The Talmud or the Torah, which is to be listened to?

There are some things that need to be straightened out of those who claim that all Jews, their Talmud writings are all corrupted and bad. Many point out that Gentiles are spoken of in derogatory manner, but there are some rabbis who promote respect and kindness towards them. But you will not hear of these statements as some only quote the extremes, and only see what they want to, discounting what else is said.

God says He had his Word delivered. Religion says listen to those experts who interpret the word (much like the Roman Catholic church today). The Talmud is a secondary authority that some rabbis consider to be a primary source for studying and interpreting Jewish religious law and theology.

After the destruction of the Second Temple and the diaspora the teachings of the rabbis in the centuries following formed the core of what has come to be known as rabbinic Judaism, their intention was to keep the Jews as a cohesive people. But as with the Pharisees it divided them.

The Talmud is a compilation of Jewish tradition that began with the Pharisees. It has become a massive collection of Pharisaical teaching. The Mishna is a collection of rabbinic laws from the second temple period (time of the Pharisees) through and up to 200 AD, much is considered the oral law tradition of certain rabbis. Organized by all the various categories, topics. These become conversations, even debates, that took place over the centuries.

The Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh is the primary sacred text of Judaism, consisting of 24 books, separated in three sections. Beginning with the Torah, the teachings that were delivered to Moses, the Law. The Prophets (Nevi'im), and the Writings (Ketuvim)`.

Today many Jews have neglected the Holy Scriptures delivered to Moses and their prophets as primary, and follow the created religion based upon the tradition of the rabbinical commentaries, called rabbinic Judaism. Some in the Talmud have correct statements and interpretations, others are very incorrect, convoluted and have nothing to do with the Tanakh.

You May have heard the joke of wherever there are two rabbis there are three opinions. This is what they do, after the have a discourse and disagree, they refer to another rabbi. Where God’s Word settles every matter.

The Talmud carries a variety of opinions of rabbis who are often times at odds with each other. Showing that Judaism did not hold a consensus before Jesus. At the time of his birth, many in the nation were anticipating the Messiah, as we read in Luke 2:25 “ there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel.”

The religious Jews of today depend more on their commentators (found in the Talmud, Mishna etc.) than their Scripture, which God called His Word. They learn their many rabbis words, the commentators and they are being misled, just as they were in Jesus’ day.

When Jesus came, he was teaching to all the people he lived among, including the religious leaders. The elders of Israel had developed more laws for hundreds of years (called the tradition of the elders Mk. 7:3) that went further than Scripture, controlling every facet of Jewish life. They had 100 laws for every one of the 613 laws except for the Sabbath, which they had specially made a 1,000 laws for (as the Sabbath was considered the Queen). Whether their intentions were good or not, these laws they enacted led them away from Moses’ law, in the Scripture. The people were made guilty of not keeping the Pharisees traditions and were not learning on the laws of God, we see them doing the same today with the Talmud (Mt.15:2).

When Jesus taught the Word, some recognized the difference (Mt.7:29), others did not care. These were those who were the corrupted teachers and priesthood of Israel that wanted him gone, as he directly challenged them. Jesus’ main contention was with the Scribes and the Pharisees (including the Sadducees.) The Pharisees were Jews who had begun to have elite control over the temple and the people. Jesus accused them of preventing people from entering into the kingdom.

The Pharisees teaching versus Jesus

The religious Pharisees vs. Jesus – The Talmud and Mishna became its own set of commentaries for Judaism hundreds of years after Christ. More of the Rabbis teachings on Christ before Jesus came were more accurate on the Messiah as it was from Scripture. Afterwards they added in their rejection and various statements from rabbis that were not anything liken to Moses law, in fact they went against Moses law.

One of the main reasons the Pharisees rejected Jesus because didn’t understand their own Scriptures, It was an everyday confrontation with these rabbinical leaders. Jesus kept telling them they were wrong, that got them so upset. And since Jesus (Yeshua) did not attend their rabbinical school to learn all their new Pharasaic laws they would not accept him as being right.

“Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye ” (Mark 7:5-13).

Jesus spoke to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, in Matt 23:2-8

"The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat . Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.' "But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.” Making it clear to listen to him, not them. Jesus did not hold back on this particular religious group that were misleading the people. The Pharisees were united, they rejected Jesus as the Christ, and the Word of God. They despised His corrections and warnings, and have been plotting to overthrow him from the start. Asking him by what authority does he say and do thee things.Constantly influencing the other Jews who were not Pharasaic.

When the Jews listened to the Pharisees rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, they didn’t just reject him, they rejected God, for it was ALL WRITTEN OF HIM (Jn.5:39,5 :22-23, 8:42.) But not all of Israel rejected him, many did not listen to the Pharisees influence.

T he Judaism that Moses gave from God was written

The people were to be obedient to all that God has said. Exod.24:7: “Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.” Deut.30:1: “If you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law , and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Num.15:40: “and that you may remember and doall My commandments, and be holy for your God.”

Notice all the laws were read for them to be obedient. This was in reference to all 613 Commandments.

Neh.10:29 “these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes .”

We can see the law was a unit and they ALL were to be obeyed for it was ALL WRITTEN .In Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

The Oral law is not a good Biblical argument. God told Moses to write all of His words down and put them in a book because these words were the covenant between God and Israel. These words of God included the Ten Commandments and all of the other laws given in the Torah (the Torah are the books from Genesis-Deuteronomy). Not only were the Ten Commandments kept in the Ark, but all of the instruction concerning them, the other 603 laws that made up the Book of the Law (what is called the oral law). They were placed in the side of the Ark (Deut.31:26) The first installment of the ten were not kept separate from the rest. hey had access to all the law.

Since, the Ark could not to be touched or one would die (2 Samuel 6:7; 1 Chron.13:10). The Israelites had to make another copy of the laws outside the Ark to read since they were not allowed to access what was inside it. This is where the book of Deuteronomy the book of the law comes into practice later on.

Talmudic literature

Most of the Talmud was developed after the fall of the 2 ^nd Temple of Jerusalem when the majority of Jews left the land (from 70-130 AD).The Babylonian Talmudbegan to be compiled in Babylon and was completed in about 500 AD. The Talmud is Rabbinic literature, a collection of commentaries and discussions on how to practice Judaism. The Babylonian Talmud is about four times as large as that of Palestine. It contains 5894 folio pages, usually printed in twelve large volumes.

The Talmud is considered by some rabbis to be a primary source for studying and interpreting Jewish religious law and theology. God had his word, written. The Torah is to be understood to contain the foundational teachings of Judaism, providing authoritative guidance on their history, ethics, and morality. Commentaries on his word should not be treated as the Word itself.

Many of the Rabbis' teachings written about the Messiah in the Talmud before Jesus’ time were more accurate and Scriptural.

The Talmud is a compilation of Jewish tradition that began with the Pharisees. It is basically a massive collection of Pharisaical teaching.2 Peter 1:16“ For we did not follow cunningly devised fables. Certainly a reference to the Jewish legends that the Mishnahand the Talmud contain (Jewish fables also are mentioned in Titus 1:14.)

There are portions from various Rabbi’s in the Talmud and the Targum agree with earlier interpretations, that the Messiah will be the lamb. In the Talmud, there are Rabbis who say the Matza corresponds to the flesh of the Lamb, it is called the bread of life; Likewise, Jesus, was fulfilling the Feast day, unleavened, striped, and pierced as the lamb whose blood was shed.

The name ‘Shiloh’ was synonymous with the name of the Messiah (Talmud Sanh.98B) for it means ‘WHO IS IT.’ Signifying he that is sent,or ‘theseed.’(seed of the woman Gen.3)All ancient Jewish writers, including those in the Talmud, explain that the name Shiloh, pertains to the Messiah. Shiloh in Hebrew expresses the “who,” “to whom it is,” or “until he comes.

The more ancient rabbinical views mostly disagreed these modern rabbis that came after Jesus. Today’s Jews are rarely taught these ancient views, instead, they use the Talmud, Mishna, Gemara to learn the Torah from the more modern commentators.

As Jeremiah wrote of “The LORD our Righteousness”! This passage is applied in the Targum, Talmud, and the Midrash. The Targum of Jeremiah has this interpretation: “I will raise up for David the Messiah the just.” This is one of the passages from which the ancient rabbis said that one of the names of Messiah, his name (among other names given) would be, “The LORD our Righteousness”

Rabbi Kimchi (I160-1235 C.E.), a highly respected Rabbi in his time, wrote: 'By the Righteous branch is meant Messiah.”2 Talmud Babha Bathra 75b, Midrash on Psalm 21:1, Proverbs 19:21, Lamentations 1:16. All of these sources refer to Messiah being called “the LORD our Righteousness.”This passage is applied in the Targum, Talmud and Midrash.to the Messiah.

"they believed that Isaiah 11:1 is applied to the Messiah in the Targum of Isaiah, and in the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 93b andin the Yakult (vol.), p. 24). 2 Talmud Babha Bathra 75b, Midrash on Psalm 21:1, Proverbs 19:21, Lamentations 1:16. All of these sources refer to Messiah being called "Lord our Righteousness."

Meaning the Messiah was a literal manifestation of the Lord himself. Which Hebrew 1:3

Refer to “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power”

There are Jews today, called (ultra) orthodox that believe that the state of Israel should not exist in spite of the Scripture and prophecies). Some say only the Messiah will bring them back into the land, that He will build the Temple. Others, as strange as this may sound, they speak against Israel and side with the Palestinians; and Islam to compromise to have peace. These are those who are more interested in adhering to their rabbis opinions, who are taught their religion from the Talmud which is not the Judaism delivered by Moses and the prophets, which the Many Rabbis cannot agree among themselves on the interpretation.

Rabbinic Judaism that is taught in the many temples of our day do not represent what Moses and the prophets taught. The ultra-orthodox and many rabbis use the Talmud rather than the Tanach for their understanding of Scripture.

Of Jesus, it hardly says anything good about him (except for some of the older Rabbinal commentators interpreting the Scripture before he was revealed to Israel). What they have done is take the least accurate commentaries and make them the basis for their beliefs today. Though not all have not abandoned the Bible, they see it through the lens of these bad Rabbinical commentaries and still `cannot understand what God wrote or meant in Scripture even when they have access to the New Testament. Much of modern Judaism is then made into a religion of manmade laws, much like the religious teachers had done when Jesus arrived among his people. Little has changed since the Pharisees. Jesus' main contention with the Pharisees was their traditions, their added teachings to the Word that reinterpreted the Word. This is the state of much (but not all) of Judaism today. So the Jewish people still wait for the Messiah, not knowing that he spoke of two comings in Scripture, one being the suffering servant of Joseph first, the other as David, their king. In between these, he would save the Gentiles as the prophets like Isaiah wrote, to be a people for his own, (As Jesus said he has other sheep not of this fold).

A Collection of Pharisaical Teaching

At the center of Judaism today is the Talmud a collection from the Gemara and the Mishna. which is a rabbinic commentary on the Torah (Pentateuch). The rabbis cited in the Mishnah are known as the Tannaim, teachers. The Mishnah was apparently completed in about AD 200 by Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi (c. 135-219). Who is also called “Judah the Prince,” “Rabbi Judah,” “Judah the Patriarch,” and “Rabbi HaQadosh” (“holy teacher”.) Tradition tells us the foundations of this process of analysis were laid by Abba Arika (175-247), a disciple of Judah ha-Nasi , and this became to be known as the Jerusalem Talmud (or Talmud Yerushalmi).

The Mishnah is called “the second law” also called a misnomer “the oral law” and is said to date back to the giving of the written law on Mt. Sinai and to have been passed along orally from generation to generation. Thus the Mishnah is an addition to Scripture that is held in equal authority with Scripture by Orthodox Jews. But it is not the oral law we read of that was inscripturated as the 613 laws that were read to the people. For everything God commanded was written down.The Mishnah is filled with debate, argument, and disagreement. Nothing is concrete and settled. The rabbis argue about such things as whether meat and cheese can be on the same table and how much water validates a ritual bath.

Then there is the Gemara which consists of rabbinical comments, debates, and arguments about the Mishnah. The rabbis of the Gemara are known as Amoraim. What we have are a collection of arguments, opinions on nearly everything in Scripture. The Gemara is a commentary on a commentary.

Rabbinical Judaism, has at its center the Talmud, (Hebrew, “instruction” or “learning”) is a collection of commentaries by Jewish rabbis have become a higher authority than the Bible itself in orthodox Judaism. The “613 commandments” (mitzvot) of the Mosaic law or Torah, they have exalted their man-made traditions above God’s Word. By their rabbis words, and the commentators they are being misled. Instructed "My son, give heed to the words of the scribes rather than to the words of the law."

The reason for this is found in the tract SanhedrinX, 3, f.88b: " He who transgresses the words of the scribes’ sins more gravely than the transgressors of the words of the law."

Whosoever disobeys the rabbis deserves death and will be punished by being boiled in hot excrement in hell. ( Talmud Erubin 21b.)

For Solomon wrote in the book of wisdom Prov. 7:1-2

“ My son , keep my words,And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live,

And my law as the apple of your eye.”He further writesProv. 19:27 “Cease listening to instruction, my son ,And you will stray from the words of knowledge.”

These rabbis consider themselves prophets, and they challenged Gods word.

We read, “The Jewish religion as it is today traces its descent, without a break, through all the centuries, from the Pharisees. Their leading ideas and methods found expression in a literature of enormous extent, of which a very great deal is still in existence. The Talmud is the largest and most important single piece of that literature ... and the study of it is essential for any real understanding of Pharisaism” (“Pharisees,” Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, 1943).

Finklestein was called one of 120 most prominent rabbis in the world, wrote, “Pharasaism became Talmudism. ... the spirit of the ancient Pharisee survives unaltered. When the Jew ... studies the Talmud, he is actually repeating the arguments used in the Palestinian academies. From Palestine to Babylonia; from Babylonia to North Africa, Italy. Spain, France and Germany; from these to Poland. Russia and Eastern Europe generally, ancient Pharasaism has wandered” (Louis Finklestein, The Pharisees ; in 1937 ).

“With the destruction of the Temple (AD 70) the Sadducees disappeared altogether, leaving the regulation of all Jewish affairs in the hands of the Pharisees. Jewish life was regulated by the Pharisees laws; the whole history of Judaism was reconstructed from the Pharisaic point of view, and a new aspect was given to the Sanhedrin of the past. A new chain of tradition supplanted the older priestly tradition (Abot 1:1). Pharisaism shaped the character of Judaism and the life and thought of the Jew for all the future” (Jewish Encyclopedia, 1905).

Jesus spoke to the multitudes, and his disciples, pointing out, “ The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of me”

This and other statements like it made an adversarial relationship with the Religious leaders. Jesus did not hold back on this religious group that were misleading the people with their man made laws.. Jesus’ ongoing bold warnings to the Jewish leaders were rejected, it was recorded by them that he was crucified as an evil doer. However, many of the Jews did not believe what the Pharisees said of him.

The Pharisees rejected Jesus as the Christ, and those who study the Talmud despised His teachings of interpreting the Word, the warnings, and because of this, they have been in spiritual darkness.

Consider what John writes what Jesus said, in 12:39-43

“ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,

Lest they should see with their eyes,Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them."

These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him , lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

Some were not bold enough to take a stand since Jewish life revolved through the synagogue.

Consider the following condemnation that Jesus issued against the Pharisees:
“And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matthew 13:14-15).

Israel from the time of the exodus and after carefully and cautiously preserved the Scriptures by the hands of the Masorites. But when the Pharisee’s became in charge, the word of God was no longer priority their traditions were. It was hidden under the traditions that were made more important. So the word of God were not heard or understood, the people only heard the Pharisees interpretation.

WHY did Jesus’ disciples, who walked with him for several years, have trouble to believe that Jesus would go to Jerusalem, to die and rise the third day, which he told them numerous times?(Mt. 16:21-23; Lk. 9:44, 24:36-43) Because they were influence by the Pharisaic traditions that were taught throughout the land. The Rabbis preached their view of Messiah in the synagogues and in the Temple. The Messiah would come to destroy the Romans FREE Israel from their occupation and then set up a physical, literal kingdom right then. Is it any wonder the disciple’s had such a hard time understanding hearing what was different from Jesus.They had to be retrained to hear what the Word actually TAUGHT and MEANT!

Paul a former Pharisee who had NO INTENTION TO BE converted writes in `2 Cor. 3:14-18

“ But their minds were blinded . For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”

Two Parts of the Talmud

Second, there is the GEMARA (“completion”)which consists of rabbinical comments, debates, and arguments about the Mishnah. The rabbis of the Gemara are known as Amoraim.

There are two major editions of the Talmud.The Jerusalem Talmud, also called the Palestinian Talmud or the Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael (“Talmud of the Land of Israel”), was composed in synagogues in Galilee, Tiberias, and Caesarea between AD 200-400. The Babylonian Talmud began to be compiled in Babylon and completed in about AD 500. The Babylonian Talmud is the highest Talmudic authority, consisting of 6,200 pages of printed text contains the opinions of thousands of rabbis.

The Talmud is organized topically into six major divisions and subjects (called Sedarim): Zeraim (seeds, dealing with agriculture in the land of Israel and offerings of produce), Moed (festivals) Nashim (women, dealing with issues between the sexes and the laws of marriage and divorce), Nezikin (damages, dealing with civil and criminal law), Kodashim (sacrifices and offerings), Taharoth (cleanness, dealing with laws of purity).

“... included are topics on agriculture, architecture, astrology, astronomy, dream interpretation, ethics, fables, folklore, geography, history, legend, magic, mathematics, medicine, metaphysics, natural sciences, proverbs, theology, and theosophy” (“Talmud and Midrash,” Encyclopedia Britannia ).

The main method of interpretation in the Mishnah is called Midrash also refers to a body of commentary on Scripture separate from the Talmud which uses the midrashic method.) that encompasses multiple methods of interpretation: some have veracity, peshat (the plain or simple and literal meaning),peshet (finding the deeper meaning within the text. Drawing from allegorical, symbolic,metaphorical representations, even sometimes A mystical method of interpretation WHICH WHEN used can bring confusion to the literal meaning.

Some examplescon The Talmud teaches that Adam’s first day was divided into twelve hours, and that he sinned and was expelled from the garden that day.

“R. Johanan b. Hanina said: “ The day consisted of twelve hours. In the first hour, his [Adam’s] dust was gathered; in the second, it was kneaded into a shapeless mass. In the third, his limbs were shaped; in the fourth, a soul was infused into him; in the fifth, he arose and stood on his feet; in the sixth, he gave [the animals] their names; in the seventh, Eve became his mate; in the eighth, they ascended to bed as two and descended as four; in the ninth, he was commanded not to eat of the tree, in the tenth, he sinned; in the eleventh, he was tried, and in the twelfth he was expelled [from Eden] and departed, for it is written, Man abideth not in honour.”

Other such rediculous unbiblical statements are made by RABBI R. Eleazar What is meant by the Scriptural text, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh? This teaches that Adam had intercourse with every beast and animal but found no satisfaction until he cohabited with Eve ” ( Yebamoth 63a).

The Talmud exalts the rabbis wrong opinions over God’s Word given to the prophets,
even ignoring the contradictory statements by rival schools of interpretations of rabbis Hillel and Shammai.

In the Talmud it teaches that angels were best men at Adam’s marriage. “R. Abbahu said: The Holy One, blessed be He, took a cup of blessing and blessed them . R. Judah b. R. Simon said: Michael and Gabriel were Adam’s ‘best men’” (Bereishth Rabbah 18:13).

The Talmud on Jesus

the Talmud cursed Jesus and claimed that Jesus was sent to hell. Consider the following:

Todays Judaism source of Torah is the rabbis commentary from the Talmud. Which does not uphold Judaism of the Scriptures, but mostly undermines it. Is it any wonder why they cannot see he is their Messiah
“Mary was a whore: Jesus (Balaam) was an evil man” (Sanhedrin 106a, b).
“Jesus was a bastard born of adultery” (Yebamoth 49b).
“Jesus was a magician and a fool. Mary was an adulteress” (Shabbath 104b).
“Jesus was guilty of sorcery and apostasy” (Sanhedrin 43a).

The Talmud prevents the Jews today from discovering from their own people (the Jewish disciples / apostles) who wrote about who Jesus is and what he did. They are unaware The New Testament was recorded, written by Jews of the first century.

How their own brethren further persecuted those who believed him an followed. That there are many stories have been made up denying Jesus a law-keeping Jew.

Stories were also made up, especially by the Gnostics later; the Infancy Gospel of Thomas tells a story about Jesus as a child performing miracles. For example, he brings clay birds to life

described him as a sorcerer who did miracles

Talmudic Judaism is not the Judaism of Moses and the Prophets; with its many authors commentary. How one employs the interpretation of Scripture matters. Accurate interpretation of Scripture depends upon the literal and historical meaning.

Rabbis have used Talmudic teachings misleading the people today, just as the Pharisees did with their traditions. The rabbis concluded that Yeshua could not be from God because He did not keep the Sabbath: He healed on the Sabbath. Which he addressed directly to them.

However not all the rabbis agree. Isaiah 53 in the earliest Targums from the 1 ^st centuryJonathan ben Uzziel on his passage of Isaiah begins with these words: "Behold my servant

Messiah shall prosper…." The Targumsof Jonathan ben Uzziel were heavily quoted by the early

rabbis, and he was certainly considered an authority on the Jewish view of Scripture. That Jonathan ben Uzziel in Midrash Thanhumiwe find:

Rabbi Nahman says, the word "man" in the passage…refers to the Messiah, the

son of David, as it is written, "Behold the manwhose name is Zemah"; there

Jonathan interprets, Behold the man Messiah; as it is said, "a man of pains and known to sickness."

Even much later The Targums YalkutII:338:7 refers Isaiah 52:13 to the Messiah and says of this passage:" He shall be exalted and extolled—He shall be higher than Abraham, higher than Moses, higher than the ministering angels."

Deuteronomy 18:18-19"I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which he speaks in My name, I will require it of him."

Scripture says, many dogs have encompassed me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. My hands and my feet, Rabbi Nehemiah says they pierced my hands and my feet. The reading of 'pierced' was accepted by ancient Rabbis, not only that, but the Peshitta Rabbitai says directly Psalm 22 is talking about the Messiah suffering and dying. Again, Isaiah 52 and 53, from the Targum Yonathon, Behold my servant the Messiah shall prosper, He shall be exalted, and great and very powerful. It says directly, repeatedly, it's about the Messiah.

In the Fourteenth century rabbi Levi Gershon applied this verse as messianic based on Midrash Thanhuma which points to the Messiah as being greater than Moses. Although the Midrash does not state that this is the Messiah, Rabbi Gershon deduces from the Midrash that the Messiah will be "The Prophet.

The writings from the sixteenth century Rabbi Moshe el Sheikh, who declares in his work "Commentaries of the Earlier Prophets," regarding the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:

" Our rabbis with one voice accept and affirm the opinion that the prophet is speaking of the King Messiah, and we shall ourselves also adhere to the same view ("The Messianic Hope",by Arthur Kac, p. 75). We see some rabbis had it right.

Most of the comments in the Talmud, the Messiah was viewed as much more thanjust a man, much more than a prophet. The term "Messiah" (Mashiyach" in Hebrew) means anointed One." There were many 66 anointed" priests, kings and prophets in the history of Israel, there was only one Mashiyach-"the Messiah." The evidence from ancient Hebrew Scriptures that the Messiah would not only be a prophet and redeemer but , God in human flesh which became one of the main areas of contention( from Search for the Messiah, Mark Eastman).

The Jewish people have historically kept an adversarial view of Jesus because of what has taken place to them in the past, especially from Roman Catholicism which they saw as Christianity.

Romanism had a SEVE ERE REACTION TO THE Talmudic teaching of Jesus.

In 553 the Emperor Justinian forbade the spread of the Talmudic books throughout the Roman Empire. In the 13th century "Popes Gregory IX and Innocent IV condemned the books of the Talmud as containing every kind of vileness and blasphemy against Christian truth, and ordered them to be burned because they spread many horrible heresies." Yet they copied the Pharisaic ways of having their own traditions of men adding doctrines not formed in Scripture.

They were continued condemned by many other Roman Pontiffs , and by others who issued new editions of the Index of Forbidden Books according to the orders of the Fathers of the Council of Trent, and even in our own time. they even forbade the Bible to be read in other languages instead of Latin. So they were hypocrites who wanted control.

Today Jews views can be varied on Jesus. To some, He is thought to be a moral teacher, a rabbi; to others, a heretic; still others think he is a fabricated person in history. For centuries as the Talmud was formed , rabbis studied the messianic prophecies and came to conclusions that the early Christians did.Today, most rabbis insist he is not to be considered the Messiah, Moshiach (misunderstanding the two comings, some claim there is a Messiah for Gentiles and another for Jews, which the Bible does not teach). Jews do not consider Jesus to be the Son of God or God. For a Jew today to think of Jesus as their Messiah, God’s son, or God incarnate, is spiritual treason. They are opposed to this, just as they were when he was among his people nearly 2,000 years ago.

The Talmud became a main influence for much anti-Semitism in later centuries. The Catholic Church said that the Talmud contained blasphemous references to Jesus and his mother, Mary. The disputes led to some of the references being removed (with later editions of the Talmud

There is a Jewish tradition, on the word ‘Yeshu’, an acronym, used as a derogatory Hebrew term, meaning ‘may his name and memory be obliterated’, i.e., blotted out, which reflects the historic position of rabbinic Judaism, held by the Pharisees. For they wrote On the Eve of the Passover, they hanged Yeshu.

Maimonides A highly respected 13th century Rabbi, it was said of him, "there was never a greater man than Maimonides except Moses." He was given the nickname, Rambam.

Maimonides wrote a fourteen volume work called the ‘Mishne Torah.’ He made multiple references to the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth.That he aspired to be the Messiah, that he was referred to in the prophecies of Daniel as one of the son's of the lawless, and that Jesus of Nazareth led many astray. Jesus was a deceiver who fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy of the antichrist:

“But if he does not meet with full success, or is slain, it is obvious that he is not the Messiah promised in the Torah. ” (cited from Joel Kraemer, Maimonides).

Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies being born in Bethlehem, being announced by John as the Lamb of God, The fact that he was slain WILLINGLY as The LAMB on Passover Actually proved who he Was, and fulfilled Isaiah 53.Even the Pierced Messiah of Zech. 12.10 is specifically discussed in the Talmud“It is well according to him who explains that the cause is the slaying of Messiah the son of Joseph, since that well agrees with the Scriptural verse, And they shall look upon me because they have thrust him through, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son; … [ b. Sukkah 52a]

The rabbis in the Talmud were not all wrong, even those who rejected Jesus had understood some things right. Throughout Jewish history the Rabbis consensus was that God always revealed Himself to the prophets by the word.By calling Jesus the Word, it meant He embodied the full revelation of God to man, all that was spoken and written (the fullness of God in bodily form). In the Targumim we find the expression of Logos, Memra (Aramaic word) . In the Targum by Onkelos it occurs 179 times, in the Jerusalem Targum 99 times and the psuedo Jonathan 321 times. In the Targum on Deut. 26:17-18, it is written, “Ye have appointed THE WORD OF GOD a king over you this day, that he may be your God.”

That is powerful understanding of the Scripture.

Yet today, Talmudic Jews still do not respect Jesus as a Jew or a rabbi nor look further into this. Not knowing the Jews who were appointed by God as prophets and apostles wrote the New testament, just as they wrote the Old Testament.

Understand Saul who became the apostle Paul (c. AD 56) lived before the Talmud was written, as a Pharisee he was deeply educated in the same rabbinic interpretations and traditions that was later arranged in the Talmud. The grandson of Hillel, one of the founders of the Pharisees, educated by Gamaliel, Being a well known leader of the Pharisee of that day,

Paul took his Rabbinic training seriously Paul later explains Acts 23:6 “I am a Pharisee , the son of a Pharisee”Acts 26:5 “according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee “

Rejecting Jesus as the Christ and persecuting the churches with a great zeal, until on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians, Paul encountered the resurrected glorified Christ

Paul HAD TO LOSE everything by accepting Jesus as the Christ. He called himself the least of all the apostles, ashamed for what he had done. Now Considered, a traitor and heretic by the Jews Paul summarizes his sufferings for Christ:

Phil 3:5-9He later described himself as “ a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ”

He faced persecution from his own people “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Corinthians 11:24-27).

Let us pray that those today who are involved with the traditions of the elders, the Talmud and Mishna , see what has been hidden from their eyes and become like Saul who became Paul.

 

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