Charting the Halacha of Matthew 5

Scripture Citation

Matthew 5:2122

Pharisees Oral Law You have heard that it was said (Mat 5:21) You have heard that it was said to those before, you should not kill and all that kill are condemned to judgment.

Yshuas own Oral Ruling But I say to you (Mat 5:22) But I say to you that anyone who provokes to anger his brother without cause, is condemned to judgment and anyone who should say to his brother, I spit on you, is condemned to the assembly, and anyone who should say, you are a coward, is condemned to the Gehenna63 of fire.

Tanakh Foundation for Discussion Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17 (for the prohibition against murder), Psalm 52:2-4, Proverbs 6:17 and compare to Proverbs 15:4.

Comments

Yshua here is clearly describing the tongue as a weapon of murder, whether it is murdering someone physically or just their reputation based on lies and lashon hara. The Sanhedrin in his day didnt treat the latter as overly important, so Yshua is tougher than they are, saying basically that either offense is equally heinous. The Sanhedrin prospered in part from all the lawsuits that would come their way but Yshua wanted to avoid litigation where possible. If the disputes are dealt with early on, major conflicts can be avoided later and this is more important than giving the offerings, which is not to say he was telling them NOT to do offerings at all. Yshua contrasts the pettiness of what we might call small claims

Matthew 5:2324

Not directly recorded, but we do know that the Pharisees would have had people visiting the Temple do their offering first, with the superficial ideal that of course they asked forgiveness of their brethren first, but if not, just give us your money!

(Mat 5:23) If it is therefore that you offer your offering to the altar and there you should remember a certain grudge your brother holds against you, (Mat 5:24) leave there your offering upon the altar64 and go first and reconcile with your brother and then come offer your offering.

Leviticus 19:18 (Do not bear a grudge against your people; love your neighbor as yourself); Proverbs 27:5 (Better a rebuke that is open than a love that is concealed); Hosea 6:6 (For I desire mercy and not sacrifice).

Matthew 5:2526

Again the culture at the time encouraged active use of the court

(Mat 5:25) Be in agreement with your adversary at

Psalm 133: Hineh mah tov uma nayim shevet achim gam

system and Sanhedrin. Almost everything that someone could be deprived of or injured by was given a direct monetary value either in Torah or in the tradition and the Sanhedrin once again greatly profited by this arrangement.

Torah while you are with him on the way, or else your adversary at Torah deliver you to the judge and the judge deliver you to the officer and you be thrown into the house of captives. (Mat 5:26) And truly I say to you that you will not come out from there until you pay the last coin.

yachad: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. Lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai.

Matthew 5:2728

(Mat 5:27) You have heard that it has been said that you should not commit adultery.65

(Mat 5:28) But I say to you that all who that looks at a woman lustfully at once has committed adultery in his heart.

14

"You shall not commit adultery. 15 "You shall not steal. 16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your

court against the ideal of brothers living in unity. This doesnt mean that disputes never come but that they are resolved at the familial level. This is why when he was asked by two brothers to mediate on an inheritance dispute he answered, Man, who appointed me an arbiter over you? because it was assumed each brother would be their own advocate and learn to reach agreement or, failing that, get the help of a family or tribal eldernot the King of Kings! The risk is what Yshua emphasizes, you will not get out until you are fully paid up. This is actually a teaching on coveting, the Gateway Sin of the Mind from which all manner of evil manifests physically. adultery in your heart is not the same as adultery in the world, but it does in a sense also carry a death penalty, as there is with all sin. When sin manifests, all steps that lead to

neighbor." (Exodus 20:14-17 NAU)

Matthew 5:2930

These comments take place against a backdrop of merely judging by appearances like the number of sacrifices or amount of contributions, and not looking inward to the heart, as Abba YHWH always does. Yshua has more direct criticisms of this system in Matthew 15 and 23.

(Mat 5:29) And if your right eye stumbles you, pluck it out and cast it from you, for it is better for you that one of your members should perish and not all of your body be thrown into Gehenna. (Mat 5:30) And if your right hand stumbles you, cut it off and cast it from you for it is better for you that one of your members should perish and not all of your body be thrown into Gehenna.

but Yahweh said to Samuel, 'Take no notice of his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him; Elohim does not see as human beings see; they look at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart.' (1 Samuel 16:7)

the sinful acts also count as sin, and Yshua is making that clear mind-body connection, first with mental lust, then with the tongue and then with the deed. Appearances will not matter when one is about to be destroyed in the Lake of Fire!

Matthew 5:3132

(Mat 5:31) It has been said that he that puts away his wife will give her a writing of divorce.66

(Mat 5:32) But I say to you that any who puts away his wife aside from a case of fornication makes her commit adultery, and he who takes a divorced woman67 commits adultery.

Suppose a man has taken a wife and consummated the marriage; but she has not pleased him and he has found some impropriety of which to accuse her; he has therefore made out a writ of divorce for her and handed it to her and then dismissed her from his house; 2 she leaves his

Again this shows Yshuas standard as way stricter than that of the Pharisees who, in this case, are heavily influenced by the school of Hillel. It was Hillel who said a man could divorce his wife for a small thing like burning dinner. Yshuas response however is not about the written certificate

Matthew 5:3337

(Mat 5:33) Again you have heard that it has been said to those before that you should not lie in your oath. But complete your oath to Master YHWH.68

Mat 5:34 But I say, you should not say I swear, not by heaven69 because that is the throne of Elohim. Mat 5:35 And not by the earth because it is the footstool that is beneath his feet,70 and not by Urishlim because it is the city of the great king.71 Mat 5:36 And

home and goes away to become the wife of another man. 3 Then suppose this second man who has married her takes a dislike to her and makes out a writ of divorce for her and hands it to her and dismisses her from his house or if this other man who took her as his wife dies, 4 her first husband, who has repudiated her, may not take her back as his wife now that she has been made unclean in this way. For that is detestable in Yahweh's eyes and you must not (Deuteronomy 24:1-4 NJB) 26 Then Shaddai will be all your delight, and you will lift your face to God. 27 You will pray, and he will hear; and you will be able to fulfil your vows. 28 Whatever you undertake will go well, and light will shine on your path; 29 for he casts down the pride of the arrogant, but he saves those of downcast eyes. 30 He rescues anyone who is innocent; have your hands clean,

but NOT sending her away with a certificate. This makes the woman commit adultery with her next husband, because she never got legally divorced. Same applies to husband #1, if he remarries.

Generally it is praiseworthy to make vows to YHWH if they can be carried out in a moral and Torah based way. However, care must be taken as to the kind of vow made, as is evidenced by the situation with Jephtah and his daughter. Therefore, it may be better not to swear at all rather than to open oneself up to extra penalty or extra temptation, but let your yes be yes and your

not by your head should you swear, because you are not able to make in it one part of the hair black or white. Mat 5:37 But your word should be but yes, yes, no and no, anything more than these is from evil.72 Matthew 5:3842 (Mat 5:38) You have heard that it has been said that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.73 (Mat 5:39) But I say to you that you should not stand against evil,74 but who hits you upon your right cheek, turn also to him the other. (Mat 5:40) And he that desires to go to court with you and take your coat, leave to him also your cloak. (Mat 5:41) He that compels you to go one mile, go two with him. (Mat 5:42) He that asks you to give to him and he desires to borrow from you, you should not deny him.

and you will be saved. (Job 22:26-30 NJB)

no be no and you will not have trouble.

22

'If people, when brawling, hurt a pregnant woman and she suffers a miscarriage but no further harm is done, the person responsible will pay compensation as fixed by the woman's master, paying as much as the judges decide. 23 If further harm is done, however, you will award life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stroke for stroke. 26 'If anyone strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys the use of it, he will give the slave his freedom to compensate for

Again the idea is to avoid the compensation process if possible by just being kind and patient which in the long run will save you time and grief. If someone hits you in anger, you give them a chance to consider carefully by turning the cheek. If they hit again, you know they have bad intent; if not, perhaps reconcilement is possible outside of the court system.

Matthew 5:4348

(Mat 5:43) You have heard that it has been said to love your neighbor and hate your enemy.75

(Mat 5:44) But I say to you to love your enemies and bless those that curse you and do that which is pleasing to those who hate you. And pray for those that take you by force and persecute you. (Mat 5:45) So that you may be the sons of your Father who is in

the eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he will give the slave his freedom to compensate for the tooth. 28 'If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox will be stoned and its meat will not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will not be liable. 29 But if the ox has been in the habit of goring before, and if its owner has been warned but has not kept it under control, then should this ox kill a man or woman, it will be stoned and its owner put to death. 30 If a ransom is imposed on the owner, he will pay whatever is imposed, to redeem his life. (Exodus 21:22-30 NJB) When Abram was ninety-nine years old Yahweh appeared to him and said, 'I am El Shaddai. Live in my presence, be perfect, 2 and I shall grant a covenant between myself and you, and make you very numerous.' 3 And Abram bowed to the ground. God

The higher standard of loving ones enemies, or at least not hating them in your heart, is all over Tanakh. The climax of Yshuas argument, be perfect as your Father in heaven in perfect, is found in the Tanakh quote to the left.

heaven. He that raises His sun upon the good and upon the evil and causes to descend His rain upon the just and the unjust. (Mat 5:46) For if you love those that love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans do this? (Mat 5:47) And if you greet in peace only your brothers, what more are you doing? Do not even the publicans do this? (Mat 5:48) You therefore be perfect76 as your Father in heaven who is perfect."

spoke to him as follows, 4 'For my part, this is my covenant with you: you will become the father of many nations. 5 And you are no longer to be called Abram; your name is to be Abraham, for I am making you father of many nations. 6 I shall make you exceedingly fertile. I shall make you into nations, and your issue will be kings. 7 And I shall maintain my covenant between myself and you, and your descendants after you, generation after generation, as a covenant in perpetuity, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 And to you and to your descendants after you, I shall give the country where you are now immigrants, the entire land of Canaan, to own in perpetuity. And I shall be their God.' 9 God further said to Abraham, 'You for your part must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after

you, generation after generation. (Genesis 17:1-9 NJB)