Um... So I thought this might be a fine thread to ask it on but I recently keep hearing people talk about the Torah, and I heard about it once years ago from a guy who thought that meant we needed to keep the law of Moses exactly as is, but what is the difference between the Torah or the KJV of the bible? Is it a different translation or something? (I don't believe the KJV is a perfect translation the fact that they had to change Jacob's name to James in honor of the King is proof of that so I have been interested to learn Hebrew and try to read the bible as is.) Do followers of Torah have a different set of beliefs from normal christianity, like Christian but following Jewish Tradition or the law of Moses perfectly?
As you are seeing, you'll get different answers to that question, Ruth Elizabeth.
But I personally will always start by pointing out that the word "
torah" itself is Hebrew, and usually MIS-translated into English as if it only means "law." It is MUCH more, and is in reality His "teaching and instruction." All of it. (Remember, when He came in the flesh, He often taught by parables, also thus "instruction." For our blessing.)
Often, you may hear people refer to THE Torah, capitalized, intended to refer specifically to the first five Books of the Bible, Written through Moses. But that Torah, too, uses words that mean things like 'law' (i.e., 'statutes, judgments, and commandments,') and gives us a LOT of instruction outside those as well. Lives and stories that literally define what 'faith' itself means, for just one example. And examples of just HOW things should work (as in all of Genesis, chapters 23 through 25, which is the whole basis for most of "English Common Law".)
I believe that the "Big Difference" boils down to what people have been taught - rightly, or wrongly - about what Messiah Yahushua said in His 'first public address' in Matthew 5:17-19:
That He did NOT come to 'do away with' that Instruction. Not one "yod or tiddle" (i.e., not even the tiniest part) so long as "heaven and earth" still exist. I contend they do, and He did not lie.
"Jewish tradition," on the other hand, is a "whole 'nuther thang." Yahushua called people "hypocrites" who violated the oft-repeated command (see Deut. 4:2, 12:32, and later the end of Revelation) not to "add to" or "subtract from" what He Himself had Written. (Examples: Matthew chapter 23, Mark chapter 7, etc.) Sadly, the 'church' has done EXACTLY the same thing - you will be able to see the examples yourself.
So, yes, for that reason (and others that you'll see here, such as the fact that ONE of those big 'additions and subtractions' was gutting and re-defining 'marriage' itself) --
myself and others who try to "study, to show yourself approved" will reject a lot of the
"lies we have inherited from our fathers." (Jeremiah 16:19) from much of what might be called "xtianity" or 'churchianity.' Or other terms some don't like, but which come right from His Word, too. On THAT score, you'll find more in these threads as well. Blessings in your study.
