You can always keep in mind that the Torah is the world's first example of a legal society in which there is one Law for all. Even the king's powers are not absolute and must defer to the law.
Justice is also a traditional and historical aspect of Judaism. "Justice, Justice you shall pursue." While the Torah may not appear just in many ways to our modern ears, you must recognize it for what it is as a first step in the right direction.
The search for Truth is also a historical aspect of Judaism. Judaism _is_ centered around learning. And I mean real learning, not machers in kollel. If you've ever read books like Job, you'd realize that the Jews of old weren't afraid to broach some touchy topics. And again, while some parts in Judaism (especially parts of modern Judaism) seem to be against the accruement of knowledge, it is still a strong part of our Jewish heritage.
If you can understand our ancestors as a people who were breaking out of the barbarity of the ancient world and searching for truth and justice - the Torah need not be seen as a book of stories and fairy tales, but of life lessons and moral teachings.
As opposed to the Orthodox who see the Torah as the end - we can see it as the beginning of the search and conquest of understanding and goodness for humanity.
In this way it deserves our respect and for us to continue our ancestors' traditions to perpetuate such ideals.
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4 comments:
I think you might like Nothing Sacred, by Rushkoff.
JA,
I've heard of it and am familiar with what it says but I haven't read it.
By attesting that a there is a book with Divine origin, it is illogical to assume that it is in itself a begining rather than an end. In terms of learnging at least, but maybe in terms of applicating your right. Im not sure which way youre going. But if it is in terms of learning that you speak then you must realize that the Divine is infinite, and it only follows logically that the Divines word, and or book, is also infinite. To assume that it is merely a begining, which therfore assumes it having and end, where the begining stops, is illogical.
It is the begining, the end and all inbetween.
Not to say that it wouldn't be possible for the Divine to create a finite book, but why do so?
Why give a book which is only applicable for so much, and then ceases?
that wouldn't be such a great outline for how to live ones life.
And as for those ancients who feel that Torah is the end, they just realize that it's all in there, it's infinite, and no one should put down a book before they finish.
Also there is the fear of being polluted by outside philosophies while trying to understand them (see elisha Ben Avuya- aka Acher- to whom the sages attribute his heresy as due to his love of greek music, kal vchomer greek philosophy, etc.)
But its ok if you dont have this all worked out yet, most dont
Anon,
"By attesting that a there is a book with Divine origin, it is illogical to assume that it is in itself a begining rather than an end."
What do you mean? I'm not attesting anything of the sort.
"But if it is in terms of learning that you speak then you must realize that the Divine is infinite, and it only follows logically that the Divines word, and or book, is also infinite."
I don't see how that follows necessarily. It may be true, but there is no neccesity for it to be so.
"And as for those ancients who feel that Torah is the end, they just realize that it's all in there, it's infinite, and no one should put down a book before they finish."
Even if the book is divine, I don't think "it's all in there." I have yet to see a rabbi discover an unknown scientific principle before scientists have. Wouldn't it be cool if through some pasuk we could find the universal gravity constant? That would be wild.
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