In this document, I will discuss some of the writings of traditional Judaism that intentionally denigrate, as well as openly blaspheme the finished work of Jesus Christ. I feel the need to do this evaluation, because many of these texts are now being quoted by television evangelists such as Perry Stone, Steve Monsey, Benny Hinn and others. They are also used in the works of Christian book authors such as Grant Jeffreys, who appeared on the Benny Hinn show, as well as by some Pastors in their teachings to the people in their congregations. Some of the texts that I will discuss are the Talmud, the Toldoth Yeshu, the writings of the Jewish mystical system known as Kabbalah, as well as the Shem Tov book of Mathew, which is part of the Jewish writing titled Even Bohan.
The Talmud speaks negatively of Jesus in various books that comprise its writings. The Talmud is a rabbinic commentary on the Torah, which Christians know as the first five books of the Old Testament. Recently, some in Judaism have tried to state that the Talmud is speaking of another person(s) named Jesus, and not Jesus Christ, but conervative rabbi’s such as Daniel Lapin have clearly stated that the Talmud does in fact denigrate Jesus. Here is a quote by Mr Lapin that can be found on his website:
“Do we really want to open up the Pandora’s Box of suggesting that any faith may demand the removal of material that it finds offensive from the doctrines of any other faith? Do we really want to return to those dark times when Catholic authorities attempted to strip from the Talmud those passages that they found offensive? Some of my Jewish readers may feel squeamish about my alluding to the existence of Talmudic passages uncomplimentary toward Jesus as well as descriptive of Jewish involvement in his crucifixion. However the truth is that anyone with Internet access can easily locate those passages in about ten seconds. I think it far better that in the name of genuine Jewish-Christian friendship in America, we allow all faiths their own beliefs even if we find those beliefs troubling or at odds with our own beliefs. This way we can all prosper safely under the constitutional protection of the United States of America.
http://www.towardtradition.org/article_Mel_Gibson.htm
In the Talmud, great measures are taken so that Jesus is never referred to by His actual Hebrew name of Yeshua, because His name itself means He is Salvation, and is a description of His finished work. Jesus is referred by many othe names and titles such as Otho Iysh, which is translated in the English version as “that man”. In Abhodah Zarah, 6a, it is stated that “He is called a Christian who follows the false teachings of that man, who taught them to celebrate the feast on the first day of the Sabbath, that is, to worship on the first day after the Sabbath”.
Jesus is also referred to as Peloni , which is translated as “A Certain One.” In Chagigah, 4b, we read:
“Mary…the mother of a certain one, of whom it is related in Schabbath…” (104b)
Jesus is also referred to as Naggar bar naggar – “the carpenter son of a carpenter”, also Ben charsch etaim – “the son of a wood worker.”
He is also called Talui – “The one who was hanged.” and him who was hanged, as well as “the one who was hanged on his banner.”
Below are some Talmudic passages that denigrate Christ:
Sanhedrin, 67a ~ Jesus is referred to as the illegitimate son of Pandira, a Roman soldier.
Sanhedrin 106a . Says Jesus’ mother was a whore
Sanhedrin 106 ~ Revels in the early age at which Jesus died
Sanhedrin 43a ~ Says Jesus (”Yeshu” / Yeshu “the Nazarene”) was executed because he practiced sorcery.
Gittin 57a ~ States that Jesus is being boiled in “hot excrement.”
Sanhedrin 43a . Jesus deserved execution: “On the eve of the Passover, Yeshu was hanged…Do you suppose that he was one for whom a defense could be made? Was he not a Mesith (enticer)?”
Abhodah Zarah II ~ Also referred to as the son of Pandira, a Roman soldier.
Schabbath XIV~ Again referred to as the son of Pandira, the Roman.
Schabbath, 104b ~ Called a fool and no one pays attention to fools.
Sanhedrin, 103a. ~ Suggested corrupts his morals and dishonors self.
Sanhedrin, 107b. ~ Seduced, corrupted and destroyed Israel.
Abhodah Zarah, 21a — Reference to worship of Jesus in homes unwanted.
Orach Chaiim, 113 — Avoid appearance of paying respect to Jesus.
Iore dea, 150,2 — Do not appear to pay respect to Jesus by accident.
Abhodah Zarah (78c) — Festivals of followers of Jesus regarded as idolatry.
Kallah, 1b. (18b) ~ Illegitimate son and conceived during menstruation.
Sanhedrin, 67a ~ Hanged on the eve of Passover.
Sanhedrin, 43a ~ On the eve of Passover they hanged Jesus.
Sanhedrin 90a ~Those who read the New Testament will have no portion in the world to come.
Shabbath 116a (p. 569) ~Jews must destroy the books of the Christians, i.e. the New Testament.
Rosh Hashanah 17a ~ Christians (”minim”) and others who reject the Talmud will go to hell and be punished there for all generations.
Sanhedrin 105ab ~ “Jesus fornicated with his jackass.
Gittin 57a ~ Jesus is in hell and is being punished by being boiled in semen. Christians are boiled in dung.
Talmudic passages are also used as the basis for the writing titled Toledot Yeshu, which translated means The Geneaology of Yeshu. This writing reports a distorted view of who Jesus was, with many blasphemous statements directed towards Him, claiming that he was the rebellious illegitimate son of a Roman soldier (Pantera) born of unclean conception or niddah, who practiced witchcraft by speaking the sacred or ineffefable name of God who tried to lead Israel astray. In this writing, it is also stated that he set up a brick and worshipped it, and that he was hung, which denies the blood atonement, and His finished work on the cross. The actual Biblical name for Jesus in Hebrew is spelled Yod-Shin-Vav-Ayin which is Yeshua (H3442~H3443), a shortened form of Yehoshua (H3091). Yeshua means He is salvation or He saves. By shortening the name to Yeshu, they effectively deny His work of redemption. In order to get the name Yeshu, the ayin is dropped from His Biblical Hebrew name. All Hebrew letters represent something in Judaism. As an example, the lettter represents the hand. The letter ayin in the Hebrew language, is known to be representative of the eyes. Here is an excerpt from the Toldoth Yeshu:
Miriam gave birth to a son and named him Yehoshua, after her brother. This name later deteriorated to Yeshu.
The above quote from the Toldoth Yeshu tells us that His name deteriorated to Yeshu. Deteriorated is a term that obviously does not have a positive connotation. It should be noted that informed believers object to the name Yeshu, because they understand it as a rabbinically modified form of the name Yeshua, and In some versions of the Toledot Yeshu, the name “YeSHU” is used as an acronym for “Yemach Shemo U’zikhro” which translated means “May his name and memory be blotted out”. Yemach comes from the root word Machah (H4229) meaning to blot, Shemo from the root word shem (H8034) which means name or reputation, and zikhro from the root word zayker (H2143), which means a memorial or remembrance. This statement is spoken in the form of a curse, because to erase the name and memory of a person is to erase all knowledge of their being. It should also be noted, that this phrase, or a shortened version is often used in Jewish writings when the name of a despised individual (Hitler, Amalek, Hayman, etc) has been mentioned. This could be a possible allusion to Psalms 109:13-15, where king David curses the enemies of Israel:
13 let his posterity be cut off; let their name be blotted out (yimach shemam) in the following generation;
14 let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered to YHWH; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out;
15 let them be always before YHWH, so that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth; (v’yak’rat ma’erets zikram)
It could also be fashioned after the Biblical curses found in the Torah, that were placed on the enemies of Israel, such as Exodus 17:14 and Deuteronomy 25:19. In Exodus we find “machoh emche et zeykher Amaleq mitachat hashamayim” translated as “I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven”. Amalek is also cursed in Deuteronomy 25:19 as well.
In the Shem Tov Matthew, in many places the name of Jesus is also written in the Hebrew as Yeshu. The Shem Tov Matthew is a theologically altered middle ages manuscript (1390 ce), which was copied from a Latin text that originated from the Greek making it a third generation altered copy at best. This anti-Christian version of the book of Matthew was included in the writing titled “Even Bohan” which translates as “The Touchstone.” The Shem Tov Matthew has modified passages in some chapters that use Talmudic references, as well as some references from the Toldoth Yeshu.
This document was authored by Shem Tov, who resided in Spain during the fourteenth century. He was an anti-Christian Jewish writer, who wrote this in an attempt to stop the Jewish people from accepting Christianity as their faith. The Shem Tov Matthew has anti-Christian polemical commentary written by him throughout the document. There are a handfull of Shem Tov manuscripts available, but many of them are not in agreement with each other. Before his death, Shem Tov attempted to also translate a theologically altered version of the book of Mark, as he had done with Matthew, but the work was never completed.
In an excerpted article from the Jewish Encyclopedia quoted below, this was stated about Shem Tov, the author of Even Bohan, which includes the Shem Tov Matthew:
“…As a Talmudic scholar he carried on a correspondence with Sheshet. At Tarazona he completed his “Eben Bohan” (May, 1380 or 1385), a polemical work against baptized Jews…”
[IBN SHAPRUT (SHAFRUT, By : Richard Gottheil ; Meyer Kayserling
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=43&letter=I&search=shem%20tov%2",,-1,0,,,,]
From the American Academy for Jewish Research (AAJR) of Brandeis Hebrew University, a well recognized school of traditional Jewish learning, we find this dissertation by student Joshua Levy. Mr. Levy is a doctoral candidate in the department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University, studying medieval Jewish history. His dissertation, titled “Sefer Milhamot Hashem, Chapter Eleven: The Earliest Jewish Critique of the New Testament”, is an examination of medieval Jewish criticisms of the Gospel of Matthew:
“This study will begin with a critical edition of one chapter of an early and important medieval Hebrew polemical text, chapter eleven of Jacob ben Reuben’s Sefer Milhamot Hashem. The critical edition will be accompanied by a translation and commentary. Additionally, the dissertation will examine subsequent Jewish and Christian reactions to this pathbreaking text. Written by Jacob ben Reuben, a Jew living in southern France in the late twelfth century, Sefer Milhamot Hashem is one of the earliest extant Jewish polemical texts. Sefer Milhamot Hashem, as a whole, presents Christian, biblically-based arguments for the truth of Christianity and the subsequent Jewish counterarguments. Chapter eleven strikes at the heart of Christianity: it is a Jewish critique of the Gospel of Matthew. My work on this chapter will lead to an examination of the influence that this chapter had on later authors. Shem Tov ibn Shaprut, a Spanish Jewish author of the late fourteenth century, used the criticisms of Jacob ben Reuben in his own translation of the Gospel of Matthew; I will examine his translation to see how Jacob’s attacks were adopted and modified. Nicholas de Lyra, a Franciscan friar of the early fourteenth century, was the first Christian to write a refutation to Jacob’s criticisms. I will use his refutation to understand how the Church responded to Jewish attacks.” [http://www.brandeis.edu/ajs/dissertations.php?id=28]
Some other articles by Joshua Levy can be found here:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Medieval/TheStory6321666/Christendom/Crusades.htm
As we can see from the article quoted above, Jacob ben Reuben was a Jewish rabbi who lived in Spain, who wrote polemical writings against Christianity during the twelveth century. He wrote a book titled the Sefer Milhamot Adonai or Book of the Wars of the Lord as a response to attacks by the convert Petrus Alphonsi. This book was comprised of twelve chapters. In it was refutations of the Christian arguments demonstrating Jesus as the promised Messiah of the TaNaKh (Old Testament), coupled with a written criticism of the Gospels as well as the book of Acts, in which he attempted to point out what he viewed as contradictions within the Book. This was the main foundation that Shem Tov built his own writings on. We can clearly see some of these theological alterations implemented by Shem Tov Ibn Shaprut, by simply comparing passages from the Shem Tov Matthew against any of the standard translations:
These passages fail to identify Jesus as the Christ/Messiah/Annointed one who was predicted in the Hebrew Scriptures (OT).
Mat 1:1 “…the generation of Jesus Christ…”
Shem Tov “…the generations of Jesus…” [Jesus is written in the Hebrew text as Yeshu]
Mat 1:18 “…now the birth of Jesus Christ…”
Shem Tov “…birth of Jesus…” [Jesus is written in the Hebrew text as Yeshu]
In these passages His ability to forgive the sin of His people is eliminated, which denies His Deity:
Mat 1:21 “…thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”
Shem Tov “…you will call his name Jesus because he will save my people from their sins.”
Mat 9:2 ” And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”
Shem Tov “9:2, “They brought to him one who was sick with contractions, that is, paralitico, lying upon his bed. Jesus saw their faith and said to the sick man: Have courage my son. It is by the faith of God that your sins have been forgiven.” [Jesus is written in the Hebrew text as Yeshu]
In this passage Jesus is made equal to the earthly scribes or sages.
Mat 7:29 “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
Shem Tov “because he was preaching to them with great power, not as the rest of the sages“
The part of this passage which stresses His Deity is eliminated:
Mat 28:20 – Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo ” I am with you always, even unto the end of the world ” Amen
Shem Tob – and teach them to carry out all the things which I have commanded you forever.
In this passage the coming of a future Kingdom is eliminated
Mat 6:10 “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Shem Tov “may your kingdom be blessed; may your will be done in heaven and on earth”
In this passage the preaching of the gospel is eliminated.
Mat 11:5 “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
Shem Tov “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are revived and the poor are acquitted.”
In this passage the temple is exalted above Christ
Mat 12:6 “But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.”
Shem Tov “Truly I say to you that the temple is greater than this“
In this passage the behavior of the Pharisees is questioned, and not their false doctrine.
Mat 16:12 “Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”
Shem Tov “beware of the behavior of the Pharisees and the Saducees…” [This does not have the verses broken up by number. There is a group of verses listed as 9-12 , with no verse 6, 7, or 8a.]
Mat 16:9-12 9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Shem Tov 16:9-12, “Do you remember the five loaves and four thousand men how many seahs were left over? Therefore you should understand that I am not speaking of natural loaves but I am saying to you that you should (beware) of the behavior of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
In this passage Elijah becomes the savior.
Mat 17:11 “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”
Shem Tov “11. He answered them and said: Indeed Elijah will come and will save all the world. 12 “I say to you, he has already come, they did not know him, and they did to him according to their desire. (So) they will do to the Son of Man. 13 “Then the disciples understood that regarding John the Baptizer he was saying this”"
Mat 18:11 “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”
Shem Tov 18:11, “and the Son of Man has stopped saving the enemy.”
In these passages the Deity of Christ is eliminated.
Mat 19:28 “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory,…”
Shem Tov “Jesus said: Truly I say to you who follow me, in the day of judgement when man sits upon the throne of his glory you also will sit upon the twelve thrones of the twelve tribes of Israel.” [Jesus is written in the Hebrew text as Yeshu]
Mat 20:30 “…when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.”
Shem Tov “…It was said to them: The prophet Jesus from Nazareth is coming. Then they cried out saying: Son of David, have mercy on us.” [Jesus is written in the Hebrew text as Yeshu]
Mat 28:9 “.. Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.”
Shem Tov “As they were going Jesus passed before them saying: May the Name [HaShem} deliver you. They came near to him, bowed down to him, and worshipped him" [Jesus is written in the Hebrew text as Yeshu]
In this passage preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ becomes, “the Anti-Christ” and “abomination of desolation.”
Mat 24:14-16 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: “
Shem Tov “And this gospel, that is, evungili, will be preached In all the earth for a witness concerning me to all the nations and then the end will come. This is the Anti-Christ and this is the abomination which desolates which was spoken of by Daniel [as] standing in the holy place. Let the one who reads understand. Then those who are in Juda, let them flee to the mountains.”
In the passages below, Jesus is hanged in accordance to what is written in Talmudic writings and the Toldoth Yeshu, instead of being crucified. This eliminates His blood atonement and His finished work on the cross. The same Hebrew word is used to describe the death by hanging of Judas Iscariot in reference to being hanged by a rope.
Shem Tov
Matt 26:2
Do you not know that after two days will be the Passover and the Son of Man will be delivered into the hand of the Jews for the gallows.
KJV
Matt 26:2
Ye know that after two days is [the feast of] the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
Shem Tov
Matt 27: 22,23
Pilate said to them: If so, what shall I do with Jesus who is called Messiah? All of them answered that he should be hung. Pilate said to them: What evil has he done? Then they vigorously cried out: let them hang him, let them hang him, let them hang him.
KJV
Matt 27:22,23
Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? [They] all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
Shem Tov
Matt 27:26
Then he released Barabbas (to them), and delivered to them Jesus for beating and affliction that they might hang him.
KJV
Matt 27:26
Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered [him] to be crucified.
Shem Tov
Matt 27:31
When they had mocked him (much), they stripped the robe from him, and dressed him in his own clothes, and gave orders to hang him.
As they were going out from the city, they met a man whose name was Simon the Canaanite. They compelled him to carry the gallows, that is, “The Cross”.
27:35
When they had placed him on the gallows they divided his garments by lot
27:38
Then two thieves were hung with him, one on his right and one on his left.
KJV
Matt 27:31,32
And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify [him].
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
If Jesus were hung, He would have not been thirsty, because medical science has determined that it is impossible to drink or speak when one is being hung. This would then eliminate all of the words that are recorded in the Gospels that He spoke while on the cross, and He would have never been able to say “It is finished”. Also If He was hung, then there would have been no need for the soldier to pierce his side, because He would have been dead almost instantly, which would deny His suffering. This errant translation of these passages denies all of His finished work, and also denies the cross and His finished work, because there is no blood shed during hanging, hence no redemption.
Yeshu is currently the name that many people refer to Jesus as when speaking modern Hebrew in Israel.
I would admonish anyone who has been using any of the above writings that I have evaluated as a source of learning and wisdom, to turn away from them immediately. In the NT writings we are told that Christ and Belial have no fellowship, therefore we need to understand that it is impossible to learn about who Jesus is and what He has done, from those who have not only openly denied Him and His finished work on the cross, but also have intentionally and deliberately blasphemed Him
********************************
posted with permission
“context” - just from a decidedly Jewish point of view. They appeal to the Christian believer’s affinity for context by saying things like, “The Scriptures were written by Hebrews, about Hebrews, for Hebrews”, making their approach seem to make perfect sense. Never mind that if we really look at the actual context of several of the Epistles, the “by Hebrews, about Hebrews, for Hebrews” shtick doesn’t hold up. But I digress.
] . Other parts of the Feast of Shavuot included 2 loaves of bread; drink offerings; meat offerings of lambs, rams, goats, and bullocks that involved the covenant of salt – all the meat was sprinkled with it. Requirements for some of the crops were sacrificial offerings, and other crops designated for eating. The goat offering was the atonement for sin.
