Hi Susan, may I suggest one of my favorite study tools called Bible Gateway (https://www.biblegateway.com/).  You can search for a term, such as Pharisee, in many different English language variations/translations of the Bible.  For example, there are 99 mentions of 'Pharisee' in the NIV version, with approximately 35 of those mentions in the book of Matthew.  Might get you started down the path of your research.  Some folks might suggest that you get acquainted with Matthew in the original language, to get a feel for what was written/said versus our modern English interpretations.  Not sure that's necessary, but might satisfy a requirement for your Divinity degree. Unfortunately, the Pharisees don't appear as heroes in the English translations of the book of Matthew (see Matthew ch 23).  We modern readers don't possess (and seldom search for) the cultural context of that day to fully grasp the meanings and intent of these words as recorded by the writer(s) of Mathew.  For example, I'm not well acquainted with the history of the Pharisees, from the time of Moses up to the time of Jesus - in and of itself that might make for an interesting paper and context.  The library at Brite may contain several commentaries on the book of Matthew to help you.  Sounds like a fascinating project, and I'd like to hear your perspective when you're finished.  Here's wishing you curiosity, courage, and endurance as you seek answers to your questions.

While the pharisees are criticized for being hypocritical, I have been struck by the passage in Matthew 23:1-3 that depicts Jesus as telling people to heed and do what the pharisees say: "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you,..."  This seems to me to depict Jesus as telling his followers to be Torah observant.

In addition to faith in all the books of the Old Testament, they believed in the extent and combined it with the free will of man. They believed in the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, and the presence of spirits (Acts 23: 8) and the reward and punishment of man in the afterlife according to the goodness of his earthly life or corruption, but they limited righteousness in obedience to the law. They said that there is a tradition of hearing about Moses transmitted by the successor from the predecessor. Some argued that it was equivalent to or more important than its written law. Jesus' statement states that man is not bound by this tradition (Matthew 15: 2, 3, 6).

The Pharisees were the first of their noblest people to create a religion, and they suffered the most persecution, but over time, their party entered their morals without it, Vsdd some of them and most of them known hypocrisy and wonder. They were subjected to harsh criticism and harsh rebuke. John the Baptist called them and the Sadducees "the children of the snakes" and Christ rebuked them harshly for their hypocrisy and false pretenses, and the people carried them with the burdens of the offerings without regard for the essence of the law (Matthew 5:20, 16: 6, 11, 12, 23: 39). They had a prominent hand in the conspiracy on the life of Christ (Mt 3: 6 and I 11: 47 57). Yet in their ranks there were always faithful men of high morals, including Paul in his early life (Acts 23: 6, 26: 5, 7 and 3: 5) and his teacher Gama'el (Acts 5:34).

The first time the name of this party appeared in the name of the Pharisees during the reign of John Hercanus from 134 to 104 BC, which was initially with them, when asked them on a feast prepared for them on their observations on his policy, and then asked him to abandon the post of Priestly Presidency, , And denied that his mother was captured in the days of Antiochus, making him ineligible for priesthood. However, these observations aroused Hercanos' resentment, and the Sadducees took advantage of it and instructed him to ask the Pharisees to discipline the leaders opposed to the murder, but the Frisians saw the punishment as lighter. Thus, Hercanus saw that the Pharisees were opposed to him and that they were out of control. His son Iskandar Yenayus then sought to exterminate them, but his wife Alexandra, who succeeded him on the throne in 78 BC. They were nurtured by their powerful influence over the lives of religious Jews and became their leaders in religious matters.

The real struggle between the two groups began since then. The Pharisees disliked the combination of the religious and civil functions of the Maccabean Maccabees, and they became so critical. While the moderates continued to practice their religious life quietly, the opponents founded the new community called Essens

 Which lived in the "caves of Qumran" next to the Dead Sea.

This may explain to us the meaning of the term "separate"

 The separate person), although others believe that this name came because of their piety and adherence to the law, which obliged them to separate from Hellenism, and therefore they are the successors of the Hasidim. Josephus attests that the Frisians were more religious than others and that they strictly applied the law and saved the ritual of cleansing. Therefore, they were careful about the sources of food, and therefore the Frisian did not eat in the "house of the sinner" He has instead of his clothes, lest they be impure.

The Pharisees practiced their worship in the synagogues, which arose during the Sabbatical period when the sacrifice was stopped, and spread so widely that ten families were sufficient to establish a congregation. The Sadducees ruled in the Temple in Jerusalem and the services in it during the Maccabean reign until the New Testament. The Pharisees were interested in establishing the so-called oral education and the sayings of the Lord. Many schools and curricula explained this in terms of interpretation, ritual and the execution of commandments. Christ directly are the school of Hillel

 Halill

Which was more moderate in the interpretations. He also knew that Hillel was biased to the poor and not to reject Roman law as long as it did not conflict with the law. The other is Shamai School (Shamai)

Shammai

 He was more hard-line and opposed to the Romans, who had the largest leg in the Zealots

Who caused the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD The Talmud recorded 316 a dispute between the schools of Hillel and Shammai.

The Sadducees rejected the traditions and interpretations of the Pharisees, adhering only to the Scriptures, the same approach taken by the "clergy"

 Karaites

 In the Middle Ages, however, the Pharisees as a sect had some noble figures such as Nicodemus, Joseph the Rami, Gamalael, and Saul the Tarsus, who became the Apostle Paul, whom he called the Pharisees - his ancient doctrine - 5)

The Pharisees were six types: the Frisu of the shoulder (who wore a badge on their shoulders), the sick Pharisees (who were bruised and bruised because of their altruism, blindfolded for observation!) And the Percy Pharisees (Who consider how much good they have done and how much evil), Fricio of Tomorrow (who postpone good work to tomorrow) and finally the Frisim devotees (the best of these species). Barclay believes that Simon who invited Christ to dinner with him: was one of them.

These Pharisees believed in Messiah that he was the Mitahron Jehovah or the little Jehovah, the Meimra