Ras Tafari, “Are You A KHassid/Orthodox Jew?” RasTa Culture and similarities to Ancient Hebrew
Greetings, in the name of His & Her Imperial Majesties Qedamawi Haile Sellassie I & Itege Menen Asfaw,
To ALL who all have taken, & may take some time to check out these posts that give an insight to my Ras Tafari perspective along with those I have pulled information, historical discussion(fact & fiction) from! I hope that this brings about an understanding that wasn’t present before & those who may have shunned or written off those who may sight Ras Tafari adherence as unorthodox to certain principles; & the reasons for that are explained in a clearer sense now. Its a credo of mine that I present, to the best of my ability, the things that have taken hold in my discernment over a period of time that have come to be proved in actuality factual. For others I would hope that the postings that I dispense here are “weighed on a scale” or so to speak; because I would rather people know & stand on truth in its literal sense as opposed to its relevant sense.
I’m not providing these thoughts to showcase a mountain of knowledge to set myself above anyone. But, I do intend to present the development of one who acknowledges the Ras Tafarian principles, the way of life & the head of the of the order, the King of Kings of Ethiopia, as the shining example of humanity. FORWARD!!!
So, if one was a Ras Tafarian, it is certain that many questions have come from many directions as to what they do, what they see as truth (seeing as how truth has become very elusive, in a relevancy state), & how the goals of Ras Tafari fit into the scope of the world today. Many discoveries, cultural ties, but very few identifiable material has made the Ras Tafari presence relevant to the dynamics of its disposition in mainstream media. Wherein, a number of inquiries about what or why, Ras Tafarians are doing certain things in this day in age come about. For instance;
SO WHY DO RASTAS USE/HAVE JEWISH STARS
(THE STAR OF DAVID)?
{ SO RASTA, ARE YOU JEWISH? }
{ ARE YOU ORTHODOX? }
The question regarding “Orthodox” referring to specific hats and other material I’ve worn in public, that may resemble Orthodox Judaic practices. So, I came across very interesting posts & messages some time ago that caught my attention about Ras Tafari & its affinity to a Hebrew concept. Ras Tafarians are already known for their connections to Christianity from an Ethiopic root, which can easily extend to Africa in a continental scope. Also, seeing as how they revere an African monarch, who reigned over a Christian kingdom. But with Christianity being known in the world as a sort of by-product of the Hebrew faith, many people have questioned the Ras Tafarians ability to “connect-the-dots” (or so to speak) to a possible Hebrew or Jewish connection.
https://daghettotymz.com/current/rasjew/rasjew.html This was probably one of the most critical, but enlightening write-ups I’ve seen about Ras Tafari, from a writer outside of any Ras Tafarian ideology or practice. …this article was written by M’Bwebe Ishangi, who has produced controversial, but extremely intriguing pieces. Its obvious that the research put into to the projects completed and those to come have inspired this individual to create an atmosphere for the development of spreading African history, and cultural awareness which is distorted among the world educational platform…. I encourage any of you, who are really seeking to learn more about African history aside from what any of you may or may not have received from your schooling to check out the works of this site. It will surely spark something in you to engage in more prolific works. I will admit that some of the points made in this article were elaborately drawn-out conclusions, but without fact for a few of them; for example, the suggested rape of the Queen of Sheba by King Solomon…surely controversial, & a possibility with the story told to one, who may have heard it only a few times, & not in its entirety. But, in the article the mentioning of the only other account of the story of the Queen of Sheba & King Solomon outside Scriptural references (taking in account the Holy Bible & Holy Qu’ran) was that of the Ethiopian manuscripts of the Kebra Nagast[ከብረ ነገስት], or translated by E.A.W. Budge from the Ge’ez language of the ancient Ethiopic to “the Glory of the Kings;” this discovered literature makes mention of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Jerusalem from an entirely different perspective from that of the Bible or Qu’ran. The writer makes an educated assumption but for a Ras Tafarian who was too curious about the story, myself, I couldn’t take this account of it seriously for this point (suggested rape) considering the author of this challenging article hasn’t read from the translated work of Budge, nor the ancient story in its original language.
And to think that the “Glory of Kings,” speaking of the great Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia could possibly be put on the record as the first king of Ethiopia & Israel; ruling simultaneously, as a bastard child, would surely be “one for the books,” but of course, this is most certainly not so. Though, Solomon was most cunning in his pursuit of the beautiful Queen of Sheba, he was surely smitten by her & though she was wary of her ancient customary traditions, & voiced them to Solomon; she was also just as drawn to him as he was to her. Hence, the granting of lands in Solomon’s dominion were given to Sheba, along with many treasures, too much more to name, & finally the birth of a son who would renew the kingdom of Israel in Ethiopia would come.
This explanation that I’m bringing forth to clarify the story of the happenings between Solomon & Sheba is not to discredit the writings of anyone, especially this well-written article by M’Bwele Ishangi who has clearly produced works extensive in African history, but to bring about a need to go deeper into the story & traditions that brought about the Ras Tafari understanding of their roots as Israelites, as well as, Ethiopians(Africans). Not to forget that, more & more discoveries of literature, excavations & so much more are still being discovered to give more validity to the not only the relationship that Sheba & Solomon shared but, the lineage that sprung forth from it. https://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2012/06/21/ethiopia-dna-clues-to-queen-of-sheba-tale https://ees.kuleuven.be/water2011/excursions/images/index.html?sld=sheba https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1082648.stm 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/sheba_01.shtml 
Again, I commend Mr. Ishangi for his proposed questions & challenges to the legitimacy of the “Jewish” roots of Ras Tafari. Only the diligent & disciplined need to engage in a civil & mature discussion of topics as these. (& To the daghettotymz establishment) I appreciate the concern & attention to Ras Tafari place in history. shalom* 
There are many more who have brought up the inquiries of Hebraic culture within Ras Tafari and what people know as Black people of today across the globe. The dissemination of the relationships between Black people and Jewish people has had many examinations from even many more different angles of viewpoints. These ideas should be explored, as well; for instance the encompassing work of the Nation of Islam’s Minister Louis Farrakhan, works; 
https://store.finalcall.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK+SECRET https://store.finalcall.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK+SECRET+II This literary goes into explaining the Jewish people’s role in the lives of Black peoples(if you please), negatively & positively. Bringing details about very sensitive subjects immersed in fact. So without giving away anymore detail & derailing any of you from checking out the work. I’ll leave the rest up to your research & curiosity. 
https://www.racetimeplace.com/ugrr/slavelawsofvirginiasince1705.htm 
https://www.realjewnews.com/?p=472 
[ HEBREW OR SO-CALLED NEGRO? ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxdraywgedY 
https://realhistoryww.com/world_history/ancient/Misc/Jesus/Jesus.htm 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J2yX-nEe
jY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhTlJA4e6fw 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1k99B2XtfQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD_HgJktyws 
So, to bring about an understanding of what people see in the Ras Tafarian culture, symbolism, & such, is simply self-expression of lineage, history, & the regeneration of identification. The usage of certain symbols in Jewish folklore and tradition come from specific teachings of the authors the Masoretic texts of the Torah & Talmud. (the Masoretes; 7th-10th century CE)בעלי המסורה -Ba’ali HaMasorah [ Hip-Hop Artist/Rapper Jay Electronica gives his take on Jewish history ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8B7zaVMG2k The question about those who are considered black & have an affinity to things categorized as “Jewish,” should not be so over bearing to the point of overly stressed investigation. As if, there is to be something to be found faulty about, because possibly there could be no way that anyone could be “black” & Jewish at the same time without intermarriage being the precursor. (take, for instance, the continuous speculation of hip hop artist “Shyne” Jamal Barrow-Moses Levy( מושח בן לוי -Moshe ben Levy ) : who just so happens to be not only Ethiopian and Belizean, in descent, but Jewish, as well. Though he has had his journey in hardships, pain & trevail, I myself, wonder, if the consistent lack of acceptance weighs more on him. (like the troubles the Beta Israel-Ethiopian Jews have faced, since their arrival in the State of Israel, which has its congruency to the plight of Blacks in America) His Jewish ancestry is constantly on a probationary status among many people, who just don’t seem to accept it. Even with all of this taking its toll, he strives to present himself a man of honesty, and integrity, which he should be commended for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-FbGBnXcDE youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGxHW-Ua77I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGxHW-Ua77I
Now, I know that I have taken you all through alot, but to fully understand the message I’am trying to convey all boils down to this, one cannot know where there are going until they know where they’ve been. In learning where an individuals’ roots lie, one can begin to start carving out their own destiny, making decisions based upon their own understanding of their background. In the case of the Ras Tafarians; I don’t believe I could say more than they already have about how they feel about their culture, history, & heritage. “The proof is clearly is pudding!” But, in all seriousness to question the revelations of the early Ras Tafarian principles & those generations who were brought up or came into the teachings of the same, to the extent of overbearing discontent, that type of person would have to question tackle a mountain of information; not to mention their own beliefs, to the point of discrediting themselves. We must also take into account that before there was a Jewish nation, there was a Jewish tribe, that tribe was apart of the Hebrew/Israelite nation. The establishment of the tribes of Israel doesn’t come until after Jacob, the son of Isaac, has 12-twelve sons. These twelve would be the progenitors of the tribes of Israel. (Genesis 29:32-35:18)
So, to answer the curious questions of inquiries I’ve received & probably many others have as well,…the Ras Tafarian usage of things known as Jewish in the world today have roots. Those roots the Ras Tafarians, as well as I, find & prescribe to, have discovered them to be very close to us, ancestrally… As far as, being a KHassid/Hasidic…that would be up to the Most High decide seeing as that, ALMIGHTY GOD is the ultimate judge of this world and the world to come. While I commend the Hasidic movements of European Jews, who have taken hold to the old traditions of the Hebrews, & show themselves “trees of good fruit” in their works; I find that KHassid-חסד which means “piety”, “kindness”, “loving”, “charity”, “benevolent”, & “favor” are things that ALL people should subscribe to be. So to call myself a Hasid/KHassid, is something I can only train myself in for my creator to see me as. But, in being Hebrew, an Israelite, & of the Tribe of Yihuda(Judah), I cannot escape. I can choose the way I live my life, but not the family I’am born into. ሰላም-(selam) שלןם-(shalom) PEACE!!! ዮሓንስ ዴፖረስ ዒማኑኤል יוחנן דה פורס עמנואל
Source: Rastafari Renaissance written by Lidj Yefdi
