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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