Igeret Ya'aqub ha'Tzadik

Igeret Ya'aqub ha'Tzadik

Ya'aqub, a servant of Alhym, Adonai Yahushuah Mashyakh, to the twelve tribes scattered among the goyim. Shalom!

Let it be a joy to you, my brethren, when you enter into many and various trials. For you know the trial of faith makes you increase patience. And let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be complete and perfect, and may lack in nothing.

And if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of Alhym who gives to all freely and with love, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without hesitating; for he who hesitates is like the waves of the sea, which the wind tosses around. And such a man should not expect to receive any thing of Yahuah, who is hesitating in his mind, and unstable in all of his ways.

And let the humble brother rejoice because he is exalted; and the rich, in his humbleness because, like the flower of the grass, he passes away. For the sun rises in its heat, and dries up the grass; and its flower falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes; it is the same with the rich man because he withers in his ways.

Blessed is the man who endures trials so that when he is proved he may receive a crown of life, which Alhym has promised to those who love him. Let no one when he is tempted, say, 'I am tempted by Alhym'; for Alhym is not tempted with evils, nor does he tempt anyone. But every man is tempted by his own lust, and he desires and is enticed. And this lust conceives, and brings forth sin; and sin, when mature, brings forth death.

Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good and perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, not even a shadow of variation. By his own will he fathered us by the word of truth so that we might be the first-fruits of his creatures.

My beloved brethren, every one of you be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger; for the wrath of man does not bring the righteousness of Alhym. Therefore, remove yourself from all impurity and the abundance of wickedness; and, with meekness, receive the word that is firmly planted in our nature, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if any man shall be a hearer of the word, and not a doer of it, he will be like one who sees his face in a mirror; for he sees himself, and passes on, and forgets what his appearance was. But all who look upon the perfect law of liberty and abides in it, is not a hearer of something to be forgotten, but a doer of the things; such a man will be blessed in his work.

And if anyone thinks that he worships Alhym, and does not control his tongue, his heart deceives him and his worship is in vain. For service that is pure and holy before Abba Alhym, is this: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself spotless from the world.

My brethren, you shall not hold the faith of the glory of Adonai Yahushuah Mashyakh with a bias concerning various people. For if a man comes into your assembly with rings of gold or expensive attire, and there also comes in a poor man with inexpensive attire; and you show respect to the one who is clothed in expensive garments, and say to him, Have yourself a seat here, conspicuously; while to the poor man, you say, You stand over here, or sit here in front of my footstool; are you not divided among yourselves, and become expositors of evil thoughts?

Hear, my beloved brethren: Has Alhym not chosen the poor of the world, but the rich in faith, to be heirs in the kingdom which Alhym has promised to those who love him? But you have despised the poor man. Do rich men not exalt themselves over you, and drag you before the courts? Do they not revile that worthy name, which is invoked upon you?

And if in this you fulfill the Torah of Alhym, as it is written, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you will do well: but if you have bias concerning different people, you commit sin; and you are convicted by Torah, as transgressors of Torah.

For he that shall observe the whole Torah, and yet fail in one Mitzvah, is obnoxious to the whole Torah. For he who said, You shall not commit adultery, said also, You shall not murder. If then you commit no adultery, but you murder, you have become a transgressor of Torah.

So speak and act as persons that are to be judged by the Torah of liberty. For judgment without mercy shall be on him, who has practised no mercy: by mercy, you will be raised above judgment.

What is the use, my brethren, if a man says, I have faith; and he has no works? can his faith make him live? Or if a brother or sister is without clothing, and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, warm yourselves, and be full; and you do not give them the necessary thing for the body, what is the use?

So, likewise, faith alone, without works, is dead. For a man may say, You have faith, and I have works; show to me your faith that is without works; and I will show to you, my faith by my works.

You believe that there is one Alhym; you do well; the demons also believe, and tremble. Would you know, weak man, that faith without works is dead?

Was Abraham our father not justified by works in offering his son Yitzkhak upon the altar? Do you see that his faith aided his works, and that by the works his faith was rendered complete? And the Scripture was fulfilled, which says: Abraham believed in Alhym, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of Alhym. You see, that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone.

So also Rahab, the harlot, was she not justified by works when she entertained the spies and sent them forth by different way?

As the body without the spirit, is dead; so faith without works, is dead also.

Do not permit there to be too many teachers among you, my brethren; you should know that we are subjected to a severer judgment. For all of us have offended in many things. Whoever does not offend in what he states is like a perfect man who is able to keep his whole body in subjection. Behold, we put bridles into the mouth of horses so that they are subject to us and through the bridles we are able to control the whole body. Also, ships that are large, when strong winds drive them, they are directed by a small piece of wood to whatever direction the pilot chooses with the rudder.

So likewise the tongue is a small member and it exalts itself. Also a small flame can overtake a large forest. Now the tongue is like a fire and the world of sin is like a forest. And this tongue, which is only one among our members, stains the whole body; and it ignites fire within our whole body and continues to burn.

For you know that all natures of beasts and birds and reptiles of the sea or land are subject to the authority of man. But no one has been able to gain subjection over the tongue when it become like an evil thing and full of venom. With the tongue we bless Yahuah the Father; and with it we curse men who were made in the image of Alhym and from the same mouth come both curses and blessings. My brethren, this type of conduct should not be found among you.

Can there flow from the same fountain both sweet and bitter waters? My brethren, can the fig-tree bear olives? Or the vine, figs? So also the sea cannot be made sweet.

Who among you has been instructed in wisdom? Let him show his works in praiseworthy behaviour, wisdom and modesty. But if there is bitter envy in you, or contention within your hearts, do not exalt yourselves against the truth, and do not lie. For this is not the type of wisdom that comes from above; but is earthly, originating from all sorts of evil things. For wherever envy is found, there also is a home for confusion, and all things become chaos. But the wisdom from above is pure and full of peace, mild, and submissive, and is full of compassion and produces good fruit, and it does not have partiality, and does not discriminate against people. And the fruits of righteousness are sown in stillness, by all of those who make peace.

What has caused all of the fighting among you? Is it not from the lusts which war in all of your members? You covet, yet you do not possess anything; you kill, and envy, and yet you still do not obtain anything; you fight against and attack others; and you do not have anything because you do not ask for it. You ask, and yet you do not receive because you ask in such an evil way in order that you attend to your desires.

You adulterers, do you not know that the love of this world is hostility towards Alhym? Therefore, it stands to reason that you who choose to love this world are an enemy of Alhym. The spirit dwelling in us lusts with envy. But Adonai has given us more grace. Alhym humbles the proud, and gives grace to the meek.

Therefore, be in subjection to the Will of Alhym; if you stand firm against the evil one he will flee from you. Draw close to Alhym and he will draw close to you. Go and wash your hands, all of you who sin; sanctify your hearts, all of you who have a divided mind. Humble yourselves, and mourn; let your laughter be turned into crying, and your joy into grief. Humble yourselves before Yahuah and he will exalt you. My brethren, do not speak against each other; for he that speaks against his brother, or judges his brother, speaks against Torah, and judges Torah. And if you judge Torah, you are not Torah observant, but its judge.

There is One who gave Torah and he is Judge; and it is he who can cause life and death; but who are you, little man, that you think you have the right to judge your neighbour? But what shall we say of those, who say: "Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such city, and will take up residence there for a year; and we will trade there and make a profit"? You do not know what will occur tomorrow; for what is our life, but an exhalation that is seen for only a short time, and then it vanishes and is gone? Instead, they should being saying: "If it is in accordance with the Will of Yahuah, we will live and we will do this or that". However, they are full of arrogance and boasting, and all of these things are evil. Be careful, for he who knows that which is right, yet fails to observe them commits sin and becomes unclean.

Those of you with riches stored up, you should be wailing and weeping due to the troubles that are coming upon you. For your riches have become spoiled and have begun to smell; and your garments are full of wholes, being consumed by moths. Your gold and your silver have become covered with corrosion; and its corrosion will be a witness against you, and it will consume your flesh. Such a great fire will you have blazing against you in the last days. Behold, the wages of the labourers who worked in your fields, which you have wrongfully kept for yourself, cries out; and the crying of the reapers has entered the ears of Yahuah Tzivaoth. For you have lived in pleasure on the earth, and revelled, and filled your bodies as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the tzadikim, and none of them were able to stand against your strength. But, my brethren, be patient until the coming of Yahuah; be patient like the caretaker of the field who waits for the precious fruits of his soil and is patient until he receives the early and the latter rain. You too should be patient in like this and strengthen your hearts; for the coming of Adonai is close.

My brethren, do not be grumbling against one another because indeed you will be judged: for look! The judgment is at the door. My brethren, for patience in your afflictions look to the example of the prophets who spoke in the Name of Yahuah. For look, we ascribe blessedness to them who have borne suffering. You have heard of the patience of Iyov, and you have seen the result that Yahuah brought about for him - for Yahuah is full of mercy and compassion.

My brethren, above all things, discontinue making false oaths; neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your determination be steadfast; unless you do this you will become subject to the judgment.

And if any of you shall have afflictions, let him pray; or if he is joyous, let him sing Tehillim. And if he is sick, let him call for the older ones of the congregation; and let them pray for him, and anoint him with oil in the Name of Adonai; and by the prayer of faith he will be healed from his illness, and Adonai will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

And confess your sins to Alhym, to one another, to the older ones of the congregation, and pray for another, that you may be healed; for great is the power of the prayer of the tzadik. Eliyahu also was a man like us, and he prayed that rain might not descend upon the earth; and it did not descended for three years and six months. And he prayed again and the heavens gave forth rain, and the earth gave forth its fruits.

My brethren, if one of you stray from the Way of Truth, and any one assists him from turning from such error, let him know that he who turns the sinner from the error of his way will receive reward for his soul and will not see death, and will cover the multitude of his sins, provided he himself does not stray from the truth.