Your quote: "Midrash, yes, 'drash' is an abbreviation.
Sorry , I should have been more clear. It is part of 'PaRDeS', that is the anagram for the Jewish manner of exegesis. It stands for 'Parshot' the face value meaning, 'Remez', a deeper more alegorical meaning. 'Derash' or 'D'rash' for a comparative meaning and 'Sod', a secret, hidden meaning.
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Sounds pretty neat. What do you mean by comparative meaning?
Parables are an example. You really need to study on what PaRDes is to understand his teachings. He was speaking mainly to the lay peoples and teaching them beyond the simple meaning of the commandment not to kill. Explaining it to its full meaning. In other words 'do not kill' is a heading. See my chart. But what all falls under that? It falls under the two greatest commandments, the main one to love your neighbor. But also you need to honor your heavenly father by respecting his creation of another human being. You do that by not just not taking their life, but also by not holding a grudge, by not being unrightfully angry, by not dissing them in anyway. So in saying it was equal to murder he means that it falls under that category in the ten commandments.
The oaths thing I think has become clear in that it says "IF" you make a vow. Jesus jsut advised to not make one to begin with! Maybe because of sinful nature, it was natural up to that point to really want to prove you were going to follow through by making a vow. But Jesus I think just wants the power of your honest yes to stand.
Yes, it is not good to make an oath because we are human and do fall. Basically I believe he was saying 'be a man of your word'. I'm sure you have been around people who automatically say things like 'i swear to god!' so causally without even thinking. If they would abide by the standard, Yes or No, they would not be held accountable at the judgement.
Your quote: "Yes, it was the judges who would make a decision and carry out the sentence, but with the help of the Holy Spirit you should not seek revenge, but turn the other cheek, this brings out holiness in regard to loving another with both parties. Let's just say instead of preventative that the L-RD was dealing at the time with a more primitive people than today. Remember the second greatest commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself and doing that really isn't taking revenge is it? That is why Jesus gave a deeper look at the commandment. It is better to show mercy. It was probably hoped that if the verdict was guilty that it was not a forced punishment. If the person who had, say lost an eye were to show love instead of revenge he would then ask that the judges not have the sentence carried out.
Do you know the story of King Solomon and the two woman and one baby? He had to 'force' mercy out by his degree, but it was better than harming that baby, this I believe is what G-d was hoping would happen."
Cool. Yes, amen about not seeking revenge. Quite beautiful concept. I do know that story about King Solomon! So the true mother cries out to just give the baby to the other woman instead of killing it - that was the forced mercy that came out of her? I guess instead, there was no way of deciding whose baby it really was. So the only other option was to divide it between the two, which would be terrible.
Yes, that was it. I was not 'forced' per se, but mercy is what she showed when Solomon announced his decision, knowing in his wisdom that the true mother would not allow her child to be killed, but would rather sacrifice by giving it to another mother who had lost her child.
Thank you for your help. I guess I would be considered Messianic in that I want to keep Torah and Sabbath? What exactly is the description of a Messianic believer? Thank you.
Greg