Teaching on Retaliation

You heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I say to you, do not resist the wicked. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  And he who wishes to sue you and take away your inner garment, let him have your outer garment as well.   And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks of you, and from him who wishes to borrow from you, do not turn away (Mattityahu 5:38-41)

It is passages like this one that compels some Christians to think that Messiah is "doing away with the law."  They say that the "God of the Old Testament" was harsh and unbending.  But the new attitude of grace, mercy and forgiveness that "Jesus" brings signals a change in the law - yes, even the abrogation of the Old Testament law.

But Yahusha is not abrogating the Law of Mosheh in this teaching.  He is citing a well-known instruction of the Torah:

If a man inflicts an injury on his fellow citizen, just as he has done thus it shall be done to him-- fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth--just as he inflicts an injury on a person thus that same injury will be inflicted on him (Vayiqra 24:19,20).

The instruction is given at full length in Shemot:

And if men fight and hit a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no serious injury, he will surely be punished in accordance with what the woman's husband will put on him, and he will pay what the court decides.  But if there is serious injury, then you will give a life for a life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.  And if a man strikes the eye of his servant, or the eye of his female servant, so that he destroys it, he will let him go free for the sake of his eye.  And if he knocks out the tooth of his servant, or the tooth of his female servant, he will let him go free for the sake of the tooth (Shemot 21:22-27).

One must understand that this instruction about "an eye for an eye" delineates the just punishment and retaliation of an offended party.  If such a case were to go before the judges, this mishpat (ruling) would be the just sentence of the offender.

Note that the mishpat to give "a life for a life, eye for eye," etc. marks the limit of retaliation one can exact.  But the one offended is not required to take his case to the judges.  This is what Messiah is alluding to.  The offended party may chose to "turn the other cheek," which is to say, forgive the offender.  In such a case, mercy becomes the overriding factor as the wronged brother chooses to have compassion on the offender and forgive him.  Furthermore, a literal slap on the cheek is not a "serious injury."  Amounting to no more than an insult, the faithful should "turn the other cheek" and ignore the insult.

However, in the case of a malicious witness who attempts to frame or blame someone for an offense which the accused did not do, the mishpat of Scripture is required:

If a false witness testifies against another person and accuses him of a crime, then both parties to the controversy must stand before Yahuwah, that is, before the priests and judges who will be in office in those days.  The judges will thoroughly investigate the matter, and if the witness should prove to be false and to have given false testimony against the accused, you must do to him what he had intended to do to the accused. In this way you will purge evil from among you.  The rest of the people will hear and become afraid to keep doing such evil among you.  You must not show pity; the principle will be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 19:16-21).

Yahusha's teaching about showing mercy and forgiveness instead of exacting punishment is in harmony and correctly expresses the meaning and intention of the Torah instructions.

As for giving to him who asks of you, the Scriptures teach this also.

Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. (Psalm 112:5)

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)

Thus, one should give to whoever asks of you, and one should be willing to give his cloak also.

Teaching on Love

You heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you, so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens.  Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.  For if you love those loving you, what reward have you?  Are the tax collectors not doing the same too?  And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others?  Are the tax collectors not doing so too?  Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect (Mattityahu 5:43-48)

To love your neighbor is the second greatest commandment, according to Yahusha.  The commandment is found in Vayiqra [Leviticus] 19:18:

You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahuwah.

The Hebrew word translated neighbor is [;re (pronounced "ray-ah").   Usually translated "friend, companion, fellow," this word denotes one who stands in a reciprocal relation to the speaker, a member of the community, someone with whom you have interactions.

Believers have been mistaken who have thought that scriptural love means to have warm, mushy feelings towards someone.  Scripturally commanded love for your neighbor is defined by the context of Vayiqra 19 in the commandments which come before the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.  The love commandment summarizes the commands which precede it.  This is what Yahusha meant when he said that "on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Mattityahu 22:40).

These instructions lay out the framework in which love for your neighbor is to be understood.  So, love which we are to have for one another includes the following behaviors:

Each of you must respect his mother and his father (vs. 3); When you gather in the harvest of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. You must not pick your vineyard bare, and you must not gather up the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner (vs. 9-10); You must not steal, you must not tell lies, and you must not deal falsely with your fellow citizen (vs. 11); You must not oppress your neighbor or commit robbery against him. You must not hold back the wages of the hired laborer overnight until morning. You must not curse a deaf person or put a stumbling block in front of a blind person (Vayiqra 19:13-14);

"'You must not deal unjustly in judgment: you must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. You must judge your fellow citizen fairly.  You must not walk about as a slanderer among your people. You must not stand idly by when your neighbor's life is at stake. I am Yahuwah.  You must not hate your brother in your heart. You must surely reprove your fellow citizen so that you do not incur sin on account of him.  You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahuwah (vss 15-18).

All of the above delineate the parameters of scriptural love for your fellow.  If you are transgressing any of these instructions, then you are not loving your neighbor as yourself.

Next, one may ask, "where does the Torah say to hate your enemy?"  In the Hebrew, the word usually translated "enemy" is byE)Aa ((pronounced "o-yev" - "enemy, hostile, foe").  But the Hebrew word for "hate" (anEf'. pronounced "sa-nay") in participial form and rendered "haters" is frequently used as a synonym for "enemy" and is sometimes even translated "enemy" in English Bible translations.  A "hater" is an "enemy" in Hebraic thought.

These terms are used synonymously and in parallel here:

I will set my face against you. You will be struck down before your enemies, those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when there is no one pursuing you (Vayiqra [Leviticus] 26:17).

And when the ark journeyed, Mosheh would say, "Rise up, Yahuwah! May your enemies be scattered, and may those who hate you flee before you." (Bemidbar [Numbers] 10:35).

"Those who hate you" are identified as "your enemies."

Though there is no explicit command in the Torah to "hate your enemies," it could easily be implied.  The enemies of Yisrael were frequently characterized as "haters."  And there is a "judgment" theme woven throughout the discussions of the "haters" and enemies of Yah.  For this reason, the Scriptures have been interpreted as suggesting that Yisrael should "hate its enemy."

But Yahusha corrects this misunderstanding and misinterpretation of Scripture by giving us the true understanding of the Law of love: "Love your enemies."  Yahuwah never said to "hate your enemies," but it was so assumed.  It is Yahuwah's prerogative to judge the wicked, not ours.  We do not have the authority to condemn anyone.  Therefore, we should not hate anyone.

 The Bible teaches us to love our enemies:

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and Yehovah will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22)

This love we show our enemies by giving them food and water will likely result in their transformation and repentance when they see our light and the love of our Father shining on them.

Furthermore, Yahusha infers, since Yahuwah sends his rain on the just and on the unjust, and makes the sun to rise on the just and on the unjust, we too should treat all men with righteous dignity as defined and inferred by the commandment to love your fellow as yourself.  As such, you should greet the "tax collector" as you greet your friend and brother.  If you only greet your brother and friend, but not the tax collector, you are no better than the pagan tax collector.

The instruction to love and not to hate is summarized by "be perfect."  Taken from the concept of the Hebrew word ~ymiT' (pronounced tammim), to be perfect means to be complete without blemish.  The word is used of the animal without defect that is required for the Pesach sacrifice.  This word suggests no fault, blemish or scar when used of animals.  And it means without sin when used of people.

The commandment to be set-apart as found in Vayiqra 19:2 may be in the mind of the Messiah:

Speak to the whole congregation of the sons of Yisrael and tell them, 'You must be set-apart because I, Yahuwah your Elohim, am set-apart.'

This commandment to be set-apart sets the stage for the instructions about how to treat your fellow, which gets summed up with love your fellow as yourself.  Messiah probably is interpreting the instruction to be set-apart when he tells his disciples to be perfect.

Teaching on Giving to the Poor

Beware of doing your righteous acts before men, in order to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in the heavens.  Thus, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do, in the congregations and in the streets, to be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a kind deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your kind deed shall be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret shall Himself reward you openly (Mattityahu 6:1-4)

The Greek word translated in our rendition righteous acts is dikaiosu,nh (pronounced dikai-o-sun-ei) literally means righteousness and refers to the religious duties of righteous people.  The parallel Hebrew term is tAqåd>ci (tsidkot).  Yahusha speaks about three righteous acts: giving to the poor, praying and fasting.  He does so by first suggesting how not to do these deeds, in a not-so-subtle rebuke of the Pharisees who did these righteous acts to be seen of men.  Then he instructs the proper way to perform these righteous acts.

The first is giving to the poor.  The Greek word in the ancient manuscripts is evlehmosu,nh (ele-ei-mo-sunei) and refers to acts of mercy, pity or compassion specifically with reference to giving alms to the poor.  The Torah teaches that giving to the poor and needy is a duty of righteous people:

If a fellow Yisraeli from one of your villages in the land that Yahuwah your Elohim is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive to his impoverished condition.  Instead, you must be sure to open your hand to him and generously lend him whatever he needs.  Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Yisraeli and you do not lend him anything; he will cry out to Yahuwah against you and it will be regarded as a sin. 

You must by all means lend to him and not be upset by doing it, for because of this Yahuwah your Elohim will bless you in all your work and in everything you attempt.  There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am instructing you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow sons of Yisrael who are needy and poor in your land (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 15:7-11).

Money lent to these poor is not to be demanded back.  If they are unable to repay, the debt is to be forgiven in the year of cancellation.  Additionally, the gleanings from the field are to be left for the poor:

When you gather in the harvest of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. You must not pick your vineyard bare, and you must not gather up the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner (Vayiqra 19:9-10).

And finally, a portion of the tithe is to be shared with the orphan and the widow:

You must celebrate the Festival of Succot for seven days, at the time of the grain and grape harvest. You are to rejoice in your festival, you, your son, your daughter, your male and female slaves, the Levi, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows who are in your villages (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 16:13-14).  Every one of you must give as you are able, according to the blessing of Yahuwah your Elohim that he has given you (vs. 17).

Ya'acov (James, the brother of the Master) puts giving to the widow and orphan at the top of his list of genuine righteous acts of followers of Messiah:

Pure and undefiled religion before Elohim the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world (1:27)

Giving and sharing and lending to the poor, the widow and the orphan was an integral part of the righteous lifestyle Israel is called to live.

The Pharisees taught that this giving to the poor was to be done discreetly, so as to not call attention to the giver.

"Don't do good deeds to be noticed" (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 17b).

"He who gives alms in secret is greater than Moses" (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 9b)

"The greatest form of charity is when you give and do not know to whom you give, and the recipient takes and does not know from whom he takes" (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 10b).

But, the Pharisees frequently ignored their own teachings.  They made a show of their giving by "sounding the trumpet" so that others could see them giving and be in awe over their display of "righteousness."  Yahusha, however, rebuked them for this self-serving braggadocio.  In order to receive a proper reward from Elohim, this giving to the poor is to be done privately, silently. 

The figure of not letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing is roughly understood to mean that your giving should be in secret.  But the origin of that figure of speech has not been satisfactorily discovered - until now!  Likely Yahusha was alluding to a proverb which contrasts the mind of the wise man with the mind of the foolish man.  The Hebrew text reads as follows:

Al*amof.li lysiÞK. bleîw> Anëymiyli( ‘~k'x' bleÛ  (Ecclesiastes 10:2)

Literally rendered, it says: "The mind (heart) of the wise man is towards his right, but the mind (heart) of the fool is towards his left."  This saying has been interpreted and translated as follows:

NIV:  The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.

KJV and the Scriptures:  A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

NAS:  A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left.

Other translations render the verse similarly.  None deviates much from this.

In the proverb, there is an implied association between the wise and his right hand and between the fool and his left.  Here, the right side or right hand refers to the person who is cognizant of and compliant with the Torah of Yahuwah, while the one on the left is in rebellion against the Almighty's Instructions.  Anyone who has taken Hermeneutics 101 or has considered the form of Hebrew poetry knows that, particularly in the Psalms and Proverbs, a common textual device is to make a proposition and then emphasize the point by restating the proposition using synonyms or parallel thoughts.  For example,

Then you would understand the fear of Yahuwah

And find the knowledge of Elohim.

For Yahuwah gives wisdom

Out of his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Mishle 2:5-6).

Emphasizing contrasting ideas is done in a similar manner: a proposition is cited and then the opposite or contrasting statement follows immediately using antonyms or opposite thoughts.  An example of this is

The fear of Yahuwah is the beginning of knowledge;

Fools despise wisdom and discipline (Mishle 1:7).

The use of the "right hand" and "left hand" is another such tool of the communicator to provide contrasting thoughts.  Even in English we communicate divergent ideas by saying, "on the one hand..." but "on the other hand...."  This is precisely the literary tool Yahusha is employing.  He associates the right hand with the wise person and the left hand with the foolish person.  To paraphrase, Yahusha is saying, "Do not let the foolish one know what the wise one is doing."

In other words, the wise man who gives to the poor in compliance with the righteous commandment should not display this act before the fool.  It is in the same vein as the saying of Yahusha, "Don't cast your pearls before the swine."  The foolish man (the one on the left) has no appreciation for the compassionate giving of the righteous man (the right one).  Therefore one should give him no occasion to mock or ridicule such giving.  Yahusha makes this contrast to teach his disciples that their giving should be discreet and not to make a public display of giving for the sake of drawing attention to oneself.  At the end of it all, Yahusha is clearly calling for secrecy and privacy in our giving to the poor. 

Teaching on Prayer

And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the congregations and on the corners of the streets, to be seen by men.  Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place. And your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.  And when praying, do not keep on babbling like the gentiles. For they think that they shall be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.  This, then, is the way you should pray:  "Our Father who is in the heavens, let Your Name be set-apart, let Your reign come, let Your desire be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And do not lead us into trial, but deliver us from the wicked one – because Yours is the reign and the power and the esteem, forever.  Amein."   For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father shall also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither shall your Father forgive your trespasses (Mattityahu 6:5-15)

The next act of righteousness which Yahusha explains is that of praying.  He exhorts his followers to not be like the hypocrites (a reference to the showy Pharisees).  The Greek word u`pokritai. (hu-po-kri-tie) can mean 1. one who answers, an interpreter (Plato, Lucian); 2. an actor, stage-player (Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, Aelian, Herodian); 3. in biblical Greek, a dissembler, pretender, hypocrite: Matt. 6:2,5,16; 7:5; 15:7; 16:3; Mark 7:6; Luke 6:42; 11:44; Luke 12:56; 13:15 (Job 34:30; 36:13, profane, impious).  Yahusha was attacking the sincerity of the Pharisees as he called them "pretenders" or "actors."  This is clearly because they did not do as they taught.

The shows which they paraded about while in the market places and on street corners was much like the railings of the prophets of Ba'al in the well known story of Eliyahu and his confrontation of the prophets of Ba'al.  But the Tanach teaches that prayer should be done in private. Like the righteous act of giving to the poor, prayer should be done, not to be seen by men as one praying, but sincerely and in private.  Elisha' did not loudly announce his prayer on behalf of the dead child so as to be seen by men.  He prayed privately:

When Elisha'' arrived at the house, there was the child lying dead on his bed.  He went in by himself and closed the door. Then he prayed to Yahuwah (2 Melachim [Kings] 4:32-33).

This is what Yahusha is teaching - humility of spirit when one prays.

Furthermore, Yahusha also instructed his followers not to babble with vain repetitions when they pray, as though this would get the attention of Elohim.  Such mindless babbling is offensive in the ears of Yahuwah and he is not swayed by such prattle.  This babbling is a pagan worship practice, not something Yahuwah has endorsed.  The prophet Hosea mentions this kind of babbling in connection with the worship of Baal:

When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died. (Hosea 13:1, KJV)

The Hebrew root word here, used only once in the Tanach is rtt.  This word means vain repetitions, stammering, quaking, trembling, raving in an ecstatic fervor.

This calls to mind the confrontation of Eliyahu (Elijah) and the prophets of Baal.  When it was their turn to call upon their god to answer them, the record indicates that they slashed themselves and called upon Baal while stammering and trembling in an ecstatic rage, using vain repititions.  Yet Baal never answered.  Yahuwah's prophet did no such thing.  He built his alter unto Yahuwah and called upon him to answer.  The Almighty answered immediately to show his power and glory.

The Master then provides to his disciples an example of prayer.  The so-called "Lord's prayer" is not a formula that has magical power in reciting it.  Many Christians recite this prayer, verbatim, as though the mere pronouncing of the words of this prayer provides the worshipper with a special hearing in the presence of the Almighty.  Often, this prayer is recited so often that it is done so without giving any thought to the words the prayer is speaking. 

The prayer Yahusha recited is a sample prayer.  It was intended to show his followers what a proper petition to be brought before Elohim should sound like.  It provides a guideline for the kind of thoughts and requests we should be bringing to him.  Thus, mindless, repetitious reciting of "the Lord's prayer" is counterproductive and useless, because Yahuwah does not want to hear that kind of blather - he already knows what you need!

This model prayer can be broken down into its primary elements:  Our Father in heaven.  The use of the familial designation, Abba, usually rendering an intimate paternal relationship, is best translated Dad.  But reverence for Yahuwah constrains us to use the more formal Father.   The modifier in heaven is best understood as a rabbinical and early church substitution for the name Yahuwah.  Particularly in Mattityahu's account of the life and ministry of Yahusha, in heaven is frequently used where we would expect the name Yahuwah.  Thus, the original prayer probably opens with Our Father Yahuwah.

This is immediately followed by hallowed be thy name, or, to bring it into the common vernacular, set-apart be your name.  The name which followers are to call upon, Yahuwah, is always to be used with respect.  This is what it means that his name is set-apart (the term which is more familiar is holy).  The Third Word (3rd commandment) is to not lift up the name of Yahuwah unto uselessness.  Yahusha is upholding the Torah instruction as found in Vayiqra [Leviticus] 22:31-32:

You must be sure to do my commandments. I am Yahuwah. You must not profane my set-apart name and I will be set-apart in the midst of the sons of Yisrael. I am Yahuwah who sets you apart.

The name of Yahuwah is always to be honored and praised and respected. So the one who is praying should be calling upon the name Yahuwah with dignity and reverence for his name.

The prophet Ezekiel describes how the exile was caused by the profaning of the name of Yahuwah:

I scattered them among the nations; they were dispersed throughout foreign countries. In accordance with their behavior and their deeds I judged them.  But when they arrived in the nations where they went, they profaned my set-apart name.  It was said of them, 'These are the people of Yahuwah, yet they have departed from his land.'  I was concerned for my set-apart reputation which the house of Yisrael profaned among the nations where they went.  Therefore say to the house of Yisrael, 'This is what Adonai Yahuwah says: It is not for your sake that I am about to act, house of Yisrael, but for the sake of my set-apart reputation which you profaned among the nations where you went (Yechezqel [Ezekiel] 36:19-22).

Thus, Yahusha is clearly implying that the correct way to call upon Yahuwah is with respect and reverence, unlike our forefathers who were booted from the land because of their profaning of his name.  Anyone who claims to be attached to the Almighty through Messiah Yahusha must call upon his name, rather than disrespecting his name and reputation by substituting his set-apart name Yahuwah by some other substitute designation.  Christians and Jews alike are guilty of doing this.

It is very popular in Christian circles to call upon "the LORD" instead of calling upon his actual name Yahuwah.  And it is demanded in Jewish circles to call upon "HaShem" or "Adonai" instead of by his real name Yahuwah.  That foolishness must be brought to an end.  After all, didn't Yahusha say to the Pharisees, "You shall not see me again until you cry out, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name Yahuwah'"?  Those who claim relationship with Elohim must repent of their disrespecting of his name and learn to call upon him by his set-apart name Yahuwah, in compliance with the third commandment.

Your kingdom come is reminiscent of the proclamations of the prophets that the kingdom of Yahuwah is coming.  This is not a new prayer.  All of the righteous ones who preceded Messiah had been praying and calling upon Yahuwah to usher in the Messianic age.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven is another common plea to the Almighty.  This petition has in mind the promises of the prophets that Yahuwah will cleanse the earth of unrighteousness while judging those who transgress his Torah.  His will is going to be done when Israel repents and turns away from its rebellion and begins to obey all the Instructions and Commandments of Scripture, and when Elohim destroys the rebellious.  This prayer is tantamount to asking for the judgment and restoration of the world to take place.

Psalm 40:8 equates the will of Elohim with the doing of the Torah of Elohim:

I delight to do your will, my Elohim; yes, your Torah is within my heart.

Not only does the New Covenant feature the Torah as the will of Elohim to be placed in the believer's heart...

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares Yahuwah. "I will put my Law in their minds and write it on their hearts" (Yirmeyahu 31:32).

...but also, the Messiah will be teaching this Torah to the nations during his reign upon the earth:

In the future the mountain of Yahuwah's temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills.  All the nations will stream to it, many peoples will come and say, "Come, let's go up to Yahuwah's mountain, to the temple of the Elohim of Ya'acov, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his standards." For Zion will be the center for Torah; Yahuwah will issue edicts from Yerushalayim (Yeshayahu 2:2-3).

Consequently, we understand that Yahusha's sample prayer teaches us to be praying for all the nations to be obeying the Torah, because this is the will of Elohim.  (But if some in the Christian church won't agree with the importance of obeying the Law of Elohim, how can they be praying for all the nations to do so?)

Give us today our daily bread.  One of the core essentials which Yahuwah provides for his people while acting as their Elohim is the daily provision of food.   The wilderness wanderings were an ideal setting for Yahuwah to demonstrate to Israel that he keeps his promise to be an Elohim to them.  Yahuwah provided manna every morning for the people throughout the forty years of their wandering in the wilderness.  He wanted them to understand that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim."  Nevertheless, he feed them faithfully, every day that they walked in the desert.  This request for just one's daily food recalls the prayer of Shelomo:

Two matter I have asked of you - deny them not to me before I die.  Remove falsehood and a lying word far from me.  Give me neither poverty nor riches.  Feed me my portion of bread, lest I become satisfied and deny you, and say, "Who is Yahuwah?"  And lest I be poor and steal and seize the name of my Elohim (Mishlei [Proverbs] 30:7-9 ).

We now come to the main point of "the Lord's prayer."  This example prayer was designed to underscore the importance of forgiving your brother.  Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Yahusha follows up the prayer by insisting that if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father shall also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither shall your Father forgive your trespasses (Mattityahu 6:15).

The Tanach teaches with no ambiguity that Elohim Yahuwah does not hear our prayers when there is un-confessed, unsettled transgression in our lives:

...even his prayers are an abomination.... (Mishlei [Proverbs] 28:9)

Therefore, no prayer is going to reach the ears of Elohim if we come before him dirtied by sin.  More to the point, our very fellowship with Him and acceptance by Him is contingent upon our settling of our personal grievances with others.  We could lose that relationship with Elohim through Messiah if we stubbornly cling to a selfish unforgiving spirit.

The prayer to Lead us not into temptation uses a Hebrew idiom in which an active verb is used to express permission to do a thing.  It could be rendered, "Let us not come into temptation."  The thought is not that Elohim might lead us into temptation and, so, we are praying that he not do this.  Elohim cannot tempt with or be tempted by sin.  Rather, we understand this to mean let us not come into temptation, or, protect us from falling into temptation.  The weakness of human flesh may cause us to fall into temptation, but with Elohim's help, we can find the strength and direction to steer clear of temptation's way.

Deliver us from evil is the alternative to falling into temptation.  Elohim is the protector of Israel, and as such, he will deliver his obedient ones from the midst of sin's temptation.  This is a request for that deliverance.  As the apostle Sha'ul points out:

No temptation has come upon you except that which is common to man.  But Elohim will, with the temptation, also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Some Greek manuscripts record a final piece at the end of the prayer: For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amein.  This doxology is reminiscent of David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13.

Then David blessed Yahuwah in the presence of the whole assembly, praying in these words: "Blessed may you be, Yahuwah, Elohim of Israel our father, from eternity to eternity. Yours, Yahuwah, are grandeur and power, majesty, splendor, and glory. For all in heaven and on earth is yours; yours, Yahuwah, is the sovereignty; you are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor are from you, and you have dominion over all. In your hand are power and might; it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.  Therefore, our Elohim, we give you thanks and we praise the majesty of your name."

This is a fitting and appropriate praising of the Elohim of Israel.  Whether the doxology is in the "original" text or not makes little difference.  Prayer should include praise befitting a glorious and kind Elohim.

Instruction about Fasting

And when you fast, do not be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces so that they appear to be fasting to men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place. And your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly (Mattityahu 6:16-18)

The third righteous act which Yahusha refers to is that of fasting.  He says, when you fast.  The assumption is made, not a commandment given, that you will fast.  Again, fasting, like the other "acts of righteousness," is not to be done for a show - to demonstrate to all who are watching of just how righteous you are.  The Pharisees liked to do this.  They disfigured their faces by wearing a sad or gloomy expression and proudly displayed their fasting.  In the Greek, there is a word play with aphanizo which is translated "to make invisible, to disfigure."  The Pharisees did this to phanizo ("to be made visible, to be seen") before men.

Yahusha commanded his disciples not to disfigure their faces.  They were to wash their faces and conceal their fasting so that their reward would be seen only by Elohim, who would reward them openly.  Anointing is a symbol of joy.  Thus, the followers of Messiah were to have joyful expressions when they fast, indicating a positive influence on others.

The fasting that pleases Yahuwah, as described in Yeshayahu 58, does not proclaim gloom and despair.  True fasting is to be accompanied by acts of kindness, displays of righteousness (giving, forgiving) and mercy:

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own (vs. 6-7).

The true fast is one in which the worshipper pleads for his request by repenting and showing his sincerity through the doing of the commandments and the performing of the righteous acts of caring for others.

Instruction about Treasure

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also (Mattityahu 6:19-21)

With this instruction about treasure, Yahusha is transitioning from the reward which the Pharisees seek ("to be seen of men") to that which Yahuwah offers.  The reward which the Pharisees seek is based upon what they can get now.  The reward which Yahuwah offers is that which you will receive later.  The reward of material possessions and wealth and popularity will dissipate - the rust and moth destroy, while the eternal reward for doing righteousness for the right reasons reaches far into the future and is long-lasting.

It goes without saying that people seek after those things which they believe will make them happy and successful.  Usually, those things which people think will make them happy are materialistic and temporal.  But Yahusha is suggesting that true joy and happiness is found in those things which Yahuwah treasures - righteousness and justice, etc.  If you love the materialistic reward, your heart will seek after material things.  But if you love Yahuwah and righteousness, you will seek after those things which he loves.

Isaiah speaks of the treasures which those who don't server Elohim seek:

All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. (Yeshayahu 44:9)

In contrast to those are the ones who seek Yahuwah and his righteousness.  Yahusha is probably alluding to the teaching in the Proverbs about the true hidden treasure:

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of Yahuwah and find the knowledge of Elohim. (Proverbs 2:1-5)

The hidden treasure that the wise man pursues is that of the wisdom and understanding of the Word of Yahuwah, and the true knowledge of Elohim.

So then, its hard not to notice this saying of Yahusha as an encouragement to give.  While the Master speaks of the tree and its fruit as an analogy for understanding what is in a man's heart, this matter of his treasure is also indicative of what is in a man.  Those who seek after and accumulate worldly treasures do so out of a heart focused on physical goods.  But the man who gives from his treasure to Elohim and helps the poor is surely revealing what is in his heart.

Consequently, people who claim to love Yahuwah but do not give to Elohim are revealing what is really in their heart.  But those who give liberally to support the proclamation of the Gospel and who help the poor, the widows and the orphans have a heart that's true to the Almighty One.  What one treasures surely is indicative of what is in the heart.

The Evil Eye

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, all your body shall be enlightened.  But if your eye is evil, all your body shall be darkened. If, then, the light that is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Mattityahu 6:22,23)

In this saying, Yahusha is combining two well known metaphors: light and the eye.  Light represents what is good and righteous.  The eye represents what we "set our sights on."  The good eye is a Hebrew idiom which means "to be generous."  And the evil eye is one who is stingy.

The Torah explains what an evil eye is.  In the instructions of Devarim [Deuteronomy] 15 regarding the year of the release of debt (the Shmittah), the sons of Israel are warned not to have an evil thought about the money lent to your brother:

But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.  Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. (Devarim 15:8-9, KJV)

Thus, one with an evil eye is the one who is stingy and uncaring for his brother.

On the other hand, the good eye is one who is generous.  This is seen in the parallelism in Mishlei [Proverbs] 22:9:

He who has a good eye is blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor.

The good eye represents the man who is compliant with Torah by providing food for the poor, the widow and the orphan.

If the good eye indicates a generous person, then the evil eye is an idiom which means "to be stingy."  The stingy one, who refuses to share with the poor, is in adversarial relationship to Yahuwah who calls us to love our neighbor and share with the poor.  This is in agreement with Mishlei (Proverbs) 23:6:

"Do not eat the bread of one having an evil eye." 

Other interpretations of this Hebrew phrase, literally rendered, "evil eye," include, "stingy person" or "selfish man."  Yahusha is saying that if your outlook is to be generous (a good eye) then your body (your life) will be full of light.  But if you are stingy (evil eye) then you will be full of darkness because the love of Yahuwah is not in you when you refuse to help your poor brother.

This verse is one of a myriad of examples offering evidence that the book of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew as whoever translated it into the Greek, was not aware of what the term "evil eye" meant. They simply translated the phrase word for word, which loses its meaning in the Greek and English.

About Serving Two Masters

No one is able to serve two masters, for either he shall hate the one and love the other, or else he shall cleave to the one and despise the other. You are not able to serve Elohim and mammon. (Mattityahu 6:24)

Here, Yahusha continues the theme he began with the teaching about the good eye and the evil eye; that is, where do we place our priority - on accumulating wealth stingily or on sharing with those in need?  You cannot do both.  To serve money is to act selfishly in accumulating wealth.  The first commandment compels us to have no other elohim before Yahuwah.  Thus, we cannot serve two masters. To serve Elohim, then, is to share with those in need.   If we withhold from the needy we are not serving Elohim.  If we cling to our mammon at the expense of serving Elohim, then we are serving it and not Him.  Tithing, as an expression of loving Elohim supremely, is a demonstration that we have no elohim before him, that we are not serving another master. 

Many in our day think that tithing is no longer applicable since the Levitical service is no longer in operation.  But this is incorrect.  Tithing was first introduced to us through Abraham who tithed a tenth of his increase to Melchitsedek.  And Yaacov promised to tithe to Yahuwah since He would watch over him in his way.  Later, it was given through the Levitical service of the tabernacle.  Theirs was the responsibility for the tabernacle service and distributing to the orphans and widows in their need.

  Thus, tithing is still an act of worship today, even though the Levitical priesthood is not currently in operation.  Tithing pre-dated the Levitical service and therefore is not dependent upon the tribe of Levi performing the duties of the temple service.  Tithing is an act of worshipping the true Elohim.  When we tithe, we are worshipping Elohim as our only Master rather than mammon.

On Worrying

Because of this I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you shall eat or drink, or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than the food and the body more than the clothing?  Look at the birds of the heaven, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father does feed them. Are you not worth more than they?  And which of you by worrying is able to add one cubit to his life’s span?  So why do you worry about clothing?  Note well the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, and I say to you that even Shelomoh in all his esteem was not dressed like one of these.  But if Elohim so clothes the grass of the field, which exists today, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more you, O you of little belief?  Do not worry then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For all these the gentiles seek for. And your heavenly Father knows that you need all these.  But seek first the reign of Elohim, and His righteousness, and all these matters shall be added to you.  Do not, then, worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow shall have its own worries.  Each day has enough evil of itself (Mattityahu 6:25-34)

From talk of two masters, Yahusha transitions into a monologue about life.  What is life, anyway?  It does not consist in the money we have or the clothing we wear or the food we eat.  Life is best enjoyed by focusing on personal relationships and taking an interest in others.  This is what the Torah is about, also.  It's about living our lives for relationships.  The Torah commandments can be broken into two categories: that of loving Elohim and that of loving your neighbor.  Thus, one's mindset as to what he worries about tells much about the man.

Nothing is accomplished by worrying.  In fact, it is a indication that we are still trying to worship two different entities.  Worrying is a telltale sign that we still value money more than we trust Elohim.  We cannot change anything or make anything better by worrying.  More to the point, when we place our entire trust implicitly in the Master, we won't worry.  When we are confident that he is in control of the circumstances of our lives, we can rest more easily when we are lacking in the essential things, because we know that he will be an Elohim to us, as he promised, and provide us with everything we need.  Yahusha was likely alluding to the sentiment of the Psalmist who puts worrying into perspective:

Look, you make my days short-lived, and my life span is nothing from your perspective. Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor (39:5).

Ya'acov references this thought also where he asks the question,

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit."  You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.  You ought to say instead, "If Yahuwah is willing, then we will live and do this or that." (4:13-15).

So, it is not within our hands to grow a cubit or add a day to our lives.  All of that is in Yahuwah's hands, and life is best enjoyed when we understand that and put things into perspective.

With that in mind, and with nothing else to hinder our thoughts and expectations, the only thing left to drive our lives is the kingdom of Elohim and his righteousness.  Laying aside all other worries and cares, we truly can place all our energy in seeking to walk righteously in the commandments of Elohim and thus move in the direction of his kingdom.  Isn't this what the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings teach? that we should love Him with all our being and steadfastly cling to him?

Commit your future to Yahuwah! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.  He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause.  Wait patiently for Yahuwah! Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes!  Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!  Wicked men will be wiped out, but those who rely on Yahuwah are the ones who will possess the land (Psalm 37:5-9).

When we completely trust in his ability to provide our every need, we don't have to worry about where the next meal is coming from.  Like he did as he brought his people through the wilderness, he provides bread and water everyday for his own - even their sandals did not wear out in the desert!

Judging

Do not judge, lest you be judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And with the same measure you use, it shall be measured to you.  And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye?  Or how is it that you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the splinter out of your eye,’ and see, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to remove the splinter out of your brother’s eye (Mattityahu 7:1-5)

This saying of Yahusha is so often misinterpreted and misapplied, it boggles the mind!  The usual application of this saying is to suggest that good Christians will not judge or confront someone's misdeed because "Jesus" taught them not to.  Whenever someone wants to commit sin and not be confronted with it, they quote this saying: "Didn't Jesus say not to judge lest you be judged"?   But nothing could be further from the truth.

The first and most obvious proof that this is not what Yahusha is teaching is that he goes on to describe under what circumstances you can and should confront your brother's sin.  He teaches us to "remove the plank from your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to remove the splinter out of your brother's eye."  Clearly, you should confront and help remove the "splinter" - that is, the sin - out of your brother's life.  But you must make sure that you have taken care of your own sin problem first.

The Torah teaches us very plainly that we are to confront and rebuke sin.  At the very heart of the holiness code in Vayiqra, where Yah teaches us what it means to be set-apart just as he is set-apart, is the instruction compelling us to rebuke our erring brother:

Reprove your neighbour, for certain, and bear no sin because of him (Vayiqra 19:17).

The meaning of this instruction is that if you witness someone committing transgression, you must confront that brother.  If not, you too bear the responsibility and guilt for that sin.

Ya'acov (James) alludes to the same instruction where he writes:

Brothers, if anyone among you goes astray from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the straying of his way shall save a life from death and cover a great number of sins (5:19-20).

It is the responsibility and moral obligation of everyone who sees his brother sin to confront the problem to give the brother an opportunity to repent, and also to keep sin out of the camp of Israel.  When a transgression is thus halted, it puts an end to any further sins that would have resulted from the first sin.

The Torah explicitly commands Israel to execute judgment when a case between two parties needs to be settled.  This is so fundamental to the health and well-being of the nation, its embarrassing to have to explain:

You must not deal unjustly in judgment: you must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. You must judge your fellow citizen fairly (Vayiqra 19:15).

Thus, Yahusha certainly could not be teaching his disciples not to "judge" anyone; that is, confront sin.  Just the opposite, the Torah which Yahusha supported requires you to confront sin that you are a witness to, and that you are to execute judgment justly when two parties bring their disagreement to be settled.

So what is Yahusha saying?  The clue is in the Greek word employed.  The Greek word krinw (pronounced krinow) means "to pass judgment on (midd. and pass. often stand trial, go to law); condemn; decide, determine."  A better translation is: "Condemn not, and you will not be condemned."  It is the individual's responsibility to confront and rebuke sin where he sees it.  But no single person has the right to judge a person and sentence (condemn) a person for any matter.  Instead, the Torah instructs us that "on the testimony of two or three witnesses shall a matter be settled."

Yahusha elsewhere describes how to confront an erring brother: if your brother does not heed your rebuke, take a witness or two with you and confront him in his transgression.  If he refuses to listen still, he is to be brought before the congregation of elders where he may either repent or be shunned by the community.  Yahusha is once again validating and upholding the Torah as the correct way to conduct life's business in the body of Messiah.

Dogs and Pigs

Do not give what is set-apart to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before the pigs, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces (Mattityahu 7:6)

Yahusha had already spoken to the issue of how one should give.  It is clear that righteous giving is done with an eye toward helping the poor, not for heaping praise upon oneself.  Thus, giving is done discreetly and secretly.  Now he addresses the question of who should be the recipient of our acts of righteous giving.  And he does so in the negative.  It is not difficult to discern his teaching about who NOT to give to - those who would make a mockery of your generosity.

But the question that needs unfolding is that of identifying what he meant by "dogs" and "pigs."  Some commentators are pleased to suggest that Messiah was name calling - that he is referring to Gentile unbelievers as "dogs" and "pigs."  But I find this quite unlikely.  On the contrary, Yahusha's work of reconciliation was aimed at "tearing down the wall of hostility" and breaking down the barriers that precluded those outside of Covenant relationship from joining the people of Elohim.  I think it is distasteful and derogatory toward "the Prophet" to suggest he would continue to promote the divisive stereotypes made popular by the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day.

It seems to me that Yahusha is calling to mind a well-known saying of the wise from the book of Proverbs: