THE EVERLASTING REQUIREMENT

A bedrock scripture to this topic is found in Leviticus where it is stated;

For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
[Leviticus 17:11]

And in the apostolic writings, we read;

…and without shedding of blood is no remission.
[Hebrews 9:22b]

No where in scripture can we find where this requirement has ever changed, yet something happened 2,000 years ago that did change, and that is man’s ability to fulfill this requirement as prescribed. The very center of the Hebrew faith fell out altogether when the Temple was destroyed and the priesthood along with all of Israel was scattered. Without a Temple, a priesthood and the proper sacrifices it is impossible to observe the Torah commands required for the forgiveness of sin.

We are left with only two possible choices:
1. HaShem still requires all those sacrifices and yet He has taken away the ability to do them, meaning that everybody is in very big trouble.
2. HaShem has done something new and revolutionary. He has completed the old and brought about something new. He has at last brought to fullness the sacrifices which were only meant to be shadows of the suffering servant, Mashiach ben Yosef.

SHADOWS FROM GENESIS AND THROUGHOUT

A universal practice of blood atonement and a substitute sacrifice for wrong doing appears to have been an innate belief mysteriously built into the psyche of every tribe and nation known to man. Like the artifacts of various ancient civilizations that show a common thread that leads back to the story of a catastrophic world wide flood, the idea that men can somehow atone for their sins, or perhaps “appease the gods” as it were, by the shedding of blood, is yet another witness that speaks of mankind’s common ancestry.

The theme of blood and a substitute sacrifice begins in Genesis when HaShem took the life of an innocent animal to clothe man and woman with “coats of skins” [Genesis 3:21]. The price of sin was death; the death of an innocent life. This surely made an impression on the hearts of our first parents and the fact that this understanding was passed on to their children is evident in the account of Abel and his offering in the next chapter where we are told that HaShem had “respect unto Abel and his offering” [Genesis 4:4]. Why was the Blood of this lamb pleasing to HaShem? What did Abel understand about choosing the finest of the flock for a sacrifice?

Again, in the account of Abraham and Isaac on Mt. Moriah, we see the hint of the theme of Blood atonement and substitution. The ram caught in the thicket is sacrificed in place of Isaac and in fact, all of Israel in his loins yet to be born [Genesis 22:13]. Again, in the account of the Exodus, the specification of taking “a lamb without blemish” in chapter 12:5 speaks of a perfect sacrifice and once again, we see the nation of Israel saved by Blood atonement and substitution. In this Exodus account, we also see the element of personal application. Only the household that personally applied the Blood was spared the loss of their firstborn [Exodus 12:22-23]. We have to take the Blood for ourselves. It’s up to each of us what we personally do with the Lamb that HaShem provides.
Like book ends, substitutionary Blood atonement marks the beginning and the ending of the annual cycle; the Passover Lamb in the spring and the two goats of Yom Kippur as well as the seventy bulls at Sukkot in the fall. In fact, the morning and evening sacrifices of “two lambs of the first year day by day continually” [Exodus 29:38-39] served as a constant reminder of the necessity of the Blood atonement.
Abel choosing the finest, the Passover lamb without spot or blemish, and lambs of the first year all speak to us of a precious and perfect sacrifice. But the blood of animals was merely a type and shadow of the coming One to be sacrificed.

NOTHING LESS THAN A PERFECT SACRIFICE

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own Blood He entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats , and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the Blood of Messiah who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to Elohim, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim.
[Hebrews 9:12-14]

Yet it pleased HaShem to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief: when You shall make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of HaShem shall prosper in His hand.
[Isaiah 53:10]

Only a perfect sacrifice will do. The blood can not save you unless it is shed from a perfect sacrifice. Remember, the life is in the blood, and like produces like. It is amazing to see how the sins of the fathers pass to the sons and daughters. Environment does play a part in how children turn out, but studies have proven remarkably much is simply in the genes. Sin is in our DNA. It is also a well known scientific fact that our blood type is determined by our father. Some would have us believe that the Messiah is not the unique and divine Son, but merely the Son of Joseph (or the son of King David by a sperm preserved miraculously then implanted in Miryam’s womb as I have recently heard in a new twist of heresy). Both King David and Joseph inherited the disease of a sin nature from the blood line of Adam, so how then would Y’shua be free of our Adamic disease and be a perfect offering for sin? Consider this as well; scripture is clear on the point that no mere man can pay for the sins of another.

None can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to Elohim a ransom for him: For the redemption of their soul is precious and it ceases forever: That he should still live forever, and not see corruption.
[Psalm 49:7-9]

As Abraham told Isaac, “HaShem will provide Himself the Lamb” [Genesis 22:8] not an angel, as Jehovah’s Witnesses teach, and not just a mere man as NCCI, The Way International, Unity and many others teach, but HaShem Himself. How else would the sacrifice be perfect? That is the ONLY way it could ever work.

PESHITTA ON THE BLOOD

The Peshitta, (the original Aramaic Brit Chadashah) tells it plainly concerning the precious Blood of Y’shua. “MarYah” is the Aramaic equivalent to The Divine Name in Hebrew and is used  over 30 times in direct reference to Y’shua. (see my teaching on UNEQUIVOCAL EVIDENCE IN THE ARAMAIC PESHITTA or go to www.aramaicnt.com)

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of MarYah unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of MarYah.
[I Cor. 11:27]

…to feed the church of Elohim, which He has purchased with His Own Blood.
[Acts 20:28]

The commandment to us not to eat the blood of a creature in Leviticus 17:14 is key to understanding John 6:53 where Y’shua gives us one of His hardest words causing many to no longer follow Him.

Timeless Truth I tell you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you.
[John 6:53]

This is a divine declaration. He is telling us who He is and that He doesn’t want us to feed upon any other life, for there is no life apart from the True. We are not to whore with other so-called “Elohim” but feed upon Him who is the Lamb, the True Bread from heaven.

LIQUID INTO SPIRIT

Clearly, HaShem requires the Blood to cleanse us from sin. We are also somehow to feed upon that Blood for it is life eternal to those who will drink. What does all of this mean in tangible terms? How do we apply the Blood? How do we drink it? How does HaShem get the Blood to us?
To modern Torah-only Hebrews and Jewish ears, it is considered barbaric to need blood. It is a foreign thing to them and yet nothing is so totally Hebrew than being saved by the Blood. The fact that it seems strange to their ears is testimony that Y’shua is the Messiah because it is only since He came that the offerings stopped. If Y’shua had not been the promised Messiah, the prophecy in Daniel would not have come to pass, the offerings would have continued and Blood atonement would have remained very familiar to Hebrew/Jewish ears. The prophet Daniel spoke of the day when Messiah would come, that He would be killed, bringing the final atonement and everlasting righteousness, sacrifices would cease, and the Temple would be destroyed (Daniel 9:24-26).

So shall He sprinkle many nations…
[Isaiah 52:15a]

In this verse, Isaiah uses a word found in Leviticus concerning the duties of the High Priest. The priest would sprinkle/nazah the blood and here it says Messiah will sprinkle/nazah many nations. How is this done?

How many walked away from Y’shua when He told them they must eat His flesh and drink His Blood to obtain eternal life (John 6:54). This was a hard word, but Y’shua gave the understanding;

It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life.
[John 6:63]

The life of a creature is in the blood…
[Leviticus 17:11]

At Golgotha, the creature was the Lamb of Yah, MarYah made flesh, and His life was shed upon the world to atone for the sin of every man. HaShem has taken the sacrifice outside the Temple walls to sprinkle many nations. The liquid is Spirit and it is the Life of HaShem Himself poured out.

Blood = Spirit = Life

Now, look at this:

How much more shall the Blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to Elohim…
[Hebrews 9:14a]

The first Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit….The first man was of the earth, earthy: the second man is MarYah from Heaven.
[I Cor. 15:45 & 47]

He whose origin is from days of eternity (Micah 5:2), the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev.13:8), He whom the Father had prepared a Body for (Hebrews 10:5 & Psalm 40:6), the Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) became our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizadek (Hebrews 5:5-6), the perfect One, to sacrifice Himself (Hebrews 9:26) by the shedding of His one of a kind precious Blood; the last Adam shedding the very blood of HaShem for the sins of us all. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3)? The Blood of Messiah is the Blood, the Spirit, the Life of HaShem…a power beyond any sin, so great is its cleansing flow.
No amount of books or songs could ever be enough to express the awesome wonder of His love for us, to sprinkle many nations with His Blood, His Spirit, His Life that saves us, restores us to a right relationship, and makes all things new.

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the Blood, power in the Blood
You can of Satan a victory win
Because there’s wonderful power in the Blood

Are you washed in the Blood?
In the soul cleansing Blood of the Lamb
Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow
Are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb?

It will never lose its power…..

ELS (Equadistant-letter-sequence) ON THE BLOOD

In the phrase, “the voice of your brother’s blood”/ “kol d’mai achkah” in Genesis 4:9-10, there is an ELS starting with the Mem in d’mai counting every 7th letter; it spells “Mashiach em’met”/ “Messiah the Truth.”

In Leviticus 20:27 concerning people who sin by divination, starting with the first Dalet counting every 7th letter from left to right spells “dam Y’shua”/ “the Blood of Y’shua.”

And he that is the high priest among his brothers, upon whom the oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes; neither shall he go into any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother; Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his Elohim; for the crown of the anointing oil of his Elohim is upon him: I Am HaShem.
[Lev.21:10-12]

In this passage, counting from right to left every 3rd letter, starting with the first Heh spells “hain dam Y’shua”/ “Behold the Blood of Y’shua.”

“Ha’miqreh Y’shua”/ “the event of Y’shua” is a 77 letter count starting with the first Heh in Leviticus 17:1 with “moreh, teacher of righteousness; early rain” in the adjacent letters to Y’shua’s name.

Ian Kalev Michaels

HaShem’s Word teaches us how to live in the present so we are prepared for the future. The future is going to happen, it has been happening ever since the beginning of time and will continue to happen until the end of time, there is nothing we can do or say that will change this fact. Worrying about the future, living in fear of what might happen takes our focus away from the present…and, in extreme cases, can actually cause us to violate one of the basic precepts of Torah: Being a light to the world. A cursory survey of Scripture will show even the majority of the teachings of the Prophets where not focused on far off or End-Time matters, they were focused on real life, real time changes that needed to be made to stave off or totally turn back the wrath and discipline of HaShem. In fact the overwhelming majority of Scripture deals with instructions, lessons and changes YOU can make in YOUR present to make YOUR future better. It is an instruction manual for your everyday life.

Concentrating each and every day on living our lives better, in a manner more in line with the teachings of Scripture does more to prepare us for the future than any amount of planning and stockpiling ever can. Scripture tells us bad things are going to happen and even tells us why bad things are going to happen. It also tells us to be aware and not to be afraid. We have been given the tools to survive and thrive during bad times. We have been given the knowledge and discernment to understand what is going on around us and how it will affect us…and more importantly: how we are supposed to respond so we might show the mercy of HaShem through our compassion, actions and reactions.

In Jewish thought and teaching it is held there is a deadline for the coming of the Messiah, and through our individual actions of kindness and upholding HaShem’s commandments we can hasten or move that deadline closer. It is also taught the deadline is purposely shrouded in mystery so each generation may experience the same level of hope, longing and joy that is brought about through faith in the promise. The Talmud (a collection of Jewish teachings) roundly condemns anyone who tries to calculate or speculate on the coming of the Messiah (although that has not stopped many from doing so). One of the main reasons given for this prohibition is the building of false hope. False hope, brought about by a failure to realize or experience something you believe in deeply and passionately, is the surest path to the absence of hope and, Heaven forbid, an absence of faith. Buying into, or worse yet, perpetuating these speculations does more harm than good to you, your family, your friends, your loved-ones…and more importantly the countless number of people touched by your actions.

My End-Time Teaching:

Having said all of the above, I am going to wade into the deep end and give you my End-Time teaching:

The End is in fact coming and here is the most important thing you can do to prepare: Study the Word, pray, live the commandments and stay involved in your community, both your spiritual community and the secular community in which you live.

Being involved in your secular community, being aware of what is happening in the world around you will give you insights and clues into how to apply the Word of HaShem to your daily life. Staying involved in your spiritual community gives you the opportunity to learn and teach though actions how to cope with the changing world around you in a Biblically based manner. Studying and praying keeps you in touch with HaShem and allows Him to speak to you through heightened understanding and eye-opening wisdom. Finally, living the commandments gives you practical experience in being a better and brighter light to the world as you have been called to be.

Warning Signs to Watch For:

As you are approached with yet another End-Time Teaching here are some tips for separating the truth from the distractions:

1. Does the teaching contain overt fear mongering? Are they preaching doom and gloom, are they capitalizing on the increased level of fear they are able to master in you and others? If so…run…run as fast as you can and don’t look back! HaShem is not the author of this type of fear and confusion. If the “teaching” inspires fear it is straight from the pit of hell and not worth even a second of your time.
2. Does the teaching reveal an “US vs. THEM” mentality…if so, regardless of whether you feel you are an US or a THEM…run…run as fast as you can and don’t look back! HaShem’s desire is “am echad” – one people, there is no room in a single people for US or THEM.
3. Does the teaching introduce a new and unsettling interpretation of Scripture, does it seem to bend the Word of HaShem to fit a point and purpose that leaves you feeling uneasy and wary? If so, study the Word on your own, away from those who are trying to persuade you, pray through your studies and follow the leading of HaShem in your life. He has blessed you with a gift of discernment, enjoy it and use it wisely.

Wrapping it up:

Rejoice, for the time of HaShem is at hand, we are closer today than we have ever been…and if we are blessed with tomorrow, we will be closer still. You have been blessed to live in this time and this season, enjoy it, revel in it, and live the commandments daily that we may hasten the coming of the Messiah!

3 Tevet, 5770 / 20 December 2009
Rabbi Paul
B’Kol Echad

If some one is a Believer in Messiah Yeshua – Jesus the Messiah or other circumlocution’s we might choose. Believers are NOT “what ever flavor”. These are our brothers and sisters. They are members of the Body of Messiah.

If they are saved by the Blood of the Messiah, by Grace then they are our brothers and sisters. We do not always agree with their theology, or their choice of Denomination, but until the Most High G-d tells us they are otherwise, any derogatory comment, or name we apply to them is Lashon Hara.

We can and do openly come against teaching we do not agree with, and when we bring scriptural citation and reasoned discussion this is highly acceptable. But when we belittle some one by attacking them personally it becomes a violation of G-d’s laws.

Christians, Messianic Jews, Messianic Believers, Believers, Hebrew Christians, Messianic Hebrews are acceptable terms and there are more.

Xians, Xtians, Messy’s, Judys, SNer, Yah-Yah’s are not acceptable as well as dozens of others.

Tasteless descriptors and the like are again against G-d’s laws and lashon hara.

On Jerusalem Council we discuss doctrines, dogmas, halakha, Torah. We often will discuss and dissect teachings of various movements, religious beliefs, sects, denominations. We can do this in a respectful way and with out violating G-d’s laws. If we can not do so we do not need to post.
We should never post in anger, or with contempt. To do so would be against G-d’s laws.

*The following Teaching may only be quoted in it’s entirety with copyright notice intact, it is used by permission*

Lashon Hara
The Evil Tongue
There are Jewish laws that apply even to one’s speech, and one who endeavors to abide by these laws will notice a tremendous difference in not just how he speaks, but also in how he acts and feels toward others.
There are many different kinds of speech that are “non-kosher” and best to avoid.

EVIL TALK (LASHON HARA)
The most common, and perhaps the most serious speech problem is lashon hara, literally, “evil talk.” It refers to any statement that is derogatory or potentially harmful to others — even if it is true. Although there are other distinctions in Jewish law, the term lashon hara is also popularly used to include tale bearing (rechilus) and slander (motzei shem ra) or spreading lies.
In simple terms, this means that one may not tell his friend that someone else did something wrong. Nor may one make a statement about someone that will bring physical, psychological or financial harm to that person. Any statement that will lower the subject in the eyes of the listener is to be avoided.
The above rules, however, do not apply in all situations.
There are situations where one is required to speak up, such as in warning about a prospective marriage or business partner. To know when to remain silent and when to speak up is the subject of an extensive body of law. By turning to the Torah for guidance, one can learn what should and should not be said in all situations.
Why is watching what one says so important? If you take a look at just about every broken marriage, shattered friendship, or ruined career, you’ll see that the damage was often caused by hatred. And where did that hatred come from? Often, it starts with a few hurtful words.

HURTFUL WORDS (Ona’as Devarim)

“The pen is mightier than the sword…” and words can cause more pain than any weapon.
The Torah says that the greatest pain in this world is embarrassment. One who embarrasses another so the person blushes is judged as if he spilled blood.
And one who embarrasses another so the person’s face becomes ashen and drained of blood is likened to a murderer.
Consider all the little comments we make all the time to our parents, spouses, co-workers, or children. One poorly chosen word spoken in anger can cause major damage in a relationship. This is why the Talmud suggests this formula for a good, long life:
There is no greater advice than silence.

DECEPTIVE TALK (GANEVAT DA’AT)
Fooling people with words is also problematic. Asking a salesman “How much is this item?” is deceptive if one has no intention of actually buying the item.
If you really need to know, be straight and say initially that you have no intention of buying.
In many other ways we mislead others through our speech, including flattery and boasting.

DISGUSTING SPEECH (NIVUL PEH)
Another kind of “non-kosher” speech is disgusting language. Included in this category are such things as curse words, off-color jokes, or negative innuendo.
What’s wrong with saying an occasional curse word?
The Torah teaches that the way one acts on the outside affects who one is on the inside. So even if a person is basically good, once he begins to speak in a crude way, his character will become negatively affected.
The more crude a person’s speech, the more crude he becomes.
Idle chatter also falls into this category of impure speech. A Jew shouldn’t talk just for the sake of talking. First, this often leads to gossiping about others, simply because a person has nothing better to say. Second, in Judaism there is a concept that each person is allotted a certain number of words in their lifetime. Who wants to waste them on idle chatter?

USE WORDS POSITIVELY
Speech becomes “kosher” when a person chooses to point out the good in others rather than the bad, when his words uplift others and to encourage and advise them.
“Kosher” speech is also categorized as speech that is free of expressions that are beneath a Jew’s dignity. He instead uses words that reflect the traits of humility, modesty, and loving kindness that are a manifestation of his soul.

THE KEY TO JEWISH UNITY
By giving the Jewish people guidelines to “kosher” speech, G-d has also given us a tremendous gift — the key to living peacefully together.
“Kosher” speech is the tool for preventing and neutralizing the anger, bitterness and jealousy that commonly exist between people. It brings in its place love, kindness and harmony, which unite the Jewish people with each other and, ultimately, with G-d.
Learning to use “kosher” speech is a very worthwhile investment. The benefits for oneself and for others make “kosher” speech a win-win choice.

Rabbinic Midrash
The Torah teaches of the punishment of leprosy, or tzaraas, which visits a person on account of his speaking “Lashon Hara”, derogatory remarks concerning another. The method for the Leprosy visiting the person is in stages. At first, Leprosy attaches itself to the person’s home. If the person heeds the warning and repents, it is gone. If not, it excels towards the person’s garments. Again, if one repents, it is gone. If not, it finally attaches to the person’s body.
The questions are, what is the purpose of this progression, and why these objects? Additionally, the Torah states that for one to be “micapare” or atoned, one must bring two birds, one is slaughtered, and its blood is caught in a bowl. The live bird is dipped therein along with a branch of hyssop and myrtle, and the live, bloodied bird is now set free over an open field. On the surface, this seems barbaric, or at the least, unintelligible. However, as we know G-d is the Designer of the Torah, and “all its ways are pleasant”, there must be a rational explanation for these required practices, and for the objects used in attempting to correct the person who spoke badly.

In order to understand how “mida k’neged mida” (measure for measure) works in this case, we must first understand the crime.

Speaking derogatorily against another has at its source, the desire for self affirmation of one’s greatness. An insecure person will usually be found degrading others, and in this manner, he is higher in his self- estimation by comparison. A secure individual however, will not concern himself with others, as this doesn’t effect his self estimation. Being secure, another’s level has no effect on his status. What then is the remedy for this egomaniac type of personality? To diminish his image of his self proclaimed, imagined grandeur with a realistic dose of self recognition that he is undesirable by others. Part of the need to elevate oneself is the desire to be loved by others. When this cannot be, as a leper is banished outside the camp of the Israelites, he is faced with the fact that he is not the great image he conjured, and he must eat his words of scorn.

G-d however tries to avoid the worst by hinting to the person that he has done wrong. G-d doesn’t send the Leprosy to the body first. He initially uses other vehicles with which the person identifies, viz., his home, and his clothing. G-d commences with the home, as this is further removed from the person, but specific enough to him so as to awaken him that there’s something distasteful in him that he should delve into. If the person is obstinate, G-d sends the leprosy to a closer object, his garments. This is more closely tied to one’s identity, and is more effective. But if not heeded to, G-d finally has the punishment of leprosy delivered to his body, undeniably him. We see from here G-d’s mercy, and intelligence in using that with which one will identify.

Parenthetically, these three objects, namely the house, clothes and body, are exactly where Mezuza, Tzitzit, and Tefilin abide. These are also tied to the idea of identification, but from a different angle.

Since G-d desires that one place their trust in Him, and not in their own strength, G-d created these three mitzvot (commands) to redirect where one places their trust.

Mezuza reminds one not to invest too much reliance in his home, as G-d should be recognized as the True Protector. The home is correctly viewed as a haven from the elements. But G-d desires that we act above the norm, meaning, that we have trust in His dominion of the world. So we place a reminder on the doorway, which is the best place for us to be reminded of G-d, as a doorway receives most of the activity of a home.

We are urged not to place too much importance on our dress, and therefore are commanded to wear tzitzit, fringes. Clothing again is an area where people derive identity, as people wear different styles to express themselves. Lastly, but most closely tied to our self identity is our bodies. One is most effected when something happens to his body, even if no pain is suffered. This is due to our false definition of what “man” is. Society tells us man equals body.

The Torah tells us that man equals intellect and love of G-d. Hence, we are commanded to wear tefilin. A reminder placed on our bodies that we should not invest too much worth here either.

These three, the home , clothes, and body are the three main areas where one identifies, and thus, the three areas where G-d therefore saw it fit to place reminders that G-d alone should be Who we depend on.

What are the ideas behind the two birds?

Besides correcting the person’s flaw of overestimation, he must also realize the damage done to the other.
Rashi states that birds are brought who chirp, to make clear that the crime had to do with his “chirping” like a bird. The one bird ( resembling the sinner) is dipped in the blood of the other bird (resembling the one humiliated by the speech) and let over an open field to demonstrate that just as his evil speech is irretrievable, so is this bloodied bird, “bloody speech” irretrievable.

As you cannot catch the same bird twice, so also he cannot catch his words which were let loose on the world. The damage is done, the “bird is loose”, a spoken word is irretrievable. This will hopefully give recognition to the person who spoke destructively and make clear his crime.

Knowing one’s sin is the first step to atonement.

Priestly Dressing
Even our priests were ‘on guard’ against Lashon Hara.
On the extensive description of the eight garments which the Torah gives us, we have also the description of the rabbis, who name each specific garment as protection to its wearer from an individual sin.

1. The inner garments guard against the urge to murder.
2. The pants, against the urge to form illicit relationships.
3. The turban, against haughtiness.
4. The belt, against illicit thoughts.
5. The breastplate, against incorrect judgments.
6. The ephod, a kind of vest, against idol worship.
7. The robe and incense were to guard against two kinds of lashon hara.

Yeshua’s Midrash (Matt 5)
“5:21 You have heard it said…”
One of the teachings of Judaism regarding Messiah (to this day), is that He will come and teach His people the deeper points of the Torah.
Yeshua does just this in the remaining verses of chapter five. He begins with the expression, “You have heard it said.” This He does both to draw his audience’s attention to a specific point, as well as to make a distinction between His opinion on a matter of Torah and any other(s) of His time.
He is offering His authoritative interpretations on how to follow the commandments. In the Judaism of Yeshua, these are called halakhic (hah-LAHK-ik) rulings. Later in this Gospel we will see Yeshua extending this authority to His apostles. We also see Paul issuing such halchic rulings in several of his epistles.
It is important to realize that Yeshua did not come to, “correct all the misguided teachings of the Pharisees.” (This thought is commonly expressed in religions that have little understanding of the Judaism of Yeshua’s time.) First, it should be noted that there was no dominating concensus among the Pharisees and other religious groups at that time. A brief look at the Pharasaic writings in the Talmud, show a diversity of opinion, including many that argue against each other.
This is called arguing for the sake of HaShem (G-d). Secondly, Yeshua actually supported most Pharasaic opinion on the Torah that eventually were captured in the text of the Talmud. Yeshua not only quoted and supported Pharisaic teaching, as seen in the chart above, He also upheld the religious authority of the Pharisees. He told the people to obey the Pharisees, as they “sat in Moses’ seat,” meaning their authority came from G-d. (Matthew 23:1-3)
There were two majority schools of Rabbinic thought at that time, the school of Rabbi Hillel and the school of Rabbi Shammai (both of whom had died prior to Yeshua’s ministry). Hillel was the grandfather of Gamliel, who was the leader of the Sanhedrin and who taught the apostle Paul. Hillel’s teachings were thought to be more liberal than those of Shammai, which were considered more strict. As we will see, throughout the Gospels, Yeshua is often agreeing with an already existing Pharasaic interpretation of Scripture.
The main point is that Yeshua’s comments are within the framework of Pharasaic discussion. Unfortunately, the term “Pharisee” has a totally negative meaning today, even though many Pharisees were G-dly men and some followed Yeshua – (i.e., Paul, Nicodemus, and the factions mentioned in Acts 15 and Luke 13:31). As uncomfortable as many would find hearing this — Yeshua Himself would have been regarded as a Pharisee. When the Pharisees went out to question John the Baptist about who John was, he said that one among THEM (the Pharisees) was the Messiah to come (John 1:26-27).
The Pharisees themselves were highly critical of one another, saying there were “seven kinds of Pharisees,” and not all were good. (1) The disciples of Hillel went so far as calling those of Shammai, “sons of Satan,” in a similar fashion to what Yeshua called some of them. (2) When we see Yeshua rebuking the Pharisees, it is very much a “family argument,” and needs to be understood as such.
In Matthew verses 21-48, Yeshua brings up a number of issues surrounding actual commandments. As we will see, he often quotes directly from the Talmudic writings of the Pharisees. He is addressing the “fences” (safeguards) placed around the Torah — in some case supporting the ones the Pharisees put in place — in other places he offers His own “fences.”
Matt 5:21 Thou shall not kill …
This is a direct commentary on the sixth commandment (which is actually against “murder,” and not “killing”). Note that when He says, But I say unto you, He is not canceling the commandment, as murder is still sin and will bring judgment. Rather, He is showing that in addition to following the letter of the commandments, one should go beyond the minimum requirements as we grow in our relationship with G-d.
Matt 5:22 … But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother …
This comment is on the heels of 5:13-21 where Yeshua says he is teaching Torah “correctly” (in its fullness) to His Jewish audience, so that they can take this Torah out to the world.

Yeshua makes a connection between murder in verse 21, and “speaking evil” of someone in verse 22. This was not a “new teaching,” but had been greatly overlooked by that time. Such “evil speaking” is called speaking “Lashon Hara” (Evil Tongue) against a person, and is equated with murder throughout Jewish literature. The book of “James” (Ya’akov is his real name), it also speaks of the subject of “the tongue” to great length (See James 3).

Yeshua is reminding the people that “character assassination” is as bad a “physical assassination” in G-d’s sight. This is the higher level of Torah that He taught — All part of His greater command to “Love one another.”
This is also the first of many examples we will show of Yeshua supporting Pharisaic Talmud:
Babylonian Talmud, Bava Mezia 58b – One who shames the face of his fellow, it is as if he has murdered him.

The Torah Speaks to Lashon Hara :

Negative Commandments Relating to Lashon Hara
1. “You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people” (Vayikra 19:16)
2. “You shall not utter a false report” (Shmot 23:1)
3. “Take heed concerning the plague of leprosy” (Dvarim 24:8)
4. “Before the blind do not put a stumbling block” (Vayikra 19:14)
5. “Beware lest you forget the Lord, your G-d” (Dvarim 8:11)
6. “You shall not profane My holy name” (Vayikra 22:32)
7. “You shall not hate your brother in your heart” (Vayikra 19:12)
8. “You shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people” (Vayikra 19:18)
9. “One witness shall not rise up against a man for iniquity or for any sin” (Dvarim 19:15)
10. “You shall not follow a multitude to do evil” (Shmot 23:2)
11. “You shall not act similar to Korach and his company” (Bamidbar 17:5)
12. “You shall not wrong one another” (Vayikra 25:17)
13. “(You shall rebuke your neighbor) and you shall not bear sin because of him” (Vayikra 19:17)
14. “Any widow or orphan shall you not afflict” (Shmot 22:21)
15. “You shall not pollute the land wherein you are” (Bamidbar 35:33)
16. “You shall not curse the deaf” (Vayikra 19:14)

Positive Commandments Relating to Lashon Hara
1. “Remember what the Lord you G-d did until Miriam by the way as you came forth out of Egypt” (Dvarim 24:9)
2. “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18)
3. “In righteousness shall you judge your neighbor” (Vayikra 19:15)
4. “If your brother be waxen poor and his means fail him when he is with you, then you shall uphold him” (Vayikra 25:35)
5. “You shall rebuke your neighbor” (Vayikra 19:17)
6. “To Him shall you cleave” (Dvarim 10:20)
7. “You shall fear My sacred place” (Vayikra 19:30)
8. “Before the gray-haired you shall rise up, and you shall honor the face of the old man” (Vayikra 19:32)
9. “You shall sanctify Him” (Vayikra 21:8)
10. “Honor your father and mother” (Shmot 20:12)
11. “The Lord your G-d shall you fear” (Dvarim 10:20)
12. “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them by the way when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Dvarim 6:7)
13. “From a false matter you shall keep yourself far” (Shmot 23:7)
14. “Walk in His ways” (Dvarim 28:9)

Guidelines:
Here are nine rules to remember:
1. It is lashon hara to convey a derogatory image of someone even if that image is true and deserved; it is slanderous (motzi shem ra) to do so when the image is false.
2. It is lashon hara to convey information about people that can cause them physical, psychological or financial harm.
3. It is lashon hara to embarrass people, even in jest, or to tell embarrassing things about them when they are not present.
4. Lashon hara is not limited to verbal communication; the written word, body language, innuendo, and the like can also be hurtful.
5. It is lashon hara to speak against a community, race, ethnic group, gender, or age group as a whole.
6. Do not relate lashon hara even to your spouse, close friends or relatives.
7. Do not repeat lashon hara even when it is common knowledge.
8. Avoid r’chilut (Gossip): Do not relate to people negative things others may say about them, for this may cause needless conflict.
9. Do not listen to lashon hara or r’chilut. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Guard Your Tongue!
Copyright © MZkn. Walter N.Thorpe, esq.

As Jesus said:

Luke 11:16 (and Matt 23:4)
Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

Notice if he had a problem with the burden, he would have stopped there, but instead he goes on to say that they don’t help them with the burden. It is the not helping with the burden that Jesus (Yeshua) has a problem with. What is the burden? Well, the “burden” he refers to does not refer to the experts in the law’s rules upon rules, fences upon fences, but to the Torah’s teaching of what the burden actually is (of those who sit in the seat of Moses):

Exodus 18:21
21 “And let them judge the people at all seasons; and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge themselves; so shall they make it easier for thee and bear the burden with thee.”

What was the burden that was too difficult for even Moses to carry alone, too difficult that even he needed to be yoked to others who would help him with it? That “burden” was in determining/teaching/knowing halacha for the people in accordance to the Torah, as Moses explains:

Exodus 18:14-16
14 “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek G-d’s will.

16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of G-d’s decrees and laws.”

The burden was to decide halacha and teach Torah to his people in the desert. To decide halacha and teach Torah, is the burden. The Torah, nor the rules of the Pharisees or experts in the law, was never the burden referred to by Jesus or the apostles (after all Paul considered himself a Pharisee even after writing Galatians!). The burden was the deciding and teaching. The deciding of halacha, and the act of teaching of the Torah.

After making a disciple, if one refuses to teach people how to keep the Torah, one effectively places a burden on the disciple to learn Torah for himself and to determine the burden of halacha on his own. This is wrong!!! In fact, according to the Torah, and to Jesus, and to Peter in Acts 15, one truly is not able to bear this responsibility alone. One truly is not able to decide halacha, and teach himself Torah alone. That is the point of knowing what the burden is, and why we need a yoke and why we need to be yoked to someone who will help!

As it is written even of Moses:

Exodus 18:18
18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.”

Thus a yoke is required to share the burden of determining (coming to know) halacha (way of walking out Torah – of being a disciple) and teaching it. Yeshua didn’t say that the burden was wrong! The burden is just that which we were not to bear alone. The burden is not wrong! The burden of deciding halacha, and teaching Torah is not wrong! What Yeshua said, is that one’s refusal to help a disciple with the burden of knowing halacha and learning Torah, is wrong.

Which is why Jesus says:

Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Yeshua offers himself (at the time then, and even with us now), to come alongside us and teach us halacha, and to teach us Torah (and in that order too!). Yet even then we are not called to be alone, as Moses himself shared the burden of deciding halacha and the teaching of Torah, with others.

So what is Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) burden? The same as Moses! To decide halacha (way of walking out Torah), and to teach the Torah to the people! This burden that he shares with us through his yoke, is the same burden as expected for everyone else to share! We are to know halacha and know the Torah with others (who meet the Torah’s qualifications for who we should be yoked with)! The burden is to know how to walk out the Torah, and teach others how to do the same! If this is Yeshua’s burden, then what is his yoke? The act of helping you walk with him, helping you stay obedient to the Torah, helping you to know halacha so that you may do it.

It is also written:

Deuteronomy 22:10
Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.

Meaning that one is not to put a Jew (ox) with a Gentile (donkey) in deciding halacha, and teaching Torah. This is also repeated concerning marriage in not being yoked with an unbeliever.

So then, when the Jerusalem Council comes together to consider the legal status of Gentile converts to HaDerech (The Way, a sect of Judaism), the charge is made by some believers who are Pharisees, that the new Gentile converts still have to get circumcised (converted to Judaism through a halachic ritual), meaning that they believed the new Gentile converts weren’t quite yet Jews able to fulfill the obligations upon Jews to learn/decide halacha and learn/teach the Torah with other Jews.

Peter, in addressing this rightly says:

Acts 15:9-10
9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. (meaning they don’t have to be converted in order to be recognized as one of us, since they are obviously one of us already by what the Spirit did).

10 Now then, why do you try to test G-d by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?

The Gentiles converts are not donkeys that still need to be converted into oxen! They are already oxen (according to G-d), like the Jews, and thus are able to share in the burden, that is they are able to share with other Jews the learning and deciding of halacha, and the learning and teaching of the Torah, equally now with all other Jews! By forcing the Gentile converts to go through the conversion ritual after the fact, in order to even have the right of fellowship among the Jewish believers, would be to assign them a forelorn place in learning and teaching halacha and Torah by themselves, a burden that no one one was able to bear, including Moses!

These second-class converts would be responsible for determining halacha (getting circumcised/converted first) and learning Torah on their own, outside of a synagogue, without the yoke of a fellow Jew to help (since Jews are not to associate with Gentiles), when G-d just did an amazing confirmation in which he proved that he sees them differently (and not as second-class converts) by putting his Spirit upon them- in that he sees them as equal with all other Jews – and thus can share in the burden (deciding halacha and teaching Torah) that the Jews carry among themselves!

Truly one is not able to bear the burden of deciding halacha, and teaching themselves Torah alone. Contrary even to what is done in most Messianic circles, who believe they can determine halacha, and teach themselves Torah by themselves; the Torah is clear that this is a burden that can not be carried alone. You must be yoked with other Jews in order to rightly carry the responsibility to learn, decide, and teach halacha and Torah, or else you will wind up like Moses who did a disservice to himself and to his disciples when he alone decided halacha and taught Torah – leaving himself worn out, and the people still standing, and not satisfied (with the bread of Messiah).

And if other Jews (in Messianic Judaism) do not recognize you as equal to this responsibility with them, then how will you ever learn the truth about Messiah and truly come to be satisfied with your walk of uncertain obedience? When you come to Messiah, you are made equal with a Jew. When you learn from a Jew (one who is a fellow believer since this too is part of the definition of being equally yoked) how to keep halacha, and learn the Torah, (and how both relate to the Messiah) you will find satisfaction as Moses and the people did when they shared the burden of learning and deciding and teaching halacha and Torah together:

Exodus 18:22-23
22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you (speaking of Messiah if Messiah is like Moses); the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.

23 If you do this and G-d so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Rabbi Yoseph explains the following:

22 “Let them judge the people at all times; (lit trans.: “They are to judge the people” Israel. The Targum put this in the imperative. They are to do it. Note that there is no court of appeals. Note also that they are to be the only court for the people to go to. They are not to go to a civil or pagan court.) and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. (If they cannot judge it, it is up to the judge to pass it on to the judge over him. If he makes a judgment, it is binding both on those it is passed upon but it also rests on his hand/head. He is held accountable before HaShem for his rulings.) So it will be easier for you, and they will bear (5375 nāśā˒: A verb meaning to lift, to carry, to take away.¹) the burden with you.

Num 11:16-17 16 The Lord therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 “Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear (5375) the burden (4853 maśśā˒: A masculine noun meaning a burden or load; by extension, a burden in the form of a prophetic utterance or oracle. It is derived from the verb nāśā˒ (5375) meaning to lift, to bear, to carry.²) of the people with you, so that you will not bear it (5375) all alone.

(Righteous rulers make it easier on all leaders as well as on the people of Israel. Unjust rulers are in and of themselves a burden both on other rulers, but also on Israel.)

Matt 23:1-4 1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. (We see that they were teaching the Torah.) 4 “They tie up heavy burdens (From the context of Matt 23 and comparing it to Ex 18:21ff and Num 11:16-17 we see that the “heavy burdens” they are laying on the children of Israel is that they were not teaching them “The Way” in whom they were to walk. We see that they were teaching them to act righteous, but that they were putting the burden of their salvation on their shoulders which is a burden they could not bear. This word for burden is only used 6 times in the Later Writings and in 5 of those uses it has this meaning. The other is in regard to the cargo of a ship and does not aid us in understanding this passage.) and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. (We are commanded to abide in their halakhah, their walk, but we are responsible for our salvation before HaShem. If they make unjust rulings we are to abide also and allow HaShem to be their judge. (Note as stated in other teachings, our submission to those in authority over us is to be complete. We do not however enter into sin. Daniel and his three friends are a great example. They were submitted to authority and were willing to suffer the consequences fully before those over them for walking in Torah when they were commanded not to. They did not enter into protests or rage, but rather remained submitted first to HaShem and then to those over them. We are to do the same.) When we suffer for His sake it is to His glory and honor and we are rewarded. When we rebel against their rulings and protest against them, then we suffer the consequences for our disobedience.)

Matt 11:28-30 28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy (A yoke is that which joins one thing to another.) and My burden (A burden is that which is carried) is light.” (When we are of the Messiah, we are no longer yoked to sin, but to the Torah. The burden of our sin, the price that we would have to pay for each and every one of our sins is beyond our comprehension to even measure it when we are apart from the Messiah. However, in the Messiah, He pays the price for our sins and the only burden we are left with is the temporal consequences for our sins and the blessing of Eternal life.

Ps 3:8 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah. (He will burden us with his blessings as they will be upon His people.)

23 “If you do this thing and G-d so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.” (When we are submitted to our rulers and have just rulers, the people will be attracted to the Messiah, (peace) and will go to their homes (eternal life) in the Messiah.)

In summary, the burden is deciding halacha and teaching Torah. It becomes a heavy burden when we do not know “The Way” in which to walk. We, and our students, should not be alone when it comes learning and doing halacha. We should not be deciding halacha for ourselves, but each one of us should be submitted to a godly authority whereby we can learn to imiate the Messiah as we learn from those who imitate him. We should not just tell people to be obedient to Messiah, but also show them how, and support them. Do this, and you will model the light burden of our Master, and fulfill love to your neighbor. Don’t do this, and you will place a heavy burden upon others that they (nor we) could ever bear.

I wanted to clarify the purpose of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, since many seem to be confused as to what it’s purpose was, and what it will be in the future when it is built again.

The purpose of the Temple is for G-d to dwell with man.

It was not to provide atonement for sin. That was not its function. Instead it is because we are unclean, and sinful, and G-d who is holy can not dwell with unclean and sinful man, that atonement for us is required as we “draw near” to G-d. In fact the Hebrew word for “drawing near” is the same as “making a sacrifice.”

The purpose for the sacrifices were so that we, as unclean, sinful man, could draw near to him without being vaporized.

Even the believers of the 1st Century understood this concept, and fully expected to comply with it as they met daily in the Temple during the “standing” morning and evening prayers – which are clearly tied into the tamid offering that was slaughtered and the incense offered up every morning and evening. It was these “standing” prayers that Yeshua admonishes us that “when you stand praying…” and then teaches us several things, including one of which is the Aveinu, the Lord’s prayer which is the prayer of the rabbi that a disciple inserts after the end of the Amidah (18 Benedictions) of the standing prayers.

There is obviously a disconnect when we think we as believers in Messiah could just stroll right up into the Holy of Holies, and right into the manifest awesome, holy, and incredible presence of G-d, just the way we are in these unclean, and sinful bodies and not expect to get vaporized.

Thank G-d that G-d has given us the Messiah. Yeshua is the house (tabernacle) of G-d, and through him we interact with G-d in our unclean, and sinful bodies, and do not die. Yet this does not diminish who G-d is in his fullness, presence, and glory, nor dimish the fact that a man can not stand in the presence of G-d.

So what does this mean for us? What are you trying to say, Israel?

I am saying that we have much to anticipate as believers. When a future Temple is built, all believers in Messiah (just as anyone else) will be required to do what is necessary to draw near to G-d through their unclean, sinful bodies (assuming the End of the Age hasn’t happened yet, and we haven’t received our transformed perfect bodies), if they so desire to meet G-d in the Temple. This includes participating in the offerings and requirements for entering the Temple complex and so being made ready to meet G-d. It includes participating in the morning and evening prayers while the tamid lambs are being offered.

As believers we certainly can draw near to G-d in the spirit without any precondition; however in our bodies we aren’t transformed yet, and we are still covered in all forms of uncleanness and sin. It is naive to assume one could just waltz right into the Holy of Holies in the earthly Temple and not expect to get vaporized. The reason is that G-d is holy, unapproachable, and incompatible with sin.

You may say “well G-d did away with my sin.” On an accounting basis yes! For eternity, yes! But do you still sin? Of course we do. We are still in our bodies that desire to sin – even when we become a believer in Messiah, and we still commit sin every day (hopefully though, the unintentional kind). The problem is not with our spiritual condition, it’s with our bodies – our physical behavior. Yeshua cleans us on the inside (and dwells on the inside), but its on the outside that we are responsible for taking care of when we approach the One Holy G-d in the Temple.

Yeshua is our wonderful intermediary who we can approach to receive eternal life, and expect one day to receive transformed sinless bodies; but he is not the atonement in the earthly Temple for our physical behavior when we approach G-d in the earthly Temple (for his offering was made in the Heavenly Temple, not the earthly).

After all, people could interact just fine without atonement for their sin when they approached Yeshua in the Temple, but whenever one desired to approach G-d in the Temple, they were clearly required to draw near through the only means that actually cleaned their physical bodies (going through a mikveh), and atonement for their sin (participating in the offerings).

Much of this stems from a traditional misunderstanding of how the earthly Temple and the heavenly Temple interact. From a Hebrew understanding, they are considered echad – one a reflection of the other, and to interact with the reflection (earthly) is to in fact interact with the heavenly. So then in application, what is offered in the heavenly must have a reflection in the earthly that also MUST be offered, or else the whole gig is up and the earthly Temple is just a play toy.

In fact, traditional Christianity introduces further confusion when it says that because Yeshua made his offering in heaven (in time and space) that therefore the offerings on earth ceased (in time and space). Yet this assumption is predicated on the idea that G-d somehow changes, or something changed in G-d (which require G-d to be subject to time) to where Yeshua is no longer the Lamb slain since the foundation of the world, but now is the lamb slain in only 33AD, and all those before are lost to eternal life, which is contrary to what the scripture says concerning those who had faith.

In fact, no one asks the most treasured question of all: if the bible calls the patriarchs as those who had saving “faith” in the Messiah before the sacrificial system was given through the Tabernacle, then what was the sacrificial system for?

The answer: it covers the physical behaviors of this life whereby we as unclean, sinful man, can draw near to the holy presence of G-d in the Temple (on earth, and when he’s not just in the body/tent/house of Messiah.)

So what is Messiah for? Messiah’s death causes us to live forever and to receive transformed perfect bodies so that we may draw near to G-d then. The earthly Tabernacle sacrifices cause us to be reckoned as physically atoned for in our current bodies so that we may draw near to G-d now. I hope that clears up the purposes of each, and shows that both are perfectly co-existing in this Age (if in fact we had the rebuilt Temple today). Two different applications (one in this Age, the other in the Age to Come), two different realms (earthly, heavenly), both a direct reflection of the other, both fully co-existing.

So what is the offering of Yeshua in the heavenly reflected in the earthly? The tamid offering – the morning and evening lamb. For Yeshua is called “the lamb who takes away the sin of the world.” So too in order for us to interact with G-d in heaven and in the Age to Come where there is no more death, we need Yeshua. For us to interact with G-d on earth, now in our unclean sinful bodies, we need the tamid lamb offering.

If you desire to meet G-d now, in this life, then pray for the rebuilding of the Temple. Otherwise as has been the case for almost 2000 years, we must wait until our physical bodies die. When G-d allows us to have the Temple, we as believers in Messiah should clearly view it as a blessing of G-d – an invitation to meet him in the physical, now.

But only in the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes; there you shall offer up your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you. (Deut 12:14)

This verse, highlights an important teaching: the further you are from the place (HaMakon), also known as Temple Mount today, the less Torah one can do. Only in The Place can all the Torah be done. This means that in the exile, one can only do so much, but in the Land, one can do more, and at Jerusalem, even more, and in the Temple, yet more, etc.

We should realize that the further we are away from HaShem, and from the Messiah who is High Priest of the Heavenly Tabernacle,  the more we cut off ourselves from greater and greater opportunities of obedience to Him. Our sin cuts us off from opportunities that would otherwise have been available for us to keep. We should make returning to the Torah, teshuvah, repentance our daily lifestyle, for doing so will only lead you closer and closer to the ultimate relationship you can have with Messiah Yeshua, the Living Torah.

John 12:50
I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

The Father’s commandment leads to eternal life. What is that commandment?

Deuteronomy 6:
1 Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your G-d has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it,
2 so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your G-d, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.
3 “O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the G-d of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our G-d, the LORD is one!
5 “You shall love the LORD your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

The “commandment” goes all the way to vs 25:

Deut 6:25
“It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our G-d, just as He commanded us.

It is righteousness for us if we observe “the commandment” of Deut 6:1-25!

The Torah then, which hangs from “love HaShem your G-d,” is one commandment!

How then is this “commandment,” which is also the entire Torah, “the commandment” that leads to eternal life?

Deuteronomy 6:2
so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your G-d as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

Deuteronomy 30:16
For I command you today to love the LORD your G-d, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your G-d will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Furthermore it is also written:

Deuteronomy 30:19
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

In context, what is set before them is “His commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law” (Deut 30:10), and this is what is set before them. Life and prosperity if you obey the commandment, death and destruction if you rebel against it (Deut 30:15). Furthermore by keeping the Book of the Law, you enable your children to also find eternal live. It is life to you and to your children – who are the disciples you make!

Deuteronomy 32:47
They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

The Torah, is our life.

Deuteronomy 30:20
and that you may love the LORD your G-d, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

“I have set before you life and death” – that is to set the Torah before you: that you may love the LORD your G-d! That you may listen to his voice! That you may hold fast to him! For as the previous verses state, the Torah is our life if we do them, therefore when it is also written “the LORD is your life,” it is saying that the Messiah, the Word, is HaShem! and it is He who will give you eternal life if you keep Him.

It is written:

Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your G-d is G-d; he is the faithful G-d, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

As established above, HaShem is our life, the Torah is our life, the commandment we are to “keep” if we wish to have eternal life, is to love HaShem with our heart, soul, and strength. HaShem’s covenant therefore is only one covenant: the covenant of love. And by obeying it we love both G-d and our “children.”

Therefore, all the Torah hangs from:

“love the LORD your G-d will all your heart, soul, and strength.” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:36-38
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.‘
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.‘
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Where are these commandments found?

Deuteronomy 6:5
Love the LORD your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Because All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments, there is not a single commandment that does not follow loving the LORD, and loving your neighbor as yourself.

Based on all this above then, from these two commandments the 10 Words also known as the 10 Commandments found in Exodus chapter 20, are derived from loving G-d and loving your neighbor:

1. “I am the LORD your G-d, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”

2. “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your G-d, am a jealous G-d, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

3. “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your G-d, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”

4. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your G-d. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

5. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your G-d is giving you.”

6. “Do not murder.”

7. “Do not commit adultery.”

8. “Do not steal.”

9. “Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.”

10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

As already pointed out, the whole Torah is summed up in the commandment for eternal life.

if you break one commandment, you break them all.

James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Let’s examine how:

Let’s take the first commandment: to not have any god before HaShem.

By breaking this commandment, one breaks the commandment that leads to eternal life by following a different path which can only lead to the opposite of eternal life, which is death.

One fails to love G-d by rejecting his covenant of love, and the specific commandment to not have a god before HaShem, by placing another god before HaShem.

One fails to love their neighbor, since by showing them a different way from the commandment that leads to eternal life (by placing a god before HaShem), they are being led to death, which is the opposite of life.

One breaks the commandment to not worship idols because idols are nothing and they only have the power we give them, so one is “making them” in their own desired image (and makes them something they are not), as we place a god before HaShem (who is I AM).

One breaks the commandment to not blaspheme G-d since placing another god before HaShem is rebellion against the Creator who made you and by whom you carry the name upon you.

One breaks the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, because to holy the Sabbath is to acknowledge HaShem who gave it, and by placing another god before HaShem, they break the Sabbath whereby it is commanded as an appointed time of HaShem and not any other god. Also you have something “against your brother” who in this case is HaShem, and thus can’t enter the Shabbat.

One breaks the commandment to honor your father and mother, because you honor your mother and father by keeping the commandments of G-d. Also since it is written in Deut 32:6, that HaShem is your father, you dishonor him by placing another god before Him, and Prov 1:8 relates that the Torah is your mother, which by breaking the commandment to not place another god before HaShem you have now dishonored the Torah.

One commits murder because by breaking the commandment to not have any god before HaShem, one is guilty of murdering the Messiah who paid for such sin by his innocent death. In addition, one who leads their neighbor astray by placing a god before HaShem is an accomplice to murder of both the neighbor who will not receive eternal life, and of the Messiah who died for both you and them.

One commits adultery since placing a god before HaShem is to commit adultery against your husband, the Promised Seed after whom Gen 3:15 says we would desire. One also fails to love their neighbor since to love your husband is to love your self, of whom you are one flesh; thus you can not love your neighbor as your self since you are not loving your self, which includes your Husband.

One steals from the Torah by taking away from it the commandment to not have any gods before HaShem, by placing another god before HaShem. One also steals this from one’s neighbor, the witness of the Torah, and conversely also adds to the Torah by justifying their action by saying “it’s ok to have another god before HaShem.” Also one is robbing themselves of the blessings of keeping this commandment.

One gives false testimony to their neighbor by diminishing the Torah, and by implication preaches a false Messiah as a result of placing a god before HaShem.

Since covet and lust are interchangeable, by placing a god before HaShem one is lusting after the god, which is claimed by this world as one of its own.

As you can tell, this is only a short survey of just the 10 commandments, plus 2, plus 1 commandment, that are broken, when one breaks just one of those. Now this works with any commandment in the Torah since the rest of the Torah hangs from the greatest commandment.

We can take another commandment: do not eat pig.

Leviticus 11:
4 There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them.
7 And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.

If I say, “G-d I reject your teaching on kashrut, I’m going to eat swine. I love it. I’m going to have it every night.”

What have I done?

Instead of just admitting that “I don’t love Him,” therefore I am not showing love to my neighbor. I have rejected the greatest and the second commandment like it.

I’ve gone through and said G-d isn’t. HaShem is not my G-d. I am my own G-d, because I am going to define what I am going to do.

I have taken his name in vain, because I am saying I am still of him, but I’m going to do my own thing; and I am erecting my idols before Him.

I have profaned the Shabbat, because as I am eating this, and doing so deliberately, I have something against my brother, my brother being literally Messiah in this case, as well as my neighbor who keeps kosher, so how can I honestly enter into Shabbat and “bring my sacrifice” before Him, my sacrifices of my acts of obedience? I can’t.

I have profaned my parents, because I am claiming to be of the Messiah, and have diminished them, whether they are believers or not, and not honoring them because the best way I can honor and lift them up is by keeping the Torah. But we also see quickly from scripture that our Father is HaShem, and our mother is the Torah, so I have also not honored my parents there.

I have stolen because I have robbed from the Torah, and robbed myself of the blessing. I have stolen from my neighbor from being able to see the blessing of what it is to walk in obedience.

I have murdered because I have said “Yeshua, take your death on the cross with you. I don’t need it. I am my own god,” and now I am guilty of murdering the Messiah. I have shown hate to the Messiah, and hate leads to murder, and I have rejected that.

I have coveted, because I said “I love this pork, more than your Word, your Truth, and I have lusted after this pork.”

I have committed adultery because I have now gone and served other gods.

I just broke all 10 commandments, and all I said was that I’m going to eat pork. You break one you break them all. You can do this with EVERY command in the Torah. Why? Because they are not independent. They are all interconnected. They are all intertwined.

There is another aspect to the Torah. That is:

if you don’t keep one, you can’t keep any.

How?

Because the greatest commandment is to love the LORD your G-d. If you can’t keep the greatest, then you can’t keep the second, and if you can’t keep the greatest, and the second, then you can’t keep the rest of the Torah that hangs from them!

Why?

Because if you don’t love HaShem, then the rest of the Torah that “hangs” from that comes falling down on you to condemn you. But if you love HaShem, then the Torah that “hangs” from it is lifted off of you since by loving HaShem you are now able to keep and observe the Torah!

Observance of the Torah out of love for HaShem is keeping the Messiah which is obedience unto life. Observance of the Torah for any other reason, is legalism and death.

Torah is rather simple.

Why? Because “love the LORD your G-d,” is the foundation to it all, and is the “commandment” of eternal life, and it is “these words” if we keep Him, that enables us to receive eternal life, and to imitate Him.

We thought it would be good to take a moment and thoroughly define what Torah means so it doesn’t become just another buzz word in religious rhetoric. We hear questions all the time: “What is the Torah?” “Where did it come from?” “How does the Torah differ from the Bible?” In the rest of this article we will try to give a good introduction to Torah and how it plays a part in our lives.

What does the word “Torah” actually mean?

The word Torah comes from the Hebrew root yarah which means “the mark”.  This is meant to bring to mind an archer as he strives to “hit the mark”. Conversely, the Hebrew word for “sin” means to litteraly “miss the mark”.  Torah most litterally means “teaching” or “instruction” . Thus, the picture that the word Torah is meant to paint is aiming for the center of the target to do what is right.

Torah is most often used to reference to the five Books of Moses. (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) However, sometimes the word Torah may also be used to refer collectively to all Scripture or even to include all teaching derived from Scripture. With all of these meanings floating around it’s easy to see why the word Torah needs defining.

For the sake of this article we will define Torah as: The divine document written by HaShem given to Moses at Mt. Sinai.

Though it contains laws and commands, the Torah is better understood as G-d’s teaching and instructions on life rather than some divine municipal governance. The Torah teaches us how to do what is right and by doing so, find blessing. It also warns us how to avoid the curse from doing wrong. According to the Scriptures, the Torah is truth, our delight, holy, good, spiritual, and many other attributes.

The Torah is the following books of the bible – B’reisheit (In the Beginning), Shemot (Names), Vayikra (And He Called), Bamidbar (n the Wilderness), and Devarim (Words). Also known as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Giving of the Torah

By nature the Torah is oral.  The Ten Words were spoken from Mt. Sinai to all the world. It was those words that HaShem wrote on the “tables” he gave to Moses.

When HaShem gave the Torah, He gave it as one of three things:

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה–וֶהְיֵה-שָׁם וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת-לֻחֹת הָאֶבֶן וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה, אֲשֶׁר כָּתַבְתִּי לְהוֹרֹתָם

Exodus 24:12
“And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Come up to Me into the mount and be there; and I will give thee the tables of stone, and the Torah and the commandment, which I have written, that thou mayest teach them.’”

The tables of stone are easily understood as the concise written form of the Ten Words. The commandment is singular as it is written mitzvah instead of mitzvot. We understand from this that there is only one correct mitzvah in the full walking out (Halachah) of Torah, which is HaShem’s will. The Torah itself may be interpreted in many different ways, but there is only one halacha, one correct mitzvah in any circumstance. The Torah and its commandment is called the “Oral Torah,” in Judaism.

“The Torah” was given to Moses, and it was the teaching and instruction in how to carry out the Ten Words. Likewise, the “commandment for their instruction” was also given to Moses in addition to the tablets, and the Torah, as the “command for their instruction” is the correct application of the Torah. Just as the “commandment” is the instruction for the Torah, so too the Torah is the correct teaching and instruction of the Ten Words, and the Ten Words being the correct written form of the oral Torah that G-d gave to the world at Mt. Sinai.

The Torah, being a divine document, was given in a single day, in its entirety, lacking nothing. Now this may seem strange to the narrative of the text, as we find Moses still writing the Torah later. However, it is understood literally that HaShem gave Moses the entire Torah, even its conclusion, even concerning his death, on the day he gave the Tablets, the Torah and the commandment for their (the Torah)  instruction. This teaches us that the entire Torah is to be read as a contextual document – that its existence, even though it appears anachronistic in the narrative sense, was never meant to be only taken only in the narrative, progressive sense, but was also meant be taken in the contextual sense of it being a singular, whole document – namely evident that the reason that the Torah doesn’t define something in one narrative, is because the Torah defines it elsewhere.

The Torah is meant to be taken as a whole, with its context giving us the full meaning of its instruction. We are not to understand the Torah when it gives us a narrative that does not explain its details as meaning that those details were all that existed at the time, and the rest of the Torah didn’t exist at the time of the narrative to explain the details of the narrative; but rather we are to understand that explanation of the finer details of the narrative are in fact to be found in the rest of the Torah concerning the subjects found within the first narrative. In short,  it means that the Torah waits to tell us what it’s talking about in one narrative, until it gets to a more appropriate narrative from which to give us the full meaning of its divine instruction, being very conservative with its words until absolutely necessary. The Torah assumes we have read the whole thing already, as it presents to us the divine instruction contained therein in a narrative format that is supplemented by the contextual wholeness of Torah.

Case in point, when Cain makes an offering of firstfruits that is not accepted over his brother’s, and he slays his brother, yet HaShem approaches him and says:

Genesis 4:7
“If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee is its desire, but thou mayest rule over it.”

From a narrative perspective, one may argue that the Torah did not exist. That G-d hadn’t defined sin yet, hadn’t defined what a proper firstfruit “bikkurim” offering is, yet here HaShem approaches Cain concerning doing what is right, versus doing what is wrong – and calls it sin – kawtawt. In fact, actually this is the first mention of the word “kawtawt” in the Torah (and the context therefore teaches us that “sin” leads to the killing of Abel, of which in Gen 4:29 Abel was called by Eve as the “Seed” to replaced by Seth “another Seed” – reference to the Messiah, therefore teaching us that other’s sin leads to the death of the Messiah).

To understand what Cain did wrong, we have to examine what “bikkurim” is as later defined by the Torah in its more appropriate context:

Deuteronomy 12:6-7
and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill-offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock; and there ye shall eat before the LORD your G-d, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy G-d hath blessed thee.

Deuteronomy 12:28
Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the eyes of the LORD thy G-d.

We find that Cain’s sin was to not offer the firstfruits (using the Hebrew for firstfruits only in Abels case), he did not fear HaShem (and thus engaged in idolatry like the nations), and he did not rejoice (he did not have eternal life). We find also from other subjects that he had something against his brother when he came to the altar, and that he did not perform the responsibility of a firstborn, which was a responsibility later given to the priests. Of course, my limited exegesis here does not do justice to even just a hint of what was going on with Cain, as the Torah, being divine in origin, continues to show us its truth the more we inquire of it.

I hope to write an article concerning Cain’s wrongdoing in more detail, but this example should suffice to explain that there is more to the Cain and Abel narrative than just what is given in the immediate text, and that to find out the details of what is happening, one must inquire of the rest of the Torah concerning those details. It serves as just one example that the whole of Torah is meant to be taken as one package. To use a computer term, it’s almost as if the Torah is a divinely constructed self-extracting archive of the divine “commandment for their instruction” wherein it’s very conservative in its use of words – whereby if you leave out just one letter, you don’t have a working program or proper understanding at all. The proper way to fully understand Torah, from this perspective, is to inquire of the fullness of the contexts found within it.

We therefore see that the Torah, though it contains narrative as its primary tool of structure, is contextual in nature, and thus is very deep on multiple levels of context. It teaches us to inquire of it deeply, so as to arrive at the singular “mitzvah” contained therein, this mitzvah – too was given to Moses, and according to Jewish tradition, gave it to the elders, and to Yehoshua, and they to Prophets, and they to the Men of the Great Assembly, of whose disciples passed down to their disciples their understanding which was written down in 200 CE in the Mishneh and Gemarrah so as to preserve the national dialogue on the mitvah contained within the Torah itself as understood from the ancient Sages and the Men of the Great Assembly.

The narrative of the Torah seeks to give us the very structure, and thus the very context, by which we may begin to unravel the totality of the divine instruction contained within this divinely authored book. We find this taught from the structure of Torah itself, one of my favorites being the exact middle point of the Torah, Leviticus 10:16, at the middle point of two words saying “darosh darash” meaning “diligently inquired” – meaning that one can only get to the central understanding of the Torah after they have diligently inquired of it.

In fact, the first question that one usually has when after they unroll the Torah scroll for the first time and begins reading Genesis 1:1, practically screams at us:

Genesis 1:1
בראשית ברא אלהים את השמים ואת הארץ

Why is the Bet oversized? And from here, the diligent inquiry begins. Why does it begin with a Bet, and not an Aleph (why does it begin with the second letter of the alephbet and not the first letter)? Where is the Aleph-resheit? Bet means, “in” or “house,” or “tent.” What is reisheit (the word after the first letter)? Why did G-d have the Torah start with “B’reisheit?” And we begin to decompress the divine meaning in even the smallest detail.

We can see here then that the very first letter of the Torah, begs us to ask the question “why is it oversized” – a question by its very nature instructs us that we should be inquiring about everything of the Torah, starting with its structure (the size of the letters), and by implication that question teaches us that questions themselves are in fact teachings and instructions too – Torah!This leads us to conclude that the Torah is more than just what appears in the literal writing, but that the totality of Torah is meant to be derived from asking the written, questions!

In fact, one can derive the whole of biblical hermeneutics, from this process of inquiry, which begins with the first letter of the Torah. In time, I hope to present a more detailed understanding of the entirety of correct biblical hermeneutics as derived from the Torah in this manner. In short, I will refer you to the 7 Rules of Hillel, 13 Rules of Ishmael, 32 Rules of Ben Galil, and the 42 Rules of the Zohar, each one of them a codification of the literal to the increasingly midrashic and esoteric PaRDeS method of Jewish hermeneutics.

The first word, “B’reisheit” instructs us that we should be looking for the “reisheit” that is “in” the Torah. Of every jot, tittle, letter, word, phrase, sentence, verse, narrative, portion, and book, the Torah instructs us to inquiring of it, “what does this have to do with the “reisheit,” the first word of the Torah.

Yet if this is so of the first word, then what of the last word? When we look at the last word of the entire divine Torah, and find the words are “chol Israel.” We therefore conclude that the purpose of the Torah is to get us from B’reishet “In the firstfruit/firstling,” all the way to “chol Israel” – “all Israel.” The Torah then, is all about the “reisheit” contained within it, it’s result being “Israel.” Who, or what then, is the “reisheit?” that gets us to “Israel?”

We have a clue. It’s in the second question. “Why a Bet” and not an “Aleph”? The Sages, asked the same question. They agreed on the same answer: that G-d had the Ten Words on the tablets, begin with an aleph in the phrase “Ani Adonai” – I am HaShem. Interesting analysis, since the next related question is “where is the a’reisheit”?

The Torah, being a narrative, doesn’t give us anything before “B’reisheit.” But anyone who is familiar with Simchat Torah, the day after Sukkot where the Torah scroll is rolled back to the beginning, that one reads the last portion of the Torah, and the first portion of the Torah, together! It is understood that the entire Torah is continual document, that the Beginning is read from the end. We find then, that “a’reisheit” is already given to us, in Deuteronomy 33:21:

וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לוֺ כִּי-שָׁם חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵק סָפוּן וַיֵּתֵא רָאשֵׁי עָם צִדְקַת יְהוָה עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו עִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל

Deuteronomy 33:21
And he chose the first portion for himself, for that is where the lawgiver’s plot is hidden; he came at the head of the nation, carrying out HaShem’s justice and His ordinances with Israel.

It is understood from ancient times, that the original Torah scrolls has no spacing, so this search for this construction in the Torah is valid. The last mention of “reisheit” in the Torah, comes immediately after the “aleph” as the last letter of the word before it, that word being the word for “to eye/choose.” Interesting, how the verse continues to says “for that is where the lawgiver’s plot is hidden.” Who is the lawgiver? Who gave the Torah? As we read above, it is HaShem. Other translations translate the word used for lawgiver as “ruler” – and who is the King of Israel? HaShem. But who then is the “head of the nation?” The Sages would agree, that it is King Messiah. Is this verse saying the Messiah will die, and all this before “B’reisheit?” And this verse ends on “Israel” – just as the Torah does, so then who is the “reisheit?” That which is where the lawgiver’s plot is hidden!

The “reisheit” then, by pure application, is the Torah (since it is “the beginning” of the Torah that leads to “Israel”) . The “b’reisheit,” then is Israel; and here we discover in Deuteronomy 33:21, that the “a’reisheit” is the Messiah, who is the “he” that  “chose the first portion” (Israel) and is called “the head of the nation!”

Thus we understand from this inquiry that the “reisheit” is the Torah, the Messiah the head of it, which came first, and Israel, the end of it, which is its destination, and that within the Torah, within Israel, and thus within the Messiah who is identified in both as both, is where the “aleph’s” (Messiah’s)”plot is hidden” – his identity, his death and burial, and his nature as the King who carries out HaShem’s justice, and His ordinances with Israel. On multiple levels then, we see the death of the Messiah before “beginning,” and thus receive from the Torah, an understanding that the Torah itself teaches us what the Torah is: that it is the hidden story of the death and resurrection of King Messiah; as well as his teaching, and his instruction as the King to his people; and is about King Messiah who is the one who carries out the justice and ordinances of HaShem for whom he has choosen, that is, “all Israel.” From this we then ask who is it that chooses Israel? The One who does the choosing can be none other than HaShem, for it is written:

Deuteronomy 10:15
Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you, above all peoples, as it is this day.

We then understand that both Messiah, and Israel, are HaShem’s firstborn son. We learn the principle then that “if Israel, how much more so, Messiah” since he is our head. Yes, like him we will die. And like him, we will rise to rule and reign, and like him we will obey HaShem. This is the Torah. It truly is all about the “reisheit.”

The only other place in the Torah were “a’reisheit” is found, is in Deuteronomy 21:17.

Deuteronomy 21:17
but he shall acknowledge the first-born, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath; for he is the first-fruits of his strength, the right of the first-born is his.

It understood that both Messiah, and Israel, will be hated, but HaShem ensures that in the end, we will receive that which is the inheritance of the first-born.

I have given you a brief exegesis of understanding what the Torah is. It is all about the “reisheit.” It is all about the “firstfruit.” It is all about the Messiah. It is all about Israel. It starts with the Messiah, and ends with Israel. Now go, and read the Torah, and inquire of it: “What does this have to do with the “reisheit?” The “reisheit” being Messiah, and the reisheit being Israel.

Shalom.

1st man:

Old man, unregenerate man, sinner, of the flesh, condemned, cursed, can’t help but sin against G-d’s Torah (which is spiritual). Since the Torah is spiritual, this man can not perceive the things of the Torah until the veil of his sinful nature which clouds his perspective of the Torah, is taken away. This man is fleshly and is guided by the lusts of the flesh. This man is cursed to die by the Torah for his sin, and is thus considered “under Torah,” a position of being cursed to death. This man is just like the fathers who broke the Covenant, and relies on his own righteousness, and therefore breaks the Covenant. The relationship this person has to the Torah is called the “old covenant.” This man is who dies to the Torah (Messiah), for the curse of sin brings death.

G-d remains faithful to his Covenant, and grants death, the consequence of the sin of this man.

2nd man:
New man, regenerate man, saint, of the spirit, blessed, not cursed, can’t help but keep G-d’s Torah (which is spiritual). Since the Torah is spiritual, this man can perceive the things of the Torah clearly because the veil of his sinful nature which clouded his perspective of the Torah, has been lifted. This man is spiritual and is guided by the Spirit of G-d. This man is blessed to eternal life by the Torah for Messiah’s righteousness, and is thus considered “not under Torah,” a position of being redeemed from its curse of death. This man is not like the fathers who broke the Covenant, and relies on Messiah’s righteousness, and therefore keeps the Covenant. The relationship this person has to the Torah is called the “new covenant.” This man is who lives to the Torah (Messiah), for the blessing of obedience brings life.

G-d remains faithful to his Covenant, and grants eternal life, the result of the righteousness of this man identified/clothed in Messiah’s righteousness.

You will find this understanding true all throughout scripture when it talks about old and new covenant, old and new man, etc.

For example, in Romans chapter 7, Paul uses these two “men” to show that the first man, as first husband, is put to death to the Torah, the Messiah, the wife; and therefore only then can the second man, the second husband be able to marry the wife, the Torah, the Messiah, and live in the Spirit, for the Torah is spiritual. See Understanding Romans 7 for an applicable understanding of this concept.

The old and new covenants are a state of condition, not a table of content, for the content remains the same since there is only one Covenant: the Torah, the Messiah. Who we are in relation to him is the only difference between “old” and “new” covenant. Let me state that again. WHO we are in relationship to the Perfectly Obedient Standard for Righteousness, the Messiah himself, is the only difference between what scripture calls old covenant and new covenant.

1. One party breaks it (by his own righteousness, which is nothing), and is cursed to death. (old man) (old Covenant that is broken)

2. G-d renews the Covenant to a different party (new man), while Himself remains faithful to the Covenant.

3. The second party keeps it (by Messiah’s righteousness), and is blessed with eternal life. (new Covenant that is kept)

We understand this from the account in the Torah concerning the two sets of tablets containing the Ten Words (Commandments). The first set of tablets were broken, but the second set were kept. The same content was on both, as it is written “I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets.” The entire account explains this: that the covenant was made with the people, then the first set of tablets were given, but the people sinned and the first set of tablets were broken; then G-d makes the covenant with them and then writes the Ten Words again on a second set of tablets and this second set of tablets is what is kept. The content remains the same. Notice also that the covenant is made (again) to the same people, yet now the difference is that the people are repentant, and their relationship with G-d is based entirely on his grace and mercy to not further judge them for the sin that led to the first set of tablets being broken. Same covenant, but renewed to a different kind of person – one who has made repentance.

Therefore, G-d makes his Covenant, and each time he makes it with another party, it is called “new.” That is all there is to understanding the difference between the old and new covenant.

If we have identified ourselves in Messiah, then it is our cursed nature that is considered dead for he died hung on a tree which is a condition of being cursed under the Torah. And if we have identified ourselves in Messiah, then our spiritual nature is considered alive for he rose to life from the grave.

The key here then is to understand the necessity to identify oneself with Messiah’s death and resurrection in order to be blessed by the Torah for eternal life. This requires our obedience to the Torah, the Messiah as it is written:

Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. (Ex 23:21)

and if one transgresses this commandment, then they are as:

When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.” This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. (Deut 29:19-21)

When G-d makes his Covenant with us as sinners, which was made on that day with all who where “there” and “not there” in Deuteronomy 29:14-15, our inclination to sin caused us to break it the moment we sinned (and all have sinned in Adam). So then when G-d renews his Covenant with us (as a new regenerated man alive to the Messiah, the Torah) it is therefore to us, renewed, and to the new man (that is, we who are the righteous in Messiah) it is “new.” Thus that is why it is called a “new” or “renewed” Covenant.

At the point of our obeying the Messiah (surrendering our life to Him which is an act of teshuvah, or known as our repentance to the Torah), we are then “born” again, into the new man to whom the Covenant is made new to us, by G-d implanting His Spirit within us, and by implication of this renewal and identification in Messiah, His righteousness is therefore upon us, and we are given eternal life in accordance with the blessing promised when one keeps the Covenant. We can therefore look back on the “old man” that we once were, back to whom the same Covenant was made but condemned him to death. We can look back on that old man and see that the Covenant G-d made with him ultimately was that which put him to death because of that sinful man’s own “righteousness,” which is really no righteousness at all on the level that the Torah demands. From our perspective of the new man, that is why we thus call the “old” Covenant “old” and the “new” Covenant “new”- for G-d has renewed to us, we as the new man, the same Covenant to us, but through identifying with Messiah we now keep it.

The differences between identifying the old and new covenant then is a matter of perspective of the relationships a sinner has to the Torah and the relationship a saint has to the Torah, for the perspective of the Covenant one has concerning it, is based on the old and new relationship one has to the Covenant (the Torah, the Messiah).

So how do we get this understanding?

Some Questions to Ask

When does the old covenant end, and the new covenant begin?

Jer 31:31-34
31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.

33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their G-d, and they shall be My people.

34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Brit Chadashah = Covenant Renewed

Questions to ask:
1. Who is this “new” covenant made with?
A: “Judah and Israel.”

2. Who is missing in this prophecy?
A: The gentiles, otherwise known as pagans.

3. What happened to the previous covenant?
A: It was broken.

4. According to the passage, what is unique to the previous covenant that is not said of the new covenant?
A: The previous one was broken. (That’s it! To insert anything else is eisegesis.) What is implied is that the new one is simply kept, meaning Judah and Israel don’t break the covenant G-d “renews” with them! A promised time of sinlessness!

5. How is it possible that the new covenant will not be broken and thus not be like the previous covenant which was “broken”?
A: Because only at the End of the Age will Sin and Death be cast into hell, and sin will be no more (meaning that those remaining will live perfectly sinless from that point on).

6. Who’s Torah is written on hearts?
A: “-Y -H -V and -H”‘s Torah. (The “New Covenant” Torah is not “Yeshua’s” laws, as if his laws are somehow separate from HaShem’s law. This passage makes it clear that HaShem’s Torah is what is written on hearts, not something else.)

7. When does this happen?
A: Some time in the future when “each man” “all know” G-d (same word for husband “knows” his wife). See also question 5.

8. At what time in the future will “each man” be the only “all” who “know G-d” which is defined as only “Judah and Israel”?
A: Only after the Judgment (Yom Kippor) at the End of the Age when the nations are judged and the damned are cast into the lake of fire, and only the saved remain.

So when was the old covenant broken?

Hosea 6:7
Like Adam, they (Judah and Israel) have broken the Covenant— they were unfaithful to me there.

There is only one covenant: the Covenant. It is simply renewed at the End of the Age since it has been broken – and all mankind through Adam have broken it.

What is the covenant Adam broke?
A: Gen 1:28

Gen 1:28
G-d blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Questions to ask:

1. What were Adam and Eve blessed with?
A. Eternal life (you can not lose something you do not have)

2. How then could Adam and Eve break it?
A. By not having faith in G-d’s word that they would keep eternal life if they kept G-d’s charge to “be fruitful, increase in number, fill the earth, and subdue it.”

3. How were they to “be fruitful, increase in number, fill the earth, and subdue it?”
A. They were to avodah, and shamar the Torah of G-d.

Gen 2:15 The LORD G-d took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work (avodah) it and take care (shamar) of it.

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan phrases this verse to mean that Adam was put into the Garden to serve G-d and obey the Torah.

5. What does it mean to avodah?
A. IT means to observe, serve, worship, as in to “serve” and “worship” the Lord, and “observe” his commands, as this Hebrew word shows up in many other places later in the Torah.

6. What commands where they to serve, worship, and observe?
A. The one’s prior in Gen 1:28: to be fruitful (fruits of obedience), multiply (make disciples) (not just procreating), fill the earth (with knowledge of the Truth, with Messiah), and subdue it (teach obedience to everything commanded) – sounds a lot like the Great Commission, and it is! They were to obey the entire Torah of HaShem as taught by the Messiah, make disciples through their children, teach them about the full knowledge of Messiah, and subdue the entire world with obedience to Him.

6. How do we know that to shamar the Garden of Eden means not to guard it with an Uzi?
A. Because at this point, no adversary is yet introduced.

7. What does it mean to shamar?

A. It means to create a hedge, or fence as in to “shamar the Shabbat” or “guard the Sabbath” also means to “serve” but in the sense of preparation, to protect one’s obedience and service to the commandments of G-d.

Gen 2:16-17
16 And the LORD G-d commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

1. Did G-d lie, was HaSatan right?

A. No.

This negative commandment given to Adam and Eve to be cursed with death versus being blessed with life, sounds like what positive commandment in the Torah?
A. Sounds like “choose life.”

Deuteronomy 30:19
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

The promise of the renewal of the covenant G-d made to Adam and Eve is found in the promise of the Promised Seed. It does not have have its fulfillment until the End of the Age.

It is by faith alone in the Promised Seed that Abel is righteous, so too is Enoch, Noach, Avraham, the fathers, Moses, Rahab, Judges, David, Solomon, the Prophets, etc. Not by works are we saved.

From a certain perspective, the old covenant was a covenant of works of obedience to the Torah because Adam and Eve had eternal life, but they failed to keep the covenant G-d made with them, and thus lost eternal life.

The Torah still remains, and always has (because Messiah, the Living Torah has always existed, is forever, and will be written on our hearts at the End of the Age when we will no longer sin against him).

Since the new covenant is not yet realized (we still die), then the old covenant is still in force, and it is true: we all break it, and we all die. Only at the End of the Age do those who had faith in the Promised Seed receive resurrection to Eternal Life in the restored Garden where once again we are to work (serve, worship, obey), and keep (guard, prepare to obey) the Messiah, the Living Torah, who is also our husband who we had “desired” from since the Fall, and who has always “ruled over” us – even though we once broke His covenant with us “although He was our husband.”

It is in that future day we will finally, and perfectly, “be fruitful (have fruits of obedience to the Living Torah), multiply (make disciples), fill the earth (with the fullness of Messiah), and subdue it (engage the whole of the earth to the commandments of G-d),” for it is for this we were created.