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#Post#: 11420--------------------------------------------------
The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: December 21, 2015, 8:10 pm
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How should we interpret the Torah? The proper understanding of
the Torah should teach us something about love. If our
understanding of a passage seems hateful to us, we should not
adopt it as true. If it teaches something a bout love and helps
us love God or our fellow man (who is like God, being made in
His image and likeness), then I believe it is safe to believe we
are close to the truth how it should be interpreted. Jesus
said, and I follow him on this:
Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and
the prophets.
There may be many wrong traditions, but there is also a right
one; and I say Jesus followed the "right tradition" which was
taught before him by others. Rabbi Hillel said much the same
thing but put it in the negative. There is a story about him
from which this saying is drawn. His rival, Rabbi Shammai, is
also in the story; and I say Shammai came from a wrong
tradition.
These two great scholars born a generation or two before the
beginning of the Common Era are usually discussed together and
contrasted with each other, because they were contemporaries and
the leaders of two opposing schools of thought (known as
"houses"). The Talmud records over 300 differences of opinion
between Beit Hillel (the House of Hillel) and Beit Shammai (the
House of Shammai). In almost every one of these disputes,
Hillel's view prevailed.
Rabbi Hillel was born to a wealthy family in Babylonia, but came
to Jerusalem without the financial support of his family and
supported himself as a woodcutter. It is said that he lived in
such great poverty that he was sometimes unable to pay the
admission fee to study Torah, and because of him that fee was
abolished. He was known for his kindness, his gentleness, and
his concern for humanity. One of his most famous sayings,
recorded in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers, a tractate of
the Mishnah), is "If I am not for myself, then who will be for
me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now,
when?" The Hillel organization, a network of Jewish college
student organizations, is named for him.
Rabbi Shammai was an engineer, known for the strictness of his
views. The Talmud tells that a gentile came to Shammai saying
that he would convert to Judaism if Shammai could teach him the
whole Torah in the time that he could stand on one foot. Shammai
drove him away with a builder's measuring stick! Hillel, on the
other hand, converted the gentile by telling him, "That which is
hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole
Torah; the rest is commentary. Go and study it."
Jesus offered another comment on how we should interpret the
Torah:
Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put
the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question,
tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
There is no contradiction if our understanding of both passages
is correct. One cannot love God if he hates his neighbor.
It's impossible since our neighbor is like God, having been made
in His image and likeness. John also informs us:
1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother,
he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath
seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Thus we see that if we truly love God, we will be inspired to
obey the Golden Rule -- as given by Jesus in its positive form
-- or by Hillel in its negative.
So our task when reading the Torah should be to seek to find the
love in it.
I shall begin to post some of the commandments; and members are
free to add remarks on any of the posted commandments they wish.
I will edit the thread in order to organize it so members'
remarks on each commandment are together.
#Post#: 11421--------------------------------------------------
Re: The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: December 21, 2015, 8:15 pm
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The following list is in the order Maimonides devised, I
believe.
1. To know there is a God — Ex 20:2
HTML http://lovegodonly.createaforum.com/bible/the-613-laws-of-the-torah/?message=11432
2. Not to even think that there are other gods besides Him - Ex
20:3
HTML http://lovegodonly.createaforum.com/bible/the-613-laws-of-the-torah/?message=11433
3. To know that He is One - Dt 6:4
HTML http://lovegodonly.createaforum.com/bible/the-613-laws-of-the-torah/?message=11434
4. To love God - Dt 6:5
HTML http://lovegodonly.createaforum.com/bible/the-613-laws-of-the-torah/?message=11446
5. To fear God - Dt 10:20
HTML http://lovegodonly.createaforum.com/bible/the-613-laws-of-the-torah/?message=12702
6. To sanctify God's name - Lev 22:32-33
HTML http://lovegodonly.createaforum.com/bible/the-613-laws-of-the-torah/?message=12703
7. Not to profane God's name -Lev 22:32-33
HTML http://lovegodonly.createaforum.com/bible/the-613-laws-of-the-torah/?message=12704
8. Not to destroy objects associated with God's Name - Dt 12:2-4
HTML http://8. Not to destroy objects associated with God's Name - Dt
12:2-4
More will be added to this list as I have time.
#Post#: 11432--------------------------------------------------
Re: The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: December 21, 2015, 8:21 pm
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1. To know there is a God
Exodus 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out
of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Kerry said: We must know about God before we can love Him. Does
this commandment apply to Gentiles? It can if they have been
led out of Sodom and Egypt. Those who choose not to leave the
land of bondage have nothing to attribute to God except
plagues. Those who are led out may not be adequately grateful,
still craving the leeks and cucumbers of Egypt; but they can
know about God and strive to be grateful for their deliverance
despite the things of the flesh they have lost.
#Post#: 11433--------------------------------------------------
Re: The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: December 21, 2015, 8:25 pm
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2. Not to even think that there are other gods besides Him
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Kerry said: This commandment is meant to benefit men, not given
to benefit God. Salvation depends on avoiding idolatry since it
is a form of spiritual madness. There may be many which are
called gods; but it is foolish to consider worshiping any as
God. Any being which desired to in competition with God is not
part of the Oneness of God and should not be worshiped. Such so
called gods are guided by pride and detest men and women and
crave their destruction. To worship them is to endanger
ourselves since idolatry leads to self-destruction in any number
of ways.
#Post#: 11434--------------------------------------------------
Re: The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: December 21, 2015, 8:28 pm
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3. To know that He is One
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Kerry said: The Holy Name occurs twice here. Elohim is the
masculine noun with a feminine plural ending; but do not let
that allow you to believe God is more than One. Is it not
written that the LORD God is an all consuming fire? Fire may
occur in many places; but it is all fire.
#Post#: 11446--------------------------------------------------
Re: The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: December 23, 2015, 6:35 am
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4. To love God.
Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all
thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Kerry said: We should not think God gave this commandment for
selfish purposes. Obeying this commandment benefits us more
than it does Him. While He enjoys our loving Him, He is in
need of nothing so we ought not think God gave this commandment
out of feeling needy as some men might do. We also should
learn to love and to embrace the good since it benefits us. God
is good, so if we do not love Him, something is wrong with us.
#Post#: 12702--------------------------------------------------
Re: The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: August 4, 2016, 12:35 pm
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5. To fear God.
Deuteronomy 10:20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt
thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
#Post#: 12703--------------------------------------------------
Re: The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: August 4, 2016, 12:37 pm
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6. To sanctify God's name.
Leviticus 22:32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I
will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD
which hallow you,
33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I
am the LORD.
#Post#: 12704--------------------------------------------------
Re: The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: August 4, 2016, 12:38 pm
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7. Not to profane God's name.
Leviticus 22:32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I
will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD
which hallow you,
33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I
am the LORD.
#Post#: 12705--------------------------------------------------
Re: The 613 Laws of the Torah
By: Kerry Date: August 4, 2016, 12:40 pm
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8. Not to destroy objects associated with God's Name.
Deuteronomy 12:2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places,
wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods,
upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every
green tree:
3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars,
and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the
graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out
of that place.
4 Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.
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