The Way to Walk: Restoring Nazarene Halachah One Sugya at a Time

The restoration of Nazarene Judaism is a calling that has been my life’s work. At its core is not only a return to belief in Yeshua as the Messiah, but also the restoration of halachah—the living, breathing application of Torah in daily life. Today, I’m excited to announce a bold new step forward in that restoration: a systematic project to evaluate every sugya of the Talmud through the lens of הַדֶּרֶךְ לָלֶכֶת—The Way to Walk.

What Is Halachah?

Halachah (הֲלָכָה) means “the way to walk.” It refers to Jewish law—not simply legislation, but a way of life shaped by Torah, tradition, and careful interpretation. Halachah governs how we pray, eat, conduct business, observe the Sabbath, and relate to our fellow human beings. For two thousand years, Rabbinic Judaism has developed its halachah through debate, commentary, and consensus.

But what about the halachah of the original followers of Yeshua? The Netzarim (Nazarenes)?

What Is a Sugya?

A sugya (סוּגְיָא) is a focused discussion in the Talmud—the central document of Jewish rabbinic tradition. Each sugya centers on a halachic issue or passage from the Mishnah, and unfolds as a dialogue among sages, debating interpretation, legal application, and theological meaning. The Talmud contains hundreds of sugyot, covering every area of Jewish life.

The question we’re asking is: How would Yeshua and his original disciples have ruled on these same matters? What middot (principles or measures) guided their decisions?

Introducing: הַדֶּרֶךְ לָלֶכֶת – The Way to Walk

HaDerek LaLeket is our Nazarene halachic codification project—rooted in Torah, clarified by the teachings of Yeshua, and structured like the classical codes of Jewish law.

At its core are the Middot of Yeshua—key halachic principles derived from his teachings:

Pikuach Nefesh (Preservation of Life)
Kol V’Chomer (Light and Heavy: logical precedence)
T’chit Chesed (Compassion and Grace over mere legality)
Yesod HaBriah (Principle of Creation)
Gezeirah (Fences around Torah to prevent failure)
Ha’Osek BaTorah Lish’mah (Studying Torah for its own sake)

These are not abstract values. They are halachic tools—how Yeshua reasoned, ruled, and restored the heart of the Torah.

Each of these “middot” (rules, principles) and how it can be derived from Yeshua’s teachings, can found here:

הַדֶּרֶךְ לָלֶכֶת (The Way to Walk)

The Project: One Sugya at a Time

We are now applying these HaDerek LaLeket principles to each sugya of Tractate Berakhot, the first tractate of the Babylonian Talmud. Berakhot deals with prayer, blessings, and daily spiritual life—perfect ground for restoring the rhythm of a Torah-rooted, Yeshua-centered life.

For each sugya, we ask:

What is the issue under debate?
How did the sages of the Talmud approach it?
How do the Middot of Yeshua apply?
What is the final ruling under Nazarene Halachah?

Each step draws us closer to rebuilding a full, living halachic system rooted in Messiah, Torah, and the wisdom of Israel.

Why This Matters

Nazarene Judaism has long focused on theological restoration—recovering Yeshua’s true identity, restoring Torah observance, and reconnecting to the Jewish roots of the faith. But a faith without halachah is a body without bones. We cannot walk in the Way unless we know how to walk.

This project is not about rejecting Jewish tradition. It’s about engaging it, honoring it, and evaluating it in light of the halachic method modeled by our Master and his Emissaries. It is a respectful but courageous return to the seat of Torah authority—not as outsiders, but as heirs of the Covenant renewed in Messiah.

I am often asked if Nazarenes should “keep the Talmud”. The answer is that the Talmud is not “kept” it is studied. Here we as Nazarenes can certainly follow the admonition of the late Talmud Scholar Adin Steinsaltz:

Voicing doubts is not only legitimate in the Talmud, it is essential to study. To a certain degree, the rule is that any type of query is permissible even desirable; the more the merrier. No inquiry is regarded as unfair or incorrect as long as it pertains to the issue and can cast light on some aspect of it. This is true not only of the Talmud itself but also of the way in which it is studied and perused. After absorbing the basic material, the student is expected to pose questions to himself and to others and to voice doubts and reservations. From this point of view, the Talmud is perhaps the only sacred book in all of world culture that permits and even encourages the student to question it.
(The Essential Talmud by Adin Steinsaltz p. 8)

Join the Journey

Each new sugya analyzed will be published and archived in our codification, building a living document that will serve future generations of Nazarene halachic scholars and communities. This is Torah study as Yeshua practiced it—anchored in Scripture, reasoned with compassion, and lived in obedience.

Follow the project, study with us, and help build the halachic path of the restored Nazarene Sanhedrin.

You can view the Middot of Yeshua applied to the first Twelve (at the time of this writing) Sugyot (plural for Sugya) i.e. the first twelve controversies addressed in the Talmud by clicking below:

Nazarene Commentary to b.Berakhot

Because the restoration of Nazarene Judaism will not be complete until we also restore The Way to Walk.

The work we are doing is sacred. Line by line, sugya by sugya, we are restoring what was nearly lost—the living halachah of the original followers of Yeshua. This project requires time, research, translation, careful reasoning, and unshakable commitment to truth.

If this vision resonates with you…

If you believe the path of Yeshua must be walked, not only believed…

If you want to see a Torah-faithful, Messiah-centered halachic system rise again in our days…

Then we humbly ask you to partner with us.

Every gift—large or small—makes a difference. It helps fund the research, the documentation, the writing, the study, and the tools needed to build a halachic inheritance worthy of our calling.

🕯 We are rebuilding the foundations of Nazarene Israel. Brick by brick. Word by word. You can lay a stone with us.