Chapter Six

PROPHETS; KEEPING RABBINIC JUDAISM

Towards the end of the Song of Songs we read, “The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame.” Shalhevet –yah means the very flame of G-d. This expresses might, sanctity and the endurance of the love from above for Israel . (Idea first expressed by Prof. Yehudah Feliks). This is one of many examples of the passionate relationship between the people and their creator and by extension, between the people and His Torah. Ultimately the light of G-d and His and the flame of the holy Torah emanate brightly, touching the rest of humanity as well.

“I believe it’s meant to be
I watch you when you are sleeping ( exile)
You belong to me
Do you feel the same?
Am I only dreaming?”
(Exile similar to dreaming, Psalm 126)
Is this burning an eternal flame ?
Say my name
Sun shines through the rain….
This burning is indeed an eternal flame!
(B. Steinberg, ’88)

Finally, Israel is described as the eternal nation. Scripture [Genesis 17:7, Leviticus 26:44-45] speaks of ‘ETERNAL BONDS OF DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU.’

[Isaiah 54:10, 54:17] – ‘MY LOVE FOR YOU SHALL NEVER MOVE.’

[Jeremiah 31:34-35, 46:27-28] – ‘I WILL CORRECT YOU IN JUST MEASURE, BUT I WILL NOT UTTERLY DESTROY YOU.’

[Malachi 3:6] – ‘FOR I AM G-D, I DO NOT CHANGE. YOU ARE THE CHILDREN OF JACOB, YOU WILL NOT CEASE TO BE.’

[Deuteronomy 7:6-9, 12] – ‘HE IS G-D, THE FAITHFUL G-D WHICH KEEPS HIS COVENANT AND MERCY WITH THEM THAT LOVE HIM AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS…IF YOU HEARKEN (the oral – listening, ongoing teaching ingredient) TO THESE JUDGMENTS AND KEEP THEM AND DO THEM, THAT THE L-RD YOUR G-D SHALL KEEP UNTO YOU THE COVENANT AND THE MERCY HE SWORE TO YOUR FATHER.’

[Isaiah 59:21] – ‘AS FOR ME, THIS IS MY COVENANT …MY WORDS WHICH I HAVE PUT IN YOUR MOUTH, [oral transmission] SHALL NOT DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH NOR FROM THE MOUTHS OF YOUR CHILDREN, NOR FROM THE MOUTH OF YOUR CHILDREN’S CHILDREN,’ says G-d, ‘FROM NOW UNTO ALL ETERNITY.’

So, who will survive – so who has survived as identifiable Jews of today? Only those who have had absolute Orthodox, Torah true, observant, great-grandparents. Demographically after 3-4 generations of Jews who have cast aside the Oral Torah, they simply stop being sociologically Jewish. A fifth generation doesn’t exist if there were not Torah keeping, Oral Tradition living relatives. Similar to a flower that is cut from its roots, the fragrant smell is retained for a while. Thus we see the Jews who sever themselves from the living Oral Torah after a while stop being Jewish. As individuals, or as part of breakaway sects, they disappear from the community of the Jewish people. Many verses describe the eternal bond between G-d and His people. These verses describe the bond specifically with those who have kept and will keep the Oral Torah. In short, only the keepers of the Oral Law are alive and part of the body of Israel to tell G-d’s story to the world.

You would have expected more problems with the Jewish Oral and Written Torah. [Leviticus 6:46] – “THESE ARE THE DECREES, THE ORDINANCES AND THE TORAHS THAT G-D GAVE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AT MOUNT SINAI THROUGH MOSES.” But yet the Gospels with a 1500 year less history had a central Church authority who would not hesitate to kill. The New Testament is much smaller, lacking an enormous, beautiful Oral Torah, explaining the Bible, and has over 200,000 textual arguments. Some of the codexes have serious theological implications. For example, several important Christian New Testament versions only go up to Mark 8. Thus rejecting chapters that come after Mark 8 as unreliable and unsubstantiated. Yet look at those branches of Christianity who make a religion out of the chapters supposedly to be found later in Mark. Again, for about 1300 years of New Testament existence, the central authority of the Church made it lethal to tamper with text and it was willing to bloodily enforce its decisions. On the other hand, for over 2000 years the Jews had no such armed and central authority that could affectively do anything if a scribe decided to change a text. What would stop a scribe in London, Paris, L.A., or Manchuria from altering texts? Nothing, no one; yet the Rabbinic scribes, on their own, remained loyal to the teachings of their fathers and mothers. Ergo, respect for the integrity and honesty of the torchbearers is certainly in order. Many ancient, non-Jewish sources recognize the honesty, integrity, sincerity, and righteousness of the sages of Israel .

We can go on and on with examples of complex commandments, the understanding of which was assigned to the Oral Law. In Numbers 15:37-40 it is stated HAVE MEN MAKE TASSELS ON THE CORNERS OF THEIR GARMENTS FOR ALL GENERATIONS…” What these are and how they are worn and what they symbolize – all these details are clearly spelled out in the Oral Bible. For 3350 Jews have been wearing these fringes and have known what they are; all this because of an oral Sinaitic tradition explaining the Torah’s shorthand. The Oral Bible brings color and life to the Biblical painting, making the Biblical commands possible to fulfill practically, as they were intended to be.

[Deuteronomy 6:5-9] “AND WRITE THEM ON THE DOORPOSTS OF YOUR HOUSE AND UPON YOUR GATES…” What are you to write? The Magna Carta? The Star Spangled Banner? Who is authorized to write? How, what, when should it be written on your gates? What if they are not your doorposts and gates – you are merely a renter? Here, again, fulfillment of G-d’s command predicates reliance on the Oral Bible. The Oral Bible is a necessity. For millenniums, the Jews never had a doubt as to the divine directive. The Mezuza is a feature in Jewish properties. There is no debate, confusion or subjectivity, because the Oral Torah filled in the spaces.

Deuteronomy 12:25 states that “… YOU MAY SLAUGHTER FROM YOUR CATTLE AND YOUR FLOCKS THAT THE L-ORD HAS GIVEN YOU AND AS I HAVE COMMANDED YOU, AND YOU MAY EAT IN YOUR CITIES ACCORDING TO YOUR HEARTS ENTIRE DESIRE.”
Where however in all of the 24 books of scripture are the details of ritual slaughter explained?
Where does it explain the words “to slaughter… as I have commanded you?”
The answer my friend is flowing in the Oral Law.
Only in the Oral Torah are we provided with the details of this command; i.e. a humane way to slaughter. Interestingly, the details of the oral law pertaining to slaughter coincide with a statement from the Encyclopedia Britannica. According to this article, scientific opinion indicates that severance of the carotid arteries and the jugular vein (with the razor sharp ritual knife) in one swift movement results in immediate loss of consciousness. The after struggle is reflex muscular action alone. It is a very painless way to raise the animal up spiritually together with everything that went into the raising of that animal. This takes the animal to a higher plane, and the human, by consuming its health imbuing properties, can better live and serve G-od and humankind. The ancient law stands on humanitarian high ground when compared to the head crushing and strangling inflicted on animals through non-kosher methods of slaughter. Many Rabbinic Torah authorities even feel that unless people serve G-d, and use their energy from food consumption for that purpose, they have no moral right to eat meat. Judaism has led the world in legislation against animal cruelty and some of the modern societies for animal protection have been founded and supported through tradition conscious Jews.

[Leviticus 11:1-8] “BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU SHALL NOT EAT FROM AMONG THESE THAT BRING UP THEIR CUD OR THAT HAVE SPLIT HOOVES. THE CAMEL, FOR IT BRINGS UP ITS CUD, BUT ITS HOOF IS NOT SPLIT. THE SHOFAN, FOR IT BRINGS UP ITS CUD, BUT ITS HOOF IS NOT SPLIT. THE ARNEVET, FOR IT BRINGS UP ITS CUD, BUT ITS HOOF IS NOT SPLIT. THE PIG, FOR HOOF IS SPLIT, BUT IT DOES NOT CHEW ITS CUD…”

The characteristics of permitted animals are cloven hooves and the chewing of the cud (rumination). The Oral Law also points out sweeping characteristics of animals and nature. Ruminators for instance, never have incisor teeth in the upper jaw. Also, with the exception of the camel and its family, all ruminators have cloven hooves. Likewise, with the exception of the pig, all hooved animals ruminate. Therefore, says the Oral Tradition, if you find an animal whose species cannot be identified, check out its hoofs. If the hoofs are mutilated or missing, then check out the mouth. If no incisor teeth are present in its upper jaw, then you can be sure it is a clean animal species (as long as you can recognize and rule it out as a camel). If you find an animal whose mouth has been mutilated, check the hoofs. If they are cloven, the animal is clean as long as you can recognize and rule it out as a pig. Zoologists have discovered over 5,000 different kinds of mammals. Why would the Bible and Oral Tradition stick its neck out 3,350 years ago and make such absolute statements regarding the animal kingdom? Did the scribes and the Rabbis have the means of the Discovery Channel and National Geographic to check out every hemisphere, to investigate every nook and cranny of forest, hill, jungle or prairie? In other words, asks the Talmud (Chulin 60/b), was Moses a hunter or an archer (a zoologist)? This refutes those who maintain that the Torah was not divinely revealed.

It was taught in the Academy of Rebbe Yishmael the Torah states, “THE CAMEL SHALL BE UNCLEAN TO YOU, ALTHOUGH IT CHEWS ITS CUD.” The Ruler of the Universe knows that the camel chews its cud and yet, it’s impure. Therefore, the verse specifies it. In other words, the redactor of the Bible – G-d himself – knew all the species the zoologists would eventually reveal throughout history. The same G-d of pure oneness, who can see the unity of history and nature, could have the Oral and Written Tradition go out on a limb describing the wild kingdom without any fear of future contradictions.

What about fish? You know what kind of cigarettes a Rabbi smokes? A gefilter cigarette. Fish need fins and scales in order to be considered Kosher (Leviticus 11:9-10, Deuteronomy 14:9) though microscopic scales are not included. The Mishna (Nida 6:9) clearly says, “Every creature that has scales will have fins, but there are those which have fins but no scales.” The Talmud (Nida 51/b) goes on to say if so, then why did G-d not write scales and there would be no need to mention fins? Rebbe Abbahu answered and it was taught in school of Rebbe Yishmael . "In order to magnify the Torah and make it glorious" [Isaiah 42:21]. Around 25,000 new species of fish have been revealed in the last 100 years and all of them that have fins also have scales and vice versa. How could the Talmud have been so sure of itself? Because the information given in the Talmud comes directly from the very author of life, the expert par excellance on oceanography and marine biology.

Remember [Isaiah 45:19], also [Exodus 16:29 -30] says, “LET EVERY MAN REMAIN IN HIS PLACE ON THE SABBATH.” What does that mean? Do we envision West Side Story – Jets vs. Sharks. ‘Yo bro don’t leave your turf. Your hood (neighborhood) is your place and don’t you dare cross lines into another turf on the Sabbath or else you is chopped meat.’ The answer is no. The Oral Tradition spells out what it means not leaving your place. The Sabbath laws carry with them severest of penalties. So G-d was exact in what He wanted, but the exactness was to be found in, yes, you guessed it; the living, breathing, dynamic Oral Tradition.

[Isaiah 58:13-14] “IF YOU RESTRAIN YOUR FOOT BECAUSE OF THE SABBATH FROM PERFORMING YOUR AFFAIRS…” What does this mean? “…AND IF YOU DO RESTRAIN YOUR FOOT…THEN YOU SHALL FIND DELIGHT WITH THE L-RD…” Perhaps some new dance step. Do the “Restrain your foot hop.” No such confusion was left. The earth was null and void only in Genesis; afterwards the world was to be orderly and logical. G-d’s natural laws make sense and have logus, likewise His spiritual laws have order, logic, and logus about them. He did not say unintelligible things and order us to do them and be consequently rewarded or punished. He gave laws to do and explained what that meant to us in His Oral Torah. Perhaps we do not understand His ultimate reason or purpose to a specific law, but the practical application has always been intended. Any technical differences are worked out in terms of application within a system that comes to proper Biblically anchored conclusions.

Join the Brit-Am E-Mail Discussion Group

Publications

Chapter Seven
HISTORY

Home