ושמע האמת ממי שאמרו
"Accept the truth no matter from whom it comes." Rambam, Eight Chapters, Introduction to Pirkei Avot
In 1920, Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt, two prominent British papyrologists, acquired a collection of ancient papyrus fragments from an Egyptian antiquities dealer.
One of these fragments included Papyrus P52, which contained a section of the Gospel of John. It is recognized as the earliest existing manuscript of the New Testament, believed to date back to approximately 125 AD, just one generation after the author's lifetime.
The verso side contains John 18:37-38, which says:
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΕΙΜΙ ΕΓΩ ΕΙΣ TOΥΤΟ ΓΕΓΕΝΝΗΜΑΙ
ΚΑΙ (ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΤΟ) ΕΛΗΛΥΘΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΚΟΣΜΟΝ ΙΝΑ ΜΑΡΤΥ-
ΡΗΣΩ ΤΗ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ ΠΑΣ Ο ΩΝ ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΑΛΗΘΕI-
ΑΣ ΑΚΟΥΕΙ ΜΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΦΩΝΗΣ ΛΕΓΕΙ ΑΥΤΩ
Ο ΠΙΛΑΤΟΣ ΤΙ ΕΣΤΙΝ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥΤΟ
ΕΙΠΩΝ ΠΑΛΙΝ ΕΞΗΛΘΕΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΙΟΥ-
ΔΑΙΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΓΕΙ ΑΥΤΟΙΣ ΕΓΩ ΟΥΔΕΜΙΑΝ
ΕΥΡΙΣΚΩ ΕΝ ΑΥΤΩ ΑΙΤΙΑΝ
"a King I am. For this I have been born and (for this) I have come into the world so that I would test ify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears of me my voice." Said to him
Pilate, "What is truth?" and this
having said, again he went out unto the Judeans
and said to them, "I find not one
fault in him." [1]
Quid est Veritas?
It is unknown what the brutal Pontius Pilate was thinking when he uttered the words, "What is truth?" Was he mocking, confused, or sincerely posing a philosophical question? Regardless, this question is still pertinent today: What is truth?
What may be more significant is the words spoken by Yeshua before this question,
"Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice."
The Sages say that in the days before the Messiah comes, "truth will be lacking" (Sanhedrin 97a). Today, not only has media propaganda reached unprecedented levels, but the advent of AI videos, voice, deep fakes, and computer graphics make it near impossible to recognize falsehood from reality. However, deep down, the human spirit recognizes truth.
In the world of faith and religion, there are many 'deep fakes' that have obscured the vision of the world. Certain perceptions, inaccuracies and falsehoods have developed over millennia that obscure our vision regarding the truth of Yeshua of Nazareth. He was not a Christian. He was not the "Founder of Christianity." He was (and is) a Jew. A Jew faithful to the Torah. Likewise, the New Testament is not a Christian book. It is Jewish. It is a product of Second Temple Judaism and is part of the historical fabric of Judaism. The truth remains the truth no matter if it is accepted by the majority.
In the late 1800s, the rabbi of Tapioszele, R' Ignaz Lichtenstein (1824 - 1908 CE), had an unusual experience. A "Jewish teacher in the communal school of his district casually showed him a German Bible. Turning the leaves, his eye fell on the name “Jesu Christi.” He became furiously angry and sharply reproved the teacher for having such a thing in his possession. Taking the book, he flung it across the room in a rage; it fell behind others on a shelf where, dusty and forgotten, it lay some thirty odd years." [2]
Due to Christian antisemitism, blood libels and persecution, R' Lichtenstein believed that "Christ Himself was the plague and curse of the Jews the origin and promoter of our sorrows and persecutions." [3]
Then something miraculous happened. He found the Bible that he threw thirty years earlier,
"I was surprised and scarcely trusted my eyes when I espied in a hidden corner the New Testament which some thirty years before I had in vexation taken from a Jewish teacher, and I began to turn over its leaves and read. How can I express the impression which I then received? “Not the half had been told me of the greatness, power and glory of this Book, formerly a sealed book to me. All seemed so new, and yet it did me good, like the sight of an old friend who has laid aside his dusty, travel worn garments, and appears in festive attire, like a bridegroom in wedding robes, or a bride adorned with her jewels.” [4]
In this study, we will examine the roses within the Sermon on the Mount, one of the powerful teachings of Yeshua of Nazareth. We will begin by looking in the Torah.
Oaths & Vows
Parashat Mattot (Numbers 30:2 - 32:42) opens with the laws regarding vows and oaths. The Torah emphasizes the gravity of making vows and the obligations to fulfill them,
"Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes (mattot) concerning the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." Numbers 30:1-2, New King James Version
A vow or an oath is a sacred commitment, highlighting the power of speech and the importance of integrity. The Talmud devotes a whole Tractate, Nedarim, to this subject, underscoring its significance in Judaism. Pirkei Avot sees a vows as a means or a tool to attain greater holiness:
נְדָרִים, סְיָג לַפְּרִישׁוּת
Nedarim syag la'prishut "Vows are a fence to abstinence."
Pirkei Avot 3:13, Sefaria.org
Abstinence, or p'rishut, is one of the ten levels of holiness, as mentioned in the Talmud,
"Torah leads to vigilance, vigilance leads to alacrity, alacrity leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to abstention, abstention leads to purity, purity leads to piety, piety leads to humility, humility leads to fear of sin, fear of sin leads to holiness, holiness leads to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit leads to resurrection of the dead, and piety is greater than all of them, as it is said (Psalm 89:20): 'Then You spoke in a vision to Your godly ones.'" Avodah Zarah 20b
These levels are elucidated in Mesillat Yesharim by the Ramchal, R' Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (1707 - 1746 CE). He specifically covers oaths and vows in Chapter 11 of this monumental text of mussar (ethics), and quotes the Gemara as follows,
"This is what the sages said in the Talmud (Shavuot 36a): "R. Eleazar said: 'No' is an oath; 'Yes' is an oath... Said Raba: But only if he said, 'No! No!' twice; or he said, 'Yes! Yes!' twice". Mesillat Yesharim 11, Path of the Just, Translated by R' Yosef Sebag, Sefaria.org
When utilized correctly, this tool is a potent resource for conquering the yetzer hara, the evil inclination. However, it can easily become a trap if not approached with seriousness and commitment to follow through on one's words. King Solomon elaborates on this in Ecclesiastes.
“When you vow a vow to G-d, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should G-d be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?”
Ecclesiastes 5:4-6
Similarly, Yeshua ben Eleazar ben Sirach (2nd Century BCE) warns in the Book of Sirach,
“Don’t let your mouth get used to making solemn pledges, and don’t get accustomed to saying the name of the Holy One.”
Sirach 23:9
Let Your 'Yes' be 'Yes'
In the Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua refers to this parashah regarding vows, emphasizing the importance of keeping one's word and the significance of honesty and integrity in all aspects of life. By drawing on the soul of this parashah, Yeshua reinforces the value of sincerity and faithfulness, urging his listeners to live with authenticity and honor their words as if they were on the level of an oath or a vow, in a somewhat similar manner as R' Eleazar,
"Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil." Matthew 5:33-37
This teaching magnifies the Torah's command, going beyond the letter of the law to the Spirit, elevating us from the Torah of this world to the Torah of the Messiah. The early believers placed a strong emphasis on this teaching. The leader of the Jerusalem Council, Yaakov HaTzaddik (James the Just), reiterated this lesson,
“But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes,” and your “no,” “no” so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.” James 5:12
The Talmud later expresses a similar sentiment, advocating not to use vows and oaths as a practice,
"It was taught: Never make a practice of vowing, for ultimately you will trespass in the matter of oaths." Nedarim 20a, Soncino Press Edition
R' Yosei ben Yehuda states in the Gemara,
"...your yes [hen] should be just, and your no should be just. Apparently, it is a mitzva for one to fulfill his promises. Abaye says: That verse means that one should not say one matter with his mouth and think one other matter in his heart. It is prohibited for one to make a commitment that he has no intention of fulfilling. Rav Kahana made his commitment in good faith and reneged due to changed circumstances. That is not prohibited." Bava Metzia 49b, The William Davidson Talmud, Sefaria.org
Rambam's Mishneh Torah comments,
"A person is forbidden to act in a smooth-tongued and luring manner. He should not speak one thing outwardly and think otherwise in his heart. Rather, his inner self should be like the self which he shows to the world. What he feels in his heart should be the same as the words on his lips. . . It is forbidden to utter a single word of deception or fraud. Rather, one should have only truthful speech, a proper spirit, and a heart pure from all deceit and trickery." Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 2:6, Translated by Eliyahu Touger, Moznaim Publishing, Sefaria.org
These comments reveal the power of speech that has been gifted to humanity. When Adam was created, the Targum includes an interesting detail,
“And the Lord God created man in two formations; and took dust from the place of the house of the Sanctuary, and from the four winds of the world, and mixed from all the waters of the world, and created him red, black, and white; and breathed into his nostrils the inspiration of life, and there was in the body of Adam the inspiration of a speaking spirit, unto the illumination of the eyes and the hearing of the ears.” Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Sefaria.org
Adam is a "speaking spirit." While animals communicate on a rudimentary level, Adam, and by extension all of humanity, wield the power of creation. R' Ari Kahn says,
“Surely, Creation could have come about in other ways; God, who possesses all powers and who stands above our own limited dimensions of time, space, and matter, could have created without speech. Surely, all of creation could have been the result of a Divine thought, a Divine wish; instead, a very human tool - speech - was utilized. . . Human speech, then, should never be random. When man speaks, he should be aware that he is using a tool which God purposely and specifically chose to use in the very act of creation. And in the same way that Divine speech and action are the same when a man speaks, he should be extremely fastidious in keeping his word in an attempt to be as "godly" as he can be. Allowing a breach between one's words and one's deeds is antithetical to our overall ambition to emulate God.”
R. Ari Kahn, M’oray Ha'Aish: Thought, Speech and Action, Aish.com
Rebbe Nachman says something profound about words,
"May He bless you as He has spoken to you (Deuteronomy 1:11) Vivarekh etkhem ka'asher diber lakhem (May He bless you as He has spoken to you) may also be translated as “He will bless you as your speech is.” Even though God knows our thoughts, we need to pray to Him, because words are the vessels of bounty. The more perfected our vessels—i.e., prayer and speech—the more blessing we can draw down (Likutey Moharan I, 34:3)."
REBBE NACHMAN'S TORAH: NUMBERS - DEUTERONOMY - Breslov Insights into the Weekly Torah Reading (p. 193). Breslov Research Institute. Kindle Edition.
The connections between the Torah, the teachings of the Sages, and the words of Yeshua are not random. Let's explore the similarities between the Sermon on the Mount and Judaism, and then reflect on the significance and implication of these parallels.
The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5-7, reflects a deep connection with Jewish teachings, which are found in the Hebrew Bible, Apocrypha, Talmud, and Midrash.
"Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him." Matthew 5:1
Note that the words do not say "a mountain," but the definitive article reveals that he went up THE mountain. This is an obvious allusion to Moshe going up Mount Sinai and revealing the Torah.
On a deeper level, Yeshua's Sermon on the Mount encapsulates what is called Torato shel Mashiach, the Torah of the Messiah. This is the White Fire of the Torah, its hidden soul revealed. Only now, in our own generation, have these secrets been unlocked. As said above, we will not be able to explore every facet of this monumental teaching. However, each reference and parallel will reveal a gateway, a diving board into the Ocean of the Torah of the Messiah.
Many of these parallels below were pointed out by R' Arthur Segal, in Jewish Renewal: Jesus and the Talmud. We are indebted to his research [6].
I. The Beatitudes
A. Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3)
Isaiah 66:2: "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."
Psalms 34:18: "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
B. Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4)
Isaiah 61:2-3: "...to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion..."
Ecclesiastes 7:2: "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart."
C. Blessed are the meek (Matthew 5:5)
Psalms 37:11: "But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity."
D. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6)
Isaiah 55:1-2: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!"
Amos 5:24: "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"
E. Blessed are the merciful (Matthew 5:7)
Proverbs 11:17: "Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves."
Micah 6:8: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
F. Blessed are the pure in heart (Matthew 5:8)
Psalms 24:3-4: "Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart..."
G. Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9)
Proverbs 12:20: "Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy."
Psalms 34:14: "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."
H. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10)
Isaiah 51:7: "Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults."
II. Mussar of the Messiah
A. Anger and Reconciliation (Matthew 5:21-26)
Leviticus 19:17-18: "Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself."
Proverbs 16:32: "Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city."
Bava Metzia 58b: He who publicly shames his neighbor is as though he shed blood.
Yoma 8:9: "If a man said, "I will sin and repent, and sin again and repent," he will be given no chance to repent. [If he said,] "I will sin and the Day of Atonement will effect atonement," then the Day of Atonement effects no atonement. For transgressions that are between man and God, the Day of Atonement effects atonement, but for transgressions that are between a man and his fellow, the Day of Atonement effects atonement only if he has appeased his fellow."
Yoma 85b: Yom Kippur atones for all sins, but first you must reconcile your conflict with others.
Rosh Hashanah 17a: Only if you forgive others will God forgive you.
Shabbat 151b: One who is merciful toward others, God will be merciful toward him
B. Adultery and Lust (Matthew 5:27-30)
Exodus 20:14: "You shall not commit adultery."
Job 31:1: "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman."
Nedarim 20a: "He who gazes at a woman eventually comes to sin, and he who looks even at a woman's heel will beget degenerate children."
Kallah, Ch. 1: "One who gazes lustfully upon the small finger of a married woman, it is as if he has committed adultery with her."
Niddah 13b: "Come and hear what was taught: Rabbi Tarfon said, 'If his hand touched the membrum let his hand be cut off upon his belly'. 'But', they said to him, 'would not his belly be split'? 'It is preferable', he replied, 'that his belly shall be split rather than that he should go down into the pit of destruction'.
C. Divorce (Matthew 5:31-32)
Deuteronomy 24:1-4: Regulations about divorce.
Malachi 2:16: "'I hate divorce,' says the LORD God of Israel..."
D. Oaths (Matthew 5:33-37)
Leviticus 19:12: "Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD."
Ecclesiastes 5:4-5: "When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow."
"It was taught: Never make a practice of vowing, for ultimately you will trespass in the matter of oaths" Nedarim 20a, Soncino Press Edition
E. Retaliation (Matthew 5:38-42)
Exodus 21:24: "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth..."
Proverbs 20:22: "Do not say, 'I'll pay you back for this wrong!' Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you."
“The law of equivalency was an attempt to limit the extent of punishment and to discourage cruelty. The principle of this legislation is one of equivalency; that is to say, the punishment should correspond to the crime and should be limited to the one involved in the injury.”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:38-39
“Jesus was not changing the meaning of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" but restoring it to the original context. Jesus starts his statement with "you have heard it said," which means that he was clarifying a misconception, as opposed to "it is written" which would be a reference to scripture. The common misconception seems to be that people were using Exodus 21:24-25 (the guidelines for a magistrate to punish convicted offenders) as a justification for personal vengeance. In this context, the command to "turn the other cheek" would not be a command to allow someone to beat or rob a person, but a command not to take vengeance.” Wikipedia.com
Romans 12:14-21 (HNV): “Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. . . Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Isaiah 50:6-7 (CJB): “I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. For Adonai Elohim will help. This is why no insult can wound me.”
F. Love for Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)
Leviticus 19:18: "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."
Proverbs 25:21-22: "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you."
"Rabbi Mikhal gave this command to his sons: "Pray for your enemies that all may be well with them. And should you think that this is not serving God, rest assured that more than all prayers, this is, indeed, the service of God." (Tales of the Hasidim, Early Masters, as retold by Martin Buber, pg. 156)
Taanit 7a: Regarding the phrase, "He makes his sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust," Chazal has an exact parallel, "R. Abbahu said: The day when rain fails is greater than [the day of] the Revival of the Dead, for the Revival of the Dead is for the righteous only whereas rain is both for the righteous and for the wicked."
Yoma 23a: "They who are insulted but insult not back; who hear themselves reproached but answer not; who serve out of love and rejoice in their affliction - of them, it is written in Scripture: They that love God are as the going forth of the sun in its might." Cf. Gittin 36b and Shabbat 88b
III. Practicing Righteousness
Jesus emphasizes sincerity in practicing righteousness, a theme present in Jewish teachings.
A. Giving to the Needy (Matthew 6:1-4)
Deuteronomy 15:7-11: Instructions on being generous to the poor.
Proverbs 19:17: "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done."
Batra 10a - 10b: What kind of charity is that which delivers a man from an unnatural death? When a man gives without knowing to whom he gives. and the beggar receives without knowing from whom he receives.
B. Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15)
1 Samuel 1:12-13: Hannah's silent prayer.
Daniel 6:10: “When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.”
Didache 8:3: “Pray this three times each day.”
Pirkei Avot 2:18: “R. Shimon said, “Be careful in reading the Shema and in Prayer, and when you pray, make not your prayer an ordinance, but an entreaty before God, blessed is He, for it is said, “For G-d is compassionate and easily-entreated, long-suffering, and abounding in grace, and be not wicked to yourself.”
Berachot 29b: “We learned in the Mishna that Rabbi Eliezer says: One whose prayer is fixed, his prayer is not supplication. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of fixed in this context? Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi said that Rabbi Oshaya said: It means anyone for whom his prayer is like a burden upon him, from which he seeks to be quickly unburdened. The Rabbis say: This refers to anyone who does not recite prayer in the language of supplication but as a standardized recitation without emotion. Rabba and Rav Yosef both said: It refers to anyone unable to introduce a novel element, i.e., something personal reflecting his personal needs, to his prayer, and only recites the standard formula.” (William Davidson Talmud, Sefaria.org)
Berachot 17b: "In the case of the recital of the Shema', since everybody else recites, and he also recites, it does not look like showing off on his part; but in the case of the month of Av, since everybody else does work and he does no work, it looks like showing off."
Taanit 2a: “It has been taught: To love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart.18 What is Service of Heart? This is Prayer.” (Soncino Press Edition)
C. Fasting (Matthew 6:16-18)
Isaiah 58:5-7: The kind of fasting God desires.
Joel 2:12-13: "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."
IV. Treasures and Worries
A. Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21)
Proverbs 23:4-5: "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone..."
Ecclesiastes 5:10: "Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income."
Jerusalem Talmud, Pe'ah 15b: "It happened that Manobaz had squandered his father's wealth to charity. His brothers admonished him: "Your father gathered treasure, and you wasted it all!" He replied: "My father laid up treasure where human hands control it; I laid it up where no hands control it. My father laid up a treasure of money; I laid up a treasure of souls. My father laid up treasure for this world; I laid up treasure for the heavenly world."
B. Serving Two Masters (Matthew 6:24)
Joshua 24:15: "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..."
1 Kings 18:21: Elijah's challenge to Israel to choose between the LORD and Baal.
C. Do Not Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
Psalms 55:22: "Cast your cares on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."
Proverbs 12:25: "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up."
Sotah 48b: Rabbi Eliezer the Great declares: Whoever has a piece of bread in his basket and says, 'What shall I eat tomorrow?' belongs only to those who are little in faith."
V. Judging Others and Discernment (Matthew 7:1-6)
Leviticus 19:15: "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly."
Proverbs 21:2: "A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart."
"Wherever there is no judgment below, there is judgment above." R' Eliezer
Shabbat 10a: “Every judge who judges with complete fairness even for a single hour, the Writ gives him credit as though he had become a partner to the Holy One, blessed be He, in the creation.” (Soncino Press Edition)
Jewish Virtual Library: “It is even given an almost mathematical exactitude with the often-reiterated belief in "measure for measure" (middah keneged middah): "all the measures [of punishment and reward] taken by the Holy One, blessed be He, are in accordance with the principle of measure for measure" (Sanh. 90a; cf. Sot. 8b); and "from the very creation of the world the Holy One, blessed be He, arranged that by the measure with which a man measures, he is measured" (Gen. R. 9:11).”
Matthew 7:2: “For the way you judge others is how you will be judged — the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure you.”
Hosea 8:7, Complete Jewish Bible: “For they sow the wind, so they will reap the whirlwind.”
Pirkei Avot 2:14: Do not judge your fellow until you have been in his place.
Pirkei Avot 4:10: Do not be a judge of others, for there is no judge but the one (God).
Sotah 1:7: By a person's standard of measure, is he, too, measured.
Shabbat 127b: How you judge others, does God judge you.
Sanhedrin 100a: "The measure which one measures will be measured out to him."
Er'chin 16b: Rabbi Tarfon said, "I wonder if there be anyone in this era who will allow himself to be reproved. If someone says to another, 'Cast out the speck that is in your eye!' he will retort, 'Cast out first the beam that is in your own eye!'"
Bava Metzia 59a: Do not rebuke your fellow with your own blemish.
Bava Batra 15b: Do they say, take the splinter out of your eye, he will retort: "Remove the beam out of your own eye."
Rebbe Nachman: "God is the Only One Who knows how to judge each individual for his deeds, in the context of his intentions and circumstances. We must take great care never to judge others, for we do not know everything there is to know about a person’s reason for his deeds (Likutey Moharan II, 1:14)." (REBBE NACHMAN'S TORAH: NUMBERS - DEUTERONOMY - Breslov Insights into the Weekly Torah Reading (p. 194). Breslov Research Institute. Kindle Edition.)
VI. Asking, Seeking, and Knocking
(Matthew 7:7-12)
Jeremiah 29:13: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Deuteronomy 4:29: "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul."
Talmud Shabbat 31a - What is hateful to you, do it not unto others -- this is the entire Torah, and the rest is commentary.
VII. The Narrow and Wide Gates
(Matthew 7:13-14)
Deuteronomy 30:19-20: "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live..."
Jeremiah 21:8: "Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.'"
VIII. True and False Prophets
(Matthew 7:15-20)
Deuteronomy 18:20-22: Criteria for true and false prophets.
Jeremiah 23:16: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.'"
IX. True and False Disciples
(Matthew 7:21-23)
Isaiah 29:13: "The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.'"
Ezekiel 33:31: "My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain."
X. The Wise and Foolish Builders
(Matthew 7:24-27)
Proverbs 10:25: "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever."
Isaiah 28:16: "So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.'"
Pirkei Avot 3:17: One who studies Torah but does not do good deeds is likened to one who builds with a foundation of straw so that even a minor flow of water will destroy it.
The Keys of the Kingdom
The information provided here is only the tip of the iceberg, and it is beyond the scope of this article to expound on each parallel presented here. Each one is a gateway to an entire universe and entire encyclopedias could be dedicated to each statement. Our main interest lies in examining the implications that these parallels carry.
For thousands of years, Jewish commentary has explored this vast expanse of the Torah. This process mirrors the advancement of natural sciences, characterized by continuous progress through new findings and breakthroughs. The writings of the Sages reveal innumerable revelations of history, science, linguistics, ciphers, and secrets, revealed and hidden. They have preserved the keys to unlock the Torah through coded language. The Ramchal, R' Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto, explains,
"...As you know, what prompted the Sages to write down the Oral Torah, against the received rule of prohibiting such writing, was that they saw a progressive weakening of learning as a result of the long exile and changing times, the ability to remember and to reason was gradually diminishing, and the Torah was becoming forgotten. They decided, therefore, in keeping with the principle of 'It is a time to act for HaShem; they have nullified your Law' (Psalms 119:126), to write down the entire oral elaboration of the commandments so that it would be preserved for all time...However, the solution they employed for the halachic portion was not appropriate for the esoteric portions...It is not appropriate that the esoteric parts be accessible to those who are unworthy, on account of the loftiness and profundity of the concepts..."
The Ramchal continues,
"For this reason, the Sages could not simply write down these esoteric concepts in a clear and unambiguous form as they did the legal portions of the Oral Torah. Rather, they adopted a balanced solution. That is, they would indeed write them down so that they would not be lost from later generations. But they would write them cryptically and as riddles so that they would be understandable only to those who had received the keys to decipher them. This resolved the Sages' dilemma: To those who were not in possession of the keys, the written words would be unintelligible..." Ramchal's Introduction to the Midrash, cited in Midrash Rabbah, Volume I: Bereshis-Noach, Artscroll Mesorah Publications, ltd., pgs. xxvii-xxviii
Yeshua said to Shimon Kefa and the disciples,
"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17, NKJV
The 'New Testament'
It may be stunning to learn that there is a Jewish parallel for nearly every sentence in the collection of the 27 books popularly called the “New Testament”. Some of these parallels are analogous not only in concept but also in structure. How is this possible? Was one dependent upon the other? Did both draw upon a common source?
Some scholars are convinced that Yeshua's words diffused throughout the Talmud and beyond. Others claim that Yeshua simply borrowed from the rabbis of his day. Still, others say they both borrowed from a common source.
The Gospels contain halachic discussions that appear in the Mishnah and Tosefta. The Gospel of John and Revelation share a common symbology with the Zohar. The New Testament could easily be interpreted as a proto-Chassidic text. This leads us to an inescapable conclusion:
If the New Testament says “A” and the Talmud says “A” - then the Christian must acknowledge the truth of the Talmud on that point, and the Jew must acknowledge the truth of the New Testament on that point.
What happens then if it is definitively proved that an entire 'New Testament' can be constructed, verse-by-verse, from the writings of the Rabbis? This creates problems for those who wish to maintain the Berlin Wall separating Yeshua from Judaism.
For Christians, this perspective encourages a complete rejection of antisemitism, antinomianism, and Replacement Theology, while embracing the Jewish roots of their faith. Most Christians are unfamiliar with Jewish writings, and those who are rely on second-hand information frequently from antisemitic websites. Educated Christian scholars, from John Gill to Franz Delitzsch, Hermann Strack, and Paul Billerbeck, have studied the ocean Jewish literature extensively. Their invaluable research has significantly advanced New Testament studies, revealing its deep roots in Second Temple Judaism.
As mentioned above, the Torah has been expounded through various forms, from Halacha to Aggadah to Sitrei Torah, encompassing the Aramaic Targumim, the Mishnah, and the Gemara. This includes not one but two Talmuds, along with numerous insightful Midrashim and mystical writings like Sefer Yetzirah, Bahir, and the Zohar. Commentators such as Rashi, Rambam, Ramban, Sforno, and Ohr HaChaim, as well as the Shelah, have provided countless insights into history, science, language, codes, and mysteries. This scholarly tradition culminated in the Chassidic movement initiated by the Baal Shem Tov, flourishing in the works of Rebbe Nachman and other prominent rebbes.
What if you could compress all of this knowledge, these thousands of books, into a single computer folder? In the world of computers, there is a file format called ZIP, which supports lossless data compression, allowing for a massive amount of information and tons of folders containing many documents in a very small file size. You simply select all of the folders or files you want, right-click, and “zip to folder” or “compress”. You can “unzip” it later to reveal all of the contents. In this article, we have only revealed a single drop of this immense ocean of the Jewish background of the New Testament. Yet within this drop is a fractal pattern of a much larger tapestry that has profound implications for the future of Judaism and Christianity.
The New Testament is this ZIP file. We believe it is the prophetic summary of all Jewish literature for the last 2000 years. It reveals the secrets of the Torah openly on its pages, unlocking the secret of Mashiach ben Yosef and the secret of Mashiach ben David as one. These keys have been concealed until the last days, prior to the coming of the Messiah.
For the Jew, acknowledging this truth does not mean converting to a Gentile religion. It simply restores the text of the New Testament back to its rightful owner in its original context. The New Testament was written by Jews (with the possible exception of Luke), not by later church Gentiles. Almost exactly parallel to the Christian world's relationship to the Talmud, the Jewish world is not familiar with the 'New Testament', and when they are, they are familiar with popular Christian interpretations of it. However, Jewish scholars from R’ Elijah Zvi Soloveitchik to Joseph Klausner to David Flusser have penetrated its words, revealing the threads that comprise the Jewish tapestry of the New Testament.
When dialogues occur, the two sides have two different conversations while speaking with each other. Although the entire argument may be in English, they are speaking two different languages. The Christian side of the equation usually does not know Hebrew, Jewish hermeneutic methods, or the Mesorah, the Jewish tradition. The Jewish side merely responds to the Gentile interpretations of the Jewish Gospels, Acts, Letters, and Revelation.
The antidote for these arguments, to bring true shalom, is TRUTH. Truth stands on its own, and a lie has no legs. This is revealed in the very shape of the Hebrew letters:
Truth is the hammer that destroys the Berlin Wall, whose mortar is made of sinat chinam, baseless hatred. One must be true to oneself and logically consistent. We must accept the truth no matter from what source it comes.
The Truth
Quid est Veritas?
“What is truth?”
Pontius Pilate, John 18:38
We may now answer the question of Pilate. What is truth? The Sage Reish Lakish answered:
"The letter tav is the last letter of the seal of the Holy One, Blessed be He, as Rabbi Ḥanina said: The seal of the Holy One, Blessed be He, is truth [emet], which ends with the letter tav. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: The letter tav teaches that these are people who observed the entire Torah from alef through tav." Shabbat 55a, Sefaria.org
Rebbe Nachman echoes,
…the seal of the Holy One is truth (Shabbat 55a). It is the foundation of everything because “EMeT (truth) is beginning, middle and end” (Bereishit Rabbah 81:2).
Likutei Moharan 112:1, translated by Moshe Mykoff, Breslov Research Institute, Sefaria.org
The fusion between Yeshua and the Jewish people is inevitable, unstoppable, and coming soon. Yeshua proclaims,
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
John 14:7
References
John Rylands P52, Wikipedia.com
Rabbi Isaac Lichtenstein, Henry Einspruch, Messianic Good News
Ibid.
Ibid.
R' Ari Kahn, M'orah Ha'Aish: Thought, Speech and Action, Aish.com
R' Arthur Segal: Jewish Renewal: Jesus and the Talmud
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