Torah Study Blog

The Talmud states that the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, were dictated to, and written down by, Moses – with the exception of the last eight verses of Deuteronomy which describe the death and burial of Moses. The medieval commentator Rashi (1040-1105 C.E.) said that Moses actually wrote it all down including the part about his own death and burial, but he wrote it with a tear in his eye.

Sometimes when we read the Torah we come across text that is not seamlessly edited, or even text that is outright contradictory. For a long time, if a reader came across writing that was confusing or contradictory, religious leaders would say that the problem was with the reader, not with the text, because the Bible is infallible.

In the late 19th century there was a movement to study the Bible scientifically. One of the most influential scholars was a German man named Julius Wellhausen, who was the son of a Lutheran pastor. Wellhausen is one of the originators of the documentary hypothesis, which indicates that the Torah was sourced by four distinct groups of writers. The concept of text coming from four separate sources goes a long way to explaining inconsistencies. The documentary hypothesis, with a few adjustments over the years, remains the predominant theory of biblical scholarship.

One of the groups is referred to as “the Priestly source.” The Priestly source reads like an instruction manual for priests, stressing the rules and rituals of worship, and the essential role of the priest in the Temple.

This week’s Torah portion is from the Book of Leviticus, a book believed to be entirely created by the Priestly source, with broader editing added over time by yet another source referred to as the Holiness Code. The Holiness Code presents a multitude of rules that the Israelites were admonished to live by. The rules are listed in rapid and succinct succession.

Today we looked at one of the more familiar passages: “You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:14)

Our group debated the original intent of this passage. Here at Temple Israel of Northern Westchester, the first reaction to the passage was that all people, even those with handicaps, are vital parts of the community and should be treated as equals, and not made a target of derision. Using this line of thinking, the passage “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) could be considered a repetition of this teaching.

But, if we go back 1000 years to the late 11th century, we would find that Ibn Ezra, one of the most distinguished biblical scholars of the Middle Ages, found a different meaning in the passage. He thought the passage was a threat. The fact is that humans have it in their nature to be cruel and people can get away with cruelty in this world. But God knows what you did, and he will punish you in the next world!

And if we go back an additional 1000 years we find the Talmudic scholars thought the passage should be read metaphorically. An example given is that a loan is made out of the public eye with no corroborating evidence. Because the loan cannot be verified, the person who borrowed may be tempted to say it never happened and to fail to repay. In this case, the lender is at fault for creating the tempting situation in the first place.

Another example is that an adult father strikes his adult son – causing the son to hit the father back. Striking one’s parent is a grave offense, going directly against the commandment that one must honor their mother and father. But here the fault lies with the father, who instigated the situation in the first place, causing his own child to hit him.

In these two scenarios, the person who did the bad thing – failing to repay the loan or striking his parent – is actually the victim. The “stumbling block” here is the action that originally caused the bad decision. The lesson from the Talmud is that we have a responsibility to be careful in our interactions with other people and not lead them into temptation.

Rabbi Jaech showed us how interpretation over the centuries has changed which, to her, is very exciting. This shows that Jews are an evolving people and we have always spoken with different voices. The Reform Movement,

which is actually the oldest movement within the Jewish religion – yes, predating both the Conservative and Orthodox movements – has always held onto the ethical teachings of the Bible. We have not been bound to the strict ritual but, as a movement, we strive to observe an ethical lifestyle.

The original text of the Bible indicated that Jews should love everyone in their immediate community as themselves – but not necessarily community outsiders. This is a teaching that the Ultra Orthodox communities still teach to their members today. As Reform Jews, Rabbi Jaech was not surprised that the reaction of our Torah Study members was that ALL people, regardless of religion, should be treated respectfully.

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misquotes or misunderstandings in what Rabbi Jaech taught us are the responsibility of Tara Keiter