Ubani Okufanelekele Ukubizwa Ngokuthi Rabi?

ISIHAMBI esibuka amazwe esingazelele sasingathembi ukuthi sizofika ngesikhathi esikhumulweni sezindiza. Amakhulu amaphoyisa ayezama ukuqondisa izimoto kuyilapho eqaphe abantu abalilayo abangaphezu kuka-300 000 ababegcwele emigwaqweni yaseJerusalem. I-Jerusalem Post yabiza lokhu ngokuthi “udwendwe lomngcwabo ubukhulu balo ngokuvamile obugcinelwa kuphela abongameli, amakhosi noma ababusi abangomashiqela.” Ubani owayengabangela ukuzinikela okukhulu kangaka, enze ikomkhulu lase-Israel lingasebenzi amahora amaningi? Urabi ohlonishwayo. Kungani isikhundla sikarabi sidinga inhlonipho nokuzinikela okunjalo kumaJuda? Igama elithi “rabi” laqala nini ukusetshenziswa? Kufanele lisebenze kubani?

Ingabe UMose Wayengurabi?

Igama elihlonishwa kakhulu eNkolweni YobuJuda elikaMose, umlamuleli wesivumelwano soMthetho sika-Israyeli. AmaJuda akholiwe ambiza ngokuthi “UMose ‘uRabi wethu.’” Nokho, akukho eBhayibhelini lapho uMose ebizwa khona ngesiqu esithi “Rabi.” Eqinisweni, igama elithi “rabi” aliveli nakancane emiBhalweni yesiHeberu. Khona-ke, amaJuda aqala kanjani ukubiza uMose ngalendlela?

NgokwemiBhalo yesiHeberu, umthwalo wemfanelo negunya lokufundisa nokuchaza uMthetho kwanikezwa inzalo ka-Aroni, abapristi besizwana sakwaLevi. (Levitikusi 10:8-11; Duteronomi 24:8; Malaki 2:7) Nokho, ekhulwini lesibili B.C.E., kwenzeka izinguquko ezingabonakali enkolweni yobuJuda, ezawushintsha phakade umcabango wamaJuda kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke.

Ngokuqondene nalolu shintsho olungokomoya, uDaniel Jeremy Silver uyabhala kwethi A History of Judaism: “[Ngaleso] sikhathi isigaba sababhali nezazi esingesona esabapristi saqala ukubekela inselele ukuba semthethweni kokulawula kwabapristi ukuchazwa kweTorah [uMthetho KaMose]. Bonke bavumelana ngokuthi abapristi babedingeka njengezisebenzi zaseThempelini, kodwa kungani kufanele babe nezwi lokugcina ezindabeni zeTorah?” Obani ababeshoshozela lokhu kubekelwa inselele kwegunya lesigaba sabapristi? Iqembu elisha eNkolweni YobuJuda elibizwa ngokuthi abaFarisi. USilver uyaqhubeka: “AbaFarisi babemukela [abantu] ezikoleni zabo ngesisekelo sokufaneleka, hhayi ngokozalo [inzalo yabapristi], futhi benza kwaba nesigaba samaJuda esisha esasizohola enkolweni.”

Ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., ababephothule kulezi zikole zabaFarisi baziwa ngokuthi abafundisi, noma amakhosi, omthetho wamaJuda. Njengophawu lwenhlonipho, amanye amaJuda aqala ukubabiza ngokuthi “mfundisi wami,” noma “nkosi yami,” ngesiHeberu, rabbi.

Akukho okunye okwakungenza lesi siqu sibe semthethweni ngaphezu kokusisebenzisa kulowo owayebhekwa njengomfundisi omkhulu emlandweni wamaJuda, uMose. Umphumela walokhu wawuyoba ukuncishiswa kokugcizelelwa kokubaluleka kwabapristi kuyilapho kusekelwa umbono wobuholi babaFarisi obabuqhubeka buba nethonya. Ngakho, eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-1 500 ngemva kokufa kwakhe, uMose kwathiwa ‘wayenguRabi.’

Ukulingisa Inkosi

Nakuba igama elithi “rabi” (“nkosi yami”) ngezinye izikhathi lalisetshenziswa uquqaba ekubizeni abanye abafundisi ababehlonishwa, leli gama lalivame ukusetshenziswa kubafundisi abavelele kubaFarisi, “abahlakaniphileyo.” Lapho kubhujiswa ithempeli ngo-70 C.E. okwaliqeda nyá igunya lobupristi, orabi abangabaFarisi baba abaholi beNkolo YobuJuda abangaphikiswa. Isikhundla sabo esingaphikiswa sakhuthaza ukwakheka kohlobo oluthile lokukhulekela abahlakaniphileyo borabi.

Exoxa ngalenkathi yoguquko yangekhulu lokuqala C.E., uProfesa Dov Zlotnick uyaphawula: “‘Ukunakisisa abaHlakaniphileyo,’ kwaba okubaluleke ngaphezu kokutadisha iTorah.” Isazi esingumJuda uJacob Neusner siyaqhubeka sichaza: “‘Umfundi wabahlakaniphileyo’ ungumfundi oye wazihlanganisa norabi. Wenza kanjalo ngoba efuna ukufunda ‘iTorah.’ . . . ITorah ayifundwa ngomthetho, kodwa ngokubona umthetho ezenzweni zabahlakaniphileyo abaphilayo. Bafundisa umthetho ngalokho abakwenzayo, hhayi ngalokho abakushoyo kuphela.”

Isazi seTalmud u-Adin Steinsaltz siyakuqinisekisa lokhu, sibhala: “Abahlakaniphileyo ngokwabo bathi, ‘Izingxoxo ezivamile, amahlaya, noma amazwi angasho lutho abahlakaniphileyo kufanele kutadishwe.’” Lokhu kwakungase kwenziwe ngezinga elingakanani? USteinsaltz uyaphawula: “Isibonelo eseqile salokhu kwakungesomfundi okwabikwa ukuthi wazifihla ngaphansi kombhede womfundisi wakhe omkhulu ukuze abone indlela aziphatha ngayo nomkakhe. Lapho ebuzwa ngokugaxeka kwakhe ezindabeni zabanye, lomfundi osemusha waphendula: ‘YiTorah futhi kufanele itadishwe,’ indlela eyamukelwa yikho kokubili orabi nabafundi njengesemthethweni.”

Ngenxa yokuthi ukugcizelela kwakukorabi kunakuyiTorah—njengoba kwakufundwa iTorah ngorabi—kusukela ngekhulu lokuqala C.E. kuqhubeke iNkolo YobuJuda yaba inkolo elawulwa orabi. Umuntu wayengasondeli kuNkulunkulu ngeZwi eliphefumulelwe elilotshiwe, kodwa wayesondela ngesibonelo esingumuntu, inkosi, urabi. Ngakho, umBhalo ophefumulelwe wamane wayeka ukugcizelelwa kwase kugcizelelwa umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo namasiko ayefundiswa yilaborabi. Kusukela ngalesi sikhathi, izincwadi zamaJuda, njengeTalmud, zagxila kakhulu ezingxoxweni, izindaba, nasekuziphatheni korabi kunasemazwini kaNkulunkulu.

Orabi Kuyo Yonke Leminyaka

Nakuba babenegunya nethonya elikhulu, orabi bokuqala babengaziphilisi ngomsebenzi wabo ongokwenkolo. I-Encyclopaedia Judaica ithi: “Urabi wakuyiTalmud . . . wayehluke ngokuphelele konalesi siqu namuhla. Urabi wakuyiTalmud wayengumkhulumeli nomcacisi weBhayibheli noMthetho Odluliselwa Ngomlomo, futhi cishe ngaso sonke isikhathi wayenomsebenzi ayeziphilisa ngawo. KwakungeNkathi Ephakathi kuphela lapho urabi aba khona . . . umfundisi, umshumayeli nenhloko engokomoya yebandla noma yomphakathi wamaJuda.”

Lapho orabi beqala ukushintsha isikhundla sabo besenza umsebenzi okhokhelwayo, abanye bakugxeka lokhu. UMaimonides, urabi odumile wangekhulu le-12 owayeziphilisa ngomsebenzi wokuba udokotela, wabagxeka kakhulu orabi abanjalo. “[Bazifunela] izimali kubantu ngabanye nasemiphakathini futhi babangela ukuba abantu bacabange, ngobuwula obukhulu, ukuthi kuyisibopho futhi kufanelekile ukusiza abahlakaniphileyo nezazi nabantu abafunda iTorah [ngokwezimali], ngaleyo ndlela iTorah yabo iwumsebenzi wabo wokuziphilisa. Kodwa konke lokhu kuyiphutha. Alikho nelilodwa igama, kuyiTorah noma ezinkulumweni zabahlakaniphileyo, elisekela lokhu.” (Commentary on the Mishnah, Avot 4:5) Kodwa izizukulwane zorabi ezalandela zakushaya indiva ukusola kukaMaimonides.

Njengoba iNkolo YobuJuda yayingena enkathini yesimanje, yahlukana phakathi yaba amaqembu enkolelo eguqukayo, esadla ngoludala, neyobu-orthodox. KumaJuda amaningi izinkolelo nemikhuba engokwenkolo kwathatha indawo yesibili kwezinye izinto. Ngenxa yalokhu, isikhundla sikarabi salulazwa. Ngokuyisisekelo, urabi waba inhloko yebandla emisiwe, esebenza njengomfundisi okhokhelwayo nomeluleki wamalungu eqembu lakhe okufundele. Nokho phakathi kwamaqembu obuHasid angawobu-orthodox obeqisayo, umqondo wokuthi urabi uyinkosi nesibonelo wakhula ngisho nangokwengeziwe.

Phawula ukukhulumela kuka-Edward Hoffman encwadini yakhe emayelana nenhlangano yobuHasid iChabad-Lubavitch: “UbuHasid bokuqala babugcizelela nokuthi kuzo zonke izizukulwane kunomholi oyedwa wamaJuda, i-zaddik [olungileyo], ‘onguMose’ wesikhathi sakhe, omfundo nokuzinikela kwabanye akunakulinganiswa. Ngokuzinikela kwakhe okungaphezu kokuvamile, iqembu ngalinye lobuHasid laliba nomuzwa wokuthi, uRebbe walo [elithi “urabi” ngesiYiddish] angathonya ngisho nezinqumo zoMninimandla Onke. Wayengahlonishwa njengesibonelo ngezinkulumo zakhe ezinikeza isambulo nje kuphela, kodwa indlela nje aphila ngayo (‘indlela abopha ngayo izintambo zezicathulo zakhe,’ njengoba kwakubekwa kanjalo) yayibonakala iphakamisa isintu futhi inikeza umkhondo osithekile wendlela eya phezulu.”

“Maningabizwa Ngokuthi Rabi”

UJesu, umJuda wekhulu lokuqala owasungula ubuKristu, wayephila ngesikhathi lapho umbono wabaFarisi ngorabi wawuqala ukuthonya iNkolo YobuJuda. Wayengeyena umFarisi, futhi wayengazange aqeqeshwe ezikoleni zabo, kodwa naye wayebizwa ngokuthi uRabi.—Marku 9:5; Johane 1:38; 3:2.

Esola ukufuna kwabo ukuba orabi enkolweni yobuJuda, uJesu wathi: “Ababhali nabaFarisi bazihlalise esihlalweni sikaMose. Bathanda indawo evelele kunazo zonke ezidlweni zakusihlwa nezihlalo ezingaphambili emasinagogeni, nokubingelelwa ezigcawini nokubizwa abantu ngokuthi Rabi. Kodwa nina, maningabizwa ngokuthi Rabi, ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, kanti nonke nina ningabafowabo bomunye nomunye.”—Mathewu 23:2, 6-8.

UJesu waxwayisa ngokuhlukaniswa kwabefundisi nabantu abavamile okwase kuqala eNkolweni YobuJuda. Wakusola ukunikeza udumo olunjalo olungafanele kubantu. “Munye ongumfundisi wenu,” esho ngesibindi. Wayengubani Lowo?

UMose, “owazana noJehova ubuso nobuso” futhi owayebizwa abahlakaniphileyo ngokwabo ngokuthi “uRabi wethu,” wayengumuntu ongaphelele. Ngisho naye wayewenza amaphutha. (Duteronomi 32:48-51; 34:10; UmShumayeli 7:20) Kunokuba aqokomise uMose njengesibonelo esiyinhloko, uJehova wamtshela: “Ngiyakubavusela umprofethi onjengawe phakathi kwabafowabo, ngibeke amazwi ami emlonyeni wakhe, akhulume kubo konke engimyala ngakho. Kuyakuthi yilowo nalowo ongayikulalela amazwi ami ayakuwakhuluma egameni lami, mina ngikufune kuye.”—Duteronomi 18:18, 19.

Iziprofetho zeBhayibheli zibonisa ukuthi lamazwi agcwaliseka kuJesu, uMesiya.a Kwakungekhona ukuthi uJesu ‘wayenjengoMose’ kuphela; wayemkhulu kunoMose. (Heberu 3:1-3) UmBhalo wembula ukuthi uJesu wazalwa engumuntu ophelele, futhi ngokungafani noMose wakhonza uNkulunkulu ‘engenasono.’—Heberu 4:15.

Landela Isibonelo

Ukufundisisa zonke izenzo namazwi orabi akuzange kusondeze amaJuda eduze noNkulunkulu. Nakuba umuntu ongaphelele engase abe isibonelo sokukholeka, uma sifunda futhi silingisa zonke izenzo zakhe, siyolingisa amaphutha nokungapheleli kwakhe kanye nezimfanelo zakhe ezinhle. Siyobe sinikeza udumo olungafanele kulowo owadalwa kunokulunikeza uMdali.—Roma 1:25.

Kodwa uJehova wanikeza isintu iSibonelo. NgokomBhalo, uJesu waphila ngaphambi kokuba abe umuntu. Eqinisweni, ubizwa ngokuthi ‘ungumfanekiso kaNkulunkulu ongabonakali, izibulo layo yonke indalo.’ (Kolose 1:15) Njengoba eye wakhonza ezulwini izinkulungwane zeminyaka ezingashiwongo ‘njengengcweti yomsebenzi’ kaNkulunkulu, uJesu usesimweni esingcono kakhulu sokusisiza ukuba sazi uJehova.—IzAga 8:22-30; Johane 14:9, 10.

Ngakho-ke, uPetru wayengabhala: ‘UKristu wahlupheka ngenxa yenu, enishiyela isibonelo sokuba nilandele izinyathelo zakhe eduze.’ (1 Petru 2:21) Umphostoli uPawulu wakhuthaza amaKristu ukuba ‘agxilise amehlo awo kuMmeli Oyinhloko noMphelelisi wokholo lwethu, uJesu.’ Futhi wachaza ukuthi “kuye kuthukuswé ngokucophelela yonke imicebo yokuhlakanipha neyolwazi.” (Heberu 12:2; Kolose 2:3) Akekho omunye umuntu—kungaba uMose noma abahlakaniphileyo borabi—ofanelwe ukuqashelwa okunjalo. Uma kukhona umuntu okufanele alingiswe ngokuseduze, uJesu. Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu azidingi iziqu ezinjengesithi rabi, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yencazelo yaso yosuku lwanamuhla, kodwa uma kukhona umuntu owayekufanele ukubizwa ngokuthi Rabi, kwakunguJesu.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 28]

© Brian Hendler 1995. All Rights Reserved