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Baruch HaShem (literally: “Bless the Name”) is the largest Messianic synagogue in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, if not the largest in Texas. I’ve never been to Baruch HaShem and here’s the reason why: many, if not Baruch HaShem corporately, do “not take issue” with Gentiles eating pork or other unclean meats. This was spoken to me by many individuals both in the congregation and those who left after several visits. This would be a watered down, compromised, partition wall theologically. When Gentiles (myself included) are grafted in by faith through Yeshua into the kahal, we are to observe and keep the commandments. We are to keep the Holy Days and feasts — many times, you will read this as “the Jewish Holy Days,” or the “Jewish Sabbath.” It’s not Jewish-anything. The Torah was given for the native and foreigner both. (plus, Jews are from one of 12 tribes. There are 11 more tribes. The vernacular of the media is simply to make “Jews” include all of the descendants. It’s semantics, but accurately, there are no “Jewish” Holy Days in the Torah, because Yahweh gave them to all believers.) If you believe upon Yahweh and his son Yeshua’s sacrifice, ascension and his atonement grace, then you are then beholden to the contract: keeping the commandments. One of those commandments is Leviticus 11′s refraining from unclean meats.

Don’t think for a second that new believers into the Messianic faith (from a Jewish background or a Churchianity/Gentile background) are suddenly, overnight changed into their new role. It does take time, several years maybe to finally get rid of Christmas or Easter or Sunday observance. There are always individual cases. I just know that it took me about three years to go completely kosher (or kashrut) after being called out of Churchianity. The instruction manual we call the Torah also goes for the food laws. I really don’t like the word “laws.” Torah means instruction. It is Yahweh’s instruction manual that gives us the provisions for food, the seven Holy Days, the weekly Sabbath, etc.
However, with such a large congregation, the leaders have a moral responsibility to teach the Torah and the New Testament to all believers, not just the “Jews,” but to Gentiles as well. To “not take issue” with Gentiles eating pork is like saying Christians coming out of Churchianity and into the Messianic fold can and should observe only the Noahide Laws. Might as well, right? Or, separately, forget what the Torah says, let’s just keep the Holy Day calendar as prescribed by rabbis. Like Rosh HaShanah is set by the sighting of the new moon (as Moses taught in the Torah), many congregations in “mainstream Messianic” movements subscribe to the rabbinical view that says, “forget what the Torah says, we’ll keep pre-set dates for the Holy Days.” That’s missing the mark. Those of the Torah persuasion know what “missing the mark” and “hitting the mark” mean.

By giving credence to a viewpoint that Gentiles no longer have to keep the food laws, or at least the Messianic leaders at Baruch HaShem (or any other congregation that does this) who do, that is woefully inadequate. It’s a cop-out. It’s watered down. It’s a compromise. It’s more importantly, a false teaching.

Joey G. Dauben
Publisher
The Ellis County Observer
publisher@elliscountyo.com

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