Pharisees' Commandments Considered More Binding Than Scripture
The Pharisees did not stop with merely modifying, disregarding or even annulling Scripture. They maintained that the commandments they enacted in the place of Scripture were of more importance than the Scripture itself!
"The law of custom was quite as binding as the written Torah; nay it was even decided that opposition to the decrees of the Scribes was a heavier transgression than opposition to the decrees of the Torah" (The Jewish People in the Time of Christ, sec. ii, vol. i, pp. 333, 334).
Now let us go to the Talmud itself and notice some of the statements of some of the early Pharisees themselves. Their situation in regard to their own teachings will be obvious.
From the Jerusalem Talmud, Berakoth i, 7, we read: "The sayings of the elders have more weight than those of the prophets." The elders, in this case, are the Pharisees.
In Sanhedrin xi, 3, it says: "An offense against the sayings of the Scribes is worse than one against those of Scripture." They demanded the people refer to them as spiritual "Father," "Rabbi," or "Master" (Makkoth 24a and Matthew 23:7-10). The Pharisee teachers even required the people to reverence them almost as God Himself. "Let thine esteem for thy friend border upon thy respect for thy teacher, and respect for thy teacher on reverence for God" (Aboth, iv, 12).
"Each Scribe [learned Pharisee] out-weighted all the common people, who must accordingly pay him every honor. Nay, they were honored of God Himself, and their praises proclaimed by the angels; and in heaven also, each of them would hold the same rank and distinction as on earth. Such was to be the respect paid to their sayings, that they were to be absolutely believed, even if they were to declare that to be at the right hand which was at the left, or vice versa (i.e. even if they proclaimed doctrines contradictory to Scripture)" (Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. i, p. 90).
Because of the religious authority that the Pharisees claimed they had, they in general demanded the first rank in all circumstances. "They loved the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi" (Matt. 23:6, 7). The term "Rabbi" means, literally, "My Master." It denotes the personal ruler or leader of the people.
Edersheim records an incident of two great Rabbis who were complaining because they had been greeted in the market place by the common greeting "May your peace be great" without the added "My Masters" (Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. ii, p. 409). "So weighty was the duty of respectful salutation by [use of] the title Rabbi, that to neglect it would involve the heaviest punishment" (ibid., vol. ii, p. 409).
The unusual esteem accorded to the Pharisaic teachers is purely a product of Hellenistic influence. The Greeks maintained a high reverence for the scholars, teachers and men of wisdom. Titles of respect and reverential honor were used in the Greek schools for their teachers.
The use of "Rabbi," "Master," "Father" and various other exalted titles of the Pharisees was certainly borrowed from the examples of the Greeks. A learned Jewish historian, Moses Hadas, admits that these various customs of the Rabbis "were parallel to Greek usages, and shall suggest that since they were introduced after the spread of Hellenism they might have been inspired by Greek practice. The extraordinary reverence paid to learning may be part and parcel of this same influence" (Hellenistic Culture, p. 71).
True Christian disciples are warned not to assume these exalted titles of "Rabbi," "Father" or "Master." Such high, eminent titles of respect are deserved only by God. He is Master and Lord. He is the spiritual Father of the faithful. The Pharisees had no right to arrogate to themselves such titles, and neither does any minister. Today, however, the majority of Christian ministers are appropriating as a designation the very names that God says not to use. How many priests today are called "Father"? How many ministers use the title of "Reverend" which, in the Scripture, is used only as a designation of God? (Psa. 111:9)
Pharisees Contradict Each Other
Just before the birth of Christ, many of the Pharisees had formed themselves into institutions, or what became known as Schools, for the purpose of study and for counsel concerning the legislation of new laws. Those who felt one particular way in regard to new legislation would assemble with other Pharisees who believed in a similar vein.
The two major Schools of the Pharisees were the School of Hillel and the School of Shammai. The two founders of these Schools, Hillel and Shammai, gathered together other Pharisees who believed in many ways similar to themselves. Both these Schools issued new commandments in regard to religious worship.
These two major Schools of the Pharisees were the rivals of one another. The points in which they disagreed were virtually innumerable (Cyc. of Bib., Theo. and Ecc. Lit., vol. ix, p. 472).
It has been supposed that the tendency of the Hillel School was to make the new commandments they enacted less burdensome, and that the Shammai School made commandments which were heavier and more burdensome. However, both Schools legislated many strict and burdensome commandments, over and above the requirements of Scripture, and Edersheim shows that the Hillel School was even more strict than the Shammai in some cases (Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. ii, p. 407).
The commandments of these two Schools covered practically every religious practice of the Jews. They made many ridiculous and overly burdensome commandments concerning the observance of the Sabbath. They enacted strict ritualistic laws regarding the washing of the hands, pots, pans, jars, etc. They also made numerous ritualistic regulations regarding the preparing and eating of foods. Their teachings extended to all phases of physical worship.
It is rather ironic that these two Schools were both composed of Pharisees and yet their teachings, in so many cases, were totally at variance with one another. One School would bring out a new commandment regarding a particular religious rite or custom, and proclaim that the new commandment was mandatory for all pious Jews to perform. In consequence of this, the other School would issue a similar commandment, usually as a rebuttal and in most cases diametrically opposite from the other.
"Controversy between these two groups extended over many topics and excited considerable warmth of feeling" (Herford, Judaism in the New Testament Period, p. 160).
As mentioned before: "the points on which they differed were almost innumerable" (Cyc. of Bib., Theo. and Ecc. Lit., vol. ix, p. 472).
Both Schools Vied for Absolute Authority!
The controversies between these two major Pharisaic Schools were undoubtedly sparked by the desire of both of them to be the ultimate authority among the Pharisees.
Edersheim says: "In truth, their differences seem too often prompted by a spirit of opposition, so that the serious business of religion became in their hands one of rival authority and mere wrangling" (Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. ii, p. 407).
This was the condition of the Pharisees just before and during the days of Christ! Like professing Christianity today, the Pharisees were in confusion over their own doctrines. Their continual arguing among themselves placed them in embarrassing positions among the people and the other religious sects. Yet, they continued their squabbles and controversies! Little wonder many sought to hear Christ.
"Many, very many of them [their controversies] are so utterly trivial and absurd that only the hairsplitting ingenuity of theologians can account for them: others so profane that it is difficult to understand how any religion could coexist with them. Conceive, for example, two schools in controversy whether it was lawful to kill a louse on the Sabbath" (ibid., vol. ii, p. 407, note 4).
The controversies between these two Schools were so numerous — and some so vulgar — that it is impractical to list them all. For any who may be interested in them, a list has been prepared by Schurer. See his The Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, sec. ii, vol. i; p. 361.
You can imagine what the controversies between these two prominent Pharisaical Schools did to the faith of the people who were endeavoring to observe the teachings of the Schools. Who were the people to believe? Both Schools claimed to be speaking the words of God, and yet they violently disagreed with one another in almost every point.
These two Pharisaic Schools were not the only dissentious bodies among the Pharisees.
"The Pharisees at this time were sharply divided into various section which were NOT exhausted by the rival schools of Hillel and Shammai" (ABC., p. 841).
"The Pharisees were divided into many sects, and the doctrines of individual teachers were often contradictory . . ." (Conder, Judas Maccabceus, p. 205).
It is important we realize that no real creed existed among the Pharisees. "The Pharisees were never a homogeneous body possessed of a definite policy or body of doctrines" (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., vol. xxi, p. 347).
The differences of opinion among all the Pharisees, remember, arose with the making of new commandments, in the Second Century B. C., by Joseph ben Joezer, called "The Permitter."
This reminds a person of modern Christianity with all its differing doctrines and conflicting beliefs. And yet, each church, today, claims that it is preaching the truth of Christ.
Contradictory Commandments Called Those of God!
We have the records of some Pharisees who attempted to conciliate the differences between the two main antagonistic divisions of the Pharisaic group. But, in their undertaking to reconcile the groups, they still had to maintain that both divisions were truly teaching the Word of God.
Lauterbach records an attempt to reconcile the teachings of the Hillel and Shammai Schools and still show that both their teachings were the Words of God. He refers to a statement in the Talmud found in Erubin 13b. Lauterbach records:
"A heavenly voice was heard declaring that both the words of the School of Hillel and the words of the School of Shammai [despite their disagreements] are the words of the living God, but the practical decision should be according to the words of the School of Hillel" (Rabbinic Essays, p. 243, note 78). (The bracketed portion of the above quote is Lauterbach's)
The majority of Pharisees favored the Hillel School more than any other, and this led to the conciliating parties leaning toward that particular School's teachings.
In the Talmud, Gittin 6b, there is another reference, this time to a Jew named Elijah [not the prophet] who endeavored to reconcile the differences between two Pharisaic teachers. Elijah is reported "to have said that God declared BOTH the opposing views of Rabbi Abiathar and Rabbi Jonathan to be the words of the living God" (ibid., p. 243, note 78).
What nonsense!
"All these utterances were intended to serve as a refutation of the attacks made against the teachings of the Rabbis [Pharisees] on account of their disagreements" (ibid., p. 243, note 78).
It was impossible for the Pharisees to directly admit that one or the other School was wrong (or as actually was the case, that both were wrong). They were forced to concede that both Schools' conflicting teachings were from God.
Hillel School Becomes Most Important
The proneness of the majority of Pharisees to follow the decisions of the Hillel School (Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. i, p. 239), finally led to the complete ascendancy of that School. It was not until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and the subsequent dispersal of the Jews from Palestine, that the Hillel School became the paramount teaching body. During the lifetime of Christ and the Apostle Paul, the Pharisees were still divided into the various Schools. But with the destruction of Jerusalem, the Jews tended to solidify their schismatic groups. Even many of the Jewish sects became extinct after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and most of the Jews gravitated towards adhering to the Hillel School of interpretation. Orthodox Judaism today has for its basis the teachings of Pharisees who maintained the commandments and principles of the Hillel School.
However, in the days just before and during the life of Christ, the Pharisees were still having their rivalries among themselves. They were teaching their manifold contradictory commandments from the various Schools.
It should not be difficult to understand why Christ condemned the Pharisees for rejecting the commandments of God and for "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." They had left the simple and plain Law which God had given them through Moses and had replaced it with their own set of commandments.
The next installment will reveal more surprising Pharisaic traditions.