Testing Traditions: How I Learned to Weigh Everything Against Scripture

One of the things I’ve always tried to do is look at the history and origins of a belief. Early on, I realized that many of the practices and traditions people were following came from rabbinic rulings written in texts like the Talmud, the Mishnah, or other recorded commentaries, arguments, and interpretations from long ago.

Whenever I encountered something new, I would ask: Was this a commandment from God? Is it biblical? If so, where is it in Scripture? And if it wasn’t, I’d ask: Where did it come from? Why did people start doing this? Did it bring freedom, joy, or glory to God?

I searched for Scripture to back things up, because I believed that if it was true, it would align with the Word. That became my approach—researching the origin and purpose of each practice. If it resonated with Scripture, pointed to Yeshua (Jesus), and stirred something in my spirit, I embraced it. But if it didn’t align, or if it felt more like man’s tradition than God’s instruction, I set it aside.

I also learned something else along the way.

There were moments when I tried to adopt certain traditions because they were meaningful or beautiful. I wanted to honor the journey and remain open. But sometimes, instead of bringing freedom, those practices began to feel heavy—like an added burden rather than a life-giving rhythm.

That forced me to pause and ask deeper questions. God’s instructions are meant to lead us toward life, not weigh us down. If something consistently produced pressure, striving, or exhaustion in my heart, I had to reconsider whether it was something the Lord was truly asking of me in that season.

That realization helped me understand the difference between appreciation and obligation. I could respect traditions, learn from them, and even participate at times—without feeling required to carry what God had not personally placed on my shoulders.