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To Embrace
Hebrew Roots: Part II

The Bible &
The Talmud

A Personal
Note: Although the research on Hebrew Roots issue has
encompassed material that I have found disturbing, it in no
way has changed my feelings about those involved, especially
the Jewish people. I hold no anger, resentment or animosity
toward any. However, I have felt a deep sense of grief because
of many things. What I feel very strongly is that all the
issues addressed were dealt with at the cross. Truly, His
grace is sufficient. What I do have, is a strong sense or
desire to see deceptions--regardless of who propagates
them--exposed. This issue is very large and complex. Not all
that is said about one group's views can necessarily be
applied to all. However, an overview must be established and
various thoughts and attitudes tested to Scripture. I do not
necessarily agree with the theological positions of some
sources I quote from. In fact, some I strongly disagree with.
However, I have tried to establish all pertinent facts with at
least one or more other sources, each saying the same or
similar things and then have chosen which stated the issue
with the most clarity.

Overview:

This article explores
the teaching of the Talmud in relation to the Bible. It
evaluates the push for other transcripts other than the
Received Greek Texts, and evaluates the teachings of , for
example, Peter Michas and Jacob Prasch, and other advocates of
Hebrew translations who postulate that the Greek manuscripts
hold error.

It evaluates the need
for Midrash, Mishnah, Haggadah, Halakah, and the use of the
"Ancient Wisdom" versus the teaching of the New Testament and
the sufficiency of Scripture with the teaching of the Holy
Spirit. It shows who the scribes and Pharisees were, the
Biblical view of oral traditions and the difference between
New Testament beliefs versus Global Halacha and acceptance of
the oral traditions.

2 Peter 1:
20-21:

"Knowing this first, that no
prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost."

What of the Bible? Is Scripture
sufficient in itself and considered by the Hebrew Roots
ministries to be the inerrant Word of God? Are the Old and New
Testament the complete revelation of God's will for the
salvation of man? Do they constitute the divine and only rule
of Christian faith and practice? Or is it true as stated by
Peter Michas that we must return to the Hebrew or Aramaic
writings and the Oral traditions of Judaism for New Testament
doctrine?

"Is The New Testament
Hebrew/Aramaic or Greek? by Peter
Michas"

"…since existing New Testament
manuscripts are Greek, written to express Hebraic concepts,
why be limited to the Greek or English translations when we
have Hebrew,… The New Testament is in the pattern of the
Jewish traditional work of Torah, Mishnah, Haggadah,
Halakah, Talmud and Midrash, but inspired by God Himself for
the common people."

"These Hebraic works as well
as the Inspired Scriptures were quoted from by Jesus and all
the writers of the New Testament… to have full
comprehension, we must read the scriptures in the proper
Hebraic context… the New Testament is Hebrew/Aramaic and not
Greek or English in origin or thought… Most all of the
Judaic writings have been preserved for us and now
translated into proper English directly from the Hebrew, as
well as explained in true Hebraic manner…"
1.

In an email dated1/19/99, James
Trimm of the "Society for the Advancement of Nazarene
Judaism" responded to questions regarding the sources of
manuscripts for the Semitic New Testament Project (SNTP), on
which he is working.

"…It is such a delight to
spend so much time buried in the text in its original
language... The SNTP is based on Hebrew and Aramaic rather
than Greek manuscripts…the Aramaic text makes much more
sense than the Greek text…This is just one example from this
project which I believe will revolutionize New Testament
understanding…"

2 Peter
3:16:

" As also in all his epistles,
speaking in them of these things; in which are some things
hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and
unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto
their own destruction."

Orthodox scholars agree that the
New Testament was originally written in Greek.

"The New Testament writings
were composed in Greek." 2.

Unger's Bible Dictionary
states:

"Despite the critical claim
that Matthew wrote the gospel in Aramaic, this contention
has never been proved. If there was an Aramaic original it
disappeared at a very early age. The Greek gospel, which is
now the Church's heritage, was almost beyond doubt written
in Matthew's lifetime." 3.

"By whom the gospel of Matthew
was given in our present Greek form is unknown, but probably
by himself. The consensus of critical scholars is that it is
not a mere translation but an original composition."
4.

John
17:17:

"Sanctify them through thy
truth: thy word is truth."

Hyam Maccoby, grandson to the
famous Rabbi Haim Zundel Maccoby, the Polish Kamenitzer
Maggid, [spirit guide], propounds the view of Peter Michas and
other Hebrew Roots advocates that the Gospels were written in
an era of extreme prejudice and hatred towards the Jews and
that this anti-Semitism was reflected in the New Testament.
Hyam Maccoby impugns the accounts of Mark and Luke:

"… the Gospel of Mark, … the
Gospel in which the lines of policy were laid down by the
Gentile-Christian Church; a policy of condemnations of the
Jews as an accursed people."

"…What had been the history of
the Christian Church since the death of Jesus? The bulk of
the New Testament which purports to give this history is The
Acts of the Apostles; but this is a Gentile-Christian
composition written about 100 A.D. by Luke, giving a
Gentile-Christian slant to the events of those years. By
reading between the lines of Acts, by following using a
supplementary sources such as Josephus, the Talmud and early
Christian historians, we can reconstruct the true history of
the early church." 5.

Scripture tells us many times
that God's Word is pure.

Psalm
12:6,7:

"The words of the Lord are
pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified
seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt
preserve them from this generation for
ever."

Error in the Bible

Other HR and related groups make
the excuse that there is error in the Bible, which must be
eliminated. Promoting their NEW Translation called "The
Book of Yahweh," the House of Yahweh stated this regarding
the Scriptures,

"… Many phrases have been
deliberately mistranslated in order to hide their true
meaning, so that Scripture would not bring to light the
deceitful teaching of the established, and popular,
religious organizations. The alteration of Yahweh’s
Scriptures, either by untranslating or mistranslating, has
caused the True Work, which His Prophets spoke of, to be
hidden in most translations of the Scriptures, and has been
damaging to those who are searching the Scriptures for the
way to Eternal Life."

"However, the most damaging
error in all the Scriptures, was the error of removing
YAHWEH’S NAME from the very scriptures He inspired to be
written, and writing in its place the pagan titles of GODS,
and SATAN HIMSELF! Because of this grave error, those who
are calling upon the names of gods and Satan, even though
ignorantly, are actually worshiping the gods and Satan—for
they are not calling upon, and with, The NAME of YAHWEH!"
6.

Psalm
119:104,105

"Through thy precepts I get
understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is
a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my
path."

In his article, Explaining
the Midrash, Jacob Prasch stated that we need the
knowledge of the Midrash and Jewish thought to rightly
understand the Bible.

"…But Matthew appears to take
the passage out of all reasonable context and twist it into
talking about Jesus. We have to ask, is Matthew wrong? or is
there something wrong with our Protestant way of
interpreting the Bible? There is nothing wrong with Matthew,
and there is nothing wrong with the New Testament. But there
is something wrong with our Protestant mentality…They were
reading a Jewish book as if it were a Greek book… The first
step is going back to reading the Bible as a Jewish book,
instead of as a Greek one." 7.

Referring to the Midrash, Mr.
Prasch said:

" It takes the wisdom of the
ancients to really understand these things."
8.

"Wisdom of the Ancients" bears
an uneasy resemblance to Ancient Wisdom, which is the esoteric
term used by occultists for Gnosis or Mysticism. William
Kingsland wrote of this wisdom in his book, " THE GNOSIS OR
ANCIENT WISDOM IN THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES: OR THE WISDOM IN A
MYSTERY":

"...when I speak of the
Gnosis, I do not refer specifically to the Greek or Coptic
variety, but to that 'Ancient Wisdom' which can be
discovered as a thread of gold running through allegories
and myths and fables from the very earliest times of which
we have any literary records, and which has more recently
been somewhat more fully expounded to us by some of the
existing Masters of that Wisdom." 9.

Are Christians unable to
understand the Bibles teachings without this Ancient
Wisdom?

Psalm 19:
7-11:

"The law of the Lord is
perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is
sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are
right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is
pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and
righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold,
yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the
honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in
keeping them there is great reward."

What about other sources
of Jewish thought regarding the Messiah, the kingdom of God,
sin and salvation? How do teachings expounded from the
"Ancient Wisdom" compare with the New Testament teachings?
What differences may be found between the inspired Old and New
Testament and the "Mishnah, Haggadah, Halakah, Talmud and
Midrash?" Has the Holy Spirit equally inspired these
sources?

Perhaps Peter Michas is correct
in saying that we need to understand the original concepts
from history and as they are taught now —particularly from
these books and the Jewish people themselves. Obviously, they
would hold the keys to the Hebrew Roots of Christianity as
taught by the Jewish sages.

Avi ben Mordechai, an Orthodox
Sephardic Jew, concurs with Hebrew Roots teachers that the
ancient Jewish teachers of the Law hold the
answers:

"…Since Sha’ul followed
Messiah Y’shua, who also taught the Oral and Written Torah,
I submit (at this time in my life) that we should be
following in the footsteps of Judaism’s great teachers of
G-d’s Law,… I believe that Judaism’s ancient scholars and
sages were far more knowledgeable on the Oral Traditions
than we could ever hope to be." 10.

For More on Avi ben Mordechai
see: Avi ben Mordechai
& Millennium 7000

In other words, the rabbinical
scholars are saying much the same thing as the leaders of the
Hebrew Roots/Messianic movements. According to these eminent
scholars, the Bible is in error and insufficient in itself,
and therefore not easily or correctly understood without the
aid of select knowledge and insight from the written and oral
traditions of the Hebrew rabbis and scribes of old. Among the
ancient Jewish writings which we are urged to study, the
Talmud is regarded by the Jewish people as more important than
even the Scriptures.

We are reminded in 1
Corinthians 2:5:

"That your faith should not
stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of
God."

James
1:5:

"If any of you lack wisdom,
let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given
him."

Primacy of the Talmud

Author, Nesta Webster quotes
Talmud translator, Michael Rodkinson's view of the importance
of the Talmud in Jewish life:

" The modern Jew is the
product of the Talmud."¹ 11a.

She goes on to mention the
lesser importance of Scripture given by the Talmud:

" The Talmud itself accords to
the Bible only a secondary place. Thus the Talmudic treatise
Soferim says: 'The Bible is like water, the Mischna is like
wine, and the Gemarah is like spiced wine.'"
11.

One can verify these statements
in the Talmudic treatise Soferim, in the tract
Sopherim XV, 7, fol.13b. This teaching regarding the
inferior status of the Bible is echoed in the tract Babha
Metsia, fol. 33a:

"Those who devote themselves
to reading the Bible exercise a certain virtue, but not very
much; those who study the Mischnah exercise virtue
for which they will receive a reward; those, however, who
take upon themselves to study the Gemarah exercise
the highest virtue. " 12.

The author, Rev. I.B. Pranaitis,
reiterates the high esteem with which the Talmud and its
writers are held, either placing it on a level with Scripture
or surpassing it:

"In the tract
Erubhin, f.13b, where it is related that there was
a difference of opinion between the two schools of Hillel
and Schamai, it is concluded that:

"The words of both are the
words of the living God."

In the book Mizbeach,
cap. V, we find the following opinion:

"There is nothing superior to
the Holy Talmud." "Contemporary defenders of the Talmud
speak of it almost in the same way."
13.

"…The following is a well-known
and highly praised opinion in the writings of the
Rabbis:

"My son, give heed to the
words of the scribes rather than to the words of the
law."

The reason for this is found in
the tract Sanhedrin X, 3, f.88b:

"He who transgresses the words
of the scribes sins more gravely than the transgressors of
the words of the law." 14.

From the Babylonian Talmud we
read that rabbis can debate God---and win:

Baba Mezia 59b. A rabbi
debates God and defeats Him. God admits the rabbi
won the
debate. 15.

Maimonides defines the various
ways one would be considered a denier of the Law, meaning not
the Bible, but the oral law as set down by the
sages:

Rabbi Maimonides, in Hilkhoth
Teschubhah (III, 8) gives the list of those who are
considered as denying the Law: "There are three classes of
people who deny the Law of the Torah: (1) Those who say that
the Torah was not given by God, at least one verse or one
word of it, and who say that it was all the work of Moses;
(2) Those who reject the explanation of the Torah, namely,
the Oral Law of the Mischnah, and do not recognize the
authority of the Doctors of the Law, like the followers of
Tsadok (Sadducees) and Baithos; (3) Those who say that God
changed the Law for another New Law, and that the Torah no
longer has any value, although they do not deny that it was
given by God, as the Christians and the Turks believe. All
of these deny the Law of the Torah."
16.

Scribes and Pharisees

Who are the scribes whose words
or oral law must be listened to and obeyed above all the
written law? Quoting again from Hyam Maccoby’s, Revolution
in Judaea, is the following explanation of the terms
Pharisee, Sadducee, scribes and rabbis, at the time of
Christ.

"These [the Pharisees] were
the members of the body of ‘Comrades’ (Haverim) as they
called themselves. Their leaders were called ‘Wise Men’
(Hahamin), and they were later given the title ‘Master"
(Rabbi) before their names. These leaders were also
sometimes known as the ‘Scribes’ after the title of Ezra and
his followers in late Biblical times. Pharisees, in fact,
regarded Ezra as the founder of their movement, and they
regarded themselves as the heirs of the Prophetic
tradition." 17.

The term Pharisee was used at
the time of Jesus, and eventually became replaced completely
with rabbi, who was often a lay teacher. Rabbi Maccoby
explains the differences between the Pharisees and Sadducees
at the time of Christ.

"The central religious
distinction between the Pharisees and the Sadducees was on
the question of the ‘Oral Law’. The Pharisees held that in
addition to the revealed word of God in Scripture ( i.e. the
Old Testament, as Christians later called, and especially
the five books of Moses known as the Torah or ‘Teaching’)
there was an oral tradition consisting of interpretations
and enactments supplementing and developing the Written
Law." 18.

"…The Sadducees, on the other
hand, held that the whole of Judaism lay in the Written Law
which was a closed and final revelation with no need of
interpretation or development. The Sadducees, ...wanted to
keep Judaism simple. They wanted it to be centered around
three great institutions, the Scripture, the Priesthood, and
the Temple…" 19.

Mr. Maccoby goes on to develop
the Pharisaical view of the Torah as a dynamic document,
subject to new interpretations by themselves, according to the
Oral Law:

"… To the Pharisees, however,
this policy was, in their own graphic phrase, ‘to put Torah
into a corner’. [B.Kiddushin, 66a.(Talmud)] The Torah was to
them, a living thing which must continually encounter and
grapple with new circumstances, thus, giving rise to new
decisions which became part of the developing Oral Law. This
does not mean the Pharisees regarded the Bible as imperfect.
It was the Word of God, revealed to Moses and the Prophets.
But new circumstances were continually drawing out of it new
depths of meaning; its content was inexhaustible. This
growing knowledge of the possibilities of the Torah,
revealed through time in the processes of history, was the
Oral Law. In other words, the place of the Torah was ‘not in
heaven, but in the hands of men’; [B.B.Metz, 59b. (Talmud)]
and the Oral Law was thus the working, human reality of the
divine revelation." 20.

"The Pharisees, however,
always claimed that the Oral Law, of which they were
supporters and champions, went back to the origins of
Judaism and that the Sadducees, in denying the Oral Law,
were heretics who were attempting to abolish a fundamental
religious principle. " 21.

In the volume, Josephus, the
historian, also contrasts the views of the Pharisees and
Sadducees regarding the Oral Law:

"…the Pharisees have delivered
to the people a great many observances by succession from
their fathers, which are not written in the law of Moses;
and it is for this reason that the Sadducees reject them,
and say that we are to esteem those observances to be
obligatory which are in the written word, and not to observe
what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. "
22.

In defense and support of the
Pharisees, Hyam Maccoby adds this tribute to their
preservation and multiplying of religious rituals and
traditions:

"The Pharisees added new
Festivals (Chanukah and Purim) to the Jewish religious year;
they added to the canon of Scripture…they added new doctrine
to Judaism…they added new rites to the Temple worship…as
well as being continual creators of new prayers and
ceremonies in the synagogue." 23.

Indeed, the authority and
respect attributed to rabbis is so great, that it is taught
within the Babylonian Talmud, section Hagigah 27a., that no
rabbi will go to hell.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were
both believers in the word given by God to man, but the
Pharisees added extra-Biblical oral teachings as authority
over the written Word of God. They called the Sadducees
heretics for not doing so. Those in the Hebrew Roots movement
parallel the Pharisees in that they look to these
extra-Biblical works for their guidance---and wish all to
follow suit.

Jesus refuted the teachings of
the Sadducees:

Mark
12:24:

"And Jesus answering said unto
them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the
scriptures, neither the power of God?"

Exclusiveness of the Talmud

Why would the leaders of the
Hebrew Roots, Nazarene movements want us to study the Talmud,
and so on, when the Talmud itself teaches that it's precepts
are only for the Jews??

P.L.B. Drach states in his "
De l' Harmonie entre l'Eglise et la Synagogue,"

"… the Talmud is not a law of
righteousness for all mankind, but a meticulous code
applying to the Jew alone ....In the Talmud and ... as Drach
points out, "the precepts of justice, of equity, of charity
towards one’s neighbor, are not only not applicable with
regard to the Christian, but constitute a crime in anyone
who would act differently ... The Talmud expressly forbids
one to save a non-Jew from death, ...to restore lost goods,
etc., to him, to have pity on him."
24.

The exclusiveness of the Talmud
is commonly understood among the Jews. In the footnote
regarding these quotes it is noted that Drach was:

"Quoting the treatise
Aboda-Zara, folio 13 verso, and folio 20 recto; also
treatise Baba Kamna, folio 29 verso. Drach adds: "We could
multiply these quotations to infinity"

It should be noted that Mr.
Drachs knowledge comes firsthand. Accordingly,

"…The Jewish Encyclopædia has
an article on Drach in which it says he was brought up in a
Talmudic school…" 25.

Furthermore the Talmudic view of
the Gospels and those who own them are as follows:

" In the
Talmud those who possess books called the Gospels are
heretics [Minim]. Thus in Schabbath (116a) it says: "Rabbi
Meir calls the books of the Minim Aven Gilaion [iniquitous
volumes] because they call them Gospels." 26.

What Scripture supports the idea
that we must hold to Hebrew thought that the Gospels are
iniquitous and those who believe them are heretics? Is this
what Larry Rowland means by "understanding in order to grasp
all that scripture has to offer"? Is this oral tradition
committed to the writings of the Talmud, to be embraced as
truth and supporting what Christ himself taught?

Or did Jesus say in
Matthew 15:6:

"Thus have ye made the
commandment of God of none effect by your
tradition."

James
2:9:

"But if ye have respect to
persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as
trangressors."

Considering the great importance
of the Talmud in Hebrew thought and Hebrew Roots teachings, we
need to understand exactly what the Talmud is and what it
contains.

The Talmud

Many involved in Judaism
and the Hebrew Roots movement embrace the idea that the Talmud
is divinely inspired and of benefit to Christianity. In the
past, not surprisingly, some Jews have viewed the Talmud as an
obstacle, preventing reconciliation between the
groups.

We know that many people, Jewish
and non-Jewish, do not consider the New Testament to be of
God.

However, Avi ben Mordechai
redefines the gospel as the Oral Torah:

"…When Paul says, "I marvel
that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into
the grace of Christ unto another gospel" you need to see the
definition of Gospel in light of the Mishnah of Mark 1:1ff.
It's a direct connection to the Torah of Moshe- Oral and
Written…" 27.

It has been established that the
oral traditions of the Pharisees, which were committed to the
Talmud, take authority and precedence over the Old Testament,
as Judaism's holiest book. The Talmud contains material
accumulated over several centuries. A complete collection
consists of 63 books in 524 chapters. The main elements of the
Talmud are the Mishna, the Gemara (Babylonian and Palestinian)
and the Midrashim or Midrash. The Mishna and Gemara compose
the Jerusalem Talmud, which was revised in the third to fifth
century and later named the Babylonian Talmud, the one
commonly used today. Credit is given to Rabbi Judah the Prince
for the compilation of the Mishna around 200 A.D.

The Talmud itself confirms,
again, the authority of the Talmud teachings in Erubin 21b
(Soncino edition):

"My son, be more careful in
the observance of the words of the Scribes than in the words
of the Torah (Old Testament)." 28.

In Judaism on Trial, Hyam
Maccoby quoted Rabbi Yehiel ben Joseph, who insists that it is
indispensable to understanding Scripture:

"Further, without the Talmud,
we would not be able to understand passages in the
Bible...God has handed this authority to the sages and
tradition is a necessity as well as scripture. The Sages
also made enactments of their own... anyone who does not
study the Talmud cannot understand Scripture."
29.

From Fabre d' Olivet, author
of La Langue He'braique, we learn not only the
true source of the Hebrew Oral Tradition, which is Egypt,
but its future transmission into the great body of
Jewish mysticism called the Kabbalah:

"…According to Fabre d'Olivet,
Moses, who was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,
"drew from the Egyptian Mysteries a part of the oral
tradition which was handed down through 'the leaders of the
Isrealites."¹. That such an oral tradition, distinct from
the written word embodied in the Pentateuch, did descend
from Moses and that it was later committed in writing in the
Talmud and the Cabala is the opinion of many Jewish
writers." ². 30.

From the "Kabbalah in
English", we may glean factual information about the
Hebrew Sacred books, whose Gnostic (hidden) meanings were
later developed into the Kabbalah:

"…But the Scripture alone can
not show the meanings within. Rabbinic hermeneutics could
find a wealth of meaning in the subtlest details of the
text, a characteristic that Kabbalistic writing took over…
The Talmud is actually two works in one… The core work is
the Mishnah, a codification of Jewish Law from the second
century CE, together with transcriptions of debates,
discussions, and teachings of various sages in the next two
to three centuries, organized around the Mishnah, called the
Gemara. The Talmud thus shares the same structure of the
Mishnah--a tractate by tractate enunciation of Jewish law;
but, being in form the record of oral teaching, the Gemara
wanders far and wide. There are two versions of the Gemara,
based on the work of the Academies of Babylonia (Babylonian
Talmud/Talmud Bavli) and Palestine (called the Palestinian
Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel; in Hebrew the title
is Talmud Yerushalmi, or Jerusalem Talmud). Not every
tractate of the Mishnah accumulated a Gemara, and some
tractates have Gemara in one recension but not the other…
the standard complete translation of the Bavli is that of
Soncino Press, originally done in the 1930s… The Hebrew
contains various commentaries normally printed with the
Talmud, but these are not
translated…"31.

Regarding the Midrash, The
Kabbalah in English, notes the legendary character of its
content, and further explains the more important authors and
their commentaries.

"…The Midrash, stemming from
the same period as the Talmud, but more concerned with
supplying context and elaboration of the Biblical text. Much
legendary material is archived here. Midrashim exist on the
Torah, the books of Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes,
Esther, Song of Songs (together referred to as the five
Megillot), and Psalms. Usually all but the last are grouped
together as Midrash Rabbah, and an multivolume translation
from the Soncino Press is
available…"32.

"Ancillary to this is Rashi
and Rambam. Rashi is Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak, author of
the most important, because most widespread, commentary on
the Bible and the Talmud; even the most uneducated of Jews
in premodern times knew what Rashi said about a passage in
the Bible, and his glosses are to be found on almost every
page of the Talmud… His commentary generally distills the
Talmudic teaching, and draws on the Midrash heavily; and in
turn lies at the foundation of many later commentators…
Rambam is Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (another acronym), usually
called in English by his Greek name, Maimonides. He wrote
the first definitive compilation of Jewish law since
Talmudic times, the Mishneh Torah, but for the student of
Kabbalah it is the Guide for the Perplexed, Moreh Nebuchim…"
33.

Peter Michas, Jacob Prasch and
others in the Hebrew Roots, also favour the Midrash. Hyam
Maccoby notes that The Haggada of the Midrash is composed
of Jewish fables:

"The Haggada (found mainly in
the Midrash) is the poetical side of Pharisaism, and
comprises folktales, parables, quaint fancies and
metaphysical speculations." 34.

God issues this warning in the
Scriptures found in Titus 1:14:

" Not giving heed to Jewish
fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the
truth."

Jewish Education and
"Halacha"

Project Genesis, found at
www.torah.org/info/genesis.html, is connected to such Hebrew
Roots sites as Larry Rowlands, Messengers of Truth. Part of
its purpose includes education about Jewish roots:

"Project Genesis promotes
further Jewish education about our Jewish roots, as
represented in Jewish sources…"

According to their Facts,

"Our teachers are Orthodox, so
they approach the tradition from a traditional perspective
(which is logical, after all). But our program so carefully
avoids labels and politics that Conservative and Reform
Rabbis have actively expressed their support of the program
to their congregants and colleagues."
35.

One of their online Torah
projects is the Hypertext Halacha, which is a translation of
selections of the Mishna. The Hypertext Halacha:

"is a translation of the
Shulchan Aruch and Mishna Berurah as distributed by Project
Genesis " 36. http://www.torah.org/

The term Halacha is used
frequently when discussing the Midrash, Mishnah and Talmudic
teachings, and needs to be defined. According to one
authority,

"Halacha means "Way" or
"Path". Halacha is the application of the Law (Torah) to
everyday living. The traditional viewpoint is that Halacha
should be decided by those who are most knowledgable in all
aspects of Jewish law. Since the Halacha of each generation
is decided by its greatest Torah scholars, and the Torah
doesn't change, there is usually little change in the
Halacha from one generation to the next. The development of
Halacha is most evident when new situations arise for which
rulings must be made, such as the destruction of the Temple,
the development of electricity, and the increasing
complexity of modern food processing technology. Since the
non-traditional viewpoint is that the Torah itself was
written by people, both the interpretation of the Law and
its application are re-evaluated in each generation, using
the interpretations of the past to serve primarily as
non-binding guidance in how to continue this process. Both
viewpoints encourages all Jews to study halacha, and apply
it to their daily lives in order that they be brought closer
to G-d." 37.

The Halacha List Home page cites
that the teachings of the Mishna Berurah (like Project
Genesis) are provided with the intended aim, " to
familiarize the general public with various Halachic
situations which are relevant to our everyday
life." 38.

With that in mind we see from
the Hypertext Halacha, distributed by Project Genesis ,
a list of topics from these Sacred Jewish books, relevant to
everyday life. Just a small portion of these includes the
following examples.

"Siman 11. The Laws of Tzitzis
The Laws of the Tzitzis String, 12. Things that Invalidate
Tzitzis [Fringes] … Siman 20. Laws of Tzitzis in a Cemetary…
Siman 26. The Law for Someone Who Has Only One "Tifila"…
Siman 28. The Laws of taking off the Tefillin… Siman 35. The
Law Concerning the Number of Lines (in the Torah Passages of
Tefilin)… Siman 39. Which People are fit to write Tefilin
and …" Siman 43 The laws of tefilin when entering a
bathroom(cont.)… Siman 45 The Laws of Tefillin in a
graveyard and bathhouse… Siman 73 How one who sleeps with
his wife and children should act… Siman 75 One should be
careful about [a woman's] uncovered hair and a woman's
[singing] voice when reading the Shema, and also not to read
it in the presence of nakedness… Siman 76 To Be Careful of
Excrement While Saying the Shema … Siman 79 One who comes
across excrement when reading the Shema (continued)…Siman 89
The Laws of Prayer and Their Proper Time… Siman 100 One must
concentrate upon all of the blessings, and one can pray in
any language [Shmoneh Esrei]… Siman 103 Someone who needs to
flatulate in the middle of praying…. Siman 114 The law of
mentioning wind, rain and dew." 39.

The Jewish writer, Solomon
Maimon, wrote in 1792, to expose what he called "absurd
questions" which are discussed with utmost seriousness and
explicit detail in the Talmud.

". . .the oddest rabbinical
conceits are elaborated through many volumes with the finest
dialectic, and absurd questions are discussed with the
highest efforts of intellectual power: for example, how many
white hairs may a red cow have, and yet remain a red cow;
what sort of scabs require this or that purification;
whether a louse or a flea may be killed on the Sabbath-the
first being allowed, while the second is a deadly sin;
whether the slaughter of an animal ought to be executed at
the neck or the tail; whether the high priest put on his
shirt or his hose first; whether the Jabam, that is, the
brother of a man who died childless, being required by law
to marry the widow, is relieved from his obligation if he
falls off a roof and sticks in the mire."
40.

Global Unity and the Halacha

Avi ben Mordechai, an Orthodox
Sephardic Jew, indicates that we need to incorporate the
Jewish "halacha" teachings in order for "believers" to be
unified globally. His intention is that Jewish teachers and
eventually a Jewish high court should be in place in order to
teach us the truth.

"…As I see it today…
Nazerean (Messianic) halacha should be in place to help
us as a global community of believers in Y’shua
HaMashiach properly interpret the written code of Sinai for
the community at-large. Not only is this good government
(i.e., "the kingdom of G-d on earth") but this is also
the commandment of Y’shua.…"

"The council in Acts Chapter
15 led by it Nasi (Prince) Ya’acov HaTzadeq (James) and his
Av Bet Din (Father of the House of Judgment) Kefa (Peter),
was built on Y’shua’s Mishnah and Gemara and on the
principle that biblical Jewish government must include the
halachic jurisdiction of a Bet Din or high court (
Mattityahu 18). Consequently, I believe we have the
responsibility and privilege to establish another authority
like the one recorded in Acts 15, and ideally, it should be
seated in Y’rushalayim! "

"… first century
halacha is not what it used to be. Furthermore, since there
is no official high court to represent the halachic
interests of believers in Y’shua, what are we to do with our
own disputes, judgments, and need for legal rulings? Do
we turn to the established traditions of the Sephardim?
[Kabbalists] The Ashenazim? [Mystics] The Conservatives
or some other body of Judaism?…I believe that Judaism’s
ancient scholars and sages were far more knowledgeable on
the Oral Traditions than we could ever hope to be. So,
what do we do? Where do we stand today since we do not
have our own high court and have not had one for nearly two
millennia?" 41.

Both the Sephardim and the
Ashkenazim are gnostic sects of Judaism. The Sephardim are
credited with the dissemination of the Cabala throughout
Europe after the Jews were expelled from Spain.

Since the Talmud is considered
to be above the Bible, it behooves us to know what things it
teaches about the very foundations of our Christian beliefs.
Since we are admonished we are not able to understand the Word
of God without it and we need to be taught by Jewish sages,
that is to whom we will turn, to see what is believed and
taught.

Psalm 119:
16:

"I will delight myself in thy
statutes: I will not forget thy word."

I Corinthians
1:19:

"For it is written, I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing
the understanding of the prudent."

All Scripture
quotes from the Authorized King James Bible

Next
Section:

To Embrace
Hebrew Roots: III-- The Talmud &
Jesus Christ

Previous
Section: To
Embrace Hebrew Roots Introduction

Footnotes

Peter Michas,
http://www.ez/com/~peterm/HB.GK.RF.HTML

Fitzmeyer, "Responses to 101
Questions on the Dead Sea Scrolls; p.104 ; as Cited in
Andrew Goulds SOME DISTURBING ASPECTS OF THE SO-CALLED
"HEBREW ROOTS' MOVEMENT, AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS"

Unger's Bible Dictionary p.
706, Ibid.

Ibid p.422 Ibid.

Hyam Maccoby; "Revolution in
Judaea: Jesus and the Jewish Resistance"; p. 230, ii. Ocean
Books; 1973

House of Yahweh,
www.yahweh.com

Jacob Prasch; Explaining the
Midrash; www.cw.co.za/moriel/midrash.html]

Ibid.

Kingsland, William. THE
GNOSIS OR ANCIENT WISDOM IN THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES: OR THE
WISDOM IN A MYSTERY; London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.,
1954 (1937), Kingsland, p.83

Avi ben Mordechai;
www.millenium7000.com/halacha.htm

Michael Rodkinson (i.e.
Rodkinssohn), in Preface to the translation of the Talmud,
Vol. I. p. x. ; as Cited in: Nesta H. Webster, p. 370-371.,
"Secret Societies and Subversive Movements" Omni
Publications, Eighth edition, 1964

Rev. I.B. Pranaitis; The
Talmud Unmasked: The Secret Rabbinical Teachings Concerning
Christians; The Talmud;
holywar.org/txt/talmud_unmasked.html

Ibid.

Ibid.,

Michael A. Hoffman II &
Alan R. Critchley, The Campaign for Radical Truth in
History; http://www.hoffman-info.com

Pranaitis, op.cit.

Maccoby, op.cit.,
p.77-78

Ibid., p. 74

Ibid., p.74-75

Ibid., p.75

Ibid., p..76

Ibid., p.77

Ibid., p.281

P.L.B. Drach, De l’Harmonie
entre l’Elise et la Synagogue, I. 167. Cited in: Nesta H.
Webster, op. cit. p.371 Note: probable typo in Book. Should
be De l’Harmonie entre
l’Eglise et la Synagogue, as cited on other pages in the
book

Webster, Ibid.,
p.11-12

Rev. Pranaitis;
holywar.org/txt/talmud_unmasked.html

Avi ben Mordechai, email to
Ed Tarkowski, May 1998

Michael A. Hoffman II &
Alan R. Critchley, op. cit.

Ibid.

1. Fabre d' Olivet, La Langue
He'braique, p.28 (1815); 2. According to the Jewish view God
had given Moses on Mt. Sinai alike the oral and the written
Law, that is, the Law with all it’s interpretations and
applications."-Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus
the Messiah,I.99 (1883)quoting other Jewish authorities; as
Cited in Nesta H. Webster; Ibid., p.6

Kabbalah in English,
http://remus.rutgers.edu/~woj/arcana/index.html

Ibid.

Ibid

Maccoby, op.cit., p.
281

Project Genesis,
http://www.torah.org/info/genesis.html

Hypertext Halacha;
http://www.torah.org/learning/halacha/

Torah and Halachic Authority
(3/12) - What is "Halacha?" How is it determined?;
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/text/faq/usenet-faqs/html/judaism/FAQ/03-Torah-Halacha/faq-doc-45.html

http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/city_services/lists/halacha/index.htm

Hypertext Halacha;
http://www.torah.org/learning/halacha/

Solomon Maimon: an
Autobiography, translated from the German by J. Clark
Murray, p. 28 (1888). The original appeared in 1792. As
Cited in: Webster ; op.cit. p. 7

Avi ben Mordechai, Halacha;
www.millenium7000.com/halacha.htm

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