Q&A: A Question About the Argument from Witness Testimony
A Question About the Argument from Witness Testimony.
Question
Hello to the honored Rabbi,
The argument from witness testimony is very strong, since you have the testimony of hundreds of thousands of people (at least) who saw it. But who knows whether that really was the number? It could have been much smaller. It could be that they just saw a volcano or something and imagined it was a revelation. It could be that the details of the revelation were written afterward, the way the New Testament was written 200 years later by someone.
And if you say that I’m just raising unproven speculations—granted, if this were just an ordinary story, that would make sense. But the revelation at Mount Sinai is a supernatural story, and therefore proofs for such an event need to be really strong.
Answer
The tradition also speaks about the number of people. The concern about tricks or manipulation always exists, and I have nothing to say about that. In the fifth booklet I explained that this is only added to other arguments. In the end, you need to be persuaded by the overall picture, as with any story and any historical testimony.
Discussion on Answer
There are very big differences. I only just finished writing about this in the first book of my trilogy, and it’s hard to elaborate here. When it comes out.
For now, see a not-quite-complete version in the fifth booklet here on the site.
Is there an estimated date for when we’ll have the privilege of reading the book?
No. It’s currently being edited. I hope within a year.
I’m not the above questioner, but can I ask what the Rabbi means when he says “tradition”? And how is that different from various folk tales and mythologies about dragons and the like?