Q&A: On the Time-Bound Nature of the Torah
On the Time-Bound Nature of the Torah
Question
Isn’t it a little troubling that a large part of the commandments and the overall spirit of the Torah were relevant mainly, or only, in antiquity? It seems as though the Torah was given especially to our distant ancestors back then. And if that really is the point—that the Torah was given especially to them—doesn’t that somewhat reduce its general relevance for us? Why would God, who sees beyond time, give a local Torah?
What bothers me isn’t the validity of the portion that remains relevant today. What bothers me more is that most of the Torah (it seems to me) deals with practices that passed long ago, with prehistoric social norms and moral values, local tales, and one-time commands. And what does that say about the one who wrote it?
Of course, the question can easily be deflected with mostly ad hoc arguments, but honestly, it bothers me.
What do you think?
Thank you very much!
Answer
It is troubling. But I think the explanations are reasonable. In principle, Torah is a way of looking at things, not just bottom lines. The application can change between periods and circumstances. The fact that it was given in the language of that generation is obvious, because it was given to that generation. The assumption is that we can understand the principles and apply them in other generations as well.