Q&A: The Need for the Verse “Do What Is Right and Good”
The Need for the Verse 'Do What Is Right and Good'
Question
According to what you say, the contents of morality are not carved out of the Torah but rather from moral intuitions, and yet the very validity of morality comes from God. In light of this, I wonder why there is any need for the command 'Do what is right and good'? Even without the verse, a person should respond to his own intuitions (because of their divine validity). And you should know that this is so, since God complained about those who behaved immorally even before the giving of the Torah.
Can it be said that the verse comes only to add a religious dimension (as, for example, people say about the meaning of the religious prohibition of 'Do not murder')? That is, beyond the fact that there is moral value in behaving morally, there is also a religious virtue here—and that is the meaning of the verse 'Do what is right and good.'
Answer
This is not a commandment. No enumerator of the commandments counts it as one. It may be that it comes to add that there is a religious layer (even if not a halakhic one), but that is not necessary. The Torah sometimes also writes things that can be understood through reason, for various reasons.
Discussion on Answer
(a) From what you write here, I understand that the verse indeed comes to say that moral behavior has religious value (that it is a religious requirement) – https://mikyab.net/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A1%D7%A8-%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%A1%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%9E%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A3-%D7%9E%D7%94/
(b) And once you replied that perhaps the verse comes to reject the view that from the time of the giving of the Torah, Jewish law took the place of morality https://mikyab.net/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A1%D7%A8-%D7%9C%D7%9C%D7%90-%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%95%D7%95%D7%99-%D7%90%D7%95-%D7%92%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%99-%D7%9E%D7%94%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%90/
(c) And from here I understand that you do not accept the suggestion that the verse adds any religious layer at all (the opposite of the suggestion in a, and of what you wrote above here) https://mikyab.net/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A1%D7%A8-%D7%9C%D7%9C%D7%90-%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%95%D7%95%D7%99-%D7%90%D7%95-%D7%92%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%99-%D7%9E%D7%94%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%90/
I came away a bit confused. Could you please put your statements in order for me (what exactly did I mix up)?
Again, I have to compliment your command of the material.
There is no contradiction here at all. All of these are possibilities, and I do not know and do not need to decide between them. My claim was that morality is not connected to Jewish law and is learned from conscience, and I was asked why the verse is needed. All of these are possible answers to that question, and there is no need to choose one of them.
Thanks!
So what, for example, do you think the reasons are in the present case for this addition?