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A New Ongoing Brit-Am Series: What Should the Ten Tribes Do? THE JOSEPH PROJECT by Eddie Chumney |
| Brit-Am Preliminary Disclaimer: Note the article below is by Eddie Chumney. It does not reflect Brit-Am policy. Eddie Chumney believes, like Brit-Am, that the Ten Tribes are in the west. The Hebrew Heritage project headed by Eddie has helped Brit-Am greatly. What Eddie is saying is of interest and importance. This does not mean that Brit-Am agrees with it. Brit-Am as a body does not recognize the Christian Messiah. The only form of Judaism Yair Davidiy, founder of Brit-Am, recognizes is the Rabbinical Orthodox Version. It may be that in the future the Ten Tribes will have to convert to Judaism. Or to change their religious beliefs in that direction. We do not know. Judaism at present has no clarified position on this matter. For the present all we know is that the Ten Tribes are amongst Western Peoples and that this should be made known to them and to the Jews. The emphasis of Brit-Am is on the physical origin of many amongst the Western Peoples from Israelite origins. |
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THE JOSEPH PROJECT (JOSEPH AND JUDAH BUILDING BRIDGES TO RESTORE THE HOUSE OF DAVID) Contents: A.JOSEPH IS ALIVE! (Sources Concerning the Return of Joseph). JOSEPH UNITING WITH HIS BROTHERS ..A FORESHADOWING OF REDEMPTION. WHEN JUDAH APPROACHES JOSEPH .. A FORESHADOWING OF REDEMPTION. JUDAH WILL SEEK FOR THE TEN TRIBES. THE RETURN OF THE TEN TRIBES: A PRINCIPLE OF JEWISH FAITH. JUDAH NEEDS JOSEPH TO DEFEAT ESAU. B. THE BRIDGE OF JOSEPH (A Program for Coming Back). CONFESSING THE SINS OF OUR FOREFATHERS JOSEPH PAYS TRIBUTE TO JUDAH A FRAMEWORK FOR RETURN The house of Joseph affirms the following to the house of Judah. The house of Judah affirms the following to the house of Joseph. THE PLEDGE OF JOSEPH AND JUDAH TOWARD EACH OTHER THE JOSEPH COUNCIL THE JUDAH COUNCIL JOSEPH IS ALIVE! A. JOSEPH IS ALIVE! (Sources Concerning the Return of Joseph) Genesis 42:8 And Joseph recognized his brothers but they did not recognize him. Genesis 45:3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; does my father yet live And the brethren could not answer him for they were startled at his presence. Artscoll Genesis Volume 2, it is written: When Joseph said these two words, Ani Yosef [I am Joseph], God's master plan in all that had transpired became clear to them. They had no more questions. I am Joseph made everything crystal clear, their disconcertion notwithstanding, but someday, perhaps even today, God will reveal Himself and His plan as Joseph did then. Genesis 45:26 And told him [Jacob] saying, Joseph is yet alive JOSEPH UNITING WITH HIS BROTHERS ... A FORESHADOWING OF REDEMPTION The Torah Anthology, book of the 12 prophets, Volume 1, Amos, page 459 "The story of Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 38-50) is not an unfolding of chance events. Every detail stemmed from God and served His purpose. For the Almighty unfolds the deeds of the fathers as a sign for the descendents. The conflicts between Joseph and his brothers were an indication regarding the future splitting of the kingdom of Israel into the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Ephraim son of Joseph. When later Joseph made himself known to his brothers, the reconciliation which ensued (Genesis 45) alludes to a future time. The two kingdoms will reunite into a single dominion. Thus the Midrash teaches: "And he sent Judah before him to Joseph to show the way before him to Goshen" (Genesis 46:28). The scripture writes, "The wolf and the lamb will feed together" (Isaiah 65:25). The wolf is Benjamin and the lamb represents the Ten Tribes, as it says, Israel is a scattered sheep" (Jeremiah 50:17). "And the lion will eat straw" (Isaiah 65:25) --- the lion is Judah. As it says, "Judah is a lions whelp" (Genesis 49:9). "The ox" is Joseph (Isaiah 65:25); as it says, "Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph ... his firstborn ox" (Deuteronomy 3:17). The scripture conveys that the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Ephraim son of Joseph will eat and graze together as a single dominion. WHEN JUDAH APPROACHES JOSEPH ... A FORESHADOWING OF REDEMPTION Is Judah willing to approach Joseph? Genesis 44:18 And Judah approached him (Joseph) ... Amos 9:13 Behold the days are coming says HaShem when the plower shall approach the harvester ... The plower is Judah. The harvester is Joseph (Bereishis Rabbah) 93:5 Artscroll Genesis Volume 2 Pages 1921 -1923, 137 Commentary: "The verse selected by the Midrash describes the future redemption ...There were two majestic, royal figures among the brothers: Joseph and Judah ...the split had taken place when the brothers rejected Josephs dreams and his claim to leadership --- even his claim to brotherhood ...the Midrash also implies that redemption from the current, last exile is foreshadowed in the Egyptian experience ... if the renewed love of those brothers is duplicated by their modern descendents, our redemption will come, as did theirs ... so it will be on that long awaited day when Israels inner wounds and schisms will heal and --- in the prophecy so aptly chosen for the Haftarah of Vayigash --- Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not oppress Ephraim (Isaiah 11:13). When the plower and the harvester approach one another with good will and understanding, when they recognize that Israel at peace with itself has much to learn from each of its members then redemption will be upon us." JUDAH WILL SEEK FOR THE TEN TRIBES In the book, "A Matter of Return" by Rabbi Rafael Eisenberg on pages 132-133 it is written: "During the past few centures the Jewish community in various parts of the world has made efforts to make contact with the lost Ten Tribes and actualize their return. One of these efforts, that of the Jerusalem Rabbinate of 1900, was based on the commentary of the Yalkut Shimoni. This Midrash states that the diaspora of Judah and Benjamin will go out to the Ten Tribes, exiled behind the River Sambatyon, and will bring them back with them in order that they, too, will enjoy the days of the Messiahs reign and the life in the World-to-Come." The Jerusalem Rabbinate signed the following letter addressed to the Ten Tribes. "Please, dear brothers, hasten and ascend to Mount Zion, the dwelling of His Holiness, for our Redemption is dependent on your coming to Mount Zion." THE RETURN OF THE TEN TRIBES: A PRINCIPLE OF JEWISH FAITH. According to Abarbanel, the return of the Ten Tribes at the time of redemption is one of the principles of Jewish faith ("Mashmia Yeshua," Fourth Principle of Faith). A prayer for redemption and the coming of the Messiah are part of the daily "Amidah" prayer also known as the eighteen benedictions. The tenth prayer is as follows: "Blow the Great Shofar for our freedom and lift up a banner to gather our exiles and gather us from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are thou, O HaShem, who gathers the banished of your people, Israel." In the Torah Anthology to the 12 Prophets, Volume 2, page 308 it is written: "They [the Ten Tribes] will only return in the End of Days at the time of the Final Redemption." The halachah (Jewish law) is that the Ten Tribes will return from exile and unite with Judah in the end of days (Sanhedrin, Chapter 13). JUDAH NEEDS JOSEPH TO DEFEAT ESAU In the Sonchino Midrash Rabbah Volume 2, page 672 it is written: "And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph (Genesis 30:25). As soon as Esaus adversary [Joseph] was born, Jacob said unto Laben: Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. For R. Phinehas said in the name of R. Samuel b. Nahman: It is a tradition that Esau will fall at the hands of none other than Rachels descendents, as it is written, Surely the youngest of the flock shall drag them away (Jeremiah 49:20). And why does he call them, The youngest of the flock Because they were the youngest of the tribes." In the Torah Anthology, 12 Prophets, Volume 1, page 488 it is written: "The descendants of Esau can only be overcome by the power of the sons of Rachel. This pertains to Joseph rather than Benjamin." B. THE BRIDGE OF JOSEPH (A Program for Coming Back). Joseph is longing to unite with his brother Judah. However, Judah wants to know the following: If you claim to be Joseph my brother, how do I know that you are Joseph Simply put Joseph will: a) Seem to Judah at first glance to be Gentile. b) Will desire in His heart to follow Torah. c) Will have a desire in his heart to love the Jewish people and be accepted by Judah as his brother. d) Love the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. When the Ten Tribes return to join with the house of Judah, they will have the halachic status of Gentiles (Yebamot 16b, 17a) In the Artscroll, 12 Prophets, Volume 1, page 12 commenting on Hosea 1:10 it is written: "The children of Israel at the dawn of their redemption, bound together at the dawn of their redemption to the Almighty and His Torah" (Abarbanel, cf. Radak) CONFESSING THE SINS OF OUR FOREFATHERS Leviticus 26:40, 42 "If they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers with their trespass which they trespassed against me and that also they have walked contrary unto me ... then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the land." In I Kings 12, Joseph separated from the house of David. There was almost a civil war. However, it was told that this is ordained of HaShem. Jeroboam was the first king of the house of Joseph. Jeroboam built a golden calf system of worship centered in Bethel and Dan. In 2 Kings 17, the Assyrians took the house of Joseph into captivity and settled the people of Assyria with the house of Joseph in Samaria. In doing so, the house of Joseph mixed the worship of HaShem with paganism as it is to this day. In the book, "A Matter of Return" by Rabbi Rafael Eisenberg he writes on page 129: "Jeroboam son of Nebat reigned over the Ten Tribes known as the Kingdom of Israel while Rehoboam remained as ruler of the kingdom of Judah. The two groups differed not only politically but ideologically as well. The kingdom of Judah adhered to God and His commandments while the kingdom of Israel, also called Ephraim, after the leading tribe of the secessionists, turned to idolatry and assimilation amongst the neighboring countries." The house of Joseph in exile would like to confess the sins of Jeroboam to the house of Judah. Our fathers have inherited lies (Jeremiah 16:19) by departing from the Torah of Moses given at mount Sinai. While being in exile in the nations, many of the house of Joseph who were exiled in Western nations adopted Greco-Roman Christianity and a mixed form of worship of the God of Israel. However, in this generation, many of the house of Joseph who have a love for the Torah are leaving Greco-Roman Christianity and want to join with the house of Judah. While still believing that Yeshua is the Messiah, they desire to be one with the house of Judah, follow the Torah and live with Judah in the land of Israel. JOSEPH PAYS TRIBUTE TO JUDAH The house of Joseph would like to pay tribute to the house of Judah for the following: 1) Preserving the Torah and clinging to it. 2) Maintaining an aversion to wanting to be assimilated among the Gentiles. 3) Clinging to the land of Israel while building and settling in it in modern times through much adversity. 4) Having an eternal love for the city of Jerusalem. A FRAMEWORK FOR RETURN Redemption is a PROCESS. The children of Israel did not come out of Egypt the first time that Moses went to Pharaoh. Sometimes our hearts yearn for redemption but our minds are still in Egypt. Realizing that redemption is a process, there is a NEED to establish a FRAMEWORK for the EVENTUAL uniting of the house of Joseph with the house of Judah in the land of Israel. Just as we prepare for Sabbath and welcome the presence of the Almighty to our Sabbath home, Joseph and Judah need to make preparation for the final redemption by the Messiah by establishing a framework for Joseph and Judah to live together in the land of Israel. In doing so, Joseph needs to be patient and allow the Almighty to work out all the details. Let us remember the words from Habakkuk 2:2: "Write the vision and inscribe it on tablets that the one who reads it may run" The house of Joseph affirms the following to the house of Judah: 1) We believe that the God of Israel is the King of the Universe and is Echad [One] (Deuteronomy 6:4, Zechariah 14:9). 2) The Shema (Hear O Israel) (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) is the cornerstone of our faith in the God of Israel. 3) The covenant that the God of Israel made with Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaacov (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:18, 26:3-4, 28:13-14) is eternal and everlasting. 4) We need to walk in the footsteps of our father Avraham who taught Torah to his children (Genesis 18:19). 5) Treat our brother Judah who embraces written and Oral Torah with love and respect (Leviticus 18:19). 6) Seek to observe the Biblical Sabbath rather than Sunday. 7) Seek to observe the Biblical Festivals rather than Christmas and Easter. 8) Seek to eat Biblically clean food. 9) Promote modesty for women. 10) Seek to refrain from all forms of sexual immorality. 11) Seek to study the Torah on a weekly basis. 12) Seek to be a light to the world by doing righteous deeds and acts of lovingkindness toward others. 13) Promote the good of the state of Israel (Hasbira). 14) Seek to be a blessing to the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3) in the land while still living in exile. 15) Encourage Judah to uphold Jewish culture, custom and tradition. 16) Confess that we are all children of Noah. 17) Realize that the restored house of David follows Torah and will live according to Jewish culture in the Messianic Era. 18) Do not mandate upon Judah that Yeshua is the Messiah and let Judah be Judah. The house of Judah affirms the following to the house of Joseph: 1) Allow Joseph to maintain his separate identity apart from Judah in seeking to follow Torah. What this means is no full conversion to Judaism 2) Accept returning Joseph first as a child of Noah and a God-fearer (semi-proselyte) who may seek to practice various aspects of Jewish Oral Torah but not required by Judah to follow all of Oral Torah 3) Accept returning Joseph from exile as a brother even though he believes that Yeshua is the Messiah 4) Respect that Joseph believes that Yeshua is the Messiah and seeks to follow the written Torah of Moses while expressing faith in the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant) 5) Will encourage Joseph to make preparations for aliyah and live with Judah in the land of Israel realizing that it will take time for Judah to work out the logistics of when and how this would happen 6) Judah will seek to promote awareness in the land of Israel among their fellow Jews regarding the identity of their brother Joseph in exile 7) Judah will work with Joseph in exile to promote conferences, plan tours and develop tools to help prepare Joseph for living life with Judah in the land of Israel THE PLEDGE OF JOSEPH AND JUDAH TOWARD EACH OTHER 1) Joseph and Judah will work together to BEGIN the process of uniting the 12 tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 37:16-17) 2) Joseph and Judah will wait upon the Messiah of Israel (Isaiah 8:17) to complete the process of uniting the 12 tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 37:19) and THEN appoint themselves one head (Hosea 1:11) THE JOSEPH COUNCIL In order to work with Judah in the land, the house of Joseph will establish a "Joseph Council" in exile to interact with Judah in carrying out the goals and objectives of the Joseph project. THE JUDAH COUNCIL In order to work with the "Joseph Council" in exile, Judah will establish a "Judah Council" based in the land of Israel to interact with Joseph in carrying out the goals and objectives of the Joseph project. JOSEPH IS ALIVE! The Joseph Council will seek to bring together Joseph in exile to present to Judah so that Judah can be prepared to welcome Joseph to live with them in the land of Israel when the Almighty makes that day possible. |
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See: What Should the Ten Tribes Do? A New Ongoing Brit-Am Series. "Arouse Yourself O Israel!" by Avigdor. Send us Your REACTIONS TO, AND COMMENTS ON, THE PRESENT ARTICLE! |