Centralizing Yeshua

In Judaism the Tzaddik plays a key and central role in the everyday lives of his followers. His role can be anything from feeding the poor and teaching Torah to his students, to other more exalted roles. Those roles may look like that of an intermediary, being a “mini Moses,” becoming a replacement for the Temple, and becoming a living connection to God.

For this blog I would like to briefly show how keeping the Tzaddik central in our everyday lives is not outside the norms of Judaism, nor is it idolatry as some might think. To keep this blog as brief as possible I will simply quote from three books I recently read entitled A Tzaddik and His Students, Whispers Between the Worlds, and Love and The Messianic Age.

The first book I will be quoting from and commenting on deals with keeping the Tzaddik central while he is still alive. The second book I will be commenting from deals with keeping the Tzaddik central even after his death.

The following is a quote from the book A Tzaddik and his Students:

Recognizing that God and the Tzaddik share a oneness of spirit means that one’s faith in a Tzaddik is an expression of one’s faith in God; love for a Tzaddik is an expression of one’s love for God; and fear or awe of the Tzaddik is an expression of one’s fear or awe for God. This is what makes one’s spiritual connection to a Tzaddik such an undeniable imperative: the connection brings out a person’s faith, love and awe for God in much greater measure than could otherwise exist.

Because the millions of Jews who had just witnessed tremendous miracles “Believed in God and in His servant Moses,” they recognized that God’s presence can rest within, and work through, an individual. All of his ability to perform miracles came from the Godly presence within him. So their belief and trust in Moses actually exhibited their belief and trust in God. (A Tzaddik and His Students: The Rebbe-Chassid Relationship; pg 93).

The above quote should not disturb us in any way; instead it should encourage us. Why? Because it shows that keeping the Tzaddik (in our case, Yeshua) central is not idolatry, and is, in fact, very much within the realms of Judaism.

Paul Philip Levertoff in his work Love and The Messianic Age shows us that our love (or hatred) for the Messiah is actually love (or hatred) for God. Indeed, his words sound very much the same as the passage quoted above. Below we read:

Jesus, by His love, expects to awaken in men love for Himself and for each other. “If God were your father you would love me” (John 8:42). “If ye love Me” (John 14:15). The whole messianic consciousness of Jesus is expressed in this expectation of love. He seeks not His own glory (John 7:18), but through awakening faith in Himself he awakens faith in God. Thus God Himself is either loved or hated in Him (John 15:23). The world hates Jesus because he reveals its sin. He convinces of Sin. The consequence is that those who come in contact with Him either hate Him or themselves. He whose works are wrought in God, his love Jesus wins; “He comeths to the light” (John 3:21) (Love and the Messianic Age, Page 77-78)

In the above passage from Love and The Messianic Age, Paul Levertoff tells us, in very elegant terms, simply that our love for God is rooted in our love for the Messiah. Also, if we hate the Messiah then we hate God. Alternatively, he also shows us how, when Yeshua awakens love for himself, he is really awakening love of God.

Paul Levertoff now explains the mystical union Yeshua shares with the Father, and hence the relationship disciples share with him and the Father due to their connection to him:

This is His only commandment to his disciples: That those whom the father has given Him should “All be one, as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee” (John 17:11, 21-23). It is His ultimate and highest aim. He died in order “To gather in one the children of God that were scattered abroad” (John 11:52). All his gifts to them “the name of God,” his glory has this end in view (John 17:6,11-22). This mystical oneness of the church, this perfect achadut (Hebrew “Unity”) is founded on the oneness of Jesus with the Father. It is a reciprocal giving and receiving. This unity of the disciples will be the best proof to the world that God has sent Him (John 5:21)……only he who is loved can love, and only he can love like Jesus who is loved like He is. The love wherewith the Father loved Jesus was a love in eternity (John 5:24), and believers were loved by God with same love “Before the foundation of the World.”

The above passages from both books show us how very important it is to love and to connect to the Tzaddik. The more we do that, the more we connect with God. Hence it can be summed up in this, love and devotion to the Messiah is love and devotion to God. The more we love, look to, study from, adorn, and adhere to the Messiah, the more we love God, serve God, and adhere to God.

Up until now, we have dealt with the importance of keeping your Tzaddik central while he is alive. However, equally as it is important to keep the Tzaddik central while he is alive, it is just as important to keep him central even after his death. Practices such as prostrating oneself before the grave of a Tzaddik, seeking his advice (post death), seeking his blessing, and connecting yourself to him are well within the realms of Judaism.

The following are a few quotes from the book Whispers Between Worlds: Praying at the gravesite of a Tzaddik. o

With regard to the concept of prostrating oneself at the graves of Tzaddikim, there is a kuntres by the Mitteler Rebbe, a work by the Tzemack Tzedek, and statements from the later Rebbeim. All of these concepts have been published, so there is no need to review them. I would like to introduce an even higher concept of visiting the grave of a Tzaddik. The importance of such visits is highlighted by the fact that the later halachic authorities – see the responsa written by the Alter Rebbe’s Brother, R. Yehudah – seek leniencies to enable Kohanim (priests) to visit the graves of tzaddikim despite the fact that they are Scripturally prohibited to come in contact with an ordinary grave: Leviticus Chapter 21. (Whispers Between Worlds, page 11)

We’ve seen that even some Torah commandments are superseded by the upmost importance of connecting to a Tzaddik. This reminds me of the story of the young man who wished to bury his father, however the Master instructed him to “let the dead bury the dead.”

To another he said, “Follow me”. But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:59-60)

Indeed burying the dead is considered a huge mitzvah. The Talmud tells us that burying the dead is one of the mitzvahs for which we will be rewarded for in the world to come (b. Shabbat 127a). However that mitzvah was superseded for the young man in order to follow Yeshua, just like the Halachic authorities seeks to allow Cohanim the ability to visit the grave of a Tzaddik, (an act otherwise forbidden by the Torah, Leviticus 21). These breaches of the Torah are allowed for the sake of connecting to the Tzaddik.

For brevity’s sake I will summarize the concepts from the book regarding the practice of praying at the grave of a Tzaddik.

Going to the grave of a Tzaddik is recommended by the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim, Hilchot Tishah Be’av) in order to arouse feelings of deep repentance and longing for Hashem. It is also taught by the Shulchan Aruch that one should make manifold supplications at the grave of a Tzaddik (Hilchot Rosh Hashanah). The resting places of Tzaddik are considered Holy and pure.

A person loses all self-concern and selfishness when visiting the grave of a Tzaddik, “for the Tzaddik is felt in greater ways after his death then before.” After the death of a Tzaddik it is easier for his students to receive his Spirit then before while he was alive. Also the Tzaddik Spirit rests near, and by his grave, which is why certain Jewish communities in Europe build “Thrones” at the graves of the Tzaddikim in which they prostrate before casting their supplications before the Tzaddik whose words are said to be words “of the Living God.”

The practice of prostrating oneself at the grave (throne) of a Tzaddik should not alarm us; indeed this is what is happening in Revelation:

To him who sites on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders’ fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:13-14)

However, there is a major difference between the above passage from Revelation and the custom of praying at the graves of Tzaddik. The Throne of the Messiah is not a grave on earth, it is a living throne in Heaven.

In summary we have briefly looked at just how important it is to keep the Tzaddik central in our lives. For us this means keeping our Master Yeshua central in all that we do. What we eat, how we dress, how we talk etc, is all in order to keep him central. We should look to him and have him before our eyes so much that we become, as C.S. Lewis wrote in his Mere Christianity, “A Little Christ.” The more we love the Master the more we love God, and focusing on him and keeping him central is not idolatry as some might think, instead it is an expression of Love for God that is well rooted in Judaism, indeed the highest love of God is Love of His Son.