Some of these next few quotes will be from Kushner's views of the Torah, but have some tremendous insight. I wish I could read the amazing stories in here, including this one in chapter 7, but I'll just have to go with the quotes for now.
"Because we each hear the words of Torah in a unique way, Jews routinely argue about their meaning. Such argument should not be misconstrued as fighting. When Jews disagree or argue about the meaning of Torah, they are actually helping one another to become better Jews."
"In Hebrew such an argument is called l'shaym shamayim: an argument for God's sake (Talmud Avot 5.17). Trying to understand the Torah is an endless search. No matter how many times we reread it, or how many times we are sure we understand it, a new interpretation will arise to challenge our understanding"
"Every generation finds new meaning in the Torah. In trying to understand its teachings, we make ourselves better people. Jews have never found a better way of learning about God and of coming close to God. Everything we learn and everything we are as Jews comes from Torah."
The first time I read this was monumental in my view of the Scriptures. For so long, I was afraid of those who had different takes than me. I campaigned for certain interpretations of Scripture. I was always told that "there is only one interpretation, and that is God's." My question is, is there more than one? If the Jewish people have this view of the Torah (and this ancestry is our roots, my friends), then what does that say about our current discussions as American Christians in regards to Scripture. Look, I'm not saying that we shouldn't argue about our interpretations, the Jews sure do (there's a good quote I heard about that, "When 2 rabbis get together, there are always 3 opinions."), but do we look at it as actually making us more committed followers of Jesus? Jesus proclaimed himself to be a living Torah, what it looks like for one to walk in light of what the Torah means. He brought deeper understanding to the Torah when he was here (Matt. 5-7 is a great example, the phrase, "You have heard that it was said...but I say to you," was a classic phrase a special kind of rabbi would use to give a deeper meaning to the Torah), so what does that do to our current views of Scripture?
I know I can be trodding on some shady ground here, and please don't misunderstand me, but I was in such a defensive posture that I looked at argument of the Scriptures as a bad thing. That I was not making myself nor them a better Christian because of it.
I guess the question I ask myself regarding this is, "Am I helping this person become more exemplary of the fruit of the Spirit?" Granted, the other person must make a choice to respond, but am I arguing with the fruit of the Spirit in my mind?
On another note, on the new generations bringing new meanings to the text, do we look at this as a bad thing? The Jews look at the Torah as this endless well of meaning, not something fixed in a vacuum, because God is much bigger than our interpretations, and He can bring out endless meanings. So if I feel threatened by a different take on the text, do I immediately dismiss it, or do I examine it, digest it, and ask more questions?
I value tradition, trust me. I value the historic, "orthodox," Christian faith, but at the same time, I don't think we should be threatened when someone brings something different to the text than what I thought. I should examine it and ask how this helps me become more like Jesus.
It's a lot of thinking out loud, but this little snippet has been a revelation in my journey.
