Tovia Singer Providing Audio of "Let's Get Biblical" Series on His Website
Anti-missionary Tovia Singer, of Outreach Judaism, released his well-known series of responses on the Internet for free. I'm appreciative of that, since I don't feel like paying for it.
Now, I did a once-over of the tapes. I would surmise that I've heard a lot of these arguments before, even in the comments sections of this blog. The Psalm 110 lecture struck me, because I remember someone commenting about that section in the July/August timeframe. I'm under the impression they were repeating anti-missionary arguments they heard.
I would assume that there isn't anything in here that isn't addressed in Dr. Michael Brown's excellent books.
However, I'm going to try and find the time to sit down and listen to some of these and maybe create a few posts from this.
I may concentrate on Tovia Singer's lectures on the Resurrection, since that is an area of apologetics I know a good bit about. And I would direct you all to the aforementioned books by Dr. Brown.
Jews for Jesus also had an article concerning the tape series which can be found here.
Now, I did a once-over of the tapes. I would surmise that I've heard a lot of these arguments before, even in the comments sections of this blog. The Psalm 110 lecture struck me, because I remember someone commenting about that section in the July/August timeframe. I'm under the impression they were repeating anti-missionary arguments they heard.
I would assume that there isn't anything in here that isn't addressed in Dr. Michael Brown's excellent books.
However, I'm going to try and find the time to sit down and listen to some of these and maybe create a few posts from this.
I may concentrate on Tovia Singer's lectures on the Resurrection, since that is an area of apologetics I know a good bit about. And I would direct you all to the aforementioned books by Dr. Brown.
Jews for Jesus also had an article concerning the tape series which can be found here.
Labels: anti-missionaries, tovia singer
posted by geoffrobinson at 3:31 PM
5 Comments:
Tovia Singer doesn't get that Biblical because if he did he would have a beard and not utterly destroy the borders of his beard by shaving it off.
To the last commentor:
In your reference to Lev. 19:27, note how you quoted scripture as saying "utterly destroy." This is an accurate rendering of the hebrew. Now this means that a Jew cannot completely destroy the hair of the corners of his beard. Thus scripture forbids a Jewish man to shave his face with a straight razor- that uproots and cuts off the hair from the very root- that utterly destroys the hairs of the corners of his beard. Did you know, however, that many modern electric shavers do not provide quite as close a shave as a razor- these shavers don't destroy the hairs completely from their very root. Using such a shaver therefore does not violate the commandment which is set down in Lev. 19:27. Rabbi Singer is not at all violating scripture law, therefore, by shaving. In fact, all Orthodox Jews who do not go with beards shave in this manner based on this principal, in obedience to the scriptural commandment of the Law.
I think the command about the beard is related to the one about "for the dead."
Leviticus 19:27 "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord."
To say you can never shave your beard would be insane. Clearly there is a link to "for the dead" in both verses.
The Knox Bible, which I guess is a Catholic translation actually makes that connection: "There must be no tonsuring of heads and mutilating of beards, no gashing your bodies when a man dies, no branding them with marks and designs; the Lord forbids it."
"Thus scripture forbids a Jewish man to shave his face with a straight razor- that uproots and cuts off the hair from the very root- that utterly destroys the hairs of the corners of his beard. Did you know, however, that many modern electric shavers do not provide quite as close a shave as a razor- these shavers don't destroy the hairs completely from their very root."
Interesting interpretation. I myself started using an electric razor a few years ago precisely because it doesn't root out the hair completely. I didn't have this passage in mind. I just got tired of my face being itchy when the hair began to come out again. And I like having a 5-o'clock shadow. But nice to find I'm accidentally in conformance with the letter of the Law.
That has to be the most oblivious explanation ever. The spirit of the verse clearly means that a jewish man must wear his beard. Plain and simple. Getting meticulous and specific about the shaving tool is absurd and entirely missing the point.
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