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Rituals and Traditions
One of the things that struck me about the Ami99
Conference-besides the awesome sense of G-d's Spirit and the genuine beautiful
between Judah and Ephraim-was the numbers of inquiries I received from (mostly)
Ephraimites about the traditions and customs of Judaism (maybe because I'm a
Rabbi named "Costello").
With so many people, and so little time at the conference to
address this question as well as I would have liked to, I'll attempt to do so
now.
Many Christians today tend to turn their noses up at nearly
everything that hints at "tradition," ritual, or custom; especially
"Jewish" ones. I understand this. Prior to my own involvement in
"Messianic things" over 20 years ago, I was taught that anything that
smacked of "tradition" or ritual was to be regarded as opposed to
Jesus' word; due to His rebuke of the Pharisees for emphasizing the
"traditions of men," and neglecting "the weightier matters of the
Law [Torah].") So, in my mind, traditional practices, etc. were, for the
most part…useless. They were little more than unspiritual hogwash and
legalistic rigmarole. Even divinely instituted traditions were categorized and
banished in my mind as "a Jewish thing"-which was almost synonymous
with "something that unbelievers do" (and I'm a Jew…on my mother's
side.) So, when I first began experiencing all the traditions and customs
I was introduced to in the Messianic Synagogue I then started to attend…I
REALLY had a "battle" inwardly. Let me share with you what I've since
discovered.
Yahweh gave these things to His people-with a purpose. Some
were "memorials." Others were special times of communion between them
and Him. Still others were…well…just because He said so. We also need to
remember that messiah Yahshua kept these things and we are to "walk as He
walked." Many try to conveniently dismiss this by saying it applies to His
moral/ethical walk only. Well, LISTEN CAREFULLY: Yahshua's walk also bore a
particular ethnography, or cultural stamp. Simply put, He was (is) an Israelite,
the seed of Abraham, born of a woman, under the Law, of the tribe of Judah. He
was (is) a Jew…with a very strong culturally Jewish background.
Judaism is not a "religion" as much as it is a
religious "lifestyle"; a (mostly) biblically-based religious
"culture." Ancient Israel modeled a divinely instituted framework of
laws, conventions, rituals, and customs that demonstrated the truth of who
Yahweh is, and how He desires us to live in His world. It was Yahweh's paradigm
(model) of how people should live in His world. This was expressed through
Israelite culture-from which Judaism eventually developed. Judaism is Judah's
version (their "-ism") of ancient unified Israel's Yahwistic faith. We
have no other culture we can look to in this regard.
Jews first embraced the Gospel. They did so because they saw
that it was the fulfillment of what had been promised and handed down by
faithful Jews throughout the proceeding centuries…the prophets. Through faith
in messiah Yahshua, non-Jewish "Ephaimite" believers are more than
spiritually connected, they are historically and culturally connected as well.
They are mishpochah-"family." Israel's saints and sinners are their
people too. Its "G-d" and Messiah are theirs as well. And, the rich
biblical culture and heritage-so appreciated by my Messianic Jewish
brothers-through our common faith in Messiah, becomes theirs as well! And that
"culture," that "heritage," is filled with meaningful,
biblically based customs, ceremonies, rituals, and traditions, which, when
reinterpreted in the light of Yahshua's Messiahship-continues to have meaning
for Yahweh's people today! In Messiah, the histories and destiny of both Jews
(Judah) and non-Jews (Ephraim) becomes inextricably bound together.
While ethics are every believer's primary consideration (or
should be), ritual and tradition performs several indispensable functions. For
one thing, it is a means to an end-and only this! It must never become an end in
itself; or we too will deserve Messiah's rebuke. Ritual or tradition is,
essentially, an act of communion that we establish with G-d. it gives one a
greater sense of His Presence and nearness. Just the simple fact that one
can associate a particular ritual or tradition that he practices with Yahweh's
commandment, gives ritual and tradition both the power to remind him of G-d's
will…as well as the motivation to perform it.
Rituals and traditions embody belief, and bring about the
spiritual sensitivity that eventually leads to ethics. Ethics is the
"end." Rituals and traditions helps to provide the "means."
Rituals and traditions have various functions; the most
fundamental of which is the hallowing of life-to make the "natural"
holy, and life moral. Rituals and traditions help to bring us closer to this.
Few would argue that G-d desires we hallow all of life; not just the beliefs,
morals and worship-but our every act. This would include, then, our eating,
drinking, work, play, and so forth. Rituals and traditions help us to carry our
faith into every nook and cranny of our existence until nothing is left
untouched. In wisdom, someone once stated: "Either ALL of life must be
hallowed, or very little will be!" Selah.
Rituals and traditions dramatize the divine in the world and,
through doing so, makes us reverently grateful for the gift of life; physical
and spiritual. They remind us to be more careful in how we live it. This
gratitude, this reverent caution, is what we call our "witness." Lets
now proceed to four major functions of rituals and traditions; functions that I
feel may underlie G-d's purpose for establishing some of the ones He did in His
Word.
1. The Religious Function: Man is more than an animal.
Ritual and tradition crowns such events as birth, puberty, marriage, death, etc.
these should not be regarded as mere accidents of "animal existence."
They are part of the unending miracle of life and should be infused with a sense
of holiness; a sense of purpose. Ritual and tradition gives these events a sense
of holiness, of solemnity, and meaningfulness. They proclaim "Man counts in
the universe." Unlike the animals, he has a sense of origin, and a sense of
destiny. His life means something. He is not just a speck of dust. Rituals and
traditions declare that man's life has been endowed with a dimension of
importance!
2. The Ethical Function: ritual and tradition gives
flesh and bone to the ethical principles we believe in. It gives them body.
Regularity of ritual gives consistency. The truth is, ideals have no staying
power unless they are taught continually (comp. "The Shema").
Therefore we need to work constantly for something to become "2nd
nature" in our hearts. Ritual and tradition is a vehicle, an instrument
that gives ethical ideals a grip on our consciences.
3. Aesthetic Function: rituals and traditions provide us
with an avenue of expression for our beliefs. They adorn the
commonplace…enliven the ordinary.
4. Group Association: This last function is by no means
the least important. In fact it's likely the main reason Yahweh established
certain rituals and traditions in the first place! Rituals and traditions helps
to reflect the unique historical experience of a particular group; and, in a
unique way (ex. Baptism, communion). A Messianic Jew, for example, cannot
help but feel be aware that he is part of a special group. He is conscious that
he is continuing a glorious past and anticipating a future destiny. Through
rituals and traditions there is the drama of being bound together with people or
occasions long ago (as seen in Mikveh [baptism] for example)-or yet to be (as
seen in Communion).
Through ritual and tradition the private, isolated destiny of
an individual is joined to that of the group. We also become more reinforced in
our convictions when we know that we do not stand alone in either our faith, or
its expression; and that there are like minded people who, with us, comprise a
dedicated and distinguished company!
Rituals and traditions act as a preservative for a community too. Indeed, the
very survival of that community-in a large measure-depends upon the system of
ritual and tradition that they share. Because the House of Israel lost these
things…they too became "lost." In fact, this lostness became their
hallmark! A good example of the impact that ritual and tradition has upon
preserving a community can be seen in the broadly musical "Fiddler on the
Roof."
Now, if this is true of groups in general, then how much
truer is it of minority groups? A body of Messianic Israel believers (a minority
group) in a majority culture is exposed to the subduing pressures and constant
corrosiveness of other faiths and cultures. Rituals and traditions serves as a
shell or armor against assimilation and dissolution (We are not to "be like
the nations…"). Within this "protective shell" is a precious
inheritance of concepts, experience, and ideals that might other become lost.
(Ok, I'm winding down here…) Commonly shared rituals and
traditions act as survival instruments. They helped our ancient people, Judah,
stay alive. It helped them maintain their identity as the people of Yahweh.
Their G-d-given, divinely instituted customs, ceremonies, rituals, and
traditions crowned the milestone events of life, reinforced Yahweh's
ethical/moral principles (anything, often repeated in an organized manner, is
mentally formative), it provided them with a meaningful, aesthetic avenue of
expression for their beliefs-and-it kept them together, and recognizable, as the
people of Yahweh. What's changed?
Lastly, rituals and traditions help to flesh out spiritual
truths-Yahweh's truths. Yet they are only a means to an end...several ends, as
we have seen. Only when we lose THAT focus, do we fall into error. That…is the
lesson for Ephraim today.
Shalom u'beracha, b'shem Yahshua!
("Peace and blessings in Jesus' Name")
Rabbi Sivan ("Stephen") Costello
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