BIBLICAL CRITICISM 1 - Why discuss it at all?
Biblical Criticism - why?
Those two words, Biblical criticism, have become the “four-letter word” for Orthodox Jews who take their Bible studies seriously. Most assume that there is no room for dialogue with this critical-scientific approach to the study of the Bible. With its beginning in the nineteenth century by anti-Semitic German Protestant biblical scholars; the assumption that Scripture is not a Divinely revealed unity, but a patchwork documents compiled into a single book by a later editor; and its philosophical underpinnings that early Israel represented a primitive, illiterate society, whose religious thought would only fully evolve at the turn of the millennium with the appearance of J of Nazareth; the differences between the critical school and the believers seems unbridgeable, and no purpose could exist in attempting to find common ground. Especially today, when those who speak in the name of higher enlightenment and scholarship teach from the post-modern narrative that there are no truths, and all are myths and interpretation, its not surprising that ignoring the Bible critics seems to be the dominant mode of engagement among Orthodoxy, as Rav Tau (from the Merkav/Rav TY Kook circle of thought) suggests –
One who does not believe in the Divine origin and sublimity of the words, that they all flow from Divine truth that is infinite, absolute and eternal – one who lacks this faith will not understand the holy Scriptures whatsoever. All of his analyses, all of his investigations, all of his theories, and all of his "discoveries" fall into the category of nonsense…When all these ideas are missing, when humility and self-effacement are lacking, when these elements are absent, come the scholars – Jews or gentiles, it makes no difference - and search through the holy Scriptures. They raise objections, they erase, they distort, and they emend; they suggest theories, they demonstrate creativity, they present novel ideas – what is all this to us? How are we connected to them? We occupy ourselves in the truth of the Torah, we engage ourselves in the holiness of the Torah. One who lacks both the beginning and the end – there is no point in talking to him at all! (Rabbi Zvi Tau, Tzadik Be-emunato Yichye, pp. 10, 19)
Is this approach appropriate, however? How should a believing Jew react? Is turning our back the proper approach, or, like Rabbi Meir’s pomegranate parable re-Elisha ben Avuya of old, is there room to partake of Biblical-critical studies, eating the seeds and discarding the rind?
R. Chayim Navon brings several convincing reasons why Biblical criticism needs to be dealt with and addressed (see lecture #5 in R. Navon’s wonderful series on the Theological Issues of Sefer Breishit, found at the Har Etzion website www.vbm-torah.org). Quoting my friend R. Amnon Bazak from Yeshivat Har Etzion, he notes that the Torah itself states that "For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, who shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nations is a wise and understanding people" (Devarim 4:6). Obviously, the Torah respects how the other nations view it, and their questions are not to be easily discarded.
From an educational viewpoint, some suggest that students be introduced to Biblical Criticism early, because it is still the majority viewpoint among those that study Bible, especially in universities. Otherwise, when the student does come across it, he/she will assume that the teacher was afraid to deal with it, and evaded it in class, because he/she did not have convincing answers, and reject everything the teacher said as a result.
Most importantly, Biblical Criticism needs to be taken seriously because despite the ideological chasm that separates us from them, the questions that they raise need to be addressed. Why did the Bible use differing styles, wordings, and indeed, contradiction, to convey its message? Most scholars today do not work (consciously, that is) from an attempt to discredit the text, but use serious and tested research in the study of language, literature, philology, etc. and raise questions. In addition, the Jewish tradition’s answer is much more nuanced and balanced that the absolutist position often presented. With these thoughts, I will be dealing with Biblical Criticism in this forum – pointing out the flaws and inconsistencies in the theory when appropriate (and there are many), but also delving into the traditional writings and to develop a modern, intellectually honest understanding of the issues raised, that maintains loyalty to the traditional narrative while including the latest in scholarly findings and answers.
Those two words, Biblical criticism, have become the “four-letter word” for Orthodox Jews who take their Bible studies seriously. Most assume that there is no room for dialogue with this critical-scientific approach to the study of the Bible. With its beginning in the nineteenth century by anti-Semitic German Protestant biblical scholars; the assumption that Scripture is not a Divinely revealed unity, but a patchwork documents compiled into a single book by a later editor; and its philosophical underpinnings that early Israel represented a primitive, illiterate society, whose religious thought would only fully evolve at the turn of the millennium with the appearance of J of Nazareth; the differences between the critical school and the believers seems unbridgeable, and no purpose could exist in attempting to find common ground. Especially today, when those who speak in the name of higher enlightenment and scholarship teach from the post-modern narrative that there are no truths, and all are myths and interpretation, its not surprising that ignoring the Bible critics seems to be the dominant mode of engagement among Orthodoxy, as Rav Tau (from the Merkav/Rav TY Kook circle of thought) suggests –
One who does not believe in the Divine origin and sublimity of the words, that they all flow from Divine truth that is infinite, absolute and eternal – one who lacks this faith will not understand the holy Scriptures whatsoever. All of his analyses, all of his investigations, all of his theories, and all of his "discoveries" fall into the category of nonsense…When all these ideas are missing, when humility and self-effacement are lacking, when these elements are absent, come the scholars – Jews or gentiles, it makes no difference - and search through the holy Scriptures. They raise objections, they erase, they distort, and they emend; they suggest theories, they demonstrate creativity, they present novel ideas – what is all this to us? How are we connected to them? We occupy ourselves in the truth of the Torah, we engage ourselves in the holiness of the Torah. One who lacks both the beginning and the end – there is no point in talking to him at all! (Rabbi Zvi Tau, Tzadik Be-emunato Yichye, pp. 10, 19)
Is this approach appropriate, however? How should a believing Jew react? Is turning our back the proper approach, or, like Rabbi Meir’s pomegranate parable re-Elisha ben Avuya of old, is there room to partake of Biblical-critical studies, eating the seeds and discarding the rind?
R. Chayim Navon brings several convincing reasons why Biblical criticism needs to be dealt with and addressed (see lecture #5 in R. Navon’s wonderful series on the Theological Issues of Sefer Breishit, found at the Har Etzion website www.vbm-torah.org). Quoting my friend R. Amnon Bazak from Yeshivat Har Etzion, he notes that the Torah itself states that "For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, who shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nations is a wise and understanding people" (Devarim 4:6). Obviously, the Torah respects how the other nations view it, and their questions are not to be easily discarded.
From an educational viewpoint, some suggest that students be introduced to Biblical Criticism early, because it is still the majority viewpoint among those that study Bible, especially in universities. Otherwise, when the student does come across it, he/she will assume that the teacher was afraid to deal with it, and evaded it in class, because he/she did not have convincing answers, and reject everything the teacher said as a result.
Most importantly, Biblical Criticism needs to be taken seriously because despite the ideological chasm that separates us from them, the questions that they raise need to be addressed. Why did the Bible use differing styles, wordings, and indeed, contradiction, to convey its message? Most scholars today do not work (consciously, that is) from an attempt to discredit the text, but use serious and tested research in the study of language, literature, philology, etc. and raise questions. In addition, the Jewish tradition’s answer is much more nuanced and balanced that the absolutist position often presented. With these thoughts, I will be dealing with Biblical Criticism in this forum – pointing out the flaws and inconsistencies in the theory when appropriate (and there are many), but also delving into the traditional writings and to develop a modern, intellectually honest understanding of the issues raised, that maintains loyalty to the traditional narrative while including the latest in scholarly findings and answers.
posted by Rav Yaakov Beasley at 6:02 PM
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