Beyond Reasonable Doubt

by Louis Jacobs

Book Overview

More than forty years have passed since Louis Jacobs first put forward the argument that traditionally observant Jews have no reason to take issue with the results obtained by the historical critics in their investigation into the Bible and the other classical sources of Judaism. In his numerous works on Jewish theology and in lectures worldwide, Jacobs has argued that the traditional doctrine which claims that 'the Torah is from Heaven' can and...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1874774587
• ISBN13: 9781874774587
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Littman Library of Jewish Civilization
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

really two books smushed into one...

Each of which would have been better had they been separate books. The first book criticizes the traditional Jewish belief in the Torah as divine revelation, and proposes "Liberal Supernaturalism" as an alternative (i.e. accepting man-made halacha even if it rests on a man-made Torah rather than a purely Divine Torah). Contrary to what one reviewer wrote, Jacobs does not limit his justification for this view to Psalms; he goes over a few inconsistencies in the Pentateuch itself. Nevertheless, the broader point stands: Jacobs devotes one chapter to an issue that really is worth a full book or something close to it. Jacobs then justifies halacha on the ground that it connects us with the Jewish tradition and with holiness generally- a point of view likely to persuade more-or-less observant Jews, but less likely to persuade the apathetic. The second book is an excellent little guide to the factions within Judaism (leaving aside Conservative Judaism, which the author's "Liberal Supernaturalism" chapter implicitly argues for). Jacobs seems to maintain an OK balance between criticism of and respect for both Reform and for various tendencies within Orthodoxy (including Hasidism, mysticism, Modern Orthodoxy, and other more traditional variants of Orthodoxy).

Leading theologian makes convincing arguments

I find one of the reviews on this site curious; it makes the bizarre claim that modern day academics have abandoned the findings of higher biblical criticism: i.e. the fact that we now know that the current text of the Torah was redacted together from several earlier sources. The fact is that this is not a matter of debate in any academic circles, religious or non-religious. No uneducated and bible-thumping fundamentalists can claim otherwise. On this subject, it is best to read "Who Wrote the Bible" by Richard Elliot Friedman.The strenght of Louis Jacob's theology is that he moves beyond the "Do it because I told you God said so" approach so popular among the Orthodox. Orthodox Jews claim that the text of the Torah is a direct quote from God, and thus we are obligated to follow its rules. Non-religious Jews use the findings of modern critical Bible study to show that since our understanding of how the Bible was edited is now known to be flawed, then it can't possibly be inspired in any way; therefore, humanity is free from trying to follow the word of God in this way (or in any way). In between these paths lies a view promoted by Rabbi Jacobs, and by Masorti and Conservative Judaism in general. He notes that *how* God inspired man is one question; whether or not God does so is another. If God does exist, and does inspire mankind in some way, then the Torah may well contain man's understanding of God's will, as Judaism has always claimed. Unfortunately, no brief review can do justice to the subtle and convincing arguments that Rabbi Jacobs makes for his views: non-fundamentalist, observant, authentic Judaism. You will have to read it for yourself - and you'll be the better for it. Also, I strongly suggest obtaining "Halakha for Our Time" by Rabbi David Golinkin, published by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and "The Dynamics of Judaism", by Rabbi Robert Gordis.

A bold effort to synthesize modern research with belief.

In defense of Jacobs' much-maligned works, I believe that this book makes a valiant effort to describe a mode of Judaism that harmonizes historical-critical research and belief. Although the author himself admits that gray areas do exist in his non-traditional "liberal supernaturalism", it is certainly a step toward a definition of belief for today's Jews. The book is written in a very personal tone, one that some readers may find distracting; I found it to add an interesting autobiographical flavor, one that reflects Jacobs' journey from yeshiva student to Masorti proponent. Incidentally, he makes no claim that the so-called "High criticism" represented by Wellhausen's Documentary Hypothesis has been utterly rejected, only that it has been subject to scholarly revision and modification in recent years.