Torah Observant?

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

I think the discussion of following the weekly Parashot is key as it was the decision made the Yerushalayim Beit Dein as we see at the end of Acts Chapter 15. But, please also note that they were counteracting the halachah of other Rabbinic authorities as seen in the first few verses of Acts chapter 15. It was decided that the Goyim turning to Mashiach and the Elohim Of Yisrael were to learn each week at the local synagoge. The reading of the weekly parashah was a primary source for pursuing a founded life in Messiah.

I have had the Stone Edition Chumash, but I have just picked up a few of the NEW Interlinear Chumash (Schottenstein Edition). This is a must have for the Hebrew student. It comes in five volumes and it is affordable. They are on sale! Pick up B'midbar now to follow along for the series of parashot we reading currently: www.mesorah.com/Books/inc4h.html

Pick up your next volume as you go through each book while following the weekly parashah!

Shalom chaverim!

[lawrenceofisrael]

Shalom brother. Yeshua fulfilled the law that is true. He bore the debt for you that is also true. And most importantly he destroyed the curse of the law.
But what do we have to understand??

Firstly christians often seem to think that the curse of the law means that the law itself is a curse. They really don´t seem to know what they are saying. Is it a curse that we have to help even our enemy according to the law?? Is it a curse that we have to give to those in need according to the law?? I don´t think so. The curse of the law is the transgression of the law which is done by the individuum and results in death. So death is the curse of the law.

Also you said that Yeshua fulfilled the law for you and yes that is the messianic faith. But what does that means for us?? Surely it means that when we sin but afterwards with all our heart repent and turn to the Almighty again we are forgiven by the father through the blood of the son and mediator.
Just take an example. Imagine you were out with your boat on the ocean but suddenly a storm would crash your boat and leave you helplessly in the water but then a rescue team would save you and bring you into their helicopter. Now being save what is the last thing one would do?? Jump back into the ocean of course ( in other words jumping back to certain death ).
That´s the thing with the law as well. Now that Yeshua has saved us from our certain death, we won´t get back to sin ( transgression of the law ) are we??
Also if you quote Matisyahu 5, 17-20 where Yeshua tells us about the fulfilling of the law he also instructs us to keep even the smallest commandment ( like fixing the mezuza, or saying the shema before getting up from sleep and before going to bed ).

You also said that the Apostle Shaul ( may the Lord remember him ) talked against the law. That in fact is not true. The Apostle Shimon ( may the Lord remember him ) told us in his letter that some parts of Shaul´s (may the Lord remember him ) letter´s are hard to understand and often used by the heretics to live a life full of lawlessness. What Shaul ( may the Lord remember him ) really preached was grace and receiving the spirit. That was because a lot jews who came to yeshua ordered the gentiles to get circumcised in order to be saved.
What Shaul ( may the Lord remember him ) answered is that one can come to God the Almighty and Allseeing by faith and through his grace and that we don´t have to be a good person to believe in him and to be saved and to receive the spirit.
Matter of fact this process of receiving the spirit, by this growing in faith and receiving knowledge of the grace and love of God the Almighty and Wise is what will continuingly make you a good person because you then want to live due to the commandments of both tenach and brit chadascha.
If there´s anything unclear please message me.

[danielbensamuel]

I have to agree with Yitzchak on Colossians 2:16-17a. I came to a similar conclusion in the 1980's. For the sake of clarity I will explain it again, only starting from a kosher translation:

"Do not let anyone judge you in eating and in drinking – either in part of a feast or new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things coming".

The first phrase, "Do not let anyone judge you" only applies to the connected phrase "in eating and in drinking". The next phrase, "either in part of a feast or new moon or Sabbaths" only tells us when eating and drinking that might be judged would typically take place.

The judging going on was targeted at eating and drinking, and not the feast days, new moons or Sabbaths. The later phrase is included because the Colossians were keeping the feasts, new moons, and Sabbaths. They were not being criticized for keeping the holy days. They were being criticized for enjoying themselves more than what was thought proper by the critic. This is confirmed in vs. 21. "Do not handle; do not taste; do not touch …."

What Paul wrote, therefore, actually implies that they were observing the holy days. Also, Paul is not saying one should not judge about holy days. The Scripture already tells us that Sabbath breaking is a sin. He is only telling us not to feel bad because some critic thinks we are being unspiritual by spreading out a banquet on the holy days.

There were indeed some Jews who thought it was spiritual only to drink water and eat dry bread on Sabbath. They were called Essenes. So this type of thinking was around. The Church has them too – monks with a vow of poverty or silence. Daniel