Tradition, Interrupted

One of the main claims asserted by the Jewish outreach industry is that the chain of tradition was never broken. This is the prerequisite for the Kuzari Principle™, the idea that the revelation at Sinai is likely to have happened because there has been an uninterrupted chain from father to son that it happened. And if it weren't true, this claim would have been rebutted by their children.

Note that Gottlieb never claims that his principle is proof for the revelation at Sinai but, in his words, "There is enough evidence in favor of the revelation to make it reasonable to accept."

For a clearer understanding of the Kuzari Principle, see Rabbi Gottlieb's The Kuzari Principle.

I find this 'principle' a lot of hogwash.

One reason is that the reason that Jewish people believe in the revelation at Sinai has more to do with indoctrination than a tradition from father to son. In fact, most people I know were just taught that the revelation of Sinai was true without a personal testimony of their fathers saying that they have a tradition that their great-great-great-(...)-grandfathers received the Torah at Sinai.

The other reason for doubt comes from nothing less than...Tenach!

Short history lesson: Nehemia was the governor of Persian Judaa during the Second Temple period. The Persian king Artaxerxes allowed Nehemia to rebuild the walls and the city of Jerusalem. He served in Judea for 12 years in total.

During the rededication of the Temple, on the first day, they read from the 'Book of Law'. On the second day, they continue to read in this book:

יד  וַיִּמְצְאוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה:  אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה בְּיַד-מֹשֶׁה, אֲשֶׁר יֵשְׁבוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּסֻּכּוֹת בֶּחָג בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי.	14 And they found written in the Law, how that the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;
טו  וַאֲשֶׁר יַשְׁמִיעוּ, וְיַעֲבִירוּ קוֹל בְּכָל-עָרֵיהֶם וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר--צְאוּ הָהָר וְהָבִיאוּ עֲלֵי-זַיִת וַעֲלֵי-עֵץ שֶׁמֶן, וַעֲלֵי הֲדַס וַעֲלֵי תְמָרִים וַעֲלֵי עֵץ עָבֹת:  לַעֲשֹׂת סֻכֹּת, כַּכָּתוּב.  {פ}	15 and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: 'Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.' {P}
טז  וַיֵּצְאוּ הָעָם, וַיָּבִיאוּ, וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם סֻכּוֹת אִישׁ עַל-גַּגּוֹ וּבְחַצְרֹתֵיהֶם, וּבְחַצְרוֹת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים--וּבִרְחוֹב שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם, וּבִרְחוֹב שַׁעַר אֶפְרָיִם.	16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim.
יז  וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כָל-הַקָּהָל הַשָּׁבִים מִן-הַשְּׁבִי סֻכּוֹת, וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בַסֻּכּוֹת--כִּי לֹא-עָשׂוּ מִימֵי יֵשׁוּעַ בִּן-נוּן כֵּן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד הַיּוֹם הַהוּא; וַתְּהִי שִׂמְחָה, גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד.	17 And all the congregation of them that were come back out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

Now, there are two interesting points here:

1. In verse 15, it appears that olive branches and branches of wild olive need to be used to make sukot (booths), and then writes 'as it is written'. I did not know of any references made or any commentators that explain it satisfactorily. It appears that these verses were lost in tradition.
2. From the fact that it says in verse 14 that they 'found' it written in the Torah that the Children of Israel should sit in booths, it seems that they were unaware of this fact. A fact that, nowadays, any school child knows. Furthermore, it appears that they did not dwell in booths since the days of Joshua: "for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so."

Both points, the 'lost' verses about the olive branches and the 'forgotten' tradition of dwelling in booths clearly demonstrate that tradition was, in fact, interrupted.


Click here for more articles on the weakness of the Kuzari Principle.

Thanks to Yoni Rachok for this quotation.

Excellent Podcast about Atheism and Morality

You can find the Point of Inquiry podcast, titled "Phil Zuckerman: Those Normal, Upstanding Nonbelievers" here.

Some great points Zuckerman makes:

• If you base your morality from scripture, it's not morality but obedience. Following orders is not morality. It is moral outsourcing.
  I am reminded of Nazi Germany. Morality was sacrificed on the altar of obedience to a totalitarian leader.
• Who is more moral? A person who understands why something is wrong and acts responsibly or someone who sticks to the rules out of fear of punishment and the promise of rewards
• Morality is derived from:
  
1. Empathy (evolutionary path)
2. Our parents
3. Our cultural norms and values
4. Personal experience.

Phil Zuckerman, a 3rd generation secular Jew, is a professor of sociology at Pitzer College and specializes in the sociology of secularity. He is also the author of Living the Secular Life: New Answers to Old Questions, Society without God, Faith No More: Why People Reject Religion and other books.