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15 Then Perushim and Sofrim (rabbonim) from Yerushalayim approach Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, saying,

Why do your talmidim transgress the Masoret HaZekenim (the Tradition of the Elders)? For they do not do the netilat yadayim before meals.

But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, in reply to them, said, Why [do] also you transgress the mitzvat Hashem for the sake of your own masoros?

For Hashem has said, KABED ES AVICHA VES IMMECHA (honor your father and your mother, SHEMOT 20:12; DEVARIM 5:16), and MKALEL AVIV VIMMO MOT YUMAT (the one cursing his father and mother to die he must die, SHEMOT 21:17; VAYIKRA 20:9).

But you say, Whoever says to his abba or his em, whatever support you might have had from me, [it is] a gift [i.e., korban, dedicated to G-d].

By no means does [anyone who says this] honor his abba or em. And you nullify the Dvar Hashem on account of your masoros.

You tzevuim, well did Yeshayah give a dvar hanevuah concerning you, saying,

YAAN KI NIGASH HAAM HAZEH BEFIV UVISHFATAV KI-BDUNI VLIBO RICHAK MIMENI VATEHI YIRATAM OTI MITZVAT ANASHIM MELUMADAH (This people with their lips honor me, but their heart is far away from me,

and in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the mitzvot of [mere] men, YESHAYAH 29:13.)

10 And having summoned the multitude, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Listen and understand!

11 It is not the thing entering into the mouth that makes the man tameh (unclean), but the thing going out from the mouth this makes the man tameh.

12 Then Moshiach’s talmidim approached and say to him, Do you know that the Perushim took offense when they heard [this] dvar?

13 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, in reply, said, Every plant which Avi shbaShomayim did not plant will be uprooted.

14 Leave them. They are blind morei derech (guides, teachers) of [the] blind. And if the ivver (blind man) leads the ivrim (blind), both will fall into a pit.

15 And Kefa said in reply to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Explain to us the mashal.

16 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, Are you still devoid of binah (understanding)?

17 Do you not have daas that everything which enters into the mouth goes into the stomach and passes into a latrine?

18 But the things coming out from the mouth come out from the lev (heart), which makes tameh.

19 For out of the lev comes evil machshavot (thoughts): retzichot (murders), niufim (adulteries), zenunim (fornications), genevot (thefts), eduyot sheker (false testimonies), giddufim (revilements).

20 These are the things making the man tameh, but eating with hands lacking the netilat yadayim (ritual of the washing of the hands, see Mt 27:24), this does not make the man tameh.

21 And having gone from that place, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach withdrew into the districts of Tzor and Tzidon.

22 And a woman from Canaan came out from those regions, and was shouting, Have mercy on me, Adoni, Ben Dovid! My bat is in torment possessed by shedim.

23 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not answer her a word. And Moshiach’s talmidim having approached, were asking him, saying, Send her away; she shouts after us.

24 But, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said in reply, I was not sent except to the Seh Oveid Beis Yisroel (the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel).

25 But she came and fell down before him, saying, Adoni, azreini (L-rd, help me).

26 But, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said in reply, It is not good to take the lechem of the Banim and throw it to the kelevim (dogs).

27 But she said, Ken, Adoni, but even the kelevim eat the crumbs falling from the tish (table) of their masters.

28 Then, in reply, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to her, O woman, great [is] your emunah. Let it be done for you as you wish. And the bat (daughter) of her was given refuah (healing) at that very hour.

29 And having passed over from that place, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach came beside Lake Kinneret, and having gone up the mountain, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was sitting there.

30 And great multitudes approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, having with them pisechim (lame), ivrim (blind), the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they laid them at Moshiach’s feet, and Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gave the cholim (sick persons) refuah (healing).

31 The result was that the multitude was astounded, witnessing mute people speaking, cripples made whole, the pisechim (lame) walking, and the ivrim (blind people) seeing, and they gave kavod to Elohei Yisroel.

32 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, having summoned his talmidim, said, I have rachmei shomayim for the multitudes, for already shloshah yamim (three days) they remain with me and they do not have anything they may eat, and I do not want to send them away famished, lest they might faint on the way.

33 And Moshiach’s talmidim say to him, From where bamidbar (in the wilderness) is there enough lechem for us to feed such a vast multitude?

34 And he says to them, How much lechem, how many loaves do you have? And they said, Sheva, and a few dagim.

35 And when Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gave the command for the multitude to recline on the ground,

36 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach took the loaves numbering sheva and the dagim, and, making a bracha, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach offered the betziat halechem (the breaking of the bread) and served them to the talmidim, and Moshiach’s talmidim served them to the multitudes.

37 And everyone ate and they were satisfied, and the Rebbe’s farbrengen shirayim were numbering sheva baskets full.

38 And the ones eating were arbaat elafim (four thousand) men, not counting nashim and yeladim.

39 And having sent away the multitudes, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach embarked in the sirah (boat), and came to the region of Magadan.

That Which Defiles(A)

15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(B)

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a](C) and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b](D) But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.(E)[c](F)

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,(G) but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”(H)

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted(I) will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d](J) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(K)

15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”(L)

16 “Are you still so dull?”(M) Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,(N) and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.(O) 20 These are what defile a person;(P) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(Q)

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.(R) 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,(S) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”(T)

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(U)

25 The woman came and knelt before him.(V) “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(W) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(X)(Y)(Z)

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(AA) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(AB)

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(AC) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(AD) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(AE) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
  2. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
  3. Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
  4. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind