Q&A: Jewish Law and Morality
Jewish Law and Morality
Question
To the great Rabbi Michael Abraham, may he live long and well,
Do you have an idea why, according to Leibowitz, who separates religion and morality, God punished Cain even though it does not appear that he was commanded “You shall not murder”? Is there from here evidence for those who hold that the Torah axiomatically assumes human rights, on whose foundation the commandments between one person and another are built?
Answer
I’m afraid of violating the prohibition of consulting the dead, Heaven forbid, but I did have the privilege of meeting our teacher Rabbi Shmuel Rozovsky, may he live long and well—of blessed memory.
This is one of the proofs I brought in my book that morality is binding and also understandable to everyone even before the giving of the Torah. I think Leibowitz could agree with my claim that a person can be punished for being immoral even if there is no religious prohibition involved. True, he wrote that morality is an atheistic category, but that does not stand up even against verses like “And you shall do what is right and good” or “You shall be holy,” and the like.
I understand that you mean the argument of Rabbi Shimon Shkop. I doubt whether Leibowitz thought about this when he built his doctrine. Maybe. But even if so, the meaning is that there are obligations that precede the Torah and the command, and that the Torah expects us to fulfill them.