Created: Mon 23-June-2025 - 13:22
Introduction
Coming from His warning that He (Yeshua) did not come to abolish the Torah (Law), Matthew 5:21-26 leads us into His first fundamental teaching: Anger. Before we take a midrashic deep-dive into God's word, there is one thing that we must address. An interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount that has been upheld for centuries.
"Jesus' Antithesis"
The Sermon on the Mount is traditionally labelled as "Jesus' Antithesis to the Law". While on the surface one may come to the superficial conclusion that Yeshua is speaking against Torah, upon further investigation of our findings in the first part of this series, it is clear that Yeshua does not teach against Torah. What Messiah does instead is to teach Torah. He came so that the Torah was exalted in Him (partly), and to give it a deeper spiritual application for believers in Messiah.
Therefore, holding a view of the Sermon on the Mount being antitheses to the Torah cannot stand against a diligent studying of God's word. With sound doctrine one shall come to the conclusion that the so called 'antitheses' are rather an intensification of the Torah. 👉 see below
Setting the Scene
Before we take a look at the individual Torah examples Yeshua gives us, let us prepare the framework of understanding His teachings better.
In chapter 5, Yeshua uses a very common Rabbinical debate style to give His audience examples of how God wants us to apply His commandments in our daily life. It is God who speak through Messiah as Yeshua tells us himself multiple times.
Therefore, we can be fairly certain in assuming that all of Yeshua's teachings are ultimately coming from God who speaks to His people through His agency Yeshua Messiah. Therefore, it is equally fair to assume that God would not contradict himself in His word by abolishing His Laws and commandments which were established in the Tanahk to set His people apart from the nations (Gentiles).
Do we not think that followers of Messiah are set-apart people in the world? After all, this is what Yeshua calls us to be in Matthew 5:13-16 — to be the Salt and the Light.
Rabbinic debate style: You have heard...I say to you
Yeshua uses a very distinct phrase 6 times in chapter 5 of Matthew: "You have heard (or: it was said)...but I say to you".
By doing this, Yeshua does 3 important things:
- He affirms Torah and does not overthrow or replace it
- He moves Torah application from outward (flesh, Law written in stone) to inward (spirit, Law written on hearts)
- He affirms that the Law (Torah) is still required and foundational in the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant) but now with deeper application (heart not flesh)
This phrase is a classic debate style between Rabbis. More precisely, it shows the difference in interpretation of the Tanakh or the Torah. Yeshua did not need any interpretation because the Father told Him plainly what to say. We can therefore take these examples in Matthew 5 as not only God-breathed, but God-given. Similar to how God gave His commandments on Mount Sinai.
In the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew , we see a minor yet significant difference in translation:
21 That is right – you yourselves have heard what was said to the first ones, ‘You must not murder.’ And that ‘whosoever murders is fit for judgment.’
22 And I say unto you that whosoever hates his brother, he is fit for judgment.b And whosoever says (7r) to him, ‘Peti!’ – he will be fit for the fire of Gei-Hinnom.
The phrase in question is highlighted: "And". Here, Yeshua does not say "But I say to you" as almost to imply a contradictory stance against Torah. Which would explain the common perception of "Antitheses". Instead, Yeshua says "And" in the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew.
Footnote from the English translation of Hebrew Matthew regarding "And"
Not ‘But.’ Throughout this chapter Yeshua is not changing (or improving!) any doctrine found in the Old Testament. In each of the following topics, Yeshua is actually teaching the Torah, not some new or exalted doctrines.
Before looking at the examples Yeshua spoke, let us clarify something else.
Torah Examples, not the Totality
Another common misconception should be addressed at this point. Yeshua presented His audience with examples of what it meant to apply God's Torah on a deeper spiritual level. It was not the totality of Torah that Yeshua brought forward. He did not cite every single command explicitly. This would have taken years to do.
Looking at Matthew 5:17-19, we see that there seems to be an order of priority amongst God's commandments. There seems to be 'least' commandments and other commandments that are of seemingly higher importance. Would this possibly imply that the commandments which Yeshua brings fourth as examples are to be considered among the greatest of God's commandments? It would seem so.
Traditional Christian thinking gets hung up on the fact that Yeshua did not concretely name and repeat all of God's commandments from the Torah in the Brit Chadashah. While there might be a case to be made, we have already seen in our midrashic exegesis in part 1 of this series that Yeshua affirms the totality of Torah.
With this being said and understood from Scripture, we can confidently address any Christian counter-arguments such as "Yeshua did only mention 9 of the 10 commandments", or "He only gave 2 commandments: Love God, and Love your Neighbour"
These arguments should be addressed as theologically unsound and not in accordance to what God has spoken to us through Messiah Yeshua. Yes, Yeshua did not repeat the Shabbat commandment, but He did keep the Shabbat and excepted His followers to do likewise.
Why do Christians today not? The call is to follow—however inconvenient it might become. Narrow is the path that leads to life. If everyone is ignoring the Shabbat, should we follow them on the broad path that leads to destruction?
Fencing the Torah
Not only does Yeshua in His Sermon on the Mount bring His people back to the Torah—He also builds a fence around God's holy, righteous, and good Law and commandments . Ironically, fencing the Torah is not a new concept and was embraced by the Pharisees and Scribes. They tried to do everything they could to obey God's Laws to the "T", but neglecting the essence of the Law: judgement, mercy, and faith
👉 Fencing the Torah (Law) in the Sermon on the Mount
From antithesis to intensification
Matt 5:21-48 is commonly referred to as “antitheses” (opposition) to the Torah (Law) or God's commandments. So far, we have seen that Yeshua is not opposed to Torah. On the contrary, he just told His audience that the Torah will not pass away until heaven and earth pass away.
Calling Yeshua’s sermon an antithesis seems to contradict His stance on the lasting validity of the Torah and God’s commandments. Rather, one could interpret Yeshua’s sermons as “intensifying” the Torah—similarly to building a fence around it (see above and below)
In essence, Jesus is not negating the Old Testament law, but rather, He is revealing a deeper meaning and a more comprehensive understanding of its intent and application to life.
Just as he has spoken in Matthew 5:20 that the righteousness of His audience must surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees, He is calling for a righteousness that surpasses the mere outward observance of the law and delves into the purity of the heart and the intentions behind one's actions. Without this intensification of the Law, someone could hold anger against a person yet not be judged for murder. Now that Yeshua came to bring clarification, we see that whoever holds anger or insults his brother is liable to the council
Thereby making the gate through which His followers are supposed to enter narrow. It is indeed not the abolishing of the Torah that Yeshua is highlighting, but an elevation of the Torah from stone and flesh to the Spirit in the heart. This seems to be the natural cumulation of God’s words in the Torah, especially in Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
A Fence around the Torah
We can almost feel when reading Matthew 5:13-20 that Yeshua is seemingly building a defence mechanism around the Torah.
He must have felt compelled to clarify and affirm the continued validity of Torah until heaven and earth pass away.
Building a fence around the Torah is not a new concept. Surely we can assume that it is very likely that He, 'being the Word', must have known the concept of making a fence around the Torah. There is clear evidence in the Midrash (see below) that making a fence round the Torah was a concept that Jews and Rabbis should have been very familiar with. In the text below, we can also see another point mirrored: to raise many disciples. This, too, is a concept that was affirmed to us by Yeshua .
The Pharisees, in their own ways, have also built a fence around the Torah. However, as we see during Yeshua's ministry, they clearly missed the point of the essence and the spirit of the Torah.
Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things:
- Be patient in [the administration of] justice,
- raise many disciples
- and make a fence round the Torah.
With the sermon on the mount, mirroring Moses at Mt Sinai, Yeshua begins His ministry of spiritual transformation. Outward obedience has become insufficient. Inward obedience to the Torah is the path that leads to eternal life.
Let us know look deeper at the first Torah example that Yeshua gives us.
👉 Continue here Mat 5.21 cont - Anger & Murder