Jesus and Torah (excerpt from Donna Dozier)
And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. Luke 4:16 NASB
Custom – In the twelfth century, Maimonides, the Jewish sage, dared to say, “They will not find in their Torah (the New Testament) anything that conflicts with our Torah.” (Ostling). Maimonides understood that “their Torah,” the New Testament (B’rit Hadasha or the Apostolic Writings) was not a New Covenant, but actually an account of the Renewed Covenant of Jeremiah 31 (renewed from the original one in Deuteronomy), God’s covenant “with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,” not Gentiles. He knew that Yeshua was born under the Torah into a Torah-observant family, and was Torah observant his entire life, teaching his Talmidim (disciples) to follow him. The scriptures from which Yeshua taught and quoted were the same scriptures of Maimonides, the Tanach, the ones that Maimonides calls “our Torah.”
Daniel Boyarin, the Talmudic scholar, describes Yeshua’s Torah:
“…Jesus’ Torah—as given variously in the Gospels—was Judaism; that is a recognizable Judaism. (In forthcoming work, I shall be suggesting that in some respects the Gospels provide the best example we have of first–century Judaism.) Thus the politics of Jesus are seen by him as part and parcel of demonstrable historical developments within Israelite religion over the centuries between the earlier parts of the Tanakh and the first century. Israelite religion is, for him, not frozen in some a historical primitive state of tribal ethos in order to make Jesus new but Jesus is read rather as “prolong[ing] the critical stance which previous centuries of Jewish experience had already rehearsed.”(Boyarin Judaism as a Free Church)[1]
Typical of the Jewish practice of midrash, Yeshua needed only to begin the Deuteronomy passage, knowing that the learned scribe had already memorized the remaining portions of these sections of the Torah and would mentally complete the passage and deduce the larger reality of the answer. These questions were not ‘entrapment’ or ‘gotcha’ questions, as is often claimed by Christian commentators. The scribe’s appeal aligns with a typical education method of the first century, questioning the most respected rabbis as to their opinions. Rabbis encouraged this kind of discussion, with wise and knowledgeable students, even children, as we have already observed when Yeshua was found in the Temple discussing with the doctors in Luke 2:41-47. It is obvious from this passage that his understanding of the Torah, both written and oral, was in agreement with the Pharisees. Much of the discussion in the gospels between Yeshua and the Pharisees can be interpreted in this way, and not as a dispute between them. In many of these passages, he is addressed as ‘Rabbi’ or ‘Master’ or ‘Lord’ by the scribes and Pharisees, indicating their respect and interest in learning from him. He taught his followers to observe all that the Pharisees taught from the “seat of Moses” (Matt. 23:2-3), but of course, he also warned them not to copy their behavior, because “they say, but do not do.”[2]
Topical Index: Donna Dozier, custom, eiothos, Torah, Luke 4:16
[1] Donna Dozier, Torn God Crying, p. 38
[2] Ibid, pp. 44-45.
TRAVEL NOTE: Today the group arrives in Israel. Please pray that all of these people from all over the world will experience His presence and a deep sense of community as we learn together for the next two weeks. And next year, you be the one arriving!
I wish I knew about the trip to Israel. Where can I find this info?
When Yeshua was reading from Isaiah 61…that was the Haftarah portion that is included with the reading of the Torah portion Nitzavim, Deuteronomy 29,9-30,20. Not just anyone would be called up to the binah to read from the Torah Scroll….yes, He was highly esteemed amongst his peers. You can actually look at the Torah portion and tell what time of year that scripture was read….around September/October …about 3-4 weeks before Rosh Hashanah….the Jewish readings of the scripture are pretty much the same today…..This is so awesome to me! If you want more insight….read the Torah portion Deuteronomy and the rest of the Haftarah…in Isaiah….as I believe He read the whole portion to the congregation….before he stopped….
Skip always announces the trips thru the blog and the daily reading that comes via email. The trips fill very quickly once announced. I would love to go too.
My thoughts are with you all. May you learn of Y-H and grow in your love for the brethren.
Robin, Are you using the 1 year cycle or the 7 year cycle that was present in eretz, two 3 year cycles + 1 year cycle on the sabbatical year?
Next year in Yerushalyim! (Would have been this year but for our youngest son’s college graduation this coming week. And the final end of college tuition…:) ) I know you will all have a glory-filled time!
BTW all: Donna’s book is an excellent read, especially if you have difficulty with a scholarly work. Her writing is clear and succinct. I encourage you to purchase and read it.
More Questions
~ He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.. ~
“Why?” or probing deeper still- “Why not?”
And in the fulfillment of the words of God found in the Old(er) Covenant,
~ He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief ~
Again, let us proffer the question: – “Why?”
Why, if He is the Chosen One.. Why, if He is the Messiah, – Why, if He is “who He says He is..”- was He “rejected?” What was it about Him that was so.. So what? So new? So fresh? So simple? So radical? Is it 613 “rules for rightly-related living?” – or “follow Me?” (“you have heard it said,” – but I say unto you..)
We, however (self included) need to be very careful concerning commentary. Common taters are 10¢ a dozen. Everyone wants to have their “say” or have their “opinion..” (self included!).
According to His words, ~ Who do “you” say that I AM? Is He a “personal Savior?” And who is this Book (God’s Book) written for? And? (sumdumguy is full of questions!) Who is the gospel (good news y’all) of the Messiah for?
Let’s ask the Rabbi! Yes, let’s!. Rabbi Sha’ul, (known as Paul to “those’ unclean, unwashed, sin-infested Gentiles) What sayest thou? According to the written words of Paul..
~ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek ~ (Romans 1.16)
What? Paul, are you saying this “good news” is for everyone?
And again, dear friends, let us (all) together present this question to Him..- May I (also) be saved? And along with the Philippian jailor so long ago ask the very same question ~ What must I do to be saved? ~
The answer of Paul and Silas “then” still “remains” (truth endures forever) today..- and there is no better way (even after all these years) to say it:
~ Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ- and you will be saved, you and your household ~ (Acts 16.31)
Lol! What happened to dad? What happened to mom? To my brother or sister? What is this radical change -this new “paradigm?” No man, in the history of mankind, no, not one, has ever encountered the Living Christ and remained the same. (self included!).
What more can we say? There has been a change in me! A new heart for a new start! Relationship has been restored. A new hunger. A new thirst. New desires, -new dreams. A new recognition and realization- “every word of God is pure!” He is a shield to those who trust in Him”
The written and implanted words of God are bearing fruit and becoming incarnated into my own existence. A new access! We have a new access to the very thrown of God, (who, btw) is “our Father!” When you pray, (oh yes, I almost forgot!- a new desire to pray!- I love to pray!- anytime, any place!- Yes, now, to) “pray without ceasing!”
~ What do the scriptures say? ~ (do we need a “tat?”) Remember, ~ “if any man” be *in Christ* he (or she) is a new creation. Old things have disappeared, and—Look!—all things have become new! ~ (2 Corinthians 5:17) Oh, yes.. how we do err – not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God! (Matthew 22.29)
Are you (sumdumguy inquired again) *in Christ?* – Are you “in?”
~ Here (in Christ!) there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all ~
~Henceforth know we no man after the flesh ~ (??)
Are you rich? poor? black? white? Republican? a Jew? A plumber? Female? Educated?- No. None of these. The question of questions is: Are you (sir or m’am), today
– *in Christ?*
This idea began to show itself to me when I realized that the Pharisees didn’t accuse Yeshua of plucking grain or not washing before eating, only His disciples. Apparently He kept even some of the oral traditions.
Boyarin also explains in his book “The Jewish Gospels” that there were apparently people in the land all along that had continued to practice Torah according the ancient ways of their forefathers. The Pharisees were a sort of reform movement that developed in Babylon who sought to conform all of Israel to their halacha (practices) which caused great conflict between groups. It’s something to consider in light of the Gospel accounts.
This conflict continues in Judaism even to this day. Christians divide over doctrines, Jews over halacha.
You write “He taught his followers to observe all that the Pharisees taught from the “seat of Moses” (Matt. 23:2-3)”. I beg to differ 🙂
This is one of those thing I could not quite get my head around as Jesus warns his follower about the leaven of the Pharisees, being their teachings.
And reading some of their teachings I was amazed that Jesus would tell his followers to listen to them, because they did not teach the Torah. As Jesus also scorns them for.
I came across a Hebrew version of Matthew, and it writes that Jesus says “do as he says” and the he being Moses. So Jesus in effect says that they sit on Moses seat, well then do as Moses says. And this makes more sense as Jesus was returning the people to the truth.
Heiki, I just came across your comment regarding the seat of Moses in a quote from my book, Torn God Crying. I believe you are referring to Nehemia Gordon’s translation of the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew. If you read further (pp. 51-52) you will see that I too discussed the translation you suggest, as shown in the following:
“… Nehemia Gordon, in his own translation of Shem-Tov’s Hebrew Gospel of Matthew, makes this passage even more specific to following the Torah of Moses, and not the added laws and traditions of the Pharisees:
“(2) The Pharisees and sages sit upon the seat of Moses.
(3) Therefore, all that he says to you, diligently do, but according to their reforms (takanot) and their precedents (ma’asim) do not do, because they talk but they do not do.”
In the Hebrew Matthew, Yeshua is telling his disciples not to obey the Pharisees. If their claim to authority is that they sit on Moses’ seat, then diligently do as Moses says!” (Gordon, The Hebrew Yeshua 48)”
More recently, in the teaching that Skip offered us from their trip to Israel, Rabbi Bob Gorelik dismissed Gordon’s translation as a deliberate discrediting of the Rabbis.
No matter which translation we consider correct, the conclusion we reach is that we are to follow the halacha of Moses, which Yeshua and the Rabbis teach, not the reforms (takanot) and their precedents (ma’asim).
Thank you for your reply.
It is true that I have also read Nehemia Gordon’s take on the mentioned passage, but I learned of this understanding about ten years ago, long before I had heard of Nehemia.
I have also had the pleasure of listening to Rabbi Bob Gorelik, but if we read what Jesus had to say about the rabbi’s of his day, Nehemia is not the one doing the discrediting.
To me that understanding is more in line with what Jesus was all about; get back to the Torah 🙂
I’ll look up your book.
Thank you, heiki.