The Secret Rabbinical Teachings Concerning Christians
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/talmud1.htm
By Rev. I. B. Pranaitis
Roman Catholic Priest;
Master of Theology and Professor of the Hebrew Language at the
Imperial Ecclesiastical Academy of the Roman Catholic Church in Old
St. Petersburg.
In 553 the Emperor Justinian forbade the spread of the Talmudic books
throughout the Roman Empire. In the 13th century "Popes Gregory IX and
Innocent IV condemned the books of the Talmud as containing every kind
of vileness and blasphemy against Christian truth, and ordered them to
be burned because they spread many horrible heresies."
Later, they were condemned by many other Roman Pontiffs - Julius III,
Paul IV, Pius IV, Pius V, Gregory XIII, Clement VIII, Alexander VII,
Benedict XIV, and by others who issued new editions of the Index of
Forbidden Books according to the orders of the Fathers of the Council
of Trent, and even in our own time.
Towards the end of the 16th century and at the beginning of the 17th,
when many famous men undertook diligently to study the Talmud, the
Jews, fearing for themselves, began to expunge parts of the Talmud
which was published at Basle in 1578 has been mutilated in many
places.
And at Synod in Poland, in the year 1631, the Rabbis of Germany and
many other countries declared that nothing which would annoy the
Christians and cause persecution of Israel, should be printed. For
this reason there are signs of many things missing in the Jewish books
which were published in the following century and thereafter. The
Rabbis explain from memory what these things mean, for they possess
the genuine books which Christians rarely see.
JESUS CHRIST IN THE TALMUD
Many passages in the Talmudic books treat of the birth, life, death,
and teachings of Jesus Christ. He is not always referred to by the
same name, however, but is diversely called "That Man," "A Certain
One," "The Carpenter's Son," "The One Who Was Hanged," etc.
Article I. - Concerning the Names of Jesus Christ
1. The real name of Christ in Hebrew is Jeschua Hanotsri - Jesus the
Nazarene. He is called Notsri from the city of Nazareth in which he
was brought up. Thus in the Talmud Christians also are called Notsrim
- Nazarenes.
Since the word Jeschua means "Savior," the name Jesus rarely occurs in
the Jewish books. It is almost always abbreviated to Jeschu, which is
maliciously taken as if it were composed of the initial letters of the
three words Immach Schemo Vezikro - "May his name and memory be
blotted out."
2. In the Talmud Christ is called Otho Isch - "That man," i.e. the one
who is known to all. In the tract Abhodah Zarah, 6a, we read: "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"
3. Elsewhere he is simply called Peloni - "A Certain One." In
Chagigah, 4b, we read:
"Mary...the mother of a certain one, of whom it is related in
Schabbath..." (104b)
That this Mary is none other than the mother of Jesus will be shown
later.
4. Out of contempt, Jesus is also called Naggar bar naggar - "the
carpenter son of a carpenter", also Ben charsch etaim - "the son of a
wood worker."
5. He is also called Talui - "The one who was hanged." Rabbi Samuel,
the son of Mair, in the Hilch. Akum of Maimonides, refers to the fact
that it was forbidden to take part in the Christian feats of Christmas
and Easter because they were celebrated on account of him who was
hanged. And Rabbi Aben Ezra, in a commentary on Genes. also calls him
Talui, whose image the Emperor Constantine reproduced on his banner.
"...in the days of Constantine, who made a change of religion and
placed the figure of the one who was hanged on his banner."
Article II. - The Life of Christ
The Talmud teaches that Jesus Christ was illegitimate and was
conceived during menstruation; that he had the soul of Esau; that he
was a fool, a conjurer, a seducer; that he was crucified, buried in
hell and set up as an idol ever since by his followers.
1. ILLEGITIMATE AND CONCEIVED DURING MENSTRUATION
The following is narrated in the Tract Kallah, 1b:
"Once when the Elders were seated at the Gate, two young men passed
by, one of whom had his covered, the other with his head bare. Rabbi
Eliezer remarked that the one in his bare head was illegitimate, a
mamzer. Rabbi Jehoschua said that he was conceived during
menstruation, ben niddah. Rabbi Akibah, however, said that he was
both. Whereupon the others asked Rabbi Akibah why he dared to
contradict his colleagues. He answered that he could prove what he
said. He went therefore to the boy's mother whom he saw sitting in the
market place selling vegetables and said to her: "My daughter, if you
will answer truthfully what I am going to ask you, I promise that you
will be saved in the next life." She demanded that he would swear to
keep his promise, and Rabbi Akibah did so - but with his lips only,
for in his heart he invalidated his oath. Then he said: "Tell me, what
kind of son is this of yours"? To which she replied: "The day I was
married I was having menstruation, and because of this my husband left
me. But an evil spirit came and slept with me and from this
intercourse my son was born to me." Thus it was proved that this young
man was not only illegitimate but also conceived during the
menstruation of his mother. And when his questioners heard this they
declared: "Great indeed was Rabbi Akibah when he corrected his
Elders"! And they exclaimed: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who
revealed his secret to Rabbi Akibah the son of Joseph"!
That the Jews understand this story to refer to Jesus and his mother,
Mary, is clearly demonstrated in their book Toldath Jeschu - "The
Generations of Jesus" - where the birth of our Savior is narrated in
almost the same words.
Another story of this kind is narrated in Sanhedrin, 67a:
"Of all who are guilty of death by the Law, he alone is caught by a
ruse. How is it done? They light a candle in an inner room and place
witnesses in an adjoining room outside where they can see him and hear
his voice, but where they cannot be seen by him. Then the one whom he
tried to seduce says to him "Please repeat here privately what you
told me before." If the seducer repeats what he said, the others ask
him "But how shall we leave our God who is in heaven and serve idols?"
If the seducer repents, then all is well.But if he says "This is our
duty and it is right for us to do so," then the witnesses outside, who
have heard him, bring him before the judge and stone him to death.
This is what they did to the son of Stadi in Lud, and they hanged him
on the eve of the Passover. Forthis son of Stada was the son of
Pandira. For Rabbi Chasda tells us that Pandira was the husband of
Stada, his mother, and he lived during the time Paphus the son of
Jehuda. But his mother was stada, Mary of Magdala (a ladies'
hairdresser) who, as it is said in Pumbadita, deserted her husband."
The meaning of this is that his Mary was called Stada, that is, a
prostitute, because, according to what was taught at Pumbadita, she
left her husband and commited adultery. This is also recorded in the
Jerusalem Talmud and by Maimonides.
That the mention here is of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is verified in
the Tract Chagigah, 4b:
"When Rabbi Bibhai was visited once by the Death Angel (the devil),
the latter said to his assistant: "Go and bring to me Mary the
hairdresser" (that is, kill her). He went and brought Mary the
children's hairdresser - in place of the other Mary."
A marginal note explains this passage as follows:
"This story of Mary the Ladies' hairdresser happened under the Second
Temple. She was the mother of Peloni, "that man," as he is called in
the tract Schabbath."
In Schabbath the passage referred to says:
"Rabbi Elizer said to the Elders: "Did not the son Stada practice
Egyptian magic by cutting it into his flesh?" They replied: "He was a
fool, and we do not pay attention to what fools do. The son of Stada,
Pandra's son, etc." as above in Sanhedrin, 67a.
This magic of the son of Stada is explained as follows in the book
Beth Jacobh, fol. 127 a:
"The Magi, before they left Egypt, took special care not to put their
magic in writing lest other peoples might come to learn it But he
devised a new way by which he inscribed it on his skin, or made cuts
in his skin and inserted it there and which, when the wounds healed
up, did not show what they meant."
Buxtorf says:
"There is little doubt who this Ben Stada was, or who the Jews
understood him to be. Although the Rabbis in their additions to the
Talmud try to hide their malice and say that it is not Jesus Christ,
their deceit is plainly evident, and many things prove that they wrote
and understood all these things about him. In the first place, they
also call him the son of Pandira. Jesus the Nazarene is thus called in
other passages of the Talmud where express mention is made of Jesus
the son of Pandira. St. John Damascene also, in his Genealogy of
Christ, mentions Panthera and the Son of Panthera.
"Secondly, this Stada is said to be Mary, and this Mary the mother of
Peloni "that certain one," by which without doubt Jesus is meant. For
in this way they were accustomed to cover up his name because they
were afraid to mention it. If we had copies of the original
manuscripts they would certainly prove this. And this also was the
name of the mother of Jesus the Nazarene.
"Thirdly, he is called the Seducer of the People. The Gospels testify
that Jesus was called this by the Jews, and their writings to this day
are proof that they still call him by this name.
"Fourthly, he is called "the one who was hanged," which clearly refers
to the crucifixion of Christ, especially since a reference to the time
"on the eve of the Passover" is added, which coincides with the time
of the crucifixion of Jesus. In Sanhedrin they wrote as follows: "On
the eve of the Passover they hanged Jesus"
"Fifthly, as to what the Jerusalem Talmud says about the two disciples
of the Elders who were sent as witnesses to spy on him, and who were
afterwards brought forward as witnesses against him: This refers to
the two "false witnesses" of whom the Evangelists Matthew and Luke
make mention.
"Sixthly, concerning what they say about the son of Stada that he
practiced Egyptian magical arts by cutting into his flesh: the same
accusation is made against Christ in their hostile book Toldoth
Jeschu.
"Lastly, the time corresponds. For it is said that this son of Stada
lived in the days of Paphus the son of Jehuda, who was a contemporary
of Rabbi Akibah. Akibah, however, lived at the time of the Ascension
of Christ, and for some time after. Mary is also said to have lived
under the Second Temple. All this clearly proves that they secretly
and blasphemously understand this son of Stada to be Jesus Christ the
son of Mary.
"Other circumstances may seem to contradict this. But that is nothing
new in Jewish writings and is done on purpose so that Christians may
not easily detect their trickery."
2. Furthermore, "In the secret books, which are not permitted to fall
easily into the hands of Christians, they say that the soul of Esau
came into Christ, that he was therefore evil and that he was Esau
himself."
3. By some he is called a FOOL and INSANE
In Schabbath, 104b:
"They, [the Elders] said to him [Eliezer]: "He was a fool, and no one
pays attention to fools."
4. A CONJURER AND MAGICIAN
In the infamous book Toldoth Jeschu, our Savior is blasphemed as
follows:
"And Jesus said: Did not Isaiah and David, my ancestors, prophesy
about me? The Lord said to me, thou art my son, today I have begotten
thee, etc. Likewise in another place: The Lord said to my Lord, sit
thou at my right hand. Now I ascend to my father who is in heaven and
will sit at his right hand, which you will see with your own eyes. But
you, Judas, will never reach that high. Then Jesus pronounced the
great name of God (IHVH) and continued to do so until a wind came and
took him up between earth and sky. Judas also pronounced the name of
God and he likewise was taken up by the wind. In this way they both
floated around in the air to the amazement of the onlookers. Then
Judas, again pronouncing the Divine Nane, took hold of Jesus and
pushed him down to earth. But Jesus tried to do the same to Judas and
thus they fought together. And when Judas saw he could not win out
over the works of Jesushe pissed on Jesus, and both thus being unclean
they fell to earth; nor could they use the Divine name again until
they had washed themselves."
Whether those who believe such devilish lies deserve greater hatred or
pity, I cannot say.
In another place in the same book it is related that in the house of
the Sanctuary there was a stone which the Patriarch Jacob anointed
with oil. On this stone were carved the tetragrammatic letters of the
Name (IHVH), and if anyone could learn from them he could destroy the
world. They therefore decreed that no one must learn them, and they
placed two dogs upon two iron columns before the Sanctuary so that if
anyone should learn them the dogs would bark at him coming out and he
would forget the letters through fear. Then it is related: "Jesus came
and entered, learned the letters and wrote them down on parchment.
Then he cut into the flesh of his thigh and inserted them there, and
having pronounced the name, the wound healed."
5. IDOLATER
In the Tract Sanhedrin (103a) the words of Psalm XCI, 10: "No plague
shall come near thy dwelling," are explained as follows:
"That thou mayest never have a son or a disciple who will salt his
food so much that he destroys his taste in public, like Jesus the
Nazarene."
To salt one's food too much or to destroy one's taste, is proverbially
said of one who corrupts his morals or dishonors himself, or who falls
into heresy and idolatry and openly preaches it to others.
6. SEDUCER
In the same book Sanhedrin (107b) we read:
"Mar said: Jesus seduced, corrupted and destroyed Israel."
7. CRUCIFIED
Finally as punishment for his crimes and impiety, he suffered an
ignominious death by being hanged on a cross on the eve of the
Passover (as we have seen above).
8. BURIED IN HELL
The book Zohar, III, (282), tells us that Jesus died like a beast and
was buried in that "dirt heap...where they throw the dead bodies of
dogs and asses, and where the sons of Esau [the Christians] and of
Ismael [the Turks], also Jesus and Mahommed, uncircumcized and unclean
like dead dogs, are buried."
9. WORSHIPPED AS GOD AFTER HIS DEATH BY HIS FOLLOWERS
George El. Edzard, in his book Avoda Sara, quotes the following words
of the commentator on the Hilkoth Akum (V,3) of Maimonides:
"In many passages of the Talmud mention is made of Jesus the Nazarene
and of his disciples, and that the Gentiles believe that there is no
other God besides him. In the book Chizzuk Emunah, part I, ch. 36, we
read: "The Christians build up an argument from this [Zachary XII, 10]
and say:
Behold how thew Prophet testified that in future ages the Jews would
would lament and weep because they crucified and killed the Messiah
who was sent to them; and to prove that he meant Jesus the Nazarene,
possessing both the divine and human nature, they quote the words: And
they looked upon him whom they transfixed and they wept over him as a
mother over her first born child.""
Maimonides attempts to prove how much Christians err in worshipping
Jesus in his book Hilkoth Melakhim (IX, 4):
"If all the things he did had prospered, if he had rebuilt the
Sanctuary in its place, and had gathered together the dispersed tribes
of Israel, then he would certainly be the Messiah....But if so far hew
has not done so and if he was killed, then it is clear he was not the
Messiah whom the Law tells us to expect. He was similar to all the
good and upright rulers of the House of David who died, and whom the
Holy and Blessed Lord raised up for no other reason but to prove to
many, as it is said (in Dan. XI, 35): And some of them who understand
shall fall, to try and to purge them and to make them white, even till
the end of time, because the appointed time is not yet. Daniel also
prophesised about Jesus the Nazarene who thought he was the Christ,
and who was put to death by the judgment of the Senate: (Dan. V.14):
....and the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish
the vision; but they shall fail. What could be plainer? For all the
Prophets said that the Christ would set Israel free, would bring it
salvation, restore its dispersed peoples and confirm their laws. But
he was the cause of the destruction of Israel and caused the rest of
them to be dispersed and humiliated, so that the Law was changed and
the greater part of the world was seduced to worship another God.
Truly no one can understand the designs of the Creator, nor are his
ways our ways. For all that has been built up by Jesus the Nazarene,
and by the Turks who came after him, tend only to prepare the way for
the coming of Christ the King, and to prepare the whole world equally
for the service of the Lord, as it is said: For then I shall give a
clean moth to all peoples that all may call upon the name of the Lord,
and bow down in unison before him. How is this being accomplished?
Already the whole world is filled with the praise of Christ, the Law
and the Commandments, and his praises have spread to far distant lands
and to peoples whose hearts and bodies are uncircumcized. These
discuss with one another about the Law that was destroyed - some
saying that the commandments were once true, but have ceased to exist;
others that there is a great mystery about it, that the Messiah-King
has come and that their doctrine has revealed it. But when the Christ
truly comes and is successful, and is raised up and exalted, then
everything will be changed and these things will be shown to be false
and vain."
10. AN IDOL
In the Tract Abhodah Zarah, (21a Toseph), we read:
"It is of importance to inquire the reasons why men nowadays even sell
and rent their houses to Gentiles. Some say this is legal because it
is said in Tosephta: No one shall rent his house to a gentile either
here [in the land of Israel] or elsewhere because it is known that he
will bring an idol into it. It is nevertheless allowed to rent them
stables, barns and lodging houses, even though it is known that they
will bring idols into them. The reason is because a distinction can be
made between a place into which an idol will be carried in order to
leave it there permanently, and a place where it will not be left
permanently, in which case it is allowed. And since the gentiles,
among whom we now live, do not bring their idol into their homes to
leave it there permanently, but only for a time - while someone is
dead in the house or when someone is dying, nor do they even perform
any religious rites there - it is therefore permitted to sell and rent
them houses."
Rabbi Ascher, in his Commentary on Abhodah Zarah (83d) speaks not less
clearly on this matter: "Today it is permitted to rent houses to
Gentiles because they bring their idol into them only for a time, when
somebody is sick." And in the same place he says "Today they have a
practice of incensing their idol.""
All this, and much more like it, proves beyond a doubt that when the
Rabbis speak of the idols of the Gentiles among whom they lived at
that time, when no idols were worshipped, they clearly meant the
Christian "idol," namely, the image of Christ on the crucifix and the
Holy Communion.
Note About The Cross
In Jewish writings there is no directly corresponding word for the
Christian Cross. The cross T on which those condemned to death were
crucified, was called Tau by the Phoenicians and the Hebrews, and this
name and sign for it was afterwards taken over into the alphabet of
the Jews and of the Greeks and the Romans. The Cross honored by the
Christians, however, is called by the following names:
1. Tsurath Haattalui - the image who was hanged.
2. Elil - vanity, idol.
3. Tselem - image. Hence the Crusaders in Jewish books are called
Tsalmerim (ein Tsalmer)
4. Scheti Veerebh - warp and woof, which is taken from the textile
art.
5. Kokhabh - star; on account of the four rays emanating from it.
6. Pesila - a sculpture, a carven idol.
But whenever it is mentioned it is always in the sense of an idol or
of something despicable, as can be seen from the following quotations:
In Orach Chaiim, 113,8:
"If a Jew when praying should meet a Christian [Akum] carrying a star
[a crucifix] in his hand, even if he has come to a place in his prayer
where it is necessary to bow down to worship God in his heart, he must
not to so lest he should seem to bow down before an image."
In Iore Dea, 150,2:
"Even if a Jew should get a splinter in his foot in front of an idol,
or if he should drop his money before it, he must not stoop down to
remove the splinter or to gather his money lest he should seem to
adore it. But he should either sit down or turn his back or his side
to the idol and then remove the splinter."
But whenever it is not possible for a Jew to turn away like this, the
following rule must be observed (in Iore Dea, 3, Hagah):
"It is not permitted to bow down or to remove one's hat before princes
or priests who wear a cross on their dress, as is their custom. Care
must be taken, however, not to be noticed in failing to do so. For
instance, one can throw some coins on the ground and stoop down to
pick them up before they pass by. In this way it is permitted to bow
down or to remove one's hat before them." A distinction is also made
between a cross which is venerated and a cross which is worn around
the neck as a souvenir or as an ornament. The former is to be regarded
as an idol, but not necessarily the latter.
In Iore Dea, 141, 1, Hagah, it says:
"The image of a cross, before which they bow down, is to be treated as
an idol, and it is not to be used until it is destroyed. However, a
'warp and woof' if hung around the neck as a souvenir is not to be
regarded as an idol and can be used."
The sign of the cross made with the hand, by which Christians are wont
to bless themselves, is called in Jewish "the moving of the fingers
here and there" (hinc et hinc).
Full essay:
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/talmud1.htm
"Every man dies, but not every man truly lives"
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