Ben Shapiro on Jews

[ThePilgrim]

Ben Shapiro is an Orthodox Jew who has some things to say about modern Judaism in America.

 

[heartstrings]

The majority of Jews are "Secular Leftists" or, as he says, "The least religious, religious group in America". That does not surprise me. A huge number of the Hollywood actors are Jewish and I certainly wouldn't consider most of them religious. But most Orthodox Jews vote Republican; that doesn't surprise me either. The Jews as a whole, according to the Word of God, are blind: they are in unbelief. But that doesn't relieve Christians of the responsibility to "bless" them and the nation of Israel.

[ThePilgrim]

bless
 
 Tweet verb \ˈbles\
: to make (something or someone) holy by saying a special prayer

: to ask God to care for and protect (someone or something)

: to provide (a person, place, etc.) with something good or desirable
One of our all-time favorite lists: 
10 Charming Words for Nasty People »
blessed \ˈblest\ also blest \ˈblest\ bless·ing
Full Definition of BLESS

transitive verb
1
:  to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word
2
:  to hallow with the sign of the cross
3
:  to invoke divine care for <bless your heart> —used in the phrase bless you to wish good health especially to one who has just sneezed
4
a :  praise, glorify <bless his holy name>
b :  to speak well of :  approve
5
:  to confer prosperity or happiness upon
6
archaic :  protect, preserve
7
:  endow, favor <blessed with athletic ability>
See bless defined for English-language learners 
See bless defined for kids 
Examples of BLESS

The priest blessed their marriage at the wedding.
The water for the baptism has been blessed.
The priest blessed the baby I held in my arms.
Origin of BLESS

Middle English, from Old English blētsian, from blōd blood; from the use of blood in consecration
First Known Use: before 12th century
Related to BLESS
Synonyms
consecrate, hallow, sacralize, sanctify
Antonyms
deconsecrate, desacralize, desanctify

 

Now with all that out of the way:  I hear the phrase "bless Israel" all the time am I am not sure of what that means in the real world.  What does one do to "bless" Israel, in the context of the meaning of bless? 

[Jim_Alaska]

That's easy Larry. The word has become generic. It probably became generic because people never knew what it really meant.

[heartstrings]

bless
 
 Tweet verb \ˈbles\
: to make (something or someone) holy by saying a special prayer

: to ask God to care for and protect (someone or something)

: to provide (a person, place, etc.) with something good or desirable
One of our all-time favorite lists: 
10 Charming Words for Nasty People »
blessed \ˈblest\ also blest \ˈblest\ bless·ing
Full Definition of BLESS

transitive verb
1
:  to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word
2
:  to hallow with the sign of the cross
3
:  to invoke divine care for <bless your heart> —used in the phrase bless you to wish good health especially to one who has just sneezed
4
a :  praise, glorify <bless his holy name>
b :  to speak well of :  approve
5
:  to confer prosperity or happiness upon
6
archaic :  protect, preserve
7
:  endow, favor <blessed with athletic ability>
See bless defined for English-language learners 
See bless defined for kids 
Examples of BLESS

The priest blessed their marriage at the wedding.
The water for the baptism has been blessed.
The priest blessed the baby I held in my arms.
Origin of BLESS

Middle English, from Old English blētsian, from blōd blood; from the use of blood in consecration
First Known Use: before 12th century
Related to BLESS
Synonyms
consecrate, hallow, sacralize, sanctify
Antonyms
deconsecrate, desacralize, desanctify

 

Now with all that out of the way:  I hear the phrase "bless Israel" all the time am I am not sure of what that means in the real world.  What does one do to "bless" Israel, in the context of the meaning of bless? 

​For starters, according to James chapter 3, just "speaking well of" someone is considered "blessing" and the opposite to that would be "cursing"; all done with the tongue. But there are other ways to "bless", such as helping financially so I would say  that the "root" meaning of the word "bless", Biblically, would be to "bestow good upon" someone either physically or verbally.

James 3

5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

 

[ThePilgrim]

Thanks for that Heartstrings.

[John81]

We are called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We are called to share the Gospel with all lost folks, including Jews. We are called to help the widow, orphans and poor; including those which are Jews. All these things are blessings.

Too many on the "religious right" try to tie politics into this, some going so far as to claim the only way we can bless Israel is by giving the Israeli government/leaders and blank check in supporting them and agreeing with them no matter what, right or wrong. That's not a blessing and that's not biblical.

If our thoughts, words and actions toward Jews are for the good, that's a blessing.

[heartstrings]

We are called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We are called to share the Gospel with all lost folks, including Jews. We are called to help the widow, orphans and poor; including those which are Jews. All these things are blessings.

Too many on the "religious right" try to tie politics into this, some going so far as to claim the only way we can bless Israel is by giving the Israeli government/leaders and blank check in supporting them and agreeing with them no matter what, right or wrong. That's not a blessing and that's not biblical.

If our thoughts, words and actions toward Jews are for the good, that's a blessing.

I never said I would agree with any wrongdoing which may or may not have been done by the Israeli government. I don't always agree with my wife, kids, or parents either, but it's still my God-given duty to support them.​

[John81]

I never said I would agree with any wrongdoing which may or may not have been done by the Israeli government. I don't always agree with my wife, kids, or parents either, but it's still my God-given duty to support them.​

​I wasn't speaking of you, or anyone here, in my middle paragraph only to the many on the "religious right" who do take such a broad view of things that if an Israeli leader decided to exterminate an entire town of old men, women and children for no sound military reason, they would applaud the action and say anyone who didn't support the action wasn't blessing Israel.

I agree with your assessment, as it's similar to what we find ourselves in today here in America. I love and support my country even with a wicked leader in place whose policies and actions I'm unable to support the vast majority of.