https://www.torahmusings.com/2011/12/biblical-theology-of-rabbi-emanuel-rackman/
But one writer raised a significant issue and I share his question and my answer to it with the readership of Hirhurim around Rabbi Rackman’s yartzeit. He asked me a question about Rabbi Rackman’s biblical theology and raised the possibility that Rabbi Rackman was a technical heretic in that he did not believe in the Torah being revealed by God at Sinai to Moses (Torah miSinai).
Rabbi Rackman contemplates the possibility that the Torah has in it texts that were written by humans in a different form prior to God taking these text, incorporating them into Torah and then giving that Torah to Moshe in its fully revealed form, word by word to Moshe. This belief violates none of the Rambam’s ikarim. Anyone who claims that this idea by Rabbi Rackman is heretical can only do so by adding dogma to the ikarim that we have accepted as binding through the historical mesorah accepted by the halachic community. I think that just like the contraction of the thirteen ikarim into 12 or 8 or 3 is to be resisted as a violation of that historical mesorah (even as I am well aware that Albo advocates such), so too the expansion of the ikarim into 15, 19 or 613 principles is to be resisted as a violation of that same mesorah (even as I am well aware that Chatam Sofer advocates such).
AI writes
Whether Rabbi Emanuel Rackman (1910–2008) was a heretic is a subject of intense debate within Orthodox Judaism, depending on whether one adheres to strict dogmatic interpretations or a more flexible, modern, and intellectual approach to Jewish law.Viewpoint of Accusation: Critics, particularly from the right-wing Orthodox community, viewed some of his views—such as his approach to Biblical criticism and flexibility in Jewish law—as heretical.Viewpoint of Defense: Supporters argue that Rackman’s ideas did not violate traditional ikarim (principles of faith) and that calling him a heretic stems from an unnecessary expansion of dogma.His Perspective: Rackman himself argued that "concern for a positive Jewish image is no heresy" and that and that throughout history, scholars have re-examined tradition, often leading to unfair accusations from those of a more conservative temperament.
There was Jewish history before Sinai. The question is, did Noah know about Adam? Did Abraham know about the flood?
ReplyDeleteDid yosef know about the akeidah?
If so, was it oral tradition or had anything been written down?
Even if you maintain it was purely oral tradition, it's not heretical to claim it had been written down.
That's the first step.
The second step, it seems to me that he's trying to present an alternative to the academic Bible criticism which isn't apikorsis.
In any case, the Torah has a narrative, and bereishit was already known before shemot.
It would seem reasonable that Bnei Yisrael in Egypt kept family historical records to ensure their children knew their identity and background. Much of those would be identical to what God would eventually tell Moshe to put in the Torah.
DeletePresumably Noach knew the laws of sacrifices. Abraham knew about Shabbat etc. itzchak had some record of both the history of the world and Torah. Yaakov is the one who dwelled in tents.
DeleteThere was a Torah and a Brit at this stage. How else would the 12 tribes know what to keep?
First no, there were no Brits at this stage. Britain hadn't been invented yet.
DeleteBut there clearly was some way the Avos were communicating with God and discerning His will for what was proper and improper so they could live their lives in sync with Him.
And no doubt there were tons of oral traditions and written ones too. Common to every culture during that time.
ReplyDeleteGittin 60a
תִּיבְּעֵי לְמַאן דְּאָמַר תּוֹרָה מְגִילָּה מְגִילָּה נִיתְּנָה – כֵּיוָן דִּמְגִילָּה מְגִילָּה נִיתְּנָה, כּוֹתְבִין; אוֹ דִילְמָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִידְּבַק – אִידְּבַק.
The Gemara explains the two sides of the dilemma according to each opinion: Let the dilemma be raised according to the one who says that the Torah was given scroll by scroll. On the one hand it is possible to say that since the Torah was originally given scroll by scroll, today as well one may write the Torah in separate scrolls. Or on the other hand, perhaps one should say that since it was ultimately joined together to form a single scroll, it was joined together and can no longer be written in separate scrolls.
https://www.sefaria.org/Gittin.60a.8?lang=bi&with=Talmud&lang2=en
Please note that this gemora was not brought as a defense by anyone else because that was not Rackman's view
DeleteThe Gemora gives two possibilities, and neither of them state that the whole Torah was written at Sinai.
DeleteAlso, rackman doesn't say anything close to documentary hypothesis. That hypothesis (reform) is claiming much later than Moses authorship.
There's actually no violation of Rambam ikkarim here. It's just that people want to slander rackman so they make allegations about something he said.
Was there a Brit with Avraham?
Was there a basic Torah law before Moses?
All he said was that there were written records of these very.
Did the law of Yibum exist before Sinai?
ReplyDeleteThe Torah says it did!
Even other civilisations observed it!
Apikorsis? Obviously not.
There was clearly a concept of yibum given Yehuda and Tamar, right? It's just that the Torah came and limited it davka to the brother and no other male relative.
DeleteIf Avraham kept all the mitzvos (as suggested in the Gemara), did he also write a sefer Torah?
ReplyDeleteה עֵקֶב, אֲשֶׁר-שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי; וַיִּשְׁמֹר, מִשְׁמַרְתִּי, מִצְוֺתַי, חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי. 5 because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.'
And if Yaakov Avinu knew the whole Torah, why didn't he just learn parshas Vayeshev to learn that Yosef was in Mitzrayim or respond "Yeah, that was two parshas ago" when the brothers came and told him?
DeleteLogic won't help here.
DeleteCharedi violate all the ikkarim of monotheism with their beliefs in pantheism, as well as the dualism of "lshem yichud". Which was called out by the giant Noda bYehuda
But someone modern suggests there were rudimentary texts to the Torah from the avot, , and he's an apikorus.
Garnel see Ramban
Deletehttps://etzion.org.il/en/tanakh/torah/sefer-bereishit/parashat-toldot/toldot-what-mitzvot-did-avot-keep
DeleteIn the Talmud, the 3rd-4th-century sage Rava uses the quote to assert that every Jew is obligated to write their own Torah scroll (Sanhedrin 21b).
DeleteIf Avraham kept all the Torah he also wrote one
This is a chapter based on Rav Yaakov Weinberg's book on the Ikkarim of Rambam.
ReplyDeleteAll it says is that the Torah we have today is the same one that was received by Moshe through Nevuah. It doesn't exclude the possibility that some of it was known to previous generations of Yidden, such as the Avot, who were also neviim and kept Mitzvot.
The problem is to allege chas v'shalom that Moses said some out of his ideas, or that it has changed since then - that is the apikorsus pertaining to this Ikkar.
https://aish.com/48925267/