MESSIANIC JUDAISM AND THE JEWISH TRADITION

The values

"The Holy One, blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, and all of them were given only through sufferings. These are: The Torah, the Land of Israel and the world to come." (Berakoth 5a http://www.come-and-hear.com/berakoth/berakoth_5.html)

These lines are a good commentary to the words of Yeshua: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Matt. 7:6)

The Jewish prayer, Sidur

G-d is Papa for Jew. Blu Greenberg in her book ''How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household'' wrote in particular how her mother-in-law told to G-d about herself, the hot news about her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. She remembered too about the past events and about G-d's mercy. Once she told to G-d about his son is married to a good idishe meidele (the Jewish girl - idish). One day she said to Him her grandson (he was 28 at that time), a chief medical officer of Boston hospital, is working so many time and he hadn't time to search for a wife. It was a gentle hint to help him to marry...

"Prayer in Judaism is called "avodah shebalev," "Service of the Heart," and thus prayer is only worthwhile if one focuses one's emotion and intention, kavanah, to the words of the prayers." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amidah)

Sidur is the Jewish prayer-book. It has been formed during many centuries. Dr. Dan Juster wrote that 80% of Sidur is based on Holy Scripture or use it constructively (Dan Juster. Growing to Maturity. A Messianic Jewish Guide. Russian edition. Denver, Colorado, 2006, p.194)

Many prayers of Sidur ("Adon olam", "Barchu", "Shma", "Amida", Kaddish etc.) will enrich the Messianic service greatly!

Kavvanah in prayer (to direct heart to God)

Kavvanah is an important action in prayer, in filfilling commandments. What is kavvanah? This Hebrew word is translated as "intention" or "direction", it means "to direct heart to heaven".

We shall speak about kavvanah in prayer.

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deut. 6:4-5) 

"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:" (Isaiah 29:13)

"... kavvanah makes worship real rather than ritual, God commanded us to love (and worship) Him with all our heart, soul (or self) and strength (Dt. 6:5). Kavvanah conceptualizes this. The heart involves focusing our attention; the self relates to cultivating a personal experience of God; and strength implies intending to worship. When Yeshua instructed us to worship in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24), He may have had this in mind. Spirit... refers to attitude in worship. i.e. kavvanah. The liturgy provides the content or "truth" of worship." (Dr. John Fischer. Siddur for Messianic Jews. USA: Menorah Ministries, 2004, p. 181) 

What did Jews teached about kavvanah? 

"... When a man prays, he should direct his heart to heaven. Abba Saul says: A reminder of this is the text, Thou wilt direct their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to attend."¹⁹

19 I.e., if the heart is directed to heaven, then God will attend. Ps. X, 17. (Berakoth 31a http://www.come-and-hear.com/berakoth/berakoth_31.html)

"Prayer needs kavvanah," stated the rabbis (TJ, Ber. 4:1)."

"The admonition of Eliezer Ben Hyrcanus to his disciples was especially applicable: "When you pray, know before Whom you stand!" (Ber. 28b)." (Encyclopedia of Judaism http://www.answers.com/topic/kavvanah)

"... R. Simeon's dictum: "Do not regard your prayer as a fixed mechanical device, but as an appeal for mercy and grace before the All-Present" (Avot 2:13). It is, furthermore, related that the early ḥasidim used to wait an hour before and after prayer to achieve a state of kavvanah and emerge from it (Ber. 5:1)."

"Maimonides ruled as a matter of halakhah (which was not, however, agreed with by later codifiers) that "since prayer without kavvanah is no prayer at all, if one has prayed without kavvanah he has to pray again with kavvanah. Should one feel preoccupied or overburdened, or should one have just returned from a voyage, one must delay one's prayer until one can once again pray with kavvanah… True kavvanah implies freedom from all strange thoughts, and complete awareness of the fact that one stands before the Divine Presence" (Yad, Tefillah, 4:15, 16). The Shulḥan Arukh states "better a little supplication with kavvanah, than a lot without it" (OH 1:4)." ( http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0012_0_10911.html)

"Abraham Heschel says, “Kavvanah is attentiveness to God.  Its purpose is to direct the heart rather than the tongue or the arms.  It is not an act of the mind that serves to guide the external action, but one that has meaning in itself.”  “Kavvanah in this sense is not the awareness of being commanded but the awareness of Him who commands; not of a yoke we carry but of the Will we remember; the awareness of God rather than the awareness of duty.”
(http://skipmoen.com/tag/kavvanah)  

"Shema Yisrael"

Twice a day Jews read a prayer "Shema Yisrael". "Shema Yisrael" is read in synagogues too on shabbat and festivals .

"It is the first prayer that a Jewish child is taught to say. It is the last words a Jew says prior to death.<...> With the Shema on their lips, Jews accepted martyrdom at the Inquisitor's stake and in the Nazi gas chambers.'' (http://www.aish.com/literacy/mitzvahs/Shema_Yisrael.asp)

This prayer includes 3 passages of Torah.

The first passage:

(Deut 6:4)  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD:
(Deut 6:5)  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
(Deut 6:6)  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
(Deut 6:7)  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
(Deut 6:8)  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
(Deut 6:9)  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

The first lines of prayer - ''Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad'' (''Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD'') - are about unity of G-d. They tell us too Israel has ONE G-D only!

Let us read Isaiah:

(Isaiah 37:16)  O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest [between] the cherubims, thou [art] the God, [even] thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

Moshe and sons of Israel sang to G-d:

(Exod 15:11)  Who [is] like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who [is] like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful [in] praises, doing wonders?

Our G-d is God Almighty (El Shaddai):

(Exod 6:3)  And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, but by my name YHWH was I not known to them. 

Our G-d is the Great G-d (El  ha-gadol'), the Mighty G-d (ha-gibor) (Jer. 32:18) 

There are some famous mitzvot (the commandments):
- Shma (hear);
- ahavta (love)

What does it mean to love? Let us read these lines:

(Psalms 42:2) My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

(Psalms 42:3) My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where [is] thy God? 

What does it mean to love "with all thine heart''? It means to turn a heart to G-d! Isaiah told a heart of Israel was far from G-d:

(Isaiah 29:13) Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Yeshua told: 

(Mark 7:21) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

(Mark 7:22) Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

(Mark 7:23) All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

We need to look after ourselves satan couldn't to sow his seeds in our hearts. 

(Acts 5:3) But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back [part] of the price of the land?

Judas Iscariot allowed satan to act: 

(John 13:2) And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's [son], to betray him;

The result was Judas betrayed Yeshua.

That's why Bible teaches us to love G-d with all heart.

(Rom 10:9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

(Rom 10:10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

(Heb 10:22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

To love ''with all thy soul''. It means the willingness to give oneself, even a life for G-d. Yeshua gave His life for us:

(1John 3:16) Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren.

(Matt 16:25) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

To love ''with all thy might''.  It means  we need all our might to give for service to G-d.

- sheenantam (teach);
- deebarta (talk);
- kshartam (bind);
- khtavtam (write)

The second and third passages are of Deut. 11:13-21 and Numb. 15:37-41.

"It is considered the most important prayer in Judaism, and its twice-daily recitation is a mitzvah (religious commandment).

Its main content is loving the one God with all one's heart, soul and might, and the rewards that come with this."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisrael)

"Jewish law requires a greater measure of concentration on the first verse of the Shema than on the rest of the prayer. People commonly close their eyes or cover them with the palm of their hand while reciting it to eliminate every distraction and help them concentrate on the meaning of the words. The final word, echad, should be prolonged and emphasized."
(http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/shema.html)

Text of Shema is in mezuzah and tefillin.''Tefillin: (lit. "phylacteries"); small black leather cubes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with the Shema and other biblical passages, wrapped on the arm and head of adult men during weekday morning prayers.'' (http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword.asp?kid=1543)

 ''... the word "tefillin" is etymologically related to the word "tefilah" (prayer)...'' (http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm)

''A mezuzah ... is a piece of parchment (usually contained in a decorative case) inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah. A mezuza is affixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes.'' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezuzah)

One lawyer asked Yeshua: ''Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?''

(Matt 22:37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

(Matt 22:38) This is the first and great commandment.

(Matt 22:39) And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(Matt 22:40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Amidah

The word "Amidah" is translated from Hebrew as "standing". This prayer is said facing to Jerusalem (according to Kings I 8:44: "If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen, and [toward] the house that I have built for thy name:" (1Kings 8:44))

"Before one begins the Amidah, it is customary to take three small steps forward as if one is approaching a king. <...> Where there is not much space, it has become the practice to take several tiny steps back before taking the three symbolic steps forward. To humble oneself before God, one bends the knees and bows at both the beginning and the end of the first blessing while saying "Barukh atah" (Blessed are you)." (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/amidah.html)

It is one of three everyday prayers in synagogue. A famous Israeli historian Gedaliah Alon in his book "The Jews in their Land in the Talmudic Age (70-640)"  (v.1) wrote that the first three blessings and the last three blessings of Amidah were said at the time of the Second Temple.  

"After the Second Temple's destruction in 70 CE, the Council of Jamnia determined that the Amidah would substitute the sacrifices, directly applying Hosea's dictate, "So we will render for bullocks the offering of our lips." (Hos. 14:2) ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amidah)

It is very important each blessing of Amidah has the words: "Blessed are you, O Lord..." It is very important too firstly it is said the blessings, then it is said the requests. 

"Using the image of master and servant, the Rabbis declared that a worshipper should come before his or her master first with words of praise, then should ask one's petitions, and finally should withdraw with words of thanks. Thus, every Amidah is divided into three central sections: praise, petitions, and thanks."  (http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Liturgy_and_Prayers/Siddur_Prayer_Book/Amidah.shtml)

About the first three blessings of Amidah:

"1. Known as Avot ("Ancestors") this prayer offers praise of God as the God of the Biblical patriarchs, "God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob."

2. Known as Gevurot ("powers"), this offers praise of God for His power and might. This prayer includes a mention of God's healing of the sick and resurrection of the dead. It is called also Tehiyyat ha-Metim = "the resurrection of the dead." <...>

3. Known as Kedushat ha-Shem ("the sanctification of the Name") this offers praise of God's holiness." ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amidah)

The parallels between the first three blessings of Amidah and Tanach

To the first blessing:  

Exod 3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this [is] my name for ever, and this [is] my memorial unto all generations. 

Deut 10:17 For the LORD your God [is] God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: 

Jer 31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Jer 2:2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land [that was] not sown.

To the second blessing:

Psalms 66:7 He ruleth by his power for ever...

Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Neh 9:21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, [so that] they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

Psalms 145:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all [those that be] bowed down.

Psalms 146:7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:

Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.

1Sam 2:6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up

To the third blessing: 

Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, [is] the LORD of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory.

Psalms 148:2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. 

Kaddish

A word "kadish" is Aramaic word which is translated as "holy".  

It is the old Jewish prayer which was well-known in 1-st century. This prayer is brachah (the blessing), tehilah (the glorification) to our G-d. This prayer is chanted.

"The opening words of this prayer are inspired by Ezekiel 38:23, a vision of God becoming great in the eyes of all the nations. The central line of the kaddish in Jewish tradition is the congregation's response "May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity", a public declaration of God's greatness and eternality. This response is a paraphrase of part of Daniel 2:20." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaddish)

"The theme of Kaddish is, rather, the Greatness of G-d, Who conducts the entire universe, and especially his most favored creature, each individual human being, with careful supervision. In this prayer, we also pray for peace - from apparently the only One Who can guarantee it - peace between nations, peace between individuals, and peace of mind." (http://www.ou.org/news/article/kaddish)

Text of Kaddish with parallel lines of Tanach:

Exalted and sanctified is God's great name in the world which He has created according to His will ("Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I [am] the LORD." (Ezek 38:23))

and may He establish His kingdom, may his salvation blossom and his anointed near in your lifetime and your days and in the lifetimes of all the House of Israel speedily and soon; and say, Amen.

How these lines are similar to the first lines of the prayer "Our Father":

Matt 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Matt 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity. ("... blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21)

"Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore." (Psalms 113:2)

"Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: " (Dan 2:20))

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, elevated and lauded be the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond (far beyond) all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be much peace from Heaven, [and] [good] life and satiety, and salvation, and comfort, and saving and healing and redemption and forgiveness and atonement and relief and deliverance for us and for all His people Israel; and say, Amen.

He who makes peace in His heights may He [in his mercy] make peace upon us and upon all [his nation] Israel; and say, Amen. ("Dominion and fear [are] with him, he maketh peace in his high places." (Job 25:2))

(Text "Kaddish" was quoted according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaddish)

The Jewish family values, the education of children

There is an esteem of oldest people in Jewish families, a husband and a wife love very much one another and children. Yes, a child is beloved baby for every daddy and mum, but in the Jewish families the child  is an invaluable treasure! Jewish parents look after every "string" of this small man, for each his step. And when he, this kiddy, will grow up and create his family, he will be also love his kids.

"All most valuable, that we, people of culture, live, - professor Vladimir Martzinkovsky wrote,- we received through Jewish people. A pure faith in One God... was given to this people and through them to all mankind. People need just this faith. " What the good lines! 

There are some quotations from the Jewish tradition about the Jewish family: 

In the Jewish tradition a marriage has an important role. ''According to Jewish thought, the relationship that most closely parallels the relationship between man and G-d is the marital union between a man and a woman. "If a man and wife are worthy, the Divine Presence is with them" (Sotah 17a). "A man cannot live without a woman, a woman cannot live without a man, and the two of them cannot live without the presence of G-d"

(Berachot 9:1).'' (The Jewish Laws of Marriage http://members.aol.com/Agunah/marriage.htm) 

''In good relationships both parties try to balance serving their own interest, and serving the other person’s interest. The ideal of balance between the self and others is, I believe, firmly grounded in Jewish tradition. The most notable example is Hillel’s famous three questions:

“If I am not for myself, who is for me?”

“And when I am for myself, what am I?”

“And if not now, when?”  (William Berkson. Jewish Family Values Today http://mentsh.com/PDFwebfiles/Jewish_Family_Values_Today.pdf)

''A man should always eat and drink less than his means allow, spend up to his means on clothes, but beyond his means in honoring his wife and children, because they are dependent on him and he is dependent upon God.(Hullin 84b, interpreting PS 112:5: "Well is it with the man that dealeth graciously, that ordereth his affairs rightfully")'' (Parents and Children: Notes http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/hgarrett/documents/jewishfamily.html

''Our Rabbis taught: Who is wealthy? <...> R. Akiba said: He who has a wife comely in deeds.'' (Shabbath 25b http://www.come-and-hear.com/shabbath/shabbath_25.html)

''We should not say to a child: I will give you something, and later change your mind. For this teaches the child to lie. (Sukkah, 46b)'' (Parents and Children: Notes http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/hgarrett/documents/jewishfamily.html)

"Let the dignity of other people be as important to you as your own," we learn in Pirkei Avot or Ethics of the Fathers. Judaism is about deeds, and parents can emphasize this basic value by regularly showing how it translates into everyday actions. Even the two loaves of challah on the Shabbat table have a lesson to teach us. Why, ask the Rabbis, do we cover them? To save the bread the "embarrassment" of being blessed last, after the wine.

If our rituals teach us compassion for the feelings of a loaf of bread, how much more so do they teach us about caring for the feelings of other human beings!'' (HELEN MINTZ BELITSKY. Beginning at Home: Raising Menshes http://www.socialaction.com/families/Beginning_at_Home.shtml)

SHALOM BAYIT

 ''Throughout the history of the Jewish people, Jews have held an ideal standard for Jewish family life that is manifested in the term shalom bayit ["peace in the home"]. The term shalom ["peace"] also signifies completeness, wholeness, and fulfillment. Hence, the traditional Jewish marriage is characterized by peace, nurturing, respect, and chesed, through which a married couple becomes complete. In Jewish culture, a marriage is described as a "match made in heaven," and is treated as a holy enterprise. For example, the Jewish marriage ceremony is known as Kiddushin ["sanctification", or "consecration"]. By declaring the marriage union sacred, a couple stands sanctified before G-d. It is in a relationship where both husband and wife recognize each other as creations in G-d's image and treat each other accordingly that true sanctity emanates forth. Moreover, this sanctity of the marital union reminds the Jewish husband and wife to express their holiness through marriage and to build a home based on mutual love, respect, and chesed.'' (The Jewish Laws of Marriage http://members.aol.com/Agunah/marriage.htm) 

The Jewish family values are in that the marriages of Jews who believe in G-d are firm, there are divorces a little, there are no children who fiddle about. In not-Jewish world incl. Christian  families we see absolutely another situation: 50% divorces etc. Why don't to use the Jewish family values?!.  

Tzedakah

Tzedakah is charity, justice, mercy. Tzedakah is concern for poor people. It is centuries-old Jewish tradition.

We can read in TaNaKh (the Old Testament):

Deut 16:20 Justice (tzedek), justice (tzedek) shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.  

Tzedakah box

For a long time there is a good tradition in the Jewish houses to have tzedakah box (charity box). Jews put donations here when they want to thank G-d or ask about help. Too they put tzedakah before prayer in the morning, before a long journey etc. On Fridays in the evening before the lighting of shabat candles the mistress of the house put some money in the tzedakah box . When box is overcrowded money are given on charity. (The talks on themes of the weekly chapters of Torah. In Russian. A publishing house HAMA 5755 (1995) http://www.chassidus.ru/nedelnaya_glava/besedy/behar.htm)

''The tradition of Tzedakah (righteousness) is a fundamental part of Jewish living. There are many forms of righteous behavior, but giving charity is among the most basic. Charity is compulsory in Jewish tradition, because the poor need it. Charity is considered a befitting way to celebrate a simchah (happy occasion) ... mark the passage of time (people often give charity around the time of various holy days). A pushke (charity box) can be found in most every Jewish home, and it is traditional to give children money each week just prior to Shabbat, to teach them the commandment of tzedakah.'' (http://scheinerman.net/judaism/rituals/tzedakah.html)

Mishnah, Gemarah, Talmud

Talmud includes Mishnah and Gemarah (the commentaries to Mishnah). Talmud is teaching which contains halakhah (the regulations) and agadah (the stories, the parables). There are Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud. The first one is widespread. It is named as Talmud. It was formed in the beginning of 6th century. Tanaim (aram. ''the teachers'', 1-2 C), amoraim (''the commentators'', 3-5 C), savoraim.(the beginning of 6th C) worked with it. 

Talmud isn't Oral Law as tradition tells us. Talmud is teaching of the sages. All the facts that  Mishnah (there are 63 tracts here) tell us we need verify with Scripture. We believers in Yeshua cannot accept all that conflicts with Bible.

The stories, the parables, aphorisms in agadah are interesting. There are some stories. 

Once the followers of rabbi Simeon bought a donkey for him in order to transport the merchandise. There was a precious pearl on a donkey's neck. Rabbi asked to give back this pearl to seller. A seller blessed G-d. Rabbi Simeon said: ''To hear the words: ''Blessed be the LORD God of Jews'' is more costly than all riches of the world.'' (Jerush., B.-M., 2; Deb.-R.,3) (Quot. according to: The sages of Talmud. In Russian. Rostov-na-Donu, 2005, p. 8-9).  

'The bride as she is. And Beth Hillel say: 'Beautiful and graceful bride'! Beth Shammai said to Beth Hillel: If she was lame or blind, does one say of
her: 'Beautiful and graceful bride'? Whereas the Torah said, 'Keep thee far from a false matter.'  Said Beth Hillel to Beth Shammai: According to your
words,  if one has made a bad purchase in the market, should one praise it in his eyes or depreciate it?  Surely,  one should praise it in his eyes.'
(Babylonian Talmud, Kethuboth 17a http://www.come-and-hear.com/kethuboth/kethuboth_17.html)

'... it happened that a certain heathen came before Shammai and said to him, 'Make me a proselyte, on condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I
stand on one foot.' Thereupon he repulsed him with the builder's cubit which was in his hand. When he went before Hillel, he said to him, 'What is
hateful to you, do not to your neighbour: that is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof; go and learn it.' (Babylonian Talmud:
Tractate Shabbath 31a http://www.come-and-hear.com/shabbath/shabbath_31.html) What similarity with the words of Yeshua: ''Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.'' (Mat 7:12)!

Hasidism

Hasidism showed up at 18th century and spreaded in Poland and Russia.    

It is known when hasidics came to gas chambers in Oswiecim (Auschwitz), they sang and danced. (Rami Shapiro. Hasidic tales. In Russian. M., Sofia, 2005, p.11)

There are interesting hasidic tales.

We can use only that information which doesn't conflict with Scripture. Too we need know that only Bible (TaNaKh and Brit Hadashah) is the Word of G-d!

Tefillin, talit, mezuzah, kipah

We can read in Torah:

Deut 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD:
Deut 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deut 6:6  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Deut 6:7  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deut 6:8  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
Deut 6:9  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Tradition uses tefillin, talit, mezuzah.

''Tefillin: (lit. "phylacteries"); small black leather cubes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with the Shema and other biblical passages, wrapped on the arm and head of adult men during weekday morning prayers.'' http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword.asp?kid=1543

 ''... the word "tefillin" is etymologically related to the word "tefilah" (prayer)...'' http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm

Talit is prayerful shawl with tzitzit (fringes).

About tzitzit (fringes) in Torah: 

Numb 15:38  Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
Numb 15:39  And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
Numb 15:40  That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

 ''The mitzvah to wear tzitzit only applies to four-cornered garments, which were common in biblical times but are not common anymore. To fulfill this mitzvah, adult men wear a four-cornered shawl called a tallit... during morning services, along with the tefillin.'' http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm

''A mezuzah ... is a piece of parchment (usually contained in a decorative case) inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah. A mezuza is affixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes.'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezuzah

Kipah is head covering.

Must Jews believing in Yeshua wear kipah, talit? It's not of necessity but it is desirable. Rabbi Shaul said: 

1Cor 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews...

Jews, Christians and the Word of God