Parsha Re’eh in Modern Times

Question

In this week’s parsha, Re’eh, Moses tell us we may neither add to nor subtract from God’s law as contained in the Torah or else we are certainly cursed so how can we carry on as good Jews when society itself has evolved, in certain respects, beyond the circumstances that gave rise to some of these laws?

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Your question would be absolutely applicable if there was only a Written Torah. The Written Torah is irrevocable and cannot be changed in any way at all. However, there is an Oral Torah that compliments and expands on the Written Torah. The Oral Torah is comprised of the Mishnah, the Talmud and the Midrashic texts and the dynamics of the Oral Torah are such that it allows Jewish Law to evolve within the framework of the Written Torah and to be adapted so that it can be used in each generation.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team

  2. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team
    August 9, 2018 at 7:37 am

    Your question would be absolutely applicable if there was only a Written Torah. The Written Torah is irrevocable and cannot be changed in any way at all. However, there is an Oral Torah that compliments and expands on the Written Torah. The Oral Torah is comprised of the Mishnah, the Talmud and the Midrashic texts and the dynamics of the Oral Torah are such that it allows Jewish Law to evolve within the framework of the Written Torah and to be adapted so that it can be used in each generation.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team