" Does the Torah say that if even one part of the Law is not followed...then all the Law is broken?
This is what my scriptures teach. But some have argued that the OT that Christians follow does not have the right interpretations always. What does the Torah in Hebrew say about this? This is in Deuteronomy 27:26
' Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen. '
So I take it from these words that if the whole of the Law is not followed...then it is sin. If one part of the law is broken....then that person is breaking ALL of the law in Gods eyes and therefore is cursed? It would be hard for me to follow all the Law. But this is what the Word of God says. And I think Deut. is a part of the Torah...no? There is also a part of scripture in my Bible that says if any man adds to or takes away from these words let him be accursed.
God is forgiving...but He does not compromise his Word. And He does stand by His Word otherwise He would be lying. We have pastors in Christianity that give a watered down version of the Word in order for it to... "go down" easier . They only say what feels comfortable to them concerning the Word of God. I left churches like that a long time ago. To me...they are as dead as the man standing behind the podium. There is no life in them. Rabbi Shmuely Boteach...(who I listen to from time to time when he debates with Dr. Brown) also validates Yeshua as a true Jewish Rabbi. (I have believed this myself also).
One of Yeshua's disciples Paul...(who was the most religious Rabbi of His days...also known as Saul of Tarsus who killed Christians at one time) wrote in Galatians 3:10 KJ
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
My amplified version says...
' And all who depend on the Law who are seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law of rituals are under a curse and doomed to disappointment and destruction, for it is written in the Scriptures, cursed be everyone who does not continue to abide by all the precepts and commands written in the Book of the Law and to practice them.' If I was not a Christian....I would be a follower of Judaism....I don't doubt that. But it would be hard for me to abide by all the Laws. However..how can one justify not following all of them when it appears the Word of God says you must? "
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- some answers -
Deuteronomy 27:26
ארור אשר לא־יקים את־דברי התורה־הזאת לעשות אותם ואמר כל־העם אמן׃ ף
The correct hebrew translation is this:
"Cursed is he who does not uphold this entire Torah to be performed" (Deuteronomy 27:26)
The KJV translation, which is fairly good is this:
" Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them And all the people shall say Amen"
Jewish Publication Society Tanakh
Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say: Amen.'
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Confirming or agreeing with the wisdom or legitimacy of all the laws is what is emphasized in Deuteronomy 27:26 according to the proper hebrew meaning and context. It is NOT pronouncing a curse on everyone who does not meticulously or 'mathematically' keep everyone of them... otherwise animal sacrifices would not have been instituted at all for ancient Israel when they are broken.
If one runs a stop-sign, one is not charged for murder. If one makes a lane change without signalling intent and is caught by a policeman, one is not accused of adultery. If a shoplifter is caught, that person is not charged with assault. No where in the Torah is it ever implied that this is not the case with Mosaic Law.
Confirming or agreeing with the wisdom or legitimacy of all the laws IS NOT the same as successfully following all of them. Deuteronomy 27:26 is covenantal with provisions of atonement being made for breaking the law.It is a call to choose between the God of Israel and the gods of the heathens ... between Mount Gerizim and Mount Eval.
That is exactly what the hebrew bears out without stretching the meaning. The curse comes from not assenting (confirming) that the Torah Itself comes from God, and that every commandment is Divinely inspired.The act of 'confirmation' is not the 'doing' of the commandments, but an act of 'emunah' (faith) that the Law's originator is God and is worthy of being 'attempted'. One cannot, for example attempt to evangelize Jewish people by 'innocently' bringing Deuteronomy 27:26 up as a means of showing them that any 'attempt' at following commandments is futile and subject to a 'curse' since that is not the meaning of this particular scripture. Otherwise one is either being pretentiously naive or basically ignorant of the Jewish meaning of the scripture..(eg. TOG). The plain meaning of the hebrew really is known to any literate Jewish layman and/or Rabbi. (eg. Shmuely B. )
So then .....
Deuteronomy 27:26 was not a Divine threat but an exhortation to Israel to affirm the law and THEN to do the best they could ... what else COULD they do?. Judaism is still a reasonable religion ....its God is the same and understands human beings quite well. He wants humans to succeed in leading satisfying and constructive lives and is quite forgiving of our errors providing sacrifices of atonement. To say that God gave the Torah to show it could not be 'kept' is to satirize the Creator .....
To Cain God said, long before the giving of the Torah ....
.
Genesis 4:6-7 (King James Version)
6And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou SHALT rule over him.
Now, Paul says in Galatians 3:10:
King James Bible
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Galatians 3:10
Obviously as a Jewish Rabbi, Paul would concur with the true meaning of Deuteronomy 27:26 . He himself actually does 'confirm' Deuteronomy 27:26 when he says:
King James Bible
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Romans 7:12
Paul in Romans 7:12 has fulfilled Deuteronomy 17:26 ... he would never dare say or believe otherwise.
Therefore, his statement in Galatians 3:10 cannot be referring to the 'confirmation' of Deuteronomy 27:26 or to his own statement in Romans 7:12. He is referring to man's 'inability' to completely fulfill every commandment of the law EVEN after one confirms that the Torah is God given ....because of man's original sinful nature. Paul never said not to keep the Law, but only not to trust in it for one's salvation. Man is already under the curse of original sin even before the giving of the Torah.
Paul even admitted this by referring to himself .........
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:18-24)
Man's original sin nature makes him unable to completely fulfill the law and if one law is broken he is as 'liable as if he had broken them all'. That is what Rabbi/Apostle Paul is saying. But his understanding of
Deuteronomy 27:26 is not what he is referring to in Galatians 3:10.
( Remember too that Paul is also speaking to his 'generation's' understanding of Torah law and he is using
Septuagint translations also. )
Did Jesus refer to the Torah or to the keeping or teaching of the commandments as a 'curse'?
Matthew 5:19 .... Jesus says .......
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
So whoever sets aside any command that seems unimportant and teaches others to do the same will be unimportant in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches what the commands say will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
King James Bible
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Here is a modern Rabbinic understanding of the matter ... and it is applicable today.
Rabbi Azriel Ariel- Guest Lecturer at Machon Meir
"The Hidden and the Revealed"
G-d's rebuke in Parashat Nitzavim concludes with one verse that differs from the rest: "Hidden things may pertain to the L-rd our G-d, but that which has been revealed applies to us and our children forever. We must therefore keep all the words of the Torah" (Deuteronomy 29:28). At first glance, it is hard for us to understand the literal meaning of the verse, let alone its connection to the whole preceding section.
Well-known is Rashi's explanation which leads us to see this verse as establishing the mutual responsibility that obtains between all members of the Jewish People, wherever they may be. For "if there be amongst you any man or woman… whose heart strays from the L-rd our G-d" (29:17), then not he alone will bear the brunt of verse 29:19: "The entire dread curse written I this book will lie at his door, so that the L-rd will blot out his name from under the heavens." Rather the fate of us all is tied to his fate. The curse of 29:26, of G-d's "displaying anger against this nation, bringing upon it the entire curse written in this book," is supposed to impose upon the whole community, including its righteous, responsibility for the sins of the individual.
Presumably, the people then asked Moses, "How is it possible to impose responsibility upon us for deeds we have not committed at all? Surely, a person does not know the hidden thoughts of his fellowman." The Torah therefore answered, "The hidden things are the responsibility of G-d, whereas that which has been revealed applies to us and to our children forever. It is our responsibility to bring about that the whole Torah will be fulfilled by everyone. What emerges is that we indeed, do not bear responsibility for sins committed in secret, and we have responsibility only regarding that which is revealed for all to see.
This is Rashi's opinion, yet Rabbi Menachem, the Me'iri, differs with him (Sanhedrin 43a):
"The judges and sages and leaders of Israel must constantly examine and investigate the deeds of the people in their town. They have nothing to apologize for when they respond appropriately to revealed sins that they encounter, yet they must also do their utmost to investigate and spy on the hidden deeds. If they neglect to do this, then all of Israel will be punished for the hidden deeds of the sinners. After all, all of Israel were rendered mutually responsible for one another when they accepted upon themselves the blessings and the curses at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eval."
Me'iri expresses himself in accordance with the view that G-d punishes us even for the hidden sins of our fellow man, whereas Rashi brings the opposing point of view, that for our fellow man's hidden sins we are never punished. Yet it is possible to see that the disagreement is not all that polar.
Israel's mutual responsibility towards one another came about through the forging of the covenant of blessings and curses between Mount Gerizim and Mount Eval. Twelve curses appear there. Nine of them are sins that are customarily performed secretly, in hiding. Regarding the other two, the Torah states explicitly that it is talking about when they are performed in secret. Regarding all of those sins performed in hiding, we cannot act against those who perform them. All that is left is for us to curse the violators and bless those who abstain.
Deuteronomy 27:26
Yet the Torah does not simply exempt us from action. There is an additional curse regarding another sin: "Cursed is he who does not uphold this entire Torah to be performed" (Deuteronomy 27:26). This curse does not apply to any sinful act, but rather to a sin of omission.
Whoever does not do his utmost "to uphold this entire Torah" and to bring others to perform it, is cursed. This sin too is performed in secret. If I am lax in doing my duty to uphold the Torah amongst Israel, will there be anyone besides myself who knows whether I have legitimate reasons for this, or just lame excuses?
The duty to "uphold the Torah" greatly diminishes the gap between the hidden sins and the revealed ones. It is true that only sins carried out in the open can be punished by means of the Jewish courts, or other establishmentarian means. Today, for that matter, we cannot even do that.
Yet teaching and educating by a wide variety of different channels is something we can always do, especially now, when so many of our people thirst to hear the word of G-d, but do not express this openly. Are we entitled to stand by and to avoid responding to the challenge of assisting our brethren to return to themselves, to the heritage of their people and to the G-d of their ancestors? Can sitting with hands folded exempt us even from the twelfth curse against those who fail to uphold the Torah?
And while on the subject of "hidden things," we mustn't be silent regarding still another duty involving our mutual responsibility for all of Israel. Our brother Jonathan Pollard has been rotting in jail for over two decades, and no one has come to save him. Shall we continue to remain silent on the pretext that his case is one of "G-d's hidden matters"? Or, shall we admit that every one of us is duty-bound to do his utmost on his behalf. Let us not become objects of the curse: "Cursed is he who does not uphold the words of this Torah."
Translation: R. Blumberg
Of course, the Gentile Christian understanding is that in Deuteronomy 27:26, the word 'confirmeth' in the hebrew, is synonymous with 'performeth'. In this light, knowing the disposition of the questioner, any answer will not be readily accepted so then, one may then peruse the commentaries of those who may have perpetuated the mistranslation and misunderstanding ....
Deuteronomy 27:26 >>
Geneva Study BibleCursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.Wesley's Notes
27:26 Confirmeth not - Or, performeth not. To this we must all say, Amen! Owning ourselves to be under the curse, and that we must have perished for ever, if Christ had not redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
27:11-26 The six tribes appointed for blessing, were all children of the free women, for to such the promise belongs, Ga 4:31. Levi is here among the rest. Ministers should apply to themselves the blessing and curse they preach to others, and by faith set their own Amen to it. And they must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but awe them with the threatenings of a curse, by declaring that a curse would be upon those who do such things. To each of the curses the people were to say, Amen. It professed their faith, that these, and the like curses, were real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, not one jot of which shall fall to the ground. It was acknowledging the equity of these curses. Those who do such things deserve to fall, and lie under the curse. Lest those who were guilty of other sins, not here mentioned, should think themselves safe from the curse, the last reaches all. Not only those who do the evil which the law forbids, but those also who omit the good which the law requires. Without the atoning blood of Christ, sinners can neither have communion with a holy God, nor do any thing acceptable to him; his righteous law condemns every one who, at any time, or in any thing, transgresses it. Under its awful curse we remain as transgressors, until the redemption of Christ is applied to our hearts. Wherever the grace of God brings salvation, it teaches the believer to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, consenting to, and delighting in the words of God's law, after the inward man. In this holy walk, true peace and solid joy are to be found.
Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary
Verses 11-26
When the law was written, to be seen and read by all men, the sanctions of it were to be published, which, to complete the solemnity of their covenanting with God, they were deliberately to declare their approbation of. This they were before directed to do (ch. 11:29, 30), and therefore the appointment here begins somewhat abruptly, v. 12. There were, it seems, in Canaan, that part of it which afterwards fell to the lot of Ephraim (Joshua's tribe), two mountains that lay near together, with a valley between, one called Gerizim and the other Ebal. On the sides of these two mountains, which faced one another, all the tribes were to be drawn up, six on one side and six on the other, so that in the valley, at the foot of each mountain, they came pretty near together, so near as that the priests standing betwixt them might be heard by those that were next them on both sides; then when silence was proclaimed, and attention commanded, one of the priests, or perhaps more at some distance from each other, pronounced with a loud voice one of the curses here following, and all the people that stood on the side and foot of Mount Ebal (those that stood further off taking the signal from those that stood nearer and within hearing) said Amen; then the contrary blessing was pronounced, "Blessed is he that doth not so or so," and then those that stood on the side, and at the foot, of Mount Gerizim, said Amen. This could not but affect them very much with the blessings and curses, the promises and threatenings, of the law, and not only acquaint all the people with them, but teach them to apply them to themselves.
I. Something is to be observed, in general, concerning this solemnity, which was to be done, but once and not repeated, but would be talked of to posterity,. 1. God appointed which tribes should stand upon Mount Gerizim and which on Mount Ebal (v. 12, 13), to prevent the disputes that might have arisen if they had been left to dispose of themselves. The six tribes that were appointed for blessing were all the children of the free women, for to such the promise belongs, Gal. 4:31. Levi is here put among the rest, to teach ministers to apply to themselves the blessing and curse which they preach to others, and by faith to set their own Amen to it. 2. Of those tribes that were to say Amen to the blessings it is said, They stood to bless the people, but of the other, They stood to curse, not mentioning the people, as loth to suppose that any of this people whom God had taken for his own should lay themselves under the curse. Or, perhaps, the different mode of expression intimates that there was to be but one blessing pronounced in general upon the people of Israel, as a happy people, and that should ever be so, if they were obedient; and to this blessing the tribes on Mount Gerizim were to say Amen—"Happy art thou, O Israel, and mayest thou ever be so;" but then the curses come in as exceptions from the general rule, and we know exceptio firmat regulam—the exception confirms the rule. Israel is a blessed people, but, if there be any particular persons even among them that do such and such things as are mentioned, let them know that they have no part nor lot in the matter, but are under a curse. This shows how ready God is to bestow the blessing; if any fall under the curse, they may thank themselves, they bring it upon their own heads. 3. The Levites or priests, such of them as were appointed for that purpose, were to pronounce the curses as well as the blessings. They were ordained to bless (ch. 10:8), the priests did it daily, Num. 6:23. But they must separate between the precious and the vile; they must not give that blessing promiscuously, but must declare it to whom it did not belong, lest those who had no right to it themselves should think to share in it by being in the crowd. Note, Ministers must preach the terrors of the law as well as the comforts of the gospel; must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but awe them to it with the threatenings of a curse. 4. The curses are here expressed, but not the blessings; for as many as were under the law were under the curse, but it was a honour reserved for Christ to bless us, and so to do that for us which the law could not do, in that it was weak. In Christ's sermon upon the mount, which was the true Mount Gerizim, we have blessings only, Mt. 5:3, etc. 5. To each of the curses the people were to say Amen. It is easy to understand the meaning of Amen to the blessings. The Jews have a saying to encourage people to say Amen to the public prayers, Whosoever answereth Amen, after him that blesseth, he is as he that blesseth. But how could they say Amen to the curses? (1.) It was a profession of their faith in the truth of them, that these and the like curses were not bug-bears to frighten children and fools, but the real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, not one iota of which shall fall to the ground. (2.) It was an acknowledgment of the equity of these curses; when they said Amen, they did in effect say, not only, It is certain it shall be so, but, It is just it should be so. Those who do such things deserve to fall and lie under the curse. (3.) It was such an imprecation upon themselves as strongly obliged them to have nothing to do with those evil practices upon which the curse is here entailed. "Let God's wrath fall upon us if ever we do such things." We read of those that entered into a curse (and with us that is the usual form of a solemn oath) to walk in God's law Neh. 10:29. Nay, the Jews say (as the learned bishop Patrick quotes them), "All the people, by saying this Amen, became bound for one another, that they would observe God's laws, by which every man was obliged, as far as he could, to prevent his neighbour from breaking these laws, and to reprove those that had offended, lest they should bear sin and the curse for them."
II. Let us now observe what are the particular sins against which the curses are here denounced.
1. Sins against the second commandment. This flaming sword is set to keep that commandment first, v. 15. Those are here cursed, not only that worship images, but that make them or keep them, if they be such (or like such) as idolaters used in the service of their gods. Whether it be a graven image or a molten image, it comes all to one, it is an abomination to the Lord, even though it be not set up in public, but in a secret place,—though it be not actually worshipped, nor is it said to be designed for worship, but reserved there with respect and a constant temptation. He that does this may perhaps escape punishment from men, but he cannot escape the curse of God.
2. Against the fifth commandment, v. 16. The contempt of parents is a sin so heinous that it is put next to the contempt of God himself. If a man abused his parents, either in word or deed, he fell under the sentence of the magistrate, and must be put to death, Ex. 21:15, 17. But to set light by them in his heart was a thing which the magistrate could not take cognizance of, and therefore it is here laid under the curse of God, who knows the heart. Those are cursed children that carry themselves scornfully and insolently towards their parents.
3. Against the eighth commandment. The curse of God is here fastened, (1.) Upon an unjust neighbour that removes the land-marks, v. 17. See ch. 19:14. Upon an unjust counsellor, who, when his advice is asked, maliciously directs his friend to that which he knows will be to his prejudice, which is making the blind to wander out of the way, under pretence of directing him in the way, than which nothing can be either more barbarous or more treacherous, v. 18. Those that seduce others from the way of God's commandments, and entice them to sin, bring this curse upon themselves, which our Saviour has explained, Mt. 15:14, The blind lead the blind, and both shall fall into the ditch. (3.) Upon an unjust judge, that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow, whom he should protect and vindicate, v. 19. These are supposed to be poor and friendless (nothing to be got by doing them a kindness, nor any thing lost by disobliging them), and therefore judges may be tempted to side with their adversaries against right and equity; but cursed are such judges.
4. Against the seventh commandment. Incest is a cursed sin, with a sister, a father's wife, or a mother-in-law, v. 20, 22, 23. These crimes not only exposed men to the sword of the magistrate (Lev. 20:11), but, which is more dreadful, to the wrath of God; bestiality likewise, v. 21.
5. Against the sixth commandment. Two of the worst kinds of murder are here specified:—(1.) Murder unseen, when a man does not set upon his neighbour as a fair adversary, giving him an opportunity to defend himself, but smites him secretly (v. 24), as by poison or otherwise, when he sees not who hurts him. See Ps. 10:8, 9. Though such secret murders may go undiscovered and unpunished, yet the curse of God will follow them. (2.) Murder under colour of law, which is the greatest affront to God, for it makes an ordinance of his to patronise the worst of villains, and the greatest wrong to our neighbour, for it ruins his honour as well as his life: cursed therefore is he that will be hired, or bribed, to accuse, or to convict, or to condemn, and so to slay, an innocent person, v. 25. See Ps. 15:5.
6. The solemnity concludes with a general curse upon him that confirmeth not, or, as it might be read, that performeth not, all the words of this law to do them, v. 26. By our obedience to the law we set our seal to it, and so confirm it, as by our disobedience we do what lies in us to disannul it, Ps. 119:126. The apostle, following all the ancient versions, reads it, Cursed is every one that continues not, Gal. 3:10. Lest those who were guilty of other sins, not mentioned in this commination, should think themselves safe from the curse, this last reaches all; not only those who do the evil which the law forbids, but those also who omit the good which the law requires: to this we must all say Amen, owning ourselves under the curse, justly to have deserved it, and that we must certainly have perished for ever under it, if Christ had not redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us.
<< 1 Corinthians 10:32 >>
New American Standard Bible (©1995)Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Don't cause others to stumble, whether they are Jewish, Greek, or members of God's church.
King James Bible
Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
American Standard Version
Give no occasions of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God:
Bible in Basic English
Give no cause of trouble to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God.
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