How Torah Undermines the Very Slavery It Permits
http://www.derekleman.com/musings/how-torah-undermines-the-very-slavery-it-permits/ 5 February, 2013 · by Derek Leman Is the written Torah a set of ideal laws or a constitution for a people? Is it a collection of timeless principles or time-bound laws for an actual people? Is it social legislation or a set of ethical ideals? Many people want Torah to be something it is not. Many want Torah not to have commandments about owning slaves, taking war brides, and executing non-believers. But many people need to learn to see what is in Torah theologically, with eyes for the way Torah does reveal God’s ideal ways, as a scroll bringing real people from human evil on a trajectory toward perfect justice. Before I get into some commentary on slavery and the Torah, let me describe the idea of following a trajectory in scripture rather than simply following literally each and every commandment and idea in the Bible. The Bible contains law-codes, histories, wisdom, and p...