107: Donkeys and Rabbis

BEMA Episode Link: 107: Donkeys and Rabbis
Episode Length: 44:37
Published Date: Thu, 07 Mar 2019 01:00:00 -0800
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a verse-by-verse examination of the gospel of Matthew by dealing with the Sabbath and rabbinical arguments surrounding Torah.

Discussion Video for BEMA 107

Sefaria: A Living Library of Jewish Texts

BEMA 25: A Kingdom of What?

Transcript for BEMA 107

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 107: Donkeys and Rabbis - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 107 - Donkeys and Rabbis
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Matthew 12:1-21 - Sabbath controversies, rabbinical debate, and the yoke of Jesus

This episode examines Jesus’s approach to Sabbath observance and Torah interpretation through two key confrontations with the Pharisees. Marty and Brent explore the rabbinical world of first-century Judaism, introducing the pivotal debate between the schools of Hillel and Shammai, and demonstrating how Jesus’s yoke (interpretive lens) consistently aligns with love for neighbor over strict obedience to tradition. The discussion illuminates the difference between Torah itself and the oral traditions (halakhah) that surrounded it, while emphasizing that Jesus never broke Torah but rather critiqued human interpretations that missed the heart of God’s law.

Key Takeaways

Jesus never broke the 613 commandments of Torah; He critiqued and broke rabbinic tradition (halakhah) when it missed the heart of God’s law
The Sabbath was made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath - it exists to remind us that we have enough, can rest, play, don’t need to work, and that God loves us
Rabbinic tradition created “fences” around Torah (Mishnah with 3,000 commandments, later Talmud with additional thousands) to prevent transgression, motivated not by legalism but by devotion to God
Every rabbi had a “yoke” - an interpretive lens through which they read Torah, defined by their answer to “What is the second greatest commandment?”
Jesus adopted the yoke of Hillel, which prioritized love for neighbor as the second greatest commandment (vs. Shammai’s emphasis on Sabbath obedience)
The weightier matters of the law are mercy, justice, righteousness, and compassion - Jesus never dismisses attention to details but insists on getting God’s priorities right
The priests demonstrated correct Torah interpretation when they gave David the consecrated bread, because feeding the hungry supersedes ceremonial holiness

Main Concepts & Theories

Torah vs. Halakhah

Torah refers to the first five books of Moses containing 613 commandments. Halakhah (from the Hebrew word for “walk”) refers to the oral tradition and rabbinic rulings about how to “walk out” or fulfill Torah in daily life. This distinction is crucial for understanding the Gospel narratives.

The Text contains relatively few direct commands about Sabbath: don’t light a fire (Numbers), don’t work, don’t gather manna, and the story of a man stoned for gathering firewood. However, applying these commands required interpretation - what constitutes “work”? This is where halakhah emerged.

Jesus consistently honored Torah while challenging halakhah when it contradicted the heart of God’s law. When Christians claim “Jesus broke the law,” they misunderstand this critical distinction and inadvertently undermine Jesus’s sinless life - which, in a Jewish context, necessarily means He perfectly fulfilled Torah.

The Fence Around Torah

After the Babylonian exile, Jewish leaders developed a protective system of additional commandments to prevent people from even approaching the boundary of transgression. This “fence around Torah” was:

Mishnah (circa 2nd century AD) - approximately 3,000 commandments
Talmud (finalized around AD 505) - additional thousands of rulings and interpretations

The motivation was not legalism but devotion. Marty illustrates this with the story of Moshe, a Jerusalem shop owner, who bought 20 oranges when his pregnant wife wanted one. When she took only one orange and discarded the rest, Moshe explained: “My obedience as a Jew following all these oral commands and traditions is not because I’m a legalist, it’s because it’s my gift to Adonai.”

This perspective helps modern readers understand the Pharisees with greater charity - they genuinely wanted to honor God through scrupulous obedience.

Rabbinical Yokes: Hillel and Shammai

In first-century Judaism, two dominant rabbinical schools shaped interpretation:

Shammai’s Yoke:

First greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and might
Second greatest commandment: Obey the Sabbath
Interpretive lens: Obedience to God’s commands
Conservative approach emphasizing strict adherence to tradition

Hillel’s Yoke:

First greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and might
Second greatest commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself
Interpretive lens: Love and relationships
Progressive approach emphasizing compassion and human need

The “yoke” functions like a pair of glasses - it’s the filter through which a rabbi views and interprets all of Torah. Jesus consistently adopted Hillel’s yoke (with one exception regarding divorce, to be discussed in later episodes).

This matters profoundly for Jesus’s followers: if we follow Jesus, we must adopt His yoke. We interpret Scripture through the lens of love for God and neighbor.

The Weightiness of the Law

Not all commandments carry equal weight. When two commandments appear to conflict, which takes priority? This question drove rabbinical debate.

Examples discussed:

David and the Consecrated Bread (1 Samuel 21): When David was fleeing Saul, the priest gave him the Bread of the Presence, which Torah reserved exclusively for priests. The priest correctly interpreted that feeding the hungry outweighed ceremonial restrictions.
Priests Working on Sabbath (Numbers 28:9-10): Torah commands both Sabbath rest and Sabbath sacrifices. Priests must “work” to offer sacrifices, demonstrating that certain priestly duties supersede Sabbath restrictions.
The Donkey in the Pit: One of eight great rabbinical debates concerned what to do if a donkey falls into a pit on Sabbath. Leviticus commands helping your neighbor, but also prohibits work on Sabbath. Both Hillel and Shammai ultimately agreed the donkey must be rescued, but the debate revealed their different interpretive frameworks.

Jesus’s principle: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (quoting Hosea 6:6). He doesn’t dismiss detailed obedience (even commending tithing of mint, dill, and cumin) but insists we must not “neglect the weightier matters of the law: mercy, justice, righteousness, and compassion.” The key is pursuing God’s priorities, not human traditions.

The Purpose of Sabbath

The Sabbath controversy in Matthew 12 arises when Jesus’s disciples pick grain on Sabbath. The Pharisees interpret this as “harvesting” - forbidden work. Jesus responds by reframing Sabbath’s purpose.

Drawing from Genesis 1 and Session 1 of BEMA, Sabbath reminds us:

We have enough - God provides abundantly
We can rest - Our identity isn’t rooted in productivity
We can play - Joy and delight are part of God’s design
No work - We trust God rather than striving
God loves us - Sabbath is gift, not burden

As Jesus states in other Gospels: “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Humanity is “lord over the Sabbath” - we don’t serve Sabbath; Sabbath serves us. This is scandalous to strict interpretations but reflects God’s heart.

The Four Roles of Priesthood

Referenced from BEMA Episode 25 (“A Kingdom of What”), the priest who gave David consecrated bread embodied all four priestly roles:

Putting God on Display - Demonstrating God’s compassion and priorities
Helping People Navigate Atonement - Facilitating reconciliation with God
Interceding on Behalf of Others - Standing in the gap for those in need
Distributing Resources to the Oppressed - Ensuring justice and provision

The priest interpreted Torah correctly because he understood that the holy bread existed to teach about God’s character - and this God prioritizes feeding the hungry over preserving ceremonial purity.

Isaiah 42 and the Servant’s Gentleness

Matthew concludes this section by quoting Isaiah 42:1-4, describing God’s servant who:

Will not quarrel or cry out
Will not raise his voice in the streets
Will not break a bruised reed
Will not snuff out a smoldering wick
Will bring justice (mishpat - putting things right) to victory
Will give hope to the nations

After the heated Sabbath controversy, Jesus withdraws rather than promoting Himself or winning arguments. He quietly brings Kingdom, healing, wholeness, and justice. Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s gentle servant.

Possible Connections to John the Baptist

The episode ends with an unresolved drash (deeper interpretation) connecting Isaiah 42 to the John the Baptist narrative:

Jesus called John “a reed blown by the wind” (Matthew 11:7)
Isaiah 42 says the servant won’t break “a bruised reed”
When John sent disciples asking if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 and this passage about opening blind eyes and freeing captives
Jesus conspicuously omitted “freeing captives from prison” - while John was in prison/dungeon
Isaiah 42:7 references releasing “from the dungeon those who sit in darkness”
Isaiah 42:2 says the servant won’t “raise his voice in the streets” - John was “a voice crying in the wilderness”

Marty suggests Matthew may be weaving these narratives together with deeper meaning yet to be uncovered.

Examples & Applications

The Disciples Picking Grain (Matthew 12:1-8)

Context: Jesus’s disciples walk through grain fields on Sabbath and pick heads of grain to eat - lawful according to Torah’s provision for travelers and Middle Eastern hospitality customs. However, rabbinic tradition interpreted this as “harvesting,” which constituted forbidden work.

Jesus’s Response: He provides three arguments:

David’s example - When David fled Saul, the priest gave him consecrated bread reserved for priests, demonstrating that human need supersedes ceremonial law
The priests’ example - Priests must work on Sabbath to offer required Sabbath sacrifices, showing that certain activities don’t violate Sabbath’s intent
God’s priority - “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6) - compassion matters more than technical compliance

Application: We must distinguish between God’s commands and human interpretations. Traditions that burden people or miss God’s heart should be challenged, even when motivated by sincere devotion.

Healing on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-14)

Context: The Pharisees deliberately set a trap, bringing a man with a shriveled hand before Jesus in the synagogue and asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” In their framework, healing constituted creative work prohibited on Sabbath.

Jesus’s Response: He invokes the “donkey in the pit” principle - if everyone agrees you should rescue an animal that falls into a pit on Sabbath, “how much more valuable is a person than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Key Observation: The Pharisees asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Jesus reframed: “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” He elevated the question from technical compliance to moral purpose.

Application: Religion that prevents doing good has lost its way. The Sabbath exists to remind us of God’s goodness and to celebrate wholeness, healing, and restoration. Using religious rules to prevent compassion contradicts Sabbath’s very purpose.

One Gospel adds that Jesus “looked around in anger” - righteous anger at how people weaponize religion to hurt others.

The Holocaust Dilemma

Modern Example: During the Holocaust, Christians hid Jews in attics and basements. When Nazis knocked asking, “Do you have Jews here?” these rescuers faced conflicting commandments:

Don’t lie
Don’t murder / Protect life / Show hospitality

Traditional Moralistic View: “Whatever you do, you’ll break a commandment” - focusing on guilt and failure.

Jesus’s Yoke (Hillel Perspective): “Don’t look at it as breaking a command, look at it as fulfilling the right command.” Protecting life is weightier than technical truthfulness in this context. Choosing the weightier commandment means you’re fulfilling Torah, not violating it.

Application: When apparent conflicts arise, ask which commandment is weightier according to love for God and neighbor. Fulfill that commandment without guilt about “breaking” the lesser one - you’re actually honoring Torah by choosing correctly.

Moshe and the Oranges

Story: Moshe, a Jerusalem shop owner, woke in the night when his pregnant wife craved an orange. He trudged to the store and bought 20 oranges. She selected one and discarded the rest. When Christians criticized this as legalistic excess, Moshe replied: “Of course I only needed one orange, but it doesn’t matter if she threw away the other 19. It’s my gift. My obedience as a Jew following all these oral commands and traditions is not because I’m a legalist, it’s because it’s my gift to Adonai.”

Application: Before criticizing others’ religious devotion as legalistic, examine their heart. What appears excessive to outsiders may be motivated by genuine love and desire to honor God. The issue isn’t whether someone goes “beyond” requirements but whether their practice reflects love or breeds contempt for others.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

The Eight Great Rabbinical Debates: This episode mentions the “donkey in the pit” as one of eight great debates that defined rabbinic interpretation. What were the other seven? How did Hillel and Shammai approach each? How does understanding these debates illuminate other Gospel passages?
Jesus’s Exception on Divorce: Marty notes that Jesus consistently adopts Hillel’s yoke except regarding divorce. What was the Hillel-Shammai debate on divorce? Why did Jesus side with Shammai on this particular issue? What does this reveal about His interpretive principles?
The Connection Between Isaiah 42 and John the Baptist: Multiple textual links suggest Matthew is drawing parallels between Jesus, John the Baptist, and Isaiah’s servant songs. What is the significance of the “reed” imagery? Why did Jesus omit “freeing captives” when John was in prison? How does the “voice crying in the wilderness” contrast with one who “will not raise his voice in the streets”?
The Four Roles of Priesthood in Jesus’s Ministry: Episode 25 outlined priesthood as displaying God, facilitating atonement, interceding, and distributing resources. How does Jesus fulfill each role throughout Matthew’s Gospel? How should His followers embody these priestly functions?
Mercy vs. Sacrifice in Hosea: Jesus quotes “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” from Hosea 6:6 twice in Matthew (9:13 and 12:7). What is the full context of Hosea 6? How does understanding the prophet’s message deepen our interpretation of Jesus’s application?
The Progression from Torah to Mishnah to Talmud: How did Jewish interpretation evolve over centuries? What historical events drove the codification of oral tradition? How do contemporary Jewish communities relate to these texts today? What can Christians learn from this approach to Scripture?
Sabbath as Kingdom Proclamation: If Sabbath reminds us “we have enough, we can rest, we can play, no work, God loves us,” how does regular Sabbath practice function as counter-cultural witness in modern society? How might recovering Sabbath challenge consumerism, workaholism, and achievement-based identity?
The Weightiness Principle in Ethical Decision-Making: How can the concept of “weightier commandments” guide contemporary moral dilemmas? What are examples of modern conflicts between biblical commands where the weightiness principle should apply? How do we avoid using this principle to dismiss commands we find inconvenient?
Son of Man as “Lord of the Sabbath”: Different interpretations exist for Matthew 12:8 - does “Son of Man” refer specifically to Jesus or generically to humanity? How does each reading affect our understanding? Can both be true? What does it mean for humanity to be “lord over” Sabbath?
The NIV’s Capitalization Choices: Brent notes that the NIV capitalizes “Son of Man” in verse 8, introducing an interpretive layer. How do translation choices shape theological understanding? What are other examples where capitalization, punctuation, or word choice in English translations add interpretation not present in Greek?

Comprehension Questions

Explain the difference between Torah and halakhah. Why is this distinction crucial for understanding Jesus’s conflicts with the Pharisees? How does recognizing this difference protect the doctrine of Jesus’s sinlessness?
Describe the yokes of Hillel and Shammai. What was the second greatest commandment for each rabbi? Which yoke did Jesus adopt, and what does this mean for His followers today?
What is the “weightiness of the law” principle? Using the examples from this episode (David and the consecrated bread, priests working on Sabbath, or the donkey in the pit), explain how this principle works in practice.
What was the original purpose of Sabbath according to Genesis 1? How did Jesus’s actions and teaching restore this purpose? Why were the Pharisees’ concerns about harvesting grain actually missing the point of Sabbath?
How did the priest who gave David consecrated bread demonstrate correct Torah interpretation? Connect this to the four roles of priesthood and explain why Jesus used this as an argument for His disciples’ actions.

Personalized Summary

Episode 107 fundamentally reframes how we understand Jesus’s relationship to Torah and His conflicts with religious leaders. The revelation that Jesus never broke Torah - only rabbinic tradition - protects His sinlessness while explaining why Pharisees could genuinely believe He was transgressing. The fence around Torah (Mishnah and Talmud) arose from devotion, not legalism, yet could obscure God’s priorities when tradition contradicted compassion.

The introduction of Hillel and Shammai’s competing yokes provides the framework for understanding virtually every controversy in the Gospels. Jesus consistently chose Hillel’s lens of love for neighbor, demonstrating that when commandments appear to conflict, we fulfill Torah by choosing the weightier matter. This isn’t moral relativism but rather correctly identifying God’s priorities: mercy, justice, righteousness, and compassion.

The Sabbath controversies aren’t about Jesus being casual with God’s commands but about restoring Sabbath to its Genesis purpose - reminding us we have enough, can rest, can play, don’t need to work, and are loved by God. Religion that burdens people with technical compliance while ignoring human suffering has inverted God’s values. True obedience cares about the details God cares about.

Perhaps most challenging is the call to examine our own interpretive frameworks. What yoke do we bring to Scripture? Do we read through a lens of love or mere obligation? When we encounter apparent conflicts, do we choose the weightier commandment without guilt, or do we get trapped in either-or thinking that misses the heart of God’s law?

The unresolved questions about Isaiah 42’s connection to John the Baptist remind us that Scripture’s depths remain inexhaustible. Even expert teachers like Marty continue discovering new layers of meaning, inviting us into the lifelong adventure of studying God’s Word with humility and curiosity.

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S3 107: Donkeys and Rabbis

Sabbath and the Law [44:37]