By Dr. Rabbi Cohen Shalomim Y. HaLahawi IMD, ND, PhD, PsyD, MRb, DFM, DPH
Ha’ Yisrayli Torah Brith Yahad, Inc.
Mizrahi-Ethiopian Jewish Int’l Rabbinical Council.
Cushite Hebrew Yeshiva-Open Int’l University
Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. No permission is granted to copy, publish, republish, or use in any manner, except for personal learning purposes, without the expressed written consent of the author. Permission is only granted to press one of the many share buttons on the left of the article to post to any social media.
This article is an Introduction to this related article:
Understanding the Oral Torah of Adonai YHWH vs The Post Exilic Oral Torah. Essene(Enochic) Judaism vs Pharisaical Judaism. A Study Guide – Mizrahi Ethiopian Jewish International Rabbinical Council (edenicserver.myqnapcloud.com)
Introduction & Summary of the various written & oral laws of Ancient Israel
Many Rabbinical Jews have assumed, at face value and without context, that my critique of how they choose to believe in and follow the Talmud as the actual Torah, even to the point of superseding the Torah, somehow means that I do not believe in the Talmud or Oral Torah, which is far from the truth. A simple review of the original article above, which this article here serves as an introductory prequel to, put into context exactly what my halachic stance is as it relates to what constitutes oral law both pre-exilic and post-exilic. My challenge and critique in no way should lead anyone to believe that I am anti-Talmud, anti-Mishna, or even anti-Rabbinical Judaism. I am simply here to teach & take people into a deeper understanding of the historical understanding of oral law and how it began and eventually evolved and even changed or was altered over time.
My adherence to Oral Law is the Pre-exilic Oral Law aka the Prophetic voice. Prophecy holds the weight of law, in addition to interpreting the law and even challenging Laws that are inaccurate, unjust, or that violate the true intent of Yahwah Elah. The Prophetic Oral Law condemning the written laws of Sacrifices and meat-eating is a perfect example of Prophetic/Oral Law.
When Yahwah Elah tells us to listen to his “Voice”, that is Oral Law, and to be able to do such you either need a Jewish Prophet(Nabi-the highest authoritative form of Judicial interpretive law), a Jewish prophetic minister(A prophetic Levitical Priest; the highest and most authoritative on Legislative Law) or the Ruwah HaQodesh dwelling within you, connecting you to the mind of Elah so that you are able to hear his voice and understand his specific will for your life(The highest form of personal prophetic executive law).
All of this is original pre-exilic Oral Law. That is why the Torah is made from three types of Law: Torah Law(Mosaic Constitutional-Covenant laws), Statutes(Levitical Priesthood-Senate, & Elders-House of Reps which makes up the Knesset-legislates cultural, customs, religious & civil law which is generational specific), and Judgements(Interpretative law, Shophetim-Beth Din).
Deut 17:8 “When any matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, or between stroke and stroke – matters of strife within your gates – then you shall rise and go up to the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses,
Deu 17:9 and shall come to the priests, the Lĕwites, and to the judge who is in those days, and shall inquire. And they shall declare to you the word of right-ruling,
Deu 17:10 and you shall do according to the word which they declare to you from that place which יהוה chooses. And you shall guard to do according to all that they instruct you.
Deu 17:11 “Do according to the Torah in which they teach you, according to the right-ruling which they say to you. You do not turn to the right or to the left from the word which they declare to you.
Deu 17:12 “And the man who acts arrogantly, so as not to listen to the priest who stands to serve there before יהוה your Elohim, or to the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Yisra’ĕl.”
There is also a 4th law, Executive law, which is governmental directive law issued by decree from the Chief Head of State. Under the ancient Israelite system, the Rabbi-Cohen (High Priest) held Judicial, Legislative & Executive powers, and delegated authority & powers to the 3 branches of Government. Thus, this position held the power to issue Executive Law, for both civil and religious matters.
When the Hebrews lost their way, & needed a more military-oriented government to protect themselves from repeated harassment and defeat from foreign nations around them, they implemented a hybrid governmental system, by establishing the office of the Malakiyah(King), who was an Executive Leader. This is the only man-made leadership position established by the will of people, who did was they saw right in their own eyes.
During the era of the Kings, it was the king who ruled using executive law. Unfortunately, this both violated the Torah, which established the Rabbi-Cohen as the Head of State, the priesthood as the Legislators(law givers),& the Shaphat as the Judicial Administrators, and it compromised the Yahwah-ordained balance of government, resulting in the Levitical Priesthood-Legislative Branch being undermined by the Executive Branch & eventually replaced by a foreign Canaanite-Babylonian Priesthood known as the Zadokites under David and Solomon, & the Torah law ended up being replaced/lost, and the Executive branch of leadership establishing laws & customs it was never empowered nor authorized to do by the Torah.
Psalm 60:6, “Elohim has spoken in His set-apartness, “I exult, I portion out Sheḵem And measure out the Valley of Sukkoth.
Psa 60:7 “Gilʽaḏ is Mine and Menashsheh is Mine, And Ephrayim is the defense of My head, Yehuḏah is My lawgiver.”
Psa 108:8 “Gilʽaḏ is Mine, Menashsheh is Mine, And Ephrayim is My chief defence, Yehuḏah is My lawgiver.
As a Rabbi-Cohen, & as an example, I am exercising my authority to give halachic right ruling on this passage. I am making it clear, the book of Psalms is a compilation of different authors. It is neither Torah Law, Statutes nor does it qualify as Judgements. It is also not prophetic law. as it is not the “Word of Yahwah Elah(Debarai HaBinah/Debari HaChockmah), thus it does not hold any final authority in what is being said in any of the passages nor is anyone under any obligation to accept what is written by different people for face value. The books of Palms are in the category of “arts & entertainment”, as they are songs, music, songs set to dancing, poetry, both secular and religious praise.
Thus, the substance of all of the writings, including those that are inspirational & rightfully encourage the following of the Torah, the worship of the Eternal Creator, the expressions of faith, and even those that are clearly political agendas expressed by two different warring factions/sects, the Northern & Southern nations, are purely perspective, speculative & editorial in nature. They are opinions, some of which are in fact erroneous opinions.
The passage above is a politically motivated propaganda statement, as the tribe of Judah was never given the power and authority to “legislate or give laws”.
I do need to point out that the Aramaic/Chaldean word being translated as laws here, is not Covenant law(Mitzvah). It is the Aramaic word, Chaqaq, which refers mostly to one who is a scribe or even a notary. In fact, is related to one who “engraves a decree/statute”…Perhaps similar to a Secretary of State. However, some have claimed that it can also allude to one who makes statutory decrees, such as an appointed Governor. Chaqaq is the root of the Aramaic word Choqqim(Hoqqim) which translates as “Statutes”
For example:
Isaiah 30:8 And go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it on a scroll, that it is for a latter day, a witness forever:
Isa 30:9 that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who refuse to hear the Torah of יהוה,”
The Aramaic word for “inscribe it(some versions says note it)”is , Chaqaq, the same word translated into Law-giver. However, the “Torah of YHWH(or Law of the LORD in some versions)”, is the actual Aramaic word “Torah”(Constitutional Law).Another example:
Job 19:23 “Oh, that my words were written down! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book”
The Aramaic word for inscribed, is Chaqaq
Thus, when it comes to who’s appointed & authorize to issue statutory decrees for the entire nation of Israel, then that is a Legislative role, related to the High Priest. The High Priest can also delegate such powers to lesser roles both governmental and religious. For example, Ezra a Levitical priest, began & led the return of the Hebrew peoples from captivity & began the restoration of the Temple. Later Yahoshua, a Levite, was crowned the Levitical High Priest & King(the actual Branch, which is the originally intended role of the High priest in the Torah Priest-king), and Zerubbabel, who was from & the head of the tribe of Judah, was appointed a Governor of Judea(the originally intended role of the Chief of the Executive Branch who is to be appointed by the Rabbi-Cohen before the man-made Kingship came about). Nehemiah & Hananiah were later appointed as governors of Judea.
The Kingship Era & the confusing of leadership roles
As a result of the Kingship Era, & the coup of King David against the House of Saul, resulting in most of Israel, except the tribe of Judah & some factions of Benyamin, revolting & never accepting David nor Solomon as king, & after the civil wars, exile & return from captivity, there was a socio-political rival as to who should have that privilege between one from Judah or one from Ephraim. Keep in mind that Yahoshua Son of Nun, an Ephraimite, was the first to hold such a role under the authority of, and after Moses. Ephraimites were originally chosen because they also are a priestly Tribe, due to Joseph marrying the daughter of the Egyptian priest of On. Moses honored that status by establishing that appointment. However, there is nothing in the Torah that ever gives that privilege to Judah. In fact, Judah is painted throughout the history of Israel as being a major cause of their downfall, apostasy & enslavement, in addition to the fact that the tribe of Judah is made up of mostly Ethnic Canaanites(which is why David & Solomon tried to replace the Levitical priesthood with the Zadokite priesthood, which Elah rejected), and the Levitical priests always came to save & liberated the people of Israel.
The historically corrupt mindset of the Tribe of Judah
The attitude and mindset of Judah have been very much like what was said of Japheth and his relationship with his brother Shem, in that he’d always tried to dwell within the tents of Shem, including trying to usurp his inheritance(i.e. Ashkenazi, 1st century converted Edomites vs Mizrahi, Sephardi & Ethiopian Jews). Judah has always tried to assert themselves as the leaders of the 12 tribes, the ones who supposedly have a mythological everlasting throne through David(that has not been in existence for over 2500 years), and who teaches the false doctrine that the Messiah to come (or has come) is a descendant of David, despite the fact that the Torah literally calls the Rabbi-Cohen(High Priest) Yahwahs Messiah, & all accurate prophecies, especially of the Essene and Enochic scriptures make clear that the Atoning saving Messiah is a Levitical Priest. No other role in the Torah has atoning powers than the Levitical priest. Yet, even in the New Testament, their concept of the Messiah is absolutely explicitly WRONG. Even the genealogy they forged is via a seed of David that Yahwah Elah said that he had cut off. They use the Zadokite false doctrine and literally taught that Yeshua/Jesus is from the Tribe of Judah, but is a living sacrifice that atones for sins, which contradicts the Torah, not to mention they seem to ignore the fact that Yeshua’s mother was a Levite, just as his cousin Yochanan/John the Baptist, his father and his mother(Yeshua’s uncle and Aunt), and Torah statutes only defines family relationships based on tribe, as it’s forbidden for Tribes of Israel to intermarry with each other.
The tribes of Judah and Zadokite traditions even went as far as reversing the blessings in the post-exilic book of Bereshit(Genesis), when Jacob, during his blessing of his children, blessed Judah & Lewy. It is the exact opposite of the blessings originally recorded in the Book of Moses also known as the Book of Jubilees which existed before the book of Genesis. To ensure that this deception was never undermined & their agenda to promote such a forgery, the Rabbis at the Council of Jamnia completely omitted the Book of Jubilees from their Canon, & added the book of Genesis, never ever thinking that the truth would eventually be exposed, even if it was 2000 years later when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and it confirmed that the Ethiopian Jewish Bible was the most accurate translation of Scriptures in another Semitic language. The book of Jubilees was right there and has always been there, including with Halachic laws that Rabbinical law blatantly contradicts, especially with regards to the Laws of the Shabbat.
This is also why the Tribe of Judah, took the role of the Rabbi, which like the Melek & Shar, were different delegated sub-leadership roles(except for the Chief Leader such as Rabbi-Cohen, Rabbi-Shaphat, Rabbi-Moreh etc), and literally elevated it over the Levitical priesthood, & then omitted the priesthood altogether, as King David and Solomon previously did, when they speak of the succession of leadership from Moses. This is why Rabbinical Judaism has been a Christian mimicking Hebrew religion for 2000 years, because like Christians they changed the Torah Laws, undermined the Torah Covenant, and used their traditions to supersede what the Torah has established.
That is why there are virtually no anointed Rabbis and no prophets exist amongst them because they have been outside of the Torah covenant and have quenched the Spirit and voice of Elah(even though they teach the Bath Kol), especially by replacing the prophetic authority with the Kabbalah which is made up mostly of Witch-craft which the Torah defines as an abomination. Like those who claim to be Christian prophets, but are nothing more than Soothsayers, we have plenty of historical documentation of false Jewish prophets & soothsayers arising over the past 2000 years, leading many Jews astray and even costing the lives of many Jews. Some of these Soothsayers even eventually sold out Judaism altogether and converted to other religions. The apostle Saul, a student of Gamaliel, is one of the first notorious Pharisees(pre-Rabbinics) to do such, resulting in Christianity.
With all of this kind of destructive Anti-Torah behavior, it’s a no-brainer to understand how LGBTQ became a protected and celebrated class of people in Ashkenazi Rabbinical Judaism, and are allowed to parade via the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, thereby reviving Sodom and Gomorrah all over again. You can now even see LGBTQ in Orthodox Synagogues. This is what happens when you void the Torah law and do as you see right in your own eyes.
Deut 12:8 “Do not do as we are doing here today – each one doing whatever is right in his own eyes.”
Thus, both Rabbinical/Ashkenazi (and even many Sephardi & Yemenite Jews) and Christians have been seeing specks in the eyes of each other, yet having huge pieces of wood in each of their own eyes, as both stand against Yahwah Elah, undermining the Original Way of Elah, to the glee & joy of Samma’el.
All of this, ironically, yet again, has resulted in an anointed Levitical Priest being appointed by Yahwah Elah and the Ruwah HaQodesh to stand up, expose them, and rebuke them in order to spiritually and culturally liberate the minds of the Jewish, & Christian gentile peoples who have been taught wrong by these two entities, rivaling for positions of power and influence they will never get nor was ever appointed to be or receive in the first place(Christians want to replace Jews, and Rabbinics are just replacing everything appointed in the Torah).
Exclusive & Non-Exclusive Leadership positions in Hebrew culture
Yet still, in all of this, including my rebuke & condemnation of the destructive and deceptive behaviors of the tribe of Judah & Rabbinical Judaism, in its false assertion of leadership and influence, I’d add that anyone from any of the tribes of Israel can be appointed as a governor(Melek, Pechah, Shar, Rabi) or even elected as a tribal representative to serve as one of the 70 elders or appointed to serve as a Shaphat or Rabi-Shaphat(Supreme Beth Din). However, no one, except those of the tribe of Lewi(Lahawi/Levy) can serve in the Priesthood(Senate as actual Law-givers) or as the Rabbi-Cohen(Priest-King) of Israel, and no leadership position is higher or greater than that of the Rabbi-Cohen(High Priest). The Testament of the 12 Patriarchs, the Book of Jubilees, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Prophets & the Enochic traditions make this explicitly clear.
While Yahwah Elah usually anoints Priests to be prophets, Yahwah can also anoint anyone, including gentiles to be prophets or prophetic ministers.
So for the Psalms scripture about Judah being a law-giver to be accurate, it would have to refer to being a scribe. To some, at face-value, it would appear to qualify as having been written by a posts-exilic writer(which is possible) who was alluding to Zerubabel Son of She’alti’el, who was appointed as the Chief & Governor of the “Tribe of Judah”, his own Tribe.
Haggai 2:2 “Speak, please, to Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl, governor of Yehuḏah, and to Yehoshua son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying……”
(In 1 Edras 3-4, The Tale of the 3 Guardsmen, it is mentioned that Zerubbabel was appointed Governor of Judah simply because he won a speech-writing contest, writing about the strength of women and truth).
The problem, however, is that the role of Zerubbabel & other governors previously mentioned was not that of a Chaqaq, their role was that of a Pechah, the actual word for governor. This type of leadership Is usually of small districts, a city, or even a captain or a deputy. It is not a head-of-state role, it is a sub-role, such as the Head of a particular tribe.
Thus there is no support for Chaqaq being referred to as a governor, so the writer clearly was assigning a scribal, notary, or Secretary of State role for those from the tribe of Judah. Using the term law-giver is a blatant “error” of the translator.
The prophet Isaiah says:
Isaiah 10:1 Isa 10:1 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed
Isa 10:2 to keep the needy back from right-ruling, and to take what is right from the poor of My people, that widows become their prey, and orphans their plunder.
Decree/Decrees is the Aramaic word Chaqaq. Prescribed is the Aramaic word Khathab. Both words mean “to inscribe”. The only difference between the two words is how its inscribed. Chaqaq inscribes words via hacking & hammering the words, such as onto stone, metal or wood. Khathab, on the other hand, inscribes words via actual writing with ink or dye.
The Aramaic word for “right-ruling” is diyin(i.e. Bet Din), a reference to Judicial Law, the Torah law that interprets, protects, and upholds justice and justness for the people.
This prophetic condemnation is about basically teaching others unrighteous doctrines or statutory laws which ultimately leads to injustices & oppression amongst the most vulnerable in the population. You know, like a Corporation having so much unchecked control that they can dictate to an employee what they can and can’t say or do, while not on the clock, and such employee can be fired for violating what the corporation dictates as being their values, thus asserting the original definition of employee which his servant & employer which is Master. Or a group of people ganging up on someone, over something they didn’t like that the other person said, resulting in such person’s life & career being destroyed, their intellectual property being stolen, and their finances being totally ruined. It even applies to when one ethnic group has privileges that other ethnic groups don’t have, such as black Americans constantly referring to themselves and others as niggers/niggas, but if a white person uses the word, even with no intent for racism, that white person is subject to the same destruction as previously mentioned herein. It also applies to one political group being able to censor, do witch hunts & try to destroy their political rivals, or even the State/government having laws that punish people, including denying certain jobs and contracts because certain people exercise their right to boycott and refuse to purchase from or support a particular foreign country, people or the businesses of that foreign country just because the government favors that particular country, yet the same rights exercised against other peoples and foreign countries don’t apply
And of course using Antisemitism or the race-hustle card as a political and social weapon to shut people down, threaten or intimidate people, just to avoid being criticized or rebuked for corrupt, immoral & destructive behaviors, under the “do not judge me syndrome” & being able to hide behind laws and policies that equate criticism with being anti-black, ant-Jewish, etc etc., and especially when Antisemitism is only used as a shield to protect Ashkenazi Jews because they are white, but being virtually unavailable to ethnic Jews of Color, such as Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, or even Arabs, all of whom are Semites/Shemites.
All of these are examples of what this scripture is alluding to. Not much has changed over the past 3000 years.
We also have no choice but to conclude that Judah has never been a Law-giver and the scriptures have never stated that Judah was a law-giver. Their role was never intended to be a Chief Head of State role, such as with the Levitical Priest and Rabbi Cohen, nor the leaders of the 12 tribes(Every tribal district had Chief priests, Judges, and their own tribal head & elders of that particular district. That tribal head would be akin to the mayor.)
Compare to the prophetic Oral Torah of 3rd Isaiah:
Isaiah 33:22 for יהוה is our Judge, יהוה is our Lawgiver, יהוה is our Sovereign, He saves us –”
Notice, he alludes to the 3 branches of Government & even the Rabbi-Cohen when he states the obvious about the role of Yahwah Elah as our Shaphat(Judge), Law-giver/properly inscriber(Chaqaq), & our King (Melek).
The Levitical High priest comes into the equation due to the fact that this office is appointed as the Chief Representative of Yahwah here on earth before the people. As such the Rabbi-Cohen holds authority, as one like Moses, over the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of government.
We also see that the Law-giver(Chaqaq) in this passage, in the original language alludes to one who gives a statutory inscription, as in Yahwah Elah giving us the Torah, inscribed/written with his finger.
Exodus 31:18 And when He had ended speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Mosheh two tablets of the Witness, tablets of stone, written with the finger of Elohim.
The consequences of changing, altering & undoing what Yahwah has established, Written & Oral
So we see that undermining of the original order and authority of what Yahwah established eventually led to the Hebrews splitting into two nations, engaging in civil war, and eventually being destroyed by Assyria & Babylon, thereby forever ending the man-made Kingship(thus showing exactly how Yahwah Elah was against that form of Democracy/Theocracy which went beyond the election of Elders & Representatives).
When a Rabbi-Cohen(Chief Levitical Priest), Cohen, Jewish Pastor, or Rabbi stands to teach the Torah of Elah to the masses and gives halachic understanding that is “Oral law” in the same category with Prophecy & prophetic teachings.
Anyone who understands “Jurisprudence” will understand where Talmudic & Prophetic Law/Oral law fits into the equation in the history of Israel. Laws, statutes, and Judgements are an explicit reference to and recognition of the existence of Oral Law. Anyone who knows the definition of Laws, Statutes, and Judgements would automatically know that, and all of these were established by Moses. When a Jewish Judge hears a case, he references previous “oral arguments” that have been documented as judicial precedence and jurisprudence.
Even in the US, which has a governmental system mostly patterned after the actual ancient Israelite governmental system, has several forms of laws. We have the US Constitution(The Covenant laws that are foundational to the existence of the Nation), a separate US CODES, which interprets the US Constitution(the equivalent to Talmudic law), Statutory Laws(US Congress. House of Reps & Senate), Judicial law(US Supreme Court & lower courts) & Presidential executive decrees.
This is nearly identical to the Israelite government.
It is absolutely impossible to use only written law to effectively make the Torah work from generation to generation. The fact that Yahwah Elah established and defined specific roles of leadership and instructed the people to do as they were instructed by Priests and Judges(foundational Heads of State), & the fact that he made clear that he would raise up prophets to speak his “words/voice”, all of which are oral, in order to ensure the people are not led astray, is a solid example and proof that Oral law has always existed.
Before the written Torah, which was given by Moses, Oral Law existed. Edenic law was established when the Malakim(Messengers of Elah) came down & taught Adam & Chawwah in the Garden, East of Eden. That is Oral law. Elah gave the first prophetic laws to Enoch, and then spoke to and guided Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob & Yoseph. What laws did they live by that defined their righteousness? Edenic & Prophetic Law, all oral laws.
Me, as a Levitical Priest, explaining all of this in context, falls under “Oral Law”. Teaching & explaining written Torah & giving a Halacha understanding is Oral Law. A Beth Din hearing about religious, cultural, criminal, or civil matters, results in a Shaphat(Hebrew Arbitrator/Judge) giving oral & written judgment decrees, & binding directives, according this his/her interpretation of the “Torah Law”, to all parties of the hearing, after fully taking into consideration of the Torah Constitutional laws(written), Statutes(written & oral), and previous Judgements-Jurisprudence of former Shophetim, is Oral Law. When Yahwah, via the Ruwah HaQodesh, guides you and gives you specific instructions for your life, or a prophet or prophetic minister( i.e a Pastoral Counselor, Business advisor, Maggid, Holistic Jewish Physician/Rophe, etc), gives collective or specific instructions for your life or to the people for them to adhere to, in order to improve their quality of life and to ensure they don’t end up engaging in social and spiritual behaviors that are destructive in nature, he’s giving Oral Law.
In fact, A standing Hebrew Prophet can condemn, and a Levitical High Priest or Chief Supreme Shaphat can strike down any previous “statutory laws & judgments”, whether written or oral if it is sufficiently deemed Un-Torah aka Un-Constitutional, or undermines the Torah Covenant. For example, declaring that the Laws of sacrifice in the Torah are unconstitutional & anti-Torah & is to be disregarded is a perfect example, as such statutory laws/customs do not uphold the Constitutional Torah Law, & contradict Edenic Covenant Law which states:
“Thou shall not murder any kind of living thing”(which is how the original text reads).
This is why the Prophet Isaiah and numerous other prophets openly condemned the practice/custom of sacrifices because it’s NOT the word of Yahwah Elah:
Isaiah 66:3 “But whoever slaughters the bull slays a man; whoever slaughters the lamb breaks a dog’s neck; whoever brings a grain offering – pig’s blood; whoever burns incense blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways, and their being delights in their abominations.
Isa 66:4 “I shall also choose their punishments, and bring their fears on them. Because I called, but no one answered. I spoke and they did not hear, and they did evil before My eyes, and chose what was displeasing to Me.”
Jeremiah 7:21, “ Thus said יהוה of hosts, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “Add your burnt offerings to your slaughterings and eat meat.
Jer 7:22 “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim, about matters of burnt offerings or slaughterings.
Jer 7:23 “But this word I did command them, saying, ‘Obey My voice,1 and I shall be your Elohim, and you be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, so that it be well with you.
Jer 7:24 “But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in the counsels, in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.
Jer 7:25 “From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Mitsrayim until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them.
Jer 7:26 “But they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did evil, more than their fathers.
Jer 7:27 “And you shall speak all these words to them, though they do not listen to you. And you shall also call to them, though they do not answer you.
So we see Prophetic Law challenging Statutory law which Yahwah did not command to be adhered to(it’s not constitutional/covenant), and it makes clear that Yahwah voice (Kol/oral) was disregarded resulting in evil being practiced that eventually led to catastrophic consequences, because the people did not walk(Halach) in the “commandments”(Tsavah, related to Mitzvah-Constitutional Covenant Law), nor did they listen when the prophetic leaders of Israel tried to speak to them(oral).
For those coming out of Christianity or who are messianic, I’d like to point out that Yeshua Ben Mariah, a Levitical Priest, also used these principles of understanding, as it relates to the ability to halachically amend, interpret or abolish statutory laws(Note that he never tried to abolish or change “Torah Constitutional Law-Mitzvah” & even made it clear that those who do such wouldn’t inherit the Kingdom of Yahwah).
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to do them.
Mat 5:18 “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.
Mat 5:19 “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.
Mat 5:20 “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,1 you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens.“
Take note that Yeshua is documented to clarify his intentions as it relates to halachic teachings for his sect and talmidim. He specifically mentions the Torah & the Prophets. This is related to 2 things.
1. The Halachic authority in Debarim that makes clear only Levitical Priests(Cohenim) and Shophetim(Judges) are Torah Constitutional positions of leadership. Levitical Priests/Priesthood are Legislative in nature, which is foundational, and Judges are judgemental/Interpretive. They are there to ensure Torah Covenant Law- aka Mitzvah, is upheld & adhered to. This then takes us into
2. Laws and Prophets, are the books established to uphold Legislative Laws & Prophetic Law. The Torah law is Constitutional, Covenant & Legislative and the Prophets are Prophecy and establish Prophetic Law, which once again are judgemental and interpretive in nature, but also communicates the Oral law via the Voice of Yahwah. Prophetic law frequently attacks statutory laws, created via tradition, that undermine or violates Torah Constitutional Law-Mitzvah
This is why he is very specific in his references and uses the term Mitzvah-Command, which he says not one jot or tittle would pass from the Torah. as in Torah Covenant, not Torah as we have come to understand referencing the first 5 Books, purported to all be from Moses, when clearly they are not, not to mention the fact that Jubilees is supposed to be apart of those 5, making it 6 Books. These books contain the Torah, as in the Torah Covenant, but are not all the Torah Covenant-Mitzvah given by Yahwah. Once again, that is why there is a difference between Law, Statutes, and Judgements.
Notice he also challenges & warns of the consequences to those who “teach” as in giving bad halacha that instructs people to not follow or to alter Torah Covenant Law-Mitzvah. Nothing in this passage has anything to do with Torah-Statutory Laws, because he, like all other Hebrews, Pharisees, Essenes, and to a lesser extent Saduccees, understood and knew that Statutory laws equated to being the “laws of men, tradition, & generational”, & were not universal, & could be amended as well as varied between Hebrew sects and communities. This is why he starts off clarifying what cannot be amended, challenged, or abolished, and once he finishes his clarification he goes into addressing certain ” Constitutional & statutory laws”, where he either challenges them, amends them or expounds upon them. As it relates to where he mentions Torah Constitutional law, he only expounds upon them(as in expands the definition & clarifies what constitutes violating such command), without affecting the integrity of that particular Constitutional Law:
For example: Just to name a few(You can use these examples to understand the rest of what he teaches in these passages, as to the difference between Torah Constitutional law and Torah Statutory law)
Constiutional expounding
Mattiyahw 5:21 “You heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ and whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.
Mat 5:22 “But I say to you that whoever is wroth with his brother without a cause shall be liable to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raka!’ shall be liable to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to fire of Gehenna.”
Matthew 5:27 “You heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
Mat 5:28 “But I say to you that everyone looking at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart(Note: this can only apply to a forbidden woman, such as an engaged or married woman)……”
Statutory law amending:
This here is a statutory law established to deal with the Torah Law on Adultery
Mat 5:31 “And it has been said, ‘Whoever puts away his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
Mat 5:32 “But I say to you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the matter of whoring,1 makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery.
Matthew 5:38 “You heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’
Mat 5:39 but I say to you, do not resist the wicked. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Mat 5:40 “And he who wishes to sue you and take away your inner garment, let him have your outer garment as well.
Mat 5:41 “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
Mat 5:42 “Give to him who asks of you, and from him who wishes to borrow from you, do not turn away.”
It should also be noted that most Rabbinical Jewish Leaders & Christian leaders are not aware of the fact that the majority of the New Testament does not speak against “Torah Constitutional Law”, and are in fact speaking against “Statutory laws”, in the same manner as the Prophets.
Yeshua himself actually uses both Torah Law & Prophetic Law to strike back at the Pharisees who basically were doing back then what the Christian Church actually does today:
Mat 15:1 Then there came to יהושע scribes and Pharisees from Yerushalayim, saying,
Mat 15:2 “Why do Your taught ones transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
Mat 15:3 But He answering, said to them, “Why do you also transgress the command of Elohim1 because of your tradition? .
Mat 15:4 “For Elohim has commanded, saying, ‘Respect your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’
Mat 15:5 “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me has been dedicated,”
Mat 15:6 is certainly released from respecting his father or mother.’ So you have nullified the command of Elohim by your tradition.
Mat 15:7 “Hypocrites! Yeshayahu rightly prophesied about you, saying,
Mat 15:8 ‘This people draw near to Me with their mouth, and respect Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
Mat 15:9 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as teachings the commands of men.’ ”
The book of Isaiah, which is part of the Prophetic Law movement, condemns placing statutory laws over Constitutional laws, and then deceiving the people into believing they are the laws of Yahwah, while such traditions actually drive people away from Yahwah:
Isaiah 29:8 And it shall be as when a hungry man dreams, and see, he eats; but he awakes, and his being is empty; or as when a thirsty man dreams, and see, he drinks; but he awakes, and see, he is faint, and his being is longing. Thus shall the crowd of all the gentiles be who fight against Mount Tsiyon.
Isa 29:9 Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
Isa 29:10 For יהוה has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets. And He has covered your heads, the seers.
Isa 29:11 And the entire vision is to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men give to one who knows books, saying, “Read this, please.” And he said, “I am unable, for it is sealed.”
Isa 29:12 And the book is given to one who does not know books, saying, “Read this, please.” And he said, “I have not known books.”
Isaiah 29:13 And יהוה says, “Because this people has drawn near with its mouth, and with its lips they have esteemed Me, and it has kept its heart far from Me, and their fear of Me has become a command of men that is taught“…
This text reminds me of the youtube and google scholars & the black Hebrews of today who are equally as dead in spirit and lost as the Rabbinics. Then you have the Christians who wrongly teach against the Torah Covenant, which trying to force it in schools ironically(with a pagan deity attached to the 10 commandments), yet they have invented Christmas, Halloween, Lint, Thanksgiving and all of these other Holidays while blatantly disregarding the Torah Feast Days.
Yet the core of the New Testament that teaches “not being under the law” and specifically references “Works of the Law”, are not speaking about Torah Covenant laws but an actual document that existed called the “Works of the Law” that was promoted by Qumranites as being equal to the Torah law, in the same vein and spirit as Pharisees who where trying to forge their “version” of Oral law as being equal to and superceding Torah laws(They used the Torah statutory law clause to achieve this).
You can literally read the “Works of the Law” as they are compiled in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Keep in mind Qumranites are only 1 branch of Essene like believers but they are not representative of other Essenes. That is clear due to the fact that the writers of the New Testament follow & teach Essene traditions.
This is also why one of the NT writers made sure to define what constitutes “sin” and he makes it clear sin is the breaking of the Torah Constitutional laws(not statutory laws):
1John 3:4 “Everyone doing sin breaks the Torah, and sin is Torahlessness”
The deception is how the Christian translators have chosen to use the wrong words to translate and communicate via English translations & an entire religion has been built upon this deceptive foundation that is objectively wrong in its communication and understanding both the Tenakh and NT writings. They do not properly distinguish between words. The Greek is also a problem as well. This on top of replacing the Israelite Eternal Creator with a whole new deity altogether(GOD is NOT Yahwah). That is why most don’t know the difference between Laws, Statutes, and judgements, nor do they even know who is the Eternal Creator, and who’s not(i.e. Jesus, God & Lord) which is why this epistle series I am writing is absolutely necessary and is inspired by Yahwah.
So as we see, some statutory laws, as previously explained via my teachings, can simply be amended or even expanded based on the generational needs of a particular time as what may be good for one generation may not be effective for another generation. The Book of Exodus, Numbers & Leviticus were amending statutory books in relation to the Book of Debarim(Duet) aka Mishneh HaTorah and Jubilees aka Mishneh Ha Moshe, which are foundational Constitutional books.
This is a basic summary and introduction to the study guide:
Torah Law, Pre-exilic Oral Law( Prophetic, Edenic, Executive Decree, HaLachic), and Post exilic Oral Law(Rabbinic, Talmudic, Qabbalah & HaLachic)
Let’s now go and review the specifics of Laws, Statutes, and Judgements in the 2nd part of this article:
Understanding the Oral Torah of Adonai YHWH vs The Post Exilic Oral Torah.
Essene(Enochic) Judaism vs Pharisaical Judaism. A Study Guide – Mizrahi Ethiopian Jewish International Rabbinical Council (edenicserver.myqnapcloud.com)
Shalom,
Dr. Rabbi Cohen Shalomim Y. HaLahawi