EE & R, 2_18: Knowing Hashem: Criticism of the Bible Critics
EE & R, 2_18: Knowing Hashem: Criticism of the Bible Critics
(For the previous installment of "Exodus, Exile and Redemption," click here. For ToC, click here.)
In this chapter, I diverge from the main focus of this work to highlight an important lesson from our study on decoding the secrets of Tanach.
Our journey on the Path to Knowledge, initiated in chapter 3, tackled an apparent contradiction in the Torah: Was Hashem’s name revealed to Avraham and to Yaakov, or was it first revealed only to Moshe? Through meticulous analysis, we’ve learned that the revelation of Hashem’s name epitomizes knowing Him, the pinnacle of human aspiration, which appeared to the patriarchs as an enticing but unrealized ideal. The path to divine knowledge is fraught with challenges, its elusive nature reflected in its narrative ambiguity. Our exploration, particularly through the intricate allusions contained in Yaakov’s narrative, has not only reconstructed the ancient prophetic method for attaining knowledge but also equipped us with insights for deeper biblical understanding.
This sharply contrasts with the conclusions drawn by those who perceive the prophetic writings as mere human artifacts, most notably proponents of the Documentary Hypothesis. This theory, which suggests multiple authors for the Torah based on contradictions such as the timing of the revelation of Hashem’s name, might seem logical when treating the Bible as a secular document. However, a perspective that assumes from the outset the Bible’s lack of divinity prevents its adherents from discovering profound truths worthy of the divine. Its proponents engage in circular reasoning by presupposing their conclusions within their premises, thus failing to scientifically disprove the Bible’s divine origin.
Consider the sublime ideas we have unearthed by treating the prophetic works as divine texts concealing the deepest mysteries, and contrast this to those who assume these works are mundane and therefore find nothing beyond what they imagine to be human capacity! By approaching the Bible with an openness to the possibility of divine revelation, we allow ourselves to access depths unreachable to those confined by secular interpretations. Our study, along with further explorations within this work, poses a strong challenge to the tenability of a non-divine stance on scripture, and advocates for a view of the Tanach as a divine work, to be approached with the same wonder, reverence and open-mindedness with which the greatest scientists approach nature, God’s other grand composition.