In the Jewish Tradition, miracles are no big deal. They happen in Torah and Talmud, done by good people and bad people, Jews and non-Jews, and the response of the rabbis (except for the miracles at the Exodus) is a resounding “so what!”

I did not take your earlier article as an endorsement of voodoo so I’m not sure where the vitriol is coming from.
I take my inspiration from the Genesis story of the Tower of Babel in which God caused people to speak different langauges. Surely if God could cause people to speak different languages, He must also understand the languages He created. And, just as surely (to me), God must also understand all forms of worship. It may be that Jews have a mandate to follow the Torah which would mean that we are forbidden to practice voodoo. But that does not mean that other, non-Jews are forbidden to practice their worship of God as they see fit or that God is incapable of understanding their non-Torah based worship.

Ehyeh asher ehyeh.
I am God. Belief is in the mind of the believer. I am the only one. How you find me matters not,finding me is all that matters.

Rabbi Hirschfield stated “But even in the former cases, the Bible does not indicate that either a Satan or the evil spirits are independent actors. They are emissaries acting on God’s behalf. That’s a powerful endorsement both of monotheism and of a pretty rough God.”
This is a very perplexing idea that i have had to wrestle with in my belief about G*d. A corollary, in my mind at least, is the nature of G*d’s omnipresence. as I have heard the definition told to me omnipresent means everywhere which to me means permeating down into the sub-atomic level .
Well the question for me then is : Is G*d in Satan? In his sub-atomic particles, Is G*d In hell? Is God in the articles used for Voodoo, and in the Voodoo priests…at least at the sub-atomic level?? In other words if you say G*d is not in these people and things and ideas and places then How is G*d omnipresent..thus How is G*d G*d if he is not IN these things? Whchi then leads to the idea, If God is in these things then he is the originator of all things good and evil…if he is not in these personalities and things, then how is he omni-present??

Regarding the post on Vodou and false prophecy, I would like to say the following hoping that it will shed some light on the Vodou Religion. The majority of us just does not understand the relationship between spirituality and religion. Vodou is a spiritual path like any other ones and more specifically a way of life of “most” Haitians. Considering the fact now that society is caught in winning, noone wants to be associated with a nation who seems to be failing in the eyes of the physical world. I can understand why people would be angry with whoever takes a stand for truth. I also learn that men of truth should not be swayed by either approval or disapproval but must speak the truth. Once one has the courage to take a stand on behalf of others with truth, we know that we are submitting ourselves for “crucifixion”.
Personally I believe that God is using the cause of Haiti to make the world aware of His Presence and Power and remind us that we are from the same Creator, the same source of life and especially to remind us to be grateful for our blessings. This earthquake raises many issues for Haitians from all around the world and the world in general. This world is going through a transition and we need to remain as close as we can be to the Light. In my search for answers one of my cousins finds peace in the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 45. At verse 7, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” I agree with Dr. Henry Morris as he explains that “God did not create light, for He is light. It was the primeval darkness which He created in order to have a division between day and night. Religious experts explain the meaning of the word “evil,” as used here, they refer to evil of a physical nature (storms), not moral evil.” The word translated “evil” here is the Hebrew word ra’; and a better translation in modern English is “calamity” or “disaster” or “woe,” as this word is translated in this verse in more recent translations.
As far as the vodou religion itself is concerned, we need to know that first of all the Vodouisant (vodou practitioner) believes in a true monotheism, one God – - OLOHOUM – - interacting through intermediaries or messengers called the “loas,” “mystè,” “zangn,” or spirits, with their names varying by geographical area in Haiti. We do not worship many gods. Vodouisants accept the coexistence of the visible and the invisible, believe that what we do not see does exist, and our beliefs are in full compliance with the laws of nature.
Vodouisants have a strong code of ethics. It is important to understand that the mode of transmitting this knowledge, what we call “konesans,” has been mostly oral for centuries. This is one of the reasons why researchers and non-Vodouisants are not aware of the way we live our faith. L’Eglise Vodou D’Haiti has written a first volume of Le Livre Sacré du Vodou (The Sacred Book of Vodou), which we hope to publish soon. As friends of Haiti, I believe that you all mean well; however, we also need to understand that a Vodouisant often feels restrained to practice his faith openly by fear of being criticized by others. He does not feel free to identify with or to defend his faith. If Haitians have abolished physical slavery, we still feel oppressed and enchained by spiritual slavery. In trying to escape this oppressive reaction of others, a Vodouisant speaks instead of “Mouvement Racine,” Roots Movement, or “Ginen” or anything else in lieu of using the term ‘Vodou.’ Through the use of such veils and innuendo, he believes that he will be accepted by all.
All of our actions are the manifestation of the grace and blessings that inspire us, and our intelligence helps us to receive that grace through the full understanding we have of accomplishing our charismatic mission. The spirit and love of OLOHOUM which dwells in us make us superior human beings detached from the scourge of the world. For as long as we have lived, we have bore with calm and serenity any and all insults of others while remaining helpful and useful to them in their distress, without reminding them of their past insults. As a Vodouisant, I am being reminded everyday by my elders to love my neighbors as I love myself, and we are taught to wish for our “enemies” what we wish for ourselves. Of course, as a human being, it is a goal to be achieved, and we are striving to be as divine as our Creator.
The Vodouisant has been striving and continues to strive to live a disciplined life where he: (1) cultivates his faith through harmonious relationships with his brothers and sisters, where all are working on mutual self-accomplishment and fulfillment; (2) develops the earth so that it can bear fruit for all its inhabitants; (3) denies no one the privilege to live in faith, with the belief in eternal life; and (4) adheres to the principles and the laws of OLOHOUM, who requires that every one walks valiantly on the road of love and respect, tolerance, and the overall desire of fulfillment for himself as well as for others.
As Vodouisants, we are moved by the spirit of tolerance, which helps us to understand difference, to respect that difference, and to seek peaceful coexistence. We do understand and believe that the salvation of Haiti and the world depends on full and mutual respect between and among people of different schools of faith, and we especially understand the necessity of interreligious dialogue. We also believe in the oneness of the universe.

Florence, that was a nice, in a nutshell presentation of what Vodou-Religion teaches. I am sorry to hear that you all have to take insults, and I do know what that is like. I hope you will not receive any following your explanations on Vodou. I had no clue and could not have commented.
What I thought was interesting in the Rabbi’s article, is that he actualy states, (though I’ve believed that to be true myself)that under true Monotheism, the evil that befalls us is also from God. Evil is not an independent agent and has its’s source in G-d. That is a very hard concept or understanding to swallow considering all that is, was, and still will be. I suppose for todays Jews as well.
“For as long as we have lived, we have bore with calm and serenity any and all insults of others while remaining helpful and useful to them in their distress, without reminding them of their past insults”. Wow, here is Vodou teaching and reminding Judaism and me to practice what we preach and teach.
Thanks Rabbi, for your true and honest article, and I hope it will make many think clearer.

It was extremely interesting for me to read the article. Thank you for it. I like such topics and anything connected to them. I would like to read more soon.
Kate Benedict

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Megan PETERSON

There are other scriptures that must come to bear on the topic of voodoo. Whatever spirits operate in such practices are very much taboo in the eyes of God, and are condemned.

Rather nice place you’ve got here. Thank you for it. I like such topics and everything that is connected to them. I would like to read a bit more soon.
Hilary Swenson
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