The truth about “sin”
The Biblical conception of “sin” There is no concept of “sin” in the Hebrew Bible in the [...]
18
09, 2016
6
01, 2016
The origin of the strange concept called sin
The Origin of Sin There is no concept of “sin” in the Hebrew Bible as a distorting stain upon the soul that requires a kind of supernatural atonement or cleansing process, as the concept is understood today. To the contrary, wrong behavior is seen in scripture in a rational, natural way. [...]
29
07, 2015
The truth about sin
The Origin of Sin Professor Paula Fredriksen of Boston University wrote “Sin: The Early History of an Idea.”[1] Her book is scholarly and informative. There is no concept of “sin” in the Hebrew Bible as a distorting stain upon the soul that requires a kind of supernatural atonement process, as the [...]
18
10, 2014
The origin of “sin”
Review by Israel Drazin Sin The Early History of an Idea By Paula Fredriksen Princeton University Press, 2012, 209 pages Paperback Cost: $14.28 Professor Paula Fredriksen of Boston University’s book on the development of the concept of sin begins with the view of Jesus and not with the prior Jewish [...]
20
09, 2014
Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday
Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday[1] Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday, although it replaced a biblical one, and is notably different from the holiday it replaced. The biblical holiday, Yom Teruah, had a totally different purpose than Rosh Hashanah, which focuses on the onset of a new year, [...]
4
05, 2014
Behar – The destructive aspects of “sin”
Behar The destructive aspects of “sin”[1] The idea of “sin” is seemingly found in Leviticus 25:18 and elsewhere. In Leviticus God promises prosperity to people who obey the divine commands: they and only they will “dwell securely on the land.” This verse is generally misunderstood. There are two ways to [...]
26
07, 2013
Sin and repentance are not Torah concepts
By Israel Drazin Neither sin nor repentance is mentioned in the Torah. Sin “Sin,” a prime element in Christian theology, is chet in Hebrew, and chet means nothing more than “missing the mark.” The Bible speaks of three categories of wrongs that are not synonyms. There is chet, the [...]
29
07, 2011
A book for people who want to learn the truth
Maimonides’ Confrontation with Mysticism By Menachem Kellner Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2011, 343 pages Anyone, of any religion, agnostic, or atheist, wanting to understand the truth about life, the ideas taught by the great philosopher Moses Maimonides (1138-1204), should read this splendid easily comprehensible book first published in 2006, reprinted because of its [...]
