Page 19 - Attractive Deception - The False Hope of the Hebrew Roots Movement

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

There is an interesting story in the Talmud (in the tractate Bava Mezia 59b) that illustrates the
attitude of many Orthodox Jews toward the Scriptures. This popular story centers on a group of
rabbis who are holding a halakhic debate as to whether an oven that has become religiously unclean
can be made clean again. (Halakha refers to principles and rules for living which inform Jews about
how they are to conduct their lives.) In this story found in the Talmud, the majority of the rabbis
conclude that an unclean oven cannot be made clean again. A certain rabbi by the name of Eliezer
disagrees, asserting that it can be made clean again. This led to the following exchange:

On that day, Rabbi Eliezer put forward all the arguments in the world, but the Sages did not accept
them. Finally, he said to them, “If the halakha is according to me, let that carob-tree prove it.” He
pointed to a nearby carob-tree, which then moved from its place a hundred cubits, and some say,
four hundred cubits. They said to him “One cannot bring a proof from the moving of a carob-tree.”

Said Rabbi Eliezer, “If the halakha is according to me, may that stream of water prove it.” The
stream of water then turned and flowed in the opposite direction. They said to him, “One cannot
bring a proof from the behavior of a stream of water.”

Said Rabbi Eliezer, “If the halakha is according to me, may the walls of the House of Study prove
it.” The walls of the House of Study began to bend inward. Rabbi Joshua then rose up and rebuked
the walls of the House of Study, “If the students of the Wise argue with one another in halakha,” he
said, “what right have you to interfere?” In honor of Rabbi Joshua, the walls ceased to bend
inward; but in honor of Rabbi Eliezer, they did not straighten up, and they remain bent to this day.

Then, said Rabbi Eliezer to the Sages, “If the halakha is according to me, may a proof come from
Heaven.” Then a heavenly voice went forth and said, “What have you to do with Rabbi Eliezer? The
halakha is according to him in every place.” Then Rabbi Joshua rose up on his feet, and said, “It
is not in the heavens” (Deuteronomy 30:12).

What did he mean by quoting this? Said Rabbi Jeremiah, “He meant that since the Torah has been
given already on Mount Sinai, we do not pay attention to a heavenly voice, for You have written in
Your Torah, ‘Decide according to the majority’” (Exodus 23:2).

Rabbi Nathan met the prophet Elijah. He asked him, “What was the Holy One, Blessed be He, doing
in that hour?” Said Elijah, “He was laughing and saying, ‘My children have defeated me, my