92 All things are lawful, but not all

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.

One of the key points that Torah-believers whom YHVH has recently called out of the churches of the world, have a hard time understanding is that not everything the Torah does not speak against is the will of YHVH. Those who are familiar with Orthodox Judaism know that one of the greatest mitzvoths (good deeds) of Torah is the preservation of life. We see from Mark 2: 23 – 26 that Yahshua agreed with this principle, as follows: ‘And it came about that He was passing through the grain-fields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. (24) And the Pharisees were saying to Him, “See here, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” (25) And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and became hungry, he and his companions: (26) how he entered the house of Elohim in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he gave it also to those who were with him?” Yahshua essentially agreed that the principle of preserving life is greater than the holiness of the Temple, in conformance with Orthodox Judaism.

For example Orthodox Judaism holds it to be lawful to violate one Shabbat if it means preserving other Shabatot: one of the applications of this is that one may break the Sabbath to save a life. We as Nazarene Israelites agree that doctors are not in violation of Torah if they work in the emergency room during the Sabbath. However, we need to understand that this principle is never, ever, stated explicitly in the Torah or even in the Oral Torah. It is simply something that we get from reading the general idea of the Torah. If we were to go strictly by only what is written, without any deeper study (if we only stick to the P’shat level), then we would have to come to the conclusion that a doctor should not work in the ER during Sabbath, and heaven forbid, you or your child had an emergency during the Sabbath. The point is that as the Chassidic Jews point out, the Torah is YHVH Himself manifested to us – just as we Nazarene Jews/Israelites believe that Yahshua is YHVH manifested to us. What is Torah? It is Keter (recall from the basic Kabbalah we discussed in a recent teaching) – the highest sefirah that represents the very essence of the light of (YHVH)’s moral and will, clothed in a physical way to make it understandable to us. As human beings we live in the world of actions (transliterated as ‘Asiyah’ in Hebrew) and cannot grasp the unlimited or infinite mind of YHVH. Therefore, we require something tangible – something we could grasp. That means that we will never reach out and grasp a deeper understanding of the mind of YHVH if we do not allow ourselves to go deeper in our Torah-studies than taking everything at face value. If we do, then in the same breath we will have to say to the parent with a dying child in his arms that he should wait until sunset to bring his child to hospital. Notice that I like all Jews never advocate that we should violate Torah, I as a Nazarene Jew would rather die than promote Torahlessness. Even so, we must understand Torah properly.

There is an ancient oral prophecy among the Jews stating that when Messiah comes, He will not only explain Torah to them, but will explain the very letters of the Torah and even the spaces between the letters to them. But what does that mean? It means that the Jewish people had always known that one of the key roles of Messiah would be to explain the very essence of the light of the Torah. It is for this reason that Yahshua said in Matthew 5: 20, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Yahshua was not concerned with the lack of Torah knowledge and its observance by these folk, but instead He was addressing their lack of mercy and the ethical aspects of the Torah, as may also be understood from Matthew 15: 1 - 9, as follows: ‘Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Yahshua from Jerusalem, saying, (2) “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” (3) And He answered and said to them, “And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of Elohim for the sake of your tradition? (4) For Elohim said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH.’ (5) But you say, ‘Whoever shall say to his father or mother, “Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to Elohim,” (6) he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And thus you invalidated the word of Elohim for the sake of your tradition. (7) ‘You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, (8) ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. (9) BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’” They had taken hold of Torah, but failed to practice the spiritual aspects of love and mercy in their Torah walk. What Yahshua meant is that with more knowledge comes more responsibility. If you know more about the light of YHVH, then you need to shine more, because you are accountable for what you know.

Once we have been around for a while and have obtained the knowledge that leads to salvation, we as Nazarenes are in a very special position – almost the same position Rav Shaul found himself in, when He wrote in Romans 9: 3 -5, saying: ‘For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Messiah for the sake of my brethren (meaning our Jewish Brothers), my kinsmen according to the flesh, (4) who are Israelites, to whom belong the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the (timing) temple services and the promises, (5) whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, Elohim blessed forever. Amein.” The Jews have the Oracles of YHVH and are Elohim’s Lawgiver at present – no argument. They have the milk – the elementary principles of the Oracles of Elohim (as per Hebrews 5: 12[1]), but we as Nazarene Israel have the meat or gospel, transliterated in Hebrew as ‘besorah’ which is related to the transliterated Hebrew word ‘Basar’ meaning meat (as may also be seen from Romans 11: 28 & 29[2]). What Yahshua meant was that with more knowledge comes more responsibility. We, who know more about the light of YHVH, are therefore more accountable. However, Yahshua also meant that we from the lost ten tribes need to keep Torah to a higher standard than the scribes and the Pharisees, since we are more prone to idolatry. As part of this understanding, is to know that Torah allowed for some situations to occur because Israel was stiff-necked. Not everything the Torah allows or prescribes reflects what YHVH really wants. Now, before one jumps into premature conclusions and say that this is heresy, allow me to explain: Does Torah describe sin offerings? Yes obviously. But does YHVH really require sin offerings? We find the answer in Jeremiah 7: 21 - 23, in this way: ‘Thus says YHVH of hosts the Elohim of Israel, “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat flesh. (22) For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. (23) But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your Elohim, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.”’ If we say that YHVH requires sin offerings, then we have to conclude that He wants sin, since there can only be a sin offering if there is sin. Were Israel ready to receive the fullness of (YHVH)’s will (‘Sefirat Keter’), there would be no need for atonement. Atonement exists simply because human beings are sinful. Atonement sacrifice is a concession made by the Torah. It is prescribed because of man’s fallen nature.

Another example is where the Torah clearly says, ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’. Different to the Christian interpretation of this verse, it really means that if one sins against his/her neighbor, then the compensation due must not exceed the value of the damage inflicted. In other words if I lend someone $100 (which is about R1,400 in South African money) and he does not pay, I cannot go to the Beth Din or Civil Court and claim $1,400 (more than ten times more than what he owes me). Another example is if someone does something bad to you, the Orthodox Rabbis teach (from their Torah knowledge and application) that you are not supposed to tell others about the damage this person has done to you, since it will damage his/her reputation, which could greatly exceed the damage done to you. Torah prescribes fairness in the compensation and retribution we meet out to someone who owes, or harmed us. We need to sometimes let go of our rights, since we owe YHVH much more than what we can ever gather together to pay Him. That is what you and I need to be mindful of before we take revenge or require retribution. We need to sometimes recall the sins that YHVH forgave us, before we seek revenge or payment for wrong done to us. So, we see that Torah sets a minimum standard, but the same Torah established a higher standard, which is love your neighbor as yourself, and as Yahshua taught in the Model prayer in Matthew 6: 12, saying: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Understanding Torah is not unimportant or simple – we need to remember our Jewish Brothers have studied for millennia and are even now waiting for Messiah to explain it at His coming. We already have Messiah’s words – Messiah is Torah. Therefore to go against Messiah’s halacha or the way He walked and taught Torah is to go against the very essence of Torah. So, let’s therefore consider what He had to say.

Yahshua the Messiah, the essence of Torah, the Keter made flesh said in Matthew 19: 8, “Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.” Observe that He said that from the beginning it was different. Torah had higher standards for mankind. But, YHVH had to temporarily settle for less, since mankind was covered with darkness and could barely grasp His infinite light. In the same way YHVH did not establish sin offerings for all eternity, because one day sin will end completely, and therefore the need for sin offerings will or has also come to an end. The higher standard that Yahshua was talking about, which is higher than the ‘get’ which Moses allowed because of the hardness of heart of the people. Divorce is something that should be avoided at all costs since it harms the lives of the children born out of the marriage relationship. It also often times results in poverty and maladjusted human beings who could do things not considered to be in accordance with the norm by normal families – such as teen pregnancies, drug abuse and the list goes on. It is for this reason that we read from the second part of Exodus 20: 5 & 6: “Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, (6) but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Yes, YHVH has put in place laws of cause and effect and if we break them, like the law of gravity, it will break us! So, if we start correcting what our fathers and grandfathers have done not knowing what has been revealed to us today, we are able to correct the mistakes of the past and secure a better future for our descendants – as children of kings and priests under Messiah during the Millennium and beyond, as we read from Isaiah 61: 6 – 9, as follows: ‘But you will be called the priests of YHVH; you will be spoken of as ministers of our Elohim, you will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. (7) Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs. (8) For I, YHVH, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; and I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. (9) Then their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them because they are the offspring whom YHVH has blessed.”

Both man and woman are able to destroy their relationship with their spouses, and they are able to destroy it beyond the point of no return, where they can barely stand to see each other face to face because of hatred. It was for that very reason the Torah came with the solution of a ‘get’. YHVH came up with a solution if and when mankind fails, but we need to always be aware of the fact that He hates divorce. We also need to be aware of (YHVH)’s teaching in Genesis 2: 24, saying: “For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” We need to understand from this that it only takes two people; a man and a woman to become one flesh! Also notice that this verse tells us a man (singular) should cleave to his wife (singular). The Torah clearly says a man and his wife becomes one flesh, not a man and his wives or a woman and her husbands, because that was not the original plan of YHVH. If Torah were pro-polygamy, as some claim, then it would have stated so clearly. Even though Jacob had four wives Torah is against polygamy, Torah teaches that we, human kind were created in the image of YHVH, in Genesis 1: 27, saying: ‘And Elohim created man in His own image, in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them.” The Jewish sages have always taught that marriage is a relationship which is similar to the one that exists between the masculine aspect of YHVH and the feminine aspect of Him, both of which appear here as the image from which man and woman were created. The image of YHVH is male and female, not male and females. YHVH has one feminine and one masculine side, not many. So, therefore polygamy is unsuccessful to present itself as a heavenly model. Jacob had a specific purpose to procreate the twelve tribe commonwealth nation of Israel. Yahshua, like Isaac will be sent by His Father to go and collect His one bride made up of all twelve tribes. Fact is, it is impossible for one man to become echad with another man or one man to become echad with two or more women. Even though Torah established what is right, it did not establish a punishment against polygamy or drug abuse, other than the fact these sins trigger or cause suffering to the third and the fourth generations. The fact that Torah does not specifically establishes punishment against polygamy and drug abuse, does not mean Torah allows such sins as some came to understand.

Why does Torah not punish polygamy? Because of the hardness of mankind’s heart. Mankind has been and is even today dying by the thousands in wars, because of the hardness of mankind’s hearts. Why does the Torah command that we care for widows and orphans and not also for widowers? Because normally woman and children are dependent on their husbands and fathers and if they were not cared for they would starve. YHVH originally established the order of things – women were supposed to be helpers for men, not men’s slaves. Because of wars and murders, there were usually fewer men than women on earth. Even though it is not (YHVH)’s will that there are wars on earth? YHVH did not create man to die in agony, but He created us to praise and serve Him. Even so, YHVH gave us free will, and some of us chose death over life. By so doing mankind brought darkness over the earth, and darkness grew and its fruit is adultery, polygamy, war, and death. However, since YHVH is busy calling us from the false religions of the world, He expects a higher standard from us. Because Yahshua is the very essence of Torah, and YHVH has promised that He would teach us the higher standard of Torah in Deuteronomy 18: 18 & 19, saying (to Moses): ‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. (19) And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.’ Therefore for us from the house of Israel, for whom Yahshua specifically came to reconcile us back to the father, it is a command or mitzvah to listen to the words of Messiah in Matthew 19: 4 & 5, as He said: “Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, (5) and said, ‘FOR THIS CAUSE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH?’ Again, Yahshua said THE TWO, not THE THREE or FOUR. YHVH created them male and female, not male and females. This is the universal order of Torah.

When we read from the first part of 1 Corinthians 6: 12, ‘All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable’, we need to remember the context of what Rav Shaul just mentioned in verses 9 -11, saying: ‘Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of Elohim? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, not effeminate, nor homosexuals, (10) nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of Elohim. (11) And such were some of you; but you were washed (immersed), but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of Yahshua Messiah, and in the Spirit of our Elohim.’ Continuing in verses 14 – 18: ‘Now Elohim has not only raised the Master, but will also raise us up through His power. (15) Do you not know that your bodies are members of Messiah? Shall I then take away the members of Messiah and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! (16) Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE FLESH.” (17) But the one who joins himself to the Master is one spirit with Him. (18) Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.’ Polygamy is like the sin of rebellion against the word of YHVH. It is for this reason that Rav Shaul wrote in 1st Timothy 3: 2, saying about those who teach Elohim’s people: ‘An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent (cautious), respectable, hospitable, able to teach.’ The first thing that comes to our attention is that polygamy is considered a blame. Not only is it considered a blame but also a blame serious enough to prevent one from becoming a teaching elder in Elohim’s congregation. Polygamy is a distraction from the Kingdom, it is also sinful. Whereas the divorce of those called at this time is behind them, and they have been washed from the shame, they should be very careful how they live from the day they were immersed forward.

So, when we read in the first part of 1st Corinthians 10: 23, ‘All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable’ (the same words we read in 1st Corinthians 6: 12), after reading in verse 11, ‘Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come’, we cannot eat and drink what we used to do before we were called. We need to remember that even though we ate meat and milk together before, we learnt that it was wrong, we must not do so any longer. We need to be ever mindful of what Rav Shaul wrote in verse 31: ‘Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of Elohim’ Now that we know, we cannot eat pork to the glory of Elohim, nor can we commit adultery to His glory. So you and I need to be very careful how we live, or we simply cannot inherit the kingdom of Elohim. People outside the congregation of YHVH has no say about the food that we eat or the Feast Days of Elohim that we keep, as explained in Colossians 2: 16 & 17, saying: ‘Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— (17) things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Messiah.’ What these people outside the congregation do not understand is that the Feast Days of Elohim is a picture of the salvation of all mankind, but also the coming kingdom of Elohim. However, let’s get back to the fact that man is made for one wife only. Some insist that we may marry more than one wife at a time, because YHVH is a polygamist, since He has two wives, namely the house of Judah and the house of Israel.

But we know that that is absurd, because Ephraim and Judah is really one nation and the marriage of the Lamb will definitely not occur before the re-unification of Ephraim and Judah. Even though it was (YHVH)’s doing to separate the two houses of Israel (as witnessed in 1st Kings 12: 24[3]), He specifically sent Yahshua to bring back the lost ten tribes, but specifically the Notsrim or preserved ones as we read from Isaiah 49: 5 & 6, in this way: ‘And now says YHVH, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of YHVH, and My Elohim is My strength), (6) He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”’ We read a further prophesy about the restoration of the two houses of Israel in Ezekiel 37: 19 – 23, as follows: “Say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”’ (20) And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. (21) And say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; (22) and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. (23) And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their Elohim.” Once the house of Judah and the house of Israel are united as the commonwealth of Israel again, it will become the Kingdom of Elohim on earth when Messiah returns to rule them from Jerusalem. This is when the nations of the world will begin to see how the united nation of Israel lives and how they benefit from obeying Elohim, and will start doing likewise.

It is obvious that the people of Israel is one and will in the near future be united as one nation once again. They will become the bride whom YHVH will once again marry when Messiah comes to rule the world from Jerusalem, after He came the first time to bring the lost sheep of the house of Israel back into the one fold or congregation, which Moses started in the wilderness. Once YHVH has called us out of the world we should slowly but surely become fully Torah observant. Whereas the eating of unclean foods result in all sorts of diseases, the eating of milk and meat result in cholesterol, and sins like fornication, adultery or polygamy and other sexual sins lead to diseases like Aids, but also broken homes, unhappy wives, child abuse, poverty and again the list goes on and on. It was for this reason that Rav Kepha wrote in 1st Peter 2: 11 & 12, after saying that we are now once again the people of Elohim in verse 10, ‘Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers (in the countries into which we have been scatted and now reside) to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. (12) Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify Elohim in the day of visitation (meaning Messiah’s coming again in judgment).’ Baruch HaShem YHVH!

[1] Hebrews 5: 12, ‘For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of Elohim, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.’

[2] Romans 11: 28 & 29: ‘From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of Elohim’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of Elohim are irrevocable.’

[3] 1Kings12: 24, ‘Thus says YHVH, “You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me”’