A New Commandment

“I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34

This passage has left many uncertainties about the implications of Jesus's teaching. The language here seems to indicate a significant pivot away from the commandments of the Torah.

Accordingly, some have dubbed these words "The Eleventh Commandment"¹; others see a straightforward replacement of the "Old Testament" commandments altogether².

On the latter interpretation, Jesus emphatically warned against drawing such a conclusion. For now, his words should suffice, leaving us to address the idea of a New commandment.

"New"

The Greek word for "new" here is Kainos, (Strongs 2537). The corresponding word in Hebrew is Chadash (חדשׁ) which can mean "new" but more often carries a more nuanced meaning of "renewed" or "refreshed".

According to "Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament", the Hebrew word chadash can also mean “to repair, or rebuild.” Therefore, renewal is a very common idea in the Bible, for instance;

• The final Redemption itself is a renewal of what was once corrupted. ie; “Renew our days as of old" - Lamentations 5:21
• Rosh Chodesh, "the New Moon" celebration marks the renewal of the month through the lunar cycle.
• What is often called the New Covenant is a renewal and repair of the original covenant(s).

"Novel"

As the wisdom of the Torah is a limitless wellspring of knowledge, a Rabbi’s goal, in each generation, is to mine these depths for further revelation and insight. This is particularly true of the commandments.

In the Rabbinic language, this is called a Chiddush (חִידּוּשׁ) - a novel, or fresh take on a concept in the Torah. This practice is used often in the Gospels as Jesus teaches, "... you have a heard it said,... but I say...".

This is not a replacement nor is it an addition, but a way of making the original ideas stronger. This Rabbinic method of teaching brings new insight, making relevant, practical, and deeper something that may already be known on a simpler level. This process is one of reinforcement, and this is how the Torah remains living and relevant year after year.

One parallel example of this can be seen in Talmud, Chagigah;

Rabbi Yehoshua said to his students: What novel idea (chiddush) was taught today in the study hall? They said to him: We are your students and we drink from your water, (i.e., our Torah knowledge comes from you) He said to them: Even so, there cannot be a study hall without a novelty (chiddush). - Chagigah 3a³

Restored to its context, we can now understand that Jesus often brought a Chiddush to his disciples. Like many Rabbis before and after him, he encouraged his students to a higher and more lofty expression of Torah observance.

Notes:

¹ C. Stanford, "The Eleventh Commandment.

² Dean Alford, "The New Commandment and the Old"

³ Chagigah 3a

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן בְּרוֹקָה וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר [בֶּן] חִסְמָא שֶׁהָלְכוּ לְהַקְבִּיל פְּנֵי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּפְקִיעִין. אָמַר לָהֶם: מָה חִידּוּשׁ הָיָה בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַיּוֹם? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: תַּלְמִידֶיךָ אָנוּ וּמֵימֶיךָ אָנוּ שׁוֹתִין. אָמַר לָהֶם: אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ בְּלֹא חִידּוּשׁ.