Tag: classical liberalism
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Do the Torah’s Immoral Laws Discredit God?
Out of respect for the supreme value of moral autonomy, God elected to accept his chosen people where they stood, moral warts and all. Rather than instantly accelerate their progress to some arbitrary point along an infinite continuum, he gave them—and through them, all of humanity—a road map that would guide them to their final… Read more
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The Hebrew Bible Embraces Pluralism and Rejects Dogmatism
I present here an excerpt (lightly edited) from chapter 6 of my Come Now, Let Us Reason Together. This text argues that the many apparent contradictions and inconsistencies found in the Tanakh (the 24 books constituting the Hebrew Bible) show that authentic Judaism is open-minded, pluralistic, and esteems controversy as a uniquely valuable tool in… Read more
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The Almighty Defers to Rabba bar Nahmani on a Question of Jewish Law!
In my book I point to many instances where biblical figures challenge or argue with God, including Avraham, Moses, Job, and Jonah. None of these men are punished for their effrontery, although Jonah is taught a somewhat painful moral lesson. Similarly, the Talmud includes a number of stories in which the rabbis argue with or… Read more
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God Wants To Be Challenged!
Judaism does not demand blind obedience to God’s commands. Quite the opposite: the Tanakh is filled with numerous examples of biblical figures who challenge the perceived injustice of God’s moral order, including Abraham, Moses, Job, Jonah, and Kohelet (Ecclesiastes). Job’s challenge is perhaps the most dramatic and poetic example, and the short video below illustrates… Read more
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There’s No One Right Way To Practice Judaism
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Judaism is Open-Minded and Pluralistic
There is a famous Talmudic story that I believe does not get enough attention, as it exemplifies Judaism’s liberal (old, classic sense) character. It recounts (b. Eruv. 13b) that there was a three-year halakhic (legal) dispute between the academies of Hillel and Shammai, two great sages who emerged in the immediate aftermath of the Second… Read more
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Why Did God Give Us Horrible Commandments?
I recently posted a very short video on Facebook that attempts to explain in very broad terms why the Torah includes grossly immoral laws and commandments, such as genocide and capital punishment for a variety of victimless crimes. I devote an entire chapter of Come Now Let Us Reason Together to this subject, but I… Read more
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Appearance on Prof. Alon Ben-Meir’s Podcast, “On the Issues.”
Rabbinic Judaism was liberal, in the older sense, at its core. It was blown off course in an illiberal direction during the Geonic era. The Jewish Enlightenment gave birth to liberal movements, but the isolated Haredi communities remained oppressive and authoritarian. This has had profound, negative repercussions for Israeli culture and politics. Read more
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Interview on “Dangerous Speech” Podcast
Pleased to say that I very recently had a stimulating discussion of my book’s primary themes on Obaid Omer’s popular podcast “Dangerous Speech.” Omar, residing in Montreal, is interested in exploring illiberal trends in Canada and the US and their repercussions for our lives and liberties. Roughly the first half of this 53 minute conversation… Read more