According to most scholars, the Torah was written about 2,500 years ago. As our society has evolved over the past two and a half millennia, these texts obviously have not changed. Today, so many of us surround ourselves with Jewish culture and identity but fail to maintain a deep relationship with the Torah. In this article, I aim to explain why the dated language and diction of the Torah should not interfere with our twenty-first-century interpretation of this text.

Growing up, I understood the importance of the Torah but failed to understand its countless complexities and ambiguities. For example, I remember reading Leviticus 19:19 in fifth grade and being utterly confused. “Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee.” Was this excerpt talking about literally not planting more than one crop in a field, or was this a covert statement on the importance of purity? These instances of obscurity and vagueness, as a result of the ‘prehistoric’ style of writing, can create a disconnect between younger generations and our most hallowed text.

I strongly stand behind the belief that our holy Torah transcends time and is still applicable to our modern day, if only a bit confusing. In fact, some excerpts from the Torah have never been more relevant than in our current time of discord and rapid change. In Genesis 2:15, it is stated that, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Without diving into the text, this appears to simply be a statement about the Garden of Eden and the responsibilities of Adam and Eve. However, in 2024, with ocean levels, worldwide temperatures, air quality deterioration, and natural disasters at alarmingly high levels, this text can be extrapolated to the world as a whole. In current diction and syntax, we can see that God took man and placed him on Earth to take care of it, not create climate change. This is clearly a plea for environmental sustainability, a very timely topic.

There are countless other examples of this current relevance. Exodus 22:21 states, “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” This excerpt is very important in our current society where racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and general hate are at a high. Written 2,500 years ago, this excerpt tells Jews to be accepting of everyone, namely refugees and those less fortunate, as we were once slaves.

Leviticus 13-14 speaks on the importance of quarantine and safety procedures during leprosy outbreaks. The specific strategies used to restrict the disease are very similar to the ones used today to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including vaccinations, mental health awareness, quarantining, and more.

Lastly, Leviticus 19:15 says, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” Although this one was written in God’s Code of Holiness, it still very much applies to our current world. In a simpler form, this tells Jews to treat everyone with kindness, no matter if they’re rich or poor, and give no one partiality or unequal treatment based on their situation or clout.

Overall, it is clear to me that there is a lack of effort to make the Torah more approachable to teens and the younger generation as a whole. The “scary” Hebrew writing without vowels and dated word choice should not be a barrier to keep us from understanding and learning from our most important texts. The Torah is overflowing with lessons of integrity and kindness. Spend some time learning about the Torah’s teachings and I promise you won’t regret it!