A central issue in the Chosen series is the Law of Moses, which Jews call the Torah. Then and now, practicing Jews revere and attempt to keep the Law. But which law? This is where many people get confused. The written Law contained in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) consists of the books of Genesis – Deuteronomy. Clear enough. But since before the time of Jesus, there has been a parallel Oral Law, which Jesus calls the Tradition of the Elders, or “your traditions”. Aspects of this Oral Law are contained in the Talmud, which are the decisions of prominent rabbis concerning the interpretation and meaning of the Written Law. Historically, Jews were expected to abide by these decisions and, over time, the Oral Law gained greater practical importance than the Written Law itself. Jesus was openly critical of this mandate (see Mark 7:9) because sometimes it flatly contradicted the spirit of the Written Law. This video in the Making Sense of the Chosen series explains. Enjoy!
