Why Am I Torah Observant?

Why Am I Torah Observant?

by

Mike Jones

There is a common misconception that many Christians have, that in so-called “Old Testament” times, people had to keep the law of Moses to be saved, and that Messiah came to bring an end to that system, so that after Messiah came, men no longer needed to observe Torah, because now they could be saved thru repentance and faith in Yeshua. 

The problem with this thinking, is that it misses a very special continuity between so-called “Old Testament” and “New Testament” times.  The truth is that no one could ever earn their salvation.  Just as people in so-called “New Testament” times were saved by looking back at the death of Messiah, so also were people in “Old Testament” times saved thru repentance and faith, looking forward to the death of Messiah.  As Binyamin said, long before the death of Messiah:

14 For behold, the time comes and is not far distant that with power YHWH Omnipotent who reigns, who was and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from Heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth among men, working mighty miracles such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. And he shall cast out demons, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men. And lo, he shall suffer temptations and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer except it be unto death. For behold, blood comes from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. And he shall be called Yeshua HaMashiach, the Son of Elohim the Father of Heaven and of earth, the creator of all things from the beginning; and his Mother shall be called Miryam. And lo, he comes unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men, even through faith on his name. And even after all this, they shall consider him as a man and say that he has a demon, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. And he shall rise the third day from the dead.
15 And behold, he stands to judge the world. And behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men. For behold, and also his blood atones for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of Elohim concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. But woe, woe unto him who knows that he rebels against Elohim; for salvation comes to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Adon Yeshua HaMashiach. And Adonai YHWH has sent his holy prophets among all the children of men to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Mashiach should come, the same might receive remission of their sins and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them. 

16  Yet Adonai YHWH saw that his people were a stiffnecked people, and he appointed unto them a Torah, even the Torah of Moshe. And many signs, and wonders, and types, and shadows showed he unto them concerning his coming; and also holy prophets spoke unto them concerning his coming. And yet they hardened their hearts and understood not that the Torah of Moshe avails nothing except it were through the atonement of his blood. And even if it were possible that little children could sin, they could not be saved. But I say unto you, they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam or by nature they fall, even so the blood of Mashiach atones for their sins. And moreover, I say unto you that there shall be no other name given, nor any other way nor means by which salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Mashiach YHWH Omnipotent….

(Moshiyah 1:14-16a)

This brings us to an important fact, that is lost on many people.  Torah observance was never a method of salvation, and so the method of salvation never changed.  This is also evident in the so-called “New Testament,” but this continuity is even more clear in the Stick of Joseph.  And since we were never observing Torah to earn salvation, there was no real change at the “meridian of time” as to how people were saved.  Since Torah was never a method of earning salvation, why did anyone observe Torah.

It is very important that we do not observe Torah out of an expectation that we are earning something.  M’raman (Mormon) wrote:

And now I, M’raman, speak unto you, my beloved brothers. And it is by the grace of Elohim the Father and our Adon Yeshua HaMashiach and his holy will, because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time. Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the assembly, that are the peaceable followers of Mashiach, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which you can enter into the rest of YHWH, from this time henceforth, until you shall rest with him in Heaven. And now, my brothers, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men. For I remember the word of Elohim which says, By their works, you shall know them. For if their works be good, then they are good also. For behold, Elohim has said, A man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offers a gift or prays unto Elohim, except he shall do it with real intent, it profits him nothing. For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness. For behold, if a man being evil gives a gift, he does it grudgingly; wherefore, it is counted unto

him the same as if he had retained the gift. Wherefore, he is counted evil before Elohim.
(M’roni 7:2).

When M’raman says: “A man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offers a gift or prays unto Elohim, except he shall do it with real intent, it profits him nothing.”

His words have the same effect as these:

"...all are the same, the one who offers much and the one who offers little, on condition that a man will direct his intention to Heaven."
(m.Menachot 13:11)

Antigones of Soko received [Torah] from Simeon the Righteous. He used to say, “Be not like servants who serve their master for the sake of wages, but be like servants who serve their master with no thought of a wage – and let the fear of Heaven be upon you.”
(m.Avot 1:3)

So why observe Torah?  We read in the Tanya:

… the "garments" of the soul in the Can Eden (Paradise) are the commandments while the Torah is the "food" for the souls which, during life on earth, had occupied themselves in the study of the Torah for its own sake. It is [similarly] written in the Zohar. As for the meaning of "For its own sake," it is [study with the intent] to attach one's soul to G-d through the comprehension of the Torah, each one according to his intellect,…
(Tanya Likutei Amarim 5)

And as we read in the Zohar:

Rabbi El'azar said, "Whoever engages in Torah for her own sake,
does not die by means of the Yetzer Ra (Evil Inclination),
since he grasps the Tree of Life, never letting go."
(Zohar 1:168a)

And when M’raman says “, if a man being evil gives a gift, he does it grudgingly; wherefore, it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift.

His words have the same effect as these:

Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai said to his disciples: My sons, what is the meaning of the verse, Righteousness exalteth a nation, but the kindness of the peoples is sin? (Prov. 14:34) R. Eliezer answered and said: ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation:’ this refers to Israel of whom it is written, Who is like thy people Israel one nation in the earth? (2Sam 7:23) But ‘the kindness of the peoples is sin’: all the charity and kindness done by the heathen is counted to them as sin, because they only do it to magnify themselves"
(b.Babba Batra 10b)

That is to say, that when one does a good deed with the intent of gaining a reward, one is acting from the evil inclination. 

Let us now return to the main question, since we do not observe Torah in order to “get paid” but only “for its own sake” and since man has always obtained salvation thru faith in Messiah, even in so-called “Old Testament’ times, then nothing changed in relation to Torah observance at the death of Messiah.

So why do we now, and why have we always observed Torah from a pure motive, not as an effort to gain something?  Because we read in the Torah:

Therefore you shall love YHWH your Elohim, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, always.

(Deut 11:1)

And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love YHWH your Elohim, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

(Deut. 11:13)

We observe Torah as an act of our love to YHWH.  That did not change at the meridian of time.