Aug 20, 2006
Posted on Aug 20, 2006 in Judaism, Pirkei Avot | 0 comments
Avtalyon would say: Scholars, be careful with your words. For you may be exiled to a place inhabited by evil elements [who will distort your words to suit their negative purposes]. The disciples who come after you will then drink of these evil waters1 and be destroyed, and the Name of Heaven will be desecrated.
There is an ancient restatement of and commentary on Pirkei Avot called “Abot de’Rabbi Natan” (ARN). It is a minor tractate of the Talmud of which I have discussed previously. ARN states our mishnah in this manner:
Abtalyon says: Sages, watch your words lest ye decide something not in accord with the teaching of the Torah, and incur the penalty of exile and be carried off to a place of evil waters; and your disciples also who come after you decide in your name something not in accord with the teaching of the Torah, and they incur the penalty of exile and be carried off to a place of evil waters.
I really like the way ARN states this portion of the mishnah: “Watch your words lest ye decide something not in accord with the teaching of the Torah.” Isn’t this the heart of any matter of teaching? If we are teaching something that contradicts the Torah, we are in danger of becoming a false prophet and leading others astray (Deuteronomy 13). This mishnah also brings to mind the words of Ja’acov (James), brother of the Master, who said: “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 1:1, NIV) We must add caution to caution in this regard. Let’s take a little deeper look at the various aspects of this mishnah. My commentary is based on the synthesis of these two texts.
Be careful with your words
Those who teach others must take it as serious business. The Master spent his entire earthly ministry correcting bad teaching. Let’s make sure we are not undoing his work. We must be careful with our words in a few regards. First, we must be extremely careful as to their accuracy. Second, we must consider how they might affect others. We never know how our words might be interpreted, and therefore must make a thorough effort to clearly present our points to those who are receiving instruction. I take this seriously, but I also know that I have a target audience for my method of teaching. If someone from outside my target audience were to pick up one of my teachings on a particular topic, the chances of it being misinterpreted are near one hundred percent. The reason for this is that they do not possess the needed knowledge base to properly filter many of the subjects discussed.
For instance, when I speak of ‘the Law,’ different people have different understandings on the subject. My previous understanding, having been raised in an evangelical church, was that the Law was some sort of twisted plot by God to show man his worthlessness, holding the proverbial carrot in front of him. For close to the last decade, however, my understanding of this has shifted to understand the Law from its intended purpose and perspective—a means of transforming us into the image of our Creator. If someone having the paradigm from which I previously came were to read my commentaries on the various laws in the Torah, such as Sabbath restrictions, they could and would easily be distorted. The same is true with any subject. Some very good advise I heard towards this was, “Explain, explain and clarify your explanation.” 2
Not in accord with the teaching of the Torah
When Yeshua was teaching, he was under constant scrutiny from those who were in places of teaching authority. He responded many ways at many times. However, his ultimate response (in my opinion) was this: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” 3 This was the foundation of his teaching. Others had stepped into evil waters. Yeshua, however, had come to establish proper halachic teaching authority as one whose words upheld Torah.
We often get into a debate over this passage in regard to whether he set aside the Torah (e.g. through the traditional interpretation of “fulfilling” it) or he “filled it up”4. Christendom has traditionally interpreted this passages via the previous method, saying that since Yeshua “fulfilled” the Torah, it is no longer necessary—it has become obsolete. On the other hand, there are others who say he “filled it up,” therefore our obedience to the specifics of Torah is not necessary, merely our proper application of its principles; somehow Yeshua “spiritualized” the Torah.
However, neither of these are the case. The problem with both of these interpretations is that they fail to consider the cultural milieu in which Yeshua’s words were cast. Both of these interpretations are based solely upon the guesswork of the interpreters, rather than the context in which they were given. Here is a brief explanation of the proper understanding of this passage:
“In rabbinic literature, the Greek words from the Gospel which are translated “abolish” and “fulfill” possess dynamic equivalents. The word “abolish” means to “interpret incorrectly.” In Greek, the word kataluo means “abolish,” and its dynamic Hebrew equivalent batel also means “cancel, abolish, destroy,” but batel is often used in contexts that deal with interpreting Scripture. One cancels Torah when it is misunderstood. The word “fulfill,” moreover, refers to interpreting a passage correctly. In Greek the word pleroo means “fulfill.” Its Hebrew equivalent kiyem is derived from a root, that means “cause to stand” and possesses the sense, “to uphold, to observe, to fulfill, or to place on a firmer footing.” It too is used in contexts that deal with interpreting Scripture.
When one misunderstands the proper meaning of Torah, one many not obey the Lord’s will and therefore will cancel the law. Hence a person may abolish Torah by misunderstanding the divine revelation. On the other hand, when one understands the proper meaning, one is able to obey God’s will and therefore fulfill Torah.”5
Ironically, by misappropriating the words of Yeshua, we are doing exactly the opposite of his example. We are abolishing the very words of the Master, rather than fulfilling them.
This the downfall of Antignos of Socho. From his one misunderstood statement regarding eternal rewards for works done in this life, his disciples constructed an entirely new doctrine that actually was in opposition to his original statement. Unfortunately, this is what has been done with the words of our Master as well.
Incur the penalty of exile…and evil waters
Unfortunately, I have a good example of this. I have a friend who believes he is a divinely appointed teacher of the Scriptures. He has been prolifically writing article after article on various subjects and unsolicitedly sending them out to a slew of people. These “teachings,” however, are nothing more than lies and slander, mixed in with half-truths in order to add a bit of credibility to his arguments. With a blind determination to vociferously attack the Jews and anything Jewish, he has neglected to accurately represent his opponents. Therefore, his arguments are all straw men. They just don’t hold any weight, because they are all based on fabrications which have been created to support his animosity. They are not necessarily fabrications that have been created deliberately (G-d forbid), but primarily out of a desire to accept information that supports with his false assumptions. His words are not only inaccurate, but they are distorting reality and possibly leading uneducated people into a false perception of the truth. Unfortunately, I can see the “exile” and “evil waters” clearly in such a person.
In the case where someone is teaching untruth repeatedly, they will eventually not know truth from fiction. They will have gone to a place of no return, especially having fallen prey to the “evil elements” (i.e. those who would perpetuate the false teachings). The Apostolic Scriptures warn us of such, by saying:
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3, 4, NIV)
This is a luring trap that we in which must be careful not to fall, and it is running rampant within Christianity, as well as the Torah movement. We are pulled to teachers that have the talk, rather than the walk; the gnosis, rather than the da’at6. As teachers of the Word of the Almighty, we must not fall into such traps. May we break this curse and have our eyes opened to this deception, and be disciples of those who walk the walk (rather than merely talk the talk) and teach others to do the same.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
(James 3:13-18, NIV)
And be destroyed
This is the final result of those who perpetuate and “drink” false teachings. Outside of the grace of the Almighty, destruction is the payment for such labors.
Footnotes
1 “Evil waters” = heresy
2 Verbal quote from Boaz Michael at the Wooden Podium conference, Fall 2005.
3 Matthew 5:17, NIV
4 Ironically, David Stern’s Complete Jewish New Testament Commentary argues that Yeshua “filled up” the Torah and the Prophets, not taking into consideration the Semitic nature of this phrase.
5 Young, Brad H., Jesus the Jewish Theologian, p. 265.
6 Both gnosis (Greek) and da’at (Hebrew) mean “knowledge.” However, gnosis implies only the knowing aspect of information, while da’at implies the application of information.
Jun 12, 2006
Posted on Jun 12, 2006 in Miscellaneous, Mishnah, Pirkei Avot | 0 comments
I’ve recently been working my way through The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan (The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan), as translated by Judah Goldin. It has been interesting to see even more parallels to the Apostolic Writings from this ancient text. For those interested, Abot de’Rabbi Natan (ARN) is a minor tractate of the Talmud and is an ancient commentary on Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers).
There is a version of it contained in the printed texts of the Babylonian Talmud, but this particular version is based on two versions of ARN which were translated and documented by Solomon Schechter more than a century ago. Schechter had not only translated and compared these two “non-canonical” versions of ARN, but had come upon a third as well. What is interesting to note is that these versions of ARN contain information from Pirkei Avot (PA) in a different form than what exists in the Talmud. The arrangements of the various mishnayot are not parallel to PA, and often it attributes sayings to persons other than whom PA claims as their source. I plan on incorporating some of the information within ARN in my ongoing commentary on PA. I can’t help but feel a sense of amazement at the parallels to the Apostolic Writings in several instances. Here’s a sneak peek at some of what I’ve come across already:
Regarding the statement “Thy belly is like a heap of wheat hedged in by lilies (Cant. 7:3) ” the following statements are made.
“Thy belly is like a heap of wheat refers to the minor commandments that are tender. Hedged in by lilies teaches this: when Israel put them into practice, they are led thereby to the life of the world to come. How so? One’s wife in her menses is alone with him at home. If he is so minded he cohabits with her; if he is otherwise minded he does not cohabit with her. Does then anyone see him, or does anyone know to tell him aught? He fears only Him who commanded against contact with a menstruant.
(Again,) one has suffered a pollution. If he is so minded he bathes; if he is otherwise minded he does not bathe. Does anyone see him, or does anyone know to tell him aught? He fears only Him who commands ritual immersion.
The same may be said of the law of dough offering; and the same may be said of the law of first shearings. These minor commandments, tender as lilies, when Israel put them into practice, lead them to the life of the world to come.”
To me, this brings to mind the warning the Master gives his disciples in Luke’s Gospel:
Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.
(Luke 12:1-5, NIV)
Food for thought…
May 9, 2006
Posted on May 9, 2006 in Judaism, Pirkei Avot, Torah | 0 comments
Joshua the son of Perachia and Nitai the Arbelite received from them. Joshua the son of Perachia would say: Provide yourself with a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every man on the scale of merit.
This has to be one of my favorite sayings from Pirkei Avot. These three things are three areas in which I would imagine most people fall short (with my name being at the top of the list). Let’s touch on these briefly.
Provide yourself with a teacher
Being nearly two thousand years removed from the faith of Yeshua and his talmidim (disciples), we honestly do not have an idea of what it means to be a disciple or student. In modern times, a student is a single person in a sea of classmates; a teacher is a distant authoritarian to guide you through a textbook. We just don’t have the concept of a student-teacher relationship like in the Biblical period. During these times, especially within the Jewish cutlure, a rabbi would take on a few students and spend a great deal of time with them. He would pour into them his great wealth of knowledge. From those students there would be those who would excel and shine a little brighter than the rest. Like the fat from milk, the cream would rise to the top—not to dominate, but to be proven as a candidate to take the mantel from the rabbi and pass it to the next generation. From there the student-teacher relationship was further bonded, and all that the rabbi could pour out was lapped up by his student.
We have massive gaps in the wisdom of one generation to the next. We have arrogance and pride as the chasm between the younger and the older. We are “wise in our own eyes” according to Scripture, in that we literally believe we cannot be taught. We are self-made, self-taught, and self-destructive. We need the counsel and instruction of our elders, specifically a teacher who is wise in the ways of Adonai that can pour into us the wisdom that only comes through experience—not theory.
Yeshua gives us a great example of this student-teacher relationship. He has literally thousands of disciples, but he has only twelve that he is with day in and day out. Within those twelve, he has three with whom he is closest. He revealed his soul to these three only. He took them to the mountain of Transfiguration (Matthew 17) where his mission was sanctioned by his Father in the presence of these three witnesses. They were close enough to Yeshua to share in his most wonderful and most painful experiences of life.
Acquire for yourself a friend
In the west, we truly do not have an understanding of camaraderie. We are a lonely people, an isolated people. We have a shallow definition of friendship, and are threatened by the thought of needing another person—especially that of the same sex. We take pride in the fact that we don’t ‘need’ anyone. We are an island to our own. But Scripture teaches us that “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). You see, without others, we cannot be sharp. We can never be the scalpel in the hand of HASHEM. We will always be the butterknife in the wound. Without others who are close enough to us to smooth out our roughness, we will always be “rough around the edges.” We will always be abrasive with those to whom we come in contact. We will always be the “diamond in the rough”, so to speak—never being polished to our potential radiance and beauty.
If I didn’t have others in my life, I would be a Scripture-sniper. What do I mean by that? I mean, I would be using the Scriptures to knock off people left and right, without ever a care for them, and without them really ever seeing me (for who I am). I would destroy them with my doctrine, rather than encourage their spiritual metamorphosis with my love. The old adage is definitely true that people “don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
By ignoring the command to “acquire for yourself a friend” as a study partner and a true confidant, we not only deprive others from what we have to offer, but deprive ourselves from our full potential.
Judge every man on the scale of merit
And lastly, we have the statement that ties these two together. We are to “judge all men (yes, women as well) on the scale of merit.” But what does this mean? I understand it to mean something similar to what Yeshua said in his sermon on the Mount:
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ’Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
(Matthew 7:1-6, NIV)
In this passage, we hear Yeshua admonishing his disciples on the subject of judgement & correction. Too often we hear “Do not judge!” But we don’t understand the application. We must realize that not only are we supposed to judge (1 Corinthians 5 is a good example of this), but we must do so accurately and for the benefit of the other person. When Yeshuah instructs us not to judge, he is not telling us that we shouldn’t discern that the deeds of others are either righteous or wicked, but rather that we should not be quick to jump to conclusions to condemn the person without a fair and thorough investigation. This is why he tells us “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” If we are quick to condemn others, we will quickly be condemned. If we judge people with fairness and optimism, the same will be shown to us. This is why we must first “remove the plank” in our own eye (i.e. make sure we don’t have four fingers pointing back at us in the same area of sin!) before we come to our brother in correction.
This is the point of our mishnah. To judge a person “on the scale of merit” means that we judge with love, just as the Apostle Paul reminds us:
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:6,7)
If we truly love a person, we will not delight in knowing they have done evil, nor will we assume the worst regarding them. We will protect them and their integrity by not listening to gossip without getting the facts directly from the one accused. We will trust that Hashem is doing a work in their lives, rather than forsaking them at a moment’s notice. We will realize that we are all growing, maturing, learning and that somehow this circumstance is possibly a misunderstanding of the facts. We will persevere in loving the accused (even if it is ’tough love’ that has to distance them for a season) through their accusation until their restoration.
Lastly, I have never heard the last section of Yeshua’s teaching on judging (regarding dogs, pearls and pigs) associated with the previous two sections. It has always been taught as a separate thought or idea. However, as I was looking at this, it seemed clear that this was indeed a continuation of the instructions regarding judgement. In the same way we must be cautious to accuse someone of wrong doing, we must also be cautious of bringing a word of correction to someone who is not ready to receive it. Proverbs tell us:
Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. (Proverbs 9:7-8, NIV)
If the person truly has a heart for Hashem, your (gentle)rebuke will only draw him to t’shuva (repentance). If he is bent on going his own way, your rebuke will only receive criticism. Proverbs puts this another way by saying,
“Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom” (Proverbs 17:16)
Isn’t this exactly what Yeshua is saying? This is indeed casting our pearls before swine. Therefore, let us judge all men in love, and use wisdom in our correction.
May 1, 2006
Posted on May 1, 2006 in Judaism, Pirkei Avot, Torah | 0 comments
Antignos of Socho received the tradition from Shimon the Righteous. He would say: Do not be as slaves, who serve their master for the sake of reward. Rather, be as slaves who serve their master not for the sake of reward. And the fear of Heaven should be upon you.
Although we know that everything we do for Hashem should be not for the sake of reward (i.e. “heaven”, unlike popular theology teaches us), but for the sake of our love for Hashem alone—many doctrines are formed around the antithesis of this statement. Preachers are peddling either “tickets to eternity” or “fire insurance”. They leave out the part about a covenantal relationship with the Creator & King of the Universe. Their doctrine only is concerned about one thing: where a person will spend eternity—in the blissful euphoria of a heavenly realm, or the burning pits of hell. I’m afraid neither of these is what salvation is all about. Salvation, in its purist sense, is about having Hashem as your ally in the battles of life, your friend in times of trouble. It’s about not having Him as your enemy, because there is no defense against His wrath. It’s about living in covenantal relationship with the Almighty, and having no regrets when He says “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Salvation is now. Salvation is a process (of self-transformation). Salvation is not necessarily a destination.
I don’t have time to elaborate on this much, but this is also a classic example of how something can be said, misunderstood, and entirely new doctrines formed around the misunderstanding. It is taught that after Antignos made this statement, his disciples after him began to teach that since we do not serve Hashem for reward, there must not be a reward, and thus began to teach that there was no resurrection. This is traditionally how the heretical sects of the Sadducees and Beothusians got started. This is why it is so important that those of us who are teachers are teaching as much truth as possible, and making sure we are understood properly. We will touch on this more in Mishnah 11.
