Further details would lead beyond our present scope. It must suffice to indicate that such sayings as St. Matt. v. 6, 15, 17, 25, 29, 31, 46, 47; vi. 8, 12, 18, 22, 24, 32; vii. 8, 9, 10, 15, 17-19, 22, 23, have no parallel, in any real sense, in Jewish writings, whose teaching, indeed, often embodies opposite ideas. Here it may be interesting, by one instance, to show what kind of Messianic teaching would have interested a Rabbi. In a passage [2551] which describes the great danger of intercourse with Jewish Christians, as leading to heresy, a Rabbi is introduced, who, at Sepphoris, had met one of Jesus' disciples, named Jacob, a man of Kefr Sekanya,' reputed as working miraculous cures in the name of his Master. [2552] It is said, that at a later period the Rabbi suffered grievous persecution, in punishment for the delight he had taken in a comment on a certain passage of Scripture, which Jacob attributed to his Master. It need scarcely be said, that the whole story is a fabrication; indeed, the supposed Christian interpretation is not even fit to be reproduced; and we only mention the circumstance as indicating the contrast between what Talmudism would have delighted in hearing from its Messiah, and what Jesus spoke.
But there are points of view which may be gained from Rabbinic writings, helpful to the understanding of the Sermon on the Mount,' although not of its spirit. Some of these may here be mentioned. Thus, when [2553] we read that not one jot or title shall pass from the Law, it is painfully interesting to find in the Talmud the following quotation and mistranslation of St. Matt. v. 17: I have come not to diminish from the Law of Moses, nor yet have I come to add to the Law of Moses.' [2554] [2555] But the Talmud here significantly omits the addition made by Christ, on which all depends: till all be fulfilled.' Jewish tradition mentions this very letter Yod as irremovable, [2556] adding, that if all men in the world were gathered together to abolish the least letter in the Law, they would not succeed. [2557] Not a letter could be removed from the Law [2558] - a saying illustrated by this curious conceit, that the Yod which was taken by God out of the name of Sarah (Sarai), was added to that of Hoshea, making him Joshua (Jehoshua). [2559] Similarly, [2560] the guilt of changing those little hooks (titles') which make the distinction between such Hebrew letters as {hebrew} and {hebrew}, {hebrew} and {hebrew}, {hebrew} and {hebrew}, is declared so great, that, if such were done, the world would be destroyed. [2561] Again the thought about the danger of those who broke the least commandment is so frequently expressed in Jewish writings, as scarcely to need special quotation. Only, there it is put on the ground, that we know not what reward may attach to one or another commandment. The expression they of old,' [2562] quite corresponds to the Rabbinic appeal to those that had preceded, the Zeqenim or Rishonim. In regard to St. Matt. v. 22, we remember that the term brother' applied only to Jews, while the Rabbis used to designate the ignorant [2563] - or those who did not believe such exaggerations, as that in the future God would build up the gates of Jerusalem with gems thirty cubits high and broad - as Reyqa, [2564] with this additional remark, that on one such occasion the look of a Rabbi had immediately turned the unbeliever into a heap of bones!
Again, the opprobrious term fool' was by no means of uncommon occurrence among the sages; [2565] and yet they themselves state, that to give an opprobrious by-name, or to put another openly to shame, was one of the three things which deserved Gehenna. [2566] To verse 26 the following is an instructive parallel: To one who had defrauded the custom-house, it was said: "Pay the duty." He said to them: "Take all that I have with me." But the tax-gatherer answered him, "Thinkest thou, we ask only this one payment of duty? Nay, rather, that duty be paid for all the times in which according to thy wont, thou hast defrauded the custom-house."' [2567] The mode of swearing mentioned in verse 35 was very frequently adopted, in order to avoid pronouncing the Divine Name. Accordingly, they swore by the Covenant, by the Service of the Temple, or by the Temple. But perhaps the usual mode of swearing, which is attributed even to the Almighty, is By thy life' ({hebrew}). Lastly, as regards our Lord's admonition, it is mentioned [2568] as characteristic of the pious, that their yea is yea,' and their nay nay.'