Set of quotes is chosen to present God’s view in His own words on the most important and also the most misinterpreted topics of the Covenant. This set, as a “mini-Torah”, is intended to clear widespread confusions arising from wrong interpretations and wrong ideas. In addition this compendium includes those quotes spelling out the commandments which are usually omitted in traditional Rabbinical commentaries and excluded from the traditional list of Divine commandments. In no way can this compendium be considered to represent whole of Torah as it is impossible for any human being to reduce Torah without loosing parts of the Divine Wisdom.
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Table of Contents:
1. The Ultimate Goal Of Life, Spirituality, and Religion
2. Researching the Science of Creation
3. Understanding the Principle of Oneness of God
4. The Goal for Each Man is to Commune with God
5. Understanding the Source of Good and Evil – God is the Creator of Both, But People Choose Evil
6. Hidden Source of Jewish Power – the Blessings and Power of God
7. God is the Source of all the Wisdom and Creativity Revealed Through Man
8. On Israel – As a Chosen Nation, Set Apart From Others
9. All Men Are Created Equal
10. On Relation Between Man and Man
11. Giving the Law Tied to the Promised Land
12. Everything is Property of God – The Land of Israel and People of Israel
13. On Foundation of Judgment, Justice in Society
14. On Fighting Evil Within Israel
15. Sins Which Are Prescribed Monetary Compensations as Punishment
16. Sins Which Are Prescribed Non-Monetary – Direct Punishment
17. Commandments on Jewish Warfare
18. Is Torah Only One, or Are There Two – Written and Oral ? God’s answer…
19. God’s View on Rabbinical Opinion Stating That No Man is Capable To Understand Torah Without Traditional Commentaries
20. The Warning On Jewish Religion Going Astray From God, Being Replaced With Worshiping the Rituals
21. On Idol Worship
22. One Explicitly Suggested Method of Meditation – Meditation on the Text of Torah
23. Eternity of People of Israel, the Covenant and the Land of Israel
24. Nature of Prophecy. True versus False Prophets
25. Passover – the Ultimate Lesson
26. On charity
The Ultimate Goal of Life, Spirituality and Religion:
Then you will begin to seek YHVH your God, and if you pursue Him with all your heart and soul, you will eventually find Him. (Deuteronomy, 4:29)
And you will love the YHVH your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5)
Remain in awe of God, serve Him, cling to Him. (Deuteronomy, 10:20)
And it will be that if you listen to My commandments which I command you today to love YHVH your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will give you … (Deuteronomy 11:13)
And YHVH your God will give to you and to your descendants a circumcision of the heart, so that, loving him with all your heart and all your soul, you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:6)
… I command you today to love YHVH your God and to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His decrees and His civil laws so that you may live and that you may increase and YHVH your God will bless you in the land into which you are coming to take as a possession. (Deuteronomy, 30:16)
(You should choose) to love YHVH your God, to listen to His voice and to attach yourself to Him because that is your life and the length of your days to dwell in the Land ( Deuteronomy 30:20)
Let those who wish to glory, glory in knowing and understanding Me. (Jeremiah 9:23)
I was searching for the YHVH, and he gave ear to my voice, and made me free from all my fears. (Psalms 34:4)
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Researching the Science of Creation:
Consider the days of old, the years of the many generations. (Deuteronomy, 32:7)
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Understanding the Principle of Oneness of God:
first two quotes talk about oneness beyond the notion of “one God” – it is “oneness” in ultimate sense without object and subject, as any duality of “object-subject” creates at least two … Yet the expression “YHVH ehad” denotes the Ultimate Oneness, not only “among gods”.
Listen Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH is One. (Deuteronomy, 6:4)
That you will know that God is the Supreme Being and there is none besides Him. (Another quote pointing to non-duality – the Ultimate Oneness. Deuteronomy 4:35)
YHVH your God is the God of gods and the Master of masters. (Deuteronomy, 10:17)
But now see – it is I! I am He! There are no (other) gods with me! (Deuteronomy 32:39)
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The Goal For Each Man Is To Commune With God:
Crave for 2-way communication with Him, listen to Him and seek His response in any ways. The method? – Jewish Meditation: Listen to His voice, Be aware of every thing which comes to you from Him
If you follow my laws and listen to my commands, and do them, I will give … (then follows the listing of many blessings, Leviticus, 26:3)
If you will not listen to me … (follows list of punishments, Leviticus, 26:14)
… in order to let you know that not by bread alone does man live but by everything which comes from the mouth of God does man live. (Watch your own life – God provide in may ways you are not aware of yet. Develop this awareness and you will find The Creator, – Deuteronomy, 8:3)
And YHVH your God will give to you and to your descendants a circumcision of the heart, so that, loving him with all your heart and all your soul, you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:6)
Love YHVH your God, hearing his voice and being true to him: for He is your life and by Him will your days be prolonged, so that you may go on living in the land which YHVH gave by an oath to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 30:20)
Be in awe, and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still . Selah ( quiet your body and mind, then meditate. Predates the rise of Raja Yoga and Buddhism and all the new age spirituality of today, Psalms 4:4)
One thing have I desired of the YHVH, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the YHVH all the days of my life, to contemplate/meditate on the beauty of the YHVH, and to inquire in his temple. (Psalms 27:4)
… When I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the night watches. (Psalms 63:6)
Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. (Psalms 119:2)
Make me to understand the way of Your precepts: so shall I talk of Your wondrous works. (Psalms 119:27)
I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Your works; I meditate on the work of Your hands. (Realize the presence of the Creator in His Creation. One of the methods of Yoga and Buddhism, Psalms 143:5)
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Understanding the Source of Good and Evil – God is a Creator of Both, But People Choose Evil:
Warning of punishments for going astray. Each punishment has a reason, explicitly warned and predicted. This contradicts often repeated misconception that “we don’t know God’s ways …”. The ultimate distortion of Torah is when applying this ignorance to the most gruesome moments of the Jewish history, such as the Holocaust. Yet, to let us know His ways as well as the outcome of our choice, – is the very reason why we were given Torah and the Book is very specific about it :
If you follow my Laws and listen to my commands, I will provide you with … (list of blessings follows, Leviticus 26:3) … I will grant peace in the Land so that you will sleep without fear. I will rid the land from dangerous animals and the sword will not pass through the Land. You will chase away your enemies and they will fall before your sword. Five of you will be able to chase away a hundred and a hundred of you will defeat ten thousand, as your enemy fall before your sword. (follows Leviticus 26:6-8)
But if you do not listen to Me and do not keep my commandments … I will then do the same to you … I will bring upon you feeling of anxiety with depression and excitement, destroying your outlook and making life miserable. ( Leviticus, 26:16) I will scatter you among the nations and keep the sword drawn against you (26:33) You will then be destroyed among the nations. The land of your enemies will consume you. (26:38)
You should know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son so does YHVH your God disciplines you. (Deuteronomy, 8:5)
Today I put before you a blessing and a curse. The blessing if you give ear to the orders of the YHVH your God, which I give you this day . And the curse if you do not give ear to the orders of the YHVH your God, but let yourselves be turned from the way which I have put before you this day, and go after other gods which are not yours. (Deuteronomy 11:26-11:28)
… there will not be among you a needy person because YHVH will surely bless you in the Land which YHVH your God is giving you as inheritance to take possession of it. Only if you carefully listen the voice of YHVH your God to keep doing all these commandments which I command you today. (The promise of not having any needy person is conditional based on the following God’s commandments, otherwise … Deuteronomy 15:4-5)
If only you keep the commandments of YHVH your God and walk in His path, God will establish you as His nation, as He promised you. All the nations of the world will realize that God’s name is associated with you and they will be in awe of you. (Deuteronomy 28:9-10)
If you do not obey YHVH your God and do not carefully keep all His commandments and decrees as I am prescribing for you today, then all these curses to bear on you … (following goes a list of curses and punishments, edit.) (Deuteronomy 28:15)
and you will be uprooted from the land which you are about to take as your heritage. And the YHVH will send you wandering among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other: there you will be servants to other gods, of wood and stone, gods of which you and your fathers had no knowledge. (Deuteronomy 28:63-64)
And it will be when it come upon you all these blessings and the curses which I have placed upon you, you will take it to your heart… (Deuteronomy 30:1)
See, I have put before you today, life and good, and death and evil. (Deuteronomy, 30:15)
But if your heart is turned away and your ear is shut, and you go after those who would make you servants and idol worshippers of other gods. (Deuteronomy 30:17)
I have put before you life and death, a blessing and a curse: so choose life for yourselves and for your descendants. (Deuteronomy, 30:19)
The work of the Mighty One is perfect because all His ways are just, a God of Faith without wrong doing, He is righteous and moral. Corruption is theirs, not His, the fault is His children’s – a perverse and crooked generation. (Deuteronomy 32:4-5)
On that day I will utterly hide My face because of all the evil that they have done in turning to alien gods (or masters) (Deuteronomy 31:18 and 32:20-21)
For they are all greedy for profit, from smallest to the greatest, from prophet to priest. They all act falsely. They attempt to heal My people’s wounds without efforts, saying “Peace, Peace” but there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:13-14 repeated again in 8:11)
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Hidden Source of Jewish Power – the Blessings and Power of God:
This also rejects often repeated Rabbinical misconception that anti-Semitism is a part of human world since the Creation. It is not. :
Observe therefore and do them (commandments), for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations, that, when they hear all these statutes, shall say:’ Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. (Deuteronomy, 4:6)
When you cross the Jordan and you settle the Land which YHVH your God is making you inherit and when He gives you rest from all your enemies around you and you will dwell in safety… (Deuteronomy 12:10)
But there will be no poor among you; for the YHVH will certainly give you his blessing in the land which the YHVH your God is giving you for your heritage. If only you listen to the voice of the YHVH your God, and take care to keep all these commandments which I give you today. For the YHVH your God will give you his blessing as he has said, you will lend to other nations, but you will not borrow from them; you will be rulers over a number of nations, but they will not be your rulers. (Deuteronomy 15:4-6)
The YHVH your God, he will go over before you; he will send destruction on all those nations, and you will take their land as your heritage. (Deuteronomy 31:3)
When God gives you power (over those nations) you must do to them everything required by this law that I have prescribed to you. (Deuteronomy 31:5)
Be strong and take heart, and have no fear of them: for it is the YHVH your God who is going with you; he will not take away his help from you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
All people will give way before you: for the YHVH your God will put the fear of you on all the land through which you go, as he has said. (Deuteronomy 11:25)
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God is the Source of all the Wisdom and Creativity Revealed Through Man
I have filled him (Betzalel) by the Ruah Elohim (Spirit of God) with Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge and ability to do all kinds of work. (Exodus, 31:3 and repeats in 35:31 and in 36:1)
… into the heart of every wise-hearted individual have I given Wisdom so that they may make all things that I have commanded you. (Exodus, 31:6)
… and He put into his heart the ability to teach… ( Exodus, 36:34)
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On Israel – As a Chosen Nation, Set Apart From Others:
God said to Abram … “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you great. You shall become a blessing. I will bless those who bless you I will curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis, 12:2-3)
God said to Jacob … All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. I am with you. I will protect you wherever you go and bring you back to this soil. I will not turn aside from you until I have fully kept this promise to you. (Genesis, 28:14)
I am the YHVH your God who have separated you from all other nations. (Leviticus, 20:24)
And you are to be holy to me; for I the YHVH am holy and I have separated you from the nations to be Mine. (Leviticus, 20:26)
And if your brother becomes poor and gives himself to you for money, do not make use of him like a slave who is your property; But let him be with you as a servant working for payment, till the year of Jubilee; Then let him go free, he and his children with him, and go back to his family and to the property of his fathers… Do not dominate (your brother) to break his spirit, since you must fear your God. On another hand you may get slaves as property from among the nations around you; from them you may take men and women slaves. And in addition, you may get, for money, slaves from among the children of other nations who are living with you, and from their families which have come to birth in your land; and these will be your property. And they will be your children’s heritage after you, to keep as their property; they will be your servants for ever; but you may not be hard masters to your brothers, the children of Israel. (Leviticus, 25:39-46)
… and YHVH has declared you this day to be a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments (Deuteronomy 26:1)
and to make you high above all nations that he has made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that you may be a holy people to YHVH your God, as he has spoken. (Deuteronomy 26:19)
You are a nation consecrated to YHVH your God. YHVH your God chose you to be His special people among all the nations on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy, 7:6)
The heaven, the heaven of heavens, the earth and everything in it, all belong to God. Still, it was only with your ancestors that God developed a closeness. He loved them and therefore chose you, their descendants from among all the nations (Deuteronomy, 10:14-15)
Because you are a holy people to YHVH your God and it is you whom YHVH has chosen to be for Him a treasured people from among all the peoples on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 14:2)
He setup borders of nations to parallel the number of Israel’s descendants. But God’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. (Deuteronomy 32:8-9)
Happy is the nation whose God is the YHVH; and the people whom he has taken for his heritage. (Psalms 33:12)
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All Men Are Created Equal
The Converted Proselytes Have Equal Rights With Native Israelites:
And if a man from another country is living with you, and has a desire to keep the Passover to the YHVH, let all the males of his family undergo circumcision, and then let him come near and keep it; for he will then be as one of your people; but no one without circumcision may keep it. (Exodus, 12:48)
Before God all the Children of Israel have the same value (are equal):
The rich man shall not give more and the poor man shall not give less than half a shekel when giving Terumah to YHVH to atone for your souls. (Exodus 30:15)
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On Relation Between Man and Man:
( These are between men living by God’s laws within the Land of Israel, they are called “your brother” or “your neighbor”. There are many who confuse this with relations between Israel and other nations. Those relations discussed in quite different language in different situations throughout all of Torah)
Do not get equal with one who has done you wrong, or keep hard feelings against the children of your people, but have love for your neighbor as for yourself: I am the YHVH. (Leviticus, 19:18)
And if a man from another country is living in your land with you, do not make life hard for him; Let him be to you as one of your countrymen and have love for him as for yourself; for you were living in a strange land, in the land of Egypt: I am the YHVH your God. (Leviticus, 19:33-34)
And if your brother becomes poor and is not able to make a living, then you are to help him to survive, helping him and also a proselyte from foreign land who is living among you. (Leviticus, 25:35)
Take no interest from your brother, in money or in goods, but have the fear of your God before you, and let your brother make a living among you. (Leviticus, 25:36)
At the end of every three years take a tithe of all your produce for that year, and shall place it in your gates. And the Levite, because he has no part or heritage in the land, and the foreigner, and the orphan, and the widow, who are living among you, they all will come and take food and have enough; and so the blessing of the YHVH your God will be on you in everything you do. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)
You must repeatedly give him ( your brother) and let not your heart to feel bad when you give him because of this your deed, YHVH your God will bless you in all your work and in all the labor of your hands. (Deuteronomy 15:10)
Let it not seem hard to you that you have to send him (former slave) away free; for he has been working for you for six years, which is twice the regular time for a servant: and the blessing of the YHVH your God will be on you in everything you do. (Deuteronomy 15:18)
Then you shall rejoice before the YHVH your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male slave and your female slave, and the Levite who is with you, and the foreigner, and the orphan, and the widow, who are living among you, in the place chosen by the YHVH your God as a dwelling for his name. (Deuteronomy 16:11)
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Giving the Law Tied to the Promised Land:
Now, Israel, listen to the rules and laws that I am teaching you to do, so that you will remain alive and come to occupy the Land that YHVH, God of your fathers is giving you. (Deuteronomy, 4:1)
I have taught you rules and laws as YHVH , my God has commanded me, so that you will be able to keep them in the Land to which you are coming and which you will be occupying. (Deuteronomy, 4:5)
God commanded me to teach you rules and laws so that you will keep them in the Land which you are crossing to occupy. (Deuteronomy, 4:14)
A land cared for by the YHVH your God: the eyes of the YHVH your God are on it at all times from one end of the year to the other. (Deuteronomy 11:12)
These are the decrees and the laws which you are to keep with care in the land which the YHVH, the God of your fathers, has given you to be your heritage all the days of your life on earth. (Deuteronomy 12:1)
He will bless you in the Land that He, YHVH your God, is giving you. (Deuteronomy 28:8)
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Everything is Property of God – The Land of Israel and People of Israel:
No land should be sold forever, for the Land is Mine, and you are My permanent residents, living with Me for a time. (Leviticus, 25:23)
For they are My slaves whom I took out from the land of Egypt; they may not become the property of another. (Leviticus, 25:42)
For the children of Israel are slaves to Me; they are My slaves whom I took out of the land of Egypt: I am the YHVH your God. (Leviticus, 25:55)
But His own nation remains God’s property; Jacob is the lot of His heritage. (Deuteronomy 32:9)
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On Foundation of Judgment, Justice in Society:
Judgment belongs to God. (Deuteronomy, 1:17)
You are to make judges and overseers in all your towns which the YHVH your God gives you, for every tribe: and they are to be upright men, judging the people in righteousness. You are not to be moved in your judging by a man’s position, you are not to take rewards; for rewards make the eyes of the wise man blind, and the decisions of the upright false. Let righteousness be your guide, so that you may have life, and take for your heritage the land which the YHVH your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 16:18-20 Basics of the legal system)
On the word of two or three witnesses, a man may be given the punishment of death; but he is not to be put to death on the word of one witness. (Deuteronomy 17:6)
If you are not able to make a decision as to who is responsible for a death, or who is right in a cause, or who gave the first blow in a fight, and there is a division of opinion about it in your town: then go to the place marked out by the YHVH your God; And come before the priests, the Levites, or before him who is judge at the time; and they will go into the question and give you a decision: And you are to be guided by the decision they give in the place named by YHVH, and do whatever they say; Acting in agreement with their teaching and the decision they give: not turning to one side or the other from the word they have given you. (Deuteronomy, 17:8-11)
But if any man has hate for his neighbor, and waiting for him secretly makes an attack on him and gives him a blow causing his death, and then goes in flight to one of these towns; The responsible men of his town are to send and take him, and give him up to the blood avenger to be put to death. Have no pity on him, so that Israel may be clear from the crime of putting a man to death without cause, and it will be well for you. (Deuteronomy 19:11-13)
If a false witness makes a statement against a man, saying that he has done wrong, Then the two men, between whom the argument has taken place, are to come before the Lord, before the priests and judges who are then in power; And the judges will have the question looked into with care: and if the witness is seen to be false and to have made a false statement against his brother, Then do to him as he intended to do to his brother: and so put away the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 19:16-19)
Have no pity; let life be given for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. (Deuteronomy 19:21, observe that all the listed cases spell out equivalent punishment to the same degree. The first case, “life for life”, spelled out in full details earlier. Because of the gravity of the punishments, the listing preceded with warning “Have no pity” as in 19:13 )
And Avimelech said to Avraham: “What did you see that you did this thing ? And Avraham said: Because as I said, there is no fear of God in this place…” (Bareishit, 20:10-11, – King wants to know why Avraham decided to hide that Sarah is his wife, bringing a danger of committing sin by King taking her as his wife. Or, in other words, what prompted him to make judgement and start preventive measures before anything bad actually happened to him. The answer from Avraham is self-evident)
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On Fighting Evil Within Israel:
opposing the widespread Rabbinical opinion that Jewish Unity overrides all other laws, even if such a unity includes Jews who openly reject God. In His words God is explicitly rejecting such a unity: Not Jewish Unity but following the Divine Law is above all.
… thus said YHVH , God of Israel – let each man take up his sword, go forth and back from gate to gate in the camp and let each man kill his brother, each man his friend and each man his relative. ( Instructions given by Moses to Levites according to God’s command regarding slaughter of those engaged in the worship of the golden calf. Exodus, 32:27 )
So you shall remove the evil from the midst of you. (Deuteronomy, repeated in 13:5, 17:7, 17:12, 19:19, 21:21, 22:21, 22:22,22:24, 24:7 )
If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife of your heart, or the friend who is as dear to you as your life, working on you secretly says to you, Let us go and give worship to other gods, unknown to you and to your fathers , gods of the peoples around you, near or far away, – Do not be guided by him or give attention to him; have no pity on him or mercy, and give him no protection, but put him to death without question; let your hand be the first stretched out against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people. (Deuteronomy 13:7-10) … And all Israel shall hear and they shall be afraid and they will never again do any wicked thing like this in your midst. (Deuteronomy 13:12)
If you will hear in one of your cities … that there are men there who have thrown off the yoke of heaven from your midst and they have led astray the dwellers of the city by saying: let us go and serve other gods which you do not know. You shall then investigate and you shall inquire carefully and if it is true that the abomination has been done in your midst, you shall strike down the dwellers of that city by the sword destroying it and everything that is in it and even its animals by the sword. And all it’s spoil you shall gather into the city’s square and then you shall burn in fire the city and all it’s spoil completely for the sake of YHVH your God and it shall remain a heap of rubble forever it shall never be built up again. (Deuteronomy 13:13-17)
If there is any man or woman among you, in any of the towns which the YHVH your God gives you, who does evil in the eyes of the YHVH your God, sinning against his agreement, By becoming a servant of other gods and worshipping them or the sun or the moon or all the stars of heaven, against my orders; If word of this comes to your ears, then let this thing be looked into with care, and if there is no doubt that it is true, and such evil has been done in Israel; Then you are to take the man or woman who has done the evil to the public place of your town, and they are to be stoned with stones till they are dead. (Deuteronomy 17:2-5)
And any man who, in his pride, will not give ear to the priest whose place is there before the YHVH your God, or to the judge, is to be put to death: you are to put away the evil from Israel. And all the people, hearing of it, will be full of fear and will not behave wickedly. (Deuteronomy 17:12-13)
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Sins Which Are Prescribed Monetary Compensations As Punishment
For some sins God explicitly prescribes a symbolic monetary compensation as a punishment leaving no space for speculations regarding the details of the punishment.
anyone wounding animal and causing its death, will have to make payment for it: a life for a life. (Leviticus 24:18, wording explicitly spells out to replace the measure of punishment with symbolic – a monetary payment)
He who puts animal to death will have to make payment for it. ( Leviticus 24:21)
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Sins Which Are Prescribed Non-Monetary – Direct Punishment
Again, as above, God is specific regarding the details of the punishment when it comes to a direct “measure for measure” punishment, leaving no space for speculations.
anyone who takes somebody’s life is certainly to be put to death. (Leviticus 24:17)
if a man does damage to his neighbor, as he has done, so let it be done to him. (Leviticus 24:19)
Wound for wound, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever damage he has done, so let it be done to him. (Leviticus 24:20, very specific wording, no space left for speculations as to a replacement of a “measure for measure” punishment with something else)
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Commandments on Jewish Warfare:
When you go out to war against other nations, and come face to face with horses and war-carriages and armies greater in number than yourselves, have no fear of them: for the Lord your God is with you … (Deuteronomy 20:1)
The repetition of God’s encouragement to “Fear no man” while fighting with more powerful nations mentioned those many times in Deuteronomy 1:17, 1:21, 1:29, 1:30, 3:2, 3:22, 7:18, 7:21, 20:1 , 31:3, 31:6, 31:8, 31:23
The YHVH will give them up into your hands, and you are to do to them as I have given you orders. (Deuteronomy 31:5)
When you come to a town, before attacking it, make an offer of peace. And if it gives you back an answer of peace, opening its doors to you, then all the people in it may be put to forced work as your servants. If however it will not make peace with you, but war, then let it be shut in on all sides. And when the YHVH your God has given it into your hands, let every male in it be put to death without mercy. But the women and the children and the cattle and everything in the town and all its wealth, you may take for yourselves: the wealth of your haters, which the YHVH your God has given you, will be your food. So you are to do to all the towns far away, which are not the towns of these nations.
But in the towns of these peoples whose land the YHVH your God is giving you for your heritage, let no living thing be kept alive. (Deuteronomy 20:10-16)
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Is Torah Only One, Or Are There Two: Written and Oral? God’s answer …
Then Moses wrote down all the words of YHVH. (Exodus, 24:4, is there still a need for other quotes?)
He took the Book of the Covenant and he read it in the ears of the people and they said, “All that YHVH has spoken we will do and we will heed” (Exodus, 24:7. Apparently Torah is indeed COMPLETE as it was written in the previous quote, otherwise people would say that there is something missing for understanding, so that they cannot do it… )
God said to Moses, “Write these words down for yourself, because it is through these words from my mouth that I have made a covenant with you and with Israel“ (Exodus, 34:27, Covenant is to be recorded by Moshe because … it is the Covenant)
Theses are the words which Moses spoke to All of Israel … according to All that YHVH had commanded him to tell them. (Deuteronomy 1:1-3, the first verses of the book of Deuteronomy – Moses spelled out All the Commandment in his last speech – it is COMPLETE information coming from God)
Moses began to explain this Torah saying … (Deuteronomy1:5 . even the explanation of Torah is recorded in Deuteronomy – the last speech of Moses)
Which other great nation has decrees and laws as All this Torah which I am putting before you today? (Deuteronomy 4:8, All the words of Torah spelled out by Moses and recorded in this book of Deuteronomy. Again, “All” means “complete” )
And Moses call all Israel and he said to them: “Hear Or Israel the decrees and laws which I am speaking to your ears today, you shall learn them and you shall take care to do them. (Deuteronomy 5:1, all the words of Moses recorded in the book of Deuteronomy and people suppose to learn them as they are spoken to them and written, and live by them)
Everything which I command you, that shall you observe to do: you shall not add to it, nor shall you remove from it. (Deuteronomy 13:1, Moshe warned against any amendments to this recorded Covenant which he spelled out in his last speech in the book of Devarim )
And it will be when he (the king ) sits securely on the throne of his kingdom he shall write a copy of this Torah for himself on a scroll copying from the one kept by Kohanim of the tribe of Levi. It shall be with him and he shall read from it all the days of his life so that he will learn to fear YHVH his God to keep all the words of this Torah and these decrees to carry them out. (Deuteronomy, 17:18-19, explicitly stated that the source of the Divine Law to follow for the king shall be written copy of “this Torah” written by Moshe. No other sources mentioned by God for the king to be able to “carry them out”. This book alone is complete for intended purpose.)
So that his heart may not be lifted up over his countrymen, and he may not be turned away from the orders, to the right or left. (Deuteronomy 17:20, these words confirm that just by reading his own written copy of Torah, King will ensure following the Divine Law precisely without deviation. Nothing else is required to add to the written Torah to be able to follow it, in fact nothing else is ALLOWED to be added as per 13:1.)
This day YHVH your God is commanding you to practice all these decrees and laws with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 26:16, as a subject of all the Moses’ speech as recorded in Deuteronomy according to the recorded text itself)
You will setup for yourself large stones and you will plaster them with lime and you will write on them all the words of this Torah (Deuteronomy 27:2-3)
and, again, Moses repeats after few sentences
And you shall write on the stones all the words of this Torah in a clear (detail) words (Deuteronomy 27:8)
… if you will listen to the commandments of YHVH your God which I am commanding you today to keep them and to do and you must not stray from all the words which I am commanding you today either to the right or to the left going after other gods to serve them. And it will be if you will not listen to the voice of YHVH your God to carefully carry out all His commandments and His decrees which I am commanding you today then there will come upon you all these curses and they will overtake you. (Deuteronomy 28:13-15, why does Moses repeat so many times the same words – “which I am commanding you today”, — the words which are recorded in his Torah ? Guess…)
… and you will listen to the voice of YHVH and you will carry out all His commandments which I command you today. (Deuteronomy 27:8)
If you will not be careful to carry out all the words of this Torah which are written in this book … (Deuteronomy 28:58, whatever Moses tells Israel, all is recorded, just as he says)
These are the words of the covenant which YHVH commanded Moses to make with Children of Israel in the land of Moav. (Deuteronomy 28:69, all these words spelled out by Moses that day and recorded in his Torah constitute a complete covenant)
… and you will listen to the voice of YHVH and you will carry out all His commandments which I command you today. (Deuteronomy 30:8, Moshe spelled out to people all the commandments of God and wrote them down, see next)
… when you obey the voice of YHVH your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of Torah; when you turn to YHVH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. Because this Law which I command you today is not hidden from you and it is not far away from you. (Deuteronomy 30:10, no comments needed to the written Divine Law)
Then Moses put all this law in writing, and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi… (Deuteronomy 31:9 Precedes the commandment below to read from it to the people)
When all Israel come to appear before the face of YHVH your God in the place which He will choose, you shall read this Torah in the presence of all Israel into their ears. (Deuteronomy 31:11, public reading – another reason why the Covenant – this Torah – was written)
So that they will learn and they will fear YHVH your God and they will be careful to carry out all the words of this Torah. (Deuteronomy, 31:12, “all the words of this Torah” which Moshe is spelling out to all of Israel in his last speech, clearly stating that people WILL UNDERSTAND and will LEARN once they hear written Torah)
And it was when Moshe finished writing down the words of this Torah on a parchment scroll until he had completed them, Moshe commanded Leviim the bearers of Ark of the Covenant of YHVH saying: “Take this Book of Torah and put it at the side of Ark of the Covenant of YHVH your God and it shall remain there as a witness against you” (Deuteronomy 31:24-26, a written Torah is COMPLETE as it is spelled literally and it becomes a witness to Jewish faithfulness to God )
Give your full attention to all the words by which I testify to you today so that you will command your children about them to keep and do all the words of this Torah. Because it is not an empty thing for you – because that is your life. (Deuteronomy 32:46-47, words of the Covenant were spelled out and recorded by Moshe)
After that, he (Joshua) read all the words of the Torah, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Torah. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read to the entire congregation of Israel, the women and the children and the converts that walked among them. (Joshua 8:34-35, the answer to the debate on validity of Oral Torah cannot be more clearly answered than these words from the book of Joshua.)
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God’s View On Rabbinical Opinion Stating That No Man Is Capable to Understand Torah Without Traditional Commentaries:
Such Rabbinical opinion is mentally degrading God-given abilities in every man, it incapacitates the individual human to understand Scripture which God intended for everyone. Torah points that rejecting the intellectual capacity of individual to understand Torah is the same as rejecting the God’s Image in man. The task of comprehending the Divine Message should not be delegated to another person “who will go up to heaven and bring it to us” but must be studied and comprehended by each individual because “it is in your heart and in your mouth“.
God said, “Let us make a man with our image and resemblance.” (Genesis, 1:26, potential abilities of every human are equally Divine. Nobody, not a prophet nor a sage has “more” potentials than others.)
God thus created man with His Image. In the Image of God He created him, male and female He created them. (Genesis, 1:27, potential abilities of every man and woman are equally Divine. Nobody has “more” potentials than others)
This mandate that I am prescribing you today is not mysterious or far away from you. It is not in the heaven as if to say “Who shall go up to heaven and bring it to us so that we can hear it and keep it? It is not across the sea as if to say: “Who will cross the sea and get it for us, so that we will be able to hear it and keep it?” It is something that is very close to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can keep it. ( Deuteronomy 30:10-14, again everybody is capable to understand these words, which Moses spelled out to Israel and recorded in his Torah, without anybody’s help.)
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The Warning on Jewish Religion Going Astray From God, Being Replaced With Worshiping the Rituals:
God rejects rituals – made into a replacement of the following God’s laws in daily life:
It is the fruit of their own plans, for they did not listen to My word and they rejected My teachings. Why do I need frankincense that comes from Sheba or fragrant cane from distant countries? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable and your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me. (Jeremiah 6:19-20, although those rituals mentioned are part of the worship as per God’s commandment, yet, if not leading to the Divine purpose, if those rituals where turned into the purpose themselves, God rejected them)
I did not speak to your ancestors or command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices when I took them out of the land of Egypt. Rather, I commanded them: Obey Me and I will be your God and you will be My people. Carefully follow the path I commanded you, so things go well for you. (Jeremiah 7:22-23, following God’s path in all the tests and choices of real life – is more important than to mindlessly follow the rituals of worship)
How can you say: ” We are wise and God’s teaching is with us”? Indeed, the pen has labored in vain and scribes labor in vain. (Jeremiah 8:8)
And Samuel said, has the YHVH as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices (rituals), as in obeying the voice of the YHVH? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the YHVH, He has also rejected you from being king. (1st Samuel 15:22-23, again the following God’s direction in mundane trials is more important than ritualistic worship)
It is not an empty words for you. It is your life… (Deuteronomy 32:47, worship in the form of rituals, detached from daily life is not what the Covenant is about. Covenant is an instruction manual for daily life)
For they are all greedy for profit, from smallest to the greatest, from prophet to priest. They all act falsely. They attempt to heal My people’s wounds without efforts, saying “Peace, Peace” but there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:13-14 repeated again in 8:11)
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On Idol Worship:
And it is certain that if ever you turn away from the YHVH your God, and go after other gods, to serve them and to worship them, I bear witness to you today that destruction will overtake you. (Deuteronomy 8:19)
Let there not be seen among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or anyone using secret arts, or a maker of strange sounds, or a reader of signs, or any wonder-worker, Or anyone using secret force on people, or putting questions to a spirit, or having secret knowledge, or going to the dead for directions. For all who do such things are disgusting to the Lord; and because of these disgusting things the Lord your God is driving them out before you. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, listed various ways of idol worship followed at that time)
For these nations, whose land you are taking, give attention to readers of signs and to those using secret arts: but the Lord your God will not let you do so. (Deuteronomy 18:14, people were listening to the shamans instead of seeking Living God Who is directly available to all)
He will say, Where are their gods, The rock in which they took refuge which ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink-offering? Let them rise up and help you! Let them be your protection! (Deuteronomy 32:37-38)
But now see – it is I! I am the only One! There are no (other) gods with me! (Deuteronomy 32:39)
For an eye-opener on idol worshiping today, see Idol Worship.
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One Explicitly Suggested Method of Meditation – Meditation on the Text of Torah:
Let this book of the law be ever on your lips and in your thoughts day and night, so that you may keep with care everything in it; then a blessing will be on all your way, and you will do well. (Joshua 1:8)
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Eternity of People of Israel, the Covenant and the Land of Israel
… the Land which YHVH has sworn to your fathers to give to them as long as the heavens are above the earth. (Deuteronomy 11:21)
… which you are to keep with care in the land which the YHVH, the God of your fathers, has given you to be your heritage all the days that you live on earth. (Deuteronomy 12.1)
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Nature of Prophecy. True versus False Prophets
YHVH spoke to Moses face to face like a man speaks to another man… (Exodus, 33:11)
Now listen to my words: if there is a prophet among you I will give him knowledge of myself in a vision and will let my words come to him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is true to me in all my house. With him I will have talk face to face, openly and not in allegory; and he will see true vision of the YHVH. (Numbers 12:6-8)
If there will arise in your midst a prophet or a dreamer and he will prophesy a sign or wonder and it will come true, the sign or the wonder about which he spoke to you saying, “let us go after other gods whom you do not know and let us serve them”, do not listen to the words of that prophet or the dreamer because YHVH your God is testing you to know whether you love YHVH your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:2-4)
The YHVH your God will give you a prophet from among your people, like me; you will listen to him. In answer to your request to the YHVH your God in Horeb on the day of the great assembly, when you said, Let not the voice of the YHVH my God come to my ears again, and let me not see this great fire any more, or I will die. Then the YHVH said to me, What they have said is well said. I will give them a prophet from among them, like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he will say to them whatever I command him to say. And whoever does not listen to my words which he will say in my name, I will punish him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, here God explains the reason why He sends prophets to Israel – only because Israel could not receive the direct message from God, Israel was not ready to have the direct communication with God at everyone’s individual level, whence arise the compromise – need for the helpers – the Prophets.)
But the prophet who takes it on himself to say words in my name which I have not commanded him to say, or who says anything in the name of other gods, will die. (Deuteronomy 18:20)
And if you say in your hearts, How do we know that the word does not come from the YHVH? When a prophet makes a statement in the name of the YHVH, if what he says does not take place and his words do not come true, then his word is not the word of the YHVH, the words of the prophet were said in the pride of his heart, and you are to have no fear of him. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)
Passover – the Ultimate Lesson
You saw what I did to Egyptians, carrying you on eagle’s wings and bringing you to Myself. Now if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be My special treasure among the nations, although all the world is Mine. (Exodus 19:4-5)
I am God and I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Therefore, since I am holy, you must be holy too. (Leviticus, 11:45)
(In relation to the Exodus) It has been shown to you, so that you will know that God is the Supreme Being, and there is none besides Him (Deuteronomy, 4:35)
(About Jewish slaves to be redeemed or be freed on jubilee) … this is because the Israelites are My slaves. They are My slaves because I brought them out of Egypt. I am YHVH your God. (Leviticus, 25:55)
I am YHVH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be God to you: I am YHVH your God. (Numbers, 15:41)
On charity
This section quotes the commandments to perform charitable deeds and also explains the reason and consequence of such deeds.
You must repeatedly give him ( your brother) and let not your heart to feel bad when you give him because of this your deed, YHVH your God will bless you in all your work and in all the labor of your hands. (Deuteronomy 15:10)
Let it not seem hard to you that you have to send him (former slave) away free; for he has been working for you for six years, which is twice the regular time for a servant: and the blessing of the YHVH your God will be on you in everything you do. (Deuteronomy 15:18)
… you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year and you shall place it in your gates. And there will come the Levi because he has no inheritance of his own and the proselyte, the orphan and the widow who are in your gates and they will eat and they will be satisfied so that YHVH your God will bless you in all the works of your hands which you do. (Deuteronomy 15:29)
Then you shall rejoice before the YHVH your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male slave and your female slave, and the Levite who is with you, and the foreigner, and the orphan, and the widow, who are living among you, in the place chosen by the YHVH your God as a dwelling for his name. (Deuteronomy 16:11)
