Tzaddiks and Chassids: The Power of James’s Prayer
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...
Atheist to Jew: “Your customs are all pagan!”
Shalom everyone, You get this statement a lot from atheists – that biblical customs actually come from pagan religions, as if saying this invalidates them and destroys our faith. In ancient times, and still very much so in non-western cultures, one’s culture, customs...
Learning to Concentrate on what you are FOR
Shalom everyone, When I left Christianity and came to my present, Talmidi faith back in 1987, for a couple of years I was focused very much on everything I was against – against the divinity of Jesus, against original sin, against Jesus’s death as an atonement for...
The Way – but the Way of Who or What?
Shalom everyone, Most people are aware that the very earliest Jewish community of the followers of Yeshua called their faith, ‘The Way’. A lot of Christians think that this means, ‘the Way of Jesus’, because Acts 18:25 mentions, ‘the Way of the Lord’, and they think...
Some thoughts for Tisha be’Av: Why we remember
Shalom everyone, Tomorrow (Monday 4th August 2025), is the main daytime fast for Tisha be’Av, the 9th day of the Fifth biblical month, when we remember the destruction of the two Temples, and mourn for the fall of the Second Temple. When you convert to Judaism, you...
What will life be like in heaven? What will the afterlife be like?
IMPORTANT ADVISORY: In Jewish culture, beliefs about the afterlife are personal to the individual; this article is solely about what I have personally come to believe about the afterlife. Whatever may be your own personal beliefs about the afterlife, they should make...
The Starvation in Gaza
It is indeed heart-breaking to see pictures of innocent children starving in Gaza. I have lived long enough to remember decades’ worth of such images from every country around the world caught up in war. The fault lies with the far-right Israeli government and with...
Could future Talmidi Yahwist countries swear some kind of national covenants with God, just like the Covenant with Israel?
Shabbat shalom, my dearest sisters and brothers, When there are more Sabbaths than there are assigned Torah portions for any given month, we re-read the second half of the previous week’s portion (Ex 34:10-28). I therefore didn’t just want to repeat last week’s...
Yeshua’s Stance: Somewhere between the Oral Law and Biblical Literalism
Shalom everyone, Talmidaism’s rejection of the Oral Law does not mean that we reject ALL human interpretation outright – after all, there are definitely things in Torah which are unclear and ambiguous, and we would agree with the rabbis in that respect. Yeshua’s...
How was the Holy Name Pronounced? What is the Difference between the Two Main Alternatives?
Shalom everyone, Is the vocalisation of ‘Yahveh’ or ‘Yehovah’ correct? The answer is: both are correct. I’ll explain more a bit further on. But before I begin, I need to say that I personally LOVE the Holy Name! Christians have a deep and emotional connection with the...