(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.)

~ ~ ~

~ Thanks for 'Roots' ~

Dear Dean & Susan,
      Thank you for sending Hebrew Roots. The publication has been very helpful in my study of the scriptures. The local congregation here are also benefiting. We often talk about something we read in Hebrew Roots or heard on one of your tapes. We are growing closer to our Father and our Savior and are thankful to those who are edifying the Body of Messiah.
      I’ll keep you in my prayers. I’ll pray that our Father will continue to lead you and strengthen you in your walk with Yeshua.
            In love,
            AM

~

Dear Wheelock’s
      I do so enjoy your letters and insights. So many new concepts and yet each seems to GRAB my spirit and shout "TRUTH!"
      It’s also surprising to share with others and see the same hunger and longing for ‘Roots.’
            Thankfully,
            JL

~

Dear Hebrew Roots,
      We just got acquainted with your paper and we are overwhelmed, thinking about all the research and work that goes into this. We are learning things about Hebrew traditions and old testament laws that are important to the study and understanding of the Bible.
      We are so glad to have found you and thanks for all you do.

      R & CP

~

Dear Dean & Susan,
      Hebrew Roots is the most interesting religious publication I have read. Keep up the excellent work, it has really helped me in my religious growth and understanding. Bible Study is now more interesting.
      I hope you are being blessed for all the help you are providing for those who know there is more to (religion than) just reading certain church literature and understanding the Bible according to the teachings of that one certain organization. Why does that present a threat to that church organization? What’s wrong with thinking and studying!
      May God Bless you and your Family.
            Shalom,
            DU

Shalom Aleichem
AM, JL, R&CP, & DU,
      Thank you so much for your kind words, and especially for your heartfelt prayers. If there is one thing we need most, as we write and produce this publication, it is the prayers of our readers that the Adversary be kept at bay. Every issue brings its own set of trials, but our heavenly Father continues to come to our aid in time of need so that Hebrew Roots can continue to go forth.
      As we mentioned earlier in the opening letter of this issue, it truly takes a miracle from God for us to be able to see and accept the fact that our Christian faith is really a ‘Jewish’ faith, founded on Jewish scriptures and Jewish traditions. It is sad to see so many people refusing to even consider that Yeshua was a Jew, and lived as a Jew during His time here on earth. I believe the general reason for this attitude is a latent anti-Jewish sentiment that pervades so much of our society.
      In answer to DU’s question, there is absolutely nothing wrong with thinking and studying, as long as we always do it within the parameters of what the Scriptures (both OT and NT) actually teach. Much of what we write in Hebrew Roots conies from historical sources, and is intended to be an adjunct to serious Bible study. h is not meant to replace the pure word of Scripture, but only to help us understand more fully what the Scriptures actually teach. Why that should be such a threat to any religious organization is one of life’s great mysteries.
            May the peace of God
            be with you all,

            DEW

~ ~ ~

~ Good-bye, ‘Roots’ ~

Dear Mr-s. Wheelock,
      Please discontinue my subscription to Hebrew Roots. Jewish traditions and fables provide no true insight into the word of God for me.
Sincerely,
AE

~ ~ ~

Shalom Aleichem AE,
      We are concerned and saddened to hear that you do not find "Jewish traditions and fables" to be of value, for they make up a good share of the teachings of our Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach..
      You see, Yeshua taught almost exclusively in what is called Haggadah (Ahg-gah-dah), which means that He used stories, parables, and proverbs to teach moral lessons. This type of teaching was in contrast (but not opposition) to a method of teaching called Halacha (Hah-lah-cah), which can be defined as "the way one walks." Haggadah and Halacha are still valid forms of teaching in the Jewish world. However, after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE., the Jewish sages went heavily towards Halacha, as a means of helping the dispersed Jews to observe their customs and traditions in a similar manner The fact is, some of Yeshua’s parables actually were drawn from similar stories that already were circulating in the Jewish world of His time.
Your request to be dropped from our mailing list has been processed. Should you ever change your in mind, we would be happy to renew your subscription.
            May the peace of God
            be with you always,

            DEW

~

Dear Mr. Wheelock:
      When I started getting Hebrew Roots, I thought it would provide useful material to expand my knowledge, and, hopefully, that of others in our study of Scriptures. However, your ? article in the Jan/Mar 98 issue: "Counting the Omer" has brought other Scriptures to mind.
      It was pointed out to me by a knowledgeable Elder in another part of the country that many statements made in that article relate to Jewish traditions and do not follow Scripture. While I should have paid more attention to the obvious deviations between the article and the Bible, it wasn’t until I received a response from this Elder that I realized that I was well down the path of deception, whether you intended this or not! In fact, there are some outright lies in the article that you should be aware of. On Pg 17, for instance, - in the last sentence before the heading "The Passover Connection" - the statement "...without the OMER Wave Offering there could be no festival of Passover;. ..." is a lie. The Israelites kept Passover for 40 years - in the desert - before the Wave Sheaf Offering started. This latter practice came into being only after they crossed the River Jordan into the "Promised Land". Review Exodus 12 to Joshua! Further, Scripture (Levit. 23:9-14) specifies that the cut sheaf is to be waved by the priest on the day after the Sabbath (whether the weekly Sabbath or the 1st day of ULB). Your article says the priests made 2 loaves of bread and waved them. Either the article confirms that the priests violated GOD’s command, in which case we are being exposed to practices which violate Deut. 12:30-32, and should, therefore, terminate such study, or, we are faced with a rejection of several Scriptures (Levit.23:9-14) which we know to be firmly part of GOD’S WORD, if we accept the article as proper ritual!
      I don’t know your intent here, but, in any event, I do know that when my Savior died, the curtain between the Holy of Holies Room was ‘rent asunder from top to bottom’. This has always been recognized as a total separation between the religion known as Judaism and that of GOD’s people. I now understand the importance of this more clearly than ever!
      I am not and will not become anti-Semitic, but in the future, I’ll recognize that these people did not then and do not now (at this time) walk according to "every word of GOD". When the Almighty turns on their light, they’ll change, but until then, I don’t feel a need to further my knowledge of their rebellious ways, or become more familiar with their traditions, which our Lord sternly criticized and told us not to follow. Please stop sending me Hebrew Roots and remove my name from your mailing list.
            With sincere love in Christ’s service,
            RR

~ ~ ~

Shalom Aleichem
(Peace be unto you) RR,
      It is always sad to find that a writer has purposely misled someone in important scriptural matters. I can see that this is what you feel I have done to you. I am sorry you feel that way, but I believe the problem is not what I wrote (it is all true,) but within your own attitude towards things Jewish.
      It must be pointed out that you, yourself have made several errors in your letter. I do not accuse you of being a ‘liar’ as a result of these mistakes and misconceptions, but rather exhort you to look again at what I wrote. Likewise, for the ‘knowledgeable Elder’ you mentioned.
      It would take a lengthy article to delve deeply into the issues you have raised, however space does not permit that in this particular forum. The issues you have raised will be addressed in Hebrew Roots as time goes on, because they represent common misconceptions that many American Christians hold near and dear.
      Let me begin with one of your last points. You state that when the Temple curtain was rent in two at the death of Yeshua, it represented a, "...total separation between the religion known as Judaism and that of God's people." First of all, there was no ‘religion of Judaism’ at that time. There was Temple worship service and Synagogue study of the Torah. I challenge you to locate one single word that Yeshua spoke which condemns either of these activities. In fact, lie was a regular attendee at the Synagogue (Luke 4:16), and lie was a regular worshipper, and teacher at the Temple when He was in Jerusalem (Matt. 26:55) as were His disciples after his death and resurrection. (Acts 2:46). in fact, there are so many references to the disciples of Yeshua worshipping in the Temple that it would take several pages to quote them all.
      Not only did Yeshua worship at the Temple and attend Synagogue, tie actually instructed not only His disciples, but the multitudes as well, to obey the judgments of the hated Scribes and Pharisees. (Matt 23:1-3). And, of course, I am sure you are familiar with the fact that Yeshua taught that the Torah (law) had not been done away. (Matt. 5:17-19.).
      In addition, the Apostle Paul (the apostle to the Gentiles), late in his ministry, offered sacrifice at the Temple along with four other Believers! (Acts 21:26).
      These Scripture examples totally contradict the idea of "...a total separation..." as you put it. That concept of ‘total separation’ came out of later developments in the Church when the Christians wanted to divorce themselves from anything that smacked of Jewishness so they could avoid persecution at the hands of the Romans. For more detailed information on where many of these anti-Jewish doctrines originated, may I suggest that you read Dr Samuele Bacchiocchi’s book: From Sabbath to Sunday. (You can obtain a copy from: Biblical Perspectives, 4569 Lisa Lane, Berrian Springs, Ml 49103, USA.)
      Now, as to your accusation that I lied’ when saying that Passover could not be celebrated unless there was an Omer Wave Offering. When I wrote the article I thought it was clear that I was speaking of the tune when the children of Israel were already in the land If that was not clear, I apologize.
      However, let me point out, that only two Passovers are mentioned in Scripture during the forty years of wilderness wandering. They were kept the first year in Egypt, and the second year at Mt. Sinai. Most scholars will agree that it seems very unlikely that they kept another Passover until the year they can into the land of Canaan. The reason for this is because no uncircumcised male could keep the Passover. The Scriptures say that none of their children, born in the wilderness, were circumcised until they entered the land some thirty-nine years later. (See Joshua 5:5).
      Whether they kept the Passover during those years or not is not the point I quoted the scripture in question (Lev. 23:9-11,14) at the very beginning of the article assuming that all of our readers would then know that my comments on page 17 referred to the time when they would be ‘in the land.’
      Also, you totally misunderstood the statement on pg. 17 by implying that I said that two loaves of bread were waved as the Omer Wave Offering. Please reread that section and you will see that what it very clearly says is that two loaves of wheat bread were waved on PENTECOST or Shavu’ot.
      As I pointed out in the article, the misconception about what constituted the Omer Wave Offering stems from a weak translation of the Hebrew word ‘Omer,’ (which means a ‘dry measurement,) into the English word ‘Sheaf’ (which is a bundle of stalks). Perhaps you could acquire a good Hebrew Lexicon and Hebrew Concordance that is coded to Strong’s Concordance numbers. That way you can look these things up for yourself and will not have to rely on what I or any other writer or teacher might tell you.
      Your request to be dropped from our mailing list has been processed. Should you ever change your mind, we would be happy to renew your subscription.
            May the peace of God
            be with you always,

            DEW

~ ~ ~

~ Lashon Hara ~

Dear Dean,
      Found your article on lashon hara edifying and convicting. By it I am reminded and see more clearly how to apply two truths revealed in the writings of Paul: "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." (1 Cor. 10:24 NIV) and love "...always protects..." (1 Cor. 13:4 NIV).
      May God richly bless you.
            Love,
            IC

~

Dear Dean and Sue,
      I appreciated your article on "lashon hara." I think it does an excellent job of showing how we should treat our neighbors on a day-to-day basis. If our neighbor has faults, weaknesses or does something silly, there is no reason to talk to others about these things. I know that I still have a lot to learn in this area.
      However, there is one point that the article did not make that I think is important to balance it out: This concept does not apply to people who are, or are trying to become teachers or leaders. I belonged to a big church organization once, and every time one of their leaders would do some immoral thing, they would give lots of sermons against ‘gossip’ (a watered-down understanding of ‘lashon hara’). The Scriptures teach that the character of leaders and teachers must be examined and understood by all. Notice these scriptures (NKJV).
      "If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, who has gone and served other gods and worshipped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, ..." (Duet. 17:2-4).
      "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church." (3 Jn. 9-10).
      (Editors Note: Other scriptures included in this letter include: 1 Tim. 1:19-20; 1 John 4:1-2; Revelation 2:2; and James 3:1. They have been deleted due to space limitations.)
      We could add many other scrip-lures to these. The qualifications for leadership in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are mostly about personal practices. These personal matters will have to be discussed when a person is considered for a leadership position. We certainly must avoid "lashon hara" against our neighbor, but the apostle Yaaqov said: "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." (Jms. 3:1)
      Keep up the good work!

            Norman S. Edwards
            Servants News

~ ~ ~

Shalom Aleichem Norman,
      Thank you for your input on Lashon Hara. We do very much appreciated your reasoned response to what we have published, for this is a learning endeavor for all of us as we explore the Hebrew Roots of our faith.
      As you can see from this issue, we have already addressed some of the concerns expressed in your letter. Certainly they are issues that are of great importance to anyone who is associated with other Believers. We hope this clarifies not just our position, but the actual teachings within the halacha, concerning those who are in positions of responsibility.
      One caution keeps coming up in my mind however You stated, concerning lashon hara; "This concept does not apply to people who are, or are trying to become, teachers or leaders." I would tend to rephrase that to say; "There are some additional aspects that need to be considered when it concerns those who are trying to become teachers or leaders." The laws of lashon hara (as set forth in the initial article) do apply, no matter who the person is, or what position he may desire or hold Let me give an example.
      Some time back, I was attending a meeting of Believers. During a break my wife anti I were conversing with another couple, whom we had just met, when a third individual came bursting into our conversation to bring a piece of news about a fairly well known minister. Now the piece of information was public knowledge, and it was not at all derogatory in itself, so bringing that news did not in any way represent lashon hara. However, the way in which it was related: the snicker, the disparaging look, and some of the comments made by this person, absolute/y did constitute lashon hara. There is really no other way to describe it except as such.
      Now I feel that it is one thing to bring public information to the attention of people who may be in need of it, and quite another to present it in a derogatory manner So we must always be on guard, lest our intentions for relating something be anything other than honorable.
      Of course we could go on and on with matters pertaining to this subject, and never even begin to cover all the aspects of how we use and mis-use our tongues. But that is precisely the point We did not write these articles in order to have the ‘last word’ on this subject Our desire was to bring lashon hara and its incumbent evils to the attention of other Believers so they would begin a dialogue with each other concerning these matters. We see our goal beginning to be accomplished, and for that we say; "Baruch HaShemn." Blessed be The Name."
            May the peace of God
            be with you always,

            DEW

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