Replies to Some Adverse Commentary Concerning the Lack of Recognition for Ephraimites.
7 August 2012, 19 Av 5772
Queries from Andy followed by Brit-Am/Hebrew Nations Replies
"Andy" wrote:
Yair,
Comments and questions regarding "The Question of Immigration to Israel for Ephriaimites":
1. Please remember that "they" opted to call the nation "Israel" and not "Judah".
# Upon independence in 1948, the new Jewish state was formally named Medinat Yisrael, or the State of Israel, after other proposed historical and religious names including Eretz Israel ("theLand of Israel"), Zion, and Judea, were considered and rejected.[26] In the early weeks of independence, the government chose the term "Israeli" to denote a citizen of Israel, with the formal announcement made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Moshe Sharett.[27]
The name Israel has historically been used, in common and religious usage, to refer to the biblical Kingdom of Israel or the entire Jewish nation.[28] According to the Hebrew Bible the name "Israel" was given to the patriarch Jacob... after he successfully wrestled with the angel of the Lord.[30] #
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel
2. Ephriamites don't deserve to come back to the land, but then again, you could argue that Judah wasn't perfect either (Jeremiah 3:11).
3. Per the Torah, Land inheritance is tribal and paternally transferred (Numbers 34:13, 36:9). Why does Brit-Am believe that Judah is the rightful heir to land promised to other tribes?
4. The brothers wanted Joseph off the land, and it was Judah's idea to sell Joseph (Genesis 37:26). Judah is exalted in the family after taking responsibility (Genesis 43:8, 44:16, 44:18). How long can Judah reject Joseph as a brother while remaining righteous?
5. The day of Isaiah 11:13 will come.Â
6. According to the following parable, Ephriam (the younger brother) will return, but Judah (the older brother) won't like it.
[He then quotes in full the Parable of the Prodigal son. Since this is a Christian source we p;refer not to relate to it.]
7. Maybe the claim of relationship is good enough. Consider 2 Samuel 5:1. All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood."
8. If Judah is able to restore a Torah - centric government (e.g. Exodus 12:49, Deuteronomy 17:7), that would suffice in keeping bad company out of the land. Judah has a lot of Esau living in its midst, not to mention Torah-less Judah. In comparison, repentant Ephraim is the least of Judah's problems.
9. How can Jews pray for the return of the kingdom and the restoration of Israel on one hand, while trying to exclude Ephraim type immigration on the other hand?
Brit-Am Replies:
1. Please remember that "they" opted to call the nation "Israel" and not "Judah".
# Upon independence in 1948, the new Jewish state was formally named Medinat Yisrael, or the State of Israel, after other proposed historical and religious names including Eretz Israel ("theLand of Israel"), Zion, and Judea, were considered and rejected.[26] In the early weeks of independence, the government chose the term "Israeli" to denote a citizen of Israel, with the formal announcement made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Moshe Sharett.[27]
The name Israel has historically been used, in common and religious usage, to refer to the biblical Kingdom of Israel or the entire Jewish nation.[28] According to the Hebrew Bible the name "Israel" was given to the patriarch Jacob... after he successfully wrestled with the angel of the Lord.[30] #
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel
The name Israel is found as applying to Judah or the Jews in the Books of Ezekiel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
Jeremiah 30:10 addresses the Judahite exiles (cf. Jer 29:1, 30-31) and calls them "Jacob" and "Israel."
Ezra 2:70 states of the returned exiles, "and all Israel lived in their cities." Zechariah addresses the same Medo-Persian returnees as "Oh house of Judah and house of Israel" (8:13; cf. 8:15) and distinguishes them from the people of the nations (Zechariah 8:23).
Personally, it could be that the name Judah may have been more appropriate.
The term Israel however cannot be consdiered the exclusive denomination of any section of the Hebrew Nations.
2. Ephriamites don't deserve to come back to the land, but then again, you could argue that Judah wasn't perfect either (Jeremiah 3:11).
It is not a question of deserving but of identifying and identification.
The Jews never lost their identity.
This is what was promised.
Genesis 49:
8 Â Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise [acknolwedge];
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father's children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 The scepter [shevet i.e. Tribal Identity] shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people [Hebrew: "Kehat amim i.e. ingathering of the peoples].
3. Per the Torah, Land inheritance is tribal and paternally transferred (Numbers 34:13, 36:9). Why does Brit-Am believe that Judah is the rightful heir to land promised to other tribes?
Judah represents that portion of Israel that remained identifiable.
For example:
A father begat several sons.
All of the sons except one disappeared. Concerning those who disappeared it was not certain if they were dead, or irrevocably lost.
The one son who remains would therefore receive his inheritance plus the use of that of his brothers.
If his brothers turn up he would be obliged to give them their portion BUT the brothers would have to identify themselves.
Concerning Judah, the major Tribes are Judah, Benajmin, Levi along with (amongst the Jews)Â representative minorities of ALL the other tribes.
Theoretically if the Ten Tribes wherever they are were to disappear altogether the Twelve Tribes would still exist within Judah though the relative Tribal Proportions would be skewed in favor of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi.
The Ten Tribes NEED to recognize who they are and work towards confirming their identity. This is a NEED they have. Judah does not.
Also,
It was prophesied that Judah would return first and prepare the way for the other Tribes (See BAC on Hosea 6:11, Isaiah 56:8 ).
4. The brothers wanted Joseph off the land, and it was Judah's idea to sell Joseph (Genesis 37:26). Judah is exalted in the family after taking responsibility (Genesis 43:8, 44:16, 44:18). How long can Judah reject Joseph as a brother while remaining righteous?Â
Judah is not rejecting Joseph.
Joseph is DENYING HIS OWN IDENTITY.
Therefore Judah does not know who Joseph is.
5. The day of Isaiah 11:13 will come.Â
We agree:
Isaiah 11:
13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart,
And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not envy Judah,
And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
6. According to the following parable, Ephriam (the younger brother) will return, but Judah (the older brother) won't like it.
Quotes The Prodigal Son from the New Testament.
 We cannot relate to such sources.
7. Maybe the claim of relationship is good enough. Consider 2 Samuel 5:1. All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, We are your own flesh and blood."
In the verse you are quoting the Tribes of Israel were saying something that was known to all. We represent the Tribes of Israel, we are your brothers.
Meanwhile, the Ten Tribes lost their identity.
They have not got it back.
Most of them do not want it.
Many of them are vehemently and most energetically against the very notion.
Perhaps you should talk to them?
In my opinion there is a certain (possibly sub-conscious) anti-Jewish motivation in the Ephraimite incessant demand to be accepted into the State of Israel.
Why do we say this?
The Ephraimites in question often do not really seem concerned as to why they may be descended from the Ten Tribers. For them it is enough that they hold certain beliefs or feel certain emotions. This, to their minds, should be suffiicient. They do not say they want to return to any part of the Promised Land. They rather insist on wanting to return to that portion of the Land now ruled by Judah. They wish to be accepted as the same as Jews but not become Jewish. They make requests the nature of which NO country in the world would accept. They do not really expect them to be accepted. The feeling is that they are looking for yet another excuse to feel resentful of Judah. A possible outcome of such an attitude could be to give a bad name to all those who believe the Ten Tribes are now to be found in Western Nations.
Alternately maybe some of the Ephraimites are descendants of Jews, or simply feel Jewish, and wish to be accepted as Jews without changing their religion. If such is the case let them come right out and say it. Â They should stop hiding behind an Ephraimite Lost Ten Tribes identification.
8. If Judah is able to restore a Torah - centric government (e.g. Exodus 12:49, Deuteronomy 17:7), that would suffice in keeping bad company out of the land.  Judah has a lot of Esau living in its midst, not to mention Torah-less Judah. In comparison, repentant Ephraim is the least of Judah's problems.
A Torah- Based government and society in the Land of Israel would undoubtedly solve many problems. As for Judah having a lot of Esau in its midst, we do have some bad eggs. But would the Ephraimites do without them?
9. How can Jews pray for the return of the kingdom and the restoration of Israel on one hand, while trying to exclude Ephraim type immigration on the other hand?
First of all Jews are not trying to exclude Ephraim. They simply do not know who Ephraim is. Ephraim himself on the whole does not know he is.
Those amongst Ephraim who do know do not seem very concerned about spreading the message. Otherwise they would help Brit-Am more.
Secondly,
Jews do not usually pay for the restoration of the Ten Tribes, at least not consciously.
There is a major prayer in Judaism known as the Amida [Standing (Prayer)] or Shemoneh Esreh [Eighteen (Blessings)].
This prayer consists of nineteen (originally eighteen) blessings or requests.
One of the blessings says approximately (minor variations in formulation exist):
Blow a great shofar to announce our deliverance. Raise up a banner to gather in our exiles, Gather us together from the four corners of the earth.
One of the Commentators (Ets Chaim) says that this request refers to the Lost Ten Tribes as well as the Exiles of Judah.
Most Jews however are not aware of this explanation.
They are hardly aware the Lost Tribes exist. Some think the Ten Tribes mixed in with the gentiles and were lost forever. Others say that they return to Judah and are to be found amongst the various Jewish Diaspora Communities.
Still others, if they aware of the Lost Ten Tribes then they think they may be in Burma, or Agfhanistan, or Africa, or amongst the Amerindians, etc.
This is what the Media tells them.
If Ephraimites really wanted the world to know who and where the Lost Ten Tribes are they would support Brit-Am/Hebrew nations more than they do.
Brit-Am/Hebrew Nations say the Ten Tribes are mainly amongst Western Nations. We can prove it. Our explanations are the correct ones. Everything else is a charade.
In our opinion, someone who really believes they and and a portion of their fellows are descended from Israel will wish this knowledge to be made known to others, they will support the State of Israel, be sympathetic towards the Jews, and endeavor to lead good Biblically-significant lives. They will not seek excuses to antagonize the Jews nor to be antagonized by them.  In the end each and every one of us is responsible before the God of Israel for what we do and become.
See Also:
 Seven Reasons
Why Descendants of the Ten Tribes are not Accepted into Israel at Present.