RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot
Chapter 6:7
By: Yehudah ben Shomeyr
“Great is Torah,
for it gives life to its observers in this world, and in the World To Come. As
is stated (Proverbs 4:22 ):
"For they are life to he who finds them, and a healing to all his
flesh." And it says (ibid. 3:8): "It shall be health to your navel,
and marrow to your bones." And it says (3:18 ): "She is a tree of life for those who hold fast
to her, and happy are those who support her." And it says (1:9): "For
they shall be a garland of grace for your head, and necklaces about your
neck." And it says (4:9): "She shall give to your head a garland of
grace, a crown of glory she shall grant you." And it says (9:11 ): "With me, your days shall
be increased, and years of life shall be added to you." And it says (3:16 ): "Long days in her right
hand; in her left, wealth and honor." And it says (3:2): "For long
days, years of life and peace, they shall add to you."”
Speaking of the Torah it says in: Deut. 32:47 For it [is] not a vain thing for you; because it [is]
your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong [your] days in the land,
whither ye go over Jordan
II
Thess. 2:3 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for except there come a
falling away first, and that the man of sin revealed…”
I
Jn.3:4 Defines what sin is. “Whoever
commits sin transgresses also the law (Torah) for sin is the transgression
of the law (Torah).”
Mt.7:21-23
“Not everyone that says, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,
but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
What is the will
of the Father? Torah!
V.22 Many will say
to me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name? And in
Your Name cast out demons? And in Your
Name done wonderful works?” v.23 And
then I will profess unto them, “I never knew (Hebrew: have been intimate with)
you: depart from me you that work iniquity (Torahlessness).”
Iniquity is
defined as, “Lawlessness” (Torahlessness) Greek: Anomia. A= Anti, against or another. Nomia= law. (Strong’s: 458)
The “Jesus” of
Catholicism and Christianity is seen as a Leonardo Divinci painting,
Hellenistic, Greco-Roman looking, toga wearing, long haired, fair skinned, blue
eyed, British speaking, zombified, hippy guru, rebel, who came and did away
with Torah, and started a strange new religion.
Like a bad, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” make over, they have turned
Yeshua into something He’s not.
It’s like calling
Dr. Phil the Messiah yet painting him to look like Sigmund Freud, and Taking,
and reading Dr. Phil’s book and yet not doing one thing he said to do, and on
top of that interpret what he has said to say something entirely different from
what he meant.
This is NOT my
Messiah! This is NOT the Jews Messiah!
Hopefully it is not YOUR Messiah. This according to II Thess. 2:3-12, is
a description of the anti-Messiah! It is
no wonder that the Jewish people will not accept this “Jesus” as the
Messiah. And rightly so, because He’s
NOT! The Jews look at the Tanak (“Old
Testament”) and it tells what their Messiah is supposed to be like, and they
see the “Jesus” portrayed in Catholicism and Christianity, and immediately
dismiss him. Why? Because the “Jesus”
they see doesn’t line up with the Torah.
Most Catholics and
Christians today believe and claim that the Law has been abolished by the work
of Christ on the cross. However, this
“Christ” Himself who died on that cross said this about the Law.
Matt. 5:17 -20 “Think not that I am come to
destroy the Law (Torah) or the Prophets: (Nevi’im) (Both are the Tanak or the
“Old Testament”) I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.” The word fulfill in
v.17 does NOT mean, to complete, as in to put an end to something. It DOES mean to fill up, to bring and render
its full and complete meaning, to perform.
In other words Yeshua came to show us the true meaning of the Torah so
we could live it out as He did. V.18 For verily (Truly, Most assuredly)
I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass…[Get up right now and look out
side. Is the sky still up there? Is the earth still out there?]…not one jot… (Jot is Yod in Hebrew, the smallest
letter. Looks like an apostrophe.) … or
one tittle… (Tittle is the tiniest extension of the Hebrew letter Dalet, that
differentiates it from another similar Hebrew letter, the Resh. It can also refer to the decorative flare on
any given Hebrew letter.) …shall in NO
wise pass from the Law (Torah) till ALL
be fulfilled (preformed fully). V.19 Whosoever therefore shall break (Greek: to
loose or destroy) one of the least commandments (according to the rabbinical
sages of blessed memory, Deuteronomy 22:6 is the least of all commandments,
concerning the disturbance of a birds nest.) And teaches men so… (“Ah,
go ahead, it’s alright, we’re not under the Law anymore, but under grace.”) …he
shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall
DO and TEACH; the same shall be called great in the kingdom of
heaven. V.20 For I say unto you that
except your righteousness … (Not the righteousness of Messiah bestowed
upon a believer, but YOUR righteousness, meaning your works!)… shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees… (performing all the commandments with ALL your heart and mean it! Not only on the outside, but on the inside as
well)… you will in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven. V.20 of Matthew 5
mentions righteousness and connects it with works. Although we are not saved by works,
but by faith in Messiah's sacrificial death in our place, we must prove, show,
and back up our faith by our faith-full-ness to His Torah. Speaking of Torah, Yeshua said in John
5:46-47, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, (The Living Torah)
for he wrote about Me. But if you do not
believe his writings, how will you believe My words (Which is no different from
the Written Torah)?”
John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My
commandments.” Messiah and ADONAI are
one (Jn.17) so Yeshua’s commandments are no different from ADONAI the
Father’s. So Yeshua didn’t teach
anything new, He just taught Torah, and taught us how to live it
correctly.
James 1:22 “Be DOERS of the WORD (Torah)
and not hearers only…” v25b “…a DOER of the work, this man will be blessed in
his deed.” (Deut.27-28) James 2:17-18 “Even so FAITH, if it hath not WORKS is
dead being alone. Yes, a man may say, “You have faith, I have works: show me
your faith without works, and I will show you my faith BY my works.””
Yeshua and all the apostles were Torah
observant, and because Yeshua was Torah observant, I don’t have to ask myself,
W.W.J.D.? I simply D.W.Y.D.! (Do What
Yeshua Did)
·
He was circumcised.
Lk. 12:21
·
He was dedicated and named at his circumcision. Lk.
2:22-24,39-40
·
He kept the feasts.
Lk. 2:4, 9:28 -36 Jn.
10:22-23
·
He was Torah trained. Lk. 2:46-52
·
He was “mikvahed”. (baptized) Mt. 3:13-17
·
He kept Sabbath.
Lk.4:14-21
·
He went to the Temple
·
He went to the Synagogue. Lk. 4:16,44
·
He read and taught a portion of the annual Torah and
prophetic reading cycle. (Parashat) Lk. 4:14-21
·
He most likely prayed the ancient set of Jewish
prayers, prayed 3x’s a day, called the “Amidah” meaning, “To stand.” He refers to this very prayer in Mark
11:25-26, “When you STAND to pray....”
·
He said the Shema the Jewish declaration of YHWH’s
Oneness said every day by faithful Jews, from Duet. 6:4: Mark 12:29 ,30.
·
He was a Rabbi.
Lk. 10:25-28, Jn. 20:16
·
He taught Torah.
Lk. 24:44-45
·
He wore tzitzit. (fringes) Lk. 8:43-44, Jn. 19:23-24
·
He kept Torah.
Jn. 15:10
·
He taught us to live out Torah. Mt. 5:17-20, Jn. 14:15, Lk. 5:14
·
He lived and died as a Jew. Jn. 20:6-8, 19:40
·
He left as a Jew.
Lk. 24:50-51
·
He is returning as a Jew. Rev. 19:13,16
·
He will reign forever as the Jewish Messiah. Rev.21:1-6, 22:3-5
There were two schools of
Jewish thought. The school of Hillel school of
Shami 2:52 ). During the “Last Supper” Messiah held a
Passover Seder for His Talmidim (disciples) and made the traditional
blessings over the tirosh (non alcoholic grape juice) and matzah, (for
everything even the wine was with out yeast or leaven) and followed the traditional
order of the Passover Seder haggadah (the program and order of the Seder).
All of the apostles were Torah
observant; all His followers were Torah observant as well. Let’s take a look. Acts 21:20 talks about how they were all ZEALOUS for
the TORAH!
Jim Myers has this to say concerning the early Jewish believers in
Messiah Yeshua, from his article, “Would Your Church Really Allow You To Be
Like Jesus?” Found at: http://www.biblicalheritage.org/Jesus/would.htm
“The book of Acts
provides us with some very valuable information. Acts 21:17 -25 records Paul's return to Jerusalem
"You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have become faithful (observant). All of them are zealous for the Torah (Law). They have been informed that you have taught the Jews of the Diaspora to not keep the Torah, that they should not circumcise their children or live according to the Jewish religion.... Take these men and do the following... so that everybody will know that there is no truth in these reports about your teachings, but that you yourself are living an observant lifestyle and keeping the Torah."
A quick summary provides us with some very significant information. Is your church producing the same results?
(1) Jews became more faithful (observant) Jews because of the message.
(2) They became zealous for the Torah (Law).
(3) They kept the Laws of Moses (the Torah).
(4) They circumcised their children.
(5) They lived according to the traditions (Jewish religion).
Notice that Paul did as he was requested - he wasn't teaching the Jews to abandon their religion. Paul was "under the law" and lived an observant lifestyle. How then could he have been the author of a doctrine that advocated rejecting the law?
"You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have become faithful (observant). All of them are zealous for the Torah (Law). They have been informed that you have taught the Jews of the Diaspora to not keep the Torah, that they should not circumcise their children or live according to the Jewish religion.... Take these men and do the following... so that everybody will know that there is no truth in these reports about your teachings, but that you yourself are living an observant lifestyle and keeping the Torah."
A quick summary provides us with some very significant information. Is your church producing the same results?
(1) Jews became more faithful (observant) Jews because of the message.
(2) They became zealous for the Torah (Law).
(3) They kept the Laws of Moses (the Torah).
(4) They circumcised their children.
(5) They lived according to the traditions (Jewish religion).
Notice that Paul did as he was requested - he wasn't teaching the Jews to abandon their religion. Paul was "under the law" and lived an observant lifestyle. How then could he have been the author of a doctrine that advocated rejecting the law?
I don't mean to
linger on this point forever, but are you really getting the importance of this
message?
(1) The message of the apostles caused Jews to repent and become observant Jews who practiced Judaism faithfully.
(2) The apostles were causing Jews to become eager for the Torah and to pursue it with fervor. It is clear that they were not teaching them that "they were under grace and no longer under the law." This one point is in complete opposition to most fundamental teaching of every modern Christian doctrine.
(3) The Jewish members of the early church continued to circumcise their children. In other words, they continued to see themselves as participants in the Abrahamic Covenant, just as every practicing Jew does today. Their children were Jews, not members of some new mystical religion that replaced Judaism.
(4) The Jewish members of the early church continued to practice Judaism. They did not switch to a new religion.”
(1) The message of the apostles caused Jews to repent and become observant Jews who practiced Judaism faithfully.
(2) The apostles were causing Jews to become eager for the Torah and to pursue it with fervor. It is clear that they were not teaching them that "they were under grace and no longer under the law." This one point is in complete opposition to most fundamental teaching of every modern Christian doctrine.
(3) The Jewish members of the early church continued to circumcise their children. In other words, they continued to see themselves as participants in the Abrahamic Covenant, just as every practicing Jew does today. Their children were Jews, not members of some new mystical religion that replaced Judaism.
(4) The Jewish members of the early church continued to practice Judaism. They did not switch to a new religion.”
Further examples
of the Torah observant lifestyle of the apostles:
Kefa (Peter) – prayed Mincha (afternoon) prayers and he kept kosher.
(Acts 10)
Rav Sha’ul (Paul) – said “I am (not was) a Pharisee…” He kept the traditions and customs of the
Jewish people. (Acts 23:5-6, 28:17)
He made an offering after Yeshua’s death and resurrection. (Acts
21:17-26)
One day the temple will be rebuilt and sacrifices will resume. During the millennial reign of Messiah
everyone will keep the feasts.
(Is.66:22-24) Yeshua said he
didn’t come for the ones who were already keeping Torah. He came for the ones who didn’t keep Torah.
(Mt. 9:9-13, Mk. 2:13-17, Lk. 5:27-32) These are but a few examples:
Daniel 2:21 and 7:25 is giving a description of the
Anti (against or another)-Messiah.
“He shall speak great words against the Most High (How? By
speaking against His Words, His Torah!) and shall wear out the saints of the
Most High and think to change TIMES (the Feast of the LORD) and LAWS
(Torah) (Forbidding Sabbath
observance and Biblical Festivals, and enforcing Christianized pagan holidays,
like Christmas and Easter just like the “Christian” Roman Emperor Constantine
did! May his name and memory be erased!), and they shall be given into his hand
until a time and times and the dividing of times.”
How many Catholics and Christians today are Torah observant? How many keep all of the Feasts commanded by ADONAI
in Leviticus 23? Almost none! Most Catholics and Christians keep Sunday,
not Sabbath. Most Catholics and
Christians go by a Roman solar calendar, instead of the traditional Hebrew
lunar one. Most Catholics and Christians
keep pagan rooted holidays (Christmas and Easter etc.) instead of the Feasts of
the LORD.
The Anti-Messiah (Anti-Christ) is called the man of lawlessness or we
could say, Torahlessness. (2 Thess. 2:3-12) Because of this, I believe many
Catholics and Christians will be deceived. He’ll agree with the majority of
Catholicism and Christianity and say that the Torah has been done away with.
Remember, sin is anything against the Torah, (I Jn.3:4) God’s standards for
holiness.
Matthew 24:24 tells that the Anti-Messiah (if it were possible will
deceive the very elect!) will not show
up with horns, pitchfork, pointed tail, with 666 blazing across his
forehead. He couldn’t fool anyone like
that. No, he’ll look just like the
“Jesus” of Catholicism and Christianity, working miracles, making peace
everywhere, changing laws and holy day observances, making Temple worship to
cease as if to say, “I am the Messiah.
You don’t have to sacrifice anymore, I’m here, I have fulfilled it all!”
(Mt.24:15, Dan. 9:27 ; 12:11 ). All because Most Catholics
and Christians believe today that most, if not all, the Torah was done away
with in the death of Christ. NO! The penalty of death has been done
away with, NOT the LAW itself! (Rm.7:7-13; 24-25)
Matthew 5:17-20 paints the TRUE picture of the Messiah, that
non-believing Jews NEED and MUST see!
Are you “Taking ADONAI’s Name in vain” by living like the Catholic and
Christian “Jesus”, contrary to His Word, Thus Soiling His Name ? Or are you living like Yeshua, the Jewish,
Torah observant Messiah? Will you, “Let
your light so shine before men, that they may SEE YOUR good WORKS, and glorify
your Father in heaven (Mt.5:16).”
So, is “Jesus” the Anti-Christ?
Well, that depends on how YOU present Him.
Shalom,
-- Yehudah ben
Shomeyr
