Shalom everyone,
Have you ever wondered why the first leader of our ancient community, James, was titled, ‘James the Just’? The story behind his nickname might actually be the reason why early Christianity tried to paint him out of history; what the ancient community of the Way claimed about him undercuts Christianity’s claims for ‘Christ’.
In Hebrew, ‘James the Just’ (a.k.a. ‘Jacob the Pious’ or ‘Jacob the Righteous’) is Yaʽaqov ha-Tsaddiq (tsaa-DEEK, emphasis on last syllable). In ancient Jewish tradition, there was the belief that in every generation there is a tiny group of people – no more than eight to ten individuals globally – whose power of prayer is so incredibly strong and effective, that it is able to bring about the forgiveness of sin, especially of the unrepentant, who have no remorse for what they have done. As a result of the presence and prayers of these Pious Ones in the midst of humanity, the unrepented sins of the world are kept from bringing about the destruction of humankind. There is an old Jewish saying, ‘For the sake of the Pious Ones, the world is not destroyed’.
According to ancient Jewish folk belief, a Tzaddik is able to gain forgiveness for the sins of others through the elevated quality and power of their prayer – this is a really important point to take in. In Hasidic Judaism, they say that Tsaddiqim are not aware of who they are while they live, or of what they are capable of doing. Considering that James was only crowned ‘a Pious One’ (a Tzaddik) after he died, he most likely was unaware himself of his status in God’s sight during his lifetime.
It was the belief held by the Jewish community of Yeshua’s Followers that, through James’s ministry of prayer on behalf of the Jewish people, Jerusalem was spared destruction for as long as he had been alive to continue his ministry of prayer. James’s ministry was viewed by Jewish Followers of the time as having been one of prayerful intercession for forgiveness on behalf of the sins of the people. Because James was such a pious and holy man, his prayers were able to gain forgiveness for the sins of the many. And this is the extraordinary thing to take note of: He didn’t have to suffer, or die, or shed any blood – his prayer alone as a man of deep piety and faith gained forgiveness for the nation. Moreover, the collective prayers of all Tzaddiks in the world gain forgiveness for the unrepented sins of humanity; a Tzaddik is naturally drawn to pray for God to forgive the sins of others, and not just of themselves.
Both Eusebius and Jerome quote the ‘Jewish-Christian’ writer Hegesippus (Ecclesiae Historiae, 2.23.5-6), describing how James “was often found upon his bended knees, interceding for the forgiveness of the people”, and how “he used to enter the Temple alone, and was often found upon his bended knees ….., so that his knees became as calloused as a camel’s, because of the constant importuning he did and kneeling before God…..”. When he was martyred in the year 62 CE through death by stoning, it is recorded in the same volume that he cried out, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (so these were originally the words of James, not of Yeshua, at the time of his death; many details of James’s life ended up being transferred onto the biography of the Christian ‘Jesus’).
When the people heard his final words, some of them apparently cried out, “the Pious One is praying for you!” It was this final act of prayer which caused people to realise he was a Tzaddik, and since then he was titled, Yaʽaqov ha-Tsaddiq, James the Just. While they are alive, no one knows the identities of this rare group of people (not even the Tzaddiks themselves); it is only when they are gone, that people realise their true identity.
Do you realise the implications this has for the claims of Paullist Christianity? Paul claimed that only the death of ‘Christ’ could bring about the forgiveness of sins, but even ancient Church writers themselves admitted that the prayer of James during his lifetime was so powerful, that it brought about the forgiveness of sin. Ancient Followers of the Way believed that the only thing holding back the destruction of Jerusalem – a consequence of the many sins of the unrighteous and unrepentant there – was the incredible power of James’s prayer, so that God forgave the sins of the people of Jerusalem. These details and beliefs about James are the reason why James is almost entirely unknown by ordinary Christians – who he was, his position, and what he accomplished.
The second group of people I want to mention here in my article are Chassids (pronounced chas-SEED; the ‘ch’ is the Hebrew letter cheyt, a guttural sound pronounced at the back of the throat, like the ‘ch’ in the German word Buch). I personally believe that James was also a Chassid – the word means, ‘a Devout One’. Some writers (e.g. Robert Eisenman) postulate that the traditional image of ‘Jesus’ as a mild and gentle soul actually comes from what James was. James embodied the kind of life which was epitomised in Yeshua’s teachings. Furthermore, the traditional Christian image of ‘Jesus’ as someone with long hair and beard, dressed in white, was actually what James was (Hegesippus describes James as a Nazirite, whose vow means they don’t cut their hair, and as someone who habitually wore linen, which is naturally white).
In Jewish tradition, these Chassids are still rare, but are more numerous than Tzaddiks. A Chassid is the Jewish equivalent of what most people today would understand as a ‘saint’, but in Judaism, we don’t pray to Chassids, and we don’t expect miracles from them. They are chassids because of the humble quality of their spiritual and religious lives.
Most of us would struggle to live a holy and saintly life on that kind of level, but to these people, closeness to God comes easily. They are kind-hearted, humble, selfless, compassionate, long-suffering, prayerful, charitable, loving and inspiring. They live lives of patient service to humankind, and of humble devotion to God. They inspire us to realise that richness of spirit matters far more than a wealth of possessions. They are kind to those whom most people would turn away from; they don’t judge the sick, they tend to the sick; they give of themselves willingly to help others in difficulty.
They can also be fierce in holding to God’s values, and how such values and principles apply to the protection of the poor, the outcast and the marginalised. However, the difference between their fierceness, and the fierceness of those who merely live life as if they were locked in permanent battle with the world, is that they uplift our souls to God, and show us how we can all enjoy God’s peace within our souls, simply by walking in step with God’s values and principles.
There are some people (and this attitude has always shocked me) who don’t like ‘saintly’ people, because they either consider them ‘holier-than-thou’ types, or think they exhibit behaviour that is unnatural and unachievable, and so dismiss their lives entirely, to the extent that some Christian denominations even consider trying to emulate their pious goodness is a sin in itself!
The thing is, neither God nor a Chassid would ever expect everyone to be like them; a Chassid has a very special soul that enables them to give more of themselves to humanity and to God than the rest of us. A Chassid is there to inspire us to faith, to help us turn our focus back to God, not to be admired themselves, or become any kind of cult-figure.
The thing about Chassids in Judaism, is that they are not meant to be seen as ‘perfect’ or even sinless people; they are just ordinary people who have developed a devout and extraordinary relationship with God. They are individuals who don’t let their human imperfections break them, or hold them back from growing spiritually. Through the quality of their prayer-life, they are able to connect to the ‘heavenly self’ within themselves, to the extent that they inspire those around them to a deeper, more productive and richer faith. By the kind and pious example of their life, they help the rest of us to connect to God, and give us hope that a better kind of world is possible.
A Chassid is someone who shows courage in life’s adversities, someone who rises above the awful things that have happened to them, and shows that it matters that they remain good people, in spite of the terrible things they have endured. This in turn invites the holiness of God to dwell with them; they are generous in spirit, humble, and joyous about the Presence of God in their daily lives. We really don’t need to be jealous or resentful about such people, thinking that, “Oh, they just think they’re better than the rest of us, so why would I ever want to be around such people?” A Chassid would not look down their nose at anyone; a Chassid is someone who helps us realise that God loves us and cares deeply about us all; a Chassid is someone who helps us realise that God’s power is ready and able to transform the lives of all of us, not just the life of a Chassid; and they are people who inspire us to have joy, awe, and wonder in the living Presence of God.
A Chassid lives the loving ways and compassionate principles of God, so a Talmidi Chassid – if such a person were ever to arise – would embody the central, core teachings of Yeshua in their lives. A Chassid expands the love that God shows for them, and projects it outward. They are among the few people who don’t judge others; they are the rare kind of people who even the most wretched, forgotten or marginalised human being can feel they can approach, and have them share God’s love with them. They help us find our way back to God, by showing us that God is merciful, kind and loving. They inspire us not to lose hope.
When I was adapting ‘The Ascents of James’ in the Clementine Literature to create ‘The Book of Jacob the Pious’ (the seventh book in The Exhortations), through studying the personality portrayed in that ancient work, I gained a strong sense of James’s character and soul, and was greatly inspired by him.
While a Tzaddik is often not recognised as such until they are gone, people are able to recognise a Chassid while they are still alive, because of the devoted and spiritual quality of their lives. We know that James was only recognised as a Tzaddik once he was gone, but I personally believe that while James was alive, people must have recognised that he was a Chassid, one of God’s ‘Devout Ones’. It is recorded that he was greatly admired even by those who did not belong to our ancient congregation of the Way, because of the kindness he showed even to those who were not members of our community. We are privileged to have had such an inspiring human being as the first leader of our ancient community.
Blessings
Shmuliq