Anders Branderud

I was born in the year of 1984 in Vårberg in Stockholm [Sweden]. Seven months later my family moved to Täby, north of Stockholm, and I have lived in Täby since then. I enjoy the surroundings where we live; there is a lot of nature. The nature I have enjoyed for a long time; lakes, forests, oceans, beautiful sunsets and the chirping of birds.

When I am out and talking a walk, for example along a lake, which I think is a fantastic experience; then I am often thankful to ha-Sheim – the Creator of this universe – that I have reached the point in my walk where I am today. When I am out walking in the nature it is hard to not believe that the fantastic view is the result of a Creator; that everything would be the result of a chance I consider as a very illogical alternative.

I grew up with a religious faith. My faith in g*od disappeared when I was about ten years old. In school at that time I was bullied for a while; a friendly teacher on my school discovered the bullying at one incident; that was a great relief and did turn the situation to the better. When it was time to choice a new school I did choose a school to avoid the people who had bullied me. I came to a new class and I have good memories from the three years in that class. In the new class I became friend with a nice person who was Christian. I did follow him regularly on computer game-LAN in the Pentecostal Church; I can't remember any faith in g*od. The next class I started (my age between 15 and 17 years old) I learned to know a Christian girl; I did attend a Christian camp. A time after that I fell in love with another Christian girl and we became a couple. She had a faith that meant much for her. I wanted to become a Christian, just because she was a Christian. After the decision to become a Christian my Christian faith grew stronger and stronger and my choice to continue to practice Christianity was my own.

Eternity. What happens after death; that is something that I have thought much about during my life. I remember that I asked my father about that when I was about ten years old. For some time I believed that there were nothing that happened after death; but I didn't want it to be in that way. I have had several nightmares, perhaps mainly when I was in the years around 10; for example nightmares about that I had died. Now I do know what happens after death. Those who do their best to practice the many mitzwot (commandments) in Torâh come to hâ-olâm ha-bâ when they die.

I am not perfect; when I break a mitzwâh of Torâh by mistake I can turn around and there is kipur for the mistake. ha-Sheim is perfect. Just as a parent has requirements of her children, does ha-Sheim have requirements of the humans He has created, and whom He loves. There are moral laws which are for all people. There is a book of instructions – Torâh; all people will be judged after if they have followed Torâh to there utmost of their ability or not. In Hebrew Torâh means instruction.

My time as a Christian was filled with much emotions. I had many strong emotional experiences. My faith in J*esus and my love to g*od grew stronger and stronger. I visited Church regularly, I prayed much and I studied the Christian "NT" much. During a term (when I was about 17) I sat much with a locked room and listened to Christian preaching. I had a strong faith that the Christian "NT" were the word of g*od; I had heard many intellectual arguments that sounded reasonable. During a period my faith grew less intensive, but later on I started to visit Church much again and I decided to attend a school where I would study the Christian scriptures – "Word of Life", included in the Christian faith movement.

The first time I heard that one shouldn't work during Shabât was in the autumn of 2005. That was something which I accepted; and if I remember it correctly I tried to avoid my Royal Technical High School [IT]-studies during 24 hours. That was presented for me in the newsletter of the Christian organization "The Watchman International." In the spring of 2006 I attended a camp with Södermalmskyrkan, which I attended regularly during that time. My interest was big for the Christian scriptures; some studies in the Christian translation of Tana"kh – the Bible as Jews defines it – made me think about if it is okay to eat pork or not. That evening I didn't eat bacon.

In the autumn of 2006 I found a Christian organization called "The Messianic Association Shalom." They taught me that Christians shall follow some of Torâh. During my studies I found some arguments, i.e. that it says in Tana"kh that the mitzwot are eternal. I stopped eating meat from pigs and shellfish; I avoided work on Shabât and on the Jewish holidays. I was very thankful to the Creator of the universe that I had got this information. My argumentation that Christians shall follow some of the mitzwot of Torâh created a conflict on the Christian school Word of Life. They ended my studies there in the spring of 2007; that made me very glad. In the spring of 2007 I started to study Tana"kh in Hebrew.

My longing to live in Israel grew stronger and stronger, as did my love for the Jews; I prayed much for them. I read much about Israel and I studied Israeli newspapers on the internet. It was in a comment to an article in an Israeli newspaper that I in 05-2007 found the N^әtzârim website.

This website captured my attention directly! I sooned learned that Ribi Y^әhoshua and l^ә-havdil J*esus were two different persons. Ribi Y^әhoshua is the historical person that was born 7 years before our time in Beit-Lëkhëm. He grew up in Nazareth. He taught in different Batei ha-K^әnësët and took care of the sick. Year C.E. 30 the Romans crucified him on a cross. It is documented that his talmidim were named N^әtzârim. They were accepted among the other Torâh-practicing Jews (corresponding to today's Orthodox Jews) and prayed with them. C.E 135 N^әtzârim were expelled from Y^әrushâlayim together with the other Jews. The same year is the year for the first Christian bishop. Christianity spread the concept of J*esus, which came to replace Torâh. The difference is diametrical to the historical Ribi Y^әhoshua who loved Torâh and practiced Torâh to the utmost of his ability.

Ribi Y^әhoshua, whom I thought I have followed since 2001 when I became a Christian, did practice that which is corresponding to today's Orthodox Judaism. This realization does, of course, have consequences. I have since 05/2007 completely stopped the practice of Christianity and I do instead practice Orthodox Judaism. Just like Ribi Y^әhoshua's followers, the N^әtzârim, I regard NT (which Christians call their "New Testament") as a document that contradicts Tana"kh; and therefore I regard it as a false document, which I don't follow.

Just like Ribi Y^әhoshua, I want to do my utmost to practice the mitzwot of Torâh. I am a human loved by ha-Sheim and just like all other humans I have my weaknesses. I know that it isn't impossible to do the utmost of one's ability to follow Torâh. ha-Sheim don't require us to be perfect; He requires us to do our best to practice His Torâh.

As I said in the beginning of this presentation I am very thankful to ha-Sheim that He has taken me to the point where I am today. I look with excitement forward to practice more and more of the mitzwot of Torâh. For the moment I follow as much of the laws of kashrut that I have the possibility to follow; that means i.e. that I don't eat shellfish and pork. I don't work at the Jewish holidays. I cook the food before every Shabât. 18 minutes before sunset I light two candles. I have Qidush in the evening and in the morning. I had a Pësakh Seidër and I do not eat any khâmeitz during Khag ha-Matzot. During Shabât I do pray Arvit and Shakharit from a Ti·klal′  and a S^әphârâdi sidur, with the goal to transition to the Ti·klal′ . Every week I listen to the chanting of the pârâshâh by Aharon Amram and I study the pârâshâh at our website. In the future I hope to start to attend Beit ha-K^әnësët; but before that I shall finish the N^әtzârim Khavrutâ.

Choose today who you want to serve (Y^әhoshua )24.15): Torâh-practicing Ribi Y^әhoshua or the concept J*esus, created by the Romans, which means that you practice a non-Torâh lifestyle.