Views on mitzvot

Views on mitzvot

1. Orthodox

   • Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah and therefore the mitzvot were divinely mandated so must be followed as they are directly from God.
     • Scholarly opinion
       • Nahmanides
         • "This was the purpose of the whole creation, that man should recognize and know Him and give praise to His name"
         • "An individual should hold and awareness of God and his love all the time. He should not separate his consequences from the Divine while he journeys on the way , nor when he lies down nor when he rises up
       • Rashi
         • "Whoever raises a righteous child, it is as if he did not die
       • Daniel Lapin
         • "As an Orthodox Jew I must acknowledge that society can only be successful if it adheres to God's basic plan
     • Torah quotes
       • "If you follow my laws and listen to my commands, and do them, I will give " Leviticus 26:3
         • Followed by a list of blessings
       • "If you will not listen to me"
         • Followed by a list of punishments
       • "Blessed are thy who keep His testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart"
       • "If only you keep the commandments of Yahweh your God and walk His path, God will establish you as His nation, as He promised you. All the nations of the world will realize that God's name is associated with you and they will be in awe of you
       • "How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Torah of the Lord. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies , who seek Him with all their heart" Pslam 119_1-2
     • Key words
       • Divinely mandated = set in stone by God
       • Yahweh = God
     • Interpretations
       • Orthodox Jews interpret the Torah as an essential guide to life which is divinely mandadted
       • All mitzvot are taken literally and followed accordingly
       • Even unethical mitzvot are followed if possible
     • Core Orthodox beliefs
       • Hashem - monotheism
       • Age related ceremonies - covenants
       • Jewish holidays - tradition
       • Shabbat - tradition , thankfullness and remider of the past

2. Reform

   • Reform Jews believe that the Torah and therefore mitzvot are divinely inspired so are written with God in mind but not his direct commands so they are not followed directly. Only the mitzvot that are regarded as having a positive impact are followed and those that have a negative impact such as oppression of women are ignored
     • Scholarly opinion
       • Evidence of the Torah having multiple authors - reform Jews believe that Moses did not write all 5 books
         • JEPD
           • J - Jawist (from Yahweh
             • Refers to the name used for God in Genesis, Exodus and Numbers
           • E- Elohist (from Elohim
             • Refers to the name used for God starting form Genesis 15
           • P - Priestly
             • Encompasses writings from Genesis 1 to the notice of Moses' death
           • D - Deuteronomy
             • A different author is associated with Deuteronomy
       • Ben Bag Bag
         • "Turn to the Torah and turn it again, for everything you want to know is found within it" Avot 5:25
       • Laura Weakly
         • "When we treat others kindly, fairly and lovingly [...] we are living Torah
       • Maimonides
         • "Do not consider it proof just because it is written in books, for a liar who will deceive with his tongue will not hesitate to do the same with his pen
     • Torah/ Talmud quotes
       • "We do not see things as they are, we see things as they are" - the Talmud
       • "Life is for love, this is the message of the Torah"
       • "Blessed are the peacekeepers for they will be called children of God" - Matthew 5:9
     • Key words
       • Ethics= moral principles that govern a person's behaviour.
       • Feminism = Equality between the sexes
       • arelim = uncircumsised
     • Interpretations
       • Reform Jews interpret the Torah as important as it is divinely mandated
       • Certain Mitzvot such as the mikvah after a period are interpreted as irrelevant in contemporary society
       • Believe that the Torah should be interpreted differently every generation in order to be contemporary
     • Core Reform beliefs
       • Belief in God as defined by the Shema
       • Belief that the Torah was written by human hands as a product of its time with divine inspiration
       • Belief that the process of Torah interpretation is ongoing and that every Jew has the right to contribute
       • Belief in egalitarianism where possible
       • Belief in moral and social action inherent in the Torah and embodied in the concept of Tikkun Olam