Ngubani Ofanele Abizwe Ngokuthi Rabhi?

UMKHENKETHI owayengalindele nto wayengenathemba lokuba wokwazi ukufika ngexesha kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya. Amakhulu amapolisa ayezama ukwalathisa iinqwelo-mafutha ngoxa ebeke iliso kubazili abangaphezu kwama-300 000 ababezalise izitrato zaseYerusalem. IThe Jerusalem Post yakubiza oku ngokuthi “ngumngcwabo obukhulu bulingana naleyo ngokuqhelekileyo yenzelwa oomongameli, ookumkani okanye abalawuli abangoozwilakhe kuphela.” Ngubani lo wayenqulwa kakhulu kangako, esenza ikomkhulu lakwaSirayeli lime ngxi kangangeeyure ezithile? Yayingurabhi othile obekekileyo. Kutheni isikhundla sokuba ngurabhi sibangela intlonelo nozinikelo olungako kumaYuda? Laqalisa nini ukusetyenziswa ibinzana elithi “rabhi”? Ngubani elisebenza ngokufanelekileyo kuye?

Ngaba UMoses WayenguRabhi?

Elona gama lihlonelwayo kubuYuda nguMoses, umlamleli womnqophiso woMthetho kaSirayeli. AmaYuda anqulayo ambiza ngokuba “nguMoses ‘uRabhi wethu.’” Noko ke, akukho ndawo eBhayibhileni apho uMoses abizwa ngesibizo esithi “Rabhi.” Enyanisweni, ibinzana elithi “rabhi” aliveli nakancinane kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere. Ngoko ke, amaYuda aqalisa njani ukubiza uMoses ngale ndlela?

Ngokutsho kweZibhalo zesiHebhere, imbopheleleko negunya lokufundisa nokucacisa uMthetho lalinikwe inzala ka-Aron, ababingeleli besizwe sakwaLevi. (Levitikus 10:8-11; Duteronomi 24:8; Malaki 2:7) Noko ke, ngenkulungwane yesibini Ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, kwaqalisa iinguqu ezizolileyo kubuYuda, ezathi ukususela ngoko zazichaphazela ngokungenakulibaleka iingcamango zamaYuda.

Ngokuphathelele le nguqu yokomoya, uDaniel Jeremy Silver ubhala oku kwincwadi ethi A History of Judaism: “[Ngelo] xesha iqela elithile lababhali nabaphengululi ababengengabo ababingeleli laqalisa ukukucel’ umngeni ukufaneleka kwelungelo lababingeleli lokucacisa iTorah [uMthetho kaMoses]. Wonke ubani wavuma ukuba ababingeleli babemele benze imisebenzi yaseTempileni, kodwa kutheni le nto babelawula imibandela ephathelele iTorah?” Yayingoobani abaphembeleli bolu celomngeni kwigunya lodidi lwababingeleli? Yayiliqela elitsha lamaYuda elalibizwa ngokuba ngabaFarisi. USilver uhlabela mgama esithi: “Ukwamkeleka kwizikolo zabaFarisi kwakuxhomekeke ekubeni uyafaneleka kusini na, kungekhona ekubeni uzalwa ngubani [uzalwa ngumbingeleli], yaye bazisa olunye udidi lwamaYuda kulawulo lonqulo.”

Ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, abo babephumelele kwezi zikolo zabaFarisi babesaziwa ngokuba ngabefundisi, okanye iinkosi, zomthetho wamaYuda. Ebonakalisa intlonelo, amanye amaYuda aqalisa ukubabiza ngokuthi “mfundisi wam,” okanye “nkosi yam,” ngesiHebhere kuthiwa, rabbi.

Ayikho into eyayiza kusenza samkelwe eso sibizo kunokusisebenzisa kulowo wayegqalwa njengoyena mfundisi mkhulu kwimbali yamaYuda, uMoses. Umphumo woko wawuya kunciphisa ukubalaseliswa kobubingeleli ngoxa kuxhaswa imbono yolawulo lwabaFarisi olwaluya lusiba nempembelelo. Ngaloo ndlela, emva kweminyaka engaphezu kwe-1 500 efile, uMoses wanikwa isibizo esithi “Rabhi.”

Ukuxelisa INkosi

Ngoxa ibinzana elithi “rabhi” (“nkosi yam”) maxa wambi lalisetyenziswa ngabantu ukubiza abanye abefundisi ababebahlonela, eli binzana ngokufuthi lalisetyenziswa kubefundisi ababalaseleyo kubaFarisi, “amanyange.” Ekubeni ukutshatyalaliswa kwetempile ngowama-70 C.E. kwaphumela ekupheleni kwegunya lababingeleli, oorabhi abangabaFarisi baba ziinkokeli zobuYuda ezingaphikiswa mntu. Isikhundla sabo esasingacelwa mngeni sabangela ukuba kubekho uhlobo oluthile lwehlelo olwaluyilwe ngamanyange angoorabhi.

Exubusha ngeli xesha leenguqu lenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, uNjingalwazi Dov Zlotnick ugqabaza athi: “‘Ukunikela imbeko kumaNyange,’ kwabaluleka ngaphezu kokufunda iTorah.” Umphengululi ongumYuda uJacob Neusner uhlabela mgama ecacisa ngokuthi: “‘Umfundi wamanyange’ ngumfundi ozisondeza gqitha kurabhi othile. Ukwenza oko kuba efuna ukufunda ‘iTorah.’ . . . ITorah ayifundwa emthethweni, kodwa ifundwa ngokubona umthetho okwizimbo zomzimba nezenzo zamanyange. Afundisa umthetho ngezenzo zawo, kungekuphela ngoko akuthethayo.”

Umphengululi weTalmud uAdin Steinsaltz uyakungqinela oku, ubhala athi: “Amanyange ayesithi, ‘Incoko ephangaleleyo, ukuqhula, okanye amazwi angenantsingiselo amanyange ayefanelwe ahlolisiswe.’” Oku kwakusebenza ukusa kuwuphi umlinganiselo? USteinsaltz uthi: “Umzekelo ogabadeleyo woku yayingumfundi ekuthiwa wazimela ngaphantsi kwebhedi yomfundisi wakhe omkhulu ukuze abone oko wayekwenza nomkakhe. Xa wayelulekwa ngokuba ngugqada-mbekweni kwakhe, lo mfundi uselula waphendula: ‘Ngumbandela weTorah lo yaye ufanele uhlolisiswe,’ ingcamango eyayisamkelwa ngoorabhi nabafundi njengechanileyo.”

Ekubeni kwakubalaseliswa oorabhi kuneTorah—ukufunda iTorah kurabhi—ubuYuda baba lunqulo loorabhi ukususela ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo ukusa phambili. Ubani wayesondela kuThixo, kungekhona ngeLizwi elibhaliweyo neliphefumlelweyo, kodwa ngalowo ummisela umzekelo, inkosi, urabhi. Ngaloo ndlela, ngokuqhelekileyo kwakugxininiswa kumthetho owawudluliselwa ngomlomo nezithethe ezazifundiswa ngaba rabhi kunokuba kubalaseliswe iZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo. Ukususela ngelo xesha, uncwadi lwamaYuda, olunjengeTalmud, lwasekelwa kwiingxubusho, iimbali ezimfutshane ezinoburharha nemikhwa yoorabhi kunokubalaselisa izigidimi zikaThixo.

Indima Yoorabhi Ukutyhubela Amaxesha

Nangona babenegunya nempembelelo gqitha, oorabhi bamandulo babengafumani mvuzo ngokwenza umsebenzi wabo wonqulo. IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi: “Urabhi weTalmud . . . wayahluke ngokupheleleyo kowale mihla. Urabhi weTalmud wayecacisa iBhayibhile noMthetho odluliselwa ngoMlomo, yaye phantse ngawo onke amaxesha wayesiba nomsebenzi othile awayeziphilisa ngawo. Kuqale kumaXesha Aphakathi ukuba urabhi abe . . . ngumfundisi, umshumayeli nentloko engokomoya yebandla okanye yamaYuda.”

Xa oorabhi baqalisa ukuguqulela isikhundla sabo ekubeni ngumsebenzi ohlawulayo, abanye bakugxeka oko. UMaimonides, urabhi odumileyo wenkulungwane ye-12 owayeziphilisa ngokuba ngugqirha, wabagxeka kabukhali abo rabhi. “Babebiza imali ethile ebantwini ngabanye nakwibutho labantu baza babangela ukuba abantu, ngenxa yobudenge, bacinge ukuba kuyimbopheleleko yaye kufanelekile ukunceda [ngemali] amanyange nabaphengululi kunye nabantu abahlolisisa iTorah, ngaloo ndlela iTorah ngumsebenzi wabo. Kodwa yonke loo nto iphosakele. Akukho nokuba libe linye igama, kwiTorah okanye kumazwi awathethwa ngamanyange, elikuxhasayo oku.” (Commentary on the Mishnah, Avot 4:5) Kodwa ukuyichasa kukaMaimonides le nto akuzange kusiwe so zizizukulwana ezalandelayo zoorabhi.

Njengoko ubuYuda babungena kula maxesha, bahlukana baba ngamahlelo aneenkolelo ezihlaziyiweyo, ezigcina izithethe, nezobuothodoki. KumaYuda amaninzi ukukholelwa nokuqhelisela unqulo kwathabatha indawo yesibini kwizinto ezazibalulekile kuwo. Ngenxa yoko, isikhundla soorabhi sajongelwa phantsi. Ubukhulu becala, urabhi waba yintloko yebandla emiselwe ngokusemthethweni, ehlawulwa, umfundisi nomluleki osisigxina wamalungu eqela lakhe. Noko ke, kumaqela amaHasidic abambelele ngokungqongqo kwisithethe, ingcamango yokuba urabhi yinkosi yaye ngumzekelo yaya ikhula.

Phawula amagqabaza kaEdward Hoffman kwincwadi yakhe ethetha ngomzabalazo wehlelo lamaHasidic iChabad-Lubavitch: “UbuHasidic bamandulo babukwagxininisa ukuba kuzo zonke izizukulwana kukho inkokeli enye yamaYuda, izaddik [umntu olilungisa], oba ‘nguMoses’ welo xesha aphila ngalo, ofunde nozinikele ngendlela engenakuthelekiswa namntu. Qela ngalinye lamaHasidic lalivakalelwa kukuba, ngokuzinikela kwakhe ngokunzulu kunqulo, uRebbe [igama lesiYiddish elithetha “urabhi”] wabo wayenokude abe nempembelelo kwimithetho kaSomandla. Wayengahlonelwa ngenxa yokuba ngumzekelo kwiintetho zakhe ezityhila iimfihlelo kuphela, kodwa kwaindlela awayephila ngayo (‘indlela awayeyibopha ngayo imitya yakhe,’ njengoko kwakusitshiwo) yayijongwa njengephakamisa ubuntu ize inikele iimpawu ezintsonkothileyo zendlela eya ekubeni nguthixo.”

“Ningabizwa Kuthiwe Rabhi”

UYesu, umYuda wenkulungwane yokuqala owaseka ubuKristu, wayephila ngexesha ingcamango yabaFarisi ngorabhi yayiqalisa ukongamela ubuYuda. WayengengomFarisi, engazange aqeqeshwe kwizikolo zabo, kodwa naye wayebizwa ngokuba nguRabhi.—Marko 9:5; Yohane 1:38; 3:2.

Echasa ukutyekela kobuYuda koorabhi, uYesu wathi: “Ababhali nabaFarisi bazihlalise esihlalweni sikaMoses. Bathanda eyona ndawo iphambili kwizidlo zangokuhlwa nezihlalo eziphambili kwizindlu zesikhungu, nemibuliso kwiindawo zemarike nokubizwa ngabantu kuthiwe Rabhi. Kodwa nina, ningabizwa kuthiwe Rabhi, kuba mnye umfundisi wenu, kanti nonke nina ningabazalwana.”—Mateyu 23:2, 6-8.

UYesu walumkisa ngokwahlulwa kwabefundisi kumarhamente okwakusenzeka kubuYuda. Wakuchasa ukubaphakamisa ngolo hlobo abantu. Ngenkalipho wathi: “Mnye umfundisi wenu.” Yayingubani Lowo?

UMoses, “awathi uYehova wamazi, bakhangelana ebusweni” nowayebizwa ngamanyange ngokuthi “uRabhi wethu,” wayengumntu ongafezekanga. Naye wayezenza iimpazamo. (Duteronomi 32:48-51; 34:10; INtshumayeli 7:20) Kunokubalaselisa uMoses njengowona mzekelo mhle, uYehova wamxelela oku: “Ndiya kubavelisela umprofeti ephuma phakathi kwabazalwana babo, onjengawe; ndiwabeke amazwi am emlonyeni wakhe, athethe kubo konke endiya kubawisela umthetho ngako. Kothi ke, kulowo uthe akaliphulaphula ilizwi lam, aya kulithetha egameni lam, mna ndiyibuze loo nto kuloo mntu.”—Duteronomi 18:18, 19.

Iziprofeto zeBhayibhile zingqina ukuba la mazwi azaliseka kuYesu, uMesiya.a UYesu wayenganelanga kuba ‘njengoMoses’ kuphela; wayemkhulu kunoMoses. (Hebhere 3:1-3) IZibhalo zibonisa ukuba uYesu wazalwa eyindoda efezekileyo, yaye ngokungafaniyo noMoses wakhonza uThixo “engenasono.”—Hebhere 4:15.

Landelani UMzekelo

Ukuhlolisisa ngokunzulu zonke izenzo namazwi athethwa ngurabhi othile akuwasondezanga kuThixo amaYuda. Ngoxa umntu ongafezekanga enokuba ngumzekelo wokuthembeka, ukuba sihlolisisa size sixelise zonke izenzo zakhe, siya kuxelisa iimpazamo nezenzo zakhe zokungafezeki kwaneempawu zakhe ezintle. Siya kuba sizukisa isidalwa kunokuzukisa uMdali.—Roma 1:25

Kodwa uYehova walunika uMzekelo uluntu. Ngokutsho kweZibhalo, uYesu wayephila ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumntu. Enyanisweni, ubizwa ngokuba “ngumfanekiso kaThixo ongabonakaliyo, izibulo kwindalo yonke.” (Kolose 1:15) Ekubeni wayekhonze ezulwini kangangamawaka angaziwayo eminyaka ‘njengcibi yomsebenzi’ kaThixo, uYesu uyakufanelekela ukusinceda simazi uYehova.—IMizekeliso 8:22-30; Yohane 14:9, 10.

Ngoko ke, uPetros wayenokubhala athi: “NoKristu wabandezeleka ngenxa yenu, enishiya nomzekelo ukuze nilandele amanyathelo akhe ngokusondeleyo.” (1 Petros 2:21) Umpostile uPawulos wakhuthaza amaKristu ukuba ‘akhangele ngenyameko kuMmeli Oyintloko noMgqibelelisi wokholo lwethu, uYesu.’ Kwakhona wacacisa ukuba “kuye kufihlwe ngenyameko bonke ubuncwane bobulumko nobolwazi.” (Hebhere 12:2; Kolose 2:3) Akakho omnye umntu—kuquka uMoses okanye naliphi na inyange elingurabhi—ofanelwe kukunikelwa ingqalelo ngolo hlobo. Oyena mntu ufanele axeliswe ngenyameko, nguYesu. Kubakhonzi bakaThixo ayikho imfuneko yezibizo ezinjengorabhi, ngokukodwa ngenxa yentsingiselo ezinayo kule mihla, kodwa oyena mntu wayefanelwe kukubizwa ngokuthi Rabhi, yayinguYesu.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

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© Brian Hendler 1995. All Rights Reserved