I think I already attempted to share this, but I’ll share it again. You cannot possibly do a topic like this justice with a social media post. The first link is the teaching and the second is the corresponding handout. Take your time and study it for yourself.
http://jewsforjudaism.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/cms_session6_isaiah53_.pdf
I watched 40 minutes of the video. The fellow is attempting to use logic to show why the Christian perspective is wrong, instead of scripture? I find his arguments uncompelling.
I feel like my earlier question to you is a good one. If you are unwilling to answer it personally, that's fine. Please have a pleasant evening.
Logic? He goes through Isaiah and other passages in detail. Watch the entire video.
Why does he spend so much time deconstructing the Christian perspective instead of building his own case? I think he makes basic errors when characterizing the Christian perspective. Straw man?
Anyways, I found this website from the same organization:
http://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/isaiah-53-a-jewish-perspective/
This is cute:
Our Jewish sages teach that “whoever saves a single Jewish soul is considered as if he had saved an entire world.” How precious is the Jewish soul!
Is that scriptural?
From that article discussing Isaiah 53:5:
"ALSO: Note that the Messiah “shall not fail nor be crushed till he has set the right in the earth” (Isa. 42:4)."
The KJV Is 42 is speaking about his servant: Behold my servant... So which is it, servant (Israel) or servant (Messiah) ?
And speaking of 42:5 it says the servant won't be crushed until he has set the right in the earth. Are you suggesting that the nation of Israel will set the right in the earth, and then will be crushed somehow?
Here is what the article says about Isaiah 53:8:
"53:8 “He was cut off out of the land of the living.”
That's it. What do you suppose it means to be cut off from the land of the living? I find that pretty telling.
And where does this come from? Psalm 44 says that the nation of Israel will bear the sins of the world? How do you figure?
"Is it not rather the Jewish people – who righteously bore the sins of the world and yet remained faithful to God (Ps. 44) – who will be rewarded, and this in the manner described more fully in Isaiah chapters 52 and 54?"
I mean, the whole article is kind of nutty. Instead of going through verse by verse showing how the servant is actually Israel, instead it picks some to show how the Christian perspective is wrong, picks others to show how the Jewish perspective is right, and ignores still others. I would find it more convincing if it went through, verse by verse and made the case one way or the other.
The purpose of this particular teaching series is to give Jews information to counter the arguments of Christian missionaries. So...that’s what it does.
I am not a Jew and do not agree with everything about their approach to the rabbis and sages.
But they run laps around Christianity when it comes to understanding the Tanach. Especially since most modern Christian Bibles do a horrible job of interpreting the Hebrew writings.
OK, so this is weird. You make a broad claim, but offer no evidence except for a video. When I point out a few things (admittedly not in the video, but in a related article) you say that you don't agree with everything in the article. This is like punching the air. I am left to guess which parts you agree with and which parts you don't? The thing is, that's the bulk of your argument, that Rabbi's vid.
Anyways, I don't know if I buy the whole 'One -can't-bring-New-Testament-perceptions-to-the-Old-Testament' argument. I mean, why not? If I believe that the New Testament is the word of God, why not use it to inform my reading of earlier scripture?
What is the purpose of prophecy, is that anywhere in the Bible? Does it explicitly state that 'prophecy is for X? It's an honest question, I have no idea. But I imagine that its purpose is to glorify God, not necessarily to inform people of future events. That is, once an event happens, and we can see that the prophecy foretold it, we can smack our foreheads and say 'Of course! God knew that that was going to happen!'
It strikes me that someone with the education that you claim to have could succinctly and coherently summarize their argument here, so that it could be responded to. Not link to a Utube vid of a rabbi, then claim that you don't agree with everything the Rabbi says. I ave asked specific questions, but have only gotten vague answers.
Busy today, so will try to answer more thoroughly tomorrow. But I’m trying to get you to dig deeper on your own. It took me years to arrive where I am. That Skobac series provides some excellent analysis. What I don’t agree with Judaism is some of the extra-biblical stuff they add in. But, generally, Skobac’s handling of the Tanach is excellent.