Beth David Messianic Congregation - Oral Law 2bethdavidmc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Oral-Law... · 2016. 6. 23. · BETH DAVID MESSIANIC CONGREGATION Dual Torah ØWritten Torah

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TheOralLaw- 2APRIMER FORMES S IANIC BELIEVERS

MES S IANIC PAS TORRICK ARIIBETH DAV IDMES S IANIC CONGREGAT ION

BETH DAVID MESSIANIC CONGREGATION

Review:Let’sgetstarted!DiscussexistingperceptionsandknowledgeregardingJewishliteratureand“Talmud”specifically.WhystudyTalmud?TheimportanceofRabbinicLiteratureforbelieversinMessiahYeshuaJewishRole– ACovenantPeople(GiftandCalling)◦ Guarding theCovenant:Exodus19:1-6,Deuteronomy29:1,10-15

◦ Keeping theCovenant:Exodus21:12,17

TheunderlyingquestionofTalmud:HowdoweguardGod’sCovenant?Howdowekeep(do)it?


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Session2

ThesecondsessionwillexplorewhatdefinesJudaismanditscorefoundation intheTorah.Theconceptof“TheDualTorah”willbeintroduced,alongwithadiscussionofthepluralityofJudaisms,andtheneedforunityindiaspora.Theconceptof“law”willbediscussed.AnoverviewofthehistoryoftheTalmudicera(250BC–600AD)willbeconsidered.TheMishnah,Gemara,andTalmudwillbeintroduced.


WhatdefinesJudaism?ØAcommonhistory(Exo 19:1-4)ØAncient– TorahØLessAncient– Philo(Alexandria)andJosephus(Rome/Israel)ØArchaeology(physicalproof/verification)

ØAcommonlanguageØHebrewØAramaic

ØAcommonland– Eretz Yisra’elØAcommonsourceØYHVH/GodofAbraham,Isaac,JacobØHebrewBibleØTalmud(TraditionalJewish)ØApostolicWritings(MessianicJewish)


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Adaptation– Developmentovertime“Theriseoftherabbinic formofJudaism,with itsdetailedemphasisonJewishlawandritual ontheonehand, anditsabilitytoadaptanddevelopontheother, wasnoaccident. Judaismneededjustsuchacombination ofqualities toprovidebothconstancyandresponsiveness.

Theconcept ofthedualTorah, written andoral, gaveRabbinicJudaismthatflexibility, definingtheinterpretations ofthelaterrabbisashavingMosaicauthority andstandinginacontinuous chainoftradition. Atthesametime,strict adherence totheprinciples ofJewishlawmeantthatTalmudic JudaismcouldstandfirmagainstthechallengesposedbyChristianity andthenbyIslam.

FortherabbisoftheTalmud,“Hear, OIsrael,theLord ourGod, theLordisOne”(Deut.6:4)meantthatnoprophetic figurecould riseabovethestatusofmortal man.“Andthou shaltlovetheLordthyGodwith allthysoul, andwithallthymight” (Deut.6:5)meantthatlifewastobelivedaccording tothelawoftheTorah.“(Schiffman,pg 15-16)


SectswithinJudaismØInteractiverelationshipsWITHINJewishreligion, lifeandcultureØSadduceesandPharisees– Acts23:8ØTheWay– ASignificantsectofJudaisminthefirstcenturyØ Acts9:2,11:26,24:14

ØDiscerning theperceivedseparationofJudaismandChristianityØCommonnon-messianicmisinterpretation/misunderstanding:Ø“FromaJewishperspective,ChristianitywasaJewishsect untilitsfollowersrejected theneed toobservethelaws intheTorah.ThisbreakoccurredspecificallywhenPaulextendedhismissionamongtheGentileswithoutrequiringthemtoundergoformalconversiontoJudaismortoobserveJewishlaw. Forexample, theGentileswere notrequiredtoundergocircumcision,keepdietarylaws,orobservetheSabbath.” (“JesusandHisJewishInfluences,” TheGreatCourses)

ØActs15:21andActs18:11-17(PaulinCorinth)


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SectswithinJudaismØ Historical RelationshipsØPreandPost70AD(destructionofTemple/Jerusalem)Ø SadduceesdisappearØ PhariseesdefineRabbinicJudaism

ØPhysicalRelationshipsØEretz Yisra’el (TheLandofIsrael)ØDiaspora(DispersionofJewsthroughoutthenations)

ØThedevelopingneedforunification andadaptationØHowdowesurviveasacovenantpeopleØHowtoguardandkeepthecovenantindiaspora?


DualTorahØWritten TorahØGivenbyGodonMt.SinaiØWrittendownbyMosesnearhisdeathØGiventothepeoplejustbeforecrossingtheJordanintoTheLandØ613CommandmentsperMaimonides(1135-1204)Ø RabbiMosesbenMaimon,the“Rambam”Ø 248positivecommandsØ 365negativecommands

ØTanakh (moreexpansivesenseofTorah)


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DualTorahØ OralTorahØGivenbyGodonMt.SinaiØSpokenverballybyGodtoMosesØ Expressedasprinciples,notnecessarilyverbatim– GodtaughtMosesprinciples,laidfoundationsthatareinthewrittentextthatwouldbethebasisforengenderingnewcommands,rules,laws,traditions,etc.inordertoguardandkeeptheWrittenTorah.

ØAuthoritativelyTransmittedwithachargeØ PassedfromtheoneprimaryleaderofIsraeltothenextwhowouldsucceedhimØ Pirke Avot – ChapterofTheFathers(ca.250-500,butbasedonMishnahca.200)


Pirke Avot– ChaptersofTheFathersØMoshe,Yehoshua,Elders,Prophets,MenoftheGreatAssemblyØShimontheRighteousØAntigonus ofSokhoØ1.Yose benYoezer /Yose benYochananØ2.Yehoshua benPerachiah /Nitai ofArbelØ3.Yehudah benTabai/ShimonbenShetachØ4.Shemayah /AvtalyonØ5.Hillel /ShammaiØ Gamliel (Paul’smaster)Ø SimeonbenGamliel,Gamaliel II,SimeonII(postBarKochba),JudahhaNasi (sponsoroftheMishnah)


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Excursus:Law–WrittenandOralØ ThereisnooralTorahwithout thewritten Torah

ØThereisnofulfilling thewritten without theoralØWithouttheinsightoftheoral,thewrittencannotbeknown,asifitdoesnotexist.

Ø HolyQuestionsØDoesthewrittentake intoconsiderationallthepossibilities?Ø Howcanthenationbewhatit issupposedtobewithouttheoraltoinformthewritten?

ØPurpose ofTorahasLaw- ExamplesØTrafficLaw– freedomandequilibriumØDon’tboilakidinitsmothersmilk?Whatdoesthathavetodowithmycheeseburger?


TheRabbinicCanonØMishnahØCommentaryonTorahØCodifiedca.200CEØVoicesfrom250BCE– 200CE


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Mishnah– CommentaryonTorah

Mishnah

Torah



ØGemaraØCommentaryonMishnahØDevelopedintwodifferentschoolsØ Insidetheland(Jerusalem/Palestinian/Yerushalmi)Ø Outsidetheland(Babylonian/Bavil)

ØYerushalmi TalmudCodifiedca.400CEØBavli TalmudCodifiedca.600CE


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Gemara – CommentaryonMishnah

Gemara

MishnahTorah


Mishnah+Gemara=Talmud

Gemara

MishnahTorah


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Mishnah+Yerushalmi Gemara=Yerushalmi Talmud

Gemara-Y

MishnahTorah


Mishnah+Bavli Gemara=Bavli Talmud

Gemara-B

MishnahTorah


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ØGemaraØCommentaryonMishnahØDevelopedintwodifferentschoolsØ Insidetheland(Jerusalem/Palestinian/Yerushalmi)Ø Outsidetheland(Babylonian/Bavil)

ØYerushalmi TalmudCodifiedca.400CEØBavli TalmudCodifiedca.600CE


Assignmentfornextweek…

ReadNehemiahChapter 8.

Summarizeitin250wordsorless,payingcarefulattention tohowEzrareads,interprets, andteachesfromScripture.


Documents

Beth David Messianic Congregation - Oral Law 2bethdavidmc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Oral-Law... · 2016. 6. 23. · BETH DAVID MESSIANIC CONGREGATION Dual Torah ØWritten Torah