Precedential Decrees

Rabbinical Laws Found in Scripture. The Oral Law in the Bible (12 February, 2014, 12 Adar-1, 5774).

Selected Extracts Adapted mostly from the Hebrew-Language version of "Rejoice O Youth" by Rabbi Avigdor  Miller.

Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Decrees
(1) Prayer Towards the Temple and Jerusalem
(2) Prayer Three Times a Day
(3) Communal Fast Days in Times of Trouble.
(4) Hearing the Torah Reading and  Religious Exhortations on the Sabbath
(5) Two Days (when necessary) of Celebrating the New Moon Day.
(6) Ritual Slaughter.
(7) Seven Days of Primary Mourning.
(8) Thirty Days of Secondary Mourning.
(9) Commerce is Forbidden on the Sabbath Day!
3. Afterword

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1. Introduction
The title of this article is not a spelling mistake. We did not intent to write "Presidential Decrees" but rather  "Precedential Decrees" meaning decrees that set a precedent and serve as an example.
The Torah consists of the Written Law and the Oral Law which was later written down.
The Oral Law is recalled numerous times in Scripture. We however are concerned primarily with matters about the Lost Ten Tribes and their present-day Whereabouts.
Here and there we also discuss Bible Studies in general.
Recently we came across a source that made some valid points on this subject and we thought it worthwhile to repeat them.
In the past our articles on this subject have tended to emphasis the authority the Bible gave to the Sages to decide how Scriptural Laws should be applied (Deuteronomy 17:13-18, Numbers 11:16-17.
The article below emphasis a different aspect and gives examples of details from Rabbinical Decrees that are mentioned in Scripture.

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2. Decrees

The Rabbis decreed according to the developing  needs. These decrees could also reflect existing practices:

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(1) Prayer Towards the Temple and Jerusalem
One should preferably face towards Jerusalem and the Temple when praying:
This was recalled by King Solomon.
1-Kings 8:
48 if they repent with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies, who took them captive, and pray to you towards their land, which you gave to their ancestors, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name.

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(2) Prayer Three Times a Day
One should pray three times a day, preferably in a room with windows.
cf.
Daniel 6:
10 Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open towards Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.

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(3) Communal Fast Days in Times of Trouble.
The community should declare a Fast Day at the approach of trouble.
cf.
1-Kings 21:
9 She wrote in the letters, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the assembly; 10seat two scoundrels opposite him, and have them bring a charge against him, saying, You have cursed God and the king. Then take him out, and stone him to death.

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(4) Hearing the Torah Reading and  Religious Exhortations on the Sabbath
The People should gather together to hear the Torah and expositions of  the  Sages on the Sabbath.
They also instituted the New Moon Day as a time of  religious celebration.
1-Kings 4:
23 He said, Why go to him [i.e. to the Prophet Elisha] today? It is neither New Moon nor Sabbath. ...

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(5) Two Days (when necessary) of Celebrating the New Moon Day.
The New Moon day was the beginning of the month. When there was a doubt as to which day the New Moon fell then two days were celebrated.
This custom is recorded from the time of King Saul.
cf.
1-Samuel 20:
27 But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David's place was empty. And Saul said to his son Jonathan, Why has the son of Jesse not come to the feast, either yesterday or today? 

The KJ says:
[1-Samuel 20:27] AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE MORROW, WHICH WAS THE  SECOND DAY OF THE  MONTH...

In Hebrew it says, Mimachorat HaChodesh HaSheni, i.e. on the next day which was the Second Day of the New Moon.
They were celebrating. They were keeping two days of celebration for the two days of the New Moon for that month.

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(6) Ritual Slaughter

Not only the Sages but Moses Himself contributed to the Oral Law.

The Bible says:
Deuteronomy 12:
21 If the place where the Lord your God will choose to put his name is too far from you, and you slaughter as I have commanded you any of your herd or flock that the Lord has given you, then you may eat within your towns whenever you desire.

It says,
"you slaughter as I have commanded you".  The people had been commanded HOW to slaughter. Moses had taught them. This is the Ritual Animal Slaughtering of Rabbinical Tradition.

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(7) Seven Days of Primary Mourning.
cf.
Genesis 50:
10 When they came to the threshing-floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they held there a very great and sorrowful lamentation; and he observed a time of mourning for his father for seven days.

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(8) Thirty Days of Secondary Mourning.
cf.
Numbers 20:
29 When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron for thirty days.

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(9) Commerce is Forbidden on the Sabbath Day!
Selling and buying on Sabbath are not forbidden by the Torah. The Sages forbade it.
cf.
Nechemiah 13:
15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys; and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I warned them at that time against selling food. 16Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of merchandise and sold them on the sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17Then I remonstrated with the nobles of Judah and said to them, What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day? 18Did not your ancestors act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath.

 
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3. Afterword

The above examples illustrate how at least some of the Rabbinical Decrees had been known from the Time of the Prophets.
The authority, exegetical principles, and rationale for these decrees is to be found  within the words of the Torah itself.

See Also:

Keeping the Law
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/jew/need.html

"Collective Responsibility and Rabbinical Authority"
http://britam.org/rabbis.html