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Like the Apocrypha you mentioned in previous correspondence, Netzarim don't consider Talmud an authoritative source, either. To provide you the best response, we consulted our friend, Rabbi Thaddi Yisrael, to help us answer your questions and here is what he said:
You asked: "Why did he say this, if the commandment is very clear 'stay in the land'".
My question to you is: Why do you care what a human being says? "Rab Judah" was a mere man, just like all the other rabbis who were involved in writing the Talmud. I would not waste my time trying to figure out where his thoughts came from because, in my opinion, the whole Talmud is in opposition to the commandment to "NOT ADD". Let me explain:
Those who appreciate the Talmud affirm that there are two Torahs; the one given by HaShem on Sinai to Moshe, and another called "oral Torah". The second "Torah", they will tell you, was never to be written down. When you confront them with the fallacy of their belief by asking: "Why was it put on paper if it was not to be written down?" they will provide a variety of man-made explanations. But if the commandment was to be "oral" communication, then that's ALL it should be! With the addition of "another written torah" - the ONLY Torah - the pure source of the Hebraic faith given by HaShem to all Israel, was robbed of its rightful place of supremacy.
Another consequence of this "oral, written, second torah" (Talmud) is that it made the religion of every Israelite to be the religion of the rabbis and sages. The average Israelite has been conditioned to believe that HaShem will never communicate directly with him because he has not spent years of his life studying the two and a half million words of the human-made Talmud. Nor has he expended any time studying the "Gemara" which is another man-made, opinion-filled book consisting of commentaries on the Talmud....
For some reason, all these man made ideas have not in theory but in practice been given more weight than the ONLY TORAH given by Ha Shem!
The Talmud has, in my opinion, crushed the desire of the average Jew to seek HaShem on a individual basis, and to have an ongoing relationship with Him. The unprogrammed, free-flowing fellowship that king David demonstrated in his psalms is almost non-existent in our Jewish community today. The majority of our people is incapable (because of all these add-ons) of doing what the "praiseworthy man" of Tehilim 1:2 does: "His desire is in the TORAH OF HASHEM and in HIS TORAH he meditates DAY AND NIGHT".
In your original correspodence you indicated interest in the B'rit Hadashah. When you read it, please keep in mind this very important question:
What was a major conflict between Yeshua and the religious elite of his time? The answer is: He was accused of violating the "customs and the traditions of the elders". On one occasion, His disciples accused Him of breaking the Sabbath and, in response, He quoted one of the 613 mitzvot. Why? To show them that He was "breaking the Sabbath" according to the "customs and traditions of the elders" expressed in the Talmud - NOT according to the ONLY TORAH given by HaShem to Moshe!
Another important thing to keep in mind when reading the Brit Hadasha (N.T.) is to give it its rightful place. Nothing should be placed on a more elevated position than the Torah given to Moshe. In my view, the NT should have the same position as the Nevi'im and the K'tuvim.
In conclusion,we need to remember that we as Jews are responsible for having lost our land and our temple. We turned away and we have forsaken YHWH's Torah. We have embraced idolatry, we have worshiped others gods (sometimes our own egos). We have embraced ideas and philosophies of man. Please read II Chronicles 7:12-22.
Many of us don't even have a Tanach - and many of us, even if we have one, we don't study it. Yet, we were supposed to have made our own copy of it when we were children. And when we do study and meditate on it; whatever illumination we receive has to be checked with the rabbi - who in turn has to check with the Talmud, which in turn, has to be checked with the Gemara....
Meanwhile, HaShem calls us to Him alone; meanwhile, we should meditate on HIS TORAH and free ourselves from all the MAN MADE BURDENS - i.e. Talmud.
May we all do T'SHUVAH and start to practice the verse that comes after the Shema: "You shall love HaShem your God, with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul and with ALL your resources" (Deuteronomy 6:5.)
Shalom to you.
Rav Thaddi
Addendum:
Although you wrote, "For it is written: go after other gods. So they taught that the one who lives outside Israel is like the pagan", we believe you were referring to Deuteronomy 6:14-15 which says: Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you).
In other words, we want to clarify that Netzarim/Messianic/Hebraic Faith believers are not going "after other gods", but are worshiping YHWH, who sent an aspect of Himself to earth in the form of a man so that man could better identify and understand the things of God. The following links on our website may help you to understand Yeshua:
The prohibition on idol worship and its applicability to Yeshua
Netzarim Believers are not practicing idolatry
Yeshua is not what Jewish tradition is looking for
If you're interested in learning more about Yeshua, please check out our What is Netzarim Faith? page.
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