6 Point Detailed Summary
Priests are teach the law (Deuteronomy 17:11, Deuteronomy 24:8, Deuteronomy 33:10) and rituals (2 Kings 17:27), consult Yehova to obtain His opinion (1 Chronicles 15:13) and decide every controversy.
Deuteronomy 17:9-11 provides an insight into the way the Priests and Judge are required to resolve questions about Jewish Law.
Ecclesiastes Rabba 3:1 appears to be another justification put forward as to why it should be possible to add to the laws of the Torah, although this is not allowed by Deuteronomy 4:2 and 13:1.
In B. Megillah 14a, we see that R Hiyya b Abin puts forward a plausible-sounding justification as to why we should add to the laws of the Torah. This however is forbidden. Rashi also suggests that the practice of lighting Hannukah candles was recognised as an 'innovation'.
In this discussion, Pharisaic scholars Abaye and Rava question whether or not sleeping in the Succah after Succot has ended is an illegal addition to the laws of Torah.
Succot is a 7 day holiday and we are commanded to sleep in the Succah for those 7 days. However, here, Abaye suggests that anyone who sleeps in the Succah the day after should be punished for adding to the mitzvot (Torah laws). In the excerpt below, Rava puts forward a contrary view.
This is a controversy about Jewish Law.
While the two raise valid arguments as they seek to resolve the controversy, they do not question their own permission to resolve the controversy itself.
Images taken from Rabbi Sheman bar Abba's objection in Rosh Hashanah 28b.
Much of the Oral Torah provides two or more differing opinions from different Rabbis or Schools on the same subject. Two possible and differing opinions represent controversy and require resolution.
Ephod (Exodus 28:29), Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30, Deuteronomy 33:8, Nehemiah 7:65, Numbers 27:21), casting lots (Nehemiah 10:34).
People who are priests probably know they are. There are official and regularised
ways that priests can interact with Y-hova using the Urim and Thummim, ephod and casting lots. It's possible for the people to congregate and cast lots although it has to be done in a proper manner (Haman shows what happens when the wrong people try to do this). A lot of people will claim to be priests but do not know Torah nor preach it and this is also a way to identify false claims.
This may well sound like a monumental task but one that is absolutely necessary if Judaism is going to follow the Torah.
Some have suggested we cannot do anything about the Priesthood because we do not have possession of Temple Mount. However, this restriction has not come from the Torah, it's come from the Pharisaic tradition.
1 And Jethro priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, heareth all that God hath done for Moses, and for Israel his people, that Jehovah hath brought out Israel from Egypt,2 and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh Zipporah, wife of Moses, besides her parents,3 and her two sons, of whom the name of the one [is] Gershom, for he said, `a sojourner I have been in a strange land:'4 and the name of the other [is] Eliezer, for, `the God of my father [is] for my help, and doth deliver me from the sword of Pharaoh.'5 And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, cometh, and his sons, and his wife, unto Moses, unto the wilderness where he is encamping -- the mount of God;6 and he saith unto Moses, `I, thy father-in-law, Jethro, am coming unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.'7 And Moses goeth out to meet his father-in-law, and boweth himself, and kisseth him, and they ask one at another of welfare, and come into the tent;8 and Moses recounteth to his father-in-law all that Jehovah hath done to Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians, on account of Israel, all the travail which hath found them in the way, and Jehovah doth deliver them.9 And Jethro rejoiceth for all the good which Jehovah hath done to Israel, whom He hath delivered from the hand of the Egyptians;10 and Jethro saith, `Blessed [is] Jehovah, who hath delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of Pharaoh -- who hath delivered this people from under the hand of the Egyptians;11 now I have known that Jehovah [is] greater than all the gods, for in the thing they have acted proudly -- [He is] above them!'12 And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron cometh in, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God.13 And it cometh to pass on the morrow, that Moses sitteth to judge the people, and the people stand before Moses, from the morning unto the evening;14 and the father-in-law of Moses seeth all that he is doing to the people, and saith, `What [is] this thing which thou art doing to the people? wherefore art thou sitting by thyself, and all the people standing by thee from morning till evening?'15 And Moses saith to his father-in-law, `Because the people come unto me to seek God;16 when they have a matter, it hath come unto me, and I have judged between a man and his neighbour, and made known the statutes of God, and His laws.'17 And the father-in-law of Moses saith unto him, `The thing which thou art doing [is] not good;18 thou dost surely wear away, both thou, and this people which [is] with thee, for the thing is too heavy for thee, thou art not able to do it by thyself.19 `Now, hearken to my voice, I counsel thee, and God is with thee: be thou for the people over-against God, and thou hast brought in the things unto God;20 and thou hast warned them [concerning] the statutes and the laws, and hast made known to them the way in which they go, and the work which they do.21 `And thou -- thou dost provide out of all the people men of ability, fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and hast placed [these] over them, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens,22 and they have judged the people at all times; and it hath come to pass, every great matter they bring in unto thee, and every small matter they judge themselves; and lighten it from off thyself, and they have borne with thee.23 If thou dost this thing, and God hath commanded thee, then thou hast been able to stand, and all this people also goeth in unto its place in peace.'24 And Moses hearkeneth to the voice of his father-in-law, and doth all that he said,25 and Moses chooseth men of ability out of all Israel, and maketh them chiefs over the people, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens,26 and they have judged the people at all times; the hard matter they bring in unto Moses, and every small matter they judge themselves.27 And Moses sendeth his father-in-law away, and he goeth away unto his own land.
https://biblehub.com/interlinear/exodus/18.htm
Nehemia's presentation mentioned something I consider to be really important to Jewish law; he pointed out there is a technical contradiction between Deuteronomy 4:2/Deuteronomy 13:1 and the Oral Torah.
There is currently no separate YouTube Channel for the IsraelAlia Project and the project videos are being released on the GHE YouTube Channel.
Exodus 3:13-15 contains several specifications as to how we are supposed to say the name of Y-hova.
I was educated in Orthodox Pharisaic Judaism and there is a long-standing tradition to always write the name of God with a hyphen. When I first realised that Pharisaic Law was not 'of the Torah', I stopped using the hyphen and simply wrote the name 'God' with all the letters. I then later came across Exodus 3:13-15 and realised the correct name wasn't even G-d anyway, it was Yehova.
And you shall come to the priests the Levites and to the judge that shall be in those days and inquire - and they shall declare to you (no perfect translation) the words of judgment.
And you shall do on the tenor of the words, which they declare to you (no perfect translation) in the place that which chooses Yehova and you shall be careful to do according to all that they teach you.
According to the tenor of the law ('Torah') which they teach you and according to the judgment which they say (untranslatable word) you shall do; not shall you turn aside from the words which they declare to you (no perfect translation), to the right hand, or the left.
whereas in Genesis 13:7 and Genesis 13:8 it was used to describe the disagreements between the shepherds of Abraham and Lot.
There are also references to this word in the context of public disagreements. For example, in Exodus 17:7, it is used to describe the arguments about the lack of water at Meribah.
Numbers 20:13 states the waters were called Meribah because the Israelites had 'disputed' (רָבוּ) with Yehova.
Do you need excellent proofreading, editing or writing services?!
1. The people began to complain about their hardship (in the wilderness) ... 11. and Moses said to Y-hova .. 13. Where can I get meat for all these people? For they keep crying out to me ... 14. I am not able to bear all these people alone because it is too heavy for me ... 16. So Y-hova said to Moses, "gather seventy of the elders of Israel who you know are elders of the people and officers over them. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting that they may stand there with you. 17. And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them. They shall bear with you the burden of the people, so you will not have to bear it alone.
Re-Evaluating the Interpretation of Jewish Law
The making of Jewish Law by the Pharisees means that the entire Jewish legal code is in need of review.
We need Priests and Judges who always follow Torah.
The Oral Torah was only created by the Pharisaic Scholars after the Priestly line of Sadducees fell apart.
1. The Torah Contains Procedural Laws
The Torah contains hundreds of laws about worship, festivals and justice. These substantive laws are also accompanied by procedural laws.
Substantive Law: 'Don't park on a motorway'Procedural Law: 'Motorway laws must be made by Parliament'
Procedural laws tell us how the substantive laws must be interpreted, explained, created and applied and who is to carry out these functions.
2. How and Who: The Priests and Judges
The Torah says Priests and Judges are authorised and commanded to interpret, explain, create and apply Torah Law; see: Haggai 2:11-13; Malachi 2:7; Ezekiel 44:24; Deuteronomy 21:5; Deuteronomy 17:8-11 and Deuteronomy 16:18-20.
3. The Procedural System of the Priests and Judges Breaks Down
Priests and Judges had been fulfilling the Torah's legal functions in ancient times. However, the Priestly system began to break down in approximately 160BC, just before the destruction of the Second Temple.
The Sadducee Priests began to introduce secular philosophies belonging to their Hellenistic aristocratic colleagues. Although the Pharisaic Scholars (the Pharisees) were not Priests, they were not prepared to let the Sadducees distort the religion.
4. The Pharisees Replace the Priests and Judges
When the Sadducean Priesthood eventually fell apart, the Pharisaic Scholars replaced the Priests in the interpretation, explanation, creation and application of Jewish Law. The Sadducee Priests and Judges of antiquity simply disappeared with the passage of time.
The Pharisaic tradition of legal administration has continued right up to the present day and is known as Orthodox Rabbinic Judaism.
5. Procedural Laws Matter
The problem is - who makes the law matters.
5.1 Non-Torah Laws are Illegal
A 'law' is not legal unless it is permitted by the Torah.
Laws that are not made according to Torah-authorised procedures violate the rules in Deuteronomy 4:2 and 13:1 (that we are not allowed to add to or subtract from the quantity of laws in the Torah).
5.2 Non-Torah Laws Distort the Religion
When the wrong people make the law, we end up doing things we're not supposed to.
The Pharisaic Rabbis introduced a large quantity of their own 'laws', which they called the 'Oral Torah' and expected people to follow these laws, in addition to the Torah. While some of the laws contained in the Oral Torah may have passed down from Priestly rulings, most were simply made up by the Pharisaic Scholars themselves.
5.3 The Sanhedrin was a Misreading of Numbers 11:16
Although many people think the Sanhedrin (based on Numbers 11:16) legitimately took over the role of administering Jewish Law, contrary to popular opinion, Numbers 11:16 was never supposed to develop into a permanent system of Jewish legal administration. It was only ever intended as a one-off arrangement in the wilderness; supposed to happen once and not again.
The only parties genuinely authorised by the Torah to administer Torah Law are the Priests and Judges.
6. Re-Establishing the Torah's Procedural Laws
The Pharisees guarded the Torah following the destruction of the Second Temple and avoided Hellenism - but - 'Pharisaic Law' was only ever an error that followed the error of the Sadducees. Only the legal system of Priests and Judges really reflects the Torah.
Replacing the Priests and Judges with the Pharisees was a genuine accident - but - it's a mistake that still needs to put right today.
It's nonsense to suggest we're following the Torah by following the Pharisees, when it's clear they took over from the Priests as a fact of history. Most Jews today are following laws that do not come from the Torah, without realising they do not come from the Torah.
There needs to be a comprehensive re-evaluation of Jewish Law, religious practice, behaviour and culture.
Israel is not supposed to be a secular democracy - it's supposed to implement Torah Law in a similar way as Sharia countries implement the Qur'an.
Category A
Material Claimed to Have Been Transmitted Verbally From Y-hova to Moses to the People
Some people have suggested that certain passages indicate Y-hova transmitted information verbally to Moses, which he then passed onto the people, which was not written down. This is consistent with the Torah's procedures for Priests, Judges and `Prophets (Moses was all three).
Moses arose with Joshua and went up to the mountain of Yehova.
[Y-hova said] 'See that you make them (articles for the Tabernacle) after their pattern (tavnith) that was shown (mare'eh) to you on the mountain'.
[Yehova said] 'And you shall raise up the Tabernacle according to the plan (mishpato) that was shown (re'eita) on the mountain'.
[Yehova said] 'If the place where Y-hova your G-d chooses to put His name be too far for you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which Y-hova has given you, just as I have commanded (tziviticha) you and you may eat within your gates all the desires of your heart'.
(N.B. See Exodus 25-40, which contains detailed descriptions of the Tabernacle as well as Ezekiel 43:11, which says the plans for the Tabernacle were written down).
The Priests and Judges need to review the mechanisms for the resolution of Jewish Law and perform a review of the current Law to ensure it is fully compliant with the Torah. They need to identify which parts of the Oral Torah genuinely came from Sinai and which were simply made up by Pharisaic Scholars. They must resolve all controversies that arise from this theory and Israel.
The Priests and Judges have to make their decisions in isolation from the Rabbinic philosophies that have influenced Judaism thus far.
When people know what the real Torah says, less will consider it impractical for modern life. Priests and Judges should also review Israeli Law for compliance with the Torah.
In 2013, I was having a conversation about religion with a colleague and he sent me the link to a presentation by Nehemia Gordon called, 'The Hebrew Yeshua vs. the Greek Jesus'. Nehemia presented his talk in 2005, during his 'Speaking Tour' in the United States.
Writing the Name with a Hyphen
I write the name of Y-hova with a hyphen for a relatively complex reason.
However, I then later re-read Exodus 20:7 and this passage is the commandment to 'not take the L-rd's name in vain'. This commandment is repeated in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. I felt this meant we should show particular respect to the name of Y-hova.
Most recently, I looked again into the meaning of the word 'vain' and have started to question if this passage really means we should use a hyphen. Even though writing the name of Y-hova without a hyphen can seem very disrespectful to someone raised a Pharisee, we should not use a hyphen if this is merely because we're following the non-Torah traditions of men rather than the Torah. I will conduct further research into this area but for now, I'll err on the side of caution and continue using the hyphen, just in case writing the full name is disrespectful.
Please note, the Pharisees suggested we should use a hyphen because we should avoid writing the name in the first place and also because there is a commandment to not destroy the name of G-d (which they suggest is a consequence of Deuteronomy 12:3-4 - the commandment that we are not to destroy the altars of G-d in the same way we are to destroy the altars of idols). I do not agree with this justification.
