Definition of "tradition" from the
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
- an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior
- a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
- the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
- cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
- characteristic manner, method, or style
Mark 7:5 The scribes and the Pharisees ask Y'shua, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the traditions of the elders? His short answer is: "You hypocrites... You have left the Commandment of Elohim and have embraced the tradition of men. ... And you despise the Word of Elohim because of the tradition that you have handed down..."
This entire chapter showcases one of the greatest discussions of 'oral versus written law' predating what would later be recorded in the Talmud some 200 years later.
Matthew 15:3 records the same... the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem ask Y'shua why his disciples transgress against the traditions of the elders. He asks them, "Why do you transgress the Commandments of Elohim because of your traditions?"
Written Torah was pitted against the oral traditions of the Pharisees who were nullifying the Word of YHWH by their traditions - he would not instruct his followers to do likewise.
Who were the scribes?
Members of a learned class studying the Scriptures and serving as copyists, editors, teachers, and jurists
Who were the Pharisees?
Members of a Jewish sect noted for strict observance of rites and ceremonies of the written law and for insistence on the validity of their own oral traditions concerning the law.
Who were the Sadducees?
Members of a Jewish party consisting of a traditional ruling class of priests and rejecting doctrines not in the Law (such as resurrection, retribution in a future life, and the existence of angels)
Quote from the Jewish Virtual Library:
Of the various factions that emerged under Hasmonean rule, three are of particular interest: the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.
The most important of the three were the Pharisees because they are the spiritual fathers of modern Judaism. Their main distinguishing characteristic was a belief in an Oral Law that God gave to Moses at Sinai along with the Torah. The Pharisees believed that God also gave Moses the knowledge of what these laws meant and how they should be applied. This oral tradition was codified and written down roughly three centuries later in what is known as the Talmud.
The Sadducees were elitists who wanted to maintain the priestly caste, but they were also liberal in their willingness to incorporate Hellenism into their lives, something the Pharisees opposed. The Sadducees rejected the idea of the Oral Law and insisted on a literal interpretation of the Written Law; consequently, they did not believe in an after life, since it is not mentioned in the Torah. The main focus of Sadducee life was rituals associated with the Temple.
The Sadducees disappeared around 70 A.D., after the destruction of the Second Temple. None of the writings of the Sadducees has survived, so the little we know about them comes from their Pharisaic opponents. These two "parties" served in the Great Sanhedrin, a kind of Jewish Supreme Court made up of 71 members whose responsibility was to interpret civil and religious laws.
A third faction, the Essenes, emerged out of disgust with the other two. This sect believed the others had corrupted the city and the Temple. They moved out of Jerusalem and lived a monastic life in the desert, adopting strict dietary laws and a commitment to celibacy.
The Talmud
Quoted from the Jewish Virtual Library:The Oral Law is a legal commentary on the Torah, explaining how its commandments are to be carried out. Common sense suggests that some sort of oral tradition was always needed to accompany the Written Law, because the Torah alone, even with its 613 commandments, is an insufficient guide to Jewish life. For example, the fourth of the Ten Commandments, ordains, "Remember the Sabbath day to make it holy" (Exodus 20:8). From the Sabbath's inclusion in the Ten Commandments, it is clear that the Torah regards it as an important holiday. Yet when one looks for the specific biblical laws regulating how to observe the day, one finds only injunctions against lighting a fire, going away from one's dwelling, cutting down a tree, plowing and harvesting. Would merely refraining from these few activities fulfill the biblical command to make the Sabbath holy? Indeed, the Sabbath rituals that are most commonly associated with holiness-lighting of candles, reciting the kiddush, and the reading of the weekly Torah portion are found not in the Torah, but in the Oral Law.Without an oral tradition, some of the Torah's laws would be incomprehensible.
Can you see where the term 'legalism' was wrongly applied by Christians to Torah, the written Word of Yah, as an excuse to ignore the Old Testament, while at the same time being totally blind to the fact it was the acts of the scribes and Pharisees which made their opinions 'legal'? That is the foundation of Judaism, another religion that perverts our heavenly Father's Instructions for humanity.
Babylonian Talmud? Does this have anything to do with the warning to
Come out of Babylon?
I do not support the use of the talmud nor do I support folks who use it as a teaching guide. Rabbis believe "Without an oral tradition, some of the Torah's laws would be incomprehensible" and this is simply not true. The talmud provides insight to the 'Jewish mindset' (not the Hebrew mindset) via the early rabbinic system (the beginnings of Judaism = a religion). It is a collection of writings that cover all 'Jewish law and tradition'. Rabbis believe we cannot understand "Torah" without it and I find that to be a false teaching. They were guilty of putting a 'fence around Torah' back in the day and this is the same sort of power trip the RCC participates in. I am pointing out to Beware the traditions of man. When we continue to read and study Scriptures daily, His Spirit will reveal the Truth wherein we gain knowledge and understanding, without the influence of traditions or man's opinions about "God". Y'shua called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because they transgressed against the Commandments of Elohim by way of their traditions... which later became recorded in the Talmud. This is a big reason why I do not recommend using the Talmud in an attempt to teach, shed light or verify the Word of YHWH.
