So what about demoic posession? You believe G-d is the king of all nations of this world? Was G-d ruling over the pagan nations in Israel of old? Do you believe that spirits are attracted to and attach themselves to Torah, or the koran? What about these unspeakable groups that open doors and let things that aren't describable in, surely there is some source to their evil; our evils are usually relative, we think we're making life easier or the other person deserves it, but there has to be a source that is completely evil. These things all do fit into G-d's perfect plan, but do you think he made us evil, and we're wiping that away with our lives, or that a being out there really wants our freedom and will destroy whoever he can until he is our ruler, or as you said, there is no good and bad spirits (they are not in rebellion against G-d) just spirits doing what they're told?
Also what are your thoughts on the catholic narrative of the heavenly war and the devil being banished with his followers here?
All nations use 'Free Will' to decide whether to worship false deities. The Jewish sages explained, long ago, about how the world devolved into Idol Worship. According to Torah all mankind is descended from Adam and Chava, as you are aware. Originally all man knew Hashem because they were told by their parents, as Cain and Able knew about Hashem from them.
Judaism doesn't really believe in 'Demonic Possessions' as you put it. This is a foreign idea to Judaism and it has basis in Idolatry. As I stated above, all the 'evil' which exists in the world was created by Hashem in order to 'wake us up' and obey his commands.
For instance we look at the story of our slavery in Egypt. Do we really think that the Egyptians were able to torture and kill the Jewish children without Hashems allowing it to happen? Do you believe that there was a power greater than Hashem which momentarily overpowered the will of Hashem? No No No... This is not what Jews learn about the descent into bondage in Egypt.
The Jews spent their time in Egypt as a result of Hashems will. He made a promise to Abraham that his children would eventually sojourn in a land which was not their own, and they would serve this nation. Hashem even said how long our slavery would last (400 years). Every enemy of Israel was created by Hashem, both Ishmael (the arabs) and Essau (The Romans) and even Amalek (Persians/Germans). Every enemy was sent by Hashem in order to remind Jews that we are his chosen people.
It is true that there is evil in the world, as I explained above, our evil inclinations are a powerful force which tries to test our souls. Temptations are presented by our evil inclination and the Torah is a way to subdue our evil inclination.
I don't know what groups your refer to. I don't believe that there is any truth to 'black magic' or other occult practices. The Torah explicitly prohibits the Jews from believing in such nonsense. And I believe it is because there is nothing to it. They can give excuses as to why they act so strange but there is nothing 'supernatural' about that stuff.
As I said Hashem is the source of everything in the world. In Ecclesiastes King Solomon says that there is 'Nothing New Under the Sun'. I don't believe in evil spirits while I do believe there are angels. Angels are called Melachim in Hebrew and the word means 'Messengers'. And angel has a mission, to give a message to its recipient. Melachim are also forces in this world which obey the command of Hashem, such as the wind and rain, the forces of nature, etc.
So in summary I think you understand that Hashem is the ultimate source of everything, what we see as 'good' and what we see as 'bad'. I believe this is the fundamental meaning of the Shema prayer which we say...
SHEMA YISRAEL HASHEM ELOKAYNU HASHEM ECHAD
HEAR O'ISRAEL HASHEM IS OUR G-D, HASHEM IS ONEHashems 'ONENESS' is a main idea of Judaism, that there is 'NO OTHER'...
http://www.berotbatayin.org/shema.htm"Hear, Yisrael, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One."
1.Roots of the Shema
There are two Midrashic sources for the historical roots of the Shema. One is the story of Yakov's death, when he asked his children if they had any complaints about Hashem. They responded by declaring, "Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokanyu, Hashem Echad!" (Devarim Rabbah 2:35) This was deeply healing to Yakov, as he realized that he had taught his children so well that they totally embodied his teachings, and had fully integrated Hashem's Oneness into their consciousness. Yakov realized that they would be able to lead the Jewish people with the strength of their emuna shelema (total faith), and thus he experienced a great healing of the suffering of his life, and was able to die peacefully, having achieved a level of spiritual development equal to the angels.
The second Midrashic source for the Shema is the revelation at Sinai, where it is said that as each of the 10 commandments was given to the Jewish people, they responded with lines of the Shema as a sign of their total acceptance of Hashem's will, and integration of His Oneness, as a people, on the highest soul level, Yechida (Devarim Rabbah 2:36)
Both of these stories begin our understanding of the power and importance of the Shema for every Jew. The spiritual heights attained by the Jews at the time of the revelation, and by Yakov and his children in the merit of their mothers and fathers, are contained as potential within the very syllables of the Shema. It is like a seed that contains the entire Torah, an alchemical formula directly to G-d. It is a verbal mikva, pouring into every level of our souls and aligning us to the truth of Hashem's Oneness, purifying doubt and the temptation to believe that there is anything in the world that is separate from Hashem. This is absolutely the highest spiritual work of every human being, and the special responsibility that is both the blessing and the curse of every Jew: sanctifying The Name as One, in a world of separation and confusion.
See also:
http://www.divreichizuk.com/id24.html"EIN OD MILVADO"-- "There is none beside Him"
It is not sufficient to mouth the words "ein od milvado" but we must actually feel it. All the forces in the world only exist because we deem them significant, when we feel in our heart that there is no power save that of Hashem then nothing in the world has the inherent ability to inflict any harm upon us. The Torah relates "Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them into the camel's pack-saddle and sat on them" (Bereishit 31:34). Why did she place them specifically in the packsaddle? Perhaps it was the ideal hiding place? Chazal offer an additional reason. These idols had a certain ability to reveal their precise location to Lavan. When did they possess such power? Only when they were treated with honor! If, on the other hand, they were degraded and treated as if they are worthless, their power would cease to function. By sitting on them, Rachel was not only hiding them but also degrading them in an effort to dispossess them of their powers. They would now be unable to inform Lavan of their whereabouts. This is how Avoda Zara operates, its power (assuming it has any) stems only from people attaching importance to it. When, however, no significance whatsoever is accorded it, when it is treated as being worthless, then it can exert no control (see Zohar volume I 164:2). It is not only Avoda Zara, but any force in the world only exists because we endow it with significance. When we truly realize and understand that Hashem is the only force in the world then the other forces will lose their significance and we will realize that nothing in the world can have any effect on us.
Topic: Franchise anthropologist Richard Leakey: Evolution debate will soon be history (Read 5482 times)