Many Jewish commentators believe the secret of Judah’s blessings are implicit in the Hebrew meaning of his name. When Lea, his mother gave birth to him she said, “This time I will give thanksgiving unto the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah! See Genesis 29:35 Judah is taken from the Hebrew word Hodah which means giving thanks. The Jews gave the world two important things; An awareness of God and the concept of gratitude! Aldous Huxley wrote, ” Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.” Jewish life fights against this. The Talmud says, “if someone lacks this trait of thankfulness this person is not in fact a Jew!” The hardest math for most Christians is for us to count our Blessings! It is interesting that in Israel today the only two tribes left out of ten is Judah and Benjamin! The priest tribe of Levites is still there also. The other 10 tribes were lost through persecutions and the exiles from Israel. Why? Why did Judah survive to this day?Could have it been their attitude that bore their name? Judah. Thankyou. Source; Rabbi Benjamin Blech
Tag: rabbi
Yom Kippur-Day of Atonement
The door to Holiness is in you! It is the one marked mistakes. The Holiness of Yom Kippur exists in the space we make through our mistakes. We do not study our defeat to learn from it, we study our defeat to love from it! Source; Rabbi Stephen Baars. Comment; This Rabbi has some good insight here. The year was 1973. I was a young man on my death bed. I had some defeats in my life. I knew it was my last night on earth! I had made one good choice. I received Christ a few days before! I closed my eyes in death. Christ entered the room and told me God Loves You! I am now 62 years old and no experience in my entire life has ever matched Christ coming into my life! Christ’s Love has been healing me ever since 1973. As the Rabbi said His Love flowed out of my defeat! The next 10 years was street ministry to drunks, prostitutes and every other person I met down on Larimer street in Denver, Colorado. Larimer Street was skid row where the worst of the worst hung out! The drunks would be asleep on the side walk and I would awaken them and tell them that Jesus Loves You! It was prison ministry every week. His Love poured out of me and then on to India in 1983. The rest is history. No, His Love continues to flow out of me in 2011. Please see; IndiaJesusLovesyou.com
Christmas Story will not save you!
It was around Christmas time in New York City. It was a cold night with light snow showers. Christmas carol’s were being sung around the city. An old man was walking down the street in Brooklyn. His mind was on his past and the mess he had made of his life! So many bad decisions and wrong choices. His thoughts were where will I go when I die? How do I get rid of my past? As he walked by a church he stopped turned around and knocked on the front door of the church. The Pastor opened the door and invited him in. The old man asked the Pastor if he could join the church? The Pastor said he could if he can answer one question correctly. The question is, “Where was Jesus Christ born?” The old man thought a minute and said, “I think it was Philadelphia?” The Pastor told him he was sorry and he should find another church. So the old man went down the street until he came to a Catholic Church. He knocked on the door and a Priest opened the door and invited him in. Old man asked Priest if he could join his Parish? Priest said he could if he could ask one question correctly. The Priest asked the old man where Jesus Christ was born? The old man said.” I think it was Pittsburg!” The Priest kindly asked him to join another Parish. Discouraged but not defeated he continued down the steets of Brooklyn. After a few blocks he came across a Synagogue. He knocked on the door and the Rabbi invited him in. He asked the Rabbi if he could join his congregation? The Rabbi said yes you can! The old man asked the Rabbi if he was going to ask him any questions? No said the Rabbi. We will take you just as you are! The old man was puzzled? Do you mind Rabbi if I ask you a question? The Rabbi said yes you can ask me any question you would like. The old man said,”I was just curious where was Jesus Christ born?” The Rabbi replied Bethehem! The old man just shook his head and said, “I knew it was in Pennsylvania some place?” The Christmas story cannot save us but Jesus Christ can! Merry Christmas!