Question

Hello Rabbi Michael,
 
I wanted to consult with you about a few supports I wrote down for myself for the principle of "Torah from Sinai":
 
General note: I accept the existence of the Holy One, blessed be He, as an axiom (which also has explanations, but that interests me less).

1. The very existence of a moral system that the Holy One, blessed be He, implanted in human beings (and only in them) suggests that He would also guide them how to act in accordance with it.
2. The argument from miracle (mass revelation at Mount Sinai + the Exodus from Egypt + the miracles in the wilderness), all this together with the continuity and strength of the tradition.
3. The very existence of serious critical thinking in Torah thought (mainly in the Talmud), which strives to arrive at the truth, is an indication of Torah from Sinai; for if the Torah were not from Sinai, it is reasonable to assume that critical thinking would have "dismantled" belief in Torah from Sinai.
4. The uniqueness of the Jewish people, its survival, the ingathering of its exiles, its wisdom, its influence on human thought, the hatred of the nations toward it ("the mountain from which hatred descended to the nations of the world"), etc., indicate that this people is indeed the chosen people.
5. Relying on the judgment of "experts" whose method of examining faith I appreciate (objectivity, openness to other religions and views, use mainly of rational arguments, etc.). I see their considered judgment that the Torah really is from Heaven as a significant indication of the truth (just as we rely on the judgment of doctors or investment managers).
6. The absence of strong evidence that contradicts the principle of Torah from Sinai.
7. The absence of a credible alternative of another Torah from Heaven (in line with the verse: For ask now of the former days, which were before you, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from one end of heaven to the other end of heaven, whether there has been anything like this great thing, or has anything like it been heard?).
8. Occam’s razor (the explanation that the Torah really is from Heaven is simpler than saying it is one huge conspiracy).
9. The depth of wisdom found in the Talmud.
10. The partial fulfillment of prophecies (the prophecy of the eternity of the Jewish people, the prophecy of the ingathering of exiles, the prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, the prophecy of the survival of the Western Wall, etc.).
11. The existence of biblical statements that can be verified (in a conspiracy one generally tries not to create verification points) — for example: a threefold crop in the sixth year before the Sabbatical year, and the verse, "No man shall covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year."
12. Crossing the threshold of probability required for Pascal’s wager (the wager that the Torah really is from Heaven is more "worthwhile" than that it is not, once the probability is not negligible — say 20 or 30 percent, it seems to me).
13. It is not necessary that the entire Torah (written or oral) be from Heaven, but it is enough that there is a core there in order to rely on the whole system.
14. Changing the Torah would require an event at least as great as the revelation at Mount Sinai, and such an event has still not happened.

I wanted to ask whether you have any comments or insights regarding these arguments, and if you have additional arguments I would also be glad to hear them.
 
Best regards,