I'm involved in an ongoing effort
to read the literature of the World's major religions, especially Judaism, so
that: 1.) I can understand it accurately, 2) evaluate it
correctly, 3.) expound it appropriately, 4.) respond to it
competently and convincingly, and 5.) keep others from having to do so, that
they may be able to focus on the truth, i.e. the Bible.
The writings of Jewish religious leaders are of particular
interest, because they help some with biblical background studies. The
Old Testament (Tanakh/תנ"ך), especially the Torah, was/is
the text of primary importance for Jewish religion, and until the
destruction of the second Temple in AD 70, its exposition and the tradition
surrounding it were oral in nature (passed on without being committed to
writing). Jesus was a Jew, born into this tradition, and much of the
Gospels show His interaction within this religious context as developed in His
day. His lively interactions with Jewish leaders are often connected to
the discontinuity between the Torah (and OT generally) and Jewish oral tradition, and are regularly nuanced
such that understanding Jewish/Rabbinic law is not only informative,
but sometimes resolves conundra that otherwise remain elusive.
Also, the Apostle Paul was
trained in the school of Gamaliel, one of the most venerated
Rabbi's in history (comparing the discontinuity between Paul’s teaching and
Talmud is striking). Of Gamaliel, the Mishna states, "Since Rabban
Gamaliel the Elder died, there has been no more reverence for the law, and
purity and piety died out at the same time" (Sotah, 15:9)
Interestingly, the destruction of the second Temple
changed Jewish religion, law, and scholarship,
requiring Jews to develop written texts to preserve the oral
tradition. This is where the Talmud comes into play. After the
destruction of the temple, Jewish religious leaders quickly realized that their
oral tradition must be preserved, and so they began doing so in the writings of
the Talmud (dwmlt).
The Hebrew verb variously translated “to learn/teach” is based on the
root lamad (dml, cf. Ec. 12:9). The
Hebrew noun for “what is taught/teaching” is a modified form of this word, i.e.
Talmud. The Talmud, then, contains
the written record of the oral law as it developed, and shows where Jewish
leaders developed/taught their views on theology, philosophy, ethics,
history, law, customs, mysticism, etc. [Note: the background of this blog
site is a photo of my own copy of volume 1 of the Talmud with the green letters (ylbb dwmlt), Talmud Bevaly, i.e. Babylonian Talmud]
A New Testament Example
There are many examples
where Jesus acted in a manner fully consistent with the OT law, but in a way
contrary to the oral law of the Jewish religious leaders, something that
incited their murderous ire. Reading the
Talmud brings clarity on some of these interactions. One example I have brought out in my
preaching is from John 5, which documents Christ’s healing of the man at
Bethesda (cf. John 5:10-12). Note that
in vs. 10, the Pharisees had a problem with the man carrying his palate on the
Sabbath. They state, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”
What is striking about
this is that not only have the Pharisees missed the point of the Sabbath (cf.
Mark 2:27, 28), but when confronted with this situation, they chose an unnecessarily
hard line, even by their own standards. As
later written in the Talmud, we see their law making an exception for precisely
this kind of scenario. In the section on
Shabbath, fol 151, col. 2, we read “When
a man is dangerously ill, the law grants dispensation, for it says, ‘You may
break one Sabbath on his behalf, that he may be preserved to keep many
Sabbaths.’” Note that here priority is
given to the preservation of life. The
situational hostility of the Pharisees in John 5 illustrates their fundamental
problem (cf. John 5:42-47).
Warning
and Exhortation
Having said all of this,
I am reminded of a warning and exhortation made by one expert in Judaic literature, who said of the Talmud, “In it is
trash and treasure.” He goes on to state
that in the 16th century, Benedictine Monks “made a particular
determined effort to destroy it.” However,
the biblical language specialist John Reuchlin told his peers, “Do not condemn
the Talmud before you understand it.
Burning is no argument. Instead
of burning all Jewish literature, it were better to found chairs in the
universities for its exposition.” This
is an attitude that would serve us all well.
It seems to me that in the modern
climate, the table has taken a dramatic turn.
Secular academic elites would prefer to banish and/or prejudicially
vilify the Bible rather than understand it as expounded by its most capable
expositors and defenders. In the spirit
of Reuchlin, do not condemn the Bible before you understand it. Burning is no argument. Instead of burning (even taken as a metaphor)
Christian literature, study at the feet of Christ and invite Him to be your
teacher. This is also an appropriate reminder for us Christians.
Sample Excerpts
In
my recent reading of the Talmud, I found several nuggets of treasure for
stimulating reflection. The following
are some of those excerpts which show some of the wisdom to be gleaned from
this ancient text. You’ll note a couple
of key features: 1.) for pedagogical and taxonomical purposes, they express
categories of virtue in groups of four; 2.) they combine rhetorical expression
with wisdom and desire for piety. Let me
encourage you to reflect on these, particularly noting where these reflect biblical
wisdom, and/or spiritual experience.
Communion
with God as Paradise
"The Talmud states that, 'Four men entered paradise—these are there
names:--Ben Azai, Ben Zoma, Acher, and Rabbi Akiva” (hagigah, fol. 14,
col. 2). 'Maimonides … teaches that the
Paradise or garden here is … the retreat of profound philosophic
meditation. These five … [reflections] were:
1.) To know that there is a God; 2.) to ignore every other beside Him; 3.) to
feel His unity; 4.) to love His person; and 5.) to stand in awe of His Majesty
(Vad Hachaz, chap. 4, sec. 19).
Deep thought in these matters was spoken of by the Rabbis as promenading
in the garden” ( _ Hebraic Literature_).
Note: In this respect, I think we (Christians) can all identify with
Maimonides on the splendor of meditation on God. It must be remembered, though, that one can
have an existential religious experience, be able to produce architectonic
theological formulations, bask in the joys of profound philosophical
meditation, yet still fail to know Christ savingly. In this regard, this should be a warning to
us all.
Characters
of Men Reflected in Attitudes about Possessions (From Nedarin, fol. 64,
col. 2.)
“Four
things mark the characters of men:--He who says what is mine is mine, and what
is thine is thine, is, according to some, a moderate man, but, according to
others, a child of Sodom; he who says what is mine is thine, and what is thine
is mine, is an ignorant man; he who says what is mine is thine and what is thy
own is also thine, is a pious man; he who says mine and thine are both my own,
is a wicked man.”
Note: I recently used this in a
Facebook post to make a point rhetorically.
I posted the above but added the line, “For
this, I'll probably get audited to prove what is mine is actually thine.”
Characters
of Men Reflected by their Passions (Avoth, chap. 5, sec. 16.)
"There
are four kinds of men, according to their degrees of passionateness:--He who is
easily provoked and as readily pacified, and who loses more than he gains; he
whom it is difficult to rouse and as difficult to appease, and who gains more
than he loses; he who is not readily provoked, but easily pacified, who is a
pious man; he who is easily provoked and with difficulty appeased, who is a
wicked man."
Characters
of Men Reflected in their Generosity (Ibid., chap. 5, sec. 19 )
"There
are four classes of men who give alms, and they are thus distinguished:--He who
is willing to give, but unwilling that others should do so, he has an evil eye
toward others; he who wishes others to give, but does not do so himself, he has
an evil eye toward himself; he who gives, and induces others to give, he is
pious; he who gives not, nor wishes others to give he is wicked."
Characters
Of Men Reflected in their Learning (Avoth, chap 5, sec. 19)
"There
are four marks by which one disciple differs from another:--One learns and does
not teach, one teaches and does not learn, one learns and teaches, and one
neither learns nor teaches."
Characters
of Men Reflected in their Teleology (Avoth d'Rab Nathan, chap. 29)
"Four things, if kept in view and gravely pondered over, deter from sin:--That a man consider whence he cometh, whither he goeth, who the judge will be, and what the future will bring to pass."
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