This evening I took Lindsey and Chaya to stay with Kathi for the weekend. We had hoped to get her down there to Houston for the entire week, but Kathi's family was dealing with a bug of some kind.

On the way down to Brenham (where Kathi met us), We ran went right through a pretty bad cool front, with lots of rain. By the time we reached Giddings we had made it in front of the storm. Well, on the way back to Austin, just this side of Carmine (other side of Giddings), I met the storm coming back. Boy was it tough driving! for about 5 minutes I was wondering if I was going to get hit by hail.

Anyway if any of you Austinites want to get together Saturday evening after Shabbat or Sunday sometime, please drop me a line. I'd like to take advantage of my lack of responsibilities... in addition to getting a lot done on my project at work, that is.

Labels: Personal

Following are some notes I made on the book From Symposium to Eucharist, by Dennis Smith, which Dr. Michael White “made” me read after we had a discussion on the origins of the “Last Supper”. Some of it may not make much sense if you have not read the book, but I hope that I have explained the issues and my positions well enough to make most of it understandable.

Interesting Apocrypha quotes

Note the correlation between Jubilees 7:20-21 and Acts 15. (“Noahide” commands)

20 And in the twenty-eighth jubilee [1324-1372 A.M.] Noah began to enjoin upon his sons’ sons the ordinances and commandments, and all the judgments that he knew, and he exhorted his sons to observe righteousness, and to cover the shame of their flesh, and to bless their Creator, and honour father and mother, and love their neighbour, and guard their souls from fornication and uncleanness and all iniquity.

21 For owing to these three things came the flood upon the earth, namely, owing to the fornication wherein the Watchers against the law of their ordinances went a whoring after the daughters of men, and took themselves wives of all which they chose: and they made the beginning of uncleanness.

Esther did not defile herself with the Gentile food or wine (14:17 - Greek additions to Esther):

And thy servant has not eaten at Haman’s table, and I have not honored the king’s feast or drunk the wine of the libations. (RSV)

Tobit did not, either (1:5,10-12):

All the tribes that joined in apostasy used to sacrifice to the calf Baal, and so did the house of Naphtali my forefather.... Now when I was carried away captive to Nineveh, all my brethren and my relatives ate the food of the Gentiles; 11 but I kept myself from eating it, 12 because I remembered God with all my heart. (RSV)

Judith brought her own food with her when she went somewhere else, bringing enough to provide for herself. (12:1-2,19):

Then he commanded them to bring her in where his silver dinnerware was kept, and ordered them to set a table for her with some of his own delicacies, and with some of his own wine to drink. 2 But Judith said, “I cannot partake of them, or it will be an offense; but I will have enough with the things I brought with me.” 3 Holofernes said to her, “If your supply runs out, where can we get you more of the same? For none of your people are here with us.” 4 Judith replied, “As surely as you live, my lord, your servant will not use up the supplies I have with me before the Lord carries out by my hand what he has determined.” (RSV)

Smith uses Ben Sira as a model for the entirety of Jewish table practice; however, it is clear that Ben Sira was teaching aristocratic Jews, not the general public. This requires Ben Sira to write from a distinctly Greek/Hellenized context, despite his proclamations regarding observance of the Torah.

Smith gives some interesting information on the “Chaverim”. He says that they made distinctions between themselves and the amei ha’aretz and that they focused on strict observance of purity laws and tithes. Is it possible that they are Beit Shammai portion of the P’rushim we see Yeshua dealing with in the Torat Hashlichim?

Common table customs are not indicative of common understanding. I can easily see Paul giving basic instructions to the Gentiles in Greek cities and teaching them in ways that they can understand. I can also see the Gentile Greek believers continuing to follow their old ritual practices as they adopt new ideas and theologies. We know for sure that the Gentile believers did not observe all of the Jewish practices, else we would not have the “Church” as we know it today. The commonality of the table practices does not require that the “Last Supper” be seen as a Greco-Roman meal and not a Pesach seder.

Notes on the incident at Antioch: Galatians 2:11-14

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? (NASB)

• Paul and Peter are both surprised by the situation. It was atypical, not something that had been encountered much, if ever, before.
• The issue was that of Jewish identity and the common thought of the day that eating with Gentiles would make one impure. Those of the “circumcision group” (and, later, Peter) appear to be experiencing some shock at the idea of eating with Gentiles, since that issue is not encountered in the congregations in Jerusalem.
• Paul’s argument, and Peter’s original perspective, is consistent with Peter’s experience with Cornelius in Acts 10: Gentiles are not impure.

Notes on the issue of meat sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8 and 10):

• Cannot be talking about Jewish believers.
• Gerd Theissen proposes the most likely reason for the discussion: “strong” = rich, “weak” = poor. The poor believers have only associated meat at festival meals, while the rich believers are accustomed to eating meat at most or all communal meals. This is the source of controversy.

The correlations in Paul’s discussion of the “Lord’s Supper” in 1 Corinthians 11 to the Greco-Roman meal practices of the day make sense. I can see easily that Paul’s discussion is intended to make correlations between the practices already being observed by the Gentile believers and the teaching of Messiah’s death. Remember that the context of the book is that of unity. Thus, Paul's approach of building a correlation between the Gentiles’ cultural practices and an ethical teaching on unity is a midrashic approach.

Some questions this brings up:

1. Is the Eucharist in its current form the best manner in which to observe it? (And which form is that?)
2. How much influence did the Greek symposium practices really have on Jewish table practices? How much of the Jewish practices were just outgrowths of the Jewish tradition and prior practice (e.g. hand washing)?

We can’t forget that nothing happens in a vacuum. The practices followed by Yeshua and Paul were influenced by their communities, and the Jewish world was Hellenized to some degree, even in Eretz Israel. How much is probably the real issue up for debate.

Smith does not really go so far as to address the issue of the current form of the Eucharist itself, or even to put into a concise statement what he thinks of its origins. He really appears to be laying a foundation—making the case for symposium influences on the event. The next step I would take is to look at the 1st-3rd century developments of the Eucharist and see how the communal symposium turned into sacrament devoid of a meal setting.

Smith’s work is starkly lacking in discussions on Jewish practice of the day, except for one chapter with few details. This is apparently due to his scholarly focus on Greco-Roman customs and Greek literature. He consistently quotes from Plato and other Greek philosophers and sources, but not from Jewish sources. He then goes on to compare Jewish practice to Greco-Roman practice based on his own context of Greek understanding. I have questions about his knowledge of Hebrew (he offers no interpretations of Hebrew words in the book, and offers no other evidence that he is fluent in the language) and of his knowledge of ancient Jewish sources. For instance, his large discourse on Ben Sira shows a decidedly one-sided approach. He puts a lot of emphasis on a book that is not accepted as canon or even used at all in the Jewish world—more emphasis than he puts on rabbinic writings or other texts of the day. Granted, he book-ends his discussion of the historical place of Greco-Roman meal customs in Jewish society, but he also does not make any attempts to offer other literary evidence on the Ben Sira side, as he does on the Tosefta side.

Labels: Biblioblogging

Rabbi Michael mentioned something in his Torah teaching this Shabbat that I wanted to take a deeper look at. He was talking about the sacrificial system and the need for the shedding of blood and he brought up the topic of Cain and Abel's offerings within that context.

Beresheet 4:3-5 says:

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Hashem. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Hashem had respect unto Abel and to his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

The point the rabbi was making was that Cain's offering was not acceptable because it was not a blood sacrifice. While produce was offered in the Tabernacle and Temple, it was always placed on the altar in conjunction with a blood sacrifice.

This got me thinking, however, about the way Cain opted to follow Hashem’s command. Cain decided that it was okay for him to offer a grain offering, even though the only precedent Hashem had set was for blood offerings. Cain's actions bear a striking resemblance to David's and Uzzah's in 2 Samuel 6:3-8:

And they set the ark of G-d upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of G-d, and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before Hashem with all manner of instruments made of cypress-wood, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with sistra, and with cymbals. And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of G-d, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of Hashem was kindled against Uzzah; and G-d smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of G-d. And David was displeased, because Hashem had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place was called Perez-uzzah, unto this day.

This translation (JPS 1917 Edition) says that Cain was “very wroth” and that David was “displeased”, but the Hebrew for both is the same word: וַיִּחַר (vayichar), which comes from the root ‏חָרָה‎ (charah)—“burn, be kindled (of anger)’.

So, what is the correlation? Cain, David, and Uzzah all apparently had pure desires. Cain was offering the best of his produce, the results of his labor in the hot sun—something that meant a lot to him. David wanted to bring the aron kodesh to Jerusalem after it had been recovered from the P'lishtim. He bought a new cart and formed a party to celebrate along the entire road. Uzzah reached out to steady the ark to keep it from falling off the cart and being damaged, an act that was surely performed out of a pure heart. However, Hashem dealt harshly with all three of these men. He banished and cursed Cain and killed Uzzah, making David afraid (see verse 9).

What stands out to me in all three of these men is that despite their pure hearts and motives, they did not observe Hashem's commands as He had declared them. Hashem mandated blood sacrifices; Hashem mandated that the aron kodesh be carried by priests and not placed on a cart (Numbers 7:9); Hashem mandated that no one touch the aron kodesh (Numbers 4:15). These men, however, thought, “That's okay. Hashem will be okay with me just doing this the way that makes the most sense to me.” Then, after events did not turn out the way they planned, they became angry at Hashem. They felt rejected and rebuked... and they were. Hashem taught them the lesson that we all should learn: G-d does not want us to follow Him in the ways we think are right. He wants us to follow him in the ways that He mandated. He is G-d and He does not change.

Hashem has established the Torah as the foundation stone for the rest of the Scriptures, and He demands that we follow it. Common sense is fine, but we need to be very careful to not be drawn into the trap of thinking that observing Hashem’s commands as He has given them is not important. We should not neglect the “dill, mint and cumin” while we practice the “weightier matters of Torah.” (Mattityahu 23:23)

How do we do that? Well, I believe that the best way to follow Hashem is to join with the people who have been doing so the longest. If we join ourselves to the Jewish people then we will automatically find ourselves immersed in obedience to the Torah. Yes, there are areas of disagreement, and yes, there are differences of opinion. But when it all comes down, the fact still remains that observing the Torah is not possible without the Jews. It is their covenant with Hashem and we Gentiles have been given the opportunity to hitch along for the ride. Just don’t get the idea that you can drive better than the people behind the wheel.

Labels: Biblioblogging

Lindsey and I are trying to get rid of a few items, so I thought I would post them here in case anyone was interested...

First up is a Commercial Champion Juicer with Grain Mill attachment. It is in need of repairs, which the manufacturer can perform (should cost about $50, if I recall correctly). It was bought new in January 2002. The going discount price for these juicers is $230.00 (see Discount Juicers). We will sell you this one for $130.00 and throw in the Grain Mill attachment for free (sells for $65.00). We even have all the original paperwork and instruction book.

Next, we have about 5 gallons of Hard Red Winter wheat (about 30-35 pounds), plus a small bag of Soft White wheat. If you have a grain mill and grind your own grain, this would work great for you. Of course, you could also buy our juicer with the grain mill attachment... A great bargain at $10.

Third is a West Bend Slide Thru “The Ultimate Toaster”. This toaster allows toast or bagels to slide through onto a cooling tray. It is in great condition, works well, and is clean. Retails for $58 (see DoitBest.com). We will sell it for only $25.

Last, we have “Kirsten”, an American Girls doll, in her original outfit (blue calico dress and apron, bloomers and shoes, no socks). She is in good condition with no markings on her face or hands, but her bangs have been trimmed a little bit. We will part with her for only $40.

If you are interested in any of these items, I would be happy to discuss getting them to you. If you live outside Austin or Houston, shipping should not be a problem. Contact me at .

Labels: Personal

Lindsey bought some buttermilk last week for something or other, but it has been sitting in the fridge without being opened. I was hungry earlier, so I started looking for recipes that use buttermilk. It was not long until I ran into this one:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tablespoons oil

Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the egg, buttermilk and oil together and add all at once to the dry ingredients.

Stir until slightly lumpy. Cook in a hot non-stick and lightly-greased or buttered skillet.

Makes about 4 regular-sized pancakes, or three with a 6" diameter.

Surprisingly, the recipe did not need any tweaking! (Unlike the peanut butter fudge recipe I have been adjusting for the last month or two.) I highly suggest that you use Earth Balance (or butter, if you must) in the skillet. I found the pancakes irresistible, and I ate mine without any syrup.

Labels: Health, Personal

• He had only one major publication.
• It was in Hebrew; had no references; wasn't published in an academic journal; and some doubt he wrote it himself.
• He may have created the world, but what has he done since?
• The scientific community cannot replicate his results.
• He never received permission from the ethics board to use human subjects.
• When one experiment went awry, he tried to cover it up by drowning the subjects.
• He rarely came to class; telling the students to, "Read the book."
• Some say he had his son teach the class.
• He expelled his first two students.
• His office hours were irregular and sometimes held on a mountain top.
• Although there were only ten requirements, most students failed.

Via Tyndale Tech (incidentally, as Jim Davilla notes, a great list of primary and other sources for Jewish study).

Labels: Biblioblogging

Labels: Lindsey

We caught her! We have been putting socks on Chaya’s hands to keep her from sucking on her fingers, but she has figured out that toes taste just as good...

Labels: Chaya

Lindsey, Chaya, and I just got back from the brand new Whole Foods World Headquarters store in downtown Austin. I have to agree with a guy we heard talking on his cell phone as we passed by him: "It makes Central Market look like your local A&P."

The breadth of the items available there is amazing, and the customer service is just as great as it always has been at Whole Foods. I am completely amazed. A whole range of green building practices were utilized, all of the biodegradeable trash is being composted, other trash is being recycled—even the drain-off from the parking lot is being cleaned before it goes into the sewer system.

If you have a chance to check it out, do yourself a favor and do so. Here are some small pictures I took before the staff told me not to:

Labels: Health