HHMI Newsgroup Archives
From: Eddie Chumney
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Who Sits in Moses Seat?
This article will be in two parts. It will discuss the issue of
'Who Sits in Moses Seat?' (Matthew 23:1-3). The first perspective is
from Dell Griffin. Dell is currently in the land of Israel seeking to
make contacts with Orthodox Jewish rabbi's about the return of the
house of Joseph to the land of Israel. Dell Griffin in not-Jewish and
believes in the reunification of both houses of Israel in the end of
days (Ezekiel 37:15-28). His view is that Moses seat = the halachic
rulings of Rabbinic Judaism.
The counter to this article is by Rabbi Moshe Koniuchowsky. Rabbi
Koniuchowsky is a Jewish believer in Messiah and is the
General-Secretary of the Messinaic Israel Alliance. His teaching on
'Who sits in Moses seat?' was given at the recent MIA 2000 conference
over Labor Day weekend in Orlando, Florida. Rabbi Moshe Koniuchowsky
also believes in the reunification of both houses of Israel in the
end of days (Ezekiel 37:15-28).
Therefore, this two part article is a point-counterpoint of 'Who
sits in Moses seat?'. SHOULD non-Jews who are embracing their Hebraic
roots in Messiah abide in ALL cases with the rulings of present day
Orthodox Rabbinic Judaism regarding the Torah? SHOULD non-Jews who
are embracing their Hebraic roots in Messiah abide in ALL cases with
the present day rulings of the Torah by Orthodox Rabbinic Judaism
when they put the ORAL law ABOVE the WRITTEN law and deny
Yeshua/Jesus as being the LIVING TORAH manifested in the flesh and
sent to the earth to make the FINAL RULINGS on disputed Torah
observance? OR is the BIBLE and the WRITTEN TORAH and
the words and teachings of the LIVING TORAH (Yeshua/Jesus) our
Messiah FINAL authority in how we are to live our lives while
embracing our Hebraic heritage in Messiah?
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
******************************************************
View
of Dell Griffin
MOSES SEAT = ORTHODOX RABBIBIC JUDAISM
From: Dell Griffin
Shalom,
... Dozens of people have attempted to visit the recognized site of
Rachel's tomb over the past week. Most, (myself included) have been
turned away, but something really strange transpired yesterday. A
busload of women from Hebron, got off of their bus at the Beit Sahur
checkpoint about 500 yards from the tomb. They proceeded with their
children in baby carriages and in their arms toward the tomb. The IDF
did NOT stop them. After several hours inside they decided they
wanted to remain there to insure that the tomb would be open for the
yartzeit (commemmoration of Rachel's death) tomorrow (Thursday). But
the IDF then removed them.
This is being called a miracle here and the government announced
tonight that the tomb of Rachel will be opened from 9 a.m. to noon
tomorrow for the yartzeit. (Unfortunately, I will have to be at the
police station those same hours).
I feel very good about my interrogation tomorrow and want to thank all
of you who are remembering me in your prayers.
Also, regarding the issue of halachah which is being interpreted by
one halachic authority to deny Josephites an identity other than
"Jewish" and essentially states they must convert into the Jewish
faith and lay down this identity, I have been beseiged with emails
today.
I will have more to say later, but let me make one point clear as to
why I feel it is necessary to respect the halachah of Judah not just
on this, but on all rulings:
The New Testament which many of you still read, says the Pharisees sit
in the seat of Moshe and Y'shua is quoting as telling his followers to
"do as they say," (not to do as they did because at that time, there
apparently were a lot of hypocrites among the Pharisees). Today, the
Pharisees are the rabbinim (and I consider myself a Pharisee of
sorts).
In Hashem's dealings with me, on matters of authority, I have learned
the HARD WAY that when you resist ANY authority placed over you, that
this is rebellion. And rebellion is a form of judgment of the
authority. Because you have judged the authority over you, you
prevent Hashem's judgment (decision) from entering into the scenario.
This is true of husbands and wives, bosses and employees and anything
else and I believe is the major reason for so much dispute and
division.
So it is in my heart to submit to the halachic rulings of the rabbinim
re: Joes being required to convert to the Jewish faith and thereby
losing their Jewishness, (even though I believe this is not right) and
thereby allow Hashem to change the hearts of the Jewish rabbinical
leaders who would ask this of Joes. What is heart-breaking and
discouraging to me is that I believe that this attitude is evidence
that the enmity and vexation between Joes and Jews persists and ONLY
Hashem can deal with this.
The bottom line to me is being careful that the Return of Joes follow
accepted halachah and Orthodoxy. Any Joe who hopes to return outside
of this framework is not evidencing the heart of submission to his
Jewish brother, which I can only compare to the loving wife, who knows
her husband may be wrong, but loves him so much that she is loyal to
him and willing to submit to his decision.
The questions in my mind now are NOT whether to submit to the
authority of the halachah but to examine this particular halachic
ruling specifically and try to humbly suggest that it 1) identified
all of Israel as "Jewish" long after the oral tradition was given at
Mount Sinai by Moshe and therefore does not have the "authority" of
Torah sh'bal Pey (Oral Tradition of Moshe) and 2) MAY (I just don't
know) have been formulated after the "split" of the Kingdom into two
houses and possibly reflect the enmity and vexation of Judah toward
Joseph.
A second question is whether and to what extent "progressive
revelation" enters into the picture of halachic authority. There is
one school of thought that the book on halachah is CLOSED and cannot
be changed. But halachic interpretation is another thing and it may be
possible that with a different set of current events, environmental
factors and trends that an halachic ruling can be interpreted
differently and perhaps more accurately. To be specific, as I have
quoted many times in my seminars, if the Malbim (who lived in the 18th
Century) interpreted Isaiah 26:1-2 as relating to Ephraim's return to
Hashem and Torah observance and recognition as a "separate" nation,
can halachah pertaining to this Return be re-interpreted?
It is a question (in my mind) which only the highest authorities on
halachah can judge. But it is clear in my mind that the authority on
matters of halachah -- once they are decided -- rests solely with the
rabbinim. To rebel at that authority is WRONG and PROBLEMATIC for the
Return of the House of Joseph and symptomatic of a heart that is not
yet fully turned toward your brother, Judah ...
Shalom Shalom & Hashem's love & blessings,
ben Yosef
*******************************************************
View of Rabbi Moshe
Joseph Koniuchowsky
MOSES SEAT = WRITTEN TORAH and THE TEACHINGS OF MESSIAH
(Part
1 of 2)
From: Rabbi Moshe Joseph Koniuchowsky (ravmoshe@bellsouth.net)
To:heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: MOSES SEAT AND MESSIANIC ISRAEL PART ONE
MOSES SEAT AND MESSIANIC ISRAEL
BY RABBI MOSHE JOSEPH KONIUCHOWSKY
GIVEN LIVE AT AMI 2000
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
(Part 1 of 2)
INTRODUCTION
****The complete Hebrew Matthew text appeared in the body of a 14th
century Jewish polemical treatise entitled: Even Bohan. The author
Shem Tov Ben Isaac Ben Shaprut completed his work in 1385 and revised
it several times. He used 9 different Hebrew manuscripts of the
preserved Gospel of Matthew to compile his translation. He was not a
believer and includes the Hebrew Matthew in his treatises defending
Judaism against Christianity in the disputations he was involved in.
Shem Tov's Matthew is available from Mercer University Press in Macon
Georgia ISBN 0-86554-470-0 and is also available from Century
Publishers in California.
SAFE WAY TO RELATE
Turn with me please if you would to Matityahu (Matthew 23). In order
for our renewed two house nation that the Father is raising up in
these last days to be healthy, single minded and pressing forward to
the mark of the high calling of Yahweh in Messiah Yahshua, it is
absolutely necessary for us to rightly relate to and define the much
discussed Seat of Moses.
The only safe way to approach this misunderstood subject is to first
go to the source. Who is the source of all truth? Messiah Yahshua and
the Hebrew Scriptures. I believe that much of the Brit Chadashah was
written in the Hebrew. However specifically I know beyond belief, that
the book of Matthew was written in Hebrew. We will be sharing today
from the Hebrew version. Moses Seat can be one of the most
misunderstood topics in the messianic movement. What is most
misunderstood is how you and I should rightly relate to the Seat of
Moses.
Our Messianic Jewish brothers in their attempts to become the fourth
legitimately recognized branch of Judaism have compromised themselves,
seeking the approval of those they perceive as sitting in the Seat of
Moses. I am going to be sharing some things with you that I believe
will totally clear things up regarding one confusing verse in Matthew
23. Lets start with verse one of Matthew 23. 'Then Yahshua spoke to
the crowds and to His taught ones and said: "the Scribes (sopherim)
and Pharisees (Prushim) sit in the Seat of Moses." That is an
established fact. A case can be argued whether they are legal or
illegal occupants to that seat but that is not my topic today. A very
strong case can be made that the Prushim and the Sopherim were illegal
occupants of the Seat of Moses, who were not legitimate sons of Aaron
[in many cases] but were rather political appointees or hacks of the
Roman rulers. A strong case can be made that the Father did not seat
those who seated themselves in that seat, in Messiah Yahshua's time.
However that's not the issue today.
DEALING WITH REALITY!
King Yahshua said the fact remains that they sat in Moses Seat and now
that must be dealt with. We as the people of Messianic Israel also
have to deal with it. For if we do not deal with it and relate to that
concept correctly as a movement, as the nation of Israel is being
restored as Judah and Ephraim are returning, we are bound to fall into
a trap, that threatens the unity of this movement. It threatens the
effectiveness of this movement and it threatens the destiny of this
movement. This maybe one of the most important topics you'll hear at
this or any conference.
More specifically the fact that we have to deal with it is found in
verse 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses Seat in the days of
Yahshua. In Matthew 23 verse 3, our traditional translations read:
"therefore whatever they say to you guard, guard and do. But do not do
according to their works, for they say and do not." How many of you
have ever really read through the entire 23rd chapter of Matthew? Let
me share something. As we read verses 1-39 everything fits into a
beautiful discourse as a contextual masterpiece of King Yahshua's
diatribe and exposure of the hypocritical leaven of the Pharisees.
Verses 1-39 of Matthew 23 fit perfectly as they paint a mosaic. That
mosaic is that the Pharisees talk Moses (Torah) but don't walk Moses
(Torah). Their leaven is their hypocrisy.
So if verses 1 through 39 of Matthew 23 fit so perfectly with an
exposure of that leaven, the question is how do we deal with or
account for a textual abortion, so to speak, in verse 3? Why would
Yahshua spend 39 verses exposing, telling, warning and declaring to us
all, kinds of evil and darkness found in the teachings of the
Pharisees and then slip in verse number 3 of Matthew 23? Would King
Yahshua contradict Himself and tell us that despite their sin follow
them any way? Do their deeds anyway! Listen to them anyway! Why would
Yahshua knowing their evil lives go and command His disciples to not
worry about those things and follow their ways of death anyway? It's
like saying Uncle Charlie is a pedeophile. Uncle Charlie molests
children. Uncle Charlie cannot be trusted with your children.
Nevertheless when you need a babysitter and need to go out of town,
drop your children off at Uncle Charlie's house.
TRUE HEBREW MEANING
In our traditional translations verse 3 of Matthew 23 does not make
sense in the context of the chapter. That is because we have gotten
our erroneous translations of verse 3 from the Greek text. However
according to Eusebious, an early father of the faith: "The Hebrew
Matthew was preserved at the library at Cessaria Philippi". It has
been preserved and handed down to us today and it appears in Matthew's
Shem Tov. Matthew's Shem Tov is the preservation of the Hebrew Matthew
originally housed in Cesaria Phillipi according to Eusebios.
Let's take a close look at verse 3 in the traditional translations,
the only troubling verse in the midst of a sea of plain texts. The
fact remains that the Scribes and Pharisees sat in the Seat of Moses.
Deal with it! Verse 3 in the traditional translations states that:
"whatever they say to you, guard and do." Is Yahshua not talking to
His disciples and does it not appear that Messiah Yahshua is telling
them and us through them, that whatever they tell you to do you must
do? Is not that what verse 3 of Matthew 23 appears to be teaching? It
appears to be saying that. Yahshua appears to be encouraging His
disciples for all generations to submit to the dictates of the Seat of
Moses. However in the clearly understood context of verses 1-39, that
is a textual impossibility. Not only is that a textual impossibility,
other scriptures such as Mark 7 forbid the submission of born again
New Covenant Israelites, to a seat that is full of leaven and evil
hypocrisy.
The danger faced especially in the House of Ephraim (in their desire
to be more Jewish, which Ephraim has not been called to be) in their
call to return to the nation of Israel and reject the pagan practices
of both Judah and Ephraim, is that sometimes Ephraim acts like a silly
dove, according to Hosea 7:11. When Ephraimites get around a Jewish
believer, often they become overtaken with presence, envy and
sometimes a reverence of Jewishness that borders on worship of that
Jewishness. Then Ephraim starts fluttering in many silly ways
including doctrinally. Is it not interesting that in most branches of
Christianity today, you will find the symbol of the dove? Hosea states
that Ephraim can get like a silly dove, when they see Judah's deep
family roots. They get silly in the sense that they forget they are
not to worship man or his nationality or position. They like Judah are
called to keep our eyes on the author and finisher of the faith.
How can Yahshua spend 39 blessed verses of scripture telling us to
avoid the hypocrisy emanating from the Seat of Moses (keseh Moshe) and
then turn around and give us a PS: Listen to them anyway! Now if
that's really what He is saying, I don't want to follow Yahshua. Why
would Messiah spend all that time warning us, putting us on guard,
getting our attention, protecting us from the error of the Scribes and
Pharisees and then leave us with a huge contradictory PS: nevertheless
you can or should still drop your kids off at Uncle Charlie's. Don't
let the fact that Uncle Charlie is a pedophile bother you. Do you get
my point?
So in the original preserved Hebrew in Matthew's Shem Tov, in verse 3
reads entirely differently brothers and sisters. In Matthew 23:3 in
the original Hebrew, here is what it says. As you will see it makes a
world of difference. The Hebrew reads as follows: "Lamor, al kiseh
Moshe yoshveh haprushim vehachochmim. Vatah, kol asher yomer lachem
shomru veassu. Ovtachnutahem umaashem al tasu. Sh hem omrim vehem anam
osim. I apologize for the tongues but we are all Israelites we will
one day all be speaking Hebrew. Now as I said earlier, in all the
normative and accepted translations based on the Greek, it appears
that Yahshua our King is saying whatever they say to do you must do
and don't ask any questions since they have Moses Seat, symbolic of
Moses power and authority! Even if they teach you how to hate Yahshua,
or curse Yahshua in the shimoneh esreah, the liturgical prayer in the
Jewish prayer book containing a curse on the minim or traitors
(messianic believers). The way early persecutors would expose
believers is by forcing them to pray the shimoneh esreah and thus
pronounce a curse on themselves. Would Yahshua if He really is the Son
of Yahweh, teach you and I to submit to an authority that will demand
that you and I spit and curse our Savior and crucify afresh the Son of
Yahweh by putting underfoot the blood of the everlasting covenant? No,
no, no, no! Something is amiss in our understanding of these verses.
KOL ASHER YOMER!
Here is the English translation directly from the Matthew's Hebrew
Shem Tov. "lamor. Al kiseh Moshe, meaning on the Seat of Moses,
yoshvei haprushim vehacochmin, sit the Pharisees and the Sages.
Veatah, kol asher yomer lachem and now, ALL THAT IS SAID TO YOU, do.
Guard and do. But their ordinances and deeds do not do. Because they
say [Moses] and do not [do Moses]. So the contrast in the Hebrew is as
follows: Because they sit in Moses Seat, now all which "yomer"
meaning, that which has been said by an individual in the past, you
must continue to do! In Torah when Yahweh would speak the Torah He
often would say ko amar Yahweh. Or va-yomer Yahweh el Mosheh. It is
what is being said by an individual to another or to others. If
Yahshua the King of Israel was telling His disciples to follow the
Pharisees who would in turn teach you how to curse, hate, blaspheme
and deny your Messiah, Yahshua would have used the plural form of
yomer, which is omrim. If Yahshua was telling us to blindly follow
Moses Seat in total blind obedience then the Hebrew would then read:
kol shehem omrim not kol asher yomer! The term "kol ahser yomer"
speaks of an individual's commands or an individual's declarations to
others!!
Matthew 23:3 literally means all which he has said to you... Who is
the he? Moses! Whatever Moses says or is saying in the present tense
yomer, KEEP! Or the word yomer in the ongoing present tense can even
mean what Yahweh said and is continuing to say because HE is eternal
and unchanging! Either way whether referring to Moses or Yahweh
through Moses, it is an individual's declaration in the ongoing
present, not a group declaration, which then would entail the usage of
the collective plural present verb omrim.
CONTRASTS
The Hebrew Shem Tov in Matthew 23:3 contrasts what he (Moses) said,
versus what the Pharisees and Sages say. They are NOT SAYING THE SAME
THING. THIS VERSE IS A VERSE OF GREAT CONTRAST, not an admonition to
follow blasphemy and evil pernicious errors. King Yahshua is making it
clear that Moses and rabbinical Judaism both claim to be saying the
same thing but in no way, shape or form, are they doing and teaching
the same things.
Therefore the Hebrew rendering of Matthew 23:3: "veatah kol asher
YOMER lachem shomru veasu; uvtachnotahem umaasehem al tasu shhemem
omrim vhem anah osim, is a warning of the fact that their collective
deeds do not match the individual sayings of Moses. When referring to
the collective anti-Torah deeds of the Pharisees and Sages, Yahshua
uses the plural in the words uvtachnotahem uma-asehem, (ending in the
hem plural suffix) their ordinances and their deeds. Had Messiah truly
wanted us to be the blind following the blind, He would have told us
to follow kol shehem OMRIM using the plural form of yomer, just like
He did when referring to their collective manmade ordinances and
deeds, where Yahshua does use the collective present plural.
Matthew 23:3 then is a call to Torah and a call to distance ourselves
from the corruption of Moses Seat for all of King Yahshua's disciples!
Only in this Hebraic understanding can verse 3 of Matthew 23 take its
rightful logical place in a chapter full of sharp contrasts between
Moses's Torah and the ordinances and behaviors of the Pharisees. If
Matthew 23:1-39 are verses designed to contrast right from wrong, good
from evil, Torah from Oral Torah, then by definition of syntax so must
verse 3! When verse 3 is understood as the table setter to the rest of
the chapter, then we have perfectly fitting textual syntax. Then
verses 4-39 of Matthew 23, become the details of Yahshua's initial
verse 3 proclamation to avoid their sayings ("omrim") and choose
Moses's sayings that were "yomer"ed. King Yahshua illuminates the
reason that He has requested for His talmidim to refuse and reject the
leadership of the Seat of Moses, in light of their rejection of the
pure sayings of Moses the lawgiver.
DANGERS
The danger for the Messianic Israel movement is that if we are not
careful, we will fall into the same errors of our Messianic Jewish
brothers. They are trying to gain, acquire and procure the acceptance
of traditional rabbinic Judaism, despite denials to the contrary, to
somehow get their anti-Yahshua structure to give Messianic Judaism a
seal of approval. For some strange reason there remains this
insatiable desire in Messianic Judaism to come to what they wrongly
perceive is the righteousness of the Seat of Moses and to somehow
procure their acceptance in order for traditional Judaism to finally
recognize Messianic Judaism as a legitimate Jewish expression.
Why dos this still occur? Because they have made the error that
Messianic Israel must avoid. What is that error? First that whatever
Orthodox Judaism says is to be followed must be followed, even when
scripturally wrong, since they are our covering and our authority.
This error causes messianics to obey this perception, even at the
expense of truth, often forcing believers to compromise scripture, to
somehow show themselves humble by attempting to follow an authority
that in many ways clearly contradicts both covenants! Matthew's Shem
Tov shows that the opposite is true. Messiah Yahshua has rejected
Moses Seat as the authoritative overseers of His Messianic Israelite
disciples. We must not follow them if we are to follow Yahshua and
Torah!
We see that Yahweh has preserved for us the original meaning in the
Hebrew Shem Tov. When following this understanding, confusion does not
reign and neither does a divided loyalty. We are to follow the Holy
One and Him alone who teaches and does Moses, unlike those who sat in
judgment of Him the night of His betrayal. The guardians of Moses had
stopped doing Moses, long before King Messiah Yahshua was born! He
spent 39 verses of Matthew 23 including verse 3 to give the talmidim
detailed reasons why He Himself and all who are His followers must not
blindly follow their teachings. With the Hebrew Shem Tov the entire
chapter flows into a final declaration in the final verse (39).
Matthew 23:39 replaces the hypocrisy of Moses Seat with a proclamation
of the purity and right ruling of the Blessed One who has come in the
name of Yahweh to rightly interpret Torah (Isaiah 11:1-5).
We as Messianic Israelites must not blindly obey the past rulings of
the Seat of Moses. Here are a few of the reasons that what Moses said
and what those in Moses Seat said are two separate doctrines. Lets
look at the following verses designed to portray contrast, not blind
obedience. Let's start in verse 4. "For they bind heavy burdens hard
to bear and lay them on men's shoulders." 5."They do their works to be
seen by men." Did Moses do that? No he escaped men and went on the
mountain for 40 days and nights to get away and not be seen by the
ekklesia of Israel. They on the other hand do their works to be seen.
To truly practice Torah means for one to enter his or her closet and
perform and supplicate in secret, as Abba Yahweh rewards you openly.
Verse 6: "They (the Pharisees) love the best place in the feasts and
in the synagogues." Moses did not go to synagogue. They did. There is
that contrast again. Do Moshe but do not do what they do. Verse 7;
"they love the greetings to be called rabbi, rabbi." Moshe did not
want the greetings. He did not seek to be called rabbi. He was the
Torah giver. See the contrast. Moses was a rabbi even though did not
seek to be one but those in the Seat of Moses were seeking the titles
of rabbi from each other without divine sanction.
Achieving this correct understanding is serious business. If we fall
into the same misunderstanding as Messianic Judaism based on the
readily available Greek texts, we will be needing and seeking the
approval of traditional Judaism. Please, please chirps Messianic
Judaism, tell us we are really Jewish-Israelites please tell us that,
even though we believe in the J-MAN from Nazareth! Please accept us as
legitimate Jewish-Israelites! I don't believe this is Yahshua's desire
for us. If He tells us to follow and obey those who teach us to hate
Him and deny Yahshua, those whom He Himself calls blind guides, when
He is the light of the world, then something is greatly being
distorted. Why would the Light of the world that has come to light
every man's path, call His chosen people of Renewed Covenant Israel to
leave the Light and follow the blind guides? Yahshua said that he who
follows Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life
(John 8:12). Messianic Judaism says yea but... PS: just go there
(Moses Seat) for a little darkness. We must give the Seat of Moses
respect say others. No you don't. You as a disciple of Yahshua have to
respect what the seat ONCE STOOD FOR, but not necessarily the
representatives or the teachings and behaviors of that seat, when
their blind teachings clearly contradict the teachings about the Light
brought forth by both Moses and Yahshua Himself!
That Seat of Moses brought forth and added things that Moses and
Yahshua never said and so we must not hear and obey them. The Hebrew
makes it abundantly clear. We are to receive our directions from
Yahshua and Torah only and not from any subjection or approval seeking
from traditional Judaism. To run to the throne of traditional rabbinic
Judaism that does not have the same King as we do (scripture tells us
that to deny the Son is to deny the Father, even if one claims belief
in the Father alone) and does not love King Yahshua the way you and I
do, is an act of sellout and treason. We do not need their approval.
The scriptures tell us in Ephesians 1:4 that you and I are "holy and
blameless in His love." Further scripture tells us in Colossians 2:10
that ("we are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and
power.") We are accepted in the beloved. Our names were written in the
Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world. So why do you
and I need the approval of those who talk Moses but don't walk Moses?
If they had walked and not just talked Moses, they would not have
condemned the Son of Yahweh. Does traditional Judaism talk Moses and
talk Torah? Sure they do! Yahshua said they talk but do not walk
Moses. Messianic Judaism sad to say may be headed for a day of
destruction, unless they soon realize that their approval comes from
the King of Israel and not from 777 Eastern Parkway!
(End
Part 1 of 2)
********************************************************
Return to
Newsgroup Archives Main Page
Return to our Main Webpage
©2011
Hebraic Heritage Ministries International. Designed by
Web Design by JB.