OrthJBC - Romans - 14

14:1  But welcome the one who is weak in emunah (faith). But not for the purpose of setting him straight in arguments.

14:2  For example, one person has emunah (faith) to eat every potential food; but the weak practice vegetarianism.

14:3  Let the one who eats not hold in contempt or despise the one who does not eat, and let not the one who does not eat pass judgment on the one who eats, for Hashem treats him as an oreach ratzuy (welcome guest).

14:4  Who are you to condemn the 'eved (house slave) of someone else? In relation to his own RIBBONO (SHEL OLAM) he stands or falls. And he shall stand, for RIBBONO (SHEL OLAM) is able to make him stand.

14:5  One person judges one day to be more important than another; another person judges every day to be alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.

14:6  The one who holds an opinion on the day does so to Hashem. And the one who eats does so to Hashem, for he does the benching of the Birkat Hamazon to Hashem. And the one who does not eat does so to Hashem and give the hodayah (thanksgiving) to Hashem.

14:7  For no one of us lives for himself and no one dies for himself.

14:8  For if we live, we live for Hashem; and if we die, we die for Hashem. So whether we live or whether we die, we belong to Hashem.

14:9  For it was for this tachlis that Moshiach died and lived again, in order that he might have charge as Moshiach Adoneinu over both the mesim (dead ones) and the chayyim (living ones).

14:10  So you, why do you judge your ach b'Moshiach? Or you, why do you despise your ach b'Moshiach? For we shall all stand in the Bet Din (Court of Law) of Hashem (see II Cor.5:10) before His Kisse Din (judgment seat), His Kisse Mishpat,

14:11  for it is written, "As I live, says Hashem, before Me KOL BERECH (every knee) will bow and KOL LASHON (every tongue) shall give praise to Hashem" [YESHAYAH 49:18].

14:12  So then each of us will give account of himself to Hashem.

14:13  Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but decide this rather: not to put an occasion for michshol (stumbling, offense, downfall 9:32-33) in the way of the ach b'Moshiach.

14:14  I know and am convinced in Adoneinu Yehoshua that nothing is tamei (profane, unclean) beetzem (intrinsically), except that to the one who reckons something profane, to that person it is profane.

14:15  For if your brother is deeply upset on account of okhel (food), you are no longer conducting yourself in terms of ahavah (agape). Do not by your okhel destroy that one for whom Moshiach died.

14:16  Therefore, do not let haTov of you be brought into contempt.

14:17  For the Malchut Hashem is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of tsedek (righteousness), shalom (peace) and simcha b'Ruach Hakodesh.

14:18  For he who serves Moshiach in this is pleasing to Hashem and approved by people in general.

14:19  So then we pursue what makes for shalom and for the building up of one another.

14:20  Do not for the sake of okhel bring churban to the work of Hashem. NOW RAV SHA'UL ADDRESSES THE GOYIM ABOUT MATTERS OF MATZPUN (CONSCIENCE), ESPECIALLY WHERE A DIVISIVE SPIRIT MIGHT ERUPT WHEN GOYIM ARE SITTING AT TABLE AT BETZI'AT HALECHEM (BREAKING OF BREAD); EVERYTHING IS TAHOR (RITUALLY CLEAN), INCLUDING NON-JEWS, BUT HERE ESPECIALLY THE NEW EPOCH OF THE RUACH HAKODESH SEES EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD AS CLEAN IN THE SENSE THAT IT IS CREATED BY G-D AND IS SUMMONED TO THE BRI'AH CHADASHA GEULAH IN MOSHIACH (HOSHEA 13:14), BUT SOMETHING EATEN MAY BE QUITE WRONG FOR THE PERSON WHO EATS WITH A CAUSE OF STUMBLING (BECAUSE HE IS WEAK IN HIS FAITH AND HAS OFFENDED HIS OWN MATZPUN BY WHAT HE HAS EATEN).

14:21  It is a fine thing not to eat meat nor drink wine nor anything by which your ach b'Moshiach stumbles.

14:22  The emunah (faith) that you have, keep beshita (as a matter of conviction or principle) to yourself before G-d. Ashrey is the man who does not condemn himself by the things he approves. A FURTHER WORD TO GOYIM: BUT THE MAN WHO DOUBTS (AND VIOLATES HIS MATZPUN VIS A VIS HIS COVENANT NE'EMANUT [FAITHFULNESS] TO G-D) IS CONDEMNED IF HE EATS, BECAUSE IT IS NOT OF EMUNAH (THAT IS, IT IS NOT OF FAITH UNDERSTOOD AS CREATURELY DEPENDENCE ON G-D ISSUING IN MISHMA'AT, OBEDIENCE, TO WHAT G-D WANTS; AND WHATEVER IS NOT OF EMUNAH IS AVERAH

14:23  But in the man who doubts there is found in him a dvar ashmah (a thing of guilt/condemnation) if he eats, because it is not of emunah (faith). And whatever is not of emunah (faith) is Averah (sin).