KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS

The Jewish Publication Society's Tanakh says:

 Deu 4:1  And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, giveth you.

Deu 4:2  Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Jewish tradition believes that YHVH gave to Moshe the 613 mitzvot inscribed in stone and written with his own finger. In the first century, a raging battle was going on in religious circles concerning how to keep these commandments. The Zaddoki said that the Torah's words were to be left just as they were and obeyed exactly as they were stated. The Farsi (Pharisees) who had developed their philosophy in Babylon believed that there needed to be guidance given to the people so that they understood how to deal with limits and meanings within the words. The Nasoreans believed that the words should be taken as they were but that the Holy Spirit would inform the heart as to how to keep the commandments and that the Torah would then be written on our heart as a personal covenant with YHVH.

There is little doubt among scholars that the Zaddoki position represents the position of the elite and priesthood before the captivity. There is also little doubt that the Nasorean position represented the position of the ha am ha aretz, the common people, who  were too poor to be deported by Nebuchanezzer. When the elite returned from Babylon, they brought a different religion, a religion informed by Zoroastrianism and changed irreversibly. The relationship between Israel to Babylon continued long after the Persian Empire was replaced by the Greeks and eventually the Romans.

There were certain ideas which became hallmarks of the Farsi or Persian position.  First, circumcision. The idea of the separation of milk and meat. The tradition of not pronouncing the name of G-d. The introduction of tassels on every cloak and robe came with them. The idea of immersion regularly. Finally, the principle of being a hedge around the Torah to inform the people on the limits and duties concerning each mitzvah.

The Farsi came up with the idea of an Oral Tradition that went back to Moshe and which informed the Jew on every aspect of his life. There is no evidence in the Writings or the Prophets that they had any idea of an Oral Tradition or Law. It was entirely invented by the Farsi. In fact, the idea of an oral tradition is the direct antithesis of Deuteronomy 4:2. The teachings of the Farsi on how, when, where and what limits is in fact an addition to the commandment itself.

So, how do we become informed about when the Sabbath begins, when the New Year begins, when meat no longer has blood in it, etc. It is Jewish tradition, based upon Exodus 13:8, that every Jew was present at the first Passover and every Jew was present at the giving of the Torah when Moshe brought the tablets down from the top of the mountain. We are the chosen of YHVH, his separate people. See Deuteronomy 32:9. We heard the Voice of G-d, all of us, before the event at Sinai. But at Sinai, YHVH's Voice was so loud and challenging that we begged YHVH not to speak to us again. Deuteronomy 4:11-12; Exodus 20:19. We promised that we would listen to Moshe and the prophets after him. All of this happened on the first Shavuot feast that we celebrated as a people. However, after Yeshua left us and went to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to inform us. It happened on Shavuot again, just as before. There the Holy Spirit descended on the 120 gathered in the Upper Room and they again could hear the Voice loudly as they had before, for each of them was present the first time at Sinai and now their request that the Voice no longer speak to them was reversed. Now, we would be informed about how to keep the mitzvot directly by the Holy Spirit and each of us would understand it for himself or herself, writing it on our hearts.

The great fear of the Farsi was and is that every man cannot understand the deep things of Scripture without careful study. That is true. However, not every mitzvah has the same importance for each Jew as another. For instance, the laws relating to the priesthood has little importance to a member of another tribe. The laws related to the land of Israel have a completely different importance to people who live outside the land of Israel. I have found that the Holy Spirit informs me about how She wants me to keep the Torah and so also She will inform you. Further, as we walk on our spiritual path, we find ourselves drawn deeper and deeper into the mitzvot and deeper and deeper into our commitment to YHVH who came as Yeshua ha Meshiach. I am worried when I kill a gnat and I use to be worried only when I intentionally harmed a human. My understanding of "Thou shalt not murder" is greatly increased, because a tzaddik respects his beast. Proverbs 12:10.

In closing, let us remember that we are all called to walk the path through the Gate which is Yeshua. John 1:51. We are called to ascend Ya'akov's ladder. We are all called to become first Friends of G-d, then Servants of G-d and lastly Slaves of G-d. We are called to become Tzaddikkim. The Torah's burden becomes greater the farther you travel even though it feels lighter. It feels lighter because you have already strengthened your spiritual muscles and your muscles carry your burden more easily. Keep the commandments.