NAZAREAN TALMUD
Sidra Of B’resheet (Genesis) 2:4 – 3:2
“Toldoth HaShamayim” “Generations of the Heavens”
By: H. Em. Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham
Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat
Mordechai (Mk) 1:3-6
¶ A voice rings out: “Clear in the wilderness, (desert) A path for the Lord! Level in the wilderness A highway for our God!” (Isaiah 40:3). And now it happened Yochanan was immersing in the wilderness, and proclaiming the immersion of Teshuba unto atonement of sins during the Yamim Noraim. And there went out unto him all the country of Y’hudah, and all them from Yerushalayim; and they were immersed of him in the river Yarden, confessing their sins and doing Teshuba. And Yochanan was clothed with a garment Tallit made of camel’s hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist;
Hakham Shaul’s School of Tosefta
Luqas (Lk) 3.1-9
In the fifteenth year of the governorship of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Y’hudah, and Herod [Antipas] was tetrarch of Galil, and Philip his brother was tetrarch of the lands of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Anan and Kayafa, God’s word came to Yochanan (John), bar Z’kharyah, while he was in the wilderness [of the Araba]. He went into all the territories surrounding the Yarden, heralding immersion based on Teshuba — for the atonement of sins. He cited the text in the scroll of Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) the prophet: “A voice rings out: Clear in the desert (wilderness) A path for the Lord! Level in the wilderness A highway for our God! Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be made low; and the rugged will be made level, and the rough places a plain; And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” (Is. 40:3-5).
7 Then he said to those who had assembled to be immersed by him, “You generation of vipers![a] Who taught you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, demonstrate[b] fruits worthy Teshuba.[c] Do not begin[d] saying to yourself, we have Abraham as our father; for I say to you, God is able to rise up children out of these stones. Even now, the axe is laying[e] against the root of fruit trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear (make) good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Nazarean Codicil to be read in conjunction with the following Torah Seder
| B’resheet – Gen 2:4 – 3:21 | Yeshayahu – Isa 51:6–16 | Tehillim v Psa 1:1–6 | Mordeqai – Mark 1:3–6; | Luqas – Luke 3:1–9 |
Commentary on Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat
Hakham Tsefet, in establishing the precedential materials of the Master’s Mesorah, establishes protocol for all the materials that will build upon his Mishnaic/Peshat catechetical school. Hakham Tsefet does not always use mechanisms such as “that it might be fulfilled,” as does Matityahu. Yet the words of Hakham Tsefet are permeated with scriptural fulfillment. In many places, Matityahu uses the classic phrase “it is written.” Hakham Tsefet’s references to the Tanakh may open with the phrase “it is written,” or, as in the present case, he assumes that his readers know the Tanakh rather than reminding them of his association with a particular piece of its text. If Hakham Tsefet uses the concept “it is written,” he frequently places these words in the mouth of the Master in the form of a question, “Is it not written?” The opening of Mark 1:1 announces that this Mesorah is to be read with the Triennial Torah reading cycle. As His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Yosef ben Haggai has pointed out, his prophetic textual association with the prophets Malachi and Shemot is common practice. Hakham Tsefet frequently uses the mechanism of quoting two prophets in a single setting. Furthermore, Hakham Tsefet’s mechanisms are highly Mishnaic. His use of Peshat hermeneutic mechanisms demonstrates the Mishnaic association of Yeshua’s teachings with the teachings of the Rabbis from the Mesorah (Oral Torah). The present text assumes that the reader will automatically connect the “voice crying in the wilderness” with Eliyahu, Messiah’s harbinger.
Here, Hakham Tsefet clearly understands the bi-modal aspects of the Septennial Torah reading cycle. While the setting of our present pericope may be that of the month of Elul/Tishrei, the relationship between Yochanan, Eliyahu, and Pesach Adar/Nisan remains clearly visible. Also included in the Petrine materials is the διὰτεσσάρων – diatessarōn hermeneutic PaRDeS.
As these coming passages unfold, the Tanakh emerges through a Peshat hermeneutic. Likewise, Hakham Tsefet’s careful engineering of the Nazarean Codicil reveals Messiah from the weekly Torah readings.
While we do not know whether Yochanan himself used the refrain “the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” the Peshat hermeneutic of the Markan text leaves no doubt that those from the surrounding area understood the message, as the text says, “And there went out unto him all the country of Y’hudah, and all them from Yerushalayim; and they were immersed of him in the river Yarden, confessing their sins [and doing Teshuba].” Hakham Tsefet’s use of this prophetic refrain is his way of interpreting Scripture messianically. Consequently, all the writers of the Nazarean Codicil understand the one “crying in the wilderness” to be a reference to Eliyahu. Therefore, the opening of the Markan text clearly depicts Yochanan as Eliyahu, the Kohanic priestly harbinger of Messiah. This harbinger openly announces Yeshua (ben Elohim – son of the King/Judge) as Messiah.
“CLEAR IN THE WILDERNESS (DESERT) A PATH FOR THE LORD!”
To “clear the wilderness” was the occupation of the “cloud” and the “pillar” when the B’ne Yisrael left Mitzrayim (Egypt). These two manifestations of the single entity called the “messenger” went before the B’ne Yisrael to clear and prepare a path for them as they made their trek toward the Promised Land. The “cleared path” gave direction and bearing, expediting the movement of the B’ne Yisrael.
The prophetic voice “rings out”: “Clear in the wilderness (desert), A path for the LORD! Level in the wilderness, A highway for our God!” Scholars suggest that the “voice crying out” echoes the Babylonian exile. Regardless of the original intent of the passage, it remains clear that Yochanan’s immersions drew a substantial number of penitents, establishing the fact that his message was plain to his audience.
The entire scenario depicted in the present text cries out for elucidation. A man, a messenger, in the wilderness, dressed in a tallit made of camel’s hair, cries out for interpretation. The present hermeneutic of Peshat limits the genre of interpretation. Even so, this man in the wilderness depicts a change in social norms. Yochanan in the wilderness cannot eat or act in the same way as those in the city. Terminology such as “wilderness” and “immersion” speaks of Har Sinai and reform.
1st Corinthians 10:1-2 Now, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant, how that all our forefathers were under the cloud (Shekhinah), and all passed through the sea (Yam Suf); And were all immersed to Moshe in the cloud (Shekhinah) and in the sea;
Yochanan cries out for reform. Making things straight and making things level speaks of introspection and restructuring. Furthermore, this “voice in the wilderness” must allude to Har Sinai, where the B’ne Yisrael received the Torah. Likewise, the terminology of immersion and atonement forms a deliberate play on words. Among other things, כָפַר (kapar), “to be atoned for,” carries the sense of being covered, thus alluding to immersion. Therefore, it is plausible that Hakham Tsefet intended to remind his readers of Sinai through his citation of Yeshayahu concerning the prophet in the wilderness. If Hakham Tsefet was so earnest in bringing the Sinai theme before his audience, the lesson to be extrapolated from this material stands before us with force.
SINAI AND MESORAH
The scenario before us is astonishing because it demonstrates how much prophetic insight the P’rushim (Pharisees) possessed in the first century. Yochanan was from the Kohanic priesthood. The legitimate priesthood had become corrupted to such an extent that by the time he became eligible to serve, he was effectively unable to minister as a priest. It would not have been Yochanan’s own desire to forfeit the office of the priesthood. Some might argue that Yochanan could have served as a Kohen when scheduled, and that his time in the wilderness occurred only when he was not serving in the Temple. Such a suggestion remains plausible. Probability points elsewhere. The time in the wilderness would have been near Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a season that required many local Kohanim because of increased Temple activity.
This indicates that from the time of Yochanan’s conception until the moment we see him preaching in the wilderness, far-reaching changes had already taken place in the offices of the priesthood. The main body of the Nazarean Codicil demonstrates a Sadducean corruption of the priesthood. The Lucan text makes explicit reference to “the high priesthood of Anan and Kayafa.” Their priesthood had become so decadent that by the time we arrive at the crucifixion of Yeshua, they openly conspired to have him crucified in order to satisfy their own agendas. Consequently, the corrupt priesthood relegates Yochanan to the wilderness to preach messages related to the moedim (Divine appointments).
We cannot accept that Yochanan preached only repentance. Yochanan heralded repentance because it was the season of repentance. Yet he also heralded the coming of Messiah and the governance of G-d through the Hakhamim and Bate Din. This formed a vital part of salvaging Judaism from the coming destruction of the Temple and the looming Diaspora. The Nazarean Jews, together with the House of Hillel, saw the approaching demise of the Temple and the dispersion of Eretz Yisrael. Ezra and the Men of the Great Assembly said three things: “Be cautious in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah.”
Through these maxims, they salvaged Judaism from falling into idolatry during their generation and sustained it until the generation of Hillel and Yeshua. Judaism then faced another crisis in the first century. Yeshua, the House of Hillel, and Nazarean Judaism addressed the problems of that age and made provision for a Judaism that could endure into the future. Hillel and his talmidim, Yeshua, and Hakham Tsefet each played a vital role in establishing a Judaism that could weather the coming storm of the Temple’s destruction and the imminent Diaspora.
As noted above, the B’ne Yisrael had a “messenger” who went before them in the wilderness.
Ex. 23:20-22 Behold, I send a messenger (Angel) before thee, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place (Makom) which I have prepared. 21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, do not provoke him; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my Name is in him (he is an agent of Mine). 22 But if thou will indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.
Where did Yochanan immerse? The Lucan text tells us, “He went into all the territories surrounding the Yarden.” The exact location is neither divulged nor relevant. The pertinent fact is that Yochanan must have placed himself close to the path of pilgrimage. This positioning maximized his audience.
What was Yochanan promoting? Was he calling only for Teshuba? Or did Yochanan carry a deeper agenda? A simple reading of the text can make him appear superficial or single-minded. Such a reading fails to account for the moment in which he lived. If the priesthood had devolved to the condition portrayed in the Nazarean Codicil, then Yochanan, like Hillel, Yeshua, and others, saw the coming demise of Judaism and the Temple. These men were certainly prophetic, possessing the Ruach HaKodesh, the spirit of prophecy, while also discerning the inevitable signs before them.
CAMEL’S HAIR AND LOCUSTS
Wild locusts of a particular species are acceptable within the kosher diet. That Yochanan eats locusts and is dressed in a camel-hair tallit speaks volumes.
Lev 11:22 These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the devastating locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds.
Hullin 3:7 And among locusts: Any which has four legs, four wings, and jointed legs [Lev. 11:21], and the wings of which cover the greater part of its body. R. Yose says, “And the name of which is locust.”
As already noted, the imagery is voluminous. It speaks to the senses and cries out for reform. Consequently, Hakham Tsefet’s introduction of Yochanan through this imagery signals that the entire life and ministry of the harbinger announces a radical change about to take place. Furthermore, the fact that this harbinger announces the coming of Messiah speaks of an unexpected Messiah.
Scholars who attempt to deify Messiah often point to the principal phrase, “A path for the LORD!” Their ignorance lies in their failure to apprehend the principle of agency. As stated above in Ex. 23:20–22, the messenger bears the title of the Master whom he represents, that is, “the angel of the LORD.” The messenger is no more G-d than the sun, moon, and stars, which are themselves the LORD’s messengers. Messiah does not need to be G-d in order to accomplish his mission. He bears a heavenly title because he is a heavenly agent. The term “apostle” means “sent one,” and therefore an apostle is an agent of the sender. In the case of the apostles, they are agents of Messiah. Yet they are not Messiah, because Messiah sends them. Yochanan is not G-d because he is a messenger of G-d. Therefore, Yeshua does not require deification in order to qualify for his messianic mission. The Bible is filled with agents and messengers of G-d. None of those agents is thereby turned into a deity. Therefore, Yeshua’s messianic mission stands in full force without recourse to deification.
PERORATION
The wilderness theme, as it unfolds in Scripture, speaks of transition. When Moshe was relegated to the wilderness, his life changed. In a special way, G-d was preparing him for the future trek with the B’ne Yisrael to Har Sinai, where they would receive the Torah. Likewise, in passing through the wilderness, the B’ne Yisrael found transformation in the words spoken at Har Sinai. They entered a unique environment, one that was not merely a “desert” in the ordinary sense that we might imagine or attempt to elucidate within the present genre of Peshat. Yochanan, a prophet in the wilderness, speaks of change. The change already being announced is that the Mesorah is a way of life. Yochanan, Hillel, and Yeshua were preoccupied with the Malkhut Shamayim – the governance of G-d through the Bate Din and Hakhamim, who would use the Mesorah as the fundamental structure for daily life.
In the Wilderness and B’resheet
The wilderness passages of the Nazarean Codicil stand in profound continuity with B’resheet 2:4–5, where the “making” of the heavens and the earth appears in a state awaiting cultivation, an ordered world still marked by uncultivated ground, restrained growth, and the absence of the man whose vocation is to serve and guard what G‑d has formed. In that early scriptural moment, the earth bears the character of a wilderness, not as chaos without purpose, but as creation poised for covenantal activation. The wilderness of Yochanan, therefore, recalls the primordial condition of the world before sacred order is drawn out through obedient human response. His cry in the wilderness becomes a summons to a new beginning, a return to the threshold where creation awaits alignment with the will of G-d. As the first earth awaited the one who would work the ground, so the covenant people in the Nazarean Codicil are summoned in the wilderness to repentance, preparation, and readiness for the advent of Messiah. The wilderness thus becomes the meeting place between unfinished creation and approaching redemption, the arena where the formed world awaits the voice that levels, prepares, and opens the way for divine governance to enter history.
[a] “generation of vipers” – According to Pirqe Abot …
[b] Here the phrase poiēsate finds no parallel in English or Greek. This Greek word ποιέω – poieo is anchored in the two key words of Beresheet, namely בָּרָא and עָשָׂה. Here the use of poiēsate firmly anchors this section of Luqas with Beresheet. Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 6:459
[c] Just as the above term poiēsate anchors Luqas to Beresheet through the idea of בָּרָא and עָשָׂה, we can see contextually the connection between Beresheet 2:4–9 with great ease. Beresheet opens with “no man to till the ground” (bring forth fruit). Likewise, Luqas opens with the concept of “bringing forth fruit.”
[d] ἄρχω archomai from ἀρχή arche the beginning i.e. ἐν ἀρχῇ, in the beginning. Further anchoring this section of Luqas with Beresheet.
[e] κεῖσθαι “to be laid down or given,” “to recline at table.”