Question: I have a hard time believing that Orthodox Judaism as it is practiced today is exactly what Hashem (G-d) wants. He hasn’t revealed Himself to us since the days of biblical Judaism, and although I know that the rabbis were given the go-ahead to make rules as they see fit, I wonder how far we actually are from the essence of true Judaism as Hashem intended it. Maybe my issue lies in having shaky faith in the divine origin of the Oral Law (Torah She’Baal Peh). In any case, are there any books/articles that address this issue? Thanks!

Answer: I’ve very recently put together a web site that hopes to address questions of this sort from people just like you. Please take a look at my Project Emunah and let me know if you’ve got any problems or additions. On the subject of the authenticity of Oral Torah, see this page.

In the meantime, let me offer a few thoughts on this specific issue. I will first acknowledge that not everything we do today is necessarily a direct expression of Torah Judaism (either the written or the oral parts). Not only that, but there is quite a list of laws from the Talmud and codes that are simply ignored in our generations. The Maharitz Chiyus ( a 19th Century Torah authority) compiled an eye-opening list of them along with possible explanations why contemporary rabbinical leaders chose to avoid fighting openly for their observance. Having said that, I believe that the core of Torah practice is very much intact and that the intensity of Torah study through the ages has not only enabled continued loyalty to God’s Torah, but actually permits us to clearly verify it. It’s simply a matter of studying all Shas (Talmud) and Shulchan Aruch (The Code of Jewish Law) diligently for twenty years and overlaying modern observance onto the pure template that you will have mastered. Just in case you haven’t got twenty years free, next best might be spending some quality time with Rabbi S.R. Hirsch – especially with his Chumash and the Nineteen Letters (see especially Hirsch’s introduction to Genesis).

Now, I was exaggerating a bit above. It is possible, in less than twenty years, to take a particular law or custom and trace it back through the layers of authorities and see for ourselves how it connects to Torah sources (Hirsch and Malbim in particular do a good job in their commentaries to Chumash, The Five Books of Moses). I do this quite a lot in my own learning and that’s where my confidence comes from.

Perhaps I’ll try to address it a bit more fully on my site. In any case, I hope this has been useful and I invite you to let me know if I can help.

With my best wishes – and the expectation that your intelligent questions will lead to intelligent and satisfying answers (and, probably, more questions),

Rabbi Boruch Clinton
Ottawa, Canada