The Stone the Builders Rejected”.

One of the verses many people use is ” The Stone the Builder Rejected”. Well, I want to discuss the idea of a foundation. It is the most important part of building a house. The Third Temple. If you get the foundation wrong, then the rest of the structure will be wrong. I would like to point to the proof that what you have rejected is “That Which You Have Not Heard” as a Christian or Messianic,

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

1הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה יְשַֽׁעְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־ אָמ֑וֹץ עַל־ יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

2It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,

2וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בְּאַחֲרִ֣ית הַיָּמִ֗ים נָכ֨וֹן יִֽהְיֶ֜ה הַ֤ר בֵּית־ יְהוָה֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הֶהָרִ֔ים וְנִשָּׂ֖א מִגְּבָע֑וֹת וְנָהֲר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו כָּל־ הַגּוֹיִֽם׃

3and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

3וְֽהָלְכ֞וּ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים וְאָמְרוּ֙ לְכ֣וּ ׀ וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה אֶל־ הַר־ יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־ בֵּית֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְיֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ מִדְּרָכָ֔יו וְנֵלְכָ֖ה בְּאֹרְחֹתָ֑יו כִּ֤י מִצִּיּוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֣א תוֹרָ֔ה וּדְבַר־ יְהוָ֖ה מִירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

4He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Many Christians, often turn to the Old Testament—what you call the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh—for insights into God’s nature and His plan for humanity. This week’s Torah portion, Re’eh (“Behold”), found in Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17, offers a profound moment of choice: “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God… and the curse if you do not obey… but turn away from the way… to follow other gods which you have not known” (Deut. 11:26–28). This passage, delivered by Moses to the Israelites on the cusp of entering the Promised Land, emphasizes fidelity to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It warns emphatically against idolatry and the adoption of foreign religious practices, including those that introduce new deities or modes of worship unknown to our shared forefathers. In this essay, written for a Christian audience, I aim to explore how Re’eh serves as a divine safeguard against religions like Christianity, which, from a Jewish perspective, diverges from the pure monotheism of the Torah. By contrasting the oral traditions of Judaism and Christianity, examining Christian claims about Jesus as a fulfillment of the Binding of Isaac, and tracing the non-Jewish origins of vicarious atonement, we can see why the Torah precludes belief in “that which you have not known.”

Ask Your Fathers and They Will Tell You.

The Core Warning in Re’eh: No Room for New Gods

At the heart of Re’eh is Deuteronomy 13, a chapter that outlines safeguards against false prophets, dreamers, or even close family members who might entice the people to worship “other gods which you have not known” (Deut. 13:2). Even if such a figure performs signs or wonders that come true, the Torah commands: “You shall not listen to the words of that prophet… for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 13:3–4). This is not merely a prohibition against pagan idols like those of the Canaanites; it’s a broader admonition against any innovation that alters the worship of the one, eternal God revealed at Sinai.

From a Jewish viewpoint, this directly applies to Christianity. Jesus, as portrayed in the New Testament, is elevated to a divine status—part of a Trinity or as the “Son of God”—a concept utterly foreign to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Torah’s God is singular and indivisible, as affirmed in the Shema (Deut. 6:4), and any suggestion of a divine intermediary or incarnation would qualify as “other gods” unknown to the forefathers. Deuteronomy 13 warns that such teachings, even if accompanied by miracles (like those attributed to Jesus), are a test of loyalty. Jews see this as a prophetic barrier against missionary efforts, where Christianity transforms the character of a historical figure into a god-like being, precisely what the Torah forbids. This isn’t about rejecting Jesus as a teacher but recognizing that his deification introduces a worship system alien to the covenant at Sinai.

Series: Part II

Contrasting Oral Traditions: From Sinai vs. From the Apostles

Judaism and Christianity both value oral traditions, but their sources and natures differ profoundly. In Judaism, the Oral Torah (Torah she-be’al peh) is believed to have been given to Moses at Sinai alongside the Written Torah, transmitted faithfully through generations of sages—from Moses to Joshua, to the elders, prophets, and rabbis. This tradition, later compiled in the Mishnah and Talmud, clarifies and expands the Written Torah without altering its core monotheism. It stems directly from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ensuring continuity with the forefathers.

Christianity’s oral tradition, however, originates from a different source: the teachings of Jesus and his apostles in the first century CE. Before the Gospels were written (around 70–100 CE), stories of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection circulated orally among early followers. This tradition, as described by scholars, was sustained through community storytelling, hymns, and prayers, evolving to explain Jesus’ role and provide guidance for early churches. Paul, writing in the 50s CE, incorporated snippets of this oral material, such as accounts of the Last Supper and resurrection (1 Cor. 11 and 15), which were passed down before being formalized in writing. Unlike Judaism’s Oral Torah, rooted in Sinai, Christianity’s tradition begins with Jesus—a figure not prophesied in this divine capacity by the Torah—and develops through church fathers like Ignatius and Justin Martyr in the second century. This creates a new narrative arc, diverging from the forefathers’ covenant and introducing concepts like the Trinity, which Re’eh explicitly warns against as “gods you have not known.”

The Non-Jewish Origins of Vicarious Atonement

A cornerstone of Christianity is the belief that Jesus died for humanity’s sins, offering vicarious atonement—where one person’s sacrifice redeems others. This idea, however, has no roots in Jewish tradition and contradicts the Torah’s emphasis on personal responsibility and repentance. In Judaism, atonement comes through teshuvah (repentance), prayer, charity, and animal sacrifices (when the Temple stood), but never through human sacrifice, which is abhorrent (Deut. 18:10). Each person atones for their own sins, as Ezekiel states: “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezek. 18:20).

The concept of someone dying for sins evolved within Christianity, not Judaism. Early theories include the Ransom Theory (3rd century, Origen), where Jesus’ death paid a debt to Satan or God; Christus Victor (dominant pre-12th century), portraying Jesus’ death as victory over evil powers; and Satisfaction Theory (Anselm, 11th century), where it satisfied God’s honor. The Penal Substitution Theory, popularized by Reformers like Calvin, views Jesus’ death as punishment in sinners’ place to appease God’s wrath. These ideas draw loosely from Jewish sacrificial imagery but twist it into a human-centered redemption unknown to the Torah. Jews argue that if vicarious atonement were needed, the Torah would have revealed it at Sinai, not through a later figure.

Moreover, some streams of Judaism, particularly Kabbalah, incorporate gilgul (reincarnation), where souls return to rectify past failings. Originating in post-Talmudic Kabbalah (12th century onward, e.g., Sefer ha-Bahir), gilgul allows for multiple lifetimes to achieve perfection, making a one-time savior unnecessary. While not universal in Judaism, this belief underscores self-reliant soul rectification over external redemption.

Christian Claims About the Binding of Isaac: A Misplaced Typology

Christians often see Jesus as foreshadowed in the Binding of Isaac (Akedah, Gen. 22), where Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his “only son” parallels God’s sacrifice of Jesus. Typologies highlight similarities: both are “only begotten sons,” carried wood for the sacrifice, and the event occurs on a mountain (Moriah, linked to Calvary). This interprets the Akedah as prefiguring Jesus’ crucifixion for atonement.

Jews rebut this as a retroactive imposition. The Akedah tests Abraham’s faith, not prophesies a messiah; God provides a ram, halting human sacrifice forever. Isaac isn’t killed, so it can’t foreshadow a death for sins. Rabbinic tradition views it as merit for Israel, not a messianic template. Introducing Jesus here adds a foreign layer, violating Re’eh’s warning against innovations.

Conclusion: Heeding the Call to Behold

Re’eh invites us to “behold” the choice before us: fidelity to the God of our forefathers or the allure of foreign traditions. For Jews, Christianity, with its new oral tradition, vicarious atonement, and typological readings, represents “that which you have not known.” As Christians, reflecting on these differences may deepen appreciation for the Torah’s unyielding monotheism. Ultimately, Re’eh calls us back to the pure covenant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—without additions or intermediaries.

Footnotes:

1. All biblical quotes from the New Jewish Publication Society Tanakh.
2. For deeper Jewish perspectives on Deuteronomy 13 and false prophets, see resources from Jews for Judaism.
3. On gilgul, consult kabbalistic texts like those of Isaac Luria.
4. Christian atonement theories are summarized in theological works like those of Gustaf Aulén.
5. ISAIAH 2:2-4
6. 96 web pages