Chizuk Emunah Under the Microscope: Chapter 50

In this chapter, Troki challenges Christians for taking the New Testament as a substitute for the Mosaic Law. It largely repeats accusations that have been answered in other chapters. As a result, this article of response will be short.

Remember that monotheism is belief that there is one God. Unitarianism is the belief that God is one person. The Tanakh teaches monotheism, but is silent regarding unitarianism. We do learn that Jesus taught himself to be God, using divine prerogatives such as the forgiveness of sins. He freely accepted worship. He attributed deity to himself in numerous instances, such as John 8:58.

Troki objects to Christian worship of images, but this shows Troki's invincible ignorance. No denomination of Christianity worships images. Even the Catholic and Orthodox denominations merely pay homage to images, just as Jews payed homage to their king, and to the holy sites.

Troki is right in saying that Christians should not vilify the Jews for the death of Jesus. All instances of New Testament hatred toward the Jews are not an attack on the Jews as a people, but an attack on unbelief in general. If the New Testament had been antisemitic, then Jewish believers in Jesus would have been vilified as well, which did not happen.

Some of the things that Jesus taught were hyperbole, as was the custom among wisdom teachers in the first century. Followers of Jesus are not called to tear their eyes out, although some believers such as Origen took these teachings a bit too literally.

Finally, the New Testament does not abolish the law, but follows exactly the same doctrine to which the Talmud holds. The Torah is forever, but the mitzvot are temporary. Most of them are not binding in the Messianic age, as stated in Tractate Niddah 61a. Since Troki is a Karaite and does not hold to the Talmud, this is forgivable. For rabbis who use his material uncritically, it is not.

End of Chizuk Emunah Part 1.

חזק חזק ונתחזק
Chazzak, chazzak, v'nitchazek!

Be strong! Be strong! And may we be strengthened!