On to your "brass tacks". With regard to Jesus, it's not so much as that objective reality would fundamentally change. The Talmud clearly states that the only objective change will be the lack of our "bondage to foreign-governments" (which also obviously hasn't come about yet). The specific objections to Jesus claims at being the Messiah, resolve on his complete failure to meet the initial criteria required of "Messiah candidates" - having a valid lineage to the House of David, and a qualified Torah Scholar, and his subsequent failure to actually fulfill the actions required in the job-description - Restore the Kingship, return the "outcasts" of Israel, and restore the Temple and it's Service, and "fight the wars of G-d" (See Maimonides, Mishne Torah, Laws of Kings & Wars, Chapters 11-12 (Questionable English translation, or the Hebrew Source). Beyond that, you have the whole issue of Jesus as a Prophet, who in wishing to make changes in Torah Observance, marks himself as a False Prophet, and worthy of death.
Regarding your analogy to [observable] Jews, as I explained above, it's not so much an "ability" but a greater potential. The specific reason that I did not comment back to that woman about her inability to love her neighbor, would be because this would be a mostly false accusation, and also completely out of line. For a Jew, it should be potentially easier to "love a neighbor", than for a non-Jew, this doesn't mean that, at present, all Jews, or even a majority, actually meet this potential, or even try to meet it. This is a great shame to our record. This is also not to say that it is easy being a properly behaving Jew, is it not all all easy. But having this potential for greater affinity with G-d, we gladly accept this hardship. The Talmud tells us, that in the Future to Come, in the Messianic Era, the gentile nations will reproach G-d in saying "We too would have kept the Torah, had you given it to us", in response to which G-d will give them an easy trial commandment, that of living in a "booth" for seven days, on the holiday of Succoth. Then G-d, to test their resolve, will "take the Sun from it's sheath", making it unbearably hot, forcing everybody out of the booths into their regular homes. The question is then asked, in the Talmud "but the Jews too, will have left their booths, because one who suffers in the fulfillment of this Mitzvah is exempt from it", to which we answer that in leaving, the Jews will be sorry for the lost opportunity, while the gentiles will kick their booth in anger. It is this difference in attitude, that is embodied in our potential, that sets us apart. When this potential is not only not-met, but abused, we, to our great shame, can become the "best at being the worst" (e.g. often the most ruthless or successful Gangsters, were Jewish).
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timeasmymeasure
...Continued...
Date: 2005-06-13 10:41 pm (UTC)Regarding your analogy to [observable] Jews, as I explained above, it's not so much an "ability" but a greater potential. The specific reason that I did not comment back to that woman about her inability to love her neighbor, would be because this would be a mostly false accusation, and also completely out of line. For a Jew, it should be potentially easier to "love a neighbor", than for a non-Jew, this doesn't mean that, at present, all Jews, or even a majority, actually meet this potential, or even try to meet it. This is a great shame to our record. This is also not to say that it is easy being a properly behaving Jew, is it not all all easy. But having this potential for greater affinity with G-d, we gladly accept this hardship. The Talmud tells us, that in the Future to Come, in the Messianic Era, the gentile nations will reproach G-d in saying "We too would have kept the Torah, had you given it to us", in response to which G-d will give them an easy trial commandment, that of living in a "booth" for seven days, on the holiday of Succoth. Then G-d, to test their resolve, will "take the Sun from it's sheath", making it unbearably hot, forcing everybody out of the booths into their regular homes. The question is then asked, in the Talmud "but the Jews too, will have left their booths, because one who suffers in the fulfillment of this Mitzvah is exempt from it", to which we answer that in leaving, the Jews will be sorry for the lost opportunity, while the gentiles will kick their booth in anger. It is this difference in attitude, that is embodied in our potential, that sets us apart. When this potential is not only not-met, but abused, we, to our great shame, can become the "best at being the worst" (e.g. often the most ruthless or successful Gangsters, were Jewish).