Revelation Under the Microscope of Modern Scholarship

By Russel Neiss
CUNY Honors College

For centuries, readers of the Torah took it for granted that the Scriptures were both divine revelation and an accurate history of the Jews transmitted to them in the theophany at Sinai. However, modern biblical scholars nearly unanimously agree that the Torah is a mélange of sources written under different historical circumstances to express different religious or political viewpoints.

If one takes biblical criticism seriously, there are major theological implications. From a 'traditional' perspective, viewing the Torah as a product of humans, instead of the commanding voice of God, diminishes the authority of Jewish law. From this perspective, the entire legal religious tradition of Judaism hinges upon the giving of the Torah at Sinai. You are forbidden to touch that text, especially its legal elements, for once you begin to tamper with it and alter the words, all the laws predicated upon them begin to fall. Put simply, removing divine authorship and authority removes any reason for observing the laws of the Torah, even for living a Jewish life.

However, about 100 years ago, Ahad Ha'am (the father of Cultural Zionism) proposed an alternative for rectifying traditional Judaism with biblical criticism. In an essay simply entitled "Moshe," he argued that irrespective of the historical 'truths' determined by literary or historical analysis which might lead one to suggest that there was no revelation at Sinai, one could not deny that Judaism had transmitted an idealized version of this event l'dor va-dor (from one generation to the next). In his own words, "…Not every truth of archaeology is also a truth of history… History knows only the hero who still lives in men's hearts and exerts an influence on human life."

Rabbi David Novak expands on this idea, suggesting that, "Even if one accepts the assumption common to all biblical critics… Once the official text as agreed upon in the time of Ezra [was codified], the Jewish people had an indisputable point of reference for both law and theology."

Taking this view to its logical end, it is clear that the ultimate authority of a text is not necessarily its origin, but rather, its affirmation by the community. Under such a perspective, it is clear that halakhah is not a static, rigid entity, but instead has developed within a variety of historical settings and continues to do so today. This is where the role of biblical criticism actually seeks to enhance Jewish observance in my mind. In analyzing the various composite texts which make up the Torah, one can ask questions of whether a particular biblical story is from the 8th century BCE, or a particular law from the 5th century BCE, cross-referencing these sources with other historical material. In doing so, one gains not only a broader understanding of the biblical world, but a deeper insight into the development of Jewish law.

This ultimately grants us a richer, more profound insight into the Torah today.

Judaism did not develop in a bubble. It has been, and continues to be, influenced by outside factors. As such, in studying the central text of our faith, it is not only reasonable, but beneficial to combine traditional and modern methods of biblical exegesis in order to give us deeper insight into how our people sought and discovered God in the past, helping us, in turn, bring God into our lives.

[Posted 5/30/03]