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Provided by Congregation Roeh Israel (UMJC) of Denver, Colorado.
MESSIAH: TORAH IN HIS ERA
by Burt Yellin
In exploring the rabbinic writings, we must first consider that these, in the form we posses, proclaim only those beliefs peculiar to the Pharisaic sect of Judaism. Further, having been compiled by only a select few in the inner circle of that community [e.g. R. Hillel; R. Yochanan b. Zakki; R. Gamliel II; and R. Yehuda haNasi], there exists the strong possibility of contamination. The addition or removal of words of complete texts which did not fall within the perimeters set by these rabbis and those following them, seems likely.
To compound this problem, these rabbinic works underwent a thorough audit by the "church," resulting in the centuries long censorship of many ideas thought to be heretical. Not until relatively recent times have these portions been restored to a state closer to their original composition.
Therefore, before attempting any study of the Talmudic literature, especially that literature pertaining to "aggadah" or "tales," we must consider not only the coloring of individual writers on an already subjective topic -- the Oral Law -- but additionally, the influence of nearly two-thousand years of Judaeo-Christian dialogue. However, these writings are the most prolific works we possess dealing with the evolution of thought by our rabbis on the Scriptures, and their adaptation of attitudes to life under a growing Christian authority.
IMMUTABILITY OF TORAH
In modern rabbinic thought, the doctrine of the immutable nature of the Torah revealed at Sinai reigns supreme. This doctrine speaks of Torah as G*d's perfect gift to man, which reveals His innermost thoughts and attributes. Indeed, we are informed that there is a heavenly copy of Torah which exists as white fire upon black fire, and that the Almighty Himself occupies His time with the study of this "Heavenly Torah." Proponents of this position have naturally concluded, that Torah, in and of itself, is perfect in the form revealed, and therefore, is self-sustaining. Having preexisted the mundane creation, and indeed, being the plan of creation, its contents exist unchanged in the heavens. This intrinsic worth would dictate that it would never change.
However, as in all rabbinic discussions, a unanimous decision is not a practical objective. Consequently, there are those who differ, believing that the Torah of this age was given to man to satisfy needs that are peculiar to this age. Accordingly, when the nature of G*d's relationship with man changes, so will Torah.
MUTABILITY OF TORAH
Those who believe Torah was mutable, viewed the Torah of the present age to be veiled in obscurity. There are many halachot [rules or laws] that are ambiguous. These, we are told, are the statues and decrees of the L*rd, and although we many not comprehend their significance or purpose, we still may not disobey them. This thought is brought out in the Midrash Bamidbar Rabba 19:8 on Numbers 19:2, the conversation is between R. Yochanan b. Zakki, and an idolater. It concerns those Laws of Torah that seem superfluous in nature, and which defy any perception as to their purpose, specifically, those laws pertaining to the ritual of becoming "ceremonially clean" through the use of the ashes of the "red heifer." To the idolater, R. Yochanan gives the impression that this power to cleanse resides in the ashes themselves. However, up being questioned further by his pupils, he states:
The Holy One, blessed be He, merely says: I have laid down
My statute, I have issued a decree. You are not allowed to
transgress My decree; as it is written, "This is the statute
of the Law....By your life, it is not the dead that defiles,
nor the water that purifies."
This latter statement parallels Yeshua's statement on the washing of
one's hands before eating -- that it is not what goes into a person's mouth that defiles him, but what comes out of his mouth. It also gives us an indication that there were some of our rabbis who understood these rituals to be an outward sign of a penitent heart.
However, these various statues and decrees, although ambiguous in the present age, would, according to the rabbis, be explained to us by Messiah when He comes during His "Age." We are informed that in some cases the Law would be more exacting [e.g. marital relations], and that in some cases, the Laws and sacrifices would be less stringent, some being done away with completely. Vayyikra Rabba 9:7 reads:
R. Phinehas, R. Levi, and R. Yochanan said in the name of R.
Menachem; 'In the time to come, all sacrifices will be
annulled, but that of thanksgiving will not be annulled'
This is indicated by what is written [Jer. 33;11].
The "Time to Come," or "Age to Come," are phrases that describe the
time of the end. This end time is viewed as paralleling the beginning, i.e. that the world would be restored to its condition before the flood. We, therefore, would return to the condition of Noah, and as the Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 146:7 tells us, even the laws of "kashrut" will be abrogated:
The Lord will loose the bonds. What does the verse man by
the words 'Loose the bonds'? Some say that of every animal
whose flesh it is forbidden to eat in this world, the Holy
One, blessed be He, will declare in the time to come that
eating of its flesh is permitted. [Eccles. 1:9 is quoted as
the proof text.]
Of course, there are others who do not believe this to be the case,
and use Isa. 66:17 as their proof text, which states that those who eat of swine's flesh and the detestable thing shall come to an end altogether. However, an interesting point is made in passing, when the question is posed:
What else is meant by 'bonds' in 'loose the bonds'? The
bonds of death and the bonds of the nether world.
This is, of course, what the New Testament tells us Yeshua did.
Through His sacrificial death and resurrection, He broke the hold of sin and death in this world, and consequently the fear of the nether world.
The thought of Torah changing in the "Age to Come," is again made perfectly clear in the rendering of Deut. 17:18, in Sifra. Here it is stated that the L*rd wrote a copy of the Mishna-Torah for Himself, and that He would not be content with the Mishna-Torah of the fathers. The question is asked:
Why does He say Mishna-Torah? Because it is destined to be
changed.
THE NEW TORAH
A second school of thought regarding the mutability of the Torah presents us with the concept of an entirely "New Torah" being revealed in the "Age to Come." This thought is distinguishable from the previous understanding in that: [1] the first school of thought, although considering Torah to be mutable, confines these changes to the context of the Torah that was revealed to Moses at Sinai; [2] the second group states that the changes will go far beyond the mere "reinterpretation" of the Torah revealed at Sinai. They suggest that the very substance of Torah will be changed, and that in the "Age to Come," the Law of Torah will be of a different fabric than that of the present age. Proponents of this position use the Targumic rendering of the text found in Isa. 12:3. The Masoretic text reads:
Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and will not be
afraid, for the Lord my God is my strength and my song. He
also has become my salvation....With joy you will draw water
out of the wells of salvation.
The Targum reads:
Behold, in the Memra of the Lord of my salvation do I trust,
and shall not be dismayed; because my strength and my glory
is the Terrible One, the Lord: He has spoken by His Memra
and become my salvation. And ye shall receive new
instruction with joy from the 'Chosen of Righteousness.'
We can see that the author of this Targum understands the phrase "With joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation," to mean something other than a new interpretation of old instruction, but a "New Torah," or Law. The Midrash Qohelet on Eccles. 11:8 concurs with this understanding and states:
The Torah which a man learns in this world is but vanity
compared with the Torah of Messiah.
That G*d Himself will teach Israel on that great day is portrayed in the Targum on Song of Songs 5:10:
My beloved. Then the congregation of Israel commences to
engage in the praise of the Master of the Universe and
speaks thus: 'It is my delight to worship God....who
delivers anew every day, new traditions [or decisions],
which He is to make known to His people on that great
day....'
We are told that this "New Law" is extended to the righteous gentiles
as well; and upon their saying "Amen" when hearing it, they will be released from Gehinnom, to learn from G*d directly. [This was possibly the motivating influence behind those Jewish believers in Yeshua who understood that the Gentiles were to be circumcised, and accept the "Yoke of Torah" as a condition of salvation, as described in Acts 15.]
It is assumed that in the Age to Come, since we are in the presence of G*d, and the "Yetzer Hara" [the evil urge] has been defeated, there will be no sin. Therefore, in the "New Torah" that is expounded by G*d, it is no longer necessary for the people to be bound by the commandments in the Torah of this age. The reference is found in the tractate Niddah 61b, and in the contest speaks of a cloth that is woven of both linen and wool threads. This cloth is prohibited to be worn by the living, however, it is lawful to be used as a burial shroud. This, we are told, is because death bring a release from the Mitzvot of Torah. R. Joseph then states:
This implies that the commandments will be abolished in the
hereafter [Age to Come].
MESSIAH AND THE TORAH
This thought bears a striking resemblance to Yeshua's remarks in Matt. 5:17-18, which give us further insight into the nature of Torah in both the Messianic Age, and the Age to Come. In verse 17, Yeshua gives us some insight as to why He has come:
Do not think that I come to abolish the Law or the Prophets:
I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
The curious wording of this verse deserves further attention. No
observant Jew, of which Yeshua was one, would dare to refer to the destruction or fulfillment of the Law, in terms of either keeping or rejecting it. That particular question is not the subject of the discussion in this verse. But rather these two phrases have their origin in Talmudic discussions, and are used to refer to either the interpretation, or the application of a piece of Talmudic or Torah Law One who correctly interprets the Law, i.e. discerning its true intent and purpose, is said to have "fulfilled the Law." Conversely, a lack of understanding, and/or misapplication of the Law, resulting in the Law bringing about a situation contrary to the will of G*d, is viewed as the destruction of the Law. For example, by declaring an object which could be used by one's parents as "Qorban" [dedicated to G*d]. the commandment to honor one's father and mother is negated.
Considering the nature of these idioms, we might correctly surmise that Yeshua was redefining the existing Torah -- that by shedding light on its interpretation. He was revealing the spiritual intents of the Law, and thus their proper application [This He does throughout chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the Gospel of Matthew]. He was, therefore, fulfilling the Law, and in verse 19 exhorts us to keep these commandments:
Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments,
and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom
of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be
called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Note in verse 19 that the keeping of, or the not keeping of the commandments, only relates to a position in heaven. Both groups appear in the Kingdom of Heaven, thus sharing in the World to Come.
However, verse 18 gives us an indication of the temporal nature of this Law. This passage states:
For truly I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the
Law until all be accomplished.
In using "until," as opposed to "if," Yeshua is not alluding to the eternal nature of Torah, but referring to a specific point in time when all would be accomplished and the heavens and earth would pass away. At this time, the implication is that Torah, as given in this age, would also change, and be expounded anew by G*d. Yeshua is obviously referring to the Millennial Kingdom, which is the thousand year reign of the Messiah, when the heavens and earth will be restored.
In light of Matt. 5:17-18, both schools of thought on the mutable nature of Torah seem to be valid, when viewed in the context of the proper "age." That is, reinterpretation, or correct interpretation of Torah would be given to man by the Messiah during the last 2000 year period of creation -- the "Messianic Age." Then, in the "Age to Come," the sabbatical year, G*d would expound to His people a "New Torah," given by Messiah.
Although there is the idea that Torah would be different in the Age to Come, the exact nature of this New Torah is not discussed at great lengths. Quite obviously, the reason for this is that we are not given any information about this time. R. Hiyya b. Abba taught:
All the prophets prophesied only for the Messianic Age, but
as for the World to Come, the eye hath not seen, O Lord
beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for
Him... [Shabbat 63a].
Although being thrust into the Messianic Age with the first advent of
Yeshua, this thought is still, for the most part, pertinent for us. Paul proclaims virtually the same concept in I Cor. 13, when he says:
For now we see in part, and we prophesy in part; but when
the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. For
now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I
know in part, but then I shall know fully, just as I am full
known.
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