Messianic Judaism Quest

Is the Talmud authoritative for those describing themselves as Messianic Jews?

Unfortunately answering such a question only serves to highlight the further lack of uniformity on this and other issues.

It would be beneficial to understand the concepts of what is traditionally understood as canonical and inspired. This post (part 1) will deal with these issues.

While such a discussion might seem more appropriate in Christian circles, the matter was discussed by Sid Leiman in a publication produced by none other than Yeshiva University, the bastion of modern Orthodoxy.

The issue can be summarized as follows: there are four categories of concern.

1) Those works which are canonical (i.e. authoritative) and inspired.
2) Those works which are canonical but not inspired.
3) Those works which are inspired but not canonical.
4) And lastly those works which are neither.

By inspiration, I mean a revelatory process via direct, transparent revelation on the level of Mount Sinai as in the case of the Torah is meant. It also includes revelation via ruach navi (i.e. the spirit of prophecy) and ruach haKodesh (i.e the Holy Spirit).

The example of canonical and inspired works extend to Hebrew Scriptures, though differing levels of authority are considered inherent within it as well. Thus a prophecy cannot overule the Torah in matters of observance (i.e. halakhah) and the Torah (at least according to Neusner) cannot overrule the primacy of the prophetic literature in matters pertaining to prophecy.

The Mishnah and the Gemara are examples of canonical but not inspired, though one can certainly point to the Ramban to counter this view. The nature of these works as being produced on one level via deductive reasoning is the reason why inspiration is not assigned. This of course does not diminish the nature of their authority nor of other sequent rabbinic works.

The third division can be categorized (thought this is highly contested even in Talmudic discussions) by the Wisdom of Sirach. Considered inspired by some Sages, yet nevertheless eventually banned.

The last category is described by works like those of the Apocrypha.

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