(It is our policy not to divulge either the names or locations of those who write us, unless requested by the writer. Hebrew Roots reserves the right to condense letters to save space. Every effort will be made to retain the essence of the communication. Responses to the letters may be for clarification, or for the general edification of our readership and are not necessarily directed toward the person writing the letter.)

~ ~ ~

Dear Dean & Susan Wheelock,

      Just a note to thank you for the effort you have put into the publication Hebrew Roots. We borrowed Vol. 1, No. 5 from _______ and were deeply moved by the contents that we found there. We now wish we had requested your publication last year when you wrote to us. We hope we can still get on your mailing list.

      We were deeply interested in the articles about Passover, especially at this time of year. We also understand you have written about God’s other annual festivals and we would be interested in reading your views and research on them.

      Please consider this a request for our inclusion on your mailing list for Hebrew Roots. We also would like to support your work with a donation.

            E&J

Shalom Aleichem E&J,
      Thank you for your kind donation and your thoughtful words. It is through the support of people like you that we are able to continue expanding our mailing list. If you know of others who might be interested in receiving Hebrew Roots, please send us their name and address. We will be most happy to send them a sample issue and mention your name.

            May the peace of God
            be with you always,

            DEW

~ ~ ~

Dear Sir,
      I have recently received a work of yours on the Passover (Last Supper) by way of a friend. It has answered some of the questions regarding what took place that night.
      This year has been a considerably chaotic year because of the differences involved with the calendar. Satan is the author of confusion and the stirrer of contempt. Personally I have no comment on any group because if they keep Passover unto the Lord with reverence due to the Father, in thanksgiving for the blood shed for their sin, Yahweh, our Father will bless and forgive them. Each individual has to face Him who can destroy both body and soul (spirit). And we do well to remember that our neighbor and brother is in the same position as ourselves and we should not make each others lives more difficult by condemning or judging one another in such a way as I have seen happen this year in particular.
      Now to my purpose of this short letter. In issue 97-1, Page 32 (Jan., Feb., Mar., 1997) Impending Death Theory. I would like to know from which source did you glean this? As this appears to be the best explanation yet. I would like to know this so that I can show others. Where I live it is just a very small market town and the reference library is limited. But arrangements are frequently made on request.
      Most of the information from Sabbath keepers and Messianic Believers comes from the USA and believe me its a cause of negativism. If I can reach others by showing them where to look in their own environment they are more likely to receive it with joy.
      Silly humans, aren’t we? I lived in Canada for 20 years and have no problem with where we glean information from. No matter which route it (truth) comes by, it comes from the Father, in the authority of His Son who shed His blood that we might be reconciled to the Father.
      Would you be so kind as to reply and tell me more about Hebrew Roots and how I may obtain a copy? I would also like to know if Hebrew Roots is attached to any church organization and if so is there a group here in this country?
            RR

Shalom Aleichem RR,
      We pray that more Believers could have your most loving and generous attitude toward those with whom they disagree. We too have received much mail over issues such as the calendar, the proper date to observe the Passover, and the amount of time Yeshua was in the grave. While all of these issues are important to some extent (some more than others), it seems to us that they mainly serve to distract us from preparing for the soon coming Wedding of the Messiah.
      As to your questions, beginning with the last one first:
      We are not attached in any way whatsoever to a church organization. We are merely a husband and wife team, living in the northwoods of Wisconsin, doing our level best to bring to the attention of our beloved brethren the need to learn more about the Hebrew roots of our Christian Faith. We primarily support the concept of local churches and/or home fellowship groups. However, we have no ax to grind with any church as long as they allow their members to question and to row in race and knowledge.
      You are automatically enrolled as a subscriber to Hebrew Roots as a result of your writing and asking to be placed on the mailing list. There is no subscription price as we are entirely supported by the freewill donations of those who wish to support this effort. We do not send out an issue unless we have the money to do so. So far, so good.
      As sources for the Impending Death Theory (how Yeshua was able to legally keep the Passover one night earlier than was customary), that is a rather difficult question to answer. There is no single book that I can send you to that explicitly states this is true. That is why it is still called a theory.
      This concept was first brought to my attention by a teacher named Joseph Good. Mr. Good has a teaching ministry called Hatikva Ministries. His address is at the end of the article about the Red Heifer.
      At this time the best reference that you can explore is an ancient multivolume Jewish work called the Tosefta. There is an English translation available by an American Jewish scholar named Jacob Neusner. You will probably need to go to a major library to locate a copy.
      However, the Tosefta does not explicitly state the Impending Death Theory either. The Tosefta is basically a set of ancient Jewish law books similar to the Mishnah (considered to be the Jewish oral law). It requires training to be able to read it correctly. I myself do nor have that specialized training, but after studying it off and on over a period of three years I have come to the conclusion that Joseph Good is most likely correct on this matter.
      If you are able to find a copy of the Tosefta you need to study the tractate called Pesachim. It is found in the Second Division; Moad, (The Order of Appointed Times). Tractate; Pisha (Pesahim), beginning on page 115.

      Happy studying.

            May the peace of God
            be with you always,

            DEW

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Dear Dean & Susan,
      Greetings in the name of our King and Savior Jesus Christ. We hope all is well with you.
      I have a question: why do you use BCE or CE instead of BC and AD when specifying dates before Christ and after?
            Thank you.
            Sincerely,

            PH

Shalom Aleichem PH,
      Thank you for your note, it is always good to hear from old friends.
      The reason we use CE (Common Era) and BCE (Before the Common Era) to designate dates is because that seems to have become the norm in most all modem writings. Personally I do not have a problem with the usage of either method and my usage is primarily from habit.

            May the peace of God
            be with you always,

            DEW

~ ~ ~

Dear Dean & Susan,
      How may I obtain the Torah. I called the book store and I was told there was more than one Torah.
      So please advise me, which one should I purchase?
      Thank you.
            FG

Shalom Aleichem FG,
      Thank you for your inquiry about the Torah. Sometimes it is difficult when we are faced with terms that are unfamiliar to us.
      Actually, if you own a Bible you already have the Torah. The Torah consists of the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
      As for which translation to use, that is a matter of choice. Probably the most common English language Bible in use today is the King James Version. Some of the modern versions that may be easier to read are the New King James Version, the New International Version and the New American Standard Version.
      There is a Bible (Old Testament only) version that is published by the Jewish Publication Society. it is called the Tanakh. It is also very good.
      The most important thing is not which version of the Bible you use, but that you study it on a regular basis. Never drift away from the Bible and you will remain close to our Father in Heaven.

            May the peace of God,
            be with you always,

            DEW

~ ~ ~

Dear Dean & Susan,
      Thank you for your newsletter, Hebrew Roots. We would like to receive the back issues of your newsletter as well as future copies of it. We found it to be a newsletter with a valid and extremely beneficial approach. Would you also please send us the sermon series on The Roots of Our Faith. Thank you in advance.
      My wife, ______, and I left the ____ in 1992 and have limited associations with other organizations, but nothing that has us committed to a single organization. The corporate boundaries seem to hinder fellowship between the groups of people and so we have resigned ourselves, at least for the present, to be visitors if we are welcomed.
      When I was reading your newsletter, I was struck with the thought to ask you which commandments you believe we should keep? Paul wrote that circumcision or uncircumcision avails nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. Those who are redeemed, as recorded in Revelation, keep the testimony of the Christ and the commandments of God.
      Almost every group has a different answer to this question and it is one which obviously causes division. Maybe it is not the best question to ask in some regards, but certainly it needs to be answered by each. In a effort to seek out the truth on this matter, I would like to know if you have considered the subject.
      In reading through the New Testament, I get the sense that a lot more was understood about the law by those receiving the letters than we know. I’m hoping that your perspective on this question may help me to get at least some leads if not some more concrete answers. Certainly I John 2:3-6 indicates the importance of knowing and living by the commandments of God.
      Thank you for the work you are doing. Enclosed please find a contribution to help you continue the work you are doing. Please let us know if we can help you in any way.
      May the grace of Yahweh our Father be with you.
            DL

Shalom Aleichem DL,
      May our Father in heaven richly bless you and your wife as well. The best help you can give us at this time is
fervent prayer that Hebrew Roots will be an instrument of truth in a world that is drowning in lies. We do need the
prayers of all of our readership for the strength to continue this work. Every time we begin an issue we are met with
heavy resistance from the Adversary. Little did we know when we began this ‘little newsletter, the trials that were in
store for us.
      As to your question about which of the commandments we should keep, it is an excellent question. In fact, it was
the very first question that I asked in a Bible Study after being baptized. The question has never been adequately
answered by anyone, so I am still searching. One of the goals of Hebrew Roots is to explore this very question.
      Obviously, I am not prepared to give a complete answer in the limited space available in this column. However,
here are some thoughts.
      It is my firmly held belief that our Savior Yeshua is the God of the Old Testament. Therefore, all of the Old Testament commandments are, in fact, Yeshua’s. Yeshua said that He did not come to do away with the law or the prophets, therefore the law must still stand.
      According to Jewish reckoning, there are 613 commandments in the Scriptures. Some scholars have counted
over 1000 more commands in the New Testament. Are they all in effect? Well, no one is required to keep them all,
no matter how you look at it. Some of the commandments were given only to the Priests, others were for the Levites,
still others pertain to the Temple itself. Since there is no Temple, Priesthood, or Levitical service, these laws are not
now in effect. When the Temple is rebuilt and services reactivated they will again be in effect for those people.
      Again, some laws are only for women, others only for men while others are only for the king. The number of
applicable commandments whittle down fast when Looked at in this manner.
      I believe that every one of us, who believe the Torah commandments are still in effect, nevertheless balk at
some point. For some, it is the keeping of the seventh day Sabbath; for others, it is the Festivals; for others, it is the
clean and unclean foods, and for still others, it is the fringes on the garments or the mezuzah on the doorpost.
      God willing, we will thoroughly study this issue in great depth in future issues of Hebrew Roots.

            May the peace of God
            be with you always,

            DEW

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