understand the first part where Jesus says, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" to mean that God gives us the gift of things like the Sabbath as a blessing in our lives. They are intended to bless us, not curse us.
In the Aseres Hadibros
[Ten commandments] there are two reasons given for Shabbos. Once it says to keep Shabbos becuase G-d created the world in six days and rested on the 7th, and the second time it says to keep Shabbos because Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim
[Egypt].
Shabbat (Saturday) is the seventh day of the week. G-d created the world in six days and on the seventh day He rested. We are, therefore,
commanded to "rest" on this day by refraining from all creative activity. Instead, we are meant to enjoy and have pleasure on Shabbat and spend our time engaged in spiritual pursuits such as praying, studying and praising G-d.
Keeping the Sabbath is the ultimate expression of our belief that the world didn't just "happen" to appear, but rather was created by G-d in six days and on the seventh day He rested. Anyone who is religious knows this fact, but sometimes it is possible to be so involved and preoccupied in business and other mundane, worldly matters, that one can begin to believe that the world runs naturally and money comes from working extra hard and health comes from taking a vitamin, etc.
So G-d designated one day a week for us to remember who really created the world and to remind us of the source of our livelihood, health, children, and happiness. It is a day when we refrain from creative activity - because we are focusing on the Creator who gave - and gives - us everything. This day serves as inspiration for the rest of the week when we are involved in making a living and all other things that life throws our way.
If humankind them interprets the simple sabbath instructions, such as "remember the Sabbath and keep it holy" by adding a bunch of other rules such as "you may not walk farther than 2000 steps on the sabbath" -- something that I have not actually read in the Torah, but that I understand was the teaching of the rabbis
There is a source for this in the Torah:
"Let each man remain in his place; let no man leave his place on the seventh day."
(Exodus 16:29)
then when have turned it into something that God did not intend for it to be. Walking 2001 steps, even 20,000 steps on the Sabbath does not prevent one from remembering it and keeping it holy.
Yes it does. Since as we have seen in the book of Exodus G-d wants us to not leave our places (areas), then obviously walking 2,000 cubits away from your area is considered breaking this prohibition. If your doing all this walking instead of studing and praying that how are you keeping this day holy?
Likewise, to say that God cannot heal on the Sabbath (because Jesus did not heal in his own power, but by the power of God's Holy Spirit moving in and through him) is to put a box around God. Man has no business trying to limit the good gifts God wants to give us. If we do, then we are perverting the word God has given us to our ends, not God's.
This is under the belief that Jesus was a "god". Jewish belief is that Jesus was a person. And by the way, to save a life you can break the Sabbath.
In making this comment, I believe that Jesus was merely continuing in the line of careful thinking and re-examination of the scriptures by making commentary upon it and application to daily living that Rav and others have already explained earlier in the thread was common in creating much of the Talmud.
I do not understand what you mean here. It seems you have a misconception about something though. The Talmud is made up of the "Mishna" which are the laws that compliment and explain the Torah and the "Gemora" the Rabbi's commentary and interpretations of these laws. The Mishna was given to Moshe at Mt. Sinai as the Oral law. This is why it is called the "Oral Torah". The Mishna explains many things the Torah does not elaborate on.
Originally the Oral Law was never transcribed. Instead it was transmitted from father to son and from teacher to disciple (thus the name "Oral" Law). Approximately 1800 years ago, Rabbi Judah the Prince concluded that because of all the travails of Exile, the Oral Law would be forgotten if it would not be recorded on paper. He, therefore, assembled the scholars of his generation and compiled the Mishna; a collection of all the oral teachings that preceded him. Since then, the Oral Law has ceased to be "oral."
G-d told Moses:
"...Come up to Me to the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets, the Law (Torah = Law) and the commandments... "
(Exodus 24:12)
Why did G-d add the word "commandments?" Aren't all the commandments included in the Torah? This verse is a clear inference to the existence of the Oral Torah.
