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THE TALMUD: SCALPEL THAT BLEEDS THE MIDEAST (Reprint)
By Rev. Ted Pike - 1 Sep 10
Editor Note:
For centuries in polite society, it has been considered
anti-Jewish to tell what Judaism's Talmud and Kabbalah
plainly and repeatedly teach-that pious Jews have a duty to
kill or assist the deaths of Gentiles, especially those who
resist the goals of Judaism.
Increasingly today, dozens of ultra-Orthodox rabbis in
Israel, even members of Knesset, boldly assert that killing
Palestinian Gentiles, even their babies, must be upheld as
divine law. Yet last Sunday's sermon by a powerful Israeli
rabbi wanted even more-the deaths of everyone worldwide who
opposes Israel. "May our enemies and haters end. Abu Mazen
[Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas] and all these evil people
should perish from this earth. God should strike them and
these Palestinians-evil haters of Israel-with a plague."
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef founded the Shas party which is part of
the prime minister's coalition government. ABC News calls
him "the spiritual leader of one of Israel's leading parties."
Yosef's ruthless words didn't only target Arabs, but anyone
around the world who criticizes Zionism. "May all the nasty
people who hate Israel vanish from our world," he said, "May
God strike them down with the plague, along with all
Palestinians who persecute Israel." If Yosef had his way,
Israel critics like Rev. Ted Pike, Norman Finkelstein,
Nathaniel Kapner and the Israel Lobby authors would become
victims of Israeli targeted assassinations, their voices of
warning silenced forever.
As our last article mentioned, Orthodox extremism in Israel
is increasingly mainstreamed; this is further evidence of
that trend. Rabbi Yosef is so powerful and well known that
his remarks merited a response from Netanyahu's office as
well as the US State Department, which both distanced themselves.
It is thus timely that we reprint Rev. Ted Pike's 2006
article, "The Talmud: Scalpel that Bleeds the Mideast."
THE TALMUD: SCALPEL THAT BLEEDS THE MIDEAST
By Rev. Ted Pike - 13 Jan 06
In the Old Testament, God required the Hebrews to drive the
wicked Canaanites from His promised land. Canaanite culture
was saturated with infant sacrifice, ritual murder, sexual
perversion, idolatry and occultism. God knew that a policy
of zero tolerance toward Canaanite evil was the only way
Hebrew monotheism would survive. Only then could it prepare
a place for Jesus Christ, Savior of all who would trust in Him.
But although God authorized harsh measures against pagan
religions, the Old Testament is devoid of racism: the
conviction that other peoples are inherently evil,
degenerate, or subhuman. King David, notably, descended from
a Jew, Boaz, and Ruth, a godly Gentile. David included
righteous Gentiles in his army, such as Uriah the Hittite.
Also, David was close friends with the Sidonian king Hiram,
who largely built Solomon's temple. Gentile converts like
Rahab were welcomed into the Hebrew community.
Pharisees Bring Racism to Israel
Racism did not enter Judaism until the Scribes and
Pharisees, who migrated to Judea from Babylon several
centuries before Christ. They infused Jewish religion and
culture with the idea that Gentiles are morally inferior and
polluting on the basis of race. The Old Testament makes no
such claim, warning only against the influence of Gentile
idolatry on the Hebrews. The Pharisees introduced a racial
superiority into Judaism unheard of in the Old Testament.
As a result, Jews in Christ's time were deeply racist,
convinced of their intrinsic superiority to the Gentile
"dogs."(1) The good Jew did not even talk to a Samaritan.(2)
If a Gentile was beaten, robbed and thrown into a ditch, a
godly Jew, fearful of becoming "unclean," would pass by on
the other side of the road.(3)
Talmud Enshrines Racism
Unfortunately, the racist revolution of the Pharisees became
embodied in the Babylonian Talmud, the vast, rambling compendium
of Pharisaic law. Today the Talmud and itsmystical companion,
the Zohar or Cabala, are the greatest spiritual, ethical,
and legal guides for observant Jews. They are of much greater
authority to such Jews than the Old Testament.
Popular Jewish writer Herman Wouk comments on the Talmud's
preeminence over all branches of Judaism: "The Talmud is to
this day the circulating heart's blood of the Jewish
religion. Whatever laws, customs, or ceremonies we observe -
- whether we are orthodox or conservative or reform or
merely spasmodic sentimentalists -- we follow the Talmud. It
is our common law."(4)
Racism in Israel
The world is baffled why, in Israel today, the once
persecuted Jews have become persecutors. Highly educated
religious Jews, especially in the government and among the
ultra Orthodox West Bank settlers, now treat the
Palestinians much worse than they would treat any animal.
In his film, "Gaza Strip," veteran filmmaker James Longley
graphically documents how the Israeli military shoots Arab
children through the head for the crime of throwing stones.
While filming, Israeli helicopters dropped canisters of
debilitating nerve gas on the inhabitants of Gaza. Like the
Soviets once did in Afghanistan, Israeli troops left booby-
trapped toys on the ground in order to blow up curious children.
The explanation for such behavior is found in the Talmud.
The Talmud teaches the superiority and divine right of Jews
over Gentiles: the Jew is holy because of God's racial
covenant with Israel. According to the Talmud, Gentiles are
unclean because, unlike Jews, they were not present at Mt.
Sinai. By standing on the mount, the Jews were perpetually
cleansed from lustful thoughts.(5)
In its article on "Gentile," the authoritative Jewish
Encyclopedia summarizes the Talmud's view of Jewish moral
superiority. "The Talmud comments on the untruthfulness of
Gentiles ... and contrasts it with the reputation of a Jew:
'The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies;
neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their
mouth.'"(6) "The Talmudic writers," this article continues,
"say that ' ... only Israelites are men' ... Gentiles they
classed not as men but as barbarians."(7) Rabbi Johanan ben
Zakki says that if anyone teaches the Talmud to a Gentile,
"such a person deserves death."(8) Judah ben Illai
recommends the daily recital of the benediction: "Blessed be
thou ... who has not made me a goi [or Gentile]."(9) Jews
are so holy, the Talmud says, "he who smites an Israelite on
the cheek is as though he has thus assaulted the divine
presence."(10)
Talmud Dehumanizes Arabs
Humanity is shocked by how the Israeli military criminalizes
Arab youth, often shooting them down as if they were
subhuman. Yet this is exactly how the Talmud teaches Jews to
regard Gentile children. "The Talmud outlawed the issue [or
children] of a Gentile as that of a beast."(11)
During the intifada uprising in Gaza in 1988, the world was
horrified when Israeli soldiers buried alive four
Palestinian youths. Yet the Talmud sanctions Jewish murder
of Gentiles. The Talmud says "if a Jew throws his neighbor
into a pit that contains a ladder, then hastens to remove
the ladder, he is not liable for the death of his
neighbor."(12) The Jew is also permitted to roll a large
stone over the pit opening, guaranteeing the victim will not
survive.
According to the Talmud, "those who deny the Torah and the
prophets of Israel, the law is that they should be killed
and those who have the power of life and death should have
them killed, and if this cannot be done, they should be led
to their death by deceptive methods."(13)
The Talmud's homicidal hatred of Gentiles leaps from its
pages. The Jewish Encyclopedia quotes one of the Talmud's
most respectable rabbis, Simeon ben-Yohai: "The best among
the Gentiles deserves to be killed."(14)
How Relevant is Talmud to Jews Today?
How relevant to Jews today is such medieval bloodlust?
The majority of Jews in America have probably never read the
Talmud or even heard of Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai. For most of
assimilated American Jewry, Judaism involves support of
Israel and left-wing causes, but possesses a largely social,
not spiritual, obligation.(15)
But in New York and especially Israel, it is very different.
Today in Israel, during the annual festival of Lag Ba Omar,
tens of thousands of orthodox Jews assemble in Meron, the
traditional burial place of Simeon ben Yohai, where they
honor his memory through song, dance, and exhortation. The
prestigious Encyclopedia Judaica describes ben Yohai as one
of the giants of Judaism for all time.(16)
Far from being outdated, ben Yohai's call to slaughter the
"best of the Gentiles" is the Talmudic text that authorizes
Israel's policy of killing innocent Arabs, including
children. A government manual for modern Israeli soldiers
includes a summary of Ben Yohai's teaching: "In war when our
forces storm the enemy, they are allowed and even enjoined
by the Halakah to kill even good civilians, that is
civilians who are ostensibly good."(17)
The Talmud clearly does more than dehumanize Palestinians.
It also dehumanizes the educated and religious Jews who are
guided by its homicidal racism. The Talmud is the scalpel
that makes the Mideast bleed.
Jewish Cabala Says Jews are Divine
The mystical Zohar, or Cabala, like the Talmud, is
considered by orthodox Jews to be inspired by God and equal
in authority to the Talmud. Many ultra-orthodox Jews, such
as predominate in Israel today, consider it of even greater
authority. In the Zohar, the idea is everywhere repeated
that Jews are divine, holy beings, essential for the very
existence of the world. Gentiles, however, are demonic and
less than human. The Zohar says, "'Living soul' refers to
Israel, who have living souls from above, and 'cattle and
creeping thing' and 'beast of the earth' to the other
peoples who are not 'living soul.'"(18) The Zohar continues:
"The 'ass' means non-Jew, who is to be redeemed by the
offering of the lamb, which is the dispersed house of
Israel. But if he refuses to be redeemed, then break his
skull ... they should be taken out of the book of the living."(19)
According to the Zohar, God rewards Jews for slaughtering
those whom Israel regards as idolaters. "In the palaces of
the fourth heaven are those who lamented over Sion and
Jerusalem, and all those who destroyed idolatrous nations
and those who killed off people who worshipped idols are
clothed in purple garments so they may be recognized and
honored."(20) Only by the overthrow of the Gentiles, the
Zohar asserts, can Israel regain its predestined position as
God's shekinah glory on earth.(21)
The Zohar calls Gentiles "Amalekites." In a passage typical
of many, it says: "They caused the destruction of the temple
... so when God reveals Himself, they will be wiped off the
earth ... But withal redemption will not be complete until
Amalek will be exterminated."(22) Today the religious and
military establishment of Israel commonly refers to
Palestinians as Amalekites. Until final conquest of the
Gentiles, the Zohar says Israel can use any means necessary
to assure victory.(23)
Jewish Response to Criticism of Talmud and Cabalah
How do Jewish authorities today respond to accusations of
racism within Judaism's most sacred literature? Deceptively.
Yet they do so with a clear conscience because the Talmud
teaches, "it is permitted to deceive a goi [Gentile]."(24)
Every year, on the eve of Yom Kippur, religious Jews recite
the Kol Nidre prayer, which absolves them of any obligation
to tell the truth to Gentiles in the following year.(25)
In response to criticism, rabbis usually inform Gentiles
that the Talmud is divided into two categories: the Haggada,
anecdotal teachings that are non-binding on Jews; and the
Halakah, Talmudic law. They claim that those passages "anti-
Semites" hold against them are actually Haggada, aberrations
which are untypical of the Talmud's true love and generosity
toward all races and religions.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
What is Binding on Jews Today?
The surest way to determine whether a Talmudic text is
Halakah is to read the original Talmud(26) and find out if
it is endorsed by the Mishnah, the definitive oral law of
the Pharisees. Or one may consult the authoritative Jewish
Encyclopedia, available as a reference in most metropolitan
libraries. Published in 1905, before ecumenical
"brotherhood" between Christians and Jews excluded truth
about Judaism, the Jewish Encyclopedia frankly tells us what
the Talmud has historically taught Jews to believe. In its
articles on "Authority," "Gentile," "Jesus," "Christianity,"
"Talmud," and "Cabala," it confirms that every Talmudic
assertion or passage that I have included in this article
reflects Halakah, or Talmudic law.
Do all synagogue-attending Jews in America adhere to
objectionable Halakic teachings within the Talmud? Of course
not. Yet Orthodox rabbinic authorities, especially in
Israel, say true Jews will honor every part of the holy,
infallible Talmud.
Jewish Bigots want to End "Intolerance"
Considering the racist underpinnings of the Talmud and
Zohar, it is astonishing that Jewish "civil liberties"
fronts posture as attempting to end racism. ADL/B'nai
B'rith, the Southern Poverty Law Center, People for the
American Way, and the ACLU are organizations entirely or
largely dominated by Jews.
These groups never object to racism within Judaism. Instead,
they vilify the "intolerance," "homophobia," or "anti-
Semitism" of a largely Christian society. Such bigotry, they
claim, is ample pretext to attempt to alter Christians'
behavior, stressing "respect for diversity" and even
enactment of anti-hate laws worldwide.
What chutzpah -- that the original racists, the followers of
the Pharisees, should set themselves up to cleanse the world
of racism!
Such audacity and illusion should remind us of the
continuing relevance of the words of Jesus, "Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-
washed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but
inside are full of dead men's bones and all
uncleanness."(27)
Gullible Christians
Christians and conservatives are eager to believe that
Judaism is as benign in its intentions as any other
religion, and that the assurances of its apologists may be
taken at face value. The truth is that there are very good
reasons why Jewish leadership and even much of Jewish laity
are conspicuously engaged in anti-Christian activism,
litigation, and legislation. Take notice next time you hear
or read of the latest lawsuit against Christmas symbols,
prayer in schools, Biblical creationism, etc. Almost
invariably, you will find the names of Jewish lawyers,
organizations, or even Jewish parents or students as
initiators of such litigation. Jewish anti-Christian
activism exists today because, thousands of years ago, the
Pharisees violently opposed Christ and persuaded most Jews
to follow them. Such antagonism to the gospel is only
increasing.
Today there exists a rift between Orthodox Judaism, the
position of a minority of world Jewry and the state of
Israel, versus Reform Judaism ("secular" Judaism), a much
larger segment epitomized by ADL/ B'nai B'rith. Yet both
venerate Talmud and Cabala, and jealously guard their
secrets from the prying eyes of Gentiles.
For this reason, lovers of religious freedom and Christian
civilization should be suspicious of what the modern
descendents of the Pharisees tell us about their hugely
secretive religion. The warning of Jesus, echoing through
the millennia, should ring in our ears: "Beware of the
leaven [teaching] of the Pharisees."(28)
End Notes:
1. Mark 7:27
2. John 4:9
3. Luke 10:31
4. Herman Wouk, This is My God, serialized in New York Herald-Tribune, 1959
5. The Talmud says, "When the serpent came into Eve, he
infused filthy lust in her ... when Israel stood on Sinai,
that lust was eliminated ..." Abodah Zarah, 22b
6. "Gentile," p. 621
7. Ibid, p. 617
8. Sanhedrin 59a, Hagigah 13a
9. "Gentile," p. 617
10. Sanhedrin 58b
11. "Gentile," p. 620
12. Sanhedrin 76b, Abodah Zarah 26b
13. Choschen Hammishpat 156 Haggah
14. Abodah Zarah 26b (This inflammatory statement is
censored from the Soncino Talmud, but is cited in the Jewish
Encyclopedia's article, "Gentile," p. 617.)
15. The latest survey by the American Jewish Committee (Dec.
21, 2005) shows that 29% of U.S. Jews are Reform in
affiliation. Since ADL/B'nai B'rith are primarily Reform in
constituency, such provide enormous support for their anti-
Christian, pro-hate law agenda. This poll shows 32% belong
to Conservative Judaism, and only 10% are Orthodox. The high
figure of Reform support contradicts the popular notion that
ADL/B'nai B'rith represents a tiny left-wing minority.
16. "Simeon ben Yohai," Encyclopedia Judaica
17. Booklet published by the chaplain of the Israeli army,
Central Region Command. Quoted in Dr. Israel Shahak's Jewish
History , Jewish Religion , p. 76
18. Bereshith 47a (This format is according to the Soncino translation.)
19. II 43a (This format is according to the original Mantuan edition of the Zohar.)
20. I 38b, 39a
21. I 160a
22. Bereshith, 25b
23. I 160a
24. Baba Kama 113b
25. Nedarim 68
26. Unfortunately, the authorized Soncino translations of
both Talmud and Zohar omit extremely volatile passages. The
original texts may be accessed in the Judaic section of the
Library of Congress. I have had passages from the original
Mantuan edition of the Zohar translated from the Aramaic.
27. Matthew 23:27
28. Luke 12:1
[Article adapted from Ted Pike's video documentary, "Why the MidEast Bleeds"]
http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/talmudscalpelthatbleeds.htm
--
A government, of Israel, by Israel, and, for: Israel.
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:
for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. The light shineth in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it not. The light of the body is the eye:
if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
THE TALMUD: SCALPEL THAT BLEEDS THE MIDEAST (Reprint)
By Rev. Ted Pike - 1 Sep 10
Editor Note:
For centuries in polite society, it has been considered
anti-Jewish to tell what Judaism's Talmud and Kabbalah
plainly and repeatedly teach-that pious Jews have a duty to
kill or assist the deaths of Gentiles, especially those who
resist the goals of Judaism.
Increasingly today, dozens of ultra-Orthodox rabbis in
Israel, even members of Knesset, boldly assert that killing
Palestinian Gentiles, even their babies, must be upheld as
divine law. Yet last Sunday's sermon by a powerful Israeli
rabbi wanted even more-the deaths of everyone worldwide who
opposes Israel. "May our enemies and haters end. Abu Mazen
[Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas] and all these evil people
should perish from this earth. God should strike them and
these Palestinians-evil haters of Israel-with a plague."
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef founded the Shas party which is part of
the prime minister's coalition government. ABC News calls
him "the spiritual leader of one of Israel's leading parties."
Yosef's ruthless words didn't only target Arabs, but anyone
around the world who criticizes Zionism. "May all the nasty
people who hate Israel vanish from our world," he said, "May
God strike them down with the plague, along with all
Palestinians who persecute Israel." If Yosef had his way,
Israel critics like Rev. Ted Pike, Norman Finkelstein,
Nathaniel Kapner and the Israel Lobby authors would become
victims of Israeli targeted assassinations, their voices of
warning silenced forever.
As our last article mentioned, Orthodox extremism in Israel
is increasingly mainstreamed; this is further evidence of
that trend. Rabbi Yosef is so powerful and well known that
his remarks merited a response from Netanyahu's office as
well as the US State Department, which both distanced themselves.
It is thus timely that we reprint Rev. Ted Pike's 2006
article, "The Talmud: Scalpel that Bleeds the Mideast."
THE TALMUD: SCALPEL THAT BLEEDS THE MIDEAST
By Rev. Ted Pike - 13 Jan 06
In the Old Testament, God required the Hebrews to drive the
wicked Canaanites from His promised land. Canaanite culture
was saturated with infant sacrifice, ritual murder, sexual
perversion, idolatry and occultism. God knew that a policy
of zero tolerance toward Canaanite evil was the only way
Hebrew monotheism would survive. Only then could it prepare
a place for Jesus Christ, Savior of all who would trust in Him.
But although God authorized harsh measures against pagan
religions, the Old Testament is devoid of racism: the
conviction that other peoples are inherently evil,
degenerate, or subhuman. King David, notably, descended from
a Jew, Boaz, and Ruth, a godly Gentile. David included
righteous Gentiles in his army, such as Uriah the Hittite.
Also, David was close friends with the Sidonian king Hiram,
who largely built Solomon's temple. Gentile converts like
Rahab were welcomed into the Hebrew community.
Pharisees Bring Racism to Israel
Racism did not enter Judaism until the Scribes and
Pharisees, who migrated to Judea from Babylon several
centuries before Christ. They infused Jewish religion and
culture with the idea that Gentiles are morally inferior and
polluting on the basis of race. The Old Testament makes no
such claim, warning only against the influence of Gentile
idolatry on the Hebrews. The Pharisees introduced a racial
superiority into Judaism unheard of in the Old Testament.
As a result, Jews in Christ's time were deeply racist,
convinced of their intrinsic superiority to the Gentile
"dogs."(1) The good Jew did not even talk to a Samaritan.(2)
If a Gentile was beaten, robbed and thrown into a ditch, a
godly Jew, fearful of becoming "unclean," would pass by on
the other side of the road.(3)
Talmud Enshrines Racism
Unfortunately, the racist revolution of the Pharisees became
embodied in the Babylonian Talmud, the vast, rambling compendium
of Pharisaic law. Today the Talmud and itsmystical companion,
the Zohar or Cabala, are the greatest spiritual, ethical,
and legal guides for observant Jews. They are of much greater
authority to such Jews than the Old Testament.
Popular Jewish writer Herman Wouk comments on the Talmud's
preeminence over all branches of Judaism: "The Talmud is to
this day the circulating heart's blood of the Jewish
religion. Whatever laws, customs, or ceremonies we observe -
- whether we are orthodox or conservative or reform or
merely spasmodic sentimentalists -- we follow the Talmud. It
is our common law."(4)
Racism in Israel
The world is baffled why, in Israel today, the once
persecuted Jews have become persecutors. Highly educated
religious Jews, especially in the government and among the
ultra Orthodox West Bank settlers, now treat the
Palestinians much worse than they would treat any animal.
In his film, "Gaza Strip," veteran filmmaker James Longley
graphically documents how the Israeli military shoots Arab
children through the head for the crime of throwing stones.
While filming, Israeli helicopters dropped canisters of
debilitating nerve gas on the inhabitants of Gaza. Like the
Soviets once did in Afghanistan, Israeli troops left booby-
trapped toys on the ground in order to blow up curious children.
The explanation for such behavior is found in the Talmud.
The Talmud teaches the superiority and divine right of Jews
over Gentiles: the Jew is holy because of God's racial
covenant with Israel. According to the Talmud, Gentiles are
unclean because, unlike Jews, they were not present at Mt.
Sinai. By standing on the mount, the Jews were perpetually
cleansed from lustful thoughts.(5)
In its article on "Gentile," the authoritative Jewish
Encyclopedia summarizes the Talmud's view of Jewish moral
superiority. "The Talmud comments on the untruthfulness of
Gentiles ... and contrasts it with the reputation of a Jew:
'The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies;
neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their
mouth.'"(6) "The Talmudic writers," this article continues,
"say that ' ... only Israelites are men' ... Gentiles they
classed not as men but as barbarians."(7) Rabbi Johanan ben
Zakki says that if anyone teaches the Talmud to a Gentile,
"such a person deserves death."(8) Judah ben Illai
recommends the daily recital of the benediction: "Blessed be
thou ... who has not made me a goi [or Gentile]."(9) Jews
are so holy, the Talmud says, "he who smites an Israelite on
the cheek is as though he has thus assaulted the divine
presence."(10)
Talmud Dehumanizes Arabs
Humanity is shocked by how the Israeli military criminalizes
Arab youth, often shooting them down as if they were
subhuman. Yet this is exactly how the Talmud teaches Jews to
regard Gentile children. "The Talmud outlawed the issue [or
children] of a Gentile as that of a beast."(11)
During the intifada uprising in Gaza in 1988, the world was
horrified when Israeli soldiers buried alive four
Palestinian youths. Yet the Talmud sanctions Jewish murder
of Gentiles. The Talmud says "if a Jew throws his neighbor
into a pit that contains a ladder, then hastens to remove
the ladder, he is not liable for the death of his
neighbor."(12) The Jew is also permitted to roll a large
stone over the pit opening, guaranteeing the victim will not
survive.
According to the Talmud, "those who deny the Torah and the
prophets of Israel, the law is that they should be killed
and those who have the power of life and death should have
them killed, and if this cannot be done, they should be led
to their death by deceptive methods."(13)
The Talmud's homicidal hatred of Gentiles leaps from its
pages. The Jewish Encyclopedia quotes one of the Talmud's
most respectable rabbis, Simeon ben-Yohai: "The best among
the Gentiles deserves to be killed."(14)
How Relevant is Talmud to Jews Today?
How relevant to Jews today is such medieval bloodlust?
The majority of Jews in America have probably never read the
Talmud or even heard of Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai. For most of
assimilated American Jewry, Judaism involves support of
Israel and left-wing causes, but possesses a largely social,
not spiritual, obligation.(15)
But in New York and especially Israel, it is very different.
Today in Israel, during the annual festival of Lag Ba Omar,
tens of thousands of orthodox Jews assemble in Meron, the
traditional burial place of Simeon ben Yohai, where they
honor his memory through song, dance, and exhortation. The
prestigious Encyclopedia Judaica describes ben Yohai as one
of the giants of Judaism for all time.(16)
Far from being outdated, ben Yohai's call to slaughter the
"best of the Gentiles" is the Talmudic text that authorizes
Israel's policy of killing innocent Arabs, including
children. A government manual for modern Israeli soldiers
includes a summary of Ben Yohai's teaching: "In war when our
forces storm the enemy, they are allowed and even enjoined
by the Halakah to kill even good civilians, that is
civilians who are ostensibly good."(17)
The Talmud clearly does more than dehumanize Palestinians.
It also dehumanizes the educated and religious Jews who are
guided by its homicidal racism. The Talmud is the scalpel
that makes the Mideast bleed.
Jewish Cabala Says Jews are Divine
The mystical Zohar, or Cabala, like the Talmud, is
considered by orthodox Jews to be inspired by God and equal
in authority to the Talmud. Many ultra-orthodox Jews, such
as predominate in Israel today, consider it of even greater
authority. In the Zohar, the idea is everywhere repeated
that Jews are divine, holy beings, essential for the very
existence of the world. Gentiles, however, are demonic and
less than human. The Zohar says, "'Living soul' refers to
Israel, who have living souls from above, and 'cattle and
creeping thing' and 'beast of the earth' to the other
peoples who are not 'living soul.'"(18) The Zohar continues:
"The 'ass' means non-Jew, who is to be redeemed by the
offering of the lamb, which is the dispersed house of
Israel. But if he refuses to be redeemed, then break his
skull ... they should be taken out of the book of the living."(19)
According to the Zohar, God rewards Jews for slaughtering
those whom Israel regards as idolaters. "In the palaces of
the fourth heaven are those who lamented over Sion and
Jerusalem, and all those who destroyed idolatrous nations
and those who killed off people who worshipped idols are
clothed in purple garments so they may be recognized and
honored."(20) Only by the overthrow of the Gentiles, the
Zohar asserts, can Israel regain its predestined position as
God's shekinah glory on earth.(21)
The Zohar calls Gentiles "Amalekites." In a passage typical
of many, it says: "They caused the destruction of the temple
... so when God reveals Himself, they will be wiped off the
earth ... But withal redemption will not be complete until
Amalek will be exterminated."(22) Today the religious and
military establishment of Israel commonly refers to
Palestinians as Amalekites. Until final conquest of the
Gentiles, the Zohar says Israel can use any means necessary
to assure victory.(23)
Jewish Response to Criticism of Talmud and Cabalah
How do Jewish authorities today respond to accusations of
racism within Judaism's most sacred literature? Deceptively.
Yet they do so with a clear conscience because the Talmud
teaches, "it is permitted to deceive a goi [Gentile]."(24)
Every year, on the eve of Yom Kippur, religious Jews recite
the Kol Nidre prayer, which absolves them of any obligation
to tell the truth to Gentiles in the following year.(25)
In response to criticism, rabbis usually inform Gentiles
that the Talmud is divided into two categories: the Haggada,
anecdotal teachings that are non-binding on Jews; and the
Halakah, Talmudic law. They claim that those passages "anti-
Semites" hold against them are actually Haggada, aberrations
which are untypical of the Talmud's true love and generosity
toward all races and religions.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
What is Binding on Jews Today?
The surest way to determine whether a Talmudic text is
Halakah is to read the original Talmud(26) and find out if
it is endorsed by the Mishnah, the definitive oral law of
the Pharisees. Or one may consult the authoritative Jewish
Encyclopedia, available as a reference in most metropolitan
libraries. Published in 1905, before ecumenical
"brotherhood" between Christians and Jews excluded truth
about Judaism, the Jewish Encyclopedia frankly tells us what
the Talmud has historically taught Jews to believe. In its
articles on "Authority," "Gentile," "Jesus," "Christianity,"
"Talmud," and "Cabala," it confirms that every Talmudic
assertion or passage that I have included in this article
reflects Halakah, or Talmudic law.
Do all synagogue-attending Jews in America adhere to
objectionable Halakic teachings within the Talmud? Of course
not. Yet Orthodox rabbinic authorities, especially in
Israel, say true Jews will honor every part of the holy,
infallible Talmud.
Jewish Bigots want to End "Intolerance"
Considering the racist underpinnings of the Talmud and
Zohar, it is astonishing that Jewish "civil liberties"
fronts posture as attempting to end racism. ADL/B'nai
B'rith, the Southern Poverty Law Center, People for the
American Way, and the ACLU are organizations entirely or
largely dominated by Jews.
These groups never object to racism within Judaism. Instead,
they vilify the "intolerance," "homophobia," or "anti-
Semitism" of a largely Christian society. Such bigotry, they
claim, is ample pretext to attempt to alter Christians'
behavior, stressing "respect for diversity" and even
enactment of anti-hate laws worldwide.
What chutzpah -- that the original racists, the followers of
the Pharisees, should set themselves up to cleanse the world
of racism!
Such audacity and illusion should remind us of the
continuing relevance of the words of Jesus, "Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-
washed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but
inside are full of dead men's bones and all
uncleanness."(27)
Gullible Christians
Christians and conservatives are eager to believe that
Judaism is as benign in its intentions as any other
religion, and that the assurances of its apologists may be
taken at face value. The truth is that there are very good
reasons why Jewish leadership and even much of Jewish laity
are conspicuously engaged in anti-Christian activism,
litigation, and legislation. Take notice next time you hear
or read of the latest lawsuit against Christmas symbols,
prayer in schools, Biblical creationism, etc. Almost
invariably, you will find the names of Jewish lawyers,
organizations, or even Jewish parents or students as
initiators of such litigation. Jewish anti-Christian
activism exists today because, thousands of years ago, the
Pharisees violently opposed Christ and persuaded most Jews
to follow them. Such antagonism to the gospel is only
increasing.
Today there exists a rift between Orthodox Judaism, the
position of a minority of world Jewry and the state of
Israel, versus Reform Judaism ("secular" Judaism), a much
larger segment epitomized by ADL/ B'nai B'rith. Yet both
venerate Talmud and Cabala, and jealously guard their
secrets from the prying eyes of Gentiles.
For this reason, lovers of religious freedom and Christian
civilization should be suspicious of what the modern
descendents of the Pharisees tell us about their hugely
secretive religion. The warning of Jesus, echoing through
the millennia, should ring in our ears: "Beware of the
leaven [teaching] of the Pharisees."(28)
End Notes:
1. Mark 7:27
2. John 4:9
3. Luke 10:31
4. Herman Wouk, This is My God, serialized in New York Herald-Tribune, 1959
5. The Talmud says, "When the serpent came into Eve, he
infused filthy lust in her ... when Israel stood on Sinai,
that lust was eliminated ..." Abodah Zarah, 22b
6. "Gentile," p. 621
7. Ibid, p. 617
8. Sanhedrin 59a, Hagigah 13a
9. "Gentile," p. 617
10. Sanhedrin 58b
11. "Gentile," p. 620
12. Sanhedrin 76b, Abodah Zarah 26b
13. Choschen Hammishpat 156 Haggah
14. Abodah Zarah 26b (This inflammatory statement is
censored from the Soncino Talmud, but is cited in the Jewish
Encyclopedia's article, "Gentile," p. 617.)
15. The latest survey by the American Jewish Committee (Dec.
21, 2005) shows that 29% of U.S. Jews are Reform in
affiliation. Since ADL/B'nai B'rith are primarily Reform in
constituency, such provide enormous support for their anti-
Christian, pro-hate law agenda. This poll shows 32% belong
to Conservative Judaism, and only 10% are Orthodox. The high
figure of Reform support contradicts the popular notion that
ADL/B'nai B'rith represents a tiny left-wing minority.
16. "Simeon ben Yohai," Encyclopedia Judaica
17. Booklet published by the chaplain of the Israeli army,
Central Region Command. Quoted in Dr. Israel Shahak's Jewish
History , Jewish Religion , p. 76
18. Bereshith 47a (This format is according to the Soncino translation.)
19. II 43a (This format is according to the original Mantuan edition of the Zohar.)
20. I 38b, 39a
21. I 160a
22. Bereshith, 25b
23. I 160a
24. Baba Kama 113b
25. Nedarim 68
26. Unfortunately, the authorized Soncino translations of
both Talmud and Zohar omit extremely volatile passages. The
original texts may be accessed in the Judaic section of the
Library of Congress. I have had passages from the original
Mantuan edition of the Zohar translated from the Aramaic.
27. Matthew 23:27
28. Luke 12:1
[Article adapted from Ted Pike's video documentary, "Why the MidEast Bleeds"]
http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/talmudscalpelthatbleeds.htm
--
A government, of Israel, by Israel, and, for: Israel.
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:
for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. The light shineth in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it not. The light of the body is the eye:
if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.