Are you an Israelite?

Reviewing the course of history it’s now quite clear how the nation of Israel became so diversely spread across many countries. Around 4000 years ago, Abraham journeyed to teach in the lands surrounding modern day Iraq. On his travels he visited India where his influence is visible today primarily through the Brahman sect and there are also references to the mystical teachings of Kabbalah in the eastern philosposhies of China and Japan. Many teachers from these lands visited and were influenced by him.

At the time of Israel's exodus from Egypt there were approximately 600,000[1] Israelite men, 20 years or older. The total number of men, women and children exceed two million when they crossed the sea making their way to Mount Sinai. By a process of simple extrapolation that commences with the 70 direct descendants of Jacob that arrived in Egypt, one quickly becomes aware that the logical total number of 'dormant' Israelites in the world today, including deaths from persecution, conversion to other religions and assimilation must be in excess of 500 million people, perhaps significantly more.

Considering that the progeny of Jacob carried through the souls of his descendants and those that take the covenant to become Jews and the heritage of Jewish identity that passes from generation to generation through the mother, it is quite conceivable the direct Israelite lineage could apply to many more than the 15 million 'active' Jews around the world today. Many Christians, Muslims and people of other cultures may in fact be genetically Jewish by birth. However, when raised in families that have embraced different religious cultures over thousands of years they loose their traditional Jewish heritage. Nevertheless their souls remain Jewish forever, but to re-establish their Jewish identity they would be required, at some time, to re-confirm their covenant with G-d in accordance wit the laws of the Jewish Faith.

With the exception of the tribe of Levi (the priesthood), members from each of the 12 Jewish tribes throughout ancient history frequently married out of their faith. In instances where the male married out descendancy was lost. Over time, many children of these multi cultural marriages were integrated into the extended family units, that retained their Jewish identity and the new (non-Jewish) mothers adopted Jewish practices and the traditions of the day. The last functioning Sanhedrin (Rabbinical council of 71 elders) of The Nation of Israel, at the time of the destruction of the second temple (2000 years ago), ordained the rights of passage and the manner in which a man or a woman is considered to have made the conversion through the study of Torah, purification and the covenant of circumcision for males.

The relevance of a Jewish soul is directly associated with mans’ ultimate destiny to restore the world to a state of holiness, through the attribute of Wisdom (Chokmah) accessed through the side of Mercy (Chesed) that will enable the ultimate unification of higher and lower worlds at which time G-d’s presence will dwell amongst us.

[1] B’Or Ha’Torah v15 pg 105 – Solomon Dinkevich