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Rabbi Kasich Teaches Jews about Their Religion
John Kasich: Governor of Ohio. Presidential candidate. Gentile.
Strolling through a Brooklyn neighborhood, he popped in to a Jewish bookstore to press the flesh and teach the assembled haredi Orthodox Jews a thing or two about their religion.
He began his lecture by dismissing the views of Ezra Friedlander, Kasich’s escort and a haredi publicist. When Friedlander noted that Moses is the most important historical figure to Jews, Kasich waved his non-kosher lobster-claw hand and said, “What are you talking about? Get out of here!”
“The story of the people are Abraham and God made a covenant with Abraham — not Moses!” the Croatian/Czech Anglican insisted. Friedlander explained that for Jews, Moses is more important than Abraham because he brought the law. “Moses is up there,” Friedlander said to Kasich’s annoyance.
Kasich then met a group of yeshiva students and asked, “What do you guys do?”
“Study,” they said.
“And what are you studying?” Kasich asked.
“Talmud,” the men responded.
“Okay … but what are you learning right now?” (long pause) “And what is your lesson?”
After some time they said, “The laws of the Sabbath.”
“Yeah.” (longer pause) “You know who I like?” Kasich asked. “Joseph. You guys like Joseph? You study Joseph? What do you think about Joseph?”
After a few nods, the candidate continued. “Did you hear the most important thing Joseph said to his brothers?” (longest pause) “My brothers, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,” Kasich said. “Did you know that? What is going on here? Do you know this?”
Kasich added: “He may have been a little bit of a braggart, you know, Joseph, may have been a little, maybe, but they threw him in that ditch (sic) and then his brother saved him, and then they sold him into slavery, and that’s how the Jews got to Egypt. Right? Did you know that?”
Kasich followed up his inspirational visit to the Jewish bookstore with a tour of a shmura matzah bakery. Needless to say, he had some Passover learnin’ to share with the haredim.
“The press probably doesn’t understand this,” Rabbi Kasich said. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community, the Passover.”
Then, sharing his deep understanding of orthodox Judaism, he added, “The great link between the blood that was put above the lampposts (sic), the blood of the lamb, because Jesus Christ is known as the Lamb of God.”
Oy vey.
Unsurprisingly, Kasich’s escort plans to vote for Hillary Clinton in next week’s primary election.
Published in Religion & Philosophy
They think they are, because they rewrote the Bible to suit themselves.
John Kasich addressing the Islamic Society of North America:
All you guys ever talk about is this guy Mohammed. Mohammed this, Mohammed that. Haven’t you people ever heard of Ali Baba? Or Aladdin? He invented the flying carpet, did you even know that? And let’s not forget Omar Khayyam. Geeez, you guys. You need me so much.
I think Gov. Walker and Perry quit the race in sheer disgust.
Was he channeling his inner Donald Trump? “Believe me, when I get into office I’ll know more about Judaism than anyone.”
That is the best explanation I’ve heard to date.
Those polls are only showing that people have no idea what Kasich is like.
He made Trump look good, and that’s really hard to do.
His arrogant sanctimony is off the charts. Who are this dork’s voters?
(So as you don’t become a mini-John Kasich, an “authentic” Jewish deli is a kosher deli, where milk (cheese) is verbotten. Then again, kosher delis are in the endangered species list due to myths about heart disease and the fact most Jews aren’t Jewish. But I digress…)
Most Jews are not Jewish, so Kasich needn’t worry.
Oy vey, I have to dissent with many commenters. Sure he was clumsy and sure the forum was perhaps not ideal. Still. As a Christian he pointed to the single most important thing overlooked by ppl of the OT. Namely, the blood of the lamb which taketh away the sin of the world. The guy planted a seed. If OT-ers read the whole counsel of God, they’d recognize the types and shadows of Jesus The Christ on literally every page of the OT. They’d recognize their messiah very easily and naturally. Few places where this is more visible than in the promise made to Abraham, and in the great story of faith in which Abe prepared to sacrifice his son. The fixation on Moses (the Law) is a huge stumbling block which often blinds ppl to the great and happy exchange. And there are many Christians afflicted with the same fixation.
A Jewish convert to Christianity told me a story. His unconverted elderly mother was ill unto death and wanted him to read scripture to her. He chose certain psalms (like 22) and sections of isaiah (53 in particular). She began to groan and cry at a certain point and begged him to stop reading from the New Testament! At which point he had his opening to bridge the discussion. Over weeks the conversation went on and my friend’s Jewish mother died a baptized Christian, to his great joy. His Dad followed suit in time, too.