Q&A: The Sinai Revelation and Observing Jewish Law
The Sinai Revelation and Observing Jewish Law
Question
Hi Rabbi Michael, good afternoon. First of all, a happy new year and happy holiday to the Rabbi and his family.
I wanted to share some thoughts with the Rabbi בעקבות the books and classes I’ve been listening to from the Rabbi for years. As I understand it, revelation is a central component in observing the commandments. However, for me personally, it matters less whether or not God exists in the philosophical sense, and more the question: why should I observe commandments if the historical basis of the Torah and its stories, especially in Genesis, seems very implausible to me. I’ve tried approaching this in several ways, but it’s hard for me to see it as historical truth.
In the end, I feel that it’s difficult to relate to the Torah as a book that obligates me, when factually it seems like a text that went through changes, and was not really given at Mount Sinai. If so, why actually observe commandments and take these things seriously, rather than seeing it as something like science-fiction literature with interesting moral statements?
I’d be glad to hear the Rabbi’s thoughts on this. Thank you very much
Answer
Hello,
I’ll respond briefly.
The details are not of great importance. The important question is whether there was a revelation, an encounter with the Holy One, blessed be He, in which we received something. If not, then there is no point in discussing obligation to the commandments. If so, then it is not all that important what exactly was given there. Broadly speaking, what was given there was a core, and the interpretations that accumulated around it over the generations become attached to it, except where you have a clear indication that this is a mistake. It is very rare for such a situation to arise. Without that, there is a presumption that the Torah together with its interpretations is binding, and it was given to us with that understanding (the Giver of the Torah should have understood that this core would undergo interpretations).
All this is regarding Jewish law. The stories in the Bible are not important at all in my opinion. What practical difference does it make whether this or that event really happened, or is only a parable?!