Does the Torah “Fit” the 21st Century? A Tazria Debate

For my class on Parashat Tazria, I arrived especially well prepared. I teach a weekly Torah portion class to a group of retirees, and they greatly enjoy hearing the different explanations behind the mitzvot from various commentators. Parashat Tazria deals with laws that feel distant from modern life, including ritual purity and impurity, tzaraat, and the offerings brought after childbirth.

That week, one of the long-time participants came with his son. The son, young and energetic, sat in the front row beside his father. Before I could even finish a sentence introducing the themes of the parasha, he interrupted: “Honestly, all these laws — the impurity of a woman after childbirth, counting certain days, sending away birds — this doesn’t belong in the 21st century. None of it, and none of the explanations you’re quoting from commentators. Just move forward to the modern world; this doesn’t fit today.”

The Question I Was Not Ready For

I hadn’t prepared for that challenge. I paused and tried to understand what really lay behind this “argument.” What exactly is it about the 21st century that we are supposedly obligated to advance toward? Are we truly required to follow it unquestioningly?

The underlying message of that famous claim seems to be: “It doesn’t matter how logical your explanation is, how many sources you bring, or how wise the authorities you quote may be. Some things simply don’t ‘fit’ anymore.” But why not?

Every society has cultural norms that are not necessarily based on logic or reasoning. When someone insists that people should do only what is “appropriate” or currently accepted by contemporary culture, the message is often: Be part of the herd. Don’t think independently. Don’t express a different perspective.

Even if an action is rational, meaningful, and well explained, if it does not align with the prevailing culture, it is dismissed as “outdated” or “irrelevant,” without any further justification.

It is fascinating that every generation raises this same claim with great confidence — though each time in a different direction. Avraham himself heard from Nimrod that his beliefs were “not suitable” for the spirit of the age, that questioning idol worship was old-fashioned and ridiculous. The sages of the Talmudic era, who stood firm against Roman culture, were likewise told that their practices did not fit the enlightened Roman world.

Standing Apart From the Crowd

As descendants of Avraham the Hebrew — who stood on one side while the entire world stood on the other, we do not base our choices on herd mentality or on slogans like “it doesn’t fit today.” Such statements often reveal a lack of courage to stand apart from popular opinion.

Adapting certainly makes sense in the technological realm. We prefer efficient computers, modern vehicles, and advanced tools. But in the moral and ethical realm, the world has not necessarily progressed. Even recently, wars have erupted in Europe driven by greed and cruelty, with little sign of genuine moral advancement.

We do not need to reshape ourselves according to the conventions of the age. On the contrary, we must be ready — when necessary, to question them, just as the children of Avraham always have.

We approach the laws of the Torah knowing that they are the principles that sustain the world. Through them our people have endured longer than any other nation. Rather than adapting the Torah to our lives, we shape our lives according to the Torah’s laws — trusting that timeless values remain relevant far beyond any passing cultural trend.