Two Torah’s

Nobody reads without interpretation. So how do we read the bible? We need someone who explain and teach us. Someone who we can trust.

I came across an interesting story from the Talmud:

Our Rabbis taught: A certain heathen once came before Shammai and asked him, ‘How many Toroth  have you?’ ‘Two,’ he replied: ‘the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.’  ‘I believe you with respect to the Written, but not with respect to the Oral Torah; make me a proselyte on condition that you teach me the Written Torah [only].  [But] he scolded and repulsed him in anger. When he went before Hillel, he accepted him as a proselyte. On the first day, he taught him, Alef, beth, gimmel, daleth;  the following day he reversed [them] to him. ‘But yesterday you did not teach them to me thus,’ he protested. ‘Must you then not rely upon me?  Then rely upon me with respect to the Oral [Torah] too.’ [1]

Who did us teach the bible? We all use and need the oral tradition. Doesn’t the disciples give us an oral tradition of the revelation of the new covenant/Torah? Didn’t Yeshua give a renewal and correction of the oral tradition? Certainly, at the feast of the Shavuot (Pentecost) we received the Holy One who we can trust as the best counsellor, explainer and teacher of the Torah.

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[1] Avot de-Rabbi Natan B29, fol. 31a-b. (this translation comes from: http://www.come-and-hear.com/shabbath/shabbath_31.html )

The Word of our Father, revealed by Yeshua

But we don’t see it. (John1:5) And I would post an article about? How can I do? All I can do is point to the apostle John, he wrote about it.
 
The Word, the eternal Torah,  was became flesh, was made a human body and it dwelt (tabernacled) among us. (And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Here came the Word about 2000 years ago in human body. If we want to learn the real Torah, we have to go to Yeshua. It’s certainly not possible to learn Torah without that “grace and truth”. Torah without a divine application isn’t the Torah which it would be by G-d. And how could there be Torah without grace? Torah demands perfect holiness, because otherwise a man cannot live by G-d. And the only satisfaction of a human being can be to fulfill the complete Torah. And that’s what Yeshua did. And more than that, he enters our lives. And in fact here it is the one and only G-d, HaSjem, holy be his name, who came down to earth in the human body. And with him his word, because he is one. Sjema Yisrael. And the point of John the Baptist made great sense, because the Ruach haKodesh came also upon the son. Although the promise was not fulfilled until he said “it is finished” on the famous Pesach. They had to wait by counting the Omer to the 50th day. Until then they received the Torah, a new holy definitive version, full of grace and truth. Not in stone but in flesh. By this a man is purified. And it’s really more then just words.
 
Look again at what John says in chapter 13. When the disciples were taking supper according to the Seder, Yeshua laid aside his garment and began to wash the feet of the disciples. And he said: “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” So who is purified here? They were all washed, but one of them wasn’t clean. So you can clean yourself according to the Torah, and that’s good, but it doesn’t consequently affect the heart. Also John the Baptist was baptizing with water, but he knew there was more because he said “he (Yeshua) shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.”(Matthew 3:11) The real divine Torah doesn’t come without fire. A light applicated personaly.
 
Yeshua spoke about the new Torah on the Seder meal, John 13:31 to John 16. This was the last speech he gave to his disciples. He brought it back to the very base: Love. (13:34) and called it a new Mitswah. (Although it was given before, Lev.19:18) He talked about the house of the Father, which is above. And the way to get there. How do we know the way? Said Thomas. “I am the way” was the answer. Even as the Torah before was (and is) the guide and way to get into the land. He spoke about emoena and the Ruach haKodesh. He said: He who has my mitswoth and keep them, loves me and I shall manifest myself to him. Jehudah asked: “How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?” (14:22) And here it is: Yeshua answered: “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” What here is said is the same for an individual as for the people of Israel who received or established the temple as a holy house for HaSjem. There the Torah and the Shechinah resides. And this makes the difference: “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” So here we see that the word has been revealed to those who love Yeshua. Certainly rather than to those who are scrutinising the scripture in a scientific way. The Ruach haKodesh will give it to you. (14:26)

In fact Yeshua finished the scripture. Last time I was looking at the Muslims and wondered that they could be proud about their Quran. They simply say Mohammed is the last prophet and he has given the final version of the scripture. If you believe this, you’ll have a good point, it’s a solid base. But when we say Yeshua is the last prophet, we have more. Because he fulfilled everything and is exalted in heaven, and he is even with his holy spirit in our midst. In fact he is G-d with us. He restored the relationship between G-d and man. So we have the Torah completed and applied. And our final place is prepared in heaven. We don’t have to fight for the world, it’s all done. And we even don’t have to fight to win ourselves. Yeshua has done it already. The word of G-d is holy and come to us in a perfect way. We have not only the written text, but we have the Living Word, the letter and the spirit. Those both gives us the real joy and faith in the word of salvation of our Father in heaven.

 Also Peter, arguing how to walk the halacha hakodesh (holy walk/way, 1Pe1:15) brings it back to the very base mitswah: Love. (1Pe.1:22) And then answering the question: what’s the word of G-d, he brings up the prophecy of Isaiah “Comfort, comfort my people” which was fulfilled just in his days. He just quote two verses, (1Pe.1:24-25) but I think he had Isaiah 40:1-20 in mind. The same as John as he began his gospel with quoting vers 3. This prophecy describes the receiving of the Torah, a new one, even as the people of Israel got a new one, a new berith (covenant) after the first tables were broken. I’ll put some verses here:

“The voice of him who cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah, make straight a highway in the desert for our God.” Because HaSjem comes to us with his Messiah. “and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken” At this time the glory of YHWH and his word shall be revealed not only to Israel, but to the whole world. And then a voice is calling: “All flesh is grass, and all the beauty of it is as the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the Spirit of Jehovah blows on it; surely the people is grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” Flesh has to die. Even the Messiah has to die. We all have to die. But there’s more. The Word of our G-d, the Torah of HaSjem will be eternal. When this Torah came to flesh and that human body died, it consequently has to risen up because it has the eternal Life in itself, and it is worked out in the Messiah as promised. “O Zion, who brings good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, who brings good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” And then a hymn on his almighty power followed. (Is.12-31)

Didn’t you think Yeshua is the Torah itself? And the holy word we have as a anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entered into the holy of holies? (Hebrews6:19)

The Word of G-d

I always thought that the word of G-d was a perfect canonical book given to mankind, which was completed by a historical process and is closed now. But I’ve learned now that it contains textual errors and even traditional presuppositions are traceable in different codex’s. This challenged me to think over again where the reliability of this for me so lovely word, is come from. In this way of learning I realized more and more that the word of G-d has a divine nature besides of its physical existence. In fact the very word of G-d, the Torah, was given after the redemption out of Egypt, on the mount Sinai. This was such a great gift, one cannot see this beauty until the eyes are opened to see the glory of the L-rd who revealed himself in that way. This was the salvation of the people of Israel. All the prophets, scriptures and the psalms are speaking about and mentioning this great happening. The gift they received was not only the direct Word of G-d. It was the way of salvation. Explained by many ceremonials with sacrificing as the main core, beside the ten words. That’s why the Jewish custom is not only looking at the written text, but considers the whole case, the oral tradition inclusive.

What I’m trying to say is not to diminish the written word, but to extend it beyond the physical borders. It’s just more. And we can see it when we go to the second great revelation of HaSjem in the world, the coming of Yeshua the Messiah as the fulfillment of the complete Torah by his sacrifice. It was the light which was in the Word which was G-d himself. This Word became flesh and dwelled among us. (John1) Here we see the word (Torah) in flesh after the first time when it came in text. And the latter is more than the former because it’s a fulfillment of prophecy and the goal all prophets were looking for. Namely: Salvation and restoration of mankind in the true image of G-d.

And now we have witnesses of this case by the so called New Testament or Apostolic Scriptures. This word also belongs to the word of G-d, it is the word of the Messiah, according to Paul as he said: (Col.3:16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. My English/Hebrew Brit Hadashah translated the Greek word Logos used here to Torah. And I think you can do that. The complete Torah unveiled by Yeshua unto mankind. And more than that, it’s applied unto his chosen people as HaSjem said by Jeremiah: (31:33) I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. As a new covenant. And in the Torah itself was already written: (De.30:14) But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. Other places gives: (where law means Torah) Gal.6:2: The law of the Messiah. Ro.8:2: The law of the spirit of life. Ro.10:4: Messiah is the end of the law. And as you may know, Paul used the Greek word Nomos for law. Without doubt he had Torah in mind. And then, when he spoke about this in verse Ro.7:23 he says “the Torah of my mind”. And here we see that (the living) Torah has come into the heart of the faithful. By Yeshua it was completed. Now Torah has a curse as well as salvation in one heart connected with Yeshua. Without further sacrifice, as He said: “It is finished”. (Jo.19:30)

So this considering, I would say that, in fact, Yeshua closed the scriptures, or closed the Torah in certain sence. I’m not saying that the NT is not inspired canonical scripture, but I’m saying that there’s more than just scripture. You would find, as I do, the holiness of all things in Yeshua, the holy truth. In him everything is holy, even me, picked up from dead, put into life, eternal life and eternal beauty, forever with him, rejoicing in his eternal Torah, his Word. Through his grace and sacrifice I’ll live and it caused me to say with Peter: (1Pe.1:3-4) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven” for us. Which is Yeshua the Messiah. (8-9) “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

And then, what’s the benefit of the scriptures? This is the first, to be converted and saved through the written, but also the living and eternal word of G-d. And this is the Word: (1Pe.1:25) “which by the gospel is preached unto you.” Which is Yeshua, let I say the extended Torah. As is written: (Ps.19:7) “The Torah of YHWH is perfect, converting the soul.”