Umthetho Odluliselwa Ngomlomo—Kungani Wabhalwa?

KUNGANI amaJuda amaningi ekhulu lokuqala engamamukelanga uJesu njengoMesiya? Omunye ufakazi wokuzibonela uyabika: “Ngemva kokuba [uJesu] esengene ethempelini, abapristi abakhulu namadoda amadala esizwe beza kuye lapho efundisa bathi: ‘Uzenza ngagunya lini lezizinto? Futhi ubani okuniké leligunya?’” (Mathewu 21:23) Ngokubona kwabo, uMninimandla onke wayenike isizwe samaJuda iTorah (uMthetho), futhi le Torah yanika amadoda athile igunya elivela kuNkulunkulu. Ingabe uJesu wayenalo igunya elinjalo?

UJesu wayeyihlonipha kakhulu iTorah nalabo eyayibanike igunya langempela. (Mathewu 5:17-20; Luka 5:14; 17:14) Kodwa wabalahla kaningi labo ababeqa imiyalo kaNkulunkulu. (Mathewu 15:3-9; 23:2-28) Abantu abanjalo babelandela amasiko ethiwa ngokuthi umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo. UJesu waliphika igunya lawo. Ngokufanayo, abaningi bamenqaba njengoMesiya. Babekholelwa ukuthi umuntu osekelwa uNkulunkulu kwakungaba umuntu osekela amasiko alabo abaphethe phakathi kwabo kuphela.

Wawuvelephi lo mthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo? Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba amaJuda awubheke njengonegunya elilingana neloMthetho olotshiwe osemiBhalweni? Futhi uma kwakuhloswe ukuba ube yisiko elidluliselwa ngomlomo, kungani wagcina ubhaliwe?

Ayevelephi La Masiko?

Ama-Israyeli enza isivumelwano noJehova uNkulunkulu eNtabeni iSinayi ngo-1513 B.C.E. NgoMose, amukela izimiso zaleso sivumelwano. (Eksodusi 24:3) Ukulandela le mithetho kwakuyowenza akwazi ‘ukuzibonakalisa engcwele njengoba uJehova uNkulunkulu wawo engcwele.’ (Levitikusi 11:44) Ngaphansi kwesivumelwano soMthetho, ukukhulekela uJehova kwakuhilela imihlatshelo eyayenziwa umpristi omisiwe. Kwakufanele kube nendawo eyinhloko yokukhulekela—okwagcina kuyithempeli laseJerusalema.—Duteronomi 12:5-7; 2 IziKronike 6:4-6.

UMthetho KaMose wawuchaza kabanzi ngokukhulekela kwesizwe sama-Israyeli uJehova. Nokho, eminye imininingwane yayingashiwongo ngokucacile. Ngokwesibonelo, uMthetho wawukwenqabela ukusebenza ngeSabatha, kodwa wawungahlukanisi ngokucacile phakathi komsebenzi nezinye izinto ezenziwayo.—Eksodusi 20:10.

Uma uJehova ayekubone kufaneleka ukwenza kanjalo, wayenganikeza imithetho eningiliziwe ephathelene nazo zonke izimo umuntu angazicabanga. Kodwa wadala abantu baba nonembeza, futhi wabavumela ukuba bakwazi ukumkhonza ngenkululeko ethile ngaphakathi kwezimiso zakhe. UMthetho wawunelungiselelo lokuba amacala asingathwe abapristi, amaLevi nabahluleli. (Duteronomi 17:8-11) Njengoba amacala ayanda, izenzakalo ezithile zazenziwa zibe yizimiso zesikhathi esizayo, futhi ngokungangabazeki ezinye zazo zazidluliselwa zisuka kwesinye isizukulwane ziya kwesinye. Izindlela zokunakekela imisebenzi yabapristi ethempelini likaJehova nazo zazidluliselwa emadodaneni zisuka koyise. Njengoba izinto isizwe esasihlangabezana nazo zaziya zanda, namasiko aso anda.

Nokho, umnyombo wokukhulekela kuka-Israyeli wawulokhu uwuMthetho olotshiwe owanikwa uMose. U-Eksodusi 24:3, 4 uthi: “UMose weza wabatshela abantu onke amazwi kaJehova nezahlulelo zonke; abantu bonke baphendula ngazwi linye, bathi: Onke amazwi uJehova awakhulumileyo siyakuwenza. UMose wabhala onke amazwi kaJehova.” (Omalukeke sizenzele.) UNkulunkulu wenza isivumelwano nama-Israyeli ngokuvumelana nale miyalo elotshiwe. (Eksodusi 34:27) Eqinisweni, akukho ndawo lapho imiBhalo ikhuluma khona ngomthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo.

“Ubani Okuniké Leligunya?”

UMthetho KaMose wawuchaze ngokucacile ukuthi igunya nokufundisa ngenkolo ngokuyinhloko kwakungokwabapristi, inzalo ka-Aroni. (Levitikusi 10:8-11; Duteronomi 24:8; 2 IziKronike 26:16-20; Malaki 2:7) Nokho, phakathi namakhulu eminyaka abanye abapristi baba abangathembekile nabonakele. (1 Samuweli 2:12-17, 22-29; Jeremiya 5:31; Malaki 2:8, 9) Ngenkathi yokubusa kweGrisi, abapristi abaningi bayekethisa ezindabeni zenkolo. Ngekhulu lesibili B.C.E., abaFarisi—iqembu elisha elaliyingxenye yobuJuda, elalingabethembi abapristi—baqala ukumisa amasiko okwakungathi ngawo umuntu ovamile azibone engcwele njengompristi. La masiko akhanga abaningi, kodwa ayewukujobelela eMthethweni okungamukeleki.—Duteronomi 4:2; 12:32 (13:1 ezinguqulweni zamaJuda).

AbaFarisi baba yizazi ezintsha zoMthetho, benza umsebenzi ababenomuzwa wokuthi abapristi babengawenzi. Njengoba uMthetho KaMose wawungabagunyazi, bakha izindlela ezintsha zokuchaza umBhalo ngokusikisela okungaqondakali nangezinye izindlela okwakusengathi zisekela imibono yabo.a Njengabavikeli nabagqugquzeli abayinhloko bala masiko, bakha isisekelo esisha segunya kwa-Israyeli. Ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., ithonya labaFarisi lase libusa ebuJudeni.

Njengoba babeqoqa amasiko adluliselwa ngomlomo ayesekhona futhi behlola okungase kusikiselwe yimiBhalo ukuze bakhe amasiko abo engeziwe, abaFarisi babona kunesidingo sokwenza umsebenzi wabo ube negunya elithé xaxa. Kwasungulwa umbono omusha ngemvelaphi yala masiko. Orabi baqala ukufundisa bethi: “UMose wamukela iTorah eSinayi wayeseyidlulisela kuJoshuwa, uJoshuwa wayidlulisela kubadala, abadala bayidlulisela kubaprofethi. Abaprofethi base beyidlulisela emadodeni omkhandlu omkhulu.”—Avot 1:1, iMishnah.

Lapho bethi “uMose wamukela iTorah,” orabi babengabhekisele emithethweni elotshiwe kodwa babesho wonke amasiko abo adluliselwa ngomlomo. Bathi la masiko—ayesungulwe futhi achunyiswa abantu—uNkulunkulu wayewanike uMose eSinayi. Futhi bafundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengakushiyelanga kubantu ukuba bazibonele kulokho okungashiwongo ngokuqondile, kodwa wayekuchaze ngomlomo lokho uMthetho olotshiwe owawungakushongo. Ngokwabo, uMose wadlulisela lo mthetho kwabanye abaholi kuzo zonke izizukulwane, hhayi kubapristi. AbaFarisi uqobo bathi bona bayizindlalifa eziyizonazona zaleli gunya elidluliselwa “ngokunganqamuki.”

UMthetho Usengozini—Ikhambi Elisha

UJesu, abaholi benkolo bamaJuda ababengabaza igunya lakhe elalivela kuNkulunkulu, wayebikezele ukubhujiswa kwethempeli. (Mathewu 23:37–24:2) Ngemva kokuba amaRoma ebhubhise ithempeli ngo-70 C.E., izimfuneko zoMthetho KaMose ezihilela imihlatshelo nenkonzo yabapristi zazingasenakufezwa. UNkulunkulu wayesemise isivumelwano esisha ngesisekelo somhlatshelo kaJesu wesihlengo. (Luka 22:20) UMthetho KaMose wawungasasebenzi.—Heberu 8:7-13.

Kunokuba babheke lezi zenzakalo njengobufakazi bokuthi uJesu wayenguMesiya, abaFarisi bathola elinye ikhambi. Kakade base bezithathele ingxenye enkulu yegunya labapristi. Njengoba nethempeli lase libhujisiwe, base bengaqhubekela phambili. Isikole saworabi saseYavneh saba isikhungo seSanhedrini ehlelwe kabusha—inkantolo ephakeme yamaJuda. Buholwa nguYohanan ben Zakkai noGamaliel II eYavneh, ubuJuda bahlelwa kabusha ngokuphelele. Izinkonzo zasesinagogeni, ezaziholwa orabi, zathatha indawo yokukhulekela kwasethempelini, okwakukade kuqondiswa abapristi. Imithandazo, ikakhulukazi eyangoSuku Lokubuyisana, yathatha indawo yemihlatshelo. AbaFarisi babecabanga ukuthi umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo owanikwa uMose eSinayi wakubona kusengaphambili lokhu futhi wakulungiselela.

Ukuvelela kwezikole zaworabi kwadlondlobala. Uhlelo oluyinhloko lwezifundo kwakuyizingxoxo ezishubile zomthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo, ukuwubamba ngekhanda nokuwusebenzisa. Ngaphambili, lo mthetho wawukade usekelwe encazelweni yomBhalo—iMidrash. Manje, amasiko lawo ayelokhu anda engaphezi aqala ukufundiswa nokuhlelwa ngawodwa. Isinqumo ngasinye somthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo sasiphundlwa sibe amazwana ambalwa akhumbuleka kalula, ngokuvamile ayenziwa izosha zomculo.

Wabhalelwani Umthetho Odluliselwa Ngomlomo?

Ukuxhaphaka kwezikole zorabi nokwanda kwezinqumo zabo kwadala enye inkinga. Isazi esingurabi u-Adin Steinsaltz siyachaza: “Umfundisi ngamunye wayenendlela yakhe futhi amazwi ezinqumo ezidluliselwa ngomlomo wayewabeka ngendlela yakhe. . . . Akuzange kusaba okwanele ngomfundi ukwazi izimfundiso zomfundisi wakhe, umfundi wayesebophekile ukuba azi nemisebenzi yezinye izazi . . . Ngakho abafundi babephoqeleka ukuba babambe ngekhanda inqwaba yokwaziswa ngenxa ‘yensada yokwaziswa.’” Kulolu lwandle lokwaziswa okungahlelekile, inkumbulo yomfundi yayikhandleka kuze kube yilapho ekhathala.

Ngekhulu lesibili C.E., ukuvukela kwamaJuda iRoma, okwakuholwa uBar Kokhba, kwaholela ekushushisweni kanzima kwezazi ezingorabi. U-Akiba—urabi oyinhloko, owayekade esekela uBar Kokhba—kanye nezazi eziningi ezazihola babulawa. Orabi babesaba ukuthi ukushushiswa okwase kuvuke indlobane kwakungase kusongele kona kanye ukuba khona komthetho wabo odluliselwa ngomlomo. Babekade bekholelwa ukuthi kungcono kakhulu ukuba amasiko adluliselwe ngomlomo kumfundi esuka kumfundisi, kodwa lezi zimo ezazishintsha zaholela emzamweni omkhudlwana wokwakha isimiso esihlelekile ukuze kulondolozwe izimfundiso zezihlakaniphi, funa zilibaleke unomphela.

Phakathi nenkathi eyalandela yokuthula okuthile neRoma, uJudah Ha-Nasi, urabi owayehola ngekhulu lesibili nasekuqaleni kwelesithathu C.E., waqoqa izazi eziningi futhi wahlela inqwaba yamasiko adluliselwa ngomlomo wawenza aba nesimiso esihlelekile esineMikhakha eyisithupha, ngamunye owawuhlukaniswe ngezigaba ezincane—ezazingu-63 zizonke. Le ncwadi yethiwa ngokuthi iMishnah. U-Ephraim Urbach, isazi somthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo, uyaphawula: “IMishnah . . . yenziwa yamukeleka futhi yaba negunya okungekho ncwadi eyake yanikwa lona ngaphandle kweTorah uqobo.” UMesiya wayenqatshiwe, ithempeli liyincithakalo, kodwa njengoba umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo wawusulondolozwe ngokubhalwa phansi waba yiMishnah, kwaqala inkathi entsha ebuJudeni.

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Kungani amaJuda amaningi alenqaba igunya likaJesu?