Please note that all of this is between Jews! Nothing in the Bible is anti-Semitic any more than debate between Democrats and Republicans is anti-American.
Here's some Biblical background in the form of concepts that relate to our story:
Concept #1
CURE FOR SNAKEBITE
Setting: ~1,400 BCE as the Israelites wander through the desert for 40 years preparing to enter the Promised Land
the people accuse Moses of making them leave Egypt to die in the desert
they complain about lack of bread and water
וַיְשַׁלַּ֨ח יְהוָ֜ה בָּעָ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַנְּחָשִׁ֣ים הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים
וַֽיְנַשְּׁכ֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם
וַיָּ֥מָת עַם־רָ֖ב מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And HaShem released the seraph serpents into the people,
and they bit the people;
and many of the Israelites died.
וַיָּבֹא֩ הָעָ֨ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֜ה
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ
חָטָ֗אנוּ כִּֽי־דִבַּ֤רְנוּ בַֽיהוָה֙ וָבָ֔ךְ
הִתְפַּלֵּל֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה
וְיָסֵ֥ר מֵעָלֵ֖ינוּ אֶת־הַנָּחָ֑שׁ
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּעַ֥ד הָעָֽם׃
And the people came to Moses
and said,
“We sinned by speaking against HaShem and against you,
pray to HaShem,
and He will take the serpent away from us!”
And Moses prayed for the people.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה
עֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ שָׂרָ֔ף
וְשִׂ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ עַל־נֵ֑ס
וְהָיָה֙ כָּל־הַנָּשׁ֔וּךְ
וְרָאָ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ
וָחָֽי׃
And HaShem said to Moses,
“Make a seraph figure
and mount it on a standard;
and all those who are bitten
and will see it
will live.”
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ מֹשֶׁה֙ נְחַ֣שׁ נְחֹ֔שֶׁת
וַיְשִׂמֵ֖הוּ עַל־הַנֵּ֑ס
וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־נָשַׁ֤ךְ הַנָּחָשׁ֙ אֶת־אִ֔ישׁ
וְהִבִּ֛יט אֶל־נְחַ֥שׁ הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת
וָחָֽי׃
And Moshe made a copper serpent
and put it on the standard;
and if a serpent bit anyone
and he will look at the copper serpent
and he will live.
במדבר כא:ד-ט Numbers 21:6-9
Setting: ~30 CE in Jerusalem Yeshua warns about insincerity in Scribes and Pharisees
truth corrupted by lies is like venom from vipers
consuming false teaching leads to spiritual death
לְפִיכָךְ מְעִידִים אַתֶּם עַל עַצְמְכֶם
שֶׁבָּנִים אַתֶּם לְאוֹתָם שֶׁהָרְגוּ אֶת הַנְּבִיאִים
Thus you witness about yourselves,
that you are sons of those who killed the prophets.
וְגַם אַתֶּם מַלְּאוּ אֶת סְאַת אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם
And also you fill the measure of your fathers.
נְחָשִׁים
זֶרַע צִפְעוֹנִים
אֵיךְ תִּמָּלְטוּ מִדִּין גֵּיהִנּוֹם?
Serpents,
seed of vipers,
how will you escape from the judgment of hell?
הכרזת מתי כג:לא-לג
Matthew 23:31-33
Setting: Yeshua speaks to Nikodemus, a Pharisee who comes to him at night seeking truth
flesh gives birth to flesh, the Spirit gives birth to spirit
need to be born of water and Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God
no man has ever ascended to heaven except the Son of man who descended from the heavens
faith in the Word of God cures spiritual snakebite
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהֵרִים מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַנָּחָשׁ בַּמִּדְבָּר
כָּךְ עָתִיד לִהְיוֹת מוּרָם בֶּן-הָאָדָם
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of man be lifted up,
כְּדֵי שֶׁכָּל אָדָם הַמַּאֲמִין בּוֹ
לֹא יֹאבַד
אֶלָּא יִהְיוּ לוֹ חַיֵּי עוֹלָם
הכרזת יוחנן ג:יד-טו
so that every person who believes in him
will not become lost
but will have eternal life.
John 3:14-15
Please ponder what it is to believe, to have faith. Throughout the Bible are many warnings about having eyes but not seeing and having ears but not hearing.
The root of the Hebrew word for belief/faith is:
א.מ.נ
Alef.Mem.Nun
From this root comes:
להאמין
to believe - to trust
לאמן
to coach - to instruct - to train
להתאמן
to practice - to exercise
נאמן
loyal - faithful - devoted - reliable - trustworthy
אמונה
faith
אמן!
so be it - Amen!
The root of faith shares first two root letters with:
אמת
truth
Let's perceive and believe; let's grow faith supported by truth!
Concept #2
WHO TOLD YOU THAT...?
Setting: Garden of Eden ~5780 years ago
God asked Adam this question when he and Eve hid in shame after eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil
the snake twisted the true Word of God by mixing in lies to deceive & tempt & confuse & accuse
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר
מִ֚י הִגִּ֣יד לְךָ֔ כִּ֥י עֵירֹ֖ם אָ֑תָּה
הֲמִן־הָעֵ֗ץ אֲשֶׁ֧ר צִוִּיתִ֛יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֥י אֲכָל־מִמֶּ֖נּוּ אָכָֽלְתָּ
בראשית ג:יא
And He said,
“Who told you that you are naked?
Did you eat from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?”
Genesis 3:11
Please consider the Hebrew word for snake:
נָּחָשׁ
nachash
The root letters in snake are:
נ.ח.ש
Nun.Chet.Shin
From this root comes:
לנחש
lenachesh
to guess, conjecture, speculate, hypothesize
the snake נחש entices us to guess לנחש and alter the Word of God according to our own desires
God calls us to know and believe and follow His true Word
Concept #3
GREAT NAMES
Check out the nearly identical language used in birth prophecies of forefathers of the three major monotheistic religions:
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה
הִנָּ֥ךְ הָרָ֖ה
וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֑ן
וְקָרָ֤את שְׁמוֹ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל
כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־עָנְיֵֽךְ
בראשית טז:יא
The angel of HaShem said to her,
“Behold, you are with child
and are giving birth to a son;
you will call his name Ishmael,
for HaShem has listened to your suffering."
Genesis 16:11
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים
אֲבָל֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֗ יֹלֶ֤דֶת לְךָ֙ בֵּ֔ן
וְקָרָ֥אתָ אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ יִצְחָ֑ק
וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֥י אִתּ֛וֹ
לִבְרִ֥ית עוֹלָ֖ם לְזַרְע֥וֹ אַחֲרָֽיו
בראשית יז:יט
God said,
“But Sarah your wife is giving birth to a son for you,
and you will call his name Isaac;
and I will establish My covenant with him
for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him."
Genesis 17:19
לָכֵן יִתֵּן אֲדֹנָי הוּא לָכֶם אוֹת
הִנֵּה הָעַלְמָה הָרָה
וְיֹלֶדֶת בֵּן
וְקָרָאת שְׁמוֹ עִמָּנוּ אֵל
ישעיה ז:יד
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, the maiden is with child
and is giving birth to a son,
and you will call his name God with us.
Isaiah 7:14
please see blog
for more about how this verse relates to Yeshua
Concept #4
MATERIAL SHADOWS
OF
SPIRITUAL REALITIES
This is key for understanding scripture. Concept #1 - CURE FOR SNAKEBITE shows material snakes as shadows of spiritual snakes. Often the temporary physical form is presented in the Tanakh and the eternal spiritual form is presented in the Brit Chadashah. The shadow helps us comprehend the reality and the reality illuminates the significance of the shadow. We see this in a plethora of passages about topics including:
physical Chosen People - spiritual Chosen People
physical Gentiles - spiritual Gentiles
bodily circumcision - spiritual circumcision
material offerings - spiritual offerings
physical seed - spiritual seed
material water - spiritual water
physical Pesach lamb - spiritual Pesach lamb
physical bread - spiritual bread
material blessings - spiritual blessings
earthly Promised Land - spiritual Promised Land
marriage of man with woman - marriage of Spirit with flesh
material Temple - spiritual Temple
כִּי בֵיתִי בֵּית-תְּפִלָּה יִקָּרֵא לְכָל-הָעַמִּים
נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה מְקַבֵּץ נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
עוֹד אֲקַבֵּץ עָלָיו
לְנִקְבָּצָיו
ישעיה נו:ז-ח
"for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples."
declares the Lord HaShem who gathers the dispersed of Israel,
"Yet others I will gather to him,
beside those who are already gathered."
Isaiah 56:7-8
אוֹ הַאֵינְכֶם יוֹדְעִים
שֶׁגּוּפְכֶם הֵיכָל הוּא שֶׁל רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ הַשּׁוֹכֶנֶת בָּכֶם
אֲשֶׁר קִבַּלְתֶּם מֵאֵת הָאֱלֹהִים
וְאֵין אַתֶּם שֶׁל עַצְמְכֶם?
אגרת שאול הראשונה אל הקורינתים ו:יט
Or do you not know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you,
whom you have received from God,
and you are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19
Now for our story!
התנור של עכנאי
The Oven of Akhnai
This tale from the Talmud (Bava Metzia 59b:1) is set during the generation after the destruction of the second Temple in 70 CE. I've heard and read this story from a variety of sources and will give a brief summary here in my own words:
A broken clay oven has been patched back together with sand in layers that resemble the spiral of a coiled Akhnai snake (relates to Concept #1 - CURE FOR SNAKEBITE). This rebuilt oven represents Judaism reconstructed in the sandy area of Yavneh after the Temple was destroyed.
Rabbi Eliezer, a prominent Sage, states that this oven is pure (no longer a true vessel that can become ritually impure). The majority of Rabbis disagree, contending that the rebuilt oven is impure (a true vessel that has become defiled).
Rabbi Eliezer calls on a tree, a stream, and the building to show that he is correct. The tree uproots and moves, water flows backwards, and walls slant inward, but the other Rabbis say these things have nothing to do with the oven.
Then a Voice from heaven states that Rabbi Eliezer is correct and asks why the others are arguing with him. They respond that the Torah is no longer in the heavens, but has been given to them to make decisions based on rulings of Rabbinic majority.
The Talmud gives complicated interpretations of the following verses to support this Rabbinic policy (relates to Concept #2 - WHO TOLD YOU THAT...?):
לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא
לֵאמֹ֗ר
מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙
וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ
וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ
וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה
דברים ל:יב
It is not in the heavens,
to say,
“Who will go up for us to the heavens
and get it for us
and voice it to us,
that we may do it?”
Deuteronomy 30:12
לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּ֖ים
לְרָעֹ֑ת
וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶ֣ה עַל־רִ֗ב
לִנְטֹ֛ת אַחֲרֵ֥י רַבִּ֖ים לְהַטֹּֽת
שמות כג:ב
Do not follow the many
to do evil;
and do not answer in a dispute
to tilt it in favor of the many.
Exodus 23:2
Here's English translation from Aramaic of what happens next in this Talmudic story:
Rabbi Nathan met the prophet Elijah and said to him,
“What did the Holy Bountiful One do in that hour?”
Elijah said to Rabbi Nathan,
“He smiled and said,
'My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me.'”
"נצחוני בני, נצחוני בני"
Seems God smiles like a devoted parent at a beloved and brilliant but stubborn and misguided child. I wonder if Isaac's name (relates to Concept #3 - GREAT NAMES) is prophetic of this:
יִצְחָ֑ק
Yitzchak/Isaac
"He will laugh"
Should we trust the Rabbinic majority opinion if it conflicts with the Voice of God?
Do we seek to follow the traditions of men or the Word of God?
Yeshua embodied living eternal Torah; he fulfilled the purpose of the sacrificial system and Temple to cleanse us spiritually and connect us with God (relates to Concept #4 - MATERIAL SHADOWS OF SPIRITUAL REALITIES).
We need the faith in the truth that God has revealed for our time!
כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד
בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖
לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ
דברים ל:יד
For the Word is very close to you,
in your mouth and in your heart,
to do it.
Deuteronomy 30:14
וְיָאִיר עֵינֵי לְבַבְכֶם
לָדַעַת מַהִי תִּקְוַת קְרִיאָתוֹ
וּמַהוּ עֹשֶׁר כְּבוֹד נַחֲלָתוֹ
בַּקְּדוֹשִׁים
אגרת שאול אל האפסים א:יח
and may He enlighten the eyes of your heart
in order to know the hope of His calling,
and the riches of His glorious inheritance
in the holy people
Ephesians 1:18
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