Much of the world has often viewed Judaism unfavorably for being a sectarian "national" religion, indifferent, if not hostile, to the rest of humanity. While it is a sad truth that the long and bitter years of exile have indeed raised some bad Jewish feelings towards the Gentiles, these are far from reflecting the inherent attitude of Judaism to the place that the Gentiles have in the Kingdom of God. The Jewish New Testament writers, being very concerned about the salvation of the Gentiles, express ideas that were well rooted in Jewish tradition, not only in thought, but also in practice. During the Second Temple period, seventy bulls were sacrificed daily in the Temple in Jerusalem for the forgiveness of the sins of seventy nations, a symbolic number representing the Gentile kingdoms of the earth.  
        This universality of redemption is visible in both the spring holidays of Passover and Pentecost, which are the central themes of this TFZ. It contains several articles on the universal lessons of Passover, with two articles focusing on particular portions from the Passover Haggadah, (the book that is read out loud at the Seder every year), one that delves into the spiritual applications of Passover cleaning, and a tasty recipe for Shavuot cheesecake that is even kosher for Passover, as well as an article on Pentecost in Acts 2. Both of these holidays have very important applications for Jews and Christians. The Exodus, the journey from bondage to liberty, has especially become a universal ethos that inspired billions of God-seeking souls and people who sought freedom and justice worldwide.
        The coming feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) is linked in Jewish tradition with the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The recipients were always deeply aware that this divine revelation was not meant to be a limited affair for the people of Israel alone, but that we have a great responsibility for making this revelation known to all mankind in order to bring all of God's creation back to Him. The Pentecost drama described in Acts 2 clearly alludes to the Sinai revelation. It is like a new giving of the Torah, only this time meant for export, leading to the episode of "speaking in tongues," that is the spreading of the word unto all nations.
        We also include an article on the book of Ruth, since it is customary to read this book on Shavuot, as it strikes the same theme: the gathering of the Gentiles into God's kingdom. It is not by coincidence that Ruth, the great grandmother of King David and a founder of the royal Davidic line, is counted among the four ladies that the Gospel of Matthew mentions in Yeshua's family tree. The other three are Rahav, a Cananite prostitute, Tamar, who had to pretend to be a prostitute in order to get the seed of salvation going, and Bat-Sheva, the mother of King Solomon, who committed adultery with David. We may ask ourselves why the Gospel writer chose to emphasize the place of these problematic figures in the Messiah's lineage rather than trying his best to conceal it. Simply put, these four Gentile women stand as a reflection of the four mothers of the Jewish nation, Sarah, Rivkah, Leah, and Rachel. The appearance of these four Gentile women in the Messiah's family tree proves that the Gentiles have a part in the salvation of the world a-priori. The blood that runs through the body of the Messiah was not purely Jewish because it was meant to be shed for the salvation of all mankind. Salvation is not by race but by grace.
        This issue of TFZ comes to you at this time between the two holidays celebrating those high moments of redemption and revelation, and it has a variety of fresh looks on some very significant truths that these holidays hold for both Jews and Christians. May this spring bring us all a harvest of great spiritual value, and may we serve the Lord with gladness for the many miracles He has wrought for us and our ancestors.        -The editors      

"Return for I have redeemed you" (Isaiah 44:22) contains an important principle for understanding the concept of redemption. The redeeming act, immanent in God's merciful character, is only a starting point, not the finishing point, of the history of redemption. We still need to return even after having been redeemed. "O Israel, return unto the Lord your God" (Hosea 14:2). The word "unto" is the Hebrew "ad" (עד) which has the sense of “until,” meaning there is a way to go in order to get there. This applies both to the redeemed individual and the redeemed collective.

Followers of Yeshua, while being very much aware of the importance of “the Body of Messiah” as a collective unity, still often see their own personal salvation as the main story. Yet the Prophets’ vision of redemption for the Jewish people is most clearly a collective/ national one (Based on Ezek. 36, and it does not preclude individual salvation). Paul’s burning desire is for all Israel to be saved (Rom. 11:26). This verse is not a burst of wishful thinking, but a confirmation of what he knows: the promise of the restoration of Israel. The Prophets envisioned Israel’s return to God and return to the homeland as parallel events. The physical restoration and creation of the state of Israel was only “the beginning of redemption,” the first necessary step for spiritual rebirth rather than the final goal.

Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook, one of the most influential spiritual leaders on modern Israeli history, shaped a new national-religious conviction for generations to come, based on the understanding that a genuine spiritual renaissance could only take place in a Jewish homeland and that the initial goal would better be achieved by earthly political means than not at all. This turned the secular efforts of building and planting in the Holy Land into something sacred and, in his eyes, sanctified even the deeds of the “rebellious” socialist pioneers. This fresh and unique acceptance of the “heretical” elements within the Jewish nation reflected the understanding that the redemption of Israel was a progressive process that needs to grow into maturity. The rebirth of Israel in “body and soul” respectively, drawn from the vision of “the valley of the dry bones” (Ezekiel 37) is one of the many expressions of the progressive nature of the redemption of all Israel as one body.

In this issue of TFZ, we will examine the idea of spiritual progress on the personal, national, and historical levels in the light of the understanding that redemption is not a singular event in time, but an ongoing process. Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Similarly we believe that the unexamined theology is not worth having, which is why we have chosen to examine this sensitive subject. We realize that the issues raised in this magazine may challenge some of our readers' most deeply cherished beliefs, but we would like to encourage you to honestly examine these issues with an open mind and heart. We wish all of our readers a year of peace, health, and spiritual growth as we travel the road of redemption together.

Common to all creatures, man and beast alike, eating and drinking are mere matters of material survival. One would not think there could be anything spiritual about something that dogs do, too. Yet one of many mind-blowing Biblical verses reveals quite the opposite: "And they saw God, and did eat and drink" (Exodus 24:11). This verse refers to Moses and the priests and seventy elders who ascended Mount Sinai. One might think that it is odd that these men occupied themselves with this "lowly physical act" on the occasion of seeing God, instead of falling on their knees in prayer and praise or being knocked out flat in amazement and awe. This episode is one striking expression of the unity of God and man, the meeting point of the earthly and the Divine. In fact, the invitation to dine at the Lord's Table demands that everything in the life of man ought to be sanctified, even those "fleshly" acts. Although we do the same things that animals do, we do not do them in the same way because we have seen God. A cat will protect its dish of food from its hungry brother in a bold and unashamed- even unconscious- demonstration of selfishness. Humans would probably behave the same way if it was not for the knowledge of God, the creator and provider for all flesh, who advocates caring and sharing and not exaggerating the pleasure of the flesh.

Although we know prophecy exists, it is a very challenging concept to understand because it is hard to define exactly what it is or how it works. Yet, abstract and obscure as it may be, we are not completely in the dark. The Bible is not only the source of our limited knowledge about prophecy, but first and foremost, it is the fruit of prophecy. One thing we know for certain, therefore, is that prophecy is the channel through which the Divine and the Eternal communicates with earthly mortals.

For this New Year 5768 edition of Teaching from Zion, we have chosen the theme of Yeshua's parables. A great deal of Yeshua's teaching, especially in Matthew and Luke, takes the form of parables, so it is important that we understand these stories if we want to understand His central messages about His Messianic mission and the Kingdom of God. In this magazine edition, we will address both the "why" and the "how" of this beautiful literary form as well as examining some specific parables very closely to see how their historical and cultural Jewish context can help us unravel some confusion and find deeper levels of meaning within them.

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