seek advice from someone who is locked and entrapped in his own small and narrow paradigmatic world, unable to break fresh ground or traverse bounderies set by canonical scriptures.

of American Jews who finance so much of the charity in Israel and are politically influential in getting Israel foreign aid in Washington, D.C. Even President Bush has a "kosher" White House kitchen with rabbinical seals of approval. Israelis might not appreciate the photo-ops, but it is essential for American Jews to see that. It is like many of the British cannot stand the Monarchy, but keep it for the Americans and for tourism.

You have touched on something that is starting to get a lot of - so far only very low key - play over here, and it doesn't bode well for US-Israeli relations down the road. Based on your tb's, you give the impression of being level-headed and having both feet on the ground, and I'd love to "talk" to you. There has to be rhyme and reason to this mess, and if half-way normal people can't get on the same page and outsmart some living-in-the-Dark-Ages a**hats then who can? The little noises of which I'm speaking are somewhat surprising in that people, who a few years ago, didn't have the faintest interest or understanding of Judaism, all of a sudden do, at least, to some extent, and instead of pointing fingers exclusively at Israel's enemies on the outside, are starting to hesitate and wonder if they, maybe, shouldn't take a closer look at the inner workings of a government/country that can't seem to decide on which basis it wants to function. Even if it's not quite the same, it looks similar to a lesson for which we're paying right now with the lives of our kids and which, when all is said and done, may have been for not much of anything. Some people may start to scream, "anti-Semitism," but that's really not it. There's too much respect for what Jews have accomplished in science and technology, etc. The fact that, in the case of Israel, it involves mostly Jews is, actually, rather incidental. There is something else going on for which I don't have a word, and it's totally frustrating. Am I making even one bit of sense?

Simple. It's because of those who have kept to their "own small and narrow paradigmatic world" that have kept Judaism alive for 3300 years.

that are supposed to know the truth of G-D sucking up to secular politicians like olmert and peres that appear to have no regard for G-Ds laws.what you find written in numbers 33:55-56 is still valid.because our politicians with the support of some rabbis violate this law we are going to get ourselves on the receiving end of a lot more violence until the politicians do what G-D says.why dont the rabbis that support olmert tell him this?

Isn't it extremely unfair for the writer to advocate cutting off political representation of the entire segment of the population in the State of Israel who are religious Jews? (The left is the best example of what they are screaming they hate.)

The arrogance of anyone's purporting to know god's truth or the stupidity of someone's believing that someone else does is mind-boggling. I do, however, have a question: Is it more important for Jews or for Judaism to survive?

I have just read your response to my tb. The whole subject is a very big problem here and will get bigger. I also understand fully why it is a problem for some folks in America, believe me I understand. A snake is best killed when it is young. This one has been allowed to grow long and fat. One of your Founding Fathers said,"Freedom is like a tree, it has to be watered from time to time, unfortunately by blood". There are folks here whose concept of life and how it should be lived is as far from democracy and freedom as is Mars from planet Earth. At some time in the future there will have to be a day of reckoning. You suggested that they be outsmarted. The problem is a very complex one and would take me a long time to explain.

it was the great Jewish violinists, scientists, doctors, chess masters, philosophers, inventors and entreprenuers who all worshipped humanity as opposed to a metaphysical idol, just maybe. Marx, Freud and Einstein were all Godless yet their contribution to humanity is inestimable and,in my opinion, until now, unsurpassed, even if you do not like the quality of their contribution, you can not argue as to the quantity in terms of the effect on humanity. Maybe it was people like this and not the learned Rabbis, or maybe I just do not understand and am in need of education.

"I do, however, have a question: Is it more important for Jews or for Judaism to survive? " What's a Jew without Judaism? How about a better question, has there been any group of Jews that have continued for more than 5 generations without Judaism? If not, well... you can't have Jews without Judaism?

...adds BS interpretations to Torah for profit corrupting a people. It is forbidden to add a word or take away a word, yet they add laws that bring Israel low. Read the neveem. So who cares if one whores out to the other. One G-d One Love

You appear to be an inteligent man, you also seem to care about jewish people, because of this you do indeed need to get a jewish education so that you will not be confused. There is no lack of intelligent places to get one. I recomend you investigate it. Where do you think Freud and Eistein got their minds from? It was not the Sorbone it was from their heritage, even if they did not want to admit it.

What's a Jew without Judaism? A live human being? Judaism can be revised and adjusted. Dead Jews can't. I honestly and very sincerely don' t mean to be disrespectful, but Jews, if they have to and as quite a few have proven already, can survive without Judaism. It's Judaism which can't survive without Jews. Contrary to what's been drilled into people's heads, human beings can live without specific religions whereas religions of whatever kind will fall by the wayside without human beings. It just seems to me that when you put philosophies/religions of whatever name, especially those that don't work in your own interest, ahead of life, you are not honoring the god who gave you that life. Your contention that you can't have Jews without Judaism is like saying that you can't have Italians or Irishmen without Catholicism, and that simply isn't so. This may be a somewhat distateful expample, but after thousands of years, you, still have Persians/Iranians, long after Zoroastrianism has been abandoned. How can anyone justify to hang onto something that hasn't worked for thousands of years? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is called madness. Like it or lump it, nature has proven time and time again that either you grow and adapt or you'll eventually disappear. Please, tell me on a biological basis where and how I'm wrong.

messianic jews [ ? ] talking bout Rabbis

Maybe only for their PR ? " look , i'm a good Jew , folks " And please give me your vote .

"you can not argue as to the quantity in terms of the effect on humanity. Maybe it was people like this and not the learned Rabbis, or maybe I just do not understand and am in need of education. " While they contributed to humanity, they did NOT contribute in keeping to Jewish nation together throughout it's history.

what have you got to lose scumbags? your demonic disgusting animal entrapment? antigod freaks than rot in very long hell-like existence after their shell dies.

I am horrified - you sound like something out of "Mein Kampf". What on earth is the matter with you? We are all brothers - some keep Torah and mitzvot, others less so, but we are all one blood.

Pray to God for wisdom just as Solomon did, then get as much knowledge as you can, from others .then check with Gods word the information lines up with him.for its Gods will we want done isn't it?

The problem is worse than you we think. The Rabbis are very self-serving and believe themselves above the law and as a result preach to others to act above the law. We need separation between religion and state. Only in that way will the Jewish people last another 30 years. With the way religion is today when the religious have simply become observant and turned away from being religious, I do not see much of a future

the rate at which the nations are destroying the resources of this planet none of us even are going to see the earth consumed by the sun when it supernovas at the end of its life as scientists tell us all suns eventually do.why does this life we have really matter if all we have to look forward to is death?and why should G-D care about us if we dont care about Him?

he is a messianic missionary

I've gone through most of the talkbacks and it really is a sad case. Lets review: Israeli politicians who claim to represent ISRAELI CITIZENS note (NOT WORLD JEWERY) pay their respects, even if most according to the article thing it is a farse, to RABBIS who claim and to lead orthodox and espacially ortho-orthodox jews. In the end it comes down to identity. Some responces seem to think that its an issue of separation of religion from state, clearly a refference to American 'Church and State' debate. Though that has been a piller of leagal doctrine in the US for over 50 years, starting with Carter, continuing with Reagan to a lesser extent Bush 41, Clinton and now once again Bush 40 openly meet with church elders and religious leaders. You think its just the crazy right wing? Clinton, Kerry and all the Dem candidates of the present round all pay homage to the likes of 'Rev.' Jesse Jackson and regularly go to Black churches. So, it's not about separation of religion from the state. The Jewish religion is not like the Catholic Church. If you disagree with one Rabbi you have the choice to choose to follow another. In Israel Jews come in 3 colors: Black, Zionist religious and the largist group are 'secular'. It's out of ignorance that the last group differs to the first two for all things religious. World wide there are two other colors: conservative and Reform which together make up the largist group numericly. I am sure some of the writers concerned with 'Jewishness' as having a life of its own consider the last two groups as heretics. The only reason Secular Jews in Israel get a pass from those people is becuase of this sumbission of all things Jewish to the Orthodox groups. So in the end, the last word is something idiotic like 'Yahn is not Jewish'. Oh in that case we need not respect him. He is not made in the image of God. He is of the 'untucheble' cast. If you are secure enough with your beliefs you should be able to take on Rabbis, Messianic Jews or anyone else. To the Point: Rabbis who take in Politicians who clearly have no use for what the Rabbi says (Unless Peres, for example, agrees that walking between two women is like walking between two asses) demean their own stature. Politicians are held at such low esteam that they can't get any lower.

His ideas and writings are "untouchable" . Read other tb's of mine instead of writing "idiotic" sentences

I ask myself why the Creator has created specimem like you... You are sooooooooooo unsmart! Hartley,Zoroastrianism was another failed attempt to copy Judaism.It used to be a monoteistic religion,who finally failed because,as christianity,attempted to humanize what can not be humanized. And persians(iranians),as any other humans ,need to believe in something,and now they believe in Islam,which is AGAIN,an attempt to copy Judaism and which will fall as zoroastrianism fell,and as christianity will,because copies don't work,only the original. Judaism has survived the way it is for more than 3000 years.It is the base of almost all legal codes funcioning in the western world,inclusively in US-the 10 comandents,for exemple.It is an ethic and moral religion among other things. What do you,smart one,suggest to be changed in Judaism? hartley,to be able to discuss,one must have to have brains,otherwise she looks sooooooooo fool!

in 1990 not right away but 4 years after (1986)starting to question some of the teachings of the messianic assembly that i had been immersed into in 1968.it was a shock to me when they put the run to me but also a blessing-when i had no choice but to start thinking for myself instead of having someone else to think for me.i forgot to mention that not only do i consider myself to still be a messianic jew(both parents were secular jews)but also a zionist.if it were up to me and were given the power from Above i would drive out of G-Ds land all that do not want to obey Him just as is written in numbers 33:55-56 but which the stiff necked politicians refuse to do.

nothgin wrong wiht getting a rabbi's blessing or opinion, sometimes they can be right, and sometimes those wihtotu advice can be wrong, eg olmert and sharon, and barak