A History of the Torah

No mission is as critical to the success of humanity as the mission that began at the Mount Sinai and continues to this very day of transmitting the Torah from generation to generation accurately. After all, the Torah is what differentiates the Jewish people from the nations of the world; it is what we mean when we say chosen people – the nation entrusted by God to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”; to be a beacon to the nations; to be a the world’s moral guardian and spiritual guide – as per the instructions of the Torah. Our national success or failure, and in turn the success and failure of humanity is contingent on our maintaining the Torah and teaching it and observing it with absolutely zero deviation from the way Moses received it from God Almighty. Over the course of the 3,000+ years since that most monumental event, there have been times where the continued transmission in total accuracy was in jeopardy and the great leaders of the time had the vision and the foresight to prevent that catastrophe from happening. How was the Torah transmitted so accurately? What were the innovations and adaptations that were instituted? What is the deal with all the disagreements? Who were these people and why does all this matter?

This is part 2 of a series. For Part 1 click HERE