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LEWIS RICZKO ??> The Jewish view is that Satan is one of the angels of G-d, ??> as is clear from Job. That may be the wishy washy sanitized view but even the modern Orthodox Hasidic Jews have a different interpretation. A little background on Sabbatai Zevi who the Hasidim consider the "false Messiah." At the time, 5-31-1665, the Messiah appeared and was proclaimed to be the Messiah in Gaza. The majority of the rabbis around the world accepted his claim, at least till under duress he converted to Islam. His story is an interesting segment of the numerous Messiahs that have claimed the title since Jesus. And as any cult leader with a following, his "absolute truth" was still kept alive by his Sabbatean sect at the time Haisidism took hold some 100 years later. Of course the new version of "absolute truth" had to subjugate the old "absolute truth", so we have this charming fantasy of the supernatural powers of the founder of Hasidism. "The Temptation" "It is told: Sabbatai Zevi, the 'false Messiah' long dead, came to the Baal Shem and begged him to redeem him. Now it is well known that the work of redemption is accomplished by binding the stuff of life to the stuff of life, by binding mind to mind, and soul to soul. In this way, then, the Baal Shem began to bind himself to that other, but slowly and cautiously, for he feared he might try to harm him. Once, when the Baal Shem lay asleep, Shabbatai Zevi came and tried to tempt him to become as he himself was. Then the Baal Shem hurled him away with such vigor that he fell to the very bottom of the nether world. When the Baal Shem spoke of him, he always said: 'A holy spark within him, but Satan caught him in the snare of pride.'" -- pg 78. From "Tales of the Hasidim--The Early Masters by: Martin Buber. Schoken Books / NY (c) 1947, 1975. Translated by Olga Marx. So tell me, is it true that "real" Jews believe in hell too? BTW, you do know that the Hasidim have their real live Messiah now living in N.Y.C. -=*LEWIS*=-

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