B"H
The Kinds of Questions That I Do Not Answer
Someone wrote the following:
For the Sages to get the kindest and humblest man of that generation, Shmuel Hakatan, to actually compose by prophetic inspiration a 19th Blessing to tadd to the Men of the Great Assembly's near-sealed Shmoneh Esreh, the threat of the Minim, Saduccees, informers to the Romans, Boethuians, Essenes? (what is the exact source that the Essenes were included?), early (Jewish)Christians etc must have been mortally great.
As we can see in Eretz Yisrael today, this prayer is still relevant: in every generation there is a tiny number of Jewish wicked who literally threaten our existence & betray us (eg Vannunu?).
Mrs Dothan writes that her observance is "virtually indistinguishable" from her Orthodox neighbours. Is this one of those distinguishments: does she say 18 or 19 blessings in her Shmoneh Esreh and with what kavannah (intent)?
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Another example is:
We have the Neo-Essenes. And now, shock horror: the Neo-Sabbateans!
And judging by their site, it looks like they mean business!
http://www.donmeh-west.com/
The Baal Shem Tov said that Shabbetai Zvi had a spark of the Moshiach in him. And the Alter Rebbe that the Shechinah wailed when the Frankists left the Jewish fold.
If something exists, it must have a spark of truth in it.
From a Lurianic Messianic viewpoint, those few sparks residing in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sabbateanism, Buddhism, Capitalism, Communism, Nazism and even Atheism, have to be disencumbered from them, elevated to Kedushah, leaving the emptied husk to wither & disappear.
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My stock answer to those types of questions and comments is:
I need to reiterate something:
I do not respond to every point. The points I respond to are those that afford me opportunities to elucidate my position to those who are not at all familiar with Essene Judaism.
If a post affords the opportunity to answer a FAQ I will answer that too.
I do not respond to ad hominems and other spurious arguments, neither will I be drawn into sophistry and polemic for the sake of contentiousness.
Just as I cannot sing below a certain register, I neither think nor emote below a certain level.
It should not be construed from the fact that I do not respond to certain posts that I cannot answer. It is simply that I should feel disgusted and cheapened were I to relate to certain matters.
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
The Kinds of Questions That I Do Not Answer
Someone wrote the following:
For the Sages to get the kindest and humblest man of that generation, Shmuel Hakatan, to actually compose by prophetic inspiration a 19th Blessing to tadd to the Men of the Great Assembly's near-sealed Shmoneh Esreh, the threat of the Minim, Saduccees, informers to the Romans, Boethuians, Essenes? (what is the exact source that the Essenes were included?), early (Jewish)Christians etc must have been mortally great.
As we can see in Eretz Yisrael today, this prayer is still relevant: in every generation there is a tiny number of Jewish wicked who literally threaten our existence & betray us (eg Vannunu?).
Mrs Dothan writes that her observance is "virtually indistinguishable" from her Orthodox neighbours. Is this one of those distinguishments: does she say 18 or 19 blessings in her Shmoneh Esreh and with what kavannah (intent)?
--------------------------------
Another example is:
We have the Neo-Essenes. And now, shock horror: the Neo-Sabbateans!
And judging by their site, it looks like they mean business!
http://www.donmeh-west.com/
The Baal Shem Tov said that Shabbetai Zvi had a spark of the Moshiach in him. And the Alter Rebbe that the Shechinah wailed when the Frankists left the Jewish fold.
If something exists, it must have a spark of truth in it.
From a Lurianic Messianic viewpoint, those few sparks residing in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sabbateanism, Buddhism, Capitalism, Communism, Nazism and even Atheism, have to be disencumbered from them, elevated to Kedushah, leaving the emptied husk to wither & disappear.
-------------------------------------
My stock answer to those types of questions and comments is:
I need to reiterate something:
I do not respond to every point. The points I respond to are those that afford me opportunities to elucidate my position to those who are not at all familiar with Essene Judaism.
If a post affords the opportunity to answer a FAQ I will answer that too.
I do not respond to ad hominems and other spurious arguments, neither will I be drawn into sophistry and polemic for the sake of contentiousness.
Just as I cannot sing below a certain register, I neither think nor emote below a certain level.
It should not be construed from the fact that I do not respond to certain posts that I cannot answer. It is simply that I should feel disgusted and cheapened were I to relate to certain matters.
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
posted by Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat | 3:22 AM
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