat, as his voice changed and he started choking, when Rav Batzri screamed at it to go back down and not come out that way, but only through his big toe.

What a strange way to exit the human body!

Well, the dybbuk had other plans, and so he decided to take up residence elsewhere in the body–to parts unknown. Perhaps Rav Batzri should have mapquested the directions to the confused dybbuk so that he might leave his host’s body in the most expeditious manner.  Fearing the dybbuk’s revenge, Rav Batzri decided to go to the Haredi Beth Din of Jerusalem, and seek help from Rav Moshe Sternbach, who is better known as a Talmudic and Halachic scholar than he is an exorcist. Continue Reading