This article will not leave any space for possible arguments on the topic. This statement seems to be very bold when recalling that the most of the Jewish history it has been a topic for the debate, which according to the opinion of the Jewish mainstream ended centuries ago with victory of the Oral Torah promoters led by the Saadia Gaon whence creating modern form of Judaism which dominates Jewish theology since then.
This article does not present opinion of any human authority AT ALL. You don’t need to know the personality of the author because all the “arguments” presented here come from God – from His words as they have been recorded by Moses.
Though, one can argue that nobody can publish any written word without having one or another agenda – the not yet published idea, which compelled to be published, whence the article comes out… And this is absolutely true.
So, without going into the topic yet, below is the fundamental common sense beliefs of this author which he suggests you to believe too, or, otherwise, if you don’t accept any of these, you don’t need to read any further.
Author believes that:
Whenever Torah says that God commanded Moses to “write down”, he honestly wrote them down without any hidden agenda opposite to the God’s Will.
Whenever Torah says “All the words” – means truly “All the words”, or the other way to say this is – “complete” . Again we assume that Moses is honest – his deeds match his words.
Whenever we read that “Moses went on explaining God’s laws saying…” , – the following text is the recorded explanation of the Law.
If people heard the words spelled out by Moses as well as read from the book of Joshua, and they said that they will do all of it, that means that they understood what was read to them and that’s why they accepted the covenant and pledged to live by it. To think otherwise means to suggest that they were so stupid that they did not know what they were pledging to.
When God said “do not add to these words and do not remove from them” – He actually means what he says.
Whenever Moses wrote that this Torah was read to the people, we understand that what we are reading is the same as the one he had read to people of Israel back then since the recorded text in our possession tells us so.
And now, my dear reader, if above assumptions make common sense to you, continue reading. Following is exclusively God’s opinion on the matter provided with quote reference. If you don’t accept the above assumptions, … quit reading … CNN news will make more sense to you.
We encourage you to follow the references and read each quoted reference in the Torah to be familiar with the context where the quote was taken from because the context makes you to understand not only what God said but why God said what He said.
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Then Moses wrote down all the words of YHVH. (Exodus, 24:4)
He took the Book of the Covenant and he read it in the ears of the people and they said, “All that YHVH has spoken we will do and we will heed” (Exodus, 24:7)
God said to Moses, “Write these words down yourself, because it is through these words from my mouth that I have made a covenant with you and with Israel” (Exodus, 34:27)
Theses are the words which Moses spoke to All of Israel … according to All that YHVH had commanded him to tell them. (Deuteronomy 1:1-3, – First sentence of the book of Deuteronomy as to let us know what the book is about.)
Moses began to explain this Torah saying … (Deuteronomy 1:5 )
Which other great nation has decrees and laws as All this Torah which I am putting before you today? (Deuteronomy 4:8)
And Moses call all Israel and he said to them: “Hear Or Israel the decrees and laws which I am speaking to your ears today, you shall learn them and you shall take care to do them. (Deuteronomy 5:1)
Everything which I command you, that shall you observe to do: you shall not add to it, nor shall you remove from it. (Deuteronomy 13:1)
And it will be when he (the king ) sits securely on the throne of his kingdom he shall write a copy of this Torah for himself on a scroll copying from the one kept by Kohanim of the tribe of Levi. It shall be with him and he shall read from it all the days of his life so that he will learn to fear YHVH his God to keep all the words of this Torah and these decrees to carry them out. (Deuteronomy, 17:18-19)
So that his heart may not be lifted up over his countrymen, and he may not be turned away from the orders, to the right or left. (Deuteronomy 17:20)
This day YHVH your God is commanding you to practice all these decrees and laws with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 26:16, as a subject of all the Moses’ speech as recorded in Deuteronomy according to the recorded text itself)
You will setup for yourself large stones and you will plaster them with lime and you will write on them all the words of this Torah (Deuteronomy 27:2-3)
and, again, Moses repeats after few sentences
And you shall write on the stones all the words of this Torah in a clear (detail) words (Deuteronomy 27:8)
… if you will listen to the commandments of YHVH your God which I am commanding you today to keep them and to do and you must not stray from all the words which I am commanding you today either to the right or to the left going after other gods to serve them. And it will be if you will not listen to the voice of YHVH your God to carefully carry out all His commandments and His decrees which I am commanding you today then there will come upon you all these curses and they will overtake you. (Deuteronomy 28:13-15, think – why Moses repeats so many times all the same “which I am commanding you today”, — the words which are recorded in his Torah ? Guess…)
… and you will listen to the voice of YHVH and you will carry out all His commandments which I command you today. (Deuteronomy 27:8)
If you will not be careful to carry out all the words of this Torah which are written in this book … (Deuteronomy 28:58, whatever Moses tells Israel, all is recorded, just as he says)
These are the words of the covenant which YHVH commanded Moses to make with Children of Israel in the land of Moav. (Deuteronomy 28:69, all these words spelled out by Moses that day and recorded in his Torah constitute a complete covenant)
… when you obey the voice of YHVH your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of Torah; when you turn to YHVH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. Because this Law which I command you today is not hidden from you and it is not far away from you. (Deuteronomy 30:10, now Moses is using other words to highlight the completeness of the covenant spelled out and recorded by him, – “this law is not hidden from you “ – there is no need for commentaries to understand it, “… it is not far away from you” – everyone is capable to understand it.)
This mandate that I am prescribing you today is not mysterious or far away from you. It is not in the heaven as if to say “Who shall go up to heaven and bring it to us so that we can hear it and keep it? It is not across the sea as if to say: “Who will cross the sea and get it for us, so that we will be able to hear it and keep it?” It is something that is very close to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can keep it. ( Deuteronomy 30:11-14)
Then Moses put all this Law in writing, and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi… (Deuteronomy 31:9 )
When all Israel come to appear before the face of YHVH your God in the place which He will choose, you shall read this Torah in the presence of all Israel into their ears. So that they will learn and they will fear YHVH your God and they will be careful to carry out all the words of this Torah. (Deuteronomy, 31:11-12)
And it was when Moshe finished writing down the words of this Torah on a parchment scroll until he had completed them, Moshe commanded Leviim the bearers of Ark of the Covenant of YHVH saying: “Take this Book of Torah and put it at the side of Ark of the Covenant of YHVH your God and it shall remain there as a witness against you” (Deuteronomy 31:24-26 )
Give your full attention to all the words by which I testify to you today so that you will command your children about them to keep and do all the words of this Torah. Because it is not an empty thing for you – because that is your life. (Deuteronomy 32:46-47)
After that, he (Joshua) read all the words of the Torah, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Torah. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read to the entire congregation of Israel, the women and the children and the converts that walked among them. (Joshua 8:34-35)
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