Truth in Hammers?

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

Reuel, you said that scripture does not agree with the following of Talmud, yet did not Yohshuah HaMoshiach not say himself to follow the Ph'rushim and do what they say, but not as they do? I cannot seem to find the exact passage, but I will post it later on.

You are right, the scripture does say this. But, I believe there are two qualifications here. Yeshua did say that the scribes, and the pharisees sit in Moshe's seat....

"Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat"
Mat.23:2

The first qualification that I see is the context. Listen to what they say because they uphold , and instruct you to walk in the law of Moses (but of course they did not do this). He goes on to say...

"All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not."
- Mat. 23:3

Again, we see that Yeshua HaMashiach is in complete accordance with . Along with the priests, the scribes, and the Pharisess acted as the judges in that day. They could make binding decisions in regards to judgements which were to be followed....

"Shofetim (judges) and officers shall you make you in all your gates, which YHVH your G'd gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not wrest justice: you shall not respect persons; neither shall you take a bribe; for a bribe does blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. That which is altogether just shall you follow, that you may live, and inherit the land which YHVH your G'd gives you."
- Devarim (Deuteronomy)16:18-20

And, if we continue to read in chapter 17...

"If there arise a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates; then shall you arise, and go up to the place which YHVH your G'd shall choose; and you shall come to the Kohanim the Levites, and to the judge who shall be in those days: and you shall inquire; and they shall show you the sentence of judgment. You shall do according to the tenor of the sentence which they shall show you from that place which YHVH shall choose; and you shall observe to do according to all that they shall teach you
- Devarim (Deuteronomy) 17:8-10

Alright, so what does this have to do with today?? The judgments that the Rabbinim have made over several hundred years as contained in Talmud do not consititute authoritative halacha today for believers in Yeshua HaMashiach. Why? For one, we do not live in a based theocracy in which the judges that govern our land are determining based halacha. Second, if there are individuals whom can establish based halacha, the authority to do this was given to the pillars of the congregation of Mashiach (Messiah) as we see in Mat. 16:18-19...

"I also tell you that you are Kefa (Peter), and on this rock I will build my congregation, and the gates of She'ol will not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven."

As we read in the Talmud we see that the terms "bind", and "loose" are used within the context of Judaism to establish what is acceptable, and what is not acceptable in observance. Clearly Yeshua did not think that the Pharisees' ruling as revealed in Mat. 12:1-2 was proper authoritave halacha. Nor did He think much of their ruling in regards to hand washing in Mat.15:20 (Most likely these Pharisees where not judges in the land but no-doubt had developed schools of halacha which they tried to bind upon others).

So, what halacha (the way in which we are to walk) are we to observe?...I would say that which we find in Brit HaDashah (New Test.), and that which we find our Messianic Rabbis, and Pastors instructing us in. Of course if any of this halacha causes us to sin, or nullifies the Word of G'd, we are not to observe it...

"Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Yeshayahu (Isaiah) prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of G'd, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do.
And he said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of G'd, that you may keep your own tradition."
- Mat.7:5-9

I think that this last portion of scripture is the center of the question at hand.

Shalom achi,

Reuel

[The 614th Mitzvot]

I feel that if Yohshuah HaMoshiach meant that he would have also mentioned the S'duqim (Sadducees). Instead he only mentions the Ph'rushim. I agree Talmud isn't 100%, but it is a good guide and I think it is like a book on politics; because of it's topic, it is bound to be wrong at least a little.

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

Don't get me wrong...I don't think the Talmud is worthless. I think it is helpful in several applications.

I feel that if Yohshuah HaMoshiach meant that he would have also mentioned the S'duqim (Sadducees). Instead he only mentions the Ph'rushim.

Most likely because the S'duqim (Sadducees) were in control of the temple, and priesthood their authority was assumed as is clearly communicated in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 17:8-10. Therefore, Yeshua would not have to remind them about this just as He did not have to remind them that they were under the authority of the Roman Empire. Most likely many of these Pharisees, and scribes also acted as judges of the land even if they weren't the most popular guys. Yeshua had to remind them of the authority that they held. They most likely ruled many of the synagogues (which could be described as "Moses Seat" ). “Moses Seat” could not be describing the Temple, and the priesthood as many of the scribes, and Pharisees did not qualify for this.

Shalom achi,

Reuel

[The 614th Mitzvot]

By the way, I picked up a copy of the Maccabees, both I and II. It is very informative, but I can see that it is obviously not of biblical proportion. My isea was only that it helps us understand the Tanakh and B'Rit Hadashah. Speaking of which I also bought the Complete Jewish Bible by David Stern; very good. I love it and the hard cover is better for me, because my leather Bibles always fall apart.

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

My idea was only that it helps us understand the Tanakh and B'Rit Hadashah.

Amen, and amen.

Speaking of which I also bought the Complete Jewish Bible by David Stern; very good.

I agree, it is the best paraphrased translation that I own.

Shalom achi,

Reuel

[Blake]

"It's interesting that scholars use the Maccabbees to prove that Daniel was not written when it says it was, and Jews don't accept it because it denies the truth of Daniel."

Haha, very true. "Scholars" say since it predicts the coming of Atiochus it must be from the times of the Maccabes, but even then it describes perfectly the fall of the Greek empire (under the four generals of Alexander or four heads) rise of the Roman Empire and its 10 kingdoms (horns)!

Daniel is a vry important book and I think every word is inspired.

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

Good point. Either way these liberal scholars loose.