I recently posted about Christmas (this lesson is NOT about Christmas, so don’t even start on that) and a response I received from many people made me realize that there seems to be confusion about something in the Book of Deuteronomy.
If you prefer to watch a video, click on this link: Watch the video.
The verse that I was referred to by many people when I was talking about that holiday whose name shall not be spoken is Deuteronomy 4:2, which states (CJB):
In order to obey the mitzvot of Adonai your God which I am giving you, do not add to what I am saying, and do not subtract from it.
(For those who may not be familiar with Hebrew, “mitzvot“, as used here, means “commandments”)
I also checked no less than 5 other versions of the Bible, and in all cases, what was not to be added to or taken away from were God’s “commandments“.
I interpret that as saying what are not to be changed are the commandments, such as the Kosher laws in Leviticus 11, or the Holy Days in Leviticus 23, or any of the commandments that are throughout the Torah.
In other words, what is in the Torah is what we must do, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do more.
For instance, what about the holidays (meaning man-made celebrations) that have become part and parcel of worship over the centuries?
I’m talking about Simchat Torah (Joy of Torah) celebrated after Sukkot on the eighth day , or Purim (this holiday was never commanded by God to be celebrated), or Hanukkah (this one’s not even in the Bible, except for the Apocrypha, and only the Catholics use that), or even that holiday whose name shall not be spoken.
This brought me to the question of today’s message: is the Torah the only form of worship we are allowed, essentially restricting our opportunity to thank God, or is the Torah just the foundation, the starting point, the least we must do when we wish to worship God?
According to those who refuse to worship that holiday, validating their position by quoting Deut. 4:2, what they are saying is that any holiday not specifically mentioned in the Torah is a sin.
Besides that, they are also saying that nearly every Orthodox and Chasidic Jew, not to mention any other sects who follow Halacha, are also sinning because if you want to know what adding to a commandment is like, then research all the rules and restrictions that Halacha has! Oy!
Look, people, I can’t see God restricting our ability to demonstrate our love and appreciation for all he is and all he has done, and IS doing, by saying the only way we can celebrate him is by those 7 specific days, and only in those specific ways.
I mean, really? Does that make any sense to you?
I think that commandment in Deuteronomy was meant specifically to identify the least we should do with regard to worshiping God. It is a foundation for us to build on, not the entire structure within which we cannot go outside of.
How can honoring God ever be wrong? How can wanting to celebrate the wonderful things he has done for us be sinful?
How could anyone think that if we created a new holiday to celebrate God or to honor his Messiah that God would reject that as sinful? And if we think we are doing right by celebrating what God has done (which includes sending us his Messiah), how many millions of faithful believers in God and Messiah Yeshua will be punished at Judgement Day?
I don’t know about you, but to me it is a really frightening thought that creating celebrations to thank God for all he has done will send us to hell!
Sorry, but that just can not be!
I believe from all that I have read about God in the Bible that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will not reject ANY form of worship or ANY celebration that is created by people with the intention to be thankful and/or give worship to him for what he does.
And that includes ANYTHING he does, has done, or even plans to do. If a man-made holiday has been created as a form of worship, thanks, or dedication to God, I can’t see God rejecting that just because it isn’t specified in the Torah.
No, people, I am confident in saying that the Torah is only the foundation for proper worship, and any celebration we create designed to give thanks to God that doesn’t change an existing commandment is not only acceptable to God, but appreciated.
Thank you for being here and please remember to “like” and comment on these messages so that they get more Internet exposure, and share them with everyone you know, even non-believers, Hey, after all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.
That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!