Continuing from the last historical chapter on the Khazars, this chapter takes a look at one of Karaism's more controversial figures, Anan ben David. The man who gave up a throne to follow what he truly believed.
At this time of year when we remember the Holocaust, on that very solemn day Yom Ha Shoah, we must also recognize how did this happen. Like so many others we condemn the Nazis and say that they were solely responsible. But were they? I also point a finger at America and the facts don't lie.
The future has always been in our own hands. We can let the prophecies fulfill themselves or we can take control of our own destiny. But we can only do so when our governments actually represent the people they rule over and sadly that is not the situation either East or West.
The reliance on written documentation in order to substantiate genealogical claims overlooks the fact that oral traditions have proven to be sometimes more reliable because recorded 'facts' only permit you to see what they want you to see, whereas verbally transmitted stories have no such boundaries
As we approach the start of another Passover, the approximately 3270th celebration of the festival, it is time to reflect on exactly what the Exodus meant to us as a people. It was the giving to us of the Law by God, to be an everlasting agreement between Him and us. So how did we go so wrong?
The importance of history is that once you see where you came from you will have a better understanding of where you are heading. For those that say there are still good things we can learn from the Talmud, they are really saying we should forgive the breaker of 9 of the 10 commandments. Never!
I find it hard not to laugh hysterically when my traditional Jewish acquaintances remark that as Rabbanites, they have always held women on a pedestal. But they fail to mention that pedestal was only there so their wives and mothers could reach the shelves in the kitchen
But the question that remains is what gave that final push over the edge where Karaism could no longer tolerate its Rabbanite brethren, and the answer is quite simple, the Talmud’s intolerant view of women.
We last looked at the time when the House of Shammai was opposed to the House of Hillel, each representing an opposing view of Judaism, the traditionalist versus the modifier. But was this actually the time when Karaite Judaism was birthed or did it happen even later?
What was true in the past is no less true today. The key to our long term survival, as a people loved by God, as His light unto the World, is the restoration of the faith according to our independent reading and understanding of the Torah as is the Karaite Way.
This takeover of the government by the Pharisees through the use of the Syrian army is glossed over as only the negative actions of Alexander Jannai and the Sadducees is emphasized by the Rabbanites. The fact that 1000s of Jews in the King's army died isn't even mentioned.
Had there not been the advent of Rabbanism, then there would have been no such thing as Karaism as everyone of us would be painted with only one label. So it is relevant to try and pinpoint the birth of Rabbanism in order to know at what point a counter had to either exist or be initiated.
The history behind surnames is a fascinating one. How we received our surnames was not a smooth development but instead a very long and bumpy road. It took a long time but we all managed to get to the end of the road. This is the story of how we got there.
In this Chapter we will look at the early origins of the Karaites. Although it cannot be said for certain when Karaism was birthed, it is a high probability that it was during the same time that the Rabbanites were developing what is called mainstream Judaism.
There are many that now refer to themselves as Karaites. It does not matter if you were born as such or have converted to Karaism. What does matter is that you understand what it is to be a Karaite. To do so you must appreciate our history which is the thread that binds us.
Search engines specifically to a writer's page would be a tremendous asset for Hubpages. In the meantime, until that problem is addressed, I have created an index, a codex for retrieving my articles.
The fact is that God has already told us through the Torah and the Tanakh what He thinks of Kabbalah and those that profess alternative beliefs or belief structures to those he ordained to Moses and Aaron. Not a single word is to be added or subtracted from the Torah and thus we are commanded....