The Written and Oral Torah: Did the Rabbis Base Their Tradition on the Literal Meaning of the Written Torah?
While Jewish tradition has always emphasized the sanctity of the Biblical text, the rabbinic tradition, that often contradicts the literal meaning of the Torah, has defined religious practice and observance throughout the ages. This lecture will explore four explanations for the relationship between the rabbinic interpolation of the Biblical texts and their literal meaning. Each explanation reflects the tension between the religious obligation to observe the law while at the same time the need to respect the sanctity of the Biblical text.
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Posted July 29, 2010

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