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Exploring Kehilat Dvar HaShem

******To The Best of My Knowledge, This Congregation No Longer Exists*****

The Name

So Many Basic Errors

When reading through the writings of Kehilat Dvar haShem, there are a tremendous amount of basic errors. Errors that a real Jewish group would never make! For example, in their Articles of Faith, in their 2nd point, they make numerous errors. Referring to Jesus, they stated:

According to the Scriptures, Mashiach ben Yosef was born during Second Temple days of a woman who had "not known a man" - Miryam, of the House of David.... According to the Scriptures, one day soon, He will return as Mashiach ben David to rule and reign from Yerushalayim.

There a number of errors here. First of all, they are confusing Messiah (Mashiach) ben Yosef and Messiah ben David. Jesus could not be both of these individuals. Messiah ben David is from the family lineage of the Tribe of Judah. Now here is the first problem; family lineage is traced solely through the birth father. You cannot say that Jesus was both a "son of god" and "ben David", unless Jesus had two birth fathers, which is obviously not possible. The second problem involves the claim of Jesus also being Messiah ben Yosef. Messiah ben Yosef is a term given in the Talmud to a man that will help Messiah ben David. He is called Messiah ben Yosef because he is from the Tribe of Ephraim, and Ephriam was one of Yosef's children. Again, since family lineage is traced through the birth father, it is patently impossible to be both "ben Yosef" and "ben David", because you would need two different fathers, from two totally different tribes. In fact, we read in the Talmud that the Messiah ben Yosef will be killed in battle during Messianic times-he is literally a army leader. Clearly Jesus was never fought in a war. Any Jewish scholar would see this obvious error, but Kehilat Dvar Hashem missed it.

It also never says in the Jewish Bible that the Messiah would be born in Second Temple times, nor does it ever say that the Messiah would be born from a virgin. This claim generally comes from an incorrect translation of Isaiah 7:14. The word in Isaiah 7:14 is "almah", which means a "young woman". Christians have historically mistranslated it as "virgin", which in Hebrew is a totally different word, "betulah." Further, Isaiah 7:14, when read in context, has to do with a prophecy for King Ahaz, not the Messiah. Here is a link that views the verse in its true context: Click Here

In the same paragraph, they also claim:

By His obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection He fulfilled the prophecies in the Tanakh (Torah, the Prophets and the Writings) which speak of Mashiach's first coming.

The problem here is that the Messiah ben David does not actually die in Jewish belief, nor is human sacrifice allowable in Judaism. In Judaism, human sacrifice is considered murder. This false claim usually comes from misinterpretations of Isaiah 53, so here is a link that reviews the actually meaning of Isaiah 53: Click Here

Additionally, in this same point they state:

"And though He tarry, yet will we wait for Him."

This quote is taken from Maimonides, who is also known as the Rambam. Maimonides did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, and was adamantely against any Jew who would claim that Jesus was the Messiah. In fact, Maimonides wrote at length against such claims, and viewed the "Holy Trinity" as being completely polytheistic. Why any congregation would quote a great Jewish scholar who was against their very beliefs is completely bizarre.

Kehilat Dvar Hashem also states in point 6 in their Articles of Faith:

"The ONLY provision made for reconciling man to Himself is through teshuvah (repentance - turning from sin and to 's instructions) and blood atonement, for "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."

Again, this claim is not Biblically true. If you read through Leviticus chapters 4 & 5, you will see that even when the Holy Temple stood and people offered sin sacrifices, "blood atonement" was not necessary. For those that cannot afford an animal sacrifice, Leviticus directs the person to bring FLOUR as the sacrifice. Obviously, there is not blood in flour. Further, in talking of atonement for sin, the Bible makes it clear that sacrifice is neither necessary nor the best way for atonement. Charity, good deeds and prayer are a few other methods that the Bible identifies as ways to atonement. For instance, in Isaiah chapter 1:11-18, we read:

"" 11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith the LORD; I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.

12 When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample My courts?

13 Bring no more vain oblations; it is an offering of abomination unto Me; new moon and sabbath, the holding of convocations--I cannot endure iniquity along with the solemn assembly.

14 Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hateth; they are a burden unto Me; I am weary to bear them.

15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.

16 Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes, cease to do evil;

17 Learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

In the above quote, the Bible pointedly states that doing justice and acts of lovingkindness brings atonement, and is better than sacrifice. Further, G-d tells us in Hosea 6:6:

"For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings."

So we also learn that mercy and knowledge of G-d is better than sacrifice. Proverbs 16:6 also highlights alternatives to sacrifice, telling us:

"By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned; and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

These are just a few example of how "blood" is not needed for atonement. Here is an article that reviews other non-blood methods of atonement: Click Here

Kehilat Dvar Hashem also says in point 6:

"Yeshua is "the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world."6 The blood that poured out from His body while He hung on the execution stake is the offering for sin in fulfillment of Tehillim (Psalms) 22 and Yeshayahu 53. Avinu Shebashamayim (our Father in Heaven) accepted the sacrifice as evidenced by Yeshua's bodily resurrection from the grave."

First off, as stated earlier, human sacrifice is illegal in Judaism. The only items that the Bible allows for sacrifices are cows, goats, sheep, some birds, and flour. Calling Jesus "a lamb" does not qualify him to be an actual sheep, which was an animal that was actually sacrificed. Let's also compare how a proper sacrifice was completed, as opposed to Jesus' death. It was mandatory that the sacrfice was killed through a ritual that involved a knife, which was conducted at the Holy Temple by the Priests. Everything else is Biblically wrong. In the case of Jesus, he was killed on a cross, by the Romans, in an area that was away from the Holy Temple. So, the manner of Jesus' death does not, in any way, match the Bible. Again, Kehilat mis-uses Isaiah (Yeshayahu 53) and Psalm 22. Here are links to articles that review these errors:

Psalm 22 Click Here

Isaiah 53 Click Here

These are just a few examples of errors they make, here is a link to the Kehilat Articles of Faith, so you can seen the error-filled quotes from points 2 and 6: Click Here

If you read through the Kehilat Dvar Hashem "Talmud" essay, you will notice that at the bottom they state

"LET THESE WORDS RING LOUD AND CLEAR IN YOUR EARS, MINDS, AND HEARTS! Yeshua did not oppose the Torah. THIS IS NEVER THE ISSUE IN HIS TEACHINGS. IT IS HALACHAH THAT IS THE ISSUE. THE COMMANDS OF THE TORAH ARE HOLY AND PURE. IT IS THE INTERPRETATION THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED."

Here is the link, the information comes from the bottom of the page: Click Here

Actually, this is not true. Jesus actually violatd the Torah and taught contrary to the Torah in a number of sections. Here is an article that reviews the many ways that Jesus did this: Click Here

The errors continue... on their essay regarding Havdalah, in the third paragraph they refer themselves as "Netzerim (followers of Yeshua)" and "M'aminim Meshichim (Messianic Believers)". In the first case, "Netzerim" does not mean "followers of Yeshua". "Notzrim" (the term they are likely trying to use), is how you say "Christian" in Hebrew. However, there is nothing in the term that talks about "follower" or "Yeshua" (Jesus). Moreover, "M'amimin Meshichim" does not mean "Messianic Believers". First, it is grammatically incorrect. They need a prefix in front of the word "Meshichim" to link the two words (the Hebrew eqivalent of "in"), or else the phrase is incorrect. Second, even if you did place in the necessary prefix, the phrase would translate as "Believers in Messiahs". The word Messiah is plural in their phrase, which means that they believe in mulitple Messiahs, something that do not actualy believe in. Here is the link to the proof, the quotes comes from the third paragraph: Click Here

But wait, there is more. In their article on Tefillin, they state:

"Although there is not a specific instruction to do so in the Scriptures, it does appear to be implied. And once again the reason is for shamar v’zachar (remembering, keeping, and observing) His instructions for our lives, that is, the Torah."

The phrase "Shamar v'zachar" is incorrect. The term is "Shamor v'Zachor", which means "keep" (or guard) and "remember". "Shamar" is the past tense 3rd person male form of "keep". "Zachar" is the past tense 3rd person male form of "remember". Alternatively, it means "male". Thus, their phrase tranlsates as "he kept and male" or "he kept and remembered". Clearly, that doesn't even make sense! Also, if you look at the words in Hebrew, Zachor is spelled differently than Zachar, and Shamor is spelled differently than Shamar. Both Zachor and Shamor have the letter "vav" which is lacking in Zachar and Shamar. This is a clear error that a real Jewish group would never make! In reality, the line "Shamor V'Zachor" is used specifically to refer to the Shabbat, another point that they miss. It has nothing to do with Tefillin Here is the link to the proof that they actually said this, the quote is from the first paragraph: Click Here

But the errors keep coming...on their page discussing whether to call Jesus by Yeshua, they make another error. They state:

"Now, what is the significance of the name of the Messiah? Why did G-d choose it? If you remember, Yochanan's parents were prevented from naming him after his father or grandfather. Yochanan's parents were told to name Him Yochanan. He wasn't named after His father or grandfather, as was the custom"

Yochanan is their way of referring to John. They state that John would normally be named after his father or grandfather. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jews are almost never named after their father or grandfather, if the relative was alive. The origin of this idea is that it was originally consided a bad omen to name your child after a living relative. The thought was that the Angel of Death may mistake the young individual for the older person that they share a name with, and kill the wrong person. Today, it is done out of tradition, not out of belief in this "bad omen". Moreover, there is not a single case in the Bible in which a Jewish person shares a name with his father. This is an obvious error that a Jewish group would never make! Here is the link to the proof, the evidence is in the 7th paragraph: Click Here

Further, numerous errors are made in the article regarding Jesus' name. Here is a link to Messiah Truth and their review of the the claims regarding Jesus' name: Click Here

Their Mission

According to their web-site, Kehilat Dvar HaShem's mission is:

"we at Kehilat Dvar HaShem are committed to the pursuit of understanding the Tanach (the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings) and the Brit Chadashah (the Renewed Covenant) from the first century Hebraic perspective."

Here is the link to the proof that they said this, about 3/4 down the page: Click Here

There are a few problems with this. Brit Chadashah is the Hebrew way of saying "New Testament". "Testament" means "Covenant", so the second part of their translation makes sense. However, "Chadashah" means "New", not "Renewed", so the first part does not make sense. Also, it would have never been known by Jesus' original followers as the Brit Chadashah. Calling it by a Hebrew name is a pretty new concept. The New Testament was not collected and organized into one book until the fourth century under the Roman Empire. It is made up of books written primarily in Greek (some in Latin). The New Testament would have originally be referred to in Latin or Greek, not Hebrew.

Their Associates

You can learn a lot about a group by the friends that they keep. In the case of Kehilat Dvar HaShem, they co-sponsored a "Biblical Prophecy" conference with Trinity Church. Would a real Jewish group co-sponsor this type of conference with a Christian church? Never! Jewish beliefs are very different than Christian beliefs on Biblical Prophecy-the two groups understand much of prophecy in a different manner. Here is the link to the proof (Editor's note: the person posting the message is part of another group that supports the conversion of Jews to Christianity): Click Here

Further, if you look at the frontpage, you will notice that they proudly sport the seal of the Messianic Bureau International (the seal that says MBI, Messianic.com). Here is the link to the Kehilat web-page to see it (at the top underneath "Symbols of Our Faith"): Click Here

The MBI is run by David Hargis, a Pentecostal minister. He also runs a Messianic Jewish congregation called Melech HaMiskan. Here my review of this congregation, proving that they are Christian: Click Here

Their Beliefs

When examining Kehilat Dvar HaShem's beliefs, you will find that they are totally Christian. They attempt to put a Jewish spin on it, so Jesus is Yeshua, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are Abba, Ben and Ruach, while Baptism becomes Tevilah in the mikveh. However, a close look shows that they are truly Christian beliefs, no matter how much they try to cover this. As evidence, compare their beliefs to the with sections I-V and VII of the Southern Baptist Convention. You will see that they are virtually identical, such as beliefs in the Holy Trinity, Jesus dying for other's sins, etc.! A real Jewish group would never have beliefs identical to the Southern Baptists!

Kehilat's beliefs

Southern Baptist Convention's beliefs

You will note that each try to use verses from the Bible to support their beliefs. Like other Messianic Jewish and Christian groups (which, in truth, are one in the same), they make basic errors in translation and interpretation. I would highly advise going to my "Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus" section and go to "An Answer from Rabbi Stuart Federow", and to Messiah Truth, Outreach Judaism and Jews for Judaism in my "Great Sites, Priceless Information" section, to see how these groups make such basic errors.

Interestingly, Kehilat Dvar HaShem make a huge error in their statement of beliefs. They state:

"According to the Scriptures, Mashiach ben Yosef was born during Second Temple days of a woman who had "not known a man" - Miryam, of the House of David"

First, a little background. There is a concept of there being two Messiahs-Mashiach ben Yosef (Messiah son of Joseph) and Mashiach ben David (Messiah son of David). Not everyone accepts this concept, but that is irrelevant for the current discussion. Back to the topic at hand, "son of Joseph" is not the literal son of a man named "Joseph". "Joseph" is a Biblical metaphor used throughout the Bible to refer to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which was destroyed by the Assyrians. This is why Mashiach ben Yosef is often referred to as the "Northern Messiah". So, they are first completely misunderstanding this concept. Further, let's pretend that we were actually talking of a son from a man named Joseph. According to Messianic Jewish belief, Jesus is the son of G-d. Lineage is traced through the birth father, as such, Joseph is not his father and Jesus cannot be the "son of Joseph". A real Jewish leader would know this-then again, they have so many errors in their beliefs, it is not a surprise that they made another error. I wrote an article reviewing the lineage of Jesus and the problems with Messianic Jewish belief. To read it, Click Here

Christian Signs

If you pay attention to the homepage of Kehilat that you were just at, you will notice that it has an "Aleph" and "Taf" by Jesus' name, written out in Hebrew. "Aleph" is the first letter of the Jewish alphabet, "Taf", the final letter. There is no reason for Jewish groups to do that. However, this makes sense in Christianity. Christianity often talks about Jesus and "Alpha to Omega". It comes from the Christian Bible in the book of Revelation. "Alpha" is the beginning of the Greek alphabet, similar to "Aleph", and "Omega" is the end of the Greek alphabet, similar to "Taf". It is likely that they tried to put a "Jewish twist" to the old Christian idea.

Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus

There are many reasons why Jews do not accept Jesus, and the links below are some of the better explanations on this topic. Of course, if you have questions that are not covered on the links, you can always e-mail me with your questions.

An Answer from Rabbi Stuart Federow Click Here

An Answer from Rabbi Shraga Simmons Click Here

Ask the Rabbi from Ohr Somayach Click Here

Rabbi Tovia Singer Click Here

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Escape From Counterfeit Judaism

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