Hope In Moshiach

Matisyahu and Aviad Cohen (a/k/a 50 Shekel)

Below is the side by side story of two young talented Jewish men. Both are singers who use music to share their message. Both bring a message that is counter cultural. Both sing of the G-d of Israel. Both are not ashamed to been seen as deeply spiritual men.

While there are many similarities, there are significant differences in their view of Hashem and how to have a relationship with the King of the Universe.

Matisyahu speaks of reaching up to Hashem, while Aviad sings of Hashem reaching down to us. Matisyahu’s way requires keeping of 613 commandments of the Torah plus thousands of man made rules and regulations.

Aviad’s way requires trusting in the Hashem’s provision for our unrighteousness. Aviad realized that he could never measure up to Hashem’s perfection but put his trust in Hashem’s provision for unrighteousness, the Moshiach.

Matisyahu’s way requires much study and learning from the Rabbis. Aviad’s way is so simple even a little child can come to know the L-rd of L-rds and King of Kings.

Matisyahu sings “We want Moshiach Now”. He believes that his (and others) works can bring the Moshiach. He is trying to do good day by day in order to get the G-d of the universe to come to us.

Aviad sings that the Moshiach has already come. He believes that Moshiach Yeshua (Jesus) came because our works could never measure up to Hashem’s righteousness. Instead Moshiach gives us his righteousness to those who believe. Aviad looks to our father Abraham, who believed G-d and it was accounted to him as rightousness.

Which path will you choose? One that requires you to reach up to Hashem via your good works. Or the path that recognizes that we can never do all that Hashem’s Torah requires and therefore trusts in Hashem’s mercy through the Moshiach Yeshua – the promised one of Israel.

Matisyahu has chosen the path of the Rabbis, while Aviad has chosen the path of Abraham. Which path do you choose – Abraham or the Rabbis?

To choose the path of Abraham click here.

Before choosing the path of the Rabbis, please read “Are the Sages Infallible?” and “The Prophet As Moses”.

Matisyahu

Aviad Cohen (a/k/a 50 Shekel)

Matisyahu is a member of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York, which was led by its Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Aviad is a Messianic Jew, a “Jew Born a New”. His leader is the Moshiach of Israel, the Rebbe of Rebbe’s - Yeshua.

Matisyahu was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania and his family eventually settled in White Plains, New York. He was brought up a Reconstructionist Jew, and for some time during those years he played by the alias " MC Truth" for MC Mystic's Soulfari band.

Aviad was born in Tel Aviv, Israel on March 11, 1975, corresponding to the Jewish calendar date of Adar 28, 5735. Two years later, the Cohen family moved to Brooklyn, NY.

Aviad grew up in the Yeshiva and Jewish private school systems of New York and New Jersey and later attended public high school and graduated with a BA in Communications from Long Island’s, Hofstra University. During those years after school, while working in the entertainment industry, Aviad began to refine his talents and skills.

Matisyahu eventually turned to Orthodox Judaism, becoming a baal teshuva around 2001 and began playing with the Jewish band Pey Dalid.

G-d used a copy of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion” to inspire Aviad to seek out the Moshiach. Aviad began to study G-d’s word for himself and saw that Yeshua was the fulfillment of G-d’s promises to the nation of Israel through out the Hebrew Scriptures (Tenach).

Matisyahu's popularity began with underground buzz. He then started to gain mainstream success as evidenced by his appearances on television. He appeared on the Last Call with Carson Daly in 2004, and was introduced by Carson as "the most exciting thing happening in music today". Matisyahu is currently getting some success in the mainstream with the live version of the song 'King Without a Crown', which has broken into the Modern Rock Top 10; an accompanying video and new album - 'Youth' - produced by Bill Laswell were released on March 7, 2006. On March 16th Youth was Billboard magazines #1 "Digital Album" and as of April 4th stands at 16th on iTunes' top albums.

In November 2005 Matisyahu was among the top 5 members in the American Jewish community in The Forward. Matisyahu was given an Esky for Most Lovable Oddball in Esquire's 2006 Esky Music Awards. The magazine called him 'the most intriguing reggae artist in the world'.

In 2003, Aviad stepped onto the scene as 50 Shekel, the Heeb Hop rapper with his classic parody remake of 50 Cent’s In Da Club song called In Da Shul, which received much acclaim. He was hailed as "The World's Most Kosher MC" (Q Magazine), gracing the pages of magazines like Maxim's Blender, Esquire, New York, V and Q, covered in the New York Post, Wall Street Journal and Forward newspapers and featured on ESPN2 and other national and international television programs.

Matisyahu studied Torah seriously in Hadar Hatorah, a yeshiva for returnees to Orthodox Judaism, and he wrote and recorded his first album while still a student there. He counts among his musical inspirations Bob Marley, Phish, and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, while giving credit to Rabbi Simon Jacobson's book Toward A Meaningful Life for the lyrical inspiration to the title song of his new album, Youth

In 2004, Aviad came to know Yeshua. “When I was 50 Shekel, I was a lost and wandering Jew. G-d orchestrated some amazing situations in order to bring me closer to knowing Him in Truth. Now that I have come to know Yeshua, I finally have a real relationship with the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, have a love for Him and His Word and it's amazing to see how He works miracles in both my life and the lives of others. I’m a True Jew now, thanks to Jesus. He is my Savior. I live for His glory and I’m here to share His love with the world and testify that He is in fact the King of kings and Lord of lords.

In an interview with Chabad.org, a popular Jewish website, Matisyahu states that "All of my songs are influenced and inspired by the teachings that inspire me. I want my music to have meaning, to be able to touch people and make them think. Chasidism teaches that music is "the quill of the soul. Music taps into a very deep place and speaks to us in a way that regular words can't".

Aviad Cohen's For His Glory is a historic album. It's not too often that a young famous Jew comes to faith in Jesus and makes an album about it, especially during times of persecution. "There is no way this album could have ever been made without Him. He was there with me through it all. Whenever I was going through some deep struggles, He was there with me, for me, showered me with His light and a beautiful song emerged."

"Some people see me as a modern day King David. I love writing songs and making music for His glory. He is the All Mighty and deserves all praise. I'm just His servant, using whatever talents and tools He has blessed me with to sing praises to Him. We serve an awesome G-d. Perhaps more people will come to know Him through this album. G-d used Mel Gibson's Passion to inspire me to seek out Yeshua. Someone is going to pick up a copy of this record and He will use it for His glory to touch that person’s life.

Matisyahu studies the esoteric teachings of the Kabbalah

Aviad Cohen is Hooked on Truth and studies the teachings of the Rabbi of Rabbis Yeshua (Jesus)