The Procedure for Making Jewish Law in the Torah
The Numbers 11:16 arrangement in the Wilderness was only a one-off: the Torah's ONLY procedural system is Deuteronomy 17:8-11
Deuteronomy 17:8-11
The Authority of 'the Priests the Levites and the Judge that Shall be in Those Days'
A lesser-discussed legal mechanism within Jewish literature is Deuteronomy 17:8-11. In addition to Deuteronomy 16:18, Deuteronomy 17:8-11 sets up another, higher court with similar but also additional powers, to deal with more difficult matters.
If there arise a matter too difficult/extraordinary for you in judgment between blood and blood between plea and plea and between stroke and stroke words (matters) of controversy within your gates and aloud (voice) and ascend into the place that Y-hova shall choose (untranslated word).
And you shall come to the priests the Levites and to the judge that shall be in those days and inquire and they shall declare to you (untranslatable word) the words of judgment.
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Priests and Judges sit together to make decisions according to Deuteronomy 17:8-11.
Priests
And shall come near the Priests the sons of Levi for in has chosen them Y-hova to minister and to bless in the name of Y-hova and by their word every controversy and every stroke.
For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of Y-hova Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.
Judges
Judges and officers shall you make in all your gates that Y-hova gives to you throughout all your tribes and they shall judge the people with just judgement.
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How do the Priests and Judges Work Together?
How Can the Law of the Book of the Law of Moses Get Modified?
More on these topics coming soon..
The Numbers 11:16 One-Off Arrangement
Moses was told to gather 70 elders to help him with the complaints of the Israelites while they were in the desert. It's important to note that the gathering under this passage happened only once, was only in the context of the complaints about food and only permitted the practice of prophecy. That the prophesising was not intended to continue is clear from Numbers 11:2-29 because two members of the elders, Eldad and Medad, continued to prophesise and this was regarded as an unlawful act.
Gather to me seventy men from the elders of Israel whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers and bring them unto the Tent of Meeting that they may stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there and I will take of the spirit that is on you and will put on them and they shall bear with you the burden of the people and you shall not bear alone.
And it came to pass that the spirit rested on them and they prophesised but they did not do so again.
Other Parties
Sare
In Exodus 18, Jethro Advises Moses to appoint Sare; 'capable men' as leaders of the people. This passage is important for understanding the system of legal administration in the Torah as a whole.
13 The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.
14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?" .
15 "Because the people come to me to inquire of Y-hova," Moses replied.
16 "Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of Y-hova" .
17 But Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
18 Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.
19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before Y-hova and bring their causes to Him.
20 Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.
21 Furthermore, select capable men from among the people-Y-hova-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22 Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.
Parents
The Torah also mentions that parents are obliged to teach Torah to their children (See Deut 6:7 and Psalms 78:5) and there were also 'Rosh Ha'avot Hazekenim'; heads of families. Although parents were told to teach their children, they could not interpret the law of the Torah themselves. More on these parties coming soon.
