(This blog was already in our Learning & Conversation and Podcasts & Blogs window under Blogs in the Jewish Life and Practice section. We very much wanted to make this available in light of the recent horrific mass shootings in the U.S. in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, as well as for the tragic losses in the ongoing war in the Ukraine.)
The Jewish community going back into the times of the Bible and today, despite all its diversity, is a community. When someone in the Jewish Community dies, it is said to the surviving family members in Hebrew, “May you be comforted among the mourners in Tzion (“Zion”, excellence”).
I am reminded of Rav Shaul’s (Paul’s) words to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 12:26, in the context of Paul trying to get the Corinthians to realize they were all part of a whole; a totally Hebrew, Jewish and P’rush (“Separate Ones” ” Pharisees”) idea, in 1 Cor. 12:12-27.
Paul speaks of suffering in Koine Greek, “jointly/ in association with” those who suffer. The context in this section of 1st Corinthians 12 as above, is – very much(!) trying to tell the Corinthians that they are all part of a whole – which is why the reference is to the Body, not “bodies” of the Mashiach. While the context – always very important for properly applying Scripture (!)- in 1st Corinthians 12 is for followers, I don’t think Paul would want Gentile followers of their Jewish Mashiach to ignore the suffering of anyone – least of all a Jew cf. Rom. 11:20-22! Cf. also Heb. 12:14 (“Shalom” is put first for emphasis and “with all” in Greek is in an absolute sense “of all”).
We may take for granted that we will wake up the next morning after we go to sleep, but we are reminded that each breath is a gift. I still remember from 30 years ago when my mother was in intensive care and the doctor wanted to do a procedure and my Dad asked if this would guarantee my mother’s condition improving. The doctor said, “I can’t guarantee anything beyond the next breath”. (The LORD chose to take back the soul He had given her after three weeks in intensive care; I praised God that at least any suffering was minimal).
Schlomo Hamelech, King Solomon, writes in Hebrew in the opening of Kohelet, Preacher, known from its Greek related name as Ecclesiastes, that all is like a breath that momentarily hangs in the air, disappears and is forgotten (the deeper meaning of the Hebrew word typically translated “vanity”). By the way, this word is also the Hebrew name of “Abel”. He of course was not here that long because of the action of his brother.
Let us please pray for all those around the world who today have to bury loved ones that died suddenly.
We want especially to pray for the families who recently had to bury their loved ones in Buffalo and the families of those murdered in Uvalde, Texas. Let us especially pray for the now orphaned children of the family whose father died after hearing his wife was one of those murdered.
We also want to keep in our hearts’ prayer for children in Ukraine who may have become orphaned because of the war.
Israelis, of all people on earth, probably understand the deep pain of these families more than anyone else. Virtually every Israeli has lost a family member either in one of Israel’s wars, or defending Israel against terrorist attacks, or personally knows someone who has. Or they have lost a family member or knows someone who has lost a family member in a terrorist attack against Israeli civilians.
My wife and I spent a wonderful Sabbath in the Biblical city of Shiloh visiting some fellow Jewish followers of Yeshua, and staying with an Orthodox Jewish family that we met under circumstances that were clearly of God (but that’s almost another blog itself). The oldest son of the family that kindly hosted us for the Sabbath has a friend of his who had recently been killed in a terrorist attack against a school where young observant Israelis were learning Torah and the rabbinic writings.
The way that our friends’ son spoke about this was a bit shocking in that he made it clear that this is something Israeli teens have to deal with as a part of life in Israel.
Also, in the context of when Israeli teens get to be 16 or 17, they’re not thinking about where they are either going to college or a trade they might want to pursue, but rather what branch of the military they’re going to have to join at 18.
Israel has to have mandatory military service from 18 to 21 for males and 18 to 20 for females. In addition, Israeli men serve in the Reserves which comes from a word in Hebrew which means “exercises” until they are 40 or 45. Men serve one month a year in reserve duty until they are 40 or 45. Thus for every Israeli family, they are worrying about whether their son or daughter may be joining a front-line or special forces unit, etc. You also have families where a son or daughter is on active military duty while the father is serving on active reserve duty or may be called up if something happens such as recent short wars with Hamas in Gaza.
Again, Israelis are probably more sensitive to the news of these recent horrible mass shootings in the U.S. when it comes to hitting home.
There was no one more sympathetic and empathetic after 9/11 than the Israelis. The biggest difference between the horrible mass shootings in the U.S. and terrorist attacks in Israel is the Israelis don’t cause mass shootings and murders of other Israelis.
There are a number of reasons for this. One of the very very key differences is that one of the best-known teachings of the Talmud is translated as “all Jews are responsible for one another”.
In short for here, Israel is very much a “we” culture and society despite the diversity of Jews living there.
The U.S. though now very diverse, is very much a “me” culture and society. Jews around the world regardless of where they live see themselves as part of a people who know all too well the horror of having family members and fellow Jews murdered.
The Jewish community has tremendous empathy and not only prayer, but also community spiritual and emotional support whenever a Jew loses a loved one regardless of the circumstances. The pain of loss is very much shared by the community.
As regards prayer, Jews who have lost a loved one recite a prayer during times of community worship which focuses on the sanctification and Magnification of the LORD.
This is to help strengthen and reinforce steadfast trustworthiness in the LORD during a time when someone’s steadfast trustworthiness could be weakened at the loss of a loved one.
This could especially happen after a tragedy, accident or murder in which we might be tempted to ask, “Where’s God?”.
We would want to pray then, that the families who experience these recent well-known horrible events would have their steadfast trustworthiness in the LORD strengthened!
While we do very very much want to pray for the families, we should also pray that these horrible events do not become an impediment to non-followers, who in seeing these events question if God exists, “Why doesn’t He prevent these?”, etc.
(A quick note; Man uniquely of all of God’s creation has free will. In Hebrew, the word comes from the word meaning “specially chosen”. Since man has free will, society chooses how much to deal or not deal with mental health, or whether it places real value on human life etc.)
By praying for those who have suffered the unspeakable losses and while it is difficult to feel for them in our hearts, it helps us to be godly and Mashiach-like in caring for others – even when it hurts and so we do not become desensitized and dehumanized – increasingly a big problem in the West.
We also have to very much remember and hope it will be of comfort to the families to remember Yeshua saying to Nakdimon (“Nicodemus”) in Yochanon (“God is gracious”, “John’s” original Hebrew name) 3:16 that God so loved the world, meaning more deeply in Hebrew in part “a complete devotion to the other and a desire for the best for the other that God gave over His Son”. (“Give” in Hebrew more deeply means “give over”. God did not give His Son, He “gave over” His Son!)
It is absolutely beyond our comprehension of the pain that must have caused our wonderful Father. We are also reminded more deeply in Hebrew of the in fact intensity of the emotional pain of the LORD to His heart because of man’s not just physical violence but wishing the worst rather than the best for the other cf. Gen. 6:6, cf. v. 5.
So let us be encouraged not to grieve the heart of the LORD by ignoring the pain of others!
For those who seek Jewish practices and ways, we teach why some of the most popular today are in fact not appropriate for Christians and which ones actually are. One of those is known in Hebrew as “feeling the pain of others” cf. 1 Cor. 12:26.
Let us also be encouraged to thank God for every breath that we take, especially if we don’t have to labor to do so – like many do!
Over the years I’ve had many many discussions with my dear Christian brethren about Jewish practices that are appropriate for them – and especially those that are not!
One practice that is appropriate for followers if you’re not doing it already, is that immediately upon awakening thank God for awakening us and bringing us back to life! Paul also wrote the Corinthians, our lives are not our own 1 Cor. 6:19-20 (Paul’s Greek is you plural not you singular). Let us also be encouraged to thank and praise God for calling us to serve Him and others!
Thanking God immediately upon awakening is also a way that Christians can help see God moment-to-moment; and realize, that absolutely nothing happens apart from Him! Cf. the opening of Romans 13, as well as many of the Shine Forth Songs of Praise (“Psalms”) et al.
May we be strengthened and encouraged to look for and hasten the Day of God, when prayer requests will no longer have to be sent out!
Then, we will just be praising the LORD!
May God richly bless you and yours and if Mashiach does not return beforehand, may we be given the 120 years of life the LORD spoke of Gen. 6:3.
Jacob
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