A word about Matthew 23:9-13

IT ALWAYS SADDENS ME TO SEE PEOPLE MISINTERPRETING SCRIPTURE!  Matthew 23 is a great example of this, as many of Paul’s teachings seem to negate Torah.

A ministry on Facebook called Shtiebel on the Hill suggests “Yeshua’s critique in Matthew 23 targets hypocrisy and the abuse of authority, not the system of communal rulings itself.” Take a look at their comment:

DID YOU KNOW? That the concept of takkanot—rabbinic enactments designed to adapt Torah law to practical and communal needs—has its roots in the Torah itself? In Deuteronomy 17:8-13, the Torah commands the Jewish people to follow the rulings of the priests and judges, who sit in the "seat of Moses." This authority to interpret and apply the Torah was the foundation for the Pharisaic tradition, which Yeshua affirmed when he said, "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat" (Matthew 23:2). However, in Shem Tov’s Hebrew Matthew, this idea is expressed with the phrase “Do as Moses says,” emphasizing that all authority stems from the Torah itself.

While some misinterpret this as a rejection of takkanot, the context reveals otherwise. Yeshua’s critique in Matthew 23 targets hypocrisy and the abuse of authority, not the system of communal rulings itself. In fact, Paul, a Pharisee and Torah-observant Jew, continued this tradition by giving practical guidelines to Messianic communities, such as support for widows, leadership qualifications, and worship conduct. These instructions mirror the approach of later rabbinic figures like Rabbeinu Gershom and the Rambam, who codified similar takkanot for ethical and communal stability.

Rejecting takkanot undermines the Torah’s intent to create a unified and cohesive nation, as these enactments serve as bridges between the eternal principles of Torah and the practical realities of daily life. By following takkanot, we uphold the Torah’s authority, preserve its legacy, and embody the very principle Shem Tov’s Matthew reminds us of: "Do as Moses says," ensuring that the Torah remains relevant and applicable across generations. Whether in ancient courts or contemporary communities, takkanot are a testament to the timeless wisdom of the Torah.

SO, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES:

First, MATTHEW 23:9-13, which some people attempt to take literally, instead of using the common sense gleaned from the Torah, God’s original Divine Instructions in Righteousness:

Matthew 23:. 9. And do not call yourself Father[1] for your Father is one who is in heaven. 10. And you should not be called leaders, because one is your leader, the Mashiyach. 11. But he who is greatest among you, let him be a servant to you. 12. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before the sons of men. For you are not entering yourselves, and those who would enter you do not allow to enter.[2] (AENT)

[1] The above does NOT mean we shouldn’t call our own fathers “Father.” After all, he who produced the sperm that met your mother’s egg IS your “father!” That fact does NOT take anything away from YHWH. If you have a child, you’re a “father.”  You’re not “exalting” yourself by admitting it. 

Furthermore, common sense dictates that the prohibition against calling leaders “father” is simply to avoid giving high status to men which is due unto YHWH. Catholics openly defy this commandment, but all institutions who use flattering titles for leaders are culpable; see Job 32:21-12. Isaiah 56:10-12 exposes leaders who “can never have enough” and who keep their “followers” in spiritual and often financial poverty by seeking personal gain for themselves. See also 1 Timothy 4:3 .

[2] There is so much in this one small passage above that definitely CAN “sound confusing”; however, the use of a little common sense would alleviate the nonsense brewing in our limited, human mindsets!

I mean, we surely all agree that there can be no doubt that religious leaders are the greatest stumbling block that keeps people from entering into the Kingdom of Heaven (which definitely include the “armchair experts” of today)! So, let’s take a look at Matthew 23:14, which actually describes that fact:

Matthew 23:14. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For you consume the houses of widows, and that for a pretense you lengthen your prayers. Because this you will receive a greater judgment. 15. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you traverse sea and land that you might make one proselyte, and when he has become one, you make him double the son of Gehenna that you are yourselves. 16. Woe to you blind guides, for you say that whoever swears by the temple is not anything, but who swears by the gold of the temple is guilty.

17. You are blind fools, for what is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18. And whoever swears by the altar, it is not anything, but he who swears by the offering that is upon it is guilty. 19. You are blind fools! What is greater, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20. Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and all things that are upon it. 21. And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it and by He who dwells in it. 22. And whoever swears by Heaven swears by the throne of Elohim, and by Him who sits upon it.

23. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and you overlook the weightiest[3] things of Torah: Judgment[4] and Mercy[5] and Faith.[6] And these things were necessary for you to have done, and these things you should not have forgotten.

24. Blind guides who strain at gnats and swallow camels. 25. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate but inside they are full of extortion and iniquity. 26. Blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, Then the outside will be clean also. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[3] Lighter or weightier (kol v’homer) is a principle that Y’shua employs on many occasions. In Matt. 6:30 Y’shua teaches that if Elohim clothes the fields with grass (lighter), then how much more will he take care of your needs? (weightier) (Source: AENT)

[4] The Mitzvot (Commandments) of YHWH are categorized as Mishpatim (Judgments), Edyut (Testimonies) and Khokim (Statutes). The Judgments are the moral or ethical Commandments that differentiate right from wrong.

[5] Hosea 6:6

[6] Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4