Should Israelites from the Ten Tribes be Expected to Keep the Law (28 January 2018, 12 Shevet, 5778)
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Alex Zephyr: Lost Tribes & Torah
3. Brit-Am Reply and Sample of Edomite Attitude with Answer to it.
Further Correspondence from Alexander Zephyr
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1. Brit-Am Introduction
The Ten Lost Tribes are among Western Nations. Biblical and secular sources prove this. The problem is that the evidence is general. It tells us where the Lost Ten Tribes are. It does not make clear what percentage of the population they comprise. Nor dies it say which individuals maybe considered Hebrew and which not. We have worked out criteria of our own which work for us. See:
Ephraimite Criteria. How do we know whether or not a nation is of Israelite origin to a Significant degree?
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/biblical-proof/criteria.html
In this case as well the relevant points apply to a nation as a generality and not to each and every individual within it.
Something may be needed similar to a National Renewal of the Covenant. In such a case the people in question would assume they are Israelites, accept Biblical Obligations They who are not of Israelite Descent would be included in this covenantal bond together with them.
At all events this is all THEORETICAL.
At present Brit-Am is concerned ONLY with its Three Rs:
Research. Showing from Biblical and secular Sources where the Ten Tribes went to.
Revelation. Spreading the knowledge gained from Research and explaining it.
Reconciliation. Working towards the bringing together of Judah and the Ten Tribes.
Not everyone agrees with us. Many want the Ten Tribes to return NOW to keeping the Torah. These incldue they who are Jews and want the Ten tribes to become Jewish. Others wish to remain Christians but adopt aspects of Torah Law and expect others to so as well.
In the article below Alex Zephyr presents the case for advocating that the Ten Tribes keep the Torah NOW from a straight forward Torah perspective. We in Brit-Am disagree with this at the moment but consider it worth consdieration.
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2. Alex Zephyr: Lost Tribes & Torah
To me this matter is clear: The Ten Tribes have to return to the Hebrew roots of the God's chosen people (the same way as Jews are), reject idolatry, remember Saturdays as God's sign between Him and them, accept Sinai revelation, and live by the Torah as outline in Scripture by the God of Israel and Prophets.
Every scholar of the Bible knows that there are more than forty prophecies predicting Israel, return as this passage confirms:
'The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together' (Hosea 1:11).
Here is another very strong declaration of Almighty:
'Hear the word of the LORD, O you nations, and declare it in the coastlands afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock (Jeremiah 31:10).
'And you find that Israel will not be redeemed until they become one unity' (Midrash Tanchuma, Deuteronomy, Nitzavim 1:18).
A very strong confirmation of the future faith of Judah and Israel we find in the famous 'Two Sticks' prophecy of Ezekiel 37:22:
'I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all, and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more.'
There is no doubt that the Ten Tribes will return, 'They shall be My people, and I will be their God' (Ezekiel 11:15-20), the questions are only when and how? Actually, there is no complication on the timing--they will return in the time of the Messiah (Ezekiel 34:24; 37:22; 47:13).
But how? Let us listen to the Hebrew Bible's verses:
'They will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers, and I will not break My covenant with them,' says the LORD (Leviticus 26:40, 44).
As we can see, God has always kept His covenant with the Israelites, all He wants is them to repent and return, of which He is sure it will precisely happen. Israel will never be forgotten or rejected by God, whose Covenant cannot be broken (Judges 2:1; Leviticus 26:44; Psalms 111:5; Jer. 31:36).
I think the direct answer on how the Ten Tribes return and their future fate is given in this passage: 'And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first' (Jer.33:7). What does it mean, 'Build them as at the first?' We know from the Bible stories that at the time of the Exodus from Egyptian bondage, Moses brought all 12 Hebrew Tribes to the Mount Zion where God revealed Himself to all people, formed a new Israelite nation, and gave them His Laws, i.e. Torah. All the House of Israel vowed to worship God of Israel and keep His Commandments, 'Keep My decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD' (Leviticus 18:5). One of the most important commandments for the Ten Tribes to implement its return is the fourth one:
'Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God' (Ezekiel 20:20).
God wants Israel to return and be the same as they were before the grave sin and exile,
'I have mercy upon them, and they shall be as though I had not cast them off' (Zechariah 10:6).
Here God expresses the same motive as 'I will build them as at the first.'
Such was the case during the epoch of Judges, First Temple times, and the era of Kings Saul, David, and Solomon. All the House of Israel worshiped the God of Israel and kept His Commandments. It is clear that God wants the Israelites to repent, reject idolatry, turn back to their Creator, settle in the Promised Land, and accept the Divine Torah once more. That is an answer!
The Religions of Christianity, Islam, and others will cease to exist, because,
'There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death' (Proverbs 14:12).
I doubt very much that the Almighty will redeem those of the Ten Tribes who wish to remain 'being Christians,' who reject the God of Israel, and continue worshiping false gods and craven idols,
'I will number you to the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter' (Isaiah 65:12).
How do we know it? Thus says the LORD!
'Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other' (Isaiah 45:22).
Another prophet declares:
'These gods, who did not make the heaven and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heaven' (Jeremiah 10:11).
The prophet (Joel 2:32) categorically stated:
'Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered.'
Those Christians of the Ten Tribes of Israel in exile who understand and accept the prophecies of the Last Days, especially prophecies of Israel being 'My Kingdom of Priests' and 'My Holy Nation' (Exodus 19:6) and wish to fulfill them, better listen to what the Almighty God has said and obey His divine Word.
No wonder that millions upon millions of Christians of Israelite descent are spiritually dissatisfied with the teachings and practicing of the Churches. They are intuitively searching for their Hebrew roots and wish to return to the religion of their fathers. Scripture says that,
The children of Israel in the Last Days will seek the LORD their God' (Jeremiah 50:5-5).
'The LORD their God' most definitely means the God of Israel, not Jesus, Mohammad or anybody else. This is an amazing prediction!
No matter how you slice it, the Ten Tribes have to repent, reject idolatry, acknowledge God of Israel as the only Almighty God of the Universe, move to the Holy Land, and obey the Commandments that the light of the Torah may shine on them once more as it was many centuries before. Without these very important conditions, there would not be a reunification of Israel and Judah. The Ten Tribes do not have to be converted back to Judaism; they are not to be proselytes. There was a time when the Israelites had been in possession of all of it. They had known God of Israel and lived by His immortal Laws. Despite all their sins, Almighty has never broken the Covenant with them. They are still His chosen people, the same as Jews are.
In conclusion, I concur with the opinion of Yair Davidiy opinion that, according to some sources,
'it seems quite clear that the TTs will have to accept all the Biblical Laws and in effect become Jewish.'
In one of his books, Ephraim. The Gentile Children of Israel, Yair outlined the role of Judah in the process of reunification:
'This is the message for Judah. In order for Judah to realize herself and to bring back all her exiles and rehabilitate herself, Judah must also seek the Lost Ten Tribes and cause them to return. This is important to Judah for her own sake. Indeed, the Hebrew Bible specifically elaborates on this subject in detail: 'In these days the House of Judah shall walk with the House of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers' (Jeremiah 3:18). Or this one: 'Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed, when I return the captivity of My people' (Hosea 6:11).
Rabbi Avraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935 CE) speaks of the same:
"Those Israelites, who were assimilated in ancient times, as well as their descendants, have gradually become more suited to receive the Divine Revelation of their Israelite identity. As time passes, they will yearn and strive to reclaim their Israelite inheritance" (Shemoneh Kevatsim, Kovets 8:205).
One could not say it better!
Alexander Zephyr
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3. Brit-Am Reply and Sample of Edomite Attitude with Answer to it.
Yair Replies:
In principle I personally agree in part with Alex Zephyr but we do not feel we have the right to promote such a message at this stage.
We understand from the sources that the TTs may have to undergo a ceremony of "Renewing the Covenant." This is similar to what Jews from Ethiopia submit to. It has the legal effect of conversion under a different name. The difference is that it does not deny the possibility of Israelite ancestry. It simply removes any doubt that may exist. We at Brit-Am have a Mandate to spread knowledge of Israelite origins and not much more than that.
The Lost Ten Tribes were taken into exile along with Edomites and others. Anyone who is anti-Jewish etc., is suspected of being of non-Israelite origin. Many are anti-Jewish in the nations under question. The recent overwhelming votes against Jerusalem being the capital of Israel is testimony to this. In Hebrew Law there is a principle that someone who makes a claim agaisnt another must bring evidence. Even though we believe the Lost Ten Tribes to be among Western Peoples we cannot prove it in individual cases.
cf.
"Possession is nine-tenths of the Law"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possession_is_nine-tenths_of_the_law
"The shirt or blouse you are currently wearing is presumed to be yours, unless someone can prove that it is not."
The Jews have always been recognizable as Jews. Even when non-Jews have converted to Judaism they have done that through a Process of Acceptance determined by Judah and on terms decided by Judah. We now understand that the onus is on Yehudah to accept proof that the Ten Tribes are in the west and to act on it.
This will only come about when more evidence is available, the evidence is made known, and enough of the Ten Tribes accept it WITHOUT carrying anti-Jewish baggage with them.
So too, even though Christianity is mistaken it fulfills a purpose. We cannot take the responsibility of undermining it without offering a Torah-valid substitute in its place.
Consider the following message we just received and out answer to it.
Ten Tribes Repent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxn7fSH4Pj0&t=42s
WayupNorth
I will totally be honest with you. I am from British stock and i don't trust Jews, sorry but that's how i feel. We are the holder of Jacob's Pillar and we have formed our Nation's from the lost tribes of israel. The Queen or king is crowned above the stone, but never on it, because that position is held by the most high and our Lord and King [XX] our rightful King. Its this United kingdom and it's Commonwealth that was created that allows us Israelites to have the Common Law which recognises our inherent Birth rights as freeman on this earth. We have had just about every Nation on Earth try to take that stone from us by Force and By deceit, so where do you jews fit in? Force, deception or Allies? It was the Jew who changed our citizenship policy, the king allowed you's citizenship status which also allowed other non-Christian religions into our Kingdom this created a crack in our Nation's stone and just like any crack in stone it eventually weathers and Decays. Because history tells me someone is always trying to take that Stone from us? The lost tribes of Israel have awoken and i am one of them and we are angry that this vital piece of history has been kept from us. It's our duty now to find out who has deceived us of our birthright and when we find them we will deal with them, so Yair Davidiy don't get caught on the wrong side of the fence.
Brit-Am Reply:
No need to apologize. Just because you are of British Stock does not mean you are an Israelite. In addition to the Ten Tribes there were other peoples who settled in Britain. These included Edomites, Canaanites, and others. You may descend from one or other of them. Alternately it may be that some of the British are mostly a mixture of all these elements. What they really belong to will be determined by their inner instincts and adopted attitudes. Since you have preferred to express hatred of Judah and even threatened an august personage such as myself we may deduce that you do not belong. You may not be a Hebrew. Or you may be one who is greatly in error. Because of your viewpoint you are a de facto enemy of Brit-Am in spreading the message. No decent person would want to associate with people who hold views such as you do. They may not distinguish between me and you. You therefore have become an obstacle to spreading our message. You will have to answer for this.... We advice you to repent and correct your corrupt views ASAP.
Further Correspondence from Alexander Zephyr:
Hello Yair,
Re: How the Ten Tribes Will Reunite With the Jewish people?
My comment will be short and right on the subject.
All your Brit-Am public activities, your ideas, books, teaching, and yourself being an Orthodox Jew, everything is based on the Hebrew Scripture. As a theologian, you know that the Almighty wishes all the people of the World worship Him in righteousness and holiness, as it says: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' In the time of the Messiah, all the nations eventually turn to God of Israel (primarily, The Ten Tribes. I never said 'NOW' and so said R. Kook) and learn how to worship Him and live by the Torah. There are plenty verses in the Hebrew Bible confirming this: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it' (Isaiah 2:2). The Almighty expresses His goal very clear. There could not be two or more opinions on how the Ten Tribes will reunite with Judah. Speaking politcorrectly towards the Ten Tribe-being Christians and others about their prophesied return would not help and even brings more confusion.
God does want all inhabitants of the Earth to be saved and merit internal life in The World-To-Come. Our great sage, Maimonides, in all his writings concerning this matter, stresses that the World-To-Come is a domain of spiritual souls, and it is a final destination for humanity and the ultimate purpose of Creation. He praised and highly esteemed this spiritual World: 'The final goal is the attaining of the World-to-Come, and it is to it that all our effort must be directed.'
Alex Zephyr
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Brit-Am Reply:
OK. You may (or may not) be correct but Brit-Am does not have to be the ones to do it.
Our task is to research the subject, spread knowledge as to who the Ten Tribes are and to work towards reconciliation of the two parties.