As evidenced with any Marriage, a covenant agreement involves partners who are seeking spiritual and emotional unity, and their trust is demonstrated with an exchange of tangible goods as their testimony. Therefore, each marriage partner brings a ring for the other’s finger. They also bring wine for a community celebration, and they make public vows to testify of their mutual commitment.

    Likewise, when God covenanted with Yisrael (Israel), he brought the two tablets of commandments, the instructions for Shabboth (Sabbath) and the Moedei (Festivals), and he brought Koshruth (the choices for eating), and instructions for Tzitzi (tassels) -- and all of it was his testimony. Yisrael (Israel) in turn, brought their own circumcision, personal silver and gold for the Mikdash (Tabernacle), along with their praises and embellishments by ritual and customs -- and what Yisrael brought was the start of their Traditions.

    This is why Traditions and Oral Law are so important to an observant Jew. The Traditions are their side of a Covenant with God, and Torah is God’s side. Their objective is to make the covenant effective, and a covenant is the “cutting away” of something valuable. When these things are cut away they become the possession of the other partner. And the two, Tradition and Torah, are the evidence of that exchange and union by Covenant between them, being Yisrael and Adonoi (God).

    Then why did Yeshua (Jesus) rebuke the Perushim (Pharisees) for their traditions? It was not due to all traditions, rather, he argued against specific ones that were breaching or violating the covenant elements that Torah presents. Those particular ones were a problem because a Covenant means bonding and unity, and there is no bond if the covenant testimony of a partner is being negated. Therefore, as in our first example, everything a wife brings to her marriage must compliment her husband. And everything a husband brings to his marriage must support and uphold his wife. Likewise, the covenant of Yisrael and God will always stand when both parties remain standing with their testimonies intact.

    This is what Yeshua is referring to when he asks, “Can two stand together if they oppose each other?” And when he spoke of his own Oneness with the Father, he was speaking of their Covenant with each other, Adonai and himself. Moreover, Yeshua is determined to demonstrate that our own Covenant with God is becoming dependent upon himself and his labors. For Yeshua is the Messiah, whom God sent as evidence of our covenant, being submitted to us through Torah and Yisrael.

    Therefore, all of us must bring testimonial evidence of our accepting that covenant. To do so, we might bring songs, prayers and tithes. We might also meet regularly, build buildings for worship, and organize as a community of believers. And when doing so, we have a lot of liberty to bring assorted evidence for that purpose -- so long as it is valuable and completely surrendered, because a covenant must be evidenced with a “cutting away” of tangible value -- but we cannot diminish or negate the value of our partner's evidence -- and that is Yeshua being supported by Torah, the faithful of Yisrael, and the Holy Spirit (Ruach Hakodesh).

    Yeshua is packaged with everything that is packaged with Torah, and our own covenant being through Yeshua, is linked with God through God’s household (Yisrael) and Torah. That kind of “packaging” is what God spoke of in reference to Avrahom (Abraham) in Genesis 26:5, saying, “Avrahom bonded with my voice, by keeping my charge, my miztwoth (commandments), statutes and Torah principles (laws).”

    Therefore, even Avrahom had a perception of Torah itself, though the full form of Torah did not exist until Moshe (Moses), and he did not oppose the package presented to him ... being the charges, commandments and Torah that were being made available to him. He, instead, embraced the package because it was the evidence of God’s part of a covenant between them. So what did Avrahom bring to this relationship? He brought unfaltering friendship and devotion, tithes and testimonies ... and he brought his marriage to Sarah.

    And that is what the previous verse (Gen 26:5) is all about. It is what God had said to Yitzchaq (Isaac), the son of that marriage which Avrahom brought, and he is saying it when it is very important for Yitzchaq to heed his caution. It is a time when a famine had come upon Canaan, and Yitzchaq has fled to Philistia to escape it, but God says to him ... “Don’t continue on to Egypt, rather dwell where I will instruct you ... Do you remember the faithfulness of Avrahom?”

    It is very important that we never violate the tenants of a covenant. And any tenants are always connected to the works of others, as well as our own. As an example, in Genesis 28:10, Yaacov (Jacob), the son of Yitzchaq, the son of Avrahom, is about to encounter the God who has covenanted with his fathers ... and this is Yaacov’s first direct encounter with God.

    In this encounter Yaacov experiences a very disturbing dream. It is in a dream where a ladder extends to the heart of the heavens, with Malachim (Angels) ascending and descending upon it. In the dream, God appears from the heart of the heavens and says to Yaacov, "I am Adonoi (the Lord), the Elohei (God) of Avrahom your father, and the Elohei of Yitzchaq ... I am with you, and will keep you, no matter where you go, and I will bring you back to here.”

    But where was Yaacov at that time? He was in the place of covenant. The place where two stand together in partnership, and Adonai was standing within his very mind through the use of a dream. And Yaacov called the name of that place Beith-El (the Housing of God) ... and Yaakov vowed a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house with shalom (peace), and Adonai (the Lord) will be my God ... then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God's house, and of everything that you give me I will surely give the tenth to you."

    Why is Yaacov saying all of that, and committing to do those things? Because it is the parts and evidence of a covenant between himself and God. And what is Yaacov’s part? He sets up a stone, and he begins tithing. But did God tell him to do either of those things? No ... it is what Yaacov was bringing to the covenant ... and what he brought did not present any opposition to what God had brought. But was Yaacov acting arbitrary or whimsical? No ... the stone marked the spot where he dreamed and God had invaded his mind ... and the tithing brought significant value to the event.

    Going back to our first example, when we perform any traditions for marriage, we are not doing anything that God had told us to do, because he never specified anything ... but we are bringing value by means of our traditions. Likewise, when we observe Pesach (Passover), the only thing that God commands is that we eat lamb (not ham, says Sam I am), along with bitter herbs and matza (parsley and unleavened bread, not candies and sweet rolls). Everything else that we do at that time is a composition of traditions from Yisrael and our own volition ... but we are also bringing value and significance to the memorial of God’s actions.

    When men wear Titzith (tassels) and cover themselves with Kippah (cap) and Tallith (shawl), it is assembling articles of material value for the edification of God's Name. When women light candles for Shabboth, bake Challah (dairy free bread), and dance and sing in the Congregation ... it is providing delight and value. And all of these things are our private efforts to beautify and magnify what we realize as a covenant relationship with God.

    And Yeshua tells us that we must be sure to do ... only one thing ... do not breach the covenant parts that God has given you as a testimony of his part to our covenant, which is the Torah and the devotion of Yeshua the Messiah. Because if two will not stand together, there is no union -- and no resulting covenant. And wherever you stand, as it was with Yaacov, Yeshua has assured you that he will stand with you whenever you are embracing others, who also invoke his name to the Father.

    Therefore our manner of observing Shabboth and Moedi (Festivals) is a community effort, but our activities are left completely to you and I, as it was with Yisrael -- for Adonai specified very few things regarding their celebrations. And what we end up doing as a normative behavior during those days will constitute a tradition. But our traditions, however, must never override God’s explicit instructions to us. We can invent our own ceremonies, but Yisrael has already provided us with many ceremonies by means of their traditions -- and they have been refined through many generations.

    And when it comes down to it, when Yaacov decided to tithe he was not reinventing the wheel -- it is what Avrahom had done. And doing what someone else has done, is to bring the value of what they did along with the value of what you are doing. So you are ascribing even more value to your actions than simply relying on your own worth and invention.

    But if you take all this to mean that you are allowed to reinvent the wheel so that Torah and Yisrael do not have a place in your covenant anymore, then you need to review the first parts of this article again. Because your private traditions cannot constitute a covenant by themselves. God has to be beside you, as in a marriage, and you have to accept his parts of the covenant -- or there is no covenant -- and the Traditions of Yisrael are an integrated part of the transmission of Torah and the Messiah.

    Therefore, this is what you have to ask yourself ... when you accepted Yeshua as the Messiah, and spiritually submitted to his rule in your life ... what did you think the rules would be? Did you think it would be the way of truth and love? Yeshua said “he” was truth, and his Disciple John tells you that “God” is love. But Yeshua also said that the Torah testifies of himself, so it must be truth as well. Likewise, it is the Torah that has told you about God, so it must be characterizing godly love.

    Likewise, the Traditions of Yisrael are the manner with which the Jews have lived in order to be compatible with Torah, which is to be truthful and loving. And that is Yeshua’s point, if Yisrael is not truthful and loving, they are not standing in covenant with Torah -- and Yeshua is asserting that he must be an integral part of their spirituality as well, for the Torah testifies of him -- the Messiah.

    This, of course, is circuitous logic. But it should explain what the issue really is ... everything does circle, and we should not fear traditions that surround Torah. Furthermore, we should only reject those traditions that actually break away from the circuit I have described. By the same logic, proper traditions are defined as either direct applications of Torah, or they have no conflict with Torah applications -- which leaves a lot of room for life.

    A simple example of this is the tradition of a man wearing a Tallith (shawl) when he prays. A Tallith is normally made of lamb’s wool ... so who is the “Lamb of God?” John the Baptizer had called Yeshua “the Lamb of God.” Consequently, when I wrap myself with a Tallith, it communicates my trust that the Father is only seeing Yeshua when I pray -- and my prayers have more value, due to the merit of Yeshua.

    So is it burdensome for me to wrap myself with a Tallith? No, it is comfort to do so. God, however, commanded that we should tie tassels on the corners of our garments, so my Tallith (shawl) has Tztitzi (tassels and fringes). Is it a burden to observe this injunction? No, it makes my Tallith look nicer. Also, when I pray, I pray the liturgical prayers of Yisrael. Is it ineffectual for me to repeat the same prayers every Shabboth? No, each Shabboth adds more merit to the prayers, and the voices of all Yisrael are adding even more merit again -- for my prayers have the power of many generations of prayer. So when I pray, I am not standing alone ... and Yeshua has stood where I am standing, as he prayed the same prayers.

    And here is the bottom line ... Yeshua stood where I am standing so that I could stand here. Traditions, Torah and myself ... and Yeshua is justifying my presence in the Father’s Courts, in order that I am allowed to remain.

    And my only burden, with which I am blissfully entangled, is to embrace and understand the meaning of the words in Psalm 19:7-14 ... “The law (Torah) of Adonai (the Lord) is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of Adonai is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Adonai are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of Adonai is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Adonai is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of Adonai are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his own errors? Therefore acquit me of my hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, Adonoi, my rock and my Redeemer.”

    The "testimony of Adonai" are the Traditions that accompany Torah. And where it says, "keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins", the presumptuous sins are those where I might think I know Torah and Yeshua better than the Elders of Yisrael and the Disciples of Yeshua ... who all lived Torah, and would not depart from it, and both their "words and meditations" were acceptable in the eyes of Adonoi.

    Baruch Hashem.