Making that kind of shocking statement by way of comparison does not mean that every "you have heard" that follows represents mainline Pharisaic Judaism. Pharisees often used such phrases to correct other Pharisees or popular misconceptions (read the article I linked in my previous post). Before making those pronouncements, I suggest you do a bit of homework. Brad Young's Meet the Rabbis is a good place to start, as is W.D. Davies' Paul and Rabbinic Judaism (if you can find a copy, it's priceless), or pretty much any of Rabbi Telushkin's books.
Shalom.
Was Jesus acting unrighteously when he indiscriminately labeled the scribes and Pharisees “whitewashed tombs” and a “brood of vipers”? He never singled out individuals. He went after the bunch, the collective. It was the “leaven of the Pharisees”, the very core of what they stood for that was often in question. While externally pious (false piety, if you will), they remained whitewashed tombs and a mere zeal without knowledge.
Is that not the plain teaching of the NT?
And is it not this very core teaching of Pharisaism that led directly to the post-apostolic rabbis and their unchristian Talmud and other writings?
What do you want us to sugar-coat?
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" 13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." (Matt. 15)Let’s not fall into that same ditch trying to defend the indefensible.