What is the nature of the revelation of the Torah? What changes about the world after the Torah is given? As we will see, this question will pose very interesting ramifications for the nature of the Torah, and what it means to be a Jew.
Background
"I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky, and grant them all these lands... Because Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My decrees, and My laws." [Gen. 26:4-5]
The Talmud (Yoma 28a) interprets this as saying that Abraham kept all of the Torah, and even Rabbinic injunctions. But, how could Abraham keep all the Torah, let alone know anything about it, if it hadn’t been given yet?
The midrash adds to this conundrum:
Had the Torah not been given to us, we would have been obligated to learn proper midot from the observation of nature. For example, we would have been obligated to learn property rights and the prohibition of theft from the observation of ants. (If an ant has left a piece of grain, no other ant will take it.) We would have been obligated to learn fidelity from the observation of doves, who are monogamous.
This midrash really needs clarification- is it saying that without the giving of the Torah we would be able to keep the equivalent thereof or that the ethical aspects of the Torah would be fulfilled if we made these proper observations?
We have to clarify, if we are to understand this question as well, what the purpose of the Torah is in the first place?
We discussed one reason last week, namely the relational covenant between G-d and Israel. This is embodied in the Talmudic statement: The Holy One, Blessed be He, wanted to benefit Israel, therefore he [gave to them] a multitude of mitzvot. It seems that G-d wanted
But there is another reason: The Torah was given to refine our character and give us the ethical life. (Vayikra Rabba 13:3) If the entire content of the Torah is sui genres ‘ethics,’ then we (seemingly) cannot make a distinction between parts of the Torah. (These two reasons are not necessarily divorced, the most enjoyable life may be the most ethical one)
If so, how do we interpret Abraham’s prescience?
The Zohar states that G-d looked into the Torah and created the world. Thus, the design of the world corresponds to that of the Torah. Abraham was able to understand the Torah, just by looking into the world, and therefore kept the mitzvot. As well, we could learn at least the equivalent of the Torah just by looking at the world.
What about after the Torah was given?
Now it gets a bit trickier: if the entirety of the Torah can be achieved through looking at the world, then precisely what is the purpose of revelation? Isn’t revelation extraneous?
We say then [that] the All-Wise knew that the conclusions reached by means of the art of speculation could be attained only in the course of a certain measure of time....But many a one of us might never complete the process because of some flaw in his reasoning...That is why G-d... afforded us a quick relief...by letting us see with our own eyes the signs and the proofs supporting them about which no doubt could prevail and which we could not possibly reject.
So, revelation according to Saadya Gaon is simply a shortcut to the best possible life. It isn’t even as simple as Saadya described, of course, as many of the Torah laws are (again, seemingly) obviously irrational. But let’s grant that eventually we’d get there: what does this say about what it means to be a Jew?
Is it possible that being a Jew isn’t something inherent, but rather a level of belief attained? What about converts- should there even be a need to convert, as long as you achieve a sufficient level of revelation?
Maimonides here is revolutionary! See Maimonides on Judaism and the Jewish People for fuller details but:
For Maimonides, being Jewish is a ‘belief that.’ Indeed, in the Messianic age all non-Jews will become Jewish, or at least like just as like Jews as possible.
23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians. {S} 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth; 25 for that the LORD of hosts hath blessed him, saying: 'Blessed be Egypt My people and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance.'
A Parallel Account
The more obvious account, or at least the least complicated one, is to simply say that revelation cannot be achieved through reason- anti-rationalists like the Kuzari have held this position. More recently, Spinoza held this position: he viewed the Bible as moral messages, and not philosophical truths. Commentators of this ilk are likely to divide the commandments between the rational and the irrational, and further subcategories.
Then what about Abraham? And what about our Midrash?
Abraham seems the easiest to solve: maybe he had a separate revelation. Indeed, the simply meaning of the verse quoted above refers to circumcision- which was commanded by G-d! The Midrash never implies that is the only reason that the Torah is given. The Torah is sufficient for ethics, but ethics is not sufficient for the Torah.
This may affect our understanding of what it means to be a Jew, part of Israel, etc.
More importantly, the previous schema had a major advantage: all of the Torah is rational, so it makes sense to keep all of it. However, according to this interpretation, why should we keep the Torah? Divine Fiat?
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