Ask JTF For December 3 Broadcast

[Until Shiloh Comes]

Hello Chaim, and good day to you.

Chaim, I'm sure you've been accused of Lashon Hara by your fellow Jews particularly since you don't hesitate in cursing Jews who have behaved evilly.   Likewise in promoting JTF I've often had to deal with that same accusation made against you and not having mastered the concept, I find it difficult to rebut.   Would you please explain the notion of Lashon Hara from a truly Jewish perspective, and why folks who accuse you of it are possibly incorrect?  Thank you.

[Ari]

Hello Chaim,

Hope the week finds you healthy and happy.  Quick follow up from last week.  I'm glad you liked my idea on finding wealthy Jews and righteous Gentiles who would be willing to support the movement.  To help brainstorm ideas on who to contact, I have created a new thread in the JTF forum called the "Righteous Jew and Gentile List." Hopefully myself and fellow JTF supporters will compile a lenghty list and then we can begin contacting these people and telling them about the movement.  Maybe something positive will happen.  You never know.

I have a couple of Biblical questions this week, time permitting.  On a show a few weeks back you mentioned that every seventh letter in the Bible leads to a whole new interpretation of the text.  Can you clarify this?  What does the story lay out and how does it relate to the Bible's overall meaning.  Also, and I hope this is not a naive question, I was wondering what the Talmud says about the fact that many key figures in the Bible lived to very old ages, ages that do not even seem reasonable by today's "more advanced" standards.  Is this simply attributed to one of G-d's miracles or is there a deeper interpretation.  Thanks very much as always.  Hope to be in touch again next week. 

All the best,

Ari   

[jsullivan]

I am asking these questions on behalf of Yacov Menashe Ben Rachamim:

My question is about Ethiopian Jews. You commented on how Arab facial features are today black. Ethiopian Jews and even Ethiopian goyim today have white facial features but black skin, the opposite of Arabs. How do you account for this? How do you believe Ethiopian Jews became black? Are they converts? Did their skin evolve after being in the hot African Sun for a long time? Was there mixing? I know you attribute this mixing in other Jews due to rape. I think Ashkenazic Jews evolved to have lighter skin from being in Northern climates while Yemenite Jews evolved to have darker skin after being in a more Southern climate. Ethiopian Jews evolved to have black skin. I think all the original Jews looked like Iraqi Jews because Abraham was from Iraq and The Iraqi Jewish Community was the oldest Diaspora community and in close proximity to Israel and had little mixing.

Also, why was the curse on Canaan applied to Kush and therefore all Kushim when Kush wasn't from Canaan but was his brother? Also, the Africa series says that Ethiopia was all white. Why then does Kushi (From Kush, the name of Ancient Ethiopia.) today mean Negro, the racial name in Hebrew for all racial blacks?. I say racial blacks because Ethiopian Jews are Caucasian blacks with black skin. I have observed the same Caucasian facial features in Ethiopian goyim too. Ethiopians don't have the traditional large African noses and lips and don't have the bushy hair.

I believe that Kush was white and then his descendants mixed with the Pre-Adamic and Pre-Noahide hominids in Africa because I mix Creation with Science. Adam was the first human with a soul. He was white and was created at the time of the beginning of white civilization in Mesopotamia. In the meantime, the black primitives were still hominids until they were made spiritually Bnei Adam by Adam's creation. Adam's creation is what gave all the former hominids free will and the ability to choose between good and evil. That is why we believe it is black culture that is the problem and not their race. Race stopped being an issue in determining intelligence when Adam was created.

How do you reconcile Creation with Science?

Also, how did the Bnei Menashe Jews from India get to have Oriental eyes? Did they evolve too or was there mixing? Do you think they are really from Menashe because you said The Lost Tribes will not return to The Jewish People, but only that the ancient Ten Tribes will be resurrected when we will have Techiyat HaMeitim.

Also, Ethiopians are Bnei Dan. How do you think they remained Jewish if they are from The Lost Tribes? Why didn't they have to convert back like The Bnei Menashe? What do you believe is the true origin of Ethiopian Jewry?

[patches]

Chaim,

What is your opinion on Jay Cohen?  Why do you think he did what he did?

Is it true that a lot of Kahane "supporters" left for Israel from fear of their names being written on the note he left?

[Yoel]

Dear Chaim,

Just a couple of comments about gilgul neshamot. This topic seems to be a hot one so I figure I'd give it my 2 cents. First of , I think Gilgul neshamot is more accurately tranlsated as transmigration of souls though reincarnation sounds right as well.

You are correct that many Rabbinic authorities did not believe in it, Saadiah gaon being the most prominent among them. The latter actually writes in his book "Haemunot v'hadeot" that it stems from the eastern religions (Hinduism).

However I think most Rabbis (especially Sefardic Rabbis and especially since the Arizal) do accept this as a basic Jewish tenet. In fact the Chida (Chayyim Yosef David Azulai) relates an interesting story in his sefer "Shem Hagedolim". In the entry for 'Yehuda Arye Da Modena' he writes (and i write from memory): "An interesting story that occurred to this Rabbi in Italy. He did not believe in gilgul and once he was called to officiate at the bedside of a very sick infant who was nearing death. While the Rabbi was saying his prayers,  everyone in the room suddenly heard a loud cry coming from the infant "Shma Yisrael hashem elokeinu hashem echad" and the baby breathed his last. Since that day Rabbi Da Modena admitted that he was wrong and acknowledged that gilgul neshamot was real.

[kahaneloyalist]

Dear Chaim,
       Why do you think do many Nationalist parties are obssesed with the JEW, even in countries where there are no Jews?

[habiru]

What do you think of Michael Kleiner and the Herut party. You used to support him in the past but he has since broken with Marzel.

My question: do you think that break was wise and what do you think of the fact that Revava worked closely with him in the last elections and in fact Haivri and his sidekick Yisrael Cohen were on the Herut list.

Yacov Menashe adds: I don't think HaIvri was on the list but Yisroel Meir Cohen, the former Shabak agent who came onto this forum, was on the list. Daniel Pinner was also on the list, as was a former Russian beauty queen.

[takebackourtemple]

   I had a discussion with somebody at the Shabbat table. I believe we should use construction equipment as soon as possible to demolish the mosques and rebuild the temple, however, he said that prayer alone is the only way it will be rebuilt and it will just appear from heaven. Can the temple be rebuilt through prayer alone? 
   Another disagreement we had was who destroyed the second bait hamigdash. I said it was the Roman Empire but he insisted it was Jews speaking Lashon Hara. What is your take on who was responsible for its destruction?