The Massorite sect of Talmidaism

Massorites try to follow the non-rabbinic traditions of the Jewish people, as they were practised around the time of the Prophet Yeshua (‘Jesus’). They try to live their faith as if they had personally heard and seen Yeshua speak, in order to be true witnesses and ‘apostles’ of his teachings. Their emphasis is on being authentic to his teachings and values, and to the teachings, values and principles of YHVH in the Hebrew Bible.

Massorites follow a modernised form of Galilean custom, in order to be an authentic testimony to where our faith came from – those Galileans who first heard Yeshua speak and teach. Massorite meshartim (ministers) wear traditional clothing in services, and at festivals, Massorites make traditional food based on ancient recipes. All this is to make the statement that we are picking up the culture where our spiritual forebears left off.

The term ‘Massorite’ should not to be confused with ‘Massoretes’, who are the editors of the text of the Hebrew bible; or with ‘Masorti’, who are the conservative Jews of Israel. All three terms are however derived from the same Hebrew word – masóret, which means ‘tradition’.

The outlook of Massorites is relatively moderate and flexible. They are not fundamentalist or even conservative. They take a scholarly, moderate and compassionate approach to biblical interpretation, realising that spiritual truth is not always the same as historical truth. They also accept that not all Followers of the Way are called to be Massorite, believing that each tradition within Talmidaism has its place and its own role to play in the life of the modern Talmidi community. Therefore, Ebionites and other Talmidi sects are our sisters an brothers.

In Massorite theology, there is a heavy emphasis on YHVH, and YHVH alone as our Saviour and Redeemer. Massorites try to develop a strong, emotional bond to YHVH, as Christians have a strong, emotional bond to ‘Jesus’. We strive to seek YHVH in order to know YHVH personally. It is YHVH who will fulfil God’s Kingdom on earth, and therefore, although we accept that God will choose a messiah at some time in the future, our faith is not messiah-centric. We feel that all our spiritual needs and hopes rest in YHVH our Saviour alone; the future messiah will not be our saviour, only a sign that YHVH is ready to act and intervene in human affairs. The ethos of Massorite spirituality as a result of this emotional bond to YHVH is, hopefully, humility and compassion, and a kind but resilient spirit.

A Massorite appreciates ancient style, customs and traditions, preserving what is best and meaningful, and modernising what is not transferable to modern life. Massorite prayers are very much in the ancient Hebrew style of poetry, Massorite music is very Middle Eastern, and Massorite social custom tries to reflect the best of ancient Israelite culture.

The theory behind all this is that, in recreating as much as possible the positive culture of ancient Israel, a Massorite Talmidi will eventually be able to automatically understand the imagery and reasoning behind Hebrew scripture (the reasoning behind various ideas in the Hebrew Bible is often never explained, because the writers of the Bible assumed that its readers knew what they were writing about). The Torah & The Prophets were written with a specific culture behind it, and without understanding that culture, one cannot fully appreciate the Scriptures.

Massorite theology also does not see a conflict between science and true religion; all knowledge and wisdom ultimately come from God, who is the Author of all the physical laws of the Universe, by which the Universe functions.

To learn more about Massorite Talmidaism, please go to our contact page and email us at: shmuliq . parzal @ googlemail . com [no spaces – these spaces have only been inserted to prevent spam from email bots].