One example of this can be found in the famous Chassidic work, the Tanya. The Tanya was written by the Alter Rebbe at a time where his popularity was growing immensely and yechidut was becoming nearly impossible. In the foreword to the book, he attempts to console his students, who are grieved that they no longer can have such a close and confidential time with their Rebbe. He assures them that now it is his writings that will serve to facilitate this close personal bond. He writes that to "those who know me well ... may my words percolate to them, and my tongue be as the pen of scribe." [1] Later Chassidic literature would insist that "those who know me well" refers to anyone in all generations that studies the Tanya; they too would be intimately connected with the Alter Rebbe and would be considered as his disciples. [2] In fact, no less than the Alter Rebbe's grandson, the Rebbe Rashab, wrote, "To study the Tanya is to converse with the Alter Rebbe." [3]

This concept has been expanded to basically all the works of the great Chassidic teachers and is thought to be effective even after their lifetime. Reb Noson of Breslov taught that "despite the fact that true tzaddikim leave this world, nevertheless their chiddushim (original Torah thoughts)--the halachos/laws that they revealed--remain for us." [4] The Mittler Rebbe adds that even if one did not know or serve a great rabbi in his lifetime "but only studied the holy books that he left over as a blessing, and who bask in the radiance of his Torah teachings" have acquired connection with that rabbi in a very personal way, i.e., hitkashrut. [5] His writings become the cement for that spiritual bond.

For us as disciples of Yeshua, we know that he is our only connection to HaShem; as he said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Despite the fact that we are almost two thousand years removed from his physical presence here on earth, our personal connection with him can be strengthened through reading his words. When we read the Gospels, it is not just an intellectual exercise where we gain head knowledge of events and sayings; rather it is a spiritual engagement whereby we connect with our Master in a real and tangible way.

We must remember that in the Master's day, there were many who physically saw him and spoke with him but yet really didn't know him. Similarly, a Chassidic story relates that once a Chassid came to the Rebbe Rayatz bragging that he had merited meeting the Rebbe's father in person. Sensing the Chassid's insincerity, he replied, "You merited to see [riya] my father. However you did not recognize [hakara] him." [6] It is one thing to know of Yeshua and it is another to know Yeshua himself.

On the contrary, even for those of us thousands of years removed from his physical appearance on earth, as we engross ourselves in his words and deeds, we obtain a bond with him that is as real as it was for the twelve who sat at his feet. To study the Gospels is to have an intimate private conversation with Messiah that will affect the deepest part of our souls.

[1] Likutei Amarim: Tanya (trans. Nissan Mindel et al.; Brooklyn: Kehot Publication Society, 1998), xx.
[2] Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, Opening the Tanya (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2003), 33.
[3] Torat Shalom, 56.
[4] Likutei Halachos on Parshat Shoftim. Translation from Dov Grant, "Learning Halachah: Likutei Halachos on Parshat Shoftim," n.p. [cited 6 September 2011]. Online: http://www.nanach.org/likutay-halachos/devarim/shoftim.html.
[5] Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Proceeding Together (Trans. Uri Kaploun; 3 vols.; Brooklyn, NY: Sichos in English, 1995), 1:15-16.
[6] Rabbi Chaim Dalfin, Farbrengen: Inspirational Stories and Anecdotes (New York, NY: Ostar Sifrei Lubavitch, 1999), 11.

Rosh Chodesh Av (the first day of the month of Av on the Jewish calendar) marks the beginning an intensified period of mourning as we draw closer to the date that the Temple was destroyed.

Rosh Chodesh Av, which began this year on Sunday evening, July 31, is also the yahrzeit of Dr. Paul Philip Levertoff, a pioneer in the Messianic Jewish movement.

Feivel the Chasid

Excerpt from Love and the Messianic Age:

In 1887 a nine-year-old Chasidic Jew named Feivel Levertoff was trudging home from the cheder (a Jewish day school) when a discarded scrap of paper caught his eye. It was printed with Hebrew text. Supposing it was a leaf from a prayer book or other sacred volume, Feivel picked it out of the snow.

He quickly read the piece of paper. It was a page from a book he had never read before. It told the story of a boy like himself--not much older either--whose parents found him in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, expounding the Scriptures and learning with the great sages of antiquity.

When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. (Luke 2:45-47, NASB).

True to his prestigious family ancestry, nine-year-old Feivel was already showing signs of becoming a great scholar when he found the scrap from the Gospel of Luke. That explains why he was so intrigued by the mysterious page from the forbidden book.

Some time later Feivel unwittingly came across another Gospel passage--this time from the book of John. Because of John's rich, mystical content, Feivel assumed the text was a Chasidic discourse. When he realized that he had actually been reading the Gospel of John, his curiosity about Christianity and its forbidden books was heightened.

After bar mitzvah at the age of thirteen, Feivel began his formal education at the prestigious Volozhin Yeshiva in Lithuania, where he excelled in his studies and graduated early. He was well on his way to becoming a celebrated rabbi.

He continued his learning at a university in the Prussian city of Königsberg. It was there, at the age of seventeen, that he encountered the Gospels again. Outside of his community and far from home, this time he determined to read them through.

The writings led him to a profound and shaking conclusion: Yeshua of Nazareth had indeed been the promised Messiah. From then on, Feivel was the devoted Chasid of Rebbe Yeshua from Nazareth.

For Messianic Judaism of our own day, Feivel Paul Philip Levertoff is a hero of the previous generation, a trailblazer and luminary ahead of his time. The Lord did indeed grant him understanding, knowledge, and wisdom to be an example to his generation, an example to our generation and to the generations that will come after us. Services in Messianic Jewish congregations today are similar to those Levertoff conducted a generation ago. From the time he first came to Messiah to the end of his life, Levertoff understood that the faith practiced by Yeshua and his followers was Judaism. Though he lived in a Christian world, he did not abandon his convictions about Judaism, his Chasidic roots, or his steadfast belief that the Gospels and Apostolic Writings belonged to Judaism.

An Israelite in Whom There Is No Guile

In the last years of Dr. Levertoff's life, he took a position as the honorary chaplain of the old "Leper Chapel" church in Ilford, England. By spring of 1954, his health was failing, but Levertoff received permission from his doctor to attempt leading the Good Friday and Resurrection services. In Anglican tradition, a Good Friday prayer service and series of teachings is conducted from noon until 3:00 PM called the "Three Hours," commemorating our Master's last three hours on the cross.

Dr. Levertoff led the teaching and liturgy through the first two hours, but just as he was beginning his sermon of the third hour which remembers our Master's death, Levertoff paused in mid-sentence, hesitated, and said, "I am sorry, I must stop for a moment." He slowly descended from the pulpit and sat in the pew below. In the startled silence, everyone in the congregation sank to their knees to pray for their beloved teacher. Dr. Levertoff made a second attempt, but again lost his strength. His congregation gathered in the courtyard to console him and speak words of encouragement as he was escorted from the chapel and into a waiting taxi with his wife.

Dr. Levertoff was hospitalized and eventually released to convalesce at his home in Ilford under the care of his wife Beatrice. As word of his illness spread, concerned Jewish and Christian friends from all over the world began to visit. The Levertoff home received a constant flow of Jews, Gentiles, Christians, and otherwise. His wife Beatrice described her husband's last days:

His thoughts were constantly with heavenly things, the things of earth became of no moment. In delirium he spoke only of spiritual things, of God, of his desire to express adequately his love for God. To everyone who came to see him he soon turned every talk to such matters. At such moments he would rally to such an extent that, even to the last, those who visited him could hardly grasp the frail hold he now had on earthly life. (Church and the Jews, 180, Autumn 1954)

Despite volumes of prayer, his health did not improve, and he suffered for three months. Shortly before his death, he rose from his bed and danced a Chasidic dance. Mrs. Levertoff described his death:

On the 31st of July, in the very early hours, saying to me his last words, which here "Good-bye," he left me to go with glad relief from pain, into the waiting outstretched arms of the Lord he so loved so utterly ... All trace of pain left, and he smiled, serene and sure in a way that convinced all who looked on him that he was not just at peace, resting from his pain, but had attained his heart's desire--to magnify Him as he really would wish ... His great learning was all forgotten in his goodness, his loving-kindness, his wise, good heart. (Church and the Jews, 180, Autumn 1954)

His tombstone says, "An Israelite in whom there is no guile."

The Meaning of Yahrzeit

Yahrzeit is a Yiddish word of German origin that means "time of year." It is a term for the anniversary of a person's death. Family members commemorate the yahrzeit of their loved ones by lighting a twenty-four-hour candle and reciting the Kaddish prayer:

May [God's] name be magnified and sanctified in the world that he created as he willed. May he cause his kingdom to reign, and may he cause his deliverance to sprout forth, and may he bring near his messiah during your lives, and during your days, and during the lives of the entire house of Israel, quickly and soon. Now say, Amen.

May his great name be blessed forever and for all eternity. May the name of the Holy One, blessed is he, be blessed, acclaimed, glorified, lifted up, upraised, honored, elevated and praised far above every blessing or song, acclamation or comforting word that is said in the world. Now say, Amen. May there be abundant peace from heaven, and good life for us and for all Israel. Now say, Amen. May the one who makes peace in His heights make peace in his compassion for us and for all Israel. Now say, Amen.

Students, especially in Chasidic circles, often commemorate the yahrzeit of their teacher by gathering together to study his works or to study Torah in honor of his memory. This can often be a celebratory occasion, rather than sorrowful one.

May the memory of Dr. Paul Philip Levertoff, a luminary of the Messianic Jewish movement, serve as a blessing.

These words introduce a new translation of the four Gospels, not from the Greek of its oldest and best original manuscripts, but from Hebrew. Still, we might ask why we need another Jewish-oriented translation of the Gospels. And even if we do, why base it on a text that is itself a translation?

The answer lies with the Hebrew Gospel text itself, which was translated by the renowned 19th century biblical scholar, Franz Delitzsch. Delitzsch was a prolific scholar, whose extensive commentary on the Old Testament, co-authored with C.F. Keil, remains in wide use today, but he considered the Hebrew New Testament his crowning achievement. It went through eleven editions, and enjoyed a circulation of 60,000 copies--not a bestseller, of course, but an impressive number for a translation of the iconic Christian book into the language of the Jewish people. Speaking of this work, Delitzsch said, "Far from priding myself, I acknowledge, on the contrary, the merits of my fellow-labourers, among whom are not a small number of Jewish friends. We have cause to say, that our new translation has contributed somewhat to bring the New Testament nearer to the Jews, as a prominent work of their literature."

Delitzsch maintained this same understated approach in his witness to Jewish friends. Believing that "Only God's word does it," he sought to produce a translation that would convey the message of Messiah Yeshua with sensitivity and regard toward the Jewish people he loved. Delitzsch also sought to recapture the Jewish context of the Gospels, rendering them into classical Hebrew that reconnected them to the matrix of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and rabbinic literature.

A hundred and twenty years after Delitzsch's death, Vine of David, a branch of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), has produced an English translation of his Gospels that captures its rich Jewish flavor and deep connection to the Tanakh. For years, FFOZ was known for promoting Torah observance as an obligation for all believers, Gentiles as well as Jews. Eventually, however, as Director Boaz Michael comments, "We realized that we couldn't force our Gentile-obligation theology through the grid of Acts 21, where the apostles clearly distinguish between what's expected of Jewish and Gentile believers." FFOZ shifted its terminology from obligation to invitation for Gentiles, believing that this preserves a significant place for Gentiles within the wider Messianic movement without diminishing the unique covenant responsibility of the Jewish people. This shift led FFOZ to launch Vine of David specifically to publish materials for Jewish people, while maintaining its extensive teaching ministry primarily focused on Gentile believers. "Damage was done to the name of Yeshua among the Jewish people by taking him outside of his Jewish context," Michael explains, "and Vine of David seeks to repair that damage." He continues, "In Messianic Judaism, we need to be devoted to the study of the words and teachings of Messiah. I am confident that some have shied away from Gospel studies because, as people become more familiar with Torah, the Christian presentation of the Gospels feels less authentic. The DHE [Delitzsch Gospels] will change that, and give people the opportunity to study the Gospels within authentic Jewish space, bringing depth to the Gospels from a Jewish perspective."

Examples of this depth abound, including some cited in the DHE Introduction. One example, Matthew 6:34, says, "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (ESV). Delitzsch, according to the Introduction, "recognized this phrase as a rabbinic proverb. Not only does it appear in the Talmud (b.Brachot 9b), it remains a common figure of speech even today in modern Hebrew. By including this proverb verbatim, Delitzsch produces an authentically and intrinsically Jewish representation of Yeshua and quite likely approximates Yeshua's actual spoken words." As another example, Mark concludes his description of Yeshua's temptation in the wilderness, "he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him" (Mark 1:13 ESV). Delitzsch translates "wild animals" as chayot, a term also used in Ezekiel 1 to describe the "living creatures" surrounding the throne of God. This suggests that Yeshua, like Moses and the prophets, was granted a vision of the heavenly court at the culmination of his testing.

Much of the DHE translation will sound familiar to most English readers, but gems like these make it a valuable resource for students, especially those with a background in Hebrew and the Tanakh. At the same time, the hope that it will be an effective resource for outreach seems well-founded. The book is physically beautiful, and resembles other Jewish editions of Scripture, such as the familiar Artscroll Chumash (Pentateuch). Vine of David is publishing an edition in honor of Levy Hirsch, Delitzsch's Jewish godfather and mentor, which will be distributed in cooperation with Messianic Jewish groups active in reaching out with the message of Messiah.

In preparing this review, I had access to an electronic version and found myself longing to have a real copy in my hands, just to touch it and turn the pages. It is a beautiful volume, in line with the Jewish tradition of hiddur mitzvah, or beautifying an object used to fulfill a mitzvah.

For it was taught: "This is my God, and I will adorn him"--that is, adorn yourself before him in the fulfillment of commandments: make a beautiful sukkah in his honor, a beautiful lulav, a beautiful shofar, beautiful fringes, and a beautiful scroll of the Torah... (Talmud, Shabbat 133b)

The physical beauty of the Vine of David Gospels reflects the One who inspired the text, and the One of whom it speaks. It reflects well the hope expressed by the translators: May those who study his words take up his yoke and find peace for their souls, for the words of eternal life are with him. (from the Introduction)

Rabbi Russ Resnik
Rabbi Russ Resnik is the author of Divine Reversal: The Transforming Ethics of Jesus, and the Executive Director of the UMJC.

This review appeared in the July/August 2011 edition of the Messianic Times.

Not always.

The fact is that line extensions are risky. Statistically the majority of them fail. They can weaken the original product or service making it vulnerable to competition, and they can cause the company to lose ground by diluting their focus.

Line extension can grow a company or harm it. A bad toothpaste can hurt the image of a good mouthwash. Marketing laser-focused on one thing can suffer by being divided across varying segments of buyers. Poor choices for brand extension may destroy and deteriorate the core brand.

Think of all the producers and products that are in the world--millions. Think of all the line extension possibilities--billions. Most new products are line extensions. Most new products fail. So why do businesses continue in the practice of line extension in spite of the overwhelming evidence of probable failure? Two primary reasons:

1. Businesses with long-term objectives realize the need to address different aspects of the markets and are willing to take short-term losses to accomplish long-term goals.
2. Businesses with short-term objectives in mind capitalize on their market presence for immediate profit without regard for, or thought towards, the long-term impact on their core brand.

Dual Mission or Chasing Two Rabbits?

First Fruits of Zion is not a traditional business looking for profits and new markets, but we are an educational ministry that gleans from solid business practices that help us accomplish our spiritual mission. And the "line-extension" issue very much relates to our work.

We very much desire to see positive change in churches on issues dear to us (and to you) and to embrace its shared heritage with the people of Israel.

We equally desire to promote Yeshua as the risen Messiah of his own people, the Jewish people.

For years we have felt that the church's subtle misrepresentation of Jesus is the greatest obstacle to the Jewish Gospel--so we have sought to bring needed correction to the church for the sake of the Messiah.

More recently, recognizing the rich heritage of early Messianic Jewish pioneers and delving more deeply into Jewish tradition and thought, we have felt Judaism's discomfort with messianic concepts which affirm Yeshua needs to be addressed.

Therefore, First Fruits of Zion has essentially added a line extension to the original mission of educating Christians. That line is the extended mission of being a witness to the people of Israel.

How do we accomplish both of these missions?

First, try to understand some of the problems we face in relating to two kinds of audiences at once. We recently met with a group of pastors that desire the foundation of their church to be Hebraic--a church that leans on and gleans from its Jewish origins. As a church they want to connect to the Jewish Jesus, Israel, and the Jewish people. They have rejected replacement theology and are wrestling through other traditional interpretations that have brought division and separation from the Hebraic origins of the Church.

The pastors shared with me that they have discovered a disappointing phenomenon. If they present an idea or an interpretation from the text as if it was their own idea (even though they obtained it through Jewish sources) it is warmly received without criticism. However, every time they state that it is "a Jewish interpretation..." or credit "the sages of Israel..." or the "rabbis" or "rabbinic sources," walls go up.

The exact same statement is variously received warmly if given as the leader's own opinion, or rejected or heavily critiqued if given as a Jewish traditional understanding.

Essentially, if the pastors plagiarize Jewish interpretation, making it their own, or hide their sources, all is well. If they connect with Judaism, Jewish interpretation, or Israel, they are met with rejection.

A separate example came to me just a couple of hours ago. A Christian blogger sent me the following note:

One of my readers pointed me to your site (FFOZ). He asked for my opinion. I could not give it because I hadn't heard of the site yet. He told me his pastor told him it was "more Judaizing drivel" and not to waste his time. I checked the site out and told him I would get back to him when I returned state-side. Since then, I have had almost a dozen people ask me off the cuff about FFOZ. It started really bothering me so I tore your site(s) apart last night in order to give something close to an educated answer. I keep telling them time and again to check it out for themselves, but some are just too frightened to throw themselves at something as daunting as Hebrew (or more aptly, Judaic) studies of any sort. Particularly with pastors warning against it.

First Fruits of Zion is a teaching ministry. We have a focused mission to educate Christians in the foundations of their faith. We do this through the presentation of the Jewishness of Jesus, by Torah education, and through exposing perspectives that need correction within a church that has forgotten or rejected its connection to the Land, the People, and the Scriptures of Israel. But are we losing our Christian reader with our personal comfort and presentation of Jewish thought or use of Jewish sources?

Remember, we also have a mission to share and defend Yeshua as the Messiah of the people of Israel. If we remove all Jewishness from our message to accomplish education within the church, what have we accomplished? Nothing. Additionally, we remove the opportunity to communicate the Jewishness of Jesus to Jewish people because we have removed the support of Jewish sources and the voice of greater Jewish thought.

Confucius said: Man who chases two rabbits catches neither.

With intent we have "extended our line," so to speak, with long-term objectives in mind even though we will and have experienced some short-term losses. Albeit risky, we feel it is the only way to address the message and people we serve.

A Religious Line Extension

You who support this work do so because you believe we will be a credible, balanced, and strong voice for positive change in churches and in the lives of Jesus-followers. Your expectations do not stop there. You also have a sense of how all of this understanding is ultimately intended to provoke the people of Israel to see the risen Messiah. You give us, in a sense, the mandate to effect change in these areas. Here is how we are doing that:

1. The work of First Fruits of Zion is focused on Torah education and Messianic resources for Christians and the Church.
2. The work of Vine of David is focused on the development of resources for Messianic

Jewish communal expression, and appealing for and defending Yeshua as the Messiah to the people of Israel.

Many of you, perhaps most of you, are well aware of the message and mission of First Fruits of Zion. I think it would be fair for me to consider that we share a similar dream. When I dream and think of the work of First Fruits of Zion, I dream of a day in which through our work we will help Christians see and begin to interpret their faith differently. I see a future when the Church defines herself within her Jewish origins.

In late 2008, First Fruits of Zion quietly started a sister ministry called Vine of David. It is, in business terms, a classic "line extension." Essentially the work of First Fruits of Zion created a new "brand" (Vine of David) to be more specific in our message, voice, and focus towards two audiences. This division helped strengthen us internally by giving us two platforms to accomplish our shared mission more effectively.

At the time we launched it, some concerns were raised (and even some harsh criticisms). Much like the experience of the Judaically informed pastors who found acceptance unless they cited a Jewish traditional source, we found some people not open to some traditional Jewish avenues of teaching and proclamation.

As I reviewed this very issue of Messiah Journal and prepared to write this letter I felt that this issue was more of a Vine of David journal than a First Fruits of Zion one. My impression was that the majority of the articles in this particular edition might miss the mark on connecting with Christian readers wanting to learn about their roots.

From that realization I proceeded to think further that many of you have not heard from our own mouths the intention of our efforts with Vine of David. I thought that this would be a great opportunity for me to share with you the vision of this line extension from First Fruits of Zion.

Who and What is Vine of David?

Vine of David is a publishing arm of First Fruits of Zion that specializes in early Messianic Judaism and the development of Messianic liturgical resources. The mission of Vine of David is to reveal Yeshua as the light to the nations and as the glory of the people of Israel. Whereas First Fruits of Zion focuses primarily on proclaiming the Torah and its way of life, Vine of David's efforts are focused on the argument for Yeshua as the Messiah of Israel and the creation of resources for the maturing Messianic Jewish movement.

As I stated, the mission of Vine of David is to reveal Yeshua as the light to the nations and as the glory of the people of Israel. This mission is drawn from the verse, "For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared before all of the peoples: light to illuminate the eyes of the nations and the majesty of your people Yisra'el." (Luke 2:30-32 DHE).

The Name, Vine of David

"Vine of David" is a phrase taken from apostolic-era literature where it is used as a reference to the Davidic dynasty and the Messiah. The Didache (an early Jewish-Christian document) prescribes a blessing for wine: "We thank You, our Father, for the holy vine of Your servant David." The vine is evocative of both Yeshua who declared himself to be the true vine and the Messianic Era when every man will sit under his own vine and fig tree (Micah 4:4).

The Vine of David Logo

The Vine of David logo depicts a crown for "King Messiah" that is intersected by the letter "Yod," which is both the first letter in the name of God and the first letter in the name of Yeshua. The tip of the Yod reaches to the heavens, and the bottom rests on the arch of the earth symbolizing the bridge between heaven above and earth below which is the Messiah (Yeshua). Better-stated, Yeshua is the bridge between man and God.

Defining the Work of Vine of David

All of the resources that we create at Vine of David are intended to be legacy-level works. Legacy level works are not your average books. We are committed to making every work produced by Vine of David the highest quality and beautifully presented. These works either represent our rich heritage or will be used in worship contexts and therefore need to be presented in an honorable and endearing manner.

Messianic Judaism has a significant history and a vibrant future. Through a tedious process of translation, we will formally publish the early voices of Messianic Judaism. We have many translations underway. Some of the historical works that we are currently in the process of restoring are:

• Beth Tikkun Edition: Yechiel Tzvi Lichtenstein New Testament Commentary
• Paul Philip Levertoff: Religious Ideas of the Chasidim
• Bram: The Wisdom of Avram Poljak
• Limudei HaNevi'im (Teachings of the Prophets), Yechiel Tzvi Lichtenstein

These works, which will defend Yeshua, are from educated and credentialed Jewish rabbis who became impassioned believers. For the most part they all remained within Judaism and served as lone and persecuted voices for the risen Messiah. Their perspectives and understandings are some of the most authentic and authoritative commentaries we have on our faith from an authentic Jewish space.

Through high standards of professionalism we will formally publish communal (and traditional) resources that will help further define and shape Messianic Jewish worship and expression. We have a whole list of resources that we hope, with God's help, to complete. Some of the communal and liturgical works that we are currently in the process of developing are:

• The Delitzsch Hebrew-English Gospels (and eventually the entire NT)
• Complete Messianic Jewish Siddur
• Messianic Jewish Machzorim
• Sabbath Table Bencher for the three meals of Sabbath complete with prayers and Sabbath table songs training CD

We hope, as believers participating respectfully in the historical, traditional, and communal expression of our faith, to create compelling materials that are a testament for Messiah. It is our intent with these resources to work with others in wider Messianic Judaism and to glean from, and collaborate with the community, which will find the primary benefit from these materials.

Defending Yeshua through Vine of David

Much effort has been made in some church circles to distance Christians from the Jewish foundations of their faith--yet even more has been done in regards to defaming Yeshua as the Messiah within Judaism. Every Messianic prophecy concerning the Messiah has been reinterpreted or challenged; the extremes of anti-Semitism within the church have been consistently presented; the anti-Jewish and anti-Torah doctrines that developed Christian understandings have been used against us (and Yeshua); and a general suspicion has been planted in the Jewish mind regarding the motives of believers.

To assist in defending Yeshua to Jewish people and authenticating our faith from a Jewish view of Scripture and through Jewish sources, we spend great effort to define or defend core beliefs and the tenets of our faith. A good example of this is found in the article, "The Second Coming and the Days of the Messiah: A Chasidic Approach" on pg. 66 of this journal. To Christians the defense or argument for a second coming of the Messiah is not needed--to Jewish people it is a critical juncture of understanding. This single subject is one of the key reasons why Jewish people reject Yeshua out-of-hand. Our purpose with this article is to show from Jewish sources and respected Jewish sages and rabbis, that the Messiah will have two advents.

In addition to creating articles that deal with single subjects we hope to:

• Update and strengthen the material produced at the 2007 FFOZ Conference entitled, "To Whom Shall We Go."
• Develop formal responses and thorough treatments of anti-missionary works like, "26 Reasons Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus"
• Have staff members available for dialogue with Jewish people that inquire about Messiah.

As a side note, there are many believing Gentiles that begin to study Jewish sources. They see Jewish interpretations, and begin to question Yeshua as Messiah. Part of our work in this area is to hit this problem head on with thorough and comprehensive responses to questions that bring doubt into believers' minds regarding the Messiah.

Vine of David and Jewish Outreach

First Fruits of Zion is focused on Torah education and outreach to Christians. Vine of David is focused on outreach to the Jewish people. There is a sense in which informing Christians about Jewish roots and equipping Messianic Jews with solid material is already proclaiming and defending Yeshua. But there are areas in which we will be more direct. The best example of this is through our efforts with the Delitzsch Hebrew-English Gospels.

Because of past polemics, current testimony, dismissive theologies, and a shameful history, many in the church and even in Messianic Judaism are frozen in our efforts to share the gospel message with or to Jewish people. We may feel intimidated or think that it is not needed. The publication of the Delitzsch Hebrew-English Gospels can solve many of those misgivings. Evangelism is difficult and awkward. At his memorial Delitzsch was eulogized: "The ideal aim of his spirit was to awaken a dead people, to strengthen the dying in Israel." And that, "His Hebrew New Testament was the most effective missionary among the Jews ... [Delitzsch] was the soul of missions among Israel in all of Christendom."

While we will not be involved in direct evangelism (from a traditional Christian perspective) we will be making this resource available for free distribution through qualified Messianic Jewish synagogues and outreach organizations. Vine of David will supply the Delitzsch Hebrew-English Gospels for free to Jewish believers who, within the context of relationship, can then give it out to pass on to Jewish friends, colleagues, and family members.

Combining this direct effort with the more indirect efforts of First Fruits of Zion and Vine of David, we will form a very visible, viable, and positive testimony for Messiah. For more information on Franz Delitzsch see his story and testimony on page XX of this journal.

Concerns about Vine of David

Any "line extension" makes the core brand vulnerable, and the development of Vine of David certainly opened up First Fruits of Zion to concern and criticism. Sometimes critics even engaged in statements reflecting anti-Judaism. Misunderstandings and even rivalry can be expected in any human endeavor, even religious work.

As in the example I shared above about pastors teaching Jewish roots, there is resistance to anything Jewish in the Christian churches. Surprisingly, there is also great animosity in parts of the Messianic world toward traditional Judaism. This is the primary root of many concerns and criticisms shared with and about Vine of David.

The works that we will be presenting through Vine of David will be thoroughly Jewish. We will not, as we do in Fruits of Zion, couch every statement, concept, reference, or use of certain Jewish sources with disclaimers and explanations. We are assuming a Jewish audience or a mature and knowledgeable Messianic Gentile reader. Additionally, we will not be censoring the thoughts, theologies, or understandings of early Messianic pioneers when they conflict with ours. We feel that it is not our responsibility or right to change or edit their works--in fact we feel like some of their thoughts need to be heard, considered, and discussed.

If we are going to reach the Jewish people with the message of the Messiah we need to do our best to do it from and within Jewish sources. Taking from the translators introduction in Limudei HaNevi'im (Teachings of the Prophets) by Yechiel Tzvi Lichtenstein we state:

Throughout his commentary, Lichtenstein quite unapologetically presents Jesus and the apostles as completely Jewish figures, interpreting their teachings in light of the prophetic, rabbinic, and mystical heritage of Judaism. In the present book, which was published in 1869, 22 years before the first volume of his New Testament commentary appeared, Lichtenstein sets before him the task of a theologian: to distill a single, authentic, universal, Jewish theology from the divergent teachings of ancient prophets, philosophers, rabbis, and mystics. He accomplishes this without ever resorting to the New Testament as a source for his views; instead, in the last of the book's seven essays, he attempts to prove, using the New Testament, that even the founders of Christianity did not depart on any point from the original, prophetic Jewish theology.

Essentially Lichtenstein in this work defends and reveals Yeshua as the Messiah exclusively through Jewish sources and at the same time connects the foundations of Christianity to Judaism.

We have a vision and mission for the church and the Jewish people. But speaking to the Jewish people requires a different voice, references of source, different theological assumptions and paradigms, and respect for the greater tradition and broader community.

Vine of David is a line extension of First Fruits of Zion. It is a risk. But to us it is an unavoidable risk. We are working not for short-term appeal, we will take the heat so to speak, for the sake of the Messiah--repositioning him within the Jewish people and Judaism is going to be a fierce fight, but we are fighting for the long-term goal of establishing the Jewishness of Yeshua.

A Shared, Single Focus

Our core message has always been about Yeshua, and I am proud say that in the coming months and years you will see this message sharpened and becoming an even greater focus through both First Fruits of Zion and Vine of David.

We desire to reflect our Master's teachings and his life, and to continue to establish his Kingdom. Teaching the proper Yeshua means that we need to teach the Torah. His life was all about teaching the lost to return to God and obey the commandments of the Torah. We deeply desire to educate all of God's people in the ways of the Torah, and by that we are extending the teachings and message of our Messiah.

Supporting the Work of Vine of David

We're supporting outreach efforts by supplying for free the Hebrew-English Gospels to Jewish inquirers. This involves time-consuming translation and editing work. We are supporting a strong Jewish faith in Messiah Yeshua by painstakingly restoring the work of early Messianic leaders. Vine of David needs financial support from those who are empowered by and inflamed with this mission. If you are interested in supporting this work monthly, or would consider sponsoring complete resources, you are welcome to contact me or visit our Vine of David website for more information.

Imagine that you are standing in front of a deep well of fresh, cool water. You are parched and thirsty, but "you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?" (John 4:11).

Though the water is right in front of you, it might as well be on another continent. If you were dying of thirst, how much would you give for a bucket and rope? We're happy to be a bucket and rope for the Jewish gospel.

Thank you for your support of this work. Your prayers and contributions strengthen us and enable us to accomplish this mission. Enjoy this issue of Messiah Journal!

Strengthen the hand of Vine of David: Donate Today

Many eager readers have inquired about and requested an update on the forthcoming translation of the Delitzsch Hebrew-English Gospels. We are not letting our excitement over such a monumental work get ahead of us--we are working through this project carefully with a grave sense of responsibility. Translation is a tricky business and we want to make sure we accurately present the Scriptures. We have added some additional layers of reviewers to our processes which require additional time. However, I am pleased to say that for the most part we are still on track for a winter release.

Please continue to pray for us as we work through the final stages of this work.

Translation and Review Process

We have been issuing the text in sections of several chapters at a time to numerous reviewers. The feedback has been extremely helpful. These reviewers have provided feedback about translations that read awkwardly or are unclear. They have helped us to decide what types of terms should be left in Hebrew or marked as idiomatic.

After we make corrections and revisions based on feedback from these reviewers, we send it to a professional editorial company who helps iron out inconsistencies and errors. This process has proven invaluable and has improved the result dramatically.

Delitzsch, Dalman, and the Eleventh Edition

One of the strengths of the Delitzsch Hebrew New Testament is also one of its weaknesses. Delitzsch's original edition was revised and re-published numerous times over the course of decades. Each revision was an improvement over the last, resulting in a highly-polished gem.

A very helpful resource for information related to the different versions is the book Traductions hébraïques des Evangiles, vol IV: Die vier Evangelien von Franz Delitzsch. In addition to explaining the differences between each edition, the book also provides helpful history and reference material.

We have based our translation on the eleventh edition of Delitzsch's New Testament, published in 1892, two years after Delitzsch's death. We feel that this edition captures the culmination of Delitzsch's lifetime of work.

In January of 1890, Delitzsch expressed in his will:

Should God call me away from this world, there are two men who are in a position to issue the new edition upon the basis of my manuscript: Dr. Gustav Dalman, Ephorus of the Seminary in our Institutum Judaicum, would be the editor, and Mr. Isar Kahan (Cohen), a teacher in the Seminary, would help in the correction of the proofs, while Mr. Jechiel Lichtenstein, a teacher in the Seminary, would at need take Mr. Kahan's place or act as a second corrector, all this with the constant help of our missionary Mr. Farber.

One reviewer raised an issue regarding this edition. Dalman had a difference of opinion with Delitzsch regarding the primary language of Yeshua first century Jewish Galilee. Delitzsch believed that Hebrew would have been the Yeshua's predominant language, whereas Dalman held to the more common scholarly opinion that it was Judeo-Aramaic. Dalman is famous for his own theory of Aramaic reconstructions of Yeshua's teachings. Did Dalman's editorship in this edition corrupt the integrity of the translation?

After researching this question, we found that the eleventh edition was indeed an improvement based on Delitzsch's own work. A letter written to the Steering Committee after Delitzsch's death explained:

The changes refer almost exclusively to questions of language, and Dr. Delitzsch's wishes have been clearly indicated to him in the many conferences which they had. Associated with Dr. Dalman is Mr. Cohen a learned Christian Israelite, the translator of the Psalms into the Heb/ German. Dalman is by birth a Christian, but has worked with Delitzsch for many years. Both Dalman and Cohen have assured me that their great wish is: not to carry out ideas of their own, but to see that Dr Delitzsch's wishes are faithfully carried into effect.

The collective efforts of many Godly people shaped the Delitzsch Hebrew New Testament into a tool that has served the kingdom well. It is our hope that through republishing this work we will continue the good efforts of Delitzsch and his colleagues a vision that at its heart had the intention of restoring the New Testament back to its original voice. We are honored to be connected and a part of this historic work.

Primary & Secondary Usage Updates

Connecting with and carrying forward such a monumental work is a heavy load to bear. We sense that the work will not be a popular one, so-to-speak, but an essential tool to communicate the Gospel message effectively to Jewish ears. Delitzsch, Dalman, Lichtenstein, Kahan, Biesenthal, Baron, and many other early Messianic Jewish pioneers developed and used this edition of the Hebrew New Testament as an effective tool to communicate the Good News of the kingdom to inquiring Jewish people.

It was also important to Delitzsch that his New Testament would be made available for free to all Jewish people interested. We will carry forward this mandate and offer the Gospels for free to Jewish people seeking truth about Yeshua. We have been spending a lot of time on the road meeting with various Messianic Jewish leaders and Jewish outreach efforts--sharing the vision of this project with them, asking them to serve with us as points of contact for this resource. We have found a favorable response and look forward to providing this resource to them for our shared mission to bring the Gospel message to the Jewish people.

A secondary use or purpose of this new translation is to expose the absolute Jewishness of the Gospels to Christians. The Delitzsch Hebrew Gospels will be unapologetically Jewish. As you know there are many valid and solid translations of the Bible. Our translation will not be any more authentic or authoritative than others. Ours will serve the purpose of revealing the essential Jewishness of text and the teachings of Yeshua. We hope it will help connect the nations back to the original voice, culture, and contexts of the Christian faith. We have met with dozens of pastors, Christian scholars, and church leaders who also share in the vision of this work. The Scriptures are the core source of truth--there is nothing more effective than Scripture to shape one's understanding and perspective. Thus, having a Bible that sets a Jewish understanding and foundation from the beginning is essential for the church as they recognize and become shaped by the Jewish Gospels and an understanding of the centrality of Israel and the Jewishness of Jesus.

Much of our time is spent in communicating the vision, need, and purpose of this transition. When you consider taking on the responsibility of a new Bible translation it is understandably met with much skepticism and suspicion. We pray that many will catch the vision of the need for this unique translation for both the purposes of outreach and also personal learning and understanding.

In Closing

Foundational ideas and historical understandings such as this are obvious reasons why the new Delitzsch Hebrew-English Gospels (DHE) translation will benefit the body of Messiah today. A deep and rich connection to Israel and the Jewishness of Jesus is found in Mr. Delitzsch's Gospels, and it is one that we feel is vital to the maturity of this movement.

Please consider helping us complete our funding. We are about 95% of the way to our goal. Thank you for your support. Your support will go along way to completing this work in a compelling way and financially support the distribution of this Bible into the hands of those that need to encounter Yeshua--the revelation to the Nations and the hope and the glory of the people of Israel.

Support the Delitzsch Hebrew-English Gospels

משנכנס אב, ממעטין בשמחה.

"When Av begins, we decrease our joy." -- b.Taanit 29b.

Rosh Chodesh Av (the first day of the month of Av on the Jewish calendar) marks the beginning an intensified period of mourning as we draw closer to the date that the Temple was destroyed.

Rosh Chodesh Av, which begins this year on Sunday evening, July 11, is also the yahrzeit of Dr. Paul Philip Levertoff, a pioneer in the Messianic Jewish movement.

Feivel the Chasid

Excerpt from Love and the Messianic Age:

In 1887 a nine-year-old Chasidic Jew named Feivel Levertoff was trudging home from the cheder (a Jewish day school) when a discarded scrap of paper caught his eye. It was printed with Hebrew text. Supposing it was a leaf from a prayer book or other sacred volume, Feivel picked it out of the snow.

He quickly read the piece of paper. It was a page from a book he had never read before. It told the story of a boy like himself--not much older either--whose parents found him in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, expounding the Scriptures and learning with the great sages of antiquity.

When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. (Luke 2:45-47, NASB).

True to his prestigious family ancestry, nine-year-old Feivel was already showing signs of becoming a great scholar when he found the scrap from the Gospel of Luke. That explains why he was so intrigued by the mysterious page from the forbidden book.

Some time later Feivel unwittingly came across another Gospel passage--this time from the book of John. Because of John's rich, mystical content, Feivel assumed the text was a Chasidic discourse. When he realized that he had actually been reading the Gospel of John, his curiosity about Christianity and its forbidden books was heightened.

After bar mitzvah at the age of thirteen, Feivel began his formal education at the prestigious Volozhin Yeshiva in Lithuania, where he excelled in his studies and graduated early. He was well on his way to becoming a celebrated rabbi.

He continued his learning at a university in the Prussian city of Königsberg. It was there, at the age of seventeen, that he encountered the Gospels again. Outside of his community and far from home, this time he determined to read them through.

The writings led him to a profound and shaking conclusion: Yeshua of Nazareth had indeed been the promised Messiah. From then on, Feivel was the devoted Chasid of Rebbe Yeshua from Nazareth.

For Messianic Judaism of our own day, Feivel Paul Philip Levertoff is a hero of the previous generation, a trailblazer and luminary ahead of his time. The Lord did indeed grant him understanding, knowledge, and wisdom to be an example to his generation, an example to our generation and to the generations that will come after us. Services in Messianic Jewish congregations today are similar to those Levertoff conducted a generation ago. From the time he first came to Messiah to the end of his life, Levertoff understood that the faith practiced by Yeshua and his followers was Judaism. Though he lived in a Christian world, he did not abandon his convictions about Judaism, his Chasidic roots, or his steadfast belief that the Gospels and Apostolic Writings belonged to Judaism.

An Israelite in Whom There Is No Guile

In the last years of Dr. Levertoff's life, he took a position as the honorary chaplain of the old "Leper Chapel" church in Ilford, England. By spring of 1954, his health was failing, but Levertoff received permission from his doctor to attempt leading the Good Friday and Resurrection services. In Anglican tradition, a Good Friday prayer service and series of teachings is conducted from noon until 3:00 PM called the "Three Hours," commemorating our Master's last three hours on the cross.

Dr. Levertoff led the teaching and liturgy through the first two hours, but just as he was beginning his sermon of the third hour which remembers our Master's death, Levertoff paused in mid-sentence, hesitated, and said, "I am sorry, I must stop for a moment." He slowly descended from the pulpit and sat in the pew below. In the startled silence, everyone in the congregation sank to their knees to pray for their beloved teacher. Dr. Levertoff made a second attempt, but again lost his strength. His congregation gathered in the courtyard to console him and speak words of encouragement as he was escorted from the chapel and into a waiting taxi with his wife.

Dr. Levertoff was hospitalized and eventually released to convalesce at his home in Ilford under the care of his wife Beatrice. As word of his illness spread, concerned Jewish and Christian friends from all over the world began to visit. The Levertoff home received a constant flow of Jews, Gentiles, Christians, and otherwise. His wife Beatrice described her husband's last days:

His thoughts were constantly with heavenly things, the things of earth became of no moment. In delirium he spoke only of spiritual things, of God, of his desire to express adequately his love for God. To everyone who came to see him he soon turned every talk to such matters. At such moments he would rally to such an extent that, even to the last, those who visited him could hardly grasp the frail hold he now had on earthly life. (Church and the Jews, 180, Autumn 1954)

Despite volumes of prayer, his health did not improve, and he suffered for three months. Shortly before his death, he rose from his bed and danced a Chasidic dance. Mrs. Levertoff described his death:

On the 31st of July, in the very early hours, saying to me his last words, which here "Good-bye," he left me to go with glad relief from pain, into the waiting outstretched arms of the Lord he so loved so utterly ... All trace of pain left, and he smiled, serene and sure in a way that convinced all who looked on him that he was not just at peace, resting from his pain, but had attained his heart's desire--to magnify Him as he really would wish ... His great learning was all forgotten in his goodness, his loving-kindness, his wise, good heart. (Church and the Jews, 180, Autumn 1954)

His tombstone says, "An Israelite in whom there is no guile."

The Meaning of Yahrzeit

Yahrzeit (יאָרצײַט) is a Yiddish word of German origin that means "time of year." It is a term for the anniversary of a person's death. Family members commemorate the yahrzeit of their loved ones by lighting a twenty-four-hour candle and reciting the Kaddish prayer:

May [God's] name be magnified and sanctified in the world that he created as he willed. May he cause his kingdom to reign, and may he cause his deliverance to sprout forth, and may he bring near his messiah during your lives, and during your days, and during the lives of the entire house of Israel, quickly and soon. Now say, Amen.

May his great name be blessed forever and for all eternity. May the name of the Holy One, blessed is he, be blessed, acclaimed, glorified, lifted up, upraised, honored, elevated and praised far above every blessing or song, acclamation or comforting word that is said in the world. Now say, Amen. May there be abundant peace from heaven, and good life for us and for all Israel. Now say, Amen. May the one who makes peace in His heights make peace in his compassion for us and for all Israel. Now say, Amen.

Students, especially in Chasidic circles, often commemorate the yahrzeit of their teacher by gathering together to study his works or to study Torah in honor of his memory. This can often be a celebratory occasion, rather than sorrowful one.

May the memory of Dr. Paul Philip Levertoff, a luminary of the Messianic Jewish movement, serve as a blessing.

In issue number 94 of messiah magazine I wrote about how rabbinic literature has preserved a number of legends about the apostle Simon Peter including the date of his death. Later in a blog post I discussed a possible death date for James the Just based on evidence from the church father Eusebius and the Jewish historian Josephus. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find out that likewise a death date for the apostle Paul has been preserved in the Syriac Church tradition.

The source is called "The Book of the Bee." It was compiled in the twelfth century by Solomon, the Bishop of Bassora and preserves a lot of very Semitic sounding material which may indeed go back to the early Jewish believers. In chapter 48 there is a discussion of the teachings of the apostles and the place of their deaths. Here is the section on Paul.

Paul of Tarsus was a Pharisee by sect, of the tribe of [Benjamin]. When he had been baptized by Ananias, he wrought many miracles, and taught great cities, and bore and suffered dangers not a few for the name of Christ. Afterwards he went to Peter at Rome. When they divided the world between them, and the heathen fell to Paul's lot, and the Jewish nation to Peter, and they had turned7 many to the truth of Christ, Nero commanded that they should both die a cruel death. Then Simon asked to be crucified head downwards, that he might kiss that part of the cross where the heels of his Master had been. As they were going forth to be slain, they gave the laying on of hands of the priesthood to their disciples, Peter to Mark, and Paul to Luke. When Peter had been crucified, and Paul slain, together with many of those who had become their disciples, Mark and Luke went forth by night, and brought their bodies into the city. Now Paul's head was lost among the slain, and could not be found. Sometime after, when a shepherd was passing by the spot where the slain were buried, he found Paul's head, and took it upon the top of his staff, and laid it by his sheep-fold. At night he saw a fire blazing over it, and he went in (to the city) and informed the holy bishop Xystus (Sixtus) and the clergy of the church; and they all recognized that it was Paul's head. Xystus said to them, 'Let us watch and pray the whole night, and let us bring out the body and lay the head at its feet; and if it joins again to its neck, it will be certain that it is Paul's.' And when they had done so, the whole body was restored, and the head was joined to its neck as if the vertebrae had never been severed; and those who saw it were amazed and glorified God. From his call to the end of his life was thirty-five years; he went about in every place for thirty-one years; for two years he was in prison at Caesarea, and for two years at Rome. He was martyred in the thirty-sixth year after the Passion of our Lord, and was laid with great honor in the magnificent royal catacombs in Rome. They celebrate every year the day of his commemoration on the twenty-ninth of the month of Tammuz. (Translation found here)

To me the story is strikingly similar to some of the legends we find about the sages in rabbinic literature. It is also remarkable that not only has a an actual date for his death been preserved but it is a Hebrew date.

Whether it is the actual date Paul died or not, for me it does not matter so much. It is significant enough to me that no other traditional date exists. I'm always looking for an opportunity to remember the Master Yeshua and his Apostles more and more, so this this year on Tammuz 29 my family and I will be remembering the man who was designated the "Apostle to the Gentiles." May his memory serve as a blessing.

But Chassidic Jewish practice provides a remarkable parallel called shirayim. Shirayim (שיריים) means "leftovers." Some Chassidic Rebbes distribute food to their Chassidim that they have first blessed and partaken of. [1] Chassidim believe that, through this practice of eating the leftovers from their Rebbe's table, the disciples intimately connect themselves to their Rebbe and to God himself. While this practice did not show up until almost two thousand years after the Gospels, it provides a worthy area of exploration as we search out Jewish parallels to the Last Seder.

Leftovers

Although the Chassidic custom of shirayim did not fully evolve until about the nineteenth century, we find earlier texts that allude to the sacramental nature of eating a meal. The Torah itself commands the priests to consume portions of the sacrifice brought by the Israelites as a key part in the atonement process. When commenting on Exodus 18:12 where Jethro brings a sacrifice and then he and all the elders eat bread together before God, the Talmud cites Rabbi Abin:

If one partakes of a meal at which a scholar is present, it is as if he feasted on the effulgence of the Divine Presence, since it says, "And Aaron came and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God." (b.Berachot 64a)

Eating a meal with tzaddikim ("righteous individuals") was considered as if one had eaten in the presence of God himself. Additionally we read of the practice of Rabbi Jonathan who would enter the synagogue in the morning after a seudat mitzvah ("festive meal") and consume the crumbs that were left by those who had celebrated this holy meal. [2] He would say, "Let my lot be with him who eats here evenings." [3] Capitalizing on the Torah commandment of leaving the corners of one's field un-gleaned for the poor, [4] the Talmud taught that leaving leftovers at the table was so important that he who doesn't do so "will never see a sign of blessing." [5] Therefore the concept began to develop early on that leftovers bring blessing and that eating the food of the righteous connects an individual to them.

The Talmud teaches that sharing in the kos shel brachah (the cup of wine that grace after meals is said over) brings blessing upon the members of the household. [6] At the Last Seder, Yeshua chose the "cup after they had eaten" (Luke 22:20), the cup over which he would have recited the blessing after the meal, to be symbolic of his blood and thus distribute to his disciples. It is a short leap from these Talmudic-era ideas to what we see in the later Chassidic custom of shirayim.

This has been cited as a source for the Chassidic custom of consuming shirayim--the left-overs of the food and drink of a Rebbe-Tzaddik, and in particular the wine of kos shel berachah (the cup over which he recites grace after meals)--which in general is a source of blessing. [7]

The Rebbe's Tisch

Although the practice of shirayim takes on various forms in Chassidic circles today, such as a Rebbe handing out fruit and nuts at special occasions or disciples of a Rebbe receiving pieces of bread and wine from Rebbe's Kiddush, the most elaborate form is found at a Rebbe's tisch. Tisch (טיש) is a Yiddish word meaning "table" which in Chassidic circles refers to a communal festive meal that takes place either on Shabbat or a Festival. It has been called the "the most enduring and significant public ritual in Hasidic life." [8] The whole meal takes on both an elaborate and sacred tone, keeping two Chassidic principles in mind: dibbuk chaverim (דבוק חברים), the "bonding of friends" and avodah begashmiyot (עבודה בגשמיות) which refers to serving God even in seemingly mundane activities such as eating. At these joyous meals, filled with singing and dancing, the Rebbe would divulge some of the most treasured and intimate of all his Torah teachings.

One of the elements that make these meals so special is the veneration the Chassidic disciples have for their Rebbe. [9] The Rebbe is considered to be a tzaddik, an extremely righteous person who has an intimate connection with God. To the Chassidim, he is their intermediary between them and their heavenly Father. The closer they come to him, the closer they come to God. Therefore the tisch becomes a time to bind themselves with their Rebbe in a unique way.

At the tisch, the shirayim take on an entirely different level. There is usually a huge platter of food where the Rebbe partakes of a small portion and then the food is passed around for all present to take a portion of his "leftovers." The idea is that by partaking of the leftovers of the Rebbe, the disciple is able to connect with him, receive a spiritual blessing, and in turn connect with God. The desire to connect with the tzaddik was so strong that at times it would even lead to frenzy.

It is therefore not surprising that the Hasidim believed the food left over by a Tzaddik had been sanctified, because--given their faith in him--he had already refined everything which needed refining in it and rectified it, so that it was worthy of having blessings rest upon it. That was why they considered the shirayim so holy that they would jump from their places and literally push and shove one another just in order to grab a crumb of the shirayim of a Tzaddik. [10]

The food actually becomes an extension of the Rebbe himself and eating that food connects one to him. The food that the Rebbe had touched was considered holy and not to be wasted. The Chassidim feel that "he sanctifies all the food in his platter and a blessing rests upon it all." [11] The whole meal takes on the symbolism and the tone of a priest offering a sacrifice at the altar in the Holy Temple.

Once, Rabbi Monele Karliner entered the tish [table] of Rabbi Shmuel of Karlin and the Ratner Maggid was cutting the meat for him. His face was burning like a torch, and he took a piece of meat and put it in his mouth and said: I eat this with the same intent as the High Priest in the Holy Temple would eat the sin offering; then he took another piece and said, this one, as a burnt offering. [12]

At the tisch, "the Rebbe's priestly powers are manifested during his administration of the sacramental rites of sanctifying, eating and then distributing to the assembled the shirayim [remains] of his Sabbath meal." [13] Much, like the ancient Israelites partaking of a thanksgiving offering together with the priest, the Chassid counts it a privilege and an immense blessing to sit and enjoy the food of his Rebbe.

The Last Seder

When compared with the Chassidic custom of shirayim, the Master's behavior and language at his Last Seder does not seem foreign to Judaism at all. As we pointed out in rabbinic and Chassidic circles it was this cup of wine after the meal, the kos shel berachah that was considered to be the most special.

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28)

Even the controversial discourse in John 6 has a Chassidic ring to it.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. (John 6:53-56)

In both these Gospel accounts and the Chassidic shirayim we have the idea of connecting to a tzaddik through the eating of food and that the food actually becomes an extension of the tzaddik himself. We also have the priestly imagery of the meal being akin to a sacrifice. In fact these similarities have not gone unnoticed by modern scholars.

Not entirely unlike the Eucharist, shirayim constitute the sacrament that allows the Hasid to attain intimacy with the Divine. [14]

Also, we can see the parallel between the development of "communion" as it evolved from a formal Seder meal into a tiny piece of bread and a sip of wine and the Chassidic tisch as it evolved from a full festive meal into the disciples savoring only small morsels.

Conclusion

Although it is obvious that the actions and words of Yeshua were not influenced by the custom of shirayim and vice versa, it is encouraging to find a similar development to Yeshua's sacrament in Judaism today. It seems that however distant both practices are in the course of time, they are both outcomes of a theology and life based on Torah and Judaism.

Endnotes:

[1] The Lubavitcher Rebbe writes that this "is not a custom of Chabad which developed in Lithuania, though it is prevelant among different trends of Polish and Galacian Jewry." See Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Letters From the Rebbe (3 vols.; New York: Otsar Sifrei Lubavitch, 1998), 3:193.
[2] Ibid.
[3] y.Moed Katan 2:3 (Neusner).
[4] E.g. Leviticus 19:9-10.
[5] b.Berachot 92a.
[6] b.Berachot 51b.
[7] Jacob Schochet, The Mystical Dimension Volume Two: Chassidic Dimensions (New York: Kehot Publication Society, 1995), 98 n. 52. Later Chassidic works would seek to find justification for the shirayim custom in the text of the Tanakh, such as in "And He hath left (hishir, השאיר) behind Him a blessing" (Joel 2:14, YLT) and "Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl (mishartecha, משארתך)" (Deuteronomy 28:5). Because both of these verses contain derivatives of the Hebrew word for leftovers, they are creatively interpreted to allude to this practice (See Sefer Chassidim 888 and Aaron Werthheim, Law and Custom in Hasidism [Hoboken, NJ: KTAV, 1992], 252).
[8] Allan Nadler, "Holy Kugel: The Sanctification of Ashkenazic Ethnic Foods in Chasidism," in Food and Judaism: A Special Issue of Studies in Jewish Civilization Volume 15 (ed. Leonard J. Greenspoon, Ronald A. Simkins, Gerald Shapiro; Omaha: Creighton University Press, 2005), 193-214. For a narrative story about a tisch see Paul Levertoff, "The Wisdom of the Chasids," in Love and the Messianic Age: Study Guide and Commentary (Marshfield, MO: First Fruits of Zion, 2009), 158-163.
[9] For more on the concept of Rebbe and comparisons to Gospel texts see Toby Janicki, "The Exalted Rebbe," in Love and the Messianic Age: Study Guide and Commentary (Marshfield, MO: First Fruits of Zion, 2009), 143-154.
[10] Werthheim, Law and Custom in Hasidism, 253.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Nadler, "Holy Kugel: The Sanctification of Ashkenazic Ethnic Foods in Chasidism," 195.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.

Click here for Part 1. Part 2.

A Messianic Banquet

The Meal of Messiah is a relatively recent innovation in Judaism. It was only introduced a few hundred years ago, and most sects of Judaism do not observe it. Nevertheless, the concept of a coming Messianic Banquet is as old as Judaism itself. The prophet Isaiah states:

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. (Isaiah 25:6)

Ancient Jewish legend has speculated about the details of this feast for thousands of years. The sages imagine that in the future, God will prepare a feast for the righteous in the Garden of Eden and recline with them at the table.[1] The main course will be the meat of the legendary beasts Leviathan and Behemoth along with wine made of grapes from the six days of creation.[2] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be present at the table along with all the righteous resurrected. At the banquet, God will crown King Messiah. The Talmud says that at the end of the meal, no one will be found worthy to say the Grace after Meals except for the Messiah who will take four cups (alluding to a Passover seder) in his hands and says the blessings.[3] Only he is without blemish and therefore deserving of such an honored position at the table.

Our Master also spoke of this great feast that is to take place in the Messianic Era. He alludes to this when he talks about those who will "recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11). The Messianic banquet is called the "marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 21:9). It is to this banquet that Yeshua refers when he told his disciples that he would not eat of the Passover again or drink from the fruit of the vine again "until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God" (Luke 22:16).

The Meal of Messiah is supposed to be a rehearsal and a foretaste of the great Messianic banquet of the future. As believers, we can keep the custom of celebrating the last day of Passover with a Meal of Messiah, and express in physical form our longing for the great banquet when the final marriage of Messiah and his bride will take place. Our Master taught us to eagerly await his coming. What better way to express our anticipation than with a special meal that foreshadows his return?

A Messianic Jewish Meal of Messiah

For the last several years, my family has been keeping the Chassidic custom of ending the last day of Passover with a Meal of Messiah. Not because we are Chassidic or trying to be more orthodox, but because we have found it to be a delightful, meaningful, and joyful custom to focus us on the real meaning of Passover: the great redemptive work of our Messiah. Each year we learn more and more about it and it takes on deeper spiritual significance. Through it, we attempt to taste the Messianic Era in the here and now. At the Meal of Messiah we eat the last of the matzah and drink four cups in remembrance of the body and blood of Yeshua. We celebrate his resurrection by reading Gospel passages about the empty tomb and his appearances to his disciples. We talk about that future banquet when we will recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--when Yeshua will eat of the Passover with us again and drink of the fruit of the vine with us again. We talk about how we long for his speedy coming, and we sing, and sometimes even dance. The Meal of Messiah has become my favorite part of the seven days of Passover. It's made the seventh day unique and significant for my family.

Each year, at the conclusion of the event, I have thought about how wonderful it would be to share this custom with other Messianic believers. This year, Vine of David is publishing a Meal of Messiah haggadah, The Vine of David Meal of Messiah: The Wedding Supper of the Lamb, to help introduce this beautiful custom to Messianic homes and communities.

Celebrating the last day of Passover with the Meal of Messiah has helped instill in me the idea that, each day, I must carry with me his spirit and fervently work to prepare the way for his imminent return. Maranatha! Our Master is coming!

[1] Numbers Rabbah 13:2.
[2] Rapahel Patai, Messiah Texts (Detroit, MI: Wayne State University, 1988), 244-245.
[3] b.Pesachim 119b.

Click here for part 1.

The Meal of Messiah

In the seventeenth century the founder of the Chassidic movement, Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (the Baal Shem Tov) instituted a new custom for the last day of Passover. He called it the Meal of Messiah (Seudat Mashiach,סעודת משיח ). It consisted of a special, additional meal on the afternoon of the last day of Passover, paralleling the traditional third meal of Shabbat. The Baal Shem Tov emphasized that the main component of the meal was matzah. After all, it was the last meal on the last day of Chag HaMatzot, the feast of Unleavened Bread. A few generations later, the Rebbe Rashab (1860-1920) added the custom of four cups of wine, mirroring the seder of the first night. Some Chassidic Jews still celebrate this special Messiah seder on the last day of the festival. They gather together to end the festival with matzah, four cups of wine, and a special focus on the Messiah.

The entire theme of the meal focuses on the coming of Messiah and the final redemption. The meal is festive in spirit. Everyone wishes one another "L'chayim! (to life!)" while discussing their insights into Messiah and their dreams and hopes for the Messianic Era. The meal concludes with fervent singing and dancing in joyous elation over the promise of the Messianic redemption.

What is the connection between the last day of Passover and the coming of Messiah? The Tzemach Tzedek writes:

The last day of Pesach is the conclusion of that which began on the first night of Pesach. The first night of Pesach is our festival commemorating our redemption from Egypt by the Holy One, Blessed be He. It was the first redemption, carried out through Moshe Rabbeinu, who was the first redeemer; it was the beginning. The last day of Pesach is our festival commemorating the final redemption, when the Holy One, Blessed be He, will redeem us from the last exile through our righteous Moshiach, who is the final redeemer. The first day of Pesach is Moshe Rabbeinu's festival; the last day of Pesach is Moshiach's festival.[1]

One is incomplete without the other: the first redemption is connected to the last. The sages say, "In Nisan they were redeemed and in Nisan they will be redeemed in the time to come."[2] In fact the prophet Jeremiah tells us that the second exodus will be so great that it will overshadow the first.[3]

Jews who celebrate the meal of Messiah on the last day of Passover connect the coming of Messiah with the haftarah portions that are read at the end of Passover. The reading from Isaiah 10:32-12:6 is loaded with prophecies that reveal the Messiah and the Messianic Age. For example it contains the famous prophecies like "there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit" (Isaiah 11:1), as well as the Messianic foreshadowing, "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb" (Isaiah 11:6) and "He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:12). These prophecies fuel the Messianic expectation of the final day of Passover. The Lubavitcher Rebbe stated, "The last day of Passover is the disclosure of Messiah."[4] Chassidim believe that God grants revelations about Messiah on the last day.

Physical Connection

The Baal Shem Tov sought to draw a physical connection between the anticipation of Messiah's coming and the last day of Passover through the ritual of eating matzah at his Meal of Messiah.

By instituting Moshiach's Seudah, the Baal Shem Tov added a new dimension. Moshiach is appreciated not only in speech and in Torah, but also connected with physical activity, assimilated into our system, becoming part of our flesh and blood.[5]

Moreover, the food from Moshiach's seudah becomes part of our flesh and blood, and our faith in, and yearning for Moshiach permeates not just the soul's faculties but also the physical body.[6]

Chassidim who keep the custom of celebrating the Meal of Messiah on the last day believe that by eating the matzah and drinking the wine, they are connecting with Messiah in both a tangible and spiritual way. God created us with our five senses, and he desires to bind us to him through our senses. To me, the parallels between this concept and the Master's words at his last seder are astounding. It brings to my mind the Master's words of "Take, eat; this is my body" and "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood."[7] Chassidim actually believe that when matzah is eaten at Passover that "we are eating G-dliness."[8] In fact:

Through eating at the time of ... Moshiach's Seudah we connect them with the physical world. In this manner, we create "a dwelling place" for G-d on the material plane.[9]

Some Chassidic sources say that participation in the Meal of Messiah causes the person to carry the light of Messiah within him throughout the rest of the year and thus it infuses every action of his day. It foreshadows the Messianic Era when all mankind will be saturated with Godliness. Through this feast, the Chassid hopes that he has connected with the very soul of Messiah.

Keep reading: What is the Meal of Messiah? Part 3.

[1] Likkutei Sichos 22:34 (Translation from Yosef HaLevi Loebenstein, Days of Destiny: The Jewish Year Under a Chassidic Microscope [Brooklyn, NY: Sichos in English, 1998], 170).
[2] b.Rosh HaShannah 11a.
[3] Jeremiah 16:14-15, 23:7-8.
[4] Sefer HaSichot 5704, 107 (Translation as found in Elliot R. Wolfson, Open Secret: Postmessianic Messianism and the Mystical Revision of Menahem Mendel Schneerson [New York: Columbia University Press, 2009], 201).
[5] Schneerson, Sichos in English, 3:20.
[6] Days of Destiny, 174-175.
[7] Matthew 26:26-28.
[8] Schneerson, Sichos in English, 3:20.
[9] Ibid., 3:22-23.

Passover is one of my favorite times of year. It is a time of new beginnings and rebirth. It's a time to do a spiritual house-cleaning and remove the leaven that has formed in our hearts over time. The highlight of Passover, of course, is the seder meal on the first night. So much preparation is done for that single special event that the rest of the week of Passover receives little attention. The remaining days feel like a letdown--like we have climbed the mountain and are now coasting down till it is completed--just waiting until we can put the matzah away and eat bagels again. That's how it was in my house before we discovered the beautiful tradition of celebrating the last day of Passover with the Meal of Messiah.

It Starts at the Seder

The seder meal on the first night of the festival is supposed to be the beginning of our annual Passover experience, not the end of it. For believers, the seder remembers Yeshua's last seder with his disciples. It reminds us to long and to hope for the final redemption that will be realized in the future--a time when Messiah will return and bring full restoration to his people. We find that sense of anticipation in the words of our Master at the Last Seder. He told his disciples at the beginning of the Passover week:

I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. (Luke 22:15-16)

Some day in the future, we will recline at a seder meal with the resurrected Yeshua. Therefore, the first night of Passover should be just the beginning of our joy. Ahead of us is the remembrance of the resurrection of the Master which took place during the seven days of Passover. Each day of the living hope that is the resurrected Messiah should be more electrifying than the one before.

In Chassidic thought, the seder night is just the beginning of a spiritual high that keeps on growing until we reach the pinnacle experience of the last day. The last day of Passover is the big day.

The Last Day

In Hebrew, the seventh day of the feast of Unleavened Bread is called Acharon Shel Pesach (אחרון של פסח), which means "The Last [Day] of Passover." Like the first day of the festival, the last day is also a high Sabbath:

On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. (Exodus 12:16)

In traditional Judaism, Diaspora Jews double each of the high Sabbaths, so for most Orthodox Jews living outside of Israel, the last day of Passover is two days long--a seventh day and an eighth day. Like many other Messianic Jews, my family follows the Israeli reckoning of the calendar, so our last day of Passover is always the seventh day of Unleavened Bread.

We find allusion to the importance of this last day in Torah. In Deuteronomy 16:8 we read, "On the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work on it." The other festivals in the Torah are called "a solemn assembly to you." Only the last day of Passover is referred to as "a solemn assembly to the LORD."[1]

Why is the last day so special? Jewish tradition observes it as the anniversary of the crossing of the Red Sea. The Torah reading for that day contains the story of the crossing of the sea and the song at the sea. Although the entire Festival of Passover is known as "The Time of our Freedom," the Israelites did not realize absolute freedom until the last day. Pharaoh still held his psychological grip on the minds of the Israelites. Even though it had been seven days since they left Egypt, they were still terrified when they realized that they were trapped between his army and the sea. They cried out to Moses:

Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt, "Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians"? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. (Exodus 14:11-12)

Israel did not reach true and final freedom until the Father revealed his mighty power, split the sea, rescued his people, and drowned the Egyptians. What an amazing sight that would have been to see. At the sea, the average Israelite reached a revelation and spiritual peak that the greatest of the prophets never obtained. The sages tell us that the common Israelite "maidservant saw at the splitting of the sea what Isaiah and Ezekiel and all the prophets never saw."[2] It reminds us of when the Master told his disciples:

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Matthew 13:16-17)

When seen from the perspective of the crossing of the Red Sea, the last day of Passover becomes the spiritual goal of the entire festival. For believers, the crossing of the Red Sea is paralleled by the joy of the resurrection and the great hope of the second coming of our Master. As the Lubavitcher Rebbe stated in one of his talks on the last day of Passover, "The ultimate [Passover] leap forward will be realized with the coming of Moshiach."[3]

Keep reading: What is the Meal of Messiah? Part 2.

[1] Cf. b.Pesachim 68b.
[2] Mekhilta on Exodus 15:2 [Lauterbach].
[3] Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Sichos in English: Excerpts of Sichos Delivered by Rabbi Menachem M. Shcneerson (51 vols.; Brooklyn, NY: Sichos in English, 1979), 44:236.

When we first discussed publishing these resources at our annual staff meeting in December of 2009, we had no idea that they would come out looking so beautiful. Our graphic design team here at First Fruits of Zion has really outdone themselves. It is truly an honor for us to be producing two resources that we believe, with God's help, will bring depth and beauty to Yeshua-centered Passovers for generations to come.

Vine of David Haggadah

The Vine of David Haggadah is a new translation of the traditional Haggadah, containing the complete traditional seder in both English and Hebrew. We feel it balances the best of both worlds by respecting the customs and history of Israel, taking seriously the explicit commandment in the Torah to teach our children about the redemption from Egypt and the commandment of the Master to keep the festival in remembrance of him. Throughout the traditional seder text, Messianic passages have been seamlessly interwoven to create a truly authentic feeling Messianic Haggadah. It has already been receiving great reviews throughout the Messianic community. Read a review here: Vine of David Haggadah Review

Vine of David Meal of Messiah

The Vine of David Meal of Messiah is seder of sorts that takes place on the last day of Passover. It is a rehearsal dinner for the great Messianic wedding banquet in the future. Yeshua told his disciples that they would recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that he himself would again drink the fruit of the vine with them. The Meal of Messiah celebrates both the resurrection of our Master and the dawning of the Messianic Age. It includes songs, Scriptural readings, and inspiring passages from both rabbinic literature and the early church fathers. Together both the Vine of David Haggadah and Meal of Messiah provide the bookends for a powerful and meaningful Passover experience.

Pricing:

Vine of David Passover Haggadah
1 - $10.00 | 5+ - $6.00 | 10+ - $5.00 | 50+ - $4.00

Vine of David Meal of Messiah
1 - $10.00 | 5+ - $6.00 | 10+ - $5.00 | 50+ - $4.00

Songs for Meal of Messiah CD
$8.00 each

Passover Combination Pack
(1 Haggadah, 1 Meal of Messiah, 1 Songs of Meal of Messiah CD)
Special pricing, see our online Store.

These prices are subject to change without further notification. Please visit our online Store in early March for the latest prices and availability.

Call and pre-order now (1-800-775-4807). Shipping will only commence in the 2nd week of March, in time for delivery before Passover.

The Vine of David Haggadah: A Messianic Jewish Passover Seder

The Vine of David Haggadah is a guide to the Passover seder for disciples of Yeshua. This book sets a new standard for Messianic Haggadot, both in terms of production quality and content.

Because of these unique features, it will be able to fulfill a special role for the Messianic Jewish community:

Clear and Accessible.

• Lucid translation makes the plain meaning of the text readily understandable.
• Clean design makes the literary structure visible to the reader and easy to follow.
• Helpful notes clarify anything that might be obscure or confusing to the reader.
• The extensive use of Scripture is highlighted.
• Transliteration (Hebrew text in English letters) at key points helps people who wish to recite blessings in Hebrew.
• English translations of songs allow them to be sung in English.
• Hebrew terms are explained in a glossary.

Comprehensive and Authentic.

• Contains the complete traditional seder in both English and Hebrew.
• Creates an authentic atmosphere, respectful to the customs and history of Israel.
• Fulfills the Torah commandment to teach our children about the redemption from Egypt.
• Having the complete text at hand gives the leader of the seder full control to adapt the experience to the needs of the participants.

Yeshua-Focused.

• Places a clear emphasis on following his directive to remember and memorialize him.
• Guides the participants in retelling his words and imitating his actions at that last night before his death.
• Incorporates passages from the Apostolic Scriptures and other ancient writings seamlessly and sensitively into the text.

Breathtaking in Appearance.

• Takes the creative and skilled design work First Fruits and Vine of David are known for to a new level.
• Bold typography and innovative artwork enhance the reader's sense of celebration and joy.
• Elegant, flowing, and graceful design capture and convey the holiness of Passover night.
• Truly professional artwork, layout, printing, and binding brings honor to God, to his appointed time, to our Master, and to Messianic Judaism.

The Vine of David Meal of Messiah: The Wedding Supper of the Lamb

The Haggadah's companion, The Vine of David Meal of Messiah, is a resource like no other. On the final day of Passover, which commemorates the crossing of the Red Sea, Chassidic Jews have a custom to end the season of redemption with an additional, less formal seder. Called Se'udat Mashiach, this event focuses on the ultimate redemption and the messianic banquet that will take place in the future.

• Anticipates the return of our master Yeshua and the messianic era.
• Contains songs and prayers, a meal with four cups, and readings from the Tanach, the Apostolic Writings, Midrash, and other traditional sources.

This is a completely unique Messianic resource that provides an intensely meaningful and genuine experience, whetting the appetites of those who long for the day of his coming.

On Passover we are commanded to "tell our children on that day."

Passover reminds us of our duty to pass on our heritage—both the heritage of Torah and Yeshua—to the next generation. This can only be done by providing a meaningful and authentic experience that leaves an enduring impression in the minds, hearts, and souls of our children. By enabling us to accomplish this task, these new Vine of David resources are of great value.

Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri (born in 1898 in Baghdad) was a Sephardic Orthodox rabbi and Jewish mystic. As a Torah prodigy Kaduri began his studies in Jewish mysticism while still in his teens. His studies were conducted under the famed Sephardic Rabbi, Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, the Ben Ish Chai.

Having moved to Israel in 1922, Kaduri's life was characterized by poverty as well as privacy and secrecy. Although Kaduri wrote several works, he never sought their publication and limited their dissemination only to students of Jewish mysticism.
Probably the most well known event in the life of Rabbi Kaduri occurred towards the end of his life which resulted in an encounter with the Messiah. A brief description of the events surrounding this occurrence will suffice.

In a meeting in 1990 with Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Rebbe of Lubavitch, many words of blessing were spoken to Kaduri. Among the words spoken by the Lubavitcher Rebbe was the blessing that Kaduri would not pass from this world until he met the Messiah. This came to pass in a mystical vision on 9 Cheshvan 5764 (4 November 2003) when Kaduri spoke with the Messiah; during this encounter, the Messiah revealed His name to Kaduri. Kaduri later noted to his disciples that the revealed name of the Messiah was hidden among his writings.

Kaduri's disciples came across a note written by Kaduri in which was encrypted the name of the Messiah. This note contained instructions saying that it was not to be opened until a year after Kaduri's passing. After a year passed, Kaduri's disciples opened the note and discovered the name the Messiah revealed to Kaduri: Yehoshua (the Hebrew form of the Aramaic Yeshua). Here is an English translation of the note done by an Orthodox Rabbi:

Regarding the acronym of Moshiach. The masses will themselves arise and verify that his words and his teachings can stand. With my signature in the Month of Mercy (Elul - Edit.) 5765, Yitzchak Kaduri.

The initial Hebrew letters of the phrase "The masses will themselves arise and verify that his words and his teachings can stand" spell out Yehoshua. Although the note was deemed by some as a forgery others stated that it was indeed written by Kaduri. Most of the controversy surrounding the note revolved around the revealed name--that of the Master Yeshua.

Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri passed on 29 Tevet 5766 (26 January 2006) at the age of 108. His funeral procession was one of the largest in attendance in the modern history of Israel.

An article on Rabbi Kaduri that explores his life as well as what he believed the Messiah revealed to him can be found in Messiah Journal 100.