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From what I have read, Jesus was a rabbi and an observant Jew who followed the minutae of Jewish law to the best of his ability, as observant Jews do to this day.

Think of all the copies of the Talmud that were being burned by igorant "Christians" throughout the ages. They had within their pages the wisdom of the sages - sages that shared much with Y'shua. You can read the parables of Y'shua, and find dozens in the Talmud which reflect the same point, and some which are almost identical. The Mishna provides a vivid look at Torah observance in the First Century. If "Christians" want to get a shock, they should compare what the sages of Israel said to what Y'shua said.

Y'shua's halacha [way of living Torah-observance] lines up wonderfully well with the great sage Hillel (among others). Instead, "Christians" ignorantly read the headings in their Bibles and think that Y'shua was a Torah-breaker (impossible, from THEIR doctrinal possition, if they just stopped and thought for a moment). Example: Matthew 12 has "Jesus breaks the Sabbath" in many English translations. What ignorance. The thing that He was accused of (His disciples were breaking grain and eating it) was still a matter of debate in the First Century. The Mishna says so. In fact, what they were doing was EXPRESSLY permitted in the Talmud. No one bothered to look, just accept faulty history.

Interesting post. There are still many Jews who won't crack nuts to eat on the Sabbath for the same reason.

Normative Orthodox Judaism advances through reviewing controversies about how to observe the religious tradition. To open that Talmud, or the Mishna, is to participate in a timeless debate about the proper way of observance. Even today, at Jewish events where "Torah" is taught, the most common form of discussion is to identify a dispute (a "machloket" or "machlokess"), bring to bear the opinions of great leaders on various sides of the argument through the years, and then stating an opinion as to what is correct.

What makes Judaism into a living religion is the fact that society changes, technology advances and rules have to be extended. It is a Jewish watchword that everything is permitted unless a reason is found to forbid it. This dogma prevents a rabbi from simply banning a new practice or technology without studying just why it is problematic.