Christians Unaware of Influence
of the Talmud on Understanding Judaism
The Law of Moses {concerning mainly the cultic and civil laws} is the basis of the Jewish faith and culture and contained in the Pentateuch of the Bible {first five books}. Failure to follow the cultic and civil aspects of the Mosaic Law would result in oppression and eventual expulsion from the land {Israel} (De 28:58-67).
Majority of Christians believe that Judaism rest only on this foundation; however, many are unaware of a large body of writings that guide the Jews in understanding their religion. This body of knowledge {traditions} is compiled in the Talmud, Mishna and Midrash.
Judaism always had a body of oral tradition assisting in the implementation of the written word. One cannot practice cultic {Tabernacle/Temple sacrificial worship} based solely on the Pentateuch. All faiths, all professions have a body of knowledge assisting in the understanding and implementation of the faiths and professions {this is why doctors go through residency and the trade professions have apprenticeships}. The problem Judaism had with oral traditions was that it began replacing the Bible as the source of their faith.
Written “Oral” Tradition Essential to
Understanding the Bible say the Rabbis
When God had Judah exiled to Babylon because of their refusal to follow the Mosaic Law the Jews had a crisis. Their culture and faith were built around the Temple sacrificial system; however, the Temple was destroyed and they were not in the land. How could they maintain their identity in this strange paganistic Eastern culture? They developed the synagogue system headed by teachers {rabbis}. There were no written guidelines defining the qualifications of rabbis. It was during this time that oral tradition became not only essential but paramount. Rabbis wrote down their understandings of various Scriptures, solutions to scriptural interpretations and guidelines on how to implement the faith apart from the Temple and sacrifices. A cursory glance at the Talmud leaves the reader confused; indeed, rabbis today spend years pouring over these materials that often are contradictory or just outlandish.
When the Jews returned to Judah {not as a nation but only as a province of Persia} they eventually rebuilt the Temple and restarted the sacrificial system {Read Ezra and Nehemiah}. The priesthood, which had no function during the exile, now sought to resume their role as teachers of the Law; however, the rabbinical system refused to die out and became the Pharisees of the Gospels. Jesus spoke against both groups but His major discourses were against the Pharisees and their body of traditions that dictated their faith and the faith of the majority of Jews. When Rome destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. and put down the final rebellion in 135 A.D. {Second Jewish Revolt} Jewish were forbidden to enter Jerusalem. They were driven into the world as foretold by God through Moses in Deuteronomy (De 28:58-67). It was during this period that the oral traditions were collected and disseminated until put into written form in the 6th century.
The dispersed Jews {Diaspora} formed enclaves within the cultures they were scattered bringing their Pharisaism as detailed in their writings. Thus, they ignored God, defied and crucified Christ and refused to come to faith even after two major defeats that removed them from the land somewhat permanently. They clung as tightly to their traditions as ever. Since these were written in Hebrew the majority of sayings in the Talmud were hidden from Gentiles {non-Jews}. Various translations were sanitized to prevent Gentiles from learning what the Jews really thought of them to prevent retaliations. One of the areas the Jews inhabited were the Arabian peninsula. In the 7th century A.D. a man arose to found a religion to form a people with him as both political and religious leader: Mohammed, prophet of Islam.
Quran and Sunnah are Similar to
Jewish Talmud and Mishna
Without a doubt Mohammed was exposed to the adulterated teachings of the Talmud (Jewish Influences in the Quran). I hypothesize that Mohammed learned much of his doctrine from the Jews of Mecca and Medina. I believe he was an ambitious man who realized that in order to found a nation he would need to base the morality of that nation on a religion. But, he needed a religion unlike others so he could be the sole arbiter of its doctrine. He learned his craft at Mecca and the early suras written here are peaceful since he had few converts and therefore essentially weak while the Jews were strong. When forced from Mecca Mohammed moved to Medina with his followers. It was from this time forward that he realized success only through violence and intimidation; the fact that the Jews in Medina were not united worked in his favor also. He quickly gained ascendency and his suras became less conciliatory, more violent. Thus, the error of the Jews became the sword used by the Gentiles to enslave and brutalize them throughout history just as foretold in the Scriptures.
Christianity fared little better. In the 2nd century Valentines introduced Gnosticism into Christianity. Though he was personally repudiated, his Gnostic influences eventually became part and parcel of Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox faiths. There also arose several gnostic gospels claiming to detail miracles of Jesus as an infant. These were also included in the Quran showing that Mohammed was influenced by Christendom, those who held to a form of Christianity but denied the true power of Scripture, teaching a gospel of works. Together the Jews and Christians became codified in Islam as “people of the Book”.
Islam primarily is a compilation of the errors embraced by Judaism and Christendom. The Quran cannot be understood without the Sunnah just as Judaism cannot be understood with the Talmud; both read very similar with their vague rambling styles with passages that often contradict each other. Roman Catholicism (RC) also claimed extra biblical sources were necessary to adequately understand the Bible. The Pope sought to control doctrines that would help the RC in expanding its control. Thus, Christendom and Islam clashed twice for control of Europe with Judaism playing its part for its own goals
The first invasion of Europe was stopped by Charles Martel in the 8th century at the Battle of Tours (Islam and Europe Timeline 355-1291 A.D.). However, on the Eastern European front Islam, under the Ottoman Turkish Empire, nearly invaded into Europe’s heartland and was finally defeated in World War I. The third invasion of Europe, and the first for America, is not a military invasion but an indirect immigration invasion sanctioned and encouraged by the very nations that will be assimilated {dominated} and that has occurred for the past two decades. Today, Islam, more specifically its Sharia Law, is threatening to replace those elements that gave it birth: corrupted Christianity and corrupted Judaism.
Judaism corrupted itself by rejecting not only Messiah but the New Covenant salvation He offered. Paul wrote about this extensively in Romans (chapters 9-11) as did the writer of Hebrews (entire book). Both writers called for Jews to embrace the gospel to enjoy an intimate relationship with God. They refused and the gospel went to the Gentiles who also corrupted the Gospel for their own ends. God raised up an amalgamation of their errors – the Muslims. Thus, today the West faces the embodiment of its errors that threatens to engulf it, snuffing out the erroneous religions that man embraces. By rejecting and suppressing the truth of God, He has visited His wrath in the form of Islam who does not believe in coexistence, only submission {Islam means submission: Man submits to Allah and all non-Muslims submit to Muslims (all non-Arabic Muslims submit to Arabic Muslims)}.
Today people are embracing those who seek to control or condemn them because they have believed the lie. God has allowed those who reject His word to believe a delusion of the peacefulness of Islam despite its obvious, continuous global violence (2Th 2:9-12). The Jews of Israel fight to contain the evil that they birthed. Until they embrace the Gospel of Christ they will not gain ascendency less they should boast in their own power. The only solution to today’s Islamic crisis is the Gospel as clearly taught in the Scriptures. Though we may be killed we will not be separated from the love of Christ when we stand on His truth (Ro 8:31-39).