Be easygoing with Christians

I urge my brothers and sisters to be easygoing with Christians, especially with regard to Isaiah 53, the most debated chapter in the Bible. Let’s reflect to our gentile friends and neighbors the patience that God shows us each and every day of our lives. In fact, Christians are asking important questions here. Moreover, unlike […]

The Haftorah and Isaiah 53: Are the Jews Hiding Something?

Question: Dear Rabbi, Missionaries claim that we are so “scared” of Isaiah 53 that we have omitted it from the Haftorah reading when it comes up. I know this can’t be true, but what should be my response when this is brought up? Thank you. Answer: This well-worn claim that the Jews have deliberately removed […]

Who is God’s Suffering Servant?

Despite strong objections from conservative Christian apologists, the prevailing rabbinic interpretation of Isaiah 53 ascribesthe “servant” to the nation of Israel who silently endured unimaginable suffering at the hands of its gentile oppressors. The speakers, in this most-debated chapter, are the stunned kings of nations who will bear witness to the messianic age and the […]

Isaiah 53: Did Jesus Have Long Life?

My question pertains to an objection you raised in your tape series regarding the christological reading of Isaiah 53, specifically verse 10. This verse says that the Servant’s days will be prolonged. Jesus, however, died young. However, if we were to believe in the resurrection, that Jesus rose in the flesh, why can we not […]