John of AllFaith's Blog

Saturday, January 26, 2008

A Note of Accusation From a "long time friend"

As I mentioned a few days ago, AllFaith.com has moved to a new server. This is always a pain as it requires so much clean-up. Most of the site is working properly again (though some problems still remain to be fixed). As I was checking for broken links etc. I came across the following post and thought it might be of interest to some of you here.

Hare Krsna,
~Jagannatha dasa adhikari

His Divine Grace Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami
(September 1, 1896–November 14, 1977)

A Note of Accusation From a "long time friend"

I just received an anonymous snail-mail note today that I thought worth commenting on. It was sent to my previous PO box and just arrived in my new box today. As there is no name and no return address I can't reply via snail mail. Assuming the author regularly reads my blog, I'd like to encourage you to contact me direct so we can discuss this. In the event that the views expressed in the note are shared by others, it seems worthwhile bringing this issue up as well.

The unedited note:

John...you are very disrespectful of Srila
Prabhupada...it is obvious that you went
astray as your arrogance and huge ego come
through in everything you write. Please stop
trying to do so much damage on behalf of
your self-serving interests.

From a long time friend of yours

The postmark says San Jose Ca. and is dated June 7, 2007.

First, I invite anyone who agrees with this "long time friend" of mine to show a single example of my ever disrespecting our Diksa Guru Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada!

In my opinion our Srila Prabhupada was one of the most spiritually potent religious leaders to appear during this age of kali Yuga! I offer my unworthy dandavats to him a billion times over!
For those unfamiliar with Srila Prabhupada:

His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami is known around the world as Srila Prabhupada, a title of endearment bestowed on him by his early disciples. Srila Prabhupada brought the Hindu sect of Bhakti Yoga known as Gaudiya (ie Bengali) Vaisnavism to the western world. Vaisnavism is one of the major branches of Hinduism. Srila Prabhupada established an international religious society known as ISKCON, the International Society for Krsna Consciousness, better known perhaps as the Hare Krishna Movement although this sect is but one of many branches of the Sanatana Dharma (greater Hinduism) to worship Sri Krsna.

I was fortunate to receive first initiation from Srila Prabhupada as I recount in my autobiographical section. Our beloved Guru Maharaja left his body (died) on November 14, 1977 before I was able to request second initiation. I received second initiation by the mercy of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Maharaja, acarya and spiritual master of the Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math and appointed successor to Srila Prabhupada's most senior godbrother, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaja.

Prior to Srila Prabhupada's passing he issued clear instructions about how his Movement was to continue after his departure. He also stated very clearly what was not to happen.

What was NOT to happen was ISKCON employing the same structuring system unsuccessfully tried by the Gaudiya Matha following Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's passing (our Srila Prabhupada's guru's organization). That system lead to the collapse of the Gaudiya Matha into rival factions and Srila Prabhupada felt that this system of many diksa (initiating) gurus weakened the Movement's ability to advance the cause of Lord Caintanya's prophesied Golden Age. Despite Prabhupada's clear rejection of this system, this is precisely the structure used by ISKCON today! Srila Prabhupada specifically rejected this system!

Our Srila Prabhupada wanted the Movement to remain one organization under a single acarya. This was his clear instruction to his followers and the ISKCON GBC (Governing Body Committee)

If I am at times harsh it is of this violation of Bhaktivedanta Swami's clear instructions in this matter.

What Srila Prabhupada instructed the implementation of a temporary structure known as the rikvik system.

Srila Prabhupada made it very clear that NONE of his disciples were qualified to lead ISKCON as a diksa guru. NONE of us. History has more than vindicated his opinion! The most senior of his disciples had only been initiated for about 10 years at that time, most not nearly even that long. This was not nearly long enough for any of them develop the skills needed to lead an international spiritual order, let alone to become an uttama adikari (Prabhupada said only such a fully realized master was qualified to lead ISKCON). Srila Prabhupada was a very practical man. Realizing none of us were ready, he instructed the GBC to handle the organizational affairs, as they had been doing for years, and that eleven of his key disciples would continue to do the initiations and teachings ACCORDING to his books, as they had been doing for years. In other words, the same system was to continue. The Eleven, continuing their roles as ritvik gurus, would initiate Srila Prabhupada's disciples in his physical absence. This is why he so often stressed that the Guru never dies and that he would continue to live and teach through his books. Following his departure (a true guru never "dies") these ritvik gurus, these representatives of the Diksa (initiating) Guru (ie Srila Prabhupada) would then be responsible for the decision of who to initiate and when. New disciples would STILL be initiated as disciples of Srila Prabhupada, just as before. Only Srila Prabhupada's physical presence on the earth was changed and most of his disciples never even saw him in the flesh anyway; Srila Prabhupada lived in his books (mainly translations and commentaries of the scriptures).

As I say, this plan was to be temporary. Never had the Gaudiya Vaisnavas used this ritvik system and Srila Prabhupada wanted it used as an interim system only. Unlike Christianity that teaches that Jesus is the eternal initiating guru (although of course not in those words), Gaudiya Vaisnavas have always believed a living physically present guru is best. Srila Prabhupada foresaw that at some point in the future the GBC and the majority of devotees would see in one of the eleven ritvik gurus (or perhaps someone else) the necessary qualities of an uttama adhikari and sole ISKCON acarya. AT THAT TIME the GBC (and it was assumed the rank and file devotees) would accept this person as the new ISKCON guru/acarya. As before, ISKCON would be a unified Religious Movement, managed by the GBC, under the parampara (disciplic succession) of a single fully authorized acarya. This was his system but ISKCON's GBC rejected his orders.

Until such a fully qualified guru appeared, Srila Prabhupada instructed that ISKCON could ask his Gaudiya Matha godbrothers for advise if needed, however his disciples were to remain within ISKCON and abide by his instructions as found in his books (ie not join the other mathas).

Those who argue that Vaisnavism never used the ritvik system (other Hindu groups have and do) and therefore can't miss the point. It was to be temporary, AND more importantly, Srila Prabhupada (both Bhaktivedanta and Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada) did MANY things that Vaisnavas had never done before... including in initiation! Very few of Srila Prabhupada's disciples were personally initiated by him.... that was all but unheard of!

This ritvik system was to be a temporary exception to the norm intended to make sure the devotees were properly lead and ISKCON continued to grow under authorized spiritual guidance.

However even before Srila Prabhupada left his body the Eleven ritvik gurus fell from their noble positions and began fighting one other for power.

After Srila Prabhupada's departure, almost immediately after, these men forged a VERY badly spliced tape supposedly by Prabhupada appointing the Eleven as 'zonal acaryas'. These unworthy disciples divided the world between them and ran their areas as minor fiefdoms. Some, like Hansadutta and Ramasvar, waged literal turf battles! Some went literally insane, some were revealed as chronic, malicious pedophiles, murderers, drug and prostitution runners, confidence men and were jailed and fined... on and on the list goes. Last I heard ISKCON is still paying off millions of dollars in legal fines and fees over these abuses.

Perhaps it will be assumed that I am exaggerating here, I am not. There was for a time a most excellent website that listed many of the offenses carried out by the Eleven. That website is now gone for some reason but an off-line friend who claims to have been associated with it sent me the following synopsis. Some of the following links work, some do not. When I have the time I'll try and clean this up more. It is posted here as I received it. The wording and certain of the, in my opinion, prejudices contained within this piece bothers me, however for those who want to understand what happened to the International Society for Krsna Consciousness the information is worth having in my opinion:

Much of what follows I can personally attest is accurate:

Kirtanananda: (Keit Ham) aka Bhaktipad, a practicing homosexual and pedophile in his self-created Holy Dham, runs prostitution sankritan parties, orders the beating of mother Jadurani, orders the murder of Sulochana das. Kirtanananda, for example, was alleged to have been living on a reputed homosexual "household" in Mott Street in New York City with Umapati and others involved in the 1960s "homosexual liberation" scene. Kirtanananda, finally in Jail, was fined $250,000 and is serving a twenty-year federal prison sentence for racketeering and conspiracy in two murders described in the Book "Monkey on a Stick".

Satsvarupa: (Steven Guarrino) Angry at Srila Prabhupada for shaming him in Dallas (when Satsvarupa cut down a holy fig tree) and that Srila Prabhupada stated that he "resigned" as His servant, when Srila Prabhupada had ordered him back to his zone. His attitude toward Srila Prabhupada had become venomously offensive. Cow neglect, destruction of the oral histories collected from Srila Prabhupada's disciples, creating the "false biography" called the LILAMRITA - planting the weed, in which all events are carefully "laundered" to protect the guilty and to misrepresent Srila Prabhupada. (The original tapes were destroyed to prevent corrections by future generations), helped, with his rhetoric, in the murder of Sulochana.

Jayapataka: a self-appointed bogus GBC ISKCON "guru" clone (clown), preaching homosexual pedophile philosophy, one of the biggest supporters of child molester Bhavananada. Jayapataka is a militant enforcer of cult ritualistic worship of homosexual pedophile Iskcon Gurus. He kicked out Kala and others who protested the molester regime, he still works closely with folks like child raper Satadhanya. Srila Prabhupada states that, "he will be responsible for the deaths of all the members of the Calcutta temple because he has hired an abominable sweeper to cook for the devotees and Deities, and that the food thus cooked is poisonous. Jayapataka REFUSES TO FIRE THE SWEEPER-COOK TO SRILA PRABHUPADA'S FACE! (I am the witness). Jayapataka co-supervises the PEDOPHILE run Mayapur Gurukula, and supports his BEST FRIEND Bhavananda, who WAS WITNESSED IN HOMOSEXUAL ACTS LONG BEFORE HE WAS APPOINTED TO BE RITVIK!

Tamal Krishna: (Thomas Herzig) Refused to accept exile in China, practically destroyed Vrindavan, destroyed relationship with George Harrision and John Lennon, Used Radha Damodar bus party to destroy as many temples as possible, destroyed many small, independent temples such as St. Louis temple, Tried to destroy the Bombay project by selling back the land to Mr. Nair (NNd: Srila Prabhupada (Mahaprabhu's "senapati bhakta", who declared "war against maya") called Bombay his "OFFICE"), Tamal is a key suspect in the MURDER OF SRILA PRABHUPADA. Four years before Srila Prabhupada's MURDER, he states that, "Srila Prabhupada is senile, old, and attached". Not exactly a qualification for a successor guru! Tamal Krishna said that his best friend was the homosexual pedophile and child molester Bhavananada. TKG is well known, all along in the 1970s, to have tried to undermine the "varnasrama" (householder society) effort that Srila Prabhupada envisioned. At one point TKG wanted to send all of the householders to Australia. He was also misbalancing the temples by draining manpower out, and discouraging and discrediting the "housholders" who were in charge of many of these temples, so much so that Srila Prabhupada tried to send TKG to China. Simultaneously, TKG would brag that he had to go and rescue Bhavananda from his (homosexual) jet set lifestyle. In other words, there was a tendency to discredit bona fide housholder life and support deviants in positions of authority. TKG was also sued successfully by Guruvastakam dasi for his role in protecting pedophiles in the gurukula of Texas. TKG is the prime creator of the bogus "appointed guru successor scheme", a hoax whereby he and a few other deviants declared they were "Srila Prabhupada's successors." This is related to the Srila Prabhupada poison conspiracy in that: a butler might poison his master to --declare that he is "the heir successor" to the master, in order to illegally take-over the estate of the master.

Hridayananda: (Howard Resnick) a self-appointed false GBC ISKCON "guru," wrote in his Eleventh Canto of his bogus "Srimad Bhagavatam" that the two worst pedophile Iskcon gurus are his examples of acharyas. Srila Prabhupad appointed Pradyumna Prabhu to finish translating Cantos 10, 11 and 12 of Srimad Bhagavatam but Hridayananda's unscrupulous usurpation of Pradyumna's sacred service marked only the start of his 20 year treachery GBC-teamwork trend of perverting Srila Prabhupada's books.

Bhavananda: (Charles Bacis) a practicing homosexual in the Holy Dham molesting Iskcon's Children in the name of God and Guru. Bhavananda was alleged to have been associated with Andy Warhol's homosexual, and apparently pedophile, entourage. Andy Warhol was a prominent leader in the "homosexual revolution." He was seen associating with young men, that is: he appeared to be a potential pedophile. Andy Warhol also applied to the city of New York for a permit to serve (aborted) human fetuses at his restaurant. It was said in ISKCON in the 1970s that Bhavananda was associated with this "jet set" crowd. Andy Warhol also made a very degraded movie about this time, called "Chelsea Girls," where the "girls" are actually homosexual men engaged in abominable activities. Some GBC knew that Bhavananda had a tendency to engage in anal sex with males by at least 1976.

Hansadutta: (Hans Kary) had been involved with substance abuse, guns, black market, smuggling, counterfeiting, inherits "prostitution sankirtan" from Rameshwara, kills cow, sex with disciples, drunkard, drug addiction, gun-shooting.

Rameshwara: (Robert Grant) soon to gift "leather miniskirts" to 15 year old statutory rape girlfriend, Sankritan "prostitution parties", is co-partner in Laguna Beach Drug dealing, helping in the murder of Sulochana

Hariksesha: (Robert Campagnola) Million dollar blackmailer, three-regulations, condom-pada, with meat-eating "Reincarnation of Srila Prabhupada" stepson (did we mention UFO's and psychotropic drugs and Tantra? ghostly possession, hypnotises disciples, using voodoo-doodoo shit on other devotees. Harikesha has been one of the greatest woman hater and is famous for his ruthless purge tactics.

Bhagavan: (William Ehrlichman) soon to run off with another man's wife and to REJECT KRISHNA CONSCIOUS PHILOSOPHY. One of the worst one's, using machiavellian tactics to control, cheat, and exploit Devotees on a large scale. Most vicious crooked calculating criminal.

Jayatirtha: (James Immel) Soon to preach that cannabis and LSD are Lord Chaitanya's "TRUE" sacrament. Loses head after stealing "disciples" wife. Jayatirtha, who was taking drugs and engaging in illicit sex with his followers, was later murdered (decapitated) by a disgruntled follower for his proclivity to engage in illicit sex with the wive's of followers.

Was Srila Prabhupada correct that none of these men were ready to be the spiritual master of ISKCON? I think that's fair to say, yes! And yet the GBC backed them until the court cases started to threaten ISKCON's very survival:

John...you are very disrespectful of Srila Prabhupada...it is obvious that you went astray as your arrogance and huge ego come through in everything you write. Please stop trying to do so much damage on behalf of your self-serving interests.

Who is disrespecting Srila Prabhupada here? Those of us who point out the truth of this betrayal or those who would cover it up?

While there were already wrongs afoot before Srila Prabhupada left his body, after these men conspired to take over Prabhupada's Movement and disobey his direct instructions, many of them literally went mad. This madness is known as Vaishnava aparadha. I have committed this sin.

This disobedience and dishonoring of the Guru Maharaja got so bad that there are even accusations that Srila Prabhupada was murdered by these men! Personally, I'm not convinced he was murdered (nor that he wasn't), but it would answer certain nagging questions! For more on this allegation click here. Those devotees who believe this certainly do make a strong case for their views!

A friend of mine, Solocana dasa, who tried to point out these abuses was murdered for speaking out. His story is the subject of the book Monkey on a Stick (click here).

You can read Solocana's book, The Guru Business on-line for free HERE

Due to these countless abuses the vast majority of Srila Prabhupada's disciples left ISKCON. Some went to other Gaudiya Math groups, many joined other branches of Hinduism, many adopted Buddhism or other religions, while most merely merged back into the dominant culture. In my case, the eclectic nature of my beliefs lead me to many diverse places, including the Gopinath Gaudiya Math.

My interest in spirituality and religion was even more enlivened by my ISKCON experiences and I expanded my spiritual experiences outward into many different Hindu forms. I was initiated by various yogis such as Swami Brahmananda (Dr, Mishra), Swami Muktananda, Sri Ramana Rai and others. I also received second initiation from His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Maharaja as mentioned above. I went into many non-Hindu religions as well. Despite this, part of me was jaded by what happened with ISKCON. Since that time I am more skeptical of those claiming spiritual authority, but perhaps this is a good thing.

Just to be clear, my beliefs and practices remain very eclectic, or what I call "AllFaith Spirituality" and should NOT be taken as those of Srila Bodhayan Maharaja or the Gopinath Gaudiya Matha or any other group. My beliefs and teachings are my own, inspired from many sources. Nonetheless, I do have tremendous respect for Srila Bodhayan Maharaja and were I to devote myself to Gaudiya Vaisnavism again it would absolutely be through his matha.

Srila Narayana Maharaja probably has more of Srila Prabhupada's disciples than ISKCON does today.

To my knowledge, the ISKCON GBC has never apologized, explained or even admitted any their many abuses (out of court) and yet because of them Srila Prabhupada's Movement was severely harmed and the faith of countless thousands of devotees was crushed or wounded.

Of course just to be clear there are ALSO MANY solid and righteous devotees within ISKCON today and I offer them my sincere dandavats (bows of respect). There are also several diksa and siksa gurus within ISKCON who are becoming true masters, some few of them may even have attained enlightenment by now, I don't know. I acknowledge this, even as I wish they would come clean about the past and the unauthorized system of organization ISKCON continues to employ to this day. ISKCON needs to do a major and public historical confession before its too late to matter. Until they do, their hands will remain soiled by Vaishnava aparadha in my humble opinion.

Because I was there (and often on the 'fringes') during much of the abuses that took place within ISKCON and do not shy away from sharing what I saw and know of them, I do have certain ISKCON devotees who do not like me. I can understand this, the truth hurts. Most of Srila Prabhupada's disciples have given up on ISKCON. Frankly, this includes me.

HOWEVER it is NOT accurate to accuse me of Vaishnava aparadha with regards to Srila Prabhupada! It is the GBC and the gurus of ISKCON who dishonor him by not following his clear demands and by attempting to hide ISKCON's true history of Guru betrayal.

To show the type of person our Guru Maharaja was, there is a story I've heard often enough from diverse devotees to believe it true:

Srila Prabhupada, a very deeply honored and elderly teacher in poor health had been driven to Chicago's O'Hare airport to fly out to his next engagement. It was late and night, there was little traffic and it was snowing and raining hard with sever winds. The devotee driver pulled the car into a red zone before the airport entrance for Srila Prabhupada to get out. Another devotee hurried around to open his door and assist him. As the car door opened Srila Prabhupada looked down at the curb and saw that they were in a red zone. He stayed in the car and demanded the driver find a legal space to park! When the devotee tried to explain that it was OK to stop for a just a moment under such conditions, it is said that Srila Prabhupada replied, "If we will not obey man's law how shall we obey God's?"

ISKCON failed to obey God's law by directly and intentionally disregarding Guru Maharaja's instructions and from there proceeded to violate man's laws as well in countless cases. Srila Prabhupada refused to accept this course of action, ISKCON should do the same.

As for the second point in the note, that 'my huge ego comes through in everything I write,' my readers must decide that for themselves. False modesty can be just as egotistic as an inflated ego. I speak the truth as I see it in honesty and frankness. I do have certain beliefs that I have developed over the years, conclusions I have drawn, however I don't consider myself arrogant... perhaps that is true arrogance...

And for the final point, that I have some self-serving interests, you will need to explain to me what those are. I have nothing to sell or gain from anything I do on line. I am pushing forward no set agenda or movement. My point in everything I do teaching-wise is as follows:

THINK FOR YOURSELF

As always, I am ready to discuss this issue. You can contact me.

The Glorious Lord Sri Krsna and Srimati Radharani
Ki JAI!

Om
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Friday, January 25, 2008

21 Pounds and Dropping

Me in the autumn of 83 and the autumn of '84

In 1983 I began having weight problems for the first time in my life. The above photos were taken a year apart to the day. In a year I went from 180 pounds (81.64 k) to 295 (133.81 k) while eating much less food. This is because in late 1983 I was hit hard by an illness known as Myalgic Encephalomyalitis and have been vigorously fighting it ever since.

Since then my weight has gone up and down (a little). About three weeks ago I decided it was time to drastically reduce and I'm happy to announce that as of today I've lost 21 pounds (9.52 k). My goal is to keep going until I'm under 200 pounds (90.7 k) again. That's another 50 US pounds or 22.6 kilograms.

Me Dec of '07

Your continued prayers and good wishes are requested.

Peace,

~John of AllFaith

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Understanding the Nazirite Vow (Part 2 of 2)

Please Note: This page contains the Holy Name of God.
If you print it out please dispose of the page in a respectful way.

"The Earth belongs to יהוה and the Fullness Thereof."

The Nazirite Vow
Part Two

John of AllFaith © 11.29.02 (updated 1.21.08)

For part one: Go Here
Or read the entire study at my Noahide Nazarene Website: Go Here

Master Y'shua of Nazareth was very clear that יהוה rejects the haughty and the religiously hypocritical (comp. Rev. 3:14-19). One should therefore never undertake this or any other sacred vow for the wrong reasons!

The Nazirite Vow
Nazir: Uncut Hair

The root word nazir denotes something that has been "set apart" or "separated," consecrated unto יהוה. The consecrated uncut hair of the Nazirite is called "nazir" in the sense of a spiritual "crown" worn by those under the Vow and is considered a living, growing sacrifice to יהוה.

Celibacy:

According to the Talmud, one of the reasons a person becomes a Nazirite is to abstain from sexual temptation and to develop self-control to better serve יהוה. Hence, among the vows of a Nazirite is celibacy. Many ancient sources maintain that celibacy promotes spiritual realization and improves focus during prayer, religious studies and states of spiritual ecstasy.

As a means of dedicating ones future family to יהוה an engaged couple might undergo the Vow for the thirty days leading up to their wedding. Paul gives the following insightful comment to married couples:

I Corinthians 7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

It is permissible for married couples, upon mutual agreement, to undertake the Nazirite vow for a set duration of time in order to give themselves over to prayer and fasting. Those engaging in such vows, following the spirit of the Vow rather than the letter as Master Y'shua instructed, usually do not feel the need to shave their heads etc. Everything "is to be done decently and in order" as led by the Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of יהוה). Such short term Nazirites do not enter into the Nazirite priesthood and determine for themselves how to practice their commitment (preferably in consultation with a Nazirite priest. Nonetheless, during this time the couple lives as renounced as possible even though they may still go to the jobs, raise their children and so on. There are many uses for this Vow. At the heart of the Vow is ones desire to develop new intimacy with יהוה, to know His will or to seek His mercy. Typically, each session of the Vow is for 30 days as described above. Paul warns couples not to exceed realistic durations of prayer, fasting, celibacy and renunciation lest it endanger the marriage.

Undertaking the Nazirite Vow as a way of Seeking יהוה's blessing is surely an honorable motive for any Noahide.

Humility:

Another function of the Nazirite Vow is to promote humility and the appreciation of the goodness of יהוה. As the Nazirite humbles him/herself, spiritual favors are often granted. One therefore may undertake the Vow as an avenue to personal spiritual purity, realization or development. One who feels his/her spiritual life to be stalled or who desires a greater spiritual reality and connection with יהוה may opt to undertake the Nazirite Vow.

Priesthood

A layperson that undertakes the Nazirite Vow for purely spiritual reasons automatically becomes as a priest of יהוה according to Philo (Philo 1, Legum Allegoriae 249).

Our Noahide High Priest:
The High Priest of all Noahides and Nazirites is Eternal Melchizedek. According to the Bible Melchizedek will have a direct hand in the Restoration of the Kingdom (the following biblical text demonstrates that our Master, Prophet Y'shua, did not fulfill the requisite messianic prophecies). Even as the coming Moshiach will be (is) High Priest of the Jews, so too Melchizedek is ours:

Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. יהוה said unto my Master, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 יהוה shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 יהוה hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5 יהוה at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Master Y'shua is, in this sense, the Noahide equivalent of Moses for the Jews. He explained how to please יהוה as we await the establishment of the Kingdom of God and Brotherhood of Humanity on earth.

In India holy Melchizedek is known as Srila Vysadeva or Mahamuni. Ek Devata revealed the Vedas to Lord Brahma, who revealed it to Srila Narada Muni, who in turn revealed it the Srila Vyasa (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.4.15–25). As Mahamuni (Greatest sage and scholar) Srila Vyasadeva chose (was granted by Ek Devata) with the eternal ministry of granting revelation to the human race. Hence it is holy Melchizedek (Srila Vyasadev) who, through the inspiration of Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of the One G-d), determines when humanity is ready to take the next step (as may happen circa 2012). As the unknown author of the Book of Hebrews explained:

5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
5 So also the Anointed Master glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the cause of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Therefore we see that the pre-Vatican followers of Master Y'shua considered themselves part of the movement stemming from holy Melchizedek. His priesthood is discussed elsewhere in more detail on this site.

Special Blessings:

Samson was given the boon of phenomenal strength during the Period of his Nazirite Separation. When his nazir was removed however so was his added strength:

Judges 16:17: "... There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." The diverse gifts of יהוה are His to bestow as He sees fit. One who is specifically consecrated to G-d's service may receive special graces due to undergoing the Nazirite Vow. The graces are always to be used in His service to the betterment of others as led by the Holy Spirit of יהוה.

Abstinence from Alcohol and Other Distractions:

As Nazirites devote themselves strictly to the service of יהוה, they shun all forms of personal enjoyment that might be distractions to their Vow. Things like alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs are therefore avoided by them. Television, computers, movies and such are likewise avoided unless they are related to ones service to יהוה. The point or spirit behind such restrictions is the need for the Nazirite to remain focused on his/her service to יהוה. Anything that distracts from this is to be avoided.

Vegetarianism:

While under the Nazirite Vow, the person must avoid all contact with corpses. This would include eating animal corpses or foods that contain such. Hence, Nazirites should maintain a vegan (or at least a vegetarian) diet for the duration of the Vow.

Making the Vow:

At the time of making ones Nazirite Vow to יהוה, it is good to include ones reasons for undertaking the Period of Separation and the duration of the vow if known. A "perpetual vow" is generally not advisable. Better to commit oneself to the Vow not for the remainder of ones life, but until such time as one feels led by יהוה to forgo it. To this end, I advise making continuous thirty day commitments. We see from the case of Samson that a vow made to יהוה is not wisely broken. One usually vows to serve as a Nazirite for a period of one month at a time. For instance, the first Shabbat of the month may be set aside as a time to either end or extend ones Vow for another month. Such an intention should be clearly stated in the Vow.

1 And יהוה spoke unto Moses, saying:
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate himself unto יהוה...

The beginning of the Nazirite Vow requires the candidate to make a clear verbal Vow unto יהוה We don't have a traditional formal vow, however this is just as well. Verbally stating ones intention is more spiritually powerful anyway. Remember, in all things it is the intent of the heart that יהוה is looking for and not some ritualized statement. Read over the requirements that follow, and then make your vow to יהוה, specifying what you intend to do in detail, as you feel led by Ruach HaKodesh.

Renunciation of Society:

The Way of the Nazirite is typically a solitary one, though one need not be a hermit to fulfill it. The root word nazir refers to something that has been set apart or separated, consecrated unto יהוה and His service. So whether alone or with others, the Nazirite is always renounced and alone with יהוה. He/she accepts no responsibilities and places no demands on others. For the duration of the Vow She/he is to be given to spiritual contemplation and reflection. For this reason, it is very difficult if not impossible to undertake the Vow while maintaining secular employment and satisfying other worldly affairs. Other than in cases of short term commitments as described above, it would seen all but impossible. As our Master advised, "either we will cling to the one and despise the other, or else we will despise the one and hold to the other." It is most difficult to serve both יהוה and mammon (secular affairs).

Entering into the Nazirite Vow
As discussed above, it is preferable to undertake the Nazirite Vow in the presence of others at a Noahide Nazarene shul or meeting place, or in the presence of spiritually supportive friends if this is not available. Under the direction of Noahide Nazarene elders and before the congregation would be ideal. One can take the Vow before יהוה alone however. At its heart, the Vow is a private matter between the candidate and יהוה. The following are the specific requirements on Nazirites:

Numbers 6:3 ... he shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
4 All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the grapestone.

Thus, any products containing grapes or grape extracts are specifically forbidden to the Nazirite. In the case of Samson's Nazirite vow all "strong drink" was prohibited as well (Judges 13:7). One will therefore wish to add abstention from all intoxicants to embrace the spirit of this command rather than cling to the letter of observance only. This will include intoxicants such as caffeine, tobacco, illegal drugs and so on. When making ones vow to יהוה one does well to specify which areas of abstention one will observe. The greater the degree of abstinence one observes the better. We also know that at the conclusion of the Vow donations "according to ones ability" are prescribed. In the same spirit, one can include other areas of abstention not specifically required. In addition to grape products, all intended abstentions should be stated in ones vow. There's no point mentioning unrelated categories. For instance, one who smokes cigarettes would mention his/her abstention from them while a non-smoker obvious would not need to mention this. It is not abstention to abstain from something one does not do anyway.

The Nazirite Vow as presented in the Tanakh, is explained to Observant Jews, so it is naturally assumed the Torah's Kosher laws will be honored during the duration of the Vow. Noahides are not required to observe these Kosher Law under normal circumstances, as we are "not under the Law but under grace" (and the Seven Noahide Commandments.) However, Samson's mother was specifically told to eat no unclean thing while the child, a Nazirite from her womb, was within her body. Hence, those Noahides who undertake the Nazirite Vow will doubtless wish to observe all the laws of kashrut (or at least those kosher dietary requirements found in the Written Torah), during their period of separation unto יהוה. Before one begins the Vow therefore, one should understand these requirements.

5: All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he consecrateth himself unto יהוה, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. Just prior to making the vow, the Nazirite's head is to be shaved completely and anointed with holy oil. It is essential that no hair remain on the head. As a sign of ones righteous intentions, it is preferable that the candidate's head be shaven by a Noahide elder, brother or sister if possible, but again, this is not required. One may go to a commercial barbershop to be shaved if other options are not available (the oiling of the head should be done elsewhere). The shorn pre-vow hair should be saved and disposed of thusly: "And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings." As burnt sacrifices are no longer possible, it is acceptable to make a fire and toss the hair into it in a respectful manner, giving praise to the name of יהוה.

It is good to make ones Nazirite Vow as soon after being shaved as possible, in front of the Noahide Nazarene congregation is best if possible. Both male and female Nazirites are required to shave the head completely as a sign of their acceptance of the Holy Vow. As for the beard, there are no specific commands concerning it. However, most Noahides will probably honor the Tanakh's injunction against shaving the face in general and leave it uncut. For Noahides, this is optional:

Leviticus 19:27: "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard." During the duration of the Vow, shaving the face or other body parts is obviously prohibited.

Two points here: Avoiding contact with the dead is clearly stated in the text and so does not require comment. Verse eight reminds us that during the days of ones Vow one is in a special relationship with יהוה. During the term one is especially holy or consecrated unto יהוה. The mitzvahs or good works one does during these days are multiplied to the Nazirite's credit. In the same way, the Nazirite's prayers are more readily answered and so this is a very good time to spend extra time in prayer and meditation. However, the same is true of the evils that may be done. In every day life, one may make certain allowances, however during the term of the Vow purity of thought and deed is especially important. One needs to be conscious of ones position as a Nazirite at all times lest the good one intends produces an evil one does not.

Due to their special relationship with יהוה, Nazarenes and others may request beneficial prayers on their behalf. While the Nazirite requires nothing from anyone, those who contribute funds, foods, clothing, etc. to the Nazirite receive blessings from יהוה. At the same time, these should be only as needed lest the Vow become a system for material support. The Nazirite is the servant of all. As Master Y'shua explained, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40).

Here we face the sorrow of the absence of the Holy Temple. As it is not possible to meet these requirements today, it is suggested that if ones time of consecration is violated as described above, one should donate to the poor as one is able, and undertake a fast to begin immediately upon realizing ones contamination. This fast may last from one to seven days, the longer the better in most cases. On the eighth day after the defilement, ones head should be shaven as before, the hair disposed of as described below, and the same vow, for the full period of time as before, should be taken up again and fulfilled properly. As the sun sets at the beginning the eighth day after defilement the Nazirite is considered clean as though the interruption had never happened.

Upon the successful completion of the Vow it is right to honor the goodness of יהוה's empowering of the person with a celebration because without יהוה one could not have fulfilled the Vow. Such a celebration can include Noahide brothers and sisters, family and friends. As this is a holy thanksgiving, one wants to make sure that יהוה is the Guest of Honor! The details of the celebration can be left to those involved. It can be a formal affair or a friendly potluck. There are other options for those who don't have a spiritual community, and in this Dark Age we must often serve יהוה alone. The important thing is to honor the fulfillment of the Vow and give thanks to יהוה.

At the end of this celebration the Nazirite's head is again shaved. This time however the nazir is holy, consecrated to יהוה, and so must be handled with great care and respect. As it is cut, the hair should be carefully kept together and placed in a container. As before, no hair should remain on the head. Since the Nazirite is not currently able to offer Temple sacrifices to יהוה, there is some question about what should be done with the nazir. Some feel that a fire should be built and the hair should be sprinkled into the flames as before. Another option is to make a large round piece of unleavened bread into which the hair can be folded, and then be placed in the fire. Others believe that the hair should be buried or that the hair should be saved by the Nazirite in a special container as a remembrance of the Vow. I think it would be unwise to save the hair because undue attention may be placed on maintaining it and memorializing the completion of the Vow. In a sense, the nazir could, become an inadvertent idol. Also because the nazir now belongs to יהוה rather than to the Nazirite, it should not remain in his/her keeping. To keep it, under any circumstances, therefore does not seem appropriate. I believe that placing the consecrated hair into a fire using matzoth or bread to contain it is the most appropriate, although it's important to understand that the fire is not intended to be an alter and the rite, however it is played out, is merely symbolic. Another conflicting view is that head of one who has fulfilled ones vow need not be shaved at all. The individual Nazirite in concert with his/her spiritual elders should decide the course to take and follow that course in faith.

21: This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth, and of his offering unto יהוה for his Naziriteship, beside that for which his means suffice; according to his vow which he voweth, so he must do after the law of his Naziriteship. Another activity that the post-Nazirite might consider is the giving of gifts. According to his or her means, donating to ones shul or meeting house, or to the poor, giving to a worthy cause; giving gifts is an appropriate way to show thanksgiving to יהוה. Such mitzvahs are optional, but surely pleasing to our God.

As stated above, there are no set formulae to be observed. Following is an example only: If one is a member of a supportive shul or similar group, the elders or other Noahides may pronounce these blessings on the Nazirite. In the absence of this, one may proclaim them aloud before יהוה asking that His blessings be bestowed. This is part of the celebration described above. The bestowal of these blessings can be part of a great worship time exalting the glory and mercy of יהוה.

Following is a possible prayer one might make to יהוה when beginning ones period of separation:

If one is assisted in this celebration, such may anoint the head of the Nazirite with holy oil, lay hands upon the person and pronounce:

"May יהוה bless you, and keep you;
May יהוה make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you;
May יהוה lift up His countenance upon you; and give you peace."

If one is alone with יהוה one may pronounce:

After such a pronouncement, when everything else is completed, the nazir is shaved completely and offered to יהוה. The beard is not included and is not shaved at this time, if at all.

Once the offering of the nazir is made, the post-Nazirite takes a glass of wine, raises it toward the heavens and loudly and joyously proclaims "To Life!" and drinks the wine. If the Noahide is averse to the drinking of alcohol any grape based drink may be imbibed as it is never required to break a right principle in the service of יהוה.

Thus ends the person's obligations under the holy Nazirite Vow of Nazirite Separation.

This has been a basic summary of our Noahide Nazarene beliefs concerning the Nazirite Vow. More information is available in the other articles on this web site and this article will be updated from time to time.

Do be aware: there is no official body that speaks for Noahide Nazarenes (nor for Noahides in general). There are various groups trying to establish themselves as such, however each of us must prayerfully study to show ourselves approved unto יהוה and walk this Noahide Nazarene Way as we are led.

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Bamidbar 5 in the 1917 JPS

(JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY BIBLE).

1: And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:
2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate himself unto HaShem,
3: he shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
4: All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the grapestone.
5: All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he consecrateth himself unto HaShem, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
6: All the days that he consecrateth himself unto HaShem he shall not come near to a dead body.
7: He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his consecration unto G-d is upon his head.
8: All the days of his Naziriteship he is holy unto HaShem.
9: And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defile his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
10: And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting.
11: And the priest shall prepare one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make atonement for him, for that he sinned by reason of the dead; and he shall hallow his head that same day.
12: And he shall consecrate unto HaShem the days of his Naziriteship, and shall bring a he-lamb of the first year for a guilt-offering; but the former days shall be void, because his consecration was defiled.
13: And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his consecration are fulfilled: he shall bring it unto the door of the tent of meeting;
14: and he shall present his offering unto HaShem, one he-lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings,
15: and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings.
16: And the priest shall bring them before HaShem, and shall offer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering.
17: And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto HaShem, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall offer also the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.
18: And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings.
19: And the priest shall take the shoulder of the ram when it is sodden, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazirite, after he hath shaven his consecrated head.
20: And the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before HaShem; this is holy for the priest, together with the breast of waving and the thigh of heaving; and after that the Nazirite may drink wine.
21: This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth, and of his offering unto HaShem for his Naziriteship, beside that for which his means suffice; according to his vow which he voweth, so he must do after the law of his Naziriteship.
22: And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:
23: 'Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; ye shall say unto them:
24: HaShem bless thee, and keep thee;
25: HaShem make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
26: HaShem lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27: So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.'

Monday, January 21, 2008

Understanding the Nazirite Vow (Part 1)

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"The Earth belongs to יהוה and the Fullness Thereof."

The Nazirite Vow
Part One

John of AllFaith © 11.29.02 (updated 1.21.08)

The name of our Noahide Nazarene Way refers to our being descendants of Noah, our acceptance of the universal Noahide Covenant made through him to us, our acceptance Master Y'shua of Nazareth (Yeshua ben Miriam) as our teacher and spiritual guide, and of our desire to walk the Way he taught. More information about the Noahide Nazarene Way is available elsewhere on this domain.

A similar biblical term refers to a particular vow that the Tanakh describes in some detail. Among those who are seeking to understand the original Way of our Master, are some who refer to themselves as "Nazirites" and who place themselves under this vow according to their understandings.

The subject of this present study is the Nazirite Vow, its implications and applications for today. Is it possible for Noahide Nazarenes to place themselves under the Nazirite vow in the our modern world?

That the vow is authorized by the Tanakh is evident:

Numbers 6:2:

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazirite, to separate themselves unto יהוה

From this verse, we see that the Nazirite Vow is a specific vow that can be undertaken by both men and women of people Israel. The instructions for the Vow are, as recorded here, given, "unto the children of Israel." There may be a proscription imagined here in that Gentiles, even Noahides (who are not under the Mosaic Law) are hence not eligible to take part in this vow. The reason this might be a problem is that:

Numbers 6:

13 And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
14 And he shall offer his offering unto יהוה, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,

Typically, such offerings were only made by people under the Holy Mosaic Covenant, and hence not by Gentiles. Ignoring the fact of the absence of the Jewish Holy Temple for the moment, as Noahides are not under the sacrificial Torah Laws it may be argued that they can't bring forth their sacrifices, as the Jews did, and hence they cannot enter into this vow. This obstacle may be countered however in that there are sacrifices rightly performed by the "strangers" (ie. the ger or "resident aliens," us.):

Leviticus 22:18

Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto יהוה for a burnt offering.

It is certainly easy to make the case that faithful Noahides, "those who worship the God Whose Temple is in Jerusalem," would qualify as ger tzadeq or "righteous Gentiles" considering that the ger toshav or resident aliens are allowed to sacrifice to יהוה and to make vows. While they are not Jews, and typically not Judaeans, they do worship the God of Israel and therefore may enter into vows with HaShem as well as the children of Moses.

Therefore scripturally nothing about the Nazirite Vow itself would disqualify Noahides from participating in its blessings and responsibilities.

However, the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE and the Third has yet to be built as of the time of this writing (2002 CE). Without the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, few of the requisite sacrifices can be performed as directed in the Torah. Therefore no one, neither Jews nor Noahides (the ger tzaddiks) may undertake the Nazirite Vow as directed in the Torah.

This does not negate the spirit behind the Nazirite Vow however. As Noahide Nazarenes it is the spirit of the Torah that we, following Master Y'shua's teachings, seek to fulfill, not the ritualistic details. Consider Jeremiah 6:

16 Thus saith יהוה, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.

As important as the Holy Temple was (and will be) it is not required to please יהוה. Even when sacrifices were correctly offered, as we see from verses like this, יהוה still may refuse our offerings if the key ingredient in all sacrifices is missing. What is this critical element without which יהוה will reject sacrifices?:

Micah 6:6-8:

6. With what shall I come before יהוה,
And bow myself before the high God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?

7. Will be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8. He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what יהוה requires of you:
Only to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God.

There are several things we Noahides are not allowed to do according to the Torah, as well as many things we are required to do. Master Y'shua stressed this essential element of divine service time and time again. Whether we are Jews or Noahides, what does יהוה require of us? Only to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God in the light we have been given.

Part of being a Noahide or a Noahide Nazarene then (as opposed to a non-observant Gentile), is the recognition of the unique place held by People Israel. We can and indeed should study the Torah and learn from its wisdom and apply its lessons to our lives, however we are not to do this by mechanically obeying the "letter of the Law," but by honoring its spirit. This was a very important teaching of the Master and his central critique of people Israel:

Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

One of the things we learn in the Torah is the holiness related to the Nazirite Vow. Under the Vow, a person consecrates him/her self to יהוה by meeting specific conditions. As a result of this added level of dedication and commitment to יהוה, the person is blessed and comes into a deeper realization of the truth of the blessings of our common Noahide Covenant.

This is something greatly to be desired by Noahide Nazarenes! Therefore, by understanding the spirit of the Nazirite vow and agreeing to observe its righteous precepts, the Noahide Nazarene does a good thing (a mitzvah). It can be argued that due to the absence of the sacrificial offering, the Noahide is not technically a Nazirite in the literal, historic sense of the term. Despite this, Noahides may still enter into a deeper relationship with יהוה due to the commitment and added discipline of observing the heart of the Vow, the spirit of this level of dedication.

Master Y'shua of Nazareth was very clear that יהוה rejects the haughty and the religiously hypocritical (comp. Rev. 3:14-19). One should therefore never undertake this or any other sacred vow for the wrong reasons!

Part Two Coming Soon!

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