Or Yehuda, a small town near Tel Aviv, did what bigger places should have already done a long time ago. Inhabitants collected Christian missionary material and burned everything publicly. Thus, several hundred New Testaments were burned.
First it was said that Deputy Mayor Uzi Aharon (SHASS – Party) was responsible for the book burning. However, later he claimed that the incident was not planned at all, but a spontaneous reaction. The inhabitants of Or Yehuda are traditional, stick to their Jewish heritage and don't want any idol worship in their town.
I just wish that other places would follow this example.
As soon as I see a pile of New Testaments laid out by Christian missionaries, I throw everything into the garbage. Unfortunately, Christian missionary material is getting more and more and their camouflage within the texts is becoming better. Jews who don't know anything about their own religion might think that the booklets are of Jewish origin.
For more information about Christian missionary activities in Israel go here:
Yad Le'Achim
By the way, the Messianics protested and demanded a police investigations. But who cares about what they want ?
Shouldn't this crap be discarded in another way? Like retiring it to a specifically designated genizah?
ReplyDeleteB"H
ReplyDeleteBoker Tov !!!!
There is already a wild discussion going on about the same subject; on my German blog:
http://hamantaschen.blogspot.com/2008/05/bcherverbrennung-in-or-yehuda.html
The majority is shocked and sees an upcoming danger. As the poet Heinrich Heine said: Where books are being burned, soon people will be burned.
Well, it is different with all the missionary stuff.
You can't put it into a Genizah, as it is idol worship. And Halacha says that we have to burn it or throw it away.
There is a funny cartoon in today's HAARETZ:
"Or Yehuda was celebrating Lag Ba'Omer early this year". :-))))))
B"H
ReplyDeleteBoker Tov !!!!
There is already a wild discussion going on about the same subject; on my German blog:
http://hamantaschen.blogspot.com/2008/05/bcherverbrennung-in-or-yehuda.html
The majority is shocked and sees an upcoming danger. As the poet Heinrich Heine said: Where books are being burned, soon people will be burned.
Well, it is different with all the missionary stuff.
You can't put it into a Genizah, as it is idol worship. And Halacha says that we have to burn it or throw it away.
There is a funny cartoon in today's HAARETZ:
"Or Yehuda was celebrating Lag Ba'Omer early this year". :-))))))
Of course, good point. עבודה זרה
ReplyDeleteI must have been still half asleep as the Maariv article also contains a brief halachic explanation.
In the JAFI ulpan I study at these books also turn up from time to time. Tucked away under benches, so that the kids there will find them eventuallyt.
I really wonder who has the nerve to do this. Using a sponsored ulpan to spread missionary material - these people must be really f**ked up.
B"H
ReplyDeleteI have also heard about Ulpanim in Jerusalem where missionaries hand out their garbage. This is nothing new anymore. Unortunately.
Without getting into wether I agree or disagree withtheir actions, the fact that the old testament is also printed together with their new testament doesnt make it against halacha to burn. On the contrary, the Rambam clearly states that a sefer torah that was written by an apikorus (even if it is a “kosher torah scroll” with ink on parchment) MUST be burned!!! It has absolutely no kedusha and one may not learn from it.
ReplyDeleteFrom:
http://www.shalomnewyork.com/israel/burning-christian-missionary-propaganda-in-or-yehuda/
"the one whom burns book will follow in burning people". (Heinrich Heine)
ReplyDeleteB"H
ReplyDeleteChristian missionaries are always fast using philosophical phrases when it comes down to defend their evil idol worship acts.
Hopefully all those idol worship books will be burned soon. And when you look into the Torah, we are even commanded to destroy any idol in the Holy Land.
Gut Shabbes !!!