Embracing the Timeless: Are Torah Laws Outdated for the 21st Century?

Recently, I arrived thoroughly prepared for a discussion on the weekly Torah portion, *Tazria*. I teach a class on the weekly parashah to retirees, and they genuinely enjoy hearing the insights on the commandments from various perspectives. The portion of *Tazria* deals with laws that seem far removed from our modern lives—impurity and purity laws, leprosy, and offerings for new mothers. Given the challenges of the material, I had summarized the interpretations from different commentators and was ready to engage. At least, that’s what I thought.

However, this week, a veteran participant leaned on his son for assistance. The son, young and energetic, sat in the front row and interrupted me before I could finish a thought on the topics at hand. He exclaimed, "Come on, all these laws about a woman’s impurity, counting days, sending birds—it’s just not fitting for the 21st century. None of this, including your explanations from the commentators, aligns with modern times. Just move forward to the 21st century; it’s simply outdated!"

I hadn’t prepared for that question, so I tried to think: What’s underlying this argument? Is there something about the 21st century that compels us to hurry towards it? Must we?

This timeless statement essentially communicates: "It doesn’t matter if you explain things logically, if you provide reasons, or if you quote respected thinkers. Regardless of your logic or justification, some things simply don’t fit." But why not?

There are cultural norms in the world that aren’t contingent upon arguments, logic, or explanations. The claim that demands individuals only do what is "appropriate," meaning what is accepted in current culture, reflects a demand to blend in without questioning. It urges us to follow the herd, silencing alternative opinions. Moreover, if you engage in something that, despite being explained and reasoned, doesn't find its place in our culture—it is dismissed as "outdated" or "not suitable," with no further reason needed.

Interestingly, every generation raises this same argument with a strong voice, and of course—each time, it shifts direction. Even our forefather Abraham was told by Nimrod that his actions "were not suitable for the 17th century BCE." He faced ridicule for embracing ideas that were perceived as old-fashioned and unacceptable, as did our ancestors in the time of the Tannaim, who battled against Roman culture, receiving reasons why their actions were "inappropriate" according to the enlightened Roman ethos, and so on.

As descendants of Abraham the Hebrew, whom the entire world sees one way, and he sees another, we do not weigh our choices based on herd mentality, dismissive phrases like "not fitting for today" or "not suitable yesterday." Such statements are fleeting; they signal weakness from those who lack the strength to break free from the crowd.

Adapting to the year 2024 belongs primarily in the technological realm: we prefer vehicles that are not clunkers, computers that run fast and efficiently, and so forth. However, in terms of values and ethics, it's clear that the world isn’t more morally commendable now than in the past. Only weeks ago, Europe has seen wars erupt without reason—just greed and cruelty behind them, revealing little in terms of ethics, morality, or goodness. We have no obligation to conform to contemporary norms; rather, we should be ready and able to challenge them when necessary, as befitting the descendants of Abraham.

We look upon the laws of the Torah, knowing they are the frameworks that sustain the world. They are the reason our people have thrived for so many years, more than any other nation on earth, and we align our lives with these laws, not the other way around.