Love your Neighbor as Your SELF !

Jesus said there are 2 Commands that are the MOST Important. First, Love the Lord Your God with ALL your heart, all your Soul and all your Mind. He then says the Second is Like the First. The Second is This, Love your Neighbor as your SELF. ...... The Second is like the First since they are the exact same thing. The Neighbor is the SELF. Do you know the Hebrew word for Neighbor ? ...... שכן SHKN. Like Shekhinah ( שכינה) - The Divine Presence. Why is the Second like the First ? They are the same. The Aleph is the Bet. the Infinite Spirit (Aleph) "IS" the house (Bayet) Everything around you is God. AND LOOK (Heh) LOOK HOW POORLY YOU HAVE BEEN TREATING HIM !

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Mat 22:36-40

Footnotes:
a.Mat 22:37 Deut. 6:5
b.Mat 22:39 Lev. 19:18

מורה, המהווה את המצווה הגדולה ביותר בחוק ....

ישוע השיב: אהבתי את ה 'אלוהיך בכל הלבב ובכל הנפש ובכל נפשך. זוהי המצווה הראשונה והגדולה ביותר. והשני הוא כמו הראשון. 'ואהבתי לרעך כמוך. כל התורה והנביאים לתלות על שני מצווה אלה.

God is One, ein od milvado

God is One. - אין עוד מלבדו

The Panentheism of Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Yisroel (Israel) ben Eliezer

“All that I have achieved,” the Baal Shem Tov once remarked, “I have achieved not through study, but through prayer”. Prayer, however, is not merely petitioning God to grant a request, nor even necessarily speaking to God, but rather (“cleaving”, dvekut)— the glorious feeling of ’Oneness with God Almighty’, the state of the soul wherein a man or woman gives up their consciousness of separate existence, and join their own selves to the Eternal Being of God Supreme. Such a state produces indescribable bliss, which is the foremost fruit of the true worship of God.





All matter is a manifestation of God - Since God is immanent in all things, all things must possess something good in which God manifests Himself as the source of good. For this reason, the Besht taught, every man must be considered good, and his sins must be explained, not condemned. One of his favorite sayings was that no man has sunk too low to be able to raise himself to God. Naturally, then, it was his chief endeavor to convince sinners that God stood as near to them as to the righteous, and that their misdeeds were chiefly the consequences of their folly. 

Whoever does not believe that God resides in all things, but separates God and them in his thoughts, has not the right conception of God. It is equally fallacious to think of a creation in time: creation, that is, God’s activity, has no end. God is ever active in the changes of nature: in fact, it is in these changes that God’s continuous creativeness consists.

The foundation-stone of Hasidism as laid by Besht is a strongly marked panentheistic conception of God. He declared the whole universe, mind and matter, to be a manifestation of the Divine Being; that this manifestation is not an emanation from God, as is the conception of the Kabbalah by Mitnagdim, for nothing can be separated from God: all things are rather forms in which God reveals Himself.

Since every act in life is a manifestation of God, and must perforce be divine, it is man’s duty so to live that the things called “earthly” may also become noble and pure, that is, divine

The Yoga of Jesus

In this remarkable book, Paramahansa Yogananda reveals the hidden yoga of the Gospels and confirms that Jesus, like the ancient sages and masters of the East, not only knew yoga but taught this universal science of God-realization to his closest disciples. Compiled from the author's highly praised two-volume work, The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You, this insightful and compact book transcends the centuries of dogma and misunderstanding that have obscured the original teachings of Jesus, showing that he taught a unifying path by which seekers of all faiths can enter the kingdom of God. 
Topics include: 
  •The lost years of Jesus in India 
  •The ancient science of meditation: how to become a Christ 
  •The true meaning of baptism. 
Available here :     The Yoga of Jesus

Yeshu ben Pantera or Yeshua ben Yosef ? Updated.

Many people believe that the Yeshu ha Notzri mentioned in the Talmud is not the Yeshua ha Notzri (Jesus the Nazarene) of the New Testament ....

Yeshua ben Pandera (mentioned in Sanhedrin 67a of the Talmud)
1. came to Israel from Egypt
2. mother was Miriam, father was Pandera (Term meaning Betrayer )
3. studied under Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachia , practiced and taught Magic, Sorcery and Blasphemy. (Saying that he was YHVH)
4. had 5 disciples (puns)
5. belonged to a movement called the Notzrim (Nazarene)
6. was tied to the government (Royalty) under protection of certain people
7. executed (stoned and hanged from a Tree) by Order of the Jewish Court
8. was executed on the Eve of  Passover
9. was called "Yeshu" by the Talmudic Rabbis

Yeshua ben Yosef of Nazareth (of the New Testament)

1. born in Bethlehem, moved to Egypt and lived in Galilee
2. lived approximately in 4 BCE
3. mother was Miriam (Mary), father was Yosef,
4. studied, practiced and taught a Radical form of Judaism
5. Similar teaching to Hillel & Shamai - Hasidic movement in Galilee and the Essenes
6. had 12 disciples
7. started the Netzarim (Nazarene) movement, (Notzrim in Israel)
8. had no apparent ties to the government, but was from the Royal line of David
9. executed by the Roman Courts (Rome had imperial rule over Israel, Jewish court had no authority to order or carry out an execution)
10. was executed (scourged - crucified) the day of preparation for Passover (Eve of Passover)

Is the Talmud referring to a totally different person ?  There were other Yeshuas who were in the likes of Yeshua ben Pandera; there was Yeshua ben Stada, and others. There were over 24 Yeshu's from different time periods recorded in the Talmud.

These people were called "YESHU." But, the Talmud refers to Manasseh the king of Judah as "YESHU." (Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 103a & Berakhot 17b). The Talmud also calls an individual "YESHU," who lived during the Hashmonean Era (Talmud Yerushalmi Chagigah 2:2). Also in Gittin 56b and 57a, there other people who were called "YESHU," but these people are military enemies of Israel.

Is the acronym "YESHU" (Yud Shin Vav) related to the name "Yeshua." ??

 The acronym YESHU is used in Rabbinic material to identify any Rasha (wicked person) or a Tzadik (righteous person). "YESHU" is an acronym that stands for two things, "Yimmach Shemo Vezikhro", meaning "May his name and memory be blotted out." And its other meaning is "Yishtabach Shemo Vezikhro" meaning "May his name and memory be praised."

Is there a Talmudic Sage called Yeshu, the same as the Yeshua of the New Testament  ? "YESHU." ?

Yes.

This title was later applied to Yeshua by Jews, due to the corresponding anger towards Christianity's continuous onslaught. The title stuck.

The Yeshua being spoken of in Talmud Sanhedrin 43A  is also called Yeshu ben Pandera, Pandera means "Betrayer" ....  he is the supposed student of Rabbi Yehoshua Perachiyah and was executed (hanged) by the Jewish court the day before  Passover for repeated incidents of performing and teaching magic and sorcery. Healing the Sick and Raising the dead. Feeding the multitudes ....

So is Yeshu ha Notzri, ben Pandera (Betrayer) mentioned in Talmud Sanghedrin 43a the same as Jesus the Nazarene of the New Testament ??

Absolutely, Without a shred of Doubt - Yes he is  !

Learn more about Yeshu ha Notzri here :  http://www.YeshuHaNotztri.blogspot.com

Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide by Aryeh Kaplan

Students of mediation are usually surprised to discover that a Jewish mediation tradition exists and that it was an authentic and integral part of mainstream Judaism until the eighteenth century.
 
Jewish Meditation is a step-by-step introduction to meditation and the Jewish practice of meditation in particular. This practical guide covers such topics as mantra meditation, contemplation, and visualization within a Jewish context. It shows us how to use meditative techniques to enhance prayer using the traditional liturgy—the Amidah and the Shema. Through simple exercises and clear explanations of theory, Rabbi Kaplan gives us the tools to develop our spiritual potential through an authentically Jewish meditative practice.

Aryeh Kaplan, Orthodox rabbi and author of Meditation and the Bible (Weiser, 1978) and Meditation and Kabbalah (Weiser, 1981), shows that meditation is consistent with traditional Jewish thought and practice. He then presents a guide to a variety of meditative techniques: mantra meditation (with suggested phrases and Bible verses to use as mantras); contemplation; visualization; experiencing nothingness (which he does not recommend for beginners); conversing with God; and prayer. His instructions are clear and explicit, and his advice is informed and sound, advocating that a simple 20-minute-a-day program can indeed help make the practitioner a better person and a better Jew, and develop a closer relationship to God and things spiritual. 

Reviews

“The classic text for Jews who want to experience the meditative methods of their own spiritual tradition.”
—Daniel Goleman, author of The Meditative Mind
 
“[This is] the first book to read on the subject. It is a gentle, clear introduction and provides exercises and practices that can be used right away by any Jew who wants a deeper prayer experience.”
—Rodger Kamenetz, author of The Jew in the Lotus
 
“New and old davveners can learn from this sainted teacher how to deepen their holy processes . . . One can, with the help of God and the aid of this manual, tap into the Cosmic.”
—Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi

“A guide to Jewish prayer and meditation that is both grounded in the tradition and genuinely mind-expanding. For anyone seeking to connect with the spiritual side of Judaism, this book is essential.”
—William Novak

“At a time when Jews are rediscovering their hunger for spirituality, Kaplan’s clear and comprehensive book could well be one of the most important Jewish books of our time.
—Harold S. Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Lecha Dodi, Come my Beloved. O Bride, Shabbat Queen, now come !

Lcha Dodi (Hebrew: לכה דודי‎; also transliterated as Lecha Dodi, L'chah Dodi, Lekah Dodi, Lechah Dodi; Ashkenazic pronunciation: Lecho Dodi, Biblical: Lekhah Dhodhiy) is a Hebrew-language Jewish liturgical song recited Friday at dusk, usually atsundown, in synagogue to welcome Shabbat prior to the Maariv (evening services). It is part of the Kabbalat Shabbat ("acceptance of Sabbath").

Lekhah Dodi means "come my beloved," and is a request of a mysterious "beloved" that could mean either God or one's friend(s) to join together in welcoming Shabbat that is referred to as the "bride": likrat kallah ("to greet the [Shabbat] bride"). During the singing of the last verse, the entire congregation rises and turns to the open door, to greet "Queen Shabbat" as she arrives.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat,  let us greet.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

"Observe" and "Remember" in a single word,
He caused us to hear, the One and Only Lord.
G-d is One and His Name is One,
For renown, for glory and in song.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

To welcome the Shabbat, let us progress,
For that is the source, from which to bless.
From the beginning, chosen before time,
Last in deed, but in thought - prime.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

Sanctuary of the King, city royal,
Arise, go out from amidst the turmoil.
In the vale of tears too long you have dwelt,
He will show you the compassion He has felt.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

Arise, now, shake off the dust,

Dress in your garments of splendor, my people,

By the hand of Jesse’s son of Bethlehem,

Redemption draws near to my soul.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

Wake up, wake up,
Your light has come, rise and shine.
Awaken, awaken; sing a melody,
The glory of G-d to be revealed upon thee.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

Be not ashamed, nor confounded,
Why are you downcast, why astounded?
In you, refuge for My poor people will be found,
The city will be rebuilt on its former mound.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

May your plunderers be treated the same way,
And all who would devour you be kept at bay.
Over you Your G-d will rejoice,
As a groom exults in his bride of choice.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

To right and left you'll spread abroad,
And the Eternal One you shall laud.
Through the man from Peretz's family,
We shall rejoice and sing happily.

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

Come in peace, her Husband's crown of pride,
With song (on Festivals: rejoicing) and good cheer.
Among the faithful of the people so dear
Enter O Bride, enter O Bride;

O Bride, Shabbat Queen, now come here!

Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.

"We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust..." - Rumi