Hashkafic Arguments

Written Torah Hashkafic Arguments

Hashkafah is best presented in the form of an argument. Each argument, in turn, consists of a number of premises that present the substance of the argument in a point-by-point manner. Each premise is justified by a reference to a Hashkafic principle. The structure of an argument follows this structure:

Hashkafic Argument

• Premise 1 [this point is justified by a Hashkafic principle]
• Premise 2 [this point is justified by a Hashkafic principle]
• etc.

Each principle will be represented by a designation, for example: [H1-A]. This refers to Hashkafic principle one, and sub-principle A. Should the reader disagree with a premise, the idea is that the premise can be further investigated by following the designation and evaluating the scriptures provided to justify the Hashkafic principle.

I will be presenting a number of arguments:

Argument 1: The New Covenant causes Israel to obey the Torah for the purpose of a final regathering of all Israel to the land.

Hashkafic Argument #1

The New Covenant causes Israel to obey the Torah for the purpose of a final regathering to the land.

• God owns the land of Israel, therefore God has the right to give the land of Israel to a people of his choosing [H1-A]
• God chose to give the land as an inheritance to Abraham and his descendants [H1-B]
• God imposed the requirement of the Torah to make Israel Holy [H1-C], so that they may reside on the Holy land [H1-H]
• Disobedience to the Torah while on the land results in exile from the land [H1-G]
• The New Covenant transforms Israel so that they would obey the Torah [H2][H3][H4][H5]
• Since the requirement for residence on the land is obedience to the Torah [H1-D], once Israel is transformed (and as a result obeying the Torah) God will grant them the reward of the land by gathering them from exile [H6]
• Two events are necessary for this regathering:
  • The arrival of the New Covenant [H2]
  • The arrival of the Messiah [H4-I]

[H1] The land of Israel

Five Books of Moses

• • [A] God is the ultimate proprietor of the land of Israel. (Leviticus 25:23)
  • [B] God chose Abraham and his descendants to inherit the land of Israel as their possession. (Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:14-17; Genesis 15:7-16; Genesis 17:8)
  • [C] The Torah makes Israel Holy for the land. (Exodus 22:3; Leviticus 11:41-45; Leviticus 19:2,37; Leviticus 20:25,26; Leviticus 20:8; Numbers 15:40; Deuteronomy 14:2)
  • [D] The Torah is composed of “Mishpat” (Civil law) and “Chukkot” (Ceremonial law). Both are required for residence on the land.(Deut 4:1; Deut 4:5; Deut 4:14; Deut 5:31; Deut 6:1)   
  • [E] Israel receives blessings as a result of obedience to the Torah while residing on the land. (Leviticus 25:18-22; Deuteronomy 4:1-14; Deut 11:1-7; Deut 26:18-19; Deut 28:1-13 )
  • [F]Curses result from willful defiance against the Torah while residing on the land. (Leviticus 26; Deut 27:14-26; Deut 28:15-68; Deut 29:19-25;)
  • [G] The ultimate consequence of persistent sin is exile. (Lev 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:26-27; Deuteronomy 28:63-64; Deut 30:18)

The Prophets

• [H] The land of Israel is Holy. (Zechariah 2:12)                                                                 

[H2] New Covenant

Five Books of Moses

• God will circumcise the hearts of Israel, causing Israel to obey. (Deuteronomy 30:6)

The Prophets

• God will establish a new Covenant. The law will be placed in their hearts and minds. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
• God will  give Israel a new heart and spirit. He will remove their heart of stone in exchange for a heart of flesh, so that they may walk in his statutes and rulings (Ezekiel 11:17-20)
• God will give Israel a new heart and spirit. He will remove their heart of stone in exchange for a heart of flesh so that they would follow his decrees and laws.(Ezekiel 36:26-27)
• A Covenant of peace that will be everlasting (Ezekiel 37:26)

[H3] Circumcision of the heart

Law on the heart

Heart of flesh/stone

Five Books of Moses

• God wishes that Israel would have a heart that would fear him, and desire to keep the commandments (Deuteronomy 5:29)
• God instructs Israel that all his commands should be in their hearts (Deuteronomy 6:6)
• God wishes that Israel would keep the commandments. God makes the following sentiment: “Circumcise the foreskin of your heart and be no longer stubborn.” (Deuteronomy 10:16)
• God reveals that he will do the work of circumcising the hearts of all Israel.The result is that Israel will obey the commandments. (Deuteronomy 30:6-10)
• God will circumcise their hearts so that they may live (Deuteronomy 30:6) – See [H4]

The Prophets

• Those who know righteousness (meaning that they do acts of righteousness) have the law in their heart. (Isaiah 51:7)
• To have a heart of stone is to refuse to hear the law (Zechariah 7:12) – See [H5]

The Writings

• To have the law within your heart is to delight to do God’s will (Psalms 40:8)
• To have Gods “word” in the heart means that one is careful not to sin  (Psalm 119:11)
• To write the commandments on the tablet of the heart means to guard them and obey them. (Proverbs 7:2-3)
• Binding commandments to the heart means to keep them and to never forsake them ( Proverbs 6:20,21)

[H4] Life/death – in the context of obeying the Torah

The Five Books of Moses

• God will circumcise their hearts so that they may live (Deuteronomy 30:6)
• Israel is given two options: life/blessing or death/curses. Choosing life is tantamount to loving and obeying God. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
• A man will live by keeping the statutes and judgements (Leviticus 18:5)

The Prophets

• “He follows My statutes and faithfully keeps My ordinances; he is righteous; surely he will LIVE.’ declares the Lord GOD.” – Ezekiel 18:9
• “They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances–though the man who does these things will LIVE by them–and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths.” – Ezekiel 20:13

[H5] What it means to “Hear”

The Five Books of Moses

• To hear the commandments is to do them (Deuteronomy 6:3)
• Loving the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and might should follow the act of “hearing”. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

[H6] Regathering of Israel

The Five Books of Moses

• God will circumcise the hearts of Israel, causing Israel to obey. This will trigger a national regathering. (Deuteronomy 30:1-10)

The Prophets

• The tribes will return from countries East and West relative to Israel (Zechariah 8:7-8)
• The tribes will return to Israel by journeying from lands in all four cardinal directions, and from the “ends of the earth” (Isaiah 43:5-6)
• The tribes will return from the “North country” and from “the remote parts of the earth” (Jeremiah 31:8)
• The regathering will be so large scale, that the first exodus from Egypt will soon be forgotten. (Jeremiah 16:14-15; Jeremiah 23:7-8)
• The New Covenant is connected to the regathering (Jeremiah 31; Ezekiel 11; Ezekiel 36; Ezekiel 37)