Deuteronomy 17 Wisdom & Questions

This week discussion had so many diverse subjects bouncing around that actually I think I mostly picked up little bits of wisdom and thinking:

' to deify what "is" is dangerous because what "is" can be destroyed'

' what "is" versus what "will be" defines that God is not static'

Torah in this part of Deuteronomy shows that there was a strategy to 'fight' against the Paganism of the times which was a threat to their existence and thus worshiping idols and nature was like treason.

Torah doesn't respond to what you believe, it responds to what you do.

Maimonides - We are free to choose how we live and thus we are accountable. If we were not free then there would be no accountability.

Freedom is the "Cornerstone of Judaism"

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Justice & Witness Validity is specified and makes it very difficult to prosecute without substantial evidence of the 'crime'

Later texts interpret that an exhaustive study of witness and testimony is needed to justify a capital crime.

Instructions to the witness according to the Mishna Sanhedrin includes a very strict admonishment of the witnesses to warn against using hearsay and emphasizing their responsibility in a capital crime.

Link: Mishna on Witnesses

Quote from web on subject:

"How are witnesses inspired with awe in capital cases?" the Mishna begins. "They are brought in and admonished as follows: In case you may want to offer testimony that is only conjecture or hearsay or secondhand evidence, even from a person you consider trustworthy; or in the event you do not know that we shall test you by cross-examination and inquiry, then know that capital cases are not like monetary cases. In monetary cases, a man can make monetary restitution and be forgiven, but in capital cases both the blood of the man put to death and the blood of his [potential] descendants are on the witness's head until the end of time. For thus we find in the case of Cain, who killed his brother, that it is written: 'The bloods of your brother cry unto Me' (Genesis 4:10) — that is, his blood and the blood of his potential descendants.... Therefore was the first man, Adam, created alone, to teach us that whoever destroys a single life, the Bible considers it as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a single life, the Bible considers it as if he saved an entire world. Furthermore, only one man, Adam, was created for the sake of peace among men, so that no one should say to his fellow, 'My father was greater than yours.... Also, man [was created singly] to show the greatness of the Holy One, Blessed be He, for if a man strikes many coins from one mold, they all resemble one another, but the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He, made each man in the image of Adam, and yet not one of them resembles his fellow. Therefore every single person is obligated to say, 'The world was created for my sake"' (Mishna Sanhedrin 4:5). (One commentary notes, "How grave the responsibility, therefore, of corrupting myself by giving false evidence, and thus bringing [upon myself the moral guilt of [murdering] a whole world.")

Telling us that people are not like coins... each one is not an exact duplicate of the previous one or the die...

The Mishna tells us, "Whoever saves the life of a Jew it is considered as if he had saved the entire world."
And the contrary "whoever takes the life of a Jew also kills and entire world"
This refers to not only the person but also his/her descendants.

seems like scattered thoughts all from the same few lines of Torah...

This document never ceases to amaze how much is in each word, sentence, etc.

BUT on the other hand... here is a link to an almost dangerous interpretation of this part of the Torah:

The Skeptic Point of View

Sometimes it is good to look at this viewpoint to see how dangerous some parts can be when the whole history is not explored.