Talmudic Discourse 15

 

 

 

Shalom: Great question, Rabbi Abrams, and one of my favorite bits of Pesach Trivia. Thanks.

 

Rabbi Gamliel was a Talmudic Teacher of Rabbi Saul, aka Paul (see Tractate Shabbat 30B's characterization of Saul-Paul as a student;"impudence in learning,"),  and of Rabbi Simon- Peter.(Shimion-Cephas) As we know from Tractate Sanhedrin, a death sentence, cannot be carried out unless all 70 judges are unanimous , and sleep on the verdict over night, and if G!D speaks to just one of them, to be  merciful, and he announces such the next day, the death sentence is commuted.

 

 Well, historically from Flavius Josephus, Roman-Jewish historian, albeit somewhat inaccurate, we know that Gamliel saved Peter's life as being an Apostate, by following the Sandedrin's very rules. And Peter of course is said to be the first Pope. His name was Shimion, aka Simon, but Yeshua called him the Rock, Cephas in Aramaic, Petras in Greek, and Peter in English. And he is the 'rock' which the Church's foundation  was laid.

 

The records of the Catholic church actually record that Gamliel was an Ebionite, and a Jewish follower of Yeshuah, but did not believe in his divinity, which of course made Ebionites aka Evionem in Evrit, all apostates, and many exist today. But I digress.

 

Sometime after the death of Constantine One,  the Catholic soldiers, dug up Rabbi Gamliel's bones, (relics were a big thing in Catholic churches back then, with churches competing with 'who had the skull of James', or 'who had the finger of John'), and years later, eventually  buried him, with full Catholic ceremony and honors. And guess where? At the baptistery at Pisa, right next to the Leaning Tower, and after you buy your souvenirs of the Tower,   you can go inside and see the only Rabbi to be buried inside  a catholic church's crypt.

 

Up to 1956, Rabbi Gamliel was a Christian Saint, but Jewish lobbyists got him 'demoted' back to Rabbinic status and head of the Sanhedrin and a great sage.

 

"At Jerusalem, the finding of the body of blessed Stephen, protomartyr, and of the Saints Gamaliel, Nicodemus, and Abibo, through a divine revelation made to the priest Lucian, in the time of Emperor Honorius.Hierosólymis Invéntio beatíssimi Stéphani Protomártyris, et sanctórum Gamaliélis, Nicodémi et Abibónis, sicut Luciáno Presbytero divínitus revelátum est, Honórii Príncipis témpore."(393-423 CE).(from the Catholic Church's archives. )

 

The whole thing is ironic as it was Gamliel  who decreed  in the Talmud that we Jews should be buried in white linen with no pockets, in a plain pine box, as all Jews are equal in G!d's eyes, especially when we die.  (Talmud Tractate Gitten 27B)

 

1. Do you think this is a conflation in the text, i.e., that this is Rabban Gamliel retrojected into an earlier context? Conflations are everywhere in the Tanach and the Christian bible. At least something nice was said about a Jew on this page.

2. Why would Christian Scriptures portray a leading sage in such a positive light?  Who would have lobbied for the inclusion of this story in this light? Well, as mentioned above, as  we need to remember, folks who read the so -called Christian bible or at least heard the old tales before they were written knew of Hebraic as well as Talmudic law. A modern average Christian is clueless to Hebraic and Talmudic law when reading the texts and this has lead to some awful conclusions about Jews, whose rabbis, via the Talmud, changed our religion from a cult involving priests and animal sacrifices to one involving prayer and mitzvoth.

 

 Gamliel, via G!D talking to him that night, (and this doesn't need to be mentioned as it is understood to those of the time), let Peter and others live and hence, allowed the Church to be born.

 

 When the council of Nicaea, circa 325 CE with Constantine as its head decided what books to place in or out, and in what order, Gamliel's act, is central in justifying the Pope and the Catholic church, as being Universal and Correct.

 

This is not unusual, as our rabbis, made sure that they gave themselves authority, to make what we call today Talmudic law, by saying that G!D gave it all to Moses, who passed it to Joshua, who passed it to the Elders, who passed it Prophets, who passed it to the Great Assembly. And note that Moses' own brother, the High Priest Aaron, was not taught any of the 'oral law',  and neither were any Kings, not even David or Solomon! (Judaism and their rabbis were setting the stage to supplant the priests and move forward).

 

So, just as our Rabbis lobbied in Yavnah to keep the books of the Maccabees out because they had animus to the Hasmoneans, who made a real mess of things and actually invited the Romans into Judea to help them rule, Constantine had every reason to lobby the Gamliel story in, (and as well the books of the Maccabees).

 

3. How do you feel about having one of our sages in Christian Scriptures? Well, I am one of these post denominational Rabbis that looks at the Christian bible in many parts as cliff notes to our Talmud and Torah, except everyone is plagiarizing. So while they are not mentioned by name our Talmudic sages are mentioned by their words:.(taken from a web site a long time ago and I do not have the link. Sorry)

YESHUA   (Summaries in italics)	TALMUD (Summaries in italics)
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. - Mark 2:27	Rabbi Jonathan ben Joseph said: For it is holy unto you; I.e., it [the Sabbath] is committed to your hands, not you to its hands. - Talmud: Yoma 85b
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. - Matthew 25:45	One who betrays his fellow, it is as if he has betrayed God. - Tosefta Sh'vuot, ch. 3
Insulting someone is like murder.- Matthew 5:21-22	He who publicly shames his neighbour is as though he shed blood.- Talmud: Bava Mezia 58b
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. - Matthew 5:28	One who gazes lustfully upon the small finger of a married woman, it is as if he has committed adultery with her.- Kallah, Ch. 1
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. - Matthew 5:45	Rabbi Abbahu said: The day when rain fails is greater than [the day of] the Revival of the Dead, for the Revival of the Dead is for the righteous only whereas rain is both for the righteous and for the wicked - Talmud: Taanit 7a
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 6:1	In the case of the recital of the Shema', since everybody else recites, and he also recites, it does not look like showing off on his part; but in the case of the month of Ab, since everybody else does work and he does no work, it looks like showing off.- Talmud: Berachot 17b
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. - Matthew 6:3	What kind of charity is that which delivers a man from an unnatural death? When a man gives without knowing to whom he gives. and the beggar receives without knowing from whom he receives. - Talmud: Bava Batra 10a - 10b
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.- Matthew 6:7	If one draws out his prayer and expects therefore its fulfillment, he will in the end suffer vexation of heart, as it says, Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. - Talmud: Berachot 55a
Do not worry about where your food will come from tomorrow, or your drink. - Matthew 6:25-31	Rabbi Eliezer the Great declares: Whoever has a piece of bread in his basket and Says. 'What shall I eat tomorrow?' belongs only to them who are little in faith. - Talmud: Sotah 48b
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. - Matthew 6:34	A parable: [They were] like a man who was kept in prison and people told him: Tomorrow, they will release you from the prison and give you plenty of money. And he answered them: I pray of you, let me go free today and I shall ask nothing more! - Talmud: Berachot 9b
Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No. - Matthew 5:34-37	A righteous yes is a Yes; a righteous no is No. - Talmud: Bava Batra 49b   Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. --R. Abaye, Baba Metzia 49a
At that time Yeshua answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. - Matthew 11:25	Rabbi Johanan said: Since the Temple was destroyed, prophecy has been taken from prophets and given to fools and children. - Talmud: Bava Batra 12b
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. - Matthew 5:29-30	Come and hear what was taught: Rabbi Tarfon said, 'If his hand touched the membrum let his hand be cut off upon his belly'. 'But', they said to him, 'would not his belly be split'? 'It is preferable', he replied, 'that his belly shall be split rather than that he should go down into the pit of destruction'. - Talmud: Niddah 13b
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Mashiach; and all ye are brethren. - Matthew 23:8	Shemaiah used to say: love work, hate acting the superior, and do not bring thyself to the knowledge of the ruling authority. - Mishnah: Avot 1:10
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. - Matthew 24:44	Even as R. Zera, who, whenever he chanced upon scholars engaged thereon [I.e., in calculating the time of the Mashiach's coming], would say to them: I beg of you, do not postpone it, for it has been taught: Three come unawares: Mashiach, a found article and a scorpion. - Talmud: Sanhedrin 97a
Yeshua taught in a parable that they can please the king (God) by pleasing one another. - Matthew 25:40   And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. - Matthew 25:40	Rabbi simeon said: if three have eaten at one table and have not spoken thereat words of torah, [it is] as if they had eaten sacrifices [offered] to the dead, for [of such persons] it is said, for all tables are full of filthy vomit, [they are] without the All-Present. But, if three have eaten at one table, and have spoken thereat words of torah, [it is] as if they had eaten at the table of the All-Present, blessed be he, as it is said, this is the table before HaShem. - Mishnah: Avot 3:3
Love your enemy. - Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; - Matthew 5:43	They who are insulted but insult not back; who hear themselves reproached but answer not; who serve out of love and rejoice in their affliction--of them it is written in Scripture: They that love God are as the going forth of the sun in its might. - Talmud: Yoma 23a, Gitin 36b, Shabat 88b
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. - Matthew 22:23-30	There will be no marital union in the world to come. - Ma'asrot 4:5-6
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. - Matthew 5:23-24	If a man said, "I will sin and repent, and sin again and repent", he will be given no chance to repent. [If he said,] "I will sin and the Day of Atonement will effect atonement", then the Day of Atonement effects no atonement. For transgressions that are between man and God the Day of Atonement effects atonement, but for transgressions that are between a man and his fellow the Day of Atonement effects atonement only if he has appeased his fellow - Mishnah: Yoma 8:9
Matthew 5:45 ... sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.	Talmud, Taanit 7a - God causes it to rain for the wicked as well as for the righteous.
Matthew 5:43 Love thine neighbor and hate thine enemy	Talmud, Yoma 23a, Gitin 36b, Shabbat 88b - They who are insulted but insult not back; who hear themselves reproached but answer not; who serve out of love and rejoice in their affliction--of them it is written in Scripture: They that love God are as the going forth of the sun in its might.
Matthew 5:23-24... first be reconciled to thy brother	Talmud, Yoma 85b - Yom Kippur atones for all sins, but first you must reconcile your conflict with others.
Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses ...	Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 17a - Only if you forgive others will God forgive you.   Talmud, Shabat 151b - One who is merciful toward others, God will be merciful toward him
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth ...	Jerusalem Talmud, Pe'ah 15b - It happened that manobaz had squandered his father's wealth to charity. His brothers admonished him: "Your father gathered treasure and you wasted it all!" He replied: "My father laid up treasure where human hands control it; I laid it up where no hands control it. My father laid up a treasure of money; I laid up a treasure of souls. My father laid up treasure for this world; I laid up treasure for the heavenly world."
Matthew 7:1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged ...	Avot 2:14 - Do not judge your fellow until you have been in his place.   Avot 4:10 - Do not be a judge of others, for there is no judge but the one (God).
Matthew 7:2 ... with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again	Mishnah Sotah 1:7 - By a person's standard of measure, is he, too, measured.   Shabat 127b - How you judge others, does God judge you.   Sanhedrin 100a, attributes to Rabbi Meir the saying: "The measure which one measures will be measured out to him."
Matthew 7:3-5 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye ...	Er'chin 16b - Rabbi Tarfon said, "I wonder if there be anyone in this era who will allow himself to be reproved. If someone says to another, 'Cast out the speck that is in your eye!' he will retort, Cast out first the beam that is in your own eye!'"   Kidushin 70a - He who condemns others, sees in them his own faults.   Bava Mezia 59a - Do not rebuke your fellow with your own blemish.
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs	Ketubot. 111a - R. Levi said: "God made Israel swear that they should not reveal the [Messianic] end, and should not reveal the secrets of [of the Torah] to the idolators."
Matthew 7:12 Do to others what you would have them do to you ...	Shabbat 31a - What is hateful to you, do it not unto others -- this is the entire Torah, and the rest is commentary.
7:26 every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not ...	Avot 3:17 - One who studies Torah but does not do good deeds is likened to one who builds with a foundation of straw, so that even a minor flow of water will destroy it.
10:21 ... brother shall deliver up the brother to death	Talmud 49b - In the footsteps of the Mashiach, insolence will increase and honour dwindle; the vine will yield its fruit [abundantly] but wine will be dear; the government will turn to heresy and there will be none [to offer them] reproof; the meeting-place [of scholars] will be used for immorality; galilee will be destroyed, gablan desolated, and the dwellers on the frontier will go about [begging] from place to place without anyone to take pity on them; the wisdom of the learned will degenerate, fearers of sin will be despised, and the truth will be lacking; youths will put old men to shame, the old will stand up in the presence of the young, a son will revile his father, a daughter will rise against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be the members of his household; the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog, a son will not feel ashamed before his father. So upon whom is it for us to rely? Upon our father who is in heaven.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. --Matthew 5:7	He who is merciful to others, shall receive mercy from Heaven. - Shabbat 151b
Freely you receive, freely give. --Matthew 10:8	Just as I teach gratuituously, so you should teach gratuitously. - Bekoroth 29a
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. --Matthew 23:12	He who humbles himself for the Torah in this world is magnified in the next; and he who makes himself a servant to the Torah in this world becomes free in the next. - Baba Metzia 85b
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam that is in your own eye? --Matthew 7:3	Do they say, take the splinter out of your eye, he will retort: "Remove the beam out of your own eye." Baba Bathra 15b
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. --Matthew 9.37	The day is short, and the work is much; and the workmen are indolent, but the reward is much; and the Master of the House is insistent. Avot 2:15
	Sifri, Ekev No. 49 - As God is, so shall you be: As God is merciful, so shall you too, be merciful.

Shalom, and thanks for a great question, Rabbi Abrams:

 

Dr. Arthur Segal

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