THE HALAKHAH, THE HAGGADAH, AND THE HEART

 

   It is fascinating to study about the development of the "traditions of the elders" (cf. Matt.15:3).  These traditions were revered by the Jewish religious leaders, the elders, scribes,chief priests, lawyers, and judges.  The common people were compelled to follow these traditions as being on a par with the written Old Testament.  It is thought that the "restoration movement" following Babylonian Captivity gave rise to the order of men who would become these religious scholars so revered by the time of Jesus.  The scribes took their marching orders from the praise given to Ezra in Ezra 7:10, that he "had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.  The scribes who succeeded Ezra focused on those three "mandates"--the Midrash (the study of Scripture), the Halakhah (the obedience of Scripture), and the Haggadah (the oral teaching of Scripture).  
Edersheim has some interesting observations about corruption in those last two areas. He says,
             It is sadly characteristic, that, practically, the main body of Jewish   
             dogmatic and moral theology is really only Haggadah, and hence of no  
             absolute authority. The Halakhah indicated with the most minute and
             painful punctiliousness every legal ordinance as to outward observance,
             and it explained every bearing on the law of Moses. But beyond this it
             left the inner man, the spring of actions, untouched. What he was to
             believe and what to feel, was chiefly matter of the Haggadah (73).
   He continues, "And here we may mark the fundamental distinction between the teaching of Jesus and Rabbinism.  He left the Halakhah untouched, putting it, as it were, on one side, as something quite secondary, while He insisted as primary on that which to them was chiefly matter of Haggadah" (ibid., 73-74).  This is what caused these men to lead themselves and others to major in the minors and minor in the majors (Matt. 23:23-24).  They so jealously guarded their tradition that they were nearly neurotic about hand, cup, pitcher, and pot washing while "neglecting the commandment of God" to "hold to the tradition of men" (Mark 7:1-8).  
   Jesus was not anti-obedience (Matt. 23:3). He was, however, against a superficial observance of the law where one's heart was far away from God (cf. Mark 7:1ff).  They transgressed God's commands for the sake of their traditions (Matt. 15:6).  They set aside God's commands to keep their traditions (Mark 7:9). They invalidated God's word by their traditions (Mark 7:13).  They emphasized the externals, but left the internals "untouched."  It was through this mixing of priorities that they could rationalize putting the sinless Son of God on the cross.  That is how serious this crowning of traditions can be.
   Let us be careful to be obedient to the will and word of God.  Christ's salvation is for the obedient (Heb. 5:9).  Yet, let us not put such stock in our convictions and conclusions about what is wise, how we would do it, and what seems best that we come to possess hearts that, in fact, are far away from God and lead us to transgress and set aside God's Word through our spirit and attitude.  If we have to distort truth, resort to unethical behavior, or outright engage in immorality in order to preserve our traditions, we have missed it somewhere!

 

Neal Pollard