PHARISEES. WHO WERE THEY?
Yeshua said about the pharisees and the scribes:
Matt 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do;
but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Rabbi Shaul (apostle Paul) said:
Acts 23:6 ... I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee...
Who were they, pharisees?
What does name 'pharisee' mean? When do they appear?
''The origin of the name Pharisees is uncertain; one suggestion renders it
as "those separated," meaning separation from impurity and
defilement.''
(Douglas Ezell. Pharisees http://mb-soft.com/believe/txc/pharisee.htm)
Pharisees appeared in the days of the Maccabees during the 2nd century B.C., and they continued into the 2nd century A.D., (when they evolved to became the core of rabbinic Judaism). In the time of Herod there were more 6,000 Pharisees. (Flavius Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews. Book XVII, chapter 2.4 http://www.vehi.net/istoriya/israil/flavii/drevnosti/17.html).
What did Jewish historian Flavius Josephus write about them?
A famous Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote: ''Now, for the Pharisees,
they live meanly, and despise delicacies in diet; and they follow the conduct
of reason; and what that prescribes to them as good for them they do; and they
think they ought earnestly to strive to observe reason's dictates for practice.
They also pay a respect to such as are in years; nor are they so bold as to
contradict them in any thing which they have introduced; and when they
determine that all things are done by fate, they do not take away the freedom
from men of acting as they think fit; since their notion is, that it hath pleased
God to make a temperament, whereby what he wills is done, but so that the will
of man can act virtuously or viciously. They also believe that souls have an
immortal rigor in them, and that under the earth there will be rewards or
punishments, according as they have lived virtuously or viciously in this life;
and the latter are to be detained in an everlasting prison, but that the former
shall have power to revive and live again; on account of which doctrines they
are able greatly to persuade the body of the people; and whatsoever they do
about Divine worship, prayers, and sacrifices, they perform them according to
their direction; insomuch that the cities give great attestations to them on
account of their entire virtuous conduct, both in the actions of their lives
and their discourses also.'' (Flavius Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews. Book
XVIII, chapter 1.3 http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/josephus/ant-18.htm)
''But then as to the two other orders at first mentioned, the Pharisees are
those who are esteemed most skillful in the exact explication of their laws,
and introduce the first sect. These ascribe all to fate [or providence], and to
God, and yet allow, that to act what is right, or the contrary, is principally
in the power of men, although fate does co-operate in every action.'' (Flavius
Josephus. The Wars Of The Jews. Book II, chapter 8.14
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/josephus/war-2.htm)
What is "the leaven of the Pharisees"?
6 Then Yeshua
(Jesus) said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and
of the Sadducees. (Matt. 16:6)
What is this leaven? It isn't all teaching but it is
hypocrisy.
1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude
of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his
disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is
hypocrisy. (Luke 12:1)
1 Then spake Yeshua (Jesus) to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do
not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. (Matt. 23:1-3)
Was an implacable confrontation between Yeshua and Pharisees?
Yeshua unmasked Pharisees rightly because of their hypocrisy. Was there the constant confrontation between Yeshua and Pharisees? A.Men in the book "The Son of man'' wrotes: "We know Jesus more than once visited the houses of Pharisees ( (Luк 7:36; 11:37;14:1) and often talked with them about a faith (Mat 22:34-45; Мar 12:28-34; Лuk 11:37), it would impossible in case of an implacable confrontation. (A.Men. The Son of man. The enclosures. 3. The Gospel, the Law and Pharisees http://www.bible-center.ru/book/son/007/002)
When Shaul (apostle Paul) came to Jerusalem, brothers told him:
Acts 21:20 And when they heard [it], they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
To A. Men's opinion, ''seemingly, it was a question of the faithful Pharisees.''
About plucking of the ears
of corn on Shabbat
Matt 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Matt 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
In Talmud we can read: "... Bundles which can be taken up with one hand may be handled; with two hands, may not be handled. As for bundles of si'ah,13 hyssop and koranith:14 if they were brought in for fuel, one must not draw on them [for food] on the Sabbath; [if brought in] as animal fodder, he may draw on them on the Sabbath; and he may break [it] with his hand and eat [thereof], provided that he does not break it with a utensil. And he may crush it and eat, provided that he does not crush a large quantity with a utensil: the words of R. Judah." (Shabbat 128a http://www.come-and-hear.com/shabbath/shabbath_128.html#128a_14)
We see talmidim of Yeshua didn't break tradition. Wherein was their guilt? Very likely there was some group of Pharisees who did many human rules.
About Corban
Messiah Yeshua said to Pharisees and scribes:
"But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free]. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." (Mark 7:11-13)
E.P. Sanders in his book (Jewish Law from Jesus to the
Mishnah, 1990) first cites the following Mishnah text (Nedarim 3:2):
"If a man saw others eating his figs and said, 'May they be Korban to
you!' and they were found to be his father and brothers and others with them,
the School of Shammai say: For them the vow is not binding, but for the others
with them it is binding. And the School of Hillel say: the vow is binding for
neither of them."
He did a conclusion: "It is somewhat doubtful that Pharisees held that
qorban could function as a weapon in intra-family animosity, since in Nedarim
3:2 (Mishnah) both Houses (of Shammai and of Hillel) rule that the man's
declaration qorban over the figs does not apply to members of his family."
(page 57)
We need to understand: there were the different Pharisees' schools. Messiah Yeshua didn't say against all Pharisees, but He said against these of them who did unlawful.
The famous Pharisees who Brit Hadasha (the New Testament) tells us about
Shaul (apostle Paul)
Acts 23:6 ... I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee... - Shaul tells us about himself.
Gamaliel teached him:
Acts 22:3 I am verily a man [which am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
We can say about Shaul so: he was Pharisee-believer.
Gamaliel
Gamaliel was a famous Jewish sage of the 1-th century A.D., he was grandson
of Hillel. We can read in Talmud about him and his son: '... Hillel and Simeon
[his son], Gamaliel and Simeon wielded their Patriarchate during one hundred
years of the Temple's existence...' ((Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Shabbath 15a
http://www.come-and-hear.com/shabbath/shabbath_15.html)
As we wrote Shaul learned from him.
Gamaliel ''had in reputation among all the people''. He spoke in the protection of the disciples of Yeshua:
Acts 5:34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
Acts 5:35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
Acts 5:38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
Acts 5:39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
'WHEN RABBAN GAMALIEL THE ELDER DIED, THE GLORY OF THE TORAH CEASED, AND
PURITY AND ABNEGATION PERISHED.'
(Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sotah 49a http://www.come-and-hear.com/sotah/sotah_49.html
)
Nicodemus
Nicodemus was one of Jewish leaders. We know he came to Yeshua at night (Joh 3:1-21). Yeshua told him what is be born again.
Nicodemus spoke in the protection of Yeshua:
John 7:50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)
John 7:51 Doth our law judge [any] man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
Too we can read in Brit Hadasha that Nicodemus with Joseph of Arimathaea, a disciple of Yeshua, ''took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.'' (Joh 19:40)
Talmud about Pharisees
What does the Talmud say about Pharisees? Did they have hypocrisy? The Talmud also discusses hypocrisy of some Pharisees.
'King Jannai said to his wife', 'Fear not the Pharisees and the non-Pharisees but the hypocrites who ape the Pharisees; because their deeds are the deeds of Zimri but they expect a reward like Phineas'. (Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sotah 22b http://www.come-and-hear.com/sotah/sotah_22.html#22b_4)
'R. JOSHUA SAYS: ... A FOOLISH PIETIST, A CUNNING ROGUE, A FEMALE PHARISEE,
AND THE PLAGUE OF PHARISEES BRING DESTRUCTION UPON THE WORLD.'
(Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sotah 20a http://www.come-and-hear.com/sotah/sotah_20.html)
''An ancient baraita enumerates seven classes of Pharisees, of which five
consist of either eccentric fools or hypocrites:" (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=252&letter=P)
There were the God-loving Pharisees too.
"Our Rabbis have taught: There are seven types of Pharisees: the shikmi Pharisee, the nikpi Pharisee, the kizai Pharisee, the 'pestle' Pharisee, the Pharisee [who constantly exclaims] 'What is my duty that I may perform it?', the Pharisee from love [of God] and the Pharisee from fear. The shikmi Pharisee — he is one who performs the action of Shechem.4 (The J. Talmud (Ber. 14b) explains: who carries his religious duties upon his shoulder (shekem), i.e., ostentatiously. ) The nikpi Pharisee — he is one who knocks his feet together.5 (According to the J. Talmud: He says: Spare me a moment that I may perform a commandment.) The kizai Pharisee — R. Nahman b. Isaac said: He is one who makes his blood to flow against walls.6 (In his anxiety to avoid looking upon a woman he dashes his face against the wall. The J. Talmud explains: calculating Pharisee, i.e., he performs a good deed and then a bad deed, setting one off against the other.) The 'pestle' Pharisee — Rabbah b. Shila said: [His head] is bowed like [a pestle in] a mortar. The Pharisee [who constantly exclaims] 'What is my duty that I may perform it?' — but that is a virtue! — Nay, what he says is, 'What further duty is for me that I may perform it?'7 The Pharisee from love and the Pharisee from fear..." http://www.come-and-hear.com/sotah/sotah_22.html
'R. Hisda also said in the name of R. Jeremiah b. Abba: Four classes will
not appear before the presence of the Shechinah, - the class of scoffers,
the class of liars, the class of hypocrites, and the class of slanderers. 'The
class of scoffers' - as it is written, He withdrew His hand from the
scoffers. 'The class of liars' - as it is written, He that telleth lies,
shall not tarry in my sight. 'The class of hypocrites' - as it is
written, For an hypocrite shall not come before him. 'The class of slanderers
- as it is written, For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness:
neither shall evil dwell with thee,' [which means] Thou art righteous,
and hence there will not be evil in thy abode.' (Babylonian Talmud:
Tractate Sanhedrin, 103a http://www.come-and-hear.com/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_103.html)
Hillel and Shammai
Hillel was a famous Jewish sage; he was a chairman of the Sanhedrim. Hillel
was born in Babylon at the beginning of 1st century B.C. There he got a
primary education; afterwards he went to Israel to study the Torah. Eventually
he was elected a leader of the Sanhedrin.
'Hillel said: "Be a disciple of Aaron, love peace, pursue peace, love all
men too, and bring them nigh unto the Law." (Babylonian Talmud: Tract
Aboth
Chapter 1 http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/t05/abo05.htm)
'Hillel was in the habit of saying: "Do not isolate thyself from the
community and its interest. Do not rely upon thy spiritual strength until the
day of thy death. Pass not judgment upon thy neighbor until thou hast put
thyself in his place. Say not a thing which must not be heard, because
eventually it will be heard, Say never, 'Sometime or other, when I enjoy
leisure, I will attend to my spiritual advancement'; perhaps thou wilt then
never have the leisure." (Babylonian Talmud: Tract Aboth Chapter II http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/t05/abo06.htm)
'He also used to say: "If I do not look to myself, who will do so? But if
I look only to myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" (Babylonian
Talmud:
Tract Aboth Chapter 1 http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/t05/abo05.htm)
'It was related about Hillel the Elder that he bought for a certain poor
man who was of a good family a horse to ride upon and a slave to run before
him. On one occasion he could not find a slave to run before him, so he himself
ran before him for three miles.' ( Babylonian Talmud, Kethuboth 67b)
http://www.come-and-hear.com/kethuboth/kethuboth_67.html
'Shammai was in the habit of saying: "Fix a time for study; promise
little, and do much receive every one with friendly countenance."
(Babylonian Talmud: Tract Aboth Chapter 1 http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/t05/abo05.htm)
'... it happened that a certain heathen came before Shammai and said to him,
'Make me a proselyte, on condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I
stand on one foot.' Thereupon he repulsed him with the builder's cubit which
was in his hand. When he went before Hillel, he said to him, 'What is
hateful to you, do not to your neighbour: that is the whole Torah, while the
rest is the commentary thereof; go and learn it.' (Babylonian Talmud:
Tractate Shabbath 31a http://www.come-and-hear.com/shabbath/shabbath_31.html)
'The bride as she is. And Beth Hillel say: 'Beautiful and graceful bride'! Beth
Shammai said to Beth Hillel: If she was lame or blind, does one say of
her: 'Beautiful and graceful bride'? Whereas the Torah said, 'Keep thee far
from a false matter.' Said Beth Hillel to Beth Shammai: According to your
words, if one has made a bad purchase in the market, should one praise it
in his eyes or depreciate it? Surely, one should praise it in his
eyes.'
(Babylonian Talmud, Kethuboth 17a http://www.come-and-hear.com/kethuboth/kethuboth_17.html)
Johanan b. Zakkai
Rabbi Johanan b. Zakkai was the youngest pupil of Hillel, he established a religious center - a school in Yavne.
''Yochanan ben Zakai ... was one of the tannaim..., an important Jewish sage in the era of the Second Temple, and a primary contributor to the core text of rabbinic Judaism, the Mishnah.
During the siege of Jerusalem in the Great Jewish Revolt he sneaked out of the city in a coffin to negotiate with Vespasian, whom he predicted would become Emperor. He was granted three wishes and through one he re-established the Sanhedrin and founded a new center of Jewish law in Jamnia (Yavneh/Jabneh) after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
After the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem and its sacrifical alters he led the Council of Yavne (A.D. 70 - 90), from which Rabbinic Judaism emerged. Under his leadership the council replaced animal sacrifice (in hebrew called ... korban) with prayer, a practice that continues in today's worship services." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yohanan_ben_Zakkai)
''According to the theory formulated in the Mishnah (Ab. ii. 8), that traditions were handed down through an unbroken chain of scholars, Johanan, in receiving the teachings of Hillel and Shammai, formed the last link in that chain. But it is rather as a pupil of Hillel than of Shammai that he is known (Suk. 28a). Before his death Hillel is said to have prophetically designated Johanan, his youngest pupil, as "the father of wisdom" and "the father of coming generations" (Yer. Ned. v., end, 39b).'' (http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=362&letter=J)
''Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai received it from Hillel and Shammai. He was wont to say: "If thou hast learned much, do not boast of it, for it is for that that thou wast created." (Babylonian Talmud: Tract Aboth Chapter II http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/t05/abo06.htm)
"It was related of R. Johanan b. Zakkai that no man ever gave him
greeting first, even a heathen in the street." Babylonian Talmud: Tractate
Berakoth
17а http://www.come-and-hear.com/berakoth/berakoth_17.html)
''As it has been taught: R. Johanan b. Zakkai said to them: Just as the sin-offering makes atonement for Israel, so charity makes atonement for the heathen'' Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Baba Bathra 10b http://www.come-and-hear.com/bababathra/bababathra_10.html)
The Conclusions
From the quotes presented we can draw these conclusions:
1. There were both sincere God-loving Pharisees and hypocrites. Both the Bible and the Talmud mention the existence of hypocrisy.
2. Yeshua condemned the hypocrisy that the Pharisees had, but He didn't blame all Pharisees.
3. Apostle Paul was Pharisee-believer.
4.The famous Pharisees that the Brit Hadasha (the New Testament) tells us about (Gamaliel, Nicodemus, etc.) did the golden deeds worthy of believers in G-d.
Jews, Christians and the Word of God
The utterances of Yeshua and apostles and the Jewish tradition
|
The utterances of Yeshua |
The Jewish tradition |
|
James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Matt 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Matt 15:7 [Ye] hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy
of you, saying, Matt 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Rom 2:19 And art confident that thou thyself art a
guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, Matt 7:1
Judge not, that ye be not judged. Col 4:6 Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. 1Tim 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 1Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God,
and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Jam 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 2Tim 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all [men], apt to teach, patient, Luk 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good
Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? |
'Hillel said: "Be a disciple of Aaron, love peace, pursue peace, love all men too, and bring them nigh unto the Law." (Talmud) 'Fear not the Pharisees and the non-Pharisees but the hypocrites who ape the Pharisees; because their deeds are the deeds of Zimri but they expect a reward like Phineas'. (Talmud) 'R. JOSHUA SAYS: ... A FOOLISH PIETIST, A CUNNING ROGUE, A FEMALE PHARISEE, AND THE PLAGUE OF PHARISEES BRING DESTRUCTION UPON THE WORLD.' (Talmud) 'What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbour: that is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof; go and learn it.' (Talmud) "Do not isolate thyself from the community and its interest. Do not rely upon thy spiritual strength until the day of thy death. Pass not judgment upon thy neighbor until thou hast put thyself in his place. Say not a thing which must not be heard, because eventually it will be heard..." ''Say never, 'Sometime or other, when I enjoy leisure, I will attend to my spiritual advancement'; perhaps thou wilt then never have the leisure." (Talmud) "If I do not look to myself, who will do so? But if I look only to myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" (Talmud) 'Shammai was in the habit of saying: "Fix a time for study; promise little, and do much receive every one with friendly countenance." (Talmud) "If thou hast learned much, do not boast of it, for it is for that that thou wast created." (Talmud) |