Shemua, Leqakh and Mussar.

Shemua simply means-something heard (true or false), a report, rumor, or gossip.

Today our word is leqakh.

TransliterationleqachPronunciationleh’·kakh (Key)Part of Speechmasculine nounRoot Word (Etymology)From לָקַח (H3947)Dictionary Aids

TWOT Reference:1124a

KJV Translation Count — Total: 9xThe KJV translates Strongs H3948 in the following manner:doctrine (4x), learning (4x), fair speech (1x).Outline of Biblical Usage

1. learning, teaching, insight
   
   1. instruction (obj)
   2. teaching (thing taught)
      
      1. teaching-power
      2. persuasiveness

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend)לֶקַח leqach, leh’-kakh; from H3947; properly, something received, i.e. (mentally) instruction (whether on the part of the teacher or hearer); also (in an active and sinister sense) inveiglement:—doctrine, learning, fair speech.

However, I am going to explain the word in more significant  detail.

Leqakh is a teaching but, it is meant to ‘persuade’ the hearer.

To the hearer of a leqakh it is more to the affect of a rendered opinion, concession or judgment.

Leqakh is a judgment ( usually given to the kehillah; congregation) that is rendered to resolve a matter of dispute.

Example:

The P’rushim (Pharisees asked;

…..”Is it law for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?

(THE LAW):  And Yahshua answered and said to them,

Have you not read that HE who made them at the beginning made them male and female [Gen 1:27] and said for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh [Gen.2:24]

(YAHSHUA’S JUDGMENT); Therefore what YAHWEH has joined together, let not men seperate.”   Matthew 19:3-6

NOTE: A judgment made by Yahshua is not comparable to judgments made by men.

Yahshua’s judgment is considered to be Messianic Torah Law.

Man’s judgment is what we are discussing here; leqakh.

QUESTION: “They said to Him,

…..Why then did Moshe (Moses) command to give a certificate of divorce,  and to put her away?

MOSHE’S Leqakh:  Moshe, because of the heartness of your hearts permitted you (rendered leqakh) to divorce

your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

YAHSHUA’S Judgment: But I say to you,

Whosoever divorces his wife (except for sexual immorality) and marries another commits adultery;

And whosoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery”   Matthew 19: 7-9

“His talmidim (disciples) said to Him,

…..If such is the case of a man and his wife,

TALMIDIM’S Leqakh:  It is better not to marry!

YAHSHUA’S Leqakh:  All cannot accept this saying (leqakh) but only those it is given to;

For there are eunuchs born this way from the mothers womb,

…..there are eunuchs who are made so by men,

…..there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for The Kingdom of Heaven’s sake.

(Leqakh); He who is able to accept it,  let him accept it”      Matthew 19:10-12

Yahshua Himself testifies that there are leqakh many can accept and some they cannot.

Leqakh therefore is a teaching that can be accepted  by the hearer (or not).

Although leqakh can be sound doctrine, it is not mandatory.

It is not a commandment.

This is in accordance with Romans 14:22-23

“Do you have faith?

Have it to yourself before YAHWEH.

Happy is he that noes not condemn himself in what he approves.

But he who doubts is condemned…because he does not [do it] from faith;

………..for whatever is not from faith is sin.”

Just like Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15

“Be diligent to present yourself approved…”

The conclusion is we are responsible for our own salvation.

We interact with The Body of Messiah to get answers.

We sometimes ask others, including our leaders, to rendered their opinions (their judgments), but we must remember we cannot force our personal leqakh on others.

However, when we are living in ‘close community’ with each other personal leqakh is needed to bind us within the parameters our that community.

Disputes almost always arise within in corporate body.

The Bible, specifically TORAH, gives us an answer when this happens;

.

“Whenever a matter arises which is to hard for you to judge [for yourself]

between blood and blood,

between plea and plea,  or

between stroke and stroke;  matters of strife within your gates, then you shall rise and go to the place which YAHWEH your Elohim chooses,  (Today it is the Kehillah; the congregation]

and you shall go

to the kohanim, [priests]

to the Levites,  and

to the judges  who are in those days and shall ask of them.

And they shall declare to you the word of judgment,  and you shall do according to the word which they declare to you from that place that YAHWEH chooses.   And you shall do all that they instruct you.

Do according to The Torah in which they teach you, according to the judgment which they say to you.

You shall not turn to the left or the right from the word that they declare to you.

And the man who acts arrogantly, so as not to listen to the kohen, who stands to serve there before YAHWEH your Elohim, or to the judge, that man shall die[be separated from YAHWEH], so that evil is purged from Israel.

Let all the people HEAR and revere, and no longer do evil.”     Deuteronomy 17:8-13

Paul’s Rendered Leqakh

Paul rendered leqakh on many subjects;

some examples;

Marriage and sex……………………………………….I Corinthians 7:6

(Paul calls leqakh a concession)

Coverings on your head……………………………I Corinthians 11:7

Staying married with an unbeliever………….I Corinthians 11:8-16

On circumcision……………………………………….I Corinthians 11:17-24

On virgins………………………………………………..I Corinthians 11:25-38

The Torah

From the beginning The Torah was meant to govern a people.

It was meant to govern a ‘nation’; not a ch-rch.

The “essence” of the Law (Torah) is—– ‘what isn’t explicitly forbidden is permitted’

Yahshua showed this in His examples about eating pulled wheat and healing on Shabbat (the Sabbath).

He even proclaimed to the authority in charge the P’rushim (Pharisees) and the Zadokim (Sadducees) that it was lawful to do good on Shabbat, and that the leaders of the day were mistaken that they could interpret how He could “keep the sabbath”).

Yahshua wasn’t a rebel against the authority.

He was the authority.

There are no particular “methods” described in TaNaKh (Old Testament) informing us how we should keep feast days, sabbaths,  and many other laws.  There are laws that are connected to a particular law that are evident by the words used.   The laws pertaining to Shabbat for instance are evident;

Don’t kindle a fire,

do not work,

do not boil or roast,  ect…

Even a child reading these words can understand.

To have leaders command us to walk 4 steps forward, 6 steps backwards, turn around, and face north is ludicrous.

We have to keep Easter to honor The L-rd.

It is important to keep Chr-stmas because we should remember J-sus’ birthday.

These are man-made laws and should be avoided.

We will discuss in True Biblical Doctrine (PART4) exactly what we can and cannot do,  but that does apply to this type of doctrine; leqakh.

Those who force their opinions and judgments on others are going against the Spirit of the Law.

Yahshua well said that the P’rushim forced their opinions on others,

“to pay tithe of mint anise, and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law;

Yahshua said,

“…these, [the Law]  you ought to have done without leaving the others undone.

BLIND GUIDE, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel”

Leaders tend to ignore what they want to ignore and teach what they want to teach; leaving important matters undone.

They love to render their own opinions instead of letting their members

• produce justice,
• experience mercy, and
• have faith (unto themselves) for what they believe.

Hopefully there is some clarification to this word leqakh.

Leqakh can be used for good.

Leqakh can be used for evil.

This type of doctrine must be made known so that the average person can make proper decisions.

You brother in Messiah Yahshua,

Kenath ben Nathan