Risk
 
Moshe Ben-Chaim
 
Question:
Bible Criticism. What is your take on it?
 

Response:

Bible criticism is an attempt to analyze the Bible without knowing the process of analyzation. The Torah was given both in Written form and in Oral form. The Oral Law is integrally joined with the written law. Without it, one cannot understand the Bible. As well, it takes years of mastery to understand the process of analyzation.
 
As an example, if one entered the world of physics, and began to analyze it as if it was American law, one will use his frame of reference (law) and impose those techniques onto physics. He will see very soon that "finding a reasonable doubt" about a theory in physics does not necessitate it as being false.
 
When one enters into a new area, all he has to use to understand this new area is his frame of reference. And one frame of reference will not suffice for another.
 
An added problem when trying to understand the Bible, is that since there is no "laboratory" to prove the results, one will be mislead by his own misconceptions, and his ego, and feel correct in his own interpretations. He will feel that the Torah is literature, and look at it the same way. The idea that one can easily slip into Torah analyzation from being involved in the secular world, is ludicrous. G-d designed the Torah, and as such, it deserves the years of learning which all Torah scholars spent to just get a handle on how to approach this carefully designed book.
 
The Torah deals with basic concepts in philosophy and psychology, and without a firm foundation in these areas too, one will not understand the benefit for man in all the laws and ideas.
 


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