Are the Ten Lost Tribes Jews?

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From: Eddie Chumney
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject:Are the Ten Lost Tribes Jews?

Answering the Question:
Are the Ten Lost Tribes Jews?

by
Yair Davidy

AND

Orthodox Jewish View of the End of Exile

The historical Egyptian Redemption is a type and shadow of the Future Messianic Redemption

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From: Yair Davidi (britam@netvision.net.il)
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org

Dear Mr. Davidi,
I am American from Stockton, California, very near San Francisco. I enjoy your newsletter immensely and look forward each day to see what is the latest coming from Jerusaleum.

WERE YOU BORN YAIR DAVIDY?

I was born in Australia.

DO YOU LIVE IN ISRAEL?

Yes, in Jerusalem

YOUR FIRST NAME SOUNDS SCANDANAVIAN.

Yair is a Hebrew name. It is usually written as Jair in Biblical translations.

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From: Yair Davidi (britam@netvision.net.il)
To: britam@netvision.net.il
Subject: Who are the Ten Lost Tribes?

Questions in Full followed by Answers:

2 sections: section one and section two

Section One:
Question:

From: Chumney, Edward L.
To: Yair Davidi
Subject: Who are the Ten Lost Tribes?

Yair,

I have studied quite extensively the Orthodox Jewish view of the reunificaiton of the Ten Lost Tribes with the house of Judah in the end of days. I know that the article below is a twist and distortion of the facts. I also know that the Orthdoox Jewish view of the Ten Lost Tribes is that they would have the status of Gentiles in the end of days to Orthodox Judaism (Yebamoth 16b). Because of those who make the arguments below, can you send out a reply article and explain two things:

#1) How the view below that ALL twelve tribes are called today the Jewish people is NOT the view of Orthodox Judaism.

#2) The Biblical refutiation to the claim being made below that the Ten Tribes intermingled and became a part of Judah in the days of the Monarchy.

Thanks for your efforts. I am looking forward to reading you new books on the subject.

Eddie Chumney

Answer from Yair: It is not the view of the Bible nor is it factual. In popular literature and also in popular Orthodox Jewish Literature you may sometimes come across references to all of the Israelites as "Jews" but this is obvious in its meaning. The present day Jewish people consists mainly of people from the Tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi with many from Simeon and some minority representation of the other tribes. It is recognized that most of the northern Ten Tribes were exiled and "lost" their identity but in the future will return. Abarbanel in "<Mashmia Yishua" says that believe in the return of the Lost Ten Tribes is the same as belief in the Bible: if you deny one you deny the other.

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By Asher Intrater
The kingdom of Israel reached its height at the time of David and Solomon, approximately 1,000 years before the time of Yeshua. During the reign of Solomon's son, Rehobam, the northern ten tribes of Israel split away from Judah and Benjamin. Thus the kingdom was divided into the northern tribes of Israel and the southern tribes of Judah.

This division became the object of the messianic hope to be reunited by the future Messiah (Ezekiel 37:12ff). There is also the symbolic sense that the northern tribes represent the international church, while the tribe of Judah represents the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. Yet those two viewpoints are prophetic and symbolic, not historical and genealogical.

The northern tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by the Assyrians in the eighth century BC and the southern tribes of Judah were taken into captivity in the sixth century. The Bible records that the captivity of Judah returned to the land of Israel during the fifth century BC.

Since there was no major description of the restoration of the northern tribes, much speculation and curiosity have arisen over the years as to the question, "Where are the lost ten tribes?"

An interesting yet dangerous trend is that many Christian cult groups claim to be actual descendants of the ten northern tribes. This ranges from groups in Japan to native Americans. There are some elements in Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses that make a similar claim. It has even effected parts of the Christian Zionist movement.

The truth of the matter is that there are no lost ten tribes. During the time of the kingdom division and the captivities, a certain percentage of each of the northern tribes came down and took up residence in the area of Judah. After that time the name Judah or the Jews referred not only to the specific tribe of Judah but also to the Benjaminites, the Levites and the remnant of all the northern tribes.

There are no lost ten tribes. All the tribes of Israel are included in what we call today the Jewish people. There are seven basic biblical evidences that prove this position.

* Israel Remnant in Judah (II Chronicles)

* The book of II Chronicles records many times that the members of the northern tribes immigrated to Judah after the kingdom division. This happened from the very moment of the division.

* II Chronicles 10: 16-17

* So all Israel departed to their tents. But Rehobam reigned over THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WHO DWELT IN THE CITIES OF JUDAH. It couldn't be stated more clearly that there were members of the Israeli tribes living in the territory of Judah. II Chronicles 11:3 states that Rehobam was the king not only of Judah but to "ALL" Israel living "IN" Judah and Benjamin. II Chronicles 11:16-17 states that members of "ALL" the tribes of Israel who were loyal to God came down to Jerusalem and strengthened the kingdom of Judah.

Yair Davidi replies:

Answer: Some members of all the other tribes did come to Judah but these were only a minority as is clear from the rest of Book of Chronicles.

On the other hand there are sources suggesting that a good portion of Judah with the Ten tribes. Even so Scripture refers to that portion of Judah that remained as "Judah" whereas all those who went ento Assyrian Exile are counted as part of the Ten tribesand referred to in general as "Israel", "Ephraim", or "Samaria".

II Chronicles 15:9 tells us that during the revival of King Assa that there were "great numbers from Israel" who came over to Judah. II Chronicles 24:5 speaks of members gathered from all the tribes of Israel. II Chronicles 30:21 and 25 speak of the children of the Israelite tribes who came to Judah during the time of King Hezekiah. II Chronicles 31:6 speaks again of the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

II Chronicles 30:10 speaks of members of the tribes of Ephraim, Menassah, Zebulun, and Asher coming to Jerusalem. II Chronicles 30:18 mentions also the tribe of Issachar. II Chronicles 34:6 adds to that list members of the tribes of Simeon and Naphtali. II Chronicles 34:9 states clearly that there were members of "ALL THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL" who were living in Jerusalem after the time of the Assyrian captivity. II Chronicles 35:3 again mentions that there were members of "all Israel" who were part of Judah.

Yair Davidi replies:

Answer:
II Chronicles 30:10 Ephraim, Menassah, Zebulun, and Asher coming to Jerusalem

II Chronicles 30:18 the tribe of Issachar: not in my version. Mistaken quote?

II Chronicles 30:10 speaks of the time of Hezekiah in its first stages.

This was after most of the Ten tribes had been exiled but a minority remained. These according to the Midrash (Yalkut Shimeoni) numbered ca 12% of the original total. Even this minority however was mostly taken away together with many from Judah and Simeon when LATER Sennacherib came (ii_Chronicles 32;1 2-Kings 18;12) and took all the unfenced cities and many of their inhabitants into captivity, see Midrash Seder Olam, Abarbanel end of Kings, etc).

These Midrashim reflect the Oral tradition, they are consistent with Scripture when Scripture is taken as a consistent whole and they also conform to archaeological evidence.

II Chronicles 35:3 refers to the time of King Josiah son of Amon when indeed for a brief period a small band of Scythian-Israelites returned for awhile. King Josiah was killed and those few northern Scythian-Israelites who had returned once again left.

see Talmud Arakin 33a, Megilla 14b, Rashi on Sanhedrin 94a. etc. Rabbi Goren wrote an article on this subject. See "The Tribes" for details.

* Captivity Restored (Ezra and Nehemiah)

* After the Babylonian captivity, the nation of Israel was restored under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. In those books are extensive genealogical records. The fact that there were careful genealogical records proves that not only were the northern Israelites part of the restoration, but that they kept records of their families and they knew which tribe they were from.]

Yair Davidi replies:

Answer: genealogical records - from the time of Ezra only refer to families from Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. the other tribes are not mentioned This proves they were not present according to the Bible (though a Midrash saysthat some of them were and suggests that up to 20% of the people considered "Jews" actually descend from the Northern Tribes. Even so, it is still only a minority that is being discussed and in Scripture is not mentioned. As far as Scripture is concerned Northern Israel disappeared.

Ezra 2:2 starts the records of "the number of the men of the people of ISRAEL."

Yair Davidi replies:

Answer:

The term Israel can also apply to Judah, Benjamin, Levi and remnants of the other Tribes i.e. to "Judah".

Ezra 2:59 states that people had specific genealogical records not only to which of the northern tribes they were part of, but even as to which household: "identify their father's house or their genealogy, whether they were of Israel."

Those who had records but were not perfectly documented were disqualified and had to wait for supernatural verification by the urim and thumin (should they ever arise). This proves how meticulous and well documented were the great majority of the family records (Ezra 2:62-63). Ezra 2:70 again speaks of "all" Israel dwelling in Judah after the restoration of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Ezra 6:16 and 21 speaks specifically of "the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity." Ezra 7:7, 9:1, 10:1 and 10:25 speak of the problem that the Israelites had with inter-marriage.

Nehemiah 7:7 to 73 repeat the genealogy of the Israelite tribes that were recorded in Ezra 2. Nehemiah 9:2, 11:3 and 11:20 speak of "the rest of Israel...in all the cities of Judah." Nehemiah 13:3 speaks of separating Gentiles so as not to confuse the genealogical records of Israel.

Yair Davidi replies:

Answer:

None of these records speak of the northern Ten tribes -only of the southern tribes from "Judah".

Yair

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NOTE FROM EDDIE:

It is the Orthodox Jewish view (and also the view of the Torah and the Prophets) that the future Messianic redemption (restoration and reunification of both houses of Israel at the advent of the Messianic Era --- Ezekiel 37:15-28) will be a parallel of the historical Egyptian redemption but on a GLOBAL scale.

Below are articles from the Chabad (Chassidic Orthodox Jews) which explains that based upon the prophecies that this is a Biblical truth.

END OF NOTE

From: Moshiach.com
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Moshiach.com Newsletter - Vol. II No. 8

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Vol. II No. 8 / Parshat Bo

Moshiach Online, Inc.
'Your Key to the Future'
http://www.moshiach.com

M o s h i a c h i n t h e p a r s h a
Parshat Bo

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PARSHAT BO

"On the tenth of the month, every man is to take a lamb... guard it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then slaughter it..."

-Bo 12:3-6

This is the mitzvah of the Pesach-offering. The lamb was to be kept in the Jewish homes for several days to arouse the curiosity of the Egyptians who worshipped it as their idol. The Jews were to tell them explicitly and fearlessly, that they intended to slaughter the lamb on the fourteenth of Nissan. This, of course, put the courage and faith of the Jewish people to the test.

The redemption from Egypt happened by virtue of the Jewish people rising to the challenge with great fortitude and mesirat nefesh (readiness for self-sacrifice). Our sages thus relate that before that day the Jews had been devoid of mitzvot. They were, in fact, acculturated to the Egyptian lifestyle. G-d thus provided them with the mitzvah of the Pesach-offering. In the merit of this mitzvah, and the mesirat nefesh required for its fulfillment, they were redeemed from Egypt.

The prophet says, "As in the days of your going out of Egypt, I will show [the people] wondrous things" (Michah 7:15). This means that the exodus from Egypt is a paradigm for the future redemption by Moshiach.

When the Torah offers an example or a model, the analogy is precise, corresponding in all details. This applies in our case as well: the conditions of faith, fortitude and mesirat nefesh,
which brought about the exodus from Egypt, will do the same for us and redeem us from our present galut.

Thus, just as the exodus from Egypt resulted from fortitude, inner strength, faith and mesirat nefesh, so, too, the Messianic redemption will come about by our acting with such vigor and mesirat nefesh.

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All contents c 2000 by Moshiach Online Inc.

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From: Moshiach.com
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Moshiach.com Newsletter - Vol. II No. 5

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Vol. II No. 5 / Parshas Vayigash

Moshiach Online, Inc.
'Your Key to the Future'
http://www.moshiach.com

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THE PURPOSE OF EXILE
By Yanki Tauber

And the entire world came to Egypt to Joseph to buy food, for the famine was severe in all lands... And Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan (and according to the Talmud - all the gold and silver in the world) for the food that they purchased; and Joseph brought the money to the house of Pharaoh.
-- Genesis 41:57, 47:14

For several weeks now, we have been following the story of Joseph: his sale into slavery, his imprisonment, his interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams, and his appointment as viceroy of Egypt; his management of Egypt's crops in the seven years of plenty; his control of the entire food supply in the region in the years of hunger that followed, so that the wealth of Egypt and the surrounding lands was concentrated in his hands; his brothers' journey to Egypt to purchase grain, the accusations he leveled against them, and his detention of Simon and then Benjamin.

This week, in the Torah portion of Vayigash (Genesis 44-4:18-47:27), comes the climax: Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers. They are speechless with shock and remorse, but he calms them and urges them to hurry back to Canaan and bring their father to Egypt. Father and son have an emotional reunion after 22 years of separation. Jacob and his household - seventy souls in all - settle in Egypt.

In Vayigash we are also told why all this came to pass. Joseph tells his brothers: "It is not you who have sent me here, but G-d... Hurry and ascend to my father, and say to him: So said your son, Joseph: 'G-d has set me lord over all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You will settle in the land of Goshen (-The province in Egypt allotted by Pharaoh to the Children of Israel)
and be near to me - you, your children and your children's children, and your sheep and cattle, and all your possessions.'" (Genesis 45:8-10)

In other words, all this was engineered by G-d in order that the Children of Israel should settle in Egypt.

Was there no other way to bring Jacob to Egypt? The Talmud explains: "Jacob might have had to be brought down to Egypt in chains, but he merited that [it should come about as described by the prophet:] 'I shall draw them with human cords, with ropes of love...' "

The Midrash offers the following parable:

"There was a cow that needed to be placed in a yoke that did not allow herself to be yoked. What did they do? They took her calf from her, and led it to the place that they wanted her to plow. The calf began to bleat. When the cow heard her calf bleating, she went, in spite of herself, for the sake of her calf. In the same way, G-d wanted to fulfill the decree [of the Egyptian galut], so He contrived all these things so that [Jacob and his family] should come down to Egypt."

"G-d said: 'My firstborn child I shall take down [to Egypt] in disgrace? ... I shall lead his son before him, and he will follow, in spite of himself.'" (Midrash Rabbah)

This explains why Joseph was made ruler of Egypt - so that Jacob's descent there should not be as an exile in chains, but as the father of the most powerful man in the land. But why did Joseph's rise to power come about the way it did? Why the seven years of plenty, the years of hunger that followed, and the concentration of all the gold and silver in the world in Egypt - events that affected the lives of millions of people?

THE BUSINESS END OF EXILE
In the writings of our sages, the word "Egypt" is a synonym for the very phenomenon of galut (exile). For although the Egyptian galut lasted only 210 years (our present galut, in contrast, is in its 1,932th year), it was the most significant of the four galuyot (exiles) experienced by the Jewish people.

[The other three galuyot are: the Babylonian Exile (423-353 b.c.e), the Greek Exile (318-138 bce) and the Roman Exile, which commenced with the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem by the Emperor Titus in 69 ce.]

Egypt was the "smelting pit" that forged the descendants of Jacob into a nation. It was the father and prototype of all subsequent exiles, containing the seeds of every Jewish experience under foreign rule.

One of the curious things about the Egyptian galut is the importance attached to the material wealth that the Jewish people carried out of Egypt.

In the covenant G-d made with Abraham, the Egyptian galut is described as follows: "Know thee that your children shall be strangers in a foreign land, [where] they will be enslaved and tortured ... and afterwards they will go out with great wealth."

The "great wealth" promised to Abraham is a recurrent theme in the account of the Exodus - to the extent that one gets the impression that this was THE purpose of Israel's stay in Egypt. In G-d's very first communication to Moses, when He revealed Himself to him in the burning bush and charged him with the mission of taking the Jewish people out of Egypt, He makes sure to include the promise that "when you go, you will not go empty-handed. Every woman shall ask from her neighbor, and from her that dwells in her house, vessels of gold and vessels of silver and garments ... and you shall drain Egypt [of its wealth]." (Exodus 3:21-22)

During the plague of darkness, when the entire land of Egypt was plunged in a darkness so thick that the Egyptians could not budge from their places, the Jewish people - whom the plague did not affect - were able to move about freely inside the Egyptians' homes; this was in order that they should be able to take an "inventory" of the wealth of Egypt, so that the Egyptians could not deny the existence of any valuable objects the Jews asked for when they left Egypt. (Midrash Rabbah)

Prior to the Exodus, G-d again says to Moses: "Please, speak into the ears of the people, that each man ask his [Egyptian] fellow, and each woman her fellow, for vessels of silver and gold." G-d is literally begging the Children of Israel to take the wealth of Egypt!

The Talmud explains that the Jewish people were disinclined to hold up their exit from Egypt in order to gather its wealth. "To what is this comparable? To a man who is locked up in prison and is told: 'Tomorrow you shall be freed from prison and given a lot of money.' Says he: 'I beg you, free me today, and I ask for nothing more.'" So G-d had to beseech them: "Please! Ask the Egyptians for gold and silver vessels, so that the Righteous One (Abraham) should not say: 'They will be enslaved and tortured' He fulfilled, but He did not fulfill 'and afterwards they will go out with great wealth.'" But would not Abraham have also been prepared to forgo the promise of "great wealth" to hasten the redemption of his children?

THE GLITTER IN THE GOLD

The Talmud states that "The people of Israel were exiled amongst the nations only so that converts may be added to them."

On the most basic level, this is a reference to the many non-Jews who, in the course of the centuries of our dispersion, have come in contact with the Jewish people and have been inspired to convert to Judaism. But Chassidic teaching explains that the Talmud is also referring to "souls" of a different sort that are transformed and elevated in the course of our exiles: the "sparks of holiness" contained within the physical creation.

Every object, force and phenomenon in existence has a spark of G-dliness within it: a spark that embodies G-d's desire that it exist and its function within His overall purpose for creation; a pinpoint of divinity that constitutes its "soul" - its spiritual content and design. When man utilizes something to serve his Creator, he penetrates its shell of mundanity, revealing and realizing its
divine essence. It is to this end that we have been scattered across six continents: so that we may come in contact with the sparks of holiness that await redemption in every corner of the globe.

Every soul has its own "sparks," which actually form an integral part of itself - no soul is complete until it has redeemed those sparks related to its being. Thus a person moves through life, impelled from place to place and from occupation to occupation by seemingly random forces; but everything is by divine providence, which guides every man to those possessions and opportunities whose essence is intimately connected with his.

(These consist of two general types, alluded to in the verse, "Every woman shall ask from her neighbor, and from her that dwells in her house, vessels of gold and vessels of silver."

Every soul has permanent "dwellers in her house" - constant, routine involvements, dictated by its natural talents and inclinations. It also has "neighbors" or casual acquaintances - the "chance encounters" of life, in which it comes in fleeting contact with something, unintentionally, or even unwillingly. Both of these, however, must be exploited as a source of "gold" and "silver."

The very fact that a certain resource or opportunity has presented itself to a person indicates that it constitutes part of his mission in life; that it is the purpose of his galut or subjugation to that particular corner of the material world. It is he, and he alone, who can redeem the spark it contains by utilizing it toward a G-dly end.)

Thus the Torah relates (Rashi, Genesis 32:25) how Jacob risked his life to retrieve some "small jugs" he had left behind after crossing the Yabbok River upon his return to the Holy Land. "The righteous," remarks the Talmud (Chulin 91a), "value their possessions more than their bodies." For they recognize the divine potential in every bit of matter, and see in each of their possessions a component of their own spiritual integrity.

MASS EXODUS

The Egyptian galut was the father and prototype of all subsequent exiles. It was a highly concentrated period of history, in which the foundations were laid for all that was to unfold in subsequent centuries. The Kabbalists tell us that the material world contains 288 general "sparks" (each of which includes innumerable offshoots and particles); of these, 202 were taken out of Egypt, redeemed and elevated when the Jewish people carried off its wealth. (This means that the thirty-three centuries of Jewish history that followed, with all the trials and tribulations they contained, represent the effort to redeem the remaining 86 "sparks"!) It was to set the stage for this mass redemption that Joseph concentrated the wealth of all surrounding nations in Egypt.

The lesson in this to each and every one of us is that we must recognize our G-d-given opportunities and resources as integral to our mission in life.

One might be inclined to escape galut by enclosing himself in a cocoon of spirituality, devoting his days and nights to Torah study and prayer. But instead of escaping galut, he is only deepening his entrenchment within it, having abandoned his sparks of holiness - limbs of his own soul - in the wasteland of unrefined materiality. It is only by meeting the challenges that divine providence sends our way, by utilizing every bit of material "gold" and "silver" toward a G-dly end, that we extricate these sparks from their galut, achieve a personal redemption, and hasten the universal redemption when "the great shofar shall be sounded, and the lost shall come from the lands of plenty, and the forsaken from the lands of stricture*, and they shall bow to G-d on the Holy Mountain in Jerusalem." (Isaiah 27:13)

Based on an address by the Rebbe, Passover 5721 (1961) Likkutei Sichot, vol. III, pp. 823-827.

Web address for this article: http://moshiach.com/articles/010105-3.htm

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