Yom Kippur started a few hours ago and I brought home Donin’s To Be a Jew to refresh my memory on the Jewish customs of the day. One of the paragraphs says this:
“The Oral Torah teaches us that in addition to prohibiting eating and drinking,’to afflict your souls’ also involves, though with less severe sanctions, prohibitions against washing and bathing, anointing one’s body…”
Contrast this with the words of Jesus:
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matt 6:16-18).
Here’s a paper topic for someone: Contradictions between the “Oral Torah” and Jesus’ Teaching. The whole idea of “Oral Torah” is worthy of a paper as well. My take, on one foot: it’s offensive for rabbis to take views contrary to Scripture; it’s doubly offensive to claim that they came from God.
Todd,
What is the best single resource on oral Torah. I’m preaching through Matthew and will soon be at chaps. 5-7. I would like to draw out some of these contradictions you mentioned. Any thoughts?
Paul – I don’t have a good answer for you. In short, the “Oral Torah” is contained in the Mishnah and Gemara, which together is called the Talmud. But that’s a big collection. And most of it dates to the time after Jesus. You’ll probably do best just by getting some scholarly commentaries on Matthew. A friend responded privately to me that he was going to pursue the idea I suggested of looking at the differences between rabbinical teachings and the NT. There’s no single book that I know of to get these answers.