“The Torah and Gentiles”
By Bob Gorelik
The Torah was not “invented” at Mt. Sinai. Since it reflects the character of God, it was woven into the fabric of the universe at Creation. And, it is not just for the Jewish people. Not only are there seven principles, sometimes referred to as the “Noahide Commandments,” that all nations are obligated to observe—throughout Jewish history, there have been Gentiles with a heart for God who have attached themselves to Israel and observed the Commandments given to them as well. This is attested to by the Rabbis in (among other places):
Sifre Deuteronomy, #343; Yalkut Shemoni, Berakhah, #9511
“At His right hand was a fiery law unto them” (Deut. 33:2). The verse asserts that words of Torah are likened to fire. As fire was given from heaven, so were words of Torah given from heaven. (Israel were told, “Ye yourselves have seen that I talked with you from heaven” [Exod. 20:22].) Even as fire is life for the world, so words of Torah are life for the world. Fire: close up to it, one is scorched; away from it, one is chilled; near but not too near, one enjoys it. So are words of Torah: as long as a man labors in them, they are life for him; but when he separates himself from them, they slay him. Even as fire is made use of in this world and in the world-to-come, so words of Torah are made use of in this world and in the world-to-come. Even as fire when used leaves a mark on a man’s body, so words of Torah when used leave a mark on the body. Fire: they who work with it are readily distinguishable from other mortals. So, too—by their walk, by their speech, by their garments in the marketplace—disciples of the wise are just as readily distinguishable.
1 Sifre Deuteronomy and Yalkut Shimoni are Midrashim (sing. Midrash)—from the Hebrew, “investigation, interpretation, or exposition.” Most Midrashim are continuous exegetical commentaries on books of the Hebrew Bible.
Sifre Deuteronomy, #306; Yalkut Shemoni, Haazinu, #942
“My doctrine shall drop as the rain” (Deut. 32:2). Even as rain gives life to the world, so words of To-rah give life to the world. But while some people in the world rejoice in rain, others are grieved by it. Thus he whose pit or vat is full of wine, or his threshing floor full of grain, is distressed by rain. Is the same true of words of Torah? [No indeed], for Scripture goes on to say, “My speech shall distill as the dew” (Deut. 32:2). As all people in the world—all—rejoice in dew, so all people in the world, in all of it, rejoice in words of Torah.
“As showers upon the tender grass” (Deut. 32:2)—as showers coming down upon blades of grass raise them up and make them grow, so words of Torah raise up those who study them and make them grow. “And droplets upon the herb” (ibid.)—as the droplets that come down upon herbs re-fresh them and make them beautiful, so words of Torah refresh those who study them and make them beautiful.
This perspective is obviously based, in part, on the words of the Prophet Isaiah:
2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains … and all nations (gôyim [gentiles]) will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion … 4 He will judge between the nations … They will beat their swords into plowshares … (Isa 2:2-4).
7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations (gôyim); 8 he will swallow up death forever … (he) will wipe away the tears from all faces … 9 In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us” (Isa 25:7-9).
And, on the words of Yeshua too:
18 Then Yeshua came to (his disciples) and said, “… 19 go and make disciples of all nations … 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Mat 28:18-19).
Topical Index: Bob Gorelik, Torah, Gentiles, rabbis
The purpose of the Torah? To establish righteousness. (Rightly-related living) “Do” these things and you shall live. “Don’t” (do) and death (separation or sin) will occur. I had not known “sin” except by the Law. The Law says “do” and the Law also says “don’t do.” The Law (Torah) is established (forever) by YHWH. “Do” (or keep) these things, and you shall live.
But Houston (and all other cities and towns upon this green planet) we (all) have a problem. There is NONE (Jew or Gentile) who has kept the Torah “perfectly.” With, of course, the exception of One- Jesus Christ THE Righteous (One). He is (my Jewish and Gentile friends) the only “Perfect Man” EVER to have lived. Moshe? (sinner) Adam? (sinner) Abraham? (sinner) Peter? (sinner) and Me? (sinner)
ALL HAVE SINNED. The whole world (Jews included) IS guilty before YHWH. The problem is not so much the keeping of the Torah. (What a good boy I am) but to “err” in one point is to be guilty of all. Friends, it is not the quantity of sin (I’m not as “bad” as he or she is), but the FACT of sin remains. Just “how holy” is God that ONE SIN can (and does) separate us from Him? One sin (and only one) will separate us (sinners) from our God who is thrice holy.
Case in point. One tall glass of water for a thirty soul- infused with (only) one drop of gasoline. Any takers? Nope. We want our water to be “pure” and without this “poison”/sin. Heaven is a perfect (sinless) place and our God is a holy God. Only one thing and one thing only separates man from God and that one thing is sin or transgression of the Torah- the Law of the LORD. Mind you, there is nothing wrong with the Torah. The Law of the LORD is PERFECT! (but) we are not. We ALL have transgressed the holy LAW and “the whole world” is “in the eyes of the LORD” -guilty as charged. There is NONE righteous- NO- NOT ONE. (with, again, the exception of ONE).
Are we sinners? Yes. (just the facts m’am) – we ALL have done what we should not do and (as if to make matters worse) we have also NOT done what we should (according to the Torah) do! Sins of commission and sins of omission! Any which way we choose to look at it- (just the facts) we are sinners. There ARE no “perfect people!” ONE, and only ONE “perfect Man” kept the Torah of YHWH “perfectly”.
Now we are ready for all “excuses..” and “reasons.” But, (we may say) I’m a good man, or “I’m not as “bad” as he or she is. Don’t measure by the drunk in the gutter or the “loose” lady! NO. Not at all! Our standard is? Christ Himself! Do you (now) “measure up?” Friends, we (all) have been “weighed in the balances and found wanting.” We (as in everyone who draws breath- BOTH Jew and Gentile) are sinners. (just the facts) Sinners R Us.
What we now need is a solution for sin. Enter (praise God!) the Christ . Our Savior, our Redeemer and THE solution for sin. Everything (everything) we need for salvation and everything we (all) need for sanctification and everything we need for life and for rightly-related living is to be found in the ONE SOURCE for all mankind, our ONE Mediator between God and man- the Man Christ Jesus- Yeshua HaMashiach- Christ, OUR Redeemer!
There are two “kinds” of people in this world. (only two). Saved or lost. It is NOT Jew or Gentile (Greek). It is not (even) male or female. It is to be (either) *in Christ* or not. He has said (shall we call Him who is the Truth) a liar? I should hope not! ~without Me, -you (sir or m’am) can do what? (NOTHING). Without Him we have no hope. With Him we have all hope, and confident expectation. Listen again (perhaps for the first time) to the words of the Forerunner, John the Immerser, ~ Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the (?). The Jews (only?) No. The Greeks (only?) No. The sins of the world. Christ IS the one Way. Christ IS the one Truth. And friends (everywhere) Christ is the One LIfe!- for He has said (shall we call Him who is the Truth, a liar?)- “I AM come that you might have life!- and have it (exceedingly) abundantly!” – (Can I get a witness?)
@Carl- Yes you can! Excellent post Carl and well said.
Paul’s words in Romans 7 (and elsewhere) seem to make more sense if he was referring to Deuteronomy 28. His life makes it clear that he did not see the entire law as passed away or ‘non-binding’, however, there are verses where he seems to be promoting exactly that.
But could it be, that he was simply wanting people to pass over from the curses/death (contained in the Law) to the blessings/life (contained in the Law). This would make a lot of sense out of Paul’s talking both positively and negatively about the law.
Couple of comments: Augustine is the one responsible for suggesting that Romans 7 is Paul’s personal story and the story of every convert. Paul makes no such claim and his life says otherwise. Romans 7 is a typical Greek “straw man” argument to make a point.
Also, I would not say the law “contains” curses/death but rather that disobedience to the law entails the same. The law, by all accounts, is good and just and holy. It is disobedience that is the problem.
Yes, I should have said, “The Torah contains [warnings of] curses/death”.
But I was also thinking of Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the CURSE OF THE LAW by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”
“The curse of the Torah.” – might sound like we need to evolve past the “old and oppressive ways” of the Torah,…. unless this is taken as a reference to Deuteronomy 28 and the curses of disobedience. In this case Christ came to deliver us from disobedience to Torah.
Similarly, if I ask to be delivered from the ‘curse of my marriage’ – I might be understood as wanting out of my marriage. However, what I really want is to be released from what is painful and oppressive in my marriage, but not the marriage itself.
For the record: My wife is a wonderful, amazing, and non-oppressive woman. 🙂
— It is disobedience that is the problem— Disobedience has always been the problem! From the time Adam and his beloved disobeyed the clear instructions of Elohim (don’t eat the fruit) and right on down through the centuries- even until today. Our Bible clearly states: “to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (I Samuel 15.22)
What God wants, -what any “father” desires is obedient children! Who (btw) was the most “obedient” Man ever to have lived? (Helpful household hint) He never (once) sinned! In His words? (if only these were mine!) – “I always do those things that please the Father!” (John 8.29). A sinless, fully Torah-obedient life. Wow!
And again, His words: “Which of you convinces Me of sin?’ If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?” (John 8.46). Yes, Jesus Christ *THE* Righteous. (1 John 2.21). – A totally innocent Man was crucified on Calvary’s cross, – but why?
Skip, thanks for this blog from Bob Gorelik
God’s use of fire is intriguing. If I remember correctly, I think at some point He called Himself a fire. He appeared in a fiery bush to Moses and led Israel in a pillar of fire. And in the blog Bob pointed out the God calls Torah a fiery Law!
Could it be that the “lake of fire” in Revelation is not a literal physical fire at all! There is a Scripture in the Book of Malachi that would lend credence to the notion. Malachi had been blasting the corruption in the Levitical priesthood of his day and heavily indicted them in his letter. But then speaking of the second coming of Messiah he says: “For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver till they present right offerings to YHVH.” (Mal.3:2-3)
Note that Malachi does not say that the sons of Levi will be annihilated by this refiner’s fire. Rather, they will continue to be refined by God’s fiery Law, being taught by Yashua Himself until they learn to make offerings properly using God’s protocols found in Torah. More food for thought to fire up the “eternal torment” and annihilationisn crowd
Shalom
Beautiful TWs, toda Skip for posting this from Bob! So appreciate it.: -)
“The Torah was not “invented” at Mt. Sinai. Since it reflects the character of God, it was woven into the fabric of the universe at Creation.” Wow, how inspiring.
Sadly, this not so in our bringing forth of our kids, the disciplining has to be instilled from the start.
“Fire: they who work with it are readily distinguishable from other mortals. So, too—by their walk, by their speech, by their garments in the marketplace—disciples of the wise are just as readily distinguishable.” That is exactly what worship means!
It often shocks me to walk into a congregation where some women wear revealing low cut tops or dresses or too-short skirts, though these are not the focal issues, which are the attitudes of control and suppression of individual expression, and wishy-washy standards that are upheld with no fear of the One they ‘serve’. :- (
“So are words of Torah: as long as a man labors in them, they are life for him; …”
This would be the initial stage of the learning and growing process. The more we hunger for Him, His ways, the more will we be given/fed, and be matured by Him.
Thank you, Bob!
Shalom.
A must listen to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks- The State of the Jewish World Address
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r9ZcMsemp0&feature=youtu.be
http://youtu.be/3r9ZcMsemp0
Amein! Enjoy!