Vendyl Jones is dead...

Vendyl Jones, servant of the Most High God, died last evening. Perhaps many of you know him or otherwise benefited form his writings and teachings. A few years ago I wrote the following and thought it appropriate to recirculate:

Remembering our Creators

The book of Qohelet (Ecclesiastes), ends with the famous refrain:

"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth..." or at least that is the way it is usually mistranslated.

What it actually says is: "Remember your Creators (plural), in the days of your choices times [youth, vigor]..." which is quite a different concept.  It could therefore by extension refer to parents, teachers, and all who influenced us, as well as all the ELOHIM that might have been involved in our Being--past and present.  It is a very comprehensive idea here it seems.

It got me to thinking about one of the Ten Words/Matters:

To show honor to father and mother...

And knowing that the Hebrew Bible uses father and mother in a generic sense--not just a biological sense (Abraham the father of those with faith, etc.), Elijah turning the hearts of the "children to the fathers..." i.e., those who went before...caused me to think about the following idea...

There is a principle of Torah: Honor you teacher/teachers...

As I was sitting and studying the Torah reading for today this thought came to me most forcefully.  For years now, since about 1989, I have regularly, with few weeks ever missing, followed the round of Torah and Haphtarah (Prophets) readings followed by Judah worldwide today on each Sabbath.  I have found it a wonderful discipline, an inspiring way to link to the Jewish people and the Hebrew tradition, and a meaningful way to fulfill the notion in Psalm 1--Happy is the one who "meditates day and night in his TORAH..."

And I began to think of Vendyl Jones, whom many of you know.  Before I met VJ in 1989, at the Ft. Worth, B'nai Noach conference, I had never met an Orthodox Jew outside the academic world I inhabited, and I had not taken up the practice, with those of Judah, in following this regular round of Torah readings, week by week...Vendyl urged me to attend that conference, he even paid my expenses.  He had never met or heard me, but he had seen some things I had written and sensed that I was one he could trust.  At that meeting I came into contact with many of you.  After that time I have formed that habit, and it has meant so much to my life, my insights, and my spiritual growth.  So, I wanted to remember Vendyl in this way and give him the honor I think he deserves in this avenue--that he pointed me in this direction.  Since that time I have had countless experiences with rabbis and Torah teachers, even in some of the highest circles of observant Judaism, and my life has been infinitely richer therefore.

And I have thought of others, especially, of course, of David Horowitz, now departed from this "plane," but with us in spirit I believe.   And Herbert W. Armstrong, who so greatly influenced me when I was only 17 years old and knew nothing of Sabbath, Festival or Torah in general, having been raised in a "New Testament" very "Pauline" form of Christianity.  And more recently Amitzia Guibbory, mystic sage and son of Moshe Guibbory, who has shown himself closer than both a brother, friend, and father...And there are others...of course, but it just got me to thinking, how we should remember and honor our "creators" and "teachers" and all those that YHVH has used to touch us...