This answer is in response to many replies to the answer The Torah has achieved its educational goals.



We will try to explain again why the Torah text is not relevant (to both religious and secular alike), and this is essential for all readers.

There is no doubt that the Torah was given to Man, so that people could understand and implement it in their everyday lives. All theologians admit to this, and it is explicit in the Torah: “Surely this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach…No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).



This is precisely the problematic point. Not all people are alike. Moreover, an educational text which pretends to be an educational text for many generations has a problem which is nearly insurmountable: how to write it so it is also for later generations, ones whose consciousness, outlook, culture, and language are utterly different from that of the time in which the Torah was written?

He who wrote the Torah had two options: one was to say the truth as it was, in full force and power, even if it would not have been accepted by people at the time it was written because of the cultural gap between the educational goal and the people’s status.

The second possibility is to compromise, to be pragmatic and try to achieve as much as is possible while having the book accepted by people and not sinking without a trace.

The decision was made in favor of compromise and pragmatism. The Torah was written in such a way that it was acceptable to people of that era. To illustrate, try to image that the Revelation at Sinai were to occur today, in our generation. What would be written in the Torah so that we would accept it? Any reasonable person understands that the Torah would be written in a completely different manner. There would be no need to detail for us the dimensions of the Sanctuary. The issues of a Nazarite and an unfaithful wife are quite foreign to us. The laws of a woman who has been raped we find repulsive, the destruction of the seven nations is irrelevant to us, and there are many other examples like this throughout the majority of the Torah.

Let us put it this way: the Torah’s ultimate educational goal will endure forever, but the details will change according to the needs of the generation.

A wonderful example of the educational goal enduring but the means changing: if, in the generation which left Egypt, they had to anthropomorphize G-d so the people would believe in Him, in our generation they would have to cleanse Him of any anthropomorphic trace so we would believe in Him. If in the generation which left Egypt sacrifices had to be brought as thanksgiving to G-d, in our generation such an act would be considered a cruel thanksgiving, so we make do with verbal thanks alone.



Here we will reveal Maimonides’ secret, which appears in his commentary on the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 10:1).

We have already shown, in our answer The Torah has achieved its educational goals that Maimonides treats the words of the Torah as a compromise method of education which must work for each generation, as long as the goal of the education endures.

Now we will explain what the goal is.

First we will preface our remarks and say that Maimonides treats the words of the Sages as an educational system which precisely suited their generation, just as he said of the Torah. He stated that Antigonus of Socho erred in giving instructions which did not suit his generation though his words were true. “Antigonus said: ‘Be not like the servants who serve the master on the condition of receiving reward. Rather, be like the servants who serve the master without the condition of receiving reward’ (Avot 1:3). Of these true words of reproof Maimonides said, “This is a very hard thing (to work and strain with no remuneration), for not all people achieve the truth…and they blamed Antigonus of Socho for saying to the masses what he did, and warned, ‘Sages, take care with your words,’ as is clarified in Avot (1:11).” In other words, Antigonus of Socho should have been careful in his instruction “serve the master without the condition of receiving reward” which might have caused the masses to leave everything and shake off the commandments, for they are not capable of working with no recompense. Which educational approach was appropriate for the generation of the Mishnaic sages? To encourage the nation and give them hope that they would be rewarded in the World to Come if they behaved well, and the opposite: that if they do not behave well they will be harshly punished.

Therefore the Sages said the following: “All Israel has a portion in the World to Come…and those who have no portion in the World to Come,” to goad the nation into clinging to proper behavior.

Here Maimonides, in speaking of these sayings by the Sages, reveals his true view of the World to Come, which gives pleasure. The World to Come is where the Divine truth is achieved! Thus does Maimonides write: “But the truth is that [the angels] have great pleasure from what they know and achieve of the blessed Creator’s truth, and thus they are in continual delight which never ends…and similarly, when those of us who will merit it will merit that level, after death, they will not achieve physical pleasures and does not desire them.”

It is apparent from Maimonides’ words that the final educational goal is knowledge and the achievement of the Divine truth. A person may recognize the Divine truth only within himself, with no external help, and this truth finds expression in the understanding of proper behavior. Perhaps the laws of the Torah and the words of the Sages are but educational means to achieve this perfection, with this means suited for each individual generation. Each individual generation must mold education to achieve the final goal, proper behavior. Thus did Maimonides write: “And this is why it is written (Psalms 32) ‘Be not like a senseless horse or mule whose movement must be curbed by bit and bridle.’ Do not be like animals who are kept from attack by external forces like bit and bridle. That which motivates you to keep from evildoing should be internal, from within yourself. I mean to say that when the human form is perfect it will keep you from those actions which prevent perfection, incorrect behavior. The form will spur you and push you to that which will bring about perfection, proper behavior.”

Pay attention and note that according to Maimonides a person who needs external prompts to behave properly is considered like an animal. That is, one who observes rituals and ceremonies and all sorts of wretched pedantry not because he sees them as the proper behavior but because his faith and understanding is that they will lead him to the World to Come is like an animal.

Here we must add that one who believes, from his own thoughts, that there are those of the Torahs’ laws which are not proper behavior (like the status of women, the treatment of gentiles, and many others) and who yet continues to fulfill them in hopes of receiving reward is like an animal with bit and bridle.



Have a good holiday,



Daat Emet