TORAH MIN HASHAMAYIM IN ORTHODOX THEOLOGY

The meaning of Torah min HaShamayim has been debated by Jewish theologians across the centuries and these discussions have intensified in the light of modern science and critical historical and biblical studies. The understandings of what is meant by the divinely revealed Torah have historically marked the boundaries of the Jewish community, and in the contemporary world define the limits of Orthodox Jewish identity. The recent statement of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) on Torah is the starting point for an analysis of two novel models of revelation by Louis Jacobs and Emmanuel Lévinas. The conclusion focuses on their ongoing relevance to the contemporary debates at the very heart of Orthodox Judaism.