The Greatest Commandment

Joshua Perez

1/16/2025

In Matthew chapter 22, we read a story where a group of Pharisees came up to Yeshua, asking him what the greatest commandment in the law is.

"34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” (Matthew 22:34-36)

Often times when Yeshua was asked questions by people of different beliefs and theology, he answered them using material that was relevant to said person. For example, earlier in Matthew 22 we see the Sadducees ask him:

"23 On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, 24 asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; 26 so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. 27 Last of all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.” (Matthew 22:23-28)

The Sadducees were unique in their day in that they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, as stated in this verse. This is due to their rejection of the Oral Law and later writings which explicitly mention it [1]. They believed the Torah was the ultimate divine authority.  Therefore, Yeshua's answer to their question had to remain within the confines of their theology (ie. in the Torah).

"29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” (Matthew 22:29-32)

Yeshua quoted from the Torah to prove his point concerning the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, it is very likely that when answering the Pharisees' question, he was going to give them an answer within the confines of 1st century Orthodox Judaism. 

"37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”" (Matthew 22:37-40)

Yeshua's answer to their question was that "loving God" (Deuteronomy 6:4), and "loving your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18) were the greatest two commandments. All Pharisees in Yeshua's day agreed that loving God was certainly the greatest, but the commandment that Yeshua states is second to it was unique to only one school of Phariseism, Beit Hillel.

"There was another incident involving one gentile who came before Shammai and said to Shammai: Convert me on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I am standing on one foot. Shammai pushed him away with the builder’s cubit in his hand. This was a common measuring stick and Shammai was a builder by trade. The same gentile came before Hillel. He converted him and said to him: That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study." (b.Shabbat 31a:6)

Yeshua's words in this passage are very similar to that of Hillel's who lived around the 1st century BC - 1 century AD (meaning he predated him). Both taught that love of ones neighbor was the highest form of obedience, and was the central message of Torah. In fact, Yeshua says this again in his sermon on the mount:

"12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

Yeshua's statement in this passage is nearly a word for word quotation of Rabbi Hillel's statement recorded in the Talmud. The only difference being Yeshua stated the commandment in its positive form, and Hillel did so in its negative form. However, both agreed that treating others the way you want done to you is the central focus of the Scriptures.

"this is the Law and the Prophets" (Yeshua)

"that is the entire Torah" (Hillel)

This concept of summarizing all 613 mitzvot into a handful of commandments was fairly common in Pharisaic literature. For example, Rabbi Simlai stated:

"Rabbi Simlai’s exposition continues: Isaiah came and established the 613 mitzvot upon six, as it is written: “He who walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands from holding of bribes, who stops his ears from hearing blood, and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil” (Isaiah 33:15)" (b.Makkot 24a)

And,

"Micah came and established the 613 mitzvot upon three, as it is written: “It has been told to you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord does require of you; only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)" (b.Makkot 24a)

"Isaiah then established the 613 mitzvot upon two, as it is stated: “So says the Lord: Observe justice and perform righteous-ness” (Isaiah 56:1). Amos came and established the 613 mitzvot upon one, as it is stated: “So says the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek Me and live” (Amos 5:4). Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak objects to this: There is no proof that the verse in Amos is establishing all the mitzvot upon one; say that Amos is saying: Seek Me throughout the entire Torah, as the verse does not specify the manner in which one should seek the Lord. Rather, say: Habakkuk came and established the 613 mitzvot upon one, as it is stated: “But the righteous person shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4)." (b.Makkot 24a)

Many Christian interpreters over the years have taken Yeshua's statement about love fulfilling the law as a way to sort of negate the actual minutia of doing the commandments; often times resulting in people creating their own definitions of how to love God, and our neighbor. However, this is a major error. As scripture clearly teaches us that loving God and our neighbor can be defined as keeping Torah.

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and follow His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:2-3 NASB)

"And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good" (Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NASB)

Yeshua's statement is in direct alignment with the contemporary Rabbis of his time. "Love fulfilling the law" simply means that the central meaning of Torah is the love of God and our fellow man; with the commandments themselves explaining how to do so.

"that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study." (Hillel)

For example, we love God by having no other gods before him, having no idols, not taking his name in vain, keeping the Sabbath holy, eating Kosher, presenting offerings at the appointed times, etc. All of these laws can be understood as the interpretation of the general commandment to "love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, and strength". Similarly, we properly "love our neighbor as our-self" by not murdering, not stealing, honoring our father and mother, not bearing false witness, not committing adultery, not lying, etc. All of these laws fall under the umbrella of loving our neighbor. 

This concept is what the other Rabbis, such as Simlai, had in mind when explaining that the prophets also summarized the Torah with a handful of commandments. When he stated the Habakkuk summarized all 613 commandments with simply "the righteous will live by faith", he did not intend anyone to conclude all you need to do is believe, and no longer need to keep the commandments themselves. Rather, he meant that all of God's commandments should be done in faith. 

Paul did an excellent job of preaching this same message: that all of God's commandments should be done in love, making love the fulfillment of Torah.

"8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:8-10)

What makes Paul's statement all more relevant is the fact that he is explictly stated to be a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee [2]. Furthermore, the book of Acts records that he was specifically a student of Rabbi Gamliel:

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today" (Acts 22:3 NASB)

Gamliel was one of the most prominent Rabbis in the 1st century, just being a student of him carried significant weight. And in fact, Rabbi Gamliel was the grandson of Rabbi Hillel (founder of the Pharisee school Beit Hillel) [3]. Therefore, Paul was not just a Pharisee, he was a Pharisee of the school of Hillel. The very same school who's founder Yeshua quoted from nearly word for word. Making it a logical conclusion that Yeshua himself was likely a Pharisee of Beit Hillel [4]; adding more purpose as to why he would choose Paul to be the apostle to the gentiles. Paul would be able to teach Torah properly to those converting to belief in Yeshua as Messiah. 

[1] Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 13.10.6

[2] Acts 23:6; Philippians 3:5

[3] Mishneh Torah, Transmission of the Oral Law, 1:8-11

[4] Yeshua was called "Rabbi" numerous times by many people, including Pharisees (Matthew 26:25; Mark 9:5; John 1:38,49, 3:1-2). "Rabbi" was not a title given loosely, it was given to those proven to be studied in Torah and hallacha, and was given by other Rabbis through the process of smikhah (laying of hands). Yeshua being referred to using the title strongly suggests that he was a Pharisee, and was recognized as a legitimate Rabbi by his Pharisee contemporaries.