Interpreting Torah Are We Genuine Partne
Couldn't load pickup availability
A profound shift in Jewish legal authority transformed the relationship between divine and human interpretation of Torah law - from prophetic transmitters of God's direct will to rabbinic partners in ongoing legal development. The excommunication of Rabbi Eliezer by the Sages crystallizes this tension, revealing how his appeals to divine intervention represented an obsolete prophetic model that conflicted with emerging rabbinic autonomy. Through analysis of key Talmudic passages, particularly the dispute over the oven of akhinai, alongside medieval commentaries and midrashic literature, the research traces how Moses' three independent decisions at Sinai established precedent for human participation in Torah interpretation. The breaking of the first tablets proves especially significant, necessitating a new partnership paradigm where God and Sages collaborated to create the second tablets. Drawing upon Hasidic teachings and rabbinic responsa, the analysis demonstrates that halakhic innovation serves as a divine tool for cosmic renewal rather than mere preservation of original Sinaitic intent. This understanding of interpretive authority as genuine partnership has important implications for Conservative Judaism's approach to halakhic development and the legitimate bounds of legal interpretation in contemporary Jewish life.

More Information
-
Physical Description
-
Publication Information
Published 1988
ISBN
-
Publication Credits
Morris Shapiro