thekabalist

Interesting topic. In Judaism we are very much against cremation. The reason is because we believe that the spirit doesn't immediately depart the body (takes a little time) and that cremation inflicts on the person a pain that is beyond their wildest imagination. So we don't cremate in order to spare people the agony. Some say that this is merely superstition but I would definetely want to be on the safe side since no-one really knows for sure. :)

The humorous mentioning of the Jews reminds me of how greatly misinterpreted Judaism is on the issue of the canon. We don't have a canon as Christianity defines it. Much less a "closed canon" for that matter. So you can't really compare as they are apples and oranges. For example Judaism holds that the books of the Torah are the most sacred literature there is. The other books are not considered to be on the same level as the books of the Torah. Then comes the Prophets. Then comes the other writings which are not on the same level as the Torah or the Prophets. We also have a written record of our oral laws. This is something quite different because while they are not canon they contain canon. The Talmud isn't just about the oral laws. But the oral laws are on the same level as the Torah. Then we have some commentaries which we believe came fourth by the inspiration of G-d. Rashi and Maimonides for example are on that level. And we certainly have other holy books which are considered inspired such as the Zohar. Recently some kabbalistic works such as the Tanya have been considered to be profitable for all Israel. And last but not least the halachah (guidance) of the sages are considered to be binding by the power of G-d. So while the Tanach (Torah + Prophets + Writings) is a closed system this doesn't annul the fact that Judaism has always believed in continuous revelation. The idea of immutable revelation isn't Jewish and so it's an idea Christianity developed on its own.

Hi Pam, The main tradition is to light up the chanukiah (9-branch menorah). Some eastern groups also have a holiday within Chanukah that is called the festival of the daughters. It is celebrated in honor of the Shechinah which in Kabbalah is the female consort of the Heavenly Father though they are both emanations of G-d. The festival of the daughters is usually celebrated with making a fire and giving gifts to women. Some Reform groups have taken this ritual and created a liturgy in praise of the female-side of G-d but this is a more recent move. Two other traditions are to play the dreidel which is a sort of gambling game with the first letters of the sentence "A great miracle happened there". Usually kids play for candy. We also eat deep-fried potato pancakes which are called latkes and they are the best part! :) b'shalom!

OK guys here's chapter 4. This is the most interesting thus far: 1 And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands? In Jewish culture, the number “ten thousand” symbolizes infinite resources. Therefore we can see the use of a Jewish literary device called synonymous parallelism in which (a) and (b) say the same thing: (b) he is mightier than all the earth © his tens of thousands 2 Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. At first the reader could be baffled as to why Nephi would state that Moses spoke to the waters of the Red Sea while the book of Exodus says that he hit them with his staff. However Nephi is actually citing an ancient Israelite oral tradition. In his book called Legend of the Jews thus writes Rabbi Ginsburg: "Moses spoke to the sea as God had bidden him, but it replied, "I will not do according to thy words, for thou are only a man born of woman, and, besides, I am three days older than thou, O man, for I was brought forth on the third day of creation, and thou on the sixth." Moses lost no time, but carried back to God the words the sea has spoken, and the Lord said" "Moses, what does a master do with an intractable servant?" "He beats him with a rod," said Moses. "Do thus!" ordered God. "Lift up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea and divide it." As we can see both Nephi and the book of Exodus are correct and each complements an aspect of the events that took place. 3 Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians. The logic implied by Nephi is typical of semitic thought. Nephi uses a feature called by the school of rabbi Hillel “kol vechomer” which means “light and heavy”. The idea is to contrast light and heavy ideas to make your point. Most unknown to the modern reader is that the term Egypt which in Hebrew is written “מצרים” (mitzrayim) means “place of confinement”. In fact in Hebrew you would write “Egyptians” and “Egypt” with the exact same spelling. We have already talked about how “going up” refers to the higher level of spirituality represented by Jerusalem. At the same time the “place of confinement” in Egypt is considered to be the lowest spiritual level ever achieved by the Jewish people. So if G-d was able to deliver them in Egypt how much more would He deliver them in His own Holy City. 4 Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem. Nephi’s brothers stayed outside the walls of Jerusalem for a reason. In the narrative we later are told that Laban was with the elders of Jerusalem. The preferred place for the elders of a city to meet would be at the gates of the city. Knowing that Laban was an elder of the city it was a place where he could likely be found. 5 And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban. Most likely for the same reason stated above Nephi didn’t enter the city through the main gates but rather through some alternative passage. 6 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. 7 Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine. Why didn’t Nephi simply say that Laban was drunk? Why did he bother saying that Laban had fallen to the earth? One must understand that for a Jew it is highly shameful to prostrate oneself to the point that it’s actually forbidden to be done on any occasion. A Jew will only prostrate before G-d on the Day of Atonement. Prostrating to the earth was associated with an act of worshipping foreign gods. And so was the act of drinking wine out in the open which was also unusual for the Israelite society. Most likely Laban had been participating in some kind of ritual worship that involved drinking wine. What is interesting is that by Jewish law the act of bowing down in worship of a strange god would merit the punishment of beheading as stated in the Talmud: "one who prostrates himself before a mountain… renders himself liable to decapitation." (b.Sanhedrin 61a) The mountain described in this tractate is referring to the adoration of idols which occurred on the mountains. 8 And when I came to him I found that it was Laban. 9 And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel. Why would Nephi bother to give us a description of Laban’s sword? The answer is simple: The hilt of gold: The term “hilt” in Hebrew is ידית (yadit) which literally is the feminine form of the word יד (yad) which means “hand”. And the term “gold” in Israelite thought meant “pure spirituality”. The blade of steel: The term “blade” in Hebrew is להב (lahav) which means both “blade” and also “flame”. Because of this, the term is associated with judgement. And “steel” or “iron” in Israelite thought meant “destruction”. So what is Nephi telling us? That Laban received a judgement of destruction by the hands of someone who was spiritually pure. 10 And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him. 11 And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property. It is no coincidence that Nephi stated that Laban tried to take his life. According to Jewish law two are the kinds of people who deserve death by beheading: murderers and idolaters: "the following are decapitated: a murderer, and the inhabitans of a seduced city." (b.Sanhedrin 76b) Laban fit both categories and thus was unequivocally slain in justice. 12 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands; 13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief. This seems in line with Enoch 95:3 which says: " Fear not the sinners, ye righteous; For again will the Lord deliver them into your hands, that ye may execute judgement upon them according to your desires." Being a scribe Nephi was likely familiar with the writings of Enoch. 14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise. 15 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law. Why would Nephi worry about this? Wouldn’t ignorance be an excuse to them not keeping the law? Not according to Jewish law. In Judaism, ignorance is only considered an excuse if it’s unintentional. If Nephi had acted negligently towards the law he would not have been excused. Rabbi Antine thus summarizes the Jewish take on ignorance: “Ignorance might be a legal excuse but it is not a spiritual excuse. Nobody is expected to know everything. We do not know everything about halakha, we do not know everything about others and we don’t even know everything about ourselves. And when we lack knowledge we make mistakes; in ritual observance in our friendships (we hurt people). The question that everyone must ask him or herself is: Am I someone who is thirsty to learn more and change based on that knowledge? Am I someone who is content with where I am at, or am I always striving for more?” 16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass. 17 And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments. 18 Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword. Why did Nephi mention that he took Laban by the hair? Hair is seen in Israelite culture to be a symbol of spiritual protection. By being able to take Laban by his hair Nephi is saying that the Spirit of G-d that was with him overcame the spiritual forces that might have been working behind the acts of Laban. This only reinforces the idea that Laban was indeed engaged in the worship of foreign gods. 19 And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins. 20 And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the servant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury. The term “key” has the gematria value of 528 which is also the value for the terms “salvation” (ישועה - yeshuah) and for the name “Yehoshua” which is one of the possible spellings of the Hebrew name of Jesus (יהושע). Nephi knew that the salvation of his people was in the hands of this man. 21 And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword girded about my loins. 22 And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them. Either Laban was at a meeting with the elders of the city before he went to the pagan religious ceremony or more likely the elders of the city were all participating in such a blasphemous act. This would only show how corrupt indeed Jerusalem was at the time. 23 And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban. 24 And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls. 25 And I also bade him that he should follow me. 26 And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me. The word translated as church is most likely the Hebrew word for “assembly” which was used to refer mostly to religious gatherings. This confirms our idea that the elders of the city were engaged in idolatry. It is worth noticing that religious gatherings often occurred at the gates of the cities and not only political meetings. 27 And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls. 28 And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also. 29 And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence. Again we see the word “hear” being used with the meaning of “obey”. In Hebrew, the two terms are represented by the same word root (השמ) 30 And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem. 31 And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee. 32 And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life. 33 And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us. An oath in Israelite society was as binding as contract. This is why the servant was calmed down with such words. It was believed that those who broke their oaths invoked plagues upon themselves. 34 And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us. 35 And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth. Name etymology: Zoram – In Hebrew “ זר עם” (“Zar am”) literally means “foreign/strange people”. This certainly wasn’t his birth name but it actually indicates that he was some sort of a war captive. This is very important to understand why he would go with Nephi and his brothers. An Israelite “slave” would only serve until he paid his debts (or until he the year of Jubilee). However, a foreign captive would have remained a servant forever. Even with the death of Laban he would have remained a slave. So for him it was much better to take his chances as a free man on a new land. 36 Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us. Notice how Nephi doesn’t say that they were worried that Zoram would tell the others about the death of Laban. This is because in Jewish law the testimony of a foreign slave would never have been accepted as binding. Even if it was a second witness was required to establish matters as truthful. They were worried because the inhabitants of Jerusalem had intended to slay Lehi in the first place. If Zoram would tell them where Lehi was this could mean trouble for them. 37 And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him. 38 And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto the tent of our father. At first sight Nephi seems to be repeating himself when he mentions departing and then journeying. However two different Hebrew concepts are at stake. The first one is עזוב (ezov) which means not only to depart but to forsake or abandon. This means they really abandoned everything on behalf of following G-d’s commandment. The second one is מסע (masah) which means journey and has a connection to one’s spiritual path. Therefore Nephi is telling us that to embark on this spiritual journey they forsook everything.

The sefirot or the enumerations of G-d are how we call the ways in which G-d continually manifests Himself to the creation. It is believed by Jewish people that to understand the hidden mysteries of G-d would mean to understand the sefirot and their relationship not only with creation but with each other.

Not at all. Please be my guest.

Not really. It's not minor neither is it "Jewish Christmas". These are both myths. Chanukah isn't what we call a moed or a time originally appointed by the Torah. The moadim (Torah feasts) are more important indeed than other celebrations such as Purim or Chanukah. But that doesn't make these celebrations minor. Chanukah predates Christmas and it has always been a very important festival for our people. Because of assimilation evidently the non-religious Jewish families sometimes use Chanukah as a social substitute for Christmas especially when they have young kids. But it really isn't the way it should be.

Chanukah is a season when the Jewish people commemorates the light of G-d. Some think that Chanukah is about commemorating the military victory of the Macabbees over the army of Antiochus Epiphany but the truth is that Chanukah is a celebration of the miracle of the light. When the Jewish Temple was defiled by the enemies of Israel there was not enough oil for the Menorah to keep burning continuously as it was supposed to. Oil for the Menorah took about eight days to be prepared by Jewish law. Therefore G-d made a miracle and the oil they had which was only good for one day lasted for eight days. Because of this miracle Chanukah is called the Festival of Lights. Every year in Jewish homes we light up a 9-branch Menorah called "Chanukiah". The 8 main branches are because of the eight-day miracle and the additional branch is called the "Shammash" or "Servant" and is used to light up the other 8 branches. The Lubavitcher Rebbe said about the Menorah: "The lights kindled in the Holy Temple served a higher purpose. The Temple was the “house of G-d” where the harmony and perfection of the Divine were manifest in all their glory. Does such a place—asks the Talmud—require illumination? But the lights of the Temple’s menorah, answers the Talmud, served as “a testimony to the entire world that the divine presence rests in Israel." Now notice how Jesus celebrated this feast: "At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon." (John 10:22-23) Right before that Jesus had said to his disciples: "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." (John 9:5) It looks like Jesus was saying to his disciples that he was the "shammash", the servant branch of the Menorah that gave light in the feast of Chanukah. What could have meant being the "shammash" then? The Rebbe thus describes the role of the shammash: "Night after night, the shammash dutifully goes about his task of kindling lights. Each evening, he welcomes the newcomer and settles him into his rightful place in the growing row: two flames, three flames, four flames.... The shammash coaxes them to life and then stands watch over them, lest one falter and require a fresh boost of light. Still the shammash doesn’t count. An imparter of light to others, he never attains the status of a Chanukah light in his own right. Despite—indeed because—of this, the shammash towers above all the other lights of the menorah. To forgo one’s own luminary potential in order to awaken a flame in others—there is no greater virtue." So what Jesus was saying is that he came to awaken the flame in others so that they too could develop their potential of burning with the divine presence. This is how the Jewish public of the time would have understood these events. The most interesting thing is that we see a similar theme in the BoM: "And it came to pass that the Lamanites said unto him: What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us? And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you. And it came to pass that they all did begin to cry unto the voice of him who had shaken the earth; yea, they did cry even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed. And it came to pass that when they cast their eyes about, and saw that the cloud of darkness was dispersed from overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, yea every soul, by a pillar of fire." (Hel. 5:40-43) For obvious reasons the israelites from the BoM would not have known about the actual feast of Chanukah. However the same message is preached by the followers of Christ in the BoM. The only way to properly understand that passage of John is to either know about Chanukah or to read the description given by Hel. 5:40-43. This only confirms that indeed the BoM could have been given to clarify the meaning of the New Testament. Happy Chanukah everyone! :)

Alright folks here's chapter 3. Tell me what you think. :) 1 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father. Nephi had been speaking with the Lord. There's nothing in the narrative that indicates that Nephi had a vision so this conversation must have happened with a direct manifestation of G-d to Nephi. So Nephi was in G-d's presence - ie. the Shechinah (שכינה). One of the words used for tent in Hebrew is the word mishkan (משכן) which is comes from the very same root. This word-play cannot be coincidental. The Shechinah is also a main theme in the feast of Tabernacles, thus continuing the theme of the previous chapter. 2 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem. In Jewish literature the past is often the verb tense used for future prophecies. One of the reasons given by the sages for this is the manifold nature of some of the prophecies. The prophecy that Lehi gave to Nephi may refer not only to the event in which they went back to recover the plates of Laban, but also to an event in the future where the descendants of Nephi and his brethren would return to the people of Israel. 3 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass. Name etymology: Laban (לבן) literally means the white one. Brass plates: Brass in Judaism has a deeper spiritual meaning. In Job 6:12 it is used to demonstrate endurance. In Daniel 2:32 it is used to mean brilliance. In ancient Kabbalah, brass belonged to the manifestation of G-d's foundation. The foundation is connected to the word of G-d. Therefore we can conclude that on a deeper level this prophecy indicated that Lehi and his decendants would have an enduring and spiritually bright future based on the foundation of G-d's word. 4 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness. The importance given by Lehi to his genealogy suggests that indeed he was from a prominent family. Israelites of prominent family - especially royal and priestly - are known to have esteemed their genealogical records highly. We can see from the narratives of exile returnees that the genealogies were carefully preserved. 5 And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord. 6 Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured. 7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I aill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. There is an interesting imagery used by Nephi here. The Hebrew word for sin is the word Het (חטא) which literally means "to miss the target" and was literally used for when an arrow strayed from its course. Nephi says that he will obey because G-d will prepare the way whereas his brothers "missed/strayed from the way" (sinned). 8 And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord. How could have Nephi already been blessed by the Lord if he had not acted upon his faith yet? A little secret lies on the word "blessed" which in Hebrew is the word "baruch" (ברוך). This word comes from the same root as the word "berech" (ברך) which means knee. The root literally means "to bring down". In ancient israelite culture to be blessed meant to be able to bring down upon the earth the will/power of heaven. Therefore when Nephi decided to go he became an instrument for the will of G-d to be manifested upon the earth. 9 And I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the wilderness, with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem. The expression "to go up" (aliyah - עלייה) is a typical expression when one affirmed they were meant to go to Jerusalem even if geographically they came from the north (in Nephi's case he did come from the south). The reason is that Jerusalem was considered to be the place where G-d manifested Himself upon the earth and therefore to go to Jerusalem would be literally considered to ascend spiritually. This expression is still used with this connotation to this very day. 10 And it came to pass that when we had gone up to the land of Jerusalem, I and my brethren did consult one with another. 11 And we cast lots—who of us should go in unto the house of Laban. And it came to pass that the lot fell upon Laman; and Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with him as he sat in his house. Casting lots: The Hebrew word for "lot" is goral (גורל) means both share and fate. Jewish literature (see the Mishnah in Yomah 4, 9 and 37a) the process of casting lots was done with either engraved stones or sticks. Lots were used when differences arose and were cast four times in order to ensure that the will of G-d would be manifested by the majority of results. 12 And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy of my father. 13 And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have the records. Wherefore, he said unto him: Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee. Why would Laban consider this a theft? Most likely because Laban and Lehi were somehow related. The fact that Laban owned such registry would indicate that he was a prominent citizen. Every seven years in Israel the land returned to the families they originally belonged by birthright(see Deut. 15). Without the genealogy records, Laban could be riskying his wealth. The fact that Lehi wanted the records could be interpreted by Laban not as merely losing a valuable artifact but that Lehi intented to take away his possession when the year of remission came and the genealogy records were consulted to verify each one's birthright. 14 But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceedingly sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness. 15 But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us. Oaths were taken very seriously in Israelite society (see Numbers 30) and still are. In Nm. 30 the breaking of an oath is defined as an avonah (עונה) which unlike the chet (חטא) is a willful disobedience and not something one can simply blame the weakness of the flesh for. Therefore, to break an oath was a terrible offense. 16 Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; therefore let us go down to the land of our father’s inheritance, for behold he left gold and silver, and all manner of riches. And all this he hath done because of the commandments of the Lord. 17 For he knew that Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the wickedness of the people. 18 For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets. Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been commanded to flee out of the land, behold, he would also perish. Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the land. In Leviticus 26 we learn that the punishment for an avonah (עונה) would be exile and the loss of material blessings. Therefore, Nephi reminded his brothers that it was useless to think about their father's property without considering the risks of committing the sin of breaking an oath. He knew that if they did so they would be as guilty as the rest of the city of Jerusalem. 19 And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers; Ancient Judaism considered a deaf person to be a kind of second-class citizen. Jewish law wouldn't accept, for example, the witnessing of a deaf person. The reason is that by being deaf the person would not be able to hear the word of the Torah-Law of G-d. Therefore, such a person could not be expected to live a life that was in agreement with the precepts of G-d. Now consider this: Nephi didn't know where they would be going or how hard it would be to write down the words of G-d's Torah-Law. If he did not take the records - which certainly would have included a copy of the Scriptures, then his descendants would not be able to read them. Even if they did transmit the Law orally, Nephi feared that people would forget the language and become like the deaf - unable to discern the words of G-d. This also shows that Nephi expected that one day his descendants would reunite with the rest of the people. 20 And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time. In ancient Judaism there were certain books which were only allowed to be studied by the more learned among the people. The Apocryphal book of 2 Esdras says that by the time of the return there were 70 books which were concealed from the average folk. Most of these books referred to prophets of old, before the revelation of the Sinai. Some of these books came up in the caves of Qumran in the Dead Sea, such as the Book of Enoch. But most of such books are now lost. Such books contained wisdom teachings that were far beyond the religious life of the average folk. 21 And it came to pass that after this manner of language did I persuade my brethren, that they might be faithful in keeping the commandments of God. One could wonder why after so much murmuring of Nephi's brothers these simple words would have persuaded them. However, to an Israelite there was no greater treasure than the pride in their identity. This can be clearly seen in the revolt of the Maccabees. Whenever the identity of Israel was threatened, the Israelites would respond quite boldly. Therefore, even being wicked in their hearts, the brothers of Nephi still had their sense of pride. An alternative explanation for this reaction would be that without the records of his father the brothers would have no right to claim his property once he passed away. 22 And it came to pass that we went down to the land of our inheritance, and we did gather together our gold, and our silver, and our precious things. Gold and silver: In Judaism, gold and silver have a spiritual meaning. Gold symbolizes justice and the learning of the Law of G-d. Silver symbolizes redemption. There is therefore a deeper meaning into this verse: Nephi believed that by following the justice of the commandment of G-d they would be redeemed from the dangers that were ahead of them. 23 And after we had gathered these things together, we went up again unto the house of Laban. 24 And it came to pass that we went in unto Laban, and desired him that he would give unto us the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, for which we would give unto him our gold, and our silver, and all our precious things. Lehi certainly was more wealthy than Laban. The reason Nephi was persuaded that he could convince Laban was because their gold and silver would exceed any property Laban would lose for not having the proper records. 25 And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property. 26 And it came to pass that we did flee before the servants of Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it fell into the hands of Laban. 27 And it came to pass that we fled into the wilderness, and the servants of Laban did not overtake us, and we hid ourselves in the cavity of a rock. Nearly every cave is in some sort of rock? Is there a reason for this apparent redundancy? In ancient Hebrew, the word "cave" or "cavity" would be a euphemism for frustration and a feeling of inability. Nephi makes an brilliant wordplay by contrasting the cave with the rock. In ancient Hebrew, the word "rock" would be a euphemism for assurance and protection and is commonly associated with G-d. Nephi is describing how in their frustration they turned to G-d for assurance. 28 And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father; and also was Lemuel, for he hearkened unto the words of Laman. Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod. 29 And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands. The angel uses a wordplay here between rod (מקל - makel) and ruler (מלך - melech). Also notice how the angel holds them accountable for their iniquity (avonah), because clearly they had no intention of keeping their words and thus were guilty before the Law of G-d. 30 And after the angel had spoken unto us, he departed. 31 And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to amurmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us? The use of the number 50 is not incidental. In gematria, this number is associated with hardship. Here are some words with this numeric value: אדמה – adamah - it means "soil" but can also figuratively mean something hard or rough. גזם - gazam - "cut off". גמז - gamaz - "hard". It's also associated with a period of slavery, as the slaves are freed every 50 years, in the year of Jubilee. Evidently, for that very reason it is also associated with redeption. Unfortunately, Nephi's brothers were unwilling to look at the bright side of the situation. The use of the number 50 only in a negative way teaches us a lesson: One of the possible roots of sin is to neglect looking at the positive aspects of life.

Here's chapter 2 of 1st Nephi. Please tell me if that's being useful. :) 1 For behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life. 2 And it came to pass that the Lord acommanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. The biblical Hebrew for wilderness is the word מדבר (midbar) which can also be understood as "medaber" which means "I speak". The wilderness in Jewish tradition also represents a spiritual state of emptying oneself from the values of this world so as to learn the way of G-d. Thus, this marks the beginning of the spiritual journey of Lehi in which G-d would teach him His ways. 3 And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him. To hear and obey: There is a word-play here in Hebrew. The verb "שמה" (shemah) can either mean to hear or to obey. This is why the idea is that Lehi obeyed the word. The word of the Lord: The account of Nephi is most certainly a targum (translation) much in the tradition of the scribes. In such translations it was often common to translate as "word of the Lord" the instances where G-d acted antropomorphically. An israelite reading Nephi's account could very well have understood it to mean that G-d appeared to Lehi as a man much like to Abraham. 4 And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness. This reinforces the idea that the call into the wilderness was a fresh start proposed by G-d to Lehi. 5 And he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam. Name etymology: Sariah most likely is a contracted form of יה שרה (sarah Yah) which means "princess of Yah". Laman likely comes from "לאמן" (l'aman) which means "unto the master". Lemuel (למואל) is a Hebrew name which means dedicated to G-d. Sam could either be סם and mean 'perfume' or שם (Sham) and mean "this place". The Sea: The Red Sea is called in Hebrew the סופ ים (Yam Suf). Two important pieces of information shed light into such a calling. Firstly, in ancient Kabbalah the sea was understood as the "concealed world" which is a term referring to the spiritual reality. Just like in the sea there is life but it is concealed so is the spirit world. An approach towards the sea would mean that now that Lehi had emptied himself from the secular cares of his society and chosen to follow the voice of G-d, he was ready to be shown a greater spiritual reality. The Zohar says: "Just as there is a physical sea, there is a higher, spiritual sea. Ships traverse that spiritual sea, rising and descending" The End: The word סופ (Suf) can also be read "Sof" which means "ending". This represents that the passing unto a greater spiritual reality would mean for Lehi the end of his life as he knew it and the beginning of a new life since the waters also represent the beginning of life. In ancient Kabbalah, the "Yam Suf" also represents the limits of this physical world. Lehi was therefore beginning his journey into the heavens. 6 And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water. Spiritual maturity: The number three is no coincidence. In Judaism it is associated with the letter ג (gimel) which also means to wean or to ripen. Lehi was therefore being taken into a journey of spiritual maturity before he could reach G-d's destination. Bearing fruit: The number 3 is also associated with being fruitful, as the fruit of the earth grew on the 3rd day of creation. It is equally not coincident that Lehi is called to bear fruit in the wilderness, a barren place. In ancient Judaism this would have been understood as a call to bear fruit in a generation where the fruits of G-d had been forgotten. 7 And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God. In Hebrew every word has a numeric value. The expression "altar of stones" in Hebrew is אבנים מזבח (mizbach avanim) has a numeric value of 160, which is the same numeric value as the word ץע (etz) which means tree. This continues the theme of bearing fruit displayed in the verse above. Lehi recognizes that G-d is the source that will make the barren land (represented by the stones) fruitful again. 8 And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof. 9 And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness! 10 And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, afirm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord! It was very usual for the ancient israelite society to give blessings unto their children that would be metaphors of natural phenomena. The greatest example of this is in Gn. 49. 11 Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart. One may find it odd that Lehi tried to quiet down the resistence of Laman and Lemuel by blessing them, but this would have been perfectly normal in an ancient israelite society. It was believed that the words of a father would have a profound impact upon the lives of his sons. Therefore if they were afraid that they would not have prosperity now that they had fled Jerusalem, Lehi tried to assure them that the Lord would guide their ways. 12 And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had dcreated them. The mention of Lemuel as the eldest seems at first to be out of place in the sentence. However when one understands that in an ancient israelite society the eldest son would have the greatest inheritance of his father this explains why Nephi was surprised. How could Lemuel having the rights to most of his fathers possessions still find a place in his heart to murmur? Or perhaps Nephi was describing that Lemuel having the most to lose was the first to complain. 13 Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father. 14 And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them. 15 And my father dwelt in a tent. The sacrifice in the altar and Lehi dwelling in a tent suggests that he could have been celebrating the feast of tabernacles. This feast is also associated with bearing fruit - see Lv. 23:34-40. The main theme of this feast is that we give up our comfort and rely upon G-d for our sustenance. This matches the theme of the Hebrew in this chapter. It is also important to notice that this feast happens in a period of time when it's fall in Jerusalem and is about the time when it starts to rain heavily. Also consider the fact that this was a feast in which there were pilgrims coming to Jerusalem. Nobody would normally flee Jerusalem at this time. By leaving Jerusalem at this time Lehi was making a very bold statement that the Shehinah-Presence of G-d was no longer dwelling in the holy city. This shows the boldness of Lehi: Fleeing Jerusalem right before the great feast and taking his odds in a journey during the pouring of heavy rains. This explains why those who had not been touched by the Spirit of G-d would have thought him to be out of his mind. 16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did delieve all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. It is interesting to notice how Nephi's physical attributes match the etymology of his name. In Judaism it's believed that one's spiritual name has a profound impact upon their lives. 17 And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words. 18 But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them. 19 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. Here we see a feature of Hebrew poetry called antithetic parallelism. Nephi was tall in stature but lowly in his heart. 20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands. 21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. 22 And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren. In Hebrew tradition, a ruler would be associated with kingship. A teacher would be associated with the priesthood. Could it be that Nephi was promised with some kind of spiritual royal-priesthood? 23 For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also. 24 And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance. There's a word-play here between the word seed זרע (zerah - seed) and the root זכר (zachar - remember).

I could keep on sharing my notes if you find them useful. :)

English. But I am attempting to search for the underlying Hebrew whenever possible. I think the numerous word-plays cannot be a coincidence. This book was written by someone with great knowledge in Hebrew.

Hi forum, This is something Vanhin had asked me to do a while ago in the last forum. As I am beginning to read the BoM at last, I am also taking notes for myself. I then decided to share with you some Jewish comments on the narrative. Please tell me what you think. :) 1 I, NEPHI, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. Name etymology: Nefi - possible from the Hebrew נפל (Nefil) which means "tall one". Nephi the scribe: In ancient Israel a scribe was an office of high prestige. Being a scribe meant that one was well instructed in the Torah-Law of Israel. Being a scribe, Nephi was certainly a prestigious member of his society. In the Jerusalem Targum, Moses and Aaron are called the scribes of Israel. Judaism mantains that Moses began a school of prominently faithful israelites who would have the mission of transmitting the teachings of the law. Nephi would have been a member of such ancient scribal school. Mysteries of G-d: There is a word-play between the word ספר (sofer - scribe) and the ספירות (sefirot) which account in Judaism for the mysterious nature of G-d. Nephi was therefore very knowledgeable in the higher truths of Judaism. 2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. Part of the role of a scribe was also to translate the Torah-law into other languages so that the laymen in exile would understand it. The greatest known literature in Judaism are the Targums in Aramaic and the Samaritan Targum in Arabic. This role of scribe seems to be fulfilled when Nephi writes in the Egyptian language. 3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge. In Judaism, hands were used in connection to oaths. See for example. Gen. 24:2 By emphasizing that the writing is of his own hand Nephi is taking an oath concerning its truthfulness. 4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the afirst year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed. Repent: The word in Hebrew for this is the word שוב (shuv) which quite literally means to return. Nephi's warnings were that the people had strayed from the Torah-Law of G-d. Repenting in Judaism is more than a feeling. It is seeking the original way. Two schools of thought within Judaism defined such repentance: Some say repentance is to seek the state of the Sinai. Others define it as seeking the state of our primary existence as it was in the Garden of Eden. 5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people. Name etymology: Lehi (לחי) means "jaw". Prayed with all his heart: The heart in Jewish culture meant the center of one's spirituality, whether good or bad. The Jewish Midrash in Bereshit Rabbah 67 says: "The wicked are in the power of their heart, but the righteous have their heart in their power." The meaning idea of Lehi praying with all his heart meant that no evil was to be found in his heart for he had overcome it. 6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly. In ancient Jewish tradition the pillar of fire symbolizes the power of G-d's word to transform. It is said that Onkelos converted many into Judaism by narrating how G-d is the pillar of fire before Israel. 7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen. 8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God. 9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. From Nephi's description of the angels seen by Lehi we can be sure that Lehi saw cherubim (כרובים) – which in Hebrew means "the near ones". In the ancient wisdom of Kabalah (Zohar Terumah 2:176a), the cherubim represented the closeness between G-d and Israel. When Israel was in connection with G-d the cherubim turned unto G-d for praise. When Israel strayed away the cherubim would rebuke the Jewish people. It comes as no surprise that it is the cherubim who send the message to Lehi. 10 And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament. Jewish tradition mantains that the stars are governed by the angels of heaven. The 12 cherubim mentioned by Lehi are also cited in the Book of Enoch: "Its ceiling was like the path of stars and lightning, and between them were 12 fiery cherubim, and their skies were as waters." Like what is inferred from Enoch, Lehi's vision shows that such angels ruled above the stars of heaven. This is particularly revelant as Babylonian culture of Lehi's time would see the stars as governing the fate of mankind. In Lehi's vision G-d shows him how he is above and in control of the fate of Jerusalem. 11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read. Another possible word-play between ספיר (sapir - brightness) and ספר (sefer - book). In Judaism, it is said that the heavens contain the records of what will become of the world. Therefore this again indicates a revelation of the fate of Jerusalem. 12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord. Usually the term in Hebrew for filled in this case is מלא (maleh) which means not only to fill, but also to confirm. There is a fascinating word-play here with מלא (fill) and מלאך (malach - angel). The only difference between the two words is the letter כ in its final form. This is also the first letter of the word cherub as well as the word star (כוכב - cochav). It seems therefore that the spirit-filling of Lehi comes as a second witness to the message of the angels, as demanded by Torah-Law which requires two witnesses to establish truth. 13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem—that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon. 14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! It may sound odd to the reader that Lehi rejoiced over such news. However in Judaism it's a rather common attitude. Ancient kabalah believes that when something evil befalls Israel it means that it's in fact such a highly elevated goodness that this world cannot comprehend it. This is why the prophets often rejoiced over that which would ultimately save Israel even if it meant suffering for a while. 15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him. 16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account. The Talmud in tractate Avodah Zarah states that dreams are 1/60th of a prophecy. Rambam (Moses Ben Maimon) in Moreh Nevuchim states that in order to achieve the level of the prophets one must at least speak to an angel in a dream. The highest level one can achieve within prophecy without actual involvement in the prophetic events is to rebuke the people in the name of G-d. This shows how Lehi was a prominent prophet in his time. 17 But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an aabridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my dfather then will I make an account of mine own life. Given that a scroll can wear out, in Judaism plates are considered to be a means in which one would only record the most sacred or precious information. To this very day Jewish prayer books are often covered by engraved plates for that very reason. An important example is the Copper Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls which contained the location of several treasures from the Temple of Jerusalem. 18 Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard. 19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world. There's a clear word-play between גילויה (giluyah - manifestation) and גאולה (geulah - redemption). Thus Nephi seems to indicate that the manifestation of Messiah would mean the redemption of the world. It may almost go unnoticed to the reader that one of the reasons why the Jewish people of Lehi's time may have become upset is because at the time the idea of a global redemption was not yet unanimous in Judaism. Many thought that only Israel would be redeemd and the other nations would serve them. 20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. There is an ancient Jewish proverb that is likely to have been known by Nephi which says: "Pray to God for mercy until the last shovelful of earth is cast upon thy grave." Nephi's words seem to be an answer to such a proverb by turning it around and stating clearly that he would not take his prayers to his grave.

Interesting. I hadn't thought of that. But this one seemed to be taking me into the Temple. And still I wonder why an LDS Temple. I've been seriously confused about what G-d may be trying to tell me.

I believe it was darker. Ah do you know where the Israeli flag comes from? It's a prayer shawl we call tallit:

Prisonchaplain, You seem to be a kind and well-meaning person and I honestly cannot make many comments without the risk of being offensive to you or your faith. Suffice it to say that we Jews are not fond of the agressive missionary tactics and preying on the Jewish people of Evangelical Christianity as a whole. I really do not wish to go deeper in this subject as it will only bring up bad feelings on both sides. I hope you understand my position. That being said I find the LDS position far more respectful and loving in that they are sensitive to our concerns and respect our desire to remain Jewish. b'shalom

Hi forum, In the other forum where I met Vanhin and some of the other guys I remember that there were several messages of stories of people who converted out of LDS into some other form of Christianity. But I never got to see any stories about people who converted from some other form of Christianity into LDS. Would you kindly share your story here? :) I also have two complementary questions: I read that the LDS consider that at some point Roman Christianity became corrupt. What exactly is considered corrupt about Roman or even Reform Christianity? Last question: In Judaism we have a lot of problems with Pentecostals and other groups that rely heavily on emotions to gain converts to the point that there are organizations specializing in deprogramming. It's often a hard task to argue for a faith of reason over empty emotionalism. Do you have this problem as well? If so how do you deal with it? I hope my questions aren't offensive as I have no intention of being so. b'shalom

Very interesting Vanhin and Dravin. It does shed some interesting light.

I believe some rituals would require being Jewish to perform like the kaddish reciting. But in general anyone can do it. Judaism is the opposite with this respect. b'shalom!

In a way yes. Though our concept of salvation may be different. We are definetely contributing to the welfare of the deceased yes.

Right on. :) As a sidenote Judaism doesn't consider itself to be the one true religion. However we are very zealous with protecting our own people from assimilation. And by assimilation I mean losing our traditions and the things that are sacred to us.

I like to think of the 22 letters as the DNA of the universe. They were uttered in 10 sayings that created our world. Yes they are paths between the sefirot for that every reason. Each utterance is associated to a sefirah. I think your first question sort of answered your second. You see: the 22 letters are the path of ascending through the sefirot. So the 22 lead towards the 10. The 22 letters are also that with which the Torah Law was written. Therefore we can say that the Torah Law leads towards the Tree of Life. This sort of helps one understand what John meant with the word becoming flesh. According to him Jesus would embody all the 22 letters as he would be the fullness of the word. This is why John comes to the conclusion that Jesus is the way, isn't it? The latter is speculative. b'shalom

Wow Vanhin that's a tough one. It looks like a compound term to me. If I were to guess a triple-root word I'd guess this: רמ - ram - exalted ומפ - u'mef - and leading תם - faultless/complete If this is a triple-root word, it could mean something like "that which is faultless and exalted to lead". But I'm guessing a little context could be of help here. Is this a military or government title of some kind?

Yes, that's correct. Ah yes. The absence of Da'at is precisely what gave room to the appearence of Malchut. Think of it this way: It is only where knowledge conceals itself where there can exist something other than G-d. Malchut by definition touches that which once was not and which could only come to be when G-d concealed himself. I am surprised to learn that the LDS are interested in the Tree of Life. Is that an interest shared by all or just a personal interest? b'shalom

The official Jewish position is the opposite: if you're born a Jew you'll die a Jew. And your soul will remain Jewish. But Jews do fear assimilation greatly. Because the Jewish faith is not a "feel good" or a "raise your hands and all is done" kind of religion and because we are the odd ones out in most places of the world. I believe LDS probably have the same problem as your religion seems far more profound than traditional Christianity.