Some people love to ignore context hoping to deceive people! Allow me to explain. A case in point: Yevamot 104 b from the Talmud.

First, The Talmud is a discussion. No single rabbi's option nor section establishes Halacha. In this case however the rabbi is completely correct according to our Law when the text is read in CONTEXT. With the eating of the "fruit" in Gan Eden our dual impulse towards yetzer tov (our natural positive impulse) and yetzer hara (our natural negative impulse) was activated and humans began thinking on their own by utilizing their free will. The reference is NOT to Constantine's anti-biblical theory of "original sin" but to a wonderful blessing of HaShem, free will.

According to the cited passage, Jews were freed from the negative aspects of this nature when we receive our eternal redemption at Mount Sinai whereas Gentiles remain under it. This is therefore clearly not endorsing the Christian concept.

ALL Jews will be fully redeemed once the Torah that we received at Mountain Sinai as a surety is written on our hearts in the Olam Haba. Non-Jews will be redeemed at that time but not before. Both groups retain their free will and both are accountable for how they use it. There is NO other redeemer nor redemption. Here is the cited text in CONTEXT:

Yevamot 103A [last verse] and 104B:

"The Gemara elaborates on what happened when Sisera was in Yael’s tent. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: That wicked man, Sisera, had sexual intercourse with Yael seven times that day, as it is stated: "At her feet he sunk, he fell, he lay; at her feet he sunk, he fell; where he sunk, there he fell down dead" (Judges 5:27). Each instance of the terms "sunk," "fell," or "lay" in the verse indicates an act of intercourse, as Yael sought to tire and weaken Sisera to enable her to kill him. The Gemara asks: But how could Yael do this even for the noble purpose of killing the wicked Sisera, as she derived pleasure from the transgression of licentious sexual relations with a gentile? Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Every act that is a benefit for the wicked is a disadvantage for the righteous, as a righteous individual gains no pleasure from this so-called beneficial act. As it is stated by God to Laban: "Take heed to yourself that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad" (Genesis 31:24). Granted, speak no bad; this is rightly so, i.e., understandable. But speak no good? Why not? Rather, learn from here that even something that would be a good benefit to the wicked like Laban, is a disadvantage for the righteous.

"The Gemara asks: Granted, there, in Laban’s words to Jacob, it is understandable that there could be a certain repulsive aspect to a wicked man speaking nicely to a righteous individual, as perhaps he will mention to him the name of the idol he worships and even though he means well, it still would repulse Jacob. But here, what disadvantage is there if she derives benefit from licentious relations with a wicked man?"

-- Now the verse taken out of context in its entirety (ie not clipped to deceive people):

"The Gemara answers: He implants filth in her and contaminates her, as her body accepts his semen. As Rabbi Yoḥanan also said, based on his understanding that the serpent seduced Eve into having sexual relations with him: When the serpent came upon Eve, he infected her with moral contamination, and this contamination remained in all human beings.

There the verse ends as cited by the poster, but it does not end there. It continues unbroken:

"When the Jewish people stood at Mount Sinai their contamination ceased, whereas with regard to gentiles, who did not stand at Mount Sinai, their contamination never ceased. Therefore, Yael was repulsed by the contamination that she allowed into her body, and she did not benefit from relations with Sisera."

Its a very different understanding when the entire context is considered!

One of the things that is different about Jews and non-Jews is that we have received our redemption (salvation) as a surety at Mount Sinai already. Every Jew, past present and future, including all converts were present in some form at the Sacred Mount and personally accepted Torah for all times, Hence we are held to a higher standard both by both G-d and the world. Certainly we are far from perfect, but a righteous Jew derives no pleasure from wickedness.

In CONTEXT this is completely clear. Sadly Christian and Muslim missionaries LOVE to ignore context to deceive people into accepting their beliefs.

MAKE A CHOICE: Do you want to learn the TRUTH or do you want to perpetuate false religion? If you want TRUTH, don't ignore context, neither textual nor historic. Check with a Rabbi to understand the Jewish Holy Books, not a Pagan!

* Rabbi Shlomo Nachman © June 05, 2018
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