Romans 6-8: The “law of the Spirit” and Spiritual maturity (Part 2)

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The challenge with Paul’s Epistles, is that a comprehensive study requires tedious examination of specific concepts and terminology that can only be understood within the context of Paul’s writings as a whole. For this reason, when expounding on the epistles, I find that monumental effort is almost always spent to simply untangle the concepts from the rhetoric in order to offer a linear and coherent presentation. 

The Apostle Peter even writes that Paul is “hard to understand” and that as a result, his writings made him vulnerable to ridicule as many distorted the meaning of his words. In 2 Peter 3:16, Peter includes Paul’s epistles with mention of “scripture”, indicating that the Apostles had high regard for his letters. Jewish tradition had no contentions against believing that the scriptures could be read and interpreted more than one way, and that it was actually more fitting to believe that an infinitely complex God would inspire a Holy text with many layers of meaning. For this reason, the Scribes and Pharisees would reverently study the tiniest of details, down to even the significance of every letter in the Torah. Perhaps Paul deliberately intended for his writings to perplex the reader in order to force and inspire Christian believers to study with the same intensity. Speculation could be made, that Paul employed Rabinnic methods of layering, and encoding, in order to make his epistles worthy of inclusion into the sacred scriptures. 

If methods of encoding were indeed implemented, a “key” is therefore necessary in order to bypass the exhaustive trial and error process of reading over and over, comparing, referencing, etc. required in order to unlock the meaning that Paul intended. Even after much study, how are we to be certain that our conclusions are accurate? The truth is, little work and energy was spent in order to decipher Romans 6-8. It was relatively easy, and anyone with a rudimentary familiarity with Judaism would immediately recognize what Paul was trying to convey through his terms, “the law of the spirit” and the “law of sin”. Jewish tradition is replete with the study and mention of two forces that are believed to drive human behavior. The “Yetzer haTov” is the “righteous inclination”, the spiritual pull that leads us to strive to obey God. The “Yetzher haRa” is the opposing force, the “evil inclination” that leads us away from God and into sin. 

This connection was not lost on Dr. Roy Blizzard, author and president of Biblical Scholars Inc. an Austin-based corporation dedicated to Biblical research. Regarding Paul and this Jewish concept of the evil impulse/inclination, Blizzard writes:

“We see something of this idea of the evil impulse with Paul in one of his statements when he says, “The good that I would do, I do not do, and the bad things I do not want to do, I find myself doing”…Much of what we attribute to demons is simply the yetzer hara and, if we want victory…over those things that afflict and hinder…[we must bring them] into subjection to the yetzer hatov [the good inclination].” – Dr. Roy B. Blizzard, Mishnah and the Words of Jesus, pages 43-44.

Since Paul was writing to primarily Greek-speaking gentile communities, mention of the “Yetzer haRa” or “Yetzer haTov” would have only confused his audience. He therefore tailored his approach, and translated the concepts into Greek the best way he could. 

I submit that the “key”, the template to unlocking Paul’s epistles is Jewish tradition. When a comparison is made between Jewish tradition and the terms that appear to have been invented by Paul in the Greek, the results are astonishing. For every obscure term in Greek, a Hebrew match can be made:

  • The law of the spirit = Yetzer haTov
  • The law of sin = Yetzer haRa
  • The flesh = Nefesh
  • The Holy Spirit = Divine Neshamah

The “Two inclinations”

The Hebrew text of Genesis 2:7 contains an apparent misspelling. This is both intriguing and catastrophic since a true error in Holy scripture can only represent a monumental threat to the doctrine of its infallibility. Therefore, when textual variances appear, the approach employed by the sages has been to assume that all apparent inconsistencies are instead deliberate, allowed by God’s providence in order to communicate important insights. Record of discussion regarding Genesis 2:7 is preserved in the Jewish compilation of tradition, known as the Talmud:

Nahman b. R. Hisda expounded: What is meant by the text, Then the Lord God formed [va-yetzer] man? [The word va-yetzer] (Gen. 2:7) is written with two yods, to show that God created two inclinations, one good (tov) and the other evil (ra). – Talmud, Ber. 61a

The Hebrew word for “formed” (Yetzer) is usually spelled with one Yod. However, in this specific passage, the word is equipped with one extra Yod. According to the tradition as received by Rabbi Nahman, the two Yods signified the formation of two inclinations within man, one good (In Hebrew, “Yetzer Tov”) and the other evil (in Hebrew, “Yetzer Ra”). 

This obscure term “Yetzer” meaning “formation” appears again in Genesis 6:5. The way it is applied in the verse only substantiates its association with the spiritual predisposition of man:

“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination [Yetzer] of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” – Genesis 6:5

The word is used the same way in Genesis 8, to express the dismal condition of the human heart:

“The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination [Yetzer] of the human heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” – Genesis 8:21

According to tradition, man’s condition is actually more severe than what the scripture indicates on the surface level of the text: 

“He replied: “for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen 8:21) R. Yadan adds that the words “from his youth” mean: from the day of his birth.” – Jerusalem Talmud, Barakhot 3:5

Yet still, over time, the tradition evolved. As found in one of the “minor tractates” written after the compilation of the Talmud, the Yetzer Ra is said to begin to emerge within a baby while still in the mother’s womb:

“The yetzer hara is 13 years older than the yetzer hatov. While still in the mother’s womb, the yetzer hara begins to develop in a person. If he begins to violate the Sabbath, nothing stops him. If he commits murder, nothing stops him. If he goes off to another sin, nothing stops him.” – Avot d’Rabbi Natan 16:12

The somber declaration made by King David now makes sense in light of the Old Testament and ancient Jewish belief:

“Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” – Psalm 51:5

The narrative of the “Apocryphal” book of 2 Esdras (found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Catholic canon) claims authorship by Ezra. However, Scholarly consensus places its origin to around 70 to 218 AD. The text elucidates that the evil inclination (Yetzer Ra) originated at the moment of Adam’s transgression. The sin is said to have resulted in a permanent spiritual defect, a “wicked heart” that we all inherit when we are born:

And yet tookest thou not away from them a wicked heart, that thy law might bring forth fruit in them. For the first Adam bearing a wicked heart transgressed, and was overcome; and so be all they that are born of him. Thus infirmity was made permanent; and the law (also) in the heart of the people with the malignity of the root; so that the good departed away, and the evil abode still. So the times passed away, and the years were brought to an end: then didst thou raise thee up a servant, called David: Whom thou commandedst to build a city unto thy name, and to offer incense and oblations unto thee therein. When this was done many years, then they that inhabited the city forsook thee, And in all things did even as Adam and all his generations had done: for they also had a wicked heart. – (2Esdras 3:20-26)

Similar to the passage in 2 Esdras, the Talmud also intimates that a spiritual “pollution” was introduced after the fall. However, rather than assigning blame to Adam, the pollution is said to have been introduced to humanity through Eve:

“When… [the serpent deceived] Eve, he imposed pollution in her.” – Talmud, Shabbat 146a.

If you’re noticing that the steady presentation of Jewish sources seems to inch closer and closer to the Christian territory of “original sin”, you are correct. For this reason, the topic has historically served as a theological battleground for fierce debates between religious Jews and Christian missionaries. Despite the mounting evidence for a Jewish origin of the doctrine of original sin, Jewish opponents in “polemic” works were relentless against it. According to Daniel Lasker, in his book “Jewish Philosophical Polemics Against Christianity in the Middle Ages” the arguments found in the medieval polemic works against original sin should not be considered trustworthy, but instead, represent less than honest accounts of official Jewish doctrine:

“Polemical compositions were intended as polemics, a genre for which objective truth is one of the first casualties…if one wants to know a particular author’s view on a subject, a polemical treatise is the last place one would look to determine it. When this literature is analyzed without due recognition of “polemic license,” the research runs the risk of reading too much into the texts…” 

In light of this, ordained Rabbi, director of education for NCSY and instructor at Yeshiva University David Bashevkin writes:

“Given this warning, it is not surprising that the vehemence with which the doctrine of original sin was opposed within polemic literature may not actually reflect its patent rejection within Jewish sources. In fact, as pointed out by Lasker, the doctrine of original sin “was not entirely foreign to Judaism” as some polemics would otherwise suggest.” – Sin and failure in Jewish thought, page 23.

Interestingly, the more mystically inclined students of Lurianic Kabbalah demonstrated a more favorable disposition to the subject, and even expanded on themes that closely aligned with the Christian position:

“Certain Kabbalists taught a doctrine of original sin, in that Adam’s transgression gave evil an active existence in the world. The entire creation became flawed by this first sin.” – Lasker, Jewish Philosophical Polemics, 226n19.

A Jewish parable (known as a Midrash) presents Israel as petitioning God, tired and broken from repeated failure and defeat before the Yetzer Ra. God provides a brief answer to quell their turmoil. One day they will indeed enjoy a time of liberation:

Israel complained: “If a potter leaves a pebble in the clay, and the jar leaks, is the potter not responsible? You have left the Evil Inclination in us. Remove it, and we will do Your will!” God replied,”This I will do in the time to come. [in the Messianic era]” – [Exodus Rabbah 46.4] 

12th-century rabbi, Moses Ben Nachman, also known as “Ramban” writes:

“This following subject is very apparent from Scripture: Since the time of Creation, man has had the power to do as he pleased, to be righteous or wicked…But in the days of the Messiah, the choice of their [genuine] good will be natural; the heart will not desire the improper and it will have no craving whatever for it…Man will return at that time to what he was before the sin of Adam, when by his nature he did what should properly be done, and there were no conflicting desires in his will…” – Ramban, Deut 29.

Zechariah 12 is considered one of the most significant Messianic prophecies, paramount for building a biblical case for proving Christ. The prophecy of Zechariah 12 builds until it reaches its zenith, “And they shall look on me because they have thrust him through, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son.” Surprisingly, religious Jews also share the same interpretation of this event. The prophecy is an account of the Jewish people beholding the visage of the Messiah, risen back to life from death due to the lethal event of being “thrust” through:

“What was the reason for the mourning [to which reference is made in Zechariah’s statement]?…One said, “It is on account of the Messiah, the son of Joseph, who was killed.” – Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 52a.

This account continues:

“And the other said, ‘It is on account of the evil inclination, which was killed.’”

If this is so, Why should this event bring the Jewish people to weep? 

“In the time to come, the Holy one, blessed be he, will bring the evil inclination and slay it before the righteous and before the wicked. To the righteous the evil inclination will look like a high hill, and to the wicked it will appear like a hair-thin thread. These will weep [the righteous] and those will weep [the wicked]. The righteous will weep, saying ‘How could we ever have overcome a hill so high as this one!’ The wicked will weep, saying, ‘How could we not have overcome a hair-thin thread like this one!’ And so too the Holy One, blessed be he, will share their amazement, as it is said, ‘Thus says the Lord of Hosts. If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, it shall also be marvelous in my eyes.’ (Zechariah 8:6).” – ibid

Which is it? Is the prophecy an account of the people weeping because of the appearance of the resurrected Messiah, or are they weeping because of the death of the evil inclination slain before them? The two should not be considered separate or opposing. In fact, they are two ways of viewing the same event. The arrival of the Messiah also brings about the end of the evil inclination.

Found within the book of Isaiah, is an intriguing prophecy similar in its description to the account of the Messiah seizing the Yetzer Ra from within man, and presenting it before the nations, brutally beaten and weakened before them:

But you will be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble, who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?” – Isaiah 14:15-17

This lines up perfectly with New Testament prophecy in the book of Revelation. At the advent of the millennial reign of Christ, the devil (the spiritual origin of the evil inclination) will be seized and bound for a thousand years:

“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.” – Revelation 20:1-3

This study is nowhere near a comprehensive and complete presentation of the Jewish concepts of the Yetzer Ra, and the Yetzer Tov. I do believe, that enough material has been shown to justify, at the very least, directing some consideration to the association I’m wanting to make between Paul’s writings and Jewish tradition, and pursuing it further.

The “Nefesh”

All sensation felt and experienced through the body is regarded as occurring within the realm of the “Nefesh.” Although it can be considered generally correct to consider the Nefesh as a reference to the physical body, the use of the word in the Hebrew language and in Judaism hints of the need to look deeper. Found within Jewish legal discourses, is a principle known as “Pikuach Nefesh”, derived from this passage in the Torah:

“You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them: I am HaShem.” – Leviticus 18:5

Since the prime concern behind the Torah is life, the sages made the concession that when facing circumstances of mortal danger, it’s permissible to violate the Torah if absolutely required for survival. In addition, one may break the Torah for the sake of preserving the life of another. Through the inclusion of the word Nephesh in the phrase, “Pikuach Nefesh” meaning “to save a life” the term is elevated to encompass not just the body, but the vital life behind it. This is done out of deference to the established use of Nefesh in scripture.

According to the Torah, the life of the body is contained in the blood:

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”  – Leviticus 17:11

When referencing the original source text in Hebrew, the word translated into English as “life,” is Nefesh. 

“For the life [Nefesh] of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement…” – Leviticus 17:11

The English word “life” is quite general, but “Nefesh” in contrast, is complex and nuanced. For this reason, English translations have always struggled to capture the context and meaning behind the varying uses of the word, in order to yield a proper translation in English. The result has lead to another association with “Nefesh” that scripture never intended:

“For the life [Nefesh] of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls[Nefesh]: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” 

According to the Hebrew, the blood of a sacrificial animal is shed in order to atone for the Nefesh. However, in the English as it is translated, sacrifice was prescribed as a method of atoning for the soul. The modern use of the word “soul” carries with it a sense of the spiritual aspect of man; the metaphysical body that contains our consciousness after the expiration of the physical body. When we read the English, we are led to inherit a concept that scripture never intended: sacrifice was implemented as a method of spiritual regeneration. The book of Hebrews contests against this in no uncertain terms:

“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” – Hebrews 10:4

The author makes a strategic contrast between the limited benefit of sacrifice and the greater cleansing offered by Jesus as the High Priest of the spiritual priesthood of Melchizedek:

“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!” – Hebrews 10:13-14

In accordance with scripture, the author explains that the Temple procedures only restored purity to the physical body. To reiterate Leviticus 17:11, sacrifice atones for the Nefesh (the life of the body) and not the soul. Yet when Jesus offered himself, he became the way through which man is internally cleansed. While animal sacrifice atoned for the body, atonement for the soul can only occur through faith and repentance. This was firmly understood within Judaism:

“Neither the sin offering, nor the guilt offering, nor the Day of Atonement can bring expiation without repentance” (t. Yoma 5:9)

When the Levitical priest collected the blood of an animal and spilled it on the altar, this procedure was followed under the understanding that the substance involved was not just the blood, but the Nefesh. By spilling the blood on the altar, the priest was ultimately presenting the Nefesh of the animal before God. 

Before an animal is presented to the priests for slaughter, the Torah provides the following instruction:

“He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him.” – Leviticus 1:4

This act symbolized a transfer of identity from the guilty individual, to the animal. The animal on the level of the Nefesh, now represented the Nefesh of the sinner. When the priest slaughtered the animal and presented its blood, in God’s eyes the priest was presenting the Nefesh of the man guilty of sin. As the flesh of the animal burned on the altar, the smoke would rise to appear as if it were ascending to God. This was an illustration of the Nefesh of the sinner, receiving its “atonement” and ascending to God. 

The Hebrew word for sacrifice is “Korban”. The root of that word is “korav” which means “to come near”. The etymology of the word suggests that sacrifice is a method of “coming near/drawing near” to God. However, if the sacrificial system only treated the physical and not the spiritual, to what of God specifically did the Israelite draw near to? The Israelite did not seek closeness with God internally, the way that we do as Christians with the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Israelites instead would come near to God’s presence externally, dwelling within the Temple:

“To ‘draw near’ to God is to enter into communion with him; it implies entering his very presence. Inasmuch as his presence resided in the Tabernacle and Temple on earth, the worshipper was able to draw near and enter that presence through the offering of a korban – something brought near. Though the worshipper was able to draw near to God within the Temple on earth through means of sacrificial blood of animals, such blood never availed to bring him near to God in the eternal sense of life and death and the world to come…it did not avail him the same privilege in the True temple in heaven. The master brings us near to God in the heavenly Temple…” – “What about the Sacrifices?”, D. Thomas Lancaster, page 20. 

On the Old Testament feast day, known as “The day of atonement” the Torah commands the Israelites to go through a period of self-imposed “affliction”:

“It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.” – Leviticus 16:31 [KJV]

Again, the English translations fumble as they attempt, but fail, to translate the word Nefesh. Since all versions uniformly translate Nefesh as “soul” this yields the sense that the “affliction” is spiritual, like a period of depression or regret for sin. This has led some translations to take creative license by translating it as “humble yourselves” or “deny yourselves”. If the right understanding is applied, the meaning behind the statement is clear. Short of physical violence against one’s Nefesh (body), the best way to afflict the Nefesh is to fast. The phrase “INul Nefesh” translated as “afflicting the soul” appears a number of times in scripture, making it clear that the intended meaning is to fast for a period of time:

“I afflicted my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.” – Psalms 35:13

“…I wept, and afflicted my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.” – Psalms 69:11

“Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and you see not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and you take not notice?…” – Isaiah 58:3

In obedience to the commandment, the Jews would fast on this day. This is why the author of the book of Acts calls the Day of Atonement, the “day of the Jewish fast”:

“And we were there a long time, until even the day of the Jewish fast was past. And it was dangerous for a man to travel by sea, and Paul counseled them…” – Acts 27:9.

Similar to the way that Paul uses the term “flesh” in his epistles to imply carnality and base passions, the scriptures use the word Nefesh to communicate desire and appetite:

“And put a knife to your throat, if you be a man given to appetite [Nefesh].” – Proverbs 23:2-3

“For he satisfies the longing soul [Nefesh] and fills the hungry soul [Nefesh] with goodness.” – Psalms 107:9

“The full soul [Nefesh] loathes a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul [Nefesh] every bitter thing is sweet.” – Proverbs 27:7

“Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never satisfy their souls [Nefesh].” – Isaiah 56:11

There is nothing wrong with the body, and with satiating hunger, and seeking pleasure as long as these pursuits conform to God’s will and design. Our bodies require food for sustenance. By responding to hunger, our bodies are granted the energy to meet the various demands throughout the day for survival, protecting and providing for the family or doing the Lord’s work. However if eating is done in excess and without restraint, this leads to the sin of gluttony. Sex and procreation are allowed with God’s blessing under the institution of marriage, however, if practiced outside of the confines of marriage, in excess and without restraint, this is sexual immorality. 

It seems there is a force, driving the Nefesh to use the body as an expression for sin, and for working the body in ways God never intended. This spiritual force at work, pulling the strings and directing the Nefesh like a puppet, is known as the “Neshamah”.

The Neshamah

In the Genesis account of the creation of Adam, the Nefesh of Adam although formed, was not yet made alive and active until God implanted the “Neshamah” within it:

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath [Neshamah] of life, and the man became a living being [a living Nefesh].” – Genesis 2:7

The Neshamah in scripture is incredibly tantalizing. While Genesis 2 verse 7 identifies the Neshama as the vital spiritual component required for the Nefesh to become living, a true exposition of its nature is lacking. Absolutely no explanatory background is provided, with the exception of a few vague hints found within the Hebrew language. While the text indeed stands silent regarding descriptions that would please the modern ear inclined to a Greek paradigm of the soul, scripture does however, use the analogy of the breath as it’s chosen motif for expressing the elusive and invisible qualities involved. “Neshamah” is a cognate of the word “Nesheema” which literally means “breath.” The Neshamah, like the breath, is invisible. Furthermore, the Neshamah is also similar to the breath, since the body cannot remain alive without either. 

While the Neshamah is the spiritual agent providing the proverbial “breath” – representing the flow of life, the recipient in this exchange is the Nefesh. The word Nefesh comes from the root “Nafash” meaning to rest:

 “On the seventh day, [God] ceased work and rested (nafash).” (Exodus 31:17).

Therefore, the dynamic between the two as hinted in scripture and in the Hebrew language itself is one of giving and receiving. A picture is painted of spiritual life flowing from the Neshamah as it “blows” its breath of life into the Nefesh. When the breath is received, it comes to rest in the Nefesh as a container of that life force. The state of movement in between, as the breath leaves the Neshamah and before it enters to rest in the Nefesh, is represented by the Hebrew word “ruach” translated into English as “spirit”. 

The most prominent Rabbi of the 15th century, known as “the Holy Arizal” offers the following illustration of a glassblower to best explain the relationship between the Neshamah, Ruach and Nefesh:

“The process begins with the breath (Neshama) of the glassblower, blowing into a tube to form a vessel. This breath then travels through the tube as a wind (Ruach), until it reaches the vessel, forming it according to the desire of the glassblower, and there it comes to rest (Nefesh).” – Etz Chaim, Shaar TaNTA 5

Up until the fall, Adam operated at all times with unobstructed access to God’s Spirit mediated through the Neshamah. His every thought and action were therefore bolstered with the full measure of God’s glory and in complete harmony with the will of God. According to Nachmanides, leading medieval Jewish scholar from 1194-1270, Adam naturally conducted his actions according to God’s providence, just as celestial bodies can be observed to move in predetermined paths as dictated by God:

“He [Adam] did whatever was proper for him to do naturally, just as the heavens and all their hosts do – “faithful workers whose work is truth, and who do not change from their prescribed course.” – “Adam’s sin: it’s meaning and essence, in Temple portals:studies in Aggadah and Midrash in the Zohar, trans. Liat Keren (Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 2016), 56.

Much of Jewish tradition presents the pre-fall Adam as embodying such an intense level of spiritual illumination, he was barely confined to his physicality. Rabbi Mordekhai Yosef, founder of the Hasidic school of Izbica-Radzyn writes:

“…As the Zohar says, “The first man had nothing at all of this world,” and in the writings of the Holy Ari, before the sin, “he was barely anchored in this world.” After the sin, he became firmly placed in this world.” – Ora Wiskind-Elper, Wisdom of the heart: the teachings of Rabbi Ya’akov of Izbica-Radzyn (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2010), 185.

When Adam sinned, a spiritual death occurred. His Nefesh no longer received the breath of life from the Neshama. This represented a complete severance from spiritual life. The Nefesh of Adam was cut off from the Neshama.

According to scripture, the Nefesh requires the Neshama to remain living. If this is so, how was Adam able to remain alive after the fall?  

This is reconciled with the tradition that man possesses two souls, i.e. two Neshamas. The tradition is derived from Isaiah 57:16

“For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.” 

Rabbi Chaim Miller offers the following explanation:

“The first half of this verse refers to ‘the spirit’ in the singular, suggesting that we are speaking here of a single individual. The verse then concludes that God placed in that one person ‘souls (plural) which I have made.’” –  

It’s further taught that these two souls represent separate, and independent forces at work within the individual:

“These are two complete, independent souls in their own right, and not merely levels within a single soul.” – The Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman

As described in Genesis 2:7, the Neshama, the “breath of life” is breathed into Adam from God directly:

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath [Neshamah] of life, and the man became a living being [a living Nefesh].” – Genesis 2:7

According to Nachmanides (Ramban), the Neshama as emerging from God’s breath, his own lungs so to speak, is nothing less than a piece of God himself:

“This verse hints for us the virtue of the soul…It states that ‘[God] breathed into his nostrils the soul of life,’ to inform you that (the soul) is not derived from the elements…rather, it is the spirit of God.”- Ramban, commentary to Genesis 2:7

The Neshama that came directly from God, as a piece of the divine to reside within man is known in Jewish tradition as the “Divine soul”. The Divine Soul is the spiritual origin of the Yetzer Tov. God through the medium and influence of the Divine Soul works to curb the appetites of the Nefesh in order to bring it and each individual into subjection to his will.

The second Neshama which is believed to sustain the life of man in his rebellion against God, is known as the “animal soul”. The Animal Soul in opposition to the Divine Soul, fights to liberate the Nefesh from restraint in order to perpetuate man’s rebellion against God. 

The two wage war within man at all times, seeking to dominate the other and ascertain control of the physical body:

Just as two kings wage war over a town, which each wishes to capture and rule, that is to say, to dominate its inhabitants according to his will, so that they obey him in all that he decrees for them, so do the two souls— the Divine and the vitalising animal soul…wage war against each other over the body and all its limbs. – (Tanya Chapter 9)

The Essenes

Rabbinic Judaism did not hold ill feelings towards the inner “adversary” (the Yetzer Ra) but rather, they regarded the evil inclination as a necessary stumbling block placed in our path for the sake of training in righteousness. In stark contrast, the Essenes reserved a much more grim view of the human condition. They maintained that the evil inclination was a spiritual contamination introduced by the “spirit of falsehood” – a spirit that would manipulate its unwitting hosts, by assuming control of their Animal Neshamah. All those captured by this spirit would fall captive to the Angel of Darkness:

“The authority of the Angel of Darkness embraces the governance of all wicked people, so they walk in the paths of darkness.” – The Dead Sea Scrolls, page 130

Righteousness was believed to originate in the “habitation of light” while evil deeds emerge from the “Fountain of Darkness”:

“He created humankind to rule over the world, appointing for them two spirits in which to walk until the time ordained for his visitation. These are the spirits of truth and falsehood. Upright character and fate originate with the Habitation of light; perverse, with the fountain of darkness.” – Dead Se Scrolls, Michael wise, Martin Abegg, Edward Cook, page 129

The “Prince of Light” holds authority over all righteous:

“The authority of the Prince of Light extends to the governance of all righteous people; therefore, they walk in the paths of light.” – page 130

The Essene language: light, darkness, truth, falsehood can be identified in John’s epistles.

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.” – 1 John 5-7

Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person…Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. – 1 John 2:4,8-11

It’s also clear that John was in agreement with the Essene position, that those who continue to sin are under the control of the “Angel of Darkness”- or the Devil:

The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. – 1 John 3:8-10

The Essenes attributed the name of “Belial” to the angel of darkness:

“…The wicked acts of the children of Israel, all their guilty transgressions and sins committed during the dominion of Belial.” – page 127

This is why Paul writes:

“What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?” – 2 Corinthians 6:15

If the Apostles did adhere to the notion of an evil and righteous inclination, the writings of John serve to cement their sympathies with the Essene position. In the Essene fashion, John writes as if the stakes involved are a matter of life or peril. The war waging within was considered a reflection of a larger cosmic battle between the forces of light and darkness – God and the Devil, and how we behave determines our place and to which side we belong. The Apostle John was emphatic that we exercise vigilance in our behavior, to remain in the light.

More to come…

Torah

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On the day of June 28, 2017, the news reported a man in Arkansas arrested for destroying a monument of the 10 commandments with his car. Incriminating evidence found online unwittingly posted by the perpetrator himself helped the authorities identify him. A video was posted of the driver revving his engine, screaming “freedom!” before ramming his car right through the 10 commandments. Ironically, a Christian song can be heard playing in the background before all the noise of the crash. This was not an act of defiance by an Atheist or member of an opposing religion. The individual responsible was a Christian!

It is my intent that by the end of this post, the reader would know that only a gross misunderstanding of Old Testament law could motivate a Christian to commit such an act of aggression against it.

The Purpose of the Torah

While the Torah does indeed function according to the ways as described by Paul in his epistles; I would like to stress that his teachings on the Torah represent the deeper revelations of the Torah not explicitly found in the text. This is why Paul goes to such length to describe it. In contrast, Paul entirely avoids making such fervent discourse on the teachings that the Jews would have considered foundational and obvious.

The text of Exodus chapter 19 contains a curious focus on the number three:

In the third month… it came to pass on the third day… that Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God… – Ex. 19:1, 16-17

Jewish commentary elaborates:

A Galilean scholar lectured before Rabbi Chisda: “Blessed be the Merciful One who gave a three-fold Torah [consisting of the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings] to a three-fold people [consisting of Priests, Levites and Israelites] through a third-born [Moses, born after Aaron and Miriam] on the third day in the third month.” – Talmud, Shabbat 88a

Triads can be identified in Jewish traditional prayer, Jewish “Aggadah” or wisdom sayings, and as shown, in the text of the Torah itself. Judaism has no shortage of triads. In keeping with Ecclesiastes, it has been used to represent completion, stability, and strength:

A cord of three strands is not easily broken. – Eccl. 4:12

Considering the above, it seems that an exposition of at least three purposes of the Torah is sufficient for a solid understanding of the Torah:

  • The Torah is a record of a treaty made between God and Israel
  • The Torah is the constitution of the theocratic nation of Israel
  • The Torah makes Israel Holy for the Holy land

All three points serve to stress another triad:

The Nation of Israel – Torah – The Holy land

The Nation of Israel is inseparable from its constitution: the Torah. The Nation and the Torah, are in turn inseparable from the land.

The Torah is a record of a treaty made between God and Israel

When Israel entered into the Mosaic Covenant, God became their King:

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel…” – Isaiah 44:6

The terms of the Covenant were written by Moses in the “Book of the Covenant” and the 10 commandments were carved on two tablets of stone. The distinction would not only specially hallow the 10 commandments, but they served a different purpose. One that scholars have not been privy to, until now. The tablets were used to represent what has been discovered and defined as a “Suzerain Treaty.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 260 defines the treaty as:

“When a king (a Suzerain) made a treaty with a vassal country”

William Shakespeare uses the term “Leige Lord” to refer to the supreme authority of a king above other lesser kings owing fealty and allegiance as vassals.

In the ancient near east, treaties between kings were common. The Hittite empire extended into modern-day Syria and had developed the practice of entering into treaties to establish smaller vassal states. However archeological evidence of this was not found until 1906 and publication of this evidence wasn’t available until the 1930. It wasn’t until the 1950’s that scholars noticed a connection:

“What captured the Biblicists, starting in the 1950’s, was the similarity of the forms of these treaties to the form of various presentations of God’s covenant with Israel, including, predominately, the narrative of Exodus 19-20 culminating in the proclamation of the Ten Commandments.” – How to read the Bible, James L. Kugal

The Mosaic covenant joined the nation of Israel as a vassal state in submission to the authority of a greater kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven! The nation of Israel along with its territory was annexed into the Kingdom. A loose modern-day example can be found in the “Crown” of Britain. The same way the commonwealth nations were made subservient to the monarch, the nation of Israel was placed under the dominion and rulership of heaven:

The Crown
Monarch of England Commonwealth Nations
The Kingdom of Heaven

King of Heaven (YHVH)

“Suzerain King”

The Nation/Land of Israel

Lesser king and “vassal state”

Dr. Meshulam Margaliot, author of the book “What was written on the two tablets?” explains that tradition asserts two possibilities for the ten commandments:

“In the Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael (Tractate de-ba-Hodesh 5) we read: “How were the Ten Commandments given? Five on one tablet and five on the other. ‘I am the Lord’ written across from ‘You shall not murder’…This is according to R. Hanina b. Gamaliel, but the Sages say ten on one tablet and ten on the other. (Horowitz-Rabin ed., p. 232, and parallel versions listed there). The second opinion, that of the Sages, essentially means that the Ten Commandments were given in double form.”

The author sided with the second explanation offered: that the Ten Commandments were in “Double form”, two copies of ten. The Double form theory would make sense in light of Suzerain treaties. In a Suzerain Treaty, both parties would hold a copy of the agreement. God, however, swearing by his name had no need for a copy in order to remember, therefore Israel kept both copies and stored them in the Ark of the Covenant.

The Torah is the constitution for the theocratic nation of Israel

The Torah does not offer a definitive value regarding the total number of commandments. Similarly, the task of differentiating one command from another has proven difficult. It all depends on the conditions one chooses to define a law. The Rambam in his work, the “Sefer HaMitzvos” lists 14 conditions he used to determine a distinct “law” from a general Biblical injunction.

Tradition maintains that the Torah consists of 613 laws total. This is derived from the Hebrew word itself. The numerical value of the word Torah (when the value of each letter is added) amounts to 611. The Rabbi’s regarded 611 as accounting for every law with the exception of 2.

Commandments one and two of the Ten Commandments are written in the first-person tense:

“[Commandment 1] I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. [Commandment 2] Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

It should be noted that contrary to the Christian rendering, Judaism regards the statement “I am the Lord thy God…” as the first commandment. The logic is, one must first submit to God as King before any other law could be followed:

“God…[as] king… tells his subjects that before he gives them his laws and ordinances, they must first accept him as their ruler and believe in him. Belief in one God is a prerequisite for all the other mitzvot.” – The Mitzvot, The commandments and their rationale, Abraham Chill, page30

God spoke the first two commandments. Since God himself is speaking, he introduces the first commandment with “I am” and finishes the second commandment with “me.” When these two commandments are added to 611, the total is 613.

“The numerical value assigned to the letters of the word Torah is 611 not counting ‘I Am’ and ‘you shall have no other God’s’ since these came from the mouth of the Almighty.” Talmud, Makkot 24A.

Verse 19 of Exodus 20 states that the people pleaded for Moses to speak on behalf of God, or in their words: “lest we die.” According to tradition, God was only able to speak two commandments. Had the people permitted, he would have uttered the full ten. Remarkably, when the ten commandments are translated properly (different English versions provide incorrect variations) God does indeed only use the first-person tense twice.

“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the shofar, and the mountain smoking. And when the people saw, they trembled, and stood afar off.” – Exodus 20:18

The Hebrew word for “thunderings” is “qolot” which does mean loud sounds, but can also mean “voices”. This leads to the bizarre reading: “And all the people saw the voices…” A midrash explains:

“They saw what is ordinarily heard and they heard what is ordinarily seen.”- Midrash Lekach Tov, Rashi cited at Chabad.org. Yitro: Parsha in-depth, Chabad.org.

According to Exodus 12:38, a “mixed multitude” followed Israel out of Egypt. This means that in addition to Israelites, Egyptian converts and members of other nations would have been present at Mount Sinai. The belief is that everyone, even the non-Hebrew speaking members of the mixed multitude saw and understood the “voices”. A midrash states that God’s voice split into every language (the Midrash count is 70 languages) so that all the people could understand:

“R. Johanan said that G-d’s voice, as it was uttered, split up into seventy voices, in seventy languages, so that all the nations should understand.” – Exodus Rabbah 5:9

Another Midrash from the “Exodus Rabbah” summarizes the event, making it clear what was in fact was soo terrible that the multitude had to silence God before he could finish:

“When G-d gave the Torah on Sinai, He displayed untold marvels to Israel with His voice. What happened? G-d spoke and the Voice reverberated throughout the world. . . It says: And all the people perceived the thunderings (Ex. 20:15). Note that it does not say “the thunder” [qol], but “the thunderings.” [qolot]. Wherefore R. Johanan said that G-d’s voice, as it was uttered, split up into seventy voices, in seventy languages, so that all the nations should understand. When each nation heard the Voice in their own vernacular their souls departed, save Israel who heard but who were not hurt.” – Exodus Rabbah 5:9, Soncino Press Edition

The Ten Commandments and the Torah

Many Christians have posited that a distinction exists between the 10 commandments and the remaining 603 of the Torah. The truth is, they are one in the same.

The ten commandments can be regarded as an expansion of two principles: to love God, and to love our neighbor. The first 5 deal with how God wishes for Israel to express love to him:

  1. Worship God only
  2. No Idolatry
  3. Do not take the Lord’s name in vain
  4. Keep the Sabbath Holy
  5. You shall honor your Parents

The last 5 deal with how Israel/humanity should express love to one another:

  1. You shall not murder
  2. You shall not commit adultery
  3. You shall not steal
  4. You shall not bear false witness
  5. You shall not Covet

To indicate the even split dividing the first five commandments from the last five, a symmetrical relationship between the two categories (love God, love neighbor) can be found when commandment 1 is compared to commandment 6, commandment 2 with 7, and so on:

Worship God only You shall not murder
No Idolatry You shall not commit adultery
Do not take the Lord’s name in vain You shall not steal
Keep the Sabbath day Holy You shall not bear false witness
You shall honor your Parents You shall not covet

 

“…murder is an injury to God whose image man is, apostasy is equivalent to marital infidelity, stealing will lead to a false oath, the Sabbath violator attests falsely that God did not create the world in six days and rest on the seventh, and the person who covets his fellow person’s wife will end by fathering a child who rejects his true parent and honors another.” – https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-ten-commandments

Two principles: love God, love neighbor, lead to 10. In turn, the 603 remaining commandments ultimately represent a much greater expansion, delineating in greater detail how to love God and love our neighbor in specific ways.

The Constitution

We live in a government where Church and State are distinct. When religion is discussed, our society as a whole is entirely removed from the reality of the content being discussed. The consequences of a debate, if one is proven right or wrong, are not far-reaching. The significance is private to each individual.

The opposite was the case for the ancient Israelite. For the Israelite, religious law was no different from Civil law. The law of the land was the Torah. Religious discussion was tantamount to a court case. The religious experts were lawyers. The constitution was the Torah.

The ten commandments are similar to the 7 Articles of our constitution. The 603 are similar to the 27 amendments:

The American Constitution
7 Articles 27 Amendments
The Torah
10 Commandments 603 Mitzvot (laws)

America is inseparable from its Constitution. Remove the Constitution, and America loses all that it stands for. It loses its identity and the principles that justified its formation. The same is true of the nation of Israel. The Torah and the nation of Israel go hand in hand.

The Torah makes Israel Holy for the Holy land

The commandments (in Hebrew: Mitzvot) when codified, are referred to as the “Taryag” Mitzvot. “Taryag” itself, yields no real meaning. The word is simply used to designate that the system accounts for 613 commandments (the numerical value of the letters add up to 613).

The first known effort to establish a system of codification shows up no earlier than the “Gaonic period” (second half of the 8th Century). A period of uncertainty persisted until tradition had consolidated the Taryag Mitzvot into one main system:

  • the “Sefer HaMitzvos” a work completed by the “Rambam” (an acronym for Rabbi Moses ben Maimon) who lived between 1138 – 1204.

The Rambam utilized a set of 14 rules to arrive at his specific list of 613. In addition, he organized by way of two categories: positive commandments (“Thou shall…”) and negative commandments (“thou shalt not…”). Each commandment, once placed into a category, was sorted into one of ten groups.

Two more works were developed after Rambam, borrowing from the Mitzvot as outlined by the 14 rules:

  • The “Sefer HaChinuch” arranges each Mitzvot according to the order they appear the Torah.
  • The “Sefer HaMitzvos Hakatzar” organizes the Mitzvot into a shortened list excluding commandments that cannot be performed in exile, and without an active Temple.

The Taryag Mitzvot although inspired by tradition, is still a work founded by man. Without doubt, the 14 rules originate with the Rambam, and not with Moses. Discussion of any system imposed onto the text should be tempered by the way the Torah itself prefers to be organized.

The Torah makes mention of three main types of law:

  • Chukkim
  • Mishpatim
  • Edot

Chukkim: These are the laws relating to religious ritual/ceremony, such as sacrifice, Temple duties, and dietary restrictions. On the surface, they seem to lack clear sense, or purpose. They are known as “Shimiyot” or “irrational.” The Hebrew word “Chukkot/Chukkim” is connected to the notion of a divine decree. Implying that it should be done, if only for the sake of obeying God: “Do it because I say so.”

Mishpatim: Contrary to the Chukkim, Mishpat law is “Sichliyot” meaning rational. They relate to Civil law set in place to ensure order and harmony. The rules established, and the consequences meted, possess clear rationale and reflect principles that would benefit any secular society.

Edot: these laws represent a compromise between the two extremes of Chukkim (irrational) and Mishpatim (rational). Edot when performed, would appear to be Chukkim. However, they are made a category in their own right as a result of God assigning good reason for them. An example would be the wearing of blue “Tzitzit” tassels at the end of their garments. This would seem arbitrary without an explanation. The explanation provided is that the Tzitzit would remind Israel to obey the Torah.

The Chukkim

While scripture does on occasion intimate that God holds the nations responsible to maintain Justice (the purpose of the Mishpatim) there is no scriptural support to expect that God has, or ever will require the nations to observe the Chukkim.

The charge to obey the Chukkim is related to the great role and destiny that God has reserved exclusively for the nation of Israel. It seems God wished to make substantial in every way possible, for his plans to set Israel apart; to make Israel distinct, separate, and Holy.

While the nations have implemented the Mishpatim to varying degrees (some nations are more Just than others) only Israel performs the Chukkim.

Proof of this is evident in the Chukkim themselves:

  • Sacrifices can only be performed in the Temple, and the Temple resides in Jerusalem.
  • Only the Levitical Priests can officiate sacrifice and serve in the Temple.
  • The Feast Days require Sacrifice.
  • Many laws are connected to the agriculture of the land of Israel.

The Mosaic Covenant

Israel was elevated above all nations, and made “Holy” through the Mosaic Covenant:

You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. – Leviticus 20:26

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. – Deuteronomy 7:6

This is was for the purpose of initiating a process of sanctification for the Holy land:

But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart [sanctified you] from the nations. – Lev 20:24

While Israel is made Holy by the Mosaic Covenant, God places the responsibility of maintaining an ongoing process of sanctification/Holiness through obeying the Covenant terms required of them. Israel is therefore made Holy through the Covenant, and this sanctification is maintained through faithful obedience to its terms (the Chukkim and the Mishpatim).

For more information on the Chukkim/Mishpatim: The Ceremonial and Moral aspects of the Torah 

Semichah

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Our God is a God of order. Creation is a beautiful display of his order. This is evident when we observe the universe on any scale, from the subatomic to the Macro level. Since the Torah was authored by God directly, the Torah has within it, measures to secure order. The Torah ensures an orderly Nation by granting power to carry out the Torah in a judicial manner exclusively to the priests and judges. In addition, standards of interpretation, known as “Halakah” could not be enforced by just anyone, otherwise, disagreement would too easily cause dissension and disorder. Instead, Halakah would remain solely in the hands of the governing body in every generation. A procedure was implemented, originating from Moses himself to ensure an unbroken connection that would survive each generation, binding the power to handle the Torah exclusively to those who were qualified. This became known as “Semichah.” In Hebrew, this literally means “laying of the hands.”

Scriptural precedent for this is found in Numbers 27:23, when Moses “placed his hands upon… [Joshua] and commanded him, in accordance with what the Lord had spoken.”

The authority to set standards of interpretation and to handle the Torah judicially was first given to Moses. Moses in turn transferred this authority by Semichah (laying of hands) to his second in command, Joshua. Similarly, Moses appointed 70 Elders as judges to show “the way wherein they must walk” (Exodus 18:20) in other words, they began to establish Halakah, which means “to walk.”

Joshua and the 70 Elders gave Semicha to their disciples, and the tradition was practiced from teacher to student until the Talmudic era. Before Semichah was lost, every Sage that had received it, could regard their authority as traceable through the chain of transmission to Joshua and Moses.

The kings of Israel did also possess a form of religious authority. The throne held the designation: “Throne of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 29:23). The authority was termed “The key to the house of David” (Isaiah 22:21-22). According to tradition, King David had transferred Semichah to 30,000 at once (Talmud Jerusalem Sanhedrin 1:2).

Upon the return of the Jewish people from exile in Babylon, Ezra reconvened a council (Ezra 7:25; 10:14, 16) tradition calls this council “The Great Assembly” which consisted of 120 Elders.

Post Old Testament Era

During the time of the 1st Century, Judaism had broken into three main sects: The Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes.

The Sadducees rejected the notion that tradition had faithfully preserved the Halacha of previous generations; as a result, they denied the validity of any Semicha ordination.

This left the responsibility of maintaining Halachic authority via the transmission of Semichah to the Pharisees and Essenes.

The Pharisees

The Sanhedrin/Great Assembly was headed by the High Priest and consisted of Pharisee and Sadducee members. This Sanhedrin eventually became corrupt and turned into a political foothold to ensure Roman control.

In reaction, the Pharisees formed their own governing body. It had 70 members plus the “Nasi” (the President). Leadership would operate in pairs, or “zuggot” – referring to the Nasi and the “Av Beit Din” (Vice President). The greatest pair was Hillel (President) and Shammai (Vice President). They set many rulings which have been preserved and can be found in the Mishnah. Hillel and Shammai rarely agreed, and ultimately split the Pharisee sect into two sub-sects.

The Essenes

Halakah was determined by a “Mevakker” [Overseer] (Demascus Document xii, 7-9) in tandem with a council that adhered to certain specifications: 12 laymen, and three priests.

In the deliberative council of the community, there shall be twelve laymen and three priests schooled to perfection in all that has been revealed of the entire Law. Their duty shall be to set the standard for the practice of truth, … and how one can walk with all men with the quality of truth and in conduct appropriate to every occasion. (Man. of Disc. viii 1ff)

Semicha of John the Baptist

In today’s world, if one endeavors to change society for the better, it must be done from within. If a person wishes to implement bold and sweeping changes, the best way is to go through the proper channels. The alternative is to implement by way of Chaos, by breaking the law in the spirit of activism. Jesus was no vandal or criminal. He went through the proper channels.

Scriptural precedent had locked in place the tradition of Semicha as a safeguard to ensure the authority to teach would remain under the tight control of the qualified. This is why in Matthew 21 the Pharisees confronted Jesus asking: “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Matthew 21:23). The wrong answer would expose Jesus as a fraud. It would be similar to a random person of a Blue-Collar profession, walking into a hospital to impersonate a doctor. Imagine this man meeting with multiple patients and prescribing medication. Day after day, this occurs, until finally he is caught. Imagine the TV coverage and legal consequences.

The Pharisees did not take the mishandling of the Torah lightly:

“The sword comes upon the world because of the delaying of justice and the perverting of justice; and because of them that teach the Law not according to the Halakah.” – Mishnah Avot 5:8

The consequence of teaching against Halakah (the standard set by those with Semicha) is losing a “share in the world to come.” This means that an unqualified teacher would lose their salvation:

“If a man profanes the Hallowed things and despises the set feasts…and discloses meanings in the Law which are not according to the Halakah, even though a knowledge of the Law and good works are his, he has no share in the world to come.” – Mishnah Avot 3:12

Jesus responds with:

“I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.  John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” (Matthew 21:24,25)

Although it seems as if Jesus is evading the question, he was in fact providing a straight answer. Jesus’ Semicha came from John the Baptist. When Jesus came, John recognized his purpose was finished and humbly transferred Semicha: “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:13). This is why Jesus did not start to preach until after he was baptized by John. Before this occurred, John the Baptist was highly active and apparently unchallenged by the Pharisees. Evidently, he unquestionably held valid Semicha ordination. One can suppose that since he emerged “from the wilderness” his Semicha came from an Essene source.

The Pharisees were reluctant to admit John was “from heaven” because the Pharisees as a whole did not submit to John and his ministry. Yet, they knew John had favor among the people and did not want to upset crowds. The Pharisees chose not to answer. Their silence meant that Jesus’ authority was unchallenged, and he was free to continue teaching.