"Do no Harm." It's a Mitzvah!

I had a discussion with an individual recently who is completely unlearned in Torah. The discussion eventually came around to the Torah Mitzvot [Commands] of “Do no harm”. Now, for anyone that knows anything about Torah or Judaism, there is absolutely no question whatsoever that portions of the Torah command us to avoid harming others. This is actually one of the greatest commands of all the Torah. After seeing a number of verses from the Torah where this principle is found, he basically just called it all “irrelevant” and even accused me of “twisting the Bible” and lying. I’m not sure why a non-Torah observant individual who doesn’t even believe the Bible to be the word of G-d would think he is qualified to tell me this, but nevertheless, he denied the plain fact that the Rabbis, all learned Jews, and Christians have historically, for hundreds upon hundreds of years understood these verses to teach a basic principle of “Do no harm” to others, and this basic principle is then to be applied to specific circumstances to guide the behavior and decisions of the believer. So, I now endeavor to undertake a small analysis of this topic. Let us begin by establishing the Torah verses that teach this basic and universal principle:

• “You shall not murder” (Shemot 20:12), from the Mitzvot lo sa’aseh [negative commandments]. This is a prohibition from causing the ultimate form of harm to another. The taking of a life in murder harms the murdered and all the loved ones of the murdered.

• “You shall not steal” (Vayikra 19:13), from the Mitzvot lo sa’aseh. This is an injunction from causing unjust monetary loss, and by extension is an injunction not to cause harm against others.

• “You shall not place a stumbling block before the blind” (Vayikra 19:14), from the Mitzvot lo sa’aseh. If it is forbidden to place even a potentially harmful object in front of another, then it follows conclusively that it is forbidden to do direct harm to another.

• “You shall love your fellow as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18), from the positive Mitzvot. This enjoins treating your fellow man/woman as if they were your own body, and prohibits the act of inflicting harm.

• The Mitzvah of preventing someone from incurring a loss (Devarim 22:3) is not only applicable to property but to anything of instrinsic value, and can include people and their bodies as well as their property.
  

These verses above, and others like them, have always been the foundation of Judaism’s understanding that G-d wants us to avoid harming others. I challenge anyone to go to a Rabbi; Orthodox, Reformed, Reconstructionist, Karaite, Messianic, or otherwise; and get him to tell you that these verses do not teach this! Now let’s take a look at some of the Nazarene writings and see how The Mashiyach has taught us in his role as the living breathing Torah manifest on earth, as well as what His Shlichim had to say:

• Matthew 22:37-39 when He said, “’You must love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the greatest and most important commandment. 39The second is like it: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Torah and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” This is an affirmation of what the two greatest principles of Torah and Judaism are. Namely, a) love G-d, b) avoid harm to your fellow man/woman.

• Matthew 7:12 when Mashiyach said, “Therefore, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them, because this summarizes the Torah and the Prophets."

• Matthew 5:39 where we are taught to “Turn the other cheek” and not to return violence and harm when insulted.

• Galatians 5:14 where we are told, “For the whole Torah is summarized in a single statement: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’”

• "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself', you do well." (James 2:8)

These are just some of the verses that have been seen to teach the foundational Torah principle of “Do no harm” for hundreds upon hundreds of years. Anyone who denies this is quite simply ignorant of Torah and the historical understanding of these verses in all forms of Judaism and Christianity.

To see an example of a basic principle from Torah being applied to a complex modern situation take a look at this Jewish perspective on healthcare discussed at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture. Of course, from a Nazarene Jewish perspective, any citation of oral traditions in Mishnah and Talmud are only accurate in so far as they agree with the written Torah in our Bibles, but it demonstrates application of the general principle to the specific moral question. It is understood, and well established as historical practice, that the verses of injunction against doing harm within the Torah are applicable to an inumerable multitude of ethical questions regarding personal behavior and community. Everything from business dealings, to family matters, to marital questions, and even personal health can be guided by these core foundational verses and the principle from the Creator they reveal.

Two Torahs? - Is there an oral & written Torah?

From beginning to end, the Scriptures tell us to keep the Torah["teachings and instructions"] of YHWH. This is one of the central themes of the whole Bible: Follow the Torah. Whole chapters of Psalms and Proverbs are exaltations of the joy and truth of Torah. So, in addition to knowing the Mitzvot["Commands"] of Torah we must also know how to put them into practice.

• "Blessed is the man you discipline, O YHWH, the man you teach from your Torah" (Psalms 94:12)

• "Oh, how I love your Torah! I meditate on it all day long" (Psalms 119:97).

• "Keep my commands and you will live; guard my Torah as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart." (Proverbs 7:2-3)

• "Like a lamp, the commands and Torah are a light and a way of life, correction and discipline." (Proverbs 6:23)

• "I give you good instruction: Do not forsake my Torah" (Proverbs 4:2).

• "For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra'el after those days," says YHWH. "I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their Elohim, and they will be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)

• "If you love me, you will keep My Commands [Mitzvot];" (John 14:15)

• "But the man who looks intently into the perfect Torah that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:25)

• "I delight in Elohim's Torah... I myself in my mind am a slave to Elohim’s Torah." (Romans 7:22,25)

The Rabbinic tradition teaches that there is an "oral Torah" passed along that tells us how to follow the will of YHWH. A Messianic brother named Nakdimon has posted an excellent two part refutation of the "oral Torah" claims made by Rav Tovia Singer. He demonstrates that the only Torah is the written Torah which we have in our Bible.

Oral Law? part 1

Oral Law? part 2

Scripture Meditation - Psalm 1

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, And shall not stand in the path of sinners, And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, 2 But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה, And he meditates in His Torah day and night. 3 For he shall be as a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That yields its fruit in its season, And whose leaf does not wither, And whatever he does prospers. 4 The wrong are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wrong shall not rise in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For יהוה knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wrong comes to naught. (ISR)

Verse 1- “Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, And shall not stand in the path of sinners, And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers,”. We are reminded to take care in whom we get our counsel and advise from. How many of us haven’t placed ourselves under the authority of bad counsel, and then acting according to that counsel suffered the consequences. The Psalmist makes clear who "the wrong" are in the following verses. In verse 1 the triple metaphors of “walk”, “stand”, “sit” are applied. This reveals a deep spiritual truth that what we do (our walk) becomes our habits (stand, an orientation of more permanence), and eventually where we sit (our character and place in life). These three orientations of immovability are then linked with increasing level of rebellion against Elohim (wrong; sinners; scoffers). Our “walk” is our halacha. It is the way we live out our lives. It is how we put our faith into action. This walk that we are to avoid is in contrast to the walk we are advised by YHWH to keep which is to be: according to His commands (Deut 5:33; Jer 7:23); in His ways (Deut 28:9; Jos 22:5); In the old paths (Jer 6:16); as taught by Him (1Ki 8:36; Isa 2:3; Isa 30:21); uprightly (Pro 2:7); in His statutes and judgments (Eze 37:24); in newness of life (Rom 6:4); not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Rom 8:1; Gal 5:16) honestly, as in the day (Rom 13:13); by faith, not by sight (2Cor 5:7 ); in love, following Mashiyach (Eph 5:2); worthy of Elohim (Col 1:10); in Mashiyach (Col. 2:6); by the gospel rule (Phil 3:16); in the light, as Elohim is (1John 1:7). Nearly all these Scriptures in which Elohim instructs as to how we should walk, a reference to Torah is made. “His Commands[Mitzvot]”; “the old paths”; “His statutes and judgments”; “uprightly”; “following Mashiyach”; “worthy of Elohim”; “in the light”: These are all references to keeping Torah, and walking according to the Halacha of Yeshua.

Verse 2- “But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה, And he meditates in His Torah day and night.” If there were to be any doubt that verse 1 is warning not to stray from Torah[1], verse 2 eliminates that doubt. The Psalmist praises the goodness of Torah, and YHWH communicates through His inspired poet that Torah is a delight for us to meditate on at all times. For the Netzarim, Torah is Messianic joy. The Mashiyach is the living breathing Torah, the Word of Elohim that became flesh and tabernacled amongst us. Meditating on Torah is meditating on Mashiyach, and meditating on Mashiyach is meditating on Torah. What a delight indeed.

Verse 3- “For he shall be as a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That yields its fruit in its season, And whose leaf does not wither, And whatever he does prospers.” YHWH frequently mentions those who have Torah as being “rooted” or “planted” in the sense of being well grounded and unshakable. Next, a promise is given. If you walk in Torah, you will be like a healthy tree near an abundant supply of water that will yield fruit. The fruit can be seen as a metaphor, first and foremost as a promise of prosperity. This should not be vain materialism, but rather producing goodly things that are a blessing to everyone and a testimony that you follow Mashiyach. The Psalmist's reference of yielding fruit is also the same metaphorical fruit spoken of by Mashiyach (Matt 12:33, John 15:4). The promise of being planted by “rivers of water” draws on similar imagery as Mashiyach’s promise to the Samaritan woman at the well to give her “living water" (John 4:10). Indeed Torah is life (Deut 30:19), but Mashiyach is life eternal (Rom 6:23), the fullness of Torah and its ultimate expression.

Verse 4- “The wrong are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind blows away.” Those who are “the wrong” mentioned in this verse are placed in contrast to those in verse 2 & 3. In contrast to those who walk in Torah those who do not, have no promise of the blessings of v3. Rather, they are like the chaff (thin shell) of wheat the blows away in the wind. That is, they have no firm grounding. I am reminded of Yeshua’s instructions to build our house on the rock (Matt 7:24), and the warning not to be double-minded, tossed to and fro by the wind and the seas (James 1:6-8).

Verse 5 & 6- “Therefore the wrong shall not rise in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For יהוה knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wrong comes to naught.” Here we have warnings that the wrong (those who are outside of Torah, as established by v4) will not rise to high esteem within the assembly of believers, or congregation. More seriously, we have a warning that they will not rise in the mishpawt (judgment). The Torah transgressions eternally separate us from Elohim, requiring we be sent to Sheol to protect the Kadosh (Set-Apart/Holy) nature of the Almighty. We were atoned for by various sacrifices and offerings, all of which point to Mashiyach as our perfect and eternal sacrifice. Thank the Almighty that He makes a way in spite our imperfection! Walk in Torah as Mashiyach did, and trust in His atoning work on the cross when you fall short.

Let us now reread the Psalm with all this in mind, and may the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) let us understand in spirit and in truth:

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, And shall not stand in the path of sinners, And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, 2 But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה, And he meditates in His Torah day and night. 3 For he shall be as a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That yields its fruit in its season, And whose leaf does not wither, And whatever he does prospers. 4 The wrong are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wrong shall not rise in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For יהוה knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wrong comes to naught. (ISR)

Here are more English translations of Psalm 1.

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[1]For some reason, nearly all the English translations of the Bible have removed the word "Torah" and placed in the generic weak translation, "the Law" instead. So, I provide here the transliteration of the Hebrew text of Psalm 1:2 simply to affirm that it does indeed speak explicitly of Torah -

"Ki'im be'Tōrat YHWH chefəṣō ûve'Tōrāh'to ye'həgeh yōmām wā'lāyəlâ:"