Expert: Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine - 4/1/2011

Question
QUESTION: I have read a number of your answers that would tend to indicate a 'no' to this question, yet I've never seen this answer verbatim. Thank you for your time and consideration.

ANSWER: Shalom Ben,

This is not a question with an easy yes or no answer.

Jews certainly do not need "Jesus" as defined by Christianity. Jews are commanded to honor only the One True God. To accept the god Jesus would be a serious offense for Jews.

Are Jews who do not accept the biblical Y'shua still Jews? Of course. Are they still part of the Covenant? Certainly. Does HaShem still care for them and lead them? Of course. Jews are the Elect eternally whether they accept Rebbe Y'shua or not. Jews have their relationship with HaShem through the covenant stretching back to Avraham Avinu and Moshe.

Are Torah Observant Orthodox Jews obeying HaShem more fully than Jews who do not serve Him, who do not observe His mitzvot? Who ignore Shabbat? Who live as the goyim? I'd have to say yes... but the non-observant are still in all ways Jews. Do we "need" to be Torah Observant? I'd say yes.

Are Torah Observant Jews who also embrace the biblical Cohen Gadol and coming Moshiach more fully obeying HaShem than those who reject him? As a Messianic Jew it seems that way to me. The Orthodox would disagree. We agree to disagree. Many Orthodox reject the Conservative, the Reform and the other movements as well, so we're in good company :-)

Jews, regardless of their movement affiliation, if any, have no need to (and indeed should not) convert into any other religion. Judaism is the true religion as Rebbe Y'shua made clear.

Do Jews "need" Y'shua? All Jews need to be as close to Will of HaShem as possible. If a Jew determines he/she can better serve HaSHem through a different rabbi, shul or Jewish movement, mazel tov! Each Jew is responsible to determine what HaShem wants. Those who are interested we share our views with, those who are not we pray that HaShem will bless them where they are.

Hope this clarifies my views.

~ Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your detailed answer. With that in mind, what role does Yeshua play in the lives of the believer, Jewish or Gentile? Thanks!

ANSWER: Shalom Ben,

Happy to be of service.

We devote a fair amount of time to these issues in our yeshiva lessons (http://templebethhashem.org/yeshiva) if you are interested. Our understanding of this matter in brief is that Y'shua is still alive in a celestial body. As a spirit he serves as final Cohen Gadol (High Priest and Mediator) between humanity and HaShem. ONLY HaShem "saves" (as Y'shua's name affirms: Yah-Shua: Salvation is of Yah) and HaShem has used a priesthood since the days of the Aaron and his sons. We believe Y'shua operates in this arena for the well being of all the earth, Jew and Goyim alike. His position is exalted and empowered and beyond our conception. Through the study of the cohen (priests) of the Torah we can gain some insight, if in reflection, to the service Y'shua is performing.

We have this from David:

Psalms 110:1 A psalm of David:
ADONAI says to my Lord [i.e. "my adon": Moshiach], "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."
2 ADONAI will send your powerful scepter out from Tziyon, so that you will rule over your enemies around you.
3 On the day your forces mobilize, your people willingly offer themselves in holy splendors from the womb of the dawn; the dew of your youth is yours.
4 ADONAI has sworn it, and he will never retract -"You are a cohen forever, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek."
5 Adonai at your right hand will shatter kings on the day of his anger.
6 He will pass judgment among the nations, filling it with dead bodies; he will shatter heads throughout an extensive territory.
7 He will drink from a stream as he goes on his way; therefore he will hold his head high.

Y'shua came as Daniel and others foretold, was anointed as Cohen Gadol (high priest) "to be compared with Melchizedek." He will "sit at HaShem's right (favored) hand until the time when HaShem vanquishes the enemies of Israel" (ie the past 2000 years or so).

As always, our service, whether Jew or Gentile, is to be directed to HaShem alone.
Y'shua conducts the office of High Priest. HaShem alone is God.

Hope this is helpful.
Write back any time.

~ Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your answer. However, Yeshua was not of a priestly family and therefore is not a priest (one can't be of the Davidic [non-priestly] family and of the Levite family both. And the Psalm clearly refers to David not someone in the future.

But I digress. Give me a practical answer to my previous question. Do you pray to Yeshua? How does he intercede for you? And what about the people that don't have his intercession?

Thanks again!

Answer
Hi Ben,

There is a common misunderstanding on this point as most people do not understand the nature of the Levitical priesthood.

Consider:

Deuteronomy 10:8 At that time ADONAI set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark for the covenant of ADONAI and to stand before ADONAI to serve him and to bless in his name, as they still do today.
9 This is why Levi has no share or inheritance with his brothers; ADONAI is his inheritance, as ADONAI your God had said to him.

And again:

Joshua 13:14 Only to the tribe of Levi did Moshe give no inheritance; because the offerings made by fire for ADONAI the God of Isra'el are its inheritance; as [ADONAI] had said to Moshe.

The Levites ceased to exist as a separate tribe during the wilderness sojourn. They became a priesthood only. They took their wives and their sustenance from the other tribes. One could therefore easily be both a Levite and a member of the House of Judah of the Davidic lineage. There was no tribe of Levi in the 1st century nor is there today and yet there are still Levine's, Katz, Cohen's etc. of the House of Judah (i.e. Jews).

Elizabeth (Y'shua's aunt) was married to a cohen named Zacharias of the House of David (Luke 1:5) and there is strong reason to believe that Miryam was also a Levite. The only remaining Israelites that can be identified today are from either Judah or Benjamin. Those with names like Levine, as all Jews, are from the House of Judah.

--- And the Psalm clearly refers to David not someone in the future.

Which Psalm are you speaking of? Psalm 110 clearly is not speaking of David. There David himself says:

'Adonai spoke to my adon (master...) and said...' It is addressing David's master, the Moshiach, not David. David was not priest etc.

--- But I digress. Give me a practical answer to my previous question. Do you pray to Yeshua?..

I did give you a practical answer. Y'shua is cohen gadol of Israel. That is the role he plays for now.
Of course we don't pray to Y'shua. Prayers are to be addressed to no one but HaShem.

Y'shua intercedes as the high priests have always interceded.

---And what about the people that don't have his intercession?

The cohen gadol intercedes for all Israelites, whether they accept his intercession or not. That is his role. Aaron interceded for all the Israelites and so does Y'shua.

Shalom,

~ Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine