Misdirected Missionary Zeal

Missionary love for Jews and Israel is akin to the love that Americans have for turkey on Thanksgiving. Imagine we did not breed or farm with turkeys, they would become extinct in one day. 

Jesus has more reason than Jackie Mason to sue Jews for Jesus

n August of 2006, Associated Press ran an article,  "Oy! Jackie Mason sues Jews for Jesus." This was to be a $2 million lawsuit for distributing a pamphlet during Jews for Jesus' downtown missionary "sorties". The pamphlet featured an image of Mason next to the words, "Jackie Mason...A Jew for Jesus!?" the pamphlet had information inside  that outlined the similarities between Jews and Christians. Mason's challenge was, that this was a case of defamation of character. However on closer scrutiny, I would venture to say that this is more a case of identity theft.

Of course Jackie has a reason to kvetch, he has all the right to be indignant about defamation of character, but just imagine if Jesus was in town... I don’t know why Jackie is so upset; after all he is in good company! Unless, of course, he is also fooled by the character assassination of the man he is associated with. After all, Jesus used to be a good Jew... Oy, just think what a thing it could be! Jesus could have had a field day with legal suits against the Northern Baptists, Southern Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Pentecostals, Anglicans, Mormons, Protestants, Calvinists, and the list goes on and on and just boggles the mind. 

Here, let me tell you why I think Jesus, more than Mason, has a strong case. He, more than any other person in the history of mankind, has books written that records his life and events. This not only enables a person to form a good picture of his character and nature, but also gives a clear picture of his personality. This is like advertising your social security number on the web. I mean, it is so clear from the record of the "New Testament," which Jews for Jesus follow, that he grew up as a good Jewish boykie. His name used to be Yehoshua or in short Yeshua. As an adult, he had a bunch of bocherim (young students) that followed him. One of them who used to be called Mattityahu, said this about his childhood; that, “He (Yeshua), grew in wisdom and favor with both God and man.”  I mean he was the frum of the frum. He hung with the machot at the shull. He encouraged everybody to be observant, to keep Shabbes, not to eat treiff, basically to be good Yeddin. That was until some goyim snatched his identity…

So, Jackie Mason should complain? Look at what happened to Yeshua! All of a sudden his name is Jesus, he now supposedly tells his followers not to worry about pesadicking the house. In fact you should make it a point to eat chametz buns with raisons on Pesach. Treiff shmeiff, bring on the chazzah and eat what you like. Shabbes is when you want it to be, pick a day, any day. Kasher? What ever for? His talmidim all of a sudden become goyim as well. Mattityahu becomes Mathew, Shaul becomes Paul, Yehochanan becomes John, his own brother Ya’acov becomes James, and imagine if they could all start suing what a mess this could turn out to be. So the story goes on, he lived a good life, there were some political issues and hallachic tzuris and with the help of some goyim he is executed. But HaShem makes a nes gadol  (a big miracle), and he is resurrected. The Tzadukim pulled out their beards ‘cause they did not believe in Techiat haMeitim (a resurrection) and everyone is running around trying to cover up the event. He, however shows himself to his faithful followers and gives them their last instruction; “the Torah that I taught you, take it to the world.”  So they did, and the goyim? They turned him into a God and that obviously makes any Jew, including Jackie Mason and Jesus, real mad.

So, nu, you think, when Yeshua and not Reb Schneerson, of blessed memory, returns looking for the frum, would Yeshua have the shpilkes for what they have made him out to be? What on earth, is Jews for Jesus going to say? What have they done to his identity? Should he sue? I would say yes, Yeshua the Jew has more to kvetch about, than Jackie Mason.
 

Rabbi Baruch (Louis) Vos Levitz

September 7, 2006 - 14 Elul 5766