What do Israelis think about Jesus?

Published: Tue, 09/30/25

Updated: Wed, 10/01/25

"I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he."

Deuteronomy 32:3,4

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Hi friend,

This coming Shabbat's Torah portion, read on Saturday, October 4th, is Parashat Ha’azinu. The bulk of this week’s Torah reading, Ha’azinu, consists of a poetic song delivered by Moses and Joshua. The song is a prophecy of what will transpire to the Jews – the good and the bad – until the end of times. The portion concludes with G‑d commanding Moses to climb Mount Nebo, from where he would see the Promised Land before his passing.

Join us in exploring the Weekly Bible Chapter: The Birth of Jewish Continuity with Rabbi Avraham Norin, and let’s learn and reflect together!

Please enjoy this teaching of our beloved Root Source teacher, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz of blessed memory, about this week's Torah portion, Haazinu, and share your thoughts with us!

Last week, our popular Root Source teacher Rabbi Gedalia Meyer talked about Vayelech. Watch it below.

We are excited to share this thoughtful video by Oren from TravelingIsrael.com on What Israelis think about Jesus. We’d love to hear your questions or reflections!

Check below to hear what Gidon Ariel and Dr. Richard Booker have to share.

We sign off with a nice comment and a beautiful photo of Tel Aviv, Israel.

Shalom,

Gidon Ariel and Bob O’Dell
Root Source Founders

Parashat Ha’azinu

Moses beseeches the Israelites to contemplate their history, starting with the generation of the Tower of Babylon. When that generation sinned, G‑d could have destroyed humanity, but instead chose to spare them, only because of Israel — G‑d’s portion — which was destined to arise from those people. In the desert, in a “desolate, howling wasteland,” G‑d enveloped and protected the Israelites with clouds, caring for His nation as an eagle tenderly cares for his offspring, treating them like the pupil of His eye. “G‑d alone guided them, and no other god was able to disturb them.”

Weekly Bible Chapter:

Restoring God’s Faith In Humanity

The framing of this climactic scene strongly echoes the opening scene of Abraham’s story. God again commands Abraham to leave his home and lekh-lecha, betake yourself, go forth. The place he is headed toward, again, is unnamed, only “the place that I will show you.” God again presents Abraham with a string of synonyms loaded upon the object he must lose (home, his son). Both of these bookend experiences are cast as difficult journeys toward unknown destinations containing religious tests—Abraham’s twin pilgrimages. This similarity reinforces the sense that Abraham’s life consists of one long pilgrimage. Finally, at the conclusion of the Akedah, God returns to the promise God made in Genesis 12:2-3. Abraham’s own story is nearly done, but his impact on history will be profound.

Read here!

Parashat Haazinu: The Song of Challenge and Redemption

The Song of Moses in Parashat Haazinu stands in stark contrast to his first song at the Sea. While the Song of the Sea was sung together with all of Israel in a moment of victory and hope at the beginning of their journey, the Song of Haazinu is Moses’ lonely testament at the end of forty years of wandering. It is sung with a veil of sadness, as Moses prepares to part from his people without entering the Land he longed to see. Unlike the Song of the Sea, which celebrated past redemption, this song is a prophecy about the future – both an appeal and a warning. Moses no longer speaks as Israel’s representative singing with them, but as a prophet speaking to them, placing a necessary partition between himself and the people as he delivers God’s difficult message about what lies ahead.

Read Here!

Vayelech:
Rabbi Gedalia Meyer's Weekly Torah Study

We are all born with a conscience. It is a compass that, when running properly, should always steer us from bad and lead us to good. Sometimes our conscience needs an external assistant, such as the se’ir le’azazel – the scapegoat sent out to the wilderness in Temple times, carrying the burden of our collective sins.

Watch the video

What Israelis Really Think about Jesus, Messianic Jews and Christianity

I came across this well made video about what Israelis think about Jesus by the popular Youtuber Oren from TravelingIsrael.com and I couldn’t present it better myself! While Oren and I probably disagree upon a lot of things, I agree with his take on virtually all the questions he fielded here. I encourage you to watch the video and contact me to discuss or ask questions about it!

Watch the video

Conversations:

Gidon Ariel and Dr. Richard Booker - January 11, 2022

Gidon and Richard discuss the Verse from Hebrews 11:6, “God rewards those who diligently seek him,” and especially the first part of that verse, “Without faith it is impossible to please God,” and how that compares and contrasts to the passage in Mishna Pirkei Avot (Chapters of the Fathers), chapter 3 mishna 10: “those who are pleasing to others are pleasing to God, and those who are not pleasing to others are not pleasing to God.” What do you think?

Watch the video

Comments

We get so many comments!
Here is one from Viktoria on Coincidence? I think not!:

"First thank you for you teachings. They mean much to me. I I found myself listening to them with an open mouth like a fish. The more important fact is that I feel an increasing burden on me to seek Jewish wisdom. It happened some days ago when I listened to a Rabbi’s talks, when I read Jewish jokes, suddenly I started to adopt and apply what I’ve heard. I knew this ancient way of thinking and speaking is rooted in G’d and because there is NO coincidence I found you today in the deep www and am very thankful for having you now as a source for further learning. Shalom"

Tel, Aviv, Israel

Enjoy this photo of Tel Aviv, Israel by Molly Hutson

Blessings and Shalom,
Bob and Gidon

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