Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: mejicovs@eniac.seas.upenn.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: the Sabbath Message-ID: Date: 23 May 91 01:04:26 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Pennsylvania Lines: 41 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) writes: >In article rvp@softserver.canberra.edu.au (Rey Paulo, Hi Rey!) writes: >>In article tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake, yes Tom, it's you) writes: > >There are many practices of the early Jews which we no longer practice. >(I've pointed out a few in previous postings.) One of my favorites >deals not with the seventh day, but the seventh year. In the seventh >year, the Israelites were to let the fields rest. In the sixth year, >the fields would produce enough for both years. > >Check out Exodus 23:10,11 Leviticus 25:1-34 > >(Leviticus also includes the Year of Restoration. I think the year of >Restoration is a great concept.) Me too! technical note - The Jews call it the Jubilee year. It falls every fiftieth year and a good time is had by all :-) >These teachings are quite clear. Do you practice them? Historical note - the seventh and fiftieth year were abrogated by the Rabbis because Roman taxation was becoming unbearable. > Did Jesus >countermand them? Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are >to love the Lord your God with all you heart, and all your soul, and all >your mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Wow, Hillel taught the same thing just a bit before Jesus :-) (Guess what, in the battle between the house of Hillel and the house of Shammai, Shammai being the one who was generally for the stricter interpretation of the law - Hillel won!) James mejicovs@eniac.seas.upenn.edu ps. I hope this doesn't get taken badly, I just want to correct the common misrepresentation of the Jews as the mean, nasty people who follow the lifeless Law (none of these are true).