Poor and Feeble, Persecuted and Vulnerable
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
delivered me from the poverty-stricken self into his great love; he cherishes me. Every day the canny devil aspires to grab my Poor and Feeble, faith. I hold on to my courage and chase the devil away. I stand How I accepted the Lord here alone in my faith; the whole world is against me. I give up Persecuted and Vulnerable all the earthly honor for the sake of the Messiah my mate.” Yeshua the Messiah by Rabbi Daniel Tzion* Rabbi Daniel was stripped of his title, but the Bulgarian Jews continued to honor him as their rabbi. A Jewish believer had May 2 is Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Day) given Rabbi Daniel a building in Jaffa for a synagogue. There I was educated in an atmosphere where the mention of the in Israel. A siren sounds at 10 o’clock in Rabbi Daniel did not often speak openly of Yeshua, but many name Yeshua the Messiah was an unclean and forbidden the morning and everyone stands to re- times he told stories and parables from the New Testament. expression. it came about that I met some believing member the 6 million Jewish victims. All However, each Sabbath after the service, Rabbi Daniel would Christians and I was very impressed with their honest faith, places of entertainment are closed. Flags bring home a group of worshippers and they would study about righteousness of their hearts and especially their knowledge are flown at half-mast. Radio and tele- Yeshua and the New Testament all afternoon until they would of the scriptures. I heard from them many quotations from vision stations broadcast special music, go back for the evening prayers. Rabbi Daniel wrote hundreds the New Covenant (N.T.) and they were full of the same programs and documentaries. One story, of songs about Yeshua, the Sabbath and the good life. He also substance as the Tanach. As I read . I saw many lofty however, is not so well known in Israel wrote books on the subjects of vegetarianism, health food, and morals, and it seemed wonderful to me. or abroad. That is the remarkable story natural living. For more than 20 years the Lord worked in me and showed of the chief rabbi of Sofia and his role in Rabbi Daniel Tzion died in 1979 at 96 years of age. The Bulgarian saving the Jews of Bulgaria during World community gave him full honors. His bier stood in the center of me several signs and miracles to strengthen the belief in my War II. Although an ally of Germany, Jaffa with a military guard and at noon was carried on foot all heart. Two instances I will tell you so that you will have an Bulgaria resisted all pressure to send her the way to the Holon cemetery (5 kilometers). He was buried as idea . First of all I should tell you that after I had been Jews to the camps in Poland and as a re- the chief rabbi of the Bulgarian Jews who saved them from the reading the New Covenant for some time I heard a voice sult not one Bulgarian Jew was lost to the Sofia Synagogue Nazi Holocaust. Rabbi Daniel’s major contribution to Messianic speaking to me from within my heart giving me good advice Holocaust! Till today scholars research Judaism was his personal example. He was 100% Jewish and and encouragement. One day I went to see a Christian and probe for reasons for this improbable 100% a follower and disciple of Yeshua the Messiah. man. He explained that the voice I heard was none other stance of one small country against Hit- No not I, only you are Yeshua in me! Stephan promised that he Adapted from Shulam’s article: www.torahtime.org/studies/ Joseph Shulam is the Director than Jesus the Messiah. I thought about his words and I ler’s “final solution.” A tolerant society of Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry in Jerusalem (www.netivyah.org) Only you bring me before the God of my fathers. would meet with the King and agreed with them. All of a sudden a voice spoke to me, and a vigorous religious and intellectual attempt to influence him. The “Come tomorrow morning to this place and stand facing tradition are among the reasons given, Only you can heal me from my evil illness. Church continued to pressure but none really satisfy. Joseph Shulam, No not I , no not I, only you are Yeshua in me! the King and was a major Israelis remember: the sun and I will give you a sign. .” I was shown an image from a Jewish Bulgarian family, recounts stumbling block in the way of of Yeshua crucified in the sun. Great joy filled me but at Only you teach me to love all creation. Joseph Shulam, leader of Netivyah congregation, Jerusalem: the story of one believer in Yeshua and deportation. the same time some trepidation. .. The second sign was on the part he played in saving the Jews of Only you teach me to love even the enemy. When Nazi Germany occupied Bulgaria, Rabbi Daniel a rainy morning outside of town. doubt crept into my Rabbi Daniel and his secretary Bulgaria became the object of persecution and ridicule. He was taken heart if it really was Yeshua. “I will give you a second No not I, no not I, only you are Yeshua in me! wrote a letter to the King and publicly flogged in front of the Great Synagogue of Sofia. sign. Do you see the rain? Go to that place and pray a For this reason I will stay in your love. begging him, in the name of Rabbi Daniel’s only reaction was to call upon God. My short prayer and ask that the rain will stop and in so doing Forever will I be within your will. Yeshua, not to allow the Jews own mother and sister were present for at least two of these The Chief Rabbi of Bulgaria in Sofia, to be taken out of Bulgaria. He occasions, and they retold the story many times. the rain will stop.” I ran to the place and I prayed as told. Rabbi Daniel Tzion, through reading the No not I, no not I, only you are Yeshua in me! wrote that in a vision Yeshua Immediately the rain stopped and the sun shone then the New Testament and some extraordinary told him to warn the King Avi Mizrachi, Pastor, El Roi congregation, Tel-Aviv: rain started again. I started to weep from joy. My faith experiences came to faith in Yeshua as --Rabbi Daniel Tzion about delivering the Jews to Rabbi Daniel was very well respected – and he loved Yeshua. was strong and firm. the Jewish Messiah. He became a friend the Nazis. After waiting many Some people think that he wasn’t bold enough. But Rabbi Daniel Even though I had seen so many signs, my faith was still of the Bulgarian Orthodox patriarch, hours at the palace they were came from a different world and a different time. He was an Metropolite Stephan, who encouraged the able to deliver the letter to the Orthodox Jew – a chief rabbi! He had his synagogue and people caught in my heart and I did not have the courage to go out rabbi to forget about Christianity and just concentrate on Yeshua. King’s secretary. The next day the King was going to Germany for came to him. My mother was saved by the Rabbi. He prayed for and tell the world until the Lord freed me from my role as Though he began to believe in Yeshua, Rabbi Daniel never a meeting with Hitler himself. King Boris of Bulgaria stood his me and dedicated me to the Lord. Both my sister and I came to chief rabbi of Bulgaria and I arrived in the Land of Israel. converted to Christianity and he maintained a Torah observant ground and did not submit to Nazi pressure to deliver the Jews to faith through Rabbi Daniel. Yeshua the Messiah as described in the New lifestyle. Rabbi Daniel’s faith became a well-known “secret” in the death camps. Covenant served me as a kind of mirror to show me all Sofia. He started to collect a small, select group of Jews to study Michael Bar-Zohar, Prof. of History, Emory U., Atlanta: my disparities and ugliness. This pushed and compelled the New Testament each Saturday afternoon in his home. Rabbi Daniel Tzion remained the Chief Rabbi of Bulgaria until Bulgaria was Nazi Germany’s ally. King Boris III was a personal 1949 when he and most of the Bulgarian Jewish community friend of Hitler’s. The Fascist Party was in power and the country me to confess before the Lord, to ask forgiveness and On July 12th, 1941, King Boris III signed a law ordering every immigrated to Israel where he was immediately accepted as swarmed with German troops. Nevertheless, when Adolf Eichmann’s compassion and to be cleansed and purified by the blood Jew to pay a “Contribution Tax”. In the same month a second rabbi of the Bulgarian Jews. In 1954 Rabbi Daniel was invited deputy came to Bulgaria to deport the Jews, this small Balkan nation of Yeshua. There were many persecutions and a law was passed that limited the financial resources of the Jews by Rabbi Toledano to be a judge in the Rabbinical Court of refused to let them go. The young secretary of the Commissar for record number of attacks against me. Things happened prohibiting them from working as pharmacists, engineers, Jerusalem.